《She's My Sleeping Pill》


 Chapter 1 - IM A RECEPTIONIST NOT A BEDWARMER

    <h4>Chapter 1 - I''M A RECEPTIONIST NOT A BEDWARMER</h4>


    NOTE: The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any simrity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the authors. To the extent any real names of individuals, locations, or organizations are included in the book, they are used fictitiously and not intended to be taken otherwise.


    ********************************


    THIS IS A SEQUEL TO THE BOOK "CHASING AFTER MY WIFE"THERE ARE SOME EVENTS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT QUITE UNDERSTAND SO, YOU CAN READ THE FIRST BOOK BEFORE READING THIS.


    I DON''T MIND YOU READING THIS WITHOUT READING THE BOOK 1 AS WELL.


    ANYWAY, I HOPE YOU''LL ENJOY THIS WORK!


    LOVE LOTS!


    *********************************


    It''s been a year since Cayenne started working as a receptionist in Clover Hotel found in city A. It was supposedly a shifting schedule but she asked her manager to keep her in a night shift. Though it was dangerous, it was the only way she could think of to keep her job at night and work in a caf¨¦ during the day. She had to work for her family or else they would perish in this world.


    "You didn''t change your shift again?" Kyle, her 18-year-old brother asked after seeing that she was preparing for her work early in the evening. "Sis, I can already work. Why not give up your night job and let me work instead?"


    "No, you can''t. You have to focus with your study. Don''t worry about me." Cayenne smiled and reached out to rub her brother''s curly hair. "Make sure to do your home works."


    Kyle and Luiz nodded their head obediently. Inside the small apartment room, only the three of them were staying. They don''t have a father to take care of them and their mother was also hospitalized due to her tuberculosis. Cayenne Ardolf was the eldest among the three siblings. She just turned twenty-three years oldst month and she was also the breadwinner of the family. Kyle was the second child. He was currently a freshman in college and was taking up a Bachelor of Education major in Mathematics course. Luiz being the youngest just turned sixteen years oldst week and was senior high school student.


    Seeing how hard working their sister was, the two of them were studying hard to repay her as well. Kyle wanted to work part-time somewhere but Cayenne refused his suggestion. As a sister and elder, she didn''t want her siblings to suffer the same fate that she has. She wasn''t able to finish her degree after her mother got admitted to the hospital.


    Instead of studying, Cayenne chose to work and help her family. She worked as a waitress in a caf¨¦ during the day from nine in the morning to six in the evening, worked as a cashier in a convenience store during night time from nine in the evening to six in the morning -that was before she started working as a receptionist. The interval time were the only time that she could rest before the cycle begins again. During weekend, she worked as a tutor in the morning and baby sitter in the afternoon. Sometimes she would wash dirty clothes or sell banana cue and other stuff in their neighborhood. She had been working for almost five years just to sustain her brothers need and her mother''s hospital bill and medication.


    She rummaged through her small cab and found the letter that she had been keeping. It was creased, dusty and turned a bit yellowish. It was the letter that Jillyanna Madrigal gave her a year ago. The letter of encouragement was the reason that she kept moving forward despite her difficulties.


    "I still have two hours before the shift start." She folded her uniform and ced it inside her bag before grabbing an old down jacket. The season had changed and it was getting colder outside. Kyle and Luiz were sitting around their small table, doing their assignments quietly.


    "Are you leaving now?" Kyle raised his head from his notebook and asked her.


    "Hn. I''ll leave early while it isn''t veryte yet. I can take a short nap in our lounge before my shift start so it would be fine." Cayenne responded before putting on her shoes. "Make sure to wake up early tomorrow."


    "Hn. We will keep an rm." Kyle stated and watched her sister open the door and left for work. "Luiz, did you pass the schrship exam that you tookst week?"


    "The result will be out tomorrow." Luiz informed his brother. They were secretly taking schrship exams behind Cayenne''s back and the money that she gave them for tuition fees were saved in case of emergency. Cayenne didn''t know it. While she was worrying for them, her little brothers were also worried for her.


    In Clover Hotel, Stefan was currently staying at the top most floor of the building. It was his personal space whenever he wanted to stay in the city. He didn''t buy his own house since there''s no point buying one when there''s no one who will live in it. "Sir, your father called and was asking if you will being to spend your birthday with them." His secretary as well as bodyguard asked him.


    "Nope. I don''t want to celebrate it." Came Stefan''s short answer. "I''ve got nothing scheduled for the rest of the night. You can go home now."


    "Thank you, sir. Be careful always." The man bowed his head and left his master alone.


    Stefan learned to trust no one after the death of his brother fifteen years ago. He had been suffering from insomnia and even alcohols and sleeping pills no longer work for him. He could sometimes get a short nap but he would be jolted awake by nightmares.


    The image of his brother, dying right in front of him haunted him for years. He might not be the direct cause of his death but if Stefan didn''t wake up or if he didn''t shout for help, his brother wouldn''te to his rescue and die in his stead. He was supposed to die that night but his elder brother took his ce.


    His parents might not be saying anything to him but they were secretly ming him. The smart, kind, honest and amazing child they had died because of him. Stefan tried his best but his parents never once praised him. They never acknowledged his effort. Since no one cared for him, he might as well leave.


    On his own, he strived so hard to achieve the things he got right now. He studied hard to aplish his goals without getting any help from his parents.


    "If I had died that night, I wouldn''t be this lonely. I wouldn''t be alone." He murmured while watching the city lights outside the building. "Why do I have to live and suffer?" He questioned no one in particr. He''s got money but no one truly cared for him. Women were after his money. Men were after his business. No one really wanted to be friends with him. The only person who had been true to him was Travis.


    Ever since they met in college, they wouldn''t cross each other''s line but they were honest with each other''s opinion. It was also Travis who helped him without asking anything in return. But being the good and conscientious guy, he still gave him a small share of the one and only hotel branch he owned in city B.


    Travis didn''t meddle with his ways of business deals and he was doing the same. It was their way of showing respect to each other.


    "I will have another long night." He mumbled to himself upon seeing that the time on his wrist watch. He pressed the inte on the side of his door which will directly send his message to the employee''s lounge on the ground floor. "Bring me the best wine we have." That''s all and he turned off the inte.


    Manager Dan scampered away to get what their boss needed. Right on time, Cayenne finished changing her clothes and was about to go out and stay in the lobby.


    "Cayenne, bring this to the top floor."


    "Huh? Top floor? Isn''t that="


    "Go now or that boss will fire all of us." Manager Dan pushed her a little and Cayenne immediately the cart with a cold wine in a bucket. She was startled by her manager earlier and now that she was on her way up to the demon''sir, she was shaking nervously.


    It was the first time that she was told to bring something to the top floor and her heart was beating so fast. She would never forget the way he scolded her on her first day at work. It was also the day that Jillyanna came to her rescue.


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    Stefan opened the door and found her standing with a faint smile. "Good evening, sir. This is the wine that Manager Dan told me to bring." Her soft and low voice was just enough for him to hear. In fact, her heart was pounding really hard that she could hear it more than her words.


    "Come inside and pour me a drink."


    Cayenne was rooted in her ce with her eyes wide open. "Sir?" she blinked her eyes at him since she wasn''t sure if she heard him right.


    "I told you toe inside and pour me a drink. What are you still doing there gawking like a fool?" His words were harsh but Cayenne didn''t take it to heart. She knew that she will face people like him in her line of work.


    She got inside, pushing the cart in and stopped in the spacious room. She opened the wine with ease and poured a good amount of wine on a wine ss. She handed it quietly to him, unsure as to what she should do in his presence.


    "Uhm..is there anything else you need sir? If none, I will go back to my work." Cayenne asked politely to make sure that she won''t step on andmine.


    "Come and join me for a drink."


    "I''m sorry, sir but I can''t drink while working. It''s against the rules for employees here."


    "But I am the boss. I made the rules and I can break it whenever I want to."


    Cayenne was speechless beyond belief. She didn''t know what to do at time like this and she didn''t want to offend her boss as well. "Sir, I don''t want to be rude but, I applied to work as a receptionist not to be someone to warm your bed."


    Stefan looked at her and smirked. ''Stop ying like an innocent virgin.'' He thought to himself with ridicule. Nheless, he kept his opinion to himself. "I don''t need you to warm my bed. Just apany me for a drink."


    Left with no choice, and since she didn''t want to lose her job, Cayenne poured another ss of wine for herself.

 Chapter 2 - I SLEPT WITH MY BOSS!

    <h4>Chapter 2 - I SLEPT WITH MY BOSS!</h4>


    The wine tasted a little sweet and bitter. The scent was really sweet and she seemed addicted to it. "No wonder they kept telling me to stay away from this kind of drinks. It''s addicting." She murmured to herself while looking at the dark red liquid on her wine ss.


    "Sir, why don''t you ask someone else to apany you? Like a man perhaps. I don''t think it''s nice for a girl to stay in your room. Aside from that, I still have to work." Cayenne tried once again to leave him. She had no idea what to do once she''s alone with a single man in single room.


    Stefan looked at her and ignored her suggestion. "Don''t worry, your sry won''t be deducted."


    "Okay." That was what she really worries about. She didn''t want anyone sabotaging her job when she needed money the most. She took another sip of the wine, sitting quietly not so far yet not so close to him.


    "How old are you? You look really young."


    "I just turned twenty-threest month, sir." Cayenne answered politely.


    "You didn''t go to university?"


    "No, sir."


    Stefan raised his eyebrow at her. He thought that she was like those women who would curry favor with him. However, as they continued to converse, she stayed polite and maintained distance from him.


    "Why did you choose to work here by the way?"


    "Because I can work peacefully and the pay is good as well."


    "That''s all?"


    "Hn."


    Stefan chuckled faintly after getting her response. He was waiting for her to use sweet words and sugar-coated statement but she was rather straight forward and honest with her opinion.


    Cayenne looked down on her hands which was holding the wine ss. Even though she was just sitting, she could feel that the world was spinning. "Sir, can I use your bathroom? I really need to wash my face." She wanted to ssh a cold water on her face to wake her up. She thought she was just getting tired and sleepy from all the work she had been doing recently. She never suspected the wine that she just drank.


    Stefan pointed the direction of the bathroom for her but before she could even reach the ce, she copsed and fell on the ground. "She can''t hold that much liquor but she stayed." He murmured to himself before putting down his ss and walked towards her. Effortlessly, he carried her towards his bed andid her down.


    "She actually looks pretty." He noted to himself when he looked at her closely. Her Greek nose matches her small face. Hershes were thick and long, a little bit curvy, fanning her face under the dimly lit room.


    Stefan left her alone and continued to drink his wine while looking at the bustling city below. "Why did I ask her to apany me again?" He asked himself when he couldn''t remember the reason why he asked her to stay. Even after drinking so much wine, he was still wide awake instead of getting sleepy. He yed different mobile games, counted sheep, do mental calction but his energy was never drained.


    "Isn''t she going to wake up?" he mumbled while stealing nces at the sleeping woman. He wanted to call someone and send her home but he also thought it would be rude since he was the one who caused her to pass out. "Come to think of it, I dated women before but I never slept with them. She is actually the first one to sleep in my bed."


    A sudden idea popped in his head. He knew that she wasn''t the same as the women that he dated and that made him want to tease her. He climbed on to the bed and lie down next to her. It was meant too tease her. If he knew that he would be addicted to her warmth, he would have never done such a thing.


    Instead of teasing her, he really fell asleep next to her ¨C a peaceful and dreamless sleep at that.


    Cayenne was the first to wake up and her head was still throbbing. When her vision finally cleared, she was so scared to her wit''s end. She was actually sleeping in Stefan''s arms, on his bed, under the same nket and he was holding her close to him. She gulped the scream that wanted to escape from her throat and tried removing his arms, slowly but surely, away from her waist.


    ''Lord, please don''t let him think anything about this. Please let him sleep for a little while more. Please let me escape from this ce. I don''t want to lose my job.'' She was praying mentally while slowly moving away from him. She moved and moved, unknowingly, she was already at the edge on her side of the bed.


    THUMP!


    She fell andnded with her butt on the floor. ''Thank God! It''s carpeted.'' She thought to herself while rubbing her butt cheek which still hurt even though there was a carpet. She tried feeling herself and found that there wasn''t anything wrong with her. ''Thank you for keeping me safe, Lord. I thought it was the end of mest night.''


    She looked at her sleeping boss onest time. After making sure that he was still asleep, she silently ran and walked out of the room. She went to the nearest bathroom to fix her uniform before going back to her post. She still got one more hour before her shift would end.


    On the top most floor, Stefan had a wide smile on his lips. He wanted tough at her when she fell on the floor but he stopped himself to avoid embarrassing her. The moment Cayenne touched his arm to remove it away from her waist, he was already awake but, he pretended to sleep.


    "I found a very interesting medicine." Stefan sat up from his bed and stretched his arms. "What should I do to sleep with her again?"


    His n to tease her showed him the best thing in the world. Apany to sleep unguarded. He wasn''t really afraid of dying or getting ambushed or getting shot or being poisoned. All he wanted to do was to sleep peacefully like everyone else. He looked towards the clock on his bed side table and found that it was still five o''clock in the morning. "She still got one more hour to work. Let''s give her a surprise."


    He took a quick shower and put on some simple clothes. Though it was simple, those clothes were still from expensive brands. After making sure that he didn''t forget anything, he went down to the ground floor.


    Cayenne was talking with Manager Dan since she didn''test night after sending the wine. They thought she ditched her work without letting him know. "I''m sorry for putting you in trouble. I didn''t expect our boss to ask you to stay. But, he didn''t do anything to you, right?"


    Cayenned raised her head hastily and shook it from side to side, indicating that nothing happened. "I see. You can go back to work. Don''t worry, I am the only one who knows where you stayedst night."


    "Thank you, Manager Dan." She bowed her head slightly before turning around to go back to her work, only to find Stefan walking out towards the reception desk. She calmed herself thinking that he was just going to pass by her. Who would''ve thought that he would stop right in front of her. She immediately put a faint smile on her face and greeted him. "Good morning, sir. Is there anything that I can help you with?"


    Stefan didn''t say a word. He took her hand and ced something on her palm instead before walking away to get his morning coffee. Manager Dan and her other colleague, Mona, saw what he did as well. When Stefan was out of sight, she opened her palm and found her name te.


    "Why did boss have your name tag?" Mona asked her in wonder.


    "I dropped it earlier and couldn''t find it. I told Manager Dan about this and it seemed that the boss found it on his way out." Cayenne answered softly. Her heart was pounding in her chest once again. She thought she would be busted when he showed up. ''Looks like the boss is still decent and conscientious.'' She thought to herself before putting on her name te.

 Chapter 3 - A CUP OF COFFEE FOR YOU

    <h4>Chapter 3 - A CUP OF COFFEE FOR YOU</h4>


    Cayenne clocked out from work and went home directly. Kyle and Luiz were almost done with their school preparation when she arrived home. "Morning." She greeted the two of them while she removed her shoes.


    "I already cooked breakfast. Make sure to eat before you leave for work." Kyle reminded her sister.


    "Yes, sir. You both take care. I will go to sleep now." Cayenne went directly to her room so that she can catch some sleep before starting another work at nine in the morning.


    As soon as she finished taking a half bath, shey down for a quick nap but after an hour, she was still wide awake. Her mind was wandering to the time she spent with her boss. "He won''t fire me, right? I didn''t do anything rudes night, right?" She questioned herself in worry. "I need this job. I can''t afford to lose this. Should I apologize? But wouldn''t he think I am doing it on purpose if Ie to him first?" Her mind was a mess of braincells and she couldn''t think properly. She was deeply worried.


    Time had passed and she wasn''t able to get a wink of sleep. She wasn''t that worried though since she got to sleepst night until early morning. Though her head was still throbbing, after she ate her breakfast and drank a warm water, she felt alright.


    She started preparing for her job at the caf¨¦. It wasn''t very tedious and the owner was very kind so Cayenne had a good time working in the caf¨¦.


    "That''s where she works during the day." Stefan''s driver, bodyguard and secretary, Chris, told him while pointing his finger to a caf¨¦ where Cayenne was taking order from a customer. She was full of smiles and you couldn''t see the exhaustion from her face. She was rather energetic even though she was working her bones to dust. "During weekend, she has some part-time jobs and other sidelines to pass her time and earn a meager cash." Chris added to his report. "Her two younger brothers are currently studying. Her mother is in Senyu Medical Center due to her tuberculosis. Her mother wasn''t married to anyone so they don''t have a father. She''s the one who''s working for the whole family."


    "Okay." Stefan nodded his head and a smile was formed on his lips. "Let''s go back to Clover Company first." Hispany wasn''t like Venus za which has arge building with so many workers and developers. Hispany was just a five-storey building where meetings will be held regrly. It was where the managers of different hotels and restaurants would give their reports as well. He didn''t need arge building since he didn''t own arge conglomerate unlike Travis who owned multiple types of business. Compared to him, Stefan wasn''t that rich. However, his business was a product of his own hard work from scratch since his parents didn''t acknowledge him from the start. They didn''t help him and there was no sign of them giving their business to their only living son. Unlike Travis, he didn''t have any inheritance.


    Stefan went back to work and thought of a way to deal with Cayenne as well. He wanted to sleep just likest night and it seemed that he can only do it with Cayenne beside him.


    After a long day, Cayenne went home and just in time for her brothers toe back as well. When she arrived, the two young men were grinning at her like fools which made her raise her eyebrows. "What are you guys up to?"


    "Close your eyes, sis. We have a surprise for you." Kyle stated which she followed. "At the count of one, two, and three. Open your eyes."


    Cayenne did as she was told and found a printed schrship results in front of her. "When did you take a schrship?" she asked since she didn''t have any idea about it. They hid it from her.


    Kyle scratched the tip of his nose while trying to hide his proud smile. "You didn''t want us to work and we feel a little guilty that you have to support the family by yourself. So, we decided to apply for different schrships to lessen the burden on your shoulders."


    Cayenne smiled though tears were streaming down her face. "I am so proud of you two. Don''t worry about me, just focus on your study. But I am still thankful. We can finally add a little amount for our groceries." She hugged the two of them and gently pat their head. She didn''t know that her brothers were thinking of ways to help her, too.


    That night, Cayenne went to work with a huge smile. She was ted that they wouldn''t cut so much from their food expenses to cover the school fees. Kyle and Luiz both received a fifty percent tuition fee assistance and that means, she would only pay for the remaining fifty percent. She was already thankful that the school administrator allowed her to pay the expenses every month to lessen her burden.


    "Good evening, Manager Dan." Cayenne greeted the man with a faint smile. "Good evening, Mona." She turned to her co-receptionist who will be working with her on a night shift.


    "You seem happy today? Got a good sleep?" Mona asked her.


    "Hn. I was able to sleep without any problem." Cayenne replied with a smile. She even forgot the fact that she slept with her boss. Now that she was back in his territory, her heart skipped a beat and her palms started to sweat coldly. ''He won''t fire me today, right?'' she though inwardly while silently praying that he won''t do it.


    Mona and her went to their post which was at the lobby to receive guests and check their booking information. She was in the middle of her work when Stefan came with a cup of coffee. She acted nonchnt as if nothing happened the previous night. It was at this point that she wanted to be invisible, to be out of his sight, to dig a hole and bury herself.


    "Stay awake during work." Stefanmented and handed the cup of coffee to her. Not only Mona but, she, herself was also surprised at this gesture.

 Chapter 4 - SLEEP WITH ME

    <h4>Chapter 4 - SLEEP WITH ME</h4>


    Cayenne blinked her eyes at him but Stefan only smiled and left. Chris, the all-around-man, also smiled at her and left. Cayenne was left on her spot with a stunned expression. Mona elbowed her which brought her back to reality. "Tell me honestly, what is your rtionship with the boss?"


    "Huh? What rtionship?" Cayenne was also confused. She had no idea what Mona was talking about.


    "Of all the employees, you are the only one who get the special treatment of choosing your own shift. The boss often smiles at you. Now, he gave you a cup of expensive coffee, too. What exactly is your rtionship with him?" Realizing that she was actually prying on someone else''s privacy, Mona instantly apologized. "It''s fine if you won''t say it. I am sorry. It was rude of me to invade your privacy."


    "Wait. Wait. Hold your horses." Cayenne put down the coffee and looked at her colleague. "Mona, I don''t have any rtionship with the boss. I don''t know why he gave me this coffee, too."


    "Then, maybe the boss likes you?"


    "Oh god! Seriously?! Stop dreaming. How could a man like him likes a woman like myself? I am not delusional, alright."


    "You are right. Besides, the boss likes to date whoever he likes. Be careful of your heart, he must be just ying with you." Mona reminded as a friend.


    "You are right. He must have thought that I would just agree since I am his employee. Don''t worry, I don''t have time for rtionships. My family is more important than any other man." Cayenne firmly responded. Stefan''s reputation was known to everyone in the whole city. He changed women just as quick as he changed his underwear. Thus, Cayenne put her guard up against him.


    Looking back at the coffee that she received, she didn''t know if she should drink it or throw it. What if he would ask for payment? Where will she get the money to pay for such an expensive coffee? She was torn between drinking or leaving the coffee on its own. In the end, she still drank it without any care. ''I''ll just think of a way to pay him back."


    Stefan on the other hand was nonchnt about it. Since he made her drunkst night, he wanted to repay her and only a cup of coffee came into mind since she will be working during night time once again.


    "Should I call for her, sir?" Chris asked since he already knew what use would Cayenne be in Stefan''s life.


    "You don''t have to. Is there any other schedule for me tonight?" Stefan asked to make sure that they didn''t forget anything.


    "None sir."


    "Alright. You are good to go. I will take everything from here."


    "Goodnight, sir." Chris excused himself and leave Stefan alone. When he passed by Cayenne''s post, he didn''t forget to give her a smile. In any case, if Stefan would be sessful, they would be acquainted soon.


    Cayenne returned the smile, however, she looked rather stiffpared to Chris who smiled genuinely at her. Why wouldn''t she be stiff? She didn''t even know why he was smiling at her.


    Midnight had passed and Cayenne was currently having a break when Manager Dan came to look for her again. "I''m sorry, Yen. The boss is looking for you again." The man whispered softly to her. Though he was a man, he was more feminine than Cayenne. "If the boss does anything to you, let me know, okay? I will not tolerate any vition on human rights. Even if the boss is my crush, I will fight him if he will do something to the employees here."


    Cayenne just chuckled hearing her manager spout nonsense again. "That''s fine. I will let you know if anything happens."


    "Alright. Hurry up and go." Manager Dan gave her a little push but Cayenne stopped on her track and looked back at him. "Is there anything you want to say?"


    "He didn''t ask for anything? Like wine or food?"


    "No. He only wanted to see you."


    Cayenne''s heart was beating loudly and she could hear the loud pound on her ears. Every step she took would make her gasp and tremble lightly. ''Lord, please don''t let him ask me for any payment of that coffee. Please don''t let him fire me. Please enlighten him that I need this money. Please help me.''


    She was silently praying while waiting for the elevator to arrive at her destination. ''DING!'' when the elevator stopped, she thought her heart stopped beating as well. She wasn''t afraid of him personally but she was afraid of him as her boss. She knew that in a single snap of his fingers, she would lose her job.


    She pressed the doorbell and waited for the man to open it. When Stefan opened the door, she was startled and stared at him silently. "Come in." Stefan opened the door widely and gestured for her to get inside. Cayenne got inside and stood in the middle of the room. "What are you doing standing there? Have a seat."


    Cayenne sat on the couch opposite him and fiddled with her fingers. Stefan looked at her intently and she was getting anxious under his intense gaze. "Sir, is there anything you wanted to tell me?"


    "Hn. I do." He stood up and walked back ''n forth in front of her. "It''s aboutst night."


    Cayenne stiffened on her seat and waited for his next words but he stopped talking as he took a piece of paper on his bedside drawer. She took this chance to speak and fight for herself. "Sir, I don''t know if I did something wrongst night. At the same time, I realized that you let me sleepst night. I am really sorry for what happened sir. Also, for the coffee, you can deduct the money from my sry. Can you not fire me? I really need this work." She plead with her sp hands, she even wanted to kneel in front of him.


    Stefan looked at her, amused and interested with her personality. After hearing her piece of mind, heughed at her faintly while giving her the paper. "I am not nning to fire you. In fact, I have a proposal."


    Cayenne read the written words on the paper and as time went by, her expression darkened. "Sir, what do you mean with this?"


    "I want you to sleep with me."

 Chapter 5 - I WILL NEVER CROSS YOUR BOTTOM LINE

    <h4>Chapter 5 - I WILL NEVER CROSS YOUR BOTTOM LINE</h4>


    Cayenne was stupefied with his proposal and she didn''t know whether to be angry or to mock him. "With all due respect sir, I am not a prostitute who you can bed with. What happened between us was a mistake. I didn''t really mean to fall asleep on your bed and I don''t have the slightest intention to sleep with random people. I''m sorry but I cannot ept this." She stated what she had in mind in one go without pausing to take a breath or wait for his reply.


    "Read the whole proposal before you refuse my offer." Stefan responded without any trace of anger or any ill emotion. He was, in fact, even more interested with her. Other women would willingly agree to his proposal but she outrightly refused him. "I''ll pay additional 3000 USD a month. Sleep with me."


    Stefan ced a signed check on the table to prove to her that he was being serious. Her head was spinning at therge sum of money. With it, she can finally buy her mother''s medication and send her brothers to school without any worries. But to sleep with him?


    "I am sorry if Ie of rude but I really can''t sleep with your sir. Just look for someone else." She tried to refuse politely, afraid that she will lose her job if he felt any displeasure towards her.


    "Think about my offer carefully. It wasn''t bad sleeping with you after all." Stefan stated without a change of expression. He looked like someone who gave her something normal when it was beyond normal. No matter how much she thought about it, he was just insane to propose something like ''sleeping'' with him.


    It was a mistake she made on her part when she fell asleep right beside him on his bed, drunk and dizzy but, she never meant for anything like that to happen. Cayenne read the terms and conditions of his proposal once again and she realized that she was jumping to conclusions. "Sir, the ''sleep'' that you meant is just sleeping right? No hidden meanings? No other motive?"


    "I am not like that. True, I have been ying around but I have never slept with anyone. I suffer from insomnia and I really just wanted to sleep normally like everyone else. Last night, it was the first peaceful sleep I ever had for a long time already. And you can say I am selfish but, I just really want to sleep."


    For the first time, Cayenne felt pity towards the big devil in front of her. Who would have thought that he would be looking for something so mundane like sleeping? She put down the paper and looked at her boss. "Sir, I am really sorry that you had to go through this length because of your illness. Can you allow me to think about this? After all we are of opposite sex. It may not be a big deal to you but it would be great damage to myself if anyone knows I''m sleeping with you. Don''t you think so?"


    Stefan nodded his head in understanding. It would really harm her if anyone knew about this kind of stuff. Even if it was just normal sleep between them, other might not think the same thing. She''s a woman and it would be bad if she couldn''t find anyone to marry because in the future because of him.


    "How about this? Uhm¡­"Stefan thought for a moment after getting her attention. "How about you change your shift to day time and have it done around six in the evening that way, I can pick you up and bring you somewhere, a ce where no one knew of."


    Cayenne was still adamant about it so she refused his offer. "Alright. Just let me know about your decision. I''ll give you one week to think about it." Stefan mentioned to her and took the paper to keep it. It wouldn''t be good if anyone sees here holding that kind of proposal.


    Cayenne bowed her head and walked out of the room. Just as she was about to step out, Stefan spoke once again. "Yen, I just want you to know that I will never cross your bottom line. I just really want to sleep." Cayenne nodded her head before closing the door.


    She didn''t have any experience when ites to dealing with men. The men she knew were her younger brothers and her father who was not at home. Most of her suitors fled after getting a kick from her siblings. It''s not because they didn''t want their sister to be happy but because they wanted to protect her. They were men as well and by the looks alone, they could tell that they weren''t taking Cayenne seriously. It was another reason why Kyle and Luiz secretly studied martial arts. Not really the perfect martial arts but just something that can be used to protect their sister. They were learning karate and jujitsu. It was the only way they could think to protect Cayenne.


    Cayenne herself didn''t want to involve herself in a rtionship. She just wanted to focus her time in earning money and more money for her family. Love from her family was enough for her. She didn''t need anything else. Well, she got friends who care about her but it was just until the friend zone. She didn''t want anyone to overstep that zone that she ced around.


    ''If I sleep with my boss, which category will he fall? He is not a friend or a family. He is not an enemy either or a stranger. Then, maybe, a business partner?'' She shook her head from side to side to clear his mind. ''There''s no way for business partners to sleep with each other.'' She told herself as she waited for the elevator to bring her down to the ground floor.


    When the elevator opened, a couple of middle age were standing waiting for her toe out. The man was looking at Cayenne while she bowed her head and walked past them. The woman didn''t notice her husband''s frown on his face. She might not have watched the numbers on the elevator but he didn''t need to do that either. He knew that the elevator the woman used was exclusive for the President. That means, she was from Stefan''s floor!

 Chapter 6 - PARENTS? I HAVE NONE

    <h4>Chapter 6 - PARENTS? I HAVE NONE</h4>


    The man didn''t say anything to his wife who was busy looking at her phone. He was, basically, her eyes. To make sure that she won''t stumble, he held on to her hand and gently pulled her inside the elevator. He pressed the button to the top most floor and waited for the lift to carry them to their destination.


    Stefan was sitting on his lounge chair while flipping through Cayenne''s information that Chrispiled for him. He was actually amazed with her. Such a young woman but she was able to provide the needs of her family. Unlike other women whose life revolved around dating, shopping, dressing up and gossiping, Cayenne was working for her family. She didn''t care about mundane stuff like make up and other things. All she needed was money for her mother and money for her brothers.


    His thoughts were just starting to wander off when he heard the doorbell rang. He knew that it couldn''t be her base on her personality so it took him a long time to respond. ''I didn''t ask for anyone so, who the hell is here to disturb my nest?'' Stefan thought as he sluggishly opened the monitor.


    What came into view was the sight of his parents, the people that he didn''t want to see the most. Nheless, he still opened it but he didn''t invite them in. It was Magnus who invited himself and got inside the suite. ra looked at her son before looking down on her phone again. It was as if she didn''t see him in front of her.


    "Why are you here?" Stefan asked while pouring a ss of water for himself. He didn''t invite them to sit but they still sat anyway.


    Magnus looked at him from head to toe. "Is that how you speak to your parents now?"


    "I didn''t know I have one." He retorted back which angered his old man. ra raised her head before looking down on her phone again. If Stefan was asked to guess what his mother was doing, he wouldn''t think twice before answering, ''she was looking at her son''.


    Since his brother died, his mother would always watch his brother''s pictures and videos. She never spared him a single look, like he never existed in the first ce. He was used to it already so he didn''t care that much.


    Magnus gently pat his chest to calm his heart. "Who was that woman who came out from your room?" He asked.


    "It''s none of your business. Who are you to question me?"


    "Stefan!" His father yelled while pointing his index finger at him. "Don''t you dare answer me that way! Don''t forget that I am still your father! Your mother gave birth to you and you are still part of the Dumrique family!"


    "Is that so?" Stefan mocked and stood up from his seat. "It''s been fifteen years and I finally get to hear you say those words. I am not happy though. I am doing fine on my own. I survived without any parents all these years. So, why are you looking for me now? Ah, you must want me to kneel in front of you and ask for forgiveness again, am I right? After all, it his death anniversary." As he spoke those words, anger red up in his mother''s eyes.


    ''PA!'' the sound of her strong p echoed inside his suite. Stefan just held on to his face and rubbed it. "You monster! Why did I give birth to monster like you?! If you weren''t born, Alexander wouldn''t die a useless trash like you! My son wouldn''t be gone!" Her mother yelled at him and punched his chest again and again.


    Magnus pulled his wife away to calm her down. He knew that Ca favored Alexander ever since the kids were young. The older brother was close to both parents while Stefan grew up under his brother''s care. Alexander was the only one who cared for him in their house. Sometimes, he even thought that he wasn''t really their child. He thought he was just an adopted child. It would have been better that way. If he was adopted, he could understand why his parents didn''t like him but the fact that they were indeed his biological parents hurts him the most.


    Howe they never showed me care? Howe they never once expressed their care and love to me? How they never celebrated my birthday? Why do they hate me so much? Am I really their child? Do I really have the same blood as them? Are they really my family?


    Stefan wanted to ask these questions to them but over time, he just got tired and decided to stay away. He wanted to forget them, forget everyone who never cared for him. Before he didn''t know why no one likes to celebrate his birthday now, there''s definitely an answer that he knew of.


    Alexander died on Stefan''s birthday fifteen years ago. If they didn''t like to celebrate his birthday before, now they hated this certain date even more. It was a blot of shadow in his existence and it was something that will never change.


    Magnus took a deep breath and sighed. He wanted to talk to him peacefully but ra wasn''t in the mood to speak to him. Stefan wasn''t really bothered by it. He already expected this kind of event to happen. "Is there anything you wish to say or do?" Stefan asked. "If you aren''t done pping me, you can do it again." His were cold as if he wasn''t looking at his parents. His face showed no expression, making it difficult to read him.


    "We''ll leave for now. We''lle back some other time when your mother has calmed down."


    "I''d be happy if you won''t show up in front of me again. I managed to live my life without any parents in thest fifteen years. I don''t need one in the next fifteen years either." He didn''t wait for them to reply and he left them on their own. He went inside his bathroom to hide from them.

 Chapter 7 - UNWANTED

    <h4>Chapter 7 - UNWANTED</h4>


    He can act and pretend that everything was fine. Yes, he was used to being ignored and hated but that didn''t mean that he wasn''t hurt. In fact, his heart felt like it was going to burst from pain. He was angry at them. He was angry at his brother. He was angry that he''s alive.


    He slid down on the cold floor and bent his knees close to him. When you think about it, it was embarrassing for a big man to cry. What can he do? He was deeply hurt with his mother''s words. She never really spoke to him after Alexander died so it was the first time that she cursed at him and raised her hand against him.


    In the past, he was just ignored and he was fine. At least he didn''t hear anything painful from the very mouth of his mother. He was fine even if no one wanted him because his brother was there to keep himpany. But things in the past will never be changed. What happened has happened.


    The ident fifteen years ago didn''t just affect his parents but it affected him the most. His parents hated him. His grandparents despised him. Even their helpers ignored him. And there was no Alexander who will keep himpany. He was all alone. He faced the world alone and tried his best to stay strong.


    "But why?" Stefan threw a question to no one in particr. "Why couldn''t they ept me?! Why didn''t I feel like I belong to the family?! Why didn''t I feel any love from what they call parents?! Why did it have to be my brother?! What purpose do I have to still live and suffer?! All these years, I only wanted to be recognized by them. I just wanted to call them Mom and Dad. I just want to be part of their family. I just want to be part of a family. Am I being greedy?! Am I asking so much?!" His anguish and pain echoed inside the bathroom but there was no answer to his questions.


    His parents already left his suite and it seemed like they won''t being back for a long time. Stefan cried inside the bathroom, a ce that he knew no one can find him. "It''s not like anyone woulde and find me." He mumbled to himself. "I am so pathetic."


    Many people thought that he was a strong, smart and lucky to get into the ce he was standing right now. No one knew that behind closed doors, he was someone weak and simpleton. He didn''t really need so much money to begin with but he thought that if he would be sessful, he would earn recognition from his own family. He didn''t expect that even when he was wealthy and well-known, his parents would still refuse to acknowledge him.


    Stefan stayed inside the bathroom for an hour. After which, he came out and stayed in the spacious living room that was overlooking the city. He sat there and stared at the city lights until the night turned to day and he needed to start working again. Even when Chris arrived, he didn''t budge from his ce. He didn''t want to leave the room and see anyone. He just wanted to hide in his room for a while.


    In the end, Chris attended all the scheduled appointments in behalf of him. He didn''t know what happened to his employer but he didn''t want to pry on his privacy as well. Hepiled the details of the meetings in the morning and reported to him during lunch. He did the same for the afternoon schedules and reported it in the evening.


    When Chris came back in the evening, Cayenne looked a little curious when she didn''t see the big devil with him. Chris stopped at the front desk and gave her a cup of coffee. "Have a great shift." He stated and left. He didn''t do it because he likes her but rather, it was for Stefan who would be needing herter. Chris thought that she had agreed with the proposal when Cayenne was actually given a week to think about it.


    She did think about it. She was thinking about his proposal when she worked at the caf¨¦. She thought about it when she was about to sleep and she also thought about it when she walked to work in the hotel. She had been thinking about it but she couldn''t make up her mind.


    "Yen?" Mona called out her name but she was not responding. Yen?!" she snapped her fingers in front of her which startled Cayenne at her wit''s end.


    "Don''t startle me like that?"


    "Why were you spacing out? Are you having any problems at home?"


    "No, it''s nothing like that." Cayenne waved her hand in front of her to deny any issues around her. She didn''t want anyone to worry for her so she snapped out of her daze and smiled at her. She tried forgetting about the proposal and continued to work that night. Stefan didn''t call for her as well and the shift ended without any problem.


    "I''m beat up." She murmured to herself while getting ready to leave the hotel. She wasn''t just physically tired but mentally exhausted as well. "Guess, I''ll have to give up on my work at the caf¨¦."


    "Morning Cayenne." It was the voice that she didn''t expect to hear right before leaving. Every time he speaks her name, it sounded soft and sensual. It was giving her goosebumps all over her arms.


    Cayenne turned around and so Stefan standing behind her. "Morning, sir."


    "Going home?"


    "Yes, sir."


    "Let me give you a ride. I will be going somewhere near your area so it would be convenient." Stefan offered. Actually, he just wanted to have herpany him for a little while. He didn''t know why but, just looking at her innocent little face can calm him down.

 Chapter 8 - WHITE LIES

    <h4>Chapter 8 - WHITE LIES</h4>


    "You don''t really have to do that, sir. You can just continue to do your business without sending me home. I''ll be fine on my own." Cayenne responded with a faint smile. Her neighborhood would probably erupt into a week-long gossip and she would be the content of that gossips. She didn''t like that.


    Herst statement made Stefan smile at her. They were simr in some ways when ites to facing the world with their own strength. The difference was, Cayenne didn''t need recognition since her family likes her so much and she likes them back. "How about I drop you off one block away from your home? You don''t want anyone to gossip about you, right?"


    ''ACK!'' Cayenne wanted to run away that instant. "How did you manage to read my mind?"


    "I didn''t read your mind but you told me about thatst time."


    "Oh." Cayenne tried to remember when it was that she told him about that and it hits her brain that it was during the night he gave his proposal. Just as she was doing some thinking, Stefan was dragging her towards the basement where the parking lot was. She didn''t fight back anymore and just bowed her head to avoid making eye contact with anyone.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t ask you about the proposal." Stefan informed her in case she''d be pressured by his presence. With that announcement, Cayenne felt a little better and loosened herself.


    "Okay." She responded softly before getting inside the car. She thought that his driver would pop out somewhere and would drive the car but she didn''t expect that Stefan would drive it. It was just the two of them. "Uh..where''s your driver, sir?"


    "Ah. You might be wondering since he was always with me." Stefan chuckled as he maneuvered the car out of the parking area. "He''s got days off, too. Saturday and Sunday are his non-working day."


    "I see. I thought he works for you 24/7."


    "I am not an abusive employer, okay?"


    "I didn''t mean it that way. I''m sorry."


    Stefanughed while watching her getting all flustered and red in her face. "It''s okay. I don''t really mind. Besides, I''m used to people calling me names behind my back."


    "It does not bother you?"


    "Nope. I don''t really care. I don''t live for anyone''s opinion. I am tired of doing that already."


    Cayenne didn''t know what to say in this situation specially that she was one of those people who called him names behind his back. She sat straight and kept her eyes on the road to make sure that her eyes won''t be strayed and look at him.


    "How about you, Yen? Oh..I can call you Yen, right?" She nodded her head after hearing his question. "Let me call Ayen instead. In that way, you would know I am the one calling you."


    "It''s fine." She didn''t really care about the names used to call her as well. He can call her whatever he likes. Even if he won''t say her name, she would be able to who''s who from his voice.


    They talked about random things as he drove the car but their happy time ended so soon. Cayenne arrived one block from her house and she asked him to stop the car. "Thank you so much for giving me a lift, sir. See you next week."


    "See you." He made a U-turn and left the ce to go back to the hotel. He didn''t really have any business near her ce. It was just an excuse to spend time with her and get to know her a little better.


    Cayenne went home earlier than usual and found her brother doing house chores. "Morning, sis. You''re early today." Kyle stated with a smile. "Are you hungry? I made a fried rice from the leftoverst night."


    "That''s so smart of you." Cayenne responded. She went to the kitchen sink where Luiz was washing the tes. "Let me do that. You two do your homework."


    "I don''t have any homework or activity." Luiz responded slowly. He was the quiet type of guy and he talked really soft and low. He was softer than the girl but you can never bully him. He was actually strong despite her timid attitude. "I can do this, sis. Just go and get some sleep. You''ve been working non-stop this week again."


    "Okay." Cayenne left her uniform in theundry basket before going inside her room and take a half bath. It was weekend and she didn''t have to work in the caf¨¦ or in the hotel. She can do whatever she wanted with her weekend. A smile appeared on her face when she thought of a n. She quickly took a bath and dressed up before going out again. She was just about to make an announcement when her phone rang. "Where''s my phone?" She checked her pockets and realized that she left it inside her room. She went back inside and when she saw the number shing on the screen, her smile turned to a dreadful expression.


    With trembling hands, she answered the phone and a heavy sigh came from the other line. "Yen, can youe to the hospital? Your mother is refusing her medications again."


    She knew why her mother refused the medication and pursued to face her death. She didn''t want her daughter to suffer because of her but Cayenne didn''t want to lose her mother either. "I''ll be there doc." She responded shortly. The doctor told her other information about her mother before the call ended. She went outside again to find her brothers. "We are going to the hospital."


    They didn''t know what happened but base on her expression, it shouldn''t be good news. The two of them quickly changed their clothes to apany their sister. Cayenne took some fruits to give to her mother and made sure to bring her wallet and phone with her.


    "If mom asks you what work I''ve been doing, tell her that I am now a manager in a hotel. Don''t let her know that I''m working day and night. She will be stressed about that." Cayenne reminded her siblings. They had been lying to their mother to make sure that she won''t worry about anything. She only knew that Cayenne worked in a hotel but she didn''t know anything about her other jobs.

 Chapter 9 - LONG TIME NO SEE

    <h4>Chapter 9 - LONG TIME NO SEE</h4>


    Cayenne set out together with her brothers. They would need to travel for quite some time before they''d arrive in city B where Senyu Medical Center was located. They didn''t have much money to support her mother''s hospital bill but she was fortunately chosen to be part of their medical program which involves patients with tuberculosis.


    It had lessened Cayenne''s problem and she was thankful for that. She only needed to think about the medication which wasn''t covered by the program. Though it was only 20% of the whole bill, it was still a little big for her. Kyle and Luiz sat on a bus without speaking a single word. They were extremely worried for their mother.


    When they arrived at the hospital, her mother was sleeping. Even when she was sleeping, they could tell that she wasn''t having a good sleep. It was clear as day that she had been worried about her children. Cayenne left her brothers to look after their mother while she looked for the doctor to talk to him.


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    "Come in." She heard the doctor say so, Cayenne opened the door and went inside. "How are you, Yen?" The doctor asked her.


    "I''m doing fine, doc." Cayenne answered with a smile. "How''s my mother''s condition?" she asked back. She didn''t have time for an idle chat since she was still worried about her mother.


    The doctor closed his folder and sped his hands in front of her. "Yen, you really have to talk to your mother. She didn''t like to take her medications anymore. She had been very difficult to deal with and if this continues, you know exactly where she''ll end up."


    "I will talk to her doc. Aside from that, is there anything else that I need to know?"


    "Few days ago, someone paid the remaining payable bnce of your mother''s hospital bill. They didn''t leave any information and we don''t know their identities as well." The doctor looked at her, still hesitating if he should say it or not. After a minute, he still continued his statement. "As an elder, I am a bit worried about you and your brothers. Yen, you aren''t being exploited by some wealthy capitalist, right?"


    Cayenne shook her head and waved her hands in front of her. "No. No, that''s not it. I don''t know who the person either. I don''t know anyone rich as well."


    "I see. Well, if anything happens, or if you need help, just let me know. My wife and I may not be rich but we can still lend some help." The middle-aged doctor stated.


    "Thanks, doc. I''ll be very extra careful. Thank you for looking after my mother as well."


    "Sure. I just hope that she''d cooperate with us for her own good."


    "I''ll talk to her about it." Cayenne smiled and went out of the room. Her mother''s doctor wasn''t really providing them financial assistance but he helped her look for a decent work.


    Cayenne went back to her mother''s room and found her sitting on her bed with a smile on her lips. She was talking to her brothers about school matter and about her. Just how she anticipated it, her mother indeed asked her brothers about her current work. And just like how they talked about it, again and again, Kyle and Luiz, lied to their mother.


    Lying might not be right but if they told her about the truth, she would just be worried and end up getting worse. They could only make her believe that her daughter was working in a great environment with great position.


    "How are you, Ma?" Cayenne asked her mother while pulling a chair to sit beside her bed.


    "I''m a little grumpy."


    "And why is that so?"


    "Because you spend so much money on me. I am not getting any better and your money is being wasted. Why don''t we just live together while waiting for my time to vanish?"


    Cayenne was shock and so was her siblings. "Ma, how can you say that? We will be worried with you when you''re with us. No doctor can take care of you and you won''t be seeing us that much either. Kyle and Luiz would be going to school and I will have to work."


    "Yen, there''s no hope in me. Why don''t you just save your money? You can just let me go, you know." Her mother responded softly while fiddling with her fingers. "Yen, I''m begging you, can you just think of yourself and just forget that I exist. I am just a burden to you. I should be the one supporting the family but I end up being the one getting the support. I don''t like this."


    Instead of getting sad over this matter, Cayenne smiled and reached out her hand to hold her mother. "Ma, don''t worry about us. Kyle and Luiz got a schrship so, I don''t have to worry about the school fees. I got promoted as well and my sry increased. I have enough to support us plus your bill. You don''t really have to think that much. If you leave, we will truly be an orphan. Can you really let that happen?"


    Kyle and Luiz also looked at their mother. "Ma, just let us help you. You''re the only one that we have." Kyle mumbled.


    "You still have your father." She responded to them which made Cayenne stopped smiling. She averted her eyes and didn''t respond to that.


    "If you want to spend time with us, how about we visit you every weekend? Kyle and Luiz don''t have to go to school and I don''t need to work as well. We cane and see you, then."


    Emerald nodded her head and agreed. "I will wait for you here every weekend."


    "Sure. We''ll tell you about so many things." Cayenne stated. "Let me go out for a bit so I can ask our supervisor to change my schedule."


    Instead of calling the so-called supervisor, Cayenne went down to the garden and sat on a bench. Since her mother was hospitalized three years ago, she had never seen her father. She refused to visit him as well. She was staring into space and didn''t notice that someone sat beside her.


    "What are you thinking?"


    Cayenne was startled to hear that very familiar voice next to her. She never expected to run into him in the hospital and it''s been years since shest saw him.


    "Long time no see, Yen." He smiled at her, the same bright smile that he gave to her five years ago.

 Chapter 10 - ARTHUR

    <h4>Chapter 10 - ARTHUR</h4>


    Cayenne stared at the man beside her. "Arthur?" The man smiled happily when she spoke his name. "You''re back? How are you?"


    "I''m doing fine." Arthur responded, still wearing that beautiful smile on his lips. "I got back three months ago and found out that you moved out."


    Cayenne averted her eyes from him and stared back into the pond not far from where they sat. "Things happened and we needed to cut expenses here and there. Moving out was another option."


    "I''m sorry to hear that." Arthur looked down on his hands which he had been fiddling since earlier. He was really nervous when he saw her again after five long years. "Did you change your phone number?"


    "Hn."


    ""Can I ask for your number again? I really wanted to help you back then, and now, I still want to, is that fine?"


    Cayenne didn''t look at him but she stood up with her back facing him. "There''s no need for you to involve yourself in my problem. We are doing just fine. Thanks for your concern though."


    She didn''t wait for his response and left, leaving the man once again just how she did five years ago.


    They weren''t exactly in a rtionship but he was the man who had been kind to her, who always helped her, who look after her siblings when she was not around, the man who can be relied upon. It would have been fine if they stayed that way but, she hated it when he told her about his feelings.


    She felt like she was abusing him because of his feelings. Even when their ssmates was spreading rumors that she was using his feelings to take advantage of him, he didn''t care any of those but, Cayenne was different. None of the things they said were true but she still felt guilty because she was indeed indebted to him countless times.


    Arthur was her neighbor, well, there house was two blocks away but he would often visit them to see how they were doing. Her brothers like him, too.


    Five years ago, when he confessed his feelings, it was on a day that he had to leave for States. He was going to study there with her older brother. Perhaps, he knew that there wasn''t any chance for them so, he decided to say what he felt.


    Sure enough, Cayenne rejected him. He liked her since they were young and he didn''t care about her situation or her status in life. He just wanted to be with here. Sadly, Cayenne didn''t feel the same and it was the same five yearster.


    The woman he liked still wouldn''t look at him in the eyes. Arthur stood up and ran after her. "Yen, wait up." He ran as fast as he could and grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Yen, I...I...I will.e..and find you..again." His statement was broken as he tried to catch his breath. People were looking at them already but he didn''t want to let go of her yet.


    Cayenne just watched him until he straightened himself and let go of her. "I will dly wee you as long as you won''t help me."


    "Why?"


    "What ''why''?"


    "Why don''t you want me to help you?"


    "Because I don''t need it. If you visit just merely for a reason to see us, that would be fine. That or just don''t visit us."


    Arthur nodded his head in agreement. As long as he sees him, any conditions of her will be fine. He will dly followed them.


    "Can I see your mother?"


    "Hn." She went back to her mother''s room with Arthur walking beside her. She didn''t want to ept his help not because she didn''t need it, she just didn''t want such help toe from him.


    When the two of them showed up, Kyle and Luiz were very surprise as well. Her mother was also happy to see a new visitor in her room.


    "When did you get back, Arthur?" Kyle asked him while giving him the chair that he was using.


    "Not long ago. I''m d to see all of you."


    "No, it''s us who''s happy to see you. How are you?" Cayenne''s mother became a chatterbox when she saw him and they talked about so many things.


    Cayenne could only roll her eyes at this reunion. It was as if they saw their long lost rtive. "Come to think of it, how did you end up here?" she asked Arthur the question that she didn''t get to ask him.


    "My sister-inw gave birth to her first born son, and everyone came to visit her. I was just about to go home when I see you at the garden."


    "What were you doing in the garden? It''s getting cold outside, you could''ve have called your supervisor here." her mother scolded her, not knowing that she didn''t really go out to make a call.


    She just wanted to get some air and clear her mind a little. Think about some stuff and sighing to herself. That was what she did outside.


    Arthur didn''t pry on her privacy and didn''t ask anything about her work. They were all catching up with each other''s life events in the past five years.


    After two hours, Arthur had to leave since his mother wanted him to buy something on his way home. He bid his farewell and promised to visit them again.


    He even exchanged number with Kyle and Luiz to make sure that he can contact them or they can contact him. He didn''t bother exchanging number with Cayenne since already refused him few earlier.


    Cayenne and her brothers went home as well before the sun sets. They were going to visit her again next weekend since tomorrow was the day they needed to some general cleaning at home.


    "It''s good to see Arthur back. Don''t you think so, sis?" Kyle stated not knowing how troubled her sister was whenever Arthur''s name was mentioned.


    "Hn. It''s good to see him back." she responded unenthusiastically.

 Chapter 11 - NEGOTIATING WITH THE DEVIL

    <h4>Chapter 11 - NEGOTIATING WITH THE DEVIL</h4>


    When Monday came, Cayenne came to work as usual. She slept in their lounge like she always does before her shift.


    After what happened a year ago, when she was almost assaulted, she decided to leave her house early in the evening and catch some sleep when she reached their lounge. Her manager didn''t really mind her doing so, knowing how much she works her bone, bending her body backwards just to support her family.


    What she didn''t expect was that, the moment she woke up, she''d see her boss sitting next to her. She was so startled that she threw the pillow away.


    "Sir, what are you doing here? Do you need anything?" She asked him while she tried fixing her hair and her blouse. She wasn''t wearing her uniform yet since she didn''t want to crumple it.


    Stefan wasn''t the least bit bothered and continued to scroll on his tablet, looking at the documents that Chris sent over to him after the board meeting that day.


    "Just continue to sleep. You still have an hour before shift." he mumbled softly, so soft that she could barely hear him.


    "Haha. Don''t make a joke on me, sir. You just caught me sleeping here and it would be very troublesome if you just let it slide. Shouldn''t you he punishing your employees for cking off? Though, I''d greatly appreciate if you don''t."


    "Why should I punish you? It''s not your working hours. You fan sleep as much as you want as long as you won''t bete for work and you won''t be cking offter as well."


    Cayenne made an ''oh'' sound as she picked up the pillow from the floor. She dusted it off and ced it back on the couch.


    In truth, Stefan found out from the manager that Cayenne already arrived. He just told the men not to barge inside the lounge, not until she wakes up, but Stefan came uninvited.


    Naturally, no one wanted to be in the same space as their boss, making it easier for Stefan as well.


    He had been sitting there, guarding the sleepingdy for over an hour. Cayenne didn''t even change her position and he was worried that she''d be ufortable. Nheless, he couldn''t just touch her and reposition her body so he just waited there.


    "Sir, about the thing you talked about..I -"


    "Let''s talk about it in my room. Would you like to talk now or would you like to get more rest?"


    "Let''s just talk now." Cayenne smiled faintly at him. ''I don''t think I can still sleep with you here.'' she added mentally while she fixed her blouse.


    Stefan stood up first and she followed right behind him. The other employees thought she would be reprimanded after getting caught sleeping in the lounge.


    ''Fighting little sister. I hope the gods will favor you and not let the devil fire you from work.'' this was what the employees thought or something along this line.


    Manager Dan was also worried since he was the one who allowed her to sleep in the lounge so long as it wasn''t her shift. Now, they were bothered by it.


    Stefan and Cayenne went up to his room to talk. She sat on the same couch that shest sat on and waited for him to get the paper containing the proposal and contract.


    "Sir, just to make sure, we are just going to sleep and nothing else, right?" she asked with a flush face.


    Stefan chuckled at her question. "Don''t worry, we will just really sleep together. No other things to be done."


    "If I agree now, can you give me another week before I start? I want to at least talk to the cafe owner before quitting."


    "Your choice. I will just wait up."


    "Okay. So what time should I change my shift? I should consider your waking and sleeping hour for that."


    "Just change it to nine in the morning until six in the evening. Since you don''t want us to be seen, I can ask a taxi driver toe and pick you up every day."


    "I don''t mind. Will this include the weekend?"


    "Yup. Same time on weekends."


    "Alright. On weekend, I''ll be going to the hospital to visit my mother, just give me the number of the taxi driver so I can contact him."


    "Alright. I''ll give his details to you once we''ve settled everything." Stefan paused for a moment and looked at her. "I haven''t bought the house yet. How about you choose it with me?"


    "Do you really have to buy one? How about we use one of your condo rooms? I mean, I don''t think we''dst forever in this set up. Don''t you think so?"


    "Why not?"


    "Sir? What do you mean ''why not-? What if I get married? Don''t tell me you want me to have an affair with you."


    Stefan was stunned at this realization. It was indeed true that they wouldn''t stay together. "Well, are you nning to get married?"


    "No. But-"


    "If you are not then, that is fine. If one day you wanted to stop this, I will just let you go."


    "That''s sounds good. Alright, just let me know when you''d like to look for a house." Cayenne smiled once again. "Where should I sign my name?"


    "Just sign at the bottom."


    Cayenne signed it first and Stefan signed after her. He looked over the notes she wrote on the documents before cing it inside his drawer.


    "If there''s nothing else, I''ll go back now. I still have to prepare for work."


    She was just about to leave when Stefan called out to her. "What makes you agree to this?"


    "My family. I will do anything for them. It just so happened that you didn''t ask so much from me and I am d for that. I''ll make sure to do my best to help you sleep, sir."


    "Stefan."


    "Huh?" Cayenne asked, not getting what he meant.


    "Just call me Stefan."


    "Okay, sir Stefan."


    "Drop the sir."


    "Okay...Ste..let me think about it." Cayenne opened the door and went out. When she was finally out, she slid down on the floor and covered her face. Her confidence were all gone and now, she was embarrassed with what she did.


    She pped her face a couple of time to snap her our, feeling her face getting hotter upon remembering her confident conversation with her. ''My god! I must have gone crazy!'' she didn''t realize that in the hallway, there were two cameras aimed at her. And Stefan was holding hisughter while watching her.


    "How adorable." hemented before drinking the water he got from his fridge. "Looking so confident in negotiating with me earlier. Now? Where did all that confidence go?" He wanted to tease her but she will have to work so, he just spent his time reading documents again. "I hope you won''t get married." He mumbled when Cayenne''s face sh across his mind.

 Chapter 12 - IT WASNT THE DEVILS FAULT THOUGH...

    <h4>Chapter 12 - IT WASN''T THE DEVIL''S FAULT THOUGH...</h4>


    During the allocated one week for preparation, Cayenne asked her manager to change her shift to day time. Though it shocked everyone, they didn''t question her why. Manager Dan thought that she did it to avoid getting called by the boss so, she allowed her to change her schedule, to protect her from his crush. She also apologized and informed the caf¨¦ owner that she won''t be able to continue working due to personal reason and that she needed to take care of her mother.


    As for her brothers, she informed them that she found a different work but, she didn''t specify what work it was. On weekend, they visited their mother again. Arthur was also there, iming that he was inly dropping by from checking his sister-inw.


    "How was your worktely?" Arthur asked her while peeling an apple for Cayenne''s mother.


    "It''s good. I didn''t have any trouble at work and everyone was very nice to me."


    "That''s good to know. If you need my help in the future, don''t hesitate to tell me. I''m willing to lend a helping hand."


    "Thanks." For some reason, Cayenne didn''t want to ask for his help. There''s this little voice in her that always tells her not to ask help from him because she won''t be able to repay him. Is wrong of her to doubt him?


    Luiz and Kyle were chatting with their mother about school activities and it seemed that their mother became a little bit livelier than thest time they visited her. And the doctor said that she stopped refusing her medication as well. To Cayenne, it was a good sign.


    Cayenne didn''t speak much to her mother and Arthur was always there the whole time. "Don''t you have anything else to do?" she asked him hesitantly.


    "Do you want me to leave already?" Arthur retorted back to her.


    "No. I just don''t want to inconvenience you."


    "It''s fine. I don''t mind staying with you guys here."


    Kyle and Luiz wanted to tease their sister and Arthur but before they could utter a single word, Cayenne threw sharp res at them. Kyle swallowed her words back and just smiled faintly.


    "Yen?"


    "Yes, ma?"


    "I was just thinking that you''ve been taking care of us and didn''t think too much for yourself. I am just wondering if you are interested in getting married."


    "I am not." Cayenne answered instantly. "I don''t want to get married or have any rtionship."


    "Why?"


    "It is tiring. It is a hassle, a waste of my time, a distraction, a bother and a whole lot more. I just don''t want to." Listening to her answer, Arthur smiled. Even with a smile on his lips, Cayenne couldn''t see the happiness in his eyes. "Anyway, let''s not talk again about this."


    Her mother just nodded her head while stealing a nce at the young man who liked her daughter for so many years. She really couldn''t stop ming herself. ''If I am not sick, my daughter wouldn''t suffer this much for us. Everything is really my fault.'' She sadly told herself this truth.


    Cayenne and her brothers stayed in the hospital for two days and left on Sunday night since she had to work on Monday, and her brothers needed to go to school as well.


    "Sis, don''t you like Arthur?" Kyle asked him while they were walking on their way to the small apartment.


    "Let''s not talk about him." Cayenne shut him up and Kyle, being the obedient little brother, decided to stop asking such question.


    She didn''t particrly hate him but something''s really off with her feeling whenever he''s around. She just couldn''t put her fingers on that specific reason. She pushed him off to the back of her mind and thought about her new job. She will be starting tomorrow and it made her feel so nervous.


    The word sleeping was just a normal activity to her. However, since she started working in Clover Hotel, she heard so many things about ''sleeping'' and she found that, to other people it was an act of giving your body to someone. That was why she asked him a week ago, if sleeping was just really sleeping and no other hidden meanings. She will trust her boss for now since she had slept with himst time and he didn''t do anything to her.


    "Am I doing the right thing?" Cayenne asked herself in worry. "This is really ridiculous. I should just back out. But, I signed the contract." Cayenne was talking to herself, agreeing and disagreeing on her own ideas. "Come to think of it, I didn''t see any specific duration of time in this work. Does this mean I''ll sleep with him forever?"


    Her heart thumped in her chest and she thought it woulde out of her body. She was tricked! She tricked him! She took a pillow and punched it several times to let out her frustration. "It wasn''t the devil''s fault though. I was the one who signed it without asking him for the length of time. I am so stupid." She pped her own forehead several times before slumping her body down on her bed again.


    She was tired but she couldn''t sleep knowing that she''d be getting into the devil''sir starting tomorrow. "Lord, just give me strength to endure all this and please enlighten my boss to never do anything to me. I know you won''t fail me." Cayenne prayed and closed her eyes to sleep.


    One hour passed, she was still awake.


    Two hours passed, still wide awake.


    Five hours passed, her brain was fuzzy but she was still wide awake.


    In the end, Cayenne was able to get some sleep when the dawn was breaking. She set an rm to wake her up an hour and half before her shift which didn''t worry her. Still, when she woke up to start preparing, she was feeling dizzy from anxiety andck of sleep. "Please help me survive this day." She murmured to herself while walking groggily to the bathroom.

 Chapter 13 - FIRST NIGHT TOGETHER I

    <h4>Chapter 13 - FIRST NIGHT TOGETHER I</h4>


    Cayenne went to work and this time, she was assigned to change the bed sheets and pillow cases of the rooms from the 2nd floor to the 5th floor. She would only clean the room after someone uses it which wasn''t very tiresome for her. At the same time, she had a partner who would help her with the work.


    "I''m so d that we''d be working together again." Luna, the receptionist who worked with Cayenne before greeted her happily and hugged her when the two of them saw each other.


    "Sorry to burst your bubbles but I am not working as a receptionist this time." Cayenne stated with a helpless smile. "I changed my shift even though it wasn''t the right time yet so, I will be assigned to do other work while waiting for the next shifting date."


    "Right. You will be working with Celine so you won''t be exhausted." Manager Kim, their hotel''s daytime manager, informed her. Luna was a little disappointed that she wasn''t going to be with her but she was still happy since she will have a chance to eat with her and chat as well.


    Celine came and taught Cayenne about different things, to help her understand their current job. Celine was very patient and nice to her. She was five years older than her and was already married. She had been working there for five years already and even though she wasn''t in a very high position, she had higher pay because of the number of years she spent there and because she was very diligent with her work. She was offered to manage the new hired housekeepers but she didn''t like managing people so remained working there and she had been cleaning the same floor for five years as well. It was the first time for Cayenne to meet someone as loyal as Celine.


    In actual fact, it wasn''t manager Kim who decided for her work but Stefan himself. He thought that it would be troublesome for Cayenne if she works at the reception desk knowing that he''de and greet her. It would put her in a difficult position and people might think that he was giving her a special treatment. He won''t deny that fact but he didn''t want Cayenne to suffer because of his actions. Therefore, he asked Manager Kim this morning, before he left for work, that Cayenne should be assigned to cleaning the rooms on the 2nd to 5th floor.


    He knew that Celine was working on the same floor; and she was very hardworking and good with her juniors, making it a little easier for Cayenne to work and have a lighter work as well. He didn''t want to exhaust the person that he''d be sleeping with.


    Time passed quickly and Cayenne was enjoying her work so far. Celine was very nice to her and they usually talk to each other while working. Outside the hotel, the sky was glowing with red orange shade and there were streaks of pink and purple in it. The streetmps lit up, one after another, giving the city a very beautiful and cheerful glow. Cayenne pressed her right index finger on the biometrics to log off for the day''s work.


    "Do you want to grab a bite together?" Luna asked her after they got their things from their lockers.


    "Sorry, Luna. I still have to go somewhere after my work here."


    "Right. I know you''d be working again. Anyway, I''ll see you tomorrow." Luna hugged her shortly and left to catch the bus on her way home.


    Cayenne was just about to contact Stefan about the taxi but he beat her to it. He sent her the information of the taxi driver as well as the te number to make it easier for her to find the person and the cab. When Cayenne came out of the hotel to find the particr cab, she saw a hand waving at her. She didn''t want to assume anything so she just ignored that hand. The other half of the cab which shows that te number was covered by another car so, Cayenne couldn''t find it.


    Few secondster, a man came out from the cab which contained the hand that was waving at her earlier. "Excuse me, ma''am. Are you miss Cayenne?"


    "Yes. And you are?"


    "I''m the taxi driver. Sir Stefan is waiting for you inside the taxi."


    "Oh." Cayenne smiled faintly because she realized that she just ignored the devil''s signal to her. She followed the man towards the cab and opened the door to the front seat. "Why did youe and pick me? You don''t really have to do that."


    "If I didn''te, you wouldn''t find this taxi." Stefan responded to her.


    "Yeah. Thanks." She fastened her seatbelt and sat properly. They didn''t travel to a far ce but the driver drove them to a particr subdivision which most wealthy people live. She didn''t say anything and got off the cab, followed Stefan inside and sat on a couch. "I thought you are not going to buy a house."


    "I realized that using one of my condo units would be a little dangerous for you. Peoplee and go in a condominium and someone might see you. I promised to protect your dignity, right. So, I have decided to buy this ce and make it our temporary abode."


    Cayenne was a little surprise with his reason and she thanked him from the bottom of her heart. "And you don''t have to worry about clothes either. I bought a lot of clothes for you to use."


    "You really put a lot of thinking for this set up. Thank you, sir."


    "Stefan. I told you to call me Stefan."


    "Uh..uhmm..isn''t it a little too intimate?"


    "That''s better since we will be sleeping together. Isn''t it weird for you to call me sir all the time when we''re on the bed?" For some reason, the words sounded wrong from his mouth. Cayenne blushed and averted her eyes while nodding her head. It was another expression that he likes to see on her face.


    "Alright. I''ll show you our room." Stefan led her upstairs but Cayenne''s mind was still stuck to the word ''our room''. It was like they were really living together. "This is where we''ll sleep." Stefan mentioned which pulled her back to reality.


    ''God, I am not dreaming. Please make me live my life and survive this whole ordeal.''

 Chapter 14 - FIRST NIGHT TOGETHER II

    <h4>Chapter 14 - FIRST NIGHT TOGETHER II</h4>


    "This is the bathroom." Stefan opened another door and showed her an elegant bathroom which was bigger than her own room in the apartment. There were newly-bought stuff as well and they all came in pairs. Stefan noticed that she was looking at the stuff on the shelf and the ones near the sink. "I bought our stuff as well. I don''t really know what you like so I bought whatever looks feminine.


    What he meant of feminine was the color. Her toothbrush was pink, her bathroom slippers was pink, her indoor slipper was pink, her cup was pink, everything that was for her was either white or pink. On the other hand, Stefan''s things were either blue or ck.


    "Thank you for being considerate of me." Cayenne whispered while cing her bag down on the plush couch found inside the room.


    "No, problem." Stefan answered and walked towards the door. "What do you want for dinner? I can cook while you take a bath."


    "Anything edible is fine."


    "Alright. Go right ahead and shower first. Just find me in the kitchen once you''re done." Cayenned slightly nodded her head and Stefan went out to cook their food. It was the most rxing job so far. She didn''t need to worry about her things and he was even cooking for them. ''The battle will startter.'' Cayenne thought as she grabbed her bathrobe to take a shower.


    After fifteen minutes, she came out of the bathroom, fresh and clean. She brought her own clothes and even though they were just a simple shirt and a cotton pants, they were still presentable andfortable to her. She looked for a hair dryer but she couldn''t find anything. Left with no choice, she looked for a dry towel and wrapped her hair with it before she went downstairs.


    Stefan raised his head and found her standing with an oversized shirt and cotton pants. "I''m almost done here. Just wait a moment."


    "Okay. I''ll arrange the table." She volunteered and took a cemat for two. There were just the two of them so the table set up was like a date.


    "Sorry for not buying a hair dryer for you. It was my neglection."


    "It''s fine. I''ll just bring the one I used at home. You don''t have to buy it."


    "Ayen?" he called out her name again. He likes to say her nickname which was exclusively for him.


    "Yes?"


    "Will you be able to find the cab on your own tomorrow?"


    "Yes. I won''t have a problem with that. Thanks for picking me up earlier."


    "I see. That''s good to know. Anyway, the people who know this ce are just you and me plus, Chris and the taxi driver. You don''t have to be worried about people seeing you here. Just don''t stay out that much because we don''t know the connections of the people in this subdivision."


    "No worries. I won''t be spending my time outside."


    Stefan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her response. It was the first time that he cared so much for a woman. He dated a lot of people before, had great time with physical desires but he never allowed any of those women to sleep on his bed. He would always ask them to leave and gave them a hush money.


    Right now, he wanted to protect the little woman in front of him. Even if they would be sleeping together, he would never cross the line against her and he would not allow anyone to tarnish her name. He would hide their rtionship no matter what happens.


    Stefan ced two dishes of food and a bowl of rice on the table. "Do you want to drink some juice?"


    "No, thanks. Water is fine with me since it''s night time already."


    "So, you are also someone who''s conscious with your body figure?"


    "Not really but I don''t want to be diabetic."


    "That makes sense." Stefan responded while cing a dish on her te. "Try this Tuscan Salmon I made. I made from the recipe I found online but, I am not sure if you''ll like it."


    "Thanks." Cayenne forked a small piece and shoved it inside her mouth. "Wow! This is delicious." Shemented before shoving another small piece of the dish inside her mouth. "I''ll have some rice, do you mind?"


    "Nope. Not at all. I''m d that you like it." Stefan started eating his food as well. He scooped a corn crab soup and ced it beside her te. "Eat it while it''s hot. You just came out of the shower so, eating something hot or warm is good for you."


    "Did you also get the recipe for this online?"


    "No. I learned it from my older brother."


    Cayenne scooped a spoonful of soup and gently blew it before putting it inside her mouth. Her eyes sparkled whenever she ate her food and Stefan liked the look in her eyes. He kept cing food on her te while she kept eating whatever he gave her. "I really like you." Stefan stated with a smile but Cayenne was so shocked that she choked on her food and dropped the spoon that contained her soup.


    The kitchen sank into a dead silence and the sound of the metal touching the floor was so loud in their ears. Cayenne was drinking her water quickly without meeting the man''s eyes in front of her. She could feel her face getting hotter and she knew that she was probably blushing from embarrassment and surprise.


    "Don''t joke around. That scares the hell out of me."


    "Sorry. I didn''t mean to startle you with my statement. What I meant was that I like how you love to eat the food that I cooked and for trusting me in this whole matter. I didn''t mean to scare you."


    "That''s fine. I was just very surprise." Cayenne had always been very timid and shy but because of him, she was trying her best to sound confident and talkative. She picked up her spoon and went to the dish organizer to change it. That''s when she noticed the soup that fell on her clothes. She smelled like the dish itself.


    "Let''s finish eating so you can get change." Stefan told her in which she readily agreed.

 Chapter 15 - SLEEPING IN HER ARMS

    <h4>Chapter 15 - SLEEPING IN HER ARMS</h4>


    Since Cayenne didn''t bring a change of clothes, she had to wear one of the clothes that Stefan bought for her. When she opened their wardrobe, she found that they were all expensive night dresses and pajamas. She chose the pair of pink shorts and blouse. They were so soft and silky in her touch. She liked it a lot.


    "I''ll change my clothes first." She told Stefan since he had to take a shower as well.


    "Go right ahead. I''ll shower after you."


    She nodded her head and changed her clothes as fast as she could and walked out right after. Stefan went to take a shower after she was done. She didn''t wait for him to finish bathing and tucked herself in. When Stefan was done, she was already lying on their bed, clutching the nket up to her neck.


    "Good night." She mumbled to him as soon as Stefan climbed up on their bed. Looking at her, he couldn''t stop himself from letting out a throaty chuckle. "Why are youughing?"


    "I was just a little surprise. I really thought that you would put something between us."


    "I did look for something to set as boundary but I realized that there was no extra stuff in this house."


    "Hn. We just moved in so, there isn''t anything that can be done regarding that."


    "It''s fine. I don''t really mind. I trust you''ll keep your promise if you really want to sleep."


    "Right. Don''t worry. I will not do anything against your will." Stefan also covered himself with the same nket andid his body on the bed. The two of them were turned silent with their backs facing each other.


    After half an hour, Cayenne finally fell asleep. Her steady breathing was loud enough to be heard in the middle of the silent night. Stefan flipped on his other side and faced Cayenne''s back. He could faintly smell her sweet scent that he really liked. "Don''t get married in the future. Just stay with me like this." Stefan whispered softly.


    With her nerves starting to calm down, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. He was starting to let his guard down around her since he could sense that Cayenne was really harmless.


    The two of them had a peaceful and dreamless sleep which was the second time for Stefan. It was also a blessing to Cayenne since she had never got a good night sleep after what happened to her mother. She had to work so hard for the family and her sleeping time was shortened to at least 3-4 hours a day.


    When morning came, Cayenne woke up first and slowly opened her eyes. What greeted her was the handsome sleeping face of her boss. He was sleeping with his head on her chest! His arms around her waist! And she was also hugging him! Cayenne''s breathing hitched and her blush started to creep up from her neck to her face.


    She really wanted to scream but realization hit her and she could only swallow back her scream. She agreed to sleep with him and she thought that screaming would be useless since she did it on her own volition.


    Stefan was still sleeping soundly in her arms and she could only leave him be, afraid that he would deduct her sry if his sleep was disturbed.


    After an hour, he was still sleeping peacefully.


    Two hours and there wasn''t any change.


    Cayenne lifted his arms slowly away from her waist and tried to move her body so that she can reach for her phone on the bedside drawer.


    Stefan was actually awake but he pretended to be asleep so that he could observe her for a little while. He didn''t expect her to be so kind and just let him sleep even though she would bete for work if they don''t leave in half an hour.


    Cayenne checked the time on her phone and found that there''s still two hours before her shift. She needed to leave in half an hour or she would bete. She looked at the man who was sleeping in her arms and took a deep breath. "Stefan." She called his name softly which surprised Stefan. It was the first time that she called his name willingly. "Stefan, we need to leave for work."


    Stefan pretended to stir from his sleep even though he waspletely awake the moment she touched her hands earlier. "What time is it?"


    "It''s already seven in the morning. I still have to work at nine."


    "Sorry for causing you trouble. Go and change your clothes. I''ll call Chris to bring us some food for breakfast."


    "Okay." She climbed down the bed, fixed her side of the bed quickly and went to the bathroom. When she took a bathst night, she washed her clothes so that she can use it today. It was to make sure that her brothers won''t suspect anything. She needed to wear the same clothes that she wore when she left the house.


    Stefan knew about it and he didn''t contradict her decision. IF she thinks it was for the best, he won''t say anything against it. When Cayenne got out from the shower, Stefan took a shower after her while she wasbing her hair and trying her best to dry it. It would be weird if shees home fresh from the bath. Her brothers would start to doubt her.


    ''Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!''


    Cayenne went downstairs to open the door for Chris. He brought so many foods for them and a hair dryer. Cayenne blinked her eyes when he handed the hair dryer to her. "Dry your hair to make sure that your brothers won''t say anything."


    "Thank you."


    "Say your ''thank you'' to the boss. He was the one who told me to bring it because you need it."


    Cayenne nodded her head and went back upstairs to continue drying her hair and to help Stefan dry his hair as well. It was her way of showing gratitude to him. Chris smiled while watching her disappearing back and secretly wished that the two of them will fall in love with each other.

 Chapter 16 - ILL COOK FOR OUR DINNER TONIGHT

    <h4>Chapter 16 - I''LL COOK FOR OUR DINNER TONIGHT</h4>


    The two of them ate their breakfast while Chris waited for them in the living room. He had his breakfast earlier so he didn''t join them even though Stefan and Cayenne invited him.


    "I''ll send you home today." Stefan stated while putting a scoop of rice on Cayenne''s te.


    "I can go home by myself. You have to go to work as well and I don''t want to impose on you again."


    "Sending you home is part of my duty."


    "Ha? It''s not stated in our contract though."


    "That''s fine."


    "Well, if you insist. I''m fine with it. I can at least save some money." Cayenne responded happily. She wanted to sound confident and at ease around him specially that she will be spending more time with him.


    They ate their food and talked about work matter regarding the hotel. Cayenne also informed him that he can just drop him off two blocks away from her house, just likest time. They really looked like a newly-wed couple who just moved out to their own home.


    After breakfast, Chris drove the car and they sent Cayenne home first. "See you tonight." Stefan reminded her with a faint smile.


    "Hn. See you." Cayenne waved her hand and watched the car leave the ce. As soon as she turned around to continue walking, she met her two younger brothers. They were looking at her while she was looking back at them.


    "Sis, who was that?" Kyle asked while following the sight of the car which was driving farther away from them.


    "That was my boss. He happened to see me walking home and felt bad about it. So, sent me home."


    "Then, why didn''t he drop you off near our block?" Luiz also inquired with curiosity.


    "I don''t want to be a food for gossip in our neighborhood." Cayenne made the most believable excused she could think of. "I''ll go now. Both of you take care and do your best in school."


    "Okay."


    "Yes."


    Her two brothers answered her unison and left to go to school. She also continued to walk to their house and prepare for work. She didn''t need to prepare that much since she already took a shower and ate her food as well. She just changed her clothes and put on some lip gloss and baby powder.


    She put her dirty clothes inside theirundry basket and looked for a new set of extra underwear. She had to bring some for change once she''s with Stefan.


    She found the food that her brothers cooked for her. Instead of wasting it by letting it spoil, she packed it and brought it as her food for lunch. She left as soon as she finished her preparation and made sure that the house was properly locked. Cayenne arrived ten minutes before her shift and she even saw Stefan sitting on a couch at the lobby.


    When he saw her arrived on time, he also left to go to work. Manager Kim didn''t know why the boss was there watching over the workers but as soon as he saw Cayenne, he left without any word. It was as if he was waiting or her to arrive. Manager Kim didn''t dare specte their rtionship. She just greeted Cayenne like usual and Cayenne just responded like how she used to.


    She went to find Celine for their work on the 2nd to 5th floor. She was her partner and the woman who always gives advice to her. Some of the employees stated that Celine was kind of grumpy and unapproachable but when Cayenne started working with her, she found that the woman was really kind and easy to talk to.


    Luna, the receptionist felt a little bad that Cayenne had to work from 2nd to 5th floor with Celine. She thought that she was having a hard time. But during lunch, Cayenne told her that she was having fun with Celine and she didn''t have a hard time as well.


    "I can even take a rest when there''s no more work assigned for us and I don''t handle difficult customers either. It''s actually a good work for me." Cayenne told Luna while eating.


    "Are you sure? You''re not forcing yourself, right?"


    "Nope. I am happy with my work now. I don''t really mind it."


    Luna finally smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "As long as you are fine with it, I don''t mind you not being my partner anymore."


    "Thanks." Cayenne replied with a faint smile on her lips. Few more hours to go and she would see her boss once again. ''What should I cook for dinnerter?'' she thought to herself while thinking of different recipes she knew. ''I should ask him if he''s got allergies.'' She put down her spoon and fork; and picked up her phone from her bag.


    Stefan was having a lunch meeting with one of the people who wanted to coborate with him for the new hotel that he was nning to build in city D, when Cayenne sent her a message, asking if he''s got any food allergies.


    ''I don''t really have any allergy but I don''t like to eat eggnts and anything with liver paste.'' He sent his reply to her and continued with the meeting.


    Cayenne smiled when she received his response and pocketed her phone. Luna noticed the sweet smile on her lips as well. "I can smell the scent of spring."


    "Huh? Spring? It''s still few months away from now. What are you talking about?"


    "Never mind. Just forget it." Luna shook her head helplessly at her friend. The just continued to eat their lunch and chatted about their other co-workers instead.


    The sun was slowly sinking down in the west, dying the sky in purplish-red and orange rays. It looked magnificent and the street lights slowly lit up as well.


    Cayenne pressed her finger on the biometrics to log off from her shift. Knowing that she will have to work in the evening, Luna bid farewell and walked home. Cayenne spotted the taxi that Stefan hired for her and got inside immediately. She didn''t need to say anything since the driver knew the ce already. Cayenne gave her identity card to the guard for security purposes. After verifying her information that Stefan submitted to them, she was finally allowed toe inside.


    "I''ll cook for our dinner tonight." She whispered to herself while watching the different style of houses that they passed by.

 Chapter 17 - LECTURING STEFAN

    <h4>Chapter 17 - LECTURING STEFAN</h4>


    NOTE: Song used is GENIUS by LSD


    As soon as she arrived to the house that Stefan bought, Cayenne changed her clothes immediately before going to the kitchen to cook food. "Hhmm, what should I cook for dinner?" she mumbled to herself while looking at the ingredients inside therge refrigerator. "I guess chicken curry and sausage rolls are fine." She took out all the ingredients that she needed and ced them on the table.


    She washed the vegetables while cooking the rice. She was doing multiple things at the same time. She was humming a song while cooking at the kitchen and she seemed to be enjoying what she was doing.


    "Oh, my god


    Baby, baby, don''t you see?


    I got everything you need


    O-only a genius could love a woman like she


    Oh, my god


    Baby, baby, don''t you see?


    I got everything you need


    O-only a genius could love a woman like she"


    She was dancing to the song she hummed and she didn''t notice that Stefan had arrived. The house had a fingerprint sensor and keypad locked so Stefan cane inside without knocking on the door. Only the two of them can do that. Even Chris had to knock on the door since his fingerprints weren''t registered on the lock.


    Stefan was leaning his hips on the door towards the kitchen. He was watching her cook while dancing in the kitchen. The smell of the food she was cooking wafted through the air and he knew that it would be delicious. A smile formed on his lips and he didn''t make a sound, just watching her do whatever she wanted to do.


    She suddenly stopped humming and she ced her hands on her hips. "Oh my god, I forgot to call Kyle." She needed to ask her brother to buy some groceries for their consumption and wasn''t able to leave a note for him. She turned off the stove first since she was done anyway and untied her apron.


    The moment she turned around, her eyes met his eyes and she was stunned for a moment. "Stefan." She softly whispered his name. The thought of him watching her cook and dancing made her blush. "How long have you been standing there?"


    "I just got here." He lied. He didn''t want to make her feel ufortable so he lied to her.


    Relief washed away her embarrassment and she smiled at him. "Wee home. I just finished cooking our food for dinner. How about you go and change your clothes first? I''ll have to call my brother for a moment."


    "Alright. I''ll take a shower first." He headed upstairs while Cayenne went to the living room to call her brother. It had been such a long time since someone weed him home and seeing her smile while waiting for him, he was delighted. It was a very warm feeling, something he was having a hard time letting go. He didn''t want to give her to anyone else. ''She needed to stay beside me forever. I won''t let anyone take her away from me.''


    Cayenne had no idea that Stefan just made a decision to keep her. However, fate would always make things difficult. If a person was meant for you, no matter how fate interferes, that person will be yours. At the same time, if the person wasn''t meant for you, no matter how much you wanted to keep her or him, that person won''t be yours.


    Cayenne called her brother and told him to buy their groceries at the nearest supermarket since she won''t be able to do it. It was gettingte so, Kyle promised to do it after school on the next day.


    "I''ll just do the grocery tomorrow afternoon with Luiz."


    "Okay. You don''t need to make breakfast for me tomorrow morning. I''ll just buy my food on my way home." Cayenne told them.


    "Got it, sis. Don''t overwork yourself. If you get the chance to rest, make sure that you will be resting."


    "Hn. I understand. You guys take care. I''ll go back to work now." She ended the call and went back to the kitchen to arrange the dining table and to take out the dishes she cooked. There were just the two of them but the ce wasn''t cold or lonely. Even though they couldn''t be considered as close friends, they still respected each other.


    Stefan came out from their bedroom with a towel hanging on his neck. Droplets of water were falling on to the towel since he just came out from the shower.


    "You should dry your hair first. Do you want to catch a cold?" Cayenne asked with her eyes blinking at him.


    "But it''s time for dinner." He responded while looking at the dishes on the table. "I want to eat now."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes and walked towards him. "When I say dry your hair, you have to dry your hair. My job is to sleep with you. I don''t want to be a nurse if ever you catch a cold. Do you get me?"


    "Why are you ordering me around? I am the boss here."


    "I know which is why you needed to listen to me. If you catch a cold, I might have it as well since we will be sleeping together. Isn''t it troublesome to sleep with a cold? I won''t be able to do my job as well since working in a hotel with colds aren''t allowed in yourpany. There are so many risks if you don''t dry your hair."


    "Fine. I''ll dry it. You don''t have to lecture me." Stefan went back to their room to dry his hair. He wasn''t angry that she was talking back to him and was ordering him. She wasn''t just concerned for herself but for him as well. Even if she was just concern because it will affect her, he was still happy to know that someone cares for him.


    Cayenne made two sses of fruit juice while waiting for him toe out again. ''He will not fire me after lecturing her, right?" She was thinking of this question again. It would always worry her whenever her ie is involved.

 Chapter 18 - CAN WE TALK?

    <h4>Chapter 18 - CAN WE TALK?</h4>


    After few minutes, Stefan came out again. Though his hair wasn''tpletely dried, there was no droplets of water as well. It was just a little damp. He pulled out his chair and sat on it so that he can eat. Cayenne ced the ss of apple juice in front of him and took a seat across him as well.


    "Sorry for lecturing you earlier." Cayenned spoke slowly and softly. "I didn''t mean to do it that way. I was just a little worried."


    "That''s fine. I have never had anyone who showed concern for me. It''s a little sudden but I am not angry."


    "Thank you."


    Stefan just chuckled and took the tter of rice. "Don''t think too much about it. Let''s eat." He ced some rice on his te and gave it to Cayenne after. "What made you decide to cook?"


    "It''s not good to always buy some take outs. At the same time, I can''t just wait for you toe home and cook all the time. Since I alwayse here ahead of you, it would be better for me to cook our food."


    "I see. Then, I''ll leave our dinner to you. I would oftene homete due to work but I''ll try toe home as early as I could to have dinner with you."


    "Okay. That''s fine with me." She agreed immediately. At the end of the day, she was paid a lot of money just by sleeping with him. He was true to his words as well. Even though he was hugging her to sleep, he didn''t do anything more than that.


    "Do we still have enough groceries? I didn''t check it this morning and I don''t think I bought enough for a week."


    "It canst until Friday." Cayenne answered him.


    "You will be going to the hospital this weekend to visit your mother, right? Can we buy some groceries on Saturday night after I pick you up?"


    "Sure. I don''t mind."


    "How was your work today? Were you able to adjust to your new job?"


    "Hn. Celine was very good to me. The work wasn''t hard as well. I can see that it was better than being a receptionist."


    "Really?"


    "Yes. I often got difficult customers to handle when I was still a receptionist. Now, Celine would just allow me toe out once the guests has left."


    "I''m d that you are doing fine." Stefanmented while eating the food heartily. "These are delicious. I don''t think I''ll regret giving you the task of cooking our dinner."


    "I''m happy that you like it. I''ll make sure to cook our dinner deliciously." Cayenne promised with a smile. Even her eyes formed into a crescent moon as if they were smiling at him as well.


    The two of them shared their food and ate happily. They talked about work and other stuff but Cayenne never asked anything about him. She didn''t want him to think that she was prying on to his life. If he shared something, she would listen. If he asked her something, she would answer him. If he asked for her opinion, she would tell him. She just wouldn''t ask him anything about his business or whatever he does every day.


    "I''ll wash the dishes since you cooked for our meal. You can take a rest first." Stefan told her after eating.


    "Thank you. I''ll leave it to your care. I''ll just take a shower." She left him and went to their room to take a shower. She didn''t bring any sleeping clothes since Stefan bought so many clothes for her. She only brought some casual clothes and a change of underwear.


    The moment she was done taking a shower, Stefan was also done washing the dishes. He dried them before putting them back inside the organizer. "It is just our second day but I felt a little worried for the future. What should I do if ever she would want to leave?" Stefan questioned himself while holding the dry cloth and the ss that she used earlier. "Will she stay with me if I raise her sry after a year?"


    When you find something precious and useful, you would never want to let it go. That''s how he felt at that moment. Cayenne was someone that he couldn''t just let go specially that she''s the only one who can help him sleep. "I don''t love her so, it would be difficult to keep her with me. Well, let''s leave it to the future. If the dayes that she''d want to leave, that''s the time I''ll figure out what to do."


    Many people say that wealthy men don''t have worries and that they can do and get everything that they want since they''ve got money. They tend to forget that they''re human as well. They''ve got emotions and feelings. There were things that would make them worry as well.


    Cayenne dried her hair while waiting for Stefan. In her mind, she was just a dispensable tool to Stefan and she was ready to be rid of at any moment. "I just hope he won''t throw me out soon. I really need the money." All she could think of was money for her mother''s treatment, money for the apartment rent, money for her siblings'' school, money for grocery and money for other bills. She never thought of herself. She didn''t care about herself. She just wanted to keep her family no matter what happens to her.


    It was already a blessing that Stefan wasn''t abusive and he didn''t maltreat her either. In fact, he had been very kind to her. She was sitting on the bed while holding the hair dryer. She was looking outside the window even though there was nothing interesting in there.


    "Why is my life like this?" she mumbled softly, and since the room was inplete silence, when Stefan opened the door, he heard the words that left her mouth.


    "Are you okay?" he asked her even though he knew that she was not. "Can we talk?"


    "Is there something wrong?" Cayenne asked him with a faint smile even though that ''something wrong'' was herself.

 Chapter 19 - KISSED HER HEAD

    <h4>Chapter 19 - KISSED HER HEAD</h4>


    Cayenne looked at the man in front of her. Stefan was also staring back at her. "Uh..what is it?"


    Stefan walked towards her and sat on the space beside her. "I''m a little worried. Our set up must be against your principles but you still have to do it for your family, right? Do you want to stop this?"


    "I''m actually fine, sir, I mean Stefan. It''s just that, sometimes I am afraid that you would just discard me and I would lose my source of ie."


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I need someone who can make me sleep and you are that someone. Rest assured, I won''t cut your source of ie and I won''t do anything that would cross your bottom line."


    "Thank you."


    "Are you really fine, now?"


    "Hn. I''m good."


    Stefan nodded his head and crawled towards his side of the bed. "Let''s go to sleep. We still have work to do tomorrow."


    "Good night." Cayenne stated and covered herself with their thick quilt. Her back was facing him and she had her eyes closed.


    "Ayen?" Stefan called her name softly.


    "Hn?"


    "Can I hug you to sleep?"


    Cayenne shifted her position and faced him. "Do you really have to do that?"


    "I guess. I don''t dream in my sleep whenever I''m hugging you."


    "Okay. But if I feel that your hands are being naughty, don''t be angry if I punch you."


    Stefan chuckled as he moved closer to her. "I''ll keep my paws from wandering." He responded before hugging her waist to sleep. Last time, he had his head close to her chest, feeling her warmth pressed on his body. This time, Cayenne was the one who was leaning her head on his chest while he ced his chin on top of her head.


    Cayenne ced her palm on his chest since she didn''t know if she should hug him back. Stefan took hold of her hand and ced it on his waist, making her hug him. "Good night."


    After half an hour, Cayenne could feel the steady rhythm of his breathing. His chest was rising and falling faintly and the sound of his heartbeat was loud in her ears. ''He looked cute and adorable when asleep. There''s no sense of intimidation and danger around him.'' Cayenne thought to herself. She also closed her eyes and fell asleep.


    ''Stefan! Stefan, look at this! I bought a new coat for you. Winter ising so you should keep yourself warm.'' It was Alexander, his older brother, who came to his room with arge paper bag in his hand. ''Your birthday is alsoing, what would you like me to give you?''


    ''Anything. I know you will always give me something useful.'' Stefan was around ten years old at this time and he used to cling to his brother whenever he was at home.


    ''Then, I''ll prepare something that you can use in the future.''


    ''Thank you, Alexander. I will surely treasure them.''


    ''I know you will. Do you want to eat with me outside? Let''s have dinner outside.''


    ''Just the two of us?''


    ''Hn. I like having meal with you. I''ll show you some of the pictures I took during the field trip as well.''


    ''Okay.'' Stefan ced the bag on his bed and walked out of the house with his brother. The pair of brothers, one tall and one short, both handsome and cute, looked so appealing to the eyes of other people. They walked hand in hand while Alexander talked to him about the field trip that he attended.


    Stefan wasn''t allowed to go that time since his parents didn''t want him to burden Alexander on the trip. Alexander didn''t know about the whole reason since his parents told him that Stefan didn''t want to go out. They lied! In fact, they told Stefan to stay at home.


    This event was a little painful for Stefan since he also wanted to go and experience what''s a field trip like. However, he was also used to how his parents treat him and it was no longer new to him. Despite the pain, he was still happy when Stefan came. It had always been like this. Whenever Stefan left to go somewhere, he would always buy things for him as souvenirs and he would always make sure that the things he bought were useful.


    Alexander was very thoughtful of him and whenever he was around he would spend time with him. Their bond was something that couldn''t be broken by any external force but, death was cruel and vicious. When they least expected it, it came and took away the most precious person in his life.


    Stefan frown in his sleep and his breathing had be erratic. Cayenne felt his difort and she woke up. "Stefan? Are you alright? Don''t worry, I''m still here. Don''t be sad, everything''s fine." Cayenne rubbed his back again and again to calm his nerves. She didn''t know what kind of dream he was having but she knew that it was something painful.


    She remembered Stefan said that he didn''t dream when he was hugging her to sleep but it hasn''t been long and he was having a nightmare already. She hummed a luby song for him to help him calm down while she continued to gently pat his back. After few minutes, Stefan seemed to calm down and he hugged her even tighter.


    Cayenne didn''t say a word and just let him sleep. It was her job after all. She needed to help him have a peaceful and uninterrupted sleep. Not long after, she also fell asleep in his arms.


    When morning came, Stefan was the first to wake up. Even though he waspletely awake, he was still hugging her and waited for her to wake up. "Thank you." Stefan whispered and faintly kissed the top of her head. It just so happened that Cayenne woke up right at this moment and she felt the kiss on her head.


    Instead of opening her eyes, she closed it tightly and buried her face on his chest. She was embarrassed!

 Chapter 20 - QUESTIONED

    <h4>Chapter 20 - QUESTIONED</h4>


    ''My goodness! What kind of set up is this? He didn''t really have to kiss my head, right?'' Cayenne thought while she kept her eyes close. ''Wait! I might be jumping to conclusions. He might have just pressed his mouth on my head.'' She added to counter her own thoughts.


    Stefan let her sleep for another half an hour since it was still six in the morning. There''s still three hours before her shift starts. He didn''t know that Cayenne was already awake.


    The two of them were still cuddling together when she felt her other side was feeling numb. She wanted to change her position. Uncaring of his presence, she turned to the other side and had her back facing him. Nheless, he didn''t let go of her. He was still hugging her even though he was wide awake.


    ''I''m starting to question my decision again.'' She thought to herself while keeping her mouth shut but her eyes were already wide open. She was just trying to feel what he was going to do.


    After half and hour, Stefan propped himself and sat on their bed. "Ayen. Ayen, we still need to work."


    Cayenne pretended to wake up and looked at him. "Morning."


    "Good morning." Stefan greeted and got out of the bed. "I''ll take care of our breakfast today. Go and wash up first."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne took her robe that he bought and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Stefan decided to wash his face in the kitchen since it would be troublesome if he used the bathroom with her taking her shower. They didn''t have much ingredients left and they can only buy their groceries on Saturday.


    "Let''s just make something quick and simple." Stefan cooked bacon, hotdog and a scrambled egg. Since there was still a little time left, he made a fried rice for the two of them.


    "I''ll arrange the table for us. Go and take a shower." Cayenne informed him since she was able to finish her bath before he could set up the table. It would be quicker if they could help each other.


    "You can eat first while I take a bath."


    "Just go. I''ll wait for you." Cayenne pushed him out of the kitchen. They were interacting normally without any awkwardness between them. To her, she was just doing her job. She didn''t think anything else out of it.


    The two of them continued this kind of set up and every morning, he would drop her at the second block from her house. He would go to the hotel and wait for her toe to work or sometimes, he would ask Chris to wait for her toe and confirm that she wasn''tte for work.


    Manager Kim was starting to have doubts as well. However, she couldn''t really confirm it since Stefan or Chris didn''t really interact with each other. They would just keep an eye to the employees and whenever Cayenne arrived, they would also leave. It was the fifth time already.


    "Yen?" Manager Kim called for her name.


    "Yes, Manger Kim?" Cayenne answered while drinking some water inside their employee''s lounge.


    "Can I ask you a question? I''m just a little curious but if Ie a little too intrusive, you can choose not to answer my question."


    "Hn? What is it?"


    "I''m just wondering if there''s any special connection between you and Mr. Dumrique or with ¨C"


    She didn''t finish her statement because Cayenne blew the water out from her mouth and it all hit her manager. "Manager..(cough and cough) Kim, sorry." She pulled out the handkerchief she always brings inside her pocket and wiped her manager''s clothes. "Your question was truly shocking. Sorry."


    "Is that so?" her manager didn''t seem angry with what happened but was still looking doubtful at her. "I might be wrong. Sorry for shocking you."


    "It''s alright. What made you say that, by the way?" Cayenne asked while she continued to wipe the suit.


    "Nothing. Just some observations here and there."


    Cayenne kept her mouth shut and just focused on helping her manager dry the clothes a little bit. "Do you like the boss?"


    "Hell no!" her manager eximed. "I was just worried if they got anything against you. I mean, you always like to work at night because you have another work during the day. Suddenly, you asked Manager Dan to change your schedule and our boss approved it. He even asked me to send you to Celine who was known to be strict and did not have a good rtionship with anyone. Recently, I''ve seen the boss or his secretary sitting on one of the couches at the lobby, observing the employees who came to work. And whenever you''re here, they will leave."


    Cayenne scratched the tip of her nose andughed awkwardly. "I am so ttered with your assumptions Ms. Kim." Cayennemented. "They don''t have anything on me."


    "Thought so." Manager Kim added. "Anyway, just forget my question."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne watched their hotel manager walked away from her and she let out a deep sigh. She was happy that there was only the two of them there or it would have been very awkward if anyone hears their conversation.


    "I must talk to him tonight regarding his behavior or someone will find out about us." Cayenne whispered to herself. She went back to work after what happened andpletely forgot about the sudden suspicion of their manager. It was her first time to work with almost no time to rest. The second to fifth floor''s rooms were mostly upied and after one check-out, someone woulde to check-in. For the first, she thought that her work was really tiring.


    "I think I''m going to die." She told Celine what she was feeling at the moment and thedy justughed it off.


    "I understand how you feel. At the same, this happens rarely and as you have experienced in this past few days, you were chilling most of the time. There are just some days when people like to stay here and we''ll have a lot of work to do."


    "I know. I have never experienced it until now. Well, I can consider it good. At least, I can get used to this whole new experience as early as now." Cayennemented while she folded the used nkets.

 Chapter 21 - I WOULD NEVER MAKE YOU CRY AGAIN

    <h4>Chapter 21 - I WOULD NEVER MAKE YOU CRY AGAIN</h4>


    That night, Cayenne went home very tired. Her shoulders were tense and her back was aching a lot from all the bending she did that day. "I will probably have a sore body tomorrow." Cayenne stated while giving her neck and shoulders a massage. She checked the time on her phone and found that it was still a little early. "Let me take a short nap." She ced her bag on the coffee table andid her body on the soft couch. They rarely used the couch since they''re only around during the night and most of the time, they were at the kitchen or in their bedroom.


    She didn''t bother turning on the light and just set an rm to wake her up. She closed her eyes and gave her body a power nap before preparing dinner. Supposedly, it was a power nap but she fell into a deep sleep.


    Stefan finished his work around six in the evening. He wanted toe home because it was getting darker outside and there was high chance of heavy rain. He didn''t want to be stranded because of it. Chris had the car ready downstairs so that they can immediately go home.


    When he arrived at their house, it was still dark, as if no one lives in there. Usually, Cayenne should be home around this time and the lights should have been turned on. He asked Chris to just drop him off and had him leave immediately. He opened the door and turned on the light in the living room. Only to find Cayenne sleeping soundly.


    ''Why didn''t she turn on the lights?'' Stefan thought but he didn''t bother to wake her up. He walked to their bedroom so he can change his suit and went out again with the nket in his hands. He wanted to turn on the aircon but it was getting a little colder due to the change of season which made him stop.


    Since the chef of the night was still sleeping, he volunteered to cook for their dinner.


    Cayenne felt veryfortable in her sleep. She even got a warm nket. "Heh?!" she sat upright as soon as she realized that she indeed got a nket on her. As far as she remembered, she didn''t get any nket from the room. She looked at the time and found that it was half an hour past seven and the lights were turned on as well.


    She fixed her clothes and her hair while running towards the kitchen, enduring her body pain. She winced from the soreness she felt on her arms but when she arrived at the kitchen, she pretended like nothing happened. "Sir, sorry. I fell asleep. I can cook the remaining dishes for you."


    "There''s no need." Stefan responded which made her felt guilty. She was paid to help him but now, he had to cook for them.


    "Don''t I really have anything that I can do to help you?" Cayenne asked again. She was scared because he looked angry and he wasn''t facing her either. She had no idea what to do.


    "Just go to bed and sleep. I can do this on my own." Stefan answered her. He knew that there were many guests in the hotel around this time of the year so he anticipated that she''d be tired. Cayenne bit her lower lip, turned around and left.


    Looking at his indifferent back made her feel even more guilty and sacred. She might not know him that well but in the past week, he never treated her badly. He would always give her a faint smile and he wouldn''t talk to her that way either. She went to their bedroom andid on the bed. She even forgot to bring her bag which she ced on the coffee table downstairs.


    Lost in her own thoughts of fear and guilt, Cayenne couldn''t stop herself from crying. She didn''t know what to do and she was afraid that he would just fire her because she neglected her work. Even if he promised her, he was still the employer and he can still fire her whenever he wants to. That was the biggest disadvantage she got and it made her feel extremely nervous around him. She had to make sure that she was doing a great job because not only this extra work, but she might lose her job in the hotel as well.


    She was both physically and emotionally exhausted on that day and her body gave in to the temptation of sleep again. She curled her body on the bed and slept.


    Stefan checked the living room since her bag was still there but he found that Cayenne wasn''t. He went upstairs with her bag and the nket he brought earlier; and sure enough, Cayenne was there sleeping. He ced her bag on the bedside table and ced the nket on the bed.


    "Ayen?" Stefan called her name to wake her up. When he looked closely to her face, he found that there were traces of tears on it. "Did she cry? Did something happen to her?" He had no idea that he was the reason why she was crying. "Ayen, wake up. We need to eat dinner together."


    Cayenne stirred in her sleep and rubbed her eyes. She wasn''t wearing any make up so, she wasn''t worried about her face. "I fell asleep again." She mumbled with a deep sigh. "Sorry."


    "You must be tired from so much work today." Stefan responded. "Let''s go and eat."


    Cayenne just looked at him and nodded her head. She didn''t want to say anything that might add up his anger. She followed him out in silence and Stefan didn''t ask her anything either. He wanted to give her some space just in case something bad happened.


    The two of them ate their dinner in silence. Cayenne ate slowly, she was having a hard time chewing her food because her throat would constrict from guilt and she was trying to stop her tears from falling.


    Stefan put his spoon and fork which startled her out of her wits. He didn''t really mean to startle her but she seemed to be jittery around him this time. "Ayen, is there something wrong?"


    "Ha? Uh..nothing, sir."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes. I''m sure."


    "If so, then, why are you calling me ''sir'' all of a sudden?"


    "That''s just a slip of the tongue."


    "A slip of the tongue can happen once or twice but not every time."


    Cayenned swallowed her food and looked down on her spoon. "Sir, are you not angry?"


    "Angry? About what?"


    "About me. I was supposed to cook dinner for us. I got here early and instead of cooking, I was sleeping peacefully. Aren''t you angry?"


    Stefan blinked his eyes while looking at her. He didn''t know that Cayenne was this type of person. Someone who has no sense of security and someone who seeks validation and approval with whatever she does. He can already imagine how hard her life was and how much she struggled with her previous works. She was someone who works very carefully because she was afraid she''d be fired. She had been telling him that she didn''t want to lose her source of ie.


    For someone who''s rich, he might not understand Cayenne''s drive to earn as much money as she could, even risking her own health for a meager ie. But he knew how much she strived for her family and that''s what he likes about her. She wasn''t selfish.


    "I am not angry at you. I know that there will be many guests this time of the year and I already expected that you''d be tired from work. I was just a little worried when I arrived and the house was really dark. I thought you weren''t here."


    "Really? You are not really angry? I can still work here?"


    "Hn. You can continue to work here."


    "100% sure?"


    "If you keep asking me, I will be angry. Stop asking about it and stop calling me ''sir'' either."


    "Okay." Cayenne smiled and she quickly wiped away the tears in her eyes which were threatening to fall. She was relieved and happy at the same time.


    Even though Stefan was lowering his head, he still saw in his peripheral vision that Cayenne was wiping her tears. For some unknown reasons, it made him feel sad. He didn''t want to see her cry. ''I would never make you cry again.'' Stefan promised to internally.

 Chapter 22 - GETTING CLOSER I

    <h4>Chapter 22 - GETTING CLOSER I</h4>


    After eating, Cayenne washed their dishes while Stefan went upstairs to take a shower first. ''I must have made her feel bad earlier. There''s no way she''d cry for no reason.'' Stefan thought while feeling the warm water touching his skin. Not long after, Cayenne finished washing the kitchenware and she also decided to go upstairs.


    She needed to wash up after him since Stefan had been making sure to sleep before ten in the evening. Before, getting a wink of sleep was the hardest thing for him to achieve. This time, he would always look forward for the clock to strike nine in the evening because it was his time to sleep.


    Cayenne washed up as quick as she can to make sure that her employer won''t be sleepingte because of her. After washing up and changing her clothes, she climbed on to the bed where Stefan was already waiting for her. "We still have few minutes before nine, do you have anything else to do?" Stefan asked her. He was sending a message to Chris, reminding him to be early tomorrow morning since Cayenne still needed to leave for hospital. She had to visit her mother with her siblings.


    "I''m fine. I have reminded my siblings what to do already. I won''t have any issue for tomorrow''s visit."


    "Alright then." Stefan put down his phone and started to find the mostfortable position on the bed. "Can I hug you again?"


    "Hn. Same drill. I''ll punch you if your hands would start to wander." Cayenne reminded him.


    "Yes, ma''am." Stefan moved closer and hugged Cayenne. Her warmth would alwaysfort him and he liked the feeling of her supple body pressed against his.


    Cayenne watched the big man in her arms sleep peacefully. It was her job to make sure that he''s sleeping and so far, she could say that she was doing a great job.


    The two of them sleep unguarded. Stefan felt that she was harmless which allows him to sleep without any worries. Cayenne felt that Stefan will never break his words which makes her sleep without being afraid. The two worried soul, when together, they tend to warm up to each other and forgot their worries at all.


    The next morning, Chris arrived early and he brought them food as well. Stefan was the first to wake up so he took a shower ahead of her and went downstairs to open the door for Chris. It wasn''t until it was almost eight in the morning did Cayenne wake up.


    "Oh my gosh! Did I sleep that long again?! I will bete and my brothers will worry for me." She mumbled while hastily taking her towel and her change of clothes. She acted as fast as she could and she ignore the fact that Stefan just came inside and saw her acting all messy and panicky.


    "Don''t be hasty. You might slip off the floor and fall." Stefan reminded her before going out again. He wanted to wake her up but, seeing her walking in haste, he knew that there''s no need to. "Come to the kitchen once you''re done. You need to eat before leaving."


    "Yes. I understand." Cayenne responded without looking back. She closed the bathroom door and took off her clothes to start bathing. Due to her anxiousness, she forgot to change the temperature of the shower and ended up taking a cold bath. She was used to it though so, she didn''t think of it as unusual. In their apartment, there was no warm bath. If it''s during cold season, you can only bath with cold water. If it''s summer, you can still bath with cold water. If you want something warm, you need to boil it using the small heater in the kitchen or use a kettle to boil enough liter of water to mix with the cold water on the pail.


    She changed her clothes the moment she was done and wrapped the towel around her head before going out to find Stefan in the kitchen. Chris was sitting on the couch in their living room. "Morning, Cayenne." He greeted her which Cayenne returned with a warm greeting as well.


    "Morning, Chris. Thank you for sending us food again."


    "No worries. Sir Stefan asked me to buy some to make sure that you won''t leave with an empty stomach."


    "I see. I''ll go and see him now." She walked towards the kitchen after talking to Chris for a few minutes.


    "Aren''t you going to dry your hair first?" Stefan questioned upon seeing the towel on her head. He also noticed the goosebumps forming on her exposed arms. "Did you bath with a cold water?"


    "Is that bad? I''m used to bathing with cold water, though."


    "Never mind. Just have a seat so we can eat." Stefan ced a ss of milk in front of her and he sat on his chair as well right after Cayenne. "Don''t forget to call me in the afternoon so, I can pick you up and buy groceries with you."


    "Okay."


    "Make sure to wear a thick jacket when you go to the hospital. It would be troublesome if you catch a cold."


    "Hn. I''ll remember that."


    The two of them ate their food and Cayenne was quick with her actions because she need to leave as soon as possible. "Slow down. You might choke if you eat that way." Stefan reminded her.


    "But I will bete."


    "Which one would you like, choking yourself to death or just beingte?"


    Cayenne slowed down when she heard his question. "Why didn''t you wake me up when you woke up?"


    "I assumed that you were tired from all the work. You didn''t tell me the exact time you are leaving as well. I even thought you set an rm to wake you up."


    His words made sense and she felt annoyed with herself. "My siblings must be worried about me." Cayenne mumbled after eating all her food. "Anyway, thank you for the breakfast. I will leave now."


    "Dry your hair first."


    "I will." Cayenne responded while walking away from him. Stefan just watched her disappearing back and let out a sigh. ''She''s so uptight.''

 Chapter 23 - GETTING CLOSER II

    <h4>Chapter 23 - GETTING CLOSER II</h4>


    Stefan told Chris to drive the car and send Cayenne home first before going to thepany. The two of them at the backseat silently, both looking outside the window, avoiding each other''s gaze.


    As usual, Stefan dropped her off two blocks away from her house. It was her request since she didn''t anyone to gossip about her. Luiz and Kyle were done preparing their things and they have cleaned the house as well. In short, Cayenne just needed to show up in order for them to leave for the hospital together.


    "How''s schooltely? I haven''t been able to sit and talk with the two of you." Cayenne stated after changing her clothes for something presentable that she can show in front of her mother. She couldn''t show her tiredness in front of her mother or their lies wille to light and she will be worried for them again. The least thing she wanted to happen was for her mother to worry about them.


    Luiz took the basket with fruits and snack before answering her sister. "While you are doing your best to earn money for us, we''ve been doing our best to study as well. By the way sis, I came as the Top 2 student in our ss and there will be an awarding next Friday. Do you think you can ask for leave and attend it with Kyle?"


    "I am not sure but, I''ll talk to my manager about it. I hope they''ll understand and allow me to have a leave on that day."


    "I hope so, too." Luiz retorted with a smile. "It would be good if you can rest every once in a while."


    "I agree with Luiz. You''ve been working for who-knows-how-long that we don''t remember you taking a break. You should also think of yourself. What if something happens to you? What will Luiz and I do?"


    Cayenne looked at her brothers and for the first time, she realized that she was indeed being reckless. If her mother dies because of her illness and she dies because of being reckless, what will her brothers do? That was indeed a very enlightening question. "Well, you don''t have to worry about that. I found this work that would allow me to rest as well. I babysit someone and helped him sleep. When he''s asleep, I can also sleep. I''m well-paid, too."


    "Really?" Kyle questioned while the three of them walked towards the bus station. "When did you start working with this job?"


    "Just this week. I didn''t have time to tell because we always miss out on each other and I wanted to let you know once we''re together."


    "That''s really nice." Luizmented but his face wasn''t showing any traces of happiness. Instead, he was frowning and a little doubtful.


    "Is there something wrong?" Cayenne asked her brother.


    "I am just wondering, how much your sry for that job is."


    "I am paid $3000 a month."


    "What?!" The two of them eximed and looked a little terrified. To babysit someone and earned thatrge some of money was a little surprising. "Did they ask you to do anything else aside from babysitting?" Kyle asked after getting over with his shock.


    "Not really. They''re kind of super rich and they needed my help since he can also sleep when I''m with him. Since I''m very much needed, they''re paying me extra big."


    "Well, as long as they won''t ask you to do anything beyond humane, that should be fine. If ever they abuse their power against you, don''t hesitate to tell us." Luiz chided in.


    "Yes, little sirs. I will make sure to remember that." Cayenne stated. They reached the bus station already but they were ahead of the time so they waited for a bit longer.


    Not far from where they stood, Arthur parked his car. He was waiting for this moment so that he can have time with them. He ignited the engine and drove the car in front of them and stopped. "Are you guys going to the hospital again?" he asked even before he could fully wind down the car window.


    "It''s Arthur." Luiz eximed. "Yeah, we''re on the way to the hospital."


    "Why don''t you hop in? I''m going there to check on my sister-inw."


    "Is it alright?" Kyle asked. He knew that his sister doesn''t see Arthur in a romantic way and he was worried that it would be awkward during the whole travel time.


    "It''s fine. Your sister should be tired from all the work as well. It would be better if you guys won''tmute." Arthur responded with a harmless smile. He looked so happy without any hidden intentions.


    "Come on. Let''s just have a ride with brother Arthur. It will help us save some money." Luiz urged his elder brother and sister. He even opened the car and got inside without waiting for his sister''s approval.


    Not wanting to be disrespectful, Cayenne got inside as well. Since her brothers upied the back seat, she had no other choice but to take the front seat beside him. "I hope we are not dying your travel."


    "Not at all. I''m d I can help." Arthur started the car and they went to city B together. In truth, his sister-inw was already discharged but Cayenne didn''t know and she didn''t ask either which was why, he was able to use it as an excuse toe to the hospital and see her.


    "How''s work?" Arthur opened up with a question that shows concern. It was as if he wasn''t rejected and shunned by her.


    "Work''s fine." Cayenne answered casually. She actually didn''t want to talk to him or even see a shadow of him. She would always feel guilty that she dumped him but she couldn''t just bring herself to love him, either. "Is everything going well with your agricultural projects?"


    "Yup. So far, things are sailing smoothly." Arthur answered with a smile. "But my love life isn''t. Do you have any advice?"

 Chapter 24 - SHOWING CARE I

    <h4>Chapter 24 - SHOWING CARE I</h4>


    "I got none." Cayenne replied before keeping her mouth shut. She didn''t want to talk with him when ites to love. She''d feel guilty towards him.


    "Can I talk to youter? There''s something important that I needed to tell you." Arthur stated without giving her a side nce. He was keeping his focus on driving even though his heart was singing in joy for being with her. ''I''m in love with this woman and that will stay the same ''til I die. I don''t know what to do stop my heart from beating for her. I am just running out of ideas.'' He thought to himself. He had so many things he wished to say to her but he wanted to say it when they''re all alone.


    Cayenne just nodded since there''s no harm in talking.


    After almost an hour of driving, they finally arrived at the hospital. "Thank you for giving us a ride." Cayenne expressed her gratitude and even smiled at him. "I''ll see you around."


    Luiz and Kyle came out of the car as well and watch Arthur drove out to look for a parking space before they followed their sister to get to their mother. The smell of the disinfectant greeted them which made Cayenne cover her nose. She really hates the smell of the hospital which was also the reason why she seldomly visits her mother before even though she had little time to spare for her.


    "Goo morning, Ma." Luiz and Kyle greeted their mother and gave her a hug.


    "Morning, Ma." Cayenne also greeted with a faint smile. "How have you been?"


    "I''m doing good so far. How''s your work? How''s your studies?"


    "I am doing good as well. Work isn''t so difficult and tiring." Cayenne answered first.


    "Study for us isn''t bad either. I am actually going to receive an award next Friday. Since you can''te because of your condition, I have asked Kyle and big sis toe with me." Luiz responded her mother.


    The three of them looked for chairs to sit and they talked to their mother about many things. Weekends were the only days that they could catch with each other. Even for Cayenne and her brothers, they seldomly got time to talk because she needed to work day and night. However, it didn''t make her less of a sister. For the two men, she was still the best sister. The woman who was fighting together with them to achieve their dreams.


    The talked about their school activities, their uing Christmas party, their field trips and other things that their mother missed since she had been staying at the hospital for quite sometimes now. They''ve spent so little time with them.


    "Cayenne." Her mother called for her attention since she didn''t talk so much when she''s with them. It''s not like she talks a lot but she was really very quiet this time. "Yen, I know that we talked about this already but, can you please bring me home?"


    "Why?"


    "What do you mean ''why?''" her mother questioned, not understanding why she was refusing her toe home. "I don''t like to stay here anymore. My body is rejecting the treatment. I have so little time left to have it spent here. I want to go home and stay with the three of you. Isn''t it better? You can start saving instead of wasting your money on me."


    Cayenne''s tears fell and she was having a hard time breathing. She felt suffocated with her words. "Ma, why are you hurrying your death when I''m doing my best to help you survive? What will we do once your gone? Ma, can''t you understand how I feel? I want you to live! I want you to stay with us."


    "But I have no chance! Yen, wake up! I am dying! There''s no way to save me! I''m just good as dead! Why do you have to keep wasting your money on me?! I don''t want to stay here."


    Cayenne looked at her mother while sobbing. "Ma, if you stay with us for a long time, you might infect us. Didn''t you know that? Didn''t the doctor tell you about that?"


    "I see. Then, it''s better for me to die without dragging anyone of you, right?"


    "No, that''s not what I mean." Cayenne held her mother''s hand and squeezed it gently. "Please fight or us, Ma. We still need you. Don''t worry about the money. I have saved some for us and there''s enough for your medication as well. Don''t think about anything else aside from your recovery."


    Luiz and Kyle were looking at their sister and their mother who were sobbing in front of them. It was the first time they''ve heard their sister raised her voice against their mother. She was always kind, gentle and timid in front of other people. However, she would always express her opinion without raising her voice. This time, she was really angry and frustrated which made her raise her tone against her own mother.


    "I''ll go out for a while." Cayenne wiped her tears and stood up to leave the room. She went to the rooftop of the hospital where she can rx and calm herself.


    Not long after, her phone started ringing and Stefan''s name was shing on her phone screen. She answered it immediately, thinking that he needed help. "Hello, Stefan?"


    "Ayen, did you arrive already?"


    "Yeah. Why are you calling? Do you need help?"


    "What makes you think that I needed help?"


    "Well, I don''t know any other reason for you to call me unless there''s something you needed help with."


    Stefan chuckled at her upon hearing her answer. "I do have a little problem."


    "What is it?"


    Stefan transferred the phone to his other hand while signing a bunch of documents which the manager of the cafe gave him. "I am currently at Sweet Love, a caf¨¦ which sells a variety of cakes and pastries and I''m wondering if there''s anything you like to eat."

 Chapter 25 - SHOWING CARE II

    <h4>Chapter 25 - SHOWING CARE II</h4>


    "Eh? Me? The problem is what I want to eat? Are you sure? Are you okay? Do you have a fever? Do you need me to buy medicine before going home?" Cayenne asked him a series of questions because she thought he was being delirium.


    "I''m fine. I''m not having a fever." Stefan responded which made thedy manager stifle herughter. In front of her, their boss was showing her concern for her girlfriend, instead of getting a thank you, she thought that he was having a fever. It was obvious that their cold boss was never the romantic type of person. Perhaps, he was trying his best for her.


    The only difference is that, Cayenne wasn''t really her girlfriend.


    Cayenne looked at her phone screen to see the name. It was surely her boss'' number but it seemed like she was talking to a different person. "I¡­u-uh..I''m..I''m not really picky. You can choose whatever you like. I don''t mind."


    "Do you hate sweets?"


    "Nope. I like them so much. It''s just a little expensive so, I don''t buy them."


    "Alright. I''ll buy some for you. Don''t stay out for too long. It''s getting colder and you said it yourself that it would be bad for both of us if you get sick. Make sure to keep yourself warm."


    "Okay. I''ll remember that."


    "And one more thing, send me a message, one hour, before you leave the hospital. I need to finish my work before I can pick you up."


    "You can just ask the taxi driver toe and pick me. I don''t really mind."


    "But we promised to buy groceries together."


    "Okay."


    "Alright. I''ll see youter."


    "See you." Cayenne waited for him to end the call since he was the boss. Stefan was waiting for her to end the call since she was thedy. The two of them were both waiting! When she looked at her phone after a minute, the call still continued. "Stefan? Why aren''t you ending the call yet?"


    "Why aren''t you ending it?" Stefan returned the question back to her.


    "Uh..because you are the boss?"


    "But you are the girl here. Shouldn''t you end the call?"


    "Won''t it be respectful to you as you are the boss?"


    "Isn''t it the same with you as you are the girl?"


    The two of them were going back and forth with each other. No one wanted to end the call first. The caf¨¦ manager and Chris were looking at Stefan with horrified expression. Who was he talking to which seemed to tame their boss? The cold ice king was slowly melting because of a me queen that they haven''t met yet.


    In fact, Stefan wasn''t really a cold person but the environment he grew up molded him to be one. He had to act cold in order to survive in the harsh world that his brother left him.


    On the other hand, Cayenne was still hesitating to end the call when Arthur appeared behind her. "Who are you talking to?" Out of fear of being discovered, she ended the call in a spur of the moment.


    Stefan looked at his phone and just shook his head. "Pack me one slice of all the cakes that we have. Make sure it''s packed nicely."


    "Yes, sir." The manager responded and called one of the servers to give the order. "Pack a slice of each cake that we have. Make sure to pack it nicely. The boss is sending it to his girlfriend." The manager whispered before signaling the server to go and do what she was told to do.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne was holding her chest from being startled. "Arthur, it''s you. You startle me there. Why are you here?"


    "I thought I told you that I would like to talk about something. I went to your mother''s room but you were not there. I checked the garden and you were nowhere to be found so, I guessed that you''d be here."


    "I see. What is it that you want to talk about?"


    "I''m sorry if I interrupted your call with your boyfriend."


    "Ha? That wasn''t my boyfriend! That was my boss? I asked him if I could take a day off next Friday."


    "Oh." He feigned ignorance and smiled at her. ''It was clearly not your boss. There''s no need to look flirty when you talk to a boss. And you shouldn''t call your boss by their first name.'' Arthur mentally noted while keeping his smile on his lips. "I wanted to talk to you about us." His words rendered her speechless for a little while. As far as she could remember, there was no ''us'' between them.


    "What are you talking about?" Cayenne asked hesitantly. "There was never an ''us''."


    "It''s not really how I mean it. What I want to talk about is the past rtionship we had. I know that I am making things difficult for you when I confessed. I didn''t really want that to happen at the same time, I want you to know how I feel. Even so, just because I like you, doesn''t mean you are obliged to like me back. I just want us to be friends again. The few times that we''ve met, I felt the tension and your difort. I am really sorry." He seemed sincere with his words so, Cayenne put her guard down.


    "I am really fine being friends you. It''s just a little difficult to go back to what we were before you left for States. I don''t hate you or anything. I just feel a little guilty that you had to like someone like me who doesn''t know how to value someone''s life aside from my family."


    "That''s not something you should be guilty." Arthur responded with a smile. "Can I visit you sometimes?"


    "That''s really something difficult for me. I work day and night. I onlye home to change clothes before going out to work again. Weekends would be spent here with my mother so, I don''t think you''d still see me at home."

 Chapter 26 - GENUINE LAUGHTER

    <h4>Chapter 26 - GENUINE LAUGHTER</h4>


    The two of them talked at the rooftop for few more minutes but Cayenne decided toe inside after remembering Stefan''s words. She needed to stay warm to avoid catching cold and infecting him. It wasn''t long after she came back when someone knocked on her mother''s hospital room.


    "Delivery for ma''am Cayenne Ardolf." The delivery man stuck his head on the small opening of the door to see if he was in the right room.


    Cayenne was dumbstruck upon seeing the small boxes inside the stic bag. The name of the delivered items was Sweet Love. It was from the caf¨¦ that Stefan said he was at earlier. "I''m Cayenne." She walked to the door to open it widely for the delivery man toe inside. Luiz and Kyle took the stic bags from the man while he was showing Cayenne the details of the order and the person who ordered them for her.


    "Thank you." Cayenne mumbled while signing the delivery form. The delivery man left after making sure that everything''s given to her.


    "You bought all of these?" Luiz asked. They knew that their sister has a sweet tooth but they never expected her to buy so much in one day.


    "Don''t you think that''s too much?" Arthur also said. He was still there since he dropped by to see her mother. He also knew that Cayenne didn''t buy them. It was obviously from the man that she talked to earlier at the rooftop.


    Cayenne just smiled without saying anything. She opened the boxes and found different kinds of pastries and cakes inside. There was a note as well. She immediately picked it up and ced them inside her pocket. ''What was he thinking leaving a note like this?''


    If Luiz and Kyle noticed that small yet suspicious gesture, there''s no way that Arthur and her mother did not. They were all looking at her but nobody questioned her. "Just choose whatever you want and eat." Last time, she told Stefan that she was health conscious because she needed to work and that she shouldn''t risk her health. She avoided eating too much sweets as well even though she really likes them. This time, with their rtionship getting better, she was starting to show him her real self. She wanted to be honest with him when ites to small little things like her favorite and hated stuff.


    She ate them happily and mentally noted to thank himter. Luiz and Kyle could see her happiness, too and somehow, they felt sad for their sister. She earned so much money but she would never prioritize herself. Even buying her favorite food and stuff would always be at the bottom of the lists of her priorities. Their mother came first and the two of them came in second, she would put herself as thest priority above everything else.


    "Ma, is there anything that you''re craving for lunch? I saved a little money here which we can buy the food you wanted to eat." Cayenne stated before putting another taking a bite on her macaron.


    "How about I treat everyone to lunch? I haven''t done it ever since I came from home." Arthur suggested which lit up Luiz''s and Kyle''s eyes.


    "No, it''s not needed. Don''t waste your money on us. You should save it for your future needs." Cayenne responded, clearly expressing her refusal.


    "I don''t really mind. It''s not like I''m going to pay for your living expenses. It''s just a lunch meal. There''s no need to be so concern about it. Do you mind it, too, Auntie?"


    Cayenne''s mother smiled. "I''m fine as long as you won''t take it as a burden to your wallet."


    "How can that be? You''re like a mother to me already. Treating you to a meal is only natural."


    "You are such a good boy. Your future wife will be very lucky." Arthur could only chuckle at her words while Cayenne smiled faintly. Her two brothers who knew about the story stayed silent just smiled like nothing happened. They didn''t want their mother to have more stress added to her te.


    "I''ll find a ce for us to eat." Arthur took out his phone and searched for restaurants nearby.


    While he was busy searching for restaurants and while her two brothers were busy talking to their mother and eating the pastries, Cayenne took this chance to take out the note and read it. ''Have a great day! I hope these sweets will give you enough energy. Fighting!''


    Cayenne raised her eyebrow andughed. There''s no way he''d make such sweet note for her. Someone must have written it on his behalf. Her siblings, her mother and Arthur looked at her when they heard herughter. How long has it been since theyst heard her genuineughter? I had been such a long time that they have already forgotten it. Now, she wasughing happily because of a simple note.


    "Mona is really stupid." She used her colleague to make an excuse for Stefan. She couldn''t let him know of his identity. Not now and not ever. So, she used Mona to be the scapegoat when she noticed that their gazes where focused on her.


    She pocketed the note again and acted like nothing happened.


    "It was Mona who sent these?" Kyle asked since he had seen the woman several times in the past when his sister started working In Clover Hotel.


    "Yup."


    No one was convinced with her answer but no one argued with her either.


    When lunch break arrived, the doctor allowed Cayenne''s mother to go out and have a lunch date with her family. They chatted over food and Arthur was clearly having a good time knowing that Cayenne''s mother likes him so much. In order to win her over, he needed to start with her family. He needed to gain their trust and eventually, he would gain hers.


    He had nned everything from the moment he came back from States. This time, he won''t let her go again. He will take things slowly but surely.

 Chapter 27 - MAKING EXCUSES

    <h4>Chapter 27 - MAKING EXCUSES</h4>


    "I''ll be going out around 5:30 in the afternoon." Cayenne sent this message to Stefan who was still working in his office. They were nning for the year end party that thepany will hold for its employees. They always do this as a way to give thanks to all the people who lent their hands to help hispany grow.


    Stefan might look cold and ruthless on the outside but he actually knew how to appreciate other people''s hard work. He also like those people who stayed honest to their work. And Cayenne was also someone he really appreciated.


    Seeing her message, a smile appeared on his face. "Let me know which gate to pick you up." After sending it, he tried to finish as much work as he can to make sure that he''d be able to pick her up on time.


    The two of them waited for the time to pass. Cayenne was still with her family and Arthur was there as well. "Aren''t you busy?" she asked. "I don''t mean anything bad with my question, ''kay? I am just wondering if you''re not busy with anything."


    "I''m not." Arthur answered with a smile. "I always make sure to make time for family and friends on weekends."


    "I see. That''s good to know." Cayenne just peeled an apple for her mother without saying anything after that. The boys continued to talk to their mother and Arthur also shared his experiences when he was still in States. Looking at them, they were clearly having fun with their conversation.


    After several hours, Cayenne started to pack her things and ced them in her bag. "You''re leaving?" Arthur asked upon seeing her actions.


    "Yeah. I still have work to do."


    "Didn''t you say that you don''t work at night?" her mother questioned since what she knew was that Cayenne only worked during the day.


    "I need to clean the house, Ma. The three of us were always busy and we need to manage our time ordingly."


    Luiz and Kyle just nodded their head. They couldn''t say anything or they might spill something they shouldn''t have. They were covering up for their sister since they knew that she''d be out working again.


    "Will you being back tomorrow?" Luiz asked as if he didn''t know anything.


    "Yes. I''ll be here tomorrow. Make sure to look after our mother while I''m not around."


    "You can count on us." Kyle responded to his sister.


    "Should I send you back? It would be difficult tomute at this time of the day." Arthur offered but Cayenne refused him politely.


    "I appreciate your offer but, there''s no need to. I''ll be fine. Can I leave you with my mother and siblings? I really need an adult to look after them."


    "Sure." Arthur was delighted to hear those words from her. Little did he know, Cayenne only did that because she knew that he would insist to send her home. First, she didn''t want him to know their exact address which she already told her siblings about it. Second, she didn''t want him to see Stefan who will be picking her up. There''s just so many things she needed to keep to herself.


    "I''ve got to go now." Cayenne kissed her mother''s cheeks and gave her brothers a gentle pat on their heads. She smiled towards Arthur and left immediately. "I''ll be waiting at the Gate 5."


    "I''m on my way." Stefan replied and told Chris where to pick Cayenne. He was picking her up today because they needed to buy groceries. If it was just normal days, the one who will pick her up would be the taxi driver that Stefan hired for her. Today was just a special circumstance.


    Cayenne stood at the side of the gate near the guard house. There were many peopleing in and out of the hospital through the back gate. There were five gates in total around the hospital and Gate 5 was the back gate, which was also the farthest gate from her mother''s ward.


    Not long after, Stefan arrived and opened the door in front of her. "Get in." he moved to the other side of the couch and waited for her toe inside. Without looking around, Cayenne got inside the car and closed the door. Chris started the engine and left the hospital premise.


    "Was that Cayenne?" Jessie, one of her co-workers questioned herself but since she didn''t see the woman''s face, she just dismissed the idea and went to the guardhouse. Her father was one of the guards at the hospital and he was staying at the Gate 5 to bring peace and order to the visitors and the hospital premises.


    If Cayenne chose to look around earlier, she would''ve been busted by her workmates. Not only that, Stefan will be dragged down by her as well.


    Inside the car, the two of them were talking about the things that they should buy. Instead of just buying groceries, they decided to buy some equipment that they would need as well.


    "Do you still have enough shampoo?" Stefan asked her.


    "Yeah. It shouldst for another month. You bought a lotst time. We still have enough toothpaste as well."


    "Then let''s talk about our food." Stefan stated while making a list on his phone. "Let''s just buy food for the next two weeks. It would be bad to buy a lot and some will just spoil after several days."


    "I agree. Let''s buy some meat."


    "Do you want to have some seafood?"


    "Seafood''s fine. Just type ''meat'' in their and let''s check at the meat section whatever''s avable."


    "Okay. Let me add the vegetables, too."


    Chris looked at the two people behind him who looked so focus with their conversation. It was his first time to see the gentle expression on Stefan''s face and somehow, he realized that the man wasn''t very cold as everybody said. Cayenne would always share her opinion to him and he would do the same. They didn''t look like some strangers who just met not long ago. They looked like a newly-wed couple who were just starting to live their lives with one another.

 Chapter 28 - GARNERING UNNECESSARY ATTENTION

    <h4>Chapter 28 - GARNERING UNNECESSARY ATTENTION</h4>


    They finally arrived back in City A and they went to thergest supermarket. Chris parked the car at the basement and the two of them alighted the car, leaving Chris to look after their vehicle. It would be difficult if someone would do something to an expensive car.


    "Are we going to buy the equipment first or are we going to buy the groceries?" Cayenne asked while picking up her bag from the backseat. Stefan was waiting for her and when she turned around to face him, he gave her a cap. "What''s this for?" she asked while holding the end of the cap.


    "That''s to hide your face. Someone might see us and I don''t want to put you in a difficult situation."


    "O-okay." Cayenne just put on her face mask that she brought from home to hide her little face. Stefan just smiled before walking beside her towards the elevator.


    People in City knew of him ¨C the man who changes his girl like how often he changed his socks. Which means every day. People see him every day with a different woman beside him. He would always show them around and he never bothered hiding their faces. He dated celebrities, writers, young directors, managers, nurses, doctors; anyone that can catch his attention. The only thing that he didn''t do was to date his employees. Now, everything has change.


    He wasn''t really dating Cayenne but he nned to keep her to himself. He needed her ¨C an employee in his hotel who can cure his insomnia.


    The two of them went to the appliance''s store and bought an oven toaster and coffee maker first.


    "Let''s just get thetest model. It will be betterpared to the old items." Stefan mentioned to Cayenne while looking at the oven toaster in front of him.


    "We won''t really need thetest one. I don''t think we''ll be using it so much so the old models should be fine. Besides, they have the same usage. There''s not much of a difference."


    "But I think thetest ones are better." Stefan tried to convince her again. "Well, I''ll be the one paying for it so, I can choose."


    "Why did you even bother to listen to my opinion?"


    "Because you also have a point." Stefan responded and grinned at her. "Anyway, let''s just get thetest models for the oven toaster and the coffee maker."


    "Alright. I don''t mind. I won''t be spending my money, anyway."


    Stefan just chuckled and asked the saledy to get theirtest models for both items. After buying these two things, they went to the grocery area.


    "Was that Stefan Dumrique?" one of the saledies questioned her co-worker who sold them the appliances.


    "I think so. I don''t know anyone with that face aside from him." The saledy answered.


    "Who was that girl? New woman to y with?"


    "Who knows? All those girls are just the same. They would bed him for money."


    "But don''t you think it''s odd this time? Thedy was covering her face. Before, they would always show themselves."


    "Maybe she was the shy type. Shy to show her embarrassing self."


    The gossiped about Cayenne and Stefan when the two finally left. This was what Stefan was worried about. He didn''t want anyone to see Cayenne because they will judge her badly because of his own past actions. He didn''t want her to suffer because of him.


    Cayenne knew about his reputation but ever since they got to live under the same roof, she realized that he wasn''t that bad. At the same time, she still stayed alert around him knowing that he''s a man. Any moment, he might do something uncalled for against her.


    The two of them went to the grocery store under the obvious gazes of people. He was a known person in city A and his rtionships with women was known as well. This time, they were curious of the identity of the woman beside him. Sadly, Cayenne was wearing a cap and a face mask to avoid them seeing her.


    "Let''s buy the bathroom necessities first. Then, the dry goods andstly, would be the cold cuts and the meat." Cayenne told him to make sure that there''s order to their shopping and for them to save time as well.


    "Sure. I''ve got no problem with that." He chose arge cart and pushed it while Cayenne walked beside him. Cayenne was smaller and petite thus, her strides were also smaller in distancepared to Stefan''s. Seeing that he was walking too fast, he adjusted his pace for her and they walked side by side together.


    "Thank you for the sweets earlier. I really love them."


    "I''m d you like them. I wasn''t really sure which one you like so, I bought one slice of each kind."


    "I like matcha the most." Cayenne told him. "How about you? Do you have any favorite food? Maybe I can make them for you."


    "I don''t really have any favorite food but I like the dishes you cook for us. It reminds me of my brother."


    "Does he like to cook food as well?"


    "He cooked for me and no one else."


    "He must have loved you so much."


    "He did. He was the only one who cares for me." He responded while pushing the cart. Realizing what he said, he immediately looked at her and took back his words. "Forget what I just said."


    "There''s no way I''d forget that but, I won''t bring it either." Cayenne replied. Her faint smile was reassuring and she was being sincere in front of him. "Anyway, you have me now. I''ll take care of your sleeping problem until you can fully sleep on your own without me beside you."


    "No way!"


    "Huh?" Cayenne looked at him in confusion. "No, what?"


    "N-nothing." His eyes looked a little sad but he didn''t say anything more than that.


    They continued to buy stuff as if nothing happened. Cayenne ignored the curious eyes directed at her and Stefan made sure to keep her close to him.

 Chapter 29 - PREPARED, STILL CAUGHT UNPREPARED

    <h4>Chapter 29 - PREPARED, STILL CAUGHT UNPREPARED</h4>


    "Do you want to have dinner outside?" Stefan asked her since it was already past seven when they finished buying the things they needed. There were just so many people at the grocery store since it was weekend; the time for most people to buy things they needed at home.


    Cayenne was a little tired from all the walking. She was also emotionally exhausted from being alert all the time. Afraid that someone from the media woulde to make news of them. That''s what she was worried about the whole time. She had seen several news regarding Stefan and his women; and she didn''t want to be part of those.


    Unknowingly, Stefan had paid a good amount of money to mediapanies for her sake. He asked them not to make any news which would involve him in the future and of the woman who might get acquainted with him. He prepared everything for her. He wanted her to still live a normal life, one which was peaceful and no troubles with the media reporters. As much as she cared for him to help him with his sleeping problem, he wanted to repay her by keeping her dignity clean.


    "Let''s just stay at home. I can make us simple dishes for tonight." Cayenne responded softly.


    "Are you worried about the people?"


    "Hn."


    Stefan ced hisrge palm on her head and gently pat it. "Don''t worry, no one will see you. I will find us a ce where we can have some privacy. I don''t think you still have enough energy to cook at home."


    "As long as nobody would know about my identity, I''m fine with it."


    "Alright. I''ll ask Chris to bring our groceries home. Let''s just take a taxi."


    "Okay." The two of them went back to the basement. Stefan was pushing the cart on his own while Cayenne walked beside him. If she wasn''t with him, he would''ve asked someone to bring the things to his car. However, he couldn''t risk her from getting exposed so he was pushing the cart like a good husband with his wife beside him.


    Cayenne was still wearing the cap that he gave her and she opened the car''s trunk for him. Chris also went out of the car to help the two of them unload all the things they bought.


    "By the way, we''re going to go somewhere for dinner. You can drive the car home and arrange the things in the kitchen. We''ll just take a taxi on the way back."


    "Okay, sir." Chris responded without a second thought. He received the spare key to the house before he continued to unload the things. After everything was arranged, Stefan returned the push cart to the guard who was stationed at the basement.


    Chris drove them out of the parking lot first and the two of them alighted the car to look for a taxi. Luckily, the taxi driver that Stefan hired for Cayenne was on the vicinity and he saw them waving for cabs. Instead of taking another passenger, he sent a message to Stefan and waved his hand outside the car window.


    "Sir!" the taxi driver called for him across the street while waving his hand back and forth.


    Stefan found him immediately and led Cayenne to cross the street. There were many peopleing to and fro, bumping into one another and Cayenne had been bumped several times that she was several steps behind him. Stefan noticed that as well and when he looked back, he saw her trying to avoid people.


    Stefan walked back and held her hand. "It''s easy for people to bump on to you because you are small and petite."


    "Are you making fun of me?" Cayenne retorted back with ring eyes.


    "Not at all. I''m just telling you the truth." He walked before her while making sure to guard her with the flow of people. He was shielding her small stature with his strong and bigger body building. "Nheless, I will still find you no matter how small you are."


    "Did you say something?" Cayenne asked him as she tugged on his hand. Their fingers were linked together to make sure that no one can separate him from her.


    "Nope. I didn''t say anything."


    At this moment, Cayenne didn''t feel anything with this little gesture. She thought that he was just being considerate of her.


    Little it may be, she still felt some warmth in her heart. It''s the warmth of having someone lending their hands to help her. Many people think that she''s a very strong woman to take over the role of the head of the family, working for her mother''s hospital bills and for her brothers'' school fees. They never considered that she needed someone she can lean on as well.


    Over the years, she started to forget how to feel over something. She would only smile at the customers but she rarely smiles to her colleague. After work, she never hangs out with friends. She would always be in a hurry to prepare for another work. Most of her vacant time would be used for sleeping. She didn''t have many friends either. Her life was just pure and simple.


    Stefan continued to walk and when he arrived at the car, he opened the car door and let her in first before he got inside. "Did you get hurt? People bumped you earlier."


    "I''m fine. Even though ''I''m small''" she really gave emphasis on thest two words, "I won''t get hurt that easily."


    Stefan chuckled before giving her a once-over look to make sure that she wasn''t hurt before giving the driver the address of the restaurant. "I didn''t really mean to belittle your height. I was just joking."


    Cayenne just nodded her head since it wasn''t really a big deal.


    Stefan might have asked the media not to publish an article about him and Cayenne but, people who knew him wasn''t told about it. At the end of the day, a rumor about him and the ''new girl'' in his life surfaced in the inte.


    "You and your friend are theplete opposite." Jillyanna told Travis while reading the post on the web.


    "Of course. I know how to take care of the two women in my life while he knew how to y around."


    "I''m d you didn''t have the same bothersome characteristic as him." Jillyanna mumbled while she stared at the picture on her phone. The woman in the picture looked so familiar to her.

 Chapter 30 - WHO SHOULD YOU PITY?

    <h4>Chapter 30 - WHO SHOULD YOU PITY?</h4>


    "Where are we going?" Cayenne asked since they have traveled quite far already but they haven''t arrived in their destination yet. Since she started getting enough sleep this past week, her body started to crave for proper sleep now. It was almost eight in the evening and they should be sleeping by nine in the evening. ''Well, I guess we''ll sleepte tonight.''


    "We''re going to Ganzani Bay. It''s a nice ce to dine. I have reserved a private booth for us already."


    "Is it far?"


    "Not really, we are just traveling slowly because of the traffic."


    "Tonight, it''s not my fault that we''ll be sleepingte."


    "Careful with your words. Other people might think differently."


    "What''s wrong with my words?" Cayenne asked. She looked obviously confused with his retort. She didn''t mean any other thing with her words so, she was a little confused with what he was trying to say.


    "Never mind that. Anyway, I would-" His statement was cut off because his phone started ringing in his coat pocket. He pulled it out and found his father calling him again. His eyebrow raised to the highest point from being displeased. He wasn''t particrly angry at them but he didn''t like them either. Before, they would always call Chris to ask for his schedule and other things.


    This time, he wasn''t sure what was happening for him to personally call him.


    "Aren''t you answering that call?" Cayenne asked when she saw the name on his phone screen. As far as she knew, Magnus Dumrique was his father and that was the name of the caller as well. She felt a little weird when reading the name. For most people, the wouldbel their contact with ''Father'' in their contact if it was their father''s number but in Stefan''s case, he just ced the real name which seemed a little indifferent.


    Nheless, she kept her opinion to herself since it wasn''t her position to pry on his private life.


    Stefan just looked at his phone and turned it off. "There''s no need to answer his call."


    Cayenne just nodded her head and when she looked outside the window again, she found out that they were already at the restaurant that Stefan wanted to go. Stefan came out on the other side of the car and she also opened the other side toe out.


    They walked silently beside each other towards the restaurant. It has a lively atmosphere and most diners were having fun with their family and friends. They were theplete opposite of the other guests.


    "Good evening! A reservation for Mr. Dumrique please." Stefan greeted the waitress who came out to greet them.


    "This way, please." Thedy guided them towards the second floor of the restaurant where all of the private booths are located. After getting inside, Cayenne was finally able to take off her cap and face mask. She breathed a sigh of relief as she put down her things on the chair beside her. "I felt so stuffy with these things on."


    "Are you regretting being with me, now? You will have to go out with the cap and face mask all the time when you''re with me." Stefanmented while reading the menu that was handed to him.


    "It''s fine. It''s better than being targeted by the media. You are just too hot in their eyes."


    "I know right." Stefan retorted which made Cayenne roll her eyes at him. "Won''t you ask me why I didn''t answer the call earlier?"


    Cayenne raised her head and looked at him. "No. It''s not part of my job description. Whether you''ll answer it or not, I don''t really mind."


    Stefan chuckled while shaking his head. "Alright. Let''s just order our food." Stefan handed her the other menu and the two of them started to order.


    In the family vi where Stefan''s parents live, his mother and father were sitting in the living room. His father released a deep sigh after getting his calls rejected.


    "Why do you keep calling him? If he doesn''t want toe back then, stop looking for him." ra, Stefan''s mother stated. The displeasure was clear in the tone of her voice. "It doesn''t really matter to me if hees back or not."


    "ra, Stefan was never at fault for any of the sad events that happened. He wasn''t the one who hurt you, it''s me. Can you stop taking it on him?"


    "Stop?! You''re asking me to stop?! How dare you?! Every time I see his face, I''m reminded of your mistress! I''m reminded of how unfaithful you were to me! I''m reminded of who took my son away! My own son died because of him! Everything happened because he exists!"


    ''PAK!'' a loud and strong pnded on her face which both shocked her and angered her. Her tears fell on her beautiful face and a red handprint was left on her right cheek.


    "-ra, I''m sorry." Magnus wanted to hug his wife but she scooted away from him.


    "Don''t touch me." ra left in a hurry while holding her face. Her tears continued to fall but she couldn''t care less about her appearance anymore. The helpers who saw her just turned a blind eye and kept themselves away from their messed-up lives.


    They knew who exactly to me for all the bad things that happen but they didn''t know who they should pity. ra was betrayed by her husband and his mistress even gave birth to a son. Though the woman died, the child was still taken home since there was no one who will take care of him and Magnus didn''t want his own child to be sent to an orphanage. Alexander died young while protecting his half-brother. Stefan, since he was young, he never received an ounce of love from his parents. His father took him in but among the two siblings, he was still in favor or Alexander, the kind and smart son he got.


    Among the three, you wouldn''t know who you should pity. Or perhaps, they all deserved the sympathy after going through so much because of one mistakemitted by the ''padre de familia''.

 Chapter 31 - THE DIFFERENCE OF CAYENNE

    <h4>Chapter 31 - THE DIFFERENCE OF CAYENNE</h4>


    Cayenne and Stefan had a peaceful dinner since there wasn''t anyone they should be wary about. "By the way, I''d like to take a leave on Friday from my work at the hotel. I wanted to attend my brother''s awarding ceremony. Do you think it''s still possible? Or should I just swap my schedule with someone?"


    Stefan thought about it for a while since it was the first time that she was asking a favor from him. He wanted to help her as much as she helped him. "Ask your manager if it''s allowed or if there''s anyone who will be willing to swap their schedule with you. If none is possible, let me know so, I can do something about it."


    "Thank you."


    "Don''t thank me yet, I haven''t done anything."


    "You''ve done so much for me already. I have so many things to thank you for. You might not know it but so many positive things happen in my life because you''re here."


    "Hey, it sounds like a confession to me."


    "Ha? Which part?"


    "Secret."


    "Stop fooling around. I''m not confessing anything. Dream on."


    "Dream on? So, you will never fall in love with me?"


    "Of course. Why would I fall in love with you? If I know, you will be the one who will fall in love with me."


    Stefanughed heartily upon hearing her response. She''s got some confidence in herself and he likes it. She talks to him openly. She''s open with her feelings as well. She didn''t hide anything from him which made her a little weak. However, Cayenne was only showing this side of her to him. She was never like this to anyone, not even to her own family.


    "Alright, when timees, I''ll just ept my loss."


    "Huh? What loss?" Cayenne asked. They were talking about confession and who falls for who, and now, he was talking about his loss. Sometimes, she couldn''t really understand how his brain works.


    "Just forget it." Stefan responded and continued to eat.


    It was the first time for Cayenne to eat in a fine dining restaurant with someone of the opposite sex. Even with Arthur who was her longtime friend, she has never spent her time like this with him. She would always have an excuse to stay away from being alone with him. She didn''t know why but, her rm bells would ring whenever she''s with him.


    Although, he never did anything which overstepped her boundaries, she was still wary of him. There was this danger in his eyes that she couldn''t seem to understand. Every time he looks at her, it was as if he was looking at his prey. She was worried.


    "Are you leaving early tomorrow morning?" Stefan asked while drinking his juice.


    "Yup. I should be there before ten in the morning or my brothers would start to question me."


    "Alright. I''ll send you there tomorrow."


    "Send me?"


    "Yeah. Why not?"


    "Then, people will see you with me."


    "I won''te out of the taxi."


    "Why do you want to send me there? I can go by myself."


    "It''s safer when I''m with you." Cayenne was at loss for words. She didn''t know how else she can refuse his offer. "Do you want to have some desserts?"


    "Let''s not." Cayenne refused. "It''s night time already and we won''t be able to exercise. It''s bad for our health."


    "I know how we can exercise." Stefan wiggled his eyebrows at her which made her blush. "Do you want to know?"


    "No, thanks." Cayenne deadpanned at him. Looking at his expression, she knew that he was only teasing her. "Let''s go back home and rest. Do you not want to sleep early?"


    "Home huh." Stefan rolled the word ''home'' with his tongue. This was the only thing he missed for the past fifteen years and this time, he''s got someone toe home to. "Let me pay for the bill first."


    "Okay." Cayenne waited for him while she fixed her cap and face mask. The waitress came back with the bill and gave it top Stefan. She saw Cayenne earlier but she didn''t say anything. When she watched them interact earlier, she found out that she wasn''t like the other girls that he brought to their restaurant before.


    Stefan had been to their restaurant for several times but he never reserved a private booth for them. He was always casual and flirty. For the first time, he reserved a private booth and he was also considerate of Cayenne''s opinion. She thought he was truly in love with her. She had no idea that they were just an employer-employee, dining together with no strings attached.


    After getting the card, she swiped it in front of him and asked him to sign the receipt. Then, she left without saying anything else.


    "Let''s go." Stefan stated and reached out his hand.


    "What''s that hand for?"


    "To hold you?"


    "Why are you going to hold me?"


    "Because it''s cold outside and you need to keep yourself warm."


    "I have a jacket already."


    "Your jacket isn''t thick enough."


    Cayenne looked at his stretched-out hand before raising her head to look at his face. "You are not doing this to make me fall in love with you, right?"


    "Oh! You found out! I am indeed doing this to you for that reason." Stefan went along with her words and decided to take her hand voluntarily. He held her hand and led her out of the booth, satisfied with the warmth flowing from her hand to his.


    Cayenne was helpless with his action so, she just followed along with him. Stefan walked beside her and he always made sure that her face was hidden under the baseball cap that she was wearing.


    "You think he''s in love with her?" one of the waitresses, who saw them walked out, asked thedy who served them upstairs. "I just saw the post online and it was the same girl. Compared to his women before whom he brought to hotels and resorts, this time, they were seen at the grocery store buying stuff. It''s rather specialpared to being f*cked and paid with a hush money."


    "Who are you talking about?" The restaurant manager arrived and found the employees chit-chatting about their customers. She was one of the women that Stefan bed with before.

 Chapter 32 - CARING FOR HER

    <h4>Chapter 32 - CARING FOR HER</h4>


    The chit-chatting waitresses scampered away while shaking their heads. They didn''t want to anger their manager who holds a little power of them. Thedy manager just raised her eyebrow in a condescending manner but she didn''t say anything. She earned a lot just by sleeping with Stefan once.


    So, who cares about it? People would gossip about you whether you do a good thing or a bad thing. But one thing was for sure, they won''t help you provide the needs of your family. People will judge you no matter what you do but it is up to you if you will let their judgement rule your life.


    Cayenne was the type of person who doesn''t care about anyone''s opinion. However, she did care for her dignity and reputation as a woman, which was why, she needed to hide her identity when she''s outside with Stefan.


    "I''m so tired." Stefan mumbled as soon as they arrived home.


    "You should take a bath first. I''ll juste after you. I''ll check on our items in the kitchen." She ced her bag on the couch in the living room and went to the kitchen.


    Stefan didn''t want to take so much time so he went upstairs to take a shower immediately. ''One week. I''m getting so used to her presence in the past week. Will this affect me as a person? I''m fine being with her, though.'' Stefan thought to himself. He knew that the two of them have different social status. At the same time, he likes Cayenne''s personality and attitude towards life. She was brave enough to face all adversities that life threw at her. "I must protect her. No one should find out about her identity." Stefan told himself.


    Cayenne was checking their items in the kitchen when her phone started ringing. It was Arthur who was calling her. She was torn between answering his call or not. She let it ring for several times, waiting for him to disconnect the call on his own. Arthur was very relentless at this point. He didn''t give up after one ignored call. He called her again and again until she answered on his fifth call.


    "Arthur?"


    "Cayenne, where are you?" he asked immediately while watching the pictures on hisptop. He was at home surfing the when news about Stefan Dumriques''s new girl popped-up on his screen. The girl had the same clothes as her!


    Cayenne walked upstairs with her bag on the other hand and phone on the other. "I''m currently working. Why?"


    "I thought you''re going home." Arthur stated.


    "I had to tell m mother that but I am working right now. Is there anything wrong?"


    "Not really." Arthur softly whispered. "Did you go to the supermarket earlier?"


    "Huh?? Supermarket? I was just taking care of the baby." Cayenne nonchntly lied while Stefan was watching aftering out of the shower room. Cayenne ced her finger on her lips, signaling him to keep quiet. Stefan just nodded his head indicating his understanding.


    "I see. I thought you went to the supermarket."


    "There''s no need for me to go there. My brothers are responsible for the groceries at home."


    "Alright. I was just wondering. Anyway, I won''t take much of your time. Good night, Yen."


    "Hn. Good night." She ended the call as soon as finished bidding goodbye. "I hope he won''t doubt me after this incident."


    "He? Your lover?" Stefan questioned while drying his hair.


    "Lover? Are you kidding me? Do I look like someone who will get a boyfriend?" she sarcastically asked while putting her phone on her bedside drawer. "He''s just a friend. He''s very close to my family and he didn''t know I''m working with you. I didn''t want him to think badly of me and report it to my family."


    "Do you like him?"


    "No, of course, not." Cayenne responded almost instantly. "As I said, he is just a friend."


    "Alright. I won''t question you about him anymore. Go and take a shower already so, that we can go to sleep."


    Cayenne chose a pair of sleeping clothes from the sets that Stefan bought for her. Then, she went to the bathroom to take a shower before going to bed. After several days of doing this routine, she was already used to this.


    Stefan helped her dry her hair while she sat on the plush chair at the foot of their bed. "Have you ever tried giving your hair a spa?"


    "Nope. I don''t have time to go for salon." Cayenne responded in a whisper.


    "So, this is your natural hair? This is really nice. It''s straight, long and really ck." Stefan knew that it was her natural hair but he needed to find something they could talk and her hair came in handy since he was touching it.


    "Thanks. I''ve tried my best to take care of them." Cayenne responded. She covered her mouth when she yawned from getting sleepy. "I'' sleepy."


    "Just wait a little moment. I''m almost done drying them."


    Stefan continued tob her hair and blow dried it. When he was almost done, Cayenne ended up leaning on his chest with her eyes closed. She fell asleep.


    Stefan turned off the hair dryer and put it down on the couch. He bent his knees and crouched low, put his left hand on her back and the other behind her knees; he carried her off to their bed. He covered her with the nket before he walked to his side of the bed to sleep as well.


    "Can I still hug her to sleep? I haven''t asked for her permission." Stefan mumbled to himself. He was hesitant to wrap his arms around her waist since Cayenne didn''t agree to it. He was supposed to ask for her permission before he can do it. He looked at her sleeping face before looking at his own hand. Cayenne would surely hate him if he will do something without her permission.


    Stefan moved closer; and in the end, he slept while holding the hem of her blouse.

 Chapter 33 - YOU WERE DREAMING OF ME IN YOUR SLEEP

    <h4>Chapter 33 - YOU WERE DREAMING OF ME IN YOUR SLEEP</h4>


    Cayenne woke up in the middle of the night. She wanted to get some water to drink but Stefan held her back. He was tightly clutching the hem of her blouse. He looked like a child who needed security by feeling the person next to him. She sighed while she pried open his fingers.


    "Ayen?" Stefan woke up and looked at her. "Where are you going? Are you leaving me?" he was still groggy and tired. "Don''t go, Ayen."


    "I am just going to get a ss of water. I''m thirsty." She gently patted his hand, asking him to let her go.


    "I''ll get it for you." Stefan get out of bed and went downstairs before she can say anything. When he got back, he brought a ss and a pitcher full of water. "Just in case you get thirsty again, you don''t need to go out of the room." Stefan mentioned while pouring a ss of water for her.


    "You don''t really have to do this, you know. I can just get it myself." Cayenne responded while she received the water from him.


    "I don''t mind doing this." Stefan ced the pitcher on her bed side drawer before walking back to his side of the bed.


    After drinking, she ced the ss beside the pitcher and went back to sleep.


    "Ayen, can I hug you to sleep?"


    "Just keep the drill in mind."


    "Hn. I''ll keep my paws from wandering."


    "Good. Let''s go back to sleep. Good night."


    Stefan took her hand and ced it on his waist as well. "Good night."


    Cuddling her to sleep felt like the most natural thing to do for him. He likes to feel her warmth and knowing that she''s still in his arms. Cayenne didn''t really feel anything about it all. She only cares whether he''ll do something bad or not. As long as he doesn''t overstep her bottom line, she wouldn''t mind it.


    The next day, Cayenne woke up early but Stefan was still asleep. He was still holding her in his arms. "Ayen, don''t leave me. Don''t go."


    Cayenne raised her head to look at him. Her face was turning read from the blush. It was embarrassing to hear her name from his mouth. And to think he was still sleeping. ''Is he dreaming about me?'' Cayenne questioned mentally. She was a little surprise at her own thought but she also dismissed this idea. ''It might be another woman named Ayen. It couldn''t possibly me.'' She added, contradicting herself.


    Stefan continued to sleep while Cayenne observed him. She couldn''t go out of bed before him since she was paid to sleep with him. She needed to do her job. She waited for another half an hour but he remained asleep.


    ''Oh god! I still need to go to the hospital. Can you wake him up?'' Cayenne prayed mentally. She needed to go home and go to the hospital after. She can''t take so much time or her family will start to doubt her. Specially her siblings. They were already questioning her because of her sry. How much more if she''s taking so much time for her ''baby-sitting'' work? They will surely start doubting her.


    Another hour had passed and it was almost eight in the morning. Stefan finally stirred in his sleep and woke up. "Morning."


    "Morning." Cayenne responded while getting off the bed as soon as she can.


    "What time is it now?" Stefan asked groggily. He was still rubbing his eyes to adjust to the brightness of the sunlight that got from the ss window.


    "It''s almost eight."


    "Why didn''t you wake me up?" he sat up straight on the bed while watching her put her things inside her bag.


    "That''s not part of my job description." Cayenne answered. "I can only wait for you to wake up on your own."


    "But you said that you needed to go to the hospital. You should''ve taken the initiative to wake me up."


    "Don''t think about it anymore. It''s not your problem."


    "Ayen, are you still guarded around me?" Stefan questioned softly, trying to sound gentle in front of her.


    Cayenne stopped what she was doing and sat back on the bed to face him. "I admit, yes." Stefan''s face darkened but he didn''t say anything. He wanted to listen more of what she wanted to say. "You don''t really expect me to warm up to you in a span of one week, right?"


    "Why are you putting up your guard when I''m around?"


    "Don''t take it personally, Stefan. I always put my guard down when I''m with some people who aren''t exactly close to me. Like us, we can''t really consider ourselves as close, right? We are in an employer-employee rtionship. There''s no way you would befriend someone like me; and with my low status, too. Nheless, I still respect you since basically, you''re the one who''s feeding me and my family."


    "I''m not sure if I should be happy or be upset with your answer." Stefanmented with faint chuckle as he averted his eyes from looking at her.


    "Why? I don''t think I said anything wrong against you. I am just being honest here." Cayenne defended herself and her statement, making sure that she wasn''t offending him at all.


    He took a deep breath and sighed. "I know that. But, can''t you consider me as your friend? I think our set-up will be a lot simpler if we treat each other as friends."


    "Friends share their secrets and worries. Are you willing to do that?" Cayenne questioned to test him out.


    "Why not?" Stefan replied nonchntly. "I think it''s fine for us to know about each other every step of the way."


    "Really?" Cayenne grinned and ced her chin on the heel of her palm. "Then, if that''s the case, tell me, aside from me, is there anyone named Ayen that you know?"


    "No, one. You are the only Ayen that I know." Stefan answered with utmost sincerity without knowing that he was led to a trap.


    "I''m the only Ayen? Then, does that mean you were dreaming of me in your sleep?"

 Chapter 34 - CONFUSED OF HIS OWN FEELINGS

    <h4>Chapter 34 - CONFUSED OF HIS OWN FEELINGS</h4>


    "Dream of you?" Stefan returned the question back to her. "Why would I dream of you?"


    "Well, you were calling my name in your sleep." Cayenne responded with a wide grin. "Unless, it wasn''t me."


    Stefan removed the nket from his body and scooted closer to her. A sly smile was visible on his lips and his eyes were sparkling in mirth. There was an air of mischief around him which made her frown. "Why are you getting close to me?"


    "I just remembered. I did dream of youst night. I was holding your hand while we''re walking by the beach. I was looking at you under the bright light of the moon and the twinkling stars." Cayenne listened to his nonsense and her lips were pursed into a straight line. She could feel a throbbing pain in her temple. For the first time, she felt an urge to smack his face. "How about it? Are you in love with me now?"


    "I''m not." Cayenne answered with a straight face. "Stop fooling around. I think you were just making fun of me."


    "I''m not making fun of you." Stefan responded with a faint smile. "I was dreaming of you."


    Cayenne looked at him and smiled. "Oh my gosh! I am falling in love with you!" she eximed and even smiled at him but her smile didn''t reach her eyes at all. In fact, she was ring at him.


    Stefan chuckled and reached out to rub the top of her head. "Alright, I''ll stop messing up with you. I didn''t really have any dreamst night but, I was probably calling your name subconsciously."


    "I know you are just fooling around. Anyway, let''s get up and prepare. I need to leave as soon as I can."


    "You take a shower first, I''ll cook our breakfast."


    "Thank you."


    Things were going naturally between them. Cayenne would cook their dinner and Stefan would cook their breakfast. At night, he will shower first. In the morning, Cayenne will take a shower while he''s out. This was now a routine for them.


    Cayenne took her change of clothes and went to the bathroom while Stefan brought the empty ss and pitcher back to the kitchen so he could start cooking. Stefan looked at his hands and touched his chest. He wasn''t making a joke to her. He did dream of her and what he said was true.


    In his dream, while walking hand-in-hand, they were walking by the beach under the bright light of the moon and twinkling stars. Cayenne was happily walking beside him and he likes the expression on her face. It was as if she can see no one but him. It seemed like he was the world to her. However, in the next moment, Cayenne let go of his hand and walked away. The event was so fast that he wasn''t able to stop her. She disappeared right before his eyes.


    Stefan stood in front of the refrigerator with confused expression. He knew that he needed her but there''s no way he would react in unsightly manner just because she left. In his mind, the dream was very unrealistic at the same time, it was worrisome. "Just forget it." Stefan mumbled and threw his worry to the back of his mind.


    Love forms in different ways. Lovers met in different ways. Feelings develop in different ways. Many people would deny their feelings at first. Some would realize it soon and learn to ept it. Some realizes itter and found it was already toote. Remember, there''s no medicine for regret. Don''t wait for tomorrow toe to do what you want because tomorrow isn''t a guarantee toe for you.


    Stefan wasn''t aware of his own feelings specially that he didn''t experience the true care of someone in the past fifteen years. His parents didn''t care for him. The family helpers didn''t care about him. People around him only cares about the sry and the profit that he would provide. The feelings he had for Cayenne were so new to him and he was still confused with them. He had no idea what to do with it.


    After half an hour, he finished preparing their breakfast. He went upstairs and found Cayenne drying her hair. "I''ll take a shower now. Can you arrange the dishes on the dining table?"


    "Sure. I''ll get down there after drying my hair."


    "Thanks."


    While the two of them were busy starting their morning, two women from their neighborhood were talking. They went for a morning walk with their dogs and it just so-happen that they passed by the house where Cayenne and Stefan stayed.


    "I heard someone moved to this house a week ago but, I haven''t seen them." Thedy who was holding the leash of her dogmented while giving Stefan''s house a quick nce.


    "I have seen them twice already. I think they''re newly wed couple. They both leave for work early in the morning. At night, thedyes home first and the husbandes few minutester." The otherdy said.


    "Why don''t we visit them and probably bring them a weing gift? I mean, it is good if we can all be friends here."


    "I think that''s a good idea but we should at least talk to thedy first. It''s not good if we just show up without letting them know."


    "You have a point."


    Though they have a good intention, their n will never be put into action because Cayenne won''t be around for a long time. They will never get the chance to see her face clearly. Stefan won''t allow them to see her as well. It would be difficult if someone would find out who she was.


    The twodies gave the house another look before they continued to walk back to their respective houses. They didn''t know that Stefan was looking at them from the second floor of the house and heard the words they said.


    "How else can I protect you?"

 Chapter 35 - STEFANS SORRY

    <h4>Chapter 35 - STEFAN''S SORRY</h4>


    After having their breakfast, Stefan called the taxi driver instead of calling Chris. It was daytime and he was worried that his car will be very eye catching during the day. Many people knew about his car and even though there were other people who owns the same car as him, it would be easy to narrow down the owners of the cars since there were just a handful of them.


    It was already a blessing that Jessie, one of her colleagues who went to the hospitalst time, didn''t know about Stefan''s car since he had been asking Chris to park it at the basement. If she knew about it, she''ll have an easy time to deduce everything and find Cayenne''s connection to their boss.


    Stefan gave Cayenne the dark shade he owned and the baseball cap that she used when they went to the grocery store. She needed them to hide her identity. The two of them were waiting for the taxi driver in the living room. They won''t go out unless the driver is there already.


    "What time will youe home?" Stefan asked her while cleaning his dark eye ss.


    "I''ll being home around six in the evening so, I''m probably here around seven."


    "Let me know once you''re done. I''lle and pick you up from work."


    "You wille and pick me up?"


    "Yes, why? Are you falling in love already?" Stefan grinned at her which she just rolled her eyes. "Alright, I''m just kidding. But I''m really going toe and pick you up."


    "You don''t really have to do it." Cayenne told him once again. "I will be fine on my own. You can juste home directly after work."


    "Are you sure?"


    "I''m hundred percent sure. Also, I don''t want to fall in love with you."


    "Is it so bad to fall in love with me?"


    "I don''t know but, I have heard so much about you. I would pity myself if I end up being part of your trophies."


    "I don''t think you will be my trophy."


    "I think so, too." Cayenne responded. She didn''t really care whether she''s trophy, a vase or a flower. Only her sry matters to her.


    Stefan just looked at her but he didn''t say anything. Only he knew what he was thinking at that moment. Half an hourter, the driver arrived and the two of them walked out of the house. Their neighbors who wanted to talk to Cayenne didn''t get the chance to approach them.


    Stefan covered Cayenne''s head to make sure that she won''t bump on the car and hurt herself. He got inside after her and the driver drove to the allowed maximum speed limit, leaving dust and pebbles behind them.


    Cayenne had her right hand ced on the space beside her. Stefan also ced his left hand on the space beside him. Their hands were just few inches away from each other. He looked at her face and looked to their hands.


    "Ayen, are you feeling cold?"


    "Nope. I am not." She answered without any doubt towards him. "Are you cold?"


    "A little." Stefan replied with a faint smile. "Can I hold your hand?"


    Cayenne squinted her eyes and looked at him. "You know what, I just noticed that you''ve been making light moves against me. You are not in love with me, right?"


    "In love? I don''t even know that." Stefan answered instantly. "I just want to feel your warmth."


    "Really? You don''t have any hidden intentions?"


    "If I have, I don''t think we''ll be here inside the taxi. I think you''ll be left copsed in bed." He teased her but Cayenne wasn''t the least bit affected.


    "In bed? Are you sure? I think you''ll be staying the police station."


    "I have money to bail myself out." Cayenne looked straight in to his eyes. Her smile disappeared and there was a sudden fear striking her heart. Realizing the meaning of his words, Stefan immediately look for a way to remedy their situation. "Ayen, I didn''t mean anything with my words. I won''t do anything to you." Stefan stated, trying to take back his words. He didn''t mean to use his riches and power over her. He would never do such thing to her.


    In Cayenne''s case, before she agreed to do this kind of work with him, she knew that if anything happens to her, Stefan will have his way out because he''s rich and powerful. Still, she put her trust in him. She trusted that he will keep his words. Listening to his words now, her trust started to waver and she felt a little scared of her future.


    Stefan was thrown into a panic. He didn''t like the look of fear in her eyes. He didn''t want her to fear him. He didn''t want he to be on guard around him. "Ayen, sorry."


    "There''s no need to apologize. You are actually right."


    "No, I wasn''t right. I will never use my power and riches over you."


    Cayenne just nodded her head and looked outside the window. She didn''t have anything else she wanted to say. He can promise all he wants and he can break it whenever he wanted to. She''s just a powerless employee who depends on him to keep her family alive.


    ''Sh*t! Sh*t! I shouldn''t have said that! I am just making thingsplicated!'' Stefan cursed himself mentally. All he wanted to do was to joke with her. It was never his intention to make her feel belittled.


    The car sank into a deafening silence and the taxi driver just focused himself in driving the car.


    "We''re here." Cayenne mentioned before opening the car without waiting for him toe out. "See you tonight."


    "See you." Stefan mumbled. She turned around and left without looking back. "Ayen!" He called out her name but Cayenne didn''t stop to look back. "Let''s talk tonight!"


    Cayenne continued to walk. With the noise of the passing cars and from the talking people, he wasn''t sure if she was able to hear his words.

 Chapter 36 - DO YOU LIKE SOMEONE?

    <h4>Chapter 36 - DO YOU LIKE SOMEONE?</h4>


    "Sir, where are we going next?" The taxi driver asked Stefan who was still looking at the disappearing Cayenne.


    "Send me to the hotel where she works." He responded without taking off his eyes from her, until shepletely disappeared from his sight.


    The taxi driver didn''t know the exact identity of Stefan since he wasn''t someone who likes to surf online. He just thought that the two people he''s working for were strange but he didn''t dwell on it. He was paid to drive them not to gossip about them.


    Stefan went to his hotel and looked into all the schedule of the employees for next week. He needed to do something to make it up to her. Manager Kim gave him all the lists of the employees who work during day time. He was going to help her take a day off.


    "Manager Kim, please call everyone who works at the second to fifth floor today."


    "Yes, sir. Please excuse me." She left right after receiving his order. She didn''t know what was going on and she had no idea why the employees were being called for. She immediately gathered the four people that Stefan asked for and brought them to the top most floor.


    Since they were called to see him, instead of Stefan talking to them in the employee''s lounge, it was obvious that this matter will be confidential.


    The four people were a little scared of him. They didn''t know what mistake they have done and surely, they will be punished for it. Or maybe, they will be fired. They couldn''t think of any positive reason at all.


    Manager Kim knocked on the door and after getting the acknowledgement, she opened the door and got inside with the four employees following her. "They''re all here, sir. The other two employees are currently on approved leave."


    Stefan just nodded his head and looked at the employees in front of him. "I need someone who can work on daytime Friday shift."


    The four people looked towards each other. There''s a reason why they chose their schedules. They worked during the day on weekends and worked at night from Monday to Wednesday. Thursday and Friday should be their rest days. "Sir, is this mandatory?" one of the employees asked.


    "No, this is not. I just need one person who can work with Celine next Friday."


    "Celine?" they were even more bothered with the news. They have heard so much about Celine since she''s a very strictdy. Working with her? That''s the least thing they wanted to do.


    "Sir, if we won''t agree to work, will you take this against us? We really have something to do on Friday." Another employee tried to reason out with him.


    "Don''t worry, this will not be taken against you. I just need one volunteer."


    They were still hesitant even after getting assurance from him. They didn''t want to work with Celine. Stefan didn''t say the real reason behind this short meeting with them. He wanted someone who will volunteer out of good will. One of the employees was Jessie.


    She works with Cayenne before when Cayenne was still working during night shift. They couldn''t be considered very close but they would talk to each other as well. Cayenne works at the reception but Jessie works on the second to fifth floor. They rarely see each other.


    "I''ll work on Friday, sir." Jessie stated. "Is this an extra work day or am I switching with someone?"


    Stefan dismissed the other three employees first while asking the manager and Jessie to stay. "I want you to switch work schedule with Cayenne on Friday. She needed to go somewhere."


    "Cayenne? Cayenne Ardolf?" Jessie questioned to make sure that she got the right person.


    "Yes. She will be attending a school activity with her brothers. She wanted to take a leave on Friday."


    Manager Kim frowned when she heard the real reason behind his unusual action. She remembered Cayenne told her the same request but she needed someone who can switch schedule with her as well. When she asked the other employees, no one volunteered because they also have something to do on that day. Whether their reasons were real or not, she couldn''t really force them out even if she''s manager.


    Now, it''s the boss who''s asking them personally. Her intuition before was finally confirmed. She knew that there''s a hidden rtionship between him and Cayenne.


    "I am not against this request." Jessie added. "And I won''t ask about your rtionship with Cayenne either."


    "Thank you." Stefan faintly smiled and took out a cheque. "Please keep this request a secret. Don''t let Cayenne know as well." ''Because I''ll tell her myself.'' Stefan added mentally. "This is just a little additionalpensation for my request."


    "Thank you, sir." Jessie epted the cheque. "This is a big help to my family already."


    "You are helping me as well." Stefan retorted before facing the manager. "I believe you will keep this a secret as well. I don''t want Cayenne to have a hard time with her work in this hotel."


    "We''ll keep our mouth sealed, sir." Manager Kim replied.


    "You may leave now. Just brief Cayenne about her leave on Monday shift."


    "Okay, sir."


    The two of them left without any other questions. Even if they have, they didn''t want to ask him about it. It would be bad if you flip a switch and he might fire you right away. They would never want that to happen because they were well-paid in their work at the hotel. The also received a generous bonus amount at the end of the year.


    Stefan smiled after achieving something for Cayenne. However, he was still a little bit bother with what happened to them in the morning. The sight of her leaving was like how his dream yed. He didn''t know why but, it was a scary thought.


    ''Why am I scared of losing her? I don''t think she''s as important as Alexander. There shouldn''t be any reason for me to be scared.'' Stefan reasoned to himself but he wasn''t the least bit convinced. There''s something off with himself but he couldn''t just point it out. He didn''t know what was wrong with him.


    That day he didn''t have any pending work. If it was before, he would be spending his time with a woman in his hotel. He would indulge himself in carnal pleasure and waste his money on them. He''s got so much money but he didn''t know how to spend them or where to spend them. Most of them were sent to different foundations since he''s got no family to give his money to. Still, there were so much moneying to his bank with all the business he''s been doing.


    Now, his mind was full of Cayenne''s thoughts. If someone would open his skull, you might see Cayenne''s smiling face imprinted on his braincells. But he was a dumb fool who didn''t have any idea what love is.


    Cayenne on the other hand was frustrated. She had been sulking ever since she walked away from him and until now, she was still angrily peeling the apple she''s holding. In fact, the apple was peeled over and over until there''s only a little amount that can be eaten. You can almost see the seeds in it.


    Her mother and brothers were looking at her. They didn''t know what happened and they didn''t want to ask either. It was the first they''ve seen such expressions crossing on her face and they didn''t know what to do. They had no idea what kind of person she''ll be like when angry, upset, or frustrated. They were new sides of her.


    "You''re bing more human." Kylemented while looking at her.


    "What do you mean by that? Am I not human before? Was I like a monster in front of you? An alien?" Cayenne questioned irritatingly.


    Her family justughed at her without saying a word. They never thought that she''d show this side of her to them. Before, Cayenne was alwaysposed, gentle, caring and understanding. The only negative emotion she''d show was sadness. And that was because of their mother''s condition.


    "I think you have change these past few days and I like the changes. I like my sister." Luiz mumbled.


    Kyle took the knife from her and peeled another apple for their mother. This time, it was neat and well- done. "You were always smiling at us, caring for us, working hard for the family, stayed strong for us and; you were never angry, upset or frustrated. Even though we''ve been through so much, you''ve never shown us any of your negative traits. I even started to think that you are a robot who knows nothing about human emotions. Now, I can certainly and confidently say that my beautiful sister is a human." Kyle stated before raising his head to look at his sister.


    Luiz nodded his head in agreement. Even their mother agreed with Kyle''s opinion.


    Cayenne''s mother took her hand and smiled at her. "Yen, do you like someone?"

 Chapter 37 - THEY WILL NEVER MEET IN BETWEEN

    <h4>Chapter 37 - THEY WILL NEVER MEET IN BETWEEN</h4>


    Cayenne looked at her parents with an incredulous smile on her face. That was the first time she heard that question after so many years. "In love? What the heck is that? Is that something you can eat?" she was being sarcastic but her family wasn''t. They were serious in this matter. They wanted to know the truth but it seemed like she didn''t know anything about it either.


    Kyle coughed exaggeratedly to get their attentions away from Cayenne. He knew that his sister had no time for men because of them but that doesn''t mean she didn''t like anyone, she just didn''t realize it yet. Base on her recent actions, they were certain that there''s a man who''s slowly changing her.


    "Is there someone who''s making you a little bit confuse sometimes? Or make you happy with little gestures or someone who wanted to spend your time with you? Someone who cares for you? Do you have someone like that?" Kyle changed the direction question if his mother to these detailed one. In this way, Cayenne will have an easy time deducing her own feelings.


    "I don''t have someone like that." She answered with a straight face. "The man I knew annoys me so much. Though he takes care of me, he would always make fun of me as well. He''s handsome face made me want to hide him away from the world! My god! He''s making me be someone selfish! I don''t think that''s a good thing."


    "How many times in a day do you think of him?" Luiz questioned as well.


    "I don''t know! It''s not like I''m counting the thoughts of him in a day. He would just pop up out of nowhere."


    "Do you know any other man aside from him?" her mother added a question, too.


    She was obviously put on a hot seat but Cayenne didn''t mind. She didn''t see anything wrong with telling them how she feels. She just didn''t have the slightest idea that they were helping her realize her feelings for Stefan. "I have known a lot of men in my field of work. Why?"


    "Do you think of the other men as well?"


    "Nope."


    "Then, how do you feel every time you see him? I mean, you see him every day, right?" Kyle questioned.


    ''I don''t just see him, I sleep with him.'' Cayenne answered mentally but outwardly, she nodded her head to confirm that she had been seeing him every single day. "Sometimes, I feel worried. Sometimes, I''m scared."


    "You don''t feel this butterfly wings fluttering in your stomach when you see him? Your heart doesn''t beat fast?" Luiz inquired. This was thest question and Cayenne frowned this time.


    "Fluttering wings? I don''t think so. I think I feel like getting constipated when I see him. Fast heartbeat? I think they just beat normally. I didn''t run out of breath or feel any palpitations."


    The three people in front of her sighed but it was a mixture of relief and sadness. "You are not in love." Kyle stated in a calm manner.


    "I told you, I''m not. There''s no way I''d feel in love with my boss."


    "Your boss?" The three of them questioned in unison. They didn''t know she was talking about her boss. Of course, it was natural to be worried and scared around your boss. He''s got control over your work.


    "Just forget it." Cayenne waved her hand to dismiss their conversation. They finally thought she didn''t like her boss. However, she was the only person who knew her real feelings. But she would never tell anyone about it. She made a promise that she will never fall in love with him. What they have was pure business and nothing else.


    Meanwhile, Stefan was sulking in his room. The past few days, Cayenne and him would be exchanging few messages during the day. It wasn''t anything special, just normal conversation that he would always initiate. Now that he did something, he realized that Cayenne only texted him once. It was when she asked for the food that he likes. After that, he would always be the one to send her a message first.


    "Is she not going to send me a message if I don''t send her one first?" He waited and waited until lunch time arrived and there was still no message from her. He ordered some food and had it sent to his room and took a picture of it. He wasn''t really someone who''s active in his social media ount but he does have an ount where he finds most of his previous women. Now, he posted a photo of his lunch meal.


    "I''m eating alone. I''m wondering what she''s eating for lunch."


    Many people were surprised to see his post. People from the mediapanies would be running around by now to know his woman, if this was like before. Now, they just stayed away from his life. After all, they received so much money from him and Stefan never said anything before. He let them feast over his messed-up life without saying a single thing. This time, they needed to respect him.


    He was expecting Cayenne to see his post or at least, hear about it from someone. He forgot the fact that, Cayenne''s phone wasn''t an android and not many people knew about her rtionship with Stefan. Who would tell her about it?


    Few minutes after posting it, realization smacked him on the face which made him feel so frustrated. He ate his food as fast as he can; and just as he expected, Cayenne didn''t send him any message. Shepletely ignored his existence.


    It wasn''t her intention to ignore him, though. First, she didn''t have any social media ount. She only borrows her brother''s phone when she wanted to know something. News about Stefan were gossiped by her colleagues so she didn''t need any phone for that. Aside from that, she wouldn''t normally text him first. She wasn''t anyone important to him. She''s just a mere employee and it she would never disturb her boss.


    Their thoughts werepletely off and opposite. They will never meet in between.

 Chapter 38 - HIS REAL THOUGHTS BEHIND HIS ACTIONS I

    <h4>Chapter 38 - HIS REAL THOUGHTS BEHIND HIS ACTIONS I</h4>


    Jessie followed their boss'' social media ount which, in the past years, it only contains information about his projects and business information. Though, they had a brief idea of the possible message he received. Nheless, seeing the striking and different post among all others, many people were utterly surprised.


    Jessie and Manager Kim were one of them. The two knew about Cayenne''s rtionship with the boss but they were still uncertain about it since Cayenne didn''t say anything and she firmly denied her connection with their boss. And now, they were thinking that it might be a one-sided feeling from their boss to Cayenne.


    "Is he serious about her?" Jessie questioned their manager. They were eating in their employee''s lounge and since they were keeping a secret they couldn''t mention any name in front of their colleagues. They were the only ones who knew of their subjects.


    "I am not certain about that. Maybe he likes her since he''s been doing so many things behind her back just to help her. However, you also knew of his reputation, right? It would be bad if she gets hurt because of him. Many things will be affected."


    "That''s for sure." Jessie replied. "I also have this little hope that things will work out between them."


    "Hopefully it would."


    The other employees were looking at them. They never knew that Jessie and their manager were this close. It was a new sight for all of them.


    After lunch, Cayenne took this chance to borrow Kyle''s phone. She wanted to surf in the web for a short time just to pass her time. Another reason was to keep her mind busy and stop it from thinking with her boss'' face. He had been invading her braincells several times in this past few days and she was getting tired about it. It''s just a week since she started sleeping with him and many things happened.


    She couldn''t allow herself to fall in love with him. She would never let that happen. She searched for movies online and Kyle helped her with it. She wasn''t really a techy person and she didn''t really like the new phones that were being sold in themunity right now.? All she needed was to send a message and call. And she can do all these with her old phone.


    Their mother wanted to sleep in the afternoon so, they let her rest for a while. Cayenne watched a movie and her brothers were ying a mobile game. They would take turns every time the game is over. The room was so peaceful and no one bothered them, too.


    Arthur didn''te that day, and to Cayenne, that''s a blessing. She didn''t want him to alwayse over. Even though they hade to terms, she would still feel awkward.


    Time passed by quickly and the sun was about to set as over the west horizon. Streetmps started to light up and many people were preparing toe home. One of them was Stefan. He was sitting on the taxi car, waiting for Cayenne to send him a message. They talked about it this morning but he was having a little doubt now. She might not want toe home with him.


    Instead of picking her with his car, he went together with the taxi driver again. This way, Cayenne would never think that he was picking her up. And he was right!


    Cayenne didn''t contact him but she contacted the taxi driver that she''d being out from Gate 5 in a few minutes. The driver was already for almost ten minutes now with Stefan. He looked towards the man sitting on the backseat with his hands sped together and ced over his left knee.


    He looked calm yet domineering as he nced outside the window from time to time. It was obvious that he was waiting for his girlfriend.


    Cayenne came out running while checking her phone for the time. She was runningte since she still talked with her mother''s doctor. She still needed to cook dinner when she gets home. She opened the car door immediately and got inside. Only then to find out that Stefan really came to pick her up.


    "Hi." She greeted him and closed the door slowly.


    "How''s your day?" Stefan asked softly while looking at her with a faint smile.


    "It''s fine. I had a great time."


    "I''m d to know that." Stefan mumbled. "Let''s go home."


    The driver drove the car out and left. The car stayed silent during the whole trip and no one had the intention to break it. Cayenne kept looking outside the window, avoiding his gaze.


    Stefan looked the other way as well, making them look like they were fighting. Basically, they were still in a cold war because of what happened this morning. Cayenne was still bothered by it and seeing him now, it just worsened everything.


    They finally arrived home after almost an hour because of the heavy traffic. Cayenne thanked the driver after getting out and followed Stefan inside the house right after. He was holding a paper bag with some mobile phone print on it and ced it on the coffee table in the living room.


    "Ayen, can we talk?" Stefan called for her attention before she can change her shoes to her slippers.


    "What do you want to talk about?"


    "This morning ¨C"


    "Oh! That? You don''t have to worry about that. You were actually right about what you said. Even if you wanted to talk about it, it wouldn''t really change anything."


    "But I don''t want to be right about that. I thought we''re friends."


    "Right. I thought the same but I guess, we aren''t really suited to be friends. A poor woman and wealthy man should remain in employer-employee rtionship. In this way, what happens in the future won''t hurt us badly."


    Stefan was stumped for words. He had no idea her words would hurt him so much. She was just an employee. Someone who''s helping him cure his insomnia. Someone he could dispose right after getting better. Even though he mentioned that he wouldn''t let go of her, he really did have this n of discarding her after getting what he needed from her.


    Although he wouldn''t disrespectfully discard her, he was still nning to end their set up. Everything was just for his own benefit. The real reason why he didn''t want the media to look into Cayenne''s identity was because, he didn''t want to be aughing stock.

 Chapter 39 - HIS REAL THOUGHTS BEHIND HIS ACTIONS II

    <h4>Chapter 39 - HIS REAL THOUGHTS BEHIND HIS ACTIONS II</h4>


    He knew that people wouldugh at him once they knew that he was having this weird sleeping rtionship with a poor woman and most of all, she''s his employee at the hotel. Protecting her was a sort of protection to himself. Showing her sweet little gestures was his way to keep her bound to him for a while. It was to make sure that she will do her best to help him.


    Everything was for himself.


    pping these things to him, he felt a stabbing pain in his heart. It was painful to see her genuine smile. It was painful to know that she didn''t have the slightest interest in him. He blinked his eyes and looked at the bag on the coffee table.


    "I guess, you are right. Let''s just stay with the employer-employee rtionship."


    "Hn. I''ve got no problem with that, sir. What do you want for dinner?" Cayenne switched her address to him instantly. In truth, she already had an idea that this will happen. She had been prepared for all the possibilities that might happen between them.


    "I don''t want to have dinner. Let''s just go to bed."


    "Uh..o-okay." Cayenne watched him walk upstairs first and she followed right behind him. Since he wasn''t going to eat, that means, she won''t be eating anything either. She wasn''t a shameless person who will eat the food which wasn''t meant for her.


    Stefan took his bathrobe and went inside the shower as soon as they arrived in their bedroom. Cayenne sat on the bed while waiting for him to finish. She was setting an rm for her work on the next day since they have been getting up veryte recently. She didn''t want to be time constrained.


    She opened her bag and pulled out her change of clothes. She had been bringing her set of clothes every day but she used the ones that Stefan brought for her. Now, she felt like using her own clothes again. She just thought it was right to use her own things instead of using the things he bought for her.


    Stefan couldn''t fathom Cayenne''s way of thinking and he was angrily brushing his teeth inside the bathroom. He couldn''t understand his own feelings as well. Everything was just messed up and he didn''t know how to fix. He didn''t even know their exact problem.


    After taking his time in the shower, he went out and Cayenne was preparing toe inside after him when he noticed that she was holding a set unfamiliar clothes. "Are you going to wear them?"


    "Yes, why?"


    "What about the clothes that I bought for you?"


    "I''ll wear them when I feel like wearing them, sir"


    "Are you angry at me?"


    "I''m not, why?"


    "Because it seemed to me that you are being mean. You don''t want me to be your friend. You are not wearing the clothes I bought and you are calling me ''sir''."


    "I don''t know what being mean is. In fact, many people say that I''m a good employee. I do my job properly."


    Stefan was at loss again. He was just a job to her and nothing more than that.


    Since he didn''t say anything, she left to take a shower. They needed to sleep early and she needed to be there for him. Cayenne wasn''t the least bit bothered with their situation. She just did her normal routine like how she had been doing in the past days.


    She brushed her teeth, took a bath, put a little moisturizer on her face, change her clothes and dried her hair. Unlike before, Stefan didn''t help her with her hair. But that''s fine, she can do it herself.


    After making sure that she was all set, she went to the kitchen to get a pitcher of water and ss. She would need water in the middle of the night but she couldn''t leave him alone for even a second.


    Stefan was just watching her do her stuff. He didn''t say anything and she wasn''t saying anything either. The night waspletely silent.


    She got on the bed aftering back and covered herself with the nket. She was facing on the other side while Stefan was facing her back.


    "Ayen, can I still hug you to sleep?"


    "Hn."


    Stefan moved closer and hugged her waist. Even though he was holding her, his heart was still restless. He couldn''t sleep. Cayenne was just listening to his movements and his unsteady breathing. She didn''t face him and didn''t say anything.


    "Ayen, can you sing a song to sleep?"


    "What kind of song? I don''t know any songs for sleeping."


    "Didn''t you sing your brothers to sleep before?"


    "Nope. My mother was still around and was taking care of them when they were little.""


    "Where''s your father by the way?"


    "I don''t know who my father is. He left when he found out that my mother was pregnant of me."


    "That''s sad."


    "Maybe."


    "You don''t feel sad that you don''t have a father?"


    "Nope. I''m happy with my family already. Having no father doesn''t affect me."


    "That''s good for you." Stefan mumbled. "In my case, I haveplete parents but none of them loves me. Only my brother cares for me. I don''t know why my parents don''t like me. Until now, they have never shown any care about my existence."


    "Are you sure you are their child?" Cayenne innocently asked. She was just joking about it but it rang an rm bell in Stefan''s mind. He had never thought of that before. Cayenne didn''t hear any response from him after that but she knew that he was till awake because he was holding her tightly.


    Stefan took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He didn''t want to think about anything anymore. He just wanted to rest his mind and heart. He was so emotionally exhausted that day.


    Cayenne thought about what she said tonight. It was true that she has no biological father but she got a step father who wasn''t around at the moment. She wasn''t sure if what she did was counted as her lying to him.

 Chapter 40 - SHE FAINTED

    <h4>Chapter 40 - SHE FAINTED</h4>


    Because of their cold war, Stefan didn''t inform her about her approved switch schedule. He didn''t give her the phone that he bought and he didn''t let her eat. When he realized what he did, it was already Monday morning. Cayenne didn''t say anything about getting hungry or med him for not getting any food to eat.


    She chose to stay silent and prepared for her other work. "Can you wait a bit? I''ll just coo breakfast for us." Stefan told her but Cayenne just gave him a smile.


    "There''s no need to trouble yourself with that. I can eat at home."


    "Then, who will eat breakfast with me?"


    "You can ask Chris to eat with you. I''ll just ask the taxi driver toe and pick me up."


    "No way. You need to eat with me."


    "I will bete."


    "I will just pay for yourte hours. You need to eat with me."


    Cayenne looked at him with an expressionless face. "Okay. Let me cook breakfast first."


    "No, I''ll cook for us."


    "I''m the employee, remember? Don''t forget that, sir."


    Stefan stood rooted on the floor. He watched her walk out of the room with her things and went to the kitchen. Their happy moments started not long ago and it ended very soon. Not even a month has passed.


    Chris also noticed the cold air between them. Stefan didn''t drop her near her house instead, he dropped her at the bus station. Cayenne left without looking back and every step she took, it was another stomp on his heart. He was getting scared every time she walks away from him.


    "Sir, did you have a fight with Cayenne?"


    "No, I don''t. She''s just having a bad day."


    That day, he decided not to work in hispany. He went to the hotel to think of what he and Cayenne talked about yesterday. He didn''t want to think about her blood rtionship with them but if in case he wasn''t really their parents, it would be great. He started to think that someone tampered with the DNA test he did years ago.


    Five years after his brother died, Stefan asked Travis for help. He borrowed some money from him to conduct a DNA test with his parents secretly. The result turned out positive. The thought of having your biological parents hate you, it hurts him so much and it still hurts now. The pain wouldn''t of being rejected wouldn''t just go away.


    After Cayenne questioned himst night, another doubt rose from the bottom of his heart. His parents were rich and it wasn''t impossible that they tampered with the test.


    He made up his mind and asked Chris to find a chance to get another sample of her parents'' DNA. He wanted to run another test between the three of them.


    On the other hand, Cayenne was indeedte for work. She arrived half an hour after the start of shift. Celine scolded her a little for beingte but at the same time, she briefed her of that day''s work. They needed to make sure that everything will be done ordingly to make their customer''s happy with their housekeeping service.


    During lunch, Manager Kim told her that her request to switch schedule was approved. She didn''t tell her that it was their boss who personally requested it on her behalf.


    Cayenne worked like usual. She sent messages to her brothers to make sure that they won''t worry and she also informed her mother that they will visit her stepfather on the next weekend.


    They still needed to inform him of the worsening condition of their mother even if he couldn''t do anything for her.


    The cold war continued for several days. Cayenne would go to work in the hotel during the day ande back to their rendezvous in the evening. It had been three days since she had dinner with him.


    Monday, he ate dinner in the hotel''s restaurant. Tuesday, he had dinner meeting with a client. Wednesday, he had dinner with a woman that people were talking about now. It wasn''t long ago that he went out with someone.


    Although the newssted for several days, he still changed to another woman after getting bored with her. That''s what people thought of him. In these three days, Cayenne had been skipping her dinner as well. She always leaves early to make sure that she''d arrive early but Stefan would send her a message that he would be eating dinner outside.


    The woman she had dinner with, received a phone from him. When Cayenne heard about that from her colleagues, she remembered the phone that he bought over the weekend. There was a little disappointment in her heart but she dismissed it right away. She had no time to think about any other things.


    Jessie and Manager Kim had no idea what was going on but they couldn''t ask Cayenne or else, she would know that they knew about her secret rtionship with the boss.


    They even thought that boss was just having dinner with someone else to divert the attention of the crowd away from Cayenne. Little did they know, Stefan was having dinner with someone, and even gave the phone which was really for Cayenne, just to make her jealous. He failed in this game though, because Cayenne wasn''t the least bit jealous of what he was doing.


    When he got home around ten in the evening, Cayenne was still awake and was ying a snake game with her old phone. "Wee home, sir."


    ''Wee home.'' He had been hearing these two cold words in the past few days and today was no different from any other day. She was no longer smiling to him either. He just nodded his head and prepared to take a shower so that they can sleep.


    Cayenne went to the kitchen to drink a ss of warm water and went back inside the room with a pitcher of water and a ss. Stefan didn''t take so much time either. As soon as he finished drying his hair, he slept beside her.


    In the middle of the night, Cayenne clutched her stomach from so much pain. It was so painful that she wanted to scream. However, she needed to endure it or Stefan will wake up. She had a job she needed to do. She took several deep breaths while letting it out slowly. Hershes were wet with tears already. It wasn''t the first time she felt so much pain but, she had no idea what to do to prevent him from waking up.


    Stefan noticed that she was moving so much. Even though she was trying to move slowly, making sure that she won''t disturb his sleep, he still felt her movement because he was hugging her. Cayenne''s hands were pressing her stomach, just few inches where his hand was holding her.


    Every time she pressed her stomach, he would feel her movement and that''s when he realized how t her stomach was. "Ayen?" Cayenne stiffened when she heard him calling her name. She thought he was just calling her subconsciously since she didn''t see his face. In the past few days, she had been sleeping with her back facing him.


    Stefan waited for her response but she didn''t say anything. After few minutes, he noticed that she was pressing her stomach deeper than before and she even curled her body. "Ayen, are you okay?"


    "Hn. I''m fine. Just go back to sleep. Sorry for disturbing you." Even though she was curling her body from pain she still chose to lie to him. Well, it was an obvious lie.


    Stefan woke up and turned on the light to see her clearly. Her forehead was covered with cold sweats and her lips was looking pale. "I''m really fine. Don''t worry about me."


    "No, you''re not fine." Stefan looked for a coat, helped her sit on the bed and let her wear his own coat. He looked for another one and wore it himself. "We''re going to the nearest hospital."


    "No, we can''t."


    "You are already pale and you don''t want to go? Are you nning to die?"


    "I won''t die. But if we go to the hospital, I might die from shame on the next day. It''s in the middle of the night and if we will go to the hospital, what if people will find out about me?"


    Stefan was also worried about this. "I''ll call for a doctor instead." He was just about to dial the doctor he knew when he noticed that Cayenne slumped back on the bed. She fainted.

 Chapter 41 - STOMACH ULCER

    <h4>Chapter 41 - STOMACH ULCER</h4>


    Stefan felt all his blood was drained from his body from fear. The scene in front of him was just the same when Alexander copsed fifteen years ago. The only difference was the absence of blood. He pocketed his phone and immediately carried her off. It was an effortless action since Cayenne weighed less than a sack of rice. She felt so light in his arms but his heart felt so heavy. He realized that Cayenne had been skipping dinner because he wasn''t around. His selfishness caused her harm.


    He drove the car in the middle of the knight and brought Cayenne to the nearest hospital. The doctors tended to Cayenne''s needs and gave her an IV drip before letting her go through some test. The patient was unconscious so they relied on Stefan''s information.


    "Did this happen to her before?" the doctor asked while filling out the information sheet for Cayenne.


    "I have never noticed this before. I am not sure if this was an old sickness or if this happens recently."


    "Let''s just see how the test goes. Anyway, I have given her an IV drip and she should take a rest for now. I''lle back once I get the test results. Make sure you take care of your girlfriend this time."


    Stefan wanted to correct the doctor about Cayenne being his girlfriend but the doctor already left. He sat on the chair near her bed and watched her pale face getting some color. She looked so fragile. The strong, confident and smart woman was gone. All that was left in front of him was the weak Cayenne.


    "Ayen, I''m sorry. I was being selfish and here you are now, getting sick because of me." He wanted to hold her hand but he also stopped himself because he has no rights to do so. He was just an employer to her.


    Since there were so many people at the hospital, Cayenne had to wait for a little while before she could have her test. It was not a problem if she had to wait since she was just sleeping on her hospital bed.


    After an hour, she was brought to aboratory to undergo her test and but there were other tests that she needed to do once she''s awake so, her results were iplete and the doctor couldn''t point out the real cause of her stomach ache yet. Stefan waited for her all throughout the test until she woke up in the middle of it.


    "How are you feeling?" The doctor asked the moment she wakes up.


    "I''m fine."


    "You''re fine?" Stefan questioned with a raised brow. "That''s what you told me earlier and then, you copsed."


    "Don''t scold your girlfriend. She just woke up."


    "I''m not his girlfriend." Cayenne corrected the doctor immediately, something that Stefan wasn''t able to do earlier. "Can I go home now, doc?"


    "Not yet." The doctor responded. "There are few remaining tests that you have to take."


    "There''s no need for that. I am perfectly fine. It was just a normal stomach ache. It happens sometimes."


    The doctor looked at her and there''s something hidden in her eyes. She turned to Stefan with a faint smile. "Can you buy her something to drink. Aside from the IV drip, we need her to drink some fluid."


    "Okay, doc. I''ll be right back." Stefan looked towards Cayenne but he didn''t say anything. He just left without saying another word to her.


    "Now, what is that you want to say?" the doctor asked Cayenne. She had been a doctor for several decades and she knew when someone has a secret to say.


    Cayenne bit her lower lip and clutched the nket. "Doc, can you not tell him anything about me? I actually have an ulcer but this doesn''t happen all the time. It just so-happen that I''ve been very busytely and I forgot to eat."


    "Didn''t your husband remind you to eat?"


    "Husband? He is not my husband." Cayenne corrected with faintughter.


    "He is not your boyfriend or your husband. Then, what is he?"


    "He''s my boss."


    "Oh! I''m sorry for my wrong remarks." The doctor apologized politely. "Anyway, do you have previous medical records?"


    "I do but I didn''t bring it with me. You can just prescribe me with some medicines. I forgot the prescription that was given to me before."


    "But I need to be thorough with my job. I still need you to undergo some tests."


    "I don''t have any money to pay for that."


    "Regarding that, your boss promised to pay everything."


    "You can''t let him do that. I am not his responsibility." Cayenne mentioned. "I don''t want to cause him trouble."


    "How about you talk to him first. Your health is very important among all else."


    "O-okay. I''ll talk to him once he gets back here. Can you give us at least half an hour?"


    "Sure." The doctor left to give her some space and to wait for Stefan as well. When she opened the door, she found Stefan leaning on the wall with some food and drinks. "I''ll let you two talk for a while."


    "Thank you."? Stefan got inside and ced the things he bought on the table. "What did the doctor say?"


    "She told me that there are few other tests that I need to take. However, I know that this is just a normal stomach ache. This happens to everyone, which is something you shouldn''t worry about."


    "When will you undergo the test? I mean, morning is slowly approaching."


    "Can I not take the test? I will be fine, I promise. I''ll just take the prescription and buy the medicer. You don''t need to worry."


    "Who says I''m worried? I just don''t want you to be sick. It would be bad if you can''t help me with my sleep." Stefan mumbled but he was mentally scolding himself. He didn''t want to say those words but he couldn''t help it. He was upset that she was keeping things from him. He heard her earlier but now, she was acting like nothing serious was happening to her.


    Cayenne just smiled and nodded her head. "I understand, sir. I''ll make sure toe to work. I won''t be skipping a day. It would be troublesome for me if my money gets deducted, too."


    "Is money that important?"


    "Of course. You wouldn''t know it because you''ve got so much."

 Chapter 42 - LETS GO TO THE ALTAR

    <h4>Chapter 42 - LET''S GO TO THE ALTAR</h4>


    The two of them looked at each other''s eyes. Both of them didn''t mean the negative words they wanted to say but, they couldn''t stop their mouth from saying them, hurting each other in the process.


    "Can we just go home? I still need to do my work."


    "Just stay here. I won''t deduct your sry."


    "Staying here will cause you to spend more money on me."


    "When I tell you to stay, just stay. Stop talking and rest."


    Cayenne was left with no other choice. She can sense that he was angry and she didn''t want to make things worse. She shifted her body and turned her back on him. She didn''t want to see the angry expression on his face.


    When two dumb people fall in love, they will end up hurting each other because they weren''t honest to themselves. They don''t even know what exactly they feel.


    The doctor came back after half an hour as she promised and Cayenne went through the test that she needed after Stefan insisted her to take them. As long as he won''t deduct her sry, she was willing to take the tests. For her, the money that she earned would be for her family. She already stopped thinking about herself and that included her health.


    After all the tests that she took, she was diagnosed with stomach ulcer which was what she expected. Stefan clenched his hand into a tight fist on his side. He promised to protect her, to make sure that she won''t be put in harm''s way but, he was doing the opposite.


    "Can I go home now?" Cayenne asked again. They have lost count to the number of times that she asked this question from the moment she woke up.


    "Let''s go back home after I finish the discharge process." Stefan informed her.


    The doctor left them alone with a little confusion her mind. She denied her rtionship with Stefan but Stefan didn''t say anything. The man had been doing his best to take care of her but she was trying her best not to owe anything from him. The doctor was totally confused but she didn''t say a thing. Aside from that, she had no idea who Stefan was. She just got back from UK and she didn''t know the people in City A that well. She didn''t pay attention to social media as well. All she does was making a great job with her medical skills. Other things don''t matter to her.


    Stefan sat on the chair once again and had his arms crossed over his chest. "Let''s talk before I go and have you discharged from here."


    "Talk about what?"


    "I don''t like this. I don''t like us arguing. I don''t like you keeping secrets from me. I don''t like you being my employee. I-"


    "Then, should I quit?"


    "No. I don''t want you to quit. I don''t you to go."


    Cayenne got up from bed and sat up straight in front. "Sir Stefan, I will only do whatever you say. Besides, I''m just a mere employee. You have the power over me, right?"


    "Stop calling me sir. And I don''t want to have this power over you. Ayen, can''t we just go back to how we were doing before? We were doing just fine. I know I said something wrong and I''m really sorry about that. I don''t want you to feel that I''m overpowering you. I don''t want you to think that I''m using my riches to belittle you. Ayen, can you please forgive me?"


    Cayenne looked at him. She can see his sincerity but she was still having a hard time toe to his terms. They were aplete opposite and that''s what makes things difficult between them.


    "Ayen?" Stefan called her name to get her attention because she was spacing out in front of him.


    "Stefan, what you''re asking is impossible."


    "Why? We did it before so, why is it impossible now?"


    "Because I''m starting to have doubts in you." Cayenne answered honestly. "I innocently believed in your words before. I honestly thought that we could be friends. I put my trust in you. However, I juste to realize that I was being foolish. No matter what you say, it won''t change the fact that I''m just a poor employee who sleeps with you to make money. You and I will never be friends."


    "Why not? Chris and I are friends even though if he''s my employee. What makes it different when ites to you?"


    "You and Chris have been together for how long? A year? Two years? Five years? And how long have we been working together? A week. I have so little knowledge of you. Well, I don''t really want to know anything about you since that''s a private matter. Even so, there''s this veryrge gap between us."


    "But Ayen, friendship isn''t measured through the length of time we''ve known each other. It only depends on you and me."


    Cayenne was stumped with his words. She was still having a hard time to ept his words. Stefan moved his chair closer to her bed and held her hands with his. "What are you doing?" Cayenne questioned with a surprised expression crossing her face. She was trying her best to pull back her hands but Stefan sped them and even linked their fingers.


    "I promise that I will never talk about my wealth. I promise I will answer whatever question you want to ask and know about me. I promise I will never let any harm befall on you. I promise to take care of you. I promise that you will I won''t see any other woman while we''re staying together. I promise I will make sure that your reputation isn''t ruined. I promise-"


    "Stop!" Cayenne wanted to cover his mouth but he was holding her hands. Her face felt so hot and she couldn''t look at him straight in the eyes. "Stefan, stop it! Don''t make any weird promises with me. We''re not in front of the altar."


    "Then, how about we go to the altar in the morning?"

 Chapter 43 - NOT RECONCILED

    <h4>Chapter 43 - NOT RECONCILED</h4>


    Cayenne felt an oing headache because of him. "You don''t even know what you are talking about. Stop saying nonsense." Cayenne mumbled. "Let''s just go home. We don''t need to talk about this."


    "No, Ayen. I''m serious about this. We need to fix this here and now." Stefan insisted and had no intention of letting her hands go.


    "Are you really alright? Am I the one who''s sick or you are sick? Do you really know what you''re talking about?" Cayenne was still doubtful. It wasn''t easy for her to take his words seriously.


    "Fine. Let''s take this from the start. Don''t think of me as your employer this time."


    "What do you mean?"


    Stefan stood up from his seat and stretched his arm out. "Hi! I''m Stefan Domrique. Can we be friends?"


    "Are we the type of friends with benefits?" Cayenne questioned, still refusing to reach out her hands. "It''s not normal for friends to sleep together at night."


    "Well, what should our rtionship be?"


    "Nothing. There should be nothing between us." Cayenne got up from bed and fixed her clothes. "Let''s go back home."


    Stefan watched her go out of the room. He never felt so hopeless with his business even before. He got this confidence that he will win and get everything that he wanted, as long as he puts his heart and mind to it. This time, he couldn''t even get a single agreement from her. Cayenne was fixed in keeping their employer-employee rtionship because of one single mistake he did.


    He didn''t mean for that to happen. He was just joking and he never knew that it would turn out that way. He hurt her.


    Cayenne walked out first and even though Stefan promised that he would shoulder the medical bill, Cayenne didn''t wait for him to do so. She paid everything with her own money. When Stefan arrived, everything was done.


    The two of them went back to his car silently. It was still dark outside since it was still few minutes after four in the morning. "Ayen?" Stefan called out her name once again.


    "Yes, sir?"


    "Drop the sir."


    "Yes."


    Stefan slowed down the speed of his car to converse with her. "I''m sorry."


    "There''s no need to apologize. You didn''t do anything wrong."


    "I did. I said something I shouldn''t have said. Andtely, I''ve beening homete which means you''ve been skipping meals because I wasn''t around. I caused you to feel insecure of your status and caused you to have stomach ulcer. It''s all my fault."


    "Me, being poor is not your fault. Having a stomach ache wasn''t your fault as well. I''ve had this illness for a long time already and it would go on and off." She was still expressionless in front of him.


    Stefan kept quiet and continued to drive. He had no idea what else he needed to do to make it up to her. He already gave away the phone which was meant for her. He also broke the trust she gave him. He ruined everything because of his selfishness.


    "You will be going to your brother''s awarding ceremony, right?"


    "Yes. It''s today."


    "What time will youe home?"


    "I should be home before seven in the evening."


    "O-okay."


    The car sank into another dead silence after their short exchange of words. They were nearing home and there were just few hours left before she''ll leave him.


    ''If she won''t agree with me then, I guess I should just give up. I shouldn''t force myself on her. It won''t work if I''m the only one who wanted to make things work out between us. Right. I should just do that.'' Stefan was convincing himself on his own without giving Cayenne a single nce.


    Cayenne was looking at his reflection on the mirror. Honestly, she wanted to be his friend. However, she was afraid. ''You are not supposed to be friends with someone who is wealthy. Why? Because you are poor.'' These were the words that Arthur''s mother spoke to her years ago.


    This was also the reason why she never wanted to be friends with Arthur once again. She didn''t want her poor status to be used against her, like she was some disgusting creature just because she''s poor. The words that Stefan spoke to herst time made her remember those awful things that Arthur''s mother told her. It hurts but it was the truth as well. There''s no way she could deny something she knew long ago.


    Cayenne''s tears pooled in her eyes. She would never find someone who will truly understand her. She would never find someone who will truly care for her. People will only approach her because they needed something from her. Once she has no use, she will be discarded like an unfavored toy.


    Not long after, the two of them arrived home and Cayenne went inside as soon as possible. She walked back upstairs to wash her face, in order to wash away her tears. When Stefan came inside, she was drying her face with a face towel.


    "Let''s go back to sleep." Stefan mentioned without meeting her eyes.


    "Okay." Cayenne responded. She wanted to turn on the rm on her phone but she didn''t want to disturb his sleep since that was her job.


    Therefore, when she woke up, it was almost nine in the morning. The school activity will start at nine but Stefan was still sleeping beside her. She wanted to wake him up but she didn''t want to lose her job. She needed the money so much.


    Her phone was buzzing for several times and messages from her brothers kept popping up. She couldn''t even reach for her phone because Stefan was hugging her and small movements will awaken him. She already disturbed her sleep in the middle of the night and she didn''t want it to happen again.


    She blinked back her tears to stop them from falling. For the first time, she will be breaking a promise to her siblings. Ever since their mother got hospitalize, she would always make sure that her brothers will be taken cared of properly. Whenever she''s needed in school, she will surely attend them. She would do her best to keep her promise to them. But now, she was runningte.


    ''I must have angered him.''

 Chapter 44 - REGRETS

    <h4>Chapter 44 - REGRETS</h4>


    Before, Stefan would always make sure to wake up early specially if she''s going to attend something important or if she needed to go somewhere early in the morning. This time, he didn''t care about her personal affairs.


    The clock struck quarter to eleven and finally, Stefan woke up. The two of them didn''t say anything and he didn''t let her take a shower first. The moment he woke up, he got out of the bed, took his bathroom and went inside the shower room. He was even taking so much time inside the bathroom.


    Cayenne just waited for him to finish showering while she apologized to her younger brother for missing the ceremony. Even if she''s going to go there, she won''t be able to make it. It was a good thing that Luiz was very understanding. He knew that his sister must have been busy with work so he didn''t make a fuss out of it.


    After half an hour, Stefan came out. He looked at her lonely back and cursed himself. Every time he decided to act badly in front of her, he was the only one who will regret it in the end. When he was inside the bathroom, he punched the wall several times from his anger. He woke upte and now, he caused her to miss something so important to her.


    Cayenne stood up and took her own robe.


    "Ayen, I''m sorry."


    She just nodded his head and smiled faintly at him. She didn''t me him or get mad at him. And it upsets him even more. It would have been better if she got angry, yelled at him or curse him. He was so guilty for what he did.


    Cayenne didn''t take so much time. After taking a shower, she changed her clothes and arranged her things. Stefan wasn''t in the bedroom when she got out but it didn''t matter to her. As soon as she finished everything, she picked up her bag and ran downstairs.


    "I''m going now. See you tonight." She was walking quickly while bidding her farewell to him.


    Stefan came out from the kitchen, still wearing his apron. "What about breakfast?"


    "There''s no need." Cayenne responded while she was wearing her shoes at the door. Before Stefan could say anything else, she was already running out and closed the door behind her.


    The taxi driver was waiting for him outside the house already. She contacted him earlier when Stefan was still inside the bathroom. Since she wasn''t able to attend the ceremony, she went home to cook a little celebratory meal for her younger brother. It was the least thing she could do for him.


    Back in the subdivision, Stefan was sitting on the kitchen stool with a daze expression. "What have I done? Why did I let her miss something so important to her? Why am I bing so selfish? Why am I hurting her again and again?"


    He told himself to give up being friend with her and it was fine. But, there''s something wrong in him because he couldn''t give her up. They didn''t even have any rtionship and she was his employee. She even refused to be his friend. Stefan was so confused of himself.


    "Perhaps, if Alexander is alive, he would know what to do in this kind of situation." He covered his face with his hands and took a deep breath. "I need to do something."


    Cayenne was happily cooking at home. She was excited to see her brothers and his award. It was a sort of reward to her ¨C knowing that her brothers were doing their best in school. Her happiness would''vested a little longer if her brothers didn''t bring someone home.


    Arthur was standing behind Luiz with a basket of fruits and a strawberry cake. He smiled at her and Cayenne smiled back faintly. She looked towards Kyle who only shrugged his shoulders and when she looked towards Luiz, he averted his eyes guiltily. It was obvious who invited Arthur to their home.


    "Come inside." Cayenne still remained polite despite her displeasure. She didn''t really want him to know where she lives because his mother would know about it and she woulde sooner orter to discriminate her. She never wanted it to happen again.


    "Sorry." Luiz mumbled when he followed his sister in the kitchen. "I didn''t know how to refuse him and he didn''t mean any harm. He just wanted to celebrate this award I got with us."


    "You could have gone somewhere and celebrate it." Cayenne responded coldly while arranging the dishes on the round dining table.


    "But, I want toe home and show my award to you as soon as possible."


    "I can wait."


    "Sorry." He apologized once again. They had no idea why their sister didn''t like Arthur to know where they live. The two of them imed to be friends but Arthur wanted something more than that and it was also obvious that their sister didn''t want to be his friend. She didn''t want to have any kind of rtionship with him. In short, she hates him.


    "I can see that you are doing well." Arthurmented while looking around the apartment. It may not be an expensive or arge unit but it was still decentpared to how they live before. He really admired Cayenne for her bravery to face the adversities in life.


    Cayenne ced thest dish on the table and smiled sheepishly at him. "I''m able to find a good job which also pays generously."


    "That''s great. If ever you would need some help in the future, you can always tell me. I''ll make sure to help you."


    "Thanks. I''ll keep that in mind." Cayenne responded but she had no intention of running into him if ever she''ll face a problem. She will never allow his mother to find something she can use against her. "Let''s all eat."


    The four of them sat around the table. No one knew that outside the apartment building, a certain someone was sitting inside his car. There were gifts and some foods on the seat beside him but instead of getting out toe and find Cayenne, he drove out of the vicinity and went back home.

 Chapter 45 - ARTHURS VISIT

    <h4>Chapter 45 - ARTHUR''S VISIT</h4>


    ''I thought she didn''t like someone. Who was that man, then?'' Stefan had this question in his mind the entire time he was driving back home. He knew of her two brothers because he asked Chris to investigate her before. But, he didn''t know who that other man who came with her two brothers.


    Since he didn''t want to waste the food, he just gave them to the street children and other people who needed food. As for the gift, he brought it back with him. He will just give it to her during the night.


    Just like how he was upset with Arthuring to visit Cayenne, Cayenne was upset with her brother as well. Now, she needed to find another ce to live. She didn''t want the man to keeping, now that he knew of her address.


    Arthur could tell that Cayenne was still distant to him and he didn''t know how to ovee this unknown gap. Few years ago, they were still fine. They were doing great and they had a good rtionship. Many people could tell that they were the best of friends. He didn''t know what went wrong between them. And he knew that it wasn''t because of his confession. There''s no way she''d change because of that.


    Honestly speaking, he only confessed to her because he thought she likes him. She been so close to him and during those times, she didn''t keep any secrets to him. He was her confidante. She would tell him everything that would bother her. She would always make time for him whenever he needed it. Other people already thought that they were into ''that'' rtionship already.


    But everything crumbled for unknown reason.


    Arthur finished eating his food and was currently talking with Luiz in the living room. Among the three siblings, only Luiz stayed the same. Kyle started avoiding him as well. It wasn''t a physical distance but their rtionship was bing strange.


    "By the way, Yen, I have heard about a program in the hospital which specifies on patients with tuberculosis. Do you want to sign up for your mother? They will be paying five percent of the hospital bills. It may not be a huge amount but it will still help you." Arthur informed her since he didn''t know that someone paid her mother''s hospital bill.


    Until now, she still didn''t know who paid for it and the hospital wouldn''t say anything to her either. What she was afraid of was that their benefactor wille out of nowhere and use it against them. She had seen that in many dramas and the shady people will use the daughter to pay off the debt. It was something she was scared of.


    "Thanks, Arthur. I''ll check if that is still avable." Cayenne responded with a faint smile.


    "Uh.." he was scratching the back of his head with a hesitant expression on his face. "Can I visit you guys again?" Arthur questioned.


    All three pairs of eyes looked towards Cayenne. The decision lies in her and she was a little embarrassed to refuse him when he didn''t do anything against her.


    She coughed drily and sat on the couch across him. "Sorry Arthur but, can you not visit us again? I would be forced to look for another ce to live if you keeping here."


    "Why? Am I that unwee now?"


    "It''s not that you are unwee but, there are some things that will be a little difficult to handle if you keeping here. I mean, people will start to gossip us like before. I don''t like it."


    "I understand your point. Well then, I''ll just see you guys in the hospital when you''re visiting your mother."


    "Hn. That would be fine." Cayenne agreed. As long as he won''t visit their house, his mother won''t know about their address. She would be able to avoid having a confrontation with her.


    "It''s very seldom that you have a rest day like this, would you like to go somewhere or maybe, watch a movie together with your siblings?" Arthur questioned her, finding a way to spend more time with her.


    Cayenne politely refused his offer. She has few hours left before going back to Stefan and she wanted to spend this remaining time to rest her heart and mind. The past few days, she had been very exhausted around Stefan and she just got of the hospital this morning as well. She hadn''t told her brothers about it either.


    As much as possible, she wanted to take a rest. "Sorry, Arthur. I want to rest today. How about you guys go and have some fun? I would be happy if these two guys will have some time to rx as well." She mentioned while looking at her brothers.


    "You deserve to rx, not us." Luiz retorted back to her.


    "I will be rxing here at home. At the same time, I will be going to work in few hours so, it''s better for me to stay here."


    "Alright, then. I will be taking your brothers away from you. I''ll return them before five in the afternoon."


    "Sure. Sure. Be careful always." Cayenne waved her hands at them. "Make sure to lock the door before you leave. I''ll be resting in my room."


    ''Until when should I stay with Stefan? I think he''s doing fine the past few days. Maybe I''ll be staying in a month or two. A year would be a little impossible. Which means, I will have a very short time with him.'' Cayenne kept thinking about her time with Stefan. On her bed, she had been shifting her position but she couldn''t fall asleep. Her mind was upied with the sad expression on his face. ''Was I too muchst night? Did I hurt him? But what I said were all true. I wasn''t lying to him.''


    Just like her, Stefan wasn''t able to do any work on that day either. He was busy looking into the man that might be close to Cayenne. He wanted to know what kind of man will catch her interest.

 Chapter 46 - SLOWLY BUILDING A BRIDGE

    <h4>Chapter 46 - SLOWLY BUILDING A BRIDGE</h4>


    That night, Cayenne was surprised when she arrived home. The house was brightly lit and Stefan was in the kitchen, busy preparing for their dinner. He didn''t look like someone who was angry or upset either. In fact, he was wearing a smile on his lips which was a little ufortable for her.


    She ced her bag on the chair and walked to him. "Can youe closer for a bit?" Stefan did as he was told and leaned closer.


    Unexpectedly, Cayenne stood on her toes and pressed her forehead on his forehead. She was so close that his heart skipped a beat and he was holding his breath. Her eyshes were long and curved upwards. Her eyes were bright and her face was really smooth.


    "Ayen, what are you doing?"


    "I forgot where the thermometer is so, I''m trying to feel if you are having a fever."


    "Oh. Is this how you do it with your brothers?"


    "Nope. We have a thermometer at home and I always keep it in our medical kit." She pulled away from him and frowned. "I don''t think you have a fever."


    "I don''t think I have a fever either." Stefan reiterated what she said. "What makes you think I''m having a fever?"


    "Because you''re doing all these? Anyway, stop cooking. I''ll do it. It''s my job, remember?"


    "No. Your job is to help me sleep. Cooking was just a bonus for me since you oftene home earlier than me. Today, I didn''t go to work so, I''m cooking for us."


    "Oh." Cayenne took few steps back and looked at him. "I see. I will be eating the dishes you''ll cook this time."


    "Yeah. You''ve tasted my way of cooking before. I may not have a great skill but it was still edible, right?"


    Cayenne nodded her head. "What will I do now? IS there something I can help you with?"


    "I''m almost done here. Just go upstairs and take a shower."


    "Okay." She picked up her bag and walked out of the kitchen. She stopped several times and looked back to see him; he was even humming while cooking. "He''s weird."


    During the day, all Stefan did was think about her, think about his past deeds and the things he had said. He was thinking how to make up things to her. He had been apologizing but he was doing bad things again and again. He looked into Arthur''s information and he found that he was the closest male friend she ever had. Reading the information, he realized one thing, his characteristics will never attract her.


    Therefore, he changed his tactics. He promised to take care of her but he was actually neglecting her. Now, instead of saying whatever he wanted to say, he will just show it directly to her. And the first step was to cook for their dinner and to be gentle as much as possible.


    He doesn''t understand why it was important to make her happy but he knew that he needed to make her happy. It''s a must.


    Upstairs, Cayenne didn''t take so much time. After twenty minutes, she came out again and Stefan was also done preparing their dinner. "Let''s eat."


    "O-okay." She was about to pull a chair for her but Stefan beat her to it. He pulled the chair for her and waited for her to make herselffortable.


    "What do you want to drink?"


    "Water is fine."


    "Sure."


    She watched him move around the kitchen, doing this and doing that, until he finally settled down across her. "What''s wrong with you? You''re acting strange this time. Did something happen?"


    Stefan looked at her and grinner. "I realized that I''ve been causing so much trouble to you in the past few days. I want to make up for that."


    "Employers don''t do this." Cayenne talked back. "I mean, I really appreciate you doing this but, you don''t have to do this again. I can always cook for us."


    "I''m different to other employers." Stefan responded with a smile. He helped her get some rice and let her chose the dishes she''d like to eat. In the end, she tasted all the dishes and she loved it. "It tastes good, right?"


    "Hn. Your way of cooking is different from mine but it is really delicious."


    "I''m d you like it." Stefan ate as well and the cold atmosphere between them was slowly thawed away. "By the way, I have something for your brother."


    "Huh? My brother?"


    "Hn." He stood up and went to get something from the living room. When he got back, he was holding a big paper bag with a brown box inside it. "I am not sure if your brother has one but, I am sure that he will be able to use this."


    She reached for the bag that he gave and what was inside stunned her. "Are you sure about this? This is too much. You don''t even have to give him something like this; much more an expensive gift."


    "Your brother deserves a reward. And I don''t give useless reward. It should be something useful. I thought about it and decided to get this MacBook for him."


    "But this is very expensive."


    "It is useful. Don''t think about the money, just think about hoe happy your brother will be."


    "He won''t be happy. He will be worried."


    "Why?"


    "He would think that I''m spending so much for him and if I tell him it''s from you, he will think that I borrowed money from you."


    "Don''t worry about it. I ced something for him once he opens this gadget. Just tell him it''s from me. Don''t think too much."


    "Thank you." Cayenne said with a bright smile. "I''ll make sure to serve you well during my time with you."


    "Hn. I will be in your care."


    Cayenne and Stefan was slowly building a bridge between them to connect with each other. It might not form in a blink of an eye but it would eventually be sturdy until no one will be able to break it no matter what the others will say.

 Chapter 47 - EXPOSED LIES

    <h4>Chapter 47 - EXPOSED LIES</h4>


    Cayenne was right with her intuition about Luiz. The next morning, she came home early since Stefan woke up early and he was also the one who cooked their breakfast. He was more of an employee instead of employer. He sent her home as well and as usual, he dropped her off two blocks away from her house.


    It was Saturday but she had to go to work because she switched with Jessie to take a leave yesterday. Therefore, she wouldn''t be going to the hospital with her siblings. The moment she arrived home, Kyle and Luiz were preparing to leave home.


    "Good morning, sis." Luiz greeted her when she opened the door and came inside.


    "Morning, Luiz. I wasn''t able to talk to you guys yesterday." Shemented while she was removing her sandals at the door. "Congrattions to you once again. By the way, my boss has something for you."


    "For me? He knew me? Have I met him before? Why will he give me something?"


    "You have so many questions." Cayenne stated and flicked his forehead while handing the big and heavy bag. "He probably investigated me before hiring me and that''s probably how he knew you."


    "Probably." Kyle reiterated as he emerged from the kitchen.


    "I am not really sure but I did tell him that I have two smart brothers and one of them got an award. He just bought that thing and gave it to mest night."


    "Really? You didn''t borrow the money for this?" Luiz and Kyle asked in unison.


    "Why don''t you take a look so you would know if I would dare borrow some money for that."


    Kyle and Luiz looked at each other before taking the bag inside and the three of them went to the living room. When they took out the box, her brothers'' eyes were wide open from shock. They looked at their sister before looking back to the box.


    "Seriously?! As in seriously?!" Luiz eximed in disbelief. "This is just a packaging, right? There''s no way someone one would give me something like this."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "I had the same expression and thought as you. Anyway, he told me that he made something for you and you would know once you open it."


    "Then, I''ll open it to know what''s inside."


    "Alright. I''ll go and prepare for my work. Just let me know what''s insideter."


    "Okie dokie."


    Cayenne left them alone to check what the gadget really looks like and what was inside it. She needed to start preparing for work.


    Luiz was still overwhelmed with the gift he received. Kyle helped him open it and the two of them stared at the sleek and great piece of gadget in front of them. It was just a dream for them but now, they really received one. There were so many possibilities in Kyle''s mind while watching his brother unbox his gift. One doubt of him was that, the item was fake.


    When they fully opened it, they saw the papers and everything that will prove its authenticity. There was also another smaller box. Cayenne wasn''t able to see it because she didn''t really look inside the bag. She just judged what she saw in the surface without really looking inside it.


    Aside from the MacBook Pro that Stefan gave him, there was a blue iPad Air 4 which was for Kyle. There was a small paper slipped on the box which contained a note for them. Kyle and Luiz looked towards each other, unsure what to do and how exactly they should feel.


    They were happy at the same time, worried for their sister. It was worrisome to receive something from a person they have never known.


    -MAKE SURE YOU DON''T STRESS YOUR SISTER WHEN IT COMES TO SCHOOL MATTER. THIS GIFTS ARE JUST A SIMPLE TOKEN OF APPRECIATION FROM ME. I ADMIRE YOUR SISTER SO MUCH AND I DON''T WANT HER TO BE WORRIED ALL THE TIME. DO YOUR BEST AND HELP OUT YOUR SISTER WHENEVER YOU CAN. CHEER UP! I WILL NEVER EXTORT YOUR SISTER FOR SOMETHING SO MUNDANE. SO, DON''T WORRY. ¨C


    "Is Yen''s boss, a guy?" Kyle asked his younger brother even though the other had no idea as well. He was worried that her boss will use this against her in the future.


    "Do you think she likes our sister like how Arthur likes her?" Luiz questioned as well. "I mean, no one would give us something like this without anything in return."


    "Let''s not judge him right away. He did leave a note for us and he was asking as to make sure that we won''t cause a stress to our dear sister. That means, our sister really helps him or her. Let''s just hope that he will be true to his words."


    "I guess that''s what we can do."


    The two of them explored the gadget they received and they even forgot that they needed to go to the hospital. If Cayenne didn''te out, they wouldn''t be able to leave on time.


    "Did he send two items?" Cayenne asked her brothers as they walked in the street towards the bus station. "I noticed that Kyle was holding a smaller box earlier. I just forgot to ask about it."


    "Did you receive it without checking what''s inside?" Kyle asked in disbelief. "So, you didn''t know that he gave me an iPad Air?"


    "No, I don''t. I thought he only gave something for Luiz. He said it was for my brother, not brothers."


    Luiz stopped walking and blocked his sister''s way. "By the way sis, your boss is a male, right? Is he married?"


    "No, he is not."


    "He is not? Didn''t you tell us that you are working as a baby sitter at night? Is he a single father, then?"


    Cayenne waspletely baffled. She tripped on her own lies and now, her brothers were looking at her with doubtful and sad expression crossing on their handsome faces.


    "Let''s talk about it next time. I''m gettingte already." Cayenne ran away from them. Instead of taking a bus, she took a taxi to work, pretending that she was really in a hurry this time.


    "She lied."

 Chapter 48 - HOW ARE GOING TO SLEEP TONIGHT?

    <h4>Chapter 48 - HOW ARE GOING TO SLEEP TONIGHT?</h4>


    All throughout her shift, Cayenne couldn''t focus. She was disturbed and worried because her lies were exposed. She didn''t know how she could exin it to her siblings. How would she tell them that she was working as a sleeping remedy for someone? No matter how you think about it, the job doesn''t sound honorable.


    The day ended and she was currently waiting for the taxi driver toe and pick her up. She didn''t notice that Stefan was standing right behind her.


    "What''s bothering you?"


    The question startled her so much and since she was standing on the edge of the stairs-step, other foot slipped and she almost fell. If he didn''t catch her on time, she would embarrass herself in front of other people who were passing by. However, her current situation wasn''t the least bit embarrassing as well.


    Stefan was holding her close to him, wrapping his left hand on her waist and holding her head with his right hand closed to his chest. Basically, he was hugging her. The first hug he did without asking for her permission.


    "Are you okay? Did I scare you? I''m really sorry. I didn''t mean for it to happen." His attention was solely given to her, making sure that she was calm and unhurt. He ignored the stares of other people around them.


    The other employees were still around this time and they saw what happened to them as well. Some were shock, some were curious and some were gossiping with the possible rtionship the two of them have.


    "Stefan, people are looking at us. They will see my face." Cayenne mumbled on his chest. Her warm breath tickled him but he didn''t mind it.


    He always brings a dark shade with him so, he subtly gave it to Cayenne and let her wear it before anyone can recognize her. Some people taking pictures of them and he was worried for her reputation. "I''m sorry for causing you trouble." Stefan pushed her a little and looked at her from head to toe. "Do you need money for medication? Did you sprain your ankle? Do you want me to send you to the hospital?"


    "Ah? Uh..No, sir. I am fine." Cayenne yed along with his acting. She even jumped in front of him. "I am doing good, sir. Thank you for pulling me on time."


    "Hn." Stefan nodded his head and left her alone.


    Knowing that there wasn''t any juicy rtionship between them, the crowd deleted their pictures and the other employees ignored what happened as well. They stopped gossiping about them and continued to walk away from the hotel. Not long after, the taxi driver came and picked her up.


    If Stefan didn''t think of a way in that short amount of time, they would be busted.


    Cayenne went home directly but Stefan didn''t. He asked Chris to stop at the nearby pharmacy because he was going to buy some first aid kit. Cayenne told him that she was fine and she even jumped in front of him but, the pain in her eyes didn''t escape from his intense observation.


    He bought a soothing gel which will cool down her ankle and apress pack as well. They have a lot of ice at home so, he wasn''t worried about where to get it. He also bought some painkillers if the sprain would be too much for her.


    His observation was on point. When Cayenne came home, she was limping because it hurts a little when she pressed her foot on the ground. ''I even jumped earlier. I must be crazy.'' Cayenne mumbled while pressing her finger on the biometric sensor. She hissed every step of the way while mentally cursing herself.


    She sat on the couch to rest for a moment and before she could lie down, the door opened and Stefan came inside. "Wee home."


    "How''s your foot? Is it swelling?"


    Cayenne was surprised upon hearing his question and she even attempted to hide her feet under the coffee table but Stefan was quicker than her.


    He sat on the carpeted floor and took hold of her foot. Without the slightest hesitation, he took off her indoor slippers and checked her foot with bare hands.


    "Does it hurt?" Stefan asked while pressing her ankle.


    She looked away and didn''t change her expression despite the pain. "I''m fine. It doesn''t hurt."


    "Does it hurt?" Stefan asked again, adding a little amount of pressure on her ankle. It was already turning red but she was still denying the pain.


    "It doesn''t."


    "Does it hurt?"


    "It hurts, alright!" she couldn''t help but yelled at him. "It hurts so much." Her nose was turning red while she was holding back her tears. Hershes were wet but she remained strong in front of him. "Stop pressing it."


    Stefan reached his hand and rubbed her head. "If it hurts then, be honest with me. Were you nning to continue moving around despite the pain?" She nodded her head while trying to avoid his eyes. "Just stay here while I get something to press on it."


    It wasn''t until he said these words that Cayenne noticed the stic bag he was holding earlier. It contained different things and she found that they were for her sprained ankle.


    "You need to lie down and ce your ankle here. In this way, you can elevate it a little." He was instructing her while he was acting on his own words at the same time. He helped her lie down on the sofa and ced her feet on the arm rest of the chair.


    "I can do this on my own." Cayennemented softly. Her eyes were still restless and she wasn''t meeting his gaze from the moment he touched her foot.


    "Let me take care of you this time. However, I''m a bit worried. How will I sleep tonight?" he questioned her and left to get some ice for the coldpress.


    Cayenne was left to think for an answer to his question. It would be troublesome if the two of them sleep together. "How will we sleep?"

 Chapter 49 - LITTLE CHANGES

    <h4>Chapter 49 - LITTLE CHANGES</h4>


    Stefan made a coldpress pack for her and ced it on her swelling foot. "Don''t move around or it will fall. I''ll be at the kitchen, cooking our dinner."


    "Am I still paid for this inconvenience?"


    "Don''t think too much about it. Think about tonight''s sleeping arrangement."


    And again, she was left on her own volition to think of their sleeping arrangement at night. She had no idea what to do. She was paid to sleep with him, if she would leave him, then it was counted as her ditching her work. But if she would stay, the both of them will be wary because of her sprain. He won''t be able to sleepfortably.


    She thought about it for several times but no idea came to her mind.


    Stefan finished cooking and since she wasn''t supposed to walk so much, he brought their food in the living room and ced them on the coffee table. "Let''s eat here tonight."


    "I feel so useless to you right now."


    "Don''t worry about it. Once you''re fine, I will use you thoroughly."


    "Huh? Your words sounded so vulgar?"


    "Were they? I think I was using the right choice of words." Stefan grinned at her while handing her a te and spoon and fork. "I have so many things nned for us so, you need to get better soon."


    "For us? What do you mean?"


    "I wanted to leave for a trip. I haven''t been able to do it because I couldn''t properly rest. I often copsed and Chris worried for me. Now that you''re here to help me then, let''s do the things I wasn''t able to do."


    "That''s a little bit difficult for me. Did you just forget I have another work? I don''t think I can leave for work again. I need money, remember?"


    "Then, I''ll pay you ording to your daily wage in the hotel. Aside from that, you won''t be doing any difficult work. Just apany me."


    "I''ll think about that. My brothers will be worried about me."


    "Speaking of brothers, did they tell you anything when they received my gifts?"


    "Right! About the gifts." Cayenne put down her spoon and fork. "Why didn''t you tell me there were two of them? I thought it was just a gift for Luiz."


    "I thought you saw it when you received the bag." Stefan responded. "Don''t think too much about that. It wasn''t a big deal to me. I know you would think that I''m boasting but, I don''t really know where to spend my money. I''ve been donating to different foundations and still, they kepting. Instead of keeping them, why not share them?"


    "You keep telling me not to think about it but, it''s really difficult to just forget it."


    "Then, what should I do?" Stefan threw her the question which she didn''t have any answer. "Should I take it back? That would be rude of me."


    "I don''t know what to do either."


    "I have an idea."


    "What is it?"


    "How about you apany me for a month. Day and night. Wherever I go, you will being with me. Of course, I will pay you with the same amount as your sry in the hotel plus your payment when sleep¡­when working during night time."


    "What''s in it for you? I should be asking what''s in it for me but, all the things you mention were my advantages. How about you?"


    "You will be with me all the time so, that''s my benefit."


    "That alone? I''m not much of a help to you. How could that be fair?"


    "It''s fair when I think it''s fair."


    She was lost for words. She was staring at him with unblinking eyes. What else can she retort with that statement? "Uhm. Okay."


    "Okay? You agree with me?"


    "B-but¡­I have¡­ I have a little problem." Her voice was bing smaller as she spoke. "My brothers found out that I lied to them. I don''t even know if I can keep my work here."


    "Didn''t you tell them anything about your work here?"


    "How would I tell them that I''m sleeping with you to send them to school? Even if we are not doing anything indecent, my brothers would still think differently."


    "Would you like me to talk to them?"


    "Is that fine? I''m not really sure I should go about this. I''ve been causing you troubletely. I don''t know what to do."


    "Just rely on me as much as I''m relying on you."


    One good thing led them to another. That night, they never realized how much closer they got. They started to open up to each other and they didn''t argue for a single moment. Stefan took care of her even though he was the one that needs to be taken cared of because she was the employee, not him.


    After eating, he picked up her bag and helped her walk upstairs. He ced her things on the couch and helped her sit on the bed. "Wait here for a while." He went out again and went to the kitchen. He couldn''t find a basin so he used arge stic bowl and poured a warm water on it plus, a good amount of alcohol. He carried the bowl and brought it upstairs.


    "What''s that for?" Cayenne asked with a frown. ''Don''t tell me he''ll wipe my body?'' her thought wasn''t so far from reality. Only that, it was her who will wipe her own body, not him.


    "Wipe your body with this. Don''t take a shower."


    "O-okay."


    "I''ll be staying outside. Just call me when you''re done."


    Cayenne nodded her head. Ever since her mother got hospitalized, she was used to taking of other people but, she wasn''t used to receive so much care from someone. Specially a man who was supposedly her employer. It was just a little unbelievable to her. ''What''s he thinking? I don''t really understand him. Wasn''t he angry at me few days ago?''


    While she was bugged with these questions, Stefan was sitting on the floor behind the close door. He was waiting for her to call his name.


    After half an hour, Cayenne finished cleaning herself and changed her clothes. The part of undressing and dressing herself was the most painful part for her but she was still able to ovee it.


    "Stefan?"


    "Are you done?" he still asked to make sure that it was fine toe inside.


    "Hn. Thank you so much for your help."


    "No problem." Stefan took the used water and brought them to the bathroom. He also took a shower and dressed himself. "I have a solution for our situation tonight."


    "What is it?"


    "I''ll still sleep beside you. Let''s just put something in between us."


    "So, you won''t be hugging me tonight?"


    "Why do you sound disappointed?" Stefan teased her with a wide grin on his face.


    "I''m not disappointed."


    "Really? Well, I won''t be hugging you but I will be holding your hand."


    "Holding my hand?"


    "Hn. I need to know you''re here beside me."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him. "You really have a poor vocabry."


    "I''m using my words properly."


    "I knew you''d say that. Let''s just go to sleep." Cayenne arranged her pillows and Stefan took two extra pillows and ced it beneath her foot; and another two extra pillows to ce between them. Cayenne extended her hand to him and Stefan held it close to him. This way, he would still be able to sleep without bumping into her.


    "Good night, Ayen."


    "Good night."


    Simple way of showing care can change someone''s life. At this point, even though she was still confused, she was slowly epting these little changes between them.


    Their actions and words were totally opposite but in a good way.

 Chapter 50 - FACING HER BROTHERS I

    <h4>Chapter 50 - FACING HER BROTHERS I</h4>


    Sunday, Stefan woke up first again. He checked the swollen part of her ankle and found that it wasn''t as red and as swollen as yesterday. It looked a little better and she was sleeping peacefully beside him.


    ''Our situation seemed a little off. I''m not even sure why this feels so good and natural.'' Stefan thought to himself while smiling foolishly on his own. He decided to go out without waking her up and started working out for few minutes. Since she came to his life, he missed his workout session several times. It was sofortable to sleep with her.


    Luiz and Kyle were worried for their sister. She left yesterday without answering their question and she didn''t even send them a message. The two of them would sneak a look to each other from time to time and they have been lying to their mother several times as well. They were forced to lie in behalf of their sister.


    "Do you believe that she''s fine and that her boss wasn''t extorting her?" Luiz asked in worry. He was whispering to his brother since they couldn''t allow their mother to know about what happened. They didn''t tell her that they received expensive gifts from Cayenne''s boss. Their mother will bombard them with questions.


    "Yen''s noting today?" Arthur asked when he visited the hospital and found her missing. "Is she still working?"


    "Hn. She witched her schedule to make time for me."


    "Shouldn''t it happen just once since the day she switched was just for the awarding ceremony?"


    "You know my sister, she will always try to work during her day off to make an extra ie." Kyle retorted with the most usible excuse. Arthur believed them and didn''t have the slightest doubt. "By the way, Ma, we will help you convince her to stay at home."


    "Really? You are not against it?" Their mother questioned back. She honestly thought that her children don''t like her because she was difficult to take care of specially with her illness.


    "We are not against it. And you are actually right. It''s not that we are giving up on you but the doctor told us about your condition. It''s just that, Yen won''t give up no matter what. She''s stubborn just like you." Kyle responded. He has reasons why he wanted their mother toe home. He wanted Cayenne to stop working day and night. He also wanted to spend time with their mother more often than not.


    Luiz agreed. He didn''t know his elder brother would want to convince their sister but he knew that it was for the best of all them.


    Cayenne, on the other hand, had no idea of her family''s n. She was still sleeping soundly while Stefan did the things he wanted to do.


    Around nine in the morning, she finally woke up and found him sitting on the couch at the foot of their bed, reading apany report that Chris sent to him.


    The moment he turned around to look at her, Cayenne didn''t know why but, she felt so embarrassed. Her face was turning red which also frightens Stefan. "Are you okay? You are a little bit reddish. Do you have a fever?"


    "I don''t. I''m just¡­I''m just a little embarrassed." She whispered thest words but Stefan still heard it.


    "Just get use to this. I will take care of you when needed and you will be taking care of me when you are doing fine. Give and take is what you call it."


    "I''m mostly taking so much from you instead of giving something."


    "That''s fine. Just wait for your turn to give everything to me."


    "Here we go again."


    "Right. I like the fact that I have poor vocabry and that I''m not using my words properly." Cayenne waspletely helpless in front of him. He was full of mischief, at the same time, gentle towards her. He was confusing her so much but she was afraid to ask why. She didn''t want to know the reason behind all these little gestures he was showing to her.


    She looked around to find her phone and when she was about to get off the bed, Stefan instantly rose to his feet and picked up her bag from the couch and gave it to her. She fished out her phone to call her brothers when she saw the time stered across her phone screen.


    "It''s 9:27 AM? My phone isn''t broken, right? This is the real time?"


    "Yup. It''s almost 9:30 in the morning."


    Cayenne''s eyes widened and she threw her phone on the bed. "OMG! OMG! OMG! Why didn''t you wake me up? They will be more doubtful of me now."


    "Aren''t we going to talk to them?"


    "Now? I mean, my foot still hurts."


    "Isn''t it the more reason why you should talk to them? You can tell them that you were not able toe back home because you sprained your foot."


    "Can I leave the exining to you? I''m not really good with this. I''m sure you will be able to convince them since you were able to convince me."


    "Are you reallyplimenting me? Why does it sound so sarcastic when ites from you?"


    "It''s just your imagination. I''m honestlyplimenting you."


    "Then, should I call them over?"


    "You want to talk with them here?"


    "Where else do you want them to go? Do you want to walk and go somewhere while enduring your pain?"


    Cayenne was silent for a moment and she was just staring at him. "Do whatever you want."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Just make sure you won''t say anything unnecessary."


    "Unnecessary like?"


    "Like¡­like¡­I don''t know. Just make sure that my reputation will be intact in their mind."


    "Yes ma''am."


    "Don''t ''yes ma''am'' me. I don''t understand why I''m getting into this trouble for you."


    "That''s because we are meant to meet each other for a good cause. You need money and I can give that to you. I need someone to help me sleep and you are that person to me. We are just fated to be together."


    "Fine. Fine. Fate it is. Let''s have fate decide what will happen between us after your conversation with my siblings."


    Even though she said those words, even though she was confident he can resolve her issue, she was still worried. She was worried of the kind of sister her brothers will make her to be. She didn''t want them to think that she''s a loose woman, who sold her body and soul for them. Her mother would probably die in anger. Her brothers will be a shame of her.


    "Oh god! Please make them understand where I''ming from." Cayenne mumbled while lying down on her bed. She didn''t contact her siblings. She left everything for Stefan to settle. It was him who exposed her anyway. If he didn''t send those gifts, she would not be exposed with her own lies.


    ''Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!''


    Time was slowly passing by and lunch was approaching. Stefan invited her siblings over for lunch and to discuss her situation with him. Kyle and Luiz were nervous after getting his message because they had no idea how to face him. They didn''t know what kind of man Cayenne''s boss was and their sister didn''t respond to their messages as well.


    If they were afraid, Cayenne has more reason to be afraid as well. She was the one involved with Stefan after all.


    Stefan gave them the address of the house that he and Cayenne stayed and at the same time, he called the taxi driver toe and pick them up at the hospital where they dropped Cayennest time.


    They were lucky enough since Arthur went home after knowing that Cayenne wasn''t there. The less people knew about her situation, the better it would be for her. When he thought about it, there were a handful of people who knew about their connection and now, he needed to be careful or more people will know about them.


    "Do you want to face them with me? I think it''s believable if you are around." Stefan suggested to her.


    "I''lle outter. I am so nervous that I''m starting to feel dizzy."


    "Don''t worry. Your siblings are smart."


    "This is not-"


    ''Ding! Dong!''


    The door bell rang and her face paled. "Oh god! I think I''m going to die right this instant!" she mumbled while clutching her chest. "If I have a heart problem. I would have died several times from so much anxiety."


    "Just rx, okay? I got this. Wait for at least half an hour beforeing out of the room."


    "Hn."


    Stefan walked out of the room and went down stairs to open the door. Right outside the house were Cayenne''s siblings. Each of them looked scary and unfriendly while looking at him.


    "Give me back my sister." Kyle ordered him with the least gentle voice. He looked so imposing in front of him.

 Chapter 51 - FACING HER BROTHERS II

    <h4>Chapter 51 - FACING HER BROTHERS II</h4>


    Stefan stood a little petrified.? He thought that they would be a little friendly towards him after receiving the gifts that he gave them. But he was wrong. Very wrong.


    "Come inside first." Stefan gestured them toe inside and he opened the door a little wider. "She''ll being out in few minutes."


    "Can''t we see her now? I want to bring her home. It''s not right for her to stay here with you." Kyle stated. "I''m grateful for the gifts that you sent but, I don''t want my sister to pay it with her own body." He added with firm and determined look on his face.


    "I agree with my brother. We love our sister so much and we really appreciate the gifts you gave but, I don''t think it''s good for our sister." Luiz also mentioned.


    Stefan looked at the two of them and sighed. "Can I get you something to drink first? You can talk to me about everything you wanted to know."


    "O-okay."


    Stefan went to the kitchen to get something to drink and to eat for Cayenne''s brothers. While he was at it, Kyle and Luiz were looking around the house that they got into.


    "Are they living together here?" Luiz whispered.


    "We''ll know soon."


    Stefan came back few minutester with a tray of juice and cookies. "We don''t have much of snacks so, I hope you don''t mind."


    "It''s fine." Kyle answered and took a ss of juice from the tray and had a gulp from it. "So, you''re keeping my sister here?"


    "Uhm¡­It''s not that I''m keeping her here but it is a mutual decision done by the two of us."


    "So, you''re saying that my sister agreed to live with you here?" Luiz questioned in disbelief. "Why would she do that?"


    "Because, she cares for me."


    "Is my sister a kept mistress?" This question from Kyle was like a bomb but it made Stefan chuckle faintly at them.


    "My name is Stefan Dumrique. I''m single and I am not keeping your sister as my mistress."


    "Stefan Dumrique? That man who owns several businesses and that Stefan who had been changing his girl like how often he changes his underwear?" Luiz was very blunt and vulgar with his words. He wasn''t showing any mercy at him at all. Even though he was helping them.


    Stefan coughed drily and sped his hands together and ced them over his knees. "I am serious with your sister. I admit that I''ve been ying around before but, your sister is different. I want to keep her by my side forever."


    "Didn''t you just date someone recently? You even gave her a phone." Kyle retorted which embarrassed Stefan a little. It was something he won''t be able to deny.


    "I had to do it in order to keep your sister safe. I don''t want anyone to know her identity because her private life will be disturbed. I don''t want that to happen."


    Cayenne was standing right behind the door and she heard what Stefan said. She knew it was just an excuse but a lie will not solve another lie. Stefan was just adding more fuel to the already burning fire. She opened the door and walked limply downstairs.


    "What are you talking about?" Cayenne asked him with wide eyes. "Stefan, didn''t you promise me that you won''t say anything unnecessary?"


    "It''s necessary, Ayen. Your brothers need to know about us." He responded while walking as quickly as he could towards her, to make sure that she won''t be putting so much pressure on her swollen foot.


    Cayenne held her hand and walked to the couch in the living room to face her brothers as well. "But we talked about this a while ago." Cayenne argued back. "I can''t believe you''ll do this."


    "It''s a must. I''ll talk to youter." Stefan brushed her off but their short conversation already convinced her brothers; Cayenne agreed to this set up with him. She voluntarily lived with him.


    "Yen?" Kyle called her attention. "Is it true that you agreed to live with him? I just need to know that you aren''t forced to do this thing."


    "I agreed."


    "And you are not a kept mistress?"


    "No. I promise you that Stefan had been very good to me. He takes care of me."


    "Takes care of you? Then, would you care to tell us why you''re limping around?" Luiz inquired with a dark expression on his face. He was very displeased and Cayenne was a little worried. It was the first time that she witnessed her brothers acting like this in front of her.


    They were wary of Stefan and worried for her. They were doubtful of his words but they believed their sister. Cayenne won''t lie to them.


    "This is my fault. I tripped yesterday after shift. And Stefan had been taking care of me sincest night."


    "You are not just defending him?" Kyle chided her.


    "No, I am not." Cayenne insisted. "Anyway, I am telling you the truth now."


    "Just to rify this matter. You are not babysitting someone at night instead, you are staying here with him." Luiz reiterated everything. "He didn''t force you to do anything in exchange with the gadgets he gave us. He is also taking care of you."


    "It sounds so bad when ites from you but, yes."


    "So, don''t get mad at your sister. She didn''t really mean to keep this matter from you." Stefan added to make sure that Cayenne won''t be put in a difficult situation.


    Kyle and Luiz nodded their head. "This is an adult stuff so, we won''t meddle with you two. However, if you ever hurt our sister, you will now how we will deal with you."


    "Hn. I''ll keep that in mind."


    "But, we are still takin our sister today." Luiz insisted. "We need to discuss something."


    "But her ankle is still sprained. She needed to rest." Stefanined at a little. "Can''t you give her time to recuperate first?"


    "Recuperate? Here?" Kyle and Luiz asked in unison. Stefan nodded his head firmly and he was looking at them expectantly. "No, we can''t allow this."


    "Ayen, will you being back tonight?" Stefan turned to Cayenne for help. "I need you here."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him. "Will you be picking me up again?"


    "You will allow me to pick you up? Are you sure?"


    Luiz and Kyle looked at each other before looking at the two people talking in front of them. "Fine. We won''t take her for now. But can you leave us for a moment? We really have something that we need to talk."


    "Okay." Stefan stood up and walked upstairs. "If you guys need to ask me something, don''t hesitate to call me."


    The three of them were sitting in the living room, facing together with serious expression on their faces and were quietly observing each one of them. Cayenne was waiting for their harsh words and judgmental gazes while looking down on her sped hands that she ced on herp.


    However, what came out from their mouth were stifledughter. Her two brothers wereughing silently like crazy. "I never knew that I have a very good acting skill." Kyle mumbled while clutching his stomach from so muchughter.


    "I know. When I looked at his face the moment he opened the door, I was really about tough. He looked petrified." Luiz added in a whisper.


    "I think I was really cool earlier." Kyle said proudly and he even lightly banged his chest.


    "He looked so sincere while talking us while we were just acting in front of him. Now, I''m pretty sure that he''s someone admirable."


    Cayenne watched her two brothers whispering back and forth whileughing on their words. She had no idea what to feel for Stefan. He tried his best to convince her siblings while her siblings were just ying with him. The only truth in their words was the warning he left. If he ever hurt her, they will do everything they can to make him pay.


    And Stefan knew that they were serious with the warning. At the same time, he wasn''t the least bit worried. Why? Because he will never hurt her again. That''s what he''s been keeping in mind.


    Stefan was sitting on their bed. He could hear faintughter from the living room but he couldn''t make out their words. He had no idea what they were talking about. In the middle of nothing to do, his phone buzzed on his pocket. The moment he fished it out and saw the message, his face scrunch and his eyes were turbulent.


    He knew it will happen sooner orter but, he was also praying that they will just leave them alone. He will never marry anyone that they will choose for him. He won''t even take over thepany that was meant for his brother. He will never follow their words.


    Stefan deleted the message that he got and pretended he didn''t see anything. In his mind, he decided that one can stop him from staying with Cayenne. He will never allow anyone to separate them. Not even her family can stop him.

 Chapter 52 - LONGING

    <h4>Chapter 52 - LONGING</h4>


    Magnus put his phone on the study table. He had been contacting his son but he never returned his calls or his messages. He had asked someone to investigate what he has been doing and that''s how he knew about Cayenne.


    ''Leave the woman you are keeping. She is not worthy of your status.'' That''s the message that he sent to him but Stefan wasn''t the least bit worried. He didn''t say anything or call him. It irked him so much. But what can he do? If he angers him again, there''s a big chance that he will severe his tie with them.


    Stefan doesn''t have anything to be sentimental with them. In fact, as a father, he couldn''t even remember a single event which was mainly prepared for his younger son. All the past events that happened were for Alexander. The only time they celebrated his birthday was when Alexander insisted on celebrating it. What was the result? Alexander died. His birthday became the death anniversary of his eldest son. And ra hated him even more.


    Magnus slouched on his chair and saw the picture on the table. It was a photo of his two sons. They looked so happy together and you would never see any sadness in Stefan''s eyes. Now, when he thinks about his image, all he could see was the turbulent anger in the eyes of his only living son.


    He knew that Stefan hated him. However, for the sake of being raised in the past years, he never said anything. But that doesn''t mean he would never say anything. There''s a very big chance that he would burn out all his patience and let his emotions out.


    "I was never a good father to them. In the first ce, I wasn''t a good husband. If I didn''t cheat, I would not hurt the woman who had been staying with me since we were young. If I didn''t cheat, I wouldn''t cause another woman to die while giving birth. Stefan won''t exist in our life. Alexander won''t die. And I won''t have this problem now. It all started because of my foolishness. It''s all my fault. And I have let Stefan suffer all these years. He lost her mother and he never had a father even when he''s with me. I don''t think he''ll ever forgive me."


    He was regretting everything that has happened but he would never put the me on him like how his wife was doing. He suffered enough and he didn''t want to add to that suffering. Stefan was the most innocent person among them. It was not his fault that his father cheated. It was not his fault that he was born in this world. It was not his fault that a killer came and killed his brother. He was never at fault. Yet, he suffered the most.


    A lone tear fell on the back of his hand. It was warm and he felt his chest hurt. The thought of all these things burned his chest and his throat constricted. He was having a hard time breathing. He clutched his chest and looked for his medicine inside his drawers. When he found it, he immediately took three pills and drank a ss of water that the maids would always ce on the other table for him.


    While he was regretting over these things, Stefan had no space for other things in his mind aside from his business and Cayenne. He was still wondering what they were talking about when Cayenne sent him a message toe down. He stood up immediately and walked downstairs to face them.


    "Are you all done?" Stefan asked them. "How about we eat lunch together first? Cayenne and I haven''t taken our lunch. I was cooking earlier but I am not sure if it would be enough. Can I cook something to add with it?"


    "Is it alright with you?" Cayenne asked him. She knew that he was just ying with his own role which was her boyfriend but she didn''t want to use him like this. She would never use him in any way. This was just so rude and she didn''t like it.


    Stefan winked at her and took a step back. "You guys just wait here. I''ll be quick." He walked towards the kitchen and looked for ingredients inside the refrigerator. His actions were quick but steady and he knew which one to make first and which on was the next. There was order to everything that he did.


    Cayenne just listened to the sound he was making in the kitchen while guilt was eating away her heart. They didn''t resolve anything after this talk. They just added anotheryer of lie on top of the previous lie she made.


    "By the way, how will you work tomorrow?" Kyle whispered to his sister. "Are you going to take a leave?"


    "That''s probably the only solution you have. You can''t work with that red and swollen foot. Just seeing it makes me cringe in pain. I know it''s painful because I have experienced that several times in the past." Luiz added to his brother''s statement.


    Cayenne smiled towards her siblings and she took each of their hands to hold them. "You should stop worrying about me. I''m the eldest. I know what I can and can''t do. I know my limit and there''s no need to worry. Just focus on your study. That will be more rewarding for me. I''m the happiest whenever I know that you two are doing a great job."


    "That''s out of question, sis." Luiz responded. "We will do our best to repay all the hard work you''ve done for us."


    "I know." Cayenne pulled her brothers into a warm embrace. This was the scene that Stefan saw when he took a peek of the siblings in the living room. It was something that he was envious of having no part in it. He had been alone for fifteen years and Alexander''s hug had long be cold. He wished he''d felt something so warm like the scene in front of him again.

 Chapter 53 - THATS MY GIRL

    <h4>Chapter 53 - THAT''S MY GIRL</h4>


    During lunch, Cayenne was very boastful with Stefan''s cooking skills. She was smiling proudly in front of them and while Stefan kept cing food on her te. Since she wasn''t allowed to eat so much this time, Stefan gave her little amount of each food so that she can taste all of them.


    His actions earned another point from Cayenne''s siblings but they never said anything. Theyplimented his cooking skills and the dishes that they made.


    While eating, Kyle remembered something that he talked with their mother at the hospital. "Yen, mom said she wanted to go home."


    Cayenne was about to eat another spoonful of food but her hand paused midair upon hearing his words before she finally put down her spoon on her te. "Why?" she questioned them while pressing her finger on her left temple. "We''ve talked about this already."


    "But sis, we know that you want her to survive. We have seen how much effort you''ve put up for us, in order to send us to school and to pay for her medication." Kyle started to exin this matter to her again. "This is not even about money anymore. You know that her condition is hopeless, right? The doctors have been telling you about her health status but you refused to give up. We are not really against with your decision but, mama is no longer fighting for us. She didn''t want to live in the hospital anymore."


    "Sis, if worsees to worst, our mother willmit suicide if you keep her there any longer. You were so busy ever since she got hospitalized and we rarely visit her. You might not have noticed it but, she already tried to kill herself several times." Luiz added something that only he and Kyle knew about. Arthur didn''t notice it as well.


    Cayenne''s face turned pale and her eyes went wide from the shock she received. They were right, she never knew about this. Stefan looked at her and ced his hand on her back, lightly caressing her to calm her a little.


    "How did you know about this when I didn''t?"


    "Remember when we visited her four months ago? That was before your birthday. Last time, there was still this basket of fruits on her bedside table and a small knife to peel the skin of the fruits. It was allowed for her because she can still help herself with the fruits. However, she used it to make a big sh on her wrist. The nurse fount it on time because someone passed by and saw what she did. The doctor called you that time but you just came home from work and was sleeping. Instead of waking you up, we asked the doctor for more details. After knowing that she was fine, we decided to keep it from you. And we visited her on our own without your knowledge."


    Cayenne closed her eyes without saying anything. She didn''t know what to say and she was lost for words. Contrary to her quiet appearance, she had been screaming in her mind. ''I am a useless daughter! I am selfish! I almost caused my own mother to die! I am not a god daughter! I am not helping her but I am pushing her to her deathbed! I am so foolish!'' Her words echoed in her mind but she was still mute outwardly.


    Stefan was worried because this was the first time that he saw her with different expressions crisscrossing on her face. He had no idea what do. Just like him, her siblings had no idea what to do either. They have never seen her with turbulent expressions on her face and it was a little troubling in their heart and mind.


    Cayenne opened and closed her mouth like a fish trying to suck in its food. She was still having a hard time on how she can respond to this news to her. Her mind was still a mess and she her hand was trembling under the table. "Let me think about this thing. Don''t say another word or I''ll go crazy about it." She finally said in a very small voice. All of a sudden, she felt so tired.


    It wasn''t just a physical exhaustion. It was the kind of tiredness which made her want to give up on life. She just wanted to disappear from the face of the Earth. She felt so ashamed.


    "Ayen, you need to eat more food. Thinking requires energy and energyes from food. Finish what you have so that you can think properlyter."


    "Okay." She said ''okay'' but she didn''t sound okay.


    Kyle and Luiz knew that they said something difficult to deal with but their sister needed to deal with it sooner orter. They wouldn''t want her to be following their lead blindly while they knew of the truth. It was also to wake her up from her impossible dream.


    No matter how much she works for their mother''s medication, no matter how many times she''d take her medicine, her case was hopeless. Sooner orter, she will die. Their mother wanted to die with them on her side, instead of dying without anyone beside her in the hospital.


    But her death was something that Cayenne would never want to ept. She didn''t want her mother to die. She doesn''t have a father anymore and losing her mother means losing her reason to live.


    "You still have your brother. Don''t think too much. Talk to your mother once you''re well enough to walk and make sure to understand what she wanted. Don''t close your senses in front of her and don''t just follow what you want. She''s the patience and you should understand her point."


    Stefan''s words brought her back to reality and she nodded her head. "I''ll try my best to get well soon, first. Then, I''lle and visit her."


    "That''s my girl." Stefan rubbed her head which made her happy. Someone was finally petting her head. She had been longing to experience this kind of gesture.

 Chapter 54 - ILL BE WAITING

    <h4>Chapter 54 - I''LL BE WAITING</h4>


    After eating their lunch, Cayenne and her siblings talked for a few more minutes before they finally went home.


    "Now, let''s talk." Cayenne looked at him with a smile, the kind of smile that he didn''t want to see because she seemed a little scary with her eyes spitting fires.


    Stefan pursed his lips and just walked to the living room while holding her waist and hand to support her. The moment that the two of them had taken a seat, Stefan immediately started to exin.


    "I didn''t mean to make that sort of excuse but Ayen, that was thest solution I could think of. When I met your brothers earlier, I felt like I robbed someone off. If I told them that I was paying you to help me with my sleeping disorder, they would think differently. It would be better if they would think badly of me but, they would think badly of you as well. Telling them that I am your boyfriend was thest option and the safest one, too."


    "We will only act like couple in front of my siblings but behind close doors and in front of other people, we will still act like how we used to be."


    "And how we were acting before?" Stefan questioned her with a raised brow. "We are fine with how we are now. There''s no need to change. We will just adjust ording to events and situation, as well as the people we''re with."


    "You have really made a thorough n for this."


    "Of course." Stefan responded with a sly grin on his face. "It would be bad if you''d run away from me."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him. As the days passed, they were getting closer and the employer-employee rtionship was starting to change to something you can call as friendship.


    Stefan asked manager Kim to approve Cayenne''s leave due to health issue. She needed to rest for few more days to make sure that her swollen ankle won''t get worse. She was given three days off and in these three days, she was staying in the house that Stefan bought for the two of them.


    He made sure that he didn''t have any appointment for lunch in order toe home and eat lunch with her. And since she was told not to walk so much or stand for so long, Stefan would always bring food for lunch. He woulde home early in the evening to cook for their dinner, too.


    His recent actions and gestures made Cayenne felt so happy at the same time afraid. She didn''t want to get used to this kind of treatment because she will be having a hard time when everythinges to an end. Even so, she wanted to bask in his care.


    "Do you want to visit your mother tomorrow? Maybe you should talk to her about your ns. I mean, we''ll be leaving after getting your passport done. You should at least inform her about us."


    "About us?! You want me to tell my mother about us?! No way! There''s no way I''d do that." Cayenne firmly refused his suggestion. "I have lied to my brothers already. There''s no way I''d lie to my mother."


    "Sorry for asking you do something so irresponsible. I just thought that your brothers would probably tell her about us and maybe you need to talk to her about us."


    "Oh god! You are right." Cayenne responded helplessly.


    The two of them were having their dinner and it was thest day of her leave as well. The swell on her ankle was already gone and the doctor that Stefan called for her also confirmed that she can start going back to work again. Tomorrow, she would be going back to work in the hotel.


    "Wait. You said that I can go home tomorrow? I mean, I have work in the morning so, the only time I can visit my mother and talk to her would be after work, which means, I can''te here on time."


    "It''s fine if you can''te here on time, just make sure that you''lle. I''ll be waiting."


    "Thank you, Stefan." Cayenne responded with a faint smile. "You''ve done so much for me but I''m only helping you with one thing."


    Stefan chuckled and reached out his hand to rub her head. "You have helped me a lot. I can do many things because I''m able to replenish my energy properly. If it''s not because of you, I would have fainted several times like what happened in the past. Anyway, you are risking your dignity and reputation for me. The things I have done for you are too small topare to your efforts."


    "Let''s drop this topic. You are making me cry."


    Another heartyughter escaped his lips and he rubbed her head for onest time before they continued to eat. Another thing which made him so happy that night was because he can finally hug her again. In the past few days, he had been holding her hand to sleep. And he missed hugging her so much. He wanted to feel her warmth once again.


    After dinner, Cayenne washed their used utensils and Stefan was wiping them dry before putting them back to their respective ces. He was very quick to his actions since he wanted to go to sleep as soon as possible. Cayenne didn''t know what was going on with his mind, she was just doing her job as properly.


    The moment they finished cleaning their things, Stefan went upstairs to take a shower. Cayenne took a shower earlier already so she was just waiting for him on their bed. When she looked at the time, it was still very early ¨C five minutes after eight. Usually, they would sleep around nine or ten in the evening but tonight, for some reason, she just wanted to sleep as soon as possible.


    Stefan came out from the bathroom while wiping his hair. "Come over here. I''ll help you dry your hair."

 Chapter 55 - WISHES

    <h4>Chapter 55 - WISHES</h4>


    Stefan walked towards her while Cayenne looked for the hair dryer inside the drawer. He sat on the bed space beside her and gave her the towel he was holding. "Ayen, do you want to see the stars?"


    "Hn? Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" she asked him back while starting tob his hair. She could not fathom his way of thinking at all.


    "I just thought that it would be nice to see the stars tonight."


    "Why don''t you watch it at the balcony?"


    "I don''t want to watch it alone. Can you watch it with me?"


    Cayenne didn''t see his face but she could tell that Stefan was sad. The tone of his voice was telling her that he was thinking of something again. If she guessed it correctly, it must be his brother again. As far as she remembered, based on his words, he didn''t care about anyone else except his brother.


    "Okay. Let''s watch it together." Cayenne agreed after some time.


    After drying his hair, the two of them went to the balcony. There''s a wooden bench in there and they sat on it while stargazing. "It''s lovely." Cayenne whispered while staring into the vast sky, littered with small and big stars.


    "I used to do this with my brother. He said that I can wish on something when I see a shooting star. One time, I saw one and made a wish but my wish wasn''t granted."


    "Why? What did you wish?"


    "I wished for my brother to stay happy and blessed forever."


    Cayenne was silent for a moment and stared into space. "Maybe, your brother''s fate was already written before you could make a wish."


    "Of course, it was." Stefan responded with a hollowughter. "The moment I was born, his fate was already written."


    "No, it wasn''t your fault." Cayenne defended for his sake. "Things happen for a reason. Don''t me yourself."


    Stefan just sighed and closed his eyes. "I don''t believe in wishes anymore. If I want something, I don''t need to wish for it. I will do everything I can to achieve it."


    "That might be the best thing to do." She replied in a whisper. "You can do whatever you want when you want it. You know what, I was envious of rich people before. I used to think that they''ve got everything in life or that they get the things that they wanted to have. However, I realized that we all have problems and worries."


    "You are very rational. You don''t think of things with just your point of view."


    "You think so?" Cayenne questioned with faint chuckle. "I am just happy with what I have now. I am not really aiming to be rich. I just want my siblings to finish their studies and for my mom to get better."


    "What about yourself? Don''t you have anything for yourself?"


    Cayenne thought for a while as she gazed at the stars. "I don''t have anything for myself. I''m happy now."


    Stefan looked at her. She has done so much for her family but she had no idea what to do for herself. In fact, she never thought of herself before. She only wanted her family to have a good life.


    "Ayen, don''t give everything to your family. You should also think about yourself. You should love yourself. You should care for yourself. You should spend for yourself. I know that they are very important to you but you are as important as them. Maybe to yourself you don''t think you are important but you don''t know, someone out there; values you so much."


    "Values me? Oh! Perhaps Arthur does."


    "Arthur?" Stefan questioned with his rm bells ringing on his head. This name was someone he had been wary about. "What makes you think it''s him?"


    "Because he likes me for a long time?" Cayenne retorted with questioning tone. "I know I am not that pretty or rich. I''m not trying to boast myself either but, he said he liked me."


    "Liked? With ''d''? The past form?"


    "Why do you have so many questions?" Cayenne asked him with a faint smile. There was a little pain but she was able to hide it immediately. "Arthur told me that he liked me which was five years ago. I refused him back then. Now, he''s back from States and he''s trying to get close to me again. It''s a little awkward though. I have been trying to avoid him but Luiz likes him so much. And now, he knew about my address again."


    "Oh! That''s how it is. I thought you invited himst time when he visited you guys after your brother''s awarding ceremony."


    "Last time? You were there? Why didn''t you tell me?" Stefan pped his face mentally after making a slip of the tongue. He had been keeping it a secret from her and now, he ended up telling her.


    "Something else came up and I had to leave immediately." He lied. "So, I didn''t tell you about it. Anyway, why did you refuse him? Aren''t you close before? Don''t you like him?"


    "Arthur is nice man. He was a good friend of mine and he helped us a lot. Whether I like him or not is no longer important. I have no space for that kind of thing anymore."


    "So, you like him."


    "Nope. I liked him. The past form again. I don''t have any special feelings for him anymore. Aside from that, a rich man and a poordy should never be together."


    "That''s wrong. We are together now so, that must be wrong."


    "Well, we have special circumstances so, I guess there''s an exception for us." Cayenne replied with a sweet smile on her lips. "I agreed with his mother''s opinion though. Isn''t it a little ambitious for me to like a man of his caliber? I must have been delusional that time."


    Stefan felt angry in his heart. He hated it when she''s belittling herself. It reminds him of the time that they argued and he never wanted it to happen again. He didn''t want to see her sad expression. He didn''t want her to think of someone else other than him.


    Stefan stepped closer to her and took hold of her hands. "Ayen, you should never belittle yourself. So, what if you are not rich? You are kind, caring, selfless and smart. So, what if you are not good for him? Maybe it happened because someone else needs you. Maybe you are meant for someone else instead of him. Don''t think of his mother''s words. If you keep thinking about it, you won''t be able to move forward."


    "Hey! Why are you acting sweet all of a sudden? Are you nning something?" Cayenne teased him which made him grin.


    "I am. I was thinking of hugging you to sleep tonight."


    "Tsk! What a letdown." Cayenne snickered.


    "Let''s go back inside. It''s getting colder here." Stefan mentioned and gestured for her toe inside.


    For onest time, Cayenne looked up into the sky and saw a shooting star. "Stefan, look up!"


    The two of them gazed at the sky. At first, there were few meteor showers and as time went by, it grew in number. Stefan said that he didn''t believe in wishes anymore. But at this moment, he couldn''t help himself and looked towards Cayenne. ''I hope and wish that she''s the right girl for me. I don''t want anyone else.''


    Cayenne still likes making wishes. Either it happens or not, she still wished for it. Right now, she wished not for herself but for them man beside her, ''I wish that he''d find someone he will truly love and care for the rest of his life.''

 Chapter 56 - I DONT NEED WOMEN

    <h4>Chapter 56 - I DON''T NEED WOMEN</h4>


    Cayenne went to work the next morning and almost everyone asked her how she was doing. Mona was worried for her knowing that she had been working so much for her family. Manager Kim knew about what happened but she didn''t say anything. Celine checked on her and after making sure that she was alright, work continued as usual.


    Stefan also formed a habit, which was to check on her every lunch break and every time she''s about toe home. He needed to make sure that she''s doing fine and needed constant update for safety purposes.


    Cayenne wasn''t bothered with it. In fact, she was happy knowing that someone was constantly thinking of her safety.


    After work, Cayenne informed him that she would be going to the hospital already.


    "Stay safe always. Make sure to call me on your way home." Stefan sent her a message, pausing his work for a while. "Also, will you be eating dinner with your family?"


    Cayenne was currently waiting for the taxi driver outside the hotel when she received the message from him. "I think I''ll eat with them. Will you be alright?"


    "I will just eat dinner at the hotel." Stefan replied.


    "Okay. See youter."


    Stefan looked at his phone and smiled faintly. This time, he appointed some work to pass the time while waiting for her toe home. There''s no one who will be waiting for him in their house so, he wasn''t excited toe home at all. Chris was sitting on his own cubicle, waiting for his toe out but he wasn''ting out of his office for a long time.


    "Isn''t he going home right now? Cayenne will be waiting for a while again." Chris mumbled while looking at the time on the lower right corner of hisputer. In the past weeks, he observed that his boss had been very considerate towards Cayenne and he would alwayse home early to make sure that he''d be able to cook dinner for the two of them. ''What''s makes it different today?'' Chris asked. ''He even scheduled an appointment with a client at six in the evening.''


    Chris nced towards Stefan''s office room. Since he didn''t say anything, he just continued to do his job without disturbing him.


    Cayenne, on the other hand, arrived at the hospital. The driver was paid by Stefan with the maximum amount he would earn within ten hours in a day and multiplied it by thirty days. Therefore, he wasn''t the least bit bothered when ites to being called by Cayenne and to wait for her. He even profited so much from this opportunity that was given to him.


    She bought food for her mother and when she got inside her room, she found her sitting on her bed while looking at the scenery outside her window. She looked really lonely.


    "Ma?" Cayenne called for her attention while softly knocking the door.


    "Yen! You''re here. Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "I wasn''t able to visit youst weekend so, I''m here to see you."


    "Is that the only reason?"


    Cayenne ced the food on the table and pulled the chair close to her mother''s bed and sat on it. "I''m here to talk to you about something."


    "Did Kyle and Luiz tell you something?"


    "Hn. They said that you wanted toe home."


    Her mother took a deep breath and sighed. "I know that we have talked about this but, Yen, can''t I really-"


    "I agree." Cayenne interrupted her mother. She didn''t want to hear the reasons anymore because it will only upset her. She knew that she was doing things wrong and that she was being selfish but, she didn''t really have any other idea to save her mother. "Ma, I''m taking you home this weekend. I have so many things to tell you as well. At the same time, we needed to clean the house and your room. There are so many things we needed to do so, I can only take you home this weekend."


    "Really?!" Her mother''s eyes lit up from so much happiness. She can finally spend time with them until her time stopped. For her, that''s the most important thing.


    Cayenne nodded her head and smiled. "Wait for me toe and pick you up on Saturday morning. I''ll talk to your doctor as well."


    "Thank you, Yen. Thank you so much for understanding me and for doing your best to save me. You have done enough."


    "You are my one and only mother, the best person and mother in the whole world. It''s not a question for me to help you."


    The mother-daughter pair talked about different things and they also ate the food that Cayenne brought. She didn''t share the news about her and Stefan yet. She was still thinking of way to break that information to her. She knew her mother likes Arthur but it was impossible for her to like him. Besides, she already stopped liking him a long time ago. She had no space for him in her heart.


    She didn''t spend so much time with her mother since she needed to talk to her doctor. After singing her mother to sleep, she went out with her things to find the doctor.


    Inside the Clover hotel restaurant, Stefan had been checking his phone for the sixth time. He was having a dinner meeting with a client but he was a little bit distracted because of Cayenne. Since he was distracted, Chris took the initiative to speak in behalf of his boss. Sometimes, Stefan would say a thing or two. Most of the time, he will just stare into space before checking his phone again.


    "Mr. Dumrique, if you ever agreed to my proposal, I promise you that you will not lose a single cent in your investment. I will do my best to make this business prosperous." Mr. Likai informed him. "This restaurant will be one of the best restaurants in City C."


    Stefan looked at the man before turning towards Chris. Beforeing over, he already looked at the proposal and knew that it was a good project. He was just using this meeting to stall for time.


    "In your proposal, you mentioned about women¡­" Chris looked at him when he heard his boss talking about it. He was a little surprise because he thought that he was taking Cayenne seriously. At the same time, his boss didn''t say anything about him and Cayenne. They weren''t dating or having any secret rtionship. They were just acting ording to their roles which was the employer and employee. It was just sad to think that Cayenne was such a nice girl but she ended up dealing with a man like his boss. Although, nothing was happening between them, it was still a risky situation specially if people knew about their set up. She would certainly lose her face and reputation.


    Mr. Likaiughed as he nodded his head. "Don''t worry about that. I will make sure to fulfill that proposal."


    "No, I don''t need that."


    Both Mr. Likai and Chris were dumbstruck. Even Mr. Likai''s secretary raised her eyebrow when she heard him say those words. In the business circle, it was no longer a secret for everyone that Stefan Dumrique was a rich yboy. Which was why, they were a little surprise with his words.


    Chris was equally surprised because he couldn''t really understand what his boss was thinking. After the shock came his genuine and happy smile for him. He was one hundred percent sure that this was because of Cayenne Ardolf.


    "Are you finally settling down?" Mr. Likai questioned him. "It''s good to know that you finally found someone that you really care about. Your girlfriend is really a lucky charm to change you in a very short time."


    "She''s not my girlfriend yet." Stefan corrected him. "I''m still working on our rtionship."


    "I wish you luck, then." Mr. Likai took his wine ss and proposed a toast. "This is a toast to our cooperation and to wish you a sessful rtionship."


    "Cheers." Stefan raised his ss as well and took a small sip of the wine. He likes drinking wine but he had been trying to drink moderately ever since he started sleeping with Cayenne. As much as possible, he wanted to be sober when he''s around her


    ''Buzz. Buzz. Buzz''


    His phone was vibrating on the table and when he looked into it, he found Cayenne''s message that she wasing home already.


    "Let''s sign the contract papers now. It''s gettingte." Stefan didn''t even wait for the other party''s response and he started to sign the contract papers that Chris handed to him. He was very quick and so was Mr. Likai. "I''ll have to leave early now. Just take your time with your dinner. See you around."


    "See you around Mr. Dumrique."


    The two of them shook their hands and bid farewell. Stefan walked with a quick pace and arrived at his car in less than three minutes. Chris drove out and started the trip back home.


    When they arrived at his house, Cayenne just got out of the taxi and was thanking the driver with a light bow.


    "Ayen!" Stefan called for her attention as he got out of the car. "Wee home." He embraced her warmly while greeting her happily, as if hugging was just natural to do it with her. Well, hugging her wasn''t new. He hugged her several times already.

 Chapter 57 - BRINGING HER MOTHER HOME

    <h4>Chapter 57 - BRINGING HER MOTHER HOME</h4>


    Cayenne was a bit startled with this unexpected gesture from him. She kept her hands on her side while her eyes blinked several times. "I''m back." She mumbled while slowly pushing him away from her. "I thought you''re home early today."


    Stefan didn''t mind being pushed away. He was still working on their rtionship and she may feel a little awkward sometimes. That''s understandable. "I had ate dinner meeting with a client since you were not home, I decided to attend the meeting while waiting for you toe home."


    "I''m d you have eaten already." Cayenne smiled at him. "Let''s get inside. It''s cold here."


    "Did you tell your mother about us?" Stefan asked her while pressing his finger on the biometric.


    Cayenne bit her lower lip and averted her eyes from looking at him. "I couldn''t tell her yet. I''ll tell her this weekend."


    Stefan nodded his head in agreement. He wouldn''t hurry her since it was her mother that she needed to talk. She needed to befortable when talking to her. "Do you want me toe with you? It would be better when I''m with you."


    "But you are busy. Besides, our rtionship isn''t real so, you don''t need to bother yourself."


    Stefan opened the door and asked her toe inside first while he followed closely behind her. "I know this isn''t real but, a man shouldn''t let the woman bear the consequence alone. And, I''m concern with your mother''s opinion. What if she won''t like me? Wouldn''t that mean she would stop you from seeing me? What about me? I won''t be sleeping with you anymore."


    "Maybe you''re right. Then, do you have time on Saturday?"


    "Sure. I won''te to work on that day."


    The two of them talked about their ns and how they would tell Cayenne''s mother about their ''rtionship''. Stefan was very cooperative since he caused everything in the first ce. He didn''t want Cayenne to be burdened in something that he has a participation. Aside from that, he made her lie again to her siblings when she wanted to resolve everything with them.


    Saturday came and the two of them woke up early since she needed to go home first and prepare her mother''s room with her siblings. It was the first time that Stefan was able toe inside their living space.


    Their apartment wasn''t really that big. There were three rooms in total in which her brothers shared one of the rooms. She had her own space and her mother took the other room as well. Though there wasn''t anyone who lived in that room for so many years, Cayenne and her brothers kept it clean and organized.


    "How should we address you?" Kyle asked Stefan when he got inside the house. He gave him a ss of juice while waiting for them.


    "Big bro. Bro. I don''t know. Just call me with whatever you arefortable in calling me." Stefan responded with a smile. "Thanks for the juice."


    "No worries." Kyle faintly smiled and went to look for his sister. "How about you go and pick our mother up while me and Luiz will continue to prepare things over here?"


    "That would be fine." Cayenne stated. "By the way, did anyone of you tell Arthur that Mama will be discharged today?" Luiz shook his head and Kyle did the same thing. No one said anything to Arthur knowing that their sister didn''t want him to know anything. "Good. I''ll be heading out now. I''ll leave everything here to your care."


    "You can always count on us." Luiz answered happily.


    Cayenne and Stefan left the apartment and he drove his car personally to the hospital. He didn''t want Cayenne''s mother to think that he was azy person. He wasn''t reallyzy but he still wanted to give a good impression on their first meeting.


    "Are you nervous?" Stefan asked her upon noticing that she had been taking several deep breaths ever since they left the apartment. "You will be talking to your mother so, why are you nervous?"


    "I''m just worried that she''ll be shock once she knew about us. I mean, this is not real and I''m afraid that she''d be taking things seriously. What if she''ll ask you to marry me?! Have you ever thought of that?"


    The two of them looked at each other and Stefan was lightly bothered with it. He knew that he likes Cayenne but he wasn''t sure if he wanted to marry her. He wasn''t even sure what''s the difference between love and like. His mind went to a sudden overturn and he was a little confused. His car speed slowed down while he was thinking and Cayenne understood why. She didn''t bother him and just looked outside the window.


    "I''ll think of a way if ever she asked me that question." Stefan said after a full minute. "Don''t worry about it. I got your back. If she asks any question about our rtionship, let me handle everything for you. I will answer the questions and just go along with me."


    "Okay." Cayenne responded but she didn''t look at him.


    "Ayen?"


    "Hn?"


    "Everything will be fine."


    Cayenne looked at him and nodded her head. She didn''t believe that everything will be fine. For some reason, she felt nervous. She knew that something will happen in the future. A rtionship which was built with lies to deceive others won''tst long. She knew it would crumble sooner orter. She wasn''t being pessimistic but she was being realistic and practical.


    Not long after, the two of them arrived at the hospital. Stefan parked the car while got herself ready to get out. She was about to step out from the car when she saw Arthur going out of his own car as well. She was sure that he was going to visit her mother.


    "Oh my god! You can''t go out of the car." She told Stefan with a panic expression on her face. "Arthur is here. He will know about us."


    "Why does it matter if he knew or not?"


    Cayenne raised her eyebrow and stared at him. "We don''t have any rtionship but it would be troublesome if he thinks there is."


    "I thought you don''t like him anymore."


    "I don''t like him, alright. Didn''t you think of what he will think after we separate? He might think badly of you."


    "Of me? You''re worried about my reputation? I don''t even have a good reputation in the first ce. Why worry about something that had long ceased to exist?"


    "Whatever. Just don''t go out. I''ll pick my mother up ande back here."


    "Will he being with you?"


    "No, he won''t."


    "Okay. I''ll wait for you here. If you need help, make sure to call me as soon as possible."


    Cayenne felt something in her stomach when he smiled. She didn''t know why but in the past few days, she had been looking forward to see his smile. She likes him when he''s smiling and specially when that smile was directed at her. With these things in mind, Cayenne frowned.


    "What''s the matter?" Stefan asked her in worry. "Are you alright?"


    Cayenne refused to look at his eyes and she directly opened the door without responding to him. "Please wait for me here."


    Stefan followed her with his eyes but Cayenne didn''t look back at him. "Did I say something wrong again?" he mumbled to himself while thinking back of their conversation.


    With her heart beating like crazy, Cayenne walked to the hospital and finally got inside her mother''s room. And just as she guessed, Arthur was really there.


    "Hi." He greeted her with a smile, looking so pure and handsome in front of her.


    "Hello, Arthur. What brings you here?"


    "I visited someone downstairs and just dropped by here."


    "I see." She didn''t say much and went to her mother. "Are you ready to go home, Ma?"


    "Yes, Yen. I am so excited toe home. Didn''t your brotherse with you?"


    "No, they didn''t. They stayed at home to prepare everything for you." Cayenne responded. "The discharge papers were processed yesterday. There''s no need to worry about anything."


    "Did you pay all the bills?" her mother asked her with a little sadness on her face. She knew that she was a burden to her daughter and she was sorry to her.


    Cayenne hugged her mother while holding her hands and lightly squeezed it. "I promised to pay the remaining bnce every month until everything''s paid off." She couldn''t tell her mother that someone secretly paid their medical bills, afraid that her mother would be worried and would think that someone was exploiting her.


    Arthur smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to do. "Uhh¡­if I have known, I would''ve brought something for Auntie."


    "It''s fine. We didn''t really want anyone to know." Cayenne replied.


    "Uhm¡­maybe I can send you home. Is that fine?"


    "There''s no need. I borrowed someone''s car."


    Since there''s nothing he can do, Arthur just decided to bid farewell with the two of them and promised that he will visit them when he''s got time. Although he said that he was leaving, he was actually following them secretly.

 Chapter 58 - THATS WHY I LIKE HIM

    <h4>Chapter 58 - THAT''S WHY I LIKE HIM</h4>


    Arthur wasn''t really nning to follow them but he was curious as to whom she borrowed the car from. He knew that Cayenne didn''t have much money and it bothered him a little that someone took her away from him. He wouldn''t let anyone take her away.


    As he continued to follow them, he saw Cayenne and her mother got inside the blue BMW convertible car. His eyebrow raised as he tried to take a glimpse of the driver.


    Stefan made sure that all his car windows are tinted, therefore, no matter how much Arthur wanted to see him, he couldn''t see his face. After making sure that they were both settled down, Stefan turned on the engine and drove out of the hospital''s parking lot.


    He drove in a fast speed which hindered Arthur from reading the te number of his car. Cayenne also breathed a sigh of relief after she lost sight of him. She knew that he was following them but she couldn''t get enough courage to tell him off. If things go wrong, she will have to depend on Stefan on how they can resolve it.


    "Uhm¡­Yen, who''s this?" Her mother asked while looking at Stefan who was driving carefully.


    "Ma, this is Stefan. Stefan this is my mother." Cayenne introduced them.


    "Hello, Auntie. Nice to meet you." Stefan greeted with a smile while looking at Cayenne''s mother from the rearview mirror. "I hope you''re doing well."


    "I''m not doing well." Cayenne''s mother responded while looking at him with disapproval. She likes Arthur for her daughter so, it was obvious that she wouldn''t like Stefan. And her hate would even increase if she knows that Stefan and Cayenne had a veryplicated situation.


    Feeling that things weren''t going well, Stefan just kept quite while giving Cayenne a helpless nce. Cayenne was lightly bothered with it as well. She didn''t want her mother to hate him specially that he provided so much help to her and to them.


    "Ahem." Cayenne cleared her throat and smiled at her mother. "Ma, I have something to tell you."


    "About you and this man?"


    Cayenne smiled helplessly while squeezing her mother''s hands. "Hn. I want to tell you about us. Stefan had been wanting to meet you because he wanted to formally court me but, you''ve been staying at the hospital and I didn''t want to bother him. Today, I told him that he can meet you since I am finally taking you home."


    "Why didn''t he take the initiative toe and find me even if you are not around? Is he afraid that I will disapprove of him?"


    "I told him not toe if I am not around. We promised to tell each other whatever ns we have in mind. We are not keeping any secrets between us."


    "And you believed him?"


    Listening to the conversation between the mother and daughter, Stefan could tell that the road to get close to Cayenne''s family will be a bumpy road. Even though Luiz and Kyle had epted him, they were still a little wary of him and overprotective of their sister. Now, her mother didn''t seem to trust him.


    "Ma, I believe him because he is the man I chose."


    "Well, it''s up to you. You are big enough to know what''s right from wrong. Just don''te crying to me when he breaks your heart." She didn''t bother to hide her distaste towards Stefan at all. Even though he was sitting right in front of them, she made sure that her voice was loud and clear.


    Stefan slowed down his speed and looked towards Cayenne and her mother at the backseat. "I know that I didn''t formally introduce myself to you Auntie but if there''s a chance, I would wee you toe and get to know me better. Aside from that, I can promise you that I will never hurt Cayenne."


    "That''s what he told me before." Cayenne''s mother mumbled before looking out of the window. "You are both old enough to know what you are doing. I won''t meddle with your rtionship but that doesn''t mean I''m approving of this rtionship."


    Stefan didn''t say anything anymore. He knew that his words will never reach her so, he decided to just put his words into actions. He firmly believed that he would be able to get her approval one day. It might note so soon but it will surelye to him.


    Cayenne kept quiet beside her mother as well when she noticed that Stefan had been stealing nces on his sideview mirrors. She turned around to look outside of the car and sure enough, Arthur was following them. He wasn''t following closely but he was certainly following them because the road he was taking wasn''t leading him to his home but to her address instead.


    "Ayen, since your mother just got out of the hospital, I don''t want to put stress on her. I''ll juste and visit again sometimes." Stefanmented while looking at Arthur''s vehicle through the side mirror.


    Cayenne understood his point and she also agreed with it. Aside from making her mother think that Stefan was really concern of her, he would be able to escape from Arthur as well. They don''t want any other people to know of their rtionship. A handful of people is more than enough.


    Soon, Stefan arrived at the apartment building that Cayenne stayed at. After dropping them off, he bid farewell to Cayenne and her mother before driving back to their house. If Arthur didn''t show up, he would have stayed back with her and her family. He wanted to show to them how important Cayenne is in his life.


    Arthur was slowing down to find a ce where he can park his car and follow them to her house by foot. However, before he can stop his car, he saw the same blue BMW convertible car passed by him. It didn''t slow down and just disappeared in the neighborhood.


    His suspicious cleared off after seeing the car leave, not even staying for few seconds in Cayenne''s ce. If the owner of the car stopped for even few seconds, his doubt would double. Now, he was just relieved that Cayenne hadn''t taken any man to be her boyfriend.


    He will never allow that to happen.


    Luiz looked behind his sister and mother to see Stefan but he didn''t see hime inside. "Where''s your boyfriend? Did he run away after getting scolded by mama?" Luiz teased which earned a chuckle from Cayenne and Kyle.


    "He didn''t run away. He will being back once mama settled down. He was worried that our rtionship is stressing her out so, he decided to give our family some space."


    "That''s very considerate of him." Kylemented while arranging the dishes on the table for lunch.


    "That''s what I like about him." Cayenne responded to her siblings. It wasn''t a lie. Although their rtionship was a lie, she was being honest when she said that she liked his considerate attitude. He had been putting her above his own issues and he always make sure that she was doing fine. Who won''t like a man like him?


    "Then, why don''t you like Arthur?" Luiz asked his sister. The whole family knew how much Arthur cares for her and how much helped he lent to their family. They were very close before as well. So, what went wrong?


    Kyle looked at his sister and gave her a faint smile. "When a person isn''t destined to be yours, no matter what he/she does, you won''t feel the love that he deserves. And you shouldn''t force yourself as well. A forced rtionship will eventually fail over time." He answered to save his sister.


    Actually, Kyle had a secret that no one in the family knew. On the day that Arthur''s mother visited her sister, he was on the way home from school and arrived at the scene when Cayenne was shamefully discriminated by the richdy. He knew that his sister would feel even more embarrassed if he showed up at that time so, he decided to hide behind a huge and thick post to keep them from finding him.


    That day, his sister received a blow from beingpared to socialites. Arthur''s mother was degrading her sister just because they were poor and she even told her to stop getting close to Arthur.


    On that day, Cayenne cried quietly in the bathroom. When Luiz arrived home, she pretended to be sleepy and that she wanted to sleep. It was also the day that their sister stopped smiling.


    The next day after that incident, Arthur needed to leave for States. He was rejected by Cayenne and after talking to him, they moved out of the small apartment.


    Up until now, he never told Cayenne that he knew about what happened. He helped her keep it a secret from everyone else and specially from Arthur. This was also the reason why Kyle started to distance himself from the man. Only Luiz held on to the hope of having Arthur as his future brother-inw. And it seemed like their mother was holding on to this very same hope, too.


    If Stefan will keep Cayenne happy, then he will vote for this man whom he just met few days ago.

 Chapter 59 - MATCHING STUFFS

    <h4>Chapter 59 - MATCHING STUFFS</h4>


    Stefan went back home with a little disappointment in his heart. He was very confident that Cayenne''s mother would like someone rich for her daughter in order to stop her suffering. However, base on his observation, even though they were poor, they don''t adore money that much. They don''t think highly about someone just because of the money in their bank ount. She was still a typical mother who wanted to find someone who will truly love her daughter.


    Sadly, Arthur''s mother didn''t like Cayenne for her son. So, no matter how much she likes the man for her own daughter, Cayenne no longer has any feelings for him. Arthur''s mother will meddle in their rtionship as well.


    Therefore, even though he didn''t get the approval of Cayenne''s mom, he still got the advantage when ites to forming a rtionship with Cayenne. The only problem was that, everything''s fake!


    He was sitting on a couch with a daze expression. He knew he likes Cayenne but he didn''t know as to what extent or what degree his kind of ''like'' was. ''One thing is for sure. I want to keep her safe, make her smile and make sure that she''s beside me.'' Stefan thought to himself as he rolled his sleeves up to his elbow.


    Since he didn''t have anything else to do with his time, he decided to visit his brother. He knew that it was very less likely for his parents to be there during this time which will save him the trouble of being confronted by his mother.


    He bought flowers and some candles to light on top of his brother''s grave. He was supposed to visit him on his death anniversary but he was sure that his parents will be there. Even though it was also his birthday, no one really celebrated that event with him. In fact, people knew that it was Alexander''s death anniversary but they never knew that it was his birthday.


    Before, he was deeply hurt that no one celebrates his birthday. When his brother died, he just got used to the fact that his family will never celebrate his birthday. It was saddening but he was used to this sadness and he just pushed these negative feelings at the back of his mind. There''s nothing he can do about it.


    The cemetery wasn''t very far from where he stayed. It was just half an hour away from the house that he bought. When he got there, the ce had few people who were visiting their loved ones as well.


    ''I''m back in this ce again after a year.'' He thought while looking for his brother''s tomb. ''How I wish I''m the one whose remains got buried here.'' His brother would hate to hear these words from him but he just couldn''t help himself from saying it. Fifteen years. He had been carrying the guilt of killing his brother for fifteen years and counting.


    Stefan wasn''t a very sentimental person but everything rted to his older brother is important to him; be it the things he gave him or the memories that they shared.


    After few minutes of walking, he finally found his brother''s tomb. He ced the flowers on the side and lit up the candle and ced it at the side of the tomb as well. "Hey bro, I''m back." He looked around the ce to see if anyone''sing. It would be troublesome if someone sees him talking to a tombstone. "Have you been watching me this whole time? Did you see Cayenne? She''s pretty, right? I like her positivity in life. They weren''t rich but she didn''t lose hope when ites to the survival of her family. Her brothers are very smart and attentive towards her as well. I met her mother for the first time this morning and I was scolded. Well, not really scolded but she didn''t approve of me but she approved of my rtionship with Cayenne because Cayenne chose me. Isn''t that weird? Regarding our rtionship, it''s fake. And you know what¡­" Stefan talked and talked to no one but the tombstone. He spent almost two hours sitting, standing and walking around his brother''s tomb.


    Rich or not, he was just a normal person when ites to visiting someone on their grave. He followed rules and he followed etiquettes.


    After visiting his brother, he went to the mall to buy something for Cayenne. He remembered that he gave the phone, which was meant for her, to someone. Now, he needed to buy a new one. Making her jealous costs him an expensive phone and it wasn''t even effective. He couldn''t understand why he thought that way. There''s no way she''d be jealous of someone else whoes with him.


    "Good afternoon, sir." The attendant greeted him politely at the door. "How may I help you, sir?"


    Stefan took out his phone and showed it to the attendant. "I want another phone like this and I want a matching cover as well."


    "You mean a couple''s set for the covers?"


    "Yes."


    "We have a service for customized cover, sir. Would you like to avail it, sir?"


    "That''s a good suggestion. Let me find something for the design."


    "Got it, sir. I''lle and get the phone for you. Please have a seat for a while." The attendant left after cing some refreshments on the coffee table in front of him.


    He couldn''t make something so obvious or she will find out. At the same time, he knew that Cayenne won''t think so much when ites to these kinds of things. The attendant didn''t take so much time, she came back with the phone that Stefan wanted and showed it to him.


    He checked it the specs and made sure that it was good before filling in the information details for warranty. Even though he was rich, he still likes having warranties for most of his things.


    "How about the cover, sir? Do you have anything in mind?"


    "Hn." Stefan nodded his head and showed the design that he had in mind. He drew it using a sketching app on his phone. "I want a rose gold cover for the new phone and a silver gray for mine. And this is the design that I want you to put on the cover."


    "Okay, sir. This will take at least half an hour. Would you like to wait for this or have it delivered in your home?"


    "I''ll wait for it." Stefan decided on the spot. "I''lle back for itter. I just need to go somewhere first."


    "Okay, sir. I''ll have our craftsman do the cases now." The attendant bowed her head and left once again. Stefan also went out with the gadget''s bag in his hand. He was nning to buy some clothes for her, too. The clothes that he bought for her before were all sleeping clothes. He needed to buy more stuffs for her.


    He went to the department store and bought her shorts, jeans, skirts, shoes, t-shirts, blouses, hoodies and other stuff that he thought would look good on her. In the whole afternoon, all he could think of was Cayenne''s face. He needed to imagine if the clothes would be good for her thus; imagination was the key. As for her sizes, he didn''t need to take the measurement. He had slept with her several times that he knew what her size was just from feeling her body.


    Cayenne had no idea what Stefan was up to. She wanted to call him or send him a message but she was afraid to disturb her. She checked the time on her phone again and again, eager toe and find him soon. She still needed to talk to him about what her mother said to him this morning.


    "Why don''t you just call him instead of being restless in front of us." Kyle told his sister who was sitting on their small couch who kept looking at her phone. Their mother just fell asleep and they decided to watch a movie using Luiz''s MacBook. However, she wasn''t focusing on the movie at all.


    Luiz also looked at her with a faint smile. "Just go and call him. If you miss him, you can even go and find him already."


    ''Miss him.'' Cayenne blushed from this thought, making her bit her lower lip to stop herself from smiling like a fool. She never thought of these words before and she was certain that she didn''t miss him. But now, it seemed like something was trying to escape from her chest ¨C her heart.


    ''No way! I can''t fall in love with him. It will only make things difficult. I need to keep in mind that we are just faking all these things.'' She rose to her feet and walked to the kitchen. "There''s no need to call him. I''ll be meeting himter."


    "How will you tell mom about that? I mean, you are not really working for him. So, will you tell her that you and your boyfriend are cohabiting?"


    "Cohabiting?!" Cayenne asked with wide eyes.

 Chapter 60 - SURPRISING CAYENNE

    <h4>Chapter 60 - SURPRISING CAYENNE</h4>


    ''Cohabiting.'' Cayenne thought of this word from their apartment all the way to the back to Stefan''s house. She was so immersed with her thought that she didn''t noticed she already arrived.


    "Ayen?" Stefan called her name after opening the car door. He noticed that the taxi arrived outside the house but Cayenne didn''t step out of it after few minutes. He waited for another five minutes and there was still no Cayenne who emerged from the cab. And when he got down to check on her, he found her staring into space. "Is there something wrong?"


    "Ha?" Cayenne looked around and saw the house behind Stefan. "Oh. Sorry. I was thinking about something. You didn''t really have to open the door for me."


    "Well, I wasn''t really nning to do that but you''ve been here for quite sometime and you didn''te out. I was a little bit worried that something happened."


    Cayenne nodded her head with a faint smile. She thanked the driver and went inside the house with Stefan following behind her. "I''m sorry for what my mother said earlier." Cayenne started. "I know it was rude of her to judge you and ¨C"


    "Shh." Stefan ced his index finger on her lips. "Don''t worry about that. I totally understand your mother''s point. I didn''t really mind it."


    "Is that so? Then, thanks for understanding. Anyway, you don''t really need to see her that often. In that way, we won''t be piling up our lies."


    "I''ll follow your lead." Stefan mumbled with a smile. "Come with me. I''ll show you something." He took hold of her hand and led her inside their bedroom. Stefan opened their wardrobe and showed her the newly-bought things. "Do you like it?"


    Cayenne blinked her eyes twice, looking from the pile of clothes back to his smiling face. Her heart was beating so fast and she felt so giddy. The things he bought for her was more than the things she ever received from her own family. It was just too much that she didn''t know how to react.


    "I''m not sure if you''ll like them but I bought the things that I thought would look good on you."


    Cayenne opened-closed her mouth, not knowing what exactly to say. After few minutes, she took a deep breath, released it; and looked at him. "Are these things all for me?"


    "Yup."


    "But why?" she just couldn''t believe he would waste his money on her. "I mean, we are not really in a rtionship and you are not obliged to buy these things. Don''t you like the normal clothes that I always wear?"


    Stefan was shocked with his questions at first but, he was able to recover his senses quickly as well. "I don''t mean it that way. I didn''t buy these things because I hate your normal clothes. I just thought that you will need these kinds of clothes someday. You can still wear your normal clothes and once we decided to go somewhere, you can choose from these things that I bought for you."


    Cayenne nodded her head in understanding but it still bothered her. "Thank you for all these but, please don''t buy anything for me again. I am fine with my things."


    "But, I have something else for you."


    "There''s more? Did you just go to the mall and had a shopping spree?"


    "Uh huh. And I bought so many things for you. Just for you."


    Cayenne looked at him with a heart full of doubts. ''Why would he do this for me? Why will he buy me these things when he''s fine with my ordinary stuff? He''s not nning to use these items to exploit my rights, right?''


    As if he could read her thoughts, Stefan chuckled as he reached his hand to pat her head. "Don''t worry, Ayen. I am not doing all these to exploit you or force you. I just want to thank you for everything that you have done for me. You are even risking your reputation and dignity for me and I really appreciate that. You have lied to your family because of me as well and I feel so guilty about that. This is the least thing I can do for you."


    "O-okay. Thank you for your consideration. I will take good care of them."


    "Hn. You can do whatever you want with it." He walked to the other side of his bed and took something from his drawer. "This is for you."


    "What''s this?"


    "Just open it."


    Cayenne ced her bag on the ottoman chair at the foot of their bed before walking towards him and received the box. She sat on the bed and untied the ribbon. The box was wrapped with a silver colored wrapper which really piqued her curiosity. Her eyes went wide open when she saw what was inside the box. It was a phone! The same phone as his.


    "Are you bribing me or something?" Cayenne questioned him with her squinted eyes. She looked cute and adorable with a doubtful expression.


    Stefan yed along with her suspicions and he leaned closer to her. "This is my payment for you to give your heart, body and soul to me."


    "This is not enough. I may look ordinary to you but I''m not cheap."


    "Then, shall I pay you with my life?"


    Cayenne ced her hand on his chest and gave him a little push. "Enough with this silly conversation." She looked at him seriously and raised the phone in between them. "Can you tell me why you''re giving this? I can understand the clothing part but I don''t understand why you''re giving me something I don''t really need."


    Stefan sat on the space beside her and looked at her. "You will need that. I know that you can still use your old phone but there''s not even any entertainment avable in it. With this new phone, you can install some gaming apps which you can y during your vacant time."


    "Is that really the reason?"


    "Another reason is for your family. We need to show them that we like each other; and getting matching stuffs will resolve that. We''ll have the same phone and a couple set cover."


    Cayenne picked up the cover inside the box and looked at it. Stefan pulled out his own phone and ced it beside her phone as well. The design was simple. Stefan''s phone had the right side of the heart with ''LO'' written under it plus, a man was sitting on a bench with a letter ''C'' on his shirt. Cayenne''s phone had the left side of the heart with ''VE'' written under it plus, a woman was sitting on a bench with a letter ''S'' on her shirt.


    One could tell that the figure on each of their phone represents them and the letters represents the start of their name. Cayenne dropped her head to hide her blush but, her ears and neck gave her away.

 Chapter 61 - CAYENNE GOT BUSTED?

    <h4>Chapter 61 - CAYENNE GOT BUSTED?</h4>


    "You''re blushing." Stefanmented to tease her.


    She red at him and stuffed the phone back on its box. "I''m not blushing, okay? You are just imagining things."


    "Then, why do you look so red? Do you have a fever?" Before she could even react, he already ced his hand at the back of her neck, pulled her close and pressed their foreheads together. "You felt hotter than usual."


    "Ah! Stop it. Stop it. Move away from me." Cayenne tried pushing him on his chest but Stefan pulled her even closer. The tips of their nose were touching each other already. "You certainly have evil ns towards me." She mumbled while looking at him sharply.


    Stefan''sughter rang inside their bedroom which made her blush even more. "Alright. I''ll stop teasing you." He pulled away from her, keeping a nonchnt face while secretly calming his heart. "What do you want for dinner?"


    "I''ll cook our dinner." Cayenne stood up immediately while putting away her things. "What do you want for dinner?"


    "Anything you cook is fine with me."


    "Okay. I''ll go downstairs to cook. Just wait for me."


    Because of this unexpected surprise from him, she forgot the ''cohabitation'' problem that she had been thinking for hours.


    Monday morning, Cayenne just arrived in the hotel to work and saw Chris and Stefan at the lounge. After making sure that she arrived safely, they two of them went out for work as well.


    "Did you know thetest news of the boss?" Mona, her friend who worked as a receptionist gossiped with Cayenne and other workers.


    "Is it about the woman who said that the boss must be truly in love this time?" another worker asked.


    "Hn." Mona nodded her head. "Basically, our boss likes someone and that woman wasn''tpletely his. And he tried making her jealous which eventually failed. The woman didn''t like him."


    They still have half an hour before their shift would start so they were at the lounge, talking about their handsome boss. Cayenne who was listening to them looked at her colleagues. She was with Stefan every night but she had no idea that he likes someone. Aside from that, she didn''t really have the right to ask him about his private matters and rumors might not be true. It would be best that she would just shut her mouth about it.


    While she was listening to their gossips, she didn''t notice that their manager was looking at her. She was observing her reactions with the rumors about Stefan. However, she failed getting any reactions from her. Cayenne, from beginning to end, didn''t join their conversation and didn''t express her opinion on the matter. She was just sitting in the middle of the crowd with expressionless face.


    ''She''s really hard to read.'' Manager Kim thought to herself. Even though she knew some juicy secret, she didn''t spread it. One, it won''t ruin his boss'' reputation because there''s none to begin with or if there is, it was ruined a long time ago. Two, she would ruin Cayenne''s reputation or bring harm to her after revealing that she''s involved with their boss. Three, she would be fired. There''s not a single advantage she would get in spreading it.


    Their shift was about to start so, one after another, the employees dispersed to get to their respective stations. Cayenne went together with Celine to start their day.


    Before she left for work earlier, she called her brothers to keep the cohabiting matter a secret from their mother. She didn''t want her mother to know that she has been sleeping with Stefan. It was still inappropriate for her to live together with her ''boyfriend'' so, she told her mother that she took a part time job to pay off their medical bill.


    Her mother understood their current situation and she knew that she couldn''t do anything to stop her daughter. She agreed with it and didn''t ask anything else.


    For Cayenne, she was lying every day with her mother but she didn''t know what else to reason with her. Even though their hospital bill was already paid off, she wanted to save in case the person who paid it wille to her and ask for the payment. She would never let anyone have an upper hand against her.


    Therefore, she needed to continue her job with Stefan.


    During lunchbreak, Stefan sent her a message asking her to wait for him after her shift. He was nning to have dinner with her and for her to meet someone as well.


    "Who''s Stefan?" Mona asked her who came sneaking behind her and was able to read the message that she received.


    Cayenne looked at her friend and back to her phone. "He''s a friend. Why?"


    "Nothing. I was just curious since he''s got the same name as our boss. Let''s go and eat."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne was thankful that Mona didn''t ask her any other things. It would be troublesome for her if someone knows about her rtionship with their boss. "So, you''re going to have dinner with this Stefan?"


    Cayenne took back her gratefulness about Mona. "Hn. I''ll be meeting himter."


    "Are you guys dating? Are you going to finally have a boyfriend?"


    "Of course not. I will never align myself with someone rich."


    "He is also rich?" Mona asked in surprise which made Cayenne bit her lower lip. "Maybe the name Stefan can be associated with rich people. Our boss is rich, too."


    "I know, right." Cayenne mumbled.


    Noticing that Cayenne didn''t like talking about socialites, Mona changed the topic to Cayenne''s mother. She asked about her situation and stuff, just to diver the topic of their conversation.


    Work continued with normal pace but Cayenne''s heart was getting restless as her shift was about to end. She was a little afraid and a little curious to know who the people she would be meetingter. She knew that it won''t be his parents because Stefan was not in good terms with them. It''s impossible for him to introduce her to them.


    ''Who could it be?'' Cayenne thought while folding the nket in her hand.

 Chapter 62 - GIVING HER A MAKEOVER I

    <h4>Chapter 62 - GIVING HER A MAKEOVER I</h4>


    After shift, Cayenne stayed back inside the employee''s lounge to wait for Stefan''s message. She was worried with her looks because she was so in and simple; and she was going to have a dinner with him plus, she will be introduced to someone. It was bothering her so much.


    ''Ding!'' her phone sounded which indicates a message.


    Stefan was already waiting for him at the basement of the hotel. He couldn''t pick her up in front of the building because many people will see her. Unlike the basement, there were few people and less exposure.


    She picked up her bad and walked out of the room, walked to the elevator area to go to the basement. Her heart was beating so fast from nervousness. She will certainly be an embarrassment tonight and Stefan might fire her. Her mind was aplete mess and she didn''t know what she can do.


    She found his car and got inside as soon as she can. Stefan was sitting at the backseat with a smile on his face. "Why are you so happy?"


    "Because you look so troubled." Stefan answered simply with a grin on his face.


    Cayenne''s mouth twitched and her hands were itching to hit him on his handsome face. As they continued to spend time together, she found out that her boss was really shameless. He was a wolf in a sheep''s clothing. At the same time, he didn''t really do anything against her principles so, she didn''t mind his shamelessness.


    "I''m troubled because I will be an embarrassment tonight and I might ruin your reputation and the reputation of your hotel."


    Stefan just looked at her without saying anything. "Let''s go." He told Chris and ignored Cayenne beside him. Looking at her made him felt restless and his eyes would always wander down to her hand. Cayenne had no issues with being ignored though.


    After few minutes, Stefan moved closer to her and whispered, "Ayen, can I hold your hand?"


    "Why? We are not sleeping yet."


    Stefan averted his eyes from her and looked outside the window beside her. "Uhm. Uh. I just want to assure myself that you are here."


    "You are acting weird. Are you okay?" Cayenne whispered back to him. She even ced her hand on his forehead to feel his temperature. "You don''t have a fever. So, what''s pushing you to make this request?"


    "Nothing. It''s fine if you don''t want to." Stefan mumbled and moved a little farther away from her.


    Cayenne looked away from him and raised her hand in front of him. Stefan turned his head to see her but she kept looking on the other side, avoiding the deep gaze he was giving her. Stefan smiled and ced his hand on hers and linked them together. He likes the feeling of her rough hand with his. It was something that tells him that she''s real and imperfect like him.


    While they were holding hands, he was looking outside the window and Cayenne was doing the same thing. Their cute reactions and expressions were all seen by Chris. A smile on his face couldn''t be wiped away. He was happy with the positive changes that Cayenne brings to their boss.


    He no longer yed with women and he would alwayse home to see Cayenne. They might not be in rtionship but their understanding and connection with each other was more than the people who have been in rtionship for years.


    Cayenne thought that they''re going to the restaurant right after picking her up. However, they stopped in front of a clothing boutique. "What are we going to do here?"


    "Dressing you up."


    "Do I have to? Can''t I go with these normal clothes. Is it wrong if I want to be real in front of the people?"


    Stefan squeezed her hand and gave her a faint smile. "This is not about being real or not. I want you to dress up because I don''t want anyone to bully you. Only I can bully you and no one else. Everyone should respect you and dressing up is another way to do that. Besides, we''re not really meeting a lot of people. I will only introduce you to someone I really look up to. Someone I respect and grateful for."


    "Is he a family?" Cayenne asked him while Stefan was looking for a baseball cap to hide her face. Ever since he decided to be friends with her, he kept a box of baseball caps and ced it inside the dashboard box. He wanted to make sure that she''s safe from the prying eyes of the citizens.


    Stefan found a white cap and helped her wear it. "He is not someone with blood rtions to me but he is someone who was acting like a family. At first, we are not really close. He was my ssmate back in college and we oftenpete in ss. When I needed help the most, he was the only one who came to help me. This man is really kind just like his wife."


    "I didn''t expect for you to have some decent and kind friend." Cayennemented.


    "Are you being sarcastic?"


    "No, I''m not." Cayenne shook her head while blinking her eyes rapidly. "I have this thought that cold and shameless people will have cold and shameless friends. I didn''t know you have a kind friend in your friend''s list." She stated frantically while shaking her head.


    Stefan looked at her and his wolfish smile appeared on his lips once again. "I think I heard something I wasn''t supposed to hear."


    "Ha? Did I say something wrong?"


    "Nope. I just never realized that I am cold and shameless in your eyes."


    "Ah? Oh." Cayenne blushed after realizing her mistake. "It''s not what I mean."


    "No?"


    "I..uh..well, sometimes you are shameless and cold. I guess." Cayenne averted her eyes from looking at him. "But you''ve been very kind and considerate of me recently. I don''t know why you''re doing this but it made me happy."


    Stefan felt the light tug of his heartstrings and he felt warm. "Let''s just get inside the store." He changed their topic and walked towards the store, still holding her hand with his.


    People knew of him and when they arrived, most of the salesdies looked at them. They looked at him for a few seconds and shifted their eyes to Cayenne. Their stares stayed on her.


    "It''s rude to look at my partner for a very long time." Stefanmented and pulled Cayenne closer to him. "I need a VIP room for her."


    "Yes, sir. Let me assist you with it." One of the salesdies responded and led them to the innermost room of the boutique.


    The other attendants who were left outside gossiped after they disappeared.


    "Wow! For the first time, he''s bringing someone to a VIP room and he didn''t even show her face to us. Is she the rumoreddy recently?"


    "Probably. She has the same body building with the woman in the photos."


    "Right. Is he keeping her for real? He seems protective of her and no one from the mediapanies make news or gossips about them."


    "At least, no more ying with women''s hearts. He should stop breaking their hearts."


    "No, you''re wrong. He didn''t break their hearts. He just broke their bodies and cores. They were never in love. Women got involved with him for money not for any emotional values."


    "I guess you have a point."


    The gossiping between employees continued while Stefan looked for dressed that Cayenne can wear. He had so many choices but most of the clothes were revealing and exposes a lot of skin. He didn''t like them.


    "Can you look for something with long sleeves and a knee-length skirts? I want something a little conservative yet elegant. I don''t want these things that reveals too much of her body parts."


    Cayenne remained standing beside him while he picked clothes after clothes to see if they look good on her. "Thanks for being considerate."


    "Hmp! I just don''t want you to think that I''m cold and shameless."


    Cayenne bit her lower lip to stop herself from chuckling. She didn''t expect to see this childish side of him. He was even sulking just because of that little slip up.


    "Alright. I''m sorry for what I have said but I was just being honest to you. That was really my impression at first."


    "Fine. I''ll forgive you if you promise to do something for me."


    "Sure. But, I won''t be stripping naked in front of you. I won''t shower with you and no kissing."


    "Never mind."


    "Hey! Were you nning to do one of those?" Cayenne asked with obvious shock on her face. "You can''t be real!"


    "I was thinking of getting a kiss from you."


    "Which part?"


    "On my face."


    Cayenne contemted for a moment. "No. I refused. You can ask me something else."


    Stefan thought for another request from her. "Then, let''s go and have a date next time."


    "Deal."


    "A date like a real couple. Remember that."

 Chapter 63 - GIVING HER A MAKEOVER II

    <h4>Chapter 63 - GIVING HER A MAKEOVER II</h4>


    "Can I change my mind?" Cayenne asked with a little hope in her heart even though she knew that he won''t agree.


    Sure enough, Stefan just grinned at her and left her to check the other dressed on the other side of the ce. If she had known, she would just agree in giving him a kiss on his face. Now, she needed to have a date with him in the future. She can only hope that he will forget such thing and continue to deal with his own life.


    Few minutester, the salesdy returned with three different kinds of dresses for Cayenne which met the requirements that Stefan asked. She tried each of them and showed it to him for his opinion. One was the sky-blue dress. It had a round neck design and the sleeves were a little loose for easy movements and the skirt was up to her knees and the back was zipped up properly to hide her white and fair skin.


    The second item was a ck semi-fit dress that hugged her body and gave emphasis to her curves. She looks sexy and hot with her bare back. "I would give this a go if I''m the only one with you." Stefan mumbled while giving it a big cross mark in the air.


    "What do you mean? I think this looks fine."


    "No, it''s not. Too sexy and hot."


    "Whatever." Cayenne turned around and left with a red face. She changed her clothes with thest piece and got out to show it to him.


    This time, she was wearing a white dress which was two inches above her knees. The dress was soft to her touch and it was not itchy when she wore it. The sleeves were a little tight but the cloth was stretchable so she didn''t worry about any ufortable movement. It didn''t show her back but the neckline was a little low, still enough since it didn''t expose her cleavage.


    The huge print of the red roses on the skirt didn''t steal her beauty. Instead, itplements with her skin tone and her small stature.


    "Perfect!"? Stefan gave her a thumbs up after she came out with the new dress. Cayenne finally breathed a sigh of relief after changing her clothes thrice.


    "Changing into these clothes are tiring and they were all costly. How could you waste your money on those women previously?"


    "Who said I indulge them with my time?" Stefan retorted to her. "I never brought them in any VIP rooms and whatever their first choice was, I would get it for them. I''m taking it off from them after dinner anyway."


    "Tsk! Such a yboy." Cayenne spoke. She never noticed that she had been talking casually with him recently. The fear of getting fired was already gone.


    Stefan stepped closer to her and ran his fingers through her hair. "Are you jealous?"


    Cayenne took hold of his hand and smiled at him. "That would be the biggest miracle in my entire life. There''s no way I''d be jealous of those bit -those women."


    "Were you trying to say bitches?"


    "No." she let go of him before looking at her own reflection on the mirror behind him. "Your private matters don''t matter to me."


    Stefan clenched his hand into fist but he didn''t say anything to retort to her statement. "I''ll go out and ask someone to fix your hair." He mentioned before leaving her inside the room. The salesdy was there but she stayed quiet the whole time. She would never talk about someone else''s life at the cost of her job.


    Cayenne sat on the chair in front of the vanity mirror and opened her bag to contact her family. She needed to let them know that she was doing fine since her mother thought she was still working in a part-time job.


    Stefan on the other hand was in a deep thought. He wanted to abolish the ide of employer-employee rtionship between him and Cayenne but he was very hesitant about it. The reason is her. He knew that Cayenne will never think of him as just ''a friend''. She would not associate herself with rich people because of what Arthur''s mother did. The only way to keep her beside him is for her to do her job.


    He found the hair stylist and make-up artist in the same boutique, asked them to deal with Cayenne''s look for tonight''s dinner. He didn''t want to cover her natural beauty so, he asked the make up artist to use a light make-up on her.


    Cayenne behaved in front of these people and she stopped making any careless remarks towards him. Her hair was tied in a bun and there were silver hair essories ced to give life to the style. Her make up was light which made her look pretty with her natural beauty.


    "Thank you." Cayenne slightly bowed her head and thanked them. She turned to Stefan to show her final look but he didn''t say anything. He paid everything for her and they left the establishment. Chris was already outside, waiting for them to make sure that no one will be able to capture Cayenne''s face.


    "To the hotel." Stefan told Chris which made Cayenne felt a little nervous. As far as she remembered, Stefan brought his previous women to a hotel and gave in to his desires. Now, she was worried if ''meeting'' someone was just a trap to lure her in.


    ''No, Yen. Just trust him. He won''t do anything to you tonight. He will not hurt you or do something untoward. He will keep his promise.'' Cayenne chanted these words in her mind again and again. As the time went by, her palms were getting sweaty and her heart was beating like crazy.


    "I''m so done." She mumbled, making Stefan look at him.


    "Done? What are you talking about?"


    She looked at him and her tears were clinging to her eyshes. "Will you hate me if I say that my trust is slowly crumbling down?"

 Chapter 64 - CAYENNE MEETS TRAVIS

    <h4>Chapter 64 - CAYENNE MEETS TRAVIS</h4>


    "What are you saying?" Stefan was thrown into a bit of panic upon seeing her tears. "Why are you crying? What trust is crumbling?"


    Cayenne couldn''t wipe her tears because she was afraid that she''ll smudge her make-up that the artist spent so much time to make so, she let her tears fall without stopping them. "I''m sorry. My thoughts were running wild when you said ''go to the hotel''. I remembered that the rumors about you and your women always happened in a hotel. I thought that you might be just doing this to lure me and we won''t be meeting anyone. I got afraid of my own foolish ideas. I''m really sorry."


    Stefan was a bit upset with her words but he couldn''t seem to get angry at her. Everything she said made sense and there was a ground for doubting him. His expression turned solemn and Cayenne felt even more depressed.


    "Stefan, I''m really sorry."


    "It''s fine." Stefan patted her head with a sad smile. "You said that your trust is crumbling. It''s still in the process of being crumbled. I''ll make sure to fix it in no time." Chris handed him a packet of face tissue and Stefan used it to wipe her tears. "Don''t be sorry. I''m not angry. Though I''m a little upset. I really thought that we''re past the point of doubting each other."


    "I''m really sorry. I just couldn''t stop myself from thinking those weird things."


    "I know." Stefan squeezed her hand to help her calm herself. "I really have the worst reputation in the whole city and you have the right to doubt me. Anyway, just stop crying or you willpletely ruin your make-up. Let''s justter tonight, okay?"


    "Hn." Cayenne''s hups took a little while before itpletely stopped and there were little smudges of mascara on her face. Stefan had to do his best in wiping her face before they could finallye out of the car and meet the person that he wanted her to meet. "Do I still look okay? Am I still presentable? I might cause an embarrassment to you."


    "You look just fine. Just calm yourself."


    He took hold of her hand and the two of them went to the third floor of the hotel''s restaurant, where the VVIP booths were located. There was already a reservation for them and when they arrived someone was standing by the door, guarding the person inside.


    "Good evening, sir." Top greeted the man and opened the door for him.


    Stefan just nodded his head and Cayenne also smiled. When they got inside the reserved booth, Cayenne was stunned to see who the man was. It was one of her saviors one year ago. It was none other than Travis Madrigal.


    "Sorry we took so long. Something happened on the way."


    "You don''t mean taking your woman inside the car and had a quickie, right?" Travis retorted to him before shifting his gaze to Cayenne. "Sorry for my rude remark. I just know this man so well."


    "I don''t think you know him that well, Mr. Madrigal. If you do, you won''t judge him with that rude remark just because we''rete."


    Travis raised his eyebrow and smile. "You are a good person. How did you get involve with Stefan?"


    Cayenne and Stefan looked towards each other. "Something just happened and fate brought us together." Stefan responded. "That''s it. That''s right." He pulled a chair for Cayenne and made sure that she was sittingfortably.


    "Sorry for getting angry, Mr. Madrigal. I didn''t mean it."


    "It''s fine." Travis waved his hand in dismissal. "You must be Cayenne Ardolf. He was eager to introduce you to me. You must be very important to him."


    "I''m not sure about that." Cayenne mumbled softly. "By the way, I don''t know if you still remember it but, I''m thankful for what you and your wife did to me a year ago. It was really a big help."


    "Oh. I remember it. Someone robbed your bag and you came chasing after the criminal. My wife helped you take back your belongings." Cayenne nodded her head with a faints smile. "I also remember that someone said that his employees should be responsible for their safety outside their working hours and outside the hotel''s premises; and he will be responsible for their safety inside the ce."


    Cayenne pursed her lips and didn''t say anything. Stefan also looked strange. He felt that those words were very familiar to him. Why can''t it be familiar when he''s the one who said it to Cayenne? He didn''t even say ''Hi'' to Travis that night because he was in a bad mood. Although they talked little bit that night, he didn''t say anything anymore about Cayenne''s issue that night.


    One was the savior. One was the victim. One was someone who didn''t even sympathize with the victim. Travis chuckled and was shaking his head while looking at his friend. "Let''s not talk about that night anymore. Let''s eat and chat about other things."


    The three of them had dinner Stefan told Travis about some things that he knew about Cayenne. It was to show that Cayenne was really important to him. As for Cayenne? She didn''t notice this kind of sentiment at all.


    After an hour, their dinner was finally finished and Travis really had a great time talking to them. He also likes Cayenne''s personality because she was very honest with her opinion except, she lied about their rtionship. It didn''t matter to Travis though. Before he met with his friend, he had investigated Cayenne already.


    "I''ll go and get the car. Just wait for me at the entrance of the hotel." Stefan reminded Cayenne. He already informed Chris ahead of time that he can go home first and he will be driving the car on his own.


    Travis was standing at the entrance with Cayenne beside him and Top behind them. He was waiting for Brown toe and pick him up. Hawk was also sitting at the lobby, keeping eyes of the people around them.


    "My wife was right." Travis mentioned without turning his head to look at her. "She saw a picture of Stefan with a woman and figured out it was you."


    "She still remembered me?"


    "Hn. My wife likes to keep people''s faces and body figures in mind."


    Cayenne was super happy to know about this news. She was a fan of Jillyanna Madrid Madrigal and she had been following her on her social media even though thetter would seldomly post something on her timeline. "I hope she''s doing well and your children, too." Cayenne responded with well-wishes.


    "Thanks. I''ve been taking care of them."


    "You really are a great person Mr. Madrigal. No wonder Stefan admires you so much."

 Chapter 65 - TRAVIS KNEW SOMETHING THEY DONT

    <h4>Chapter 65 - TRAVIS KNEW SOMETHING THEY DON''T</h4>


    "He does?"


    "Hn. He told me that you are the first person who treated him kindly even though you are not blood rted."


    "I didn''t know he''s got that sentiments."


    "I didn''t expect it myself." Cayennemented.


    "Where''s the letter that my wife gave you a year ago?"


    Cayenne was a little surprise to hear about the letter. She didn''t expect this as well. Who would have thought that he would still remember about the letter?


    "I have it at home."


    "I see. It''s my wife who told me to ask you that question. Anyway, given your current status with Stefan, you will be needing that letter in the future. Make sure to always keep it with you."


    "Okay. I''ll keep that in mind." Cayenne pursed her lips while keeping a straight face beside him. ''Why would I be needing that letter? Will something happen to me in the future?'' Cayenne thought about his words until Stefan''s car showed up in front of them.


    He got out of the car, talked for a very short time with Travis and took hold of her hand, leading her to the car. Cayenne just gave Travis a faint smile before the door was firmly closed by Stefan. He also got inside on the other side and finally drove out of the ce.


    Travis watched them go with a heavy heart. He wanted to tell Stefan about the information he found rted to Cayenne but he was hesitating because it was the first time he introduced someone important to him. He didn''t want to ruin his happiness. ''Let''s just hope that their love will help them fight all odds.''


    He also left the ce toe back to the warm home where his wife and children are waiting for them.


    On their way home, Cayenne was silent because of the words Travis said. She was really bothered by it. "Did he say something that ruins your mood?" Stefan asked which made her turn her head to look at him.


    "No, that''s not it. I am just thinking of my behavior earlier. I doubted you and even cried like a kid. I''m really sorry."


    "Ho many times are you nning to apologize?" Stefan asked her while stealing some nces at her. "Don''t think too much about it. Don''t let it ruin your mood and your pretty face."


    "You know what, I think the woman you will truly like will be very lucky. I have been worried and doubting you ever since we first talked about our whole set up but you''ve been very considerate of me. I''m just hoping that you won''t be breaking someone''s heart again in the future."


    "So, you want me to be serious and fall in love?"


    "Why not? Is that so bad?"


    "Not really. However, I won''t be able to sleep with you and hold you in my arms again because I''d be called a cheater."


    "Well, that''s true. At the same time, I have this feeling that you will be fine if you find someone you can really trust and love."


    "Trust?" Stefan let out a hollowugh because of this word. "I don''t think it will happen. Not now and not in the future."


    Cayenne made and ''oh'' sound and just looked at the scenery outside the window. She realized, just like how she doubted Stefan, he was didn''t trust her, too. In fact, he didn''t trust anyone. He was on guard even with her. How she knew? Because there were so many CCTV cameras in their house when there were only the two of them.


    The car sank into a dead silence and Stefan couldn''t find any better excuse to take back his words.


    "What will I do with this dress by the way? Am I keeping this?"


    "Of course. Did you think I''ll ask you to return it?"


    "Well, I''m not really sure and this is very expensive as well." Cayenne mentioned while touching the hem of her skirt. "I won''t be paying you back for this."


    "I won''t be asking for payment as well."


    She was able to find another topic but now it has ended. She didn''t know what else to say.


    "Ayen?"


    "Hn?"


    Stefan stopped for a while since he needed to park the car inside the garage of their house. They arrived home before she knew it and it was because she was distracted the whole time.


    "Ayen?"


    "Yes?"


    Stefan became silent once again and he got out of the car. Cayenne was really confused with his behavior but she didn''t want to inquire either. She just waited for him to continue as they went inside their house.


    ''Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.''


    Cayenne''s phone was vibrating and when she pulled out her phone, she found out that it was Arthur. It was almost ten in the evening which made her wonder why he was calling her.


    "Hello, Arthur?"? she greeted him with a question.


    "Yen! Thank god you''re answering." Arthur responded with obvious relief. "I was really worried the whole time."


    "Why? Did something happen?" she ced her bag on the bedside table while Stefan got ready to take a shower first.


    Arthur was inside his room, pacing back and forth while looking at her picture in a frame. "I saw someone earlier in a hotel and thought she was you. But I saw her talking to Mr. Madrigal and to Mr. Dumrique so I dismissed the idea. However, I''m still bothered by it. Sorry."


    "Haha. Don''t think too much about it. There''s no way I''d be acquainted with them. I''m just a poor worker."


    "I know it can''t be possible." Arthur also chuckled on the other end of the line. "Anyway, I''ve always wanted to call you but you''re always busy."


    "Life''s been tough on me but I''m fine."


    "I really admire your strength, Yen."


    "Thanks."


    "By the way, will you be free this Sunday? I wanted to share a meal with you and your family."


    "I''ll do a raincheck. I''m not really sure."


    "It''s alright. Just let me know when you have time."


    "Okay."


    "Good night, Yen."


    "Hn. Good night."


    Cayenne stared into space after the call ended. She was really taken aback with his news. It was already her luck working to help her when he decided to dismiss the idea of the possibility that the woman was her. It would have caused her trouble if he looked at her closely and figured out it was really her.


    "Damn it!"


    Stefan was watching her at the door after taking a shower and a smile slowly formed on his lips. ''She''s back to herself.''

 Chapter 66 - ARTHURS DOUBT

    <h4>Chapter 66 - ARTHUR''S DOUBT</h4>


    Stefan knew that the real Cayenne won''t just say good things to him or try to please him, she would always express what she was feeling and she would also curse him, even though she was very afraid that he will fire her before.


    It can be said that their rtionship was still fragile but at least, it was slowly forming.


    Cayenne turned around and saw Stefan with his arms crossed on his chest. "Stefan, what should I do? It seemed like Arthur is going to start doubting me. What if he''ll investigate about us? What will happen to me?"


    Stefan stiffened when he saw how scared she looked in front of him. When her brothers found out about them, she didn''t show this expression and not when she told her mother about them. What''s the difference when ites to Arthur?


    Stefan strode forward and stood up few steps away from her. "I wanted to ask you the same thing. Will you leave me if he knows? Will you try to deny the fact that you''ve been sleeping with me because of him?"


    "What? Of course not. It''s not what I''m worried about."


    "Then, what are you worried about?"


    Cayenne looked at her phone which was given by him two days ago. "I''m worried that he will tell my mother. My mother knows about us but she didn''t know that I''ve been spending my nights with you. She still thought that I''m working at night."


    "So, let me get this straight. You are worried because of your mom but you won''t deny the fact that you''ve been sleeping with me and that we''re together?"


    "No, I won''t." She raised her head and looked at him with a helpless gaze. "Why does the word ''sleeping'' sounds so dirty when ites from you?"


    Stefan looked at her andughed. Hisughter was genuine and melodious. This was the first time in a day that heughed with happiness. Theughter that she would always yearn to hear. It was a way of telling her that everything''s fine between them, that he was not mad or angry at her. It was a form of assurance for her.


    "I didn''t know it would sound dirty from me but I believe, I''m using the right word this time." He took another step closer and rubbed her head yfully. "Don''t worry about him. No matter how much he investigates, if he doesn''t have riches and power that equals to what Travis has, he wouldn''t know anything; unless he''d caught us red-handed."


    "Wait. You said something about Mr. Madrigal."


    "About riches and power?"


    "Yes."


    "Well, Travis can find whatever he wanted to know if he puts his mind to it or if his wife, Jillyanna, wanted to know something. If I guess it correctly, they knew about us before I could even introduce you to him."


    "Oh god! Seriously?! No kidding?!"


    "No kidding."


    Cayenne slumped on the bed with indescribable expression. She couldn''t believe that she was acting like his real girlfriend when Travis knew about the real score between her and Stefan. It was embarrassing her now that she thought of it. She didn''t care if he was there or not but, sheid on the bed and covered her whole body with a nket and screamed at the top of her lungs on her soft pillow.


    Even though she was screaming loudly, it couldn''t be heard that much because her voice was muffled with the pillow. Stefan could hear her a little and he couldn''t help but chuckle. It was his first time to see a silly Cayenne in front of him. He let her vent her feelings while he checked his phone to see if there were any important messages.


    After a minute, Cayenne sat up straight and uncovered her body with a nket. "I can''t really do anything if he knows. I can just pray that he wouldn''t say it to someone else."


    "Travis wouldn''t do that. Rest assured."


    Cayenne looked at him with indescribable expression again. She stood up and her towel and clothes to take a bath. She would rather go to sleep than dwell on something that has happened.


    Just to make sure, Stefan contacted Travis to let him know about Cayenne''s worry. He also felt at ease when Travis reassured him that their secret was safe with him and his wife.


    Arthur did say that he dismissed the idea but he couldn''t stop himself from thinking about it. The woman he saw resembled Cayenne so much. The face, the posture and the way she walked was very simr with her. The only thing that gave her away was that, Cayenne was poor and there''s no way that she would be connected to rich men like Travis and Stefan.


    "What if she sold her body to that yboy?" Arthur thought about it but he also shook his head to forget such idea. "There''s no way Yen would do that. She would rather work tirelessly like a cow instead of selling her body to those kinds of scums."


    With these ideas running in his mind, he fell asleep with a deep frown on his face. He just couldn''t let go of the thought that she might have found someone to spend her life or with the idea that she sold her body to someone. His mind was aplete mess with all thoughts of her.


    Arthur''s mother was sitting in the living room with Cole, Arthur''s older brother; and Sofia, Arthur''s sister-inw. They were talking about Arthur''s recent behavior. He often disappeared without telling them and he would say that he went to seminars and other simr events but his mother knew that something else was going on.


    "He did go to seminars and other agricultural projects but aside from these events, he had been visiting his old friend." Cole told his mother who asked him to check on Arthur''s recent disappearance from home.


    "Old friend? Cayenne?" Kirin asked. Her tone was one of disgust and obvious displeasure.


    "I think that''s her. He didn''t really meet with them but he found out that Cayenne''s mother got hospitalized and he started visiting them since he didn''t know where Cayenne lives. Not long ago, Cayenne discharged her mother from the hospital and now, Arthur stopped seeing her. Cayenne was doing her best to avoid Arthur." Cole added.


    "It''s good that she knows her ce. Keep monitoring them. Make sure that Arthur won''t find where she lives and make sure that they would never talk about the past." Kirin reminded her son. "You two can go to sleep."


    "Good night, mom." Cole responded.


    "Good night, auntie." Sofia bid farewell and left with her husband. Even though she was married to their family, Kirin never liked her and she had been against to their marriage. However, Cole was fixed with his path of marrying her, even if he won''t get anything from his mother''s riches. Now, they''re living with Kirin and Arthur but they had to pay half of the electric bill amount and half of the water bill. Arthur took care of the groceries and other things that needed at home. It was like they were renting in their own house just because he displeased his own mother.


    Sofia has no parents and she grew up with her grandmother who died few months after her wedding. She had no one else but Cole who sides with her at all times.


    When the two of them got inside their own room, Sofia breathed deeply and squeezed her husband''s hand. "Thank you for covering up for Cayenne. I really pity that girl."


    "Stop pitying other. Just endure a little more and I promise to bring you out of this ce. I have found a ce where we can live simply with our child. Let''s escape from her. Anyway, she doesn''t have anything on me and I''m not taking anything from her either."


    Sofia felt guilty that she needed to separate the mother and son but, she also needed him to survive in this world and toplete her own family with their new-born baby. "Cole."


    "Hn?"


    "Thank you so much. I know it''s hard on you to go against your mother."


    "It''s fine. Everyone had to decide for which path they should take. And I''m taking the one where I can be with you and our daughter. As long as we''re together, everything will be fine." He kissed his wife''s forehead and caressed her face. "Don''t think too much. Just get stronger for our family."


    "Hn. I''ll do that. Let''s go to y."


    Sofia had no personal rtionship with Cayenne and she didn''t know that other woman that much. She just heard from Cole one time that she was a really nice girl and that Arthur took fancy of her. She didn''t help her because she just felt pity but also because she could see herself in her.


    When Kirin visited Cayenne and warned her to never get close to Arthur, Sofia saw that. She was on her way from buying groceries that day since Arthur was still in school. Cayenne was their neighbor before and when she saw Kirin, she followed her and saw how she embarrassed the girl and discriminated her just because she was poor. She also knew that Cayenne''s younger brother saw that event.


    Now, she just wanted to make sure that Cayenne won''t go through the same embarrassment because of Arthur. It would have been fine if Arthur can fight for his love but as she observed, he still likes to follow his mother''s control and he was secretly meeting her.


    Cole, on the other hand, fought for his love. He out rightly told his mother that he loves someone else and that he would not love anyone else but her ¨C Sofia. The two brothers were very different from one another.

 Chapter 67 - PICKING HIM UP FROM WORK

    <h4>Chapter 67 - PICKING HIM UP FROM WORK</h4>


    On the next day, a mail was delivered to Stefan''s office from the Consr Affairs. It was Cayenne''s passport that he had asked to be expedited. Cayenne just submitted the forms and showed herself when she initially registered for it but it was Stefan who paid for it and for expediting it. He wanted her to get her own passport as soon as possible.


    Cayenne had no idea that her passport was already delivered. She was still working happily with Celine, chatting with them during lunch time and was looking forward to go back home. It was her turn to cook dinner again today. Recently, Stefan had beening home early and would cook for them when it was her job to do that.


    "You look happy." Lune, the receptionistmented while they were getting their things from their respective lockers. Cayenne had a smile on her face while she was picking up her things from the smallpartment. "Did something good happen?"


    "The work is done so, I''m happy that we''re going home." Cayenne responded while checking her phone for the time. "Maybe I should get some ice cream on the way home."


    "Your brothers will be very happy to see you with that." Luna responded with a smile but this made Cayenne felt a little guilty. Because she wasn''t buying the ice cream for her brothers. It was for Stefan.


    She just smiled towards Luna before bidding farewell to her. She went out of the hotel as soon as possible and saw the taxi waiting for her. While walking towards the cab, she called Stefan.


    Stefan''s meeting was about to end when Cayenne''s call came in. He pulled out his buzzing phone from his pocket and silenced the presenter in order for him to answer her call.


    "Hi." Cayenne greeted him. "Am I disturbing you? Are you having a meeting or some client discussion?"


    "No. You''re not disturbing me. Do you need something?"


    Everyone was silent in front of him and they were all watching him talk to someone. They knew that their boss likes to flirt with women outside his working hours but he would never answer anyone''s call during a meeting unless it''s business. And if someone calls him, they needed to go through his secretary ¨C even his parents had to do that.


    Now, they''re wondering who the caller is.


    Cayenne cleared her throat before speaking once again. "I''m nning toe home and have dinner with my family. I''m just thinking if it''s fine with you and if you would want toe with me?"


    "We''re not having dinner in our house?" Stefan rified. "That''s a little sad but, it''s also fine. Are you on your way already?"


    "Hn. The driver just picked me up."


    "Can you pick me up? I mean, you don''t want me to drive my current car to your ce, right?"


    Cayenne smiled with his consideration. "I''lle and get you. I''ll let you know once I''m downstairs."


    "Okay." Stefan ended the call and sent her the address of hispany building.


    The meeting continued but the people''s minds were elsewhere.


    ''The boss got married?''


    ''Mr. President asked someone toe and pick him up? That''s first.''


    ''The President is in love. That''s for sure.''


    Stefan listened to the report in front of him while monitoring his phone for any messages from Cayenne. Just like him, his subordinates were eager to finish the meeting because they wanted to see who the woman that made their President fall in love.


    "Come to think of it, the President had been using that phone for a while now but recently, he changed the cover to something that''s for couple. Someone who''s holding the matching case must be the one." Gossiped one of the presenters from the finance department.


    "I think you are right but there are many covers with that design." Another presenter responded.


    They gossiped about their boss but even though Stefan could hear them, he didn''t say anything. They can gossip all they want and he will never care.


    After quarter an hour, the meeting was adjourned but Cayenne was still stuck in the traffic. She already informed her family that she will be having dinner with them and that she will be bringing Stefan with her. They agreed with her since they missed their sister, too. She had been so busy and she had been staying with her boyfriend after work. Although they hated that idea, they also wanted to let her be happy and do what she wants.


    Stefan waited for her to send her a message. The people who attended the meeting were staying at the lobby to know who the woman as well. They have seen so many expensive cars parked at their parking lot and they have seen many beautiful woman and handsome men picking up their partners but they didn''t see their bossing out yet.


    Chris and Stefan came down together and went directly to the basement of the building. Since someone was picking him up, they thought that their boss would being out using the lobby. However, what Stefan did was, he asked Chris to drive him out from the basement and changed car, which was the taxi that picked Cayenne from her work.


    The employees were all tricked by their boss.


    There''s no way he''d allow them to see Cayenne. Her identity must be kept a secret from his employees.


    Cayenne waited for him not far from thepany building. She was the one who told him to go out by car and changed to a taxi once he finds them.


    "I didn''t know you''re good in tricking people." Stefan stated after getting inside the taxi.


    "I learned them from you." Cayenne retorted with a straight face.


    The looked at each other for few seconds and burst intoughter. Stefan gave her a thumbs up for learning something and Cayenne was rolling her eyes exasperatedly at him. "Don''t be too full of yourself, sir."


    "Yes, ma''am."

 Chapter 68 - DINNER WITH HER FAMILY

    <h4>Chapter 68 - DINNER WITH HER FAMILY</h4>


    Stefan asked the driver to stop in one of the dessert factories on their way to Cayenne''s ce, in order for them to buy something for her family. Cayenne also bought ice cream because she was craving for it since this afternoon.


    When they arrived to the apartment, her brothers were done cooking their food of dinner and her mother finished arranging the dishes on the dining table.


    "We''re home." Cayenne announced their arrival.


    "Thank you for having me here." Stefan also said while taking off his shoes. Cayenne gave him indoor slippers as her brother went out of the kitchen to meet them.


    "Wee home." Kyle and Luiz greeted them. "We''re done cooking. Come inside."


    "Where''s our mother?"


    "She''s inside waiting for you two. It''s been a while since we all have dinner together." Kyle responded while leading them inside. "Thanks foring big bro." he told Stefan who only nodded his head and handed them the cake and ice cream.


    Cayenne''s mother also came out and the two of them talked to her for a while before they started having dinner.


    "Yen, don''t you have a day off? I noticed that you''ve been working non-stop and I almost don''t see you here. You would onlye home to change your clothes or to take a little rest beforeing out to work again." Her mother mentioned with a little bit ofin. "I''m not really against your work but I want you to rest sometimes, too. You won''t have time for your family and your boyfriend if this continues."


    Cayenne blushed when she heard thest part and Stefan also smiled faintly. "I don''t mind if we have little time together. She can do whatever she wanted to do as long as she remembers that she''s got a boyfriend waiting for her."


    "What about you?" Cayenne''s mother turned to him. "Since my daughter doesn''t have much time to spend with you, haven''t you thought of cheating? People in your caliber do that."


    "I don''t need to cheat. It won''t bring me happiness or do me good."


    "But you''ve dated so many women in the past."


    Stefan and Cayenne looked towards each other. Her brother looked at them as well before dropping their heads down. "Ma, I know about his past and he stopped seeing any woman now. Don''t diss him."


    "I''m not dissing him. I''m just want to know about his opinion on the matter that I know of."


    "I know I''ve done something horrible in the past Auntie but, I promise you that I only have Cayenne in my life right now."


    "What do you even like about my daughter? She''s not even as pretty as thosedies that you''ve dated and she is not rich either."


    "It''s because she''s different that''s why I like her. She isn''t like those women that I have dated."


    "Aren''t you just interested with her because she''s different? Maybe you don''t really like my daughter. Maybe you just wanted to conquer her because she''s a challenge to you."


    "People say that when you''re in love, you won''t be able to think rationally but I think that''s wrong. Cayenne is a smart person. She''s caring, kind and honest. At the same time, she curses me a lot. She would yell at me. She res at me and she''s a crybaby. She''s got negative traits. She''s not perfect. She''s not sexy like those women I''ve dated. She''s not as pretty as them. Cayenne is Cayenne. She''s simple and has a beautiful heart. She epted me as I am and that includes my pasts."


    Kyle scoffed at his speech and Luiz quickly handed him a ss of water. He didn''t expect that Stefan would dere his love in front of them. ''It seemed like he''s really serious about Yen. Maybe, just maybe; he''s the right guy for her.'' He thought to himself while trying to calm himself.


    Luiz didn''t say anything. It''s not his rtionship and he didn''t like to meddle in someone else''s love life. He will just watch over his sister and kick Stefan''s butt if her ever hurt her in the future.


    Cayenne was also a little embarrassed. If their rtionship wasn''t fake, she would really believe the words that he was spouting. For a moment, she really thought that Stefan might have secretly liked her. And in instant, she also dismissed the idea.


    Her mother looked towards Stefan for few seconds before shifting her gaze towards her daughter. "Looks like you''ve found someone good."


    "Haha. Right. Stefan is good." Cayenne responded to her mother with an awkwardughter. She felt really awkward this time specially that Stefan was forced to say something that he never felt towards her. It must be hard on him.


    "Ma, stop questioning him. You might scare him and he might note back again." Luiz told their mother.


    "Is it wrong for me to get to know him?" Their mother retorted.


    Stefan, being the good and considerate guy, answered her question. "I don''t think Auntie was doing the wrong thing. A mother should be getting to know her future son-inw, knowing that the person will be spending time with her daughter. I think all mothers have that role in their life once their children reach the legal age. I don''t mind being questioned either."


    "Correct." Cayenne''s mother responded. "You are sensible. I like that attitude of you."


    "Does that mean you have approved of their rtionship?" Kyle asked.


    "Not yet."


    Stefan just smiled and decided to serve Cayenne with food. They ate and chatted; and Stefan would be questioned by Cayenne''s mother from time to time.


    ''Her mother is not easy to please.'' Stefan thought to himself. ''Sigh. When can I get her approval?''


    Their dinner was lively and even though Stefan was put on a hot seat, he didn''t let it bother him. He enjoyed his dinner with her family and he also received support from her brothers. At least, there were two people who supported him. He just needed to win her mother, thest obstacle in his rtionship with Cayenne.

 Chapter 69 - THINKING DEEPLY ABOUT EACH OTHER

    <h4>Chapter 69 - THINKING DEEPLY ABOUT EACH OTHER</h4>


    After having dinner with her family, Cayenne told them that she needed to leave because she has work to do. She told her mother several excuses in order to avoid any suspicions.


    They called the taxi driver toe and pick them up and send them back to the subdivision. Cayenne was on their way back and so was Stefan. He was busy thinking how to win over her mother while Cayenne was busy thinking of ways to guard her heart. She almost fell for his sweet words during dinner.


    As soon as they arrived home, Stefan turned to her to ask a question. "How should I win your mother''s approval of us?" Cayenne looked at him with a raised brow. "Do you think I can cook her favorite food? Or buy her some cosmetics? Or maybe I should buy her some multi-vitamins and her prescribed medications. What do you think?"


    "I think you should stop thinking about those silly things. You don''t need to do anything." Cayenne told him which confused him.


    "I thought you wanted your mother to be reassured when ites to our rtionship?"


    "Telling her about us is more than enough. You don''t need to put in so much effort just to win her. Either she approves or not, it doesn''t matter to us."


    "Why not?"


    "Uh. Uhm¡­" She coughed drily to clear her throat while averting her eyes from him. "Sir Stefan, did you just forget that this rtionship is fake? I am your employee, not your girlfriend. You don''t have to think so much for my sake."


    Stefan looked dumbfounded with her words. She did forget that point and he was so engrossed in getting her mother''s approval as if they had a real rtionship. It took him few seconds before he came back to his senses. "Right. I forgot that. Thanks for reminding me."


    "You''re wee." Cayenne smiled and continued walking upstairs. "Let''s go to sleep?"


    "O-okay. I''ll be right there. I''ll just make a phone call." Cayenne didn''t disturb him anymore and she went inside their room first. Stefan was left alone in the living with expressionless face.


    When she called him ''Sir, Stefan'', he thought that she was back to having that employer-employee status between them. When she reminded him about their rtionship being fake, he felt bitter in his heart. He hated it when she always thinks about everything being fake.


    Stefan sat on a couch without making any sound. He was thinking how he could make her believe in him. He wanted to make her realize that he wasn''t being fake to her. Everything that he had been showing to her recently were all genuine. He didn''t do it for the sake of their fake rtionship. He did all that because he likes doing it for her.


    When he did something goof for her, he felt fulfilled and that his life finally found its purpose but Cayenne would never believe him. Because she was still doubting him.


    ''Aren''t you doubting her, too?'' The other side of his brain questioned him. And that was true. He was still doubting her and he even told her about that.


    He recalled his words inside the car yesterday. ''Trust? I don''t think it will happen. Not now and not in the future.'' Stefan felt his temple throb from this frustrating situation. ''She must have been hurt with my words.'' Stefan thought. He wanted to apologize but he was afraid that she would be even more upset with him.


    He had been apologizing to her but he kept making her sad. If it continues, he will surely break her trust. "Wait. She said that her trust was slowly crumbling. That means, she really trusted me and I was the one who was slowly breaking it?"


    This realization threw him into panic. Losing her trust will lead him to losing her eventually and that was something that she would never want to happen.


    While he was seriously thinking about his recent actions and the things that might have hurt him, Cayenne was already preparing to sleep in their room. She had changed her clothes to pajamas and she already set her rm. She was just waiting for him toe inside.


    ''Will everything be fine between us?'' Cayenne thought while lying on their bed. ''What did Travis mean when he said that I''ll be needing that letter? Does that mean I will be fired soon? Or maybe Stefan will fall in love and that person will be the one who canpletely cure him?'' She''s got these thoughts in her mind again.


    Thinking about their times together, Cayenne felt bad about leaving him. She had been enjoying hispany and even though they have been arguing several times, they never really fought that hard which will cost her job. Stefan had been very understanding of her and she was happy when she thinks about what he did for her.


    ''Will I be sad if I will leave him? Probably.'' She just answered her own questions. ''Until when can I stay with him? Another month? Six months? A year? Maybe I should have asked when will be needing that letter.''


    Cayenne thought about several things involving Stefan, their present and their future. Her mind was fully upied and her eyes were getting droopy. In the end, she still fell asleep before he could back to their bed.


    Stefan was taking so long and when he came inside their room, she was already sleeping peacefully on their bed. He immediately took a shower and changed his clothes in order to sleep beside her.


    "It''s my fault for taking so much time. Now, I can only hold your hand to sleep again." Stefan wanted to hold her hand but Cayenne was facing on the other side. If he wants to hold her hand, he needed to make her face him. "Uh. Should I just wake her up?" Stefan told himself.


    Cayenne woke up from his murmurs and his movements, listening to him, a wide smile appeared on her face. He would always think of her feelings even though he''s got leverage over her. And that''s why Cayenne put her trust on him. Thankfully, it didn''t crumble yesterday.


    She opened her eyes and switched positions in order to face him. "Hi. Aren''t you going to sleep yet?" she whispered to him.


    "I''m about to. Can I hug you?"


    "Hn. Go ahead."


    Stefan moved closer, took hold of her hand and ced it on his waist before he wrapped his hand around her. "I like this position better."


    "Whatever." Cayenne just closed her eyes to sleep. She got tired from all the things she''s been thinking of and all she wanted was to feel hisforting warmth this time.

 Chapter 70 - THE THING HE FEARED THE MOST

    <h4>Chapter 70 - THE THING HE FEARED THE MOST</h4>


    Stefan was sleeping soundly when he suddenly woke up from loud crashing noise inside their room. It was dark but he remembered that he left thempshade open to give light to the room. He saw someone standing at the foot of their bed and the person was looking towards someone who was standing in front of him.


    Stefan didn''t make a sound. The scene was so familiar to him and his back started to sweat coldly. He can''t be mistaken. It was the scene fifteen years ago. The only difference was that it was not Alexander standing in the middle of the room, facing the killer on his own. But it was Cayenne. She stood there, looking pale from fright and the man was standing in front of him with a gun.


    A shiver went down his spine when he felt the sudden chill on his neck. He was afraid to make a sound and Cayenne was standing quietly as well. None of them move.


    "Stefan." She mumbled softly and the muffled sound of a gunshot came after his name. She was shot on her stomach and her bleeding didn''t stop. Stefan pushed the man away and scampered to get to her side.


    His heart was cold. He lost his voice. He couldn''t hear anything and all he could see and think of was Cayenne in his arms. "Ayen. Ayen." He called her name repeatedly. "Ayen, don''t leave me. Don''t ever leave me." He pressed his arm on her wound, trying to stop the bleeding while kissing her forehead. "Ayen, please stay with me." He stood up to find his phone but he couldn''t find it. The man was also gone and he didn''t even notice it. When he turned around, the scene was changed. The bed was changed. And it was no longer Cayenne who was lying on the floor. It was Alexander.


    Stefan''s eyes went wide and he started to look for Cayenne. She needed immediate help but she was no longer there. "Ayen!" he called her name again, his voice was echoing but there was no Cayenne who answered him. "Ayen, pleasee back to me. You can''t go anywhere."


    "Is she more important than me?" A voice questioned behind him. The bleeding Alexander got up from the floor. His eyes were dull and lifeless. His hands hang limply to his side and he was facing him like a ghost who wanted to take away his soul. "Stefan, did you find someone to rece me?"


    Stefan was shaking his head from side to side to deny his brother''s statement. "I didn''t find anyone to rece you. You are the one who left me alone in this world."


    "Are you happy?"


    "I was. But someone killed her. Ayen is gone."


    "Right. She''s gone because you don''t trust her. She is gone because you are selfish. She is gone because you only think about your personal interest. She is gone because you don''t care about her."


    "Wrong! That is wrong!" Stefan retorted strongly. He would never ept his usations. In truth, he cared so much for her but Cayenne decided to ignore this fact.


    Stefan sat in a corner while crying her heart out. "I want Ayen. I want her back."


    "She won''te back. She''s tired of you."


    "No! Cayenne would never leave me. She told me that she would never leave me."


    "She didn''t want to leave but you pushed her away."


    "No. I didn''t push her away."


    "You did."


    Stefan felt so wronged. Not only his parents wronged him but now, his brother was also using him. His heart broke and he could no longer stop himself from crying.


    Cayenne, who was sleeping soundly, woke up to the faint sound of crying. She actually thought that there''s a ghost inside their room. She tried to listen to it carefully and when she raised her head to look at Stefan, tears were streaming down his face.


    ''Oh my gosh! Is he really crying?! For real!'' Cayenne thought to herself while trying to figure out what she needed to do. She gently pats his back to calm him but since he was a bit bigger and she couldn''tpletely rich his back, she just patted the side of his waist.


    She hummed a song for him while rubbing and patting his back alternately. He stopped sobbing and he even clutched her clothes tightly. Cayenne didn''t know what caused him to cry this much but she would never tell him that she saw him in such vulnerable state. For sure, he never wanted anyone to know this side of him.


    She wiped his tears away and made sure to dry hisshes and his face. After making sure that his breathing was normal and he already stopped crying, she went back to sleep in his arms.


    When morning came, Stefan woke up very early. He stared at Cayenne''s face and was watching her chesting up and down from faint breathing. ''She''s alive.'' That''s what he thought. A soft sigh escaped his lips and he hugged her even closer to him. He wanted to reassure himself that she was still with him.


    Some people say that dreams would depict the things that you feared the most or the things that makes you happy. And some people say that dreams could also be used to predict your future.


    Stefan had no idea about these things. All he knew was that, he didn''t want to dream. Ever since he started sleeping with Cayenne, he dreamed twice and that''s when he was really troubled and bothered about something.


    Cayenne was tired but she still managed to wake up on time. Stefan was already brushing his teeth when she woke up and it made her happy that he was acting normally around her.


    "Good morning." Stefan greeted her upon seeing her adorable morning expression. She was rubbing sleepy eyes while getting out of bed.


    "Good morning Stefan."


    "My name sounds good this morning."


    "Oh. Is it?"


    "Yeah. Can you say it one more time?"


    "No. Saying it once is more than enough."


    "Tsk. You are not very indulging to me."


    "Shouldn''t it be the guy who indulges his girl? That''s what I''ve noticed from Travis and Jillyanna."


    "You want me to indulge you? That''s fine with me, too."

 Chapter 71 - INDULGING HER

    <h4>Chapter 71 - INDULGING HER</h4>


    Cayenne thought that he was just kidding. What she said was just a passing remark and she didn''t really mean to get any special treatment from him. But when he said he would indulge her, he meant what he said.


    Stefan cooked for their breakfast and made sure that she ate a lot since she needed to be doing a hardbor in the hotel. Her work wasn''t really hard but it was a physical work that needs so much strength and energy, unlike him who will just be sitting in his office and do mind work.


    "Do you want to bring some food for your lunch? I can make a bento for you." Stefan offered to her.


    "No. No need. I can manage." Cayenne responded while shaking her head back and forth.


    "Okay." Stefan stated. He pulled out his phone and sent a message to Kyle, asking them not to make food for Cayenne so that he can do his part as a ''boyfriend''. Reading his message, Kyle agreed with him. They ate all the food and left a note for Cayenne that they were not able to set aside food for her.


    As expected, when Cayenne came home there was a small note on the table for her. "Sorry sis. We forgot to set aside your portion of food. Please buy your lunch in a convenience storeter." Cayenne read it out loud before sending a message to her brothers with her response.


    She went to her mother''s room to check on her and after that, she went inside her own room to change clothes. She had no idea that everything was nned by Stefan. She wanted to be indulged? Then, he will indulge her.


    Cayenne went to work with no food for lunch. If she had known that this will happen, she would ept Stefan''s offer to make bento for her.


    Stefan was busy with work but he made sure that there''s no pending work for him between 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. He wanted to choose food for her lunch and have it delivered to her. Of course, he couldn''t deliver it himself so, he will ask someone else to deliver it for him.


    He went to one of his owned restaurants and asked his employees to prepare a bento box for him. He chose everything from the appetizer to the desserts. Cayenne likes to eat sweets so, he made sure to include matcha and red velvet cake. He didn''t include any drinks because it will be additional sweets for her.


    "Can I borrow a pen and paper?" Stefan asked the chef.


    "Yes, sir. Wait a minute." The head chef went to find a paper and pen for their boss. Stefan chose Cayenne''s food directly from the kitchen, fresh from the pans and kettles. When the head chef came back, he brought a piece of stationary paper and a glittered pen. Why? Because he figured out that the food will be for someone special. How did he know? Because it was the first time they saw their boss exerting so much effort for someone''s lunch. He wasn''t even like that with his food. He didn''t choose the food because of its expensive price, because of its foreign name or because it was the most delicious.


    He chose the food base on its taste and base on its calorie counts. He was conscious of her health. He avoided acidic food as well because Cayenne has ulcer.


    ''No sweetened drinks for you. Water is healthier after a heavy meal.'' He ced the note on top of the bent and ced a tape to keep it in ce. The chef looked for a paper bag to ce the bento inside. Stefan bought his own food and made it into another bento box so that he can eat it inside his suite.


    After making sure that he didn''t forget anything, he asked Chris to drive him to Clover Hotel before lunch break. He sent a message to Cayenne to wait for something at the reception area and he called for a random young passerby, paid him $10 to have him deliver the food to Cayenne without telling her from whom the food came from.


    $10 was already big for someone who will deliver food in a ce less than kilometer away. The youngster that Stefan found agreed immediately. He went inside with him but Stefan stopped for a minute to let the man continue his way. The employees saw him and whoever pass by him, greeted him.


    Cayenne saw him as well. He wasn''t looking her way but she knew that Stefan must be watching her from his peripheral vision.


    "Excuse me." The youngster called for their attention. "I''m looking for Ms. Cayenne Ardolf."


    "That''s me." Cayenne presented herself and the man looked at her name te as well.


    "Uhm. Someone asked me to give you this. It''s for your lunch."


    Luna, Manager Kim and Celine who happened to be with her at that time looked towards Cayenne. There were teasing smiles on their lips but nobody said anything since there were guests around and their boss was also present.


    "Thank you." Cayenne received the item. "Do I need to sign anything?"


    "No need. He''s watching us at this moment." The youngster answered. "I''ll go now. Enjoy your meal."


    Cayenne nodded her head and looked towards Stefan who was talking to one of the guards.


    "Who sent it?" Luna asked. "Is it your siblings or is it your boyfriend?"


    Manager Kim looked at her before shifting her gaze towards their boss who was now looking at Cayenne but Cayenne was busy hiding her blush at this moment. She was really embarrassed.


    Stefan sent her a message and when Cayenne pulled out her phone to read the message, Manager Kim saw the design of the phone covers. "No doubt, the boss is in love." She whispered as she looked towards Cayenne with a smile. "It''s lunch break now. Go and eat your lunch while the others cover for your break."


    "Yes, manager Kim."


    Cayenne turned around to see Stefan for onest time. "Thank you." She mouthed these words when no one was watching them.


    ''I''m indulging you with lunch because your brothers forgot.'' This was the message that he sent her. Cayenne couldn''t help herself from smiling and her heart felt so warm with his gesture.


    Stefan also watched her with a smile hanging on his face. He was happy to see her happy with that simple meal he gave her.

 Chapter 72 - CHRIS WAS SIDING WITH CAYENNE

    <h4>Chapter 72 - CHRIS WAS SIDING WITH CAYENNE</h4>


    Stefan ate his lunch in his suite while Cayenne ate her lunch with her colleagues inside the employees'' lounge. When she opened the bag, she found the note that he wrote in a piece of stationary paper.


    "Wow! That''s very sweet of your boyfriend." Lunamented when she caught sight of the handwritten note. They were not familiar of Stefan''s handwriting so they didn''t know that it came from him except, Manager Kim.


    She opened the bento and found different kind of dishes. There two small boxes for each slice of the cake that he bought for her as well. She couldn''t stop herself from grinning. She pulled out her phone, formed a heart with her fingers and took a picture with the food. ''I love these. Thanks.''


    Stefan received her message and he grinned from ear to ear. It was the first time that she sent him a message with a picture. Although there was no picture of her actual face, he could imagine the smile that she had while taking the picture. He just replied with a bear-holding-a-heart emoji to her.


    After lunch, Cayenne sent him another message to wish him well. He replied to her with a ''thank you'' and ''do your best'' gifs.


    On his way to the office, Stefan remembered that he didn''t inform her about her passport. He forgot to bring it home as well since they had dinner at her ce yesterday. "I''ll just give it to her after dinner."


    "Sir, you have a meeting with Mr. Macarios at five in the afternoon. You have approved of it before. Should I cancel it?"


    "Will it take so much time?"


    "Probably an hour or two."


    "Don''t cancel it. I''ll just tell Ayen about it."


    "Okay, sir."


    Cayenne worked happily in the afternoon while thinking what she can to repay him with the lunch that he bought for her. "Wait. How did he know that my brothers didn''t cook my food for lunch?" She was folding the newly-washed nket when she remembered this puzzling information. She didn''t tell him about it.


    "Is something bothering you?" Celine asked her. The two of them were folding nkets and bed sheets.


    "Nothing. I was just thinking of something. Don''t worry about me."


    "Alright. If you have any problem, you can tell me. Maybe I have a piece of advice or two."


    "Thank you, Celine. I''ll be sure to let you know and get some advice from you."


    They continued their work but Cayenne was still bothered with her own question. ''Does that mean, my brothers are siding with him? Did he n this after I refused the lunch he offered this morning?'' Her thoughts were very urate.


    Kyle kept sneezing in the middle of the ss and Luiz identally bit his own lips. ''Karma is a bitch.'' The two of them thought at the same time, knowing that they did something behind their sister''s back.


    At three in the afternoon, Stefan sent another message to Cayenne''s brothers. He wanted to know what are Cayenne''s favorite flowers, her favorite snacks and other things. In fact, the three of them had a chat group.


    ''She likes to eat green mangoes with shrimp paste. It''s her favorite snack in the afternoon. In the evening, she doesn''t eat much and she doesn''t like taking midnight snacks as well.'' Kyle responded to Stefan''s message.


    ''How about teas? Does she like drinking teas?''


    ''I''m not sure. I haven''t seen her drink any kind of tea but she likes match so, she might like some teas that can rx her.'' Luiz told Stefan.


    ''What about flowers?''


    ''Yen likes tulips.'' Kyle answered.


    ''But she will like whatever kind of flowers you will give as long as it''s in a pot. She likes taking care of nts.''


    ''She will appreciate if you will her a potted flower instead of a bouquet.''


    ''Did she ever try going to a hot spring? Or an amusement park? Or have a massage?'' Stefan asked them.


    ''Did you think she''ll have time to do those stuffs?''


    Stefan shook his head when he read this question. He knew that she won''t have time for these things but he still asked them. ''Do you think she will ept a jewelry if I give her one?''


    ''If it''s not expensive, she might ept it.'' Kyle told him.


    ''Our sister doesn''t like to ept expensive things because she''s always afraid that the person who gave it to her will ask her to return it or pay for it.''


    ''That''s too much. I don''t think someone would do that.'' Stefan retorted.


    ''That happened to her.'' Luiz stated. ''A supposed ''friend'' gave her a bracelet on her 15th birthday and Yen was very happy when she received it. The next day, her friend told her to return it. But since Yen was already wearing it, she told her to pay for it and it was a little expensive. $50 dors was too much for Yen at that time. When she couldn''t pay for it, her friend told her to help her answer all her activities for school.''


    ''Yen will be angry if she knows that you know about this so, please don''t tell her that we have informed you about this.'' Kyle added since Cayenne hated that event in her life so much. She never wanted to remember it and she was doing her best to forget it. However, every time Stefan gives her something, her mind would always kick her rm and she would start to get anxious. She could only trust him that he would not do what her ssmate did back then.


    "That must be why she''s always adamant to receive my gifts." Stefan mumbled to himself.


    ''I still have to attend a group meeting. If you have any question, just post it here. I''ll answer it when I have time.'' Kyle told them and logged off from his social media ount.


    ''I still have a ss. I can''t chat a little longer or my phone will be confiscated.''


    Stefan chuckled when he read their messages. It was obvious that study was very important to them.? ''Do your best in school.'' He responded and logged off as well. "Now, what should I do for her tonight."


    He was seriously thinking of ways to indulge her. In that way, Cayenne won''t leave him that easily in the future. Chris was currently noting the information during the meeting because the boss wasn''t listening at all. After the meeting, Stefan went back to his office with Chris following behind him.


    "Sir, these are the information that I have noted during the meeting." He handed him a tablet which he always brings with him. "I also asked for the copies of their actual presentations."


    "Thanks." Stefan took it from him and read through it. "By the way, can you look for a flower shop that sells tulips?"


    "Yes, sir. I''ll let you know as soon as possible." He went out of Stefan''s office and went to his own desk to find the best flower shop near thepany building. He listed the shops that sells beautiful tulip flowers and went inside Stefan''s office to hand it to him. He even included the contact numbers for him and the online information.


    Stefan ordered the flowers online since he will be the one who will give it to her. ''I''ll give her a potted flower next time.'' He thought to himself while writing a note on the card which will be printed directly by the florist.


    "You can have a break for now. I''ll read the informationter. I just have other things to do." Stefan told Chris since he was nning to look for other things that Cayenne likes. Chris was still standing in front of his office table and he looked restless. "Is there something else that you want to say?"


    "Sir¡­" he cleared his throat to get rid of his nervousness. "I''m just wondering if you have any feelings for Ms. Ardolf."


    "Why do you ask?"? Stefan retorted with added temper. He hated it when he thought someone''s nning to take Cayenne from him. "Are you going to cheat with your girlfriend because of Cayenne?"


    "Huh?" Chris was startled for a moment because of his question. "No, sir. That''s not what I mean and I don''t have any n to cheat."


    "So, what is it?"


    "I have been working with you for two years now and I have seen many girls with you and you are not hiding that information about you as well. I am not judging you with your actions but I just thought it would be a little unfair if you treat Ms. Ardolf like those girls you''ve met before."


    "I have never thought of her that way."


    "Then, do you like her?"


    "Me?" Stefanughed faintly upon hearing the question from Chris. "Of course, not."


    "So, why are you doing all these for her? Why are you being so good to her? It seemed to me that you are affectionate towards her."


    Stefan looked at his secretary with a deep frown on his face. "I''m not in love with her." He firmly answered. "I am doing this because I don''t want her to leave me when she''s not needing my help anymore. She needed money, which is why she epted my offer. I am only doing this so that she will cling to me."


    "But, what if you find someone you really like but she couldn''t help you sleep? Are you going to choose her because you love her? Or are you going to choose Ms. Ardolf because she can help you sleep ¨C the thing you wanted the most?"

 Chapter 73 - SINGING A SONG FOR HIM

    <h4>Chapter 73 - SINGING A SONG FOR HIM</h4>


    "Why are you even asking me about this thing?" Stefan retorted. "It''s my life."


    "I''m sorry, sir. I didn''t mean to intrude."


    "It''s fine. Just go and prepare for the documents for the meeting at five."


    "Yes, sir."


    Chris left and Stefan was sitting on his office chair with a daze expression on his face. He was thinking about the question that Chris asked him. He didn''t get mad at his secretary because he had a point. He had been telling himself that he needed to keep Cayenne by his side and he even forbid her to fall in love unless he''spletely cured.


    And he was honest with his answer to Chris. He was doing all these things to keep her. To make sure that she wouldn''t just leave as she pleased. He wanted her to look back to the memories that they made together.


    "But what if I ended falling in love with someone else?" He asked himself again. He remembered Cayenne''s smile and he wanted to see those smiles again, not her tears. "What should I do?"


    His mood waspletely ruined with these questions and he wanted to see Cayenne to feelfort. He pulled out his phone with the purpose of calling her but another question popped up in his mind. "What am I really feeling for Cayenne?" Before he could answer his own question, he already pressed her number and the call went through.


    "Stefan? Why are you calling?" Cayenne asked in whisper. She was currently changing bed sheet when his call came in and Celine was still with her. She can only excuse herself to answer him, thinking that it was something important.


    "Ayen, can youe over?"


    "Are you kidding me? I''m in the middle of my work. What''s happening to you? Are you okay?"


    "I''m a little upset."


    "About what?"


    "About myself."


    Cayenne pursed her lips since she didn''t know what to say. She was worried that she might say something that would hurt him. "Uhm. What are you upset about yourself? Did you do something that hurts someone or might affect your business?"


    "I haven''t done it but I think I will probably hurt someone who''s been so kind to me?"


    "Kind to you? Who? Travis? Did you guys fight?"


    "No. Not him."


    "Then, who?"


    "If I won''t tell who the person is, will you get mad at me?"


    Cayenneughed faintly with his silly question. "Why should I get mad? I know how to respect privacy. If you can''t tell me about it, it''s fine."


    "Ayen, what if Arthur fights for his love for you? What if his mother agrees to you being his girlfriend? Will you go and leave me?"


    "Where did these thingse from? Why are you asking me this nonsense? When I say that I don''t like him in a romantic way, I meant it. I don''t give second chances."


    "No second chances?"


    "Hn. Once I have moved on, that''s it."


    Stefan blinked his eyes. He suddenly felt afraid with her words. ''Move on.'' He thought. ''If she moves on from the chapter of her life where I exist, will she forget me? She might not like Arthur but she might fall in love with someone else.'' This became an additional thought to mess up his already messed-up brain.


    "Ayen, I will be sending something to you. I hope you will like it."


    "I don''t you''ve given me something I don''t like." Cayenne retorted with a smile. "I have a feeling that you are colluding with my brothers to get information rted to me. Am I just assuming things or are you really doing it?"


    "I asked them few things about you."


    "Why didn''t you ask me?"


    "It wouldn''t be a surprise if I am asking you directly."


    "You have a point."


    The two of them kept quiet for few seconds when they couldn''t find anything else to talk. "I still have work to do. Let''s just talk at home." She suggested since she felt guilty for leaving Celine with the rest of their work.


    "Ayen, can you sing a song for me."


    "I am not a great singer. I might cause thunder and lightning with a heavy rain if I sing."


    Stefanughed out loud at her words. "Don''t be silly. That''s not going to happen."


    "Why do you want me to sing?"


    "No particr reason. I just want to listen to your voice."


    "I can''t sing in the middle of the work."


    "It''s not against the rules. I didn''t prohibit my employees to sing while working."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him even though he couldn''t see her. She couldn''t believe that he''d use his privilege being the boss to boss her to sing. "Can I just sing a part of the song. I don''t want to sing a whole song in the middle of work."


    "Okay. I''ll be waiting."


    Cayenne ced her phone on the chest pocket of her uniform and used the air pods to continue their call while she continues to work. "Can you hear me okay?"


    "Yup. Loud and clear."


    Celine watched Cayenne with a smile. It was the first time she saw her smile taking a phone call in the middle of her work. Before she would never bring her phone whenever they start working. All though thepany allowed them to use phones during work, you needed to make sure that it does not affect your work.


    Cayenne hummed the prelude of the song that she chose.


    "Summer after high school when we first met


    We''d make out in your Mustang to Radiohead


    And on my 18th birthday we got matching tattoos


    Used to steal your parents'' liquor and climb to the roof


    Talk about our future like we had a clue


    Never nned that one day I''d be losing you


    In another life


    I would be your girl


    We''d keep all our promises


    Be us against the world


    In another life


    I would make you stay


    So I don''t have to say you were


    The one that got away


    The one that got away"


    Stefan frowned while listening to her. "Are you really singing that song for me or is it for your first crush?"


    "What ''first crush'' are you talking about? Don''t mind the first stanza of the song."


    "So, the second part of the song is for me? You haven''t lost me yet."


    "Why are you even picking on me for my choice of song?"


    "It reminds me of Arthur."


    "And so?"


    "I don''t like it."


    Cayenne was silent for a moment because of his words. She felt the increasing speed of her heartbeat and she was lost for words. Her mouth was gaping but no words came out.


    "Yen, are you still there?"


    "No. I''m not here so, don''t speak a word."


    Stefan''sughter rang in her ears and she blushed profusely. "Can you sing a song for us?"


    "No."


    "Why not?"


    "I need to focus with my work." She arranged the pillows on the bed and dusted off the bedside table. "Can you stopughing at me. I will never sing for you again."


    "You haven''t sung a song for me yet."


    "I did. I sang twice to chase away your nightmares."


    "Twice? Not once?"


    "Let''s not talk about this. I think you are no longer upset since you''reughing at me already. Let''s end this call and let''s both get back to work."


    "Wait." Stefan stopped her immediately before she could press the end button. "Do you want to have dinner with me?"

 Chapter 74 - REFUSING HIS DINNER INVITATION

    <h4>Chapter 74 - REFUSING HIS DINNER INVITATION</h4>


    "Why are you still asking me? We''ve been eating dinner together for a month now. What''s the difference tonight?"


    "Uhm. I will have a meetingter and I would be done by six or seven in the evening. If we take travel time into consideration, I''d be homete."


    "So, you want me toe to you and have dinner?"


    "Yes."


    "Can''t we have dinner at home? I''ll wait for you no matter howte. I''m worried that someone might spot us again."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Hn. You can just wake me up if I''m asleep by the time you are home."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne refused his offer of having dinner outside. She was getting paranoid already with the thought that someone might see them together.


    They talked about other things before they finally decided to end the call. Cayenne was actually happy to receive another dinner invitation from him but she had to let it go.


    Few minutes before her shift ended, a bouquet of tulips was delivered to her.


    "Wow! Your boyfriend is really sweet." Celinemented when she saw Cayenne holding a bouquet of flowers. "I thought you won''t be going to have dinner with him."


    "Well, let me see the card." Cayenne flipped the card and found the printed message. "Can''t find potted tulips for you. Hope you''ll still like this." Cayenne looked towards Celine. "It didn''t mention anything rted to dinner. I''m d we have understood each other."


    "I''m a bit curious of your boyfriend." Celine mentioned. "I am not really prying with your private life. I''m just wondering why you are hiding him?"


    "I''m not really hiding him." Cayenned told her workmate. "We just want to make our rtionship private. In that way, no one would be expressing their opinions about your partner. And no one will say if your partner is good enough for you or not."


    "That makes sense." Celine retorted.


    Cayenne smelled the flowers and she liked it a lot. Tulips were her favorite flower and she always wanted to receive one. The first time she received a bouquet of tulips was during her eighteenth birthday. Kyle and Luiz saved their allowance just to buy her a bouquet of her favorite flowers. And the second one''s from Stefan.


    Her heart beats so fast and she was happily hugging the flower close to her heart. Stefan had been making her happy and she didn''t know how to repay him. She had so many things in mind but she was worried that he won''t like them. The world of the rich and the world of the poor are prly opposite and she''s afraid of getting embarrassed if he won''t like her idea.


    "Something wrong?" Luna questioned when she came inside to the employees'' lounge. She just finished doing her work and was preparing to leave as well. She saw Cayenne holding the flower with a wide smile but her eyes weren''t showing the same happiness. She was staring into space while holding the bouquet.


    Cayenne shook her head and faintly smiled as if to reassure them when her heart wasn''t the least bit assured by someone. "I''m going home now. See you guys tomorrow."


    "See you."


    Cayenne left under the envious gazes of other employees.


    "Do you really believe that Cayenne has a boyfriend?" one of her colleagues gossiped when the subject of their conversation left.


    "I believe she has a boyfriend." Another colleague responded. "And it should be someone rich. A man who can buy her thetest iPhone, send her lunch and give her flowers."


    "Correct. And if she doesn''t have one, she might have been buying those things for herself and just pretended that it was from her boyfriend."


    Manager Kim saw this group of gossipmongers and she couldn''t help rolling her eyes at them. "Instead of talking someone behind their back, why don''t you go home and look what kind of life you have. Stop talking about people when you couldn''t even take a little time to improve yourself."


    "Sorry, Manager Kim." Thedies apologized.


    Luna smirked at them before turning around and left. Celine just red at them and also left the lounge. They don''t have time to deal with insecure and jealous people.


    Manager was about to leave when she remembered something. "The boss hates people who gossips their own colleague. He might fire you if he knows about this."


    "Sorry, Manager Kim. We won''t do it again. Please don''t tell the boss. We''re begging you."


    "Apologize to Cayenne, not me."


    "But she doesn''t even know that we are talking behind her back. Wouldn''t that expose us?" one of thedies responded.


    "Do you want toe out with your own honesty or would you like her to know about your actions from someone else?" Manager Kim warned them. "I don''t favor any of you here. As much as I possible, I want you to help each other. I don''t want you to backstab your own colleague."


    "We understood."


    Getting their confirmation, she left the hotel since it was the end of her shift as well. Moreover, she didn''t care if they really understood what she said or if they''re going to repeat their negative behavior. If they get fired by Stefan, it will not be her fault anymore.


    Manager Kim believed that Cayenne and their boss had a secret rtionship and she was trying her best to avoid having the other employees mess up with Cayenne.


    Cayenne had no idea that she had been taken as a food for gossips. She was busy dealing with her own thoughts and issue.


    "Ma''am Cayenne we have arrived." Leon, the taxi driver, informed her.


    "Thank you, Leon." Cayenne got out of the car but she was surprised to see that the lights were on. "Is he home?" She pressed her thumb and typed the pin to get inside of the house.


    What came into view was Stefan holding a potted tulip flower while wearing a smile on his lips. "Wee home, Ayen."


    "I thought you''ll be hometer."


    "Having dinner with you is better than having a dinner meeting."

 Chapter 75 - A LATE APOLOGY

    <h4>Chapter 75 - A LATE APOLOGY</h4>


    Cayenne put down her bag and the bouquet of flower to receive the flower pot from him. "What''s going on? Why are you giving me so much today?"


    "I want to indulge you." Stefan responded with a wink making Cayenneugh. "Aside from that, I want to give you something very important." He picked a small white box and handed it to her. "I know this will be a great early Christmas gift for you."


    She just received the flower from him and now, she had to put it down so that she can take the box. It didn''t look like a jewelry box so she was confident that it wouldn''t be something expensive. When she opened it, her eyes went wide from the surprise. It was her passport!


    Couldn''t contain her happiness within her and she ended up throwing herself at him and hugged him. "Thanks a lot. I never really thought of getting a passport before. Thank you so much." Cayenne mumbled with bubbling happiness. She can finally travel to other countries in the future with her passport. Stefan was about to return her hug when she pulled her body away from him. "Sorry for hugging you all of a sudden."


    "It''s fine. I don''t really mind." Stefan responded although he was a little disappointed because he wasn''t able to hug her back. His hand itched to feel her warm body pressed on him and under his touch. "Now that you have it, we can finally go somewhere."


    "Right." Cayenne ran her fingers on the passport before raising her head to look at him. "But, Christmas ising and there''s New Year after that. Are we going to leave during this time of the year?"


    "Uhm. I don''t have any family to spend Christmas and I''ve always spent it overseas."


    "Why don''t you spend it with us this year? I mean, they think you''re my boyfriend so, I guess they''d I understand."


    "Are you sure?" Stefan asked with obvious hesitation. It will be his first Christmas with someone after fifteen years. He was worried that he''d ruin their holiday.


    Cayenne put the passport inside the box and ced it inside her bag. "It will be fine. They will surely wee you."


    "Alright. I''ll ept your invitation but, we''ll still go somewhere. I think we can go somewhere by February. I''ll ask Manager Kim to let you leave from work for one who month."


    "One whole month?"


    "Yup. That''s the initial n and I am still going to go with it. A whole month of rxing time, just chillin'' and chattin'' would be good for you."


    "But-"


    "Let''s talk about this next time. For now, let''s have dinner. The dishes will get cold if we keep talking here." Stefan hold the pot for her and the two of them went upstairs.


    He ced the potted tulips at the balcony and watered it a little. Cayenne also ced her bag on the bedside table. The bouquet of flowers was left downstairs since they needed to ce it inside a flower vase.


    "You take a shower first. I''ll go and arrange the flowers in a vase." Stefan informed her as he walked out of the room. She just nodded her head and went inside the bathroom with the towel and change of clothes.


    ''This is bad.'' Cayenne thought while undressing herself. ''I''m getting used to his presence as the days go by and I know this should not be happening. I''m his employee and nothing else. I need to keep it in mind and maybe I should remind him about it again.''


    Cayenne was lost in thoughts as she took a shower.


    "Ayen? Ayen?! Are you alright?" Stefan banged the door thrice. His worried voice startled and she immediately wrapped herself with the towel.


    She opened the door and found him standing with worried and frightened expression. "What happened?"


    His expression changed as he looked at her and he had to turn away his head to avoid seeing her. The tips of his earlobe were turning red and his eyes were restless. "I¡­I was worried for you."


    "What about me?"


    Stefan turn his back on her, calming his heart and trying his best to erase his memories of her almost-naked body. "You''ve been inside for half an hour and that''s very unusual. So, I came to check on you."


    "Sorry. I didn''t pay attention to the time. I''ll get dressed really quick."


    "Hn. That would be better."


    Cayenne watched him leave without turning his head once again. She closed the door and changed into a set of pajamas and wrapped her head with a dry towel to let the water get absorbed. As soon as she got out, she checked her phone and found that she had been taking so much time.


    "I''m such a trouble." Cayenne whispered to herself before putting down her phone and ran out of the room to go the kitchen. Stefan had ced the tulip flowers inside a porcin vase. He put it on the table which adds a different vibe to their usual dinner. "Sea foods? Are you craving for sea foods?"


    "A little and I thought of sharing this with you."


    "That''s very thoughtful of you but, you don''t really have to think of me every time you wanted something."


    "It''s because you''re my employee and I''m your boss. That''s what you wanted to say, right?" Stefan continued what she had thought inside the bathroom. "You don''t have to remind me about that. I have kept it mind."


    "Oh! Then, that''s good."


    "Shall we eat now?"


    "Sure."


    The two of them finally ate their dinner. He was happily serving her, chatting about their future ns and what they should do during Christmas or what gifts he can buy to give to her family.


    Meanwhile, Chris was sitting at the round table with two clients in front of him. The meeting that his boss was supposed to attend, was pushed to him. Now, he was drinking with these big-bellied businessmen to show them respect and to propose a toast to their cooperation. In all kinds of meeting, he hates those that involves drinking alcoholic beverage or those that brings women to entice his boss.


    Chris got all the documents signed and after an hour and half, he excused himself; telling them that the President needed the documents sent to him. The bigwigs nodded their head in agreement. Chris didn''t go to Stefan''s ce. Once the clock hits eight in the evening, he should not go and visit him unless he was called toe over.


    "Come over here. I''ll help you dry your hair." Stefan was holding the hair dryer and a hair brush as he beckoned her toe closer.


    They finished their dinner and Cayenne was the one who washed the dirty utensils. Since she didn''t get to dry her hair as soon as she can, he was now going to help her for causing the dy.


    Cayenne unwrapped the towel from her head and rubbed her hair while taking steps towards her. "I can do this myself."


    "I''ve got nothing else to do so, I might as well help you."


    Cayenne didn''t refute his words and just sat on the chair in front of the vanity mirror. "I''ve always thought that you have so much free timepared to other businessmen I knew."


    "I have employees who works for me."


    "It must be the same thing with Mr. Madrigal."


    "Yup. He''s got more free time than me. Jillyanna''s family is helping him, too."


    "He''s such a great man and Jillyanna is really amazing."


    "You don''t know them that much. There are things that you don''t know about them." Stefan retorted whilebing her hair gently.


    "It doesn''t matter if I have so many things that I don''t know about them. The most important thing is that they were very good to me."


    "Speaking of being good." Stefan turned off the hair dryer for a while. "I remember the conversation you had with Travis few days ago and I''ve been thinking about it. It turned out rted to me."


    "Which conversation? We''ve talked so much I forgot some of them already." Cayenne looked at him through the mirror''s reflection and she could see regret and helplessness crossing on his face. He was even hesitating. "Did I say something wrong about you during the dinner with your friend?"


    "It''s not that." He turned on the hair dryer and started drying her hair again. "It''s about the incident that happened a year ago."


    "A year ago¡­" Cayenne tried thinking about it. "Oh! You mean the time when I first met them?"


    "Yes. I remembered that I scolded you back then." He looked towards her reflection but she didn''t show any expression to him. "I was really having a bad day that time and when you were talking with Travis, I thought it was very familiar."


    "Are you regretting it now? That the woman you scolded back then woulde to help you now?" This was meant to be a joke but, who would have thought that Stefan would take it seriously.


    He put down the things he was holding and turned Cayenne around by the shoulders. "I regretted it a lot. I didn''t mean to vent on you." He caressed her face with his thumb which caused her heart to skip a beat. "I might bete in saying this but I am really sorry." His face was really close to her and she could even feel the warmth of his breath.


    ''This is crazy!''

 Chapter 76 - ATTEND THE BALL WITH ME

    <h4>Chapter 76 - ATTEND THE BALL WITH ME</h4>


    Cayenne blushed and she felt that her face was getting hotter every second that has passed. "You''re a bit too close." She whispered while looking down on her hands. "Can you step a little bit farther?"


    "Why are you blushing? Are you feeling shy that I''m very close to you?"


    "Nope." Cayenne looked at him with her clear eye, trying her best to prove to him that she wasn''t affected by his closeness. "I just feel that it''s inappropriate for us to be so closed to each other. Do you get my point?"


    "Yes, ma''am. I understand." Stefan responded and gave her head a gentle pat. "Let me finish drying your hair so that we can go to sleep."


    "Hn."


    Just like their normal days, Stefan fell asleep with Cayenne in his arms. He had his arms wrapped around her waist and Cayenne was also hugging him back. In reality, Cayenne would always try her best to avoid hugging him back but, Stefan would always put her arms around him, making sure that he''s feeling her presence clearly.


    "There will be a year-end ball for all employees of the Clover Hotel next Saturday. Will you be attending it?" Stefan asked Cayenne over breakfast the next morning.


    "I don''t think I''ll attend it. I don''t like parties."


    "Why?"


    "I think it''s a waste of my time and money. I don''t even get anything out of it." Cayenne responded bluntly even though she was talking to the owner of the hotel. Ever since she started working, she would always avoid any gathering with the other employees. Every time she thought of having fun while her mother was suffering because of her illness, she would feel guilty and she couldn''t enjoy the asion. Thus; it''s better to avoid it.


    Stefan poured a ss of milk for her while listening to her words. "But, I want you to attend it."


    "Why?"


    "Because I will be there. I want to dance with you during the ball." He was grinning from ear to ear while he spoke which made Cayenne thought that he was just bluffing. She had no idea that he was really serious with his words.


    "I don''t know how to dance. And I won''t attend it."


    "Join the ball. I''ll send someone to help you out."


    "Do I really have to? There are other women who can dance with you and who will look better beside you." She refused once again. She didn''t want to embarrass herself in front of her colleagues and other people if he would really choose to dance with her.


    "No negotiation this time. Attend the ball with me."


    "Fine. Fine."


    Cayenne had no idea that his words of ''attend the ball with me'' has another meaning to it. She didn''t know the reason until she came to work.


    Manager Kim called everyone before the start of work. The lounge was full of female employees since there were many employees in the hotel. For the day shift, there were thirty-six employees including those with higher position. For the night shift, there were forty-three of them included the superiors. Manager Dan will hold a meeting in the evening and Manger Kim chose this time to meet with everyone.


    "As you have known, there will be a year-end party for all employees of Clover Hotel and our President, together with the other shareholders, will be attending this ball as well. A news came that our President will choose a woman to attend the ball with. So,dies, I want you to check the best clothes you have in case you will be chosen."


    "No kidding!" Luna eximed when she heard it.


    "Is this for real?! This must be some kind of a joke. Why would he choose from one of us? Is he tired of the women he had a fling with?" another employee snickered.


    "I won''t join it." Celinemented. "My husband is a very jealous type and he might kill me if he knows about this."


    "I''ll certainly join this contest." Another employee interjected. "I want to try being held in his arms."


    Manager Kim listened to their opinion but she knew that the news was just a front that Stefan used in order to attend the ball with Cayenne. On the other hand, Cayenne didn''t say anything but, she already got a feeling that the news had something to do with the conversation the two of them had during breakfast.


    ''This man is really unpredictable. I thought he wasn''t serious about it.'' She thought while looking around at the women inside the lounge. Somehow, she felt guilty towards them. They looked all excited but in fact, it was all nned. None of them will be chosen except her.


    When Cayenne got home after that shift, she found that Stefan wasn''t around yet. ''Weird. He''s usually home around this time.'' She changed her shoes to indoor slippers and went upstairs to their room. It was very quiet. She wasn''t used to this kind of silence since Stefan had always been home before her in the past days.


    She was just nning to take a shower first when her phone rang. It was a song titled Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra and she used it as a ringtone exclusively for Stefan.


    "Stefan? Where are you?"


    "I''m still at the office. I''ll be home a littlete. Don''t worry about me."


    "Are you really okay? You sound a little strange to me."


    "I''m fine. I''ll call you once I''m on my way home."


    "Sure." Cayenne agreed but she was still doubting him. "I''ll see youter."


    When the call ended, Stefan put down his phone and coughed several times. "Sir, are you sure you don''t want to go to the hospital?"


    "No. Cayenne will find out if I go there. Let''s just monitor my temp in the next two hours. I''m sure that this will be gone."


    Chris nodded his head and went out of his office to get some medicine for him. His phone buzzed several times and when he pulled it out, he saw a message from Cayenne. Worried for his boss, he told her the truth of Stefan''s condition.


    ''What an idiot.'' Cayenne badmouthed him mentally while stuffing her phone inside her small sling bag with her wallet. She didn''t bother changing her clothes; just making sure that she has a mask and a cap with her.


    She ran out of the house and jogged towards the gate of the subdivision. It was farther than she thought and when she got to the guard''s post, she was panting heavily from so much exhaustion.


    "Ma''am, do you need help?" The guard asked her while she was bending her body, clutching her chest to catch her steady breathing.


    "I-I¡­I need...a..taxi. I need¡­a..taxi." she repeated in between heavy breathing.


    "Wait a sec ma''am. I''ll get one for you."


    The guard walked towards the street and hailed a taxi for her. Cayenne just waited at the guard''s post for his help. Few minutester, a taxi was finally found for her and she immediately boarded it. "Thanks a lot for your help." Cayenne smiled and told the driver to go to Stefan''spany building.


    "I wonder what he''ll say if he finds me inside his office. Will he get angry? Am I stepping over the line?" She whispered with obvious worry reflecting on her face. She didn''t want him to get angry but she was deeply worried for him. ''Well, if he gets angry, I''ll just apologize. In any case, I won''t be doing anything unscrupulous.''


    The moment she arrived, she wore the face mask and the cap before paying the travel fare and went out of the cab. She already contacted Chris about her arrival and he was currently waiting for her at the lobby.


    "Thank you foring." Chris told her while leading her inside under the curious stares of the other employees who were still present at the moment. "I''m sorry for bothering you as well but I believe the President will listen to you."


    "And why do you think that he would listen to me?" Cayenne asked in curiosity. She had no idea that she had that advantage over him.


    Chris looked at her and faintly smiled. "You will know the reason sooner orter but, I can''t tell you about it."


    "Alright. I won''t force you." The elevator to Stefan''s office opened and the two of them came inside. "Won''t he get mad if I show up uninvited? He might think badly of me."


    "I''m pretty sure he won''t." Chris responded to reassure her.


    At the lobby, employees looked at each other as soon as Chris and Cayenne were out of their sights. They immediately formed groups and gossiped about the arrival of a woman who used the President''s exclusive lift and was personally met by Chris, the President''s secretary.


    "The President''s girlfriend came to visit him."


    "Ourdy boss visited the boss today."


    These kinds of information or thoughts spread among the employees and even the shareholders received this information as well. Sadly, they all went home after the meeting. When they were all waiting for her toe, she didn''t show up. And now that they all went home, she arrived.


    ''Thedy boss is very elusive.''

 Chapter 77 - TAKING CARE OF HIM

    <h4>Chapter 77 - TAKING CARE OF HIM</h4>


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    Chris knocked on the office door thrice and opened it right after. When she got inside, Chris left to give them space. He was just waiting for them at his desk.


    "What time is it?" Stefan asked without opening his eyes. He was lying on a sofa with a cooling pad on his forehead. There was a ss of water on the table as well.


    "It''s time for you toe home." Cayenne answered his question.


    "I think I''m getting worse. I''m hearing Ayen''s voice now."


    "That''s because I''m here."


    Stefan opened his eyes immediately and sat up straight. His vision was a bit blurry but after few seconds, he did find her standing in the middle of his office. "Ayen? Why are you here?"


    "I''m taking you home." She mumbled softly. ''I thought so highly of myself. He must not want me toe over here. This is a confidential ce, after all.'' Stefan was quiet which made her feel uneasy. She was just worried for him. "I..uhh..I know I came uninvited¡­uhm, can you just scold meter? Let''s get you home first."


    Stefan nodded his head but he was still quiet. He was uneasy that she came over to his office. Although he likes her and they''ve been together for over a month now, his office was still off-limits to other people unless he asks them toe over. He was keeping his mouth shut because he didn''t want to say it to her and hurt her again.


    Cayenne helped him stand and he was leaning on her. "I''ll ask help from Chris. I can''t have you lean on me for a long time. I''m smallerpared to you, if you have forgotten."


    "It''s fine. I''ll be fine once we''re inside the elevator."


    "Okay."


    When the two of them came out, Chris locked the office first beforeing over to help Cayenne. The two of them brought him directly to the basement where their car was being parked.


    All the way home, Stefan had his eyes closed while leaning his head on Cayenne''s shoulder. His hand was holding hers as well during the whole travel time.


    Chris helped him got inside their room while Cayenne was following behind them with his things. As soon as he was done bringing them home, Chris left to give them space in their own nest.


    Cayenne went inside the bathroom to get the thermometer and other medical supplies that she would be needing. Stefan was lying on the bed, listening to her movements around the room. ''I won''t scold her foring over.'' He told himself again and again to make sure that he won''t hurt her by ident.


    "Stefan, is it fine if I take off your shirt to wipe your body with a wet cloth?"


    "Hn." Stefan answered without even looking at her. It was better for Cayenne to do her job while he was closing his eyes because she would be deeply embarrassed if he''s looking at her.


    She slowly unbuttoned his shirt while keeping herself calm. Although she was trying her best, her heart was being so fast and her face was getting hot as well. ''I think I''m going to have a fever, too.''


    "You don''t have to do this, Ayen." Stefan held her hand to stop. His eyes were opened and they were hazy and restless. "Can you just help me to the bathroom? I''ll wipe my own body."


    "Okay." Cayenne helped him stand but when she ced her hand on his waist, Stefan held her hand to stop her once again. "Is there something wrong?"


    "No." Stefan looked at her, making sure that she was looking at his face instead of the waking beast of his lower anatomy. "I''ll go to the bathroom myself."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes."


    Due to anxiety, his messy brain started to clear up and he was soon thinking straight. He was no longer feeling dizzy which made it easier for him to walk towards the bathroom.


    Cayenne just watched him go with a helpless expression on her face. If she was just doubting earlier, this time, she knew that he was angry at her or else, he would never refuse her help.


    ''I''ll just brace myself once he starts scolding me. As long as he won''t fire me, scolding me is fine. He can scold me however he wants.''


    Stefan on the other hand was suppressing himself. For over a month that he''d been sleeping with her, this was the third time that he got an erection because of her. The first time was when she fell asleep in his suite after making her drink a wine with him. The moment he woke up, he felt a little ufortable as if he wanted to release something, when Cayenne left early in the morning, he also went inside the bathroom to take care of himself. The second time was the first night that Cayenne slept with him in his newly-bought house. Her warmth made him think of naughty ideas and it led him to get an erection in the middle of the night.


    After that night, he would think of Cayenne as his warm pillow, a drug to make him sleep or a body pillow. He had to tell himself that she''s not a woman in order to avoid getting a hard on. He had been sessful in doing so but during the day, she would upy all nook and cranny of his mind.


    Inside the bathroom, he took care of his manhood first before taking a warm shower. He needed to get better as soon as possible. Sadly, it was just a wishful thinking on his end.


    Cayenne scolded him for taking a shower. She gave him a tablet but Stefan refused to drink it. "Water is fine." He insisted but Cayenne still handed him the medicine tablet. "I don''t want it." He even averted his face to avoid the tablet.


    Since he was not looking at her, Cayenne put the tablet inside her mouth and sipped a good amount of water. She held his chin up, pressed both his cheeks to pry open his mouth and kissed him.


    "I''m very sorry. I''m sorry. I am sorry, boss. You left me with no other choice. I''m really sorry."

 Chapter 78 - SLEEPING SEPARATELY

    <h4>Chapter 78 - SLEEPING SEPARATELY</h4>


    Stefan was disoriented for a moment. The look of surprise on his face didn''t fade away and he was even touching his own lips. He could no longer taste the bitterness of the medicine tablet because all he could think of was the kiss that Cayenne gave him. It was truly a shock to him.


    Turning his head, he found Cayenne kneeling on the floor with tears on her face. "Sir, I didn''t really want to do it. I just want you to get better soon but you keep refusing the tablet. I had to do it for your own good. I am really sorry. I''m sorry."


    "You are apologizing for suddenly kissing me, right?"


    "Yes."


    Stefan''s surprised face turned dark and he looked really pissed off. "You didn''t feel anything when you did it?"


    "I was feeling scared."


    "Scared?"


    "Yes, sir."


    Stefan waved his hand to dismiss her. "You stay in the living room this time. I don''t want to see your face for now."


    "Yes, sir." Cayenne left the room immediately while wiping her tears. She really thought that she''d have a nervous breakdown after doing it to him. She couldn''t stop herself from crying due to her fear.


    Stefan heard the door closed and he shifted his body to see the empty space beside him. "How dare she kiss me and tell me that she was afraid. If she was afraid she shouldn''t have done that." His mind reyed the kissing moment again and again, making him blush. He had engaged himself in carnal acts but he never kissed any of the women. And Cayenne just took it away from him.


    Stefan fell asleep after few minutes without Cayenne beside him. Although he fell asleep, he was still restless and he kept moving around.


    In the first floor, Cayenne was making a rice porridge for him and a sandwich for herself. She had totally forgotten herself because of him. After cooking, she couldn''t take a bath because Stefan didn''t want to see her inside their room. Therefore, she slept in the living room without taking a shower or changing her clothes. She even forgot to bring a pillow and nket when she got out.


    This was the first time that the two of them slept separately.


    Stefan woke up three hourster and found that Cayenne wasn''t with him. His heart leapt up and his throat constricted. He was feeling nervous and scared. He got out of bed and checked if she was inside the bathroom but she was not. He checked her things and found her bag on the bedside drawer.


    He went out of the room and found her sleeping on a couch in the living room. She was small already but she looked even smaller after curling her body to sleep. He jogged down the stairs and went to her side.


    "Ayen?" he called her name softly while gently shaking her shoulder. "Ayen, wake up. Don''t sleep here."


    Cayenne stirred from her sleep and slowly opened her eyes. She rubbed her eyes to see things clearly and to wake herselfpletely. "Why are you out of bed?? Are you okay now? Are you hungry? I made a rice porridge for you. Wait a minute. I''ll heat it up for you."


    She wasn''t looking at him when she spoke and she didn''t wait for his response as well. She walked to the kitchen to prepare the porridge for him.


    "Ayen, after I eat the porridge, please go back to sleep with me."


    "It is okay for me to show myself in front of you, now? Are you not angry with me?"


    "I''m not angry."


    "Okay."


    She''s easy to talk to and she doesn''tplicate things. She will follow whatever he instructs her to do as long as it''s not overstepping her boundaries. Although she did something without his permission, she believed that she did it for his own good.


    After heating the food, she gave him a bowl of it and a ss of water. "I''ll stay in the living room. Just call me once you''re done eating."


    "Can''t you stay with me here? Did you eat already?"


    "I have eaten my fill already and it''s better for me to stay out of your sight for a while. Don''t worry, I''ll go back to sleep with you."


    Stefan watched her leave with heavy heart. Although she promised to go back with him, he felt that their rtionship was getting sour. ''Did I do something that hurts her again? I''m pretty sure I didn''t scold her.''


    While he was busy eating and thinking at the same time, Cayenne went back to sleep in the living room. She felt really tired. As soon as Stefan finished eating his food, he washed the dishes and dried them, only to find Cayenne sleeping on the couch when he got out of the kitchen to call her.


    ''Now, I''m sure that I said something hurtful to her.'' Stefan thought to himself while watching her sleeping face. He squatted down on the floor and tucked the stray hairs behind her ear. He caressed her face and smiled faintly. "I''m sorry."


    Cayenne felt itchy on her face, when she scratched her face, she felt someone''s hand. She opened her eyes and found Stefan watching her closely. "Are you done eating?"


    "Hn."


    "Let me wash the dishes first so, we can go to sleep."


    "I washed it already."


    "I see. Then, let''s go back to bed."


    "Won''t you ask me why I was staring at you earlier?"


    "No. I''m pretty sure you aren''t thinking of anything bad so I''m not worried and I don''t need to know."


    Stefan held her hand and pulled her to stop. "Ayen, are we still okay?"


    "Yes. Why?"


    He scratched the back of his head while watching her. "I just feel that you are being distant right now."


    "It''s just your imagination." Cayenne responded. She smiled at him as if nothing happened between them. She wanted to forget the words he said as well. "Let''s get inside?"


    "Can I still hug you to sleep?"


    "Hn."


    Stefan stepped closer and hugged her. "Thank you so much for always forgiving me. I know I said something that upsets you but you still tried your best to make sure that our rtionship won''t get affected."


    "I''m just doing my job. Getting scolded by an employer or receiving some hurtful words is just a normal urrence. And we don''t have any rtionship."

 Chapter 79 - DISTANCING THEMSELVES

    <h4>Chapter 79 - DISTANCING THEMSELVES</h4>


    Stefan stiffened at her words. He pulled away from her and looked at her eyes. It was clear and indifferent. "No, we''re not okay."


    "I think we''re fine."? Cayenne insisted. "Are you going to sleep or not?"


    "No, we''re not sleeping until we solve our problem."


    "And what problem do we have? I don''t see one." Cayenne insisted without batting an eyelid. Maybe she was being hot and cold towards him but she realized that she was indeed getting too close to him. It''s a bad thing if she keeps relying on him. Money was one problem and she didn''t want to invest her emotions as well.


    Stefan brought her inside their room and let her sit on their bed. "I said something earlier, right? I hurt you again, right?"


    "No, you did not."


    "You''re lying. I know I said something."


    "Since you know, why bother asking me?"


    "So, you''ve admitted that I did say something."


    Cayenne took a deep breath and sighed. "Sir Stefan, you''ve paid me to help you sleep. We faked our rtionship with my parents and since they''re not here, you don''t need to do so much for me. You don''t need to think about my welfare."


    "Ayen, are we going to fight when Christmas is just around the corner?"


    "We are not fighting. We are discussing."


    Stefan felt a throbbing headache in this situation once again. It''s veryte into the night but the two of them were still awake. They both have to wok on the next day, too.


    "I''m sorry." Stefan spoke softly. "I''m sorry if I make you feel that you are just a tool for me. I''m sorry if we had to lie to your family. I''m sorry for saying something rude to you earlier."


    "Hn."


    "Ayen, can we not dwell on employer-employee rtionship. I''m starting to hate it."


    "If you don''t like that status we have then, you have no other choice but to fire me."


    "Then, will you be my friend?"


    "I don''t sleep with a friend."


    "Can I court you properly?"


    "Do you like me?"


    "I like you to be my friend."


    "Why are you courting me, then?"


    "To make or rtionship real."


    "But you don''t like me in a romantic way. There''s no need to court me."


    "What should I do?"


    "ept the fact that I am your employee and you are my employer. That''s it."


    Stefan sat on the space beside her and covered his face with his hands. "I don''t like this."


    Cayenne looked at him with a calm face but she was actually hurting inside. She was d that she directly asked him if he likes her.? In that way, she was able to know what his real thoughts of her and she was able to stop her heart from falling even deeper for him.


    "I''m fine with this." She stated. "In this way, we know our ce in each other''s life. I''m sorry for getting inside yourpany building without your permission. I''m sorry for letting you lie to my family when it was my own problem. I''m sorry for causing you so much trouble in the past days."


    "I hope you won''t regret this decision, Ayen."


    Cayenne looked at him and smile. "I''ll do my best not to."


    Stefan stood up and went to his side of the bed. Cayenne did the same and covered herself. She knew that her sprouting love for him won''t be given the chance to form buds and blossom. It''s better to kill it before it kills her heart in the future.


    The next day, a news came which shocked both Jessie and Manager Kim. The woman who will attend the party with Stefan wasn''t Cayenne. It was Mona. The news was posted in the group chat and it was Chris who posted it. He was also surprised to hear it from his boss but he didn''t question him.


    Cayenne wasn''t the least bit surprise. In any case, she decided not to attend the ball so, the news didn''t affect her at all. She agreed toe with him but since she was reced then, there''s no need for her toe.


    Time passed by quickly and the day of the ball arrived. Stefan left hispany early in the afternoon since he needed to prepare and to make sure that his date for the evening party was properly tended by the stylist that he chose.


    "What time will you be back?" Cayenne messaged him as she was about to leave the hotel. They have an early end of shift this time because of the ball. She was nning to go back to the apartment that day.


    "I''lle back after the ball."


    "Okay." She turned her phone into silent mode and ced it inside her bag.


    "Cayenne, are you really skipping this year''s party? You skippedst year and here I was thinking that you will be attending the party this year." Manager Kim approached her and asked.


    "I don''t really like parties." Cayenne responded with a smile. "I don''t like wasting my time in this kind of event since I don''t get anything from it."


    "Oh. I just thought that you might be interested with the prizes this year."


    "I''m fine without them. I can just work to get the things we need."


    ''They must be fighting.'' Manager Kim thought while looking at the petite woman in front of her. "If you ever change your mind, please let me know so I can make arrangement for you."


    "There''s no need. Thank you for your kind consideration Manager Kim. I''ll go home now."


    Cayenne left the hotel and boarded the taxi that was waiting for her and asked Leon to send her to the apartment. Cayenne watched the sceneries that they passed by and as she was getting farther, the pain in her heart was bing more unbearable. A lone tear fell on her hand and it felt really cold to her skin.


    ''I should''ve been more careful with my heart around him. I was very confident that I would never fall for him and now, I lost to my own words and he doesn''t like me the way I do. I''m such an idiot.''


    "Ma''am we''ve arrived to your apartment." Leon informed her which pulled her back from her thoughts.


    "Thank you. Drive safely." Cayenne stated beforeing out of the cab.


    "Yen! You''re back early today." Kyle mentioned when he saw his sistering inside.


    "We have an early end of shift today since there''s a ball in the evening."


    "And you''re skipping it again."


    "Hn. It''s fine. I want to take a rest. Where''s Luiz?"


    "He''s making his projects that needed to be passed once the sses resume."


    "I see. You are on break starting this week. Anyway, I entrust our mother to your care while I''m out working."


    "Sure."


    Cayenne checked Luiz and her mother before going to her own room to rest. She pulled open her drawer and found the letter that Jillyanna gave her a year ago. "Maybe I should stop working for him. I am not in dire need of money and we''ve got enough in our savings, too." Thinking about it is easy but doing it is not. She didn''t want to leave him yet. She still wanted to spend more time with him. "I feel sorry for my poor heart."

 Chapter 80 - ATTENDING THE BALL WITHOUT HER

    <h4>Chapter 80 - ATTENDING THE BALL WITHOUT HER</h4>


    Cayenne slept in the afternoon to rest her heart and mind. She didn''t want to think about the year-end party because she''d only feel disappointment and pain in her heart.


    Stefan checked his phone from time to time. She was waiting for her to send him another message but there was none. The start of the party quickly arrived and he picked Mona so that they can go together to the ball. Mona wasn''t the least bit thrilled being partnered with her boss since she''s got a boyfriend.


    "Sir, I haven''t gone to parties like this with a date?? What should I be doing beside you?"


    "You don''t need to do anything special. Just be yourself and you don''t have to stay by my side as well."


    "Okay." Mona smiled and clung to his arm to be properly escorted. When they got inside, Mona received the envious gazes of the otherdies. Some cheered for her but most of them were jealous. There were so manydies who wanted to be picked by him but she was became the chosen one.


    Stefan smiled faintly to the employees and to the other guests. He remained polite but his eyes were looking for a certain someone. He thought that she was going to attend the party separately ande home on her own as well. However, an hour had passed and he still couldn''t fine her.


    "Manager Kim, can you check the list and find if everyone''s here?"


    "Uhm, there''s no need for me to check sir. Only Ms. Ardolf is missing this year. Well, she was missingst year, too."


    "I see. Thanks for letting me know."


    Stefan was disappointed but he already had this hunch that she won''t being to the party after what happened between them. Whenever he thought that everything''s going well between them, something happens and ruin their rtionship. And most of the time, it''s because of his careless remarks.


    People chat with their friends, Stefan talked to the shareholders and other guests, Mona also talked to her colleagues and shared her experience during the preparation. Some teased her about being the next target of the boss but she only made face at them stating that she loves her boyfriend and she wouldn''t exchange him even if it''s the boss.


    When it was time to dance, Stefan danced with Mona and received a round of apuse from everyone. Jessie looked towards Manager Kim and the two of them shrugged their shoulders. ''The lovers fought.'' The two of them thought since Cayenne was not around and Stefan came with a different woman.


    After the dance, Stefan checked his phone again and it was already eight in the evening. There was no message from her at all. He sent her a message for them to have dinner together but Cayenne didn''t respond to his message. Although he attended the party, he was nning not to eat with them and instead, skip it and have dinner with her but Cayenne ignored him.


    In the apartment, Kyle woke her up to eat dinner. She went out of her room without checking her phone and joined her family to eat. They talked about their ns for Christmas and for New Year.


    "Stefan is probablying for Christmas. Probably." Cayenne told her family. If nothing happened between them, she was sure that Stefan will spend Christmas with them. After what happened, she was full of hesitations and doubts if they would still continue with their ns.


    "That would be great." Luiz responded. "Is heing on the New Year as well?"


    "I don''t think so." Cayenne mumbled softly. "Anyway, you can just tell me whatever n you have in mind."


    Her mother looked at her for few seconds but in the end, she didn''t say anything. Cayenne pretended that everything''s fine between him and Stefan. In any case, once she stops working for him, she can just tell them that they broke up. Easy.


    After eating her dinner, she went back to her room and took a shower. She changed her clothes and prepared to go back to the house and sleep with Stefan.


    "Yen?" Her mother knocked on her door and called for her name. "Can, I talk to you?"


    "Sure. Wait a sec." Cayenne stood up and opened the door for her. "Is there problem, ma?"


    "I don''t have any problem but I think you have."


    "Me? What problem can I have?"


    "Stefan."


    Cayenne stiffened and remained standing in front of her mother. She forgot to let her in. "I have no problem with him. We''re doing fine."


    "You are not. When you talked about him earlier, you don''t look happy."


    Cayenne smiled faintly at her mother. "You are thinking too much, ma. Stefan and I are doing fine. I am just tired with worktely. We''ve got so many customers and some of them were so difficult to deal with."


    "I see. I was just worried for you." Her mother took her hand and squeezed it gently. "If you have any problem, just let me know."


    "Thanks, ma." Cayenne responded. "Anyway, I''ve got to leave for my part-time job."


    "Okay. Take care of yourself."


    "Hn."


    Cayenne checked the clock on her bedside table and found that it was few minutes past nine in the evening. She didn''t want to call the taxi driver thiste in the night so, she walked to the waiting station and hailed anther taxi to send her back to the subdivision. And because the driver wasn''t registered in the system, Cayenne had to walk from the main gate of the subdivision to their house.


    Stefan stood in the middle of the living room with a dark face. He expected her to be home in this hour but she was nowhere to be found. "Did she go back to their apartment?" He mumbled to herself. "If she did, she would always tell me about it but this time, she did not. Did something happen to her?"


    He was just about to call her when he heard the clicking sound of the door being unlocked. And the face of the woman that he had been thinking appeared.

 Chapter 81 - YOU ARE THE BIGGEST FOOL

    <h4>Chapter 81 - YOU ARE THE BIGGEST FOOL</h4>


    Cayenne saw him standing in the middle of the living room while holding his phone and her number disying on the screen.


    "Where have you been?" Stefan asked with a hint of anger on his voice. He pocketed his phone and focused his attention to her.


    Cayenne changed her slippers and walked towards him. "Sorry foring backte. I went back to the apartment." She apologized and even bowed her head in front of him.


    "Why did you go back there? It would have been fine if you return here during your working hours. Weren''t you suppose to be here before seven in the evening? Your work should start after you''re done with your work in the hotel." Stefan bit his lower lip because he didn''t want to say these words. Before he can stop himself, he was already spouting these words that could possibly hurt her. "Ayen, I-"


    Cayenne gulped drily and kept her head down. "I''m sorry. I won''t let it happen again. I thought it was fine since you went to the ball and you mentioned that you will be home after the party. I apologize for not asking your permission." She raised her head and looked at him with apologetic smile. "I got ahead of myself. Anyway, I''ll see to it that this carelessness won''t repeat." Her heart was breaking but she didn''t show it on her face. She maintained being professional with him.


    Stefan opened his mouth but closed it again. He didn''t know what to say to her. He didn''t even understand why he was getting angry when she just went back to her home. "I''m sorry." Stefan mumbled helplessly.


    Cayenne looked at him and smiled faintly. "You don''t need to apologize to me, sir. It''s my fault for not asking your permission."


    "I don''t like this. Ayen, I don''t like this situation we are in."


    "Sir Stefan, don''t think too much about this situation we have. Just think of me as a tool that can help you sleep. As long as you act ording to the contract we have, I don''t really mind our situation."


    "You are so heartless." Stefan couldn''t help but say these words. ''No! I didn''t want to say that.'' But it was toote, he already said it.


    Cayenne blinked her eyes several times and she clenched her right hand into fist. "I''m sorry if you think I''m heartless, sir. I actually have a heart but the space is fully upied with my family. There''s no more space for someone else."


    "Is that so?" Stefan smirked. "I understand. Anyway, let''s just go to sleep." He was shock to know that he has no space in her heart and a cruel n was formed in his mind because of what she said. He will make sure to make her fall in love with him and dump her after he''s fully cured with his insomnia. He will upy half of the space in her heart.


    Cayenne followed Stefan upstairs while trying her best to stop her tears from falling. ''Soon. I''ll give up my love soon.'' Cayenne told herself.


    You never knew that you love someone unless you''re hurt because of that person. And lovees with pain. This time, Cayenne knew that she was really in love. When Arthur''s mother came to confront her, she wasn''t hurt because she was told to stay away from him. She was hurt because she was belittled. In Stefan''s case, she was hurt with all the negative words he said. Just the thought of being separated with him someday, hurts her so much.


    Stefan went to the bathroom to take a shower and Cayenne waited for him outside. While he was bathing, Cayenne''s tired and exhausted look seemed to appear in front of him. She was sweaty and some strands of her hair were sticking to her forehead and the neckline of her shirt was a little damp.


    "Did she run from the gate to the house? Didn''t she get back here with the driver?" His guilty conscience kicked in but it was toote to regret what he did. He already scolded her even though she didn''t do anything wrong. She didn''t even try to understand her to begin with.


    Frustrated with what she did, Stefan punched the bathroom wall which scraped some skin on his knuckles. "Stefan, you''re the biggest idiot!''


    Cayenne was sitting on the bed while waiting for him toe out. She needed to shower too since she was sweaty from the long walk she did. When Stefan came out, she immediately stood up to get inside the bathroom. She needed to double her time since it was gettingte and he needed to sleep soon.


    When she stole a nce at him, she noticed his red knuckles. "What happened to you? Why are you bleeding?"


    "This does not concern you. Go and take a shower so we can sleep."


    "You are my boss and your safety during nighttime inside this house is my concern. Wait her for a bit." Cayenne look for the first aid kit and took some betadine, cotton buds, gauze and tape. She cleaned the scrapes on his knuckles with the cotton buds and betadine.


    "I can do this myself." Stefan mentioned and even tried pushing her away by her shoulders.


    "Stop moving. I''ll be done in few minutes."


    Stefan watched her clean his small wounds. For some reason, she felt happy that she was concern for him but he also felt upset that she was only doing it because he was her boss. He raised her hand, wanting to touch her head but, Cayenne looked at him, making him retract his hand.


    "I''m done." She told him and gave him a gentle smile. "You can go to bed first."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne returned the kit back to the medicine cab and took a shower right after. She didn''t take long since she already had her bathe at home. She didn''t take a full shower so, there''s no need to dry her hair.


    "Come on. I''m sleepy already." Stefan was patting her side of the bed even though she just got out of the shower.

 Chapter 82 - WHAT IS HE THINKING?!

    <h4>Chapter 82 - WHAT IS HE THINKING?!</h4>


    The next day, Cayenne''s eyes were about to fall out of her eye sockets from the shock.


    Stefan woke up earlier than her and he didn''t even bother waking her up. She slept all the way until it was nine in the morning since there was no work to do.? What greeted her was a tray on her bedside table which was full of foods. A portable thermos mug with a hot chocte inside it was also provide.


    She picked up the note that he left on top of the food covering. ''Rise and shine, my dear Ayen. Please don''t go somewhere today because I''ming back during lunch and we will be going to a fun ce. See you.''


    Cayenne frowned deeply while reading the note. "Ehh? What is he thinking? What happened? Wasn''t he angryst night? Is he okay?" Cayenne was worried now. She had no idea what he was nning at all. She opened the food covering and started eating her food. She drank the hot chocte and she felt refreshed after eating.


    She pulled out her phone and found a message from her. "So, he texted mest night." Cayenne mumbled while reading his message. "Is this the reason why he got mad? But, why was he going to have dinner with me. Don''t parties have food?" She questioned herself and felt that Stefan was getting really weird.


    ''Thank you for the food. And sorry for oversleeping.'' Stefan was reading this message from her while Chris was reading the daily report to him.


    ''I''m d you like it.'' Stefan replied, not paying attention to what Chris was reading. He was going to make her fall madly in love with him. ''I hope this n won''t backfire at me.'' Stefan mentally told himself with precaution.


    Around eleven in the morning, Stefan went home with food boxes. When he arrived, Cayenne was also checking the refrigerator for food ingredients. She was nning to cook for their lunch but Stefan brought home several boxes of food.


    "I''m home."


    "Hn. Wee back." Cayenne helped him in arranging the dishes on the disposable boxes.


    "Let''s just use the disposable boxes and utensils to eat. That way, we don''t need to wash the dishes and we can leave the house immediately."


    "Okay." She will never contradict him with whatever his ns were as long as they were decent and it won''t cross her bottom line. They sat facing each other and ate their lunch. "How was your work?"


    "It''s was okay. I didn''t have much to do so, there''s nothing worth worrying plus, all the business under my name and the ones that I have shares with are doing great."


    "That''s good to know." Cayenne responded with a genuine smile. Even if she was hurting, even if she was having a hard time, she was genuinely happy for him. She likes to see him having a great time in his own business. "Where are we going by the way?"


    "It''s a secret. You will know about it soon."


    Cayenne pursed her lips and nodded her head. "Do I need to be formal?" she asked after a minute has passed.


    "You can wear the clothes that you''re mostfortable with. We are going somewhere to rx and have fun."


    "I understand."


    Stefan looked at her and his heart was aching to see that she was being forceful around him. It was obvious that she was not looking forward to the time that the two of them will be spending in the afternoon.


    Deep inside, Cayenne was super happy to be invited with him to hangout and have some quality time with just the two of them. She was looking forward to this time but she had to keep a straight face in front of him because she can''t show him her real feelings. It won''t do her good if he finds out.


    The two of them finished their food after half an hour and Stefan helped her cleanup their dining table and disposed their garbage. "Go and change your clothes. We''re going out after half an hour."


    "Hn. I''ll be quick."


    Cayenne ran upstairs, followed by his intense gaze. He put her hand inside his pocket and found the two tickets he bought for the theater show. He didn''t know about it but Chris told him that it''s a good ce to have a date. Unlike movies, theater show was more realistic and you can even interact with the actors.


    Their dialogues were live and there''s no option for take two or to edit it. In his mind, theater show is an amazing form of art. And it just so-happen that a theater group arrived in the city not long ago and rented the old theater art to conduct their first theater show. He can only wish that nothing would go wrong in his choice of ce to date.


    "I''m done." Cayenne showed up wearing faded blue jeans, a ck crop top tube downed with white long sleeves which she rolled-up all the way to her elbows. She paired it with white strapped sandals, white sling bag and made sure to bring a baseball cap and dark sses with her. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail for her to easily insert the capter and it would be difficult for someone to take it off from her.


    Stefan looked her from head to toe. Although he likes what she was wearing, he didn''t like her to show her fair skin to other men, specially her t and smooth stomach.


    "Change your tube. Find a simple shirt to pair with that jeans."


    "Why? Does it look bad on me?"


    "I don''t mean it that way. I''m just worried that you''d get a stomach ache after our date."


    "Date?! Why are we going to have a date?" Cayenne clutched the sling of her bag from anxiousness. She had no idea that it will be a date with him.


    Stefan stepped forward and held her chin to make her look up to him. "You promised to have a date with me. A date like what real couples do."


    "Did I?"


    "Yup. And I want to have that date now."

 Chapter 83 - GOING ON A DATE I

    <h4>Chapter 83 - GOING ON A DATE I</h4>


    Cayenne went back to her room and changed her upper clothes. She wore a light pink shirt with a cute white bunny print. "Is this fine now?" Cayenne asked while showing him her outfit.


    "That looks good and I think I have something to make it look better." He took hold of her hand and gave her a bracelet. There were small letters that entuates the gold bracelet and when she read it, it actually spelled her name. "I know this looks good on you."


    Cayenne touched the bracelet with her fingers. "I like it." She mumbled with a smile. "But, what''s this for? You won''t be deducting my sry for this, right?"


    "Of course, not." Stefan responded instantly. "This is my ''thank you'' gift for you. You''ve been helping me a lot these days and you showed genuine concern for me. Although my office is off-limit to everyone unless I consented them toe in, I am not angry at you. In fact, I''m quite happy to know that someone cares for me."


    "You are paying me to do my job. You don''t need to give me a gift."


    "I want to give you one. Please don''t refuse it." She nodded her head in agreement and walked to his side. "Shall we go?"


    "Are you excited?" Stefan still asked, whether she lies or not, it won''t matter to him. He just wanted to know.


    Cayenne was walking beside him and hearing his question, she stopped walking for a while. "I''m not particrly excited to this date but I''m looking forward to the experience. Even if this is just a consensual date, at least, I still get to experience what date is like."


    "I see. I''ll do my best to give you the best date in your life. I might exceed your future husband."


    "Let''s not talk about future husband or whatever you call it. I don''t think it wille to me."


    "Fine. Let''s just enjoy our day."


    And because the mighty boss went to have a date, Chris, was left to deal with all the work in thepany. "This is fine. I will have a long vacation leave after this." He had this premonition because Stefan was nning to go somewhere in February. And if he will go somewhere unrted to work, that means, he can take a leave, too. Hopefully.


    Stefan drove the car to the city with Cayenne sitting shot gun beside him. "What do you want for dinner, by the way?"


    "Hmm, I don''t have any cravings. How about we have street foods? Have you ever eaten some street foods?"


    "Of course." Stefan admitted instantly. "When I was in high school and college, I don''t have so much money like I have now. I had to skip meals and whenever I got some money, I would buy fish balls, tempura, chicken feet, squid balls and other food the can be bought in the street. Many of my ssmates warned me about it because these kinds of food are considered dirty and not well-prepared. However, these foods kept me going. It helps me survive."


    "We, sort of, experienced the same thing. You know that we are not well-off, right?" Stefan nodded. "When my brothers'' father was still around, he would bring us different kinds of food. He worked for the family. Things happened and he''s now gone. When there were just four of us, our mother had to work hard for us. I was still studying back then and every penny counts for us. We don''t buy things if it is not really needed. Our wants were pushed at the back of our minds and all we did was study hard and be thrifty. When we ran out of viands, we will buy some street foods to eat with our rice." Cayenne was caressing the bracelet on her hand while talking to him. "When I think about it, I''m thankful that I get to experience those difficult moments in my life."


    "I feel the same." Stefan replied to her. "Those moments helped me be a better person." Cayenne raised her head and looked at him with questioning look on her face. "That does not apply to my attitude towards women."


    "I have the same thought." Cayenne chuckled at his honest words. "Anyway, having a woman in life has nothing to do with me. You can do with whatever you want. However, you''d have to do it during the night because you need to spend the night with me."


    "Hn." Although he perfunctorily agreed with her words, he''s got no ns to do it. He wouldn''t look for someone while the two of them are still together. Perhaps, after getting cured from his insomnia, he will find someone to bed with again.


    Not long after, they arrived at the theater but the parking lot was fully packed. Stefan looked for another parking space. He drove to thergest mall in the city and found an avable parking space. The theater stage room was not far from where they parked and they can just walk towards the venue.


    "Make sure to wear your sses and cap." Stefan reminded her. He waited for her to get herself ready while she was putting on her cap and sses.


    "Do I look okay?"


    "Hn. No one will recognize you now." Stefan put his own sses and got out of the car. "Don''t go out yet."


    Cayenne blinked her eyes while following him with her eyes.? She was curious as to what he was nning this time. He walked to her side of the car and opened the door for her. "You don''t really have to do this." Cayenne mumbled and she was thankful for the cap and sses which helped hide away her blush. Although she was hiding her bashful face, her earlobe gave her away.


    Stefan smirked upon seeing this reaction. ''This is just the start.'' Stefan thought. He took hold of her hand and intertwined their fingers as if they were a real couple; and walked towards the theater.

 Chapter 84 - GOING ON A DATE II

    <h4>Chapter 84 - GOING ON A DATE II</h4>


    Cayenne''s chest hurts so much because of the abnormal beat of her heart. She thought she''d suffocate and she felt her face going hot.


    "Are you alright?" Stefan asked.


    "I''m fine." Cayenne asked. She continued to walk beside him without saying anything. Although they were dating like real couple, Cayenne couldn''t get herself to act like one. She didn''t want to show her feelings to him no matter what happens in the future. She knew that he was just doing this to patch up their current rtionship and that he has no special feelings for her. Cayenne was well-aware.


    Five minutes of walking, the two of them finally arrived at the ticketing booth. They presented their tickets and got their pamphlets and a special pin with the title of the show written on it. They were going to watch the y titled The Great Gatsby which was a 1925 novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This was a very famous novel and many people like it. Universities and secondary schools always include this amazing literary work in their curriculum.


    Stefan have watched several ys before but that was when he stayed in UK and US. He watched theater shows during his vacations and this time, he wanted to share the experience with Cayenne.


    "Can I keep this?" Cayenne asked him while showing the small circle pin.


    "Sure. You can have it."


    Cayenne put the pin inside her bag to make sure that she won''t lose it. There were many people inside the theater and it was very dark. Someone from the staff was leading them to find their respective seats and Cayenne held on to Stefan''s hand tightly. She didn''t want to lose him as well.


    Even though it was her first time to watch an actual theater show, Cayenne knew the etiquette and proper manners when watching one. She studied before and there were times that students from the Education Department needed to create their own y. She watched a show created by a student before. Although it wasn''t the best y, she still liked the story that the students made.


    Cayenne sat quietly beside him and Stefan was also observing her from his peripheral vision. Since they''ve been staying inside for few minutes now, he was slowly adjusting to the dim light and could faintly see her beautiful face.


    "Ayen?"


    "Hn?"


    "I hope you''ll enjoy this show."


    "I think I will. I like the novel of this y so, if they''re not going too far from the original version, I think I will like it." Stefan reached out his hand and carefully rubbed her head to make sure that he won''t mess up her hair.


    After few more minutes of waiting, the curtain was finally lifted and the bright and carefully chosen set showed up in front of them. The casket of Jay Gatsby was ced on the stage which can be seen by everyone. The stage was arranged as to let the audience feel the actual moment of attending someone''s wake.


    One after the other, the actors showed up and yed their part. Cayenne was so focused with the y that she didn''t notice him holding her hand. Stefan wanted to feel her warmth and because she wasn''t paying attention, he intertwined their fingers once again and he even covered it with his other hand.


    The first act ended and it received a round of apuse from everyone. Cayenne let out a deep breath and that''s when she realized that she was so caught up with the show making her hold her breath for a while.


    "Like it?" Stefan questioned with a smile. She turned her head to see him and smiled brightly.


    "Thank you. I really like the show. I just hope that the next act won''t be boring."


    "Let''s wait and see."


    Cayenne wanted to wipe the sweat on her face when she noticed that her hand was held by him. Instead of using her right hand, she wiped her sweat with the left. Seeing her struggle, Stefan pulled out his handkerchief and wiped her sweat for her.


    "Stefan?" It was her turn to call his name now.


    "What is it?"


    "Forget it. I forgot the things that I wanted to say. I''ll let you know once I remember it."


    "Sure." He answered nonchntly and looked towards the stage once again.


    Cayenne looked at his side profile and when he turned around to face her, she looked away immediately. ''My god! He almost caught me! That was really scary. Please don''t let him think anything. Please let him ignore me.'' Sadly, that''s not going to happen. Stefan has no ns to ignore her.


    Two hourster, the y finally ended and they received a standing ovation from the audience. Cayenne pped her hands as well after Stefan let go of her. Holding him for a long time made her felt warm but when he let go of her, she realized that she needed to do the same with her feelings ¨C she needed to let go of him.


    They crowd slowly got out of the theater and many people congratted the staff for their sessful y. Some even gave tips and asked them to prepare for another y in the next few months.


    Cayenne and Stefan walked out of the theater, still holding each other''s hand. "We still have some time before their dinner. Do you want to go somewhere?"


    "How about we go to the nearest amusement park? It''s been a long time since I''ve had fun in an amusement park." Cayenne suggested to him. She wasn''t sure if he would agree but she wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel once again. She wanted to see the stars at the highest peak of the wheel and watch the beautiful city below their feet.


    "Let''s go." Stefan pulled her close and led her to the nearest amusement park. ''Chris told me that amusement parks are women''s favorite. Is it really fun in there?'' he asked himself while walking beside her. He couldn''t really understand why women like crowded ces.


    Nheless, he still brought her to the ce that she wanted to be at. ''The happier she is, the sadder she''ll be when all this end.''

 Chapter 85 - GOING ON A DATE III

    <h4>Chapter 85 - GOING ON A DATE III</h4>


    The two of them got into the Alice in Wondend''s Amusement Park. The mascots were really cute and there were many children who came with their family. Thest time she''s been to the amusement park was when her stepfather brought her and Kyle to have fun after school. Luiz didn''t exist that time yet.


    "Let me get a ticket for the Ferris Wheel ride." Stefan told her and let her take a seat on one of the benches around the ce. They''ve been walking for quite some time and he thought that she''s tired.


    Cayenne didn''t question him. He can do whatever he thinks is right. In any case, this is just a fake date. Even though she tried her best not to invest her feelings, she couldn''t stop her heart from feeling warm with all his sweet and thoughtful actions. ''If only this is real.'' Cayenne sighed to herself when she watched him go to the ticketing booth.


    Stefan looked back to see her and that''s when he caught her watching him. She smiled at him and he smiled back. He even waved his hand. ''Is she really doing all the things she did for me because of her job? Doesn''t she have any single affection for me?''


    ''You don''t have any slight affection for her, too. What''s the difference?'' Stefan''s other side of the brain retorted.


    ''But I genuinely cared for her before.''


    ''If you genuinely cared for her, you wouldn''t think of something that could possibly hurt her. That''s not how you care for someone.''


    Stefan was basically arguing with himself internally and he couldn''t seem to make up his mind.


    "Excuse me, sir. Is there anything that I can help you with?" It was the ticketingdy that brought Stefan to reality.


    He looked around him and found Cayenne not far from where he was. "I want two tickets for the Ferris Wheel and the rollercoaster."


    "Just a moment sir." Thedy turned around to get two tickets for each ride that Stefan mentioned. "Here you go, sir."


    Stefan handed his card to pay for it. He looked around the ce for any other things that the two of them could do. Thedy returned his card and Stefan went back to Cayenne with the tickets that he bought.


    Seeing the extra two tickets for a different ride, Cayenne looked at him with what-is-that-ticket-for gaze. "This is for the rollercoaster." Stefan spoke without waiting for her to speak. Cayenne nodded her head without saying anything. "Let''s go."


    "Okay." Stefan held her hand once again. He really liked the feeling of holding her hand with his. They lined up for the Ferris wheel first. Cayenne had been looking forward to this ride.


    "Ayen?" Stefan called her without looking at her.


    "Yes?"


    "Christmas ising near, I am still going to your house, right?"


    "Hn. I told them already that you''d being with me. If you want to cancel it, it is also fine with me."


    Stefan thought about it. He''s deceiving her anding to the apartment would mean deceiving her family. ''We''ve deceived them already and going there won''t change a thing.''


    "I''m still going." Stefan mumbled after few minutes. "I want to celebrate Christmas with your family."


    "Okay." Cayenne perfunctorily responded. Whether hees or doesn''t really matter to her. It''s his life after all. He can choose however he wants to celebrate the asion. After almost ten minutes of waiting, it was finally their turn to get into the cable car of the Ferris Wheel. "Is this your first time riding a Ferris Wheel?"


    "Why do you ask?" Stefan questioned, trying to keep a straight face in front of her.


    "Because you don''t look like you''re enjoying this ride."


    Stefan''s mouth quivered as they continued to go up. The people below them was getting smaller and he could feel the trembling of his knees even though he was sitting opposite her.


    "I''m afraid of high ces with transparent floorings."


    "Oh." Cayenne moved to his side and held his hand. "Don''t look down. Why don''t you look at the sky instead?"


    Stefan raised his head following her instruction. This was just part of his acting. He wanted her to feel that she''s important to him because he still rode the Ferris Wheel with her despite his ''fear''. Stefan will do her best to make her fall in love with him. ''But will she fall in love with me if she sees I''m weak?''


    Because of this thought, Stefan changed immediately. "Ayen, it''s good to have you beside me. I''m no longer afraid."


    "I''m d to know that you are feeling okay now." While saying these words, she was actually smiling internally. She didn''t expect to see the cute side of Stefan during this fake date. "Would you still want to ride the rollercoaster?"


    "Hn. As long as you won''t let go of me."


    "I promise I won''t let go of your hand. Don''t worry."


    The ride continued and the moment they finished it, and got out of the cable car, Cayenne looked for a store to buy a bottle of mineral water for him.


    In this moment, it''s Stefan''s turn to watch her walk away from him. The scene from his dream with Cayenne dying in front of him suddenly appeared and he felt scared. He reached out his hand to her but Cayenne continued to walk away.


    "Ayen." He called her name but Cayenne didn''t turn back to look at him. He''s feeling weird with the thought of losing her. He didn''t want to lose her. "Ayen! Come back!"


    Cayenne heard him calling which made her spin around only to see his worried and frightened expression. She walked back to him with equal worry on her face. "What happened? Are you okay?"


    Stefan grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers, locking her with his. "You told me that you won''t let go of me. Why did you walk away by yourself?"


    His voice was loud enough to make the other people look at him.


    "Hey! Isn''t that Stefan Dumrique?" one of the women in the crowd asked.

 Chapter 86 - MEETING FRIENDS ON A DATE

    <h4>Chapter 86 - MEETING FRIENDS ON A DATE</h4>


    Stefan was wearing his sses earlier but he removed it when they got out of the Ferris Wheel. Since he was looking down, no one recognized him. Now, his face was clear for everyone to see.


    Cayenne looked at the crowd and smiled. "I guess my boyfriend has so much resemnce with that businessman. He''s been getting so much attention because of him." It was a lie. A lie to save him.


    The young woman looked at him and looked at the picture she searched on her phone. "Wow! They really are very much alike." She showed it to her friend and they all agreed with her. "But I guess resemnce is all he got. There''s no way that someone rich as Stefan Dunmrique would show up in this ce."


    "I know right." Another woman stated. "For all I know, he must be out there doing someone again."


    "Hey! Careful with your words. There are children around you." Another person spoke. She was covering the ears of the little girl beside her.


    "Sorry, auntie." Thedy apologized immediately. "Anyway, let''s go and have fun." Thedy and her friends left. However, the other people were still looking towards Cayenne and Stefan.


    "Anything else?" Cayenne questioned with a raised eyebrow. "I don''t like people who judges my boyfriend just because he resembles that businessman. You don''t even know Stefan Dumrique that much. Before judging someone, go home and check yourself if you are worthy to judge someone else."


    After letting out the words that were stuck in her mind, she grabbed Stefan and walked away. But before she could take ten steps, someone called for her attention again.


    "Prettydy, don''t leave your boyfriend again. You just don''t know how scared he was."


    Cayenne stopped on her track and looked back with a smile. "Thank you for reminding me." They continued to walk and Stefan put on his sses again. "Tsk! They shouldn''t judge you when they don''t even know you."


    "Cayenne."


    "Huh?" Cayenne looked at him with a surprise. "That''s the first time you call me using my first name."


    Stefan knew that they were in the middle of their date and that there were many people around them but, it didn''t stop him from pulling her for a hug.


    Cayenne was utterly surprised and she wasn''t able to react immediately. She was afraid that he could hear the loud beat of her heart. She wanted to push him away but he tightened his hold on her.


    "Stefan, we''re in the middle of the crowd. This is embarrassing." She whispered while holding the side of his clothes. She just couldn''t bring herself to hug him back.


    "It''s fine. Couples would always do this."


    ''I don''t want this memory. This will surely hurt me in the future.''


    When he was finally contented, he let go of her and smiled. "Thank you for defending me back there."


    "No worries. It''s my-" Stefan covered her mouth to stop her from talking.


    "Don''t say it. I don''t want to hear it." Cayenne blinked her eyes while nodding her head in acknowledgement. "Let''s continue our ride."


    "Sure."


    The two of them walked towards the rollercoaster''s area. It will be thest ride that they will take since it''s almost five in the evening. While they were falling in line, the one in front of them were two males. They were both handsome and smelled really nice.


    The one in front of Cayenne was a little small in body building but he still got little muscles to show. The man in front of Stefan was well-built and he''s got a strong aura around him. It seemed like he had been fighting in a war for several years.


    "Hey Matt, why didn''t you pay attention earlier?! I almost bump to someone else."


    "You should stop looking at your phone. Focus on me, in that way, you won''t bump into someone''s body. I should be good enough." The one called Matt whispered. Although he was whispering, Cayenne was able to hear his words loud and clear.


    ''My gosh! Just oh my gosh!'' Cayenne was screaming within herself. Her fujoshi heart was going to melt. She bit her lips to keep her smile to herself. Since she was wearing dark sses, she could watch them however she likes.


    "Stop whispering close to my ears, it tickles." Instead of stopping like what the other guy said, he teased him and even blew his earlobe. "Stop it! Idiot!'' The smaller guy kicked him on his left leg but he didn''t even flinch with the strong impact of their body parts. He wasughing happily, in fact.


    "Some men should stop showing off their love in public. Specially in amusement parks where there are so many children." Stefan mumbled just loud enough for the two of them to hear.


    The man named Matt turned back and grinned at him. "I knew it! Our beloved Stef-"


    Cayenne put her hand on her lips, indicating for him to keep quiet. "Don''t say his name."


    "And this is?" Matthew looked at Cayenne from head to toe. "She looks pretty and her eyes are honest. Is she your cousin?"


    "F*ck you!" Stefan kicked the man on his left leg as well but he easily blocked it with his arms.


    "Is that how you greet a friend?" he turned towards Cayenne and smiled. "Little girl, don''t fall for this man, he will definitely hurt you."


    "Says who?" Stefan retorted with a warning tone.


    "Says me." Matthew grinned. "By the way, my name is Valkyrie. This is Brown, my partner." He reached his hand for a handshake.


    "Hello, my name is Cayenne. I''m his-"


    "She''s my girlfriend." Stefan finished her sentence for her.


    "Nice to meet you." Cayenne reached her hand for a handshake but Stefan pulled her hand back. "That''s rude."


    "I just don''t want you to touch his hand. That''s exclusive for-"


    "I know." Cayenne retorted before he can finish his sentence. She just smiled to Valkyrie and Brown.


    Brown was looking at her and a grin appeared on his lips. "You are just like thedy of our house. She likes us, too."


    "Lady of the house?" Cayenne mumbled a question.


    "Yup. Jillyanna is very much like you. Fortunately, she fell in love to the right guy. That''s the difference with you two."


    "Hey!" Stefan was supposed to kick Brown as well but Valkyrie blocked him before he can do it. "Tsk! So possessive and overprotective."


    "Those are the traits that everyone in our home possessed." Valkyrie retorted with a mocking smile. "And you don''t have that."


    Cayenne was moving her head between the three men and she couldn''t make up her mind if the three were friends or enemies. They were dissing each other.

 Chapter 87 - LOOKING FOR CAYENNE

    <h4>Chapter 87 - LOOKING FOR CAYENNE</h4>


    "It''s our turn to get inside now." Cayenne mentioned which made the three men looked in front of them. Sure enough, the man who was in charge with the line and the entrance was eyeing at them.


    "Let''s go." Brown responded and pulled Valkyrie to his side. "Stop making trouble."


    Valkyrie was like a tiger in front of Stefan, a normal person in front of Cayenne and an adorable puppy in front of Brown. It was obvious which among the three was the person he likes the most and the person he likes the least. Although, the treatment with Stefan was casual, it was because they''ve known each other for a long time since Travis and Stefan were friends.


    The four of them got into the rollercoaster in pairs. "Don''t let go of me." Stefan whispered to Cayenne.


    And since Valkyrie was trained in the military, he had an incredible sense of hearing. He snickered andughed. "Are you really a man? Howe you are relying on a woman. Such a wuss."


    "Can you stop making fun of him?" Cayenne interrupted. "You are spoiling his mood and we are having a date. And what''s wrong if he relies on me? That doesn''t make him less of a man. I didn''t even judge you."


    Brown chuckled with this statement while nodding his head in agreement. "I totally agree with you. If this guy makes another statement against Stefan, I will really leave him here."


    These words were very effective against Valkyrie. He pursed his lips and didn''t make a single sound but his eyes were ring at Stefan, ming him that Brown got upset ¨C even though he was the one at fault.


    After the safety personnel checked the safety belt of everyone as well as the safety bar, the rollercoaster ride slowly moved. They slowly climbed the tallest point of the ride and when they''re on top, they only got few seconds to breath and they dropped in a very fast speed.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"


    Everyone shouted in fun, some in fear and some just joined in to add with the thrill. Cayenne was also shouting happily and Stefan beside her was holding her hand while watching her happy face. He was not the least bit afraid. Valkyrie was also shouting happily and he was even raising his two hand which the other was holding Brown''s hand.


    "I AM SO HAAAAAAPPPPYYYYY!"


    Valkyrie shouted at the top of his lungs. Brown just rolled his eyes and didn''t join the silly and sweet Valkyrie beside him. The ride still continued in fast speed and they were turning abruptly in each of the curves, rising up and falling down which sent shivers down their spine. Even so, the happiness and the excitement that the ride brought them were iparable. For Cayenne, it was one of the best days in her life and she even get to spend it with a special person in her heart.


    The ride wasn''t very long. Nheless, Cayenne and Brown enjoyed it so much.


    "That was epic. It''s been a long time since I had experienced the thrill of a roller coaster ride." Brownmented when they were resting."


    "It was really fun. I''d like to do this a lot." Cayenne replied with a wide smile.


    On the other hand, Stefan and Valkyrie were looking at each other. They weren''t talking but the sharp look that they threw at each other spoke of the venomous words that the two wanted to say.


    "Are they really friends?" Cayenne asked Brown after a full minute. They don''t get along that much.


    "I don''t what these two are up to. Just ignore them. Anyway, what''s the n after this? Are you guys going somewhere?"


    "It''s Stefan who nned this date. I don''t have any idea what he got in his mind." Cayenne whispered with a faint smile while stealing nces at Stefan.


    "Why don''t we go to the shooting booth where we can get souvenirs every sessful shoot." Brown suggested since he''s been nning to go there. In all amusement parks that he''s been to, shooting booths are his favorite.


    Cayenne was about to ask Stefan if it was okay but someone came to them.


    "Hello, we''re having a contest in the za, can you guys join us? We really need help." The woman begged for their agreement and Valkyrie said ''yes'' immediately.


    "Since we''ve got nothing else in hand, why not lend you our help? Where''s the ce?"


    "Come and follow me." The woman smiled happily and led the four of them to the center stage that they have made. There were people around them and there was an ongoing contest on stage.


    Stefan pulled Cayenne to stop. "I didn''t agree to this. Are you really going?"


    "She needs our help and I believe that this won''t take so much of our time. Let''s just help her." Cayenne responded in low voice. She didn''t want anyone to say that they were heartless people if they leave without saying anything.


    Stefan was left with no other choice but to follow her closely. The four of them went on stage with the woman who brought them. She was actually one of the hosts.


    "Good afternoondies and gentlemen. We''re just having fun here to spread the happiness to everyone. And while I was walking around to see the smiling faces of everyone, there were four people that caught my attention. I bet that these people are group of friends and this afternoon, I want to try something fun. Are you all in?" she turned the mic to the crowd which agreed, nodded their head and pped their hands. "The mechanic of this game is very simple. We will blindfold the three guys in this group and we will choose four female audience to take part in this contest. The person who can guess which woman is their friend will receive a prize."


    "I want to join."


    "Me, too."


    "Please choose me."


    "I want to take part in this."


    "This game is definitely for me." Many single women in the crowd wanted to join the game not because there''s constion prize but because, the three guys were all hot and handsome. They were all aiming for them.


    Thedy host chose four people from the audience in one full minute. The chosen ones were happy and the unchosen were disappointed but they still stayed to watch the game.


    "Let''s have the first contestant which is¡­" she pulled Brown close to her and asked. "What''s your name handsome brother?"


    "Hi, everyone. I''m Brown." Thedies from the audience blushed when Brown shed them a megawatt smile after his introduction.


    "Hey there, Brown. We will be blindfolding you and thedies wille to you. You can touch their face, their hair, and their hand but you cannot ask them to speak. There''s a timer as to how long it will take you to guess which of thedies is your friend. Are you ready?"


    "Yes."


    Brown was blindfolded and thedies started to approach him.


    "Can I touch your hair?" Brown asked. The host held his hand and ced it on top of the woman''s head. "This is not her." The host let the woman go back to the line and called for the second woman. "I need to touch her hair." The host did the same thing again, cing his hand on the woman''s head. "They have almost the same length of hair but this is not her." Next was the third woman. Brown touched her hair again but when he touched it, he frowned. "Can I ask the seconddy toe back?"


    Cayenne was the third woman. She was actually nervous with this game. Why? Because she never thought that Brown paid so much attention to her. He even knew the length of her hair even though she tied it into a ponytail.


    "The thirddy is Cayenne." Brown dered.


    "Are you sure." The host asked him.


    "Yes."


    The audience gave him a round of apuse and when he took off the blindfold Cayenne was standing on his right side where the third woman stayed earlier.


    "Amazing! You found your friend because of the length of her hair. It took you three minutes and forty-two seconds." Brown bowed his head with a smile and went back to his seat. "Next is¡­" Thedy host grabbed Valkyrie''s hand and brought him in the center of the stage. "What''s your name handsome?"


    "I''m Valkyrie."


    "Such a nice name. Well, I have exined the mechanics earlier. Do you have any rification?"


    "None."


    "Alright. Let''s start."


    This time, Cayenne was the fourthdy of the group and she was asked to untie her hair as well. The host was making sure that everyone was wearing their hair down.


    Valkyrie was having a hard time finding Cayenne in the group ofdies. First, he wasn''t able to touch her hand when he was about to shake it when they introduced themselves earlier. Second, he didn''t have much interaction with her since he had been teasing Stefan. Now, he spent almost two minutes for each person. When he finally found Cayenne, he did it after seven minutes and thirty-seven seconds.


    Thest one was Stefan. There was no need to exin anything. He understood the instruction and he asked the host to blindfold him directly. Cayenne was thest person this time.


    "First person please." Stefan called. "No."


    "Next person." He kept quiet for five seconds and, "No."


    "Third." He was very fast to say no and he didn''t even touch them. Thedies were a bit upset with his cold treatment. "Not her either." The fourthdy approached him and she was still few steps away from him when he said, "No, it''s not Ayen."


    Thedy host smiled when she realized something and although this was a contest, she felt that it was so sweet of Stefan to recognize his own woman without even getting close to the other. He didn''t even make any skin contact.


    Cayenne walked towards him and stopped two steps away. "Give me your hand." She ced her hand on his stretched-out palm with a flushed face. This time she was deeply nervous because she found out that Stefan knew her so much. He didn''t even touch any of the girls to know that they weren''t her.


    Stefan turned to the direction of the audience while holding her hand. "This is Ayen."


    "That was very quick!" thedy hostmented while Stefan tried taking off the blindfold. Cayenne helped him, too. "One minute and three seconds. How did you know that the other four girls weren''t the girl you are looking for? You didn''t even touch them unlike the previous contestants."


    "She''s my girlfriend. I know her very well and I don''t need any physical contact to know that it''s her."

 Chapter 88 - GETTING A WALLET FOR HIM

    <h4>Chapter 88 - GETTING A WALLET FOR HIM</h4>


    "OOOOHHHHH."


    The audience eximed in awe and amazement. They didn''t expect that the two had a rtionship. They thought that he was still courting her since the woman, which was Cayenne, looked a little shy around him. A girlfriend should act like a girlfriend in front of her boyfriend.


    They didn''t know that their rtionship was fake.


    Cayenne got a body size brown teddy bear from the host as a prize for their participation. The male contestants got bracelet from them as well. Valkyrie chose the one that pairs up with Brown''s bracelet.


    "Thank you for your participation." Thedy host stated.


    "Thank you for this wonderful prize." Cayenne replied with a huge smile while hugging the teddy bear. "We''ll get going now." They bowed their head in front of the house and the audience before leaving the stage.


    Stefan wanted to hold hand with her but Cayenne was full upied with the huge teddy bear. "Give me that." He ordered.


    Cayenne looked at him with a deep frown. "Why do you want to get this? This is my prize."


    "I know." He didn''t say anything further than these two words and grabbed the stuff toy from her. "Give me your hand." Cayenne ced her hand on his hand which made Stefan nod his head in satisfaction. "You should hold me, not this dimwit stuff toy."


    "Tsk! What a jealous monster." Valkyriemented with a sneer.


    Stefan ignored him and continued to walk with Cayenne towards the shooting booth. Cayenne was looking for a thing that she wanted to aim for. Something that she can get for Stefan. She didn''t have money to buy him expensive stuff so, she wanted to give him something memorable instead.


    "Hello. How many times would you like to shoot?" The man who was responsible to look after the booth asked them.


    "Three times." Valkyrie responded.


    "Three times." Brown had the same number of times.


    "Until she gets what she wants." Stefan responded while eyeing Cayenne. "She''s the one ying."


    "Okay." The man turned around to get them the toy gun and the rubber pellets that they will be using. "Here you go."


    Stefan received the toy gun and gave it to Cayenne. Valkyrie and Brown had their own guns, too. "Well, let me get that wallet for you."


    "Wallet?!" Both Valkyrie and Stefan eximed. The brown wallet was the most difficult to get since it wasn''t ced vertically. It was lying on the tform which shows the thin side of it. She will have a hard time getting it.


    "How about you look for something else?" Valkyrie questioned her. "It will take you forever to get that."


    "No. I want that." Cayenne insisted.


    "Since she wants it, let her be." Brown approached her. "I''ll help you with the right position when ites to gun firing."


    "Thanks."? Cayenne smiled and shifted her gaze towards Stefan. "Don''t help me. I''m getting that for you."


    "Oh. O-okay." Stefan didn''t expect that from her. He thought that she was just randomly choosing things. He didn''t know that she was thinking of him while looking for her target.


    Brown stood behind her and lifted her arms. "Make sure that you position your elbow and arm steadily. Find the best position that you''refortable with and something that won''t too much strain on your hand."


    "Like this?" Cayenne questioned as she positioned her elbows and arms. She was holding the toy gun in front of her while sighting the wallet.


    "Open your legs a little."


    "That sounds weird." Valkyriemented when he heard the instruction.


    "Focus your eyes on the item that you want to get and the ce that you wanted to hit. And when you''re hitting the wallet, hit one ce again and again until it fell off."


    "Okay."


    "Come and give it a try." Brown left her side to let her do the shooting.


    Cayenne took a deep breath while keeping her eyes on the wallet. She raised her hand and aimed at the edge of it to make it fall from the tform.


    ''Bang!''


    The wallet moved few centimeters from its original ce which made her happy. She jumped up and down, looking towards Stefan with victorious smile.


    "Don''t be so happy. You haven''t gotten it yet." Stefan told her which dampened her mood.


    "Can you not ruin my happiness? As a boyfriend, shouldn''t you encourage me a little?"


    "Correct." Valkyrie added. "You should cheer for her since she was doing it for you."


    "She can just buy that kind of wallet and give it to me. Why go through all this? She can always aim at something bigger than that." Stefan retorted with obvious distaste. Internally, he was really happy that she was doing it for him but he would never say it or show it to her.


    "Whatever." Cayenne rolled her eyes and continued shooting. Every time she shoots the item, it will only move few centimeters from its original ce. And while she was still struggling to get it, Valkyrie got an elephant, a monkey and a strawberry stuff toy. No wasted bullets. The same went for Brown. He got a small box with a transformer inside it, a spiderman stuff toy and a peach squishy toy.


    "Go Cayenne!" Brown cheered for her. "You''re almost there. The edge of the wallet is already slipping off of the tform."


    "Two more shots and you will get it." Valkyrie added.


    Stefan looked at the two men who were cheering for Cayenne. It was really surprising for him to see that the two military officials got along with her even though they just met not long ago.


    Valkyrie calcted it right. Two shots and Cayenne finally got the wallet.


    "Yey!" She gave Valkyrie and Brown a high five each. "Thanks for your help."


    "Since you did really well, I''ll give this elephant stuff toy to you." Valkyrie handed her the toy that he got. "I''ll give the remaining toys to the little princess at home.


    Cayenne received it happily. "Thank you so much, Val. And send my regard to Jillyanna, too."


    "I''m giving you the squishy, too. They said that this toy can help you relieve your stress. Just squish it whenever you feel stress or upset."


    "Thank you, Brown."


    Stefan didn''t join in their conversation and just went ahead to pay for what Cayenne used up to get the wallet that she likes. He looked up at the dark sky and sighed. Cayenne, with so much happiness because of the people around her, forgot that they should be having dinner together. It was supposedly a date for the two of them.


    Valkyrie noticed that Stefan was silent and he knew what the man was thinking because that''s what he got in his mind, too. "It''s getting dark now." Valkyriemented. "We are supposed to have fun with our dates and although the ns were changed, we still have so much fun."


    "Likewise. I am so happy today. Thank you for being with us." Cayenne responded.


    "Now, the day is about to end. I''m sure that you and Stefan are still going to have dinner. Valkyrie and I had the same n, too. Let''s have our separate ways here and go for a romantic dinner."


    Cayenne blushed when she heard the words romantic dinner. Today''s date was a fake and even with that fact in mind, she was still looking forward to the romantic dinner that she will have with Stefan.


    "Thank you again for today." Cayenne bowed her head lightly towards the couple. It was never in her wildest dream that she''d be able to interact with Jillyanna''s friends.


    "See you soon." Brown replied while waving his hand at her.


    ''See you soon?'' Cayenne asked herself.


    ''See you soon? Are they going to show up in front of us again?'' Stefan asked himself as well. He approached Cayenne, expecting for her to give the wallet to him but she put it inside her bag instead. ''Isn''t she going to give it to me?'' he asked himself once more.


    The two of them had no idea that there was another meaning to Brown''s words. He was the one who investigated Cayenne Ardolf and provided the information to Travis. Therefore, he knew that there wille a day that Cayenne wille knocking on their door. And he was looking forward to see Stefan''s reaction when that dayes.


    "The person he loves will hurt him the most." Brown stated as he walked beside Valkyrie.


    "It''s their fate. We can''t do anything to help them. Sooner orter, if they continue with their current set up, the truth will be revealed." Valkyrie responded while holding the other hand of the monkey. Since the two of them couldn''t hold hands publicly, they took hold of the stuff toy, each hand in each of them ¨C to be connected.


    Silly but sweet.


    Cayenne and Stefan continued with their ns, oblivious to the impending storm hovering over them ¨C just waiting for the right moment tounch an attack and destroy the rtionship that they had so many difficulties to build.

 Chapter 89 - AFFECTED BY THE SONGS

    <h4>Chapter 89 - AFFECTED BY THE SONGS</h4>


    "We won''t be having romantic dinner like what Brown said." Stefan told her when they''re walking back to the parking lot where they left the car.


    Cayenne wasn''t disappointed about not having a romantic dinner with him. They already talked that they''d eat street foods that night, somethingmon for the both of them. "It''s fine with me. We''ve talked about having street foods for tonight. So, where should we go next?"


    "I''ll bring you to the nearest university around here. There are so many street stalls around the university."


    "Okay. You lead the way and I''ll follow you."


    "No, you are not following me."


    "Huh?" she got confused with his words. If they''re going to eat together, she should be following him, right?


    But that''s not what Stefan had in mind. He looked at her and squeezed her hand gently. "I don''t want you following behind me. I want you to be walking beside me." Cayenne felt her face became hot but since it was night time and the ce they were at had a dim light, she wasn''t worried even though he was staring right at her.


    "Ahem." She cleared her throat and averted her eyes from him. "I get what you mean.? Let''s go." She gave his hand a little tug and the two of them continued to walk. When they reached the car, Stefan opened the car door for her and closed it. He walked to the backseat and ced the huge teddy bear inside as well as the stuff toys that Brown and Valkyrie gave her before going to his side of the car to driver.


    "Can I y a music?" Cayenne asked since she wanted to listen to something that can calm her heart. Ever since his deration of their rtionship in front of all the audience this afternoon, she had been having a hard time keeping the normal rate of her heart beat. Anything that he did or said to her seemed special for her and it brought electric jolts to her heart, making it beat like crazy, causing her to blush again and again.


    Stefan gave his phone to her. "Find a music and y it. It''s connected to my car''s speaker."


    "Oh. Thanks." She searched for a song on his music app and found her favorite. Little Do You Know by Alex and Sierra. "You don''t mind me ying this music, right?"


    "It''s fine but, why this song?"


    "It''s my favorite."


    Stefan frowned. It was rather surprising for a single woman to like such emotional song and when he continued to listen to it, his frown got even deeper. Somehow, the lyrics hit him where it hurts. The words struck his heart and he realized that he can rte to it.


    "Little do you know


    I know you''re hurt while I''m sound asleep


    Little do you know


    All my mistakes are slowly drownin'' me


    Little do you know


    I''m tryin'' to make it better piece by piece


    Little do you know I


    I love you ''til the sun dies"


    ''Love. What is love?'' he questioned himself and stole a nce at Cayenne who was scrolling on his phone to find another music that she can y. ''Is my n backfiring me now?''


    "Do you have any favorite music? I can y it for you."


    "Hn. Can you look for ''Let''s Stay Together'' by Al Green?"


    "Sure. Wait a sec." Cayenne searched for it and when she found it she raised her head in doubt. "This song is kind of old. Is this really the right one?"


    "Yup. Something made me remember this song."


    "O-okay." As soon as her choice of song ended, she yed the song that Stefan chose. Unlike her favorite song which was melodramatic and was heavy with emotions, the song he chose was light and upbeat. It made her want to dance to the music.


    Stefan was smiling when he saw her snapping her fingers to the beat. The music was really nice even though it was a little bit old. This time, it was Cayenne who was affected with the lyrics. The lyrics of the song spoke of the words that she couldn''t utter. It showed him the feelings and the things that she wanted to show to him but couldn''t.


    "I''m, I''m so in love with you


    Whatever you want to do


    Is alright with me


    ''Cause you make me feel so brand new


    And I want to spend my life with you"


    Cayenne shut her mouth and just listened to the song. She got herself familiar with the lyrics but she couldn''t sing it loudly. She was afraid that he would know what was really inside her heart at the very moment.


    The university that Stefan wanted to go wasn''t very far. They just finished two songs for the whole travel time and they reached the ce immediately. They didn''t really stop at the university. They continued to drive to the back area of therge university and found a caf¨¦ where they can park the car.


    They walked for three minutes and found arge night market. There were different stalls for different things and at the very end of the line of the stalls, there was a group of street food vendors. They offered varieties of foods and Cayenne''s eyes lit up when she saw the ce. It brought her a very nostalgic feeling. She scratched the tip of her nose, fearful that she''d cried from the onught of her childhood and adolescent memories.


    "Let''s just eat whatever we want tonight. No limit. Eat until you''re fully satisfied." Stefan told her which lit up her eyes instantly.


    "Are you sure? You might regret with what you said."


    "Nope. Making you happy is my job."


    "Aiyoo! If you want to eat, just eat. Stop disying your affection in front of me. Have pity for us singles." Thedy vendor stated which made the other customers and vendorsugh.


    "No wonder I found lots of ants near their feet." Commented a young woman. "They are just so sweet."


    Cayenne blushed again from theirments. ''How I? wish that this date isn''t fake.''

 Chapter 90 - PDA IS ILLEGAL

    <h4>Chapter 90 - PDA IS ILLEGAL</h4>


    Stefan held her hand and led her to the start of the line. "Let''s start here. Find something that you want to eat." Cayenne look around and found a skewered boiled blood of a chicken which was sliced in cubes.


    "I like this." She took three sticks of it and asked for the small Styrofoam saucer. She asked for a sauce and dipped the skewered blood. "You should try this."


    "I don''t like skewered blood."


    "Just try it. It won''t kill you. Duh." She even rolled her eyes and ate the food enthusiastically. "If you don''t like this, you can get this instead." She put down her stick on the saucer and picked up skewered chicken feet. "Here."


    "This one''s fine." Stefan ate it with gusto and he even took another stick of it. "Do you want this?" he raised a skewered chicken intestine.


    "Hn. I want two of that."


    "Here." Stefan gave her two sticks and he got two for himself. The two of them ate their food happily and Cayenne picked up five quail eggs which was coated in orange colored flour and fried in oil. She likes it so much. She also gave Stefan five of them. "Anything else?"


    "None from here. Let''s move to the other stall." She suggested which was two steps away from them. Stefan paid for their food and the two of them walked to the other stall after getting back the change. "Look at this!" Hana stated excitedly while pointing on the disy behind a ss. "They''ve got ''siomai and ngohiong''. I like them so much when dipped in a super spicy sauce. Have you tried them?"


    "Yup. I ate them a lot back in college. How many do you want?"


    "I''ll have five for each of them."


    The vendor got her order and ced it in small Styrofoam te. Stefan got the same number of food as her. The two of them shared a hot sauce that Stefan made. "I didn''t make it too spicy. It''s not good for you."


    "Hn. I understand."


    She ate her food happily that she didn''t even notice some of the sauce and oils were all over the side of her mouth. Stefan pulled out his handkerchief and wiped her mouth for her. "Make sure you don''t spill your food on your shirt. I only have one handkerchief for you."


    "I''ll remember that." She smiled sweetly at him which made Stefan cover his lower face with the back of his hand.


    ''This is bad. This is bad. My n is going to backfire at me for sure. Her smile is just too much and contagious.''


    "Stefan? Are you alright?" Cayenne asked him when he stopped eating and speaking to her. "Did I say something wrong or are you not feeling well?"


    Stefan shook his head immediately. "I''m fine. I just thought that you really are beautiful tonight."


    "Tch! PDA is illegal." One of the customers mumbled but it was still loud enough for the others to hear and they all know that only Stefan and Cayenne were disying their affection publicly. The customers and other vendors chuckled once again.


    Cayenne lowered her head and continued to eat her food slowly. She needed to eat it slowly or she will choke because she was having a hard time stopping the abnormal beat of her heart. ''This man is going to kill me with his words and actions. I might have a heart attack because of him.''


    Nheless, they just continued to eat. There were so many foods that they''ve yet to explore. After eating, Stefan paid for their food and they moved to the other stall.


    "No PDA this time, okay? I don''t want the ants toe to my stall because of your sweetness." Thedy vendormented when she saw the two of them again.


    Cayenne justughed awkwardly while scratching the tip of her nose. Stefan was just holding her hand. As long as Cayenne wasn''t holding anything and his hand was also free, he would always intertwine their fingers together. He wanted to feel her warmth as much as possible when she''s close to him.


    The vendor was selling some sea foods this time. It was a bit more expensivepared to the other food but it was still worth it. Cayenne got a squid barbeque, several pieces of barbecued scallops and several pieces of shrimps and she shared a barbecued fish with Stefan. She just couldn''t finish one whole piece of fish by herself.


    Since the shrimps still got shells on it, Stefan had to peel them for Cayenne. In the end, Cayenne was feeding him with other food while he was busy peeling the shells of the shrimp.


    "Sigh. I just told you that PDA is no no. Look at the other customers, they''re all captivated by you."


    Cayenne looked around them and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. This is just how we are. I hope you guys don''t mind."


    "No problem. No problem. Even if we''re envious, it is still your rtionship. We''re rooting for you."


    "Correct. I am single and I will just wish to find someone like him in the future."


    "I agree."


    "This couple is really one of a kind." She turned to Cayenne with her phone. "Can I post this picture in my social media ount?"


    "Is it showing our face?" Cayenne asked, worried that she''d be seen by her colleagues or neighbors through the picture. Although the two of them were not wearing their sses, they were still wearing their caps for disguise. Even so, Cayenne was still not reassured with her disguise.


    "Don''t worry, I didn''t capture your face. Just your back."


    "Okay."


    Thedy smiled happily and immediately posted the picture of Cayenne and Stefan. ''This couple is very sweet. They''re obviously rich but they came to eat the street food and they ate a lot. I hope they''ll stay together forever.''


    Sadly, her wish won''t be granted. Because the storm was slowly closing in to them. And this was brought by Cayenne''s mother.

 Chapter 91 - THE BOSS IS PROBABLY IN LOVE

    <h4>Chapter 91 - THE BOSS IS PROBABLY IN LOVE</h4>


    When they finally finished eating their street food dinner, it was almost eight in the evening. Cayenne was so full ¨C they had to find a bench to sit. Luckily, there were some benches around the ce and most people were walking around. Not many people wanted to sit like them.


    "Thanks for the treat tonight. I''m really full and satisfied." Cayenne stated while staring at the sky littered with small sparkling diamonds which were the stars. Unexpectedly, Stefan ced his hand on her tummy. It truly shocked her and she stiffened. "What are you doing?"


    "Just rx." Stefan rubbed her stomach in circr motion. "This will help you with your digestion."


    "Uhm. I can do that."


    "What''s the difference with you doing it and with me doing it for you?"


    Cayenne was dumbstruck with his response. There''s no way she''d tell him that it makes her a bit awkward. She could only smile and let him do what he wants. After five minutes, Stefan raised his head to look at her. "Do you still feel very full? Or is it a lot better now?"


    Cayenne looked the other way to avoid meeting his eyes.? Aside from meeting his eyes, his face was a lot closer to her. She could even feel his warm breath in this cold night. "Uh¡­It''s¡­it''s a lot better now."


    "I see. Shall we go for a walk and look around the ce?"


    "Sure." The two of them, still holding each other''s hand, walked around the night market to see what''s in store that the can probably buy. There were bags, shoes, vases, slippers, clothes and many other items around them. There were wooden picture frames, too. "I like this."


    "A picture frame?"


    "Yup. I got this photo from thedy host in the event earlier this afternoon." She showed Stefan the picture which was a picture of them with Valkyrie and Brown. "I want to ce this in a picture frame." Stefan nodded his head and he was just about to pay for it when Cayenne stopped him. "I want to pay for the frame. Can I?"


    "O-okay."


    Cayenne didn''t tell him why she wanted to pay for it when he had been paying for the two of them the whole time. She also bough different colors of thread and a set of sewing needles. He had no idea what she was up to.


    After half an hour, they finally went back to the caf¨¦ where the car was parked. They paid the caf¨¦ for the time they''ve used their parking space and left from the ce. By the time they got home, it was almost ten in the evening.


    Stefan was holding her toys for her since she was holding the things that she bought from the night market. She pressed her index finger on the biometric lock and the two of them got inside.


    "You can wash up first. I''ll just arrange my things." Cayenne told him when they got inside their bedroom.


    "You won''t put this huge bear in between us, right?" Stefan questioned her hesitantly. He was worried that she''d be putting a wall between them after everything that happened to them.


    "If I want to do something like that, I would''ve done it a long time ago."


    Stefan was finally relieved after hearing her answer. He turned around to hide the smile on his face. He picked up his towel and chose his change of clothes while Cayenne was looking for a ce where she can ce the huge teddy bear.


    She took out the wallet that she won from the shooting booth and ced it inside her bedside drawer, along with the other items that she bought from the night market.


    Stefan didn''t take long inside the shower and he came out after fifteen minutes. Cayenne got inside when he''s done while he was left to dry his hair. Every time he took a shower first, he will dry his hair while Cayenne is inside the bathroom. When she''s done showering, he will help her dry her hair for her.


    The only time that he wouldn''t do it for her was when they''re arguing over something or their rtionship had gone south and cold.


    "Stefan?"


    "Hn?"


    Cayenne was finally out of the shower after almost twenty minutes and now, she was sitting on their bed with Stefan standing behind her, helping her dry her hair once again.


    "I know that our date is fake but I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much."


    Stefan paused for a while when he heard her statement but he quickly continued to dry her hair after few seconds. It was all his n to make her fall in love with him and dumped her. Now, he was hesitating to continue his n. ''Why is this happening? Everything should''ve been normal between us. She shouldn''t be affecting me this much.''


    If you don''t know what love is, it would be difficult for you to recognize your feelings for the other person. The same with Stefan and Cayenne. She knows what love is and she knows that she''s in love with Stefan. However, Stefan doesn''t know what love is because no one, except Alexander, loved him since he was young. Therefore, he didn''t realize that he was in love with her.


    "Ayen?" It was his turn to call her now.


    "What is it?"


    "I¡­uh¡­I¡­I want to sleep."


    Cayenne turned around to see his face because she knew that it wasn''t what he wanted to say. "You can be honest with me. I won''t judge you or anything."


    "I''ll tell you when I''m ready."


    "Is that something so difficult to say?"


    Stefan touched the back of his neck and lowered his head to avoid seeing her face. For the very first time since the two of them met, he felt so nervous. "It''s a huge secret that no one else knows. I''ll tell you when I''m ready."


    "Sure. I don''t mind. I''ll always be here to listen to you."


    ''But you will definitely leave me if I tell you my secret.'' Stefan responded mentally. It''s a secret that he wasn''t sure of. But Chris knew that secret. As the person who was the closest to both of them and knew the real situation, their emotions were crystal clear to him.


    ''The boss is probably in love with Cayenne.'' This was what Chris thought in the past days. Sadly, the people involved couldn''t tell.

 Chapter 92 - MAKING SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR HIM

    <h4>Chapter 92 - MAKING SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR HIM</h4>


    Since the next day was Sunday, the two of them woke upte. When Cayenne''s rm rang, Stefan picked it up and dismissed it before going back to sleep. He hugged her closely and buried his face on the crook of her neck and shoulder.


    The two of them were cuddling together until it was almost eleven in the morning. Cayenne had nothing else to do so she didn''t wake up early.


    Stefan rose first and washed up to get ready for the day. He wanted to prepare their brunch and leave in the afternoon to buy gifts. They only have three more days before Christmas arrives. The hotel was fully packed and it was expected that there will be more work for the employees.


    Stefan ced his phone on the table while preparing the ingredients for their meal. It was manager Kim on the other end of the line.


    "If you can find me someone to cover up Cayenne''s shift, I will pay them double for the shifts that they''ll be covering."


    "But sir, most of them had their vacation leaves approved already. It will be difficult for me to make theme back to work."


    "You don''t really need to force them. Just ask if there''s anyone interested."


    "Should I tell them that it is to cover Cayenne''s shift and that you''ll be paying double?"


    "No. Just tell them that we need extra hand in this specific range of time and that I''ll be paying double for the on who''s interested. I need three people. One for each day that Cayenne is not around."


    The two of them continued to talk when Cayenne got out of the room and went to the kitchen. She didn''t notice right away that Stefan was talking to someone.


    "Why didn''t you wake me up? It''s veryte now. I should be the one cooking breakfast today." She mumbled as she walked towards the refrigerator to get a ss of cold water.


    "No cold water for you. You just wake up and it''s cold these days to begin with. Just drink warm water."


    "I don''t like warm water. It tastes nd and it''s not refreshing."


    "I''ll make some warm honeyed water for you. Just sit still."


    Manager Kim just listened to the conversation on the other end of the line. She didn''t know whether to end the call or talk again now that Cayenne is with the boss. She also didn''t expect that the two were living together.


    "Manager Kim?"


    "Yes, sir. I''m here."


    "Have you finalized what I asked of you?"


    "Yes, sir. Cayenne will receive a notificationter."


    The subject of their conversation which was Cayenne was sitting on a chair across the table with a pale face. Her eyes were wide and she looked at him with what''s-going-on look? She had no idea that manager Kim knew all about them.


    "Thanks for your help." Stefan ended the call and looked towards Cayenne. "She knew about us when I asked a leave for you for the first time."


    "And?"


    "She won''t say anything to other people. Don''t worry. She can be trusted."


    Cayenne was still worried so, she stood up and ran towards their room. "I''ll be right back. Let me just talk to her for a sec."


    "O-okay." Stefan watched her go and he couldn''t stop himself from smiling. She looked so cute every time she''s surprised about something. "Hopefully, she won''t back out in our situation after her call."


    While he was busy cooking, Cayenne was busyposing her thoughts. She wanted to be prepared before talking to Manager Kim. She was pacing back and forth when she received a text message from thepany. She was approved to have a three days leave.


    "Three days leave?" she asked herself with blinking eyes. "Did he ask for another leave for me?" She read the message from the start to end and she found out that it was requested today and approved today. "Which means, this was the thing he asked manager Kim earlier?"


    She bit her lip as she dialed the number of their manager. She had no idea what to talk first but she just trusted the manager won''t be judging her. The phone rang twice before she got an answer from thedy manager.


    "Hello, Ms. Kim."


    "Cayenne, what makes you call today?"


    "Uhm. About me and Stefan."


    Manager Kim chuckled when she heard her iplete statement. "Are you worried when ites to rumors about you and the President?"


    "Hn."


    "Don''t worry, Cayenne. I will not tell a single soul about you and the President. Rest assured, your secret is safe with me."


    "Thank you, Ms. Kim."


    "Sure. Sure. Just take care of yourself."


    The call didn''t evenst five minutes and it ended. Cayenne breathed a sigh of relief and sat on the bed. She was really nervous during the call. It was nerve wracking.


    "Phew! That call took half of my energy this morning." She fixed herself once again beforeing out of the room to find Stefan.


    "How was your conversation?"


    "It went well. She reassured me that no one will know about us."


    Stefan just nodded his head since he expected it already. "Here. The honeyed water I made. Every morning, you will only drink this and refrain from drinking cold water."


    "Thank you." She took two gulps and ced it down on the table. "Is there anything that I can help you with?"


    "Not now. Just stay in the living room and chill. I''ll call you once everything''s prepared."


    "Okay. I''ll just get something from our room."


    Since he didn''t need help and she was told to chill, she wanted to take this chance to make the wallet extra special for him. This was also the reason why she bought threads and needles. She was nning to embroider something on the wallet that she got for him. Something that will make him remember her every time he sees it.


    "Hopefully, he will use it and won''t throw it away even after we have our separate ways."

 Chapter 93 - SMALL BUD OF JEALOUSY

    <h4>Chapter 93 - SMALL BUD OF JEALOUSY</h4>


    Cayenne was busy in making embroidery in the living room and Stefan was busy cooking. The house was silent but it wasn''t an awkward silence rather, it was peaceful and the atmosphere was harmonious.


    ''I hope you''ll always be fine.'' This was what Cayenne embroidered on the inner side of the wallet. She ced it on the upper side of the cardpartment. The embroidery was neat and since the wallet was brown, she used a golden thread and traced it with a ck thread to emboss the golden writings. On the outer part, she embroidered a small letter C on the lower right corner of the wallet, which signifies the start of her name.


    "Ayen, food''s ready. Come and eat with me."


    "Sure. Give me a sec." She locked the thread and neatly cut it. After making sure that it''s decent enough for aplimentary gift, she returned her things inside the small box, ced it under the coffee table and cleaned up her mess. She walked to the kitchen while hiding the wallet behind her. She was a bit nervous that he won''t like it.


    Stefan noticed his arrival so, he raised his head to see her face. She was averting her eyes and her face was flushed from shyness. He couldn''t help himself but raised his eyebrow with a questioning look on his face.


    "I have something for you." Cayenne mumbled softly and showed the brown wallet that Stefan was expecting to receive yesterday. He even thought that she forgot to give it to him. "It''s not much but I hope you''ll like it. If you don''t, it''s also fine. You can just keep it somewhere."


    "How can I not like it when ites from you?"


    She just smiled when he stretched his hand to received the wallet from her. He didn''t know that she was tinkering at it earlier so, when he opened it, a trace of surprise appeared on his face. His eyes became soft and he looked at her gently. "Thank you, Ayen."


    "You''re wee."


    Right then and there, Stefan took out his ck Bottega Va wallet andid all the contents on the counter table to change it. There were so many bank cards and other things from his wallet and what stood out the most was the wallet size picture. It was a photo of Stefan and Alexander.


    "I''ll use this from now on." Stefanmented while stuffing his things to the wallet that Cayenne gave him. He saw the picture and picked it up to look at it for a long time. "This is me and my brother." Stefan showed the picture to her. It was the first time that he showed Cayenne the person that he likes the most in this world. Although he talked to her about him, she had no idea how he looks like.


    "If he''s alive, he must be handsome like you."


    "Of course. I can''t evenpare to him. He the person I look up to when I was young. Sadly, he left very early." Stefan smiled faintly and stuffed the picture inside his wallet.? "Anyway, our food will be cold if we continue to dillydally. Let''s eat."


    "Thanks for the food." Cayenne mumbled with a smile. Stefan ced two scoops of rice on her te and made sure that all the dishes were within her reach. "Why did you ask three days leave for me? Doesn''t the hotel need more people during holiday season?"


    "The hotel will be fine." Stefan responded. "I''ve been alone during holiday season for thest fifteen years. This time, I want to go somewhere in the next two days with you and we''lle back before Christmas Eve


    She made and ''Oh'' sound and stopped eating for a while. She wanted to ask him something but she decided to shut her mouth. She didn''t need to ask him because she already realized the answer to her question.


    Stefan was observing her the whole so he knew that she had something in mind. "Just say what you wanted to say."


    "There''s no need. I already knew the answer to my question. Anyway, can I go somewhere this afternoon? Since we''re going away in the next two days, I''d like to buy gifts this afternoon."


    "I was thinking the same thing. Let''s go to the mall this afternoon and buy our gifts for your family. And by the way, would you like to have dinner with your family?"


    "It''s fine if Ie hometer for dinner?"


    Stefan chuckled while shaking his head. "That''s not what I meant. I want us to have family dinner outside."


    "Ha?" she was stunned with his words. She thought that he was angry at her or upset about something. She thought that he''d never have dinner with her family except for Christmas Eve. She blinked her eyes twice and smiled to hide her shock. "Okay. I''ll tell them about it. I just have a favor to ask."


    "What is that?"


    Cayenne drank a mouthful of water and calmly looked at him. "Can I pay for the food?"


    The spoon and fork that Stefan was holding fell from his hand and the cluttering sound was loud in the middle of the silent dining room. Cayenne''s breath hitched and Stefan was just staring at her with a straight face. She stood up immediately to pick up the utensils that fell on the floor. She took a different spoon and fork; and gave it to him.


    "Stefan, can you say something? I don''t like it when you''re silent like this."


    "Why do you want to do that?" Stefan break his silence and asked. "Don''t I have money to pay for our dinner? Besides, I''m the one who''s inviting them."


    Cayenne bit her lower lip as she walked back to her seat across him. "You know exactly what our rtionship is. I don''t want to always rely on you. I don''t want you to think that I''m abusing you or that I''m a gold digger. Yes, I admit that I like money and I need money but I want to get it with my own effort and work."


    "And what makes you think that I''d be thinking of you as a gold digger? Aren''t we having a mutual and beneficial rtionship? We have to keep our pretense in front of your family because if we don''t and they''d start to think that I''m neglecting you, they might prohibit you from getting close to me. Who will sleep with me at night, then?"


    "But still, I can pay for our meals. We have a fake rtionship which means, I can pay the food and give you the credit to make my family think that you''re the one who did it."


    "And what if I disagree?" Stefan questioned. He has no intention of letting her pay. He knew how important her money for her and as much as possible, since he can still help her, he would help her. "Ayen, I don''t want you to do that. My conscience won''t agree to it."


    "How about we split the bill?" Cayenne suggested. She was still not agreeing to the fact that he''d be paying for the meal for her family.


    Stefan nodded his head. He was agreeing this time but, he had a way to deal with itter.


    After they ate their brunch, she washed the dishes and Stefan watered the nts on the balcony. He cut the dead leaves and put them inside a small stic bag to let them drypletely. Once they''re all dried up, he would crush them and pour it in the flower pot to let it dpose naturally.


    Cayenne cleaned the living room. Stefan cleaned their bedroom and bathroom. The two of them were working together to clean their temporary home. Stefan ced their dirty clothes inside a big eco bag and put it on the couch to make sure that he won''t forget to bring it with them to theundry store.


    After an hour, the two of them rested on the couch ced at the balcony. They didn''t turn on the aircon since they got natural wind to feel. Cayenne was holding the potted tulips. After all the constant care from them, a small flower bud was starting to form.


    "This is so cool." Cayenne mumbled excitedly while looking at the flower. "I love this so much."


    "I''m d you like it. By the way, can you send me a copy of the picture we got from the event yesterday? I''d like to develop it for you."


    "Really?! Thanks." She put down the flower pot back to its ce and picked up her phone in order to send him a copy of the picture. "Can you make a wallet size, too? I''d like to keep one in my wallet."


    "No, don''t put that picture in your wallet. You''ll have an even better picture for your wallet than that."


    "What picture?"


    "You''ll know about it in the future. Anyway, one developed copy of that is more than enough."


    Cayenne nodded her head in agreement although, she was still wondering what picture will she get for her wallet. She had no idea that Stefan was stopping her because, a small bud of jealousy was starting to sprout in his heart.

 Chapter 94 - SWEET ACTIONS AND SNEAKY GESTURES

    <h4>Chapter 94 - SWEET ACTIONS AND SNEAKY GESTURES</h4>


    Around three in the afternoon, the two of them left the house to shop for gifts. This time, Stefan bought gifts for Cayenne''s family and also for Chris, who had been with him ever since his business started. Cayenne also bought gifts for everyone. She got shoes for her two brothers. She bought her mother a new blouse, jeans and a bracelet. She also bought a blue necktie for Stefan. Although it was expensive, she knew that it was worth it after all the help that Stefan lent her.


    "This is my early gift for you." Cayenne handed him a small gift box. "It''s not much but I think that suits you better."


    "I''ll open once we get home." Stefan told her and put the box inside the shopping that he was holding. Since Cayenne wanted to gift her family separately, she used her own money this time.


    The two of them continued to stroll inside the mall. Stefan was holding the heavier bags and Cayenne were holding the lighter ones. The two of them were having a great time since no one recognized them.


    "Shall we get something to drink?" Cayenne suggested while eyeing at the coffee shop across them. She wanted Stefan to rest for a while since they''ve been walking and he was carrying heavy items.


    Stefan smile indulgently and led her to the coffee shop. Even though he was holding several bags, he made sure to keep his right-hand empty in order to hold Cayenne''s left hand. Stefan found a little bit secluded area to sit and he brought Cayenne there while asking, "What do you want to drink?"


    "Caf¨¦ Au Lait." Cayenne ced the shopping bags on the empty chair next to her.


    "Alright. I''ll get our drinks for us and you watch for our things here. Any desserts that you like?"


    "You can choose whatever you like. I''m not picky when ites to desserts."


    Stefan smiled and reached out his hand to rub her head. "I get it. I''ll get your favorite." After saying that, he left her to fall in line in order to get something to drink and eat for the two of them.


    Cayenne was watching him under the rim of her cap. She took of her dark sses but she didn''t want to look at him directly. She was afraid that he''d find her looking at him.


    Stefan felt someone''s gaze was directed at him. He looked back towards Cayenne but she seemed to be looking somewhere. He had no idea that she was watching him. He looked around and found somedies were watching him. Even if he was wearing a dark shade and a cap, his figure and the view of his side profile looked very handsome.


    "Sadly, he''s got a girlfriend." One of thediesmented.


    "She looks pretty which can match with him. No wonder."


    "Only a pretty woman can match with a handsome man. Stop vying for him." Another woman retorted. They were group of friends who were obviously taking time to rx and catch with each other.


    Cayenne noticed the group of women, too and she felt envious. Not because Stefan looked at them but because the group of women were happily chatting together. She didn''t know that they were talking about her and Stefan but she was still envious of them. It''s been a long time since she went out with Luna, her best friend.


    After almost five minutes, Stefan returned to his seat which was across the table in front of him. "You look sad. Is there something bothering you?" Stefan asked, reaching out his hand to hold her. "You can tell me. Maybe I can help."


    "I just realized that I haven''t been spending time with my best friend. I even kept something very important to her and I always refused her invitation for dinner."


    "Do you want to catch up with her and maybe have some rxing time together?"


    "Hn."


    Stefan thought about something but he didn''t tell her his n. He wanted to surprise her a little. Not long after, the waitress arrived with their ordered food and drinks. Cayenne''s eyes lit up when she found a matcha cake among the desserts he bought.


    "I love this!" Cayenne eximed when she saw the cake. "You really know my favorite."


    "Of course." Stefan grinned. "I''ve always been paying attention to you."


    The waitress pursed her lips to stop the smile from escaping his lips. She likes watching sweet couple because it makes her feel the love in the air and she wished secretly in her heart that the two of them will be together forever. After making sure that they have theirplete order, the waitress left them alone. She even moved the ornamental nt a little to give the two of them some space, away from the prying eyes of the other customers.


    The two of them, deeply emerged in the world with just the two of them, didn''t notice the slight changes in their environment. They weren''t even aware that the two of them had took off their sses and their caps already. Even though the wall partitions were made of ss, the people outside couldn''t see them because the ss was tinted in ck.


    "What time are we going to have dinner with my family? By the way, can we find a ce near our house? I don''t want my mother to travel for a long time. It''s not good for her health."


    Stefan nodded his head. Whatever she had in mind, as long as it won''t harm her, he would agree with her. She forked a slice of matcha cake and stretched her hand to fed it to him. "I''m giving you a share. Have a try."


    Although he was caught off-guard, he likes this gesture a lot. "Thanks." He ate the cake that she gave to him, directly from her fork. Doing so was equal to and indirect kiss. Both of them pretended that there was nothing wrong with it but deep inside each other''s heart, they felt sweet and warm. It was as if, a warm honey was slowly melting their hearts.


    Stefan forked a 16K Chocte Truffle Cake and did the same thing that she did to him. Cayenne looked around to see if anyone was looking at them, when she found that no one was watching, she ate the cake directly from his fork. It tasted so delicious that she closed her eyes to savor the taste of it. Stefan smiled while watching her reaction. Recently, she had been showing him her real emotions and she was no longer shy around him, although she would blush from time to time, she no longer refused his sweet actions towards her unlike before.


    Stefan had a positive thought that the two of them were walking on the right path for them. At the same time, he was still hesitant to confess to her. He wasn''t sure if what he was feeling was love and he doesn''t want to hurt her if in the end, it is not. Moreover, if he confessed and Cayenne doesn''t have the same feeling, he was worried that he''d be heart-broken once again. Therefore, he was going to observe the course of their rtionship in the next two months. Once he confirms his own feelings, he will tell Cayenne about it. If Cayenne doesn''t like him the way the he likes her, he''s got no other choice but to let go of her.


    Cayenne had no idea what was inside his mind and she has no n to ask him either. Stefan forked another piece of cake and fed her again. Cayenne looked around to see if someone''s watching and ate the cake when no one was looking at them. His sweet actions and her sneaky gestures were clearly seen by the security guard who was watching the monitor that records everything inside the caf¨¦.


    He was faintlyughing at them while shaking his head. They looked so adorable while secretly acting sweet when no one was watching them.


    "Why are you being sneaky? It''s not like someone''s going to watch you eat here." Stefanmented after noticing her silly actions.


    Cayenne covered her mouth to chew the cake and swallowed it before talking. "I''m not worried that someone''s going to watch me eat. It''s just a little embarrassing to have them see me eat from your fork."


    "What''s so embarrassing about it?" Stefan feigned ignorance. "I wasn''t even embarrassed when I ate the cake directly from your fork. And besides, they''d think it''s normal for both of us to do this. They''re thinking we''re lovers."


    "Can''t they think that we''re friends? Why are they jumping to this conclusion? A male and female with close friendship can still eat together."


    "No, they wouldn''t think that way.? No friends would wear a couple set of clothes."


    "We''re not wearing couple shirts. How can they think that way?" Cayenne retorted while pointing her index finger between his clothes and hers. She was indignant but the more she looked at his attire and back to her outfit, she felt something was wrong.


    ''Howe I didn''t notice this before?!'' Cayenne eximed mentally while her eyes narrowed down on his clothes.

 Chapter 95 - LISTENING TO THE BEAT OF HIS HEART

    <h4>Chapter 95 - LISTENING TO THE BEAT OF HIS HEART</h4>


    "How did we end up getting matching outfit?" She decided to ask him since there''s no point in wondering about it alone. She''d rather ask him directly to get her answer.


    Stefan chuckled and pointed at her dress. "Did you forget that I bought all the clothes at home? I sneaked some matching outfits for us just in case we''ll need it. Just like today."


    Cayenne was thrown in disbelief. Thinking back to their rtionship several weeks ago, she was sure that they didn''t have a very good start. ''Was he thinking ahead of time that we''d be getting this kind of rtionship now?'' she couldn''t help but ask herself. She looked at him but he was still looking at ease in front of her.


    "You''re certainly prepared for this." Cayennemented with helpless expression. "You decided to change your outfit when you saw my dress, right?"


    "Hn. Are you upset?" Stefan put down his fork and took a sip of his coffee while observing her expression through the rim of his coffee cup.


    She wasn''t bothered by it. In fact, she was happy in her heart. It was very unexpected that Stefan would be doing something sweet like what couples do. She knew that she was falling deeper for him but she couldn''t help it. She likes his pampering even though she knew that it would end someday.


    "How many matching outfits did you buy?" she softly asked.


    "Half of your clothes are matched with my clothes."


    His answer brought something warm and sweet in her chest. She thought her heart was melting from his words and she couldn''t help the smile from escaping her lips. She instantly lifted her cup and took a sip of her drink to hide the sweet smile on her lips.


    After resting for almost half an hour, the two of them got up to continue shopping some gifts for the people that they wanted to receive their love. She didn''t forget to buy some toys for Jillyanna''s children this time. She was thankful that they helped him a year ago and she wanted them to know how grateful she was. Since Stefan was friends with Travis, she finally found a way to give them her appreciation. Although the couples were rich and they probably have everything that money can buy, she still chose to buy some toys for the kids.


    The two of them were walking towards a bookstore after buying the toys that Cayenne finally chose. She wasn''t nning to get inside the store but she bumped into someone that sent her soul flying out of her body. Cole, Arthur''s brother was walking with his mother, Kirin. He was holding a lot of shopping bags for her and base on the prints, it should be some things for his new-born child. Thedy of the house looked at her with a raised brow, Stefan immediately pulled Cayenne and hid her face close to his chest.


    "Sorry." Cayenne mumbled, not daring to make her voice louder than she already did. She was afraid that they''d recognize her.


    He knew who the woman was after he investigated the identity of Arthur. He knew that she was the one who belittle Cayenne, the person who broke her confidence and made her have a low self-esteem.


    "It''s rude to stare at someone." Stefan stated, his voice was cold and menacing.


    Kirin looked at him from head to toe with a smirk. "Young man, your girlfriend bumped into me first."


    "She apologized already."


    "I didn''t hear it." Kirin insisted.


    "It''s not my fault that you''re deaf." He was ruthless and crude. Most of the time, when no one''s around, he would be sweet and gentle ¨C but that''s only for Cayenne. He didn''t even give Kirin a chance to retort and left with Cayenne, her face was still buried on his chest.


    "Humph! What a rude man." Kirinmented and strolled off. Cole was looking at the departing figures that were gradually disappearing from his sight. His mother might not be familiar with them but, it didn''t mean he was not.


    He was at least 80% sure that the woman was Cayenne and the man was Stefan. He just had no idea how the two of them knew each other.


    After a full minute, he finally followed her mother without saying anything.


    Cayenne and Stefan walked until they knew that Cole and Kirin were already out of sight.


    "You knew them?" Stefan asked, pretending that he had no idea of the two people''s identities. He caressed her face while looking at her eyes directly.


    Cayenne was looking back at him. It felt natural to be in his arms after a long time of sleeping with him. She no longer felt shy around him and she was starting to open up more of the things about her. "That was Arthur''s mother." Cayenne simply answered, letting him realized who she was talking about.


    Stefan''s eyes dimmed and he looked at her with worried gaze. "So, she was that woman. With her haughty attitude, I can only imagine how she treated you but I can tell that she has a poor attitude and looks down on others." He suddenly pinched her chin and made her look at him. If you really look carefully on her sses, you can still see the beautiful shape of her eyes.


    Cayenne didn''t blink or avert her eyes this time. She just wanted to look at him and focus all her attention to him. Next, his gentle and caring voice resounded close to her. Their face were just few inches away from each other. "Don''t let anyone bully you next time. If someone tells you something bad about yourself,e to me and I''ll tell you more than a hundred of your good points. If anyone bullies you, let me know and I''ll let them suffer. No one else can bully you other than me."


    Cayenne was touched with his words. No one told her these words or showed so much care for her in the past. As she listened to him, her eyes were tearing up. However, a deep frown was formed on her face at the end of his statement. "Why do you want to bully me? How''s that different with other people?" sheined and even swatted his hand away from her chin. "I thought you were honestly caring towards me."


    "I am." Stefan insisted. "I will bully you tonight and I know you won''tin about it."


    Listening to him, Cayenne could no longer hold herself and she burst outughing. He sounded serious with regards to bullying her but, he was actually just helping her feel at ease.


    Cayenne braved herself and touched his face as well. This is the first time that she took the initiative to touch his face while she''s sober and wide awake. Stefan stiffened under her warm touch. "When you speak, I just don''t understand why you''re not using much better words to talk to me."


    "I was using the right words. You just have so many dirty thoughts in your mind."


    "Am I?" she questioned with a touch ofughter in her voice. "I don''t think so."


    "Really?"


    "Hn." She insisted while nodding her head. She was just about to say another thing when she noticed that some people were taking pictures of them.


    "Are they filming for a romantic movie?" one of the people among the crowd asked while looking around to look for any hidden cameras and filming staff.


    "They look handsome and pretty. Must be famous." Another person stated.


    "They are just so sweet." Another person spoke.


    The crowd made Hana blush but Stefan was nonchnt with the attention they got. He''s used to people prying on his love life but this time, he didn''t want to drag Cayenne''s name with his. He didn''t want anyone to know about the woman that he treasured the most. He was worried that being with him would disturb her normal life.


    "Ehh! Aren''t these the couple that we saw at the university?" a younger woman eximed while pointing towards Cayenne and Stefan. She immediately put her hands down when she realized that it''s rude to point fingers at someone. She smiled at them and made a heart shaped with her fingers and followed by a thumbs up. "You have my full support."


    "Thanks." Stefan responded and turned around with Cayenne burying his face close to his chest, once again. The two of them ended their shopping and decided to have a joyride while waiting for the day to end. Stefan called Travis that they''d being over to their house to give out their early gifts. However, he was out of town with his family and will be back after New Year. So, Stefan drove the car and brought Cayenne to the nearest resort. He asked a valet driver and had him parked the car to his private space. The two of them walked along the beach, getting quality time just for the two of them, without other people disturbing them. She had no idea that the whole resort was owned by the person walking right beside her.


    The cold breeze made Cayenne shiver involuntarily since she forgot to bring her coat. She wasn''t expecting to be walking at the beach with him and he didn''t remind her to bring her coat either. Stefan took off his own coat and ced it over her shoulder. She felt warm andfortable but she found it a little bit unfair to him.


    "Here. You take the other side of the coat."


    "I don''t think we''ll fit." Stefan reasoned out. "Besides, I got a scarf with me."


    "We will. Trust me." She insisted and told him to wear the left sleeve of the coat. Since she was wearing the right sleeve and he was wearing the left sleeve, the two of them were even closer this time.


    "You know what''s even better than this?" he asked with the corner of his lips lifted in a yful smirk.


    "What?"


    "Take my coat off." He instructed her which made Cayenne narrow her eyes in puzzlement. He fully wore the coat which wrapped his whole body, blocking the cold breeze while she was doing her best to control herself from shivering.


    Standing in front of him made it easier for Stefan to grab her. He pulled her close to him and wrapped the front of the coat around her. Stefan just wanted to tease her but, he had no idea that it would turn out to be muchfortable than her thoughtful idea earlier.


    This time, Cayenne''s back was pressed on his warm body, her head? leaning on his chest; feeling the erratic beat of his heart.

 Chapter 96 - REPORTING TO ARTHUR

    <h4>Chapter 96 - REPORTING TO ARTHUR</h4>


    The darkening sky was littered with several sparkling diamonds, bringing the romantic atmosphere to the cuddling couples at the beach. Some people were sitting on the sand, chatting with their friends or with their partner. Some were having dinner by the beach. Other people were sweetly cuddling with their loved ones just like Stefan and Cayenne.


    She quickly adjusted her emotions and stood straight in front of him. "Don''t be so stiff. Your muscles will get tired if you keep doing that." Stefan reminded her. It was just half an hour past six in the evening and they still have time before meeting Cayenne''s family for dinner.


    "Aren''t we a bit too close?" She asked. Her voice was soft and there was a bit of hesitation when she questioned him about their distance. She wasn''t really having any dirty thoughts but she could feel something hard was pressed on her back and her heart would speed up its beat as if a ghost was chasing her.


    Stefan hugged her even tighter and ced his chin on her right shoulder. "This distance is enough for us." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer. When he slightly turned his face to see her, his lips brushed on her cheeks which stunned the both of them.


    "You didn''t kiss me, did you?!" Cayenneined with wide eyes. She was basically ring daggers at him but she couldn''t make any other move more than this.


    Stefan also pulled back and shifted his eyes to her side. Even if he wanted to deny what happened, the redness of his earlobes was betraying him already. "Sorry. I didn''t mean to."


    "It was really unintentional?"


    "Hn."


    "You better behave. There''s no next time or I will leave you."


    Stefan nodded his head in agreement but it was just in the surface. In his heart, he had so many things he wanted to do to keep her beside him. One step at a time. This was his new motto in obtaining Cayenne''s heart and loyalty.


    Cayenne was acting tough externally as if the sudden touch of his lips on her face didn''t affect her. "Let''s go for a walk? The coldness will be lesser if we keep moving."


    "No, I don''t want to."


    "Why?"


    "I just want to hug you."


    Cayenne''s heart jolted and a rush of electrifying heat coursed all throughout her body, startling her and making her feel like she was dumb. She just couldn''t find a way to refute him. She was lost for words and all she can do was stare at his handsome face.


    Stefan felt her scorching gaze that remained on his face. Thinking that they''d be put in an awkward situationter, he pinched her chin and slightly raised it to meet her eyes. "Am I handsome?"


    "Hn."


    "You like me?"


    "No."


    "Tsk!" His upper lip was hooked in light sneer but it wasn''t because he disdained her answer but because he was disappointed to get the opposite word to what he was expecting. "Is it so difficult to like me? We''ve been together for over a month already."


    Cayenne shrugged her shoulders and sighed. This time, she unwrapped his arms from her waist, turned around to look at him in the eyes and ced her hands on his shoulders. "Boss, why are we together again?"


    "I paid you to help me cure my insomnia."


    "Exactly!" Cayenne eximed, pulled back her hands and ced it beside her. "You paid me to help you with your insomnia. And what about our rtionship? How did we end up like this?"


    Stefan looked at her withplex emotions. He didn''t want her to deny what they have but when he thinks about it, everything started in a bad situation and she was left with no choice but to lie to her family. He was reminded, once again, that their rtionship was built with no absolute foundation. It was built with lies.


    "Ayen, the ''couple'' rtionship that we have¡­" He even used his fingers to make quotation marks for the word couple while talking to her. "¡­is fake. However, the kindness I showed you, my patience, making time for you, opening up to you ¨C these things weren''t fake."


    "I know." Cayenne mumbled. "I know that you really cared." But you''re only doing this because you wanted me to do my best for you. Cayenne wanted to add the second sentence but she decided to shut her mouth and swallowed back the things that she wanted to say.


    Stefan took a step closer to her and held her hands with his. She felt so cold under his touch and there were goosebumps forming on her arms already. Thinking that Cayenne was ufortable when she was pressed on him, he decided to take off his coat and draped it over her. "I have something I wanted to tell you but I think the time isn''t right yet."


    "I''ll wait. I won''t hurry you."


    Stefan caressed her face which was actually warmpared to her hands. How can it not be warm when she''s blushing? Her heart wasn''t able to take a rest since earlier and until now, it was fiercely pumping her blood making her feel warm and happy. ''It''s good to be alive under his touch.'' Cayenne thought to herself as she wrapped the coat around her body, smelling his masculine scent from the coat.


    After half an hour of wandering and chatting, the two of them went back to the resort and waited for the valet driver. The employees greeted him politely and they even smiled towards Cayenne even though they couldn''t see her face clearly.


    Cayenne scooted closer to him and whispered. "This is just my guess base on the employees'' warm attitude towards you. Do you have any share of this resort?"


    "Not just some shares, I own this resort." Stefan admitted directly which really surprised Cayenne. She thought that he wasn''t the kind of person whose riches were unimaginable but she was wrong. Every day, she learned a new thing about him and every day, she would feel that she was getting smallerpared to him. Not really physically but their social standing in the society. "Why are you so quiet? Are you surprise?"


    "Hn. A little. I know that you are wealthy so it''s already in my expectation." She replied while clenching her fist under the skirt of her dress. ''Every day, the gap between us is getting bigger.'' A sad expression appeared on her face but since she was wearing a cap and dark sses, Stefan didn''t see it. "I heard that it''smon for rich people to have their children engage in arranged marriage. How about you? Did your parents find some socialite for you, already?" It was just a random question from her but it was something that Stefan was worried about.


    He was afraid that he was already set up to marry someone for the business purposes. "I am not really sure and even if they found one for me, I won''t ept the proposal of marriage from anyone else."


    Cayenne didn''t say anything. She was nodding her head as if she was understanding what he meant, also, it was to hide her broken heart. Stefan wanted to say something else when his car arrived and they needed to leave already. "Let''s go." He held her hand and the two of them went out of the hotel.


    She didn''t notice that someone was watching her from the reception desk. From the moment she stepped in, she already got her attention and until they left, the receptionist didn''t take her eyes off of her.


    Arthur was watching a movie in his room when he received a message from one of his high school ssmates. He hadn''t seen her for a while now and even aftering back, he was too busy to have a small reunion with friends. This former ssmate was someone who always tag along with Cayenne before. She would always tell people that she was friends with Cayenne when the two of them were together but few people know that behind her back, she was backstabbing Cayenne to other people.


    Arthur didn''t know about it and he even gave her his contact number in order for her to give some report about Cayenne''s activities.


    There was no difference this time. His right eyebrow slightly raised while reading the message. Brigette told him that Cayenne went to a resort with a man. They weren''t doing anything unusual but they were awfully close.


    Not wanting to exchange messages and wait for a long time to get a reply, Arthur called her immediately. "Are you sure that it was Yen? How can she be in a resort?"


    "I''m not really sure about that but, the woman looks like Cayenne. I swear. I knew her for a long time and I must not be mistaken." Brigette insisted what she believes in. Although she was right, circumstances will be going against her.


    Arthur hang up the call and dialed Cayenne''s number. When she picked it up, Kyle''s voice resounded in the background asking her about something and he could faintly hear the voices of her mother and Luiz. His doubts started to dispel but he still asked her the purpose of his call. "Hi Ayen, are you free this time?"


    "Sorry, I''m having dinner with my family."


    "Is that so? Where are you right now?" Arthur asked her, trying to figure out if she was lying to him or not.


    "I am not really familiar with this ce since it was Luiz who chose this. It''s been a long time since I had dinner with my family and I want to have quality time with them." Cayenne''s casual words served as a hint for him not to disturb them.


    Arthur''s n toe over and join them for dinner was shut by her in an instant. He could only smile and pretend that it wasn''t affecting him. "Alright. I''ll just find another time to invite you guys for dinner. Have a great night."


    "Thanks." Cayenne put her phone down and turned it into silent mode. "Talking to him takes so much energy. I''m famished." She murmured to herself while reaching out for food.


    "Just tell me what you want and I''ll get it for you." Stefan told her while getting the te of squid rings that she was trying to reach. Everyone can see how much he cared for her. Only Cayenne was blind.

 Chapter 97 - DISPLEASED KYLE

    <h4>Chapter 97 - DISPLEASED KYLE</h4>


    The whole family started eating dinner with Stefan. He was very attentive with Cayenne and sometimes, he would talk to her mother out of respect. As their conversation continued, he came to realize that Cayenne''s mother was no longer hostile towards him. When Cayenne left for powder room, she even talked sincerely to him.


    "Stefan, we clearly know of our status and I''m sure that Cayenne sincerely likes you. At the same time, I''m also well-aware of how people change their attitudes. I''m not saying that it would absolutely happen to you but, I just want you to be honest to Cayenne. If you really love her, please love her without any doubts. However, if you ever change your mind and find a better person, please don''t cheat on her. It would be better if you would tell her the truth that lies in your heart instead of cheating on her."


    "Auntie, I wouldn''t do that. I am certain that Cayenne is the only woman for me. I will not look for someone else." Stefan retorted, his gentle and concern eyes spoke louder than his words and that brought relief to Cayenne''s mother. She was happy to find that Cayenne has a man like him in her life.


    "Well, we''ve said our piece of mind." Kyle also added. "We won''t make things difficult for you. Just don''t hurt her in the future. Yen has the most fragile heart and she''d easily get hurt. You might not notice it though because she''s very good in hiding her emotions."


    "Correct. She would just secretly cry behind closed doors and show you her sweet smile when you''re together. Yen is very simple and she''s not materialistic as well." Luiz mentioned something that Stefan wasn''t aware of. "And honestly, even if we''re not rich, you''re lucky to have my sister. She''s always selfless and genuinely cares for others."


    Thest statement was something Stefan knew. He had been observing her ever since the day that he woke up with her on his bed, drunk and worried. Even though she was in serious predicament, she didn''t let anything affect her because she has family that needs her help. When he asked her help to sleep with him, although cautious, she was doing her best that he''d be able to sleep without disruptions. Even though there were times that they fought, she would never jeopardize her job.


    She was doing everything she can for her family. In fact, she put herself in thest item on her priority least.


    The four people talked about Cayenne and when the subject of their conversation came back from the powder room, they immediately change the topic of their conversation. Cayenne didn''t notice at all and just continued to eat the food that Stefan handed her. She even ate it directly from his spoon.


    Stefan was nonchnt about it. What''s there to be embarrassed about? They even ate from each other''s fork in the afternoon. And besides, they were with Cayenne''s family. They knew about their rtionship so, their actions were just natural in front of them. That''s what other couples do.


    After dinner, Luiz pulled out his phone from his pocket which had been vibrating since earlier. What came into view was Arthur''s name. Kyle saw it too and raised his eyebrow. Ever since he came back, he had been inquiring about Cayenne and Kyle hated it so much. He borrowed his brother''s phone and answered it.


    "This is Kyle. Luiz is still talking with my sister."


    "Did you guys just finished eating dinner?"


    "Hn. Yen wanted to have a family dinner since she had been very busy with work and she got less time for us."


    "That''s good to know. Is she going back home with you?"


    "No. She''s got another work after dinner. She needs to leave again."


    "That''s a pity." Arthur responded with a frown. He wasn''t sure if it was just imagination or not but, he felt that Kyle''s voice contained irritation and displeasure. "Send my regards to Cayenne and you guys have a great night." The purpose of his call was to probe Luiz if Cayenne was really with them. He might have not noticed it but he was being doubtful of her and he wanted to make sure that she''s not hooking up with someone else. He knew that Cayenne has no ns in getting into rtionship but her words couldn''t put his heart to rest.


    Kyle didn''t reply to his words and directly ended the call. He returned the phone to his brother and pulled him to a corner where Cayenne and Stefan couldn''t hear them. "In the future, if Arthur calls about Yen''s rtionship, don''t tell him anything. You must keep our sister''s rtionship a secret."


    "Why? Isn''t it better for him to know so that he''d stop chasing after Yen?"


    Kyle held his brother''s shoulder and looked at him deep in his eyes. "Stefan is well-known. If anyone finds out the rtionship between him and Cayenne, our sister will be in trouble. People from the media wille to disturb her and Stefan doesn''t want that to happen. He was protecting her and we should do the same. We cannot trust anyone outside the family."


    "And that includes Arthur?"


    "Hn. Arthur is not a family. He is a friend. There''s a difference." Luiz nodded his head in understanding. His brother was right and all the words he said were sensible. Since it was for Cayenne''s sake, he would follow it without questions.


    Cayenne talked to her mother and decided to send them home. Even though her mother refused Stefan insisted with the idea due to the hour beingte and Cayenne''s mother was also frail. They needed to get home as soon as possible.


    Cayenne sat on the front seat and her family sat on the backseat. They chatted along the way but because they were having dinner not far from home, it took them less than fifteen minutes to get back. She watched her mother and brothers got down from the car, and waved at them to bid farewell.


    "I wish I can be truly part of your family." Stefan mumbled while giving them a faint smile before driving out of the vicinity.

 Chapter 98 - FEARING HIM

    <h4>Chapter 98 - FEARING HIM</h4>


    "Huh?" Cayenne turned to her side in order to face the Stefan who was driving beside her. She thought she was just hearing things. "Did you say something?"


    Stefan shook his head to deny his words. He didn''t want to alert her and make her felt rm; and he needed to be careful when ites to pursuing her. He wanted her to feel that he was sincere and it will all start on the next day.


    The two of them went back home and Cayenne was ready to take a shower and rest. She was really tired from all the afternoon activities she had with him. But instead of going to sleep, Stefan told her to pack up.


    "Where are we going?" Cayenne questioned while watching him pull out a suitcase from their closet. "Why are we packing up? It''s in the middle of the night. Are we moving?" She was starting to feel distress over his actions. If she had known that they''d be going somewhere, she would have packed her things in the afternoon before leaving the house. "And I don''t have any suitcase orrge bag to ce my things."


    Stefan stood up straight and walked towards her. The things they bought were just ced on the couch since they needed to quickly pack their things. "You can take a rest. I''ll pack up our things."


    "Can you tell me where are we going?"


    "Somewhere you''ll really enjoy." Stefan responded. He held her on her shoulders and let her sit on the couch. "You don''t need to do anything. I''ll take care of our clothes."


    Cayenne was left to ponder over things. She really had no idea what was going on in his mind and he wasn''t telling her anything either. Surprisingly, her heart was calm because she knew that he wouldn''t bring her to any dangerous ce. She had thisplete trust on him for no apparent reason.


    "I''ll help you." Cayenne stood up and brought out some of the clothes that she can bring. "Am I supposed to ce them inside your luggage?"


    "Hn. We''ll share with the luggage and we can just buy a new one for youter."


    "O-okay." Cayenne ced her clothes on the other side of the suitcase but when ites to her undergarments, she blushed and couldn''t bring herself to ce her things inside the suitcase. "I''ll ce somethings in my bag."


    He raised her head from arranging their clothes and grinned at her. He wasn''t really making things difficult for her but he wanted to tease her a little. "Why don''t you just put every thing inside the suitcase? In that way, you can only bring a small bag to put our wallets and phones -more convenient."


    "No need. No need." She insisted and kept hold her underwear behind her. "I don''t mind carrying a bigger bag."


    "But, wouldn''t it be a little inconvenient for you every time you open your bag?"


    Realizing the hidden meaning behind his words, Cayenne blinked her eyes with uneasy expression. He was right. It''s embarrassing for her to open her bag with her undergarments in front of many people especially when she wanted to get her passport or wallet. And she didn''t have any spare bag to use.


    Left with no other choice, Cayenne slowly put her things inside the suitcase with a red face and trembling hands. She wasn''t trembling from rage but from too much embarrassment. They might have been together for quite a long time but she never left any of her undergarments in his view. She would always put them inside her bag and bring it home for her to wash. The only clothes she left in his house every morning were her shorts and other home clothes.


    Stefan took a small zip lock container at the bottom of his drawer and gave it to her. "You can use this. If you are notfortable cing it inside the suitcase, you can just ce it her and put it at the bottom part of your bag and ce your other things on top of it."


    As if receiving her salvation, Cayenne grabbed the zip lock stic and took her undergarments from the suitcase. She turned her back on him and arranged her things inside her bag while he was carefully selecting clothes. He had been waiting for her to pick up her clothes in order for him to find a matching outfit with the clothes she chose.


    ''After tomorrow, everything will change. I can only hope that the change is the kind of change that I am expecting.'' Stefan thought while looking at her back which was facing him.


    "Ayen?"


    "Hn?" Cayenne abruptly turned and because she was so focused in arranging her things, she didn''t notice that he had climbed the bed and crawled towards her side. His face was so close to her and when she turned to look at him, her lips brushed against his lips. Even if it was just a brush between their lips, it was enough to send Cayenne''s heart in me.


    She immediately covered her lips with her hand and scrambled away from him. She looked like she had seen a ghost which scared her out of her wits.


    Stefan was also stupefied. It was not his intention to kiss her. In fact, the moment she turned around was also the moment he raised his head to face her. He was looking at her things before he called out her name to get his attention. "Sorry, Ayen. I didn''t really mean for it to happen. I was just about to ask you something when you suddenly turned. I''m really sorry."


    "This is the second time. You broke your promise." Cayenne''s words were bitingly cold and it sliced through his heart like a sharp dagger. usation, disappointment, and fear were reflecting on her face.


    Yes, she liked him. However, Cayenne didn''t want to be kissed casually. She always wanted to give all her first time to the person that she likes and someone who likes her back. But, Stefan stole her first kiss already as well as the second and they don''t even have any romantic rtionship. She was starting to fear him.

 Chapter 99 - HES SORRY, SHES SORRY

    <h4>Chapter 99 - HE''S SORRY, SHE''S SORRY</h4>


    "Ayen, I didn''t really mean to do it. You have to believe me." There was plea mixed in his voice but Cayenne remained rooted on the ce she''s standing, no movement or words. "Ayen, I don''t understand why these things happen when we''re getting along just fine. And it was not my intention to kiss you ¨C no, that wasn''t a kiss. Our lips just slightly brush. If I really kissed you, I wouldn''t just caress your lips."


    "Then, you really had a n?!"


    "Yes. I mean, No. I don''t have any n like that." Cayenne closed her eyes in irritation. She had no idea what she''ll do this time. Her heart beat was still erratic and she even likes the feeling of his lips. Stefan looked at her, worried and pleading. "Can we talk about thister? I promise I''ll ept any punishment that you''d give."


    ''This is crazy! I''m going crazy!'' Cayenne screamed mentally while taking her hands off her face. This time, she was clutching her chest. "I''m not going to punish you but I will quit with my work next time this happens."


    "Quit?" Stefan echoed. "You will leave me?"


    "Hn."


    ''As if I''d let you do that.'' Stefan thought internally. He''s ns had been changing; from treating her warmly, to being cold, to being kind, to being harsh, to being sincere and to finally realizing this little feeling of love which was sprouting in his heart. He was still unsure if this was love but he wanted to find out the truth and to do that, he needed to absolve the current rtionship they have. He will now give her freedom back. This will also serve as a test for him.


    Cayenne had no idea what was in store for her future. What should happen will happen and all she can do was to ept her fate and that includes their parting.


    After packing their things, Stefan didn''t give her time to bath. He handed her a change of clothes to put on so that they can leave. She was changing inside the bathroom and thought that Stefan would be using the bathroom after her.


    "Stefan, it''s your-"


    Who would have thought that he''d be changing in their bedroom while she was inside the shower? The words she wanted to say were pushed back down her throat from being surprised. Instead of screaming, she was stuck, looking at the half naked man in front of her. ''He''s been exercising?'' she asked herself while looking at his muscles.


    His muscles were firm but not very bulky to the point of scaring her. He''s got broad shoulder, lean waist and long legs. Cayenne explored his body with her eyes and found a very sexy V line and since his jeans wasn''t buttoned yet, she took a peek of the ce that she wasn''t supposed to look at.


    Her eyes traveled up to his face and she found that he was looking at her. Cayenne choked on her own saliva from being caught red-handed, staring at him with no inhibitions. "Don''t say anything to me." She softly murmured and quickly fled out of the room. To hide her embarrassment, she could only pretend to be mad or upset. There''s no way she''d admit that she liked what she had seen.


    Back inside the room, Stefan let out a heartyughter when she''s out of the room. He heard her voice when she spoke earlier but when she suddenly stopped, he raised his head to see what made her stop. Never in his wildest dream, did he expect Cayenne to look at him with hot eyes. It was the very first time he saw that expression on her face. A look of amazement, curiosity and a little flustered.


    Her red cheeks told him that she was surprised and embarrassed but her eyes didn''t leave his body until their eyes met. He thought his heart stopped beating when he met her which was full of admiration. He waited for her to say something but she actually fled, leaving him standing alone in their room.


    He couldn''t hold back hisughter and now, he found another reason to tease her.


    After ten minutes, he came down with the suitcase and her bag. Cayenne didn''t look up. When she faced him, she kept looking down on the floor and received her bag without sparing him a nce. Stefan wasn''t the least bit bother by it. He let her do what she wants and the two of them walked out with Cayenne following behind him.


    "Stop following behind me." Stefanmented and even though she knew what he meant with his words, she didn''t move an inch to catch up to him. "Stand beside me."


    "I can''t."


    "Why not?" Stefan questioned. He stopped on his track and waited for her but she didn''t move. "Come over here or I''ll carry you to the garage. Which one do you want?"


    She didn''t need to be told twice to know which one was the better choice for her. "Sorry." She mumbled beside him as they waked to the garage where he parked his car. Earlier, he was the one who was apologizing to her and now, it was the other way around. Fate was really having fun ying with them.


    "What are you apologizing about?"


    "I''m sorry for staring at you. That was really rude of me."


    "Did you hate what you see earlier?"


    "No. Ah? I mean, I¡­uh¡­uhm¡­I was just admiring your handsomeness. Right. That''s it. I knew that you''re famous with women but I never thought you''re handsome and your body was really¡­I¡­sh*t!" she couldn''t help herself but curse right in front of him, not caring about his opinion of her? attitude. She was stammering and felt really nervous. She couldn''t even understand what she was saying.


    Stefan squeezed the back of her hand which he was holding. "If you don''t hate what you saw, there''s nothing to apologize."


    "Is that so? Then, did you hate brushing lips with mine which was why you apologized?"


    Stefan was stunned with her question. His eyes darkened and there was a swirl of desire in his eyes. Realizing what she just said, Cayenne face-palmed herself and decided to walk ahead of him.

 Chapter 100 - YOURE A PERVERT!

    <h4>Chapter 100 - YOU''RE A PERVERT!</h4>


    "Ayen, I-"


    She abruptly turned around and put her right hand forward, gesturing him to stop talking. Her eyes were red from feeling frustrated towards herself and her face was equally red from the embarrassment. "I don''t want to ruin this vacation that you''re nning so, let''s lust forget about what I said."


    "Why?"


    "Because I don''t want distractions."


    "So, I''m distracting you?"


    "I don''t want to answer that question. Are we still leaving or are we staying?" Cayenne changed the subject. As much as possible, she wanted him to forget the question she just asked. Little by little, day by day, her feelings were slowly pouring out and it scares her. She was scared that everything would change.


    Stefan can see theplex emotions in her eyes. Knowing that it was gettingte and she was tired, he didn''t want to add to her stress. He just nodded his head and mimed to be zipping his lips. He wanted to hold her hand but Cayenne was keeping a distance from him.


    Few minutester, the two of them were already on the road. One moment, she was watching the night view outside the window but the next time Stefan turned his head to face her, she was asleep and her head kept bumping on the window. He stopped the car on the road side and reclined her chair a little.


    "Are we there yet?" Cayenne asked. Her eyes were hazy and unfocused. She looked around her and found Stefan leaning over her, putting a pillow underneath her head. She grabbed his hand and pressed her face on it. "Warm."


    Stefan stiffened and watched her purring like a little cat. She was obviously sleepy but Stefan wasn''t sure if she was dreaming or if she was aware with what she was doing. He stayed in the same position, his body was pressed on her a little and it took him so much effort to control himself not to kiss her face which was few inches away from him.


    When she was finally back to sleep, Stefan pulled his hand away from her, slowly as he returned back to his original position on the driver seat. ''Whoa! She''s going to make me crazy if I won''t be careful. This woman is oozing so much allure when sleeping.'' Stefan mumbled internally while starting the engine of the car.


    Night in the city was still bustling with lifepared to the peaceful and simple life in the country side. Inside the car, it was so quiet with only the sound of Stefan''s heavy breathing and Cayenne''s light snore. Stefan would often chuckle when she talks in her sleep but Cayenne stayed asleep all the way to their destination.


    When the two of them arrived at the rest house that he rented, it was past midnight and Cayenne was still sleeping deeply. The caretaker of the house heard the loud engine of the car. He woke up and opened the gate to help theme in. He thought that there will be many people who wille along with them. He didn''t expect that it would be just a couple.


    "Good evening, Mr. Dumrique. I''m Isaac. I am the caretaker of this house." Isaac humbly greeted. "Do you need help with your things?"


    "Hn. I''d greatly appreciate it. We have one luggage at the trunk."


    "Alright. I''ll help you get it." The man named Isaac waited for Stefan to open the car''spartment. After opening it, he reached for Cayenne''s bag and slung it on his body. He got out of the car and walked towards her side before opening the door to carry her inside the house.


    The caretaker followed them and led them to the master''s bedroom. "I am living nearby, sir. If you need help, you can just call me over or my wife."


    "Thank you so much."


    "Here''s the key to all the rooms, the main entrance and the gate." Isaac gave him a bunch of keys with different types. After making sure that they''ve got nothing else for him to do, he left the house and let the lovers have a rest. He thought that they were having a honeymoon and he didn''t want to disturb them.


    Stefan arranged their things inside the huge wardrobe found in their room. He took a half bath and changed his clothes tofortably sleep. He had been moving around, making obvious loud noises to wake her up and ask her to bath but she was still dead asleep with no signs of waking.


    He wanted to ask the caretaker to bring over his wife but he was a little concern since it''s alreadyte and he didn''t want to inconvenience them.


    "Am I going to do this or not?" he asked himself while watching the sleeping face of Cayenne. Hershes were long and a little curvy at the end. Her small face looked so delicate and her red lips were parted a little enough for his tongue to slip in. "Wait! I can''t do this. My mind will wander and if I see her naked, I will have more unwarranted thoughts and it''s not good. She''d re up if she knows."


    He climbed onto the bed and tried to sleep beside her but his worry kept on circling inside his head. He didn''t want her to get rashes from all the dirt that got umted on her body from all the travel they had from afternoon to night time. She will certainly feel itchy if she won''t bath.


    Turning to his side, he tried to wake her up. "Ayen?" he was shaking her shoulders lightly to wake her up. "Ayen, you have to bath." No matter how much he tried to wake her, there was no response from her. "Ayen." Still, sleeping peacefully. "If you won''t wake up, I will kiss you and you won''t know it."


    Even with this threat, Cayenne ignored him and continued to sleep.


    "Fine." He sat up from the bed and rose to his feet. "I''ll help you out." He muttered under his breath while looking for a basin and a face towel. He opened the tap and put water on the basin before soaking the towel in the water. He washed the towel first to make sure it''s clean before using it to wipe on her body.


    When Stefan got out from the bathroom with the basin of water and towel, he was facing another predicament involving Cayenne. "How am I suppose to undress you?" She was even wearing a dress which means, he needed to undress her in one go. "This is hell." Stefan mumbled. He put down the basin on the bedside table and sat on the space beside her. "Are you punishing for what I''ve done earlier? Are you getting back at me?"


    He was questioning her but since she was asleep, it was given that she won''t answer him. "I promise I''m not doing anything indecent. I won''t do anything to you. I''m just going to wipe your body." He slowly lifted the hem of her skirt and when he found that she was wearing shorts, he felt so relieved as if he received amnesty from a death sentence. He pulled it up again until it reached her white and fair bosom. He wanted to close his eyes but he wouldn''t be able to continue if he did. Feeling so much pressure, he continued to pull up her dress, making sure that her arms were bent properly for him to get her hands out of the dress'' sleeves.


    It took him five minutes just to remove her dress for her.


    Holding his breath, he rose to his feet and pulled out a clean towel to drape over her exposed body, just letting her arms out. He wrung the towel to remove the excess water before pressing it on her skin to wipe her.


    Cayenne subconsciously shivered, feeling the cold towel on her body but she didn''t wake up. She really put her guard down when she''s with him.


    After wiping her left hand, Stefan moved to her right hand, then to her neck and to her two legs. "What should I do with your chest and stomach?" he asked himself once again. Ever since he started doing business, he never felt so conflicted until she arrived in his life. Allplicated matters that he felt were because of her.


    "I''ll just close my eyes." Stefan pulled the towel a little to wipe her chest but when he closed his eyes to avoid seeing her, his imagination was running wild. "This is really measuring my patience and control." He murmured while wiping her chest with his face looking on the other side to avoid watching her.


    Cayenne woke up from the coldness that she felt and thought that she had no nket covering her. When she instinctively tried reaching for the nket, thinking that they were still in the subdivision, she couldn''t find anything and her hand brushed her bare chest which made her shiver again.


    When Stefan turned to look at her, his eyes met Cayenne''s ming gaze. "You''re a pervert!"

 Chapter 101 - IM FIRING YOU NOW

    <h4>Chapter 101 - I''M FIRING YOU NOW</h4>


    "Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait." He held her hands which was about to hit his face. He almost couldn''t hold it, meaning she exerted a lot of strength in that p. "Don''t p me. Your hands will get hurt."


    "My hands will get hurt? Really? Showing fake concern now?! What were you trying to do?! Did you bring me in this ce so that you can do anything and discard me right after?!" Pain. Betrayal. Worry. Fear. These emotions were showing on her pale face. She was clutching on the towel to cover her exposed chest. She was shivering but her ming rage was more evident and all she could think of was to hit him. "I hate you!" She raised her foot and kicked him, aiming for his groin.


    With his quick reflexes, he caught Cayenne''s leg with his other hand, causing her to feel angrier. "Ayen, wait a minute. Let me exin."


    "What do you want to exin?! I''ve seen it myself! You were touching me, touching my naked body!"


    "No. You''re mistaken." With one single move, he spun her around andid her on the bed. Holding her hand above her head while she was clutching the towel, afraid of letting go. His other hand was holding her leg and made sure that she wouldn''t be able to move under him.


    His eyes held the burning desire for her but he remained expressionless in front of her. His hot breath was fanning her enraged little face. "Listen to me or I will kiss you. If you squirm, I will kiss you. If you open your mouth before I''m done exining, I''ll kiss? you."


    "Bu-" Cayenne immediately shut her mouth when she found him ring at her. She nodded her head in agreement and watched him, still hovering above her naked body. ''God! I''ll end up in a mental institution if this set up continues.'' She told herself, doing her best to avoid his hot gaze.


    Stefan took a deep breath and released it. He also let go of her hand and sat properly on the bed space beside her. Seeing the quilt at the edge of the bed, Stefan pulled it and covered her body. "I know I''ve been saying sorry and I can practically guess that you are starting to hate these wordsing from me now." Stefan started while peering at her ck and fierce-ring eyes. "But Ayen, I wasn''t really nning to do anything unwarranted. I promised that I''d respect you and I would never cross your bottom line. Ayen, please trust me, even if I have some lustful desires, I wouldn''t do anything to you. I''d rather suffer instead of hurting you."


    Cayenne didn''t speak. Her emotions were inplete tangle and she was confused if she would still believe in him or not. Stefan caressed her face and his voice was soft as if he was talking to a child. "I thought you''d be too tired to wash up and I was worried that you''d feel ufortable and get skin rashes in the morning. I tried waking you up but you did not. I was just wiping your body. I wasn''t thinking of doing anything to you."


    "Really?"


    "Hn."


    "I don''t believe you."


    Stefan was stunned to see such deep resentment in her eyes. She was still angry even after the exnation he made. "I''m really sorry if I was being rude to you. I thought it was fine since you''ve done it to me before when I got sick. I thought I can also take care of you like you did for me."


    Cayenne looked at him without saying anything. They two of them were silent for a minute before Stefan spoke again to break the silence. He stood up from the bed with a heavy sigh. "I''m done wiping you. You can get dress and go back to sleep."


    Right after saying these words, he walked out of the room and opened the other room across the master''s bedroom. He was nning to sleep without her. It''s time to test himself if he''d be able to sleep without her help anymore.


    Seeing his dejected back, Cayenne burst into tears. She was terrified. She was helpless. She was worried. She was guilty. He might be saying the truth and she wanted to believe him but her heart feltplicated. She got out of bed wearing her undergarments, and walked towards where the suitcase was, thinking that her clothes were still inside. To her surprise, it was empty; and when she looked at the inside of the wardrobe, all her clothes were neatly arranged by him.


    With heavy heart and tears rolling on her face, she pulled out a blouse and shorts to wear. She went back to bed after getting dressed and waited for him.


    She waited for half an hour. And it turned to an hour. Another one hour had passed but there was no Stefaning back to bed. She was getting worried and she was not even familiar with the ce that they were in. She waited for another half an hour. She was no longer sleepy and her heart was restless, thinking that she might have left her alone in a ce unfamiliar to her.


    Stefan was also wide awake on the other room. He was tossing and turning, her fiery and resentful gaze was deeply embedded in his mind. He knew it would happen but his worry for her welfare weighed more than his worry of her anger. "What should I do now?" Stefan asked himself while staring at the ceiling. There were small lizards chasing one after another near the fluorescent light and to his amusement, when the other lizard caught up the one that was being chased, the two of them had their forehead touching each other. The gesture was very sweet and cute for such little animals. "Good for these lizards. A few seconds of chasing brought them to their chosen partner. In my case, I haven''t started my pursuit but it looked like I have failed already."


    He was still thinking about several things involving Cayenne when he heard the sound of faint footsteps going down the stairs. The sound was faint but it was obvious that the person was in a hurry.


    "Stefan." Cayenne mumbled, looking for him in the living room. When she couldn''t find him there, she ran to the kitchen and still found no one. "Stefan!" Her tears continued to pour down her face. She was scared being left alone. She didn''t want him to leave her alone. "Stefan, where are you? Don''t leave me here." She sat on the cold floor of the kitchen, knees bent and pulled close to her. She ced her chin on top of it and hugged her knees. She dropped her head and cried her heart out.


    There''s no going back with how she felt. She knew that she''s invested too deeply in her feelings for him and even though she knew that it would lead her to nothing, she couldn''t seem to stop herself from falling for him heads on. She silently sobbed in one of the kitchen corners, hoping that he''de back and get her. She had no idea that Stefan was just inside the room across from where she stayed.


    Since the house was soundproofed properly, even though it was made of teak and mahogany woods, Stefan wasn''t able to hear Cayenne''s shouting. He leaned closer on his door, trying to listen to some noise but there was nothing. "Why isn''t sheing back?" he asked himself and opened the door of his room and crossed to the master''s bedroom to check on her. "She''s not really here."


    He scratched the back of his head while sighing in his heart. "This woman will make me lose my head one day." He decided to find her downstairs but he didn''t expect to find her curled up and crying in one of the kitchen corners.


    "Ayen?"


    She raised her head at the sound of his voice. Her vision was blurry from all the tears that kept streaming down on her face. She wiped it with the back of her hands and looked at him. "You''re still here?"


    "Hn. I''m still here."


    "You did not leave me?"


    "No, I did not. What makes you think I''d leave you?"


    "I thought you were upset because I didn''t believe your words. I thought you decided to go back home and leave me alone here." Her hups were painful but she endured it just to express her thoughts clearly. "Stefan, I don''t know what''s going on with me. I was terrified when I found you touching me while I was half naked on the bed. I was embarrassed. I was confused. When you exined things to me, I wanted to believe you but I was worried that you might be making things up. I don''t know what''s happening to me. I was even more terrified when I realized that you might discard me sooner orter. I know, you paid me to help you but I don''t think I can still focus with my job. I don''t think I can keep working for you." She looked so lost in front of him. Her tears kept falling on the floor and she was looking so miserable. "Can we stop all this? Can I quit? Maybe you''d find someone-"


    "Okay. You can stop working. I''m firing you now."

 Chapter 102 - YOURE STILL AWAKE?!

    <h4>Chapter 102 - YOU''RE STILL AWAKE?!</h4>


    Stefan interrupted her and agreed to her words. He had been waiting to fire her as well and since she suggested it, he had no qualms about it.


    Cayenne stiffened and was surprised to hear him agreed with his words. Knowing that she''s got no other option, specially that she couldn''t take back her words, she stood up and wiped her tears. Her heart was heavy but she was the one who suggested the separation. She couldn''t just me him. She hated herself that she developed some unwarranted feelings. She hated herself that she was not being careful around him. She hated herself that her heart chose to love him. However, she just couldn''t regret her choice. Even though she was hurting around him, she was also the happiest when she''s with him and got his attention and care.


    "Thank you for all this time. I''ll return the excess money that you''ve given me for this month''s sry." She smiled painfully at him with her heart broken to several pieces once again. It hadn''t been long when she tried fixing them and now, they''re all crumbled leaving dust and pebbles.


    "You can keep it." Stefan told her. He was about to touch her when Cayenne moved to the side with a faint move. It seemed like she didn''t intentionally do it but in fact, she was really avoiding him. "I have something else I want to say."


    "Can we talk tomorrow before I leave?"


    "You''re leaving?"


    "Hn. There''s no point in me staying here." She braved herself to stop from crying once again. She didn''t want to show to him that she was weak and miserable once again. "Good night. I''ll leave tomorrow morning." Cayenne turned back and every step she took was like dragging her battered and bruised body from the precipice of deep and dangerous cliff. She wanted to start over again without him.


    Seeing her bleak silhouette and hunched back, Stefan felt that she was drifting away. He felt that if he let go of her this time, he wouldn''t be able to see her again. The sudden fear erupted from the deepest pit of his heart and he was thrown in panic.


    "Cayenne." He walked towards her. His slow steps became faster and faster in order to catch with her. She was about to get upstairs when he took hold of her hand and spun her around. Her eyes were brimming with tears, and no matter how much she tried to wipe them away, they''d just keep pouring out. "Ayen, we need to talk. I won''t let you sleep if you won''t speak to me."


    "Go ahead. Speak." Since she was no longer his employee, she was no longer polite towards him. She was still hurting and seeing his face was giving her so much heartaches. "Just say it and go. I want to rest." She felt helpless and really tired. In any case, nothing would change her mind at this point. She already decided to leave and move to a ce which wouldn''t remind her of his presence.


    Stefan led her back to the master''s bedroom and went back to the kitchen to get her a ss of milk. When he returned to the room, Cayenne was standing at the verandah, shivering from cold and mourning for the death of her love. She was trying her best to bury her feelings at the deepest pit of her beating heart.


    She didn''t receive the water that he gave her. Instead, she went to the marble chair and sat without saying anything. "Ayen, I didn''t fire you because I want you to go."


    There was no response but this time, she turned her head to face him. Stefan continued to pour his thoughts towards her. "I want to start a new rtionship with you. I don''t like this employer-employee rtionship that we have. I don''t you to lie to your parents. I don''t want you to always worry about me when you''ve been risking so much in this rtionship. I want to start over again with you."


    Cayenne blinked her eyes. Even though it was against her well-mannered personality, right in front of her, she tried digging her ears with her fingers. There was confusion and disbelief crossing on her face. "What were you saying again?"


    Stefan took a step closer to her and handed her the ss of water. "I told you that I want to start over again with you."


    "Start over with what?"


    "I want to seriously pursue you. I know that we told your parents about our rtionship but, I still want to court you properly."


    Cayenne chuckled with defiance. There''s no way that he''d like someone like her. "Stefan, are you trying to exact your revenge on me after what I have done earlier?"


    "No. No, that''s not it." He instantly denied her usations. "Ayen, I really want us to have a proper rtionship. This is the reason that I agreed to your sudden outburst of quitting from your work."


    "How can that be?" Cayenne''s tears seeped out of her eyes again. "How can you like someone who''s poor and ugly? How can you like someone who doesn''t have any positive thing about her. If people find out that you''re with me, they will only ridicule you for having such tasteless choice. You will be in tabloids once again. Why must you insist having a rtionship with me?"


    "Because I don''t like the thought of you disappearing from my life. I don''t want you to leave me alone. Ayen, will you ept my proposal? Can I court you once again? This time, for sure, there''s no money being involve, just my pure feelings and affections towards you."


    Cayenne looked at him but she didn''t nod her head or deny it. At this point, she already started building a wall between them. She was being more cautiouspared to how she was before. She didn''t like the thought that Stefan might just be ying around with her.


    In the past month and several weeks with him, she realized that he liked to hurt her, then make amends. Hurt her again and apologize, then try to win her over again. She never wanted to put her guard when she''s with him but she had enough of thisical life she has. If people knew about her plight, they wouldugh their heads off because of her misery.


    She pulled her hands away from him and pushed the water on the table to his side. "Let''s talk tomorrow. Things like these should be discussed when both parties are sober, not when we''re both caught in ourplicated emotion."


    "But, I am being serious here."


    "And so, do I." Cayenne turned around and left after expressing her thoughts. "Let''s sleep separately tonight. I have resigned from my work and you have fired me as well."


    Stefan hated the idea of sleeping on a bed without her. He hated himself for hastily agreeing to her decision. And because of this, he will be all alone, although that was what he decided to do few minutes ago.


    He walked out of the room and got inside the room across where she was. The silence of their rooms enveloped them and made them felt even gloomier. They were both unused to this kind of atmosphere after few weeks of being happy and contented with each other''spany.


    Cayenne sat on her bed. Stefan was sitting on the carpeted floor while leaning his back on the bed. It was alreadyte at night and morning was slowly nearing. After an hour, it was already half an hour past two in the morning. The two of them were still wide awake.


    Cayenne was tossing and turning on her bed. Stefan was pacing back and forth inside his room. Both eyes were red fromck of sleep. Another hour had passed and the roosters in the province were starting with their cock-a-doodle-doos. The sound of the frogs was starting to diminish as the dawn was slowly breaking.


    "What should I do?" Cayenne mumbled to herself. Her eyes were still swollen and puffy from crying so muchst night. She took out her phone from her bag and saw the phone case. Her heart was melting whenever she thought of their matching cases but she also hardened herself not to give in so easily with his words.


    Stefan was no better. He was biting his fingernails from so much worry. Morning was opening up slowly and he was afraid that she''d instantly leave after waking up, leaving him alone without bidding goodbye.


    "No, that can''t happen. I will never let her leave me alone." Stefan told himself and decided not to sleep anymore. He will guard the door to make sure that she won''t be able to escape.


    At six in the morning, the two of them were wide awake and couldn''t go to sleep either. They both decided toe downstairs to think of what they could say once they met again.


    The moment they opened their doors, they found themselves looking in each other''s eyes. "You''re still awake?!"

 Chapter 103 - MORNING AFTER THEIR DISPUTE

    <h4>Chapter 103 - MORNING AFTER THEIR DISPUTE</h4>


    Stefan looked at her swollen eyes and listened to her nasal tone voice. She looked very haggard. Cayenne was also staring back at him with a little doubt and confusion. She couldn''t understand why looked tired and exhausted.


    "Would you like to get some coffee?"? she asked, opening up to him a little since this would be thest time that the two of them will be together or start a life towards the future while holding each other''s hands.


    Stefan nodded his head in silence. The two of them walked downstairs with one following the other. Stefan was following her closely, fighting the urge to hold her hand that he had been used to holding in the past.


    When the two of them got inside the kitchen, Stefan checked the cupboard and found the refrigerator full of groceries just like his request. There was a bottle of instant coffee powder that they can use and several cartons of fresh milk. Instead of making coffee for himself, he took out one piece of cucumber and sliced them neatly on the chopping board. He ced them inside a small bowl and pushed it over to Cayenne who was sitting on a chair at the counter with a dazed expression.


    "Ayen, soothe your eyes with these. It will help your swollen eyes feel a little bit better."


    "Thank you." She mumbled softly and picked two piece and went out of the kitchen, forgetting the coffee that she talked about earlier. Since it was early in the morning and the sun had just risen, there were still morning dews sticking on the leaves of the nts and other things around the house.


    The bamboo chair that was situated in the living room felt cold even without any aircon. There was a potted fortune nt beside the bamboo chair and it looked very healthy. It made her remember the tulip flower that Stefan gave her. The bamboo chairs had soft throw pillows and cushion covers to make sure that you''d be able to sitfortably instead of sitting on hard bamboo strips.


    Cayenne had wanted to sit but she felt that the sliced of cucumbers would always slide down on her face. She dusted of a throw pillow and ce it on the arm rest of the bamboo chair so that she could lie down in afy position. She closed her eyes and ced the sliced of cucumbers on top of her eyelids and felt the cool sensation, soothing her extremely tired eyes.


    Stefan didn''t say anything, the less he speaks, the less mistakes he''dmit. He just focused in preparing their breakfast. Even though they had a little of argument or disputest night, the house felt serene this time and his heart felt light. He was happy that he was able to tell her his feelings, although he was still on edge because he hadn''t received her response yet.


    After fifteen minutes, Stefan stopped chopping the vegetables and went out to check on her. He was bringing the bowl of sliced cucumbers so that she can change them with fresher ones. He ced the bowl on the table and crouched low to check her breathing. ''She''s asleep.'' Stefan told himself and decided to change her eye therapy items for her. After making sure that she was fine, he leaned closer and kissed her forehead. "I''m sorry for giving you endless troubled."? He murmured and went back to the kitchen.


    The rest house that Stefan rented was near the beautiful white-sand beach which was a private property, exclusive for everyone who stays in the rest house. Many people like them were having vacation during this Christmas season which made the beach extremely lively. However, there was a fence that separated them from other people who were having vacation in the same province as them.


    Behind the house, there were mango trees with so many green mangoes. There were lots of coconut trees which were short but had had a lot of coconut fruits already. If you want to get one, you can easily pick them even if you are just standing on the ground. One kilometer away from the big and beautiful rest house was a normal sized house. That was were the caretaker of the house lived.


    The rest house had a little rustic beauty in it despite the modern architectural style. It was a two-storey house with tiled floor. The first floor was made of cement with marbled walls. Most of the furniture were made of woods and a handful of them were made of ss or other materials. There was a huge t screen TV mounted on one of the walls and a cable was installed for better view and signal. There was also a WiFi so, you don''t need to worry about inte reception.


    The second floor of the house had a mahogany wood flooring. It was coated with varnish to make it look shinier and won''t be eaten with termites that easily. The bed, the wardrobe, the bedside table, thempshade, and other things inside the room was made of wood. Even the guest room that Stefan stayed, it was also made of wood. There was a verandah in each of the rooms on the second floor and the one with the best view in the morning was the master''s bedroom. You will be able to see the beautiful beach and the appearance of the slowly rising sun. Sadly, Cayenne was too preupied to appreciate the nature''s beauty.


    In the whole house, only the kitchen looked very modern with the modern appliances and other things. And around the house were different kinds of blooming flowers. The ce looked very marvelous during day time.


    Stefan continued to cook their food while making sure to rece the cucumber slices on Cayenne''s eyes every fifteen minutes. After one hour and half, he was done cooking their food and the smell of the food wafted through the whole house, and Cayenne''s stomach grumbled at the scent of the food.


    She woke up and realized that she fell asleep. She wiped the side of her mouth, worried and embarrassed with the thought of drool at the side of her mouth. Feeling her dry skin, she felt a surge of relief. She had no idea that Stefan wiped her drool earlier.


    Stefan came out of the kitchen with the intention of waking her up but found her silly and embarrassed expression while trying to feel her face. "Come here. I''ve prepared our breakfast. Let''s eat."


    Cayenne stood and bend down to pick up the cucumber pieces on the floor. Because she panicked earlier, she hadpletely forgotten that there were cucumbers on her eyes. They all fell on the floor. When she straightened up her body, she found the bowl of sliced cucumbers and the used ones which was ces in a small stic.


    "You changed them for me?" It was a question and also a statement since there was no one else in the house who can do it for her aside from him. "Thank you."


    "Sure. It wasn''t really a big problem. Come over for breakfast after you''re done disposing them." He reminded her again before disappearing into the dining area. He was untying his apron from his waist and grabbed a ss of milk for her and a cup of coffee for her.


    Cayenne didn''t know what to do in front of him. Before, she was his employee and she got used to eating breakfast, lunch or dinner with him. This time, she had no idea what her identity when ites to dining with him.


    "Why are you still standing there like stupid?" Stefan unceremoniously questioned as he ced the ss of milk beside her te. "Sit and eat with me. We still need to talk about somethingter and having food in your stomach will give you energy to find things to refute meter."


    Cayenne didn''t speak. She just pulled the chair and sat across him. Her heart was heavy and seeing his handsome face made her feel an endless pain and agony. She never wanted to love him from the start but here she was, ended up in this most fragile state after wearing her heart out on her sleeves.


    Stefan, although they previously engaged in a painful dispute, he was still very attentive to her needs. He ced a good amount of rice, stir-fried veggies, bacon and hot dog on her te. "Eat up. I have a ce that I wanted to show youter."


    "Okay." Cayenne took hold of her spoon and fork and started eating. ''How I wish this wouldn''t end. How I wish that he meant what he saidst night. How I wish that we don''t have this huge gap in social status. How I wish that you are just a normal man whom I can love normally, too.''


    He was observing her from his peripheral vision and her light sighs never escaped from him. He needed to work faster because the moment Cayenne leave him after their conversation, there won''t be a next time for them to build a rtionship. This were his exact thoughts on their current situation.


    At the same time, when you''re fated to someone, no matter what happens that person will always be yours. But even though you''re fated to be in each other''s arms, it is not impossible for your fate to slightly deviate. They will still experience a lot of things before getting the so-called ''happily ever'' after kind of ending.

 Chapter 104 - CAN I STILL HOLD YOUR HAND?

    <h4>Chapter 104 - CAN I STILL HOLD YOUR HAND?</h4>


    After eating their breakfast, Cayenne volunteered to wash their utensils; and because he was too afraid that she''d disappeared when he''s not looking at her, he stayed to wipe the utensils dry and return them inside the drawers. The two of them still worked in harmony even though their rtionship had changed.


    Cayenne wiped her hand with her apron before untying it from her waist and ced it on the rack. "I''ll go and wash up first so that you can have a rest."


    "Sure. I''ll juste up in a bit. Make sure to wear lighter clothes because it''s hot in this ce during the day." He didn''t forget to remind her with obvious concern for her. His care towards her well-being didn''t diminish even after the light dispute they had.


    She nodded her head and went upstairs to the master''s bedroom for a shower and change of clothes. Stefan stayed in the living room, enjoying the light breeze of cold wind on his face. He waited for at least twenty minutes before going upstairs to follow her. His mind was busy all the way back to their bedroom. He was thinking how he can persuade her or how he can get a yes from her. He was worried that Cayenne instantly refuse him with his proposal.


    The moment he opened the door, Cayenne wasbing her wet hair. "I''m done bathing. You cane in." They both maintained polite distance and even though they were still concern for each other, they weren''t overdoing it. "Would you like me to go out?"


    "No. No, you don''t have to do that. You can stay. I will be changing my clothes inside the bathroom. Just do your thing and don''t mind me."


    "O-okay." Cayenne ignored him and continued to dry her hair,bing it and blow drying it to make sure that it won''t soak her clothes. She was wearing a tank top and faded ripped shorts which exposed her fair skin and long legs. She was petitepared to Stefan butpared to other girls, she was just tall enough to reach his neck.


    In fact, Stefan liked their heights so much, especially when they''re standing side by side or when he''s cuddling with her. He can easily smell her hair and kiss her head. He had been secretly kissing her head during their sleep, making it as light as possible to make sure that she wouldn''t notice anything.


    Stefan brought a change of clothes inside the shower together with a towel to dry his body from the droplets of water. Stefan looked at his face, handsome and serious. "Is he afraid with my face? Bu, I''ve been smiling andughing around her. Do I look creepy when I smile?" He had never been conscious with his facial expression. This was the first time that he wanted to know what he looked like.


    After fifteen minutes, Stefan came out with a new set of clothes. He was wearing blue and white faded checkered jeans and a white shirt. He was wiping his wet hair with the towel to prevent the droplets of water from falling on his shirt. Cayenne just finished drying her hair when she turned around and saw him.


    "Do you need help? I can dry your hair for you." Cayenne offered since she was still at his mercy. She had no idea where she was and didn''t know how she can go back home. She still needed to depend on him.


    Stefan didn''t say anything but he smiled and walked towards her. He sat on a chair in front of the vanity mirror and leaned her back on her. "Thank you."


    "Don''t leaned back a lot. I can''t properly dry your hair." Cayenne mumbled while meeting his eyes through the mirror''s reflection. "Can you sit properly?" She even pushed his head gently to lean forward but he exerted his force and didn''t move a budge. "If you won''t move, I won''t dry your hair."


    "Alright. I''ll stop teasing you." He straightened his back and grinned at her while looking at her beautiful face in the mirror. "Ayen?"


    "Hn?"


    "I have something that I''ve always wanted to give you."


    "What?"


    "My heart. Do you want it?" He looked so serious when he spoke. Cayenne paused for few seconds before continuing as if nothing happened. Even though she was trying her best to control the palpitations of her heart, the corner of her mouth still hooked upward, forming a faint yet lovely smile.


    Stefan smiled happily but he didn''t say anything to tease her. Since she smiled, there''s a chance that their conversation will go smoothlyter.


    Cayenne refused to speak but he was paying attention to his small actions with a side nce. After five minutes, his hair was still a little damp but Stefan told her to stop so that they can finally go somewhere. Cayenne loved the feeling of touching his hair. The smooth and silky feeling warms her heart.


    "Let''s go. I''ve got something to show you." Stefan took the hair dryer from her and put it back on the vanity mirror after turning it off.


    This time, since their rtionship isn''t clear, he didn''t hold her hand like he used to, even though his hand and heart was itching to do it. He could only put his hands inside his pocket.


    He locked the door to their room and the main entrance of the house. "Let''s just ride their means of transportation here." Stefanmented and walked beside her. They maintained a good distance from each other, just enough for him to lightly brush his arms on her skin.


    They walked towards the main exit of the rest house but they didn''t feel tired at all. The shade of the huge trees and creeping vines protected them from the direct heat of the sunlight. There were many flowers around them and she heard the lovely chirps of the birds. There were small butterflies flying over the flowers, as well as bees and other insects that help the nts in pollination.


    Stefan had been stealing nces at her left hand that swayed beside her and the itchiness in his chest couldn''t be suppressed anymore. "Ayen, can I still hold your hand?"

 Chapter 105 - BRINGING HIS GIRLFRIEND TO BEAUTIFUL PLACES

    <h4>Chapter 105 - BRINGING HIS GIRLFRIEND TO BEAUTIFUL PLACES</h4>


    "No, you can''t." Cayenne refused coldly. "I have no obligation to you and you have no rights to hold me since we don''t have any rtionship."


    "I feel empty." Stefan told her his honest thoughts. "I''ve been used to holding you in my arms and now, I feel lost."


    "Let''s talk about this again after we discuss the things you spokest night." Cayenne retorted. "As of now, please keep your hands to yourself."


    "I can do that." Stefan retorted happily. He wasn''t the least bit disappointed with her response to him. In fact, he was ted because she was willing to discuss the matter of his heart that involves her.


    The two of them continued to walk leisurely towards the main exit. After three minutes, they got out of the rest house property and found a wide road where many cars pass by. Stefan didn''t want to drive because he wanted to enjoy time with her, without worrying about driving.


    "Hello sir. Do you need a ride?" one of the drivers asked Stefan while indicating the vacant space of his small pedicab. It was a small cable attached to a motorcycle with a capacity of four people. This was themon means of transportation for people whomutes.


    "Yes. We''d like to go to Siraya Mountain Peak." Stefan told the driver who nodded, an indication that they can ride on his vehicle.


    Cayenne got inside first followed by Stefan who sat beside her. "Sir, are you in a hurry? I wanted to wait for more people for my first morning trip."


    "Can I pay for the whole capacity to the Peak? I really wanted to get there as soon as possible."


    "Uhhmm, just a little information sir. During morning, the Peak isn''t really a good view. Most people would visit the ce duringte afternoon or evening to get the best view out of it."


    "So, where do you suggest we can go? I want to take my girlfriend to beautiful ces and I''ve heard that this province had so many natural sceneries to offer."


    Cayenne turned her head to face the man when he talked about the ''girlfriend'' thing. Seeing that he didn''t react to her sharp res, she dismissed the idea, thinking that he might be just using excuses for the driver.


    The driver thought for a while for suggesting several ces. "Three kilometers from here, there''s a flower farm which your beautifuldy can enjoy. You can also enjoy a horseback riding, sky biking and riding a zip line. You just needed to pay for the cheap entrance fee."


    "Alright. I''ll take your suggestion. We''ll just go to the Siraya Mountain Peak in the afternoon just like you said."


    The driver smiled politely and started the engine of his motorcycle, driving towards the flower farm that he mentioned. The ride was very smooth. Even though they were in a provincial ce, the roads were cemented and even if it would rain, there will be no flooding in the area because their drainage weren''t clogged.


    As they continued to travel, Cayenne couldn''t help but take out her phone and took pictures. It was a lovely ce. The streets were clean, no garbage or any types of litter. And the roadside was nted with trees and flowers; or different kinds of nts that were not familiar to her.


    "Stefan, let''s take a picture. It would be a waste if we couldn''t get something worth keeping in this ce." She suggested to him,pletely forgetting the fact that they were still in an ambiguous rtionship.


    Stefan took out his own phone and took a picture of the two of them. There was also a short video wherein Cayenne was fixing her hair which the wind blew again and again. He chuckled while watching her annoyed face and when she saw him taking a video, she lightly pinched his waist while trying to take the phone away from him.


    "You''re no fair!" Cayenne mumbled while hitting his chest again and again. "Let me see it. If I think it''s beautiful, I won''t delete it."


    "No way. Pretty or not, I still want to keep it."


    "Will you show it to me or would you like me to leave right now?" Cayenne questioned with a raised eyebrow. She looked stern and fierce which made his heart tremble and warm. This was the first time that she was using this kind of expression on him. Which means, she was being honest with her own feelings towards him. There''s no need to mask her face with care and kindness when she''s really irritated with him.


    Stefan handed his phone to her and ced his chin on his hand while looking at her. "Don''t delete it. Whether it''s pretty or ugly, I want to keep this moment with you."


    Cayenne nodded his head and watched the video which was less than a minute long. "I looked horrible."


    "No, you are just being yourself ¨C no pretense. I like it."


    "Whatever." Cayenne returned the phone to him. They continued to take pictures and she no longer cared if he was filming or just taking normal photos.


    Few minutester, they arrived at the entrance or Rosalia''s Garden and Adventure Park. There were rules and regtions posted at the entrance for all the guests to read. Cayenne looked at it and found that there were no unreasonable rules. Stefan still paid for the whole capacity of the vehicle and gave the driver a little tip for his suggestion. Although it was a little amount for him, it was still big enough for the driver.


    "Let''s go?" Stefan questioned her after pocketing his phone and wallet.


    "Sure."


    Maybe it was because they were enchanted by the view or maybe they were influenced with the other couples present at this moment; the two of them forgot what they just talked at the rest house, and they walked towards the main entrance while holding each other''s hand. None of them talked about it and none of them took notice of this familiar feeling.

 Chapter 106 - GIVING THEIR RELATIONSHIP A CHANCE

    <h4>Chapter 106 - GIVING THEIR RELATIONSHIP A CHANCE</h4>


    They paid for the entrance fee and walked around the garden with so many blooming flowers. There were roses of different colors, huge and towering sunflowers, full bloomed hibiscus of different varieties and many more. There were vines that formed an arc and when you pass underneath it, it seemed fantastical and unreal. Butterflies hovered over the flowers with the bees and dancing from petals to petals. They were looking for nectar.


    Cayenne breathed in the fresh scent of flowers, letting go of Stefan''s hand at the same time. If she could, she wanted to live in the garden forever. People of different ages, races and colors were present in the area to enjoy the scenery. Seeing the swaying pink rose in front of her, Cayenne couldn''t help herself from leaning closer. She held the thin stem of the nts and smelled the flower. It was intoxicating which made her close her eyes for a moment.


    Stefan had been holding his phone, taking pictures of Cayenne without her knowing. He felt empty when she let go of him but it was also fine as long as he could see her all the time. When she leaned over to smell the flower, the scene was mellow and it warmed his heart as if he drank a bottle of honey. He lightly pressed his phone and captured the moment. He also made sure to keep it in his heart forever.


    "Look at this!" Cayenne eximed and pulled him closer to a yellow rose. "This yellow rose is growing from a red rose. The owner of this ce is really good in nting. I am not so sure but I think this is what they call marcotting."


    "Do you want to try doing this at home?"


    "I don''t think I can do it but, maybe when I have time, I''ll try it just for fun."


    Stefan gave her a thumbs up and they continued to stroll around the garden. When she found something interesting, she''d lean closer to it and smell its flower.


    "Can you take a picture of me over there?" Cayenne asked as she pointed at the rattan swing in the middle of the garden. It was tied to a huge and thick post where vines grew around it. Many people were taking pictures in the same area since the view looked like a fairy tale painting that was given a life in the real world.


    "Sure." Stefan agreed and the two of them walked towards the swing. She was holding his hand once again, leading him towards the swing. Since Cayenne wasn''t looking back at him, Stefan took this chance to take a picture of their linked hands. "Let''s wait for our turn since there are other tourist who came before us." He whispered close to her ears but the truth was, he was busy editing the picture of their hands.


    Cayenne was watching the other people, specially the couples who came to enjoy the ce like them. As she continued to watch them, she has decided something in mind. If Stefan was really true to his wordsst night, she would want to give their rtionship a chance. ''Who knows? Things might work between us.'' Cayenne told herself while stealing nces at the man beside her.


    He had been staring on his phone for a while and there was a faint smile on his lips. "What are you smiling about?" Cayenne asked him while tugging his hand lightly. "Your face was showing that you''re up to something naughty."


    "I just posted something." Stefan told her, obviously, he''s got no ns to hide anything from her. "Would you like to check your social media ount or would you like to see my post directly from my phone?"


    "Your phone." Cayenne responded hesitantly. "Can I?"


    How can Stefan say no to the woman that he likes? Even before he admitted that he likes her, he had been very transparent with her. In any case, his phone doesn''t have any confidential files or anything that he''d be worried about if discovered. He confidently gave his phone to her which was currently disying the photo of their linked hands.


    He didn''t capture her face to make sure that no one would know about her identity. At the same time, the photo showed her sexy corbone, her fair white skin and her smooth legs. Behind her were different kinds of flowers which he edited to look more vibrant and fullerpared to the real nts.


    ''Let''s stay like this forever.''


    There was no name being mentioned and he didn''t tag her as well. Cayenne bit her lower lip, not knowing what to say or what to do. They haven''t discussed anything yet and she was still unsure of his real intention.


    She returned his phone back to him without saying anything and instantly turned around to hide her blush. She didn''t want him to see her reaction. Stefan was a bit puzzled but since she didn''t dislike it and didn''t ask him to delete the photo, he just stayed silent while secretly observing her.


    After five minutes, it was finally their turn to take picture. "Just do whatever you want to do and pose whatever pose you like. I''ll continue to take pictures of you and you can just choose which one you liketer." He never told anyone about his hobby which was photography. Whenever he went for a trip, he''d make sure that he''d be able to get a picture of that ce tomemorate his trip.


    This time, he''s got Cayenne as his muse and it was much betterpared to inndscapes and other sceneries. For the first time, he''d take a picture of a person.


    While Cayenne was fixing her hair and her tank top, silky tank top, Stefan started taking pictures of her already. They were just normal actions to her but for Stefan, every second was a precious moment. He was just about to press his phone when he caught sight of a little girl wearing a flower crown.


    He stopped taking pictures for a while and walked towards the little girl and her mother. "Excuse me." Stefan started to get their attention. "Where did you buy this flower crown?" he asked the mother while pointing at the flower crown on top of the little girl''s head.


    "We brought from our house. My daughter would always bring it wherever she goes. Why?"


    Stefan scratched the tip of his nose while giving the little girl a faint smile. "Baby, can I buy your flower crown? I want to take a picture of my girlfriend with it. Is that fine?"


    The little girl looked at him and touched the flower crown on her head. "Where is your girlfriend?" Stefan pointed at Cayenne who was sitting on the swing, waiting for him toe back. She had no clue what Stefan was talking about with the little girl and her mother but she didn''t mind it as long as he''de back to her.

 Chapter 107 - I WONT LEAVE YOU

    <h4>Chapter 107 - I WON''T LEAVE YOU</h4>


    The little girl waved towards Cayenne and even though Cayenne had no idea why she was waving at her, she returned the polite gesture and waved at the little girl with a bright smile. Few secondster, she saw the little girl taking off the flower crown from her head and handed it to Stefan.


    "It turned out, he was asking for the flower crown. So silly." Cayenne mumbled to herself while keeping a smile on her face. Stefan wanted to give something to the little girl and her mother but they didn''t ept and just waved goodbye. When he came back, he ced the flower crown on top of her head and ced ck and small hairpins to keep it in ce.


    He was supposed to buy it but the little girl gave her special flower crown just because she found Cayenne pretty and deserving of her beautiful possession.


    "I want you to look pretty and this flower crown matches the view. You look like a fairy even if you don''t have any make up." Stefanmented while helping her arrange her hair. With the extra hairpin, he spun Cayenne around and raised her tank top a little to make sure that she won''t be showing so much skin on her chest area. He pinned the strap behind her to make sure that it won''t loosen up.


    "Did you adjust my top? My t stomach is showing." Cayenne informed him. Sure enough, when he raised her top to cover her chest, it exposed her white and t stomach.


    "Don''t buy this kind of clothes next time." Stefan grumbled while readjusting the straps.


    "Did you forget that you bought this for me?"


    "Don''t wear this kind of top outside the house in the future. It''s exclusively for home use."


    Hearing their conversation, the other tourists chuckled while covering their mouth with handkerchief or with their hands. Stefan was just so possessive of her.


    After making sure that everything''s okay, Cayenne sat on the swing and kicked the ground to swing a little on the air. Her hair was blown by the wind but they didn''t stick on her face which was a lot better and the flower crown looked good on her. Stefan was like a professional photographer in front of her. He took pictures of her from left to right. He borrowed a bench to stand and took pictures of her overhead. There was also a picture of her as if someone was peeking from behind the flowers to take a look of the fairy ying on a swing.


    Stefan captured her frown, her pouting lips, her smiles, her closed eyes as if intoxicated, herughter and there was a photo of her showing a yful wink to the camera.


    After almost fifteen minutes, Cayenne decided to stop since there were many people who were waiting for them to finish. Although they weren''t urging them to rush, she still felt awkward. And besides, Stefan took a lot of pictures of her already.


    "Would you like to have pictures together?" one of the tourists asked since she observed that Stefan was just taking picture of her with no qualms.


    Before Cayenne can open her mouth to refuse, Stefan already responded to thedy. "That would be great. Can you get one for us?" He handed his phone to the young woman.


    "Okay." He asked them to get back to the swing. This time, Cayenne was sitting on the swing and Stefan was standing behind, slightly leaning over for them to appear a little closer and sweeter. "One. Two. Three. Smile."


    When the youngdy handed the phone, she made a peace sign to them. Cayenne was a bit confused why she did that. However, when Stefan got back his phone, he knew why. Thedy pretended to be taking picture when the two of them settled down to pose in front of the camera. Without anyone knowing, she had been taking pictures of them from the very start.


    There was a picture of Stefan helping Cayenne to sit, a picture of Cayenne turning her head to look at him as if she they were about to kiss, a picture of Stefan holding her waist to adjust her top and many more. Not a single moment was wasted.


    Cayenne''s facialplexion turned to a deeper shade of red from being shy and flustered. Seeing the pictures brought a lot of things in her mind which were mostly indecent. She shook her head from side to side to disperse all unnecessary thoughts.


    "Would you like to stroll for few more minutes?" Stefan asked her, putting his phone back in his pocket while stealing nces at her. Right now, he wanted to take little steps at a time in getting her heart. He didn''t want to startle her and make her run away from him.


    "We don''t have much time and we already strolled around the garden for a while. Can we do horseback riding?"


    "Alright. Let''s go." He didn''t hold her hand this time but he was walking close to her, brushing his arm with hers.


    The two of them walked on a trail which was leading them to the back mountain. There were many horse breeds and many people were choosing the ones that they want to use for a ride.


    "Excuse me sir, are you going for a horseback as well?"


    "Yes. I''d like to get that white quarter horse." Stefan responded while pointing on a white horse which was eating grass not far from them. It was the same horse that Cayenne had been watching. She didn''t know much about horse breeds but she liked its pure white color. It looked majestic for her.


    "You will be riding with me, right?" Cayenne asked with anticipation and nervousness in her eyes. She hadn''t experienced riding a horse and she was afraid that she''d fall and get kicked or stomped by the heavy foot.


    Stefan caressed her face, ever so lightly, and nodded his head with obvious indulgent and care. "I won''t leave you. Don''t worry."

 Chapter 108 - TRUST ME BABE, I WONT CHANGE MY MIND

    <h4>Chapter 108 - TRUST ME BABE, I WON''T CHANGE MY MIND</h4>


    The man responsible for getting the horses for the customers left to get the white quarter horse that Stefan asked for. After that they were given instructions about the trail that they''d be following and other rules for horseback riding.


    Cayenne was so excited and she couldn''t stop stroking the horse''s head and hair. She even pressed her forehead on the horse''s head and talked to it as if it was a person. Stefan didn''t let go of this moment and stole another picture of her.


    "How long will we ride this horse? I don''t mind not exploring their other rides. I am contented with this horse." Cayenne opened up while Stefan put on the necessary equipment on the horse. Even though he knew how to ride a horse, he still made sure that Cayenne was wearing all the safety gears in case something happens. idents cannot be foreseen and he didn''t want her to suffer because of his own neglection.


    "As long as you like. I don''t mind it. Even if you wanted to return tomorrow, it''s fine." He responded while helping her put on the boots.


    The staff, who was looking after them chuckled softly upon hearing his response. He knew that Stefan was just making an exaggeration to please the girl and he was sessful at it. While Stefan was busy helping her, Cayenne never stopped watching him with admiration in her eyes. And the staff was stuffed with this public disy of affection.


    After ten minutes, the two of them were finally riding the horse and following the trail like everyone else. Most couples were riding on the same horse just like the two of them. The only difference of them from everyone else was that, Stefan and Cayenne wasn''t a real couple.


    Cayenne was riding on the horse with Stefan behind her. He was holding the rein with a straight back, anxious and flustered. He was mustering his courage to engage in a serious conversation with her. Cayenne was feeling the same. She was anxious and she felt itchy in her heart. Every time his warm breath brushed her neck, she felt like her stomach was somersaulting and her heart was making a backflip. She felt giddy.


    "Ayen."


    His low and masculine voice startled her and her heart was beating so fast as if someone was chasing after her. She even forgot to breath.


    "Ayen?"


    "Y-yes?" she tried her best to sound normal and rxed her body. And when she did rx, she felt her back was pressing on his warm body. She had no idea that one slight move will bring them in this position. She wanted to sit up straight again but Stefan held her waist and even moved her a little closer to him.


    "You should sit properly or you will hurt your backter." He whispered close to her ears. His warm breath was giving her a tingling sensation but she didn''t say anything. She just nodded her head.


    They continued to ride on the back of the horse until the reached the peak of the trail which was on top of a hill, overlooking the view of the garden and the other adventure area. When they were on top the hill, Cayenne closed her eyes for a moment to take in the fresh air to her lungs. The cool feeling was so refreshing, making her forget all her worry.


    But just like what everybody says, all things wille to an end ¨C be it good or bad. Since she finally rxed, Stefan grabbed this chance to finally talk with her about what he saidst night.


    "Do you want me to take a picture of you?" Stefan suggested first. "It has a very nice view here."


    "Sure. Let''s have a picture together." Cayenne didn''t want to be selfish and just collect photos of herself.? No one knew of what will happen the next day or the next moment and she wanted to have something which will serve as a remembrance of this trip with him.


    Stefan didn''t refuse, of course. It was her suggestion after all.


    He tied the rein of the horse around the tree and looked for a great view to take pictures with Cayenne. After two minutes, they settled on taking a picture with the horse in the middle of the forest and another picture of them with the garden and the park behind them.


    "Come over here." Stefan helped her sit on the horse once again and told her to pose for him. He took five pictures of her and Cayenne told him to stop. She was getting uneasy.


    She felt that, the happier she was, the sadder she''ll becameter on and that scared her. Even so, she needed to face him because she promised that she''d listen to him.


    "Stefan?" Cayenne called his name while heading to a huge b of rock to sit. "About what you saidst night. Uhm¡­I-"


    "I was serious with what I said and I was sober enough to remember everything." Stefan told her before she could finish her statement. He didn''t want to give her the chance to deny him. "Ayen, I don''t want you to work for me. I don''t want you to lie to your parents. I don''t want you to be scared of being found out. I don''t want anyone to judge you because of our previousplicated rtionship."


    "You said that you don''t want me to work for you, does that include my work in the hotel?"


    Stefan thought for a while and nodded his head. But he also corrected her. "I want you to depend on me but if you really want to work in the hotel, I would still allow you to do that. It''s your freedom to stay working in my hotel and of course, I won''t disturb you or let our rtionship affect your work."


    "But if I be your girlfriend, I will be the talk of the town. I don''t want my private life to be messed-up."


    "I promise, no one will mess up with your life. In my opinion, our rtionship should only be known between us and to our family and friends. I don''t want to make it public."


    "But you''ve posted something about me in your social media ount."


    "As much as I want to keep you to myself, I also wanted to boast that I found someone who I wanted to spend my whole life with. In any case, I won''t show your face to the public."


    "I am not rich. You may not be close with your parents now but they are still your parents. They would make sure that you will get married to someone rich to protect your riches."


    "No matter what others will say, be it my parents or someone else, it won''t matter. I''m the one who will get married. Naturally, I will choose someone that I love."


    Cayenne looked at him while biting her lower lips. She wanted to tell him her own feelings but she was afraid that he was just bluffing. After all, Stefan was known to be a yboy and she knew it before getting involved with him.


    "Can I ask you something?" Stefan questioned and stared directly into her eyes. Cayenne felt her soul being sucked out by him and nodded her head. "You''ve been worried about me and money. If I be poor, will you still love me?"


    "Love?" Cayenne asked with her blinking eyes. "Let''s not talk about love first. We barely know each other. How can you casually mention that word to me?"


    Stefan took another step closer and reached out to hold her hands. In his eyes, you could see his sincerity on this matter at hand. "Ayen, time can''t be used to measure someone''s love.? Also, even if we barely know each other, we can spend our lifetime to get to know each other."


    "Onest question, are you going to court me?"


    "Hn. I will spend every day courting you. I will make sure that you won''t suffer any injustice and I will make sure to dedicate my life and heart to you. I don''t want anyone else but you."


    Cayenne opened her mouth but closed it again after few seconds. Her heart was stuffed with his sincere feelings and sweet words. She wanted to tell him the same thing. Her face was flushed and her palm was getting sweaty. She pulled her hands back from him which dampened Stefan''s mood.


    He was startled and he was worried. He started to think of other ways to make her say ''yes''. But then, he realized that there are things that you can''t force on someone.


    Cayenne looked at him and she saw his pale and sad face. In the end, she took the risk of getting a heart break. "I want to stay with you, too."


    Stefan looked at her and the corner of his lips hooked into a smile. "Really? You want to stay with me?"


    "Hn. But-"


    His happy face fell when he heard the ''but'' next to her agreement but Cayenne finished her statement before he feels even sadder.


    "Let''s do the courting process first. Let''s try to get to know each other and see whether we are meant for each other. Who knows, you might change your mind in the future during our dating process."


    Stefan smiled and nodded his head. "Trust me babe, I won''t change my mind." Stefan pulled her gently and hugged her. He couldn''t stop his happiness as he kissed the top of her head again and again. "Thank you for giving me a chance."

 Chapter 109 - DATE I

    <h4>Chapter 109 - DATE I</h4>


    Cayenne returned the hug buy holding the side of his shirt but Stefan pulled her hands and wrapped it around his waist. "That''s a lot better." He murmured and kissed the top of her head again.


    Her face became even more reader with this intimate action between them. When she was working for him, she remained professional, she didn''t let her feelings affect her job. She didn''t think too much whenever he hugged her to sleep either. Although it made her feel more affectionate towards him, she remained passive.


    Now, with their new status, any small gesture would make her feel flustered and shy. Her heart was brimming with joy like she was watching a fireworks disy. Her mind was full with nothing else but his face and his expression. ''This man, as long as he won''t hurt me, I''ll do anything for him and dedicate my life to him.'' Cayenne thought to herself and buried her red face on his chest. For some reason, she wanted to remain in this position for a little while and that''s what Stefan had in his mind as well.


    Few momentster, more and more people were riding horses towards the peak. They can hear the hooves of the horses and theughter and giggles of the tourist.


    "Shall we continue?" Stefan suggested but he was still not letting her go.


    "Okay." Cayenne whispered at the same time, nodded her head. Stefan lifted her chin and kissed the tip of her nose before holding her hand and led her back to where the horse was tied. Since he had his back on her, he didn''t see Cayenne''s expression.


    She was biting her lower lip to stop herself from smiling. She didn''t want to show him that she was happy with the kiss on her nose. For Cayenne, a kiss on her nose and a kiss on her forehead or the top of her head was betterpared to the kiss on her lips. As much as possible, she wanted to save her first sweet kiss on her lips at the altar with the person that she loves.


    Stefan looked calm in appearance but only he knew how much effort he exerted to control himself from kissing her lips. They agreed to date first and get to know each other. He would the save the best kiss until she says ''yes'' to him.


    When he turned around, he was wearing a loving expression. There was sincere care in his eyes and he looked at her with gentle care.


    "Can I sit behind you?" Cayenne asked tentatively. She wanted to hide herself from for a little while because she felt embarrassed with their new rtionship status now. She wanted to contemte on other things without feeling his warm breath on the back of her neck or on her ears.


    "Sure." Stefan agreed almost instantly. In that way, Cayenne can hug him all the way back to the ranch where they got the horse. He got on the back of the horse first after untying it. There were other peopleing close to them already but they ignored them, seeing only the world which consist of the two of them. He stretched out his hand and pulled Cayenne up to sit behind him. "Hold me tight. I don''t want you to fall."


    "Hn." Cayenne held the hem of his shirt to brace herself.


    "Not like that." Stefan told her.


    "Like this?" she moved her hand and ced her warm hand on the side of her waist.


    "Not either.? You would still fall."


    "Like this, then?" Mustering her courage, she leaned close to him and wrapped both her hands around his waist and linked her fingers on his strong abdomen.


    Stefan chuckled faintly as he ced his hand on top of hers. He never felt so warm in his entire life until this very moment. He couldn''t thank God enough for sending Cayenne to his life. "I like this better. Let''s go." He pulled the rein and kicked the horse gently to embark on their horseback riding trip.


    "Stefan?"


    "Yes."


    "What will happen to us after we get back to the city? You still have insomnia, right? Does that mean I still have to sleep with you?"


    "I''m nning to test myself for the remaining time we have in this province. I wanted to know if I can sleep by myself."


    "O-okay." Cayenne was hoping he''d be fine but half of her brain was also hoping for him to never ovee his illness. She wanted to be the only cure he got in this life.


    At this point, she realized that people who are in love tend to be really selfish ¨C just like her.


    The two of them made several stops whenever they found a good ce and took pictures with each one of them and both of them as well.


    After an hour and half, they finally arrived at the starting point. They returned the horse and the other safety equipment and paid for it.


    "You''ve paid for this trip; can I pay for our lunchter?" Cayenne asked. Since she was no longer his employee, she didn''t want to impose on him as well. She believed in equality even if it is during dating process. Aside from that, Stefan had given her so much even when she was still his employee. In fact, Cayenne thought that he was spoiling his employee which was her.


    However, Stefan didn''t give her a chance to waste her money for lunch. "Let''s go back to the rest house. Let''s cook our own lunch. We''ll have dinner at the peak so, you can pay for that." Even if he said that, how can he do that to her. It was just his words but he was still nning to pay for their dinner.


    Finally, he found the purpose of making money. He wanted to give all his riches to her. If possible, he wanted her to stop working in the hotel as well and just stay at home to take care of herself or her family but, he knew that Cayenne wouldn''t like that.

 Chapter 110 - DATE II

    <h4>Chapter 110 - DATE II</h4>


    The two of them went back to the rest house, holding each other''s hands while talking about some stuff that made themugh together.


    They still have ample time before lunch so they took a rest in the living room ¨C ying one round of scrabble game, they found the board under the coffee table.


    "This will help you sharpen your mind and expound your vocabry." Cayennemented whileying the letter tiles on the table.


    "I have so many words in mind but when I see you, I lost all of them."


    "Tsk! Stop saying sweet nothings to me. It won''t work."


    "By the way, Luiz will graduate from junior high school this May, right?"


    "Hn. Thank God, I managed to raise him well. I was really afraid at first when the heavy responsibility of raising my brothers fell in my hand." Cayenne responded while arranging the letter she picked.


    Stefan also picked his own letters and arranged them on his rack. "What is his n in the future?" He questioned her. There''s nothing much in his life that she needed to know and most information about him was posted in the inte. Therefore, he decided to have light conversation regarding her family.


    Cayenne puffed her mouth and her cheeks were bulging like a hamster. She looked adorable given her beautiful and clear eyes. "I haven''t talked to him about it. He didn''t tell me anything about it either."


    "Well, that''s still months away from now. He will tell you about it sooner orter."


    "You are right. Whatever his n is, I will support him with no doubts and hesitation but, as much as possible, I wanted him to finish his study. And I think there''s a chance he''d continue with school. He got a schrship not long ago."


    "That''s good to know."? Stefan stated. "You go first." He mentioned and indicated the board in between them. Cayenne ced her first word and beamed at him. "DEAL. You''ll be dealing with me from now on."


    Stefan smiled and ced his own tiles as well. "DEAR. That''s what you are to me."


    Cayenne had picked her tiles for the next round already and was busy checking what word to form on the board. With flushed face, she bit her lower lip and put down her tiles to form a word. "We''ll discover this together. LOVE."


    They forgot to write their scores and their game turned to be a form of flirting. After a long time, Stefan took a throw pillow and put it on hisp. "Don''t bite your lips when you''ve got something in mind that makes you embarrass."


    "Why?"


    "Because it affects me physiologically."


    What he meant was very clear to her. She might be a virgin but that doesn''t mean she''s ignorant to some dirty stuff. She''s got a lot of mature colleagues who often talked about things that they do with their lovers. When she started working at the age of 18, she already knew a lot of things. Although, she didn''t apply them in real life.


    Cayenne was the traditional type of person. She still believed with the sanctity of marriage and that the physical union of two people should be done after getting married. Their date would be a test to Stefan as well.


    He was known as the city''s rich yboy and he didn''t hide away from thisbel as well. His patience will be tested during their dating process.


    Half an hourter, they finished the game with no winner. All that matters that, they enjoyed their game.


    "Hello." A woman''s voice came from the outside of the gate.


    Cayenne looked towards Stefan who was already standing to see who was visiting them. Stefan already told her about the physiological reaction that he got from her but, when she saw the bulging seams of his pants, she felt her face had be warm and she felt a bit dizzy from it.


    ''He''s hiding a monster.'' Cayenne thought while burying her face on the throw pillow that she was holding to cover her chest since earlier.


    She hadn''t seen the actual size yet, she thinks it was huge enough to be called a monster. How much more if she sees the actual thing that Stefan was hiding?


    "I''ll go check who''s outside." Stefan mumbled and took several deep breaths to calm himself but his lower anatomy wasn''t calming at all.


    "Never mind. I''ll check it out." Cayenne didn''t wait for him to respond and immediately went out to see who was outside the gate. "Hi." Cayenne greeted the middle-ageddy who was holding a basket with so many freshly picked fruits. "Come in." Cayenne invited but thedy refused.


    "It''s fine. I''m just here to bring you some fruits. I''m Sylvia. My husband told me not to disturb your honeymoon but we got a lot of fruits and we thought that sharing them with you would be better."


    "Thank you. That''s very sweet of you, auntie."


    "No worries. We''ve been taking care of the house and we would always want our guests to be happy, too."


    "You''re the caretaker of the house?" Cayenne questioned even though she knew that answer. "I love the house so much. It''s well-maintained."


    "I''m d you''re enjoying your stay. Anyway, I won''t take so much of your time. If you need help just call for us. We''ll be staying at the house behind this rest house." She also pointed the direction of their house to let Cayenne know. "See you around, sweetheart."


    "Thank you. See you." Cayenne watched thedy walked away and she waved her hand. As she observed, most of the people in the province were very polite. She went back inside after a minute and showed Stefan the basket of fruits that she received. "The caretaker of the house sent us fruits."


    Stefan took the basket from her and rubbed the top of her head and kissed it after. "I''ll cook our food for lunch. You can take a rest upstairs." Stefan told her thinking that she might be tired from their morning trip.


    "I''d like to help." Cayenne retorted. "We''re in this together, alright?"


    "Sure. I don''t mind spending time with you in the kitchen." Stefan gave her a wink which made Cayenne poke her index finger on his waist. "I didn''t mean anything else with my words."


    "I wasn''t thinking of anything else either."? Cayenne retorted back at him.


    "Let''s have a lunch date, then."

 Chapter 111 - DATE III

    <h4>Chapter 111 - DATE III</h4>


    Stefan was cutting the meat while Cayenne was washing the veggies. They only cooked one cup of rice since there will be many dishes. Less carb is healthy.


    Stefan was thinking of having Steak and Scallop dish but there were no scallops in the fridge so he changed his mind. Cayenne loved shrimps so, he thought of cooking spicy buttered and garlic shrimps for her. He still continued with the steak but without the scallops.


    "I''m done washing the vegetables. What else can I do to help?"


    Stefan looked around the kitchen to find something that she can get busy with. He didn''t want her to cut anything, least she''d cut herself and get wounds. Her hand was covered with small scars already, he can''t bare to see any more wounds on her.


    "How about you arrange the dining table?"


    "That''s fine with me." Cayenne untied her apron and ced it on the rack before going out of the kitchen.


    "Where are you going?" Stefan asked when he saw her going out of the house.


    "There''s a better ce where we can dine. Just stay here and do your thing. Trust me."


    "Alright."


    Stefan didn''t ask any questions after that. He just continued working in the question while trying to listen to the sound of her footfalls.


    While he was busy, Cayenne was busy upstairs, too ¨C specifically at the huge space of verandah attached to the master''s bedroom. She cleaned it first and arranged the flower pots to make sure that they''d look good and not messy. There chairs, round table and a flower vase ced in the verandah so she didn''t have to look around to get these things.


    Since she was so exhausted and tiredst night and even though she was awake, she didn''t enjoy herself because she kept crying. When she thought about it, she felt terrible and thought how silly she lookedst night. It wasn''t until this morning, after taking a bath, did shed find this beautiful spot in the room.


    Now, she''d make use of it to show to him that she was also serious in this rtionship that they had.


    She went downstairs and walked directly to the garden in front of the house. She picked some flowers of different colors and went upstairs with it once again. She ced them inside the vase and poured a good amount of water. She went back to the kitchen and found him cooking the steak on another pan while also cooking the vegetables on another pan.


    "Do you need help?" she asked him. The smell of the food made her salivate but she kept her mouth shut and swallowed her gluttony.


    Stefan was shaking his head while turning the steak on the pad. "Just do what you nned to do. Don''t mind me. I''ll be done soon."


    "O-okay." She didn''t insist on helping him anymore and just opened the cupboards. After two minutes of rummaging, she found the scented candle at the bottom drawer, ced in a corner which was hidden behind other stuff. When she was sitting on the floorst night, she caught a scent of something rxing but she couldn''t just rx with her messy mind and heart.


    This time, she finally found a use of this candle.


    In fact, even though Cayenne wasn''t rich, whenever she got some extra money, she''d buy a scented candle because itforts her.


    She went upstairs once again and ced four candles in four corners of the veranda. She lit them up already to make sure that the scent would waft in the air.


    She went out once again and checked on him since she''s got nothing else to do. "Would you like me to help you? I''m done with everything that I was supposed to do."


    "Alright. Can you check on put the dishes inside the tes?"


    "Sure. Sure."


    "Be careful. It''s hot." Stefan reminded her and handed her the mittens to make sure that she won''t get hurt. He tied the apron around her once again to avoid her getting dirty.


    "Thank you." Cayenne mumbled her thanks.


    The two of them worked nearly an hour before they finally finished setting up their dishes on a tray and brought it upstairs.


    "I didn''t know there''s this good spot here in this room." Stefanmented when he saw the arrangement of the veranda. "And it smelled great. The sound of the waves is rxing, too." He put down the tray that they used to ce the dishes and their drinks. "Why didn''t we know of this spot?"


    "Well, we''re physically and emotionally exhausted."


    "I agree." Stefan stated but he didn''t say anything more than that, worried that he''d ruin her mood. "Let''s just take a shower in the afternoon. We''ve been doing a lot and it''s not good to take a shower when your heart is pumping so much."


    "I think I won''t be able to take a bath until tonight."


    "Why not?"


    "Because my blood will beat abnormally when you''re around me."


    Stefan chuckled when he got Cayenne''s response. He didn''t expect that he''d be saying such thing to him.


    "Don''t flirt with me. Or I will eat you instead of the food."


    "Oopsie. That''s a big no." Cayenne smiled while waving her index finger in front of him. "I look tasty, I know that. Too bad, you can''t eat me until we''re officially together and in the premise of marriage as well."


    "Yes, ma''am. I''ll keep that in mind." Stefan kissed her right cheek instead. "I''ll just kiss your face to make up with the loss."


    "No kissing on the lips, too."


    "Alright."


    Stefan walked around her and pulled the chair for her. "Please, mdy."


    "Thanks." Cayenne sat on the chair while Stefan fixed the table napkin and arranged all the dishes on the table.


    "Something''s missing." Stefan mumbled. "Wait for me here." He ced the empty tray on the vacant bench and ran downstairs. He didn''t have any flowers for her! He looked around the garden to pick a flower for her. He picked a red rose for her and removed the thorns before going upstairs.


    "For you." He handed the rose to Cayenne with an embarrassed expression. "I forgot to buy flowers for you."


    "It''s fine. You didn''t buy but you still give me one. Besides, you brought me to a garden with beautiful flowers earlier. That''s more than enough."

 Chapter 112 - DOES CAYENNE LIKE TO WEAR SEXY CLOTHES?

    <h4>Chapter 112 - DOES CAYENNE LIKE TO WEAR SEXY CLOTHES?</h4>


    Stefan sat on his chair and the two of them ate their lunch. Stefan, as usual, was very attentive to her needs. He would always pay attention to her. He ced most of the dishes near to her as well.


    "By the way, we''ll have to keep things a secret. I don''t want my colleagues to think that I''m riding on your coattail." Cayenne opened up while eating the shrimp that he gave to her.


    "That''s fine with me." Stefan mumbled. He will agree to everything that she''ll ask of him as long as that won''t hurt the both of them.


    "It''s been a year since I''ve worked in the hotel. I never thought I''d end up having rtionship with you."


    "Me neither."


    "It''s funny, right? You won''t really know what''s in store with your future."


    "I agree. I didn''t expect that I''d find someone I could trust my life with."


    Cayenne raised her head from her te and smiled at him. "Let''s do our best to make things work between us. No secrets, okay?"


    "Hn. No secrets."


    "But there might be things that I''d like to keep for now. Once I''m ready to tell you, I''ll make sure to let you know."


    "Sure."


    Stefan could understand where she''sing from with all the reserved attitude she got around him. Since they''re still trying to get to know each other, it''s given that there are things they''d like to keep to themselves. But Stefan decided that he''d tell her everything.


    He promised to dedicate his life and love to her, that means he''ll give her time to get used to being around him.


    Around 1:00 pm, the two of them finished eating their lunch. Cayenne volunteered to wash the dirty kitchenware and Stefan decided to clean the verandah. He had been exposed to heat when cooking so, they reversed their roles.


    Half an hour after, they were sitting in the living room, watching Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Cayenne liked Jack Sparrow and his silly antics which made the movie enjoyable.


    Stefan was sitting beside her with his arms ced over her shoulder. Her head was leaning on his chest and they were holding each other''s hand which was ced on Stefan''sp.


    From time to time, Stefan would kiss the top of her head. She found the gesture sweet and sincere.


    "I think this movie is a series. I haven''t had the time to watch this but Luiz told me that this is a good movie. Now that I''m watching it, I can say that this is indeed an amazing work. Where do you think I can buy the soft copies for the rest of the series?"


    "I''ll ask Chris about it."


    "Thank you." She mumbled softly and snuggled closer to him. "Speaking of movie, I want to watch the movie that Riley Summer starred in. It was shootst year and it will be shown in the cinema this December 25."


    "That would be Christmas Day. However, we promised to spend Christmas with your family. How about we watch the day after Christmas?"


    "That''s also fine with me."


    While the two of them spent quality time in the province, in the city, many people were shocked and curious about the identity of the woman in Stefan''s recent post.


    In one day, he posted two pictures of her. First picture was the one where they were holding each other''s hands. It was a stolen pic but, Cayenne didn''t ask him to delete it so, he let it stay in his timeline. Second pic was when he was taking photos of Cayenne while she was riding on the horse. She was looking away from the camera so they couldn''t see her face.


    "Is this for real?"


    "Is the city''s rich yboy having a serious rtionship with someone now?"


    "Who is this girl?"


    "I think thisdy was the same woman that was taken pic with himst time." Another person posted ament and even added the previous picture of Stefan and Cayenne. "Looking at her back and her body building, this woman is the same."


    "I agree with the woman above."


    "Wow! This woman breaks the record of Stefan''s previous woman. If we count the first photo of them, they''ve been together for over a month."


    "She''s sexy and her heightplements with him."


    "She must be pretty. Well, that''s given."


    The media personnel wanted to get a scope of this gossip as well but Stefan paid them to never check on Cayenne or expose her identity to the public. Knowing that he holds so much power in city A, no one wanted to mess with him.


    Stefan might not be as rich as Travis, who owns a lot ofpanies both domestically and internationally, but Stefan was still included in the top 20 wealthiest people in the country because they included his parents'' wealth. But for Stefan, the wealth of his parents wasn''t his. It was Alexander''s. And even though his brother was already dead, he didn''t covet the riches that wasn''t meant for him.


    While theizens were talking about them, Luiz and Kyle were put on a hotseat by Arthur. He invited Cayenne''s brother to a lunch since it''s been a while that they''ve eaten together.


    Kyle didn''t want to go at first but he was worried that the other man would notice that''ve been avoiding him. In the end, they agreed to meet with him and now they''re sitting inside the Filipino Restaurant near their ce. It was Luiz who chose the ce to make sure that they''d be able toe home as soon as they can if their mother would need their help.


    Kyle left his phone to their mother so that she can contact them if ever she needed something from them.


    They just finished eating their lunch and were now eating their dessert which was the restaurant''s specialty called halo-halo. It''s a cold dessert which contains crushed ice, milk, corn kes, ice cream, leche n, beans, coconut cream, gtin, and sliced jackfruit. It tastes really good and Luiz liked it a lot. He was even thinking of getting a takeout order for their mother.


    "How''s Cayenne recently, is she still working from dusk to dawn?"


    Kyle didn''t touch the dessert, waiting for the crushed ice to melt. "She''s busy with work but she always finds time for us. Shees home as well whenever she''s done with work."


    "What time does she usuallye home?" Arthur asked once again.


    "It depends. There are times that she''de home early in the morning and there are times that she''de home at night to get a change of uniform."


    "Christmas is just around the corner, is she nning to work on that day as well?" He was asking this because he was nning to celebrate Christmas with them if she''s around.


    Luiz didn''t join their conversation because he doesn''t know how to lie. The more he talks, the more slip ups he''d make. It''s better for him to shut his mouth and let his brother talk and make up things.


    "Last year, she spent time working since she needed to pay for the hospital bill. And I think it''s the same this year. She''ll probably spend New Year with us likest time." Kyle responded. He was lying with a straight face and Arthur didn''t see anything that aroused his suspicions on them.


    Luiz was browsing his social media ount while eating and found Stefan''s post. Ever since Stefan confessed and became Cayenne''s boyfriend, they followed his social media ount to help their sister monitor him. They also checked for showbiz news regarding him.


    Just like what people often say, a man would know what the other man is thinking. Although they felt bad for doubting him, they just couldn''t drop the idea that Stefan might cheat on Cayenne. They don''t want their sister to be someone who''s bling when ites to love.


    So far, there weren''t any rumors about him with other girls. The recent pictures of him was whenever he''s with Cayenne.


    "Look at this." Luiz tapped his brother''s shoulder and showed him the picture of Cayenne in a horseback. "They sure know how to enjoy themselves."


    "They deserved to have fun, too. Let''s just wait for our schrship allowance and let''s ask Yen and mother toe with us on a trip." Kyle mentioned ignoring Arthur''s nces at them.


    Arthur was also checking his phone but, from time to time, he''d look at them. "Say Kyle, does Cayenne like to wear sleeveless shirts or spaghetti strapped dresses?"


    "I don''t think so. I have never seen her wear this kind of clothes. Why do you ask?" After few seconds, he chuckled. "Don''t tell me you''re nning to give her this kind of clothes?"


    "Ha? Ah. No. Not that. I just thought that it would look good on her. There''s this woman with the same body build as her. She''s Mr. Dumrique''s girlfriend, I think." He leaned closer and showed them his phone. "This woman." Kyle and Luiz looked at his phone and the two turned silent for a moment. "What do you think?"


    Kyle was the first one to recover from the silence and nodded his head. "My sister has a good body and I think she''d look good in this. However, I don''t think she''ll wear them."


    Luiz didn''t say anything but he nodded to express his agreement. On the other hand, he was typing message to her sister. He wanted her to know that Arthur was paying so much attention on her!

 Chapter 113 - HIS GIRL SHOULD BE PAMPERED

    <h4>Chapter 113 - HIS GIRL SHOULD BE PAMPERED</h4>


    Cayenne received the news from her brother and her eyebrow visibly rose with annoyance. She had been avoiding Arthur in thest five years, when he left, she was a little sad but being belittled by his mother was even sadder. And as the time went by, she lost her interest over him and she totally forgot that she once liked him.


    Now, she''s got Stefan, although their rtionship isn''t official yet, she didn''t want to put her feet in two different boats. She wanted to be loyal to the person that her heart was beating for.


    "What''s the matter?" Stefan asked when he noticed that her mood turned low. He never wanted to see her sad. She had suffered a lot in the past and he didn''t want her to suffer again while he''s around.


    Cayenne showed him the message that came from Luiz. His eyes darkened, he didn''t say anything but his hand was rubbing her arms gently. "I don''t know what Arthur is up to. He told me that he just sees me as friend and I''m not trying to be shameless here, however, he kept getting close to me even though I clearly told him that I don''t want him to be spending so much time with us."


    "Don''t mind him." Stefan told her. He knew that Arthur hadn''t given up on Cayenne yet but he will never give him the chance to snatch her away from him.


    Cayenne pulled away from him and stood up. "We''ve rested enough. I''ll go take a shower first."


    "Okay. I''ll be there in a while." He said he''ll be there but his meaning was different from most people. He won''t be taking a shower with her. He wille after few minutes and would mostly stay inside the room to wait for her.


    Cayenne left and strode upstairs. She chose arge shirt and shorts this time since she was nning to stay at the beach in the afternoon. She''d like to feel the afternoon breezeter.


    She didn''t take so much time, after taking about for almost fifteen minutes, she came out with a towel wrapped around her head to absorb the excess water from her hair. Stefan was sitting on the ottoman chair at the foot of the bed while scrolling on his phone.


    "I''ll dry your hair for you." Stefan offered when he noticed her standing in front of the mirror but Cayenne refused him.


    "I''ll be fine on my own. How about you go and take a bath?" Cayenne suggested. She didn''t want him to think that she has too little care about herself and that she needed his constant help. But in Stefan''s mind, women, even if they''re sweet and knows how to take care of themselves, they still need to be pampered. Especially his girl. Cayenne always put herself in the bottom part of her priority list so, he''d make her his number 1 priority.


    "I''ll take a shower after drying your hair." He stood up and took the hair dryer from the cab. "Sit here." He pointed on the chair in front of the vanity mirror and unwrapped the towel to start blowing dry her hair.


    When it was already damp, Cayenne took over to finish it. "Just go and wash up. I''m nning to check the beachter. I saw a hammock when I was picking flowers earlier. Maybe we can use it."


    "That''s a nice idea." Stefan agreed and gave the hair dryer to her. "Are you sure you''ll be fine? You might feel sore from raising your arms for a long time."


    "I''ll be fine. Trust me."


    "Okay. I''ll take a quick shower."


    Cayenne continued to dry her hair while watching her reflection in the mirror. The more she looked at herself the more she felt conscious. ''Do I look good in this?'' She asked herself while checking her outfit. She was never the type of person who would be bothered with her clothes. She''ll wear whatever she thinks isfortable for her. But now, for the very first time, she wanted to look beautiful because there''s Stefan. ''Forget it. He''ll have to ept me as I am.'' She told herself before turning off the hair dryer.


    Stefan, on the other hand, was taking a long time inside the shower, even though he told her that he''d be quick. How can he be quick? He needed to release himself after several hours of control. Cayenne had been affecting him so much but he didn''t want her to think that he was always driven by lust.


    Although people said that he''d been changing women week after week, he actually didn''t touch most of them. He just used them to make headlines and to annoy his parents or to at least get their attention. And if he did touch some of them, it was after drinking so much wine and after several fore ys.


    Being affected while he was up and sobered, this only happens with Cayenne.


    "God! I''m being tested." Stefan mumbled himself after releasing all his pent-up desires.


    When he got out, Cayenne was no where to be found. He looked for her at the veranda but there was no sign of her. "Ayen?" he called for her name while rubbing the towel on his head. "Ayen?" He got out of the room with just a towel wrapped around his sexy waist. His V line was very tempting with droplets of water rolling from his neck down his chest and to hispact abdominal muscle, down to the secret ce that he covered.


    Cayenne was running upstairs when she heard him calling but when she saw him standing half naked with just a towel wrapped around his lower body, she suddenly stopped and turned around. "I''ll be in the living room."


    Stefan couldn''t help but chuckle. She was walking down as quick as she could but he still caught sight her flustered face and red ears. "Cute." He spoke while walking back to the bedroom to put on his clothes.


    In the living room, Cayenne was covering her nose with tissues. She couldn''t believe that she''d get a nosebleed from a mere sight of his naked body. She though that people were just making exaggerations when they said that they''d get a nosebleed from seeing nude or naked people. Now, she experienced it firsthand.


    She walked to the kitchen and washed her face and wiped it with clean tissue. She felt that her face was really hot and she felt dizzy from just imagining what she just saw.


    Even though it was just a quick moment, her eyes were still quicker. She followed the trail of the water droplets down to his V line and to the hidden treasure. Thinking about it, she felt so embarrassed.


    "Are you okay?" Stefan asked her. He was wearing floral shorts with a white shirt on top. Watching him walk towards her, she felt her face getting warmer again. "Do you have a fever?"


    "No. I''m fine. Just give me a sec." She turned around and calmed herself by steadily breathing in and out.


    Stefan knew what was going on with her but he didn''t say anything. He was holding back hisughter while watching her back. "I''ll go out if that makes you feel better. Juste and find me once you''re done."


    "I''m done." Cayenne hurried stated and spun around to look at him. "I''m all better now. Shall we go?"


    "Sure." Stefan took two steps to shorten their distance and took hold of her hand.


    The property that included the rest house was quite big. There fence around it to make sure that there will be no trespassers. The sea water was very clear and the sand was also white. There were many trees around the ce so they weren''t worried about the hot weather. Aside from that, it''s already half past three in the afternoon. The sun was about to set in few hours so it wasn''t very hot anymore.


    "This ce is great." Cayennemented while breathing in the sea breeze. The sound of the waves calmed her heart and rxed her mind. "I wish we can stay longer."


    "Do you want to? I can call to make an extended vacation." Stefan told her, showing her his phone, which indicates how serious he was.


    "Never mind." Cayenne waved his hand. "Christmas is near and it''s better to spend it with families. Are you really not nning toe home during Christmas?"


    "No."


    "Your parents might ask you toe back."


    "They won''t. Anyway, if they would ever do that, they might be nning to introduce me to their chosen daughter-inw. I don''t like that. I don''t want to have anything to do with them."


    "I see. Well, I hope you''ll still enjoy your Christmas with us."


    "I''ll have fun as long as you''re with me." Stefan responded while kissing the tip of her nose quickly. "Let''s sit over there." he led her towards the hammock that had each end tied around the coconut trees. It was the same hammock that Cayenne saw when she was getting flowers for their lunch.

 Chapter 114 - CHRISTMAS WITH THE IN-LAWS I

    <h4>Chapter 114 - CHRISTMAS WITH THE IN-LAWS I</h4>


    They got on the hammock and rxed themselves with the gentle sound of crushing waves and the light sway of the wing. Cayenne was lying beside him; her head was on his chest and his other hand was wrapped around his waist.


    She wanted to talk to him but when she was finally able to rest herself, she felt drowsy and couldn''t stop herself from closing her eyes. Noticing the she was sleepy, Stefan didn''t mind having sore arms just to support her sleeping figure.


    "Have a good sleep my princess." Whispered and kissed her head, letting her sleep in the afternoon.


    Just like that, Cayenne slept all the way ''til it waste at night. When she woke up, she found herself lying on her bed in the master''s bedroom. "How did I get in here? Did he carry me all the way back from the beach?" She was still groggy from her sleep., murmuring to herself while looking for her slippers.


    "Stefan?" She called his name as she walked downstairs. It was already dark outside but the house was brightly lit up.


    Hearing the faint footstepsing from Cayenne, Stefan walked out of the kitchen toe and see her. "You''ve woken up. Are you still feeling tired? You can get more sleep. I''ll just call you out after cooking."


    "Thank you for letting me sleep but I am already fine. Do you need help?"


    "If that''s the case, could you please wash the rice?"


    The two of them started to work together in harmony ¨C just like a newly-wed couple.


    People often say that happiness doesn''tst for a long time. But it won''t end abruptly either. In a spun of three days, the short vacation was over.


    Cayenne enjoyed Stefan''spany a lot and in these three days, she learned so much about. She found out that Stefan was really excellent ever since he was small. He can y a piano, a violin and he even liked to sneak a lot during college to y in a casino. The first time he won over a million in a casino, he invested it in a restaurant. With the help of Travis, he was able to start his own business. His parents had never helped him ever since.


    Whenever they talked about Stefan''s parents, her opinion of them wasn''t good. She knew that she shouldn''t judge others when she didn''t know the whole story behind what she sees and what she knows. But she had this feeling that made her believe in him explicably.


    Another thing that the two of them realized was that, Stefan couldn''t sleep without Cayenne. He tried to sleep in a separate room with her during their second night. In the end, he stayed awake all the way till the sun rises and slowly rose from the east. In the end, Cayenne had to apany him to sleep in the afternoon. Then, they left to visit the Mountain peak that he talked aboutst time. On theirst night, Cayenne realized that he''d be driving several hours on the way home the next morning and she pitied him so, the two of them ended up sleeping together once again.


    Now, they were on their way back to the main city. They will stop by Stefan''s house first to get their gifts beforeing over to the apartment where her family lives.


    Stefan started to be cautious around him from the moment that Cayenne entered his life. Wherever they go, he''d always make sure to put on some disguise to make sure that no one would recognize them.


    It waste in the afternoon when they reached his house. The cold wind made her shiver when it brushed her face. "Get another coat toyer with what you''re wearing now." Stefan told her while he was bringing their luggage up. "Make sure to feel warm."


    "Yes, sir." Cayenne answered him with faint chuckles as she walked ahead of him to their bedroom. She pulled out a scarf for him as well. Their country wasn''t like States that snows heavily during winter but, when the clock strike four in the afternoon, the temperature would really drop. People often wear their thick coats or shawls fromte afternoon to early morning.


    Stefan ced their luggage beside their bed and grabbed the gift bags.


    "Wait." Cayenne pulled him to stop and raised her hand to put the scarf around his neck. "Stop worrying about me. You should keep yourself warm, too." She looped the scarf twice around his neck and smiled. "Better?"


    "Hn. It''s all thanks to you." Stefan leaned and kissed the tip of her nose. "Let''s go?"


    "Okay."


    The travel from the subdivision to the apartment didn''t take a long time. When they arrived, Luiz and Kyle were doing their best to put up the decorations while their mother kept telling them to do this and do that.


    "We''re home." Cayenne announced their arrival while Stefan was helping her take off her shoes. "I can do that myself." She murmured but since the apartment wasn''t really big, their whispers could be heard with the other three other people.


    "It''s too tiring for you to bend down. It''s convenient for me since I need to untie my shoes, too. I might as well help you with your." Stefan responded to her.


    "Whatever you say." Cayenne let him do what she wants and handed him his indoor slippers that she bought not long ago. When Stefan saw his personal indoor slippers with the same design that he had in his own home, the smile on his lips couldn''t be contained. "Why are you smiling stupidly?"


    "I just found that you actually thoughtfully prepared a pair of indoor slippers for me." Stefan grinned and took hold of her hand to kiss the back of it. "I''m happy."


    "Tsk! Stop disying your affections, alright?" Luiz snickered with gloomy face. "Please remember that except the two of you, the rest of us here are considered single."


    Kyleughed at his brother''s remark whileing to get close to his sister and Stefan. "Just ignore him." Kyle told her sister and Stefan. "We didn''t expect you to be so early."


    "I''m on leave." Cayenne simply answered as she strutted towards her mother who was sitting in the living room. "Hi Ma. I''m home."


    "Hello Auntie." Stefan also greeted the middle-aged woman.


    "I''m d that you two can make it." Cayenne''s mothermented.? "We''re almost done with the preparation. You can go take a rest first. We''ll just call once everything''s done."


    "Okay. I''ll just show him my room." Cayenne ced all the gift they bought beside the small Christmas tree found in the living room. Cayenne wasn''t afraid of showing her room since she always cleans it. And when she''s not around, her brothers would help her dust it off.


    "Are you sure you want me to rest in your room?" Stefan whispered close to her which made her tremble with the lightest bit of touch. The tips of ears were turning red but she kept a steady gaze in front of him.


    "Mr. Dumrique, our apartment doesn''t have any guest rooms. If not in my room, where will you stay?"


    "I can always stay inside your brother''s room."


    "No, you can''t."


    "In the living room, then?" Stefan mentioned while she was opening the door to her room and led him inside. She closed it once he''s finally inside her room before speaking.


    "Why are you acting shy and embarrassed around me?" Cayenne asked him with a pout. "It''s not like this is the first you''ll be sleeping with me. Or is it because my room is not up to your standard?"


    Stefan''s face darkened and there was a grim expression on his face. "Do we have to talk about this now that we''re in this stage of our rtionship? Stop belittling yourself, ''kay I don''t even care about your social standing. What I meant is that, I''m concern about your family''s opinion of you."


    "They knew that we''re in a boyfriend-girlfriend rtionship. What''s odd about this?"


    "Well, is this really normal? I have never dated someone seriously before you came in to my life."


    "Neither have I." Cayenne retorted with a smile. "Let''s learn things together."


    Stefan nodded his head and hugged her. "Anyway, I won''t do anything to you just like what I promised. I will be patient and keep my chastity for you. Until you say yes."


    At this moment, Cayenne knew how much he treasured her. She had been neglecting herself, making herself her least priority and now, she found someone who made her his number 1 person to pamper.


    "You take a rest here. I''lle out and help them." Cayenne whispered while patting his back lightly. "I''ll check on you from time to time. You can also sleep if you want. You''ve been driving for hours."


    After reminding him quite a few things, she finally turned around to go out of the room.


    ''THUD! THUD!''


    Two figures fell on the floor when she opened the door to her room.


    "Hahaha." Luizughed awkwardly. "You don''t have toe out, Yen."


    "Yeah. We''ll be fine." Kyle also added with a straight face.


    Both of them were pretending as if Cayenne didn''t catch them red-handed from eavesdropping.

 Chapter 115 - CHRISTMAS WITH THE IN-LAWS II

    <h4>Chapter 115 - CHRISTMAS WITH THE IN-LAWS II</h4>


    In most home, people would start to decorate their houses in September or October and the decorations will stay until mid-January. In Cayenne''s ce, they would start to decorate their house in December 24 until January 3. It''s because she didn''t want to pay a hefty sum of electric bill for no reason.


    When she came out, she helped Kyle cook their food for Christmas eve and prepared some activities while waiting for the clock to strike twelve in the evening. They didn''t have much to decorate so Luiz and their mother finished it as soon as possible.


    Stefan didn''t want to sleep while everyone was busy but he was really tired. Topensate for it, he ordered some food online and asked the restaurant to deliver it two hourster. After that, he fell asleep while clutching Cayenne''s pillow close to his chest. It was the only substitute he can find while his woman was busy outside.


    Around eight in the evening, someone knocked on the door to their apartment. Cayenne was still cooking so she asked Kyle to open the door.


    "Good evening, sir. I have a delivery for Ms. Cayenne Ardolf." The delivery guy was carrying tworge stic bags with food boxes inside.


    Reading the name on the bag, he knew that it was probably his future brother-inw who ordered it. There''s no way for Cayenne to know such expensive restaurant.


    "She''s my sister." Kyle mentioned and called out. "Yen, it''s a delivery for you."


    Few secondster, Cayenne came out to face the delivery guy. "You''re Ms. Cayenne Ardolf?" he asked again.


    "Yes, it''s me." Cayenne looked at the bag and noticed that it came from one of the restaurants that Stefan owned. "Thank you for sending it over." Cayenne motioned for her brother to take the bags while she signed the delivery form. "Wait her a bit." She stormed back inside and grabbed a small pouch of cookies that she personally made. "Merry Christmas." Cayenne gave it to the delivery guy and even smiled at him.


    The man expressed his gratitude and left.


    Cayenne went inside her room to check the culprit once again but he was sound asleep and she didn''t have the heart to wake him up. She just fixed her quilt over his body to make sure that he won''t feel cold. Then she went back inside.


    A smile appeared on Stefan''s lips as soon as she was out. He was really sleeping at first but he woke up with the sound of someone knocking from the front door. He knew that Cayenne would most-likely look for him after knowing that he was the one who ordered them. Thus, he pretended to be sleeping.


    He waited for another half an hour before he went out ¨C full of energy and life. "Hi. Is there anything that I can help?" He questioned while looking around him. The ce wasn''t veryrge and there weren''t that many furniture but it was rtively organized and clean.


    "Are you hungry?" Cayenne walked up to him and asked. "I''ll get some food for you."


    "There''s no need." Stefan stopped her before she can leave his side once again. "I''m not hungry yet. How about we y some game?"


    "What game?" Cayenne asked.


    Luiz and Kyle heard them, too but they didn''t join their conversation. Cayenne''s mother felt tired after working around and given her frail body, they decided to let her rest and leave everything to them.


    Stefan was just about to respond when someone knocked on the door again. Cayenne helplessly sighed and opened the door. And it was not just Cayenne who got surprised. Her visitors were surprised too.


    Stefan stood rooted on his ce. Cayenne''s face changed colors as time went by and she even forgot to let them in.


    "Ahem." Kyle coughed drily to get their attention. "Pleasee in." Kyle stated and widened the door for them to get it.


    "Thanks for having us." Luna, the receptionist in the hotel, also Cayenne''s best friend, bashfully took of her shoes and changed it into the indoor slippers that Kyle gave them. She was together with her boyfriend, Ali, who also greeted them and threw an embarrassed smile towards Cayenne.


    Cayenne turned around and walked towards Stefan, not knowing what to do. "Uhm¡­I forgot to inform you." She started while ncing at her best friend. "Luna is my best friend. She always spends Christmas and New Year with us. With all the things that''s been happeningtely, it slipped my mind that she''d be here."


    "Sorry." Luna also mumbled while looking at her boss.


    "It''s fine." Stefan waved his hand in dismissal. "I''m the one who''s intruding here."


    Luiz brought out some refreshments and sat down in the living room. "You wanted to y a game, right? Let''s y something that won''t cause so much noise."


    Ali and Luna just nodded their heads while putting their gifts beside the Christmas tree, and ced their food and desserts on the dining table. Luna found the food boxes from one of the restaurants that Stefan owned and her mouth twitched. ''She''s got so much to discuss with me.'' She told herself while stealing few nces towards her best friend.


    When everyone was seated, Cayenne took a deep breath and faced Luna and Ali. "Lulu, I''ll talk to you about thister. Ali, this is Stefan, our boss." She turned to Stefan and introduced Ali to him. "He''s Luna''s boyfriend."


    "Hello. I hope you don''t mind my presence here." Stefan told them with a faint smile.


    It was the first time that Stefan smiled and it was blinding Luna. "No problem, boss." Luna smiled. Ali slightly nodded his head in agreement.


    Cayenne felt a little relieved but she also knew that she''d have to exin a lot after this day.


    "So, what game are we ying?" Kyle asked to change the tense atmosphere hovering around them.


    "Never Have I Ever." Luiz suggested. "It''s time to see what you guys are hiding from each other. It''s not to ruin your rtionship but for you to know your partner better."


    "Lucky!" Kylemented since he''s got no girlfriend.


    Since no one disagreed, Luiz took it as an acquiescence from everyone. He immediately run to his room and took four long bond papers since there were two couple; and together with Kyle, he wasn''t nning to join the game. Least, he''d step on thendmine that he''s going to create.


    Kyle folded it in half for him and wrote NEVER on one side and I HAVE on the other side.


    "This is going to be fun." Luiz muttered which made the two couples looked at each other with worry.

 Chapter 116 - CHRISTMAS WITH THE IN-LAWS III

    <h4>Chapter 116 - CHRISTMAS WITH THE IN-LAWS III</h4>


    "Never have I ever deleted a chat conversation so you wouldn''t see it." Luiz started with a minefield question for couples. Luna bit her lips and among the four couples she answered ''I HAVE''. Ali looked at her with narrowed eyes.


    "I wasn''t cheating alright." She raised her hands in surrender. "It was a message from my mother. And you know how she viewed our rtionship, right? I didn''t want you to be upset so, I deleted it."


    Ali raised his eyebrow andughed. "I know. Because your ount has always been opened in my phone."


    "So, you''ve read them still?"


    "Uh huh." Ali just smiled and squeezed her hand gently. "I''m fine."


    Kyle pped his hand and smiled. "It''s good that there''s understanding between you, two. Now, let''s continue."


    Luiz scrolled on his phone and stated, "Never have I ever thought about leaving you."


    This time, it was Cayenne who raised ''I HAVE'' among the four of them. "I had this thoughtst month." She told Stefan. "You know what I mean, right?"


    Stefan nodded his head with gentle smile on his lips. Of course, he knew because they had been arguing a lot of times before. One wrong move and everything blew up. He even thought of just ying with her to take revenge but he also dropped the idea because he just couldn''t hurt her.


    "I don''t know what made you think of leaving the boss." Lunamented. "But it would be a great loss if you do so. Many women are vying for the position of being his girlfriend."


    "I agree." Stefan wiggled his eyebrows towards Cayenne. "So, don''t ever let me go."


    "Hn." Cayenne responded with a sweet smile. Her eyes turned to crescent moon, pretty and made her looked even more adorable.


    "I''m starting to regret ying this game." Kyle muttered. "I don''t want to be fed with dog food."


    "Start looking for your own girlfriend, then." Luiz retorted without much care. "Next. Never have I ever lied about something very important."


    Cayenne raised ''I HAVE'' once again.


    "We talked about thisst time. I told you that I will you something very important once I''m ready." Cayenne told Stefan.


    "I remember. And I told you that I will be waiting."


    Luiz and Kyle both rolled their eyes with these cheesy people in front of them. "I don''t like this game anymore. Next. Never have I ever pretend I didn''t hear you."


    All of them raised their papers with ''I HAVE'' written on it. No one exined and no one asked. They just knew it was normal and it does happen a lot when couples are having cold war.


    The game continued for five more rounds and Kyle was busy putting more snacks in front of them. "How about we y a guessing game? The winners will get a prize."


    "Game." Stefan agreed instantly. "I can sponsor the prize, too."


    "Really, boss?" Luna''s eyes lit up. One of the things that they like about their boss was that, he wasn''t stingy. "What''s the prize?"


    "How about three days'' worth of vacation in my resort?"


    "You''ve got to be kidding." Kyle murmured. They knew how expensive the resorts that Stefan owned. One night of stay was equal to two months of their student allowance.


    Luna thought the same as well. If it''s not for free she''d pay at least half of her monthly sry for one night.


    "I''m serious. Cayenne and I won''t participate in this game since we''ve juste back from vacation."


    "Cool." Ali and Luiz stated in unison.


    Cayenne''s brothers formed one team. Ali and Luna formed another team.


    Cayenne was responsible for choosing words and Stefan was responsible for keeping the time. "If Luiz and Kyle win, they can bring Auntie with them. If Luna and Ali win, they can go and have a date in my resort."


    The two pairs were so happy since it''s just once in a lifetime opportunity.


    They discussed the mechanics of the game and the six categories that Cayenne chose ¨C movies, songs, personalities, things, and food. They only have three minutes to guess as much as they can for the first round. Then, they will exchange their position and will be given two minutes for the second round.


    "Who wants to start?" Cayenne asked while shaking the rolled papers inside the ss that she got from the kitchen.


    "Let''s toss a coin." Stefan suggested which everyone agreed. Stefan took out a coin from his pocket.


    ''He''s a normal person.'' Luna and Ali thought at the same time. Most wealthy people would choose to pay with their credit cards and rarely bring cash with them.


    "The one with the human figure is the head. The one with the flower is the tail." Stefan mentioned which side are you?"


    "Head." Kyle instantly answered.


    "So, we will take the tail." Luna responded.


    Stefan tossed the coin over their heads, caught it with his hand and with a faint ''thud'', he ced his hand on the table upside-down. When he took his hand, it showed tail. "Ali and Luna will go first."


    "Okay."


    They went to position and the timer started. There were many pieces of paper and Luna will be the one who will guess it first. As soon as Ali was done reading, he was already making actions. Everything was written in English so they didn''t need to guess thenguage.


    "A person?" Ali shook his head. "Food?" He shook his head again. ''''A thing?" He nodded his head. "Inside the house?" Another nod. "In the living room?" Shakes head. "Kitchen?" Nods. "Frying Pan. Spoon. Fork. Knife. Kettles. tes. Bowls. Microwave. Refrigerator." Luna was just randomly guessing until she got it right. Ali took another piece of paper and she started guessing again. After three minutes, she was able to guess five words. "That was really hard."


    It was Kyle and Luiz turn. Kyle was responsible for guessing this time. Luiz took a piece of paper and started acting after reading it. "Movie. Songs. Things. Person." Kyle mentioned them until Luiz nodded his head with the person category. "Actress. Heroes. Politicians. Businessmen. Sports yer." Luiz nodded with the sports yer again. "Tennis. Volleyball. Baseball. Basketball." Kyle guessed and stopped with Basketball. "Kobe Bryant. Stephen Curry. James Harden. Michael Jordan." Kyle got the answer in less than ten minutes.


    "The perks of being smart." Luna helplessly sighed. She knew Cayenne''s family for a while now since she also started working in a caf¨¦ where Cayenne worked before. It was the same caf¨¦ that introduced Cayenne about other works that she can earn extra. Later on, when Luna started working in the hotel, she still kept in touch with Cayenne. Then, Cayenne got inside the hotel as well. Their connection didn''t end. And she knew that Cayenne''s brothers were very smart.


    In three minutes, Kyle was able to guess six words.

 Chapter 117 - CHRISTMAS WITH THE IN-LAWS IV

    <h4>Chapter 117 - CHRISTMAS WITH THE IN-LAWS IV</h4>


    The game continued and the couple got very lucky in the second round. They picked up easy item and in two minutes, Ali was able to guess seven items. In total they have 12 points. Whereas, Luiz'' words were very long. He even got three movies and it took him a long time to guess it. In two minutes, he only got four. So, they lost the game by two points.


    "Yay!" Luna eximed happily. "I''ll be looking forward to the prize, boss."


    "Sure. I''ll have it booked for New Year. Is that fine?"


    "Uh. I remember that I have work." Luna muttered helplessly.


    "It''s just three days and two nights."


    "Can you book it from Friday to Sunday? In that way, I can only leave one day from work." Luna tried negotiating with her boss. She wasn''t embarrassed at all.


    "Okay. I''ll just give you the details one Cayenne goes back to work."


    Luna and Ali expressed their ''thanks'' to Stefan. They have been saving money for their future so they didn''t have time going on an expensive trip for themselves. It was really a blessing in disguise that they found Stefan in Cayenne''s home.


    Around ten in the evening, Cayenne''s mother woke up.


    "Good evening, Auntie." Luna and Ali greeted them.


    "Hello. I''m d to see you''re here." She sat in the living room and took a piece of cookies from the te on the table. "What were you guys doing?"


    "We yed some games." Luiz responded his mother.


    "I''m d you guys are having fun." She softly stated with a smile. "It''s few hours before Christmas eve. Do you guys want to go out and have fun before the time''s up."


    "Is there anything special outside?" Stefan asked since he didn''t know anything about her ce.


    "The neighborhood always prepares some activities for everyone. There''s disco party, there are various games that you can y, a KTV and many more. In the past, we''d spend our time outside ande back few minutes before the clock hits twelve." Cayenne responded to him.


    "You''d like to go?"


    "No. I''d like to stay here."


    "Then, I''ll stay with you." Stefan replied.


    "We''ll stay, too." Luna dered with a smile. Ali just nodded his head in agreement.


    Since they didn''t want to go out, they decided to set up the table for their dinner. After making sure that everything''s settled, they went back to the living room and chat again. They yed another game and this time everyone can participate except Cayenne and Stefan once again.


    Cayenne was responsible for giving the prizes while Stefan was responsible for asking the things that he wants or for letting guess about the things that he likes or he doesn''t like.


    The first person to answer the right question will get $2 from him. When you think about it, the amount was small but once umted, it would be bigger. And to think you''d earn it just from ying a game.


    "What''s my favorite color?" Stefan questioned.


    "White." Luna answered immediately and got $2. Stefan mentioned in a finance magazine interview before that he likes white.


    "Tell me something that I love."


    "Cayenne." Ali mumbled.


    "Huh?" Cayenne looked at him with questioning eyes, thinking that he was calling for her.


    "Stefan loves Cayenne." Ali gave emphasis to his answer.


    Cayenne''s face turned red and she lowered her head in embarrassment. "I''m not something." She muttered. "I''m a person, not a thing."


    "Right. My mistake." Ali stated but Stefan considered his answer; thus, he earned $2 after his girlfriend.


    "Give me a shoce." Stefan asked which everyone scampered out to get a shoce from their shoes.


    Luiz went to his room and got a newly-washed shoce. "I don''t understand why my brother didn''t think about this." Luiz mumbled while handing the shoce to Stefan. It was Kyle''s shoce that he just washed along with his shoes. Luiz got $2 this time.


    Although the game was for everyone, Cayenne''s mother stayed in her seat while watching them with a smile on her face. She was just happy to watch them having fun.


    "Tell me something that Cayenne treasure so much."


    "Family, of course." Luiz mentioned again and he got $2.


    "What is something that I don''t like to eat?"


    "You don''t like to eat eggnts and any kind of food with liver paste." Kyle answered this time.


    "How did you know that?"


    "My sister kept telling me to avoid these things when we''re cooking our food for tonight."


    Cayenne just smiled sheepishly towards Stefan. Kyle got $2 and the game continued.


    After half an hour, the four people received so much from Stefan. They changed to another game again to avoid getting bored. Just as they were trying to think of another game, someone knocked on their door again.


    This time, when Cayenne opened the door, she only smiled politely. The visitor was one of their neighbors who would sometimes ask Cayenne to tutor her daughter. She knew that Cayenne and her family was in a dire situation and that they were facing a lot of troubles in the past years.


    Knowing that their mother hade back, she used this time to visit them and gave them a little gift. She handed them a box of fruit cake that her eldest son brought back.


    "Thank you so much, Ma''am Nina." Cayenne mumbled. "Would you like toe in. My mom is already home."


    "Just send my regards to your mother. I have toe back as soon as possible or my son will get upset. He just came back from his work in another city."


    "I see. Well, Merry Christmas ma''am Nina."


    "Merry Christmas to you and your family, Yen."


    The woman waved her hand and turned around to leave. Their house wasn''t far from the apartment building and when Cayenne looked down, she saw that someone was waiting for thedy downstairs. It was her husband. When he looked up and saw Cayenne, he only smiled and waved his hand. Cayenne waved back to them.

 Chapter 118 - OPENING OF GIFTS I

    <h4>Chapter 118 - OPENING OF GIFTS I</h4>


    After so much time of waiting, the time was finally counting down from ten seconds before Christmas Eve. Stefan, for the first time after 15 years, he''s got someone to celebrate Christmas with. It was a bittersweet feeling. He had been wanting to celebrate Christmas with his family but they never care about him. Just like this year. He didn''t even receive a single message from them. And now, the person that he knew few months ago cared so much about him. She was like Alexander in his life - his light and guidance.


    "10..9..8..7¡­3..2..1! Merry Christmas!"


    Stefan opened a bottle of champagne and poured everyone except for Cayenne''s mother. "Sorry Auntie. I can only serve you with fruit juice. Ayen, will kill me if I let you drink wine."


    Cayenne''s motherughed at the mention of this from Stefan. "It''s fine. I can understand that. Cayenne can be very frightening when she''s mad."


    Stefan nodded his head in agreement. "I still like when she''s angry."


    "I hope you won''t give up to understand her."


    "I promise I won''t let her suffer when she''s under my care, auntie. I''ll always listen to her."


    They continued to talk while drinking wine and juice. Cayenne approached them with a frown. "Why are you guys just standing here? Don''t you have ns to eat? Drinking juice and wine with an empty stomach isn''t good." She scolded her boyfriend and her mother. "Let''s go to the dining room and eat."


    "Yes. Yes." Cayenne''s mother nodded her head as she walked towards the kitchen. Watching her walk away with slow steps, Cayenne felt so helpless. But she was still thankful because she got to spend another Christmas with her mother.


    "Let''s eat." She poked Stefan''s waist with her index finger.


    He caught her finger, pulled her closer to him and intertwined their fingers instead. "This feels better."


    "Are you nning to hold my hands for the rest of the night?"


    "If you allow me to."


    "You''ll have a hard time eating." Cayenne retorted.


    "If there''s a will, there''s a way." The two of them walked towards the dining. Others were already eating and chatting.


    Luna looked behind her and found Cayenne and her boss walking slowly as if they''re walking down on a red carpet towards the altar. "Alright, stop flirting already. Flirting won''t fill your stomach." Shemented which made Cayenne blushed but she only lowered her head because no matter how much she tried to pull back her hand, Stefan won''t let her go.


    "Let''s eat properly. I''ll let you hold me handter." Cayenne whispered softly, just enough for Stefan to hear.


    "Promise?"


    "Hn."


    Stefan agreed immediately and let go of her. They sat beside each other and helped each other with food. Stefan was busy getting food for Cayenne, specially the shrimps and scallops, because Cayenne loves seafood. The shells were already removed so Stefan didn''t have to peel the shells for Cayenne.


    Cayenne was also cing food on her te, basically, the two were like exchanging tes to serve.


    Kyle was happy for his sister but Luiz couldn''t stop himself from rolling his eyes. ''Even during dinner, they''re still flirting.'' He thought to himself. Luna thought the same.


    They continued to eat and chat with everyone else. Sometimes, Stefan would feed Cayenne some food whenever he found something interesting.


    After an hour, they finished eating their Christmas Eve dinner and went back to the living room.


    "It''s time to open gifts!" Luiz eximed. Even though they weren''t rich, Cayenne would always save some money to buy presents for her family. She never skipped a year. This year was a bit different because Stefan bought gifts for them, too. "Sis, what did you get for us?"


    "Why don''t you get it and open it yourself?" Cayenne retorted. She just didn''t want to stand up because Stefan was holding her hand again. She promised and now, he''s getting what she owed him.


    Luiz jumped on his seat and went to the side of the small Christmas tree and looked for his gifts. "I have four gifts?" He questioned since he found four gift bags with his name on it. He was the youngest among the group so they let him open his gifts first. "I have one from my sister. Oh! You have something for me, Kyle? I wonder what this is." He looked the other bag which was from Luna. "Thank you for this Lulu." There''s one more box without the sender''s name. he looked towards Stefan who only smiled to him. "Thank you, big bro."


    "Alright. Just open it so we can see." Kyle nudged him with his elbow.


    "Now that the boss has his own gifts, I''m starting to feel embarrass with my cheap items." Luna mentioned with a faint and helpless smile.


    "It''s the thought that counts." Cayenne told her. And of course, she got a gift for her best friend and Ali. She just didn''t tell them yet.


    Luiz opened the gift from his sister first. It was a new backpack with an additionalpartment for hisptop. It was waterproof as well. Next was the gift from Luna. He got two branded white shirts and a denim pants. "You really know me." Luiz told Luna with a wide smile.


    Luna chuckled with his response. "Just make sure you wash them properly." Among everyone, only Stefan had no idea that Luiz was also obsessed with white. In fact, majority of his clothes are white with different prints and from different brands. Some of them were bought from thrift shops and the others were given to him as presents.


    Luiz just smiled and opened the gift from Stefan. It was a limited rubber shoes from one of the most expensive shoepany. Luiz blinked his eyes, and blinked it again before everything sank in his mind. "Really? This is mine?"


    "Your name was written on the box, right?" Luiz nodded his head. "Then, that''s yours. There''s no way I''d mistake the names I wrote on it." Stefan responded which made Luiz jumped up and down.


    "Thank you. Thanks a lot." Luiz mentioned while hugging the pair of shoes.

 Chapter 119 - OPENING OF GIFTS II

    <h4>Chapter 119 - OPENING OF GIFTS II</h4>


    Thest one was from Kyle. It was a long coat that Luiz had been saving for. It was an army green long coat which has ruffles on its hood. The material felt warm as well which was suitable to use during cold weather.


    His nose twitched and he felt like crying. Since the two of them had been going to school together and go home together, they would often stop in some clothing shops. And he found this coat but it was a little expensive. He had been saving his money for thest three months but it was far from enough. He even decided to give it up and save for other things. He didn''t expect that his brother was paying attention to him.


    Luiz sniffed as his tears fell on the coat.


    "Hey! If you don''t like my gift, you can just tell me about it you know. You don''t have to cry over it." Kylemented but his hand was actually rubbing his brother''s head.


    "Hn. I hate it." Luiz mumbled while wiping his tears. "I will never wear this coat for sure."


    "Yeah. Yeah." Kyle just agreed perfunctorily with his brother. But they both knew it will be Luiz''s favorite coat.


    "Kyle is really a good brother." Alimented while watching the two men huddle close to each other. They knew that in this family, they only get amazing items during Christmas or when they save for it. They weren''t like other people who likes to spend on things that they don''t really need. If they really want something, they''d have to cut their allowance to save for that item that they like.


    Stefan turned his head away and buried his face on Cayenne''s shoulder. He was never the emotional type of person but in this year, he cried twice already. First was after his parents visited him on his hotel suite and now, watching the two brothers in front of him, he felt very sentimental at this moment. He can see Alexander in Kyle''s caring attitude and he can see himself in Luiz.


    "Are you alright?" Cayenne asked when she noticed that he''s gone silent.


    "I''m fine." Stefan responded but the hot tears which fell on her shoulder told her that he wasn''t fine.


    Cayenne reached her other hand and rubbed the back of his head. "I''m here. Don''t worry about anything else. Everything will be alright."


    Kyle handed a tissue paper to his brother and went to the small Christmas tree. "Yen, do you mind if I give everyone their gifts?"


    "Not at all. You can go ahead and do that." Cayenne responded without turning her head to look at him.


    Luiz finally calmed down and was anticipating to see everyone''s gifts. Kyle received four gifts as well. They''re from Cayenne, Stefan, Luiz and Ali.


    He opened the one from Cayenne first and found a pair of shoes. It wasn''t a limited edition but it was still expensive. "You are really spoiling us, Yen." Kylemented helplessly and looked towards his sister. "Don''t spend so much for us next time."


    "How can that be? I only do this twice a year. On your birthday and on Christmas day. This should be fine." Cayenne responded.


    Kyle just sighed. There''s no use talking to her about it because she won''t ever give in. He just continued to open his gifts and found a watch from Ali. It wasn''t one of the most expensive watches but it was still branded. "Thank you, Ali."


    "Sure." Ali responded with a smile.


    Kyle continued and opened the gift from Luiz. It was a formal suit and a pants. "Oh. You actually remembered it." Kyle rubbed his brother''s head again. Since Kyle was already in college and there will be instances that he needed to undergo research defense, he will also need formal attires. He had been rambling about in the past months but eventually forget it.


    "I am d that you''ve been looking after each other." Their mothermented emotionally. "My two little guys have really grown."


    "That''s thanks to Yen." Kyle responded happily and turned to Luiz. "Thank you."


    "You''re wee." Luiz mumbled. It wasn''t an expensive suit but it was the most decent suit and pants that he found in a thrift shop. The only expensive item among his gifts was the necktie that he bought to pair with the suit and pants.


    Thest gift was from Stefan. Compared to the gift that he gave to Luiz, the one that Kyle received was rather big and heavy.


    Cayenne didn''t know what was inside the bag as well because she didn''t see Stefan buying a gift for Kyle. When they got home from vacation, it was there already in their room.


    Kyle opened the box and shifted his gaze to Stefan who was cuddling with his sister. "Uh. Isn''t this too much?"


    "How can that be? You are already in college and you will have to make a lot of researches and reports. Having that is very convenient. You wouldn''t have to borrow the one that I gave to Luiz."


    Cayenne looked towards him after seeing that her brother received aptop from Stefan. It was from the same model that Stefan bought for Luiz when he received an award; just different color. "When did you buy that? I didn''t see it when we shopped for gifts." Cayenne asked in a whisper.


    "The store ran out of stock when we went to the mall. I asked Chris to buy this from City B and asked him to bring it home."


    "Oh." Cayenne didn''t ask anything anymore and continued to watch everyone opened their gifts.


    Her mother received a set of jewelry from Stefan and her. Kyle and Luiz also bought a pair of sandals and dress for her. Ali and Luna gave her a book to pass her time, cosmetics and multivitamins.


    Luna received a hoodie from Cayenne.


    Ali received a pair of shoes from Cayenne.


    And since Stefan didn''t bring gifts for them, he went to Cayenne''s room with her. He asked for two red packets and slipped in several bills before going out and handed it to the couple. "Merry Christmas."


    "Thank you, boss." Luna took the red envelope and didn''t dare open it. She was a bit scared to look at the amount. Ali also expressed his gratitude and handed the envelope to his girlfriend since she was the one who was bringing a sling bag.


    Cayenne opened her gifts, too. She got a nice dress from her mother. Kyle and Luiz gave her a body sized teddy bear. She likes stuff toys, particrly, teddy bears. But since it wasn''t her priority, she didn''t think of buying one for herself. Now, her brothers got a big bear for her.


    "Thank you." She gave them a hug and received the bear. She hugged it warmly as well.


    ''Looks like someone''s taking my ce.'' Stefan thought while looking at the teddy bear with a helpless gaze.

 Chapter 120 - OPENING OF GIFTS III

    <h4>Chapter 120 - OPENING OF GIFTS III</h4>


    Stefan turned towards her and gave her a bracelet. When Luna saw it, her eyes lit up. It was the famous red string of fate bracelet. And it''s also expensive for a mere bracelet. It''s made of a red thread and there''s a gold bar that was stringed with it. On a bar, you can ask the shop to carve the name of the person that you like.


    In fact, it was a couple set with a watch butst week, it was announced that thest set was bought by two different people. The bracelet was bought online and the watch was bought in a physical store. You can also carve a name on the back of the watch.


    Cayenne wore the bracelet that Stefan gave here. There''s only S & C written on the bar with small carved hearts on each side. "Thank you." Cayenne smiled and kissed his cheek. It was truly a surprise for Stefan but he didn''t say anything. He was just happy that she likes his gift.


    She also received a nice skirt and blouse from Luna and Ali gave her a pair of sandals. To them, Cayenne was more than a friend. She''s like a family to them and she also helped them whenever she has time.


    Stefan received a fountain pen from Luiz and Kyle. Cayenne''s mother gave him a ck shirt as well.


    "Where''s my gift?" Stefan whispered to her.


    Everyone was also waiting for Cayenne to bring out her gift for Stefan as well.


    "Uh. This is really embarrassing." Cayenne muttered while giving them an awkward smile. "I¡­can¡­can I give the giftter?"


    "Why not now?" Stefan questioned.


    "Correct. Why not?" Luna added as well. She really wanted to know what her best friend has prepared for their boss.


    "Just take it out." Her mother also mentioned.


    "I don''t care if it''s not expensive." Stefan looked at her while squeezing her smile gently.


    The price wasn''t really bothering Cayenne. It''s just that, she didn''t expect things would unfold like this. Since the hospital bill was paid by someone, and she also saved from working with Stefan, she was able to buy something worthy of his standing. The problem was the style.


    With a face as red as an apple from embarrassment, she went inside her room to get the small box that contains her gifts. When she came out, everyone was looking at the box in her hand.


    "Can you not look at my gift?" She asked them but no one agreed. "Fine. It''s nothing special anyway." She handed Stefan the ck box she was holding. "Merry Christmas."


    Stefan grinned at her while receiving the gift. She wanted to leave and go out for a while but Stefan took hold of her hand and pulled her to sit beside him. "Stay here with me." He untied the red ribbon and opened the box. To everyone''s surprise, what was sitting inside the box was the watch which was match to the bracelet that Cayenne was wearing.


    The strap was made of red threads and there''s a gold lining on the rim of the round watch. There''s also a gold te at the back of the watch where you can engrave something. When Stefan looked at it, he found Cayenne''s name carved on it.


    "I didn''t know you''d be possessive." Stefanmented. And to think the gift was bought even before they decided to go on a date.


    "Did you know that the watch and the bracelet is a set called red string of fate?" Luna questioned the two of them. "Did you guys buy these items together?"


    "How''s that possible?" responded with a sly grin on his lips. "I bought this item online."


    "I didn''t even know there''s a meaning to this watch." Cayenne mumbled. "It was meant to be a remembrance."


    "I believe you." Stefan caressed her hand. "Can you put it on me?"


    "O-okay." Cayenne took the watch from him and put it on his left wrist. "Do you like it?"


    "I love it. Thanks." Stefan pulled her close and kissed her forehead, disregarding the pairs of eyes that were watching them. He wasn''t doing anything beyond the line anyway.


    After opening their gifts, they yed two more games before they decided to rest the night away. Luna and Ali went home around 3 o''clock in the morning. Cayenne and Kyle cleaned the mess in their house and they let Luiz and their mother rest first. Stefan was told to rest but he didn''t want to since Cayenne was still busy.


    In the end, he helped her wash the dishes and clean the kitchen while Kyle cleaned the living room.


    "Yen, I''m done cleaning the living room. Is it fine if I leave the rest to you?" Kyle informed his sister.


    "Sure. You can go ahead and rest." Cayenne was currently wiping the tes when she responded to her brother. Stefan was beside her, wiping the bowls and sses.


    "Good night." Kyle stated as he walked back to the room where he and Luiz stayed.


    "Night. Night." Cayenne responded.


    "Good night." Stefan mumbled in response.


    After almost fifteen minutes, they also finished cleaning the kitchen and went to her room. Cayenne hadn''t taken a shower since she came back from the province and she was so tired already.


    "Go and take a quick shower." Stefan told her.


    "Hn." Cayenne took a clean towel and opened her drawer to get a change of clothes. After taking a shower, she changed into a shirt and a drawstring pants. "Do you want to take a shower? I can borrow clothes from my Kyle?"


    "Is that alright?"


    "Hn. Wait a minute." She went out of her room and knocked on her brother''s room to borrow some change of clothes that can fit Stefan. Kyle had oversized shirts so it wasn''t a problem and he''s got drawstring pants and unused boxers, too. When Cayenne, returned to her room, Stefan was already inside the bathroom.


    "Oh god! How am I supposed to give this to him?" Cayenne couldn''t help but cry with no tears from helplessness.

 Chapter 121 - ARTHUR VISITED THEM AGAIN

    <h4>Chapter 121 - ARTHUR VISITED THEM AGAIN</h4>


    Cayenne pretended to sleep and just left the clothes on top of her drawer and left a note for him, too. When Stefan came out of her bathroom, he saw her sleeping on the bed already, with her back facing on him.


    He couldn''t help but smile at the sight of her. He caught sight of the paper that she left for him and read it. After changing his clothes, he got on to the bed and sleep beside her.


    Cayenne felt that the bed dipped a bit under his weight but she didn''t even turn around, least he''d know that she wasn''t really sleeping.


    The room was silent and only their breathing could be heard. Stefan was contemting if he should hug her without her permission since they''re dating but he also dismissed the idea since they were not official couple yet. He waited for her to turn around but she stayed in the same position even after ten minutes.


    Cayenne felt sore as well. Left with no choice, she shifted her body and faced him. "Can''t sleep?"


    "Hn."


    "Is it because you''re unfamiliar with my room?"


    "Nope. I was just contemting if I should hug you to sleep or not. I didn''t know that you''re awake."


    Cayenne didn''tment on hisst sentence. She took hold of his hand and ced it around her waist. "Are you fine with this now?"


    "Better." Stefan pulled her even closer and cuddled her to sleep. This time he''sfortable and at ease with her beside him.


    Cayenne also closed her eyes to sleep.


    Stefan woke up around ten in the morning but Cayenne was still asleep. It''s weekend so she didn''t have to go to work. After sending a message to Chris, Stefan sat up on the bed and leaned on the headboard to read the report that was sent to him. Chris also told him that the result of the DNA test came out three days ago but since Stefan was on vacation, he didn''t let him know to prevent spoiling their trip.


    Stefan ignored for the meantime, thinking that he''d just open it on Monday after getting back to work.


    Cayenne''s eyshes fluttered and she slowly opened her eyes while adjusting to the bright sunlight that managed to slip between the gaps of her window curtains.


    "You''re awake. Are you leaving now?" Cayenne asked him while rubbing her eyes.


    "I''m not leaving yet. We promised to watch a movie with your family today, right?" Stefan responded while kissing the top of her head. She looked so lovely now that she''s acting more natural and rxed around him.


    "Oh. Was it today? I forgot." Cayenne sat up on her bed and checked the time on her phone.


    "Hn. Let''s leave in the afternoon. If you want to catch more sleep, just go back to sleep."


    "No, let''s go out and eat brunch." Cayenne told him. It wouldn''t be good if they go hungry. She got out of bed and washed her face and brushed her teeth in her bathroom.


    Stefan also followed her and took the spare toothbrush that she left for himst night after she took a bath. Then, they fixed their bed before going out.


    Cayenne''s brothers and mother were in the living room, watching a movie from Luiz''ptop.


    "Morning." Stefan greeted them and they greeted him back.


    "Yen, I left the food on the table. You can just heat them up." Kyle reminded her sister before bringing back his gaze on the movie in front of him.


    "Thanks." Cayenne and Stefan went to the kitchen to get some food. "Do you want to have a cup of coffee?"


    "Can I?"


    "Sure." Cayenne brewed the coffee for him while heating the food that Kyle left for them. She covered her mouth and yawned again, tears were hanging on hershes.


    "If you''re still sleepy, just go back to sleep after eating." Stefan told her, his heart was aching to see that she''s still forcing herself to get up even though she still wanted to rest.


    Cayenne was used to not getting enough rest and besides, ever since she worked for him, she''s been able to rest herself at night. She didn''t have to work like a cow. Well, cows were better than her. Previously, she worked day and night with few hours of rest but cows only work during the days and rest at night. They''re betterpared to her.


    "I''m fine." Cayenne mentioned. "This is just the after effect of sleep." She wiped her face with the back of her hand and poured a cup of coffee for him. She also put one cube of sugar and a teaspoon of creamer. That''s how Stefan liked his coffee to be done. He didn''t like it so bitter and not so sweet, either.


    After heating all the food, the two of them started eating their food while chatting about where to go next. Stefan had been wanting to go somewhere and since her passport was already prepared, he can finally bring her out of the country.


    While the two of them were eating, someone knocked on their door.


    "Arthur!" Kyle eximed loudly, making sure that his sister would know who their visitor was. "Come in."


    Cayenne and Stefan were stunned. They didn''t want anyone to know about their rtionship since they were not official yet. And besides, more and more people have known about them and they were afraid that Cayenne''s identity will be exposed to the public. That''s something that Stefan and Cayenne''s brothers didn''t want to happen.


    "Merry Christmas." Arthur greeted them and gave them the presents he brought. "These are some little presents I have prepared for you all. Cayenne has her own gift, too."


    "Thank you." Luiz epted the gift with a little hesitation but Kyle nudged him to get it.


    "Hello, Auntie. How are you?"


    "I''m fine. Come and sit." Cayenne''s mother gestured him to sit on the couch beside her. "Are you here to see Cayenne?"


    Kyle and Luiz looked at their mother. They thought that she was approved of Stefan, they didn''t expect that she still liked Arthur to be their sister''s boyfriend.


    "Cayenne is not here though." Kyle mentioned while eyeing her mother. "She left to go to work. She''ll probablye home tonight."

 Chapter 122 - ARTHUR IS A FAMILY FRIEND

    <h4>Chapter 122 - ARTHUR IS A FAMILY FRIEND</h4>


    The two of them didn''t make any noise in the kitchen. They even stopped eating to avoid creating noise with the utensils. Arthur was also disappointed that Cayenne wasn''t there but he didn''t show it on his face.


    Kyle went to the kitchen and took some snack and juice for him. "You should let Cayenne know that you''reing over. In that way, you would know if she''s around or not."


    Their mother didn''t say anything. She didn''t want to tell Arthur that her son was lying.


    Arthur sighed helplessly but he also chuckled at the end. "I was nning to surprise her."


    Kyle furrowed his brows. Luiz just ignored him and continued watching the movie. If it was before, he would be happy that he''s here. However, he still wanted her sister to be happy. And whoever makes her happy will earn his support.


    "If I remember correctly, my sister told you something about you visiting us here." Kyle was obviously displeased but his voice remained calm. "I hope you don''t forget that."


    "I thought it''s fine since today is Christmas day and it''s weekend." Arthur reasoned out but he also knew that he was wrong. "Sorry."


    "It''s fine. It''s fine. Just let my sister know that you came to visit us. And in the future, you can just ask Yen to meet you outside.? I think that''s possible."


    "Hn." Arthur nodded in agreement. They shifted their topic to a neutral conversation which was the movie that they''re watching. Although Arthur was watching a movie, his mind was elsewhere.


    He was stealing nces at Kyle''s and Luiz''s feet. ''They don''t match. Who exactly owned the shoes on the rack?'' Arthur thought with a straight face. When he got inside, he saw the pair of shoes which was bigger than Kyle''s and Luiz''s size. And he knew that Cayenne''s stepfather wasn''t around.


    "By the way, aside from me, did someone else visits you here?" Arthur questioned which stunned them.


    Cayenne also gasped in surprise but Stefan covered her mouth immediately.


    "Luna and Ali are inside Cayenne''s room. They alwayse here during Christmas and New Year. Why?" Luiz retorted and returned a question to him, too.


    "Nothing." Arthur smiled tenderly. "I just want to know if you guys are doing good and if Cayenne has friends at work."


    He dismissed his worry and just focused on them. After an hour, he also left with an excuse that his brother was looking for him.


    Cayenne removed Stefan''s hand that was covering her mouth and let out a sigh of relief. "Our food bes cold again." Cayenne muttered. She felt so helpless and upset with Arthur.


    Seeing her tangled mood, Stefan reached out his hand and rubbed her head. "It''s fine. Let''s just eat something else and prepare to head out."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Hn." Stefan kissed her forehead and stood up from his seat. "I''ll make a sandwich, is that fine?"


    "O-okay." Cayenne stood up from her seat as well to clean their dishes and throw away the cold food on their tes. As for the remaining dishes, she ced them inside the disposable Tupperware. She was nning to give the food to the less fortunate children on the road.


    Another knock sounded from the front door and this time, Kyle didn''t say anything. "Is Mr. Dumrique, here?"


    "Yes. Come inside." If they knew about Stefan, they naturally knew about his secretary. The man was holding three shopping bags from expensive brands.


    Chris got inside and waited in the living room. After quarter an hour, Stefan and Cayenne came out of kitchen. He stood up as soon as he saw them and handed Stefan the bags. "Sir, these are your change of clothes."


    "Thank you." He received the items and sat on the couch.


    "Should I give it to him now or will you give it to him on Monday?" Cayenne whispered. She was talking about the gift that they chose for Chris when they shopped for Christmas gifts.


    "Can you get it for me? I left it inside the car."


    "Okay." Cayenne walked out of the room and went downstairs to get the gift.


    "Is there anything else that you need me for, sir?" Chris asked. Everyday, he would send Stefan thepany reports and he was also diligent with his works and he made sure that he finished all the itinerary for the day. Not missing a single appointment. He didn''t want to have a bad record while working for Stefan.


    Even though he''s strict when ites to work, he''s also very thoughtful towards his employees. And as his secretary, he wanted to do a good job.


    "Just wait there for a moment. I''ll let you know what to do once Ayen is back."


    Kyle and Luiz were stealing nces at him while ying mobile games. The movie they watched had ended a long time ago and now, they''re ying mobile games to pass the time.


    Watching Stefan sitting in front of them while talking to his secretary was a new sight to them. His aura waspletely different than how he was mingling with themst night.


    "Stefan, are you nning to keep your rtionship with my daughter forever?" Cayenne''s mother asked without looking at him.


    "I don''t want her private life be exposed to the public."


    "Is it because she''s from a poor family?" she questioned him.


    Chris looked at his boss and it was the same for the two brothers. They were waiting for Stefan''s answer.


    "I never considered Cayenne''s financial status when I pursued her. I don''t want to make it public because I don''t want people to judge her. When a rich man and a poor woman gets into a rtionship, people will judge the woman even if they don''t know anything. I don''t want her to be judged by the public. Their opinion has nothing to do with my rtionship with her."


    Kyle agreed. "I understand where you''reing from. And I am sure that Cayenne didn''t want your rtionship to be exposed as well. After all, you have been a target by the media. It''s annoying when your businesspetitors use her against you."


    "Hn. That''s another reason. So, as much as possible. I want this rtionship known by other people aside from family and friends."


    "Arthur is a family friend." Cayenne''s mother retorted. "I think he should know."

 Chapter 123 - OH MY GOD!

    <h4>Chapter 123 - OH MY GOD!</h4>


    "I don''t want him to know." Cayenne interrupted their conversation when she got back. She was holding a gift bag and gave it to Chris. "Merry Christmas. That''s from your boss."


    "Thedy boss chose it." Stefan added to give the credit to Cayenne.


    "Thank you, sir. Thank you, Ms. Ardolf." Chris epted the gift and bowed his head slightly.


    Stefan just nodded his head in acknowledgement while Cayenne was blushing by his side. She didn''t expect her to address her asdy boss. She didn''t even think that way.


    "Can you tell me what''s my task today, sir."


    "Go home and take a rest. Let''s see each other on Monday." Stefan told him which made his secretary very happy.


    "Thank you, sir. If there''s something you need, just send me a message."


    "Hn."


    Chris left as soon as possible, not wanting to disturb the family anymore. The conversation about their rtionship was also forgotten and Cayenne didn''t talk about Arthur anymore. She knew that her mother must have figured it out herself that she didn''t like Arthur anymore. What''s in the past should remain in the past.


    "Let''s go and watch a movie in the afternoon." Cayenne told everyone.


    "What movie are we going to watch?"


    "Dreamscape. The one where Riley Summer starred in." Cayenne stated excitedly. "It will be shown today."


    "Did you book a ticket already? I don''t think you''ll be able to get a ticket of that movie now." Luizmented. Riley Summer was his favorite actress but he only admires her. He couldn''t get a ticket for her movie and he wasn''t able toe to her fan signing event as well. He only kept cut out pictures of her from magazine and pasted it on his notebook.


    It''s not like he fantasizes about her but he just really admired her so much. She''s brave and she didn''t care about anyone''s opinion either. She does whatever she wants that would make her happy. Unlike other actors and actresses who will smile in front of the camera but were very vile behind it.


    Of course, this was just Luiz''s view on Riley. He had no idea that the girl was very scary when she''s angry.


    "I got the tickets already. Don''t worry." Stefan told them and showed them the code to get the ticket at the ticketing boothter.


    "What time are we leaving?"


    "I booked the ticket for 4:00 in the afternoon. Let''s leave the house around 2:30. It''s that fine?"


    "Sure." Luiz and Kyle answered in unison.


    "I won''t be going. There will be a lot of people and it''s not good for me to be confined in crowded ces." Cayenne''s mothermented when everyone had settled for their afternoon activity. She was still displeased that they lied to Arthur, specially that the man had helped them a lot in the past. However, she couldn''t do anything about it if Cayenne didn''t want to tell him either.


    Cayenne knew that her mother was sulking because of what she said and she didn''t want to talk to her now. They both need to think things clearly. And she wanted her mother to think about the pros and cons of her rtionship with Stefan. She needed to realize it by herself.


    "I''ll leave my phone with you, Ma." Luiz told her. "You can contact us if you need anything."


    "Okay." Cayenne''s mother replied. "I''ll get back to my room now. You can go and prepare to watch the movie."


    Stefan watched Cayenne''s mother and shifted his gaze towards his girl. "Are you alright? Why don''t you talk to her for a while?"


    "No need." Cayenne smiled and sighed. "If I''m stubborn, that goes the same for my mother."


    "Correct." Kyle added. "When the two of them gets into argument it will take a long time for them to make up. Just let them be."


    Stefan didn''t say anything anymore. He just went inside Cayenne''s room and the two brothers went back to their own room as well. They were looking forward to the movie that they''d watch.


    Just like how they nned it, the group of four people boarded Stefan''s car and went to thergest mall to watch the movie Dreamscape.


    Cayenne was wearing faded jeans, white shoes, slim fit blouse and a trench coat. She tied her hair into a high ponytail and wore baseball cap and dark sses. Stefan was wearing ck pants, ck shirt and a long coat with a scarf. He also didn''t forget to wear the dark shades and cap to hide half of his face.


    When they got to the mall, the ce was really crowded. Stefan and Cayenne was walking in between Luiz and Kyle. Even though they were trying their best not to gather attention, they people inside the mall tend to look at them from time to time.


    Cayenne was pretty to begin with and Stefan looked handsome as well. Now, the two of them were hiding half of their face but Cayenne''s brothers were not. Kyle was listed as one of the top students that girls wanted to sleep with. Luiz was named as darling of their school. They weren''t considered extremely handsome like those male models but they still look good in their own way.


    The two of them were the focus of attention by most of the teens in the crowd.


    They all acted as if nothing happens or that they didn''t know what the people were whispering about.


    "Ho ho. Look who''s here." A familiar voice sounded behind Cayenne and when she turned around, Brown and Valkyrie were standing behind them. "I was wondering which celebrity gathered so much attention from the crowd. I didn''t expect it to be our darling Cayenne." Valkyrie mentioned with a wide smile, clearly irritating Stefan on the side.


    "She''s my darling, not ''our'' darling." Stefan retorted back and even pulled Cayenne close to him. "Why are you here? Didn''t Travis give you work?"


    "We''re here for work." Brown retorted and pointed on the other side of the mall where a woman and a man was holding each other''s hand while looking at the clothing disy.


    "OH MY GOD!"

 Chapter 124 - FAKE IT TIL YOU MAKE IT

    <h4>Chapter 124 - FAKE IT ''TIL YOU MAKE IT</h4>


    Cayenne blocked her mouth with her hands to suppress her excited voice. "Am I seeing things or are they really here?" she asked Brown with wide eyes. But they couldn''t really see her expression since she was wearing a cap and sses. Nheless, they could tell from her voice that she was really happy.


    "That''s really them." Brown responded with a wide grin. "Well, we have to go back to them now. It will be difficult if people will crowd on them."


    Cayenne nodded her head again and again while watching Travis and Jillyanna from a far. She really likes them and she couldn''t stop her fangirl heart. She screamed without voice while jumping up and down in front of Stefan. "That''s my idol. She''s really pretty."


    "You''re prettier than her." Stefan replied with a smile. "Do you want toe over and say hi?"


    "Is that fine? I don''t want to disturb them while they''re having quality time."


    "That''s fine. It''s not like you''re going to ask for a photo or autograph, right?"


    "But the movie is about to start." Cayenne mumbled softly. "Let''s just go. As long as I live, there will be another chance for me to see them."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Hn." And to prove her point, she even walked ahead of them but from time to time, she''d turn back to see Travis and Jillyanna who were shopping with their children.


    Kyle watched his sister walk and stop then, walk and stop again. "You could''ve juste over and say hi, you know." He kept a poker face as they got inside the elevator to go to the topmost floor.


    "I''m fine." Cayenne insisted even though she was starting to regret her decision.


    "Alright. I''ll find time to let you see her in the future." Stefan promised since there will be times that he''ll meet Travis but he wasn''t sure if Travis would bring his wife with him.


    "O-okay."


    Luiz looked at his sister but he didn''t say anything. He''s also a fanboy and he knew how regretful it is to miss a time where you can actually talk to your idol.


    While they were standing in the middle of the crowd inside the elevator, some teenage girls were snapping photos of her brothers. If they weren''t covering their faces, Cayenne was sure that she''d be on tabloid headlines the next day. Thankfully, Stefan was always careful whenever they go out.


    "Oh my gosh! He''s so handsome. And this other guy is very cute."


    "I think they''re brothers."


    "Look, he''s smiling over here."


    "Ahh! I think my panty just fell off."


    "Yuck! You are so lustful."


    "Don''t fantasize of him yet. Do it at night."


    Even though they were whispering, since they were all inside a narrow space, Cayenne still heard theirments. She likes hearing praises about her brothers and she smiled at the women not far from her.


    "Oh my! Is she their sister? She smiled at me!"


    "Wait. Don''t you find them familiar?"


    Stefan kept a straight face while holding Cayenne''s hand. He didn''t panic or felt anxious under their questioning gaze and curious whispers.


    The woman tried to look for photos of Stefan online and madeparison. "He looks like Mr. Dumrique."


    "I agree with you. And the woman looks like the recent girl that he''s dating."


    They would want to take a photo of Stefan to scan his face but the elevator opened and they already went out. "I didn''t know that Julian will be mistaken for Mr. Dumrique when he''s wearing sses and cap."


    "I told you, they''re very much alike." Luiz also added as if they were talking about someone else.


    "I wish I would still look like him when I take of these items." Stefan went along with their pretense. They continued to y with Stefan''s fake identity until thedies gave up. When they walked away from them, Stefan breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Girls are scary." Cayenne mentioned which made the three menugh at her. "I can''t believe they''d lost their rationality just because they see someone of high caliber."


    "Just get used to it." Stefan caressed her hand while speaking. "In any case, I don''t care about anyone''s opinion. I''m having no rtionship with them, anyway. All I care about is your opinion of me."


    Cayenne nodded her head, raised their hands and kissed the back of his hand. "I won''t care about them, too."


    Kyle and Luiz were finally at ease seeing that their sister was back to normal. They were really worried that she was still upset about missing a moment with Jillyanna plus the gossipmongers inside the elevator.


    Stefan and Cayenne bought their snacks while Kyle and Luiz lined up to get the tickets for the four of them. There were five tickets all in all because Stefan was expecting Cayenne''s mother toe with them. But since Cayenne and her mother had a dispute this morning, the extra ticket was left out with no one to use it.


    "There''s one extra ticket." Luiz told Stefan about it as he showed the five tickets to them.


    "Just give it to someone else. It''s no use keeping the ticket and there are some people who wanted to watch the movie but couldn''t get it."


    "Can I just give it to whoever I want?" Luiz asked because he had someone in mind. When Stefan nodded, he immediately borrowed Cayenne''s phone to contact someone.


    There''s still half an hour before the movie starts. He knew that she''ll make it on time. Even though he was in a hurry, he still paused for few seconds when he saw Cayenne''s wallpaper. His brow raised but he kept his mouth shut and continued looking for her messaging app.


    On the other line, when the woman received a message from an unknown number, she frowned. But when she read the message, her frown turned to a smile and she immediately rummaged her closet to get her best clothes to wear.


    "Now let''s just wait for Kyle to be happy."

 Chapter 125 - TROUBLED HEARTS I

    <h4>Chapter 125 - TROUBLED HEARTS I</h4>


    Luiz returned the phone to Cayenne and told her to let him know if someone calls or someone messages her. "I''ll take the seat on the other side of Yen."


    "I''ll sit beside my Ayen, of course." Stefan also took a ticket for himself and for Cayenne ording to the seat number.


    "Then, I''ll take the one beside Luiz." Kyle added. The remaining person who will use the ticket will have to sit beside Kyle; and that''s what Luiz was aiming for. He didn''t care if he was being sandwiched by the couples.


    Ten minutes before the movie starts, people were already lining up to get inside the cinema hall. Luiz stayed behind with Cayenne''s phone since he was still waiting for someone toe. This will truly shock his brother.


    Cayenne''s phone buzzed and when he opened it up, he found that thest guest was already inside the mall. She''s currently taking the elevator.


    After one minute, a prettydy came running with her sling bag. "I¡­I''m¡­so¡­tired." She mumbled while gasping for air. She was panting hard from running.


    "Who told you to run anyway? It''s not like my brother will run away from you." Luiz retorted. He just reached out his handkerchief for her to wipe her face. "Kath, my brother didn''t know you''d be here." He admitted now that she''s already in front of him.


    "Wait! You didn''t tell him?"


    "No."


    "Then, I''m going back home. I''ll just watch this movie next time." She instantly turned around to leave the venue but Luiz was faster than her.


    He pulled her hand and led her inside the cinema with their tickets. "Don''t waste your time and effort foring here. This is thest chance that you asked me to create for the two of you. If you still waste this moment, I won''t help you in the future."


    Kath stopped fighting and let him pulled her inside. She could only summon all her courage and be thick-skinned to face the man that she likes for so many years.


    Kyle didn''t notice that Luiz was already inside because his mind was somewhere else. If he was the one holding the ticket, he would have sent a message to the person that he likes and invited her to watch the movie.


    When someone sat down on Luiz seat, he turned his head to his side and found his brother smiling at him. He shifted his head on the other side and got his eyes stuck on the woman beside him. "Why are you sitting here?" Luiz elbowed him and pinched his waist. Enduring the pain with a straight face, he changed his question. "Luiz invited you over?"


    "Hn." Kath could only nod her head and smile nervously. Not because she was sitting beside her crush but because two other people were looking at her.


    Kyle also noticed her restless eyes so he looked towards his sister and his brother. Stefan nced over to his side and went back to watch what the ads on the screen. He won''t interfere in someone else''s love life.


    After receiving the sharp res of her brother, Cayenne chuckled and retracted her gaze from them. Luiz just grinned as if he wasn''t the culprit and sat up properly on his seat.


    "Just ignore them." Kyle smiled and gently pat her head.


    When the movie started, the atmosphere changed instantly. People no longer cared about who was sitting beside him or who looked handsome in the crowd. They all focused on the movie in front of her.


    Dreamscape was the first movie that Riley Summer starred in. It brought up storms in the entertainment circle when she was announced to be the female lead. The first local celebrity that joined a movie in Hollywood. Some people bashed her and many celebrities told her that she wasn''t fit for the role.


    Now, many people were anticipating for the movie and they all watched with excitement and thrill.


    One hour and forty-five minutes. When they finished the whole movie, some people cried and some people cursed. Riley''s character in the movie was so pitiful. She was cheated. Her n sent her on a mission where in fact it was a trap set for her. The people in the organization wanted to get rid of her because they didn''t want her to be the next leader. Her best friend, the person who stayed on her side from the start drank the poison for her.


    In the end, she killed everyone indiscriminately. She killed until she was standing in a pool of blood but her heart wasn''t at peace. She was still tormented of the death of her best friend. The man who sacrificed so much for her was gone.


    Many people loved Riley of her superb acting. She didn''t use any stunt double during the fight and the emotions in her eyes hooked everyone watching her. They pitied her for being cheated and they were angered that her best friend died.


    Stefan was busy wiping Cayenne''s face. She had been crying from the time Riley was trapped and was wounded like a trapped beast. Until the end of the movie, her tears couldn''t seem to stop.


    The same went for Kyle. The woman beside her kept crying even though the movie had ended few minutes ago. Not just them, many people from the audience couldn''t get out from their troubled hearts.


    "Being single while watching a dramatic movie is the best." Luizmented. Even though he said that, his nose actually twitched when Riley was betrayed by her lover. She praised himself for not crying or else, she would have be the joke of the century in their family.


    "I won''t watch any dramatic movies anymore. I think horror movies are better than this." Cayennemented which earned a chuckle from Stefan.


    "Don''t think too much about it. Just so you know, Riley is fine. She''s not betrayed by her lover and her best friend isn''t dead.


    "Really?"


    "Hn." Stefan rubbed her head before putting on her cap. "Do you want to see her to make sure?"


    Luiz whipped his head and acted in front of Stefan as well. "I''m so hurt with what happened to her. Can I see her, too?"

 Chapter 126 - TROUBLED HEARTS II

    <h4>Chapter 126 - TROUBLED HEARTS II</h4>


    The group of five people came out of the cinema and looked for a caf¨¦ where they can take a rest for a while. Kath and Cayenne has now calmed down and the former started to get nervous again.


    Aside from Luiz, she never really met anyone from Kyle''s family and she didn''t know if they''d find her annoying. She sat far from them and she stayed silent the whole time. If Kyle or Luiz won''t say anything to her, she wouldn''t dare open her mouth.


    "By the way, Yen, I''d like to introduce my ssmate to you. Her name is Kath Labrador."


    "Hello. I''m Cayenne. Nice to meet you." Cayenne waved her hand since she''s too far to do a handshake. "This is my partner. His name is ¨C just call him Stefan." She didn''t say thest name and there are many people named Stefan, too. It wasn''t really a problem.


    Kath waved her hand at them with a shy smile. "Nice to meet you, too."


    Stefan wasn''t happy though. Although he was wearing sses, and she couldn''t really see her facial expression, she could tell that he was upset because his lips were pursed in a straight line.


    "What''s the matter?" Cayenne asked him while receiving the menu from the waitress. "Did something happen?"


    Stefan ced his hand on the table and rested his chin on the heel of his palm while looking at her intensely. "I was just wondering. If everyone calls me Stefan, what makes you different than everyone else?"


    Luiz and Kyle snickered while Kath just covered her mouth whileughing silently. On the other hand, Cayenne was having a predicament. What can she do about it?


    Luiz and Kyle just ordered their drink and so was Kath. They ignored the couple in front of them.


    "What do you want me to call you, then?"


    "I don''t know. Find something unique that''s exclusive for me."


    "Aren''t you demanding, Mr.?"


    "I''m not. It''s my right to receive a unique endearment from you."


    "I''ll think about it." Cayenne dismissed this topic because she couldn''t really think of an endearment which is exclusively his. "What do you want to drink?" She ultimately changed the subject which made Stefan shook his head with a smile.


    "I''ll get whatever you like."


    "Okay."


    While they were busy looking through the menu, Stefan was also exchanging messages with Shein. He wanted to have a video call with them and show that Riley was really alright.


    After three minutes, Shein''s call came in and his face looked so handsome on the screen. "Just promise that you won''t show this video to anyone else."


    "Hn. I just have my friend here who couldn''t get over with the movie. They wanted to make sure that she is really fine."


    "Sorry to hear that." Shein responded and gave the phone to his girlfriend. "Come and show your face. You are causing so much emotional trouble with your fans."


    "Really? Was my acting really good? I didn''t watch the movie yet." Riley''s voices sounded from the background. In the next second, she appeared on the screen who was rubbing her hair with a towel. "Oh, it''s Stefan." She waved her hand on the screen. "Who are you with?"


    "These are my friends."


    "And thedy beside you?" Shein questioned.


    "She''s my partner."


    "I see. Hello, everyone!" Riley waved her hand at the shocked people. "I hope you enjoyed the movie." No one said anything and Kath even pinched her face to check if she was still in a dream or reality. "This might havee as a surprise." Riley murmured with an awkward smile. "Didn''t you tell them that you''d be calling me?"


    "I did." Stefan responded. "Anyway, since you''re fine and lively, I''m ending this call now. Bye."


    "Bye. Bye."


    Even when the call has ended, no one said anything. Not even a single peep can be heard. "Are you still alright? She''s fine, right? So, get over with the movie and move on."


    Cayenne looked at him and then shifted her eyes on his phone. The name Shein was still reflecting on his call history. "No way! Was the call real? Was that really her? That wasn''t a poser?"


    Stefan flicked her forehead and rubbed it right after. "How can you be so silly? If I know Travis, isn''t given that I know his family, too?" Stefan whispered to prevent other people from hearing them.


    "You''re amazing!" Cayenne hugged his waist and rubbed her face on his chest. "Never in my wildest dream did I ever think of talking to her. Even though it was just a video call. It was still surprising."


    "I''m d you''re happy." Stefan kissed the top of her head, ignoring the envious gazes of the caf¨¦ employees.


    Luiz coughed drily to snap out of his reverie, too. He even put his hand on his chest to rub it. "She''s really pretty."


    "Hn. Too bad she''s taken." Kyle added.


    "Do you like her?" Kath asked after getting back to reality.


    "Who in the world doesn''t like her? She''s smart, talented and pretty." Hearing his response, Luiz elbowed his brother again. "Why did you keep hitting me with your elbow?" Kyle red at his younger brother.


    "Nothing. I just realize that you''re actually dumb." Luiz retorted and ignored him.


    After getting their orders, they realized that Kath ordered a takeout. "Are you leaving?" Cayenne asked her when she noticed that thedy was now fixing her things to leave.


    "Hn. I have something else to do. Thank you so much for letting me watch the movie." She bowed her head deeply and raised her head with a smile. The whole time that she was with them, she realized that Kyle never once looked at her in the eyes and that really disappointed her.


    "I''ll help you get a taxi." Kyle volunteered after noticing that six pairs of eyes were looking at him.


    "No need. I''ll be fine on my own." Kath walked out of the caf¨¦ with the takeout order. She walked out without looking back.


    Luiz took a deep breath and sighed. "If you won''t stop her this time, if you won''t tell her what you feel, you will miss out your happiness."


    "Why are you saying that to me?" Kyle frowned while watching his sister''s reaction from his peripheral vision. "She''s not the only woman in the world."


    "Correct. She''s not the only woman in the world but, she''s the only woman you have liked in the past three years. Kath likes you, too. However, if there''s no progress today, she told me she''d leave the city and forget you. And that''s the end of your story."


    "Why didn''t you tell me about this earlier?!"

 Chapter 127 - KYLES HAPPINESS

    <h4>Chapter 127 - KYLE''S HAPPINESS</h4>


    Cayenne watched her brother left to chase after his ssmate, Kath. Even without proper exnation, she could tell what was happening between them.


    "So, how did you end up knowing their affairs?" Cayenne asked Luiz who was busy sipping on his drink, unbothered.


    He swallowed what''s inside his mouth before speaking in nonchnce. "The two of them were very close ever since Kath transferred school in high school. When they chose their course in college, she took whatever Kyle wanted and she studied hard to go to the same school as him."


    "And what was thatst chance you''re talking about earlier?"


    "Oh! That?" Luiz grinned.? "I lied."


    "You lied?"


    "Well, part of it was a lie but one part was true. It''s true that Kath had been thinking up of giving up on Kyle. She asked me to create a chance for them but if Kyle won''t do anything for their rtionship to progress, she''d give up. But I lied about her leaving to different city."


    "What a cheeky brat." Stefan mumbled with a chuckle.


    Luiz just smiled without saying anything. He just went back on drinking his Frappino.


    "What are you thinking?" Stefan asked Cayenne who suddenly turned silent beside him. Luiz also raised his head to see his sister who was looking into space. "Hey." Stefan pinched her cheeks to get her back to reality.


    "What is it?" Cayenne asked him with a deep frown. "My face hurts."


    Stefan let go of her and caressed her face. "I''m sorry. I was asking what were you thinking about. You were staring into space and didn''t respond to me."


    "Oh." Cayenne mumbled softly as she tried to get back on track with her thoughts. "I was just thinking of talking to Kyleter."


    "Are you nning to scold him?" Luiz asked.


    "No, I won''t. I''ll just tell him something." Luiz nodded and kept quiet. The event today was also an experiment that he wanted to see. It will serve as an example if ever he finds someone he likes in the future. As of now, he''ll just focus on his study.


    Stefan didn''t dwell on this topic as well. It''s not his private matter and Kyle is Cayenne''s brother. She''s got the right to talk to him but he doesn''t.


    After resting for almost an hour, the three of them looked for a restaurant to buy takeout for dinner. Stefan paid for the food once again even after Cayenne insisted to pay for it.


    While the three of them were on their way home, Kyle was sitting on a bench at the nearest park with Kath. They were silent like a couple having a fight. Even the people who passed by them couldn''t help but look at them with a frown. Some women didn''t care that he''s sitting with a girl, they took pictures of him and posted it on their social media ounts.


    Because Kyle was particrly attractive today with his new clothes, he looked like a model of some magazine. And it won''t take long for him to be a model in a reality. But that''s a story forter.


    He was sitting with his hands sped together while looking on the ground. He was too nervous to look at her. When he stopped her from boarding a taxi, all he could think of was to stop her and have a proper conversation. Now, he was too nervous with her beside him.


    "I heard that you''re leaving." Kyle started with a soft voice.


    "Who told you that?"


    "Luiz."


    Kath gritted her teeth to prevent herself from blurting out that his brother was actually lying to him. But she didn''t have the heart to expose him after he helped her. With no other choice, she bit the bullet and go with the flow. "I was thinking of leaving. Do you want me to leave?"


    "No." Kyle replied instantly. "I don''t want you to leave. I thought your family wanted to settle down here."


    "Yeah. I was thinking of moving without my family." Kath responded then toughened up herself to know more. "Why don''t you want me to leave?"


    "Do you remember the first time you transferred school in our high school?"


    "Hn. I was told to sit beside you and I shared all textbooks with you all throughout the day. You even bought a milk drink for me, saying it was a weing drink."


    "Yeah. With so many transfer students to our ss every year, you''re the only one I gave a weing drink. Do you get what I mean?"


    Kath yed dumb as she suppressed her bubbling happiness. "I don''t understand what you mean. I''m not as smart as you."


    Kyle took a deep breath and shifted his body so that he''d be sitting up straight to see her face. "I like you. I like you for 3 years now."


    "I like you, too. I like you ever since I received that cartoon of milk drink. Would you believe me if I tell you that I still keep it?"


    "Really?"


    "Yeah. I was so happy that day and ended up bringing it at home."


    The two of them looked at each other and after few seconds, they burst out intoughter. "I can''t believe you''re this silly." Kyle muttered while reaching out his hand to rub the girl''s head.? "Now that you know my feelings, will you feel awkward around me?"


    "How can that be? I like you, too. So, the feeling is mutual."


    Kyle pursed his lips and had a serious expression on his face. "My ''like'' is different. This like is just few steps from love. And I don''t like you as a friend. It''s more than that."


    "I know. Will I have the courage to sit here with you knowing what you''ll say?" Kath smiled and took hold of his hand. She had the same serious expression on her face, mustering all the courage she had in her heart. "I like you from the moment Iid eyes on you. If not, do you think I''ll take up the same course as you? Do you think I''ll study hard to go to the same university as you?"


    "So, does this mean, we''re going to officially date?"


    "Uhm." Kath was still hesitant. Although she likes him, she needed to introduce him to her family. "I would very much go out with you. However, I made a promise to my family that I''d introduce the man I love to them."


    "I don''t see any problem with that. It''s not like I''m doing anything bad towards you."


    "You''re willing to meet them?"


    "Hn. Whenever you''re ready."


    Kath couldn''t contain her happiness anymore and hugged him. "I''m so happy." She mumbled with wide grin.


    Kyle also returned the hug and wrapped his hand around her. "I''m d everything''s fine between us."


    "Hn."


    "I''ll introduce you to my family, too."


    "Eh?" Kath pulled away from him with a nervous expression. "Will they be fine with me?"


    "Hn. I''m sure they''re okay with you. I can tell that my sister likes you, too"

 Chapter 128 - BULLYING KYLE

    <h4>Chapter 128 - BULLYING KYLE</h4>


    Night time came, Cayenne went home with Stefan and Luiz. Not long after, Kyle also went home with a smile on his face.


    "Wipe that smile off your face. You look silly." Luizmented when he saw his brothering inside the room. "Yen, will be talking to youter."


    Kyle stiffened and looked at his brother. "Did she tell you what it will be about?"


    "Aside from your love life, I don''t know what else will you guys talk about."


    "Did she look angry when I left earlier?"


    Luiz took a deep breath and sighed. "Did you expect her to be happy? Yen had been working so much for us. Of course, she''d be worried and upset. It''s time for you to man up and think of what you should do. You have to choose between studies and Kath."


    "I can choose both. Just because I''m going to have a girl, doesn''t mean I''d stop studying." Kyle retorted.? "And besides-"


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    Kyle stopped talking and went to open the door of their room. To his surprise, it was Stefan who was standing there.


    "Time for dinner. Ayen asked me to call you." Stefan didn''t say anything further than that and left to go back to the kitchen and helped Cayenne.


    When he was inside the kitchen, he couldn''t help but chuckle. "Your brother looked scared. Luiz must have yed his own role pretty good."


    "Hehe. Let''s just scare him a little. I don''t n to go overboard. Wait here. I''ll call my mother out."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne walked towards her mother''s room and she happened to meet Kyle in the living room but she didn''t say anything. Shepletely ignored him.


    The confidence that Kyle had earlier when he was talking with Kath was now gone. He was really scared that his sister''s mad at him. The thing that they never wanted was to hurt Cayenne, make her mad or upset her.


    "Good luck." Luizmented and patted his brother''s back. It adds up to the anxiety he''s currently feeling.


    As soon as their mother came out, they all went to their dining room and ate their dinner. Kyle kept ncing at his sister but Cayenne didn''t look at him at all. She didn''t speak much either. Most of the time, only Stefan conversed with them and he would also make sure that Cayenne was eating well beside him.


    In fact, most of the dishes were the food that Cayenne likes.


    "Yen, about earlier ¨C"


    "Let''s not talk about it while having dinner." Cayenne interrupted him and continued to eat. She didn''t even nce at him when she spoke.


    Kyle was getting more anxious now. He just wanted to skip dinner and talk to her as soon as possible. Because of anxiety, he was eating slowly and he would paus from time to time.


    "Eat properly." Cayenne snapped at him.


    "Hn."


    Their mother looked at them and felt the tension between her children. "I don''t know what''s going on between you two but I hope you will fix this tonight."


    "Hn." Cayenne perfunctorily.


    In truth, her mother was also told about their n to bully Kyle a little. Cayenne informed her earlier when she called for her toe out and eat dinner.


    Stefan just smiled helplessly towards Kyle as if he couldn''t do anything to help him pacify Cayenne.


    After an hour, the long dinner had finally ended. Luiz took the initiative to wash the dishes while their mother rested in the living room.


    "Let''s talk inside my room." Cayenne told her brother and took the lead toe inside her room followed by Stefan and Kyle.


    Kyle looked towards Stefan, wondering why he wasing along with them.


    Sensing his gaze, Stefan looked at him with a poker face. "I won''t join the conversation but I want to stay beside my girl."


    "Oh. Okay."


    As soon as they got inside, Cayenne sat on her bed. Kyle took a chair and sat in front of her. Stefan was just leaning on the door, watching the two siblings confronted each other.


    "Yen, about Kath."


    "Yeah. Tell me about her." Cayenne took a pillow and hugged it. Her face was expressionless making Kyle unable to tell what was in her mind as of the moment.


    "She''s the girl I like for three years now. She''s my ssmate. She''s the same age as me and she''s very kind and polite. She''s not very smart but she does her best to match with me."


    "So, with your disappearing act earlier without even letting me know, what was that all about? Have you decided to date her?"


    "Yes."


    "And what about your studies? You know that I have been doing my best to let you study in a good school." Saying that St. Louis Academy was a good school was an understatement. In fact, this academy was one of the best schools in City A. Cayenne grinded her teeth to endure everything just to send her brothers to this school. It has a primary and secondary department which made it easier for Luiz and Kyle to check on each other, gaining the nickname of "handsome brothers".


    Kyle sped his hands together and started into his sister''s eyes. "I will never fail you. I will make it our priority to study. She will never bring me down."


    "Are you sure about that?"


    "Hn. I will do my best to keep up with my studies."


    Cayenne sized up her brother for a long time before letting out a wide grin on her lips. "We were just teasing you."


    "Huh?"


    "I''m not really upset. I know that there wille a day that you will like someone. I just want to make sure that you won''t ignore your studies for a girl."


    "Then, since it''s okay, can I introduce her formally to the family next time?"


    "Sure. You should do that. In that way, she''ll know that you''re serious about her."


    Stefan was stunned when he heard her reply. ''I didn''t introduce her to my family, is she thinking that I''m not serious?''

 Chapter 129 - IM A BASTARD. SO, WHAT?

    <h4>Chapter 129 - I''M A BASTARD. SO, WHAT?</h4>


    Over the weekend, Stefan stayed in Cayenne''s apartment for the time being. She wanted to spend time with her family and he wanted to spend time with her. Therefore, he could only stay with her family.


    Monday came and they had to resume with work. The two of them left the apartment together but Cayenned asked Stefan to drop her off at the coffee shop not far from the hotel. She looked around the ce trying to make sure that no one''s paying attention to her.


    "I''ll go now. See youter." Cayenne opened the door to step out of his car but Stefan pulled her hand back.


    "Where''s my goodbye kiss?"


    Cayenne''s face turned beet red and she felt that the temperature around them has increased a few degrees. "Is that necessary?"


    "Of course. I need some motivation that willst me for a whole day." He let go of her hand but he never looked away from her.


    "You never asked for one before." Cayenne retorted with a frown. ''Is this his new habit?''


    "I won''t let you go without it. Who knows, I might skip work and just stay in the hotel to supervise you during your shift."


    "EH? No way!"


    "Why not? I''m still your boss in the hotel. So, I can make this reason toe and check on you." He was talking like he really wanted to make it happen.


    Cayenne thought for a while. Her face was showing aplicated expression. She bit her lips and looked at him. "Close your eyes." She ordered.


    "Hn?"


    "I said close your eyes." Stefan closed his eyes with a pleases smile. "Don''t you dare open it."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne raised her eyebrow and grinned. With slow and silent movement, she unfastened her seatbelt and opened the car door but she forgot that it will make a ''clicking'' sound.


    As soon as he heard the faint sound of the lock being opened, Stefan opened his eyes and pulled her hand back once again. This time, he didn''t dare let go of her and when she turned around to face him, it just so happen that he was leaning over.


    Cayenne''s lips brushed on his lips andnded on his cheek. It was just a brief moment but it was enough to send her heart on the edge of madness. She was blushing profusely as she covered her mouth with her hand. The sheen of tears on her eyes told him that she was about to cry.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry." Stefan hugged her and rubbed her back. "It was an ident. I didn''t mean to steal your first kiss on your lips."


    "Shut up!" Cayenne mumbled and throw a light punch on his chest. "That was clearly intentional. I told you not to open your eyes."


    "But you were sneaking out of the car. You were fooling me." Cayenne stopped moving with his response. She couldn''t find anything to retort to that statement. "Are you angry?"


    Cayenne pushed him off and looked away from him. She wasn''t angry but she was really embarrassed. "You got your kiss already. Go to work now." Before he could respond to her, she already opened the car and stepped out without looking back.


    Stefan just chuckled while touching his lips. He watched Cayenne walked towards the hotel and when she was out of his sight, he drove out and went to work as well.


    Cayenne walked as fast as she could, trying to match the fast beat of her heart. She couldn''t get rid of him from the corner of her mind. The lingering feeling of their lips was still upying her brain and heart. ''That jerk!'' Cayenne cursed as she put on her things inside the locker.


    It had been few minutes since it happened but she couldn''t calm down at all. She sat on a couch inside the employee''s lounge and buried her face on a throw pillow. "Ahhhhh!" she yelled loudly but since she was covering her face with a pillow, her voice came out muffled and mellow.


    "What happened?" Luna asked. She just arrived for work and found her best friend screaming on a pillow. "Did you guys fight?"


    Being questioned like this, Cayenne''s thoughts wandered again and ended up thinking about what happened earlier. She instantly blushed and her heart was jumping like a bunny, trying toe out of her chest.


    "I guess, you weren''t fighting." Luna answered her own question.


    "Lulu, about me and him can ¨C"


    "I know. I won''t tell anyone about it. I don''t want you being devoured by the public and the media."


    "Thanks, Lulu." Cayenne pulled her best friend and hugged her.


    Luna hugged her back and after few seconds, she pulled away and there was a look of astonishment on her face. "Hey Yen, did you know that he gave us so much on Christmas. The vacation was more than enough for me and Ali but when we came home and opened the red packet, we were truly shocked."


    "Why? How much was inside the packet?"


    "He gave us $2000 each!" Luna eximed. "In the past, the biggest amount that I ever received was $200. Now, he doubled it by ten."


    "That''s good for you. By the way, about the vacation, Chris willeter to discuss the details with you."


    "Really? Oh my gosh! I am so excited."


    The two of them talked about many things rted to Stefan and Cayenne but they never mentioned his name. They just stopped when it was time to work.


    Stefan, on the other hand, had different expression on his face. As soon as he arrived in his office, he saw the envelope containing the DNA test results. He never thought that a casualment from Cayenne will make him doubt about his origin.


    Chris had been looking for the best timing to get DNA samples from Magnus and ra. He couldn''t just barge in to their house and get the samples since he didn''t work for them. Therefore, he could only wait for them to make the first contact but they never did.


    However, fate was also siding with them. The shippingpany that the Dumrique n owned held a year end party. Chris took this opportunity and attended the party just to get the samples. He disguised himself as one of the waiters. He personally took care of the utensils that the couple used during dinner. He kept the two spoons from ra and Magnus, went back to Stefan''spany and look for his DNA sample inside his office lounge. You can say that he exerted so much effort just to get his job done.


    And this DNA results was now in Stefan''s hand. Chris excused himself and went out to give his boss some privacy.


    Stefan opened it, check his father''s matching result with his and found that they were 99.99% rted. "Tsk! How I wish that this is fake." He muttered and flipped to the next page. This time, he read the details patiently. The corner of his mouth raised into a cold sneer and he started tough like a maniac. His face showed a twisted expression. "No wonder." He read the result once again. It was 0.0%. Negative. ra wasn''t his mother. "No wonder she hates me so much. I am the proof of her husband''s adultery and I am even living with them."


    Stefanughed but as he continued tough, tears started leaking from his eyes. He cried. "I ruined Alexander''s family and I even took his life." Stefan mumbled helplessly. The agonizing truth hit him hard and he can''t help but me himself. He can''t say that it wasn''t his fault. Because whenever he thinks about his existence, he''d realize that everything happened because he was born.


    If his mother didn''t conceive him, Magnus wouldn''t bring him home. ra wouldn''t know that her husband was cheating on him. Alexander wouldn''t have a step brother. Alexander wouldn''t die. Everything happened because he exists.


    "Wait." Stefan wiped his tears and calmed down. "If ra isn''t my mother, where''s my biological mother, then?" Stefan straightened his body and sat up straight. He now found a new goal in life. He will look for his mother.


    He kept the DNA results inside his drawer and locked. It can be used in the future so he didn''t throw it away.


    Just as he was about to stand up and leave his office, Chris knocked on his office door and opened it. "Sir, your family is here."


    "Why are they here?" Stefan questioned with a frown.


    "Why? Can''t we visit you and see if you are still alive?" Ferdinand Dumrique''s thunderous voice rang out from the crowd. He was Stafan''s grandfather. "It''s Christmas and you didn''t evene home. Instead, you stayed and cohabit with that little girlfriend of yours?!" Stefan looked at them and sat back on his chair. He didn''t even greet them.


    Seeing his attitude ra snickered. "Ungrateful bastard."


    "I know." Stefan replied in nonchnce. "I''m a bastard. So, what? There''s nothing I can do about it."

 Chapter 130 - FAMILY CONFRONTATION

    <h4>Chapter 130 - FAMILY CONFRONTATION</h4>


    The tearful expression he had earlier was now reced with contempt and displeasure. He didn''t expect that they''de and see him right after he saw the DNA results.


    Towards his father, there''s an obvious disgust and resentment. Towards ra, he felt guilty. To his grandfather, there''s indifference. He didn''t have an ounce of love for them. Well, he didn''t receive any love from them, either. That makes them even.


    ra didn''t say anything towards him anymore. She didn''t like the look on his face as if he was guilty or as if he was pitying her.


    "You need toe home during New Year." Magnus mentioned. "You haven''t been home for several years now."


    "Home?" Stefan''s emptyughter rang inside his office room. "I don''t have a home. It was destroyed 15 years ago."


    Ferdinand gripped on his silver cane tightly. His anger was evident on his face but he didn''t scold him. They needed him. If they scold him, he would be more and more distant to them.


    "You need toe home." Ferdinand told him with a firm and determined voice. "We let you leave the house and let you spread your wings in thest 15 years. It should be enough for you. No matter what you think, you should stille home."


    "Is that what Mrs. Dumrique wants, too?"


    "Insolence! That''s your mother!" Ferdinand snapped and shouted. "How could you speak like that to your own mother?!"


    "Ah? I didn''t know that I have parents."


    "Y-you! You''re an ingrate!" Ferdinand scolded him again. Hisposure waspletely broken.


    Stefan didn''t show anything on his face. Facing this people who kept calling themselves his family, he could only stay indifferent with their words.


    "I''m telling you toe home! So,e home!" his grandfather said once again.


    "Stefan, stop fooling outside already. Come back and meet your fiancee during New Year." Magnus added.


    "I knew it." Stefan murmured softly. "My dear father, did you think I''d allow you to tie myself with marrriage to someone I don''t even know? Huh! Dream on."


    "Great. Great!" Magnus responded. He even pped his hands as if he was really happy with Stefan''s response but his face was showing disappointment and sadness. "I didn''t know that you''d be this difficult even though we''re family."


    "Do you really like that Cayenne Ardolf? That poor woman who didn''t even finish a degree?" ra questioned.


    "Yes. And as early as now, I''m warning you to nevery a finger on her. Dare me and I''ll destroy thepany that you''ve been safeguarding until now."


    "Is it really necessary to warn us?" Magnus chuckled. "Did you think that you are so powerful now that you owned your own little empire?"


    "Of course. I may have a little empire but it''s more than enough to protect the people I care about. And can we stop ying this family game? I don''t a family like you."


    "What did you say?" Magnus narrowed his eyes at his son. "I dare you to say it again."


    "I don''t want a family like yours." Since it hade to all this he might as well exposed their lies and severe everything between them.


    Stefan unlocked his drawer and took out the envelope that he just kept. "ying a family game with me. I bet Mrs. Dumrique felt disgusted." He mentioned and threw the envelope on the floor near his father''s feet.


    The three of them were anxious. They weren''t sure if Stefan knew about his identity yet.


    Magnus picked up the envelope with trembling hands. When he saw what was inside, his face changed colors but he stayed silent.


    Ferdinand took the papers from him and his eyes dulled instantly. This was what they hated the most. They didn''t want the remaining heir of their family to know about his identity.


    "Well?" Stefan looked at them. His hands were sped and he ced it on his table. "Let''s clear everything today."


    "How did you get this?" Magnus questioned.


    "It''s not that difficult to know." Stefan didn''t tell them that it was Chris who got them. It would be troublesome if he lost his capable assistant. "I was waiting for opportunities to do this test myself. I''m d that everything went well."


    His grandfather closed his eyes to calm himself. When he opened it again, it seemed like he aged another ten years in life. He looked very old and fragile.


    "Even if ra is not your mother, Magnus is still your father. You are still part of the Dumrique n." Ferdinand stated. His voice was calm but his hands on his cane were trembling.


    Stefan took a deep breath and sighed. "In the past 30 years, the Minato family had been helping you build the Zion Shipping Company. How can you be so selfish? Are you really going to ignore Mrs. Dumrique''s feelings and take me back? I killed her son, the rightful heir to the Dumrique''s and Minato''s business. Do you expect her to be happy living in the same roof as me?"


    ra didn''t say anything. Although she hated Stefan the most, her hate towards him couldn''tpare to the hate he felt towards his husband.


    And she didn''t expect that the boy he neglected in the past will be the one who will think and care for her feelings. It was really out of her imagination.


    The three people turned silent. No one spoke for few minutes and no one moved either.


    "Where''s my real mother?"


    ra raised her head instantly and fear was evident in her eyes. The fleeting expressionsted for few seconds but Stefan still recognized it.


    ra lowered her face and bit her lower lip.


    Magnus wasn''t looking at his wife so he had no idea that she was fidgeting on her seat. "Your mother died after giving birth to you."


    "Oh."


    "Where is she buried?"


    "I''ll take you there. Do you have time now?"


    "Just tell me where she is. I don''t think your wife wants to go there." Stefan retorted, keeping his eyes on ra and doubt started sprouting in his heart.

 Chapter 131 - CAYENNES CHOICE

    <h4>Chapter 131 - CAYENNE''S CHOICE</h4>


    Magnus finally looked towards his wife and noticed that she had been silent. Thinking that he had hurt her again this time, he decided to give the name and address of the cemetery where she was buried.


    "We''re living first." Magnus muttered and stood up. ra stood up after him and left.


    Ferdinand look at his grandson. Even though he was an illegitimate son, he still got the blood of Dumrique running inside his veins and blood vessels. "I hope you will think about your future and the future of your woman very carefully." After seeing these words, he left the office.


    Stefan didn''t even bother himself seeing them out.


    He suddenly felt so tired after meeting them. He rubbed his temples and kept the note of his mother''s name and the address of the cemetery inside his chest pocket.


    Cayenne was busy working inside the hotel. She was trying her best to forget what happened in the morning with Stefan. Celine and her were currently in the 5th floor changing bedsheets and pillows in the rooms that were recently vacated by the guests.


    ''Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.''


    Her phone kept vibrating inside her pocket so she fished it out and found that it was Stefan who was calling her. The image of his handsome face appeared in her mind once again, making her blush and bit her lower lip.


    "Hi." She greeted him right after answering the phone. "Is there something wrong?"


    "I want to see you." Stefan replied.


    "Eh? I''m in the middle of work." Cayenne murmured while removing the bedsheet from the mattress. "Did someone bully you? Did your parentse and upset you again?"


    He was standing inside his office room, watching the scenery outside through his clear ss window; even though there wasn''t really anything good to look at. "How did you know that it was them?"


    "Well, aside from your family, I don''t know who else can upset you." She responded with a sigh. "Did they tell you toe home and marry someone else?"


    Stefan chuckled at her response. "How could you be so urate? Did you ce a camera inside my office and watch me?"


    "Tsk! You have a great imagination. I''m not rich enough to waste money on nonsense things. Marrying you to someone else is just amon strife between wealthy family. I have anticipated this to happen already."


    "Is that why you are so calm right now?"


    "Uh huh."


    "Then, what if I will be left with no other choice but to marry someone else, what will you do?"


    "Huh? What does that have to do with me? You will be the one who will make a choice and if you choose her, what else can I do aside from giving up?"


    "You won''t fight for me?"


    Cayenne put down the pillow on the bed before answering. "If you give up on us first, I won''t make a fuss over it. I won''t fight a losing battle. It will only waste my energy and hurt me. So, in the future, think everything carefully."


    "Hey, don''t be so serious. I was just asking. There''s no way I''d trade you for someone I have no feelings for."


    "Hn. I believe you." Cayenne muttered. People might think that she''s a shallow person who won''t think twice but to give up her life in the face of some challenges. In fact, Cayenne wasn''t this type of person. However, she lives her life with rationality and practical mind. She will never allow herself to be blinded with love.


    She will face whatever challenges is thrown at her as long as Stefan won''t give up on her. But the moment he gives up, she will also stop fighting. She will never force herself into someone''s life who no longer cares for her.


    "I''ll get back to work now. See you." Stefan ended the call and picked up his coat to leave thepany.


    Cayenne continued to work as if nothing happens but her heart started to waver again. Although she remained calm during the conversation, she actually felt scared. She might not look like it but she invested too much emotions and feeling in her rtionship with Stefan. They might not be official and a possibility that he''ll leave is just around the corner. If he would really leave her, she''ll have no other choice but to pick up the broken pieces of her heart and walk away from his life.


    "Your boyfriend is rich?" Celine asked when she noticed that Cayenne seemed to be down after the call.


    "Hn."


    "And he''s being arranged to marry someone else for the interest of their business or riches?"


    "Hn."


    "I''m not saying this because I''m doubting you, Yen. But what if his parents wille looking for you and give you hundreds of thousands or a million to stay away from him, what will you do?"


    "I am not in dire need of money." Cayenne replied. "I won''t trade him for money. I can work. I can earn and even if he won''t share his wealth to me, I don''t care. I''m not after for his money anyway. He can have it to himself as long he won''t give up on me."


    Celine nodded her head. "That''s good."


    Cayenne didn''t say anything anymore. They continue to work like usual and Cayenne didn''t think too much of her problem.


    At the lobby, Chris excused Luna from her work so that they can talk about the vacation that Stefan awarded them for winning the came on Christmas Eve.


    Stefan on the other hand was talking to Manager Kim to find where Cayenne was. After knowing that she''s on her way back to the ground floor, Stefan waited inside the employee''s lounge instead. He didn''t bring anything with him but there''s a delivery boy whom he contacted to send the flowers and snacks for her.


    "Is Ms. Cayenne Ardolf working here?" the delivery guy asked the receptionist of the hotel who was Luna''s partner. "I''ve got some deliveries for her."


    "That''s me." Cayenne voiced out. She happened to hear the guy when she got out of the elevator. "Who''s this from?"


    "There must be a name on the card." The delivery guy answered. "Can you sign this for me?" he handed the delivery form and Cayenne signed on her name before epting the bouquet of flowers, a box of matcha cake and a box of chocte cake.


    "Thank you." Cayenne whispered and took a peek of the card. Her eyebrow raised and a smile appeared on her lips. "This guy is getting better at this."


    Since she was focused on her flowers and desserts, she didn''t notice that Luna wasn''t in the reception area or that Chris was in the lobby. She just happily went back to the employee''s lounge.


    Other employees who saw what happened were a little envious of her. They didn''t know who was Cayenne''s boyfriend but they knew that he''s a sweet guy.

 Chapter 132 - SUPERVISING CAYENNE?

    <h4>Chapter 132 - SUPERVISING CAYENNE?</h4>


    "I wish I have a boyfriend like her."


    "I want to have those beautiful pink roses, too."


    "Her boyfriend really knows her. He even gave her two choices of desserts."


    "I know right. I''m so envious of her."


    These were just some of thements that the other employees have. They whispered and gossiped but they also went back to work after expressing what they felt.


    ''Hmp! You just wait and see. I''ll tear that poor woman''s face.'' One of the employees thought before leaving to get back to her work.


    Not knowing the impending danger around her, Cayenne just continued to walk towards the lobby. The smile on her face was bright and contagious. Other people who sees her smile couldn''t help themselves but feel happy for her and smiled, too.


    The moment she opened the door to the lounge, Stefan also raised his head and their eyes met. Cayenne felt her heart trembled in happiness but she hid the smile on her face and showed a bashful and embarrassed expression.


    "Good morning, sir."


    "Morning." Stefan responded. "You''re on break?"


    "Yes."


    "Your boyfriend sent you those?"


    Cayenne''s mouth twitched. ''You''re not my boyfriend yet, okay?'' Cayenne spoke mentally but she smiled meekly towards him. "He isn''t my boyfriend yet."


    "Oh." Stefan raised his eyebrow and smiled teasingly. "You should give him a response soon."


    Cayenne wanted so much to roll her eyes at him but since there were other employees who were taking their breaks, she remained polite. "I''ll think about it. Would you like to have some of these cakes?"


    "Can I?"


    "Sure." Cayenne happily ced the bouquet of flowers inside the vase that she found in the lounge. ''This guy is acting recklessly again.'' Cayenne thought to herself. When she noticed that no one was watching them, she turned around and red at him.


    Stefan chuckled upon seeing her cute reactions. "I want the matcha cake."


    Everyone knew that Cayenne likes matcha very much. Now, they''re all anticipating what she''ll say to their boss. Cayenne pursed her lips and looked at him with a smile on her lips and a sharp look on her eyes. She opened the box and found two slices of matcha cake. He wasn''t nning to take everything but he prepared another slice for himself.


    "Here." Cayenne happily ced the other slice in front of him.


    "Thank you." He happily received the cake from her. "Wait her for a bit." He stood up from her seat and took two bottled water for the two of them. "For you."


    "Thank you, sir."


    Seeing that Cayenne was able to handle the president very well, they didn''t say anything. After taking their breaks, some of them returned to their work while some stayed.


    "Why are you here?" Cayenne whispered to him, making sure that only the two of them can hear her question. "Are you so upset earlier that you want to see me now?"


    "Yup."


    "You''re being reckless again." Cayenne mumbled.


    "What I can I do? I needed to see you to calm myself again."


    "Now that you''ve seen me, are you going to go back already?"


    "How can that be? I will be supervising your work."


    "No way." Cayenne blurted it loudly which garnered attention from the other employees. She blinked her eyes several times but Stefan''s expression remained the same. He was teasing her but at the same time, he was nning to make it real.


    "No worries. I won''t make things difficult for you. I will just be supervising you."


    The other employees who heard Stefan gasped. Now, they could understand why Cayenne reacted strongly earlier. It was because the President will be overlooking at her while working.


    ''Good luck little Yenyen.''


    ''God bless you, Yen.''


    ''I wish you to be courageous, Yen.''


    ''Don''t give up, pretty Yenyen.''


    These were the thoughts of the employees. Many men like Cayenne. Many women wanted to befriend her. At the same time, she didn''t lose several numbers of haters, too.


    She might be poor but because she''s pretty and have a good body and skin, manydies were envious of her.


    "Let''s get back to work when I say so." Stefan stated and even called Manager Kim.


    When Manager Kim heard his n, her mouth twitched. She can''t believe that the President won''t be able to escape Cayenne''s charm. At the same time, she also knew that Cayenne didn''t use any underhanded means. If she does, she could have done it over a year ago but she knew that the boss and Cayenne just got close recently.


    Since she can''t do anything about it, Cayenne just let him do whatever he wants.


    "Should I tell Celine that you''ll being over to see them working?" Manager Kim asked the boss.


    "It''s fine."


    "Alright. I''ll tell her right away."


    So, after Cayenne''s break, Stefan told her to rest a bit more. She''s his girl, of course he wouldn''t make her feel tired. It''s only after half an hour did the two of them left the lounge to go to the 3rd floor for Cayenne to continue working.


    "Hey! Is it true? Is the boss really nning to supervise Cayenne while working?" one of the employees who heard the news asked the others.


    "Hn. It''s true. I was there when the boss said it himself."


    "Oh my gosh! Poor Cayenne."


    "I know she''s poor. You don''t have to say it again."


    The just watched Cayenne got inside the elevator with Celine and Stefan. They were all looking at her with sympathy. Only Manager Kim and Luna were looking indifferent. They knew that this was the boss''s way of spending time with his girlfriend without anyone knowing about it.


    Celine was on his right and Cayenne was on his left. Since Celine''s view was blocked with his body, she didn''t see the couple was holding each other''s hand secretly.


    Stefan caressed the inner side of her wrist which tickled Cayenne so much but she endured it while ring at him. Stefan just smiled without saying anything. When the elevator opened, he let go of her hand and kissed the top of her head.


    To the people who was in-charged of looking into the security cameras, Stefan looked like he just turned around to see something behind him. They didn''t know that in that brief moment, he became sweet and sincere to the woman beside him.

 Chapter 133 - OBJECT OF JEALOUSY I

    <h4>Chapter 133 - OBJECT OF JEALOUSY I</h4>


    Celine was nonchnt about their boss tagging along with them. Cayenne didn''t care about Stefan watching her as well. She worked as if he wasn''t there.


    From one room to the other, Cayenne and Celine worked as usual with Stefan watching over them.


    "When it''s thest room, I want Ms. Ardolf to work alone. I want to see how she''ll be doing without your help." Stefan told Celine. Thetter just nodded her head but Cayenne was raising her eyebrow when he was looking at him. She really had no idea what''s going on in his mind.


    After ten minutes, they moved to thest room.


    Cayenne looked towards Celine but the olderdy just smiled faintly at her. "Just show the boss that you can do better without my help."


    "O-okay." Cayenne also smiled and got inside thest room with the card in her hand. Stefan followed her inside.


    The moment the door was closed, Stefan pulled Cayenne into a hug and kissed her forehead. "I''m so upset." She hugged her back and pressed her face on his chest.


    "What exactly happened?"


    "ra is not my mother. I checked the DNA test results this morning and found that I am an illegitimate child of the Dumrique family. And they just happened to visit me when I discovered the truth. Although I have the blood of my father running in my veins, I still hated it."


    "What about your biological mother?"


    "She''s dead. She died after giving birth to me."


    "I''m sorry to hear about that." Cayenne mumbled and gently pat his back. "Did they tell you about her identity and where she''s located?"


    "Hn. I''ll be going to check on it this afternoon."


    "Will you be alright? Are you going alone?"


    "Why? Do you want toe along with me?"


    "Nope. You can bring Chris with you." Cayenne retorted with faintughter. "I don''t want to gather more attention than I already have. But you must take care of yourself."


    "I''ll keep that in mind. I''ll be back immediately."


    "Okay."


    The two of them hugged for a little bit more before Stefan let go of her. Since Celine wasn''t around, he helped Cayenne when ites to changing the pillows and bedsheet.


    As soon as they finished, they went out of the room with the dirty items. Celine was waiting for them outside.


    "That was still quick than I expected." Celine expected. "I know you can do it."


    "It''s all thanks to your help." Cayenne mentioned. She turned to Stefan and smiled. "Is there anything else that we can do for you, sir?"


    "Nothing. Since you were able to do your work without anyone''s help, I expect you to be very efficient when you''re with Celine."


    "Yes, sir." Cayenne responded but she rolled her eyes at him when Celine wasn''t watching. ''Without anyone''s help? Didn''t you help me?'' Cayenne questioned mentally but she kept a smile on her face.


    "I''ll be leaving now. Have a great work, you two."


    "Thank you, sir." Celine and Cayenne responded in unison.


    Stefan walked ahead of them and went back to the lobby. He looked for Manager Kim to tell her something about Cayenne''s break but when he arrived in the lounge, he found her holding the bouquet of flowers that he gave to Cayenne on her right hand and there was a petite woman in front of her. Some of the flower petals fell on the floor and some of the flowers were inside the trash bin.


    Manager Kim turned around and found the president standing behind her. She closed her eyes and faced him directly. She knew that the sender of the flowers was now standing inside the room with them.


    "What happened here?" Cayenne asked when she saw Stefan inside the lounge. Manager Kim was holding a familiar bouquet of flowers and there''s a woman beside her who was looking pale from being caught red-handed. "Is that my flowers?"


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I''m sorry." The woman, if cayenne wasn''t mistaken, was named Melody. She had been working in the hotel longer than Cayenne but she didn''t know how she offended this woman. In fact, she never had any encounters with her. "I didn''t mean to do it. I just wanted to see the flowers and it slipped from my hand and fell on the trash can."


    "And you think I''d believe that?!" Stefan questioned angrily. He was the one who sent the flowers to Cayenne so, how could he let this matter go? "Let''s go and ask the security to check the footage of the camera in this room."


    "Yes, sir." Manager Kim led everyone out of the room. "Come with me." She pulled Melody up without bothering being polite. She knew that there''s no way that the girl will be able to escape this matter. She offended the boss himself after throwing the flowers inside the trash bin.


    Cayenne saw that the issue was escting but she didn''t want to cause a scene. "Sir, can we just ignore this? I don''t want to cause any trouble and you don''t really have to be bothered with this. You have more important things to do."


    Stefan snorted. "Ridding evil people from my hotel is also important. What I hate the most is an employee who causes harm to other staff. I won''t let this matter go." Stefan responded in a loud voice. Themotion attracted the other employees already. "What''s more, those flowers came from me." Stefan whispered when he passed by Cayenne''s side. "Come with us." Stefan told her.


    She really didn''t know whether tough or cry. Just because of the flowers, he will make things difficult for Melody. She followed him out and the four of them went to the security office which was located in one of the rooms in the second floor. Cayenne didn''t say anything. She just walked beside him.


    "y the video inside the lounge from one hour ago." Stefan ordered the security personnel. They didn''t ask what happened but followed his order without any questions.


    Melody trembled and started crying once again. She knew that she was doomed.

 Chapter 134 - OBJECT OF JEALOUSY II

    <h4>Chapter 134 - OBJECT OF JEALOUSY II</h4>


    Everyone watched the video.


    At first, there were other employees who were resting inside the lounge. Few minutes after, they left one after another, until the lounge was empty.


    The security personnel fast-forwarded the video and they stopped it when they saw a familiar figure walking inside the lounge. It was none other than Melody.


    Seeing her own face, Melody didn''t care anymore. She kneeled on the ground and held on the Cayenne''s legs. "Cayenne, I''m really sorry. I didn''t really mean to do anything to you. I was just envious of you but I didn''t really want to cause any harm. I''m really sorry. Please forgive me. I don''t really want to lose my work."


    Cayenne sighed helplessly. "If I can decide on this matter, I will dly let you go. But the President is here. He gets to decide on this matter. I''m sorry I can''t be of help to you."


    Stefan snickered. "Today, you might not be nning to cause any harm to her. Perhaps, you just wanted to get rid of her flowers. Tomorrow, you might ruin her bag or throw her cellphone or ruin her uniform or do whatever you can think of. You might not be harming her physically but you are still harming that things that she cares about. I don''t want any type of bullying inside my hotel or any of mypany."


    They continued to watch the surveince video and found Melody standing in front of the flower vase where Cayenne ced the flowers for the time being.


    She was watching the flowers, maybe contemting what to do because she didn''t move for few minutes. Stefan even thought that she was glued on her ce.


    After two minutes, she picked up the flowers, looked around her and there was an expression of disgust on her face. When she spotted the trash bin, without waiting for any second longer, she stuffed the whole bouquet inside it. She even stomped her feet on it to make it fit inside the small container.


    Petals and leaves were strewn on the floor and she didn''t have any slight remorse on her face. Few secondster, she seemed to pale and stiffened; and that''s when Manager Kim arrived. She saw the flowers on the trash bin and looked towards the flower vase. Sure enough, it was the flowers that Cayenne received from the boss.


    "Is this the first time that this happen to Ayen? To Ms. Ardolf?" Stefan corrected himself as soon as possible when he made a slip of the tongue. The security personnel clearly heard it and his eyebrow raised in question. But since Melody was devastated and emotionally unstable, she didn''t hear any of the question. She was just thinking where she could find a job which has great treatment to employees like Clover Hotel.


    Manager Kim bit her lips. She knew that she''s doomed to lose her job, too. She never expected that Stefan will also ask about the past events.


    Seeing the struggle on the manager''s face, and thinking that she helped them keep their rtionship a secret, Cayenne saved her from following Melody''s footsteps.


    "This is the first time that this happens to me?" Cayenne mentioned. "No one bullied me in the past."


    "Really?" Stefan asked with doubtful expressions. With Cayenne''s naivety and simplicity, he knew that many jealous women would bully her because she didn''t know her strong points. She had no idea that many men admire her and wanted to court her. She has a very low self-esteem even though she''d pretty, kind, honest and hardworking.


    "Hn. Really." she firmly responded and smiled.


    "You know how to deal with this already Manager Kim. I have to go now and I hope this won''t happen again in the future." Stefan turned around and stepped out of the security room.


    "Yes, sir. I understand." Manager Kim turned towards Cayenne and smiled. "Go and see to it that our President is out safely from the hotel."


    ''Doesn''t he know where the exit is?'' Cayenne questioned herself while giving Stefan another re. He really knows how to exploit using his authority in this hotel. She stepped out of the security room and followed Stefan out as well. This time, they''re walking towards the personal elevator of the President.


    "Are you alright?" Cayenne asked.


    "I''m not." Stefan mumbled angrily. "How dare she was to throw away the flowers that I spent so much time picking? I sacrificed my work to get those beautiful flowers for you and she just threw it inside the trash bin!"


    Cayenne couldn''t hold back herughter anymore and she burst outughing. "How can you be so childish? Those were just flowers, okay? She might have ruined it but I still keep it in mind. Thank you so much."


    "I am still not fine." Stefan sulked even though they''re inside the elevator already. "I really wanted to ban her from the whole city and make sure that she won''t find a good job."


    "Hey!" Cayenne tugged his hand. "Why are you being so petty? Just let it be. I''m the victim but I am not saying anything so, don''t let it affect you."


    Stefan pulled her close and hugged her waist. They didn''t care about other people because they knew that no one else will be using the elevator of the President aside from him. And the security cameras were connected to the monitors inside his suite, not the ones inside the security room.


    "Ayen, are you always bullied?" he asked after few seconds of silence. "I wasn''t able to protect you in the past but starting today, you must tell me if anyone bullies you, okay?"


    "Hn."


    "Promise?"


    "Yes. Yes. Yes. I promise." Cayenne even made a cross sign over her chest. The elevator opened and they were already in the basement. And maybe it was because she wanted tofort him a little that Cayenne had the courage to be a little bolder. She snaked her arms around his neck and kissed his jaw. "Take care of yourself ande back home on time."


    Although Stefan was stunned with her actions, he was still able to get back to his senses. He kissed the tip of her nose and her forehead. "I''lle and pick you upter. I''ll inform Leon about it."


    "Okay."


    The two of them hugged for few minutes more before Stefan reluctantly let go of her. Cayenne watched him left before pressing the elevator button to get back to the lobby.


    "Is that Cayenne?" Arthur questioned when he caught a glimpse of the woman''s face who was hugging Stefan.

 Chapter 135 - ARTHUR WENT TO CLOVER HOTEL

    <h4>Chapter 135 - ARTHUR WENT TO CLOVER HOTEL</h4>


    He sped up his car and parked it at the lot indicated on his parking ticket and ran towards the elevator where he caught sight of Stefan and that woman.


    The elevator was slowly closing as he ran towards it. It was as if his life depended on it as he desperately tried to reach it.


    "Sir, you can''t use this elevator." The security guard stepped in to block his way and Arthur could only watch the closing elevator. He realized that the elevator was exclusive for the President and to the people that he wanted to use it.


    "Sorry. I am in a hurry to get to the elevator. I forgot this is for the President." Arthur stepped away and walked to the other side where the elevators for everyone is located. He still couldn''t forget the image of the two people cuddling at the elevator earlier and he felt nervous when he thought of Cayenne getting involved with the man.


    As soon as he stepped inside the elevator, he pressed the button to the ground floor. He was holding a bouquet of flowers and a small teddy bear in his hands. When he stepped out, he immediately went to the reception area to ask where Cayenne was.


    "Hi. Is Cayenne Ardolf around?"


    Luna raised her head and saw someone with flowers and stuff toy but seeing his attire, she knew that he wasn''t a delivery guy. "Cayenne is currently settling some matter with our manager. Do you need her for something?"


    "No, nothing of that sort. I just wanted to see the ce she''s working."


    "O-okay." Luna nodded her head. "If you can wait, she will be taking her lunch break in two hours."


    "That''s a good idea." Arthur''s eyes sparkled from this suggestion. "When you see her, can you tell her that Arthur is waiting for her at the lobby?"


    "Sure."


    When Arthur left, the other receptionist leaned closer to Luna and whispered, "Is she Cayenne''s boyfriend?"


    "No, he''s not."


    "A suitor, then?"


    "Probably but he has no chance to win Cayenne." Luna mumbled with a wide smile.


    "Is her boyfriend that amazing?"


    "Uh huh. Very amazing. If you know it, you will truly be shocked."


    "You''re so lucky to be her friend."


    "I know right. Her boyfriend gave us $2000 on Christmas Day. And his gifts to Cayenne''s family were very expensive."


    "Really?"


    "Yup." Luna started sharing her experience on Christmas Day but she never mentioned his name.


    "Oh my gosh! You mean you will have a vacation in the resort of our boss and all the expenses will be covered by him?"


    "Yup."


    "That''s so cool."


    "I know right."


    They chatted while working and Luna wasn''t worried since she never mentioned any name. When it was time for lunch, she went to find Cayenne inside the employee''s lounge and told her that Arthur was waiting for her at the lobby.


    "No kidding?" Cayenne asked. "Is he really there?"


    "Yeah. He''s been waiting for you. Go and check on him and you better tell your boyfriend about it."


    "O-okay." Cayenne took out her bag from her locker and went out to find Arthur. ''What the hell is he doing here?'' Cayenne asked mentally in displeasure. ''So annoying.''


    "Hi." Arthur greeted her when he saw hering towards him. "For you."


    "Uh. Thanks." Cayenne received the flowers and the stuff toy. "But can you stop sending these things to me?"


    "Why?"


    "Uhm¡­I told you that someone wille and disturb my life if you keeping to see me. Did you forget that?"


    "Can you tell me who it is? I don''t have any woman in my life so, I don''t have any idea who wille to disturb you."


    Cayenne sat on the other end of the couch where he was sitting earlier. "I can''t tell you about her. In the past five years when you were not around, our life was very peaceful but ever since you came back, I noticed that someone had been following metely. I don''t want to be always on guard, Arthur. I don''t like being followed either."


    "Yen, I can protect you if you will tell me who the person is. I can help you. Won''t you trust me?"


    "I trust you but I don''t trust the people around you." Cayenne responded. "I hope that you will note here again or visit our house again or I will be forced to quit my work and leave this city."


    "Is it that serious?"


    "Hn."


    "You are not doing this to me because you have someone else in life, right?"


    Cayenne frowned upon hearing this. She didn''t like him questioning about her choices. "Whether I have someone or not, it has nothing to do with you." Cayenne stood up from her seat. "I hope you will treasure the friendship that I have given you." She left without looking back and went to the cafeteria for employees to get her food box.


    Arthur felt a stabbing pain inside his chest. He knew that if he couldn''t deal with the person that was disturbing Cayenne''s life, they wouldn''t go back to their sweet rtionship in the past. He missed her depending on him. He missed her looking for him. He missed her so much and he felt that she was drifting away from him.


    "I''ll show you that I can protect you, Yen." Arthur firmly whispered in the air before leaving. He found a new objective in life.


    In the cafeteria, when Cayenne arrived, Manager Kim personally gave her lunch box to her. "Your boyfriend asked me to give this to you."


    "Thank you, Ms. Kim." Cayenne received the box under the envious gazes of everyone.


    "Manager Kim, you know who''s Cayenne''s boyfriend? Come and let us know." One of the employees stated. "Our little Yenyen finally found a boyfriend and we don''t even know."


    "Ask Cayenne yourself." Manager Kim dodged the question and handed it to Cayenne, putting her on a hot seat.


    "Sorry, I can''t tell you who he is." Cayenne smiled faintly and left to get back to the lounge. She preferred eating inside the lounge because it''s peaceful there. Luna was also waiting for her.


    "Cayenne''s boyfriend must be a big time."


    "I don''t think so. If he is, why is she still working here?"


    "I believe that he''s a big shot or someone who can''t be known to public. And Cayenne wanted to work here because she didn''t want to depend on him forever."


    "You have a point. So, her boyfriend must be someone in show business."


    The employees started to specte on the identity of Cayenne''s boyfriend but only few people know the truth. And the true boyfriend was just very close to them. They can even touch him if they wanted to. Sadly, they didn''t know.

 Chapter 136 - I DONT THINK SHE DIED FROM GIVING BIRTH

    <h4>Chapter 136 - I DON''T THINK SHE DIED FROM GIVING BIRTH</h4>


    When he left the hotel, Stefan and Chris went to get some food from a restaurant with a drive thru. He ate while Chris was driving and when he was done, he drove the car to let Chris it his food. They only stopped to refill their fuel before driving off again.


    Her mother was buried in City D''s Sudlon Public Cemetery. It was quite far from City A. ''That father really know where to get a mistress.'' Stefan thought to himself. ''I bet ra didn''t know about it until I came to this world. If I didn''te, Magnus would have kept it to her until the very end.''


    After almost three hours of driving, they finally arrived at the cemetery where his mother''s remains were buried.


    "Sir, would you like me toe and help you look for the tomb?"


    "No, it''s fine. Just stay inside the car and wait for me."


    "Okay, sir. I understand."


    Stefan didn''t wait for Chris to open the door for him. It''s not like he''s handicapped and couldn''t do it himself. He stepped out of the car and left to get inside the ce.


    "Good afternoon, sir. Can we help you in exchange for some breads?" one of the homeless children approached Stefan. Seeing that he was dressed like some prominent figure in the society, they didn''t hesitate to approach him but they weren''t nning to ambush him either. They knew that people like him must have some scary body guard around him.


    Stefan looked at them and then looked around the ce where hundreds of people were buried. "Can you help me look for her name?" Stefan gave them the small paper with her mother''s name written on it.


    "Latticia Sugo? Is she from a rich household or not?" a little girl asked.


    "I am not sure either."


    "Who are you to her? Why didn''t you know?" a little boy asked him as well.


    "She''s my mother but when I was young, I was taken away. I just found out the truth today. Can you help me find her?"


    "Sure." the children echoed.


    "Mr. Handsome, just wait over there." the little girl pointed thergest tree in the area. "You can take a rest there while we look for your pretty mother."


    "Thank you." Stefan walked away and the children ran to different directions to look for his mother. He leaned on the tree trunk and rested for a while. He couldn''t pinpoint the reason but there''s something within him that tells him ra was acting strange when he asked about his mother.


    While he rested, he sent a message to Chris to buy some knickknacks, breads and drinks for the children.


    Around ten minutester, a young boy came running towards him. "Handsome brother! Handsome brother! Come quick. I found a tomb with that name you have written on a piece of paper."


    The other children heard him, too and they all flocked to see the ce that he was talking about and that includes Stefan. One big man with several messy children walked towards a small house with lots of flowers nted around it.


    There was one tomb inside it and the name written on the memorial que was the same as his mother''s. ''Is this really it?'' He couldn''t help but question himself. It was really beyond his expectation for someone who was a kept woman. With a heart full of doubt, he took a picture and sent it to his father asking if he was in the right ce.


    After getting a positive response, he was even more suspicious. Why would a mistress gets buried in a good ce? And why was it well-maintained? A rich woman wouldn''t allow herself to be a mistress. Therefore, he concluded that his mother must be poor. And if she''s poor, her family wouldn''t be able to afford to bury her in such beautiful and extravagant manner.


    "I need to get to the bottom of this." Stefan murmured to himself while watching the ce.


    "Do you have a key to this ce?" a little boy asked him since the small ce was guarded with a floor to ceiling metal fence.


    "No, I don''t."


    "Would you like me to get the caretaker and asked him for the key?"


    "Oh? Is that fine?" Stefan questioned. He didn''t expect that there will be caretaker who was entrusted of the ce.


    The little guy smiled at him. "For people who came from rich family and when their family don''t have time for them, they will entrust them to a caretaker. They will have a key to the ce as well."


    "Can I trouble you to look for him?"


    "Got it. Just wait for a while." Stefan stood outside the ce where his mother was buried to wait for the caretaker.


    "Mr. Handsome, your mother is very pretty." The little girl who called him Mr. Handsome earlier told Stefan.


    "Really? he asked with a smile on his face. "I haven''t seen her since I was born. In fact, this will be myst time to see her and she''s even dead already."


    "I am sure she''s been looking after you ever since you were taken away. That is why you grew up to be strong and healthy."


    "I agree with you on that. She must be guiding me all the time." Stefan talked to the children while waiting for the caretaker. If he was some other people, he might be disgusted with them and would probably shoo them away. However, Stefan wasn''t that kind of person. Alexander didn''t teach him to be prejudice and to discriminate other people; unless it crosses his bottom line.


    As they continued to talk, the caretaker arrived with the little boy who went to fetch him. "Hello. Good afternoon." Stefan greeted the elderly with polite and gentle manner. "Can I ask you to open the gate? I want to take a look on my mother''s tomb."


    "I haven''t seen you here before." The manmented while looking for the key to the gate among all the keys he was holding.


    Stefan didn''tment on it. He just watched the man look for the key and open the gate for him. When it was finally opened, he stepped inside and found a small frame at the small altar. It was a picture of his mother.


    "She''s pretty." Stefanmented while caressing the frame. When he was standing outside, he couldn''t see it clearly because of the photo was a bit old and he was far from it. Now that he was seeing it closely, he can tell that he got his looks after his mother. ''You look beautiful and bubbly, why did you be a mistress?'' Stefan questioned mentally. In his opinion, she could have found a better job with that pretty face but she chose to be hidden and kept by a man who never really loved her. "Loved her?" Stefan muttered.


    He suddenly turned around and looked at the caretaker. "Excuse me, sir¡­" He called to get the man''s opinion. "Who built this ce for my mother?"


    "Ah? You''re her son?" the man questioned. "No wonder you look very much alike." He looked towards the picture on Stefan''s hand before shifting his gaze back to Stefan. "It must be your father."


    "My father?"


    "Hn." The man responded resolutely. "She died when she gave birth to her son, who must be you. And your father buried her here and entrusted this ce under my care. Once a month, he''de here to check the condition of the ce and to clean this ce as well."


    Stefan searched for his father''s picture and showed it to the man. "Is he the one who kepting here?"


    "Yes. That''s him." The man answered. "Your father must have loved your mother so much. There were times that I''d find him crying on the floor. Losing her broke his heart so much, I should say."


    The more the man spoke, the more Stefan found it weird. Why would his father do this much for a mistress? He looked at his mother''s picture once again before cing it back on the altar. "Do you know if my mother got other close rtives?"


    "I don''t know her personally but aside from your father, you''re the only one who came to visit her."


    "I see. Thank you so much for your help." Stefan smiled and turned around. "Please continue to take care of this ce. I''ll be leaving now." As soon as he got outside, he looked towards the children. "Come with me. I have something to give you."


    Just like what most people say, you must share your blessing. Stefan was very generous with the snacks that he gave and he even asked the caretaker to buy groceries for those homeless children with the money he gave for them. That''s the least that he can do for them.


    When they''re back on the road, he opened his social media ount to try looking for his mother, hoping to see any information rted to her.


    "Chris, please investigate the matter of my mother''s death. I don''t think she died from giving birth."


    "You mean someone killed her?"


    "That''s what I thought and once I find out the truth, I''ll never forgive them for what they did."

 Chapter 137 - ACCIDENT

    <h4>Chapter 137 - ACCIDENT</h4>


    Going to City D took them three hours and it wasn''t even peak hours but on the way home, Stefan was stuck in traffic. He nced on his phone and found that it was already five in the afternoon and they were still far from City A.


    "Sir, why don''t you give Ms. Ardolf a call? At this point, you''ll be hometer than expected."


    "Hn. I got it. I''ll let her know once she''s done with work."


    Stefan watched the scenery outside the car window. He had been to City D several times before and he never expected that the ce was actually his origin. He didn''t know much about his mother and now that he was starting to unravel his identity, he felt that something was wrong. It''s just his gut feeling but he trusted his gut more than anyone else, of course, he trusted Cayenne aside from himself. He''s not that egoistic, alright.


    As soon as she finished her shift, Cayenne logged off from work and boarded the familiar taxi that had been waiting for her. Since this was the first time that they''ve seen each other after a long vacation, Cayenne handed Leon her bted Christmas gift.


    "What''s this for ma''am?" Leon asked while looking at the box that she was handing him


    Cayenne smiled faintly at the driver. "Thank you so much for all the hard work. I know that it''s not easy to be called all the time because I''d have to go here or there, but you still do your job and you''re very polite to me and Stefan as well. This is just a little gift from us. I hope you will like it."


    "Thank you so much, ma''am. Thank you. The sry I got from this job is more than enough. Thank you so much." He kept on thanking her. Base on the weight of the box, he''s got a hunch that it should be something big and expensive but he didn''t open it yet.


    Cayenne wanted to say something when her phone started ringing. She told Leon to drive the taxi as she picked up her phone. It was Stefan. Seeing his name, her heart did a somersault and a backflip. It took her few seconds to calm herself before she could press the green call button.


    "Hi. Sorry it took me a little while to answer."


    "It''s fine. But I''m not fine."


    "Huh? Why? What happened? Are you hurt?" Cayenne panicked a little when she heard hisst sentence. Stefan was a prominent figure in the society and many people covets hispany shares and wanted him dead. It would be troublesome if someone attacks him while he''s unguarded.


    Stefan grinned. Hearing her concerned voice, he couldn''t help but widen his smile into a sly grin. "Are you worried about me?"


    "Duh! Isn''t that obvious? Did someone bully you to the extent that you''ve be stupid?"


    "Hahahaha." Stefan''sughter ran from the other end of the line. "You are so blunt as ever. But no my dear, I wasn''t bullied. I don''t think anyone will have a chance to bully me. They''ll die before it happens."


    "Wow! So confident."


    "Of course."


    Everyone, except from other mercenaries and soldiers, thought that his secretary was just a normal person. They didn''t know that he''s one of the people trained to infiltrate businesses and other empires to see the which businessmen exploits people''s rights and do hical business.


    In short, they''re undercovers. Only selected businesses have people like them and it just so happen that he was a friend to Travis, so he got one for himself.


    "What time will you be home?" Cayenne asked while looking outside the window. "I''m on my home already since you didn''te after I clocked off from work."


    "Sorry. I''m currently stuck in a heavy traffic. I didn''t know that we''d be backte."


    "Alright. I''ll just cook dinner at home."


    "O-okay. I''ll make it up to you next time."


    "Hn."


    "Do you have any cravings? I can buy it for you on the way."


    "I want to eat green mangoes."


    Just hearing her response, Stefan salivate from the sourness of the food. "Green mangoes? We haven''t done anything and you''re craving for green mangoes. I didn''t know you''d get pregnant even though I was just lying beside you."


    Cayenne pursed her lips because she knew that if she won''t, she mightsh at him or curse him from the teasing. She bit her lips to stop herself from talking until she tasted the rusty taste of her blood.


    "Just buy it if you can."


    "Are you upset?"


    "No, I''m not. I''m happy. So happy that it made me want to kick you."


    "Hey, ever since we get together, I realize that you''re actually very bold. You''re not demure or meek just like my first impression of you."


    "Impression doesn''tst longer. Are you regretting being with me now?"


    "Of course, not. I''m happy. I''m happy that you get to show yourself with me with no pretense." Stefan''s grim and serious face earlier had turned to soft and gentle while talking to her. He wasn''t aware of it but Chris who was observing him from the rearview mirror noticed the changes of his employer.


    "Tsk! You''re getting better with your sweet talks. Anyway, I''m home now. I''ll end the call so I can cook our food."


    "Okay. See youter, Ayen."


    "Hn."


    When the call ended, the smile on his face had not disappearedpletely. And his eyes would tell everyone that he''s in love. Chris sighed. Finally, a woman came to Stefan''s life who will be giving light to his darkest days.


    "Let''s stop if you see any supermarket nearby."


    "Yes, sir."


    On the other hand, Cayenne took a quick shower and change her clothes before going back downstairs to get herself busy with their food for dinner. She actually felt tire but she was still full energy since she''s be cooking for Stefan once again. However, after an hour, Stefan wasn''t back yet. He didn''t call her or send her a message either.


    She turned off the stove and let the pans and kettles stay on their respective ces while covering them to make sure that the food won''t be cold.


    She took of her apron and went to the living room. She watched some drama series on her phone but she felt bored in the middle of the series so, she decided to y a mobile game.


    She tossed and turned on the sofa while waiting for him but an hour had passed without any Stefan showing up.


    "That''s weird." She muttered to herself and she even started to feel nervous. She got a bad feeling within her that made her feel nauseous. "It can''t be."


    She dialed his number but no one answered to her call. She called him again but it was still the same. No one was answering her.


    "Come on, Stefan. Where are you?" She ran upstairs to get her bag and her baseball cap while she kept on dialing his phone number.


    Since he didn''t answer his phone, Cayenne decided to contact Chris. She knew that the two of them were together. At least one of them should answer their phone.


    Her palm started to get sweaty. She felt cold and her forehead was dotted with sweat. She dialed their number in turns while she walked towards the main gate of the subdivision. She couldn''t get any taxi inside the ce so she had to ask the guard to get one for her.


    She was tired from work and now, her emotions were getting stirred up as well.


    "Where the hell is he?" Cayenne mumbled. She was about to call him for the sixth time when he finally picked up his phone. "Stefan? Where are you? Why didn''t you answer my call?"


    "Uhm. This is Dr. Wilson. Mr. Dumrique is currently in the hospital due to an ident."


    "Which hospital?"


    "Senyu Medical Hospital in City B."


    "Thank you, doc. I''ll be there right away."


    Cayenne ran the remaining distance to the main gate. She felt so scared. She didn''t want to lose him. She didn''t want him to die. She ran as fast as she could while wiping the tears that were blurring her sight. "Guard, I need help to get a taxi."


    "Wait a moment, ma''am."


    Two guards ran to the main road to get a taxi for her. After five minutes, Cayenne finally boarded a taxi and left the subdivision to go to Senyu Medical Hospital. She wanted to call Leon earlier but she felt bad for letting the man go back and forth when he just left the ce.


    She wore the baseball cap and let her hair down to cover the side of her face. When she arrived at the hospital, she didn''t even ask for change with her fare, she immediately jogged towards the information desk. Her chest felt so tight and it hurts every time her heart beats.


    "I want to know where Stefan Dumrique''s room is."


    "It''s in VIP ward room 206."


    "Thanks." Cayenne couldn''t care less with all the attention she was getting from the crowd. She didn''t know why they were looking at her when she had hidden her face. She was just focus with her goal which was to find him.


    In the eyes of other men, Cayenne was a feast for their eyes. Long legs. Fair skin. Beautiful and red lips. Tall and with a sexy curve. She had forgotten to change her clothes.

 Chapter 138 - I LOVE YOU

    <h4>Chapter 138 - I LOVE YOU</h4>


    As soon as she arrived at VIP room 206, Cayenne opened the door only to find Stefan lying on a hospital bed with his head wrapped around with a gauze. He looked pale and there were scratches on his hands and on his neck.


    "Stefan?" she trembled as she called his name. She couldn''t believe that he''d be in this life and death situation few hours after they just talked. The tears that she had been trying so hard to suppress, found their way toe out of her eyes and roll on her cheeks.


    She took a chair and sat on beside right beside his bed. She took hold of his hand which was free from an IV drip. Seeing that there were noplicated wires and apparatus attached to him, she could tell that he''s out of danger but it didn''tfort her at all.


    "Stefan, what happened to you? We were just talking moments ago and here you are, lying on this crappy bed that my mother used to lie on." She mumbled while kissing the back of his head. "Two years ago, Travis got into car ident to save his wife. Monthster after that, Jillyanna was also in constant danger. Wealthy people really have it hard. You always have enemies lurking to eat you alive. Hey, what am I suppose to do to protect you? Your friends protected each other but I don''t know how I can protect you. What am I supposed to do?"


    "Are you Mr. Dumrique''s fianc¨¦e? I was the one who answered your call." Said the doctor who came inside the room. Cayenne knew that someone came inside but she had no time for them so, she ignored the person. Upon hearing that it was the doctor, Cayenne turned around to see who the man was.


    "Dr. Wilson, right?"


    "Yes, that''s me." He walked to the other side of Stefan to check on his drip and on his vital sign. "An ident urred on his way back home. ording to the driver, Mr. Dumrique was on his way back from buying green mangoes when they noticed that someone had been tailing them. The driver tried to sped up a little to see if the other car will also follow, and it did. However, they didn''t expect that someone from an alley would drive a motorcycle over them and it so-happen that he bumped his bike on Mr. Dumrique''s side. The broken ss wounded him and he used his hand to protect his skull but still, he bumped his head on the side of the car. Aside from the wound on his head, he only got scratches on his body. We already did full body check-up and it showed that he''s fine. He should wake up after three hours."


    Cayenne nodded her head but her tears didn''t stop from falling. It was actually because of her that he got into ident- all because she told him to buy mangoes.


    "Don''t worry, he''ll be fine."


    "Where''s Chris? Is he okay?"


    "Hn. He is fine. He''s in the other room next to this. "


    "I see. I''lle and check on himter."


    "As soon as the patient wakes up, please press this button and I wille to check on him."


    "Thanks, doc."


    "You''re wee." The doctor went out of the room and closed the door behind him.


    Cayenne was really devastated. Even though they were not official yet, they''re still dating and they were even staying under the same roof. She couldn''t help herself but feel sad for him.


    After an hour, she finally calmed herself. She was patiently waiting for him to wake up but because of the exhaustion she felt from morning till night time, she fell asleep while sitting on the chair and had her head ced on the side of the bed, still holding his hand.


    Three hourster, Stefan woke up just like the doctor said. He found a sleeping Cayenne on the side of his bed, and her eyes were swollen. "I must have worried you. I''m sorry, Ayen." He rubbed her head and caressed her face which was really cold. "You''re still careless as ever." He whispered as he removed his nket and draped it over her. He found the remote for the AC and lowered the increased the temperature a little.


    Dr. Wilson checked the time and he knew that the patient in VIP room 206 should be awake but the inte didn''t sound at all; thus, he decided toe over. He was standing right outside the door, watching this scene, wherein the patient was the one taking care of his fianc¨¦e. The reason why he was mistaking Cayenne as Stefan''s fianc¨¦e was because of her name on Stefan''s phone. It was FutureMrs.Dumrique. And seeing the scene in front of him, he was sure that he wasn''t wrong.


    Stefan knew that the doctor was just waiting for him to be done. So, when he finally made sure that Cayenne''s fine, he waved his hand for the doctor toe inside.


    "How are you feeling?" The doctor whispered, knowing that the man didn''t want to wake up the girl beside him.


    "I''m fine."


    "Not feeling nauseous or dizzy?"


    "No. I just feel a numbing pain on my head and on my arms. I guess that''s when I protected my head."


    "You must be aware of what was happening around you, then?"


    "Hn. And I realize I should protect my head at all cost because I wouldn''t want to forget this woman if I happen to live a second life."


    "Right. Amnesia is a very serious matter and Travis Madrigal experienced that. I was so touched with the dedication of his wife."


    "I remember it now. You were one of the attending doctors and this is where he stayed that time."


    The two of them spoke in whispers, doing their best not to disturb Cayenne from her sleep. The doctor prescribed him some medicine and advised him a lot of things for his recovery.


    Stefan didn''tin at all. He just listened attentively while keeping his eyes on Cayenne. Every single time she''d stir from her sleep, he would reach out his hand to gently rub her head and caress her face right after.


    "Do you have any question?" Dr. Wilson asked.


    "None so far but I''ll let you know if I have one."


    "Alright. I''ll leave you then."


    Few minutes after the doctor left, Chris came in with his belongings. He only got minor injuries but he was still looking a bit pale. In his hand was his bloody coat and his broken phone.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t protect you." Chris uttered. "I should have just faced them."


    Stefan sighed while watching his all-in-one secretary. "It''s not your fault. If you faced them head on, I would still be in danger and you will have to expose your identity. We couldn''t do that. And what matters most is that we''re both safe."


    "I''ll ask permission from the city to engagebat if needed in the future."


    "If you think that''s best you can do it but, I personally suggest you to cooperate with Travis and his men. They knew a lot and their coverage is not just in City B."


    "Okay. I''ll keep that in mind." He shifted his gaze and looked towards Cayenne. "You worried her."


    Stefan watched Cayenne and he felt hurt seeing her swollen eyes and exhausted face. "Process my discharge papers once she''s awake. And can you buy a long coat for her?"


    "Hn. I''ll go out now. Tell me if you need anything."


    The room sank into a deafening silence but it was afortable silence since Cayenne was there with him. He was contented watching her, knowing that she''s worried and concerned for him.


    Around midnight, Cayenne curled her body to sleepfortably but she noticed that something was wrong. She opened her eyes and looked around her. "Stefan." She whispered as she looked for him but the room was empty and cold. "Stefan, where are you?"


    "Ayen?" Stefan came out from the bathroom. "You''re awake. Are you alright? Did you have a nightmare?"


    Seeing the figure standing not far from her, Cayenne burst out crying. "I thought I lost you. I thought you left me."


    "Hey, stop crying now. There''s no way I''d leave you." Stefan responded as he walked towards her. He pulled her close and hugged her. "I''m sorry for worrying you. I won''t let this happen again. I promise."


    "You better keep your promise. I don''t want toe to this hospital to find you again."


    "Yes, ma''am. I''ll be very careful next time. I won''t worry you again." Stefan kissed the tip of her nose again and again.


    "Ah! Stop kissing my nose." She pushed his face away from her while looking down on the floor.


    "Why?"


    "Just stop kissing it. I''ve been crying and uhm¡­I¡­"


    "And you''ve got snots and tears all over you?"


    Her face felt hot from embarrassment and she refused to look up and see his face. "Just stop kissing me." She whispered, fidgeting and shuffling her feet.


    Stefan chuckled and gently pinched her chin to make her face him. He kissed her cheeks, her nose, her eyes, her brows, her forehead and the corner of her lips. "I''ll kiss you because I love you. I don''t care if your face tasted a bit salty because of your tears or that you felt sticky because of your snots. I will still love you because you''re the one that my heart chose."


    Cayenne didn''t care about the embarrassment anymore. She only cares about the two of them and their future. "I love you, too."

 Chapter 139 - OFFICIALLY A COUPLE

    <h4>Chapter 139 - OFFICIALLY A COUPLE</h4>


    With her sudden outburst, Cayenne covered her mouth in an instant. She wasn''t nning to tell him her feelings yet before she can be sure of his feelings, yet now, she just said it.


    "Did you just say ''I love you, too''?" Stefan questioned with narrowed eyes. Cayenne wanted to avoid his gaze but he cupped her face and kept it facing towards him.


    Even though she wanted to look away, she couldn''t move her face; she could only move her eyes to his side, avoiding his scorching gaze. "I¡­I d-didn''t say anything. Y-you must be¡­you must be hallucinating. You just recovered after all. That''smon." She stated in between stutters.


    Stefan grinned at her. The mirth in his eyes was telling her that he was up to something bad, or rather, something naughty. "You must be right. Maybe I was hearing things."


    "Hn. Correct. I didn''t say anything." Cayenne responded. ''There''s no way I''d admit that.''


    "Really? You really didn''t say anything?" His face was inching closer to her until the tips of their nose were practically touching. "If you won''t be honest, I might steal a kiss on your lips."


    "Are you threatening me?" she questioned with gritted teeth. She could already feel the increase of temperature inside the room. And she was feeling cornered at this point. She didn''t realize that it wasn''t the room which was getting hotter but her face.


    Stefan inched his face even closer. One wrong move and he would really be kissing her. "Did you say you love me or was I really just hearing things?"


    "I¡­I didn''t- wait!" she abruptly covered his lips with her hands because Stefan was about to put into action the n he had in mind. And if she continued to lie, she will suffer. "I did. I said it. You were not hearing things."


    "So, you love me?"


    "Yes."


    "You won''t be taking it back?"


    "No."


    "You were serious when you said it?"


    "Did I look like I was joking earlier?"


    Stefan forgot the pain on his arms and lifted her up, hugging her happily. "I love you, Ayen. I will only love you for the rest of my life. I love you. I love you so much!"


    Cayenne could only wrap her legs around his waist and snaked her arms around his neck. She was so afraid that she''d fall. "You''re crazy! Put me down. You just had an ident and here you are, fooling around with me."


    "I''m just so happy that you finally said those words. I''ve been waiting and I thought I''d have to wait for a month or two. I didn''t expect that you''d say it to me this time."


    Cayenne cupped his face and stared into his dark but clear eyes. Hisshes were long and thick, more beautiful than hers, if she shouldpare. But right now, all she could think of was to assure him of her feelings. "When you didn''te home, I was afraid. I was nervous that something has happened to you. I called you several times but no one answered. Those helpless moment made me realize that I should not be a coward. I was nning to tell you my feeling but I wasn''t nning to say it earlier. I was thinking of confessing to you on Valentine''s Day."


    "Hey! You were nning to make me wait that long?"


    "Yeah. Was my n a bit too long?" Cayenne kissed his face since his head had a gauze wrapped around it. "I love you, Stefan. I will only love you for the rest of my life."


    Stefan put her down on the floor but he was still hugging her. "Are we making our rtionship official today?"


    "Well, I don''t have any problem with that."


    "Wait a sec." Stefan looked for his phone which was inside the small drawer beside his bed. "Let''s take a picture."


    "For what?"


    "Secret." Stefan opened the camera on his phone and the two of them posed in front of his phone. "You look so sexy in that clothes. Let''s take another. I''ll just keep this."


    "I forgot to change." Cayenne muttered.


    "It''s fine. Get that paper bag and put on the coat." Stefan mentioned while pointing his finger to a paper bag sitting on the couch near the window.


    Cayenne walked towards it and opened the bag. "You bought a coat for me?"


    "Uh huh. There''s no way I''d let you walk outside this ce with those little pieces of clothes. Men will go crazy."


    "You''re exaggerating." Cayenne chuckled but she still put on the army green trench coat that was found inside the bag. "This looks pretty."


    "You''re prettier than that coat."


    "Thank you."


    Stefan pulled her close and the two of them pose for another picture. He sent a copy to Cayenne''s phone while he sat on the bed to post something. ''She''s the only one who stays with me even in my darkest days. And today, we''re officially a couple! I''m so blessed for having her in my life.'' He didn''t crop the picture but he covered Cayenne''s face with a huge heart. ''I hope, one day, I''ll be able to tell the world about your identity.''


    "It doesn''t matter if they know me or not. What matters is what we have." Cayenne told him. She saw what he posted since she was basically sitting beside him.


    Stefan held her hand and caressed it. "Once everything''s settled in my end, I will announce to the world that I found the best woman in this universe."


    "Hn." Cayenne leaned her head on his shoulder and closed his eyes. She can finally rx now that he''s fine. She took a deep breath and let it out. "I''llment on it." Of all his posts, this will be the first time that she''ll be posting herment. She opened her eyes and opened her bag to get her phone.


    She searched for histest posts and found that many people have liked it and posted theirments. Most of them were employees of hispanies and some were justmon people who always pay attention to the scandal of the bigshots.

 Chapter 140 - SO MUCH ATTENTION

    <h4>Chapter 140 - SO MUCH ATTENTION</h4>


    "Another thick and big thigh is settling down."


    "Oh! Another lucky female."


    "Congrats to the best boss in the world."


    "I''m so happy for you, boss. You are no longer making headlines!"


    "I wonder who thedy boss is."


    "I hope this is thest woman in his life."


    "Wait! Before you congratte him, shouldn''t you be asking why is he in the hospital with a gauze around his head?" Thisment garnered so much attention and many replies were posted below it. People were concerned about what happened. The attention about his love life was now shifted to the gauze on his head.


    Cayenne didn''t continue to read thements. She knows what happens and she''s the woman in the picture. There''s no need to read them. "I am happy for you, boss and I hope you will get better soon."


    Stefan received the notification that shemented on his post and he instantly liked it. But to avoid suspicions, he also liked somements in random.


    "When will you be discharged?" Cayenne asked after the two of them had finally calmed down and rxed their nerves.


    "I already sent a message to Chris. He will be here any moment."


    "Speak of the devil and the deviles." Cayennemented with a chuckle upon seeing that Chris was knocking on the door. "Come in."


    "I have processed everything. We can go home now." He told Stefan and Cayenne. "We don''t have a car though since the police are still investigating the matter and the car was damaged. We can only take a taxi."


    "It''s fine." Stefan waved his hand. "I''ll just change my clothes and we can go."


    "Okay." Cayenne and Chris responded in unison. When Stefan left for the bathroom with a paper bag, Cayenne turned to Chris. "Are you alright?"


    "Hn. Stefan got more wounds because the bike hit his side. Thankfully, the impact wasn''t that heavy."


    "I''m happy that both of you are fine." Cayenne muttered. "I was really nervous when none of you answered my call."


    "Sorry about that. We must have worried you. When I was maneuvering the car, my phone fell and in the midst of the chaos, I totally forgot it. I could only think of saving him and I actually stepped on my phone when it fell from the dashboard."


    "I see. We could only hope to capture the culprit in this ident. With what I have heard, they deliberately did it."


    "Hn. But don''t worry, I won''t let this happen again. You can be rest assured that Stefan will always be fine."


    "Thank you."


    The two of them talked while waiting for Stefan toe out of the bathroom.


    "I''m all done. Let''s go." Stefan took hold of Cayenne''s hand and they strode out of the room.


    "I''ve seen the post." Chris looked at them and on their linked hands. "Congrats to both of you. I wish you thousands of years in happiness."


    "Thank you." Cayenne smiled while trying her best not to blush but she still blushed anyway.


    Outside the hospital, Chris took a different taxi since he''ll be going home separately from them. He talked to Stefan about their work tomorrow but they decided that they''ll just be staying in Clover Hotel for the mean time.


    The next day, Cayenne was thrown into another panic. She woke up veryte. And Stefan didn''t even wake her up. He was leisurely browsing on his iPad while she was sleeping beside him.


    "Why didn''t you wake me up?! It''s almost lunch time. I have work today." Cayenne mentioned as she rummaged their closet to find her uniform.


    "I called in for you. I told Kim that you''ll be taking a half day today."


    "Oh my god! What will everyone say about me now? They''d think I''m being treated with special care. Imagine, I took a day off for my brother, and a three-day vacation with you, and now, I''m taking a half day. And this happen in one month." Cayenne told him the possibility of the other employees making a fuss andin.


    "But you''re tired. You worked all day, yesterday. You''re both emotionally and physically exhausted. And we had ate dinner because of the ident. How could I let you work when you''re totally spent?"


    "I understand your point." Cayenne mumbled. "But I don''t want everyone to think that I''m being abusive. Sooner orter, they willin to Manager Kim." She picked up her bathrobe and changed of clothes. "Anyway, I still want to work. And you will being to the hotel, right? I can still take care of you there."


    "Okie dokie. I won''t interfere with your work anymore."


    "Promise?"


    "Yes, ma''am." Stefan responded and even made a salute towards her. "Take a shower and get changed. We''ll leave in an hour in order for you to get there before 1:00 in the afternoon."


    Cayenne walked towards him and kissed his face. "Yes, sir."


    The two of them burst into a merryughter after their conversation. Cayenne went to the bathroom to shower while Stefan called the chef in his hotel restaurant to prepare lunch for the two of them. There''s not enough time for them to cook their own food.


    Cayenne didn''t change to her normal clothes. She directly put on her uniform since she didn''t want to change in the lounge now that she''s even taking a half day off. Stefan was already dressed when she got out of the shower and he also helped her arrange her things inside her small back pack.


    He had been watching her for months now and he knew what are the things that she would always bring with her; phone, wallet, press powder, wet tissue, alcohol and lip gloss. These were the things that she would never forget to bring and also her uniform. But since she''s wearing it anyway, he only used the small backpack that he bought for her.


    "Just dry your hair in my suite."


    "But my uniform will be damp on the way there."


    "Just wipe a dry towel to let the water seep on it. You will bete if we still do it here."


    "Okay. Okay." Cayenne wrapped the towel around her hair and just picked ab and hair tie forter. Stefan handed her bag to her and the two of them walked downstairs. Leon was already waiting for them. Cayenne didn''t want him to drive and she also told Chris not to drive for a while until the two of them are fully recovered. So, they had to endure riding a taxi to work.


    "Is that Cayenne?" Cole, Arthur''s brother muttered while watching a young woman boarding a taxi with Stefan. He couldn''t clearly see her face since Stefan instantly covered his view but, he caught a glimpse of her and he really thought it was Cayenne Ardolf.

 Chapter 141 - ALMOST CAUGHT

    <h4>Chapter 141 - ALMOST CAUGHT</h4>


    Cole wasn''t clear with what he saw but since the taxi has left, he chose to ignore it and continued to get inside the house that was currently being renovated. It was right across the ce where Stefan stayed, although it was several meters away from them.


    Inside the taxi, Stefan was helping herb her hair and wiped it with the towel. They only have an hour left before she needed to start working and they were still traveling towards the hotel. Perhaps luck was on their side, noon time, usually it''s traffic but this time, there weren''t many vehicles on the road which helped them arrived to the hotel less than fifteen minutes.


    Leon drove the taxi directly to the basement after the guard saw the President was sitting on the back seat of the cab. He saw Cayenne as well but he didn''t say anything. They were long ustomed to their boss having women and they were trained not to tell anyone about it unless the media gets hold of the information.


    Cayenne draped the towel over her head and covered the lower half of her face, only showing her eyes as she walked towards the public elevator; Stefan got on to his exclusive elevator.


    Cayenne didn''te out at the lobby, she pressed the elevator, all the way to his floor and got out. Nobody thought anything, aside from the guard who was watching over the security cameras of the public lift. When he saw that she stepped out on the floor where the suite of the President was located, he finally cleared his doubts. Even so, he knew when to keep his mouth shut.


    Stefan was waiting for her right outside his door and he only opened the door to his room when she arrived. Cayenne stepped inside immediately and looked for a hanger inside his bathroom to dry the towel.


    "Here." He handed her the hair dryer which was still new. "You can dry your hair here. I''ll call for our lunch."


    "Okay." Cayenne didn''t pay much attention. She was in a hurry to get prepared. She didn''t want to be absent in the afternoon as well.


    Few minutester, the chef came over with a waiter, who was pushing the trolley with different dishes on it. There were three types of dessert as well.


    "Good afternoon, sir. These are the food I made, exclusively for your lunch." The chef mentioned while he helped the waiter ce the dishes, tes and cutleries on the dining table. He was wondering why Stefan ordered a lot of food when he was all alone inside the suite. It was at this point that Cayenne spoke in the bathroom.


    "Stefan, can you bring me my bag please. I forgot to bring it."


    "Wait a sec." he stood up from his seat and walked to the ottoman chair where she left her sling bag. "Do you need anything else?"


    "No. I''ll be done in a minute."


    "Alright. Be quick. The food is already here."


    "Did you drink your medicine already? Don''t forget to take it." She didn''t forget to remind him while she put on some powder on her face. She didn''t bother putting on her lip gloss since she will be eating.


    "Yes. Yes." Stefan went back to the dining area and found the chef and the waiter standing in the middle of the room. "I don''t need anything else. I''ll just ask someone toe and get these thingster."


    "We understood. We''ll take our leave now." The chef and the waiter left his suite and went back to the restaurant. "Oh my gosh! Thedy boss is here!" the chef eximed.


    "How do you know it''s thedy boss?" The waiter asked. He''s new to the restaurant and hotel. He didn''t know much unlike the other employees.


    The chef looked at him while keeping his hands sped behind him. "First, it couldn''t be his mother. It''s known to the public that the President has a dispute his family. It couldn''t be some random woman as well, since the President postedst night that he''s officially together with the woman that he likes. And before, any woman he brought here would onlye at night and leave at dawn."


    "Oh. I see." The waiter wasn''t really interested inpany gossips. All he wanted was to do his job in peace. He didn''t care about the boss or his women or his official girlfriend. It won''t feed his family.


    But when they got back, the chef didn''t say anything to his colleagues. The waiter was the same.


    Back in the President''s suite, Cayenne was finally sitting with Stefan around the dining table. Usually, they would eat across each other but now, the two of them were sitting beside each other. Cayenne would always pay attention to the vegetables that he doesn''t like and she would eat it for him. She didn''t like wasting food.


    Stefan would, from time to time, ce her favorite dishes on her te. They chatted about some stuff while eating. Ten minutes before 1:00 PM, Cayenne finished eating her dessert. She drank a ss of water and stood up. I''ll be reallyte now. I''ll clock in for work first. I''lle back and get these things."


    "Okay." He was watching her fixed her uniform in front of the mirror. "I''ll just stay here. Please visit me when you''re vacant."


    "Got it." She turned around and kissed his left cheek. "I''ll go now. Just take a rest for now. Chris must be on his way."


    "Hn."


    Cayenne left his room and jogged-walk, to the elevator. Thankfully, the elevator wasn''t used by anyone. When she got down to logged in her biometrics, she only got two minutes left. "Phew! That was close." Cayenne wiped the sweats dotting on her forehead.


    "What happened to the boss?" Manager Kim was standing beside her, waiting for her toe to work to get some news. Normally, media will release the news about the ident but this time, no one talked about it. If Stefan didn''t post a picture of him in the hospitalst night, they wouldn''t know that he was involved in an ident.


    Cayenne looked around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping. "He got into ident yesterday on his way home. Ms. Kim, I''ll go back upstairs first. I left my belongings in his room and I still need to get the empty dishes that we used for lunch."


    "Alright. Go ahead. Tell me the detailster." Manager Kim whispered.


    Cayenne made an ''okay'' sign with her fingers and left.

 Chapter 142 - DELIBERATE ACCIDENT

    <h4>Chapter 142 - DELIBERATE ACCIDENT</h4>


    When she got back in his suite, everything was neatly arranged on the trolley and Stefan was just waiting for her. "Thanks for helping me." She muttered while she took her bag with her.


    "No need to be polite. It''s only natural for me to help my girlfriend." Stefan stated. He pulled her and made her sit on hisp. "Don''t bring your bag downstairs. "he muttered before kissing her chin.


    "Why not?" she asked, letting him do what she wanted, as long as he won''t be crossing his boundaries.


    Stefan just kissed her. He''s contented with this physical intimacy between them. He wanted to wait for the day that the two of them gets married before he will ask for his award. So, he would never cross her bottom line. He kissed the tip of her nose before he answered. "They will be wondering why you still have your bag when you''reing down from here. Just leave it here. I''ll bring it down with me once we''re about to go home."


    "You''re. Right. I''ll just bring my phone, then."


    "Hn." Stefan nodded his head. He let go of her and Cayenne stood up from hisp. "I''ll send you a message from time time."


    "I don''t mind that."


    "I will wait for you here."


    "Okay. Make sure to get some sleep when you can. You''re still recovering, after all."


    "Yes, ma''am." Stefan responded which made her giggle. His eyes held gentle love and care. "Don''t tire yourself so much."


    After talking for few minutes, Cayenne finally left the room once again. This time, she was pushing a trolley with many empty dishes. She sent the things directly to the kitchen and went back to the lounge.


    Not only manager Kim was waiting for her, Luna was there, too.


    "So, what happened?" Luna questioned when she saw Cayenneing inside.


    Cayenne sat on the couch first since Celine haven''t asked for her yet. Which means, they didn''t have anything to work at the moment. "Someone drove over a motorcycle to his car."


    "Was it deliberate?" Manager Kim asked.


    "I am not sure but it seemed like it to me." Cayenne responded. "Chris got minor injuries; since the motorcycle hit Stefan''s side, he got more injuries and his head hit on something."


    "Was it severe?"


    "No, it wasn''t. However, he needed toe twice a week for a check-up." Cayenne answered. "I''m sorry for skipping work earlier."


    "It''s fine. Don''t mind it. In any case, it''s the boss who will be paying you not us. He can make you go on absent whenever he wants."


    "No. No, this won''t happen again. We''ve talked about this already."


    Manager Kim stood up after a long sigh of relief. "It''s good to know that he''s fine.? Let''s all go back to work."


    "Yes, Ms. Kim."


    The three of them left the employee''s lounge one after another. Cayenne went to find Celine who was at theundry area. When the two met, Celine asked if she was doing fine. In all the times that they''ve spent together and from what she knew from other employees who used to work at night, Cayenne wasn''t the type who will skip work unless something serious happens at home. So, she thought that something must have bothered her.


    Cayenne felt guilty and she tried her best to reassure the woman that she''s perfectly fine.


    Back inside the President''s suite, Stefan was browsing the information that Chris got after the investigation conducted by the police officers rted to the ident yesterday.


    The driver of the car who chased after them as well as the driver of the motorcycle who bumped into his car were actually friends and they were hired to kill him. However, the order came through phone calls and the money they received were sent through overseas wire transfer. They didn''t know who really asked them to kill Stefan.


    "Who''s in-charge of the investigation?" Stefan asked.


    "I''ve heard that it''s officer Seville. If I remember correctly, he''s Mrs. Madrigal''s brother-inw." Chris responded. He was sitting opposite Stefan with an iPad in his hand. "I have checked the origin of the IP address for the wire transfer and I found that it was indeed from overseas. However, there''s a chance that it was just a cover."


    "I''ll ask Travis for help. Maybe Shein can do something to crack the IP address."


    "Should I make a call to him?"


    "No need. I''ll deal with it myself. Just focus on the investigation about my mother. I need to know something. I''m so full of doubts right now."


    "I understand." Chris mumbled while handing the iPad to him. "This is the financial report forst November 15 to this date."


    "Thanks."


    The two of them talked about business and would review the report together. They had so many things to talk about specially the new projects of thepany. They were so busy that Stefan forgot to send a message to Cayenne. It wasn''t until half past three in the afternoon, that he was able to send her a message ¨C asking her toe over but, Cayenne was still working so she didn''te over.


    "I''ll take a break at 4:00 PM. I''lle and check on you." Cayenne replied to his message and continued to work after pocketing her phone.


    Exactly four in the afternoon, Manager Kim looked for her with different pastries. "The boss needs this to entertain his guests. Please bring it over to him."


    Cayenne knew what the manager was doing and she was thankful for her understanding. She also knew that Stefan had called the manager to make an excuse to make Cayenne go up to his room. ''This man is really unreasonable. His being very calctive even to our rtionship.'' She couldn''t me him though. After all, the two of them decided to keep her identity hidden to the public.


    She brought the refreshments up to his room and stayed there for quarter an hour. Stefan told her about the possibility of paying a visit to the Madrigal''s home but they couldn''t do it as of the moment since Stefan and his family left the country for a week-long vacation. They needed to wait for them toe back before they can go and visit them.


    Cayenne was so excited! She forgot the real purpose of their visit. Her image was full of Jillyanna, the woman she adored so much.


    She can finally see her again!

 Chapter 143 - STEFAN LEFT

    <h4>Chapter 143 - STEFAN LEFT</h4>


    After shift, instead of going back to their own love nest, Cayenne decided to bring Stefan to the apartment where she stayed with her family. It''s nearer to the hotel and she can spend time with her family as well. Stefan didn''t refuse her idea, in fact, he weed it. He can spend more time with her family and they can get to know more of each other.


    Time quickly passed and New Year came. Just likest on Christmas Day, Stefan spent time with them again. They went to a nearby church and attended a Holy Mass. When midnight came, they lighted some fireworks in the neighborhood after getting a permit.


    The sounds of honking horns, the banging metals, blown trumpet, fireworks,ughter, giggles, showed that it''s a great start of the year. Stefan had dinner with Cayenne''s family. This time, Luna didn''te over. She''s having fun with her boyfriend, in Clover Beach Resort.


    Stefan''s stitches on his head weren''t taken off yet. His doctor told him that they needed to wait for two weeks. But they can still change his gauze to make sure that they keep it clean and disinfected.


    "I''ll have toe home tomorrow." Stefan murmured. The two of them were now lying on her bed. Cayenne was lying her head on his chest; her hand was wrapped around his waist. Stefan had his hand wrapped around her as well. His other free hand wasbing her hair. "My parents wanted me toe over. They wanted me to meet their preferred daughter-inw."


    "Will you be okay?" she asked. She''s sleepy and was closing her eyes but her consciousness remained awake so that she can continue to converse with him. "Don''t let them bully you."


    "Who do you think your boyfriend is? There''s no way I''d let them bully us. No one can separate us."


    "I know. I just want to remind you." Cayenne stated. Her words came out as mumbled and Stefan could barely hear her.


    He kissed the top of her head and caressed her hair. "Let''s just go to sleep."


    "Good night." Cayenne''s eyshes fluttered as she tried to open her eyes. She brushed her lips on the underside of his jaw and went to sleep.


    Stefan wasn''t sleepy yet. He was just staring on to the ceiling while sliding his fingers through her hair. He likes the silky soft touch of her hair and she smelled really good. ''Strawberry.'' Stefan thought. The scent of her body wash was strawberry and it''s the same one that she bought for her personal use in his house.


    He looked at her face, took hold of her hand and kissed the inner wrist and the back of her palm. His deep-set eyes held many secrets and no one knew what he was thinking at all.


    On the next day, the sun shone brightly over the horizon. When she stirred in her sleep, she felt the cold space beside her which made her open her eyes instantly. ''He left?'' She questioned mentally. She was a bit disappointed that he didn''t wait for her to wake up or at least, he could''ve woken her up and told her that he''s leaving.


    Now, she didn''t even know when he left.


    She got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash her face. She found Stefan''s towel hanging on the side and she could only sigh. ''Loving someone like him; I''ll be facing a lot of issues in the future.'' This was her thought but she never thought of giving up. Stefan hadn''t given up on her yet. When she looked to herself in the mirror, she was surprised.


    "Did I put on this lipstickst night?" she questioned herself with a frown. She touched her lips with her finger tips as she tried to think back of what happened the day before. However, she couldn''t remember putting such kind of lipstick. True, she''d wear lipsticks whenever she likes but it would always be light pink or a light orange. She would never wear a deep shade of red lipstick.


    Thinking that she might have put it on by mistake, she brushed the thought and decided to wash her face. But while putting on her facial wash, she remembered that she washed her facest night before going to sleep and she was one hundred percent sure that she didn''t wear any lipstick.


    "Did I put this on while I was sleeping?" Cayenne whispered while spreading the foam of her facial wash all over her face. It was really baffling her.


    After washing up, she wiped her face and went out of the bathroom to get her phone, "Half past eleven", she muttered and went out of her room. Her brothers were currently cleaning the living room and her mother was in the kitchen, cooking their food for lunch.


    "Ma, why are you the one cooking? I can do that." Cayenne told her mother and took thedle from her. "You need to rest. You cannot work so much because it''s bad for you."


    Emerald flicked her daughter''s forehead and took thedle back. "I can only cook once a day ¨C the only work I do every single day of the week. Are you going to take it against me, too?"


    Cayenne looked towards her brothers. "Is it true? While I''m gone, our mother didn''t do anything?"


    Kyle and Luiz nodded their heads together. "We didn''t let her do any work but mama keeps saying that she wanted to do something to help us so, we agreed for her to cook a meal once a day." Kyle added to help her mother get out of her predicament. They knew that it''s difficult to pacify their angry sister.


    Cayenne looked back towards her mother and then back to her brothers. "Just once a day, alright. I won''t be against this ma. I just want you to rest and depend on us." She poured a ss of water for herself and sat on a chair. "When did Stefan leave?"


    "An hour ago." Luiz responded. "He told us not to wake you up since you were tired and we know that you''de out once you''re hungry so, we didn''t disturb you."


    "Who helped him redress his wound? Did you see him take his medicine?"


    "Duh. You sound like a nagging mother." Kyle snorted with faintughter.

 Chapter 144 - I HAVE THE FINAL SAY

    <h4>Chapter 144 - I HAVE THE FINAL SAY</h4>


    "I''m not nagging. I just want to make sure that he''s alright." Cayenne retorted.


    Kyle leaned on the broom he was holding and looked towards his sister. "His secretary came over. Just like you, he nagged him about his medicine. Stefan took it after Mr. Secretary threatened him to tell you if he would be stubborn. I can say that Stefan cares so much about your opinion on him. Also, I helped him redress his wound with clean gauze."


    "Oh. Thank you."? Cayenne responded. "By the way, sses will resume two days from now. Do you need anything? For projects or other school matter; etc."


    "None so far. We saved a lot in thest two months and we''ve finished all our projects and assignments. Thanks to your boyfriend for giving us aptop."


    "I see. You have to thank himter. Not me." After resting for a while, she stood up from her seat and helped out her mother to cook food for their lunch.


    At the Dumrique''s family vi, Stefan came with his secretary. He was wearing a ck denim pants, a white long-sleeved polo shirt, gray knitted scarf and a brown long coat; paired with brown leather shoes. His already handsome face became even more handsome and many new female servants drooled over him.


    It''s been over a decade since he came back to his house and this was the first time that they saw Stefan in person. The head of the maids told them not to ask questions about the Dumrique family and they weren''t allowed to talk about Stefan Dumrique inside the vi. Therefore, even though the maids knew who Stefan was, they didn''t talk about him. They could only read the news of this willful young master from the media.


    In their opinion, Stefan was someone who was stubborn, willful, ungrateful and disrespectful. And no matter how handsome he was, there''s just too many negative things about him.


    "This should be a family lunch. We won''t be talking about business so, you don''t have to bring your secretary." Magnusmented. He was facing his son but he was looking towards Chris.


    Stefan didn''t listen to his words or more-likely, didn''t care about him. "He''s my secretary. I have the final say whether he shoulde or not."


    "This is my family vi. I have the final say and the right to choose who I wanted toe inside." Magnus responded with a thunderous voice. He was clearly angry seeing that Stefan had no n to back off.


    "Well, I''lle again when you''ve changed your mind." He instantly turned around and retraced his steps. He was not showing any respect at all. He lost all his respect and care about the family that he never belonged to. Even now, they never thought of him as family. He''s just one of their chess pieces.


    Magnus'' facial expression changed. His face paled, then it turned red in anger. "Stop right there!" He shouted. Stefan did stop and turned back but he only showed a bored expression. "Bring your secretary if you want."


    Stefan smirked and went back. He directly walked upstairs to his old room without greeting anyone in the living room. Chris was following behind him.


    "I''m sorry for themotion." Magnus apologized to the other people inside the house.


    "That''s alright. We don''t mind it." They continued to chat since the lunch wasn''t served yet.


    Stefan, on the other hand, opened the door to his room.


    "Wew! Looks like you are very important." Chrismented sarcastically. The room looked so old and dusty. When he ran his fingers on top of the cab beside him, dust umted on his fingers.


    It was just what Stefan had in his memories. The bedsheet was in white but now it turned a bit yellowish or brownish because of the 15 year-worth of dust. The pillows were the same. His clothes, the one that Alexander gave him, were okay since he put them inside a huge stic bag before putting them inside his drawer. His shoes and other stuff were also very dusty. There were cobwebs and spiders clinging on the walls and the ceiling.


    "Right. I''m very important in this family." Stefanmented after a little while. "Help meter. I want to bring some of my most valuable things to the new house."


    "Sure." Chris answered instantly. "I saw Ms. Hry Reid among the guests of your family and her family is here, too. I think she''s the candidate."


    "I have the same idea as you."


    "But, I think she''s married." Chris said in a whisper. "I''m not sure but, I''ve seen her with a man before and she was wearing a wedding ring."


    "Really?"


    "I''ll ask Valkyrie about it. I''ve heard that they didn''t go with the Madrigals for vacation this time."


    "Alright. You can contact him." Stefan responded while taking most of his stuff out of the cabs and drawers and ced them on his bed. He sorted them out as to which he can bring or he can leave for good.


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    Stefan opened the door only to find ra standing outside of his room. "Lunch is ready. You have to eat with us." Her facial expression changed again and again but one thing he recognized the most was guilt. But Stefan didn''t care about that.


    "Okay." He looked back and turned to Chris. "Are you done with your call? Let''s go downstairs."


    "Valkyrie said that he''ll send us the documents in less than an hour."


    "Alright. Let''s go down and eat. We need to leave as soon as possible or Ayen will be worried again." He intentionally mentioned Cayenne''s name to see what would be ra''s reaction but she was just indifferent.


    In fact, Stefan thought that she''d leave after telling him toe out for lunch. He didn''t expect that she''d stay to wait them. And most of all, he didn''t expect that she''de over to personally invite him for lunch.


    ''Pretentious and hypocrite.'' Stefanmented mentally while giving ra a side nce who remained quiet all the time.

 Chapter 145 - TENSION AT LUNCH

    <h4>Chapter 145 - TENSION AT LUNCH</h4>


    Stefan went out of his room followed by Chris. The two of them sat at the dining table with his family and their guests. He took off his scarf and coat and ced them behind his chairs, leaving his white polo shirt; with a lipstick stain on his cor.


    Everyone saw what was on his cor and it garnered different reactions; most of them were negative and Hry was the only one who chuckled at him. She even gave him a wink.


    Stefan knew that she found a good partner for his crime. Marrying him off? Impossible.


    "Are you still fooling around outside? You should stop that now. You are not young anymore." Magnusmented, giving his son a re. "And this is a family dinner, not a business. There''s no need for your secretary to be here. He can have lunch with the other peopleter."


    "No, that can''t be. He has a job to do." Stefan responded.


    They couldn''t understand what he meant by his words but since he decided on it, they knew that Stefan won''t back out on his words. He''ll do whatever he thought was right.


    "You have a girlfriend?" Hry asked over lunch.


    "Yeah."


    "And you''re serious with her? I''ve heard that you are very frivolous outside." She added. "You should know the purpose of this lunch, right? I''ll be your fianc¨¦."


    Stefan didn''t answer her. He needed to stall for time to get the report before the meal is over. To their surprise, Stefan didn''t get any food but his secretary did. He took little servings of each food and ce it on his te. He drank a bit of the soup that was served and savored the taste.


    "You can have this soup." Chris spoke after a minute. He tasted the other dishes and did the same process. He told Stefan which food he can eat and which food he can''t.


    "Insolence!" Ferdinand shouted angrily as he pped the table. He was so angry with what Chris was doing. It was really rude and disrespectful and to think that he''s just a mere secretary. Contrary of his expectation to see him afraid of him, Chris was calm. Stefan just ignored his grandfather. "Who do you think you are, huh?! Food testing? Did you really think we''d poison you? Is that how you really see us all these years?"


    Stefan put down his hand on each side of his te. He chewed his food while looking the people in front of him. After swallowing his food, he spoke, "I didn''t think that you would poison me but I would still die in severe allergy reaction. Out of all these dishes you made, only three of them I can eat."


    The room sank into a deafening silence. Base on his words, you can tell that his family never paid attention to him. They didn''t even know which ingredients he was allergic to. In the past, there was Alexander who can help him but now, he had to rely on his secretary to taste the food first.


    But with Cayenne, he will eat everything that she''ll prepare for him with the help of his medicine. He''ll drink his medicine in secret to suppress his allergy reaction just to eat the food she makes. He didn''t have to do it as often do since Cayenne rarely cooks at home now. Most of the time, he''ll cook for the two of them.


    In the dining room, Stefan didn''t care about his family. He ced some food on Chris'' te because he knew that his family would badly look at him if he''ll get his own food. Chris didn''t care as well. As long as Stefan''s around, he couldn''t be bothered by his family.


    The resumed their lunch without saying much to Stefan. They have this thought that no matter what they say, Stefan will find a way to refute them.


    Hry Reid wasn''t particrly interested with the lunch date. She had so many ways to break off this arrange marriage but she wanted to see how Stefan would react on this matter.


    "I have heard that Hry finished her study in Harvard. You took upw, right?" Magnus questioned the youngdy in front of them. He racked his brain to find a topic for conversation that would lead them to the marriage proposal but with Stefan, he was afraid that he will say whatever he wanted he say to go against him.


    "Yes, uncle. I took the course to help my parents with their business." Hry answered with a shy smile.


    ''Acting shy and coy when you''ve done something unscrupulous to your parents. Aren''t you afraid of getting struck by a lightning?'' Stefan mentally snorted but his face remained expressionless as he continued to eat.


    "Awyer and a businessman. It''s a goodbination." Ferdinandmented. He nced at his grandson who didn''t even raise his head to look at them. He was really making him angry.


    Hry''s changed for a moment and now she looked a bit hesitant to talk. Seeing her expression, ra, for the very first time since they sat, talked in her gentlest voice ¨C a fake one. "Hry, dear, do you want to say something?"


    "Auntie, I''m a bit worried. I''ve read so many things about your son and that he''s involve with lots of women. I couldn''t help but think of how broken I will be in the future if he cheats on me."


    ''Buzz. Buzz. Buzz''


    Chris took out his phone and showed it to Stefan beside him.


    "Your worry isn''t necessary Ms. Reid." Stefanmented.


    "Really? Are you going to change for me?"


    Hearing her response, Stefan raised his eyebrow. "I will change but not for you. I don''t want to be deceived by you like how you deceived your parents for three years now."


    Her face darkened when she got his reply. She didn''t expect him to not cooperate with her at all. "Am I crossing the line to ask you to change for me?"


    "I involved myself with a lot of women in the past but, I never got involved with married women. That''s a taboo for me."

 Chapter 146 - BREAKING THE MARRIAGE BEFORE IT BEGINS

    <h4>Chapter 146 - BREAKING THE MARRIAGE BEFORE IT BEGINS</h4>


    "What do you mean with that?" Mr. Reid asked Stefan. "You better behave yourself and don''t talk like that to my daughter."


    "I''m not surprise." Stefanmented in mockery. "Looks like the father knows what the daughter has been doing. Are you nning to make her divorce with her husband if I ept this marriage arrangement? You''ve got to be kidding me."


    Mrs. Reid looked between her husband and daughter. She couldn''t seem toprehend the things that Stefan was talking about. "Deceived? Me? By my daughter? That can''t be possible." As she spoke, her voice was bing softer until it was almost a whisper. But the more she looked at her precious daughter, she felt even more afraid to know the truth.


    Hry bit her lips as hard as she could until she could taste her own blood. She sharply looked at the man who was to be her fianc¨¦e. If her sharp look can cut down the flesh, Stefan would be lying in a puddle of his own blood with his body parts in pieces.


    "Looks like Mrs. Reid has no idea with what''s going. The father and daughter teamed up to deceive you all these years. Aw! So sad. But it''s not new to me." He put down his spoon and fork, and wiped his mouth with the table napkin. After making sure that he looked clean, he looked towards his parents and grandfather. "You want me to get married to a married woman? I have my eyes opened today. In this family, I''m nothing but a chess pawn to continue your legacy."


    "No." Magnus retorted. "We don''t know that she''s married." He exined immediately before Stefan can say anything. "Her registrar still stated she''s single and there''s no news about her being married."


    "Right. There''s no news about this. How did you know that she''s married?" ra questioned him.


    "I have connections that you don''t have." Stefan sly grinned at them. "Anyway, I don''t care about this marriage. Thanks for the lunch." He drank the ss of water and stood up from his seat. Chris followed him and the two of them went up to get his valuable things inside his room.


    His family was left astounded on their seats. The marriage that they had exerted so much effort to be sessful was broken by Stefan.


    The Reid family left after apologizing and only god knows what would happen to the one and only daughter who brought them shame.


    Stefan couldn''t care less about them. All he wanted to do was toe back home and stay with Cayenne for as long as he can. When he stepped out of his room and walked down the stairs, carrying two boxes of important things, he passed by the living room where his parents and grandfather was staying after lunch.


    "What was that just now?" Magnus asked. He wanted to be angry at his son but after what happened, he didn''t have the strength to do so and he also realized that he didn''t have the right to be angry; they didn''t have the right to be angry after all the treatment he received from them. Fifteen years had passed but they never changed.


    Stefan didn''t just give them a side nce and he talked while slowly walking away from them. "I clearly stated that I don''t want my life to be manipted. Don''ty a finger on Cayenne or her family either because I can assure you that I''ll destroy yourpany without any second thought. I''m leaving. Don''t show in front of me again in the future. I am used being ignored in the past and I don''t have time to y chummy-chummy game with you as if we''re a real family." He suddenly stopped at the door and looked back to the three people in the living room. "And by the way, I found out that my mother didn''t die from giving birth. Apparently, someone killed her. Don''t disturb me in the future. I will be very busy to find out what happened."


    He deliberately left those words to see ra''s reaction and just like what he expected, she looked a bit panic and worried. His doubts increased and he became even more determined to find out the truth.


    "Start with the investigation about my mother. I''ll deal with the car ident few days ago." Stefan ordered.


    "Yes, sir." Chris replied resolutely and followed him out of the house. After getting all the things that he wanted to bring away from the house, Chris drove the car back to the city. He was already allowed by the doctor to resume her daily activities which included driving and the police officers allowed him as well since it was proven that the ident didn''t happen because of his recklessness. Officer Lucian Seville also allowed him to engagebat if necessary, given that no civilians will be involved. If there is, he will be condemned for his crime and will be punished ording to thew. "By the way, I can ask Valkyrie to check on the ident as well. You won''t need toe to their ce."


    "I just wanted to bring Ayen to see Jill. She likes that woman a lot and she missed meeting herst time because she was afraid that some people will spot us."


    "Oh." Chris mumbled with a smile on his lips. "You spoil her so much."


    "What can I do? She''s the only woman I wanted to spoil for the rest of my life. If possible, I wanted to treat her like a queen but she didn''t want me to. She wants to work and earn her own money."


    "You can''t me her with that. She''s used to be the one who will provide for her family. If you will take that away from her, she might lose her sight in life. You can still spoil her in other ways." Then his line of sight on the rearview mirror shifted to Stefan''s cor. He wasn''t wearing the scar anymore so he could see what was on the cor. "You''re very bold to attend the lunch with that lipstick stain. It truly surprised me to know that she agreed to leave that mark on your cor."


    "Huh? She didn''t agree to it. I stole it." He shamelessly admitted to his secretary.

 Chapter 147 - HOME IS WHERE MY LOVE IS

    <h4>Chapter 147 - HOME IS WHERE MY LOVE IS</h4>


    Chris dropped Stefan off at Cayenne''s apartment and continued to drive the car and brought all the things to Stefan''s new house. It looked like Stefan was nning to settle down in that house.


    Stefan was standing in front of the apartment while holding his phone. He dialed her number and called. "Honey, I''m home." Stefan voiced out the moment she answered his call.


    Cayenne was a bit disoriented. ''Home?'' "You''re back in the subdivision? Should I go back now as well?"


    "No, you don''t need to. Just open the door of your apartment."


    "Oh. Okay." She walked towards the door while keeping the call. When she opened it, her face lit up and happiness was obvious on her face.


    "Home is where my love is. I''m home, Ayen." Stefan ended the call and hugged her. He lifted her in the air and carried her back inside the apartment while kissing her cheeks. "Did you miss me?"


    "Hn. I was so worried when you left. I''m happy to see you back." Cayenne responded as she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed the tip of his nose. But when she looked down, what Cayenne saw was the lipstick stain on his cor. "Huh? Did I put that on your cor?" she asked him when they got into the living room.


    "What makes you think this is from you? Most women would think that their partner cheat on them." Stefan responded while putting her down on the couch.


    Cayenne rolled her eyes and lightly pinched his waist. "I may be poor but I''m not easy to fool. Mister, you have forgotten to erase the lipstick you put on me earlier. And it''s the same shade you have on your shirt. Also, I don''t think you''d put on that shirt knowing there''s a lipstick stain on it. You know that I''d get angry, right?"


    "My Queen knows me better." Stefan responded. "Where''s auntie? Did you guys eat already?"


    "Of course. I won''t sacrifice my lunch just because you''re not here." She muttered with another roll of her eyes. "So, was she pretty?"


    "Who?" Stefan yed dumb as he sat beside her.


    "The woman who was supposed to marry you."


    "Well, she''s pretty but you''re much prettier than her. Also, she''s cunning and deceiving unlike my beautiful and strong Queen."


    "You really know how to work your sweet tongue on me." Cayenne stated. "Do you have ns in the afternoon?" she changed the subject of their topic. "Kyle and Luiz will be going back to school in the next few days and I''m nning to spend more time with them. Also, I''m a bit worried. Once sses resume, both my brothers will be going to school. I will have to work and my mother will be alone. What do you think should I do? I don''t want to leave my mother to the hospital again."


    "Are you thinking of quitting your work? If you are, I''m supporting you." Stefan replied with faint chuckle which made Cayenne poke his side once again. "What? I''m serious with what I said."


    "And what makes you think I''ll quit. I will not quit. There''s no way I would do that. I have a family to support, alright?"


    "I can definitely support you and your family. My money canst us several lifetimes."


    "I won''t ever do that. Your money is yours. My money is for my family. I don''t need you to provide for all of us. I am not disable."


    "That''s not what I mean. I just want to help. Besides, your family is my family. I don''t want my Queen to suffer which is why I want to help you."


    Cayenne took a deep breath and sigh. "I know you want to help me but, I¡­"


    "But what?"


    "I feel a little ufortable. I don''t like the thought that I will be depending on you."


    Stefan pulled her closer, make her sit on hisp again and hugged her waist. "Ayen, you can always depend on me. I don''t mind. If you don''t want me to support you financially, how about I hire a private nurse to take care of your mother while we''re working and your brothers are studying?"


    "You will hire a private nurse?" Cayenne questioned smugly. "And who will pay for her sry? You?"


    "Hn."


    "And that''s not helping me financially?"


    "No, it''s not. I''m helping you with a man power." Stefan insisted stubbornly. "You won''t quit. We can onlye home at night. No one will be taking of your mother during the day. Isn''t this the most usible option?"


    Cayenne sighed once again and leaned her head on his chest. "I don''t know what to do. I''m not very trust worthy to leave my mother in the hands of someone I don''t know."


    "And you know the people in the hospital?"


    "Hn. I''ve known the doctor of my mother when I worked in a convenience store and caf¨¦ before. He helped us a lot by introducing me to different decent jobs. He also looked after our mother and his daughter was my mother''s nurse."


    Stefan ran his fingers through her hair. He was distraught to see her sad and worried. He promised to make sure that she won''t be worried, sad and bothered anymore but it seemed like there were things which were out of his control. "Just trust me with your mother''s care. If you''re worried about the nurse, we can install the camera''s inside your house."


    Cayenne buried her face on the crook of his shoulder and neck. "I''ll leave it to you, then. And is it fine that we''ll stay here during weekdays?" She didn''t want to leave him all alone and she didn''t want to leave her mother as well. She''s well-aware that her mother got so little time to spend with them.


    Stefan knew how much Cayenne loves her family. And he salutes her for that. Not all daughters have the same disposition in life. She''s really brave to face all her problems head on. Without the slightest hesitation, he agreed to her. "Hn. I don''t mind. Just like what I said, home is where my love is."

 Chapter 148 - WHOS MY FATHER?

    <h4>Chapter 148 - WHO''S MY FATHER?</h4>


    Without them knowing, three people were leaning on their doors, trying to listen to the conversation between the couples. Their faces were pressed on the door but they could only hear their muffled voices. In the end, they gave up in eavesdropping.


    In the afternoon, Cayenne brought her family to watch a movie. They bought some things that they needed at home and lots of groceries since Stefan would be staying over with them. Stefan also bought a lot of things for his personal use. And because she refused him to pay for the things they bought, he decided to bring them to a restaurant and had dinner together.


    On Monday., Kyle and Luiz had to go back to school since sses have resumed. And since Stefan wasn''t able to get a nanny yet, Cayenne brought her mother over to Clover Hotel and checked her inside one of the rooms. And because her mother was considered a guest, Manager Kim told her to look after the ''guest''s'' needs.


    Cayenne happily obliged the request in order to take care of her own mother.


    "Is it just me or Cayenne has been given a lot of favors recently?" one of the employees asked.


    "I don''t think it that way. If I may say, Cayenne deserved the treatment. You may not know this since you worked during day time but when I was working the night shift with her, she''s really diligent with her work. And she almost didn''t take a day off. Whenever there''s over time needed, she would volunteer herself. She works almost 24/7." Another employee responded.


    "Really? Is she in need of money that much?" another person asked.


    "Cayenne is the breadwinner of their family. Her mother is sick and they needed to pay so much for her hospital bill. I heard that even though her mother was discharged they still have so much bnce to pay in the hospital. Her two brothers are also studying. You can just imagine how much hard work she put up all these years."


    Many employees talked about Cayenne and their views of her but their impression about getting special treatment also changed. They weren''t wrong though. Cayenne was indeed getting special treatment in the littlest possible way which wouldn''t hinder her to still do her work in the hotel.


    From time to time, Stefan would call her to check on her. And right now, that was what he was doing.


    "I''ll be bringing someone over tonight to take care of auntie Emerald. Chris will also install cameras in the afternoon to make sure that everything will be fine while we''re gone." Stefan told Cayenne over the phone.


    "Thank you for helping me solve this issue."


    "No worries. I''ll always be by your side to help you shoulder your burden." Cayenne was really happy to hear this. She finally found someone who would do his best to understand her andfort her. "By the way, I have told Travis that we''ll being over this weekend."


    "Really? They''reing back already?" Cayenne couldn''t hide the excitement in her voice. "Should I prepare something? What should I bring? Ahh! I am just so excited to see my goddess YNA."


    "Don''t be so excited about it. We still have four more days before we cane to visit them. There might be some changes."


    "I hope there will be none." Cayenne responded. "Anyway, I''lle home with my motherter. You don''t have toe and pick us up."


    "Alright. I''lle home as early as I could."


    They talked about other trivial matters before they decided to end the call. Cayenne looked towards her mother who was watching the scenery outside the ss window. "Ma, you will meet the nurse tonight. Stefan hired one for you since we will be busy working and the boys will have to focus on their study."


    Emerald nodded her head but Cayenne knew that she was thinking about something else or rather, someone else. Cayenne didn''t say anything anymore. She just sat on the couch and read a magazine.


    "Yen?" her mother called for her attention. She raised her head and looked at her, waiting for her next words. "You said that you will go and visit your father but, you didn''t visit him, did you?"


    "I forgot. I got so busy with work. And besides, Kyle and Luiz visited him already."


    "Does Stefan know about him?"


    "No. I promise I''d tell him when I''m ready."


    "Will you allow me to go and see him. You know I don''t have much time left." Emerald mentioned. "I want to see him before I die." Cayenne just looked at her mother. She didn''t say yes or no to her. "You can stay at home. Kyle and Luiz ande with me."


    "Ma, do you really have no idea where my real father is?"


    Emerald was the one who became silent this time. She didn''t even look at her own daughter. She conceived Cayenne from a different man and until now, she refused to tell her who her real father is. Kyle and Luiz have the same father who wasn''t staying with them at the moment, and they weren''t sure if they''d get to live with each other in the future.


    "Never mind, Ma. You don''t have to answer my question."


    "Do you really want to know?"


    "Don''t I have the right to know about him? He''s my father after all."


    Emerald smiled faintly but that smile was a sad one. "I didn''t really mean to hide him from you but I didn''t want you to find him."


    "He''s with another family?"


    "Hn. He got married to someone else." Emerald responded. "Do you still want to see him? Just don''t find him when he''s with his family. I don''t want you to be in trouble."


    "There''s no need to. I won''t look for him." Cayenne reassured her mom. But while she decided to forget about her father, the man was actually looking after her. She just didn''t know that he''s been helping her all this time.

 Chapter 149 - THIS GUY IS DAMN HOT!

    <h4>Chapter 149 - THIS GUY IS DAMN HOT!</h4>


    Cayenne went out of the room to order some food for her mother in the restaurant. She passed by the lobby to get some thing from her locker in the employee''s lounge when she met someone she never wanted to meet for the rest of her life.


    She wanted to pretend that she didn''t see her but the woman looked around the ce and saw Cayenne walking towards the lobby.


    "Isn''t this Ms. Ardolf?" Kirin looked towards Cayenne, her eyes were running up and down. "You''re working here?"


    "Yes, ma''am." Cayenne answered politely but nothing more than that. "If you''ll excuse me, I needed to work now."


    Kirin just watched her left but when Cayenne was already out of her sight, she turned towards Luna who happened to be the receptionist that she was talking to earlier. "I want her to personally attend to me during my stay here."


    "I''m sorry ma''am but Ms. Ardolf is currently assigned to look after a sickly guest right now. If you want, I can rmend you with few of our avable employees."


    Kirin waved her hand in an instant. "No need. I don''t want anyone aside from her but since she''s looking after someone, just forget my request."


    "Thank you for your consideration, ma''am." Luna slightly bowed her head and handed the room card to Kirin.


    Unbeknownst to them, the richdy had already something in mind. She hated Cayenne before and that extend until this moment. She hated her so much and seeing her face boiled her blood to the highest degree.


    When thedy left, Cayenne passed by once again and Luna stopped her. "Thatdy earlier, do you know her?"


    "Hn. Remember the guy who came herest time, thatdy is his mother."


    "She doesn''t like you?"


    "She hates me ever since I got acquainted with her son."


    "And does that guy knew about it?"


    "No. He doesn''t need to know and I don''t really care. I''m happy now and her opinion doesn''t affect me anymore." Cayenne replied with a wink. "They can''tpare to my man."


    "Tsk!" Luna snickered. "Don''t unt it in front of me. I will kick you if you won''t stop."


    "How was your vacation by the way?" Cayenne questioned. She remembered that Luna and Ali went to one of Stefan''s resort to celebrate the New Year.


    Ali''s eyes lit up and she was ready to tell Cayenne her experience but someone came over, putting a stop to their conversation. "Let''s talkter."


    "Hn." Cayenne eventually left to get buy food for her mother.


    So far, everything was going well. Cayenne wasn''t facing any problem with Kirin. She still worked with Celine and once they''re done, they''ll take a break and she''ll go back to her mother''s room. She was tired but she was happy that her mother was safe and sound with her.


    After shift, Leon, the taxi driver picked them up and sent them home. Luiz and Kyle were back already and were cooking their dinner. Stefan was still on his way with Chris and the newly hired nurse.


    "Hey sis, I noticed that there were many hidden cameras in our apartment now." Luizmented while he pointed his finger to one of the cameras. "Did your boyfriend install all of them?"


    "Hn. It''s for our mother since she''d be alone during the day." Cayenne replied. "By the way, Mama wants to visit your father this weekend. You must apany her. I''m going somewhere with Stefan."


    "By the way Yen, does Stefan know about our father?" Kyle asked her. "Will he have opinion against you if he knew about him?"


    "I''ll tell him about it when I''m ready. I promised not to keep any secrets to him so he should know about it sooner orter." Cayenne told them. "Anyway, I''ll take a rest for a while."


    "Okay. We''ll let you know once dinner is ready."


    "Okie dokie." Cayenne smiled at them and went inside her room. Her mother just went to sit in the living room. Not long after, Stefan came home. Chris came with him as well as the nurse that he hired.


    "I''m back." Stefan announced their arrival and Cayenne came out to see him. She hugged him and helped him take off his coat and handed him his indoor slippers. "How was your work today?"


    "I was doing fine. I didn''t have much time earlier since most of the time, I was taking care of my mother. Celine was very understanding, too."


    Stefan reached out his hand and rubbed her head. "I''m d to know that."


    "How about you? Are you still feeling ufortable? You need to visit your doctor tomorrow to check on your wound." Cayenne told her. She turned to Chris and the other man or woman or someone in between this gender, and led them to the living room.


    Stefan took the initiative to introduce the nurse to Cayenne and her family. His name was James but he''s feminine at heart and likes to be addressed as a woman. His woman counterpart was named Jasmine. He''s a licensed nurse but the hospital that he applied didn''t want to hire him because of his gender. Although there were hospitals who wanted to ept him as he is, they didn''t have the best facilities and they were rather small. So, he decided to be a private nurse instead.


    And Stefan hired him in to be Emerald''s private nurse when he saw his excellent performance evaluation during his years of study. Also, he didn''t have to do a lot of things. He just needed to make sure that Cayenne''s mother eats on time and drinks her medicine on time. Cayenne also exined that he will only be working during the day, starting from seven in the morning and cane home at six in the evening. Of course, he was paid by Stefan ordingly. In fact, it was three times betterpared to other nurses out there.


    Jasmine looked towards Cayenne and sighed. "No wonder the most sought out bachelor is now taken. A beautifuldy hase to snatch the man of every woman''s dream."


    "You tter me." Cayenne responded.


    "If you get tired of him, give him to me, okay?"


    "You have to wait for at least hundreds of years." Cayenne replied with augh. "I hope you don''t mind taking care of my mother."


    "Not at all. This job is a great help to me."


    "Since you know where to work and who you''re working for, let''s leave for tonight. I''ll treat you to dinner." Chris told James or Jasmine but they''ll be calling his female name, Jasmine.


    Jasmine bid farewell and went out with Chris. ''This guy is damn hot!''

 Chapter 150 - PERVERTED IDIOT

    <h4>Chapter 150 - PERVERTED IDIOT</h4>


    Chris looked at the feminine man and saw Jasmine looking at him with hot eye. "Ahem." He coughed to get Jasmine''s attention and smiled. "Don''t think about hooking up with me. I''m married."


    "Ah? You''re married?" Jasmine repeated the information in question. "Too bad."


    Chris could only chuckle at him but didn''t say anything anymore.


    Inside the apartment, after dinner, Stefan went back to Cayenne''s room first to take a shower. Cayenne and Kyle cleaned the kitchen and washed the dishes while Luiz took care of their mother''s room. The apartment was rather small but it was clean and the furniture were well-arranged.


    "Yen, I just have a question? Why don''t you like to visit our father? I mean, I could understand that he''s not really your father but I think he was still able to stand as your father in the past, right? Did something happen that we are not aware of?" Kyle questioned openly to his sister.


    In the past years, they could count the times that Cayenne visited their father using one hand. It''s true that she was busy but there were times that she didn''t have work to do yet, she never visited him.


    Cayenne was shaking her head while wiping the tes with the dry cloth. "I don''t hate him and nothing happened. It''s just that, whenever I see all of you together, I felt that I''m being left out. You have our mother and you have a father. Truth be told, I''m quite envious of yourplete family even though your father isn''t physically here with you. You can still see him, talk to him,ugh with him and do other things. Unlike me, I have no knowledge of my real father. I don''t even know if he''s alive or not." Even though she told her mother that she won''t ask about her father anymore. She was still curious about him. Every time she saw aplete family, she''d wonder how her father was doing and if he''s healthy and safe. She would think what he looked like. She would think how he would react if he would see her. She could do nothing but think.


    Kyle walked towards his sister and hugged her. The tears that she had been holding came out and rolled on her cheeks. It was the first time that she cried in front of her brother. "I really want to see him." Cayenne muttered between sobs and hups. "I want to know how he looks like but Mama wouldn''t tell me. I don''t want to ask her anymore because I could only see sadness in her eyes when I ask her. I don''t want to reopen the wounds of betrayal and pain. But Kyle, don''t I have the right to know him? All these years, I just wanted to know his name."


    "I know. I understand." Kyle responded while rubbing her back. "I''m pretty sure that she''d tell you about him soon. She may not be ready yet but she will eventually tell you who your father is. Let''s just give her time."


    "Is 23 years not enough?" she questioned. "I''ve been waiting for 23 years."


    Luiz came out of his mother''s room and was watching his brother and sister in the kitchen. One was crying while the other was helpless. After all, this was the first time that Cayenne showed her honest emotions in front of them. They had no idea what to do.


    Stefan came out of Cayenne''s room and found her crying in the arms of her brother. He was thrown into panic, worried that something happened to her and he didn''t even notice. Withrge strides, he crossed the distance to get to her and pulled her into his arms.


    "What happened to her?" Stefan asked Kyle but thetter could only smile faintly and shrug his shoulders. It''s obvious that he didn''t want to talk about it. He can only ask Cayenne. "Are you okay, Yen? Are you hurt?"


    "Hn." Cayenne responded mindlessly to him. ''Ahhh! That was embarrassing! I just cried because of my father''s unknown identity! Damn it! I even told my brother that I''m envious of them. Oh no! What will they think of me now? A green-eyed monster? I can''t believe I made a fool of myself. AHHH!'' she was busy mentally scolding herself that she didn''t notice the changes in the real world.


    Few minutes of being dazed, she blinked her eyes because it has turned dry and it hurts her eyeballs. When she focused herself back to reality, the first thing she noticed was that Stefan''s face was close to her. Very very close to her. She can even count his eyshes if she wanted to. And he was watching her with a scorching gaze. If the intensity could burn her, she would be toasted by now.


    "W-what¡­what are you doing?" she whispered her question while meeting his eyes without blinking at all. Her heart was beating so fast as if she was being chased by a dog. She could even hear her own heartbeat.


    "What were you thinking?" Stefan answered her question with a question but even if she wanted to dodge it, she knew that he''ll pester her about it because she promised that she won''t keep a secret from her. And even if she wanted to move away from him to get some space, she highly doubted her sess.


    Stefan''s hands were ced on each side of her shoulder, and his legs were parted a little. One movement from her and he could shift his body to block her way.


    "Uh¡­Stefan, can we sit over and talk? You don''t need to do a kabedon with me."? She attempted to joke with him but Stefan leaned even closer. This time, the tips of their nose were touching and she could feel his warm breath on her lips and face.


    "Ayen, what do I do? Something''s definitely wrong with me today?? Whenever I think of you, something is awakened." His husky voice sent shivers down her spine and her eyes unconsciously looked down on his lower body. Something was indeed awakened.


    ''Perverted idiot!''

 Chapter 151 - TEASING CAYENNE IS FUN

    <h4>Chapter 151 - TEASING CAYENNE IS FUN</h4>


    Cayenne''s face instantly blushed and she could no longer look into his eyes. She shifted her gaze to the side of his head and muttered, "I have no idea what you''re talking about."


    "Oh."? Stefan whispered. "Then, should I show it to you?"


    "Ha? Ah? No. No. No, you don''t have to. I think I kind of understand what you''re saying towards me." She blurted out in a hurry while shaking her head from side to side. She even pressed her hand on his chest to push him a little bit away from her but Stefan held her hand and ce it on the huge mound of his pants. Cayenne''s already blushing face turned even redder. You can almost squeeze out a drop of blood from her face.


    "Can you feel it?" Stefan asked with shaky voice.


    "No, I don''t." she yed dumb with what he was doing.


    "Then," Stefan untied the string of his pants while keeping his eyes on her; recording all the fleeting expressions on her face. "¡­should I ce your hand inside for you to know?"


    "No, you don''t have to. I feel it. I can feel it. You don''t need to put my hand inside your pants." She mumbled almost incoherently. If they weren''t standing close to each other, Stefan wouldn''t understand her words.


    She wasn''t ready with all this stuff at all. Even though she wanted to look away, something was pushing to her look down. She swallowed drily with the bulging seam of his pants. ''It''s getting bigger! This jerk really wants to taste my wrath.''


    But when she looked up once again to see his face, he was grinning from ear to ear. He was clearly teasing her! "Did you just tease me?" Cayenne questioned through gritted teeth. "Do you know what''s the consequence of teasing me?"


    "I don''t." Stefan answered like an idiot. "I don''t want to know either."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes and without saying a single word of warning, she raised her leg and was about to kick his manhood but she realized it wouldn''t be good. Thus, she stomped on his right foot with all her might.


    "Aw! Ouchy!" Stefan hopped away from her while holding his foot. "Yen, that was really strong."


    She raised her eyebrow and snickered. "You should be thankful I didn''t kick your junior brother."


    Stefan chuckled with what he got in response. He didn''t really mean to tease her but she looked so sad and he didn''t like that expression to appear on her face. "Are you okay now?"


    This time, it was Cayenne who was dumbfounded. She didn''t realize that Stefan was acting like a jerk for her sake. She bit her lower lip and nodded her head. "I''m fine now."


    "That''s good to know. Go and take a shower so that we can go to sleep. It''s gettingte an we still have work tomorrow."


    "Hn." Cayenne went to the bathroom after getting a change of clothes and her towel. Cayenne came out with a bottle of ointment and walked up to him. "Show me your foot."


    "Are you going to stomp on it again?" he teased her.


    "No, I''m going to rub an ointment on it."


    Stefan got out of the bed and took the ointment from her. "I''ll put on itter. I don''t want to waste this since I''ll have to shower again."


    "Didn''t you shower earlier?" Cayenne asked back. In fact, his hair was still a little damp.


    Stefan grinned slyly and he pointed on his pants. "I''ll have to take care of this."


    Cayenne turned around and walked towards her drawer where she ced her hair dryer. "Just do whatever you want."


    "Really?"


    "It''s not as if I can do something about that." Cayenne replied.


    Instead of getting inside the bathroom, Stefan followed her steps quietly. "Actually, there''s something you can do." Stefan didn''t wait for her to react and he pressed his lower body on her back. "You can still calm it down like this."


    "You''re an idiot if you think I''d allow you to do that." Cayenne answered back. "Go away and take care of that in the bathroom. I''m not ready for that."


    Stefan''sughter rang out in all corners of their room. He was having fun teasing her. "Alright. I''ll stop teasing you. I don''t want to sleep on the sofa if you get angry." As he spoke, he also walked away to get inside the bathroom.


    After settling everything, the two of them rested the night away. Forgetting all their worries in life. But Stefan woke up three times in the middle of the night because of his wild dreams with the woman in his arms. And even though he had to take care of himself, he was still happy because she was with him.


    Life continued like usual. They got up at seven in the morning and she''d take a shower first which was already the norm between them. Even though they''ve been together for quite a while now, she was still not used to changing her clothes in front of him so, she''d change inside the bathroom. Although Stefan was already gettingfortable with her. Every time he''s done taking a shower he won''t even feel embarrassed to change his clothes in front of her. And sometimes, it was Cayenne who would put his necktie or sometimes, she would choose his clothes for the day. The change of his taste in clothes was also noticed by many employees. Stefan had be more human with the lively colors instead of the big devil with a monochrome taste.


    Jasmine arrived on time and Kyle briefed her with some things rted to their mother. Chris also arrived to get the boss and thedy boss. And since they weren''t using the taxi in the morning, Leon''s job in the morning has changed. Instead of picking Cayenne and send her to Clover Hotel, he was now assigned to pick Luiz and Kyle, and send them to school.


    "They''re indeed acquainted. Is she Stefan''s girlfriend?" Cole questioned to himself. Ever since he caught a glimpse of Cayenne in Peach Wood Subdivision, he was having doubts but he was so busy recently. It was just this time that he got the chance to check on Cayenne and clear the doubt he got. "I have to warn Arthur about this."

 Chapter 152 - ARTHUR KNEW

    <h4>Chapter 152 - ARTHUR KNEW</h4>


    Cole came home to look for Arthur but he found out that he left the city to attend a seminar with the farmers in a mountainous barangay. Unbeknownst to them, Arthur was just in the city and he already knew of the rtionship between Cayenne and Stefan.


    "Hahaha." His maniacalughter rang in four corners of his apartment room. It was a ce that his family didn''t know of. Every time he wanted to escape from his mother, he''de to this ce. "So, my mother had been giving her a hard time. And she caused Cayenne to stay away from me." Arthur muttered while looking into the investigation result. He had asked someone to look into Cayenne''s information from five years ago until now. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he looked into the picture in his hand. Cayenne was smiling brightly just like how she smiled back then when the two of them were together. Sadly, she''s now happy in someone else''s arms.


    "She lied to me. Her brothers lied to me. Her mother lied to me. They all ganged up together and lied to me. Is it so fun fooling me around?" Arthur questioned himself once again. His eyes darkened and his mood started to fluctuate. He picked up a pen and stabbed it on Stefan''s picture, leaving only Cayenne with no marks and holes. "I''ll take her back. No matter what I''ll take her back. She''s mine to begin with."


    He stabbed Stefan''s photo again and again and when he was finally satisfied, he sat up straight and took a deep breath. He stood up and walked directly to one of his walls, the one facing his bed. He caressed the photo frame that cages the adorable picture of him and Cayenne. It was taken by Cole when they were still in third grade of primary school. He liked her since then. "My sweet Cayenne, you''re badly influenced by that demon. You shouldn''t associate yourself with him. His family will never like you." He muttered but then he realized something. "If you''re with me, only my mother will be against us. If I erase her existence in this world, will youe back to me?"


    One of his walls was full of pictures of him and Cayenne, since they were small until recently, when he came back from States. It''s really creepy to see someone who could keep these pictures on his wall right in front of his bed.


    "Tsk! I''m showing my true colors once again." He told himself and covered his face for few seconds. When he let go of his hands, the gentle and kind Arthur appeared once again. "I''ve got to be the kindest person to her."


    Thirty minutes before lunch break, Cayenne changed her uniform into her own normal clothes and waited for the time for her to clock out for break.


    "Are you going somewhere?" Manager Kim asked when she saw Cayenneing out of the lounge with different clothes.


    "I''ll have to apany him to the hospital. We''ll be back before the afternoon shifts starts."


    "Okay. You take care of yourself." Manager Kim told her and walked to the restaurant of the hotel to let the chef know that Cayenne won''t be having lunch in the hotel.


    Stefan was already waiting for her at the parking lot. He was using a different car to make sure that no one would recognize him with Cayenne. It would be troublesome for her if some people knew that she''s going out with their boss. He didn''t want her to face any kinds of problems at all.


    As soon as the clock strikes 12 o''clock, Cayenne pressed her index finger on the biometric and left in a hurry.


    "She''s probably going to have a secret date with her boyfriend again." One of the employeesmented.


    "That''s what happens when you date a celebrity." Another employeemented.


    "I''m really wondering which celebrity is she dating. I want to know which entertainmentpany and if that celebrity is my male god."


    "I don''t think Cayenne will tell us."


    "She''s not just protecting her privacy but the privacy of her boyfriend, too."


    One of the employees who works with Cayenne before looked at the other people and then to her phone. She has her own spections but she didn''t dare say it. She''s afraid to lose her job. She would rather keep her mouth shut and live her peaceful life.


    Cayenne arrived at the basement and found the blinking headlights of the car that Stefan and Chris were using. The moment she sat on the back seat, a strong arm pulled her closer to him and kissed her face. "What took you so long?" Stefan asked her while Chris started the engine of the car, ignoring the sweet cuddling couple.


    Cayenne held his hand and kissed the back of it and smiled. "I had to wait for everyone to get out of the elevator. Were you waiting for a long time?"


    "Not really." Stefan responded. He was saying that but in fact, he waited for her for more than an hour. He ended his work early in thepany because he thought it will be traffic and he didn''t want her to wait for a long time. Who would have thought that they''d arrive so early and Cayenne was still working?


    Cayenne was hugging his waist and was leaning his head on his chest. Stefan''s left hand was on her shoulder, caressing the tips of her hair while she was holding his right hand, intertwining their fingers together.


    "By the way, can you help me with something?" Cayenne stated almost a whisper but since they''re so close, he was still able to hear it.


    "What is it, my Queen?"


    "I told my mother that I needed to work because we have to pay the hospital bill. But, I was lying to her. Someone paid our hospital bill and I had no idea who it was."


    "So, you want me to find out who was behind it?" Stefan asked directly. There''s a strange expression in his eyes when he looked towards Chris but, because Cayenne wasn''t looking at him, she didn''t see that silent exchange between the two men with her.

 Chapter 153 - WHO PAYS THE MEDICAL BILL?

    <h4>Chapter 153 - WHO PAYS THE MEDICAL BILL?</h4>


    When they reached the hospital, Stefan and Cayenne went to look for Dr. Wilson while Chris stayed in the information desk to get information about Cayenne''s mother medical bills.


    "Good afternoon, sir. How may I help you?" one of the nurses asked when she saw him.


    "I was told by my daughter that someone paid for her my wife''s medical bill? Is that true?" Chris questioned, the lies he spouted seemed real when he was looking so serious and intimidating to them.


    The nurse was a little anxious but she soon calmed down and did her work. "May I know what''s the name of your wife, sir?"


    "Emerald Ardolf." Chris responded.


    The nurse searched for this name as soon as she got it. "Age of the patient please."


    "40."


    "Alright. It showed here that she was discharged for three weeks now. And yes, her bill is paid already."


    "Who paid for it? I want to know if the person who paid the bill and the person who''s asking us for the payment is the same person." Chris replied with a face full of worry and anxiousness. He can be awarded with the Best Actor award if he''s into entertainment.


    "We don''t have any information of the person who paid for it, sir. They paid it with cash and they just signed the form without any question. We don''t know who the person was."


    "So, you allowed people to pay for bills without knowing their rtionship with the patient?! What if those people will extort my pretty daughter for repayment?!" Chris eximed in anger. "This hospital is inhuman. As long as you get the money for the bills, you don''t really care what happened to the family of the patients, right? All you care about is the money."


    "That''s what business is, sir. Even if we wanted to do things our way, we are just mere employees. We will lose our job if we won''t follow the rules." The nurse retorted which was actually right.


    Chris couldn''t find anything to refute that but the nurse saw how anxious and depressed he was. She took a sticky note and wrote something on it and handed it to Chris. ''I hope you won''t tell anyone that this is from me. William Obcial. No contact information avable.''


    Chris read the note and nodded his head. "I understand that you have to do your job. I''m sorry for causing you trouble." He pocketed the note and left to wait for Cayenne and Stefan inside the car.


    One of the nurses, who witnessed what happened, approached the other nurse with worry. "Did that guy do something to you?"


    "No. He was just anxious for his family."


    "What was that paper you gave to him?"


    "I wrote down the bill amount that the person paid. In that case, he would know if he should make trouble to their family''s benefactor or not. Instead of being thankful that someone paid for it, he was making a fuss. If they have their own money to pay for it, his daughter wouldn''t be working from dusk ''till dawn."


    "Whose family was that?"


    "Emerald Ardolf."


    "And what was his rtionship with the patient?"


    "He said that Ms. Emerald is his wife."


    "Idiot!" The nurse who came flicked her colleague''s forehead. "Just pray that the man won''t mention your name at all once trouble brews."


    "Huh? Why is that?"


    The nurse rolled her eyes. "I''ve been taking care of Ms. Emerald Ardolf ever since she came here. My father is her doctor. She has a daughter and two sons but she doesn''t have a husband. For almost five years of being her nurse, I''ve never seen anyone with that face who came to visit her."


    "But don''t you think it''s weird? Why would he ask for someone''s information if he''s not rted to them? And also, he could be the father who never showed up. Maybe he was busy working somewhere and just came home to know this event."


    "Whatever. I don''t care with what will happen. As long as the Ardolf family is safe, I don''t mind."


    "What should I do now?" the nurse, who talked to Chris, was thrown in panic. "Will I lose my job?"


    "I''ll visit themter. I''ll try to see if they''re rted to that man earlier."


    "Thank you."


    Inside the car, while waiting for Stefan and Cayenne, Chris contacted Shein to look into William Obcial. They didn''t have any other clue aside from the fact that the man came to Senyu Medical Hospital to pay for the huge amount of medical bill.


    "I''ll send you all the information I got and you can decide on your own as to what you should do after getting it." Shein responded to him.


    "Thanks."


    Their conversation was always short since they only talk about important matters. They''re not like other people who likes to engage in some petty and unimportant talks.


    Meanwhile, the doctor was busy removing the stitches on Stefan''s head. It was just a small wound but the doctor took an utmost care towards him since his close to him just like Travis Madrigal. Stefan''s hair was a little it long and thick so, he wasn''t worried about the scar.


    "Just rub the ointment I prescribed to you to make sure that this won''t get irritated. And also, don''t scrub your head too much every time you take a shower." Dr. Wilson reminded him.


    "I understand it doc." Stefan responded.


    The doctor turned towards Cayenne and smiled at her. "Please help me remind him the things I mentioned every day. It would be a great help if you can wash his hair since you''ll be able to see the wound and avoid it."


    "That''s indeed a good suggestion." Stefan agreed instantly even though the doctor wasn''t talking to him.


    ''Does this mean that I have to shower with him? Every day until his wound is fully healed?'' Cayenne couldn''t help but wept without tears internally. And seeing the wolfish smile of the man in front of her, she knew that he was the happiest person with this advice from the doctor.

 Chapter 154 - GIVING UP

    <h4>Chapter 154 - GIVING UP</h4>


    The two of them left the doctor''s office and went to the parking lot where Chris was waiting for them inside the car. The moment they stepped inside, Chris handed them his tablet and showed the information that Shein got from his quick investigation.


    "William Obcial." Cayenne rolled this name in her tongue and found it unfamiliar. "Who is this guy?"


    Chris started the car as he spoke. "That''s the name of the man who paid your mother''s bill. Are you familiar with anyone who''s got that name?"


    "No. I don''t remember anyone with that name. And besides, why are there so many of these men with the same name? You couldn''t find which is the right one?"


    "No. I asked Shein to investigate on it since he''s more capable than I am when ites toworks and connections and he''s got more connections than I am. Also, when I asked the nurse, they only left his name when he paid the bill with cash."


    "With cash?!" Both Stefan and Cayenne asked at the same time.


    For Stefan, he would pay so much but he would do it using his card, there''s no way he''d pay a hefty sum with cash. That''s too heavy and risky.


    "William Obcial is not his real name. The man used a fake identity." Cayenne whispered while scrolling down on the phone screen to see the faces of the men that met the name.


    Chris and Stefan looked at her with amusement. They never thought that she''d be very sharp when ites to this matter. "What makes you think that the name is fake?" Stefan questioned her while Chris gave her a short nce through the rearview mirror.


    Cayenne puffed her cheeks while sorting out her ideas. "I''m not really sure why but something''s telling me that this person knows my mother. For example; my father. Mama, told me that my real father is rich but he was married by his family to someone else. Who knows, he might be the one who paid for the bill to help my mother. But this is just my spection. Another thing, why would someone, if he''s rich, pay a hefty sum using cash? Don''t you, rich people, pay using your cards?"


    Stefan stretched out his hand and rubbed Cayenne''s head with a gentle smile on his face. "My little queen is very sharp. You are right, the man is using a fake identity. Do you remember when he paid bill? Let me know so that we can ask Shein to hack the securitywork of the hospital in that way, we would know how the person looks like."


    "Let''s just give up on this." Cayennemented. "If he''s a bad person, he will eventually show himself up to take credit. If he''s my father, I don''t need to know. My mother doesn''t need to know it as well."


    "Well, if you say so. As long as that person isn''t my rival, I wouldn''t mind giving up on this investigation." Stefan kissed the top of her head and hugged her. "If it''s a bad man and he wille and get you as repayment, you must, remember it''s a must; you must tell me about it so I can pay it and get you back.''''


    "Hn." Cayenne responded perfunctorily but deep inside, she was hoping that the person was her father. In that way, she knew that he still cared for her mother.


    "Sir, I booked a restaurant for your lunch already. We''ll be there in a minute." Chris informed Stefan at the backseat.


    "Won''t you be eating with us?" Stefan questioned. Usually, when there''s a business lunch, Chris would be eating with him since he needed to taste the dishes but every time Cayenne''s around, he wouldn''t join them. He was wondering if Chris hated to eat with Cayenne.


    Contrary to his expectation, Chris smiled teasingly at him. "Sir, ever since you became official, you can only date inside the apartment or in your house. You''ve never gone out. It''s time for you to have a lunch date. I have reserved a booth for you. I will be dining at the first floor and wait for you two."


    "Oh. Thanks." Stefan responded.


    "I don''t mind not having a date. We''re together at home anyway." Cayennemented when she saw Stefan''s disappointed expression. It was obvious that he was disappointed to himself for not going out with her. She can understand it though. He''s a busy man and she had prepared herself for this before she agreed to this rtionship.


    "Do you want to go somewhere on Sunday?" Stefan asked. He wanted to make it up to her but he can only do it on weekends since he''s very busy.


    "If you have work, just go to work. I can apany you if that''s okay with you."


    "That''s a better idea. Let''s go to thepany on Sunday, then." ''I haven''t tried an office date and this is the right time to do it with her.'' Stefan chuckled at his own idea. Never in his dreams did he think that he will, one day, love one of his employees very much. He''s been keeping his ws away from his employees but then, Cayenne changed everything.


    Chris parked the car and the three of them got out. Cayenne made sure that her face was covered with the cap that Stefan gave her. She also wore the dark shade from him. As for Stefan, he''s used to being seen in the public so he wasn''t worried at all. He just made sure to stick close to her in order to protect her from the prying eyes of other people.


    After lunch, they all went back to work. Cayenne just made it on time for her afternoon shift. Stefan and Chris went back to thepany to face documents and the shareholders once again. Stefan was swamped with work since he always skips it to spend time with Cayenne.


    "Here''s the result of the investigation about your mom." Chris handed him a brown envelope before going out again. "Just ring me up if you have any questions." Chris stated before closing the door of his office.

 Chapter 155 - FINDING OUT THE TRUTH I

    <h4>Chapter 155 - FINDING OUT THE TRUTH I</h4>


    Stefan pulled out three photos inside the envelope. One was a picture of his mother and his father. The two of them looked quite young, barely legal age if he based it on their looks. This picture told him that his mother and father knew each other way before he met ra Minato. The second picture was a photo of his mother wearing a white floral dress and a hat at the beach. She was holding someone''s hand. Stefan was very clear as to who owns that hand she was holding. And thest picture was a photo of Latticia, holding a cute little baby in her arms. She was lying on a hospital bed while looking towards her child with a gaze full of love and tenderness.


    "And they told me that my mother died from giving birth to me. Is this what a dead person looks like?" Stefan questioned in mockery. He looked at the back of the pictures but there were no notes left on it. He pulled out a stack of paper and found out that it was his mother''s death certificate and also the information about her death.


    Stefan was born on Oct. 17 and on the certificate, his mother died on Dec. 13. It was clear that she died nearly two months after he was born. And the cause of death wasn''t from giving birth. She died from a car ident on her way home from buying groceries. She was a victim of a hit and run.


    "Alexander was born six years ahead of me. So, considering the time, Magnus can be called a cheater but when you think about it, he met my mother before ra. Isn''t she the third party, then? She''s absolutely the home wrecker. If she didn''te, my mother wouldn''t have died." Stefanmented while thumbing through the pages of the documents. After a while, he ced it down on the table and pulled out another stack of paper. The most important thing was that, he didn''t cause his mother''s death. That''s a little relief on his part.


    The next documents he got was a DNA test results. "Hn? Why would there be a DNA on this? Is this a mistake?" Stefan read the name of the parties and found that it was a test result between his father and Alexander''s DNA. What''s more shocking was that, the result came out NEGATIVE. "You''ve got to be kidding me!" Stefan eximed in anger. "Alexander isn''t my brother? Is this some kind of a joke?" He read the documents again and again and found that result didn''t change at all. "Holy f*cking god! Is this some sort of twisted drama? Is my life a kind of drama? How did this happen?" He was baffled. He was truly surprised that he stopped looking at the other things.


    Suddenly, an image of a man, who oftene to visit Alexander during his birthday and Christmas, popped in his mind. ''No way.'' He thought to dismiss the idea. ''That man was Alexander''s uncle.'' Stefan recounted but no matter how much he tried to dismiss the idea, there resemnce was very close and he couldn''t stop himself from leaning towards that immoral idea.


    He pressed his fingers on his temple and rubbed it. He was getting a headache just with this piece of news. Howe they all came to him when all he wanted was to know more about his mother? He rested his mind for few minutes before pulling out another stack of papers and a recorder from the envelope.


    The recordings were from different people. They surrendered their names and their rtionship to his mother and Magnus. Some of them were old ssmates from high school and some were from their university. There were neighbors who spoke up and some were his mother''s family.


    They all said that Magnus loved ra so much that even when he got married, he couldn''t let go of her. Latticia was the same, he loved the man so much that she agreed to be his mistress. They were both aware that they wouldn''t be a happy family. In fact, the Dumrique n wasn''t against the rtionship between Magnus and Latticia at first. They were even ready to let Magnus get married with his mother.


    However, a news came that Magnus impregnated someone. He admitted to this mistake as well. He was drugged and drunk. But he was fully aware of what happened at the bar. ra was a fresh graduate student that time when she came across him at the bar. She wanted to get rid of the baby in her stomach but she was also afraid of karma. In the end, sheid all the me to Magnus.


    With a little bit of maniption, he fell with the trap she made. Eventually, she fell in love with him but that''s when he found out that the love of his life got pregnant. It was still considered cheating since he was married to ra and he kept Latticia from her knowledge.


    Everything was twisted. His mother''s love was twisted. His father was a cheating bastard. ra was a maniptive and cunning woman. In the end, none of them have a happy ending and surely, he will make sure that they will suffer forever.


    "Looks like I''ll have to make a trip back to the Dumrique''s vi." Stefan muttered to himself while pressing the next button. A manly voice came through and it seemed like he was exhausted or helpless based on the tone of his voice.


    "I''m Dr. Albert. I worked for the Minato n and dirtied my hands for the sake of their name. Now, I wanted to bring justice to those that suffered because of my negligence. Young master Alexander is the son of ra, conceived after she had an affair with her third uncle. I was supposed to get rid of the baby when they decided to find a man that they can easily manipte. The young miss wanted to get rid of the baby, too but she found Magnus inside a bar and decided to let him take the me since he''s the son of the Dumrique n, the next heir to theirpany. A cooperation between them will be a good bait to make the family arrange a marriage for them. So, our n to kill the baby was put on halt. And I''m also involved in Latticia''s death."

 Chapter 156 - FINDING OUT THE TRUTH II

    <h4>Chapter 156 - FINDING OUT THE TRUTH II</h4>


    Stefan listened to the hoarse voice with full attention. He wanted to smash all the things inside his office. He wanted to thrash someone. He wanted to kill someone. His eyes were already red from anger but he remained seated, thinking of Cayenne''s sweet smile to keep him grounded and sane.


    Dr. Albert continued to talk. "Within years of marriage, Magnus and the young miss never encountered any problem but they weren''t the sweet kind of couple either. It was as if they were putting distance between them but they remained civil. Yearster, when young master Alexander was six years old, Magnus received news that Latticia gave birth to their son. At that point, the young miss contacted me and told me to kill the baby." Stefan''s eyebrow raised at this point. He didn''t know that the original n was to kill him instead of his mother.


    Dr. Albert took a deep breath and you could hear the air that he sucked deep into his lungs. "I couldn''t. I told her that I''m supposed to save lives not to kill them. It angered the young miss. She ended the call and I haven''t heard anything from her. After a month, she called me again. Telling me that she killed Latticia. I was shocked and was panicking. I told the Minato family about it but I never thought they''d cover it up. When we came to find the young miss, she was crying beside a dead woman. She hit her with her car. Even though we knew who killed her, we let her go." Stefan clenched his fist tightly. He was breathing in and out to rx himself. If he didn''t have Cayenne''s opinion to care about, he would find all the people involved of her mother''s death and kill them all. Killing them once wouldn''t suppress his anger. He wanted to kill them with a thousand cuts, like those people whomitted a heavy crime during the old era.


    Stefan picked up his phone and looked at Cayenne''s picture in his photo album to calm himself while listening to Dr. Albert''s voice from the recorder. "When the policemen came, we told them that the suspect ran away when we found the dead body. Magnus didn''t suspect as at all which saved us from being sent to jail as an aplice. However, my conscience is killing me. I don''t want Latticia toe and hunt me for justice. Also, Alexander knew about his real identity which is why he''s been so good with the young Stefan. He wanted topensate the sin that his mothermitted. He wanted to pay Latticia''s life with his life but he couldn''t find the right time to do it. It must not look like a deliberate crime. It should look like an ident. So, when a burr came in the middle of the night, he must have thought it was the best chance to die to pay Latticia''s life. How did I know about his n? Of course, he told me. He didn''t die on the spot. He was still alive when he arrived at the hospital but he refused our help. He didn''t want to survive. He wanted to die to wash away his mother''s crime."


    Stefan chuckled and then his chuckles turned to a series of loudughter. He wasughing so hard but soon after, hisughter became a cry of anguish. He cried and cried. Tears fell on the papers on his table as he clenched on the recorder. His beloved brother died because of his mother. He took the me even though it wasn''t his fault. The only person who stayed by his side ever since he was young, left him alone.


    ''Why? Why must youpensate the crime that you have never done. Why must you die? Why did you have to leave me?'' Stefan questioned internally. The information was too much. He never thought that the truth would be this painful. Alexander was just like him, the victim of their parents'' selfishness and maniption. They were both innocent but they had to carry the burden as if they were the one whomitted the scene.


    Chris could vaguely hear theughter from the CEO''s office and he knew that Stefan must be grieving because of all the things he found out. Before the information reached to Stefan, Chris was able to read them since he was the one who investigated it with the help of Shein. He knew how painful the information was.


    "I wish Cayenne is here. She would be able to soothe the boss." Chrismented before resuming his work. With Stefan''s state of mind, he was sure that not a single work will be done in the afternoon. To help the boss, he can only work on his own to cover for him.


    It was true. Stefan couldn''t focus his mind to work. He could only think of how he can take his revenge without having his hands tainted with blood. He was lying on his office couch; his arm was covering his eyes while he thought of his mother''s lovely smile. Tears kept falling on the side of his face. ''She wasn''t so innocent either.'' Stefan thought. ''Although I''m still upset that they killed her, it happened because she was stupid. She knew that Magnus was already married, why did she have to force her love to him? And that Magnus, he knew he''s already married, why must he make my mother a mistress? If he didn''t want to marry ra, he should have fought for it. And ra. That woman. I''ll make sure that she''ll pay all the crime shemitted.''


    Around three in the afternoon, Stefanposed himself once again and called Cayenne. He needed to hear her voice to replenish his depleted energy and turmoiled emotions.


    "Hi, are you taking break again?" Cayenne asked him.


    "I can take a break whenever I want." Stefan responded. "Ayen, I''m sad."


    "Why are you sad? Did someone bully you again?"


    "Hn. My family bullied me. All of them including Alex."


    Hearing these words, Cayenne deduced that he must have found something about his mother that rtes to Alexander''s death. She can only lower her voice and try her best to soothe him. "Next time, if theye and find you, let me know. I''ll fight them off for you. I will protect you from them. I''m a strong woman in case you haven''t noticed."

 Chapter 157 - IM SURPRISING MY MOTHER AND FATHER

    <h4>Chapter 157 - I''M SURPRISING MY MOTHER AND FATHER</h4>


    Stefan''s low mood soared once again because of her retort. Cayenne didn''t just remedy his sleeping disorder but her also helped him in his every day struggle. Many people think that he didn''t have any problem in life because he''s a rich man and he''s got everything he wanted. But they''re absolutely wrong. Aside from Cayenne and Chris, no one knew how much he struggle just to keep his empire from crumbling and from keeping his life safe from all the murder attempts done by his business rivals.


    Stefan sighed with a smile on his face. "I''ll make sure to let you know when I''m being bullied."


    "You better be." Cayenne responded with a proud smile. "Anyway, I''ve got to go to work now. I''ll see youter."


    "Hn. See you."


    The call ended but this time, Stefan''s smile didn''t leave his handsome face. He was still happy even if the following days will be a little bit stormy.


    He had everything nned already and the first step was to send the documents to the police department. They can investigate this matter once and for all. "Maybe I should give her a little scare." Stefan mumbled to himself and for the first time, he was willing to be sinister. "I''ll send the documents after a week."


    Then, he searched for a flower shop and bought a bouquet of ck roses.


    Later that day, around six in the evening, ra and Magnus came home from thepany and when they''re about to get inside the gate, they caught sight of the flowers. To some people, a ck rose is a sign of bad omen and seeing so many of them, Magnus was truly horrified.


    "There''s a flower at the gate. Go and get it then throw it away." Magnus asked one of the maids the moment he got out of the car. ra had a frown on her pretty face but she immediately schooled her expression as if there''s nothing wrong in her life.


    The next day, the same thing happened. When they got home from work, they saw the same bouquet of ck roses. Once again, Magnus asked someone to throw the flowers away.


    And the next day after that, the same thing happened. This time, Magnus was so angry that he picked the flowers himself and was about to throw it when a note fell. What was written on the notes was even more horrifying than the roses itself. His hands trembled and he couldn''t seem to form any words with his mouth.


    In the end, he pocketed the notes and brought the flowers inside the house. ra saw what happened and she was furious because Magnus left her inside the car; and the car was still outside the gate.


    "Magnus!" She called his name but he didn''t respond to her or even took a nce towards his angry wife. "Magnus! The car is still outside."


    Magnus seemed to have been pulled away from reality. He was in a daze and his mind was closed off, not letting any voice got into his head.


    ra was left with no other choice but to call one of the guards and asked him to drive the car back to the garage. And she followed her husband to their house. "What''s wrong with you?!" ra pulled his arm and made him stop walking. The grief on his face was so heavy and there were tears in his eyes. "Hey! What happened to you?"


    Magnus looked towards his wife and smiled. "ra, are you hiding something from me?"


    "Me?" She questioned while pointing her index finger to herself. "I am not keeping anything from you. I''ve been very honest.? Between the two of us, weren''t you the one who cheated on me?"


    "Right." Magnus responded but the seed of doubt was slowly taking roots in his heart. He clenched on the note inside his pocket and decided to shred itter before rae across of it. ''Your beloved Alexander wasn''t your son.'' These were the words written on the small piece of paper that was ced between the flowers.


    "What was that flower all about?" ra asked when she still saw the flowers on the coffee table in the living room.


    "It''s the same flowers. I don''t know who sent them."


    "What about the note? I saw you taking the note earlier?"


    "The note said that something''s going to happen to us. We need to be careful in the next few days."


    "I see."


    ra didn''t doubt him and just continued to walk upstairs. On the other hand, Magnus went to the security room in the guard house and checked the CCTV cameras. In the past three days, around five-thirty, a man wearing a ck hoodie wille and ce the bouquet of flowers and will leave right after that. He didn''t do anything out of ce aside from cing the flowers there.


    "Why didn''t you check the man when he came the next day?" Magnus asked the security guard.


    "Sir, he may look like he was walking slow in the camera but every time I went out to catch him, he''s nowhere to be found. And when I try to guard the gate to wait for him, he won''te. He would wait for the right time when no ones around. As if he knew this ce with the back of his hand."


    "Just continue to monitor him. And next time, when another flower is sent by that person, just get the flower and bring it here. I''lle and pick it once I''m home. Also, don''t let ra know about this."


    "Yes, sir."


    The next day, Stefan didn''t order any flowers, instead he brought the DNA results home and asked Cayenne to formed them into a kind of folded paper flowers. Instead of real flowers, he and Cayenne made a bouquet of paper flowers this time.


    "What are you going to do with these?" Cayenne asked her while she arranged the paper flowers into a beautiful bouquet.


    "I''m surprising my father and mother."

 Chapter 158 - CAN I CALL YOU AUNTIE?

    <h4>Chapter 158 - CAN I CALL YOU AUNTIE?</h4>


    So, this time, Magnus didn''t get a bouquet of ck roses but a bouquet of paper flowers instead. ''I''m not dead. And please read the paper flowers I made.'' -Latticia.


    The bouquet that Magnus was holding fell on the ground. He was reading the name again and again with his eyes wide open. He was afraid that the moment he''ll blink, the name on the paper would change.


    ''The flowers.'' He thought and picked up the paper flowers that were scattering on the ground. After securing everything, he went to the study room and unfolded the paper flowers since he was instructed to read them. There were page numbers on the upper right corner of the papers so, he was able to arrange them from the very beginning to end.


    But once he was done arranging them, his face turned cold. It was a DNA report of him and Alexander Dumrique. And the result? Of course, it was negative. Why else would he be angry after reading the documents? It was clearly stated in bold read that the two partied didn''t have a father and son rtionship.


    "But who would get hold of Alexander''s DNA and mine? Howe I didn''t know of this until now?" Magnus questioned. A little bothered and doubtful. He checked the date once again and found that the DNA test was conducted several years ago. It was when Alexander was hospitalized due to dengue.


    While he was bothered and worried with this identity scandal, Stefan and Cayenne were on their way to the Madrigal''s home. They were finally going to see them and Cayenne''s excitement was obvious on her face. She would sometimes giggle, sometimes smile and sometimes she would blush as if she''s going to meet her first love. Her expressions were really funny to observe.


    "You''re very excited, huh." Stefanmented on her while driving.


    "Who wouldn''t be? She''s my savior and my idol. I really admire her from afar. I just couldn''t stop my heart from being happy to see her up close."


    "I know. I understand." Stefan just smiled helpless at his girlfriend. Being a fangirl ismon and he just happened to have a girlfriend who''s a fangirl of someone a little close to him.


    After an hour of driving, Stefan drove his car inside a huge vi and parked it at the garage. If got four cars inside his garage, the garage of the Madrigals were three timesrger than Stefan''s. And the car collections? Oh, she didn''t bother counting them because their brands blinded her.


    "Good evening sir. Good evening, ma''am." One of the security personnel greeted them.


    "Hi Top." Stefan greeted back as he walked inside the house. "Are they at the back garden?"


    "Yes, sir."


    Top met Stefan a lot of time before since there were times that Travis would ask him to check on this man''s whereabouts and if he''s safe and sound. Even though they were both businessmen, they never cross each other''s territory; except for the first hotel that Stefan acquired which was located in City B. Travis had a share on that hotel as well.


    Stefan was also very familiar with Travis and his family and he knew that most of the time, he''s at the back garden, ying with Jade.


    Travis had heard the car earlier and he knew that Stefan must have arrived. He told their helpers, Auntie Sisi and Auntie Fei to prepare a sumptuous dinner.


    "Travis." Stefan called out when he saw the man squatting on a nket that wasid on the ground. Jade was ying lying with her back while gazing at the stars.


    "Stefan. I''m d you''vee." Travis reached out his hand and Stefan pulled him up and the two exchanged a brief hug. Cayenne looked towards Travis but her eyes were soon wandering around, looking for a certain someone. "Are you looking for Jill?"


    "Is it that obvious?" Cayenneughed with a flustered face. "I really want to see her up close and honestly, I''ve been very nervous ever since I got inside the car."


    Travis didn''t know whether tough or cry at her response. She''s really just a normal and typical fangirl. "My wife is currently taking care of our son. She''ll being downter."


    "Oh." Cayenne wasn''t disappointed at all. She''s willing to wait just to see her goddess.


    Jade had been observing her and found that she was holding Stefan''s hands. "Big sister, are you Uncle Stef''s girlfriend?" Jade asked with her soft little voice and curious eyes. "You should not let go of Uncle. Many women are eyeing him and wanted him to be their boyfriend."


    "Ah? Hahaha." Cayenneughed awkwardly. She didn''t expect to hear such clever remark from a very young child. She let go of Stefan''s hand and squatted down and looked at her. "Can I sit here?"


    "Sure." Jade moved a little bit to give Cayenne some space. "Are you one of my mommy''s fan?"


    "Hn." Cayenne responded. "By the way, this is for you and this is for your little brother." Cayenne handed her two gift bags.


    Jade''s eyes lit up and the smile on her face widened even more. "Thank you, big sister. Should I call you auntie? I''m calling him Uncle Stef so, I should be calling you auntie, right?"


    "That''s right." Stefan answered Jade in behalf of Cayenne since he knew that she was put on a hot seat once again. "You can call her auntie Yen."


    Jade nodded her head and looked towards Cayenne once again. "Thank you, Auntie Yen."


    "You''re wee." Cayenne replied softly, clearly embarrassed and shy.


    Stefan and Travis moved to the small parasol where tables and chairs were set up. Usually, it''s where Jade study during the day whenever it''s weekend. She likes to stay there and watch the koi fishes when she''s bored.


    "By the way, Auntie Yen, how did you be my mother''s fan?"


    Because of this question, Cayenne happily narrated the event that happened over a year ago that brought her fate across with Jillyanna Madrid and Travis Madrigal.

 Chapter 159 - FANGIRL CAYENNE

    <h4>Chapter 159 - FANGIRL CAYENNE</h4>


    "Wow! My mommy is really cool." Jade eximed when she heard the story of Cayenne being saved by her mother. "So, ever since that day, you would check any news about my mother from time to time?"


    "Yup. I was really sad when I found out that she was getting in and out of the hospital. I could only pray for her recovery since I don''t have anything to help her. I''m d that she''s fine."


    "You know what, my mother will always be blessed because she likes to help other people. Just like you, she helped me, too." Jade told Cayenne her story. Unlike other adopted children who will cry after being told that they''re adopted and not a biological child of their mother, Jade had a very advance mindset and she clearly knew of her position. No matter how many times she was told never to think of herself as an adopted child, she would always control her bearings. She would never ask for anything. She would wait for her family to give her something. She would always help at home. She studies very hard to keep up the good work and she didn''t cause them trouble.


    She didn''t have to be perfect, that''s what Jillyanna told her again and again. She can make mistakes in order to improve herself. Whenever she doesmit mistake, Jillyanna would scold her but at the same time, she''d tell her how to do things the right away. And for Jade, these were the best things. Being scolded means that Jillyanna cares for her. But sometimes, Travis got more scolding than her. Why? Because he spoils Jade a lot.


    The twodies talked about trivial matters while the two men talked about serious stuff.


    Few minutester, two other people came home and Jade stood up happily. "Auntie Riley! Uncle Shein! Wee home." She ran towards them and Riley caught her and lifted her up high. The little girl''sughter sent warmth to their hearts. "How was your work?"


    "I had fun today. I had a photoshoot with the -eh? Isn''t this Stefan''s girlfriend?" Riley questioned when she caught sight of the shocked woman who was ying with Jade a while ago.


    "You know, Auntie Yen?" Jade asked Riley while taking the lead towards Cayenne.


    "Hn. We talked one time after they watched my movie. I believe it was on Christmas Day." Riley responded while walking towards Cayenne. "It''s nice to finally meet you." She reached out stretched out her hand for a handshake.


    Cayenne took Riley''s hand mindlessly and shook it a few times. She was still doubtful with what she was seeing, making her pinch her face.


    Jade giggled and rubbed Cayenne''s red face. "You''re so silly, Auntie Yen. This is not a dream."


    "OH my gosh!" Cayenne blurted out and her face glowed even more. The smile on her face was stretched a bit wider and her eyes were twinkling from happiness. "Stefan! Why didn''t you tell me that Riley Summer will also be here?" she red usingly towards her boyfriend who was grinning back to her.


    "Oh. I must have forgotten to tell you that she lives here, too."


    "Ah? She lives here?"


    "Hn. I live here." Riley responded her question. "Shein and I live in that house." She told Cayenne while pointing her hand to the house across thewn. That''s when Cayenne realized that there were three houses at the back of the Madrigal''s mansion.


    Cayenne''s heart was hyperventting and her face was getting warmer. She didn''t know what to do. "I¡­uh¡­uhm¡­can I get a picture with you? I want to make my brothers jealouster."


    "Your brothers? Oh! The two guys who were with youst time?"


    "Yes."


    "Sure. Let''s take lots of picturester." Riley told Cayenne with a yful wink. "I''ll just go and change my clothes."


    Shein just looked at her and smiled. When he passed by Stefan, he also sped Stefan''s shoulder in a simple greeting between men.


    "I won''t have a peaceful sleep tonight." Stefanmented while watching Cayenne talking happily with Jade.


    "Why is that?"


    Stefan motioned Travis to look towards Cayenne with his finger. "Do you think she''ll fall asleep after seeing Riley. And to think the main objective of our visit isn''t showing up yet. How much more if Jilles out?"


    "Speaking of the queen and the queenes." Travis replied while his eyes moved to the entrance of the kitchen where Jillyanna was standing with their baby.


    "Isn''t it ''speaking of the devil and the deviles''?" Stefan questioned teasingly.


    "Why would I call my wife a devil?"


    "Isn''t she?"


    "Even if she is, I wouldn''t call her that. Try saying those words to Cayenne and I assure you that you will be sleeping on a couch."


    Stefan chuckled at this retort because Travis was absolutely right. It was known to everyone that Travis was a member of Doting Husband Club. And not long after, Stefan will be a member of it, too.


    Cayenne was busy talking to Jade but she caught sight of the most beautiful legs she''s ever seen in her entire life and these long legs were very familiar to her.


    "Mommy!" Jade called and walked towards her mother. "I met Auntie Yen. She''s uncle Stef''s girlfriend and she''s a fan of yours." Jade told her mother excitedly. "She even told me how you saved her back then."


    "Right. I remember that time, too." Jillyannamented while giving Travis a sharp re. Why wouldn''t she remember? It was the first date that she tried to hard toe up with and she nned to watch a horror movie that time. How would she know that her perverted husband would changed it to something SPG? In the end, the date was ruined and she was taken to a hotel and the wolf attacked the helpless princess.


    Cayenne felt so nervous. Her hands were a bit shaky and her chest was moving up and down from rapid breathing. ''This angel is taking my breath away!'' she told herself mentally. For a moment, she doubted her gender but when she looked to the side and found Stefan''s teasing smile, she realized that she''s indeed a woman and she loved the smiling idiot more than anyone else.

 Chapter 160 - WEVE GOT YOUR BACK

    <h4>Chapter 160 - WE''VE GOT YOUR BACK</h4>


    Stefan frowned when upon seeing her expression. "Why are you looking at me like that? As if you want to eat me raw and whole?"


    "Geez! Even if I want to eat you it won''t happen soon. Dream on." Cayenne rebutted with a roll of her eyes.? But as soon as she faced Jillyanna, she was like a puppy who saw her master after a long time of separation. "Hello." She greeted.


    "Why are you being so polite? It''s not like we''re meeting for the firs time." Jillyannamented, taking the remaining steps towards Cayenne who was blushing as if she was meeting her crush. "Are you that happy to see me? You''re like a lovestruck teen."


    "You just don''t know how happy I am." Cayenne admitted with all honesty. "I''ve been dreaming to see you after that fateful night over a year ago. I didn''t expect I''d really see you this soon. I still keep the letter that you gave me."


    "I didn''t expect you''d end up with Stefan either. I still remember how he scolded you back then. And if I remember it correctly, it was your first day to take up the job."


    "Hey! Don''t recall such negative incident." Stefanmented on the side. It was a thing in the past that would always make him feel embarrassed towards Cayenne.


    Jillyanna and Travis justughed it off while Cayenne smiled sheepishly. Of course, she remembered it. It''s something that she would never forget in her entire life because meeting Jillyanna changed her mindset.


    Since it already dark and called, they didn''t say for a long time at the back garden. They all went inside and it so-happen that Valkyrie and Brown came home after a long week of observation with their next target.


    "Little Yenyen! You''re here." Brown greeted Cayenne and rubbed her head. "How was your worktely?"


    "It''s okay. I''m not having a hard time at all." Cayenne smiled at him but she suddenly realized that something''s weird. "Don''t tell me you''re living here, too?" Cayenne asked her with an expression full of doubt and hesitation.


    "Bingo!" Brown answered.


    "We live in one of the houses at the back." Valkyrie added.


    "Wow! You''re a very tight family." She stated with amazement.


    "Jillyanna keeps us together." Brown told her and gave Jill a wink.


    They talked about different stuff butter on, Jillyanna gave Raizel to Travis and asked Cayenne toe and follow her upstairs. Although Cayenne knew that nothing will happen to her, she was still a bit nervous to be alone with her.


    "Do you know why I asked you to follow me?" Jillyanna asked her after the two of them settled on one of the couches around and Cayenne shook her head because she had no idea at all. "I just want you to know that we''ve got your back."


    "Ah?" Cayenne was a bit startled with what Jillyanna said because she knew that she had no private rtionship with them at all. "Thank you for telling me that. I know you are kind and that you''re willing to help everyone who needs help but really, I''m fine and I''m having a good time with my work."


    "I understand your point and I''m not attracting any bad things to happen but we cannot erase the fact that you and Stefan has a different social status. If you get bullied one day, remember that we''ve got your back. You can alwayse to us for help."


    "Thank you so much, Ms. Jillyanna."


    "Just call me Jill. Don''t hesitate to contact us in the future. And don''t lose the letter as well. We''ll be looking after you."


    Cayenne couldn''t really understand why they were all being good to her but she knew that the Madrigal family and everyone connected to them were all nice and kind. She didn''t want to think too much about it.


    After quarter an hour the two of them went back downstairs and they all had dinner together. Riley and Shein were there. Brown and Hawk joined them as well. Jackie wasn''t around because she went to have a date with Vincent. Savannah and Hawk wereing homete since they still needed to drop by the military camp to make a conclusive report of their recent mission. They were currently separated from Brown and Valkyrie.


    They talked a lot during dinner and even after they were done eating they were still chatting in the living room. Stefan was happy to see Cayenne''s lovely and worry-free smile. It''s seldom to see her without any worries.


    "Let''s take pictures." Riley suggested. "You wanted to make your brother''s be jealous right?"


    "Is it really okay?" Cayenne asked hesitantly but she was already holding her phone.


    "Sure." Riley took Cayenne''s phone and when she saw the design of her cover, Riley''s eyebrow raised a bit. "I hate couple items."


    "Why?"


    "Because I can''t have them. Even if I have them, there''s no way I can show them in public with my boyfriend."


    Cayenne smiled faintly and rubbed Cayenne''s arms. "We''re just the same, whenever I''m in the public, I never take out my phone. But there were times that Stefan''s very stubborn and would insist us to wear a matching outfit. I can only make sure to hide my face."


    "You''re much like a celebrity." Shein added. "Anyway, just take as many pictures as you want."


    Therefore, the rest of the time was spent with Cayenne taking pictures with everyone. She had so many photos of Jillyanna and Riley; and she was ready to make her brothers jealous.


    Even when they''re already on the road, she couldn''t help smiling from time to time and she would tell Stefan how she felt during the visit. Stefan loved hearing her stories and he loved watching her beautiful smile. To him, spending his leisure time with Cayenne and making her happy was always the best of everything.


    Stefan was holding the steering wheel with his left hand while holding Cayenne''s left hand with his right. Whenever he can, he loves to hold her close to him. "I''m d that you enjoyed our short visit. Don''t forget that tomorrow, we will have an office romance."

 Chapter 161 - UNEXPECTED VISITORS

    <h4>Chapter 161 - UNEXPECTED VISITORS</h4>


    When the two of them got back, they were both shocked to see two other people in the apartment. One was none other than Arthur and the other one was nurse Mimi, Emerald''s nurse when she was still staying in Senyu Medical Hospital.


    Stefan looked towards Cayenne to see how she will react or what she would say. Contrary to his expectation that she would freak out, Cayenne calmly look at them while holding his hand, leading him inside the apartment.


    "Ma, we''re home." She greeted her mother with a faint smile.


    "We''re back, auntie. How are you feeling today?" Stefan kissed Emerald''s cheek as a form of respect and settled down on the space beside Cayenne.


    "I''m doing good. Jasmine was very attentive to me the whole time and my sons were with me, too." Emerald responded Stefan with a smile. She no longer ignored him like before after she observed that he was really kind and caring to Cayenne.


    "I''m d to know that. The most important thing is for you three to be safe always. Or else, Ayen will get mad at me if you get into trouble." Emerald just waved her hand with a smile on her face.


    "You''re worrying so much like Yen." She replied to him.


    "Yen, you''ve got visitors." Luiz stated.


    "Hn. I can see that." Cayenne smiled at his brother who looked apologetically at her. She understood why. She made it clear to everyone that Arthur isn''t allowed to step inside their apartment once again but he still ended uping this time. "What can I do for you nurse Mimi? Sorry, we took so long to arrive."


    "It''s fine. It''s fine." The nurse told her. "I just wanted to see how your mother is doing. I''m d you found a good nurse for her."


    "Yes, Stefan did. We were worried to leave her alone here and we don''t want to impose on you knowing that you''ve got so many patients to look after."


    "You are right. I won''t argue with that." Nurse Mimi stated. "By the way, Yen, can I talk to you alone for a moment?"


    "Sure. Let''s get inside my room." Cayenne stood up but she realized that Arthur was there and so was Stefan. She didn''t want to them to be in the same space. It makes her feel a bitfortable. "Uh¡­Do you mind if I bring my boyfriend along?"


    Nurse Mimi looked towards Stefan and then to Cayenne. Since he wasn''t really part of her family yet, she didn''t want to have another extra person but seeing Cayenne''s anxiousness, she couldn''t help but nod her head in agreement. Stefan smiled helplessly and followed her. "Are you afraid that I''ll be bullied by your first crush?" he asked in whisper which earned him a pinch on his waist.


    "Who dares bully you? They''ll have to face me first." Cayenne replied which made Stefanughed happily. Only Cayenne can make himugh in a carefree manner. That''s after Alexander died.


    The moment they got inside, Arthur felt how painful it was to see Cayenne smiling with some other man. It was supposedly his ce. He was supposed to beughing with her.


    But nobody cared how he felt at this point. Luiz continued to answer his assignment. Kyle was chatting with Kath, nning the final date for him to meet her family. Only Emerald was left to talk with Arthur while waiting for Cayenne toe out.


    Inside Cayenne''s room, Stefan was standing and leaning his back on the door. Cayenne was sitting on her bed while Nurse Mimi sat on the only chair found in her room.


    "Nurse Mimi, is there any problem?" Cayenne asked the young nurse in front of her. Although she was young, she was still older than Cayenne.


    "It''s about your mother''s bill." Nurse Mimi said.


    "Isn''t it paid already?" Cayenne asked with a deep frown on her face.


    "Yes, it''s paid butst Tuesday, if I remember it correctly, someone came to the hospital to ask about your mother''s bill. He even said that he was your father."


    Cayenne remembered Chris and her lips stretched into a smile. "That was actually Stefan''s secretary. We asked him to look into the identity of the person who paid the huge bill. In the end, he couldn''t find anything."


    "I see. I was worried that someone was snooping around your life. So, it shouldn''t be something I worry about?"


    "Yes, nurse Mimi. You don''t have to worry about it. Everything''s fine but, if possible, can you not tell my mother that the bill has been paid? She''d be bothered with it."


    "Alright. I won''t say anything. I won''t interfere with your life but if you need help in the future, just let me know, okay?"


    "Yes, nurse Mimi. Thanks a lot."


    They talked for few more minutes before the nurse left. In fact, she thought that it was Stefan who secretly paid bill to help Cayenne. Seeing theme in together, she instantly knew that Cayenne was the rumored official girlfriend of this young bachelor. However, she didn''t say anything about their rtionship. At the same time, she was wrong with her spection. Stefan wasn''t the one who paid the bill and he wanted to know it, too. Sadly, Cayenne told him to stop looking into it.


    After dealing with the nurse, thest person was Arthur. This time, Cayenne didn''t allow Stefan toe out. She had to face him alone.


    "I''m about to leave. Can we talk outside?" Arthur asked her while cocking his head towards the door.


    "Hn." She wore her jacket and slippers before heading out. They just stayed at the hallway of the apartment, leaning on the rail while watching the darky sky which was littered with small dots of stars. "You want to talk about Stefan?"


    "So, you really are his girlfriend?"


    "And you were doubting me for a long time now." Cayenne retorted.


    "So many things pointed out towards you but I couldn''t just get any evidence. I got it confirmed now." His voice sounded sad and lonely but Cayenne didn''t let it affect her. "Are you happy with him?"

 Chapter 162 - GETTING READY FOR AN OFFICE ROMANCE

    <h4>Chapter 162 - GETTING READY FOR AN OFFICE ROMANCE</h4>


    Arthur left the apartment and his words still rang in Cayenne''s mind. ''If he makes you sad and makes you cry, just let me know and I''ll be there for you.''


    Cayenne didn''t nod her head or shook it. She just remained silence and looked at him. She knew for sure that Stefan wouldn''t hurt her and she''s confident with that. Or so, she thought.


    When she came back inside, her mother was no where to be seen. "She said that she''ll sleep and rest first." Luiz informed her sister. "So, how was your trip with Stefan?"


    "Oh right!" Cayenne''s mood instantly changed and she became so happy while pulling out her phone. "I''ll show you something." Cayenne scrolled her phone and stopped on her gallery.


    "Whoa! That''s really unfair of you! Are you intentionally making us jealous?" Kyle questioned usingly at her sister.


    "You''ve got a girlfriend, okay? Why are you still ogling over other women?" Cayenne snapped at him. "But yeah, I''m intentionally making you jealous. Ain''t they pretty? I felt like was dreaming the whole time but every time I see these pictures, I knew I met them for real."


    "Next time, can you ask for an autograph? I want to show it to my ssmates. Almost all of us likes Riley Summer and most of the music enthusiasts like Jillyanna''s songs. I will make them envious." Luiz told her sister with a longing smile. "Well, I don''t mind if there''s none. I just want you to be happy all the time."


    "Speaking of being happy, how was your visit? Is your father alright?" Cayenne asked the two of them but they all turned silent and sadness crossed over their faces. "Is he having a hard time?"


    "The same as usual. We all know that father wasn''t the aggressive type of person. Whenever he gets bullied, he wouldn''t fight back at all. It''s not even his fault that he was sent there."


    "I know. It''s just that we''re up against the rich people. We cannot beat them up when ites to power. Next time, bring him some medicine and more thick clothes." Cayenne told her brothers. "It''s gettingte now. Make sure to sleep after you''re done with your homework. And Kyle," she called the elder brother. "make sure that you won''t drop your grades. Make your rtionship an inspiration to improve your studies."


    "Yes. Yes." Kyle answered with a smile on his face. In fact, he knew exactly what to do in order to make sure that he won''t fail.


    Cayenne went back to her room and found Stefan leaning on the headrest while reading something on his tablet. "I thought we won''t be able to sleep tonight." Stefanmented cheekily while watching her walk towards her cab to get a change of clothes.


    Cayenne made face on him and rolled her eyes. "I know when to move on and I promised to dedicate my night life to you. That haven''t changed yet."


    "Oh?" Stefan''s eyebrow suddenly raised and there''s glint of mischief in his eyes. "What should be my prized for bringing you to meet Jillyanna and Riley? Surely, I should have a prize, right?"


    "Why should you be getting an award? Didn''t you bring me along because you needed to talk to them about something?"


    "Nope. I didn''t have anything to discuss with them. I just really want you to meet them."


    "No kidding?"


    "No kidding."


    Cayenne watched Stefan to observe any changes on his expression but it remained the same. "I''ll think about your award while I bath."


    "That sounds great." Stefan responded with anticipation. "I''ll wait for you."


    Cayenne went to the bathroom with a flustered face. She was clueless what to do and there''s no way she''d reward him with her own body. "What should I do?" she muttered to herself while take a bath. Even after she was done washing up, she still couldn''te up with any suitable idea to rewards him.


    "So, what''s my reward?" Stefan asked her the moment she came out of the bathroom.


    "I¡­I couldn''te up with any idea. Can¡­can I give it to you tomorrow?"


    "Sure. I don''t mind at all. Come here and I''ll dry your hair." Stefan motioned her to sit on the bed while he was holding ab, a towel and a blower. This was just part of their routine.


    After drying her hair, the two of them cuddled together on their bed.


    "Thank you for bringing me to meet Jillyanna and her family. I''m so happy." Cayenne muttered with her eyes closed. She kissed Stefan''s jaw and gently nipped on it. "I never expected them to be very weing of me."


    "Jill likes honest and unpretentious people. Travis could see in your eyes that you have no evil intention. So, it''s not really unexpected for them to like you." Stefan replied while running his fingers through her hair. While doing so, he would lightly massage her scalp which made Cayenne even more sleepy.


    "But there''s something I don''t understand. I was just¡­ab¡­mmm" her sluggish words weren''t finished because she fell asleep.


    Stefan chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head with a smile on his lips. "Good night my little Queen." He wrapped his arms around her and cuddled her to sleep. Although, he still woke up in the middle of the night to take care of himself before going back to sleep and woke up in the morning.


    The day has finally arrived. He woke up excitedly with replenished vigor and stepped out of the room to cook breakfast for the whole family. The sight of him, cooking while humming a song, startled both Luiz and Kyle who came out of their room to do a short morning exercise.


    "Is there a special event today?" Kyle asked Stefan as he poured himself a ss of water.


    "Yup. Your sister will being with me to my office." Stefan replied happily.


    ''What is so special about that?'' Luiz wanted to ask this question but he kept quiet to avoid offending the other person. If it''s special for him then, it''s special. You can''t do anything about it.


    They just didn''t know that Stefan was excited about a different thing that will happen inside his office.

 Chapter 163 - OFFICE ROMANCE I

    <h4>Chapter 163 - OFFICE ROMANCE I</h4>


    Stefan had no idea that Cayenne already got an idea to reward him for his effort yesterday while he was getting ready for work. There won''t be many employees during Sunday since it''s only optional for them to work on Sunday or Saturday. Some of them chose a weekday rest day so they''ve got to work their butt on Saturday and Sunday. They''re lucky this time because they can see thedy bossing along with the boss.


    Even though Arthur knew of their rtionship, he promised that he won''t tell anyone about it. Cayenne could only hope that he would keep his promise to keep his mouth shut.


    Chris picked them up around nine in the morning and drove the car directly to thepany. As usual, Cayenne was wearing a cap and dark sses to cover her face. Stefan was wearing sses but he just used it as part of his fashion unlike Cayenne that needed something for disguise.


    Earlier, when he chose his clothes, he wanted to wear the white shirt and top it with ck suit but since it was Sunday, he wanted to go for a casual style so that he can go and have a date with herter. When Cayenne chose to wear a baby pink colored dress with a huge red rose print on the waist line, he chose a baby pink polo shirt to match her color. Cayenne chose a white sling bag, so he wore white shorts. Cayenne used a pair of white shoes, and so he did. Cayenne wore the red-string-of-fate bracelet, so Stefan wore the watch she gave to pair with her bracelet.


    When Cayenne went out of the bathroom after changing, she noticed that Stefan was done changing in her room as well and they''ve got a matching outfit. The smile on her face bloomed happily and she couldn''t do anything about it.


    Now, walking at the lobby of hispany, the two of them with striking outfit made other people stop from working and stare at them. Cayenne walked calmly beside Stefan while holding his hand. Since she had small stepspared to Stefan, he had to walk slowly in order to keep up with her.


    "Oh my gosh! Thedy boss is here! She''s here!" one of the employees said excitedly to her colleagues.


    "Who do you think straightened our president''s personality?" another employee whispered.


    The identity of theirdy boss was always their food for gossip. Before, their boss was very frivolous and he would even let the media catch a glimpse of them going inside a water in the middle of the night and going out at dawn. There were so many instances in the past that he was caught ''dating'' with different women in a week.


    However, it truly came as a surprise when they found out that the boss was in love. And this time, he''s being serious. He didn''t let anyone know of the woman''s identity and even though the media knew about her, they wouldn''t dare release any news. Stefan was clearly protecting her. And she''s the only woman that stepped foot in hispany.


    Stefan always got this motto that business and pleasure must be separated but now, he was trying to do both with Cayenne.


    One of the employees took picture of them and even though they couldn''t see Cayenne''s face, they could tell that she''s pretty. One reason was because, their president was picky. The picture was sent to the group chat between employees and they were all excited to see thedy boss. Sadly, most of them were taking days off and even if they woulde to the office, they wouldn''t get paid for taking part in a gossip. It''s a waste of time. Therefore, they could only wait for their colleagues to send them updates.


    "What will I be doing in your office? Is there anything that I can help you with?" Cayenne asked Stefan while the three of them got inside the elevator. Chris was just staying at the back of them.


    Stefan thought for a while but he wasn''t sure if there''s something she can do. "Let''s check itter."


    Cayenne nodded her head in agreement. She''s not really proficient in business matters but she wanted to help him a little bit. The elevator door soon opened and Chris walked towards his small office which was particrly made for the assistant. "If you have any questions or concern that needed my help, just ring me up."


    "Sure. Sure." Cayenne replied and smiled at him before following Stefan to his office. This will be her second time in his office after that fever incident.


    "Just find a ce where you''ll feelfortable to sit." Stefan told her while taking off his sses and ced it on his desk.


    Cayenne chose the area near the window so that she can see the view outside. There''s nothing good to see in the morning but she still liked to sit by the window. "I won''t disturb you so just do your job. I''ll be reading something over here."


    "Okay." Stefan sat on his swivel chair and opened up hisputer while stealing nces at her from time to time. "Ayen, can youe here for a while?"


    "Hn? Is there something wrong?" Cayenne innocently asked. Her n was forter but she didn''t expect that Stefan would do something else.


    "Move here to my side." Stefan told her and she followed his instruction. When she was close enough to his side, he pulled her hand and made her sit on hisp. "This is where you should sit."


    "W-wait. You are still working." Cayenne refuted him. "I don''t want to disturb you."


    "You won''t be disturbing me." Stefan responded with a confident smile. "Just stay here." Cayenne suddenly thought of something but it was so bold that she didn''t even move an inch. She was like a piece of wood in his arms. "Rx. I won''t be doing anything."


    "You won''t? But what if I will do something?" Cayenne questioned him and for the first time, Stefan saw a teasing smile on her lips.

 Chapter 164 - OFFICE ROMANCE II

    <h4>Chapter 164 - OFFICE ROMANCE II</h4>


    Cayenne shifted her body and was now sittingfortably on hisp while facing him. Her hands were wrapped around his neck while she nibbled on his jaw. "I sometimes get naughty, don''t you know?"


    Stefan swallowed drily while watching the bewitching fox in front of him. "I didn''t know.? Can you show me what you do when your naughty?"


    "I do this." Cayenne kissed the tip of his nose as she spoke.? "And I do this, too." She added before kissing the base of his neck. "I don''t do so much stuff. It''s tiring."


    "How about I show you my naughty side? I don''t get tired easily." Stefan suggested to her but Cayenne shook her head. "You don''t want?"


    "No. Even if you get tired, I will be tired. I don''t want to know your naughty side." Cayenne replied with a serious face. She knew, even if she didn''t experience anything, she knew that if Stefan would do something, she wouldn''t be able to keep up with him.


    Stefanughed so hard upon seeing the seriousness of her expression. She looked so innocent and silly. "I won''t do much. Just this." His both hands were ced on her butt cheeks and he groped them.


    Cayenne''s eyes widened and turned teary in embarrassment. Her face turned to a deep shade of red as she asked, "Did you just grope me?"


    "It''s better for you to see what I really am while we''re dating. In that way, you will know what''sing after our marriage."


    "Seriously? Can I back out now?" she asked while avoiding his scorching gaze.


    "No, darling. You''re not allowed to back out now. And also, you started this."


    "Huh? It''s you who started this. You told me to sit over here and ¨C"


    "But you''re the one who acted naughty first." Stefan told her but seeing her aggrieved expression, he stopped putting the me on her. "Alright. I know it''s my fault. I''m sorry but I really enjoyed this side of you, too. So, I''m not really that sorry for what happened. Just letting you know how I truly feel."


    "Fine. Fine. We''re both at fault here. Now, I''m starting to wonder if I should continue the reward I was nning to give youter."


    "My reward?"


    "I think I''ll just postpone it, after all, you got a kiss from me and you groped me, too."


    "That''s not fair. Why didn''t you tell me ahead of time? I wouldn''t be doing this naughty stuff if you told me."


    "It''s toote."? Cayenne grinned at him. She finally found a way to get back at him for the time being.


    "You, cheeky girl. I have to punish you."


    "Ha? Ah wait. Hahaha." Cayenne''s cheerfulughter rang out inside the president''s office. She was being tickled by Stefan and she couldn''t do anything but to twist her body on top of him to avoid his hands. In the end, he still got hold of her hands and pinned them together behind her with his left hand. His right hand was caressing her thighs and back which tickles her a lot and sent shivers down her spine. "You¡­will¡­you will kill me." Cayenne muttered while panting to catch her breath as she leaned on his chest.


    "I won''t do that. If you die, we''ll have to die together." Stefan muttered. He let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist to hug her for a little while. "Just stay still. I will do my work."


    "You will work in this manner?" Cayenne asked because she was still sitting on hisp.


    "Why not? You''re just sitting on me. My hands are still free to work."


    "O-okay. If you say so." She shifted her position so that she can sit on the space between his legs instead of sitting on hisp. She didn''t want to put her weight on him. Even if she was still considered light, he will still feel numb after a little while. She was hugging him and was listening to the sound of his heartbeat while he was working on something in hisputer.


    "Ayen, when do you think we can get married?" Stefan asked her out of nowhere. "I''m 28 and you''re 23. We are not bing young anymore."


    "Are you ready to settle down?" Cayenne returned the question back to him. "I just want to remind you and I''m not doing this because I belittle myself. I just want toy everything in front of you just in case you''d regret marrying me in the future."


    "Don''t say anything anymore. Whatever you will say won''t affect my decision. If I want to settle down, I will only do it with you."


    "Are you sure? I''m not rich. I''m not beautiful like those models. I''m not smart. I''m not-"


    "Shh!" Stefan ced his index finger on her lips to stop her from talking. "I know all those things but I still want to settle down with you."


    "Oh."


    "Don''t ''oh'' me. You need to tell me when we can get married. If you don''t want to hold a wedding yet, we can just register our marriage first."


    "I''ll think about it." Cayenne told him. "I''ll give it a serious thinking so, give me a little bit of time."


    "Okay." Stefan kissed the top of head and went back to work. He had been meaning to ask her this question but he felt that it was still very early. At the same time, he believed that love and trust shouldn''t be measure through time. He loves her and that''s all that matters to him. Her social status, her beauty or whatever insecurities she had, he didn''t care about all those. For him, Cayenne''s perfect and the most suitable woman for him; and he wouldn''t let anyone have the chance to take her away from him.


    While the two of them were spending quality time, Magnus was getting more and more suspicious of his wife. The flowers and the letters, they were telling him something and that rtes to his wife. Now that Latticia''s alive, he wouldn''t sacrifice his happiness for the sake of business once again. Sadly, it was just a fake news nned by his only son.

 Chapter 165 - FAMILY AGAINST FAMILY

    <h4>Chapter 165 - FAMILY AGAINST FAMILY</h4>


    In the study room of the Dumrique''s family vi, Magnus and his father, Ferdinand, were sitting across the table with the crumpled documents spread across the table.


    ra went out with her friends so the two men took this chance to have a serious talk about a serious matter.


    "Dad, recently, we''ve been getting a bouquet of ck roses. The first three bouquets, I have asked someone to throw them away so, I didn''t know what were written on the notes if there were. The fourth bouquet, I got a note and I already shredded it to avoid ra getting her hands on it. The fifth bouquet was made of these paper flowers and I was told to read them. When I opened the documents, these were the things that I have seen." Magnus gave his father brief description of his experience in the past few days.


    "Do you have any idea who sent them?" the old Ferdinand asked his son while skimming over the documents in front of him. He didn''t read the remaining documents because he knew what it was all about. Magnus just shook his head. He wouldn''t tell his father about Latticia being alive yet.


    Ferdinand took a deep breath and sighed. "Do you know why I have been so strict with Stefan when he was still young and why I suggested for you to take him back no matter what happens?"


    True, it was his father who told him to get his son after Latticia died. He reminded him again and again that he needed to get Stefan no matter what happens. And it was also true that he was very strict when ites to Stefan''s education but Stefan seemed to misunderstood him. The stricter they were on him, the more distance he put between him and his family, except Alexander.


    Ferdinand continued, "Alexander was admitted to the hospital when he was just five years old because of dengue. Everyone was worried because we all know that dengue is very deadly if the patient is not treated in a timely manner. At that time, the doctor said that ra didn''t have the same blood type as Alexander so, I was expecting that she''de to you for help since it''s possible that you have the same blood type as Alexander because you are his father. I waited for the doctor toe and find you but they didn''t. So, I secretly followed ra every time she went somewhere alone. That''s when I found out that she was asking him from her third uncle. And I was bothered with it. You can ask help from your family but you didn''t have to do it secretly, you know. My intuition told me that something was off. I told you that you needed to donate blood for Alexander but in truth, I asked a different doctor to conduct DNA between you and Alexander. And this is the result." Ferdinand pointed his finger on the negative result written on the paper.


    Magnus was thrown in disbelief. The family that he chose to form was all fake. And he even sacrificed his love for a b*tch. "Why didn''t you tell me?" he asked his father. "If you told me that time, Latticia wouldn''t have died. I would have a happy family with her. Me, Stefan and her. We were supposed to form a happy family."


    "I couldn''t. I didn''t want our family scandal to be a food for gossip. I can''t allow that to happen. I can''t let anyone know that I was fooled."


    "But people will still know about this in the end." Magnus stated. "It''s time to put an end to all of this. I don''t want my one and only son to suffer injustice."


    "Do whatever you want. I''m old anyway. I don''t have much time to live. I don''t care anymore."


    Because of his father''s affirmation, Magnus already formed a n. He won''t sign the transfer of share agreement that ra has with the Minato group, instead he will make them fall to hell while they were still living. He dialed a string of number on his phone and instructed him to dug out as much dirt as he could to all the people inside the Minato Group and the Minato family. It''s payback time.


    The person he called was none other than Shein. He knew that he was the most capable person when ites to hacking because his name was listed among the top hackers all over the world. He just didn''t know the real person behind the hacker''s identity.


    When Shein received his call, he told Stefan about his father''s order.


    "Looks like your father is taking everyone to hell." Sheinmented while his fingers flew across his keyboard as he gathered a lot of information from different ces.


    "He can do whatever he wants. Since he couldn''t protect my mother, he should ruin whatever happiness he''s left with." Stefan responded. "Anyway, I won''t get involve on it. Let me know once he makes a move against the Minato Group and the Minato family. I will send the evidence to the police station."


    "Sure. Sure." Shein added. "Also, if Cayenne wants to know about her father, just tell her to call me. I have found some news. But she must take the initiative."


    "Got it." Stefan ended the call and focused on his work. Cayenne was there in his arms, sleepingfortably while hugging him. ''I want this cute little squirrel toe and cling to me all day.'' Stefan thought to himself while kissing the top of her head, her nose and her cheeks. "Wake up my dear little queen. We need to eat lunch."


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    Stefan pressed the button under his table to open the locked door. And what Chris saw blinded him for a moment. "Geez! Be mindful of the single ghost here."


    "I thought you''re married." Stefan teased Chris knowing that the man was single. The married thing was just part of his fake identity. In fact, he alwayses home to an empty and cold apartment.

 Chapter 166 - STEFANS GETTING HIS REWARD

    <h4>Chapter 166 - STEFAN''S GETTING HIS REWARD</h4>


    "Are we going somewhere?" Cayenne asked while rubbing her eyes. She was still groggy and sleepy but she needed to get up and give him some space.


    "Do you have any preferred restaurant or any dish that you crave?" Stefan questioned with gentle gaze as he slides down his fingers through her hair and rubbed her temple with his other hand.


    When she finally cleared her disoriented brain, and realized what he was asking, Cayenne shook her head. "I don''t want to go out and eat. Can we just order something and eat here?"


    "Let''s do that, then." He replied to her indulgently and pulled out his phone. "What dish do you want to eat this time?"


    "I''m not picky so, just order anything you like and something you don''t have allergy."


    "Ah? You know my allergy?"


    "Duh? I''ve been paying attention to you. I know that you''ve been taking medicines just so you can eat the dishes I made even though there some ingredients that you''re allergic to. The eggnt was just one of the vegetables that you can''t eat."


    Stefan was stunned for a moment. He never expected that Cayenne would be paying attention to him. He was wondering how she knew that he was taking meds, though. "I don''t think I showed you my medicine before and I didn''t leave my personal stuff in the medicine box or in the cab inside the shower room. How did you know I was taking meds?"


    "There was a time when you bought new stocks of our first aid medical supplies.? You forgot to throw the receipt and I happened to read it. I may not be very familiar with medicine but I know the medicines for allergic reactions because we bought different types of them when Kyle had his first attack of allergy from peanuts." Stefan could only smile helplessly at her. He was lost for words. "So, let''s just have everything that you can eat. Your safety is more important than my cravings."


    "No, your craving is more important." Stefan retorted back at her.


    "Why is it important? It''s not like I''m pregnant that I need to satisfy my cravings." Cayenne reasoned out. "Just order your favorites."


    "Okay. If you say so." Stefan responded Cayenne. "Don''t me me if it is not to your liking."


    "I don''t think I will be against your taste."


    Watching the two of them, Chris wanted to roll his eyes at them. If he was a woman, he would''ve done it already. "Ahem!" he coughed to get their attention, letting them know that a single ghost was still around the office. "You can buy both of your favorites. I don''t think that''s a problem."


    "Well, let''s have Chris order our food. He knows what we like already." Stefan suggested in which Cayenne agreed. He turned to Chris and told him to buy lunch for the three of them.


    "Tsk! You just want to bully the single dog." Chris mumbled with his upper lips hooked into a smile. "I''ll be back soon." He headed out of the office to buy food using his own phone and had it delivered to theirpany.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne received a message from Kath. She asked her for a favor and now, Kyle''s girlfriend has arrived and was waiting for her at the caf¨¦ across thepany.


    "Uhm¡­can I go out for a while?" Cayenne told Stefan after reading the message from Kath. "I just need to get something."


    Stefan stood up, wore his dark sses and walked to her side to hold her hand. "I''ll apany you."


    "Ah?" Cayenne''s mind took a sudden turn when he offered toe with her. She didn''t want him to see what she was going to do yet. "You don''t need toe with me. Just stay here and do your work. I''ll be back as soon as I can."


    "No, I want toe with you."


    "But-"


    "No buts." Stefan ced his index finger on her lips. "What if someone recognizes you out there? Who will protect you? How will you escape?"


    "Alright. I''ll let youe with me." Cayenne surrendered to his persistence. She knew that he was worried and she couldn''t do anything about it because she would do the same to him if needed. "But you won''t be peeking to the thing that I will be getting, okay?"


    "Oh! Are you getting my reward?" His eyes twinkled in happiness when this idea popped in his mind. "It''s my reward, right?"


    "Are you a dog? Why are you wagging your tail?" Cayenne lightly pinched his face andughed. "You look silly. Let''s just go and get it."


    Stefan happily walked beside her. The smile on his couldn''t be wiped out as if he was a child who will be receiving a gift for the very first time. He kissed the back of Cayenne''s hand; time and time again which made the other female feel envious of thedy boss.


    Chris was also confused why the two of them left. He ordered so much food for the three of them but now, he saw them walking out of the office. "Do they want me to die from overeating? They weren''t nning to eat outside and left me to deal with all the food, right? Right. I believe in them. I know they weren''t sadistic to torture me that much." Chris told himself over and over again to let relieve himself.


    Inside the caf¨¦ across thepany, Kath and Kyle were sitting beside each other while waiting for Cayenne but they didn''t expect that Stefan would being with her.


    "Sis." Kyle called Cayenne when he saw theming in. He waved his hand at them to get their attention.


    "Hello." Kath slightly bowed her head in greetings. "I have brought that things you wanted. I hope it will be okay."


    "I hope so, too." Cayenne replied with a red face. No matter how she tried to hide her blush, Stefan could see the deep shade of red climbing from her neck to her face and ears. She''s blushing. He raised his eyebrow in curiosity but he didn''t take a peek or ask what it was because he promised her.


    "We won''t be taking so much of your time. We will go ahead and have a date." Kyle told his sister.


    "Make sure to send her home before six in the evening." Cayenne reminded her brother. She''s a girl and she knew that parents are strict when ites to their daughter''s safety. Even her mother was a strict person when she was still a teen but eventually, she had to loosen her rein on Cayenne because they had no other choice but to rely on her.


    Cayenne ended up risking her life over and over again in the past five years just to earn money for the family. There was even a time that she was almost raped in a dark alley. If not because of a good Samaritan who came to rescue her, she would''ve been taken advantage and probably, had died back then.


    "What are you thinking?" Stefan asked her when he noticed that she became quiet after reminding her brother to send his girlfriend home. "Are you alright?"


    "Hn. I''m fine.? I just remembered something in the past. Anyway, let''s go back to thepany. Chris must be waiting for us. He wouldn''t think that we ditched him to let him eat all the food her ordered, right?"


    "I think he already thought of that idea but he would basically rely on his trust on us."


    "You really know each other that much."


    "Maybe." Stefan responded. "Let''s go." He took her hand, intertwined their fingers and went back to thepany with the small paper bag that Cayenne received from Kath.


    When they left, Arthur put down the menu on the table and watched them leave the ce. He came to see Cayenne, thinking that she''d be home since it''s Sunday. He didn''t expect that she wouldn''t be around but then, he heard Kyle talking to someone over the phone that they will meet his sister in a caf¨¦.


    Without letting Kyle know, he tailed him from a certain distance. He watched him picked up his girlfriend in front of their university gate and then watched them board a taxi to go somewhere. Kyle didn''t notice him at all.


    He was expecting them to meet with Cayenne but he didn''t know that she''d being with someone else. His rage was obvious and even the waiter, who was about to take his order, was scared to death when he saw Arthur''s angry face. He seemed like he was about to kill someone. And that someone was none other than Stefan. He wanted to grind his flesh to a mince meat and feed him to a dog.


    Instead of dining or giving his order, Arthur stood up and left the ce as well.


    ''I needed to think of a way to get her back. She''s mine to begin with and no one else can have her except me.''

 Chapter 167 - STUDENT-TEACHER LOVE AFFAIR I

    <h4>Chapter 167 - STUDENT-TEACHER LOVE AFFAIR I</h4>


    Back in the office, Chris was relieved to see Cayenne and Stefan havee back. The three of them stayed in Stefan''s office and ate their lunch. Stefan didn''t want Chris to eat outside because it would be lonely to eat alone. He really wanted to tease him but he decided to spare him this time since he ordered a lot of delicious dishes for him and Cayenne.


    After lunch, they resumed their work like usual but this time, Cayenne was no longer sitting on Stefan''sp. She was sitting on the couch where she left her bag and was looking at the things inside the paper bag that she received from Kath earlier. ''Will this give him a shock? Will it be alright?'' She was so full of confidence when she thought of this n but now that it was time to act on it, she was feeling nervous.


    ''Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.''


    She took out her vibrating phone and read the message that she received.


    "Good luck, sis!" It was from Kyle. He even ced a cheer leading gif on his message. This made her feel even more nervous.


    "Are you alright?" Stefan asked her when he noticed that she was spacing out again and she looked nervous, too. He has no idea what was going on at all.


    Cayenne looked at him, her eyes showed determination and confidence. "I''m fine. Can I borrow your bathroom?"


    "Sure. Go into the adjacent room behind that bookshelf."


    "Thanks." Cayenne brought the paper bag with her and went inside the adjacent room that Stefan told her. She undressed herself and changed into the clothes that Kath lent to her. It was a perfect fit for her and she looked good in it. The image of her reflection on the mirror was so nostalgic that she couldn''t stop herself from tearing up. "I wish I can go back to school. I really want to finish my degree."? Cayenne mumbled to herself. Quitting from school was one of the things that she regretted the most but after so many years, she got so used to working already that she decided to stop thinking about it. But she would still think about her life as a student from time to time.


    She fixed her hair and put on some baby powder on her face. She swiped her lip gloss on her lips and pressed her lips together. After making sure that everything''s fine, she went out of the bathroom with the same paper bag.


    Stefan was still busy working but when he heard the door of the adjacent room being opened, he automatically raised his head to see Cayenne. His eyes went wide and then it darkened. His lower body felt painful and the seams of his shorts was bulging. The demon in him was reacting instantly to her.


    "Is my student trying to seduce me?" Stefan questioned with a raised brow while putting his pen down on the table. His breathing was still calm but his lower body wasn''t calm at all.


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him. "How could you be into your role already when I haven''t said anything yet?"


    "So, are we ying the student-teacher love affair in my office?"


    "Well, I was just thinking that we didn''t meet each other in our early years and you didn''t see me in my uniform as a student. So, how about we go on a date while I''m a student?"


    Stefan raised his hand and beckoned her toe closer with his index finger. The way he hooked his finger with his upturned lips looked so sexy and hot. Cayenne suddenly felt self-conscious of what she was drawing. Nheless, she still walked towards him.


    Stefan grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him. Instead of sitting on hisp, Stefan ce her on top of his table. "It''s inappropriate for student and a teacher to date in public."


    "Then, should I just change my clothes?"


    "We can date in my office." Stefan replied cheekily. "Is this my reward?"


    "Hn. Do you like it?"


    "I love it and I will love it even more if I can taste my reward." He leaned closer to her and kissed the corner of her lips. Ever since they got together, the most daring thing that he did to her was kissing the corner of her lips. So far, Cayenne wasn''t against it. ''How would she react if I''d take it to the next step?'' Stefan thought to himself while keeping his passionate gaze on her face. ''Never mind. She''d probably kick me away in her life.''


    Cayenne snaked her arms and wrapped them around his neck. "Are you a kiss addict?"


    "If it''s with you, I''d say yes. I haven''t kissed anyone in my life."


    "Don''t joke with me. How many women have you dated? Don''t tell me that you never kissed them?"


    "Why should I kiss them? I admit that I did something naughty, if I may say. However, I never kissed any of them. You can do something else without kissing, alright."


    "And you''re so proud telling me these things?"


    "Not really." Stefan hugged her waist and kissed the tip of her nose. "I just want to be honest with you. I know you''ve heard rumors about me but I want you to know everything from my own mouth."


    Cayenne was touched with what he said but something else touched her thighs and it was a bit hard. She unconsciously looked down on his body and found that she awakens something else again. "Do something about that." She told him while eyeing his bulging seam.


    "Don''t worry, it will calm down soon." Stefan responded with faint chuckle. "Do you want to help me calm it?"


    "No." She answered almost instantly after the question left his mouth.


    "Your hand will do."


    "No way. That''s embarrassing."


    "Why should you be embarrassed about it? We''re getting married soon. You can learn this ahead of time for our honeymoon." Stefan teased her again and again until Cayenne almost bleed from being embarrassed because of his words. "Let me touch you for a bit."

 Chapter 168 - STUDENT-TEACHER LOVE AFFAIR II

    <h4>Chapter 168 - STUDENT-TEACHER LOVE AFFAIR II</h4>


    "Touch me? Me?"


    "Yeah. You won''t lend me your hand so can I touch you for a bit? I won''t do anything excessive."


    Cayenne was torn between saying yes or no. In her ss, she knew that it gets very painful when men don''t release everything that have been built up over time. Their biology teacher told them that men have different ways to relieve themselves. She didn''t need to know the details but she still knew it because they needed to learn them.


    Cayenne bit her lower lip and nodded her head. "I will hold on to your promise so don''t break it." Cayenne told him with calm voice but she was actually trembling.


    Stefan''s eyes darkened as lust took over him but he was still sane enough to make sure that he wasn''t doing anything out of line. He slipped his hands inside her blouse and touched the side of her waist which made Cayenne gasped for air. She didn''t realize that she was holding her breath.


    She pressed her lips together to make sure that her moans won''t escape. She held onto him tightly, afraid that if she let go, she''ll slid down the table from having no energy.


    Stefan kissed her temple then, her earlobe. It tickled her so much that her giggles escaped. "Don''t kiss my ears. It tickles."


    "Really?" he asked through raspy voice. His breathing was ragged as he moved his kisses down to the side of her neck. He felt her tightening her hold on him when he kissed her neck. His hands were touching her everywhere and the ces where he touched started to make her feel extremely hot.


    "Stefan, let''s stop this." She muttered through gritted teeth. She was feeling ufortable and weird. She didn''t like this kind of feeling at all. She felt like she was being robbed of oxygen and she was gasping to get more of it.


    Stefan pulled away from her and his hot and lustful eyes gazed back at her. "Ayen, don''t hang my appetite."


    "Ah?"


    "I need some release." Stefan honestly told her what he needed at this point. "I won''t do anything else as I promised."


    "O-okay." Cayenne was a bit dizzy and disoriented from what she was feeling and she didn''t really understand what he was trying to say. However, she could sense his pain and difort as well.


    With her affirmation, Stefan pressed the lock button of his office door and unbuttoned her blouse one after another. He kissed her corbone, down to her chest while removing the sp of her beige bra. Her bare and sexy body was right in front of him. Stefan ran his tongue from the underside of her breast, trailing down to her belly button. He ced small kisses on her t stomach that didn''t stop Cayenne from moaning.


    When she heard the unexpected moan from herself, she instantly covered her mouth. She was really shock to hear the sound that came from her.


    "Did you just moan?" Stefan asked teasingly even though he knew it was her.


    Cayenne would never admit to it. She shook her head from side to side to deny his question. There''s just no way he''d tell him that.


    "I think I heard you moan." He insisted while caressing her chest with his hand. The size of her breast was just perfect for his hand. "Maybe I should just ask your body about it." He rolled her nipples under his index fingers which made Cayenne pressed her lips even more. She won''t admit no matter what. Stefan grinned at her and lowered his head. This time, he nipped on her are making her gasp and before she could adjust her emotions, he sucked on her chest. Her moans couldn''t be contained anymore and they all left her mouth.


    Stefan was pleased to hear the reactioning from her but Cayenne was so embarrassed to even think about it. She covered her eyes with her hands, avoiding to meet his passionate and love-filled gaze.


    "Don''t hide your face." Stefan told her and pulled her hands away from her face.


    "No. Wait. Don''t look at me." She picked up a random paper and covered her face with it. She looked extremely silly and it made Stefanugh so hard while watching her.


    "Alright. I''ll stop teasing you." He helped her wear her bra and made sure that he hooked it up safely on her back. He also fixed her clothes and buttoned them up, just leaving one button open at the top. "Are you alright?"


    "Hn. I''m¡­I''m fine." Cayenne took a deep breath and let it out. "Are you okay now?"


    "No, I''m not. I''ll take care of it inside the room."


    "You could''ve done it earlier." She said smugly at him. "You just wanted to tease me."


    Since his intention was already discovered, there''s no need to hide it from her. "I just like teasing you and I guess, I made the right thing this time."


    "How was that right?"


    "You felt good, didn''t you?"


    Remembering the moans that came from her, her calm face started to heat up once again. "I¡­I didn''t. It didn''t feel good."


    "Really? Should I do it again and make you ¨C"


    "No." Cayenne ced her right hand on his mouth. "Don''t say anything anymore."


    "So, are you going to admit it?" he wouldn''t let go of her unless she said it herself. He wanted to know that she wasn''t feeling any difort with their activity earlier.


    Cayenne bit her lower lip while thinking what she could say. She didn''t really know if she felt good about it. "I don''t know if I felt good or not. I felt a bit weird instead. And it was extremely hot earlier. I even started to think that the AC of your office got damaged but now I can confirm it is not. The heat was just the increase of my temperature."


    "Did you hate it?"


    "Not really. I-" Cayenne was stopped mid-sentence because Stefan covered her mouth with his. Their first and official kiss. Cayenne''s eyes widened in surprise and even when he pulled away from her lips, she was still unmoving like a statue ced in the middle of the za.


    "Expect more from me in the future." Stefan mentioned and left to take care of himself, a wet patch was already formed through the seam of his shorts and he needed to release all of them.

 Chapter 169 - STUDENT-TEACHER LOVE AFFAIR III

    <h4>Chapter 169 - STUDENT-TEACHER LOVE AFFAIR III</h4>


    Cayenne was still dumbstruck with what Stefan did. She touched her lips with her fingertips and swallowed drily. "That was my first official kiss. Oh my god! That idiot just stole it away from me. Well, I let him do something far beyond a kiss already and I ¨C ahh! I''m an idiot, too! Why did I let him to that? Why?!" she pped her forehead again and again while walking towards the couch where she sat during lunch.


    "I can''t believe we just did that kind of thing in his office. And I can''t believe that I was so daring to do something like that." She told herself while she covered her face with the throw pillow. She was getting embarrassed now. However, there''s nothing she can do about it. There''s no point in crying over spilled milk. "I guess I just have to toughen up myself and face him head on."


    When Stefan came out dressed with different set of clothes, Cayenne refused to look at him. She just told herself that she''d face him head on but she felt embarrassed and her confidentpletely flew out of her body now that she''s standing right in front of him.


    "Do you like me shoes?" Stefan questioned her. His lips were pulled up into a smile while watching her flustered face in amusement.


    "Why are you asking me about your shoes?" she returned the question back to him but she didn''t raise her head yet.


    "My dear, you''ve been ying the staring game with my shoes for a while now. I''m wondering if you like my shoes more than me." Cayenne rolled her eyes at him. Stefan chuckled seeing this familiar eye movement of hers. He sat on the space beside her and kissed the top of her head. "I won''t say sorry for what I''ve done earlier."


    "I don''t need your apology either. I let you have your way so, that counted me partly at fault in this matter."


    Stefan rubbed her arms while kissing the side of her face. "I''ll finish my remaining work on my desk first. Let''s have a dateter with that school uniform."


    "Okay."


    When Stefan left her side to do his work, she started to feel calm. She picked up her phone and checked the social media updates. Unbeknownst to her, Stefan secretly took a picture of her.


    ''My girlfriend is dressing up as a student to make up for the time that we didn''t meet during our teenage years. Sweet, isn''t she?'' Stefan posted the picture in his timeline.


    Since Cayenne set a notification specifically for Stefan''s update, she instantly knew when he posted something again. She clicked on her notification bar and checked what was his new post. It was a picture of her who was ying with her phone, dressed up as a student, sitting on the couch inside his office.


    "Pretty. Cayenne posted thisment right below the picture.


    "Narcissistic, aren''t you?" Stefan asked her when he read herment.


    "Not really. I just want to appreciate my own beauty which is iparable to anyone. Besides, you fell for me so, I guess that counts me being pretty."


    "You have a point." Stefan pressed on herment and left a reply. "Of course. Her beauty is iparable."


    Seeing his reply on herment, Cayenne couldn''t stop herself fromughing. They were acting like silly children. Many people noticed this post of Stefan as well and many people left theirments.


    "His girlfriend is indeed pretty."


    "The uniform she''s wearing is our school uniform. Did she go to our school before?"


    "She''s pretty and very thoughtful as well. Stefan is a lucky bastard."


    These were from the perspective of those people who didn''t know Cayenne at all. However, her colleagues at work frowned when the saw the picture.


    "Uh¡­is it just me or does this girl looks Cayenne?" one of the employees asked and sent the question to another employee. They talked about it from their point of view but in the end, they couldn''t conclude anything because they didn''t observe anything out of ordinary between their boss and their colleague.


    "Wow! This pretty looks like Cayenne from the side of her face." Another employeemented and sent the picture to her best friend who also works in Clover Hotel.


    Because of this post, Cayenne became a topic of her colleagues but they will also dismiss it because they still thought that Cayenne''s boyfriend was from the entertainment industry.


    Feeling bored and tired of what happened earlier, Cayenne fell asleep on the couch of Stefan''s office. He stood up and carried her off to his room and ced her on his bed so that she''ll sleepfortably.


    After two hours, Cayenne woke up and looked around the familiar room. ''Did he carry me to sleep here?'' she mentally asked while looking around for her things. Her phone and bag were on the bedside drawer. "It''s few minutes before six." She told herself after checking the time. She stood up and went to the bathroom to fix her clothes and hair. She sprayed a little amount of perfume and checked herself in front of the mirror.


    She inhaled and exhaled several times to mentally prepare herself. ''I think I''m going crazy for this man.'' She told herself and mentally sighed. "Let it be. I won''t love anyone else but him, anyway." She gave her own reflection a yful wink before going out of the bathroom.


    When she got back to his room, Stefan was already sitting on his bed, waiting for her.


    "Are you ready to be seen in public with your teacher?" Stefan asked with a wide grin on his face. "You better not regret it."


    "Teacher, if someone finds out that we''re dating, it will be super bad for you. You will be expelled." Cayenne yed her role and even batted hershes, acting cute and sexy in front of him.


    "Such a naughty child." Stefan pulled her close to him and kissed the tip of her nose. "This teacher will send you home right after our date."


    "Hmp! If I know, teacher just want toe with me to my house."


    Stefan burst outughing once again. He lost count of the times that she made himugh and he really liked the feeling of having fun with her. She would also take a step out of herfort zone just to make him smile andugh which Stefan appreciated so much.

 Chapter 170 - SHOWERING TOGETHER

    <h4>Chapter 170 - SHOWERING TOGETHER</h4>


    The two of them went out on a date, ying the role of a student and a teacher. They had dinner together, shop for a little while to buy some clothes for Stefan that he can use in her apartment and they bought another batch of groceries and vitamins for her mother.


    "It''s been a while since we stayed back in your house. Would you like to sleep there for tonight?" Cayenne suggested. She didn''t want him to think that she''s being inconsiderate of his feeling specially that he''s taken great care of her. "I need to water of the flowers, too. What if they''re dead already? I remember the tulips you gave me and I don''t want it to die."


    "They won''t die." Stefan responded. "Chris would drop by to our house with a cleaner every other day. The nts are doing fine. But I don''t mind sleeping there tonight."


    "That''s it then." Cayenne smiled and gently squeezed his hand. "Let''s just go home to inform my family."


    "Okay." Stefan replied but Cayenne felt that there''s a BUT after his words.


    "Just say what you wanted to say." She told him to encourage him a little.


    "Don''t they think it''s weird that you''re dressed like that when in fact, you were dressed differently when we left the apartment?"


    "But I don''t have anyway to change my clothes now."


    "Give me a minute." He slowed down the car speed and changedne. When he found a spot with less car and less establishments, he stopped the car to park it at the roadside. "You can change here."


    "Here?!" Cayenne asked in disbelief. "Won''t anyone see me undressing here?"


    "No, they won''t. My car is tinted so they wouldn''t know that you''re changing your clothes. Besides, there aren''t many people or car that passes by here."


    "Then, can you turn around for me?"


    "Sure." He agreed even though he knew that it was pointless. Her reflection can still be seen on the window. He didn''t say anything and just watched her put on her dress. She folded the blouse and the skirt then ced them inside the paper bag.


    "I''m done." Cayenne mentioned. "Should we get going now?" She noticed that his face was a little flushed under the light of his car. "Why are you blushing?" she questioned him but before he can answer, she already realized what has happened. "You were watching my reflection, weren''t you?"


    "I didn''t." Stefan lied, keeping his eyes on the road. "I was just observing the street outside the window."


    "Really?"


    "Hn."


    Cayenne just rolled her eyes. She knew that he was lying but obviously, he didn''t want her to feel embarrassed. She didn''t pursue the matter and just sat beside him while holding his hand with hers.


    Not long after, they arrived at the apartment and brought everything upstairs. Kyle and Luiz arranged the groceries in the kitchen. Stefan brought his clothes inside the apartment and Cayenne went inside her mother''s room with the vitamins. She needed to seek permission to leave the house. She thought it would be difficult to obtain her approval but it was rather smooth sailing. Her mother didn''t ask her so many things.


    "You''re all set to go?" Stefan asked her when Cayenne came out of her mother''s room.


    Cayenne bit her lower lip and looked at him with a sad face. "My mother didn''t allow it."


    "Oh." His perfunctory reply made Cayenne raised her head to look at him. "Don''t worry, we can just stay here. It''s fine." He reassured her once again while caressing his thumb on her cheeks.


    His reaction made Cayenne''s heart felt warm. He was always so considerate of her. He would always put her on top of his priority. "I was just joking." She whispered and shifted her gaze to his ears. "Mama agreed for us to go back there."


    And because she made a fool of him, she fell right into his trap. "How will you make it up to me? I was really worried here and you dared to make fun of me?"


    "I¡­I¡­" Cayenne stammered while trying to find a way to escape his trap. "I''ll think about it."


    "Alright. Think about it and make sure toe up with a solution once we get there or I''ll think of a solution myself."


    "Hey, you''re bullying me."


    "Am I?"


    "Fine. Fine. You''re not. Don''t just keep staring at me. It''s gettingte and we need to go there." She pushed his chest away from her so that she''ll have space to move. She went to the kitchen and informed her siblings before leaving. "Make sure to call me if something happens." She reminded the two of them.


    "Okie dokie." Kyle replied and Luiz just nodded his head.


    After making sure that everything''s fine, the two of them left the apartment to go back to their own love nest. The whole travel time was quiet. Stefan was focusing himself on the road while Cayenne thought of a way to make it up to him. She didn''t really mean to fool him earlier. If she had known that it will be against her, she would never do it.


    "You wash up first. I''ll check the nts at the balcony." Cayenne told him the moment they arrived at their house. She was really worried for the pot of tulips that he gave her.


    "Why don''t we wash up together to save water?"


    Cayenne stiffened at this suggestion and she couldn''t bring herself to look at him. Her face turned red from being shy and her mind was wandering to a ce that she wasn''t supposed to visit. "Let''s drop that idea."


    "Why?"


    "Because¡­because¡­"


    "I remember you made a fool of me in the apartment and that you needed to make it up to me." Stefan cornered her right at the door of their room. She was pressed on the door while his hands were ced on each side of her shoulders. "So, what do you say?"


    "Can we do something else?" Cayenne questioned him.


    "The ''something'' I have in mind, I don''t think you can endure it."


    "Are you going to bully me now that were not inside the apartment?"


    "Hn. I will bully you until you scream my name." Stefan whispered close to her and even nipped the tip of her earlobes.


    Cayenne trembled under his gesture and felt an iing headache. "I don''t think that is such a good idea." She whispered. "I know you can really do something like that but I am not ready so, I will just agree with the shower."


    "Really?"


    "But you can''t do anything to me. I will really break up with you if you cross over the line."


    "You will break up with me if I do something over the line?" Stefan''s voice turned a little cold and chilling. He was looking at Cayenne with indescribable expression on his face. She can''t really read him through but she wanted to express her opinion. She didn''t want to be someone he can just push around.


    "Hn. I''m serious this time. I don''t want to end up like those girls you slept with. I don''t want to give my virginity to you just because you''re my boyfriend. We''ve talked about this before and you must have remembered it, right?" Cayenne continued to talk. She wanted to reach out to him and make him understand her point.


    Stefan took a deep breath and sighed. He pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly while kissing the top of her head. "I won''t give you the reason to leave me. I won''t let you break up with me. I''m sorry."


    "It''s fine." Cayenne hugged her back and kissed the side of his jaw. "I''ll take a shower with you."


    She got inside the bathroom with him and undress in front of his like it was nothing. And even though her back was facing him Stefan knew that she was blushing. The back of her neck and the tip of her earlobes were read.


    "You should get used to this. We''re getting married soon and all lovers in the world needed to take this crucial step." Stefanmented and led her under the shower head.


    "Do they?"


    "Yup."


    "How did you know?" Cayenne raised her eyebrow and questioned her boyfriend. "You didn''t ask every couple, did you?"


    "No, darling. And besides, you can learn all these through movies."


    "I don''t watch movies that often. And speaking of movies, you told me you''d save a copy of Pirate of the Caribbean series."


    "I have it in myptop. When do you want to watch it?" He changed the water temperature and turned on the shower. The warm water fell on them like rain and Cayenne enjoyed it so much. "I just noticed."


    "What?" Cayenne turned her back on him and poured a bath gel on her sponge. She was trying to avoid him even though they''re inside the shower room together.


    He approached her quietly and stood behind her. "I just noticed that you never looked at my whole body."


    "Why should I look at your whole body?" she returned a question while keeping her back on him. Stefan held her shoulders and turned her around to face him. The smile on his face widened as he took hold of her right hand and ced it on his stiff and hard length.


    "What are you doing?!" Cayenne pulled her hands away with wide eyes. Her already flushed face turned even redder. "You promised¡­you promised¡­ahhh! Turn around." She covered her face immediately when she caught sight of what was usually hidden underneath his pants or shorts. ''This size will surely kill me.''

 Chapter 171 - DOUBTS

    <h4>Chapter 171 - DOUBTS</h4>


    Even after they took their shower, Cayenne''s embarrassment didn''t fade away. She wished she could dig a hole and just bury herself to avoid facing him. But a wish was just a wish; and her reality waspletely different. Since she kept covering her eyes earlier, Stefan indulged himself and cleaned her thoroughly. He washed her body with the soap that she ced on the sponge she was holding.


    "Wait. Don''t." Cayenne uncovered her eyes to take back the sponge from him but she saw the giant monster once again. "Ahh. Go on." She closed her eyes and held on to his shoulder to keep her bnce. "Must you do this to me?"


    "We''ll do this sooner orter. What''s the difference of doing it now?" Stefan replied and continued to clean her. "Would you like to wash me up?"


    "No. You clean yourself." She replied without opening her eyes at all. She looked so silly in front of him and her flushed face gave away her embarrassment.


    Now, the two of them were lying on their bed, cuddling together. "You''ve been stirring up my emotions and even though we didn''t do anything, I''m so tired." She whispered close to his chest.


    "Should I enroll you to a gym? It would be better for you to build up your stamina."


    "No, don''t want to."


    "It''s for your best. I don''t want you to copse if we really do something naughty at night." Stefan whispered huskily before kissing the top of her head. "For now, let''s just go to sleep. Good night, love."


    "Good night." Cayenne kissed his jaw and closed her eyes to sleep.


    The two of them were having a good time every day. The woke up, eat, do their work, go home and sleep. They weren''t worried with their future at all. Unlike them, Magnus Dumrique was brewing a strong storm to attack the Minato group. Since they destroyed his family, it was just right for him to do the same thing.


    Shein gave him all the information he got from his deep investigation and he also informed Stefan about it. That is to say, the Minato can be considered dead in his eyes. He didn''t expect that using her mother as a bait, his old man would be willing to destroy everything he had all these years.


    The next morning, as usual, Stefan and Cayenne went to work. He drove her to a caf¨¦ near the hotel since she insisted to walk the remaining few meters to the hotel.


    "Have a good time working." Stefan kissed her lips as he helped her unfasten her seatbelt.


    "You, too. Call me if someone bullies you." She stepped out of the car but before she closed it she smiled while pointing at his lips. "Wipe your lips. You''ve got my lip gloss on you."


    "That''s fine. That''s the proof that I kissed you."


    "Whatever." Cayenne rolled her eyes at him. "I''ve got to go. Drive safely and let me know once you''ve arrived."


    "Yes, mademoiselle." Stefan winked at her and she closed the door with a smile before turning around to walk the rest of the distance to the hotel.


    Luna and Manager Kim were sitting together on a couch inside the employee''s lounge, their faces were dark and they were both holding their phones. They wanted to confirm something.


    "Yen! Thank god you''re here." Luna stood up immediately as she called her friend''s name. The other employees who were currently waiting for their shift time, turned their heads over to see what was happening. "Come over here."


    "What''s going on?"? Cayenne asked them. "Can I put my things inside my locker first?"


    "No, you have to see this first." Luna opened up her phone and checked something. Usually, she wouldn''t pay attention to this kind of things but she was rmed when she found that it was the post of Arthur''s mother that Cayenne metst week. "Remember the woman you met? I believe it was Arthur''s mother. She left a review on our hotel and posted it in her timeline, too. She even mentioned your name."


    "And it''s a bad review I believe." Cayenne muttered. "That old woman is really childish." Cayennemented.


    "You have personal grudge with this woman?" Manager Kim asked her since she could see that Cayenne was familiar with the woman who nders her.


    "I don''t have a grudge against her but she has a grudge against me." Cayenne replied to her manager. "She hates me for being friends with her son. I have been avoiding her son already and she was still making things difficult for me."


    "Have you ever said anything to her son?" Luna asked.


    "Nope. I didn''t. Anyway, just let her be. Someone will deal with herter. I don''t care about her and I won''t let her ruin my day." Cayenne flipped her hair nonchntly and stood up from her seat. "Don''t let that crappy review get into you, too. It will be removed soon."


    "The perks of being thedy boss." Manager Kim whispered which made Cayenne blushed.


    "No, it''s not like that." Cayenne waved her hand to deny the manager''s im. "I just know that he won''t let this kind of thing to tarnish my name."


    Luna gently pat her head and smiled. "You found a great man."


    "I guess so." She replied with a deep blush. The ''great man'' she found was also great down there. She could no longer wipe the image of his naked body in front of her.


    "Why are you blushing? What are you thinking?" Manager Kim questioned her. "Have you seen the boss with his nak-"


    "Shh." Cayenne covered her manager''s mouth instantly. "Don''t say it. And no, I don''t." It was a tant lie but they believed Cayenne because she looked really innocent. The three of them whispered to each other when Cayenne''s phone rang. She picked it up and saw the name ''One & Only'' shing on her screen. She changed the name secretly and didn''t tell him about it. "Let me answer his call." She walked towards her locker and opened it to put her things inside while answering Stefan''s call.


    "I just arrived and Chris showed me something that almost ruined my day." As he spoke, Stefan loosened his necktie to calm himself. Chris was walking beside him since they have to attend an early meeting while the other shareholders followed behind him.


    They just discovered that the devil boss would show his childish side to the only woman he ever loved. He was like a bullied little kid who was calling his mother to tell what happened.


    "And that something must be rted to me, I believe."


    "Right. It has something to do with you. Have you seen it, too?"


    "Uh huh." She locked her locker and continued to talk to him since she still got few more minutes before her shift starts. "Don''t think too much about it. I don''t really care and don''t let it ruin your day."


    "Does that Arthur know what his mother did?"


    "I don''t know but maybe he does."


    "You''re not nning to ask his help to remove it, are you?" there was a hint of warning in his tone and that was clear to everyone who heard him inside the meeting room.


    Cayenne chuckled upon hearing his question. He''s really childish sometimes. "Why would I ask him when I have you? If you want to deal with it, just do whatever you want. I don''t care."


    "Alright. If you say so then, I''ll do what I want to do."


    "Sure." They talked for a little while more as Cayenne walked towards the biometric sensor. She was oblivious to the people staring at her, no, they were staring at her phone and her bracelet. "I''ll have to work now. Let''s talk againter."


    "Bye Bye. Mwah!" Stefan printed a kiss on his phone screen, not embarrassed at all.


    Cayenne could only thicken her face and do the same. "Bye. Mwah."


    "Tsk! Stop being cheesy with him." Lunamented on the side. "You''ll attract the ants here."


    "You do the same with Ali if you''re jealous." Cayenne retorted. This time, since she wasn''t talking to Stefan and her focus was back to the hotel and her job, she realized that many employees were looking to her direction. "Is it just me or is everybody looking at me?"


    "You just realized it now? I don''t know why they''re looking at you, though."


    Cayenne wanted to ignore them but one of the employees approached her and looked at her phone. "Yenyen, where were you yesterday?"


    "Me?" She was stunned to have someone ask about her whereabouts. "I was at home with my family. Although, I went out with a friend in the afternoon."


    "Where did you get that phone cover? And that bracelet?" her colleague asked her again. "Don''t get me wrong, we''re just curious because of the photo that our boss posted yesterday."


    "Oh! Is that the picture of her girlfriend? I saw that, too." Cayenne replied with a smile on her face. "If I wasn''t with my friend, I would really think that the person he was with, was me. We were so identical. But I was with my friend, Luiz." She even used her brother''s name to make up a lie.


    "Oh. I see." The woman replied perfunctorily and nodded her head. "Sorry for doubting you."


    "It''s fine." Cayenne smiled. ''Actually, your doubt was right.'' She told herself mentally while giving everyone a smile. She didn''t want to make issues at work.

 Chapter 172 - PAYBACK TIME I

    <h4>Chapter 172 - PAYBACK TIME I</h4>


    Meanwhile, in the Minato family vi, chaos erupted early in the morning. They were woken up by the butler in a hurry, only to find out that the youngest of the family, Albert, was taken into custody by several police officers.


    "What''s the meaning of this?" Julian Minato, the current Patriarch of the Minato family, questioned the officers. He was still wearing his robe and slippers while trying to pull his grandson away from the policemen. Sadly, he wasn''t given the chance to do it.


    "Sorry for disturbing your sleep, Mr. Minato. However, we receive information about your grandson''s illegal activities overseas when he was still studying in X University. There were solid evidences and we would like to take your son for questioning. Here''s the arrest warrant for him." Lucian showed him the paper he was holding. Stefan had specifically asked him to handle this case because his team was very capable in solving matter and they don''t take bribes either.


    Lucian was a fair person as well, he would divide the work to those who weren''t taking any cases to make sure that the credit won''t go to him alone.


    Julian clutched his chest when he saw what was written on the paper. He wanted to copse and die from embarrassment.


    "Grandpa, please believe me. I didn''t do any of those things." Albert told his grandfather. "I must be framed up. Somebody framed me up!"


    Julian rubbed his temple; the headache was just too much for his old age. "You can take him officers but I will be following with awyer. Please don''t do anything to my grandson."


    "No worries, Mr. Minato. We don''t practice illegal detention." Lucian told him. "We''ll be leaving now." He led Albert away from his family and brought him to the police station.


    The Minato family brought theirwyer but in the face of solid evidences, Albert couldn''t get away with thew. He raped one of his ssmates and because thedy was poor, and could only study through schrship, he gave her a hush money and asked her to leave the university. After that incident, he took fancy of the waitress in a caf¨¦ and asked someone to kidnap her. He had his way on her and because of too much drugs that she took from the juice that he forcefully told her to drink, she died on his bed. They threw her away and the body was found three dayster. The family of the girl wanted to take justice for her but someone came and told them to keep quiet with a case of money. They epted it and flee from the city. The third incident was when he hit someone. The child wouldn''t have died if he brought him to the hospital but Albert didn''t even step out to see what happened. He just drove away and the child died from loss of blood. There were so many charges and there were so many videos and pictures as evidence plus the testimony of those living victims.


    In the end, he was sentenced to a life imprisonment.


    "Grandfather, please seek justice for me. I didn''t do any of those charges. I''m innocent. I''m framed up." Albert shouted towards his grandfather while he was being escorted away to be formally detained.


    The Minato''s young master became the food for gossip in city A on that day.


    Albert gritted his teeth from anger and his eyes were bloodshot. ''I should''ve have killed all those b*tches! No one would be able to talk if they''re dead. Damn it! I thought all evidences were erased!''


    Right. All evidences were erased it''s just that, Magnus contacted the 2nd top hacker in the whole world. And even if the Minato n invited the number one hacker in the whole world, he wouldn''t help them either because he''s already siding with Travis and Jillyanna. And Stefan was a friend of Travis. Anyone who wronged him will have to suffer.


    Magnus watched the news from hisptop. ra already left to go to her family and check what really happened but he excused himself of being sick to stay at home. "This is just the first step, my dear ra. You broke what''s mine so, I''ll do the same with yours. I will expose how rotten your family is."


    Just like his father, Stefan was also asking for payback. Right now, he was having lunch with one of the investors of Heavenly Bar that Kirin wanted to open in city D. Usually, he wouldn''t pay attention to small businesses like bars. However, he found out that Kirin didn''t just own Heavenly Bar, she also owned the Heavenly Spa and Sauna. And there were many branches of them. Kirin might be sharp-tongued and loved to look down on the poor but she''s follows proper etiquette when ites to business. She didn''t do any shady deals and she treats her employees pretty good.


    Since Stefan couldn''t find anything wrong with her business, so he decided to attack her using the outside force.


    "So, what do you say, Mr. Cuevas? Is my offer better? You can choose whichever ongoing project you can choose and I''ll give you 5% of the shares even if your money doesn''t equate to that amount." Stefan told the middle-aged man who was reading the contract her presented.


    "I''m not doubting you, Mr. Dumrique." Mr Cuevas responded. "But I want to know why you''re doing this to me? I mean, I am not very rich to be your business partner and I can only afford those small businesses."


    "Because I don''t want Heavenly Bar or Heavenly Spa and Sauna to expand. They offended my girl which is equal to offending me. Anyone who will invest to their business, small or big, I''ll take them away."


    "Oh. Then, I won''t make enemies with a business giant like you." Mr. Cuevas didn''t say anything anymore and just signed the contract after choosing the project that he wanted to invest. He chose the first supermarket that Stefan was working on which will be in city D. It will be easier for him to check the business since he''s from the said city. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Mr. Dumrique."


    "You''re wee Mr. Cuevas." Stefan stretched out his hand and they shook hands together. "Let''s have a happy cooperation."

 Chapter 173 - PAYBACK TIME II

    <h4>Chapter 173 - PAYBACK TIME II</h4>


    Kirin was pacing back and forth in their living room when Cole arrived home. "Cole, is it true that Mr. Cuevas withdrew his investment?" she asked her son as soon as she saw himing inside the house. "What happened? Why would they do that? They were fine yesterday? What went wrong?"


    "Think about who you offended yesterday." Cole told her. "Not only Mr. Cuevas but Mrs. Chen and Mr. Lim withdrew their investments, too. They imed that they wouldn''t want to make enemy with a business giant. So, think which business giant did you offend."


    Kirin slumped down on the couch. Her face frowned and her eyes darkened. "I didn''t do anything to anyone. I just left a review of Clover Hotel."


    "You left a review? What kind of review did you leave? Is that the one rted to your post which involved Cayenne?"


    "Yes. But isn''t leaving a review a normal thing?" Kirin questioned her son with little hope in her eyes. "I didn''t say anything particrly bad towards the hotel. I only meant to attack that poor woman."


    "That''s where you''re wrong." Cole sat down and covered his face with his hands. "Don''t offend Cayenne ever again if you don''t want to lose what we have right now."


    "What do you mean?" Kirin asked, confused as to why she shouldn''t do anything to a poor woman. "She''s just some poor woman that leeched off from us when she was young. Why should I care if I offend her or not?"


    Cole stood up and walked upstairs. "If you want to continue harassing her, then go ahead. Just don''te to me with regrets in the end. I have warned you already."


    Kirin kicked the coffee table angrily but since her son warned him about it, she wouldn''t be reckless anymore. Even though she wasn''t very close with her eldest son, he cares for their businesses so much. Unlike her rtionship with Arthur, they''re very close and she spoils him a lot but he cares for nothing and no one except, Cayenne.


    Just as she was thinking about her youngest son, Arthur came home with a small suitcase. "Mom, I''m home."


    "Arthur, thank goodness you''re back! How was your work?"


    "It was fine." Arthur replied with a smile. "By the way mom, I''ve seen the post about Cayenne. You should delete it or our business will be implicated."


    "You, too? Why are you all saying this to me? Just what''s going on with that woman you like?"


    "She maybe poor but she''s got so many friends and they all cared for her. She works in the hotel because she didn''t want to be dependent on them. However, if it''s not financial, she''s willing to ept their help. And with the things that you did in the past, I won''t wonder if she will agree to ruin the business we have." He walked towards his room but he remembered something. "Another thing, she didn''t leech off from us. I willingly give what I had to her. How could I watch the woman I like suffer? Good night, mom."


    Kirin was left in the middle of the living room, standing with a confused expression on her face. "Should I investigate her again? But what if her backer are really strong people? Tsk! That woman." She picked up her phone on the coffee table and deleted the review she made. She can ignore her personal grudges for the sake of her business.


    Even though she deleted it already, Stefan''s anger couldn''t be deleted like a review. He would continue to deal damaged with them because of what they did to Cayenne.


    Cayenne was picked up by Stefan after work and they won''t home to the apartment instead of their house in the subdivision. "I heard the news about the young master of the Minato family. Is that your doing?"


    "Nope. It''s my father who did that."


    "Your father? So, he''s bent on destroying that family because of what happened to your mother? Does he know that you were just fooling him using your mother?"


    "No." Stefan responded. "Let''s just forget about him. Let''s focus on our life and your family. Your mother''s birthday is thest day of the month, right? Do you have any ns?"


    "I''ll talk to my brothers about." Cayenne told him. If she won''t n anything, she knew that Stefan would do it on her behalf. "By the way, we need to be careful. My colleagues are suspecting me now because of the picture you posted yesterday."


    "I''m sorry about that. But I don''t really care. It''s not like I''m ying with you. I''m serious with our rtionship and I want to marry you as well. I''m just waiting for your decision." Stefan spoke softly. "You''re all I need, Ayen."


    "Ask me again after my mother''s birthday. I''ll think about this matter."


    The two of them dismissed the topic of marriage and looked for another subject to talk about. After half an hour, they finally got themselves out of the traffic and got home.


    Cayenne''s family ate dinner first since the two of them arrivedte but they left them enough food for dinner. The two of them ate their food, took a shower, and rested the night away. Stefan didn''t tease her this time knowing that she was emotionally exhausted since yesterday.


    "Good night, my love." Stefan kissed the corner of her lips and cuddled her to sleep.


    "Good night, love." Cayenne responded and hugged him back. She''s starting to get used to this endearment and she likes it.


    The news of Albert Minato being imprisoned hadn''t died down yet, but another news erupted the next morning. Sylvia, Albert''s younger sister was expelled from T University. She was caught cheating and it was found out that the designs she''s been submitting to the school were works of her ssmates. She paid those talented but poor fashion designers to make designs for her that she can submit. She was living a life of a princess using her money while her ssmates lived as her ves.


    Now, she got kicked out and no university was willing to ept her. All school administrators, domestically and internationally, were told that the Minato n will fall and getting bribes from them will only implicate their schools. Who in their right mind would ruin themselves for other people who are about to fall? No one. So in the end, Sylvia had to go back to City A, bringing shame to her family.

 Chapter 174 - HEART-TO-HEART TALK

    <h4>Chapter 174 - HEART-TO-HEART TALK</h4>


    One problem after another, the Minato was slowly falling off from their graceful and high ces. Their family was bing the food for other socialites to gossip. But Cayenne and Stefan didn''t care about all these. Their life continued like usual.


    Stefan dropped her off to work and he drove to hispany to work as well. Chris was already there, waiting for him to arrive. But another person was actually waiting for him -Magnus.


    Stefan ignored his father and continued to get inside his office.


    "Stefan, wait up! I need to talk to you." Magnus tried his best to keep with his son but Stefan didn''t even give him a side nce.


    "Are you here to ask for my help in rtion to the Minato family? Before you can say anything, I''m refusing. There''s no way I''d help those scums." His acting can really match up with those actors and actresses in the entertainment industry. He knew that Magnus was the one who''s damaging the Minato but he acted as if he didn''t know.


    Magnus shook his head but there was no sadness or despair emotion in his eyes. In fact, you can see that he was happy. "I''m not here to ask your help for them."


    "So, what are you here for?"


    "I''m here to tell you that you should bring Ms. Ardolf home and introduce her to the family. You''ve been together for a while now but you haven''t introduced her yet." Magnus responded which made the other people who heard his words misunderstood something.


    "The boss imed to be serious with his current girlfriend but it turned out that he didn''t even introduce her to his family." One of the employees whispered.


    "Shut up. What does it have to do with you if he introduced his girlfriend to his family or not? Stop gossiping or you might lose your job. Don''t tell me that I didn''t warn you." The long-time employee informed knowing what kind of temper the boss has. He would be unreasonable if someone talks bad about his girlfriend.


    The employees kept their mouth shut but they still have this thought that Stefan was just fooling with his current woman but they didn''t say it out loud. What Stefan said next stunned everyone, though.


    "I won''t bring her to the family just to get herself humiliated. Why should I embarrass the woman I love? If you can''t ept her, you don''t have to act shameless in front of me just so I could help you with your problem."


    "No. That''s not what I mean. It was your grandpa who said that you should formally introduce her if you really like her. We won''t question your choice." Magnus hurriedly exined but Stefan wouldn''t bother falling for their tricks.


    "What is it that you need from me? Don''t drag my girlfriend into this."


    "We just want you toe home." Magnus replied. "But it would be great if you cane home after two weeks. I just need to do some cleaning."


    "Okay. But if I found out that this is a trap for me and my girlfriend, I''ll marry into her family and change myst name."


    Everyone gasped. They can''t believe that the almighty Stefan Dumrique would be willing to marry himself off to his girlfriend to the extend of changing hisst name with hers. To other men, this is considered shameful but to him, it was nothing at all.


    Magnus nodded his head in understanding. "I''ll send you a message when the right time hase."


    "Sure. You know where the door is. You can send yourself out." Stefan no longer knew the word respect when ites to his own family. Ever since he was young, he never felt that he was loved or respected. Even the servants in their household dared to make fun of him because no one cares for him except Alexander. ''Let''s wait and see.'' Stefan told himself before opening hisputer to start working.


    Cayenne was happily working since she found out that the review involving her name was removed. She didn''t know how Stefan did it but she didn''t ask him. Instead, she was thinking how she can make it up to him. "Is it really the right time to get married?" she mumbled while dusting off the pillow she was holding. She didn''t expect that Celine would have a good sense of hearing and heard what she said.


    "What are you mumbling about? Are you and your boyfriend nning to get married?" the olderdy asked her while folding the bedsheet.


    Cayenne nodded her head in response. "He asked me twice already but I am not sure if we should get married. I''ve known him for over a year and we became formally acquainted three months ago. And we just got togetherst month. To me, he''s the only man that I love and I will love for the rest of my life but I am worried."


    "You''re worried that you have different status and he might cheat on you and divorce youter on?" Celine asked frankly. She was actually right. These were the things that had been lingering in Cayenne''s mind.


    "I don''t know much when ites to love and thinking about the future makes me scared."


    Celine sat on the bed and ced the folded bedsheet on the space beside her. "Yenyen, love isn''t measured with time. And you''re worried for something that will happen in the future and you don''t even know what''s in store for you in the future. You can''t doubt his love for you because it would mean that you don''t trust him. Also, if the thing you''re worried about really happen, all you have to do is let go. Even if you love someone so much, if that person could no longer return your love, don''t force yourself. You will only get hurt and you will hurt him, too."


    "That''s what I''m thinking, too." Cayenne admitted. "I told him about it and he promised he won''t do anything that could hurt me. I want to believe in him and believe in the things that we have together. But sometimes, it gets really scary."

 Chapter 175 - LAUGHTER, TEARS AND LOVE

    <h4>Chapter 175 - LAUGHTER, TEARS AND LOVE</h4>


    Celine took a deep breath and sigh. She couldn''t me Cayenne for feeling this way because this was what she was feeling before when she was asked about marriage with her first and only boyfriend and husband now.


    "I have a question for you." Celine moved closer to Cayenne. "Are you happy with him?"


    "Of course." Cayenne answered instantly. "I feel the happiest when I''m with him." She added.


    "Have you ever felt that you would do everything you can to make sure that he won''t be worried about you?"


    "Yes. It happens a lot of times. Although, I failed most of the time because he keeps worrying about me."


    "And you wanted to explore things just to make him happy and you''re willing to step out of yourfort zone just to cater his needs." These statements made Cayenne blush. Her mind wandered off to a ce that she didn''t want to visit for a moment but here she was, thinking about it.


    "Let''s not talk about it. That''s embarrassing." Cayenne whispered.


    Celine chuckled at her and stood up to continue working. "That''s not embarrassing at all. It''s normal for couples. Now, tell me what''s your boyfriend is like when you guys are together."


    Cayenne arranged the pillows first before answering. "Even before we became together, he already cares for me and my family but I am not sure if he did that out love or because I''m his em ¨C or whatever he was feeling that time." Cayenne wiped the invisible sweat off of her forehead for almost slipping something so confidential. ''God! I was about to say that I''m his employee!'' she screamed mentally but her facial expression didn''t change as if nothing happened. "Later on," she continued. "we became close and he would usually take care of me. There were times that we get confused of our feelings and there were moments that we hurt each other. Then, we confessed to each other and got together. He was even more caring than how he was previously. He always put me and my family first in his priority list. Whatever problem I have, he would immediately take care of it to make sure that I won''t feel upset. Sometimes, I would forget some important matters but he would think of it for me because he knew that it''s important to me. He respected my decision to continue working even though he can provide for me and my family which is what I hate the most. I don''t want to be dependent on him financially. But other things, as long as it doesn''t involve money, I willingly ept his help. His very sweet and sometimes teasing but he has never done a single thing that could upset."


    "Then, why don''t you marry him?" Celine questioned after Cayenne talk. "With how you describe him, I can see that he''s in love with you."


    "You think so?" Cayenne asked in return with a bashful smile.


    "Yen, rich yboys, they would ask you to quit your job and make you dependent on him. They wanted to hold power over you. A rich and serious man, he wouldn''t do the same. He would want you to have equal footing and would care for you and your family. He wouldn''t boast his riches to you either. And I guess, your man fell on thetter type."


    Cayenne stared into space and nodded her head in agreement. Somehow, she was starting to feel convinced that it''s the right time to marry him but she would only marry him if he proposes to her.


    The sun rises to its highest peak and was slowly setting down to give way for the moon and the stars. Night fell and as usual, Stefan picked up Cayenne from work once again.


    "How about we have dinner outside?" Stefan asked. "It''s been a while since we had dinner together."


    "We went on a datest Sunday, didn''t we?" Cayenne rolled her eyes with a smile on her lips. "Fine. Let''s go. I don''t want you to sulk like a child. You look silly."


    "Really? Why is it that when you sulk, you look pretty?"


    "Because I''m born pretty." Cayenne responded shamelessly.


    "But I''m born handsome."


    "Who said you''re handsome? Only I, have the right to call you handsome. You''re mine and mine alone." Cayenne muttered. "Don''t let anyone call you handsome, alright. I feel like they''re all eyeing lecherously on you."


    Stefanughed heartily with what she said. "Just like you said, I am yours and yours alone. They can only look at me but couldn''t get me."


    "Hn. Keep that in mind." Cayenne retorted.


    However, Stefan felt that something was wrong. "Did something happen today? Why are you being possessive all of a sudden?"


    Stefan had totally forgotten that Cayennecks security when ites to their rtionship and now that he asked her why she was being possessive, Cayenne''s heart dropped. She was stunned and surprised. She didn''t know that she came off possessive in front of him and that threw her into a state of panic. She tried to look for excuses but she couldn''t find one.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean it that way." She immediately apologized with her nose stinging. She was about to cry. She forgot that Stefan might not like the idea of her being possessive towards him. "I won''t say those words again. I promise. I ¨C"


    "Hey. Why are you apologizing? I wasn''t asking you to apologize." He stopped the car at the roadside and faced her.


    Cayenne''s tears fell on her hand. She suddenly felt scared that he wouldn''t like her possessive attitude. "I just realized that I was getting ahead of myself. I''m really sorry. I didn''t know that I''de off possessive to you. I''m sorry. I won''t say those words again specially when there are other people around us. Just forgive me this time, ''okay?"


    ''What am I supposed to do with you?'' Stefan thought to himself. He didn''t expect that she''d take his question the wrong way. "Don''t apologize for something you did right. You should be possessive of me. You shouldn''t let anyone steal me away from you. And you should tell everyone that I''m your man. I will be very happy if you do that every single day. You just don''t know how much I wanted to tell the world that you are mine."


    "Then I agree to get married. In that way, if anyone asks me why you''re mine then I can show them something as proof."


    "Then, let''s register our marriage tomorrow."

 Chapter 176 - CANT GO BACK WITH HER WORDS

    <h4>Chapter 176 - CAN''T GO BACK WITH HER WORDS</h4>


    The next morning, Cayenne was sitting on her bathroom floor, staring into space while remembering the crazy things she didst night. She cried in front of him because of some nonsensical thing. When she woke up, she was home and she refused to get up to eat. Their dinner was postponed. And now, she realized that she agreed to getting married with him.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Cayenne screamed as loud as she can while covering her mouth her with bathrobe. Her shout came out muffled so no one really heard it but she needed a way to release her emotions. She couldn''t believe that she''d hastily agree to marrying him because of her insecurities. "For Pete''s sake Cayenne! What have you done?!" She questioned angrily.


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    She was startled by the knocks on her bathroom door so she opened the door immediately, only to find Stefan looking at her from head to toe. "You''ve been inside for almost 15 minutes and you aren''t done yet? No, you haven''t even started showering. Do you need my help?"


    "No. No need. I''ll be quick." She closed the door and started undressing herself. Even though she said that she''ll be quick, she still ended up spending almost half an hour inside the bathroom because she often spaced out and she would only realize where she was when she''s feeling cold from top to bottom.


    When she got out, Stefan already prepared her clothes which matched the ones he was wearing. "I''ll prepare breakfast." He walked towards the door but Cayenne stopped him.


    "Stefan, about what I saidst night ¨C"


    "Don''t you dare back out from what you said, Ayen. I firmly believed in your words that you want to marry me."


    "Ah?" she scratched the side of her face with an awkwardugh. "Who said I''m backing out? I''ve been looking forward to this marriage."


    Stefan walked back towards her and hugged her waist. "I''m so happy with your decision." He kissed the top of her head and let go of her. "Go and dress yourself up."


    "Wait." Cayenne stopped him once again. Stefan cocked his eyebrow to question her what it was this time. Cayenne swallowed drily before speaking. "Let''s not tell my brothers or my mother about this yet. They will scold me for sure. Let''s just tell her on her birthday or maybe after her birthday."


    "Sure. I don''t mind. Whatever your decision is, I will follow your lead."


    "Thank you." Cayenne kissed the side of his cheek before he finally left the room. The moment she stepped out, she could only p her face in dismay. Never in her wildest dream did she ever thought of getting married this way. And marrying Stefan Dumrique didn''t even cross her mind before. Fate was really having fun with her.


    She put on the white dress which was up to her knee in length. It was made of silk and the long sleeves were perfect fit for her arms. The V-neck was just right to show her chest and her sexy corbone but it wasn''t too much exposure. The round skirt was so beautiful with bright pearls of different sizes forming flowers to give ent to the dress.


    "Where did he get this dress?" Cayenne asked. She just told him about getting marriedst night and there was a dress prepared for her already. It was just very timely and she could hardly believe it. "Well, whatever. It''s here already. I''ve done this to myself so I won''t chicken out on this."


    She gathered up her courage and put on her white sandals that he also prepared for her. "He''s well-prepared." Cayennemented.


    After wearing her dress, she picked a long coat from her drawer and wore it to cover up her white dress, just in case her mother and brothers would see her. Jasmine had arrived to their apartment and was currently having coffee while waiting for the clock to strike eight in the morning in order to wake up Emerald.


    "You look exceptionally pretty today." Jasminemented with her girly voice even though she''s a he. "Are you guys going somewhere?"


    "Hn. We will be meeting someone special." Cayenne replied while pouring a ss of water for herself. Stefan was currently making sandwiches for them. It was still very early and as far as she remembered during Monday and Wednesday, her brothers will start their day around nine in the morning. Therefore, it was just the three of them in the kitchen.


    "Someone special." Jasmine uttered. "That someone special won''t happen to be a priest, right?"


    The water that Cayenne drank came up and went through her nose, choking her up. She coughed several times and Stefan rubbed her back to calm her. "Don''t¡­don''t joke." Cayenne replied. Her face was so red from coughing. "My goodness, I don''t want to die from a ss of water."


    Jasmine chuckled and handed her a tissue. "Sorry for kidding you."


    "No worries. It¡­it was just so sudden." Cayenne responded. "But who knows, we might drop change our mind and get married today."


    "If you do, don''t forget to give us some wine." Jasmine winked at her. This girly man had no idea that he actually hit the right spot.


    He drank the rest of his coffee and ate his sandwich and left the couple alone. The moment he was gone, Stefan hugged Cayenne and checked her face. "Are you alright? Is your nose still painful?"


    "I''m fine. However, we need to get going as soon as we can or my family will wake up and see us."


    "What''s wrong with us being seen together?"


    "Nothing." She whispered in response. "It''s just that, Luiz has a very sharp observation and he might notice something."


    "O-okay. Let''s eat then."


    The two of them ate their breakfast and drank their juice before going back to Cayenne''s room. After making sure that she has everything as well as the necessary documents, they left the apartment. Stefan had his documents in Peach Wood Subdivision, so they still needed to make a trip there.


    ''We''re finally getting married.'' The two of them thought at the same time while keeping a sweet smile on their lips.

 Chapter 177 - CHRIS WAS BEING TARGETED

    <h4>Chapter 177 - CHRIS WAS BEING TARGETED</h4>


    When they arrived at their house, Cayenne decided to stay inside the car so that she can fix her hair and do her make up. She didn''t want to look bad specially that it''s their special day.


    "Don''t bother doing that." Stefan told her when he saw Cayenne taking out her things. "I''ll take you to a hairstylistter. It''s your special day so, you shouldn''t do these things yourself."


    "Oh. Alright. Then, I''lle with you inside."


    "I''ll be very happy with you right by my side." Stefan stepped out of the car and went to her side to open the door for her. "Let''s celebrate the event tonight in this house."


    "Hn. I don''t mind." Cayenne responded with a smile but there''s something to Stefan''s smile that made her feel nervous. "Stop showing your true colors. We''re still outside. Someone might see you transforming into a wolf."


    Stefan''sughter made its way to her heart and warmed it up. Cayenne loved hearing hisughter or his low chuckles very much. If possible, she would spend her time making herugh. "I will only turn into a wolf at night when I''m beside you."


    "Tsk! So shameless." Cayenne led him inside before someone could see them flirting early in the morning.


    Stefan took his birth certificate and family register before heading out once again and drove to another high-end subdivision where the hairstylist he contacted lived.


    They stepped out of the car and was greeted by an older man who looked like a body guard or a butler. The Victorian styled house was very beautiful that Cayenne was awestruck and couldn''t take her eyes away. If Stefan didn''t kiss her face, she wouldn''t notice that she had been staring at the enchanting beauty of the house.


    "Master Wang is waiting for you in the living room." The older man told them and opened the door to the living room. This time, Cayenneposed herself and acteddy-like in front of the elegant man in front of him.


    "Good morning." Cayenne greeted the man who smiled at her but when he looked towards Stefan, he tantly ignored him.


    "Come here sweetie. Let''s ignore that gori." The man named Master Wang led Cayenne to another room. "Did that man do anything to you? Did he force you to get married?"


    "Ah? No. Not all. We talked about this a lot of times already." Cayenne replied shyly. "Are you two friends?"


    "Hmp! Who would make friends with that idiot!" Master Wang snorted. "Actually, I''m a very close friend to his brother. Sadly, he left before I can even confess. Hmp! Was he afraid that I''d confess so he decided to die?! That man is another idiot, too! They''re both idiot! Anyway, don''t mind me running my mouth. It''s just so seldom for me to have people that I can tell how I''m feeling. And you''re Stefan''s bride so you''re like a family to me now."


    "Don''t worry. Your secret is safe with me."


    "Thank you. My name is David Wang."


    "I''m Cayenne Ardolf."


    The two of them talked while David fixed her hair first. Since it will be just a marriage registration, there''s no need to make a grand style. But knowing Stefan, he would want everything perfect. Cayenne''s hair was thick, long and ck it was great for different kind of hair styles but she looked perfect with loose curls with loose braids at the side of her head, which both ends were pinned at the back with three silver flower pins. David didn''t ce many hair essories since Cayenne was naturally beautiful. He put on a light make-up on her to in order to match her dress and the hairstyle he made.


    "Look at yourself." David told Cayenne and turned her chair around so that she can see herself in front of the huge mirror.


    Cayenne stood there, unblinking. She touched her face and found that the woman in the mirror did the same thing. "It''s really me."


    "Duh!" David rolled his eyes. "Don''t you know how beautiful you are? Have you even tried really looking at yourself?"


    "No. This is the first time." Cayenne answered with obvious surprise with her current look. It''s true that she watches herself in the mirror everyday but, she never thought of herself as beautiful. It wasn''t until that Stefan told her she''s pretty that she started to tell herself that she''s pretty. "Thank you for making me look beautiful today."


    "I will make you even more beautiful during the actual wedding." David winked at her. "Don''t forget to send me invitation when the date is settled."


    "Sure. I will personally give you one." Cayenne gave the man a light hug before stepping out of the room to find Stefan. She was utterly surprised to find Chris standing sitting beside him.


    Stefan heard the faint footfalls of her shoes and looked up to see his bride. The most beautiful bride he had ever seen. Of course, for men, their bride would always be the most beautiful but in this matter, Cayenne was indeed beautiful. She didn''t even wear that much make-up to make herself look pretty.


    "Don''t forget to send me wine." David reminded Stefan.


    "Of course. I''ll make you jealous with my marriage since you are still a single dog." Stefan replied with a teasing grin. "Enjoy yourself living alone in this world."


    "Then, how about you give me your secretary." David openly suggested which made Chris frown. He didn''t dislike lesbians or gays but he didn''t want to fall victim to them.


    "No." Stefan outrightly refuse. "He''s my biggest asset in thepany. Look for someone else."


    "I don''t want anyone but him." David replied. His eyes didn''t move away from Chris. "What do you say?" This question was thrown to the man that caught his interest.


    "Sorry, I''m straight." Chris replied with a light bow. "I hope you won''t take this against me."


    "No. Not all." David waved his hand. They thought that he gave up but his next sentence deemed them speechless. "I like being challenged and I like you. You''re my perfect match."

 Chapter 178 - OFFICIALLY MRS. DUMRIQUE

    <h4>Chapter 178 - OFFICIALLY MRS. DUMRIQUE</h4>


    When they left David''s house, Chris felt a sudden chill on his spine. For what reason? He knew it very well. ''Looks like I have to be extra careful when I''m alone.'' He thought to himself as he boarded his own car.


    Stefan and Cayenne went to a different direction while Chris went to thepany for work.


    In front of the City Hall, before the two of them got out of the car, Stefan took out a red velvet box. It was the box that Chris gave him earlier.


    "This is a bit informal but I don''t like it when you don''t have a ring that will serve as proof of our marriage. I ordered thisst night and had Chris picked this up from the jewelry store. I''m so d they made exception for me." Stefan told her this information even though she didn''t ask. "Ayen, after registering our marriage, you''re not allowed to take this ring off and you''re not allowed to think about divorce either. It''s such a negative thought and I don''t like it. If in the future you have something in mind that bothers you, please let me know. I don''t want us to doubt each other."


    "Hn. Same to you. Please take care of me."


    "I love you, Cayenne."


    "I love you too, Stefan."


    They weren''t having a formal wedding yet but it seemed like they were saying their vows to each other.


    "This is a couple ring for now. I''ll have someone customize our actual wedding rings."


    "I don''t really mind. One ring is enough for me." Cayenne replied while watching him put on the gold ring with small diamonds on it. The inner side of the ring had their names engraved on it. "This is really beautiful. You don''t really have to buy another one."


    Stefan shook his head. "I want to give you the best. I won''t settle for less when ites to you so this time, I won''tpromise to your suggestion." Stefan replied to her. "Anyway¡­" he wanted to put on his own ring but Cayenne took it from him.


    "Let me put it on you." She held his ring finger and put the ring on. "Let me take a picture. Ah no, you take a picture and post it. Ah! No. Never mind that. People will know and my family will know." She gave up unhappily. She wanted to share this moment but there were just so many things to consider.


    "Don''t worry. I know what to do." Stefan lightly pinched her cheeks to lighten her mood. "Let''s get inside first."


    "Hn." They got out of the car, wearing dark shade to hide their faces, and walked to the civil registrar while holding each other''s hands. Registering their marriage didn''t really take so much time specially that it was during weekday. They just needed to sign several documents, took a picture and ced their thumb''s mark. Simple as ABCs.


    Cayenne couldn''t stop herself from pinching her own arm to see if it would hurt and when it did, she could only bite her lower lip to hide the pain.


    "Did you think that you''re dreaming?" Stefan questioned her when he saw what she did. "I can me you with that. I think I''m dreaming, too."


    "Don''t you think that things happened so fast?" Cayenne asked in wonder. "It was just a year ago when you scolded me for beingte and clumsy. It''s not even a month yet since we started dating. How did we end up here?"


    "The first three months that we were together, we might not be dating at that time but for me, it was already enough for you to get inside in my body and possess my heart and mind. Dating you was just to officially acknowledge my feelings for you. And of course, I courted you in the premise of marriage. You''re the only woman who made me think that way."


    "I liked you before we started dating so I think, that makes us even."


    "I believe so. In any case, let''s take care of each other from now on."


    "Hn. I''ll be a good wife to you."


    "And I''ll be the most loving husband to you, my dear Mrs. Cayenne Ardolf Dumrique." Stefan whispered and stole a quick kiss on her lips.


    The two of them wanted to celebrate their wedding outside but since there were many people, they decided to shop and celebrate the event in their own love nest.


    "By the way, why didn''t you prepare any prenuptial agreement?" Cayenne opened up while washing the vegetables. As far as she knew, rich people will make a prenuptial agreement to protect their assets or properties. She was so caught up with her emotions that she never thought of this matter.


    Stefan continued to cut the meat while he spoke to answer her question. "Prenuptial agreement is for those people who have divorce written on their faces. I don''t want to divorce you so, why should I prepare one? What''s mine is yours."


    "What''s yours if for our child in the future." Cayenne corrected him. "I don''t want to deal anypany matters. My brain isn''t cut out for that. But I can help you deal with the employees in the hotel."


    "Do you want to be a manager, then?"


    "No. I''m fine with my work now. I don''t want to be more tired than I am already."


    "Alright." Stefan replied nonchntly. He knew that Cayenne isn''t greedy for promotion that almost everyone wants topete for. As long as she''s doing fine with her choice, Stefan won''t hinder her. "Just let me know once you want to quit. I''ll be very happy to support you."


    "Yes, sir." Cayenne yfully replied and helped him cut the vegetables after washing them. The two of them worked happily together to prepare their lunch.


    "After cutting them, you can stay in the living room. I''ll cook all of the dishes for lunch."


    "Okay. I''ll wash the tes and other utensilster." Cayenne told him, dividing their work to make sure that both of them has part of their chores. She cut the vegetables and other ingredients that needed to be cut, washed her hands after and went to the living room.


    However, the moment she sat down, something came to her mind which stunned her. ''The thing thates after a wedding, isn''t it honeymoon?''

 Chapter 179 - MESSING AROUND WITH STEFAN

    <h4>Chapter 179 - MESSING AROUND WITH STEFAN</h4>


    Cayenne covered her face with her hands. She felt that her face was really hot and she was feeling very nervous. Just thinking of the size that Stefan treasured the most made her shiver. "I''ll surely die tonight if he will make a move on me." Cayenne mumbled and wiped the invisible sweat off her face.


    After an hour, Stefan finished cooking their dishes and they ate together. It was just like their regr meal but this time, it felt special because of the wonderful event that just happened to them.


    "Thank you for promising your life to me." Stefan held her hand and kissed the back of it. "I will treasure every moment I have with you."


    "Same with me. I''ll do my best to make sure that I won''t cause you trouble." Cayenne replied with a faint smile. "I''ll be good and think of you every time."


    "Even if you cause me trouble, I don''t mind."


    They were acting all lovey-dovey until they finished their lunch. And since Stefan cooked, she voluntarily washed the dirty utensils. Stefan dried them up because he didn''t want to leave her all alone inside the kitchen.


    "Do you have any ns for the afternoon?" he asked her. If possible, he wanted to go somewhere with her but Cayenne made this wedding a secret to everyone so she cannot ditch her job again to go for a honeymoon trip.


    "Let''s watch the other series of Pirates of the Caribbean."


    "How about we go outside and have a date? We can watch a movie, too."


    "Sure. I don''t think that''s a bad idea. You go and shower first."


    "No. We''ll shower together." Cayenne stiffened her back when she heard his statement. Stefan noticed her reaction, too. "Don''t tell me you''re still shy to shower with me? You''re my wife already and it''spletely natural to shower together."


    Cayenne toughened up herself, turned around to face him and raised her eyebrow. "Who said that I''m embarrassed? I got over it already. What''s there to be embarrassed about? Sooner orter, what needs to happen between a husband and a wife will still happen."


    "Oh?" The grin on his lips widened to tease her. "You''ve mentally prepared yourself already? What about your physical condition?"


    "I don''t think I''m fit enough to do strenuous activities. How about we skip our honeymoon?"


    "If we skip our honeymoon, my needs will be built up over time. Will you be able to handle it in the future?"


    "Geez!" Cayenne rolled her eyes and touched the tip of his nose with her bubbled hands. "Stop being a pervert in front of me. The sun is shining brightly but you''re thinking of dirty things." She went back to work and ignored him for the time being. She''s going to lose her mind with her perverted husband.


    "I don''t think it''s dirty if I''m doing it with you."


    "Whatever." Cayenne muttered. "Just think whatever you want. Expectation and reality are two different things. I just don''t want you to be disappointed."


    Stefan put down the cleaning towel and the te on the table, walked towards her and hugged her from behind. "I won''t be disappointed as long as it''s with you."


    "Tsk! I don''t have the same sentiment." Cayenne mumbled but Stefan kissed the base of her ears, making her flinch and blush. "What are you doing?"


    "Kissing you."


    "Yeah. I know that. Why are you kissing me? I''m seriously washing our dishes here."


    "I''m kissing you because you are my beautiful wife."


    "My dear husband, why are you getting cheeky with me now. Were you just luring me into your trap?"


    "Oh my. You found out." Stefan went along with her act and pretended to be shocked. "Many people say that I''m a spider that lures my victims towards my web. Do you also think of me that way?"


    "No." Cayenne rebutted. "I think, you''re more of a wolf that''s in a sheep''s clothing."


    "And you''re the red riding hood who''s about to be eaten by me." Stefan snaked his hand underneath her shirt which made her yelp. "Is my red riding hood afraid?"


    "No, I''m not!" Cayenne snorted and braced herself altogether and when she felt his hands going up, touching the underside of her breast, she could only bite her lower lip to prevent her moans from escaping. "T-that¡­that''s¡­that''s enough, alright?" she plead while stammering for words. "I¡­I can''t concentrate. I''m not done washing the tes."


    "We can finish itter." Stefan whispered while kissing her nape and the side of her jaw. "I can help you wash itter."


    "No way. I want to finish it now. Stop distracting me this time."


    "Then, I''ll distract you tonight."


    "Whatever." Cayenne swatted his hand away and breathed out a sigh of relief. She calmed herself and thought that Stefan has left behind her but when she turned around, he cupped her face and kissed her lips. Previously, when he kissed her, it will be brief and most of the time, he will only kiss the corner of her lips. This time was different.


    Stefan slipped his tongue inside her mouth swept her ptes and gums. She was so startled with his action and his tongue was sending tingling sensations down to her toes. It was a bit itchy but she felt good doing it with him. She didn''t feel disgusted like how she felt whenever she saw couples doing this kind of intimate gesture before.


    Cayenne wrapped her arms around his neck but the bubbles from the dishwashing soap didn''t bother Stefan at all. He held the back of her hand to deepened the kiss however, he noticed that Cayenne stiffened. He stopped and looked at her. "What''s the matter? D-do¡­do you¡­do you dislike it?" he asked tentatively, unsure what to do if she''d say yes to his question.


    Contrary to his expectation, Cayenne didn''t show any expressing of distaste, dislike or displeasure; but she was rather lost and confused. "I don''t know how to kiss. I haven''t tried doing it and what I know from kissing is just me pressing me lips to you. I don''t know the French kiss that everyone does with their partners."


    "Honest as ever, aren''t you?" Stefan pinched her cheeks lightly. "I was a little bit afraid when you suddenly stiffened under my touch. Anyway, I can teach you how to do it. And practice makes prefect so let''s practice it a lot, okay?"


    "Hmp! You just want to take advantage of me." Cayenne poked his waist and returned back to work. She was trying her best to calm her pounding heart but the man behind her wouldn''t just let her rest. His presence alone will make her heart jump around from so much happiness. "Let''s finish this as soon as we can so that we can shower together." She told him the most effective words to make him stop for a while.


    There weren''t many utensils that needed to be wash but because they flirted for most of the time, they ended up spending an hour washing and drying the kitchenware.


    After hanging her apron and taking off her gloves, Stefan pulled her upstairs for a shower as soon as possible. He was so eager like a child who was promised to be taken out by his mother. In order to save her energy forter, Stefan didn''t do anything inside the shower room. He behaved, which was rather odd but it was what Cayenne wanted, so she didn''t mind at all.


    Cayenne chose her clothes for their afternoon date and Stefan was watching over her so that he can choose an outfit that can match with hers. Cayenne chose a white sweatshirt with a huge ck butterfly print on the front side and she paired it with a ck and white checkered skater''s skirt. Stefan bought her a lot of things and it''s time to use them. She pulled out a ck ankle boots from her shoe organizer and wore it. She took a small white backpack with cherry blossom prints on it. Andstly, she tied her hair up and put on a small amount of baby powder and lip gloss.


    To match her style. Stefan chose a white V-necked shirt with a ck chest pocket, a ck denim shorts and white rubber shoes. He didn''tb back his hair like how he used to whenever he went to thepany; just letting it loose and a little messy. He lookedid back and rxed.


    As for their essories, both of them were wearing their red-string of fate jewelry. Cayenne was wearing the bracelet and Stefan was wearing the watch. And the additional items were their wedding rings.


    While the two of them nned their date, some of the employees in Clover Hotel gossiped about Cayenne once again.


    "Have you noticed that Yen''s been MIA (Missing In Action) recently?" an employee asked her colleague over lunch.


    "I do. Starting November, she''s been skipping work a lot of times and she''s taking vacations as well. Even during Christmas, I heard that she didn''t came to work and someone covered for her shift with additional pay. I''m not sure if it''s real though." Another employee added.


    "Maybe it''s because she never took vacation ever since she started working here. Maybe they allowed her because she''s been diligent with her work." One employee tried to be rational with her opinion. "Even so, it''s not really our problem if she''s not working. It''s not our money that gets deducted and it''s not us who gets punishment if she abuses the management. So, just let her be."


    Luna, who heard this opinion, gave the other girl an approving look. ''Someone is still rational like me.''

 Chapter 180 - SPOTTED: IS MR. DUMRIQUE MARRIED?

    <h4>Chapter 180 - SPOTTED: IS MR. DUMRIQUE MARRIED?</h4>


    Stefan and Cayenne were the source of envy from the other shoppers. Women thought, ''how lucky she was to get a man like him.'' Men thought, ''this bastard is lucky to have a woman like her''. They were so sweet and they didn''t care about the other people looking at them. They were just minding their own world.


    "I''ll go and buy a ticket for the movie." Stefan told Cayenne. "Don''t go anywhere. I need you to stay in this spot where I can see you."


    "Sure. Sure. I won''t leave your sight." Cayenne responded with a smile. ''This man is such a worrywart.'' Cayenne thought to herself while watching him walk away to buy tickets. Every few steps, he''d turn back to look at her, making sure she''s staying in the same spot. "Just go already."


    "Don''t leave." He said once again.


    "I won''t." She reassured him.


    Many people were looking at them and some were giggling because Stefan was really cute and adorable when he''s being clingy. Since it was Stefan who bought the ticket, Cayenne had no idea what movie did he choose. There were many cinema rooms inside the mall and there were different movies that will be shown in the afternoon.


    After he bought the ticket, he went back to her, held her hand and went to buy their snacks and drinks. "What movie are we watching?" Cayenne asked him. Her head was leaning on his shoulder while she looked up to peer on his face.


    "It''s a secret, my dear wife." Stefan replied while lightly pinching her face. "You will surely like it."


    "Really?"


    "Hn."


    "Alright. I''ll wait and see." She shifted her gaze back to her surroundings and looked towards the other dating couples. She missed the wide grin on Stefan''s lips, not knowing that she was basically falling to his trap once again.


    They bought onerge popcorn and two cs for both of them. Since they still needed to wait for few minutes before they can get inside the cinema, Stefan and Cayenne observed what other couples do on a date. Basically, they skipped this important stage and got married.


    At the same time, dating shouldn''t be stopped just because people get married. From time to time, they should still go and have fun together to make sure that the love and passion wouldn''t die down. And of course, they should take some time doing some pleasurable activities. It''s a natural course that husband and wife should take note of.


    In fact, Cayenne had mentally prepared herself for this but she wasn''t sure if her body could manage to hold on until he''s satiated.


    Most of the couple they saw weren''t afraid or embarrassed when kissing their partner in front of other people. They even look proud and took pride in doing it. Cayenne raised her eyebrow and frowned when she saw another couple kissing in the middle of the crowd as if they''re the only two people living in this world.


    Stefan was just observing her expression with a side nce. "You don''t like it?" he asked.


    "Don''t like what? What do you mean?"


    "Kissing in public."


    "It''s not that I don''t like it but I don''t think I''d want to show them your expression when you''re kissing me." She reasoned out which surprised Stefan. He didn''t expect that she was thinking of this reason. He thought that she''d be embarrassed to do it when there''re other people around them.


    Stefan moved closer and leaned his face close to her. "Then, can I kiss you?"


    "No but, I can kiss you."


    "Really? You''re quiet daring."


    "Of course." She tiptoed and kissed Stefan on his right cheek. "Love you."


    Another unexpected thing from her. Stefan couldn''t help but chuckle. She really knew how to stir his heart and warm it up. "I thought I''d be getting a French kiss."


    "You''re overthinking things again." Cayenne retorted andughed at him. "Maybe I''d let you do it if we''re alone. Sadly, we''re not."


    Stefan kissed her temple and ran his fingers through her hair. "I''ll ask for that tonight, then."


    The staff who was assigned for Cinema #5 opened the door to the cinema already and asked everyone to fall in line and present their tickets. Cayenne had checked the movies earlier but she didn''t check which cinema will be showing which movie. She followed Stefan and watched him hand over the ticket that he folded in two, covering the title of the movie.


    ''Hmm. So secretive. I''m having a bad premonition on this.'' She thought while watching his handsome face which didn''t show anything that can give away his thoughts. "You''re not letting me watch a R-18 movie, right?" She asked him as they walked inside the cinema to find their seats.


    The other couples who heard her question couldn''t help but stifle theirughter. She was right on the spot but none of them told her.


    The found their seat which was located at the middle row and right beside the aisle for easy ess if she wanted to go out for toilet or other matter.


    "Let''s enjoy the show. Shall we?" Stefan whispered to her ears and lightly nibbled on it, sending shivers to her spine and down to her toes. "You will learn a lot from this."


    "Fine. Fine. I won''t waste your time. I''ll pay attention to it." She confidently told him, and it didn''t take long for her to regret what she said. She can''t just focus on something so sexy, erotic and passionate. The movie was a mix of suspense and steamy scenes. It was a story of a woman who was kidnapped by the man she spent a one-night stand. She even fell in love with her kidnapper. No matter how she tried to calm her face, she couldn''t just get used to it. It was really testing her psychological endurance.


    "Don''t focus on the story, just focus on their passionate activity. After all, you will have to learn something from it. We''ll have a practical test tonight." Stefan whispered, a devil-incarnate right beside her.


    She turned her head to see his expression and just as she expected, he was smiling teasingly at her. "I don''t think this kind of thing ¨C I don''t think I can handle this."


    "How do you now when you haven''t tried it?"


    "I just know because it''s my body." Cayenne retorted while rolling her eyes at him. "Besides, if you dare do something kinky with me, you will have to sleep in the living room."


    "Why? I can definitely use the guest room beside our room."


    "Whatever." Cayenne cannot really match up with his thinking.


    "Just kidding." Stefan hugged her and kissed the side of her face. "I won''t do something that you''re notfortable with. I want you to enjoy these kinds of passionate activity with me." He told her while pointing his finger to the screen. "I won''t hurt you."


    Cayenne touched his face and smiled at him. His eyes, even though it was a little bit dark, but because of the light from the huge screen, she was still able to see his love and care for her. "Thank you. I know you love me the most."


    "Of course. No one can love you more than I do." Stefan kissed the top of her head before giving back his attention to the movie.


    Cayenne tried her best to watch the whole movie but there were times that she was so embarrassed with the hot scenes, she needed to cover her eyes. Stefan wouldugh at her but he would also kiss her head tofort her.


    After an hour and half, the movie was finally done. When they came out of the cinema, her face was so red, you can almost squeeze out a drop of blood from it. She instantly put on her cap and shades but Stefan didn''t do the same thing as her. Many people recognized him and they took photos of him. They wanted to get a picture of Cayenne''s face as well but half of her face was covered with the cap and shades. She was also looking down so they couldn''t get any clue who she was.


    What caught everyone''s attention was no longer the bracelet that she was wearing which matches the watch that Stefan wore but the ring on their finger.


    Someone with a high definition camera took a picture of them and zoomed in the part where you can see their ring. He posted it online and ced a caption. ''Is Mr. Dumrique married?''


    This garnered a lot of attentions and the Dumrique family was also informed of this news. They weren''t surprise at all and they didn''t say anything to confirm it either. They just expressed their opinion that they won''t interfere with Stefan''s choice of woman. It''s his life and he will be spending it with the woman he loves. They can only support him.


    Luna, Jessie and Manager Kim, these three people who knew about Cayenne''s rtionship with the boss, were utterly surprised. They didn''t expect that the two of them got married.


    ''Is that why she''s absent today?'' Luna thought and her face fell. She was a bit sad that Cayenne didn''t tell her this piece of information.

 Chapter 181 - DONT BREAK IT OR ILL BREAK YOU

    <h4>Chapter 181 - DON''T BREAK IT OR I''LL BREAK YOU</h4>


    Because the two lovebirds were busy with their date, they didn''t know that they became a trending topic until Magnus sent a message to Stefan.


    After reading the message, he checked his social media ount and sure enough, there were so many message notifications about his "marriage" with Cayenne.


    "Looks like we''ve got the no. 1 spot again." Stefan told Cayenne and showed the news online. "People really love to get themselves involved with us."


    "It doesn''t matter. They don''t know me anyway." Cayenne retorted with a lovely smile on her face. "But honey, these people know you. How will you resolve this matter?"


    "Simple." Stefan intertwined their fingers together and took a picture of their rings. He uploaded the picture with apanying caption ''These are couple rings. I''ll have her wear a customize wedding ring in the future.'' His response was very direct and simple. Only few people knew that they were actually married.


    In Peach Wood Subdivision, Chris was decorating the back garden for the dinner date of newly-wed couple. Stefan texted him earlier and it''s obvious that this will be a surprise to Cayenne. He bought a lot of flowers to decorate the bedroom as well and while he was busy doing his task, the doorbell rang.


    He instantly walked downstairs to see who it was but when he was checking the monitor beside the door, he couldn''t see the man''s face because he''s facing his back on the camera but somehow, he''s got a bad feeling about this. It''s not the kind of bad wherein he''ll be fighting someone but, it''s the kind of bad that he wanted to escape and hide somewhere.


    s, when he opened the door, David turned around to face him and showed his handsome face. "Hi. I bet you''re not happy to see me."


    "I''m d that you''re aware of this fact. I want to run and escape." Chris let him in and closed the door after. "Stefan sent you here." It wasn''t a question because there''s no point in asking when he knew the answer already.


    David just nodded his head in agreement while looking around the ce. "Have you decorated the room?"


    "Yes."


    "And their dinner ce?"


    "It''s at the back garden."


    "The food?"


    "I''ll have someone deliver their food from his owned hotel."


    "So, in short, I have nothing else to do?" David asked as he sat in the living room. Chris was about to say ''yes'' when David stood up again. "I''ve got a lot of things to do." He pulled out his phone and called Stefan who was currently buying matching stuff with Cayenne. Cayenne told him that it''s not needed but he wanted to spend more time with her knowing that the preparation at home wouldn''t be finish until six in the evening.


    "Let me answer this call."? Stefan told Cayenne and picked up the call right beside her. He just lowered the volume to make sure that she won''t hear anything. "Yes¡­I got them¡­Sure¡­Hn. I''d love that¡­I''ll send them to your email." Stefan ended the call but he was still busy fiddling with his phone, sending the things that David wanted to have.


    Cayenne couldn''t figure out what they were talking about but she didn''t mind it at all. She picked a set of blue silk pajamas and showed it to her husband. "How about this? Do you like this?" she showed him a pair of pants and a long-sleeve.


    "Will you get one for yourself, too?"


    "Hn. I can get this one." She picked another set which has the same color and design which was a pair of pants and blouse.


    "No. I want you to have this." Stefan picked another set with the same color and design but it was a pair of shorts and spaghetti strapped blouse. "This pair suits you better."


    "It''s cold in our room. I don''t want to feel cold."


    "I''ll be hugging you to sleep. You won''t feel cold." Stefan reasoned out and ced the set in her cart. "We''ll take this."


    "Fine. Fine." Hearing their banter, the saledy couldn''t stop herself from giggling.


    The roamed inside the mall, rested for few minutes before going to another round of shopping. It was Stefan''s idea and no matter how much Cayenne tried to stop him, he wouldn''t just listen to her. He was spending his money as if there''s no tomorrow.


    On the other hand, David went out of the house without telling Chris anything and thetter didn''t mind him leaving as well. It was peaceful once again. However, after an hour, David came back and started pestering him.


    "Come and help me get the frames from my car. Be extra careful. If you break them, I will break you." He told Chris who didn''t bother listening to him. He''s always careful; there''s no need to remind him.


    Frame after frame, he had beening in and out of the house while David was just sitting pretty in the living room. There were so many frames varying from sizes and Chris had a faint idea what the frames contain.


    "Let''s ce them inside their bedroom." David told Chris while pointing his finger to thergest frame. Since they will be going upstairs, David helped Chris this time. They unwrapped the frame and the wedding picture of Cayenne and Stefan appeared in front of them. "Lovely." Davidmented and pped his hand. "Let''s put it here."


    David noticed that the house wasn''t like a home for a couple like Cayenne and Stefan. It was bare and there wasn''t a single photo of them together. Even people who rents an apartment will keep a photo or two but the newly-wed has nothing at all. And because of that, he decided to re-design the interior of their house which will be a ce they can call home.


    And Chris? He became a carpenter for the time being under themand of David. He fixed a lot of things, moved a lot of things, carried a lot of things because of the bossy man who came to the house.


    ''Why did Stefan send this man here? Is he nning to kill me from stress?''? Chris wept mentally while doing what David asked him to.

 Chapter 182 - CANNOT ESCAPE HER FATE

    <h4>Chapter 182 - CANNOT ESCAPE HER FATE</h4>


    After spending the whole afternoon in Peach Wood Subdivision, David was totally spent and decided toe home. "I''ll be going home first. I''m tired."


    "Tsk! You were just sitting most of the time." Chris muttered softly with a look of disdain.


    "What do you know? If I say I''m tired then, I''m tired." David responded with his chillingly cold voice. "You can say you''re tired, too. I don''t mind. You can evensh at me. But can you do it some other time, I really need to rest."


    Chris didn''t expect the man to hear him but he didn''t say anything. He just turned around and went back to the back garden. He still needed to wait for the food to arrive.


    David watched Chris'' back and sighed. "Why do I even like this cold-hearted man?" he told himself before stepping out of the car, calling his butler toe and pick him up. He drove the car when he came to the house but with how he was feeling now, he was worried that something will happen to him on the road.


    At six in the evening, Stefan had finally decided toe home and Cayenne couldn''t be happier upon hearing his decision. They bought a lot of things and she had no idea what to do with some of them. They just bought it because they came in pair.


    "Look at that ¨C" Cayenne told Stefan while pointing her finger to a car in front of their house. "Isn''t that David''s car?"


    "How did you know?"


    "I saw that car when he parked it outside his housest time. I still remember the te number."


    "He came this afternoon but he left after. I guess the butler came to pick him up which was why his car is still here."


    "I see." Cayenne mumbled as she was about to step out of the car but then, she realized something. "Why did hee when we''re not around?"


    "He said that he wanted to give us something."


    "O-okay." She went to the back of the car and picked the shopping bags so that she can help her husband in bringing them inside.


    Seeing that they''re finally home, Chris went out and greeted them. He helped them carry the things inside and left, not wanting to disturb the lovers and their date but he frowned when he saw David''s car still parked outside. ''Why is this still here? Didn''t he leave already?'' he told himself, feeling worried that something has happened to him. He wanted toe back inside and asked Stefan but he gave up the idea and decided to call the Wang''s home phone instead. It was what David used for his business. ''Did I hurt him with my words earlier? It was very careless of me. That man is surely sensitive.'' He thought while waiting for someone to pick up. And when it did, he didn''t know why, but he felt a little bit disappointed that it was the butler who picked up the phone. He talked to the butler for few minutes and after confirming that David was alright, he ended the call and went to his own and lonely apartment.


    Meanwhile¡­


    Cayenne stood in the middle of the living room, awed by the new look of their house. There were picture frames that contains her pictures or Stefan''s pictures and there were some that contained the both of them. There were even photos of her when she was in college and she had no idea how they obtained these pictures. Some of them were taken recently and some were photos from several years ago.


    "How did you get these pictures?" Cayenne asked Stefan. She knew that no other man would want to obtain these pictures aside from her husband. "I look really young here. If I remember this picture was taken when I was still in my senior years in high school." Shemented while caressing one of the frames.


    "I must give Luna a good reward. She helped me get lots of your pictures from your different ssmates. Some of them came from Arthur. I bet, he had no idea that I was getting them."


    "You''re cheeky as ever." Cayenne poked his waist. "Is the things that David was working this afternoon?"


    "Hn."


    "There''s more here." Stefan led her to the back garden, forgetting the items that they just bought, leaving them in the living room. "Close your eyes." Stefan told her and held her hand to make sure that she won''t stumble and fall. "We''re almost there."


    "Where are we going?" Cayenne asked him, a little bit excited and nervous because she noticed that the direction they were heading to was a bit unfamiliar to her.


    "Just follow me." Stefan whispered to her as they slowly approached the surprise that he asked Chris to prepare. "Open your eyes."


    Cayenne slowly opened her eyes and looked around the ce. It was a bit blurry at first but after blinking several times, she clearly saw the things in front of her.


    "The back garden is this beautiful. Why didn''t I notice it before?" Cayenne blurted out. There were so many flowers in the garden and it was very bright because of the little white lights installed. In the middle was a table with a candle lit dinner for the two of them.


    Before, she was just staying with him because of her job. So, she didn''t explore the house that much. Later on, she was interested toe to the back garden but she didn''t want to go alone. Stefan was always busy and when he''s not, he''s got other ns for them. So many things have happened and she eventually forget about this back garden.


    "This is for you." Stefan gave him another flower pot with yellow tulips in it. He still remembered that Cayenne didn''t like receiving bouquets of flowers because they will eventually wither and die. She prefers flowers in a pot with roots and leaves, still alive and blooming. She wants to take care of them and see how they will grow under her care.


    "Thank you." Cayenne epted the flower pot happily. "I''m d you didn''t give me a bouquet of flowers."


    "I know you don''t like receiving those." Stefan responded and pulled out the chair for her to sit. "Let''s eat. I know you''re tired from shopping this afternoon."


    "It''s fine. I was with you anyway." Cayenne replied with a tender smile. Why would shein when she was with her husband? In fact, she was happy instead of tired. The only thing that she felt negative about was that, he spent so much money once again.


    The two of them started eating dinner happily. They talked about their ns for the garden and what they can do about it. She wanted to make it look like Jillyanna''s garden but she has limited space so, she gave up with the idea.


    She was happily munching her food while her brain was making ample mental preparation with what''s about to happen after dinner. She cannot escape the fate of a wife on the night of their honeymoon.

 Chapter 183 - MY WIFE IS SO CUTE

    <h4>Chapter 183 - MY WIFE IS SO CUTE</h4>


    After dinner, Cayenne looked around, thinking they should clean the ce before going to sleep but Stefan had different ns in mind. "I already messaged someone toe and clean this ne. Don''t worry about it." Stefan told her which made Cayenne feel a bit disappointed.


    "Even if you are rich, you can''t just pass these kinds of menial task to other people. We can always do this ourselves." She told him. She really hated it when people spend too much of their money while there were some who are so poor they couldn''t even eat a decent meal in a day or two.


    "I''m not doing this because I want to spend my money for nothing. This is my way of helping other people." Stefan retorted while leading her back to the living room. "I help the less fortunate but I don''t help for free. I didn''t earn the money for free after all. There should always be a give and take rtionship, in that way, they wouldn''t abuse my goodness."


    "Oh. Sorry for being so quick to judge." Cayenne apologized immediately. It turned out, she had a wrong idea of him. "I get to know another good thing about you."


    "I''ll show you the best of meter tonight." Stefan whispered close to her ears before picking up the things they bought. "Can you please wait for the subdivision''s janitor? I''ll just bring these things inside our room."


    "Hn.." Cayenne replied perfunctorily with a bashful face. The warmth of his breath lingered at the back of her ears and she was reminded of the scene from the movie they watched earlier. For no reason, she made a sign of the cross and asked the Lord to spare her for the uing battle.


    She started to feel uneasy. When Stefan came down once again to get the other batch of items, she didn''t turn her face to see him. She was just watching the dark night outside the window. After few minutes of waiting, one of the subdivision''s guard apanied the subdivision''s janitor. Cayenne told them the work they needed to finish before going upstairs.


    "I''ll take a bath first. You check if they have finished their work." Cayenne told Stefan without batting an eyelid. She looked rather bossy but her eyes betrayed her nervousness. She was looking everywhere but him.


    Stefan approached her with a teasing smile, knowing what mental battle she was going through for being his wife. It''s the night of their honeymoon and as newly-wed couple, they should be doing the thing that most couple enjoys doing. "Don''t you want to bath together?"


    "No."


    "Wow! That''s a very quick response." Stefan replied with a chuckle.


    "That''s because I know from your perverted face that you''d ask me this question. Now, hurry up and go out to check on the guard and the janitor. Don''t forget to pay them, too."


    "Yes, ma''am." Stefan replied and kissed the tip of her nose before leaving.


    Since he left, Cayenne went to the bathroom and undress her clothes to start bathing. She thought she''d be bathing alone that night but how would she know that not even five minutes passed, Stefan came back and went to the bathroom, following her. She even forgot to lock the door.


    "You''re back already. Are they finish?"


    "Nope." Stefan''s perfunctory response came out of his mouth while he was undressing himself to take a shower with her.


    "Then, why are you here?"


    "I told them that they can go home after cleaning the garden and I left them their pay already."


    ''Ahhhh! What am I supposed to do with this idiot? He''s clearly making things difficult for me.'' Cayenne cried out mentally. She really wanted to punch his smiling face. "Hmp!" She couldn''t do anything but snort at him. She''ll surely get back at him one day.


    Stefan hugged her from the back while turning on the shower, letting the water wet the two of them. "You''re avoiding me, aren''t you? Are you afraid of what''s about to happen?"


    "Not really." She answered, pretending to be nonchnt but in truth, her heart was beating so fast which made Stefan raised his eyebrow. But he didn''t expose her.


    Stefan kissed the back of her neck and the back of her ears, sending shivers to her spine down to her toes. She was so nervous and anxious that she actually stiffened in his arms. "You''re afraid." Stefanmented. There was no judgement in his voice just a hint ofughter at her current predicament.


    Cayenne turned around to face him, although she was facing him, her eyes weren''t looking at him. She was trying her best to look away from his face or his body. "I¡­can¡­uh¡­can we postpone our honeymoon and have it over weekend?" she stammered with this question but she was d she was able to ask. "It''s not because I don''t want it but, I still have work tomorrow."


    "What does our honeymoon got to do with your work?" Stefan questioned her as well with a deep frown on his face. He never thought that their activity will hinder her from working since all the other women he had dealt with before were able to do their usual work the next day.


    Cayenne bit her lower lip while trying to find the right words to exin things to him. She didn''t want him to feel that she was afraid of him. She''s just nervous, not afraid. They''re two different words. "I''ve read this kind of stuff from books and from other women who talked about it. Most of them said that it would really hurt the first time they do it and specially for virgins. Some of them weren''t able to walk the next day because of the pain on their waist and whatever parts those were. And if you have forgotten, I''m reminding you that I''m a virgin. With that size," she pointed her finger to his manhood but her eyes were looking somewhere else. "I''m sure that would make me stay bedridden for couple of days. I don''t want to miss my work."


    Stefan had been trying his best not tough since she looked so serious while exining things to her but she looked so cute with her adorable expressions. In the end, hisughter echoed inside the bathroom. ''My wife is just so cute. I can''t allow other people to see this expression of her.''

 Chapter 184 - SHE LENT A HELPING HAND

    <h4>Chapter 184 - SHE LENT A HELPING HAND</h4>


    "So, how do you want me to solve this?" Stefan asked Cayenne, taking hold of her hand and ced it on his stiff and hard length.


    "It''s not my problem. Who told you to be aroused at this time?" Cayenne retorted with a red face. She could feel his thing throbbing underneath her palm and her blush turned a bit redder. "Don''t you dare me it on me."


    "What can I do? Whatever you do, where we are, I always feel arouse when I''m with you. You just don''t know how much control have to muster in order not to embarrass myself. And of course, I can only show this thing to you."


    "Well, I''m not surprise." Cayenne mumbled.


    "Just help me a bit." Stefan stated and helped her move her hand up and down his length. "Just do what I have taught youst time."


    "This is really insane." Cayenne whispered while doing what she was told without meeting his eyes.


    "Why won''t you face me? You''ll have a stiff neck if you keep looking the other way." Stefan held her chin with his other hand and turned her face to make her look at him. "Just look at me and nothing else."


    "How long do I have to do this?" Cayenne asked him but when she found that he was breathing heavily with his eyes closed, she knew that it won''t take long. ''I''m d that he''s not forcing me to do other things aside from this. Weekend. I will have to deal with him this weekend.'' She sighed a little bit louder than intended and Stefan heard it, too.


    "What are you thinking?" he asked.


    "I''m thinking of what will happen to me this weekend." Cayenne responded instantly before she realized it. Stefan chuckled at her answer but even so, his eyes held the gentlest gaze she had ever seen which was directed at her. "I won''t escape when that timees."


    "Even if you¡­you want to¡­escape¡­I won''t let¡­let you do it." At the end of his statement, Stefan released what had been saved up all this time. "Sorry."


    "Are you going to apologize to me every time this happens?" Cayenne asked while washing her hands away. She wasn''t disgusted with the sticky and warm liquid on her hands. She felt that it was normal since she was his wife anyway. It''s expected that she''ll have it outside and inside her in the future.


    "I just thought that you might hate it and feel dirty."


    "If you think that way, if we ever have a child in the future, would you tell our baby that he''s or she''s created from dirt?"


    "Of course, not."


    "Then stop thinking about nonsense things. It''s alright. I don''t really hate it." After washing her hands, she snaked her hands around his neck and pulled him for a kiss. "I like your kisses the most." She whispered and the short kiss that she was nning to take was deepened until the spent almost an hour inside the bathroom.


    She finished taking a shower first and Stefan stayed a little bit longer since he had to take care of himself from being teased by her. One round wasn''t good enough.


    When he stepped out of the bathroom, she was done drying her hair and was looking for their matching pajamas to wear. She''s going to slowly adapt to her new role in his life and that''s being his wife.


    While the two of them continued to fill their home with love, Magnus continued to wreak havoc against the Minato family. ra, his wife, had no idea that the person who''s destroying her family was none other than her husband. Few days ago, two younger generations got involved in different scandalous situations, one after another.


    The next morning, it was another Minato member who got involved with another issue. It was reported that Brett Lawrence Minato, ra''s youngest brother, hadmitted a severe case of fraud in States. The evidences were sent to the police station and it was verified by the US police department, who had been trying their best to capture the criminal. They were d that the City A''s Police Department had cooperated with them. The Minato Group had to pay millions to the victims and soon enough, their stocks were getting lower and lower.


    Magnus didn''t just stop there, after sending the evidences regarding Brett, the public trial hadn''t started yet when another envelope was given to Lucian. Since there were so many cases, he divided the work to his team making sure that everyone will have a job and get their due credits after this matter getting settled.


    Lovely Jean Minato-Ikuta, ra''s cousin was caught cheating and the man she was involved with was a university professor. The professor was also dismissed from his job; someone who''s involved in adultery isn''t fitted to teach students. They should check themselves and evaluate if they have the right morals to continue teaching their students.


    In one day, right after Stefan''s wedding, two people from the Minato family were destroyed by his father. As for Stefan, he didn''t care the least bit about them. In a sense usingw, ra was his legal mother but he would never recognize this information. A woman who killed his mother, a woman who''s cunning to let someone father a child he didn''t own; can never be called human. She''s a devil and devils should be eradicated before they contaminate the world.


    They woke up and went to work like usual. They weren''t affected by any negative news and all they care about was their rtionship and their own family. For Stefan, Cayenne''s family was his family and he cared for them.


    This time, Cayenne didn''t wear the ring on her finger. She used her ne and put the ring as an additional pendant to hide it away from the prying eyes of other people. Of course, there were few who knew about her rtionship with Stefan but she didn''t want everyone to know about it.


    If Stefan didn''t rify that it was a couple ring, Luna would have asked Cayenne the moment she stepped inside the hotel for work but since Stefan said that it was just a couple ring, her mood became bright once again and she had stopped sulking. Manager Kim didn''t say anything as well as Jessie. They just kept their mouth and observed what was happening.

 Chapter 185 - ANGRY CAYENNE

    <h4>Chapter 185 - ANGRY CAYENNE</h4>


    "Yen!"


    Cayenne looked to the left side and looked to the right. Two people were calling her name at the same and she didn''t expect the other one to be around. "Morning Lulu." She greeted her friend before turning to Arthur. "I didn''t expect you to be here. Are you staying as a guest?"


    "Not really. I just want to check on you. It''s been a while since west saw each other." Arthur replied to her. "You didn''te homest night so I decided toe over here."


    "You went to the apartment?" Darkness loom over Cayenne''s face when she heard him. She leaned closer to him and whispered. "Didn''t I tell you not to visit our home anymore? Someone wille over and will make things difficult for me again."


    "My mom won''t hassle your family anymore." Arthur told her with a faint smile. "I''ve talked to her already.


    "Oh! You knew?"


    "Hn. I found out just recently." Arthur took a deep breath and sigh. "Yen, is it because of my mother that you''re keeping me at arm''s length? Is it because of her that you''ve avoided me after five years?? We were so close back then. We depended on each other and we''re doing great. I didn''t expect that when I came back, you''d be so distant and cold to me." He looked sad while he sounded using towards Cayenne. He may have not meant it that way but to Cayenne it looked like it was her fault that there''s a huge change between them.


    Well, she can''t really deny it because the moment she took a step back and did what his mother asked her five years ago, her feelings for him has change.


    "Sorry, Arthur. I didn''t know you''d be so affected by this whole matter. I admit, what we have back then was something special for me but it''s all in the past. I buried everything down when your mother looked down on me."


    "But Yen, you''re never this type of person who will just do something because someone said so. And besides, you can''t really say that my mother was looking down on you. What she said were facts. You''re poor and ¨C"


    "I know!" Cayenne snapped at him. "My feelings don''t concern you or your family as long as you''re stating the facts. So, what the hell are you doing here? Stop making excuses that you''re checking on me! In truth, you just don''t want me to surpass your status." Cayenne retorted in anger. "Stoping to see me. I''m warning you, just stop seeing me. If your mother can make things difficult for me, someone on my side can do the same now. Don''t wait for me to do something against your family. I''m kind enough to warn you because of our past rtionship."


    Arthur wanted to say something and take back what he just said but Cayenne already turned around and left him alone to start working. He wanted to apologize but it seemed like, he won''t be able to do it anymore.


    The atmosphere inside the employee''s lounge was a bit depressing. No one spoke aloud and no one dared to approach Cayenne except for Luna. This was the first time that they had seen her be angry. She was trembling in anger and her hands were clenched into tight fists.


    "Oh god! He made me want to smash a vase on his face!" Cayenne whispered furiously. "I can''t believe he said those words to me! Argh! I''m so angry."


    While she was seething in anger, Stefan''s call came. She picked it and her face mellowed a little when she was talking to him.


    "I heard that Arthur came." Stefan blurted out the moment she answered the phone. "And he angered you."


    "Who told you?" Cayenne questioned and looked around. She found Luna clutching with her phone who gave her a yful wink. "I guess it''s Lulu." She added since Stefan didn''t say anything on the other side.


    "So, what did he say that angers you?"


    "Nothing. Seeing his face angered me already. What everes from his mouth just made me even more angry. But I''m fine."


    "Are you sure? You don''t want me toe andfort you?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about? You should do your work. We skipped our work yesterday so you better do something about your own stuff."


    "Yes, ma''am." Stefan replied with a series of chuckle. "But I can still do my job afterforting you." He added, still insistent onforting her.


    "My dear husband, I''m really fine. Don''te because they''re starting to suspect me already. Do you want to expose us?"


    "Fine. Fine. I won''te but I''ll surelye and pick you up after work. Let''s go home together."


    "Okay." Cayenne smiled sweetly even though he can''t see her face.


    "I love you, my little wife."


    "I love you too, my big wolf."


    "Tsk! unting your love in front of so many single dogs, aren''t you afraid that we''ll bite you?" Lunamented when Cayenne ended the call.


    "Wasn''t it your fault? Why did you tell him that Arthur came? That idiot mighte over here."


    "Didn''t you tell him that you''re fine and he didn''t have toe over?"


    "Oh! Lulu, you just don''t know. Whether I tell him toe or not, he will stille over even when he said that he won''t."


    "Why?"


    "Because he wanted to see for himself that I''m fine. He thinks that I''m an easy target for bullies because I look small."


    Lunaughed at this response. She didn''t know that the devil boss had a cute and a sweet side. However, these characteristics can only be directed to Cayenne. "I wish Ali can be like him."


    "Don''tpare Ali to him. Your boyfriend has unique character and attitude. He''s perfect for you and besides, you''ve been through together. You knew each other so well already."


    "By the way, what happened to you and Arthur? Isn''t he your first love?"

 Chapter 186 - EXPECTED VISIT; UNEXPECTED LUNCH

    <h4>Chapter 186 - EXPECTED VISIT; UNEXPECTED LUNCH</h4>


    "Hmp! First love my ass!" Cayenne cursed in anger. "I don''t recognize him as my first love anymore. How dare he belittle me?! I thought we knew each other and I''m actually wrong about him."


    "Alright. Let''s not talk about it." Luna can see her anger ring up again so she decided to change the topic. "Can I see the couple ring?" She whispered close to her ears to prevent other people from hearing them.


    Cayenne took out her ne and showed to her friend the gold ring with so many diamonds embedded on it and the names of the couple were engraved on the inner side.


    "Oh my g! Is this for real?!"


    "Shh!" Cayenne ced her finger on her lips to signal her friend to keep quiet. "Are you done looking at it? I need to hide it away."


    "Sure." Lulu let go of Cayenne''s ne so that her best friend can hide it under her uniform. "That''s very sweet of him. So, when''s the wedding."


    ''Cough. Cough. Cough.''? Cayenne was coughing profusely her face was getting red. She choked on her own saliva when she was asked this question and her incessant coughing can''t be suppressed for a moment. She was really shocked with the question and at the same time, a little bit guilty for lying to her friends and family.


    The other employees were looking at them in curiosity as well but Cayenne just ignored them. Manager Kim arrived and gave her a bottled water. "Why are you coughing all of a sudden. If he knows about this, he will think that we''re bullying you." Manager Kimmented while rubbing her back.


    "Sorry Ms. Kim. I was just so surprise with Luna''s question." Cayenne replied with a faint smile as she epted the water and drank it.


    "What question?" Manager Kim looked towards Luna to know the details. She must know everything because there are times that Stefan will ask her some things that Cayenne didn''t want to say even when she was being bullied or was feeling aggrieved. She''s worried that she''d lose her job if she can''t answer him.


    Luna rolled her and sighed helplessly. "I was just asking about the wedding."


    "Oh." Manager Kim perfunctorily answered. "Anyway, as soon as you''re done logging in, make sure to start doing your work."


    "Yes, ma''am." Everyone answered and that included Cayenne.


    Because of Luna''s careless question, Cayenne became food for gossip once again. It wasn''t anything excessive ¨C they were just talking of her uing wedding and who might be the groom. They still have no idea who was her boyfriend.


    And just like what she had expected, Stefan came over during lunch. And he didn''t eat his lunch inside his suite. Instead, he ate in the same lounge as the employees and took the same type of meal like them. In fact, Cayenne has more food than him. Chris could only follow her boss in a helpless manner. He can never understand this wife-doting-husband.


    "Can I sit here?" Stefan asked Luna when he found their table. Chris was following behind him with his own tray of food. Luna nodded her head and pulled the chair for the boss to sit. He sat beside Cayenne and Chris could only sit beside Luna since there''s no other choice.


    ''What is this situation?! Why are we in this situation once again?!'' Cayenne screamed mentally while having a staring contest with her food. ''Ahh! This idiot! I expected him toe over but I didn''t expect him to do this.''


    "Why is your food a little bit different from the other employees?" Stefan questioned to get Cayenne''s attention. He got a kick on his leg and since no one can see what was happening under the table, Cayenne stepped on his foot as well. "I didn''t mean anything with my question. Just wondering."


    "Wondering my face." Cayenne whispered and Stefan heard it clearly.


    He was having the best time of his life, teasing his wife once again. "This is your punishment for postponing the honeymoon." Stefan whispered to her, making his wife blush under everyone''s gaze.


    Cayenne bit her lower lip while trying to calm her heart. She would never embarrass herself in front of her colleagues. She raised her head and smiled faintly at him. "I have a different set of lunch because my boyfriend asked the chef to do this for me."


    "Really?"


    "Hn. Do you want to eat some? I don''t mind sharing my food."


    Everyone was watching, waiting if their devil boss would really take Cayenne''s offer. To their surprise, he really did.


    "I want a slice of this pork chop and this shrimp tempura." Stefan took the food with his own fork as he said these words. Cayenne just let him be. "You don''t have sweets? I remember you said that you love sweets."


    "My boyfriend says that I can''t have too much sweets. I ate one this morning before going to work so I won''t have one for the rest of the day."


    "Your boyfriend is very strict."


    "No, he''s not. He''s very sweet and caring, in fact."


    "What''s that on your neck?" Stefan asked shamelessly. "Is that a ring?"


    "Yup." She replied with a sweet smile but deep inside, she wanted to shut his mouth and just go home already. "My boyfriend gave this to me."


    "That''s really pretty. I gave my girlfriend a ring, too. Your boyfriend is such a copycat."


    "That doesn''t matter." Cayenne replied while kicking him again under the table.


    Chris and Luna ate their food silently. Luna looked at the secretary with her eyes asking "What happened to the boss?" Secretary Chris could only shrug his shoulders because he had no idea what these couple were up to.


    "What game are they ying?" Jessie was on duty this time and asked manager Kim this question.


    "I don''t know. ying pretend, I guess." Manager Kim retorted before she continued to eat her food.


    However, the other employees have a different opinion, specially the rotten women who loves watching boys love.


    "Don''t you think that the boss and his secretary perfectly suit each other?" one of the women asked. Chris choked on his food and stiffened.


    ''What the heck are these women thinking?!''


    "I know right. If I didn''t know that the boss has a girlfriend, I would think that these two men are having an office romance." Another woman replied.


    ''Office romance my butt! Only his little wife can have an office romance with him.''


    "But the president didn''t show the identity of his girlfriend. Maybe it''s Mr. Secretary and all those women were just excuses."


    ''Ladies, please dismiss this rotten idea. I don''t want to get killed by the boss! Why do you have to make a wild ship like this?'' Chris wanted to cry on the spot. When Stefan looked at him with a side nce, he wanted to dig a deep hole and bury himself.


    Cayenne heard those whisperings and she couldn''t help but chuckle. "Mr. President, some women like your secretary to be your little girlfriend. What do you say?"


    And this questioned silenced the whole lounge. It was so silence that you can hear a small pin being dropped on the floor.


    ''Cayenne is insane!'' This was what everyone thought.

 Chapter 187 - THE PRESIDENT DIDNT GET ANGRY BY HER INSOLENCE

    <h4>Chapter 187 - THE PRESIDENT DIDN''T GET ANGRY BY HER INSOLENCE</h4>


    ''Oh my gosh! The nerve did she ask such question!'' one employee thought.


    ''Is her backer so strong that she didn''t mind offending the boss?''


    ''Did she lose her mind?''


    ''Is this what happens when she''s prohibited to eat sweets that she loves the most?''


    "Will our little Yenyen die?''


    Different opinion, different thoughts but most of them were concerned for Cayenne. After all, as long as you don''t do anything against her, she''s really friendly and helpful. She''s not very close to everyone but she''s not their enemy either. She just treated everyone in a neutral disposition, making sure that she didn''t step on them.


    Stefan looked at his wife. He clearly heard the whispers earlier but he didn''t pay any attention to it. Yet now, his little daredevil asked him such thing.


    Everyone thought that Cayenne will lose her job after this matter but another surprise came.


    Stefan stretched his hand and lightly pinched Cayenne''s face. "What nonsense are you talking about? Someone''s eyeing my secretary already and I support them but it''s up to him if he takes up the offer. As for your wild imagination, I''ll put a stop to it because I love my girlfriend and I''m nning to marry her."


    "My face hurts." Cayenne mumbled and swatted his hand away. It was another form of insolence in the eyes of other people but Stefan wasn''t bothered by it at all.


    "If you know it would hurt, why did you ask?"


    "Just curious."


    "Curiosity kills the cat." Stefan retorted with a faint smile. "But I don''t mind it when it''s my girlfriend who''s asking." He added in whisper before putting food in his mouth.


    He could hear collected whisper from everyone, as if they were all relieved that nothing happens to his little devil. Well, they were indeed relieved.


    "Are you friends with everyone here?" Stefan asked her after swallowing the shrimp that he took from her.


    "Huh? Of course, I''m friend with them."


    "Then, what about that Melody?"


    "That? We''re not really close and I didn''t treat her differently as well. I don''t know why she did that horrible thing."


    "Have you ever thought that she might have been jealous?"


    "What is she jealous about? She''s jealous of me being poor?"


    "No, she''s jealous of you being pretty."


    "Thank you, boss."


    "You''re wee."


    They continued to eat their food and talked about different things. And because they couldn''t understand their world, Luna and Chris just stayed silent and ate their food without minding the lovebirds in front of them.


    "Is it just me or is there a weird atmosphere between the President and Cayenne?" one of the employees asked her colleagues. "When you carefully observed them, they''re actually awfully close to each other and there were times that Yen red at the boss."


    "It''s just your imagination. I bet my one-month sry, Cayenne will be so nervouster after this conversation." Jessi, who knew the rtionship of the two, tried to negate the opinion of her colleague because the boss didn''t want any other people to know about their rtionship.


    "Is that so?"


    The employees who ate with them at this time were just observing. Stefan finished his food first and excused himself. Chris followed him and the two of them went to his suite to discuss business. He was already relieved to see that she was indeed fine. He didn''t want to see her sad and specially when it was caused by some unimportant people.


    Jessie approached Cayenne after eating with a faint smile on her face. "Nervous?" she asked her with a wink to signal her in going along with her act.


    ''Does she know?'' Cayenne asked this question mentally but she still went along with her. "I was and still am." She replied to her. "There were so many seats avable and he just had to choose this ce."


    "Don''t fall for his charm or you will be his next meal."


    Somehow, Mona''s words, her co-receptionist when she worked during the night shift before, echoed in her mind. Mona told her to guard her heart and never gave it to someone like their boss or to their boss himself. She was confident that it won''t happen because the boss doesn''t date his employees. Look at her now?


    She looked straight into Jessie''s eyes and gave her a lovely smile. "I''ll guard my heart. And besides, I love my boyfriend."


    Luna could only roll her eyes at her friend. "Of course, you do." ''Didn''t he just eat with you?'' she added mentally. "It''s really hard being in a secret rtionship."


    "It''s fine." Cayenne retorted. "We''re both happy anyways." She stood up from her seat and returned the trays to its respective ce for the dishwasher toe and get it to wash. "Let''s go back to work."


    "Yes,dy boss." Luna whispered back her answer which made Cayenne blush.


    "Don''t call me that way. Someone might hear you." Luna nodded her head and even performed a zipping action on her mouth. "By the way, Jessie used to work at night right, when did she changed her shift?"


    "Few days ago, but I don''t know why." Luna replied. "You can talk to herter."


    "I''ll do that."


    Work resume; both the husband and wife were working diligently while some people still gossiped about them. They didn''t care about it. On the other hand, Magnus and ra went to Clover Hotel to find Stefan. It was the second time for them to step inside his suite and thetter was extremely nervous. She had no one else to approach for help when her family was being destroyed. She couldn''t just sit still and watch them being imprisoned and getting involved in different scandalous matter.


    "Sir, your parents are here." Chris announced.


    "Let them in." Stefan responded with the most boring tone in the world. He didn''t even look at them when they got inside because he was busy looking into the enemy''s business. "What do you want?" he asked without raising his head to face them. "Be quick because I''m busy."


    "Stefan¡­Stefan, please help me. Please help my family. I really need your help."

 Chapter 188 - STEFAN HELPS HIS STEP-MOTHER?

    <h4>Chapter 188 - STEFAN HELPS HIS STEP-MOTHER?</h4>


    "Why should I help you?" Stefan questioned with a cold voice. His face looked like a menacing devil who''s about to take someone''s life away. "If I help you, what''s in it for me?"


    "I''m your mother to begin with." ra retorted. "Why can''t you help me? Even just a little bit. The Minato Group is slowly crumbling. The shippingpany that your family owns won''t be enough to save ourpany. I need a little help from you."


    "My mother, huh." He responded, a smirk on his lips was clear and evident that he was disgusted with this information. "You never treated me as your son and I don''t see you as my mother either." ra didn''t say anything but she looked down on her trembling fingers and she pursed her lips. "Well, I''ll help you this once since you gave me a kind brother."


    "Thank you."


    ''Shameless." Stefanmented mentally. He said he will help but he got different ns in mind. He didn''t need to worry when he''s making a move on her and her family, after all, his father no longer cared.


    "Thank you, son." Magnus said and smiled.


    "Whatever." Stefan waved his hand in dismissal. "I won''t be hospitable to you. You can show yourselves out."


    "Okay. Come back home this weekend and bring your girlfriend." Magnus reminded him.


    "I''ll do that if she agrees to be brought back to a den packed with tigers and hyenas." He didn''t show mercy when ites to being mean towards them at all. He would always clearly express his hate towards them.


    Magnus didn''t take it to heart and just left with his wife.


    Manager Kim went to find Cayenne at the lounge and told her to bring some refreshments to the President''s office because there were guests.


    Cayenne didn''t refuse it and just followed her instruction. She pushed the food cart which contained refreshment and went to the elevator for the president''s suite.


    The moment the door opened, it seemed like she was having a d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Only that, the role was slightly reversed; she was the one waiting for the elevator and the couple came out of the elevator. They were the same couple she met few months ago when she was called by Stefan for the job of sleeping with him.


    For some reason, the man smiled subtly at her.


    ''Weird.'' Cayenne thought to herself and waited for the elevator to be cleared before entering. ''The guests have left, doesn''t that mean that these refreshments are no longer needed?'' Even though she got this question, she still went ahead and brought the snack to his suite.


    Chris open the door for her and helped her with the refreshments. "Why do you still need these refreshments when your guests already left?"


    Stefan put down the documents he was holding and stood up from his seat to get close to her. "I needed some excuse to bring you here."


    "Oh."


    "Just ''oh''? That''s your only reaction?"


    "Should there be something else? How about you listen to my heart to know what I''m feeling with your words?" Cayenne retorted because she''s not good with words sometimes but her heart would always be honest.


    "My parents came."


    "Your father came with his wife. That''s how you should say it. She''s not your mother so there''s only one parent and a mistress, who shameless appeared in front of you knowing what she did to your mother."


    "What a sharp tongue you got." Stefan rubbed her head messily and chuckled. "You''re a fighter."


    "Of course. I may take a step back if I get bullied but that doesn''t mean I won''t fight back one day."


    Stefan pulled her close and hugged her. "My father told me to bring you back once again. Let''s go and visit the ce over the weekend."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Hn. In any case, I''ve got your back. I won''t let anyone bully you."


    "Alright. I''lle with you."


    The two of them cuddled together for a little while, ignoring the refreshments that Cayenne brought. Chris didn''t pay attention to them and just do his job, ignoring the dog food nearby.


    After fifteen minutes, Cayenne went back to the lounge to find Celine and start doing her normal work which was housekeeping. Celine had been quiet since this morning so, Cayenne thought she has a problem or something that''s bothering her. As a person who received so much concern and advice from her, Cayenne put down the bedsheets and looked towards her colleague.


    "Celine, are you alright? You''ve been very quiet since this morning."


    Celine looked at her and looked away. "I''m not sure if I should ask this but it really bothers me since this this morning." She indeed looked troubled by something and Cayenne wanted to help a little.


    "What is it? I might be able to help you."


    "Well, it''s a little private and I don''t think it''s appropriate for me to ask you."


    "It''s fine." Cayenne encouraged her. "I won''t take it against you. I promise."


    Celine put down the pillow she was holding and sat on the chair to talk with Cayenne properly. "You have rtionship with the boss, right?"


    "Huh?" Cayenne yed dumb and chuckled. "How could you say that? There''s no way that the boss would have an interest with someone like me." She evenughed it off to dismiss this matter as a joke but Celine didn''t buy her act at all.


    "You don''t know how to lie Yen. You can''t fool me."


    Cayenne looked to the woman in front of her and smiled sheepishly. "When did you know?"


    "I''ve been suspicious for a while now but I got it confirmed this noon ¨C during lunch." Celine approached Cayenne and ced her hand on her head. "Don''t worry, I won''t tell anyone about this. I just want to have it confirmed because I don''t want to think badly of you."


    "We''ve been together for quite a while now but we became officially together not long ago. I guess, you''ve seen it in his posts."


    "Hn. The bracelet you''re wearing and the watch he''s wearing came in pair. The ring that he gave you is the only design in the world and right now, you''re wearing it as a ne."


    "Ah?" Cayenne took out the ring that she made into a pendant and showed it to Celine. "This is the only design in the world? Are you sure? I thought this is not a customized ring."


    "I guess, you''re the only one who thinks that way."


    "Really?"


    Celine took out his phone and took a picture of the ring. There were so many search results about the ring but there''s one thing they have inmon, it was the ''only design in the whole world''. It was designed by a French jewelry designer for his fianc¨¦e who passed away before their engagement because of an illness. The designer didn''t marry anyone after her death and asked someone to sell the ring, hoping it will find its rightful owner who can give justice to its beautiful design.


    "Is this really the right ring? Howe there''s a dragon design on this but the one that I have has none?" Cayenne questioned while turning her ring over and over again to see the dragon design.


    "You can''t see it for now. Later, you put Stefan''s ring on top of yours and you will see the dragon design."


    "Really? How so?"


    Celine exined to her that the dragon design she saw on the picture was a reflectioning from the male''s ring. So, an idea came to her mind ¨C she will definitely do some experimentter that night. As for the price, she didn''t think too much about it. Nothing will happen even if she fussed over it.


    "Do you think other people knew of my rtionship of him, too?" Cayenne asked a little bit worried. She didn''t really want her life being disturbed and so far, Stefan had been able to protect her identity up until now.


    "I am not sure. If they''re as observant as me, there might be many people out there who knew about it but didn''t say anything. As long as you don''t confirm it and you''re careful not to let anyone know about it, I guess you''ll be fine."


    "Thank you for keeping this a secret, Celine."


    "Sure. Sure. I don''t really mind but I''m d that you and the boss ended up together. He has really changed."


    Cayenne and Celine talked about different things but most of them was how to handle a secret rtionship because Celine knew it better than anyone else. After all, she was able to keep her rtionship from her parents ever since she was high school. They only knew about her man when she decided to get married with him after graduating from college.


    While they''re talking about handling rtionships in secret, Stefan had also prepared his kind help for his step-mother. He will help her, push herself to death. An eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth. Life for a life. But he won''t kill her. He''s not so cold-blooded as to kill a human. He will just make her suffer for the rest of her life until she wished she could just die.

 Chapter 189 - CLARAS SECRETS ARE EXPOSED

    <h4>Chapter 189 - CLARA''S SECRETS ARE EXPOSED</h4>


    "What was that ring all about?" Kyle asked his sister and Stefan when they came home that night. He didn''t believe with the excused that Stefan said about the couple ring. He noticed that their family register was gone yesterday and heard the news about the ring, he already had a faint idea but he didn''t say anything.


    They were all having dinner together, her family purposely waited for them toe home. Cayenne smiled and took out the ne and showed them the ring.? "This is the couple ring that Stefan gave me yesterday."


    "Wow!" Luiz eximed with wide eyes. "This must be very expensive. Look at these glittering diamonds!"


    "It''s nothing." Stefanmented. "Your sister deserves the best of everything."


    "That''s true." Luiz agreed.


    "Just a regr ring, not an engagement?" Emerald asked. "I''m not against you two but I don''t want you to be rushing yourself and get married. I want you to get know each other more."


    "Yes, auntie. I understand. By the way, I will bring Ayen home this weekend. My father and grandfather wanted to see her."


    "Hn. You have my permission."


    Although Cayenne felt guilty for lying, she just couldn''t bring herself to tell them about the news. There''s just something that bothers her and she was a bit worried. ''Is it because I''m keeping a secret from him?'' she thought to herself while giving her husband a side nce.


    Their dinner was just the usual and after eating their food, Luiz helped wash the dishes while Stefan and Kyle cleaned the table. Only Emerald went inside her room to rest the night away. She can only spend little time with her children but it''s betterpared to seeing them once a week, and sometimes, it went on for once a month.


    "So, did your parentse to find you for help?" Cayenne asked him as they cuddled on her bed.


    "How did you know? Did Chris tell you?"


    "Not really. There are two things that they''d look for you. Either they wanted to bully you or they wanted something from you. With what''s happening to the Minato Group, it''s expected that they''de to find you for help." She whispered her response. Her groggy voice showed that she was already getting sleepy and she yawned several times already.


    Stefan kissed the top of her head and hugged her. "Wait for a good showter. I''ll show you something."


    "Okay." She kissed the underside of his jaw and closed her eyes to sleep. "Celine knew about us but she will keep it a secret." She added in whisper.


    "Hn."


    In the Dumrique family mansion, ra was walking back and forth the living room. She received a call from Dr. Albert, the man whom she thought has left the country already. She didn''t expect him to call her for a meet up. She wanted to refuse but the man held so many secrets and she was worried that he''ll tell everything to the police if she denies him.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Magnus asked worriedly. He still acted as if he cares for her but deep inside, he couldn''t wait any longer to push her down the cliff of hell. He wanted her gone in his life. "Don''t worry this much. I''m sure Stefan will do everything he can to help you." ''Help you destroy your family.'' Magnus added mentally while hugging his wife in a warm embrace.


    ra chose the ce where she wanted to meet with the doctor. She didn''t want to be led by the nose with someone so insignificant as him.


    After receiving the information, he sent it to Chris and Lucian. He was asked to cooperate with them and in exchange with his freedom. He can still be considered aplice but because of his help, things were a lot easier. Lucian promised to shorten his prison time and Stefan agreed with it.


    In Ganzani Bay, a Spanish restaurant owned by the de Silva family, Dr. Albert was waiting in a private booth for quite a while now. The was arge flower vase in one of the corners of the room and hidden under the leaves was a small camera. There were small hearing devices ced under the table and at the back of the couch where she was supposed to sit.


    The owner of the restaurant was notified ahead of time and they were willing to help the investigation. One policeman will act as a waiter to personally serve them, four will y the guest''s role and used the other booths on both side of the room they were using. It was to monitor her and record everything.


    "Sorry, I''mte. I had to deal with some other things." ra stated when she got inside the booth they''re using.


    "It''s fine." Dr. Albert waved his hand and called in the waiter. "We''d like to start ordering our food. I want ¨C"


    "I won''t be taking long so, I''ll just have water." ra told the waiter after the short interruption.


    "Suit yourself." Dr. Albert replied before giving the names of the dishes that he wanted to try. The moment that the waiter stepped out, Dr. Albert sped his hands together and ced them on the table. "Are you not happy to see me?"


    "I don''t particrly hate it and I don''t particrly like it. Whichever you think it is." ra responded without any changes on her facial expression. "When did youe?"


    "I came back after hearing what happened to your family. I want to help."


    "Help?!" ra looked at him and her frown deepened as if she couldn''t believe what she was hearing. "How can you help? It would be best if you stay away and don''t add more trouble to my family."


    "Huh?" Dr. Albert snorted. "You think of me as trouble now. Why didn''t you think of this back then? Why did youe to me for help whenever you''re facing trouble? You were just toying me, weren''t you? After you''re done toying with your uncle, you went to me for help. What a slut."


    "Shut up!" ra snapped at him. "Don''t forget that you worked for us. You are supposed to help us no matter what happens. And don''t even think of using your knowledge to tattle-tale me to the police, have you forgotten, you are an aplice."


    "I didn''t kill Latticia. It was you who killed her. I even told you to bring her to the hospital so we can save her but you didn''t."


    "Whatever. She''s gone for good. No one will avenge her death so just keep quiet."


    "Oh? I heard that you asked Stefan to help your family. What would he do if he learns the truth of his mother''s death? Do you think he will still help you? Or would he push your family to hell?"


    ra''s face darkened and you could literally see the killing intent on her face. She looked like she wanted to tear his face and skin him alive. She looked horrible and really scary. She''s like those mad women inside the asylum. "What do you want?" she asked him.


    "I just want to help. How about you divorce your husband and I will tell my uncle who''s a judge to be lenient to you?"


    "Divorce my husband and then what? Be your woman?"


    "Why not? Isn''t that what you like?" Dr. Albert really knows where to hit her sore spot. "You slept with your uncle to get thetest Ferrari car that your parents won''t give to you. You slept with your professor when he failed you because you never showed up in his ss. You slept with your bestfriend''s boyfriend because you''re jealous he likes her more than you. So, what difference it will make if you slept with me?"


    ''PAK!''


    A loud p hit his face and ra was fuming with anger. She was trembling in front of him with her gritted teeth. "How dare you?!"


    "Why don''t I dare? I''m no longer working for your family. Didn''t your father fire me and sent me somewhere to keep your dirty little secrets? The prestigious young miss of the Minato family that everyone adores so much is actually a slut. And the son she gave birth to was the son conceived after sleeping with her uncle. Poor Magnus, he had no idea that his life was ruined by the woman he''s protecting. How would he react if he finds out that you killed the person he loves the most?"


    "So, what if I kill her? What if I slept with my uncle? Or with my professor? Or with my bestfriend''s boyfriend? So, what?" ra let out a mockingughter. "I can do it because I have powerful backer. If they are wealthy, they can do it, too? I don''t mind." She didn''t have any remorse at all. She didn''t feel guilty with all the horrible things shemitted. She appeared nonchnt about it.


    Dr. Albert sighed. "Have you ever loved your son?"


    "Huh? What do you mean? Of course, I love him." ra answered almost instantly. Even though he was a product of some lustful mistake, she still loved her son so much. It was made of her flesh and blood after all.


    Dr.? Albert stood up from his seat. "I feel so bad for Alexander to have a mother like you." Hemented and sighed. "It''s unfortunate that someone had to pay a price for the suicide hemitted."


    "Suicide? My son didn''tmit suicide! He was killed!"


    Fifteen years ago, a burr came into Stefan''s house on his birthday. It was the first time that you have celebrated his birthday after Alexander insisted on it. That night, he already nned to kill himself and the burr just became his alibi. The man didn''t intend to pull the trigger but Alexander did. He shot himself using the gun that was pointed towards him."


    "No. No, that can''t be. You''re lying!" ra''s tears fell on her face. Why would his son kill himself? Didn''t he receive enough attention? Didn''t she love him enough?


    "You might be asking why Alexander did that." Dr. Albert continued, ignoring her loud crying and messy face. "He couldn''t forgive his existence. His existence brought unhappiness to his little brother. He knew that you killed Latticia and he paid it with his life. Such a good and kind young man, his life was wasted because of his cruel mother." He stepped grabbed his coat from the couch and put it on. "I lost my appetite."

 Chapter 190 - DRAGGING EVERYONE WITH HER

    <h4>Chapter 190 - DRAGGING EVERYONE WITH HER</h4>


    Not even two seconds after Dr. Albert went out, the waiter who was supposedly getting their food, came back with his police uniform. He wasn''t bringing food either but a silver handcuff for her.


    "Mrs. Dumrique, we would like to invite you to the station for questioning."


    ra blinked her wide eyes and realized what just happened. "You set me up!" She yelled towards Dr. Albert. "You brought them here! You set me up! You traitor!"


    "I have told you many times in the past to save her but you didn''t listen to me. What has happened to you is all your doing. Either I set you up or not, sooner orter, people will still know how rotten and selfish you are."


    ra yelled and screamed at the top of her lungs, iming that she didn''t do anything and that she was innocent. But who would believe her? Everything was recorded and can be seen by everyone in public. It was supposedly a secret operation but Stefan asked Shein to connect the recordings to the public.


    Therefore, no matter how much she tried to clean her reputation, it won''t do her good. People already knew what she has done.


    "Oh my gosh! I can''t believe that ra killed someone just because she wanted to be Mrs. Dumrique." One of the socialites who usually have teas with ra and other high-ss women,mented with a shocked expression.


    "That''s not the point." Anotherdy added. "The point is, she''s a jealous woman and a slut. Just imagine, she slept with her uncle for a mere sports car and she even conceived a baby. I apud her for not aborting him but poor child, he killed himself after knowing the truth of his existence."


    "He must have felt very dirty because of his own mother." Another woman added.


    The shareholders from the Dumrique''s shipping line could only shake their head and released a deep sigh. They didn''t know anything and judging from their dark faces, they already knew that their positions will not be theirs for a long time. After all, they''ve been very cold and unfeeling towards Stefan ever since he was small. They thought that he was just an illegitimate child and they won''t get anything from befriending him. Now, everything''s reversed. Stefan was actually the one and only heir.


    "I can only hope that the young man won''t think of anything personal." One of the shareholdersmented with a frustrated expression. "If I had known, I wouldn''t put all my eggs to the eldest son."


    "I''m d I didn''t favor any of them." A female shareholdermented. She wasn''t bias and she observed the two brothers before. When Alexander died, she already had a hunch that Stefan will inherit thepany or thepany will be acquired by someone else. It seemed like her first idea was right.


    "We didn''t treat him badly or kindly either. If he can maintain any professional rtion with us, I don''t think there will be a problem."


    There were different opinions from different people but there''s one thing they have inmon ¨C they were all worried with their future.


    Since the public knew of her crime, it''s expected that the Minato family knew of this as well. The patriarch Yuzel Minato was so angry of this family scandal that was let out of the closet, he had a heart attack. He was immediately sent to the hospital for immediate assistant. Solomon, ra''s father suddenly vanished and they didn''t know where he went. Natsuki, ra''s uncle whom she slept with left the country without telling anyone.


    The shame that ra brought to the family was recorded in the Minato family''s history. The once, prestigious and well-known family in City A, was nowbeled as scandalous and inhumane family. There were many cases filed against them and after some time, the businesses that they owned were involved in some illegal activities and other uwful things. Sooner orter they will have to announce bankruptcy.


    On the other hand, ra refused to say anything. She remained silent and she even tortured herself. She refused to eat and she refused to drink the water that they gave her.


    "I will not drink or eat anything from you. Who know, you might be paid by someone to poison me."


    "Mrs. Dumrique is very knowledgeable about these things. Sadly, we don''t allow that here. Anyway, whether you eat or not, it''s none of our concern."


    "Whatever. Mywyer wille here anyways." ra responded with a cold gaze. "I won''t say anything unless mywyer says so."


    "Atty. Ss. That''s your family attorney, right?"


    "And so?"


    "Oh! You didn''t know?" Lucian, who was in-charge of the interrogation,ughed at this point. "Your familywyer already resigned from his post and he won''t be handling any cases rted to your family. Nowyers wanted to take your side and defend for you."


    "You''re lying!" ra yelled and pped the table angrily. "Don''t lie to me!" Two police officers walked up to her and restrained her by force. "Let go of me you filthy bastards!"


    "Hmp! You''re filthier than us." One of the police officersmented. "Stop acting like you''re some clean virgin. Your attorney knew that there''s nothing he can do for you so, he made the wisest decision."


    ra struggled to break free from their hold but they couldn''t. They were just so strong and she''s a female to begin with. She''s petite and shecks strength. "Just let go of me!"


    The two officers let go of her and she sat back on her chair. She looked towards Lucian and put her hands up, a sign of surrender. "I killed Latticia few months after she gave birth. I called my family over to help me but they told me to just leave her be. It was Dr. Albert who called an ambnce to bring her to the hospital. But then, it was toote."


    "So, how did you kill her?" Lucian asked to rify everything. She seemed to understand her situation already and there''s just no way that she''d be able toe out on this. Not when everything she said in the caf¨¦ was recorded and shown to the public.


    ra slumped on her seat, she was spacing out as if she was recalling that scene from several years ago. "My parents told me to poison her. In that way, no one will hinder my position in the Dumrique family. And I did. I ced something on her drink but it wasn''t effective so, I ran over her and hit her. She fell on the ground with so many things she bought for her child. I called my parents and they told me that it''s fine. I called Dr. Albert and he told me to call for help but I didn''t. When he arrived with my family, I ran away and he dealt with the matters."


    "In short, it was your family who told you to kill Latticia Sugo."


    "Yes. It was them. I just acted ording to their instructions."


    "We''ll be inviting your family here for questioning."


    "Okay." She didn''t really care about them. It was them who raised a monster. It was them who taught her to be greedy and maniptive. If they taught her well, she wouldn''t end up in this situation. She med everything to her family''s education and teaching method.


    ra hated them so much since she was young. She was born as the eldest but because she''s a girl, they neglected her and didn''t pay much attention to her. Her mother told her many times in the past that, if she wanted to get something, she must do whatever she can do to get that thing, no matter what it takes her to get it because they always got her back.


    Whatever she would do, if it''s good then it''s good. If it''s bad then, they can just make it right with money.


    Humans are capable of thinking what''s right and wrong. However, what''s right and wrong can be influenced with what''s surrounding her. Being selfish became right in their family because they have the power and they can do anything. Killing was just a mere hobby and source of fun for them because they have money and power over the poor. They think too highly of themselves. They think that everything can be bought, that includes love and life of a person.


    ra wanted to drag everyone that caused her pain. She wanted to drag them to hell because they''re partly at fault for what''s happening. The only person she chose to save was Dr. Albert. Among the people she knew, this man was the only sane person. He was the only person who scolded her when she made mistake when everyone just ignored her for it. He was the only person who really thought for her sake. And besides, he really didn''t do anything wrong. He wanted to save Latticia that time but when he did, he was toote.


    ra didn''t care anymore.


    Stefan watched the news and after sometime, he turned off his tablet and went to the kitchen to continue baking. This time, he only stayed at home after sending Cayenne off to work. He was baking something for an afternoon snack for his mother-inw and for the nurse, Jasmine. He needed to earn some brownie points from time to time.

 Chapter 191 - SHES FINALLY SENT TO JAIL

    <h4>Chapter 191 - SHE''S FINALLY SENT TO JAIL</h4>


    Cayenne as working when she heard about the news of ra getting arrested. The thing that Stefan wanted her to see was actually the destruction of his stepmother.


    When interviewed, Magnus feigned ignorance shocked about what has happened. He even told the reporters that he didn''t know where his wife went and who she was meeting with. He looked devastated when he found the truth of the death of his beloved Latticia. The reason why he believed she was alive was because he didn''t see her body when she was buried six feet below the ground. He thought that it was possible that someone must have mistakenly identified his girl. The truth brought him twice the pain that he felt when she left. The little light of hope that he was holding on to waspletely extinguished.


    "I pity her husband. He had no idea that the woman he loved so much ever since he was young was killed by his wife."


    "She even slept with her best friend''s boyfriend, it''s not a surprise to me that she''d also take someone away just to make him the father of her child who came from someone else'' anatomy."


    "The children were the ones affected the most. I heard that the youngest son never received love from his family ever since he was brought back by his father. The person who was very close to him was not his blood-rtive, too. And in the end, that person died as well after knowing the crime his mother hadmitted."


    "So many things had happened to his life, no wonder he left his home and decided to work while studying. I heard that it was Mr. Madrigal who came to his rescue."


    "Aren''t they rival in business?"


    "Nope. In fact, they''re very close."


    People talked about the Dumrique and the Minato family. They talked about so many things as if they knew them that much when in fact, they just heard it from other people, too. Although, they weren''t really wrong about it.


    ra, along with her family, were sentenced to life imprisonment after getting many evidences of different crimes they were involved, big or small, there were just so many that the Crime Division Officers that Lucian handled were shaking their heads in disbelief. As for her father, he was still on the run so, they were still looking for him but it was already taken into ount that his punishment won''t be lighter than his daughter.


    After receiving their punishment, Magnus visited the jail but he didn''t visit his wife, instead he asked for someone else, a woman who was known to boss around the people inside the jail.


    "Make sure that she won''t have the chance to kill herself and possible, torture every day. You don''t have to do many physical tortures; verbal abuse and some chores can totally break her down. And please add a little pleasure in it. After all, my wife likes it so much. I''ll send money to your family every month if you can do it."


    "How much?" thedy whispered.


    "$2000 per month."


    "Deal." Thedy agreed immediately. The money is already enough for her two sons to get by for the whole month. Magnus handed her a bag and when she looked at it, she couldn''t help but smile in a twisted manner. "You don''t love her."


    "I don''t. She killed the woman that I really love. It''s just a little payback for what she did."


    "Alright." Thedy, without further questions, stood up from her seat. "Can you give my sons a little deposit?"


    "Sure." Magnus pulled out his phone and sent $1000 to unnamed bank ount. But thedy was very familiar with it because it was her son''s ount. "You can call him for verification."


    "Hn. I''ll do that next time." When thedy went back to her cell, she revealed a satisfying smile. ''Mr. Dumrique really knew who to choose.'' She thought to herself and walked towards her bed. She was sharing the same cell with ra. Even though she was already imprisoned, she still liked to act like a high and mighty little princess. ''Looks like I have to teach her a lesson and instill it in her mind and body.''


    ra will learn a lot of chores inside the prison and at the same time getting pleasures from her cellmates. Whether she wants it or not, she didn''t really have the choice to refuse and she can''t ask for help either because she''s too embarrassed to tell the officers. Therefore, she will have to endure the assaults done by her cellmates to her.


    Anyway, Cayenne and Stefan no longer cared about her. They have their own lives and several matters that they needed to face themselves. One of these matters was going to the Dumrique family.


    This whole week passed with so manyrge news and most of them involved the Minato n. After destroying this family, Stefan was finally at ease. Either he will get the inheritance of the Dumrique family or not, he didn''t really care. He''s got enough money to spoil his wife for several lifetimes.


    It was Saturday already and Cayenne was preparing to go with Stefan back to the vi where he used to stay when he was young. If it was fifteen years ago, he''d willingly call it home because Alexander was there with him but now, the man''s gone and he''s got no one there. It''s just a house to him not a home.


    Even though he found out the truth, to him, Alexander was still his brother. He didn''t care if he was rted to him by blood or not. He will remain in his heart and in his mind.


    "Are you sure we don''t need to bring any gift for your family?" Cayenne asked him. Even though he didn''t like his family for bullying Stefan, they''re still elders.


    "Don''t worry about that. I got your back. Don''t bring anything it''s just a hassle and they have money, they can just buy whatever they want. Stop thinking about them."

 Chapter 192 - MEETING THE DUMRIQUE FAMILY AND THEIR FRIENDS I

    <h4>Chapter 192 - MEETING THE DUMRIQUE FAMILY AND THEIR FRIENDS I</h4>


    "If you say so." Cayenne didn''t refute what he said and just went along with him. They stepped out of the house and bid farewell to her family, letting them know that she''d be back the next day.


    "You didn''t forget." Stefan whispered close to her ears and licked her earlobe making her blush and cupped her cheeks.


    "I don''t dare to forget. Who knows? You might think of something else to double my punishment if I keep postponing this very important matter to you."


    "My wife knows me the best." Stefan chuckled as he said his reply. He opened the car door for her and covered her head to make sure that she won''t bump on to the metal frame. After making sure that she was settled and safe with her seatbelt, he went back to his side of the car and drove out of the neighborhood.


    Most of the time, Chris didn''t pick him up from Cayenne''s apartment since Stefan insisted to drive the car and drop his wife on the way to work. Leone, since he didn''t have to pick Cayenne from her apartment and send her to the hotel, his job was changed to picking up Cayenne''s brothers and sent them to school; and from school, he''d pick them and bring them home in the afternoon. It was him who suggested it since he didn''t want to continue receiving money from Stefan without doing any work.


    On the way to the vi, Cayenne was starting to get nervous as they drew nearer to the ce. She was starting to sweat on her palms and Stefan directly felt it because he was holding her.


    "Don''t be nervous. Remember, you have me with you. I won''t let anyone bully you and no matter what happens, I will always be by your side."


    "Thank you. That makes ma feel a little bit at ease now." She took a deep breath and released it. With a smile on her face, she kissed the back of Stefan''s hand. "I got your back, too."


    "I know sweetheart and I''m so d about it."


    The two of them took turns in kissing the back of their hands, expressing their love and sincerity. If Chris was with them, he would roll his eyes at them. Single dogs can''t rte to these lovebirds.


    After almost have an hour of travel, Stefan stopped the car in front of a huge ck gate to wait for the guard to open it. As soon as the gate was wide enough for his car to get in, Stefan drove inside and parked the car outside the garage. He didn''t bother parking it inside since they will leave immediately.


    However, the both of them frowned. "Why are there so many cars outside? Does your family own all of these?" Cayenne asked while running her eyes from one car to another. They''re from different brand but all of them were expensive which was why she thought that they owned them. But there were just too many of them.


    "We don''t own them." Stefan replied coldly. "I thought that this will be an ordinary lunch but it seemed like my father invited a lot of people. Do you still want toe inside?"


    "Let''s just go. We''re here already and I don''t want you to waste your time by going back after getting here."


    "They might expose your identity to the public." Stefan told her what he was concerned the most.


    "Trust me. Everything will be fine this time." Cayenne replied calmly. For some reason, she gained confidence that nothing will happen because Stefan won''t allow anything bad to befall her. She trusted him so much.


    Since his wife wanted to go then, he can only concede to her and protect her all the way. The two of them walked towards the house and the butler greeted them warmly. Stefan also noticed that the servants were no longer the same.


    "When did these new hired servants came?" Stefan asked the butler in passing, not really expecting an answer from him since the butler didn''t really talk that much to him before.


    The butler looked to the maids who were lined up to wee them, saying ''wee back, young master''. "They''re newly hired by your grandfatherst week."


    "ra didn''t know about this?"


    "These servants came yesterday after the ex-mistress was arrested."


    "Oh." Stefan didn''t say much anymore since his grandfather came out of the kitchen to meet them. Instead of saying hi or hello to him, he went directly to Cayenne and warmly treated her. Not only Cayenne but Stefan was also shocked. He had been worried that his family will ill-treat his wife like how they treated his mother in the past. He didn''t expect that his grandfather will directly befriend his granddaughter-inw.


    "Son, won''t you introduce your girlfriend to us?" Magnusmented on the side while watching his father, Ferdinand, warming up to Cayenne, undoubtedly epting her already.


    Stefan coughed to disperse the negativity he was feeling and walked to the side of his wife. "This Cayenne Ardolf, my girlfriend." Stefan told his father and grandfather. "Ayen, this is the head of the family Mr. Ferdinand Dumrique and this is his son, Magnus Dumrique. I guess you knew who they are already."


    Obviously, he wasn''t going to y along with their act. They like Cayenne, how much they like her? Howe they like her when they just set him up for an arrange marriage not long ago? Stefan knew all along that it was for business reason. They needed someone who can inherit all the properties and assets that the Dumrique family owns and he''s the sole heir of this wealthy family. They needed to warm up to him in order to gain healthy rtionship with them. But Stefan being Stefan, he hated didn''t like it when he''s being used and that''s even a bigger no when ites to Cayenne.


    "So, Stefan is finally nning to settle down?" one of the shareholders asked.


    "I''m not growing young, Mr. Saavedra. It''s time for me to get serious and when I met her, I knew that she''s the right one." Stefan told the older man with a wide grin on his face. When given a chance and opportunity, he really likes to unt his love for his wife and how bless he was because of her.


    "Why haven''t you showed her in public? Many people are so curious with your girlfriend''s identity." Another business investor asked him. "I''m one of those curious people. But now, seeing her in front of us, I understand why you don''t want her to be seen in public."


    "Mr. Reynolds should understand, after all, you have a very delicate and pretty wife as well and when ites to them, we only want to protect them from the jealous gazes of other people, right?"


    "Absolutely." Mr. Reynolds agree with a smile on his lips.


    Soon, Cayenne was introduced to other business partners and Stefan asked them not to tell anyone or leak this information out. Among those people who came was Travis. He may not be a direct business partner to the Dumrique but he''s a good friend of Stefan.

 Chapter 193 - MEETING THE DUMRIQUE FAMILY AND THEIR FRIENDS II

    <h4>Chapter 193 - MEETING THE DUMRIQUE FAMILY AND THEIR FRIENDS II</h4>


    As soon as they sat for lunch, people shared their business ideas and other thoughts but some of them still wanted to focus on the woman that Stefan chose. It''s not that they were against his choice ¨C they have no reason to do so, but they wanted to know what kind of person will be shouldering half of the responsibility that will fall on Stefan''s shoulders.


    "Ms. Ardolf remained a secret to us before and now that we''ve finally meet you, we''re a bit curious. How did you meet Mr. Dumrique?" one of the guests asked her.


    Cayenne was prepared to answer this question when Stefan held her hand under the table to give her courage. "I am working in one of his hotels. I got scolded by him on the first night of my shift but I never thought we''d end up together. He just approached me one time and we got to know each other."


    "How long have you known each other?"


    "Four months, I believe but we just have an official rtionship not long ago."


    "What course in college did you finish? And what ¨C"


    "Hey!" Stefan interrupted the man immediately which caught everyone''s attention. "Why does it seem like you''re asking too many personal questions?"


    "Sorry Stefan. We just wanted to know what kind of woman she is. After all, she will be thedy boss."


    "What kind of person she is, is none of your business. She''s my girlfriend. She''ll be my wife but I don''t intend to expose her to my businesses. It''s a hassle matter and stressful, too. I don''t want my her to be stressed out. So, just give up asking about those things. And also," he looked towards everyone except Travis; his eyes hold a clear warning and threat. "don''t investigate my girlfriend. If I found out that someone''s investigating her, whether we''re business partners or not, I will destroy you."


    "Son, you don''t have to be so aggressive." Magnus reminded Stefan but Stefan red at him instead.


    "I can be aggressive if I want because I have to protect someone. Just be mindful how you will act in the future." Stefan told them before he continued to eat his food. From time to time, he would ask Cayenne what she likes to eat but she will only eat the food that he likes to eat.


    After lunch, the old men still stayed to y several rounds of chess and other board games. Some were talking about their business and some were talking to Cayenne, telling her to look for them if ever she''ll have some issues and Stefan wasn''t around. On the other hand, Stefan and Travis were talking at the back garden of the vi where arge swimming pool was located.


    "The old man is nning to read his will this afternoon and he will announce it directly to his business partners here." Travis told Stefan about what he knew. "Are you ready to take your family''s empire and be my equal?"


    "I don''t really care about it. If they insist for me to take it without asking for anything in exchange, I don''t mind. If they will ask me to give up on Cayenne for their wealth then, I have to say sorry and refuse it. Cayenne is everything to me. No amount of wealth can be an equal to her value."


    "I understand." Travis replied. "I am supporting you two but ¨C but, are you really sure of your decision? You married her without even knowing her that much."


    "It''s fine. I can still get to know her along the way."


    "And what if you found something that''s terrifying and unforgivable, will you still love her?"


    "C''mon. Why are you asking me these questions?"


    "These are just examples because I went through these questions before, too."


    "Nothing can break us apart." Stefan responded confidently. "My love for her will never change and that the promise I told her when I married her."


    "I hope you won''t break your promise."


    Stefan frowned and looked at his best friend. "Why are you so concern about my wife? And I won''t ask you why you know about our marriage but I want to know why you''re very interested in her." He couldn''t really understand why Travis was very attached to Cayenne when they have no rtionship at all. And he wouldn''t think of his best friend cheating on his wife because Travis isn''t capable of cheating. He loves his wife so much that he''s willing to give up his life for her. So, why?


    Travis sit on the rattan chair while facing the clear water in the swimming pool. "My wife likes her so much. You know that my wife went through a lot of things when she was young and she used those experiences to help other people this time. When we met Cayenne over a year ago, she couldn''t take her eyes off of thedy. She felt like she was seeing the younger version of herself who was trying her best to live her life to the fullest despite the circumstances she was facing in life. My wife promised that she will keep an eye to Cayenne and help her when needed."


    "Then, were you the ones who paid her mother''s medical bill?"


    "Nope. We didn''t do that. My wife didn''t like helping someone through financial means. We only sent someone to guard her from a distance, making sure that she gets to work unharmed and making it back home without meeting any danger on the road. We also sent some people to offer schrships to her brothers, either they make it or not, it''s up to them."


    "So, you''ve been taking care of her already when I was still fooling around." Stefanmented with a deep sigh. "I don''t really know how to make it up to her."


    "Just don''t hurt her and don''t leave her. She''s might be strong and reliable but she''s also a very fragile woman." Travis stood up after checking the time on his watch ¨C it''s time to go back home. "Also, if you mess with her, you will have to deal with my wife, Riley and Evan. They really like Cayenne so, you should know what position you are in."

 Chapter 194 - PRE-NUPTIAL AGREEMENT

    <h4>Chapter 194 - PRE-NUPTIAL AGREEMENT</h4>


    Stefan sent Travis out and watched him leave the vi with Shein and Savannah. ''Can''t believe that they will go against me for the sake of my wife. But it''s good to know that she''s got someone she can rely on aside from me.'' He walked back inside the house and found Cayenne looking through some pictures inside the albums that his father found. ''Huh? Where did that albums came from?'' Stefan walked to her side and saw her smile.


    "Enjoying yourself, huh." Stefanmented as he sat on the space beside her. "Is this me?" he took one picture which consisted two little children. One was Alexander so he assumed that the other child was him. "Howe they have this picture?"


    "You''ve never seen these pictures?" Cayenne asked after a moment of hesitation. When Stefan vaguely nodded his head, she frowned. "How''s that possible? It''s your own house and you didn''t know about these pictures. Look at this." Cayenne handed him another album and when he opened it, there were more pictures of him and Alexander. They were even youngerpared to the ones that Cayenne was looking at.


    There pictures of him crawling on the floor with a happy smile on his face while Alexander showed him a stic ball. There was one picture when Alexander ced a cake on Stefan''s nose. There was a picture of them wearing bunny ears and bunny pajamas. There was a picture of them wearing a matching outfit and they went to an amusement park. Looking at these pictures, there were times in the past that the butler will ask Stefan and his brother, Alexander, to wear matching outfits and then their father will bring them to amusement parks or to ocean parks or to different ces but once they arrive home, they will ask him to change his outfit immediately and they will turn cold towards him. And then, ra arrives from whichever ce she came from. These kinds of events happened a lot when he was young. The butler will be warm to him when ra''s no longer around, his father will take him somewhere with Alexander, just spending quality time together. All those years, Stefan thought that people were just toying with him. They were both acting warm and cold towards him, thinking that it might be fun. Only Alexander remained consistent whether his mother was around or not, he will always stay with Stefan.


    He continued to look at the pictures and found that there was a picture of him and Alexander sleeping together. There was a picture of him holding Alexander''s hand while they were going to school and many more pictures from when he was few months old until he was around seven or eight years old. Then, it stopped.


    "Your father¡­" Cayenne gulped and blinked back her tears while looking at the pictures. Since Stefan said that he was not aware of these pictures, it''s highly possible that his father took them in secret or asked someone to hide these pictures away because he didn''t want his wife to see that he loves the son of his mistress this much. "Stefan, I''m not sure if I should say this but, would you like to talk to your father alone?"


    "What for?"


    "I don''t know." Cayenne took hold of his hand and kissed his knuckles. "Just ask the things that you wanted to ask him all these times. I''m sure you''ve got questions for him because I have so many things I want to ask him. But I know I don''t have the right to do so. Just talk to him, will you?"


    "Do you want me to get some closure with my father and perhaps, rekindle our father and son rtionship? Cayenne it''s not that easy."


    "Just try. You won''t know anything unless you try." Cayenne had this notion that Magnus loved his son very much because at the end of the day, he was his flesh and blood and the son which his most beloved woman conceived for nine months. There''s no way he didn''t care for him.


    Stefan can see how much Cayenne tried to stop her tears from falling. Her red eyes and red nose were the evidence of her turbulent emotions. She aches for him. She was hurting for him. She got so many things in mind that she wanted to rify with Stefan''s father. She wanted to know why he let ra bullied his son to the extent that he needed to leave the ce that he once called home.


    "I''m fine." Stefan hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "You don''t have to be sad for me. You don''t have to cry for me. I am okay." Stefan whispered these words again and again while caressing her back. The guests were petrified to see this scene. They were a bit afraid that someone made Cayenne cry and Stefan will take it against them. They didn''t want to be on the bad side of the next CEO of the Dumrique''s shipping lines and other businesses.


    Around two in the afternoon, Stefan was called to the study room along with Cayenne. It was very unexpected that she was called toe with him but what happened next shocked thewyer, his father and grandfather.


    "What''s this for?" Stefan pointed out another stack of documents which clearly stated ''pre-nuptial agreement''. "Why are you bringing this kind of document here?"


    Magnus coughed drily while giving a side nce to Cayenne. He didn''t really want to belittle her or embarrass her at this moment but they wanted to protect their properties and assets just in case their marriage won''t work in the future. "Ms. Ardolf, I''m sure you understand why I''m doing this, right? I''m not trying to embarrass you or anything but ¨C "


    "There''s no need for this." Stefan took the documents, tore them piece by piece and threw them on the floor. "I already married her."


    "Ha?" the three people looked at him and then shifted their eyes to Cayenne who remained unfazed beside Stefan.


    "You''re married?" Magnus asked his son. "I thought the ring was just a couple ring."


    "Exactly." Stefan retorted. "I haven''t given her the wedding ring but that doesn''t mean we''re not married. She''s already registered as my wife. You can check it if you want but you are not allowed to leak it."

 Chapter 195 - STEFAN GOT IT ALL

    <h4>Chapter 195 - STEFAN GOT IT ALL</h4>


    "You''re not giving us much of a choice, are you?" Magnus swept the shredded documents off the table and handed thewyer another stack of documents. "You made a fool of me using your mother." Hemented with a sad expression on his face.


    "It''s your fault. If you fought for her, if you didn''t let yourself fall victim to that maniptive woman, my mother would still be alive and none of this will happen. Everything started with your foolishness." Stefan didn''t spare his father from his anger at all. "Anyway, can we get this done with already? I want to go home with my wife."


    "Tch! Such a wife ve." Ferdinand snorted on the side, almost a whisper but Cayenne still heard it. She could only lower her head down and pretended herself to be ying with her phone.


    Stefan didn''t really care if he''s called a wife ve. So, what? As long as it''s his wife, she can be his queen, she can be his master; and he wouldn''t mind at all.


    Thewyer took the documents and read the contents of the will. "This will and testament was documented, sealed and signed on June xx, 20xx ¨C"


    "Huh? This was made when I was still six years old?" Stefan questioned when he heard the date. He asked thewyer to show the documents to him and he verified the date, it was indeed made several years ago.


    "If you want to finish this, stop asking questions. You can askter once everything''s done." Magnus told his son. He knew that Stefan must have so many questions in mind but he didn''t want to hear them. He was afraid to have confrontation with him.


    Thewyer continued to read the documents. "I, Ferdinand Louie Dumrique, will hand over all my properties, assets and mary possessions to my grandson Stefan Dumrique. Henceforth, this will cannot be change unless the first heir changes his decision and hand it over to someone else. In the even that my grandson dies without any heir or heiress to take over all these possessions, everything will be sold and the mary funds will be divided to all charitable foundations listed below. And this ¡­"


    Thewyer read a lot of things which made Cayenne felt sleepy. She has really no interest in this kind of things and she''s not interested with all the assets that they were talking to as well. It''s not hers so she didn''t really care that much. She leaned on Stefan''s shoulder and closed her eyes.


    "Sleepy?" Stefan asked her while caressing her hair, making her even sleepier. "Just go to sleep."


    "No, I''m just trying to rest my eyes. It hurts a little from ying the phone."


    "I see."


    Stefan continued to listen and after almost half an hour, they finalized everything and he signed on the documents. His father signed on the will as well and so was Stefan. Thewyer reviewed everything and after making sure that they didn''t miss a single page, he carefully kept all the documents inside his briefcase and gave them a copy of it as well. Then, he bid farewell without taking so much time.


    Stefan, together with his family, they all went downstairs and Ferdinand announced to everyone that the new CEO will be Stefan and he will be taking over their businesses in two weeks'' time. Stefan didn''t say anything since there''s nothing that can be done. The only good thing that he thought about the business was that, it didn''t have much of an issue.


    Many people congratted him and Ferdinand told them that there will be another gathering next week to announce to the public about the change of ownership to their business. It''s a good way of getting along with business partners and investors as well and Stefan was very good in this kind of events. The only problem was that, Cayenne didn''t like to attend this kind of events.


    The two of them stayed for a while but after an hour, they left. Stefan didn''t want to stress his wife over this kind of things and as much as possible, he wanted them to have some rxing moments.


    "Do you want to watch a movie? We can have dinner outside as well." Stefan suggested to her. It would be good for them. In that way, the can just start with their honeymoon as soon as they arrived home.


    "I don''t mind but let''s not have any fancy dinner."


    "Yes, Your Highness." Stefan replied and kissed the back of her hand. Every time they went out and he''s the one driving, he will always drive with one hand since the other will always be holding Cayenne. He didn''t want to let go of her.


    It was already four in the afternoon when they arrived at the mall. This time, it was Cayenne who chose what to watch because Stefan would most likely pick something erotic and hot if he''s the one buying the tickets.


    While the two of them were having a great time, Cole was having a hard time, arguing with both his mother and brother. "How can you be so stubborn?! Didn''t I tell you not to do anything that will involve Cayenne?! I have warned you many times and yet, you wouldn''t just listen!"


    "I didn''t do anything to her, alright?!" Kirin argued back with her eldest son. "I just looked into her! I want to know what kind of people she hooked up with, making them go against us in her behalf."


    "Looking into her is still involving her! You were prying on her privacy! Can''t you understand?! Is it so hard to understand a humannguage?!" Cole couldn''t really stop himself from yelling at his mother. He was agitated and frustrated because their business suffers every time his mother acts against Cayenne.


    "Hey bro, that''s not how you should talk to our mother." Arthur pulled their mother behind him to shield her from his brother''s sharp gaze but Arthur received the heaviest blow instead.


    "And you?!" Cole was pointing his finger on his brother. "Didn''t I tell you to stop pestering her? I told you to give up on her because her boyfriend isn''t easy to trifle with. And what did you do? You went to her workce, argued with her, belittled her and then what now? Many investors decided to withdraw their help. You won''t understand because you''re not managing the business! If this is how it is, I''m quitting! Go and manage that business you have. I have nothing to do with it anymore."

 Chapter 196 - SOMETHING CAUGHT HER INTEREST

    <h4>Chapter 196 - SOMETHING CAUGHT HER INTEREST</h4>


    They thought that Cole was just joking because this happens a lot before but then, he would stille to work the next day. However, this time was different. He told Sofia to pack up because they will be moving out. In fact, this was a good thing for him as well, since he''s only a ve to his mother, working like a cow but not getting anything in return, he might as well quit.


    Cole was like any other employee. Even though they owned the businesses and he''s the one managing them, he''s only given a monthly sry that a manager''s worth. And he also discovered that all businesses were named under Arthur. His mother also prepared several life insurances just in case something happens to her and the beneficiary was Arthur. Just Arthur. In his mother''s eyes, he didn''t exist as a son to her but a servant instead.


    Sofia carried their baby out first and got inside the car. Cole was following her with most of their important things and after cing them inside the trunk, he got inside the car and drove out of their ce.


    "Where are we going now?" Sofia asked worriedly. If it was just the two of them, she would be fine ¨C she won''t mind. But they have a child and she was worried for her baby.


    "Don''t worry. I didn''t work for nothing in the past years. I was able to save some money for us to start over with." With his response, Sofia thought that they will probably stay in an apartment or in a rented house.


    She was observing the road that they were taking and when the car stopped, she found herself in front of a huge house. It was truly magnificent. "Uh¡­Are we staying in this ce?"


    "Yup. I bought this ce in a very cheap price since the owners moved to China. They wanted to stay there for good since they were basically Chinese and they wanted to serve their country for the remaining time of their lives."


    "How cheap is cheap?" Sofia asked with narrowed eyes. She may not be rich and she didn''t grow up in a rich family but she knew that the ce costs millions.


    "Let''s talk about thister. Come inside." He took the baby from her so that she can rest for a while.


    Sometimes, you need to make a hasty and decisive decision to start over again. If you are no longerfortable with your life, think back and check what you could have done better. If it''s best to stay away for you to have a peace of mind and healthy mental wellness, then find the best ce where you can have the peace you wanted.


    Cole knew that Stefan and Cayenne lived in the neighborhood, in fact, they were just across each other but Cole knew what he should do and what he should not. He will never put his family in danger.


    On the other hand, Cayenne was happily watching the rom movie that she chose. Most of the time she was smiling and there were times that she wouldugh so hard. She looked so carefree right beside him.


    "Do you like the movie that much?" Stefan asked her when they finished watching it after almost two hours. Cayenne just nodded with a wide smile, she was still thinking of some scenes and couldn''t help herself but grin again. "I like something else."


    "What do you like?" Cayenne asked without thinking much and Stefan pointed on to a poster. When sheid her eyes on it, she couldn''t stop blushing. Looking at the poster alone will already give you and idea of what it was all about. ''But somehow, it''s rather interesting.'' Cayenne thought to herself while looking away from it.


    In the poster, the man was inside a bathtub with a little bit of water in it. His shirt was wet and it stuck to his skin, outlining his abs and his nipples. His eyes were covered with a ck cloth and his hand were cuffed with a red-feathered handcuff and connected to a post on each side of the tub. His head was leaned back, pressing on the woman''s bosom while the woman was looking at the camera, hugging the man''s head in a gentle manner. And what was more interesting? It''s that, there were so many people lining up for that movie.


    "There''s no way I''d watch that." Cayenne muttered which made Stefan chuckle beside her. "Although it looked a little bit interesting but I don''t think I can handle that movie."


    "We''ll be taking it slow." Stefan whispered and kissed the base of her neck when no one was watching them.


    "You''re such a pervert." Cayenne replied as she pushed his face away from her. "Don''t show your true color in public."


    "Hn. I''ll only show it to you." Bird of the same feather, flock together. If Travis was shameless then, what more can you expect from his friend?


    They walked around the mall and looked for a restaurant where they can have their dinner. Cayenne didn''t want anything fancy so they chose to have dinner in a seafood restaurant instead. Cayenne loves seafood and meat, so it was the perfect ce for her.


    Stefan ordered a lot of shrimps and squid for Cayenne because she likes them a lot. They didn''t buy any crabs because Cayenne hates it. It''s not because she hated the taste but she hated the fact that it''s mostly made of shell and she didn''t really know how to eat it.


    They ate to their heart''s content and Cayenne didn''t bother acting shy in front of him. She needs to eat a lot of food to gain energy and strength because she will have to expend a lot of themter that night. She ate whatever he ced on her te, didn''t care if she looked like a hamster with bulging cheeks in front of him.


    "I''m so happy that my wife thinks so much for me." Stefanmented while reaching out his hand with a tissue to wipe the residue on the corner of her lips.


    "I''m thinking about myself, okay. Stop thinking nonsense." Cayenne replied. But when you think about it, she was indeed preparing herself for him. Isn''t that considered as thinking about him?

 Chapter 197 - THE HONEYMOON

    <h4>Chapter 197 - THE HONEYMOON</h4>


    As the night grew darker and the city lights grew brighter, Cayenne''s heart was thumping so loud in her ears. She felt a little bit nervous with what''s going to happen to them. ''Bless me O''Lord.'' Cayenne prayed mentally while looking outside the window. When they got home, she stepped out of the car without waiting for him to open the door for her.


    "Are you that excited?" Stefan teased her when she got out of the car.


    "Hn. I''m excited to sleep." She retorted with faint snicker on her lips. "Let''s just get inside. It''s a bit cold here outside."


    Stefan followed her inside the house and Cayenne thought that they''d be doing it in bed. How would she know that the moment the door was closed, Stefan would pull her close to him and kiss her? She didn''t expect this at all.


    It wasn''t just a light kiss. It was a kiss that involves tongue and exchanged of saliva. She really wanted to faint and just pretend dead in embarrassment. She maybe his wife but she would sometimes feel shy when ites to this kind of activity.


    Stefan kissed her lips and when she thought she''d die fromck of oxygen, he pulled away from her. The two of them gasped for breath but it didn''t take long for her husband to recover and kissed her again. He nibbled on her lips, swept his tongue with hers while his hands cupped the back of her head to deepen their kiss.


    It was her first ever wild kiss.


    And it didn''t end there. Stefan hold her up and brought her to the couch. Afraid of falling to the floor, Cayenne had to wrap her legs around his waist. He continued to kiss her as he sat on the couch being straddled by her on top of him. His kisses moved from her lips to the base of her neck and to her corbone.


    Cayenne suddenly held his head to stop him from what he was doing.


    "Why did you stop me?" Stefan asked with hazy eyes and his lust was very obvious she wanted to smack him to wake him up.


    She moved her eyes away from him trying to calm herself from the onught of pleasure he made her feel from his kiss. "I haven''t taken a shower. Can¡­can we do thister? Perhaps we should take the bedroom instead of the living room."


    "I don''t mind." Stefan carried her upstairs and he didn''t even stop to get their robes for shower. He brought her inside the bathroom directly and stripped off her clothes for her. "We can do it inside the bathroom, too."


    Cayenne just let him do what he wanted to do. Anyway, it''s part of her duties as a wife. The honeymoon couldn''t be postponed anymore so she just needed to toughen herself and get through this night; hoping that she won''t be crippled from an all-night pleasure.


    Stefan didn''t forget that it was Cayenne''s first time to do this kind of stuff. He made sure that she wasn''t hurt at all and that she''d wide enough to take him in.


    "Stefan, it''s getting really hot. Bring me under the shower." Cayenne whispered while he was nibbled on her chest, leaving marks all around it.


    He cupped her chest, sucked on her buds and left hickeys all over her. He didn''t even bother cing them in some secret ces. "Ayen, I''ll be putting my finger. Let me know if it hurts you."


    Cayenne nodded her head and felt her core being touched. She shivered but she had no idea if it was from pleasure or from cold; perhaps both. He thrusted his finger in and out of her making her bit her lower lip to stop her moan from getting out of her mouth. "You can let out your voice, I don''t mind. Besides, no one will hear since the houses were built several meters apart."


    "But¡­it''s¡­it''s kind of¡­embarrassing." She was panting for breaths while trying to hold herself in. She couldn''t understand what she was feeling at all. Her mind was a bit fuzzy and she felt dizzy. The cold water from the shower wasn''t helping her extinguished the me of passion burning from deep within. "I ¨C ngh¡­" her words were cut off when she felt him put another finger inside her.


    "Ayen, I want to put inside you." Stefan whispered while kissing the base of her neck. "Would it be fine?"


    For the first time since they got inside the bathroom, Cayenne finally looked down on his shaft and she blushed. She''s willing to do it but she''s worried for herself. "Won''t it break me?" She asked him without minding her words. It''s just her and her husband; and there shouldn''t be a need for her to feel shy but she still couldn''t look him in the eyes.


    "I can test it to know if it will break your or make you love it." The sly grin on his lips tell her that there''s no way out of this situation, a negotiation wasn''t possible either.


    Cayenne cupped his face and stared right into his eyes while saying, "I''m giving you my heart, my body and my soul to you. Please take care of it." Then, she kissed his lips which was a signal for Stefan do what he needed to do.


    He teased her core for a little while by rubbing his own manhood on her. Cayenne was breathing heavily as she was trying to keep up her mind from what her body was feeling.


    ''It hurts! Damn it!'' she mentally cursed and bit his left shoulder. She can feel her body being stretched wide and she felt really full. "Don''t move. Please don''t move yet."


    "Ayen, it''s really hot inside you and you''re so tight."


    "I''m a virgin for Pete''s sake. What do you expect?" her retort came in whisper since she was still getting used to hisrge and stiff staff inside her body. "You can move now but be gentle, alright?"


    "Hn." Stefan did as she said even though his control was slipping away every time he thrust inside her. "This feel''s so good." He could feel her tightening around him and the squelching noises of their flesh added to the pleasure he was feeling.


    Cayenne felt the onught of pleasure and her knees were giving up already. She would fall on the fall any moment from now. But it didn''t happen. Stefan, raised her two legs with his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Doing so, his full length got inside her and hit her deepest part. It was so overwhelming and she thought she was seeing fireworks at the back of her mind.


    "Stefan, wait¡­I¡­ah¡­can''t¡­I can''t keep up. It feels weird. S-something is¡­hhmm¡­is¡­wrong with me." She held his face to stop him for a minute. Her eyes were unfocused and so was he. Stefan didn''t stop thrusting her but he slowed down. "I need you to bring me back to the bathroom. I need to release something."


    "Just release it here." Stefan withdrew himself, turned her over and took her from the back. "You can just release it from here. You don''t have to be embarrassed."


    "But, I ¨C" She couldn''t even manage to finish her words because he was taking her to the highest point of bliss once again. She buried her face on the pillow, clutching on to the bedsheets in order to keep herself grounded. After few minutes, she felt him releasing something hot inside her and she already have an idea what it was.


    As far as she knew, once a man releases it, it should be fine and they will be satiated. However, she didn''t realize that she married and insatiable beast. After taking her from the back, he did it from the side while kissing her non-stop. His hands weren''t idle either. They were caressing her body and every ce he touched left little sparks that sent electricity down to her core. She felt really sensitive and she can''t stop herself froming. After pounding on her for several times, he released himself inside her once again.


    She was gasping for breath and Stefan let out a guttural moan beside her. At this point, she really thought that it was finally over. And guess what? She was wrong again this time. Stefan''s stiff andrge shaft was still throbbing inside her and it was still full of vitality.


    "You beast! When will you be satisfied?" Cayenne punched his chest with a little force but instead of stopping, he just smiled at her.


    "Why don''t I give you full control this time?" he suddenly switched their positions and she ended up sitting on top of him. "You can ride on top of me and do as you wish. I''ll take it as thest round if you can do a good job."


    "No way!"


    "Yes way, my dear wife." Stefan pulled her head down and kissed her lips.


    In the end, thest round was extended because she couldn''t do what he wanted her to do. She was too tired to move, so he had to move for them. They started around seven and when Cayenne checked the clock before sleeping, it was already one in the morning. No wonder she just wanted to copse and sleep to the end of time.


    Stefan cleaned her up and dressed her before taking her to the guest room. They will be spending the rest of the night there because their bedroom was messy and needed some cleaning.


    While the two were lovey-dovey someone was nning how to take Cayenne back.

 Chapter 198 - SPENDING TIME IN A SPA

    <h4>Chapter 198 - SPENDING TIME IN A SPA</h4>


    Cayenne woke up the next day with sore waist and inner thighs making her bit her lower lip and curse her husband. "Damn this guy! I told him to be gentle but he just can''t."


    "I was gentlest night." Stefan replied while holding a tray of food for her. "It''s just that, you are not use to size yet. But I actually think that we''re a perfect fit." He added. His cheeky grin was evident that how happy he was and teasing her makes him even happier.


    Cayenne could only roll her eyes at him. "So, I made the right decision of doing this on weekend. If we did this right after the wedding, I would have to absent from work again."


    Stefan ced the tray on the table beside the bed and sat on the space beside her. "I''m sorry for going all the wayst night."


    "Did you enjoy it?"


    Stefan looked straight into her eyes and nodded his head. "Yes, I enjoyed it very much."


    "Then, don''t say sorry to me." Cayenne cupped his face and kissed the tip of his nose. "Getting this damn sore waist and thighs are normal for couples, especially for a virgin like me. You don''t have to be sorry. Based on what I have read, this will go away after a few days."


    Stefan smiled and pulled her into a warm embrace. "I want to erase this pain but I don''t know how so, I booked a spa for us. Let''s go there after you ate your food."


    "What time is it already?"


    "Few minutes past one in the afternoon." Stefan let go of her and moved the tray of food to her bed. "I didn''t wake you up since it''s weekend and we don''t really have any n for the day."


    "We need to go home." Cayenne mentioned. "I told them that we''d go back home today." Even if she''s married already, her family didn''t know it yet and she loves them very much which made her feel guilty every time she''s with them. "Stefan, should we tell them that we got married few days ago?"


    "I don''t mind. I will always follow your lead with no questions." He picked up the spoon and started feeding her.


    "I''m not disable. I can still feed myself." Cayennemented when she saw what he was doing.


    "Let me act sweet sometimes."


    "You''re always sweet and caring to me."


    The two of them continued to flirt over a meal, saying sweet nothings and teasing each other. Stefan ate already since he woke up earlier than her. And after Cayenne had her meal, the two of them went out of the house to have some rxation in a spa.


    "Is it very painful?" Stefan asked in worry since Cayenne would flinch every step of the way.


    "I really wish you''d be a virgin woman in your next lifetime in order for you to experience this pain. You''ve been fooling around with women and you didn''t even realize how painful it is."


    "They''re not virgin to begin with." Stefan replied which earned him a smack on the head from his wife. "I was just kidding. I didn''t really fool around that much. Some of them were just paid to pose for pictures, helping me to tarnish my name even more."


    "Hmp! Whatever. I won''t care about your past but¡­" Cayenne moved closer to him and looked at him straight in the eyes. "don''t you dare fool around while I''m your wife. I don''t like being cheated."


    "I would never dare." Stefan responded and without any warning, he carried her off to his car. "I have never done this before. Let me carry you again once we get off."


    "You''re insane." Cayenneughed at him and kissed the side of his face. "I can still walk. You don''t have to do this."


    "You''re in pain because of me. This is the least thing I can do."


    Since she cannot persuade him to put her down, she didn''t argue with him anymore. Anyway, from the house to the car; it was just a short distance.


    La Vida ¨C it''s the spa that Stefan booked for them in the afternoon. When they arrived to this ce, he wanted to carry her but Cayenne sent him a sharp re. She didn''t want to embarrass herself so, she endured the pain and tried her best to walk straight.


    Seeing her doing this, Stefan felt upset and depress. He really tried his best to be gentlest night but after the first round, he couldn''t control himself anymore. Now, Cayenne''s hurt because of him.


    Cayenne noticed that a certain someone wasn''t following her and when she looked back, she found Stefan looking at her with a sad face. "Why are you still standing there?" Cayenne questioned while arching her brow. "I''m fine. Stop worrying yourself."


    "In all the times you said you''re fine, how many of them are true?" Stefan muttered while walking as fast as he could to catch up to her. Cayenne didn''t really hear this question since she was several steps away from him. If she did, she would just smile and not answer him.


    Cayenne was the type of person who will say she''s fine when she''s not. She would say the opposite of what she was feeling. She''s not very honest with her emotions. But when you think about it, it''s not just Cayenne ¨C most women are just like her. They tend to keep their honest thoughts and feelings instead of expressing them.


    Inside La Vida, the receptionist warmly weed them and confirmed their booking. Stefan booked a room with double bed in order to let them stay together while rxing. The receptionist knew who were the customers but they she didn''t make a fuss about it. She''s used to seeing famous people already so it wasn''t that thrilling to her. This was also the reason why Stefan chose this ce ¨C the staff aren''t prejudice and they knew how to keep the information of their customers.


    "I want a masseuse for the two of us." Stefan told the receptionist because he wouldn''t let any other man touch his wife, not even a masseur.

 Chapter 199 - KYLE MEETS KATHS FAMILY I

    <h4>Chapter 199 - KYLE MEETS KATH''S FAMILY I</h4>


    Cayenneid on the bed with her stomach and Stefan was doing the same. "You said that you weren''t close with your family but why were they letting you manage thepany when they can still do it?" Cayenne asked this question that''s been bothering her since yesterday. Based on what she observed, if the grandfather dies, that''s when the will and testament will be read. And in most cases, it''s the son or daughter who will receive it. In their case, everything was given to Stefan with no single cent or property for his father, Magnus. It was a good thing that Stefan was still generous, letting his father stay in a mansion which was supposedly his.


    Stefan just smiled at her upon hearing this question. Few seconds had passed before he finally replied to her. "I have confirmed that the will and testament was made since I was young which means, they already knew that Alexander didn''te from our bloodline."


    "If they knew, why did they ignore you?"


    "I don''t know and I don''t really care that much. If they''re letting me take over the ce because of some trap, I will not hesitate to destroy everything that they have umted all these years. If they didn''t mean any harm then, I''ll dly take it. In my opinion, their wealth isn''t enough to repay the life of my mother but it''s better than nothing, right?"


    "You have a point." Cayenne agreed to him. She couldn''t understand the drama of the riches but she cared about his safety. "Just make sure to be careful always. You almost diest time because of some evil people. I don''t want it to happen again."


    "Hn. I''ll take care of myself when I''m out." Stefan responded with another smile. "By the way, I have asked you this question but I am not sure if you still remember, what''s your n for mom''s birthday?" Last time, he called her auntie, this time, he already changed it to mom.


    Cayenne didn''tment on the way he called Emerald, it''s a natural thing to do, given that they''re already married. She just answered his question. "My mother didn''t really like grand asions. She likes to spend her birthday with family and friends."


    "Then, how about we go for a family outing. We can invite some close friends, too."


    "I don''t mind. We can just have a normal outing like what other families do. We can go to the beach but we will not go to your resort. People will certainly recognize us."


    "You can choose whichever ce you want to go. Just tell me where you want it held so that I can ask some of the organizers to decorate a little for your mom''s surprise."


    "Sure. I''ll ask Luiz and Kyle about it."


    They talked a lot during their rxation time and they just thought of random things to talk about.


    Meanwhile¡­


    "Am I presentable already?" Kyle asked his girlfriend. "I don''t want you to feel embarrassed when you show me to your family. I want to look good beside you."


    "You''re good enough. Just trust me." Kath told him to let him have a little courage to face her family. "You''ve got my back and I assure you, my parents won''t dislike you."


    It was true, her parents didn''t hate him but her brothers were looking at him from head to toe. "You didn''t tell me you have brothers." Kyle whispered anxiously the moment he stepped inside her territory.


    "Sorry. I forgot to tell you about them. I was so focused with my parents." Kath whispered back with faintughter in her voice. "Don''t worry, they''re good people." Kath coughed drily to get their attention. "Everyone, this is my boyfriend. His name is Kyle Ardolf." She turned to Kyle and introduced her family. "These are my parents, Sofia and Jude. These are my brothers; Kai, Kevin and Kerwin." She introduced her brothers from eldest to the youngest.


    "Good afternoon." Kyle bowed her head to them and presented his little gift. "I''m here to formally introduce myself as Kath''s boyfriend."


    "Why do you like my sister?" Kai asked him directly before Kyle could stand up straight. "She''s stupid and careless. Why do you like her?"


    "Ahh?" Kyle didn''t know whether to cry orugh at these remarks. Kath on the other hand was fuming in annoyance. "It''s true that she''s careless. She often stumbles on a ne ground, forget her things, make careless remarks and often sleeps during ss.? But I make up for what shecks. I hold her before she hits the ground and bleed. I keep her things for her. I exin to others what her honest thoughts mean and I keep notes for her when she''s sleeping in ss. However, I disagree with the word stupid. My girlfriend isn''t stupid. She just couldn''t keep up with the genius people but she can certainly understand things. As for why I like her, I have no idea. I just want to protect her, be there for her when she needs me and make her smile when she''s sad."


    "You are quite eloquent. You''re smart and handsome. You look like you''re from a well-known family. Why would you stick with this dumb sister of ours?"


    Kyle was dumbstruck once again. ''Did I exaggerate my attire, making them think I''m rich? What to do?'' Kath looked at him and found him struggling for exnation.


    "Bro, do you have to judge him by his looks? Kyle didn''te from a well-known family." Kathmented. "Also, do you have to call me dumb? I''m not stupid or dumb, alright?"


    "Then, why do you like him?" Kai asked his sister. "He''s not from a well-known family. He''s not a perfect match for you." Kai added.


    Kyle felt belittled when he heard these words but he didn''t say anything because what Kai said was true. He thought that Kath came from an average family and was a sole child. He had no idea that they''re very rich and she has three elder brothers.

 Chapter 200 - KYLE MEETS KATHS FAMILY II

    <h4>Chapter 200 - KYLE MEETS KATH''S FAMILY II</h4>


    Unexpectedly, Kath stood up in anger and yelled at her brother. "So, what? What if he''s not rich? He''s kind, caring and a gentleman. He cares for his family. He''s smart and not arrogant. Unlike all of you; you only think about making money. You don''t spend time with your family. You''re being judgmental and mean. Your wealth makes you arrogant and boastful. I hate men like you!"


    Kyle pulled his girlfriend who was now crying from her anger. "Don''t say that. At the end of the day, they''re still your family. Don''t yell at them."


    "But they''re so hateful." Kath sobbed in his arms, ignoring her family''s stares at her.


    "They''re just thinking what''s best for you." Kyle tried to pacify her and calmed her. He didn''t want her to fall out with her family because of him. "I totally understand their concern because I also have a sister. So, don''t get mad at them."


    "But your brother-inw wasn''t mean like them and you weren''t mean to him either." Kath murmured in the midst of wiping her tears. When she looked at her brothers, she snorted at them.


    Few secondster, her family erupted into a series ofughter. The youngest brother, Kerwin,ughed so hard he was clutching his stomach. He wanted to say a piece or two in order to join in on the fun that the whole family was nning but with their sister''s outburst, they couldn''t continue their prank anymore.


    "Uhh¡­what''s happening? Why are you guysughing?" Kath asked them and Kyle was a little confused as well.


    "Were you just making fun of me?" he asked them with no judgement or any negative thoughts.


    "Rather than saying that way, it''s more like we''re testing you." Kerwin replied. "We just didn''t expect that our stupid sister will make a sudden outburst here. It ruined the fun."


    "Fun? You call it fun?! Well, sorry because I''m not having fun at all." Kath eximed angrily. "I''m seriously introducing you my boyfriend here and you''re just making fun out of this."


    Kyle rubbed her back to calm her down. "Stop yelling. Your throat will go dry and you will have a hoarse voice tomorrow if you keep doing that."


    Kath calmed down but she was still looking sharply at her brothers. "Bullies." She whispered with obvious displeasure on her face.


    "Alright, stop bullying him." Kath''s father, Jude, told his sons to stop. "He''s not even reacting against what you said but your sister hates us instead. Stop making things difficult for him."


    Kai and Kevin who berated Kyle earlier put their hands up, a signal of surrender.


    "We worked so hard for you little girl but you actually hate us? My heart is bleeding and it''s in pain." Kevinmented, clutching his chest as if he was really in pain.


    "I don''t need us to be rich. I don''t need a lot of money. All I want is time. You guys are so busy that I can only meet you a few times in a month. I even forgot that I have brothers."


    "Seriously?!" Kerwin asked in surprise. "Did you really forget us?"


    Kyle nodded his head to answer that question in behalf of his girlfriend. "I was actually shocked to find that she''s got three brothers because I thought she''s an only child. She never talked about you and when I asked her, she really forgot about her brothers. She only thought of her parents."


    "You''ve got to be kidding me." Kevin retorted. "You can forget your things but you can''t forget about us."


    "How would I remember having three brothers when I don''t even see you. When I get back from school, you''re still working. When I go to school, you''re either sleeping or working. I don''t even spend a meal with you."


    Her brothers felt a little sad about this. The three brothers were born very closely with one-year gap from each other. However, Kath was born seven years after Kerwin, making them love their one and only sister so much; and spoiling her to the ends of the earth. The three of them worked so hard because they wanted her to live in a castle with no worries at all. They never thought that as the time pass by, they were drifting away from her, to the point that she''d hate them.


    "Mom, can you bring Kathleen inside her room? We need to talk with her boyfriend alone." Kai asked his mother. Kathleen wanted to resist but her mother assured her that nothing will happen. "Just go on, we won''t bully your boyfriend."


    "You better keep your promise." Kath told him and went upstairs with her mother.


    The living room turned silent for a little while when it was just the five men left. Kyle took a deep breath and rxed himself in front of them.


    "Please take care of our little princess." Jude told him. "She''s the only girl in the family and we treasure her so much."


    "She''s really stupid sometimes but she''s the most honest person I have ever known. As long as you ask her, she will answer you honestly." Kai added.


    "Kath is childish sometimes, I hope you can tolerate that. And sometimes, she would throw a tantrum." Kevin also stated.


    Kerwin wanted to add something but he frowned.? "Hey, aren''t you describing her base on her characteristic when she was little?"


    "Oh." His two brothers reacted at the same time. "We missed so much of her growing up moments." Kai replied. "Anyway, we don''t dislike you. In fact, we know about you already before she told us about you being her boyfriend. We didn''t expect that she''ll have the courage to confess."


    "Wait!" Kerwin stopped them and looked towards Kyle. "Who confessed first between you two?" his eyes were twinkling for gossip. Even if it''s his sister''s rtionship, he won''t let go of her.


    Kyle narrated what happened on Christmas day and how he chased after her to give his confession. Kath''s family was listening seriously except for Kerwin who would react from time to time.

 Chapter 201 - A SECRET HELP I

    <h4>Chapter 201 - A SECRET HELP I</h4>


    Kyle had dinner with Kath''s family and went home right after. He was d that everything went well after her family had a little fun. Even though everything was exined to his girlfriend, Kath was still upset and disappointed. She didn''t even talk to her family during dinner.


    When he got home, Cayenne and Luiz were sitting in the sofa while browsing the inte using Luiz''sptop. They were looking for a beach resort with lower prizespare to the ones that Stefan owned.


    "Are you going out for another trip?" Kyle asked his sister and sat on the space next to hers.


    "Shh!" Cayenne ced her finger on her lips, signaling him to keep quiet or lower his voice. "It''s for our mother''s birthday. Stefan and I thought that it would be good if we can have a family outing and we can invite some close friends, too. You should invite Kath toe with us once everything''s settled."


    "Okay. So, where do you want to go?"


    "I already have these three choices." Cayenne showed him theptop which disys three resorts of her choice. "What do you think of these? Let''s check the amenities and the reviews."


    The three of them huddled for two hours, chose the best ce out of the three resorts, thought of activities andputed their estimated budget. They also made a list of people that they wanted to invite since it was just a small gathering.


    "Hon, it''s already ten in the evening. You still have work tomorrow." Stefan got out of their room and reminded her the time since she hadn''te to sleep yet. "You can continue discussing this matter tomorrow. Your brothers need to go to school as well."


    She stood up and gently pat her brother''s head. "Good night. Let''s continue this n tomorrow."


    "Good night, Yen." Her brothers responded in unison.


    Cayenne was about to get inside her room when she remembered something. "How was your visit to her family?"


    "It''s good. I managed to pass their tests." Kyle replied with a huge smile.


    "That''s good. You both go to sleep now." She got inside her room and closed the door behind her. "My back is still painful." Shemented when it was just the two of them inside. "What should I do?"


    "If it''s too painful to work, just take a rest. I can still feed you even if you don''t go to work."


    "That''s not my concern. I just don''t want them to be more suspicious of me. They''re already thinking that I''m getting special treatment because of my absences."


    "I know what to do." Stefan smiled and kissed her face. "Just go to work like usual and I will make sure that you will not suffer tomorrow."


    "If you say so."


    Stefan cuddled her to sleep while rubbing her back and waist. Even if they went out to have a massage, the pain won''t go away in an instant. He felt so guilty for causing her so much pain.


    "Stop thinking anything. Let''s go to sleep." Cayenne whispered with her eyes closed. With his deep sigh, she can tell that he was very concern for her.


    The next day, Stefan and Cayenne went to work. Instead of dropping her off, he drove the car directly to the hotel and they got of together. Cayenne took a different elevator and Stefan took his own elevator as well. They went on separate ways. Cayenne still had no idea what her husband was nning to do.


    She endured the pain on her waist and went to work like nothing happened. Thankfully, there wasn''t much work in the morning so she was able to rest most of the time. Stefan called her from time to time, asking if she''s doing good or if she was feeling so much pain.


    During lunch, she called her toe up and have lunch with him. Luna indeed up having lunch with Secretary Chris who was kicked out of the President''s room.


    "Are you still in pain?" Stefan asked her the moment she stepped inside. Instead of letting her walk towards the dining area, he carried her instead. He didn''t like to see her suffering in pain.


    "It''s still a little painful but I can bare it now. I spent most of my time resting this morning because there wasn''t much work to do." She thought that he would ce her down but Stefan ced her on hisp and feed her once again. "You want to feed me?"


    "Yeah."


    "Alright. I''ll feed you in return."


    When there''s a chance, these two will flirt to their heart''s content. Stefan fed her and she fed him back. Stefan kissed her and she kissed him back. Stefan teased her and she teased him back. Whatever he was doing to her, she will do it to him in return. Sadly, when Stefan slipped his hands inside her uniform, she couldn''t do the same. His shirt was inserted carefully inside his pants.


    "Stop being naughty." Cayenne cupped his face and kissed his forehead. "I have work to doter."


    "It''s fine. I won''t do anything painful." Stefan whispered and kissed the underside of her jaw.


    "That''s not my concern."


    "Then, what''s your concern?" he asked but he didn''t stop caressing her body and kissing her neck.


    "My uniform will be creased. I don''t want to be crumpled."


    "Then, let''s take off your uniform." Stefan responded nonchntly but there was a smile on his lips, obviously he was just teasing her.


    Cayenne red at him for saying such thing but she still kissed the tip of his nose. "I know that you will lose your control if I let you do it so, stop before something happens. And don''t forget we''re in your hotel. I''m supposed to work and not flirt."


    "It''s fine. I own the hotel. I can flirt with my wife whenever I want."


    "Hon, people will think that I''m a bad girl. They will probably notice something if we keep doing this."


    "When pushes to shove, let''s just tell everyone that we''re married. I really want to tell the whole world that you are mine." Stefan kissed the corner of her lips and smile. He stopped teasing her and arranged her clothes for her. "But it''s better to have a little secret that nobody knows except us."


    "Your family knows."


    "Damn! You''re right. Then, it''s no longer a secret." Since he couldn''t do anything to her because she''s in pain, he decided to shower her with kisses instead.


    When Cayenne went back to the employee''s lounge, she had to borrow a concealer from Luna or else, people will really start having opinion of her once they see the hickeys he left.


    "Looks like someone''s very energetic to leave his marks." Lunamented, making her best friend blush in embarrassment.

 Chapter 202 - A SECRET HELP II

    <h4>Chapter 202 - A SECRET HELP II</h4>


    In the afternoon, Cayenne was staying in the lounge once again. Celine told her that there wasn''t any work to do yet so she can take a rest. Celine left, saying that she wanted to get something from the fifth floor and Cayenne didn''t think too much about it.


    "Did she suspect anything?" Stefan asked Celine when the two of them met inside one of the rooms on the fifth floor.


    "I don''t think she suspect anything but she might start to doubt if I keep disappearing for a long time."


    "Then, let''s get this done so you can go back to her."


    This morning, Celine disappeared as well and she''d be gone for almost an hour before going back to find her and start doing their work. In the morning, Cayenne was only able to work twice and the rest of the time was spent resting.


    And this afternoon was no different.


    "Did Celine notice that I wasn''t feeling good?" She asked herself. "Did she do our work alone because I''m the President''s girl?" She thought that it was likely to happen but she didn''t think that much. Around two in the afternoon, Celine came back and told Cayenne that they''d be working again.


    "There''s a room that needs cleaning." Celine told her. "I think there are fewer people this time because we have less work."


    "I think so, too." Cayenne agreed while following her work partner to the fourth floor. Celine worked very fast and because Cayenne was still in pain, she was a bit slower than how she usually works. It didn''t take them ten minutes to finish that one room.


    And then, Cayenne went back to the lounge to take a rest again.


    "I''ll go to the lobby while waiting for work." Celine told her and left in a hurry.


    Cayenne found it really suspicious because normally, Celine wouldn''t do this. If there''s no work, she would spend her time at theundry area to help the other employees in cleaning the bedsheets and other items. Because of this, she felt doubtful and uneasy. She didn''t want her colleagues to do all the work because she''s in pain and she deserves to rest because she''s Stefan''s girl. She didn''t like it.


    She went to the reception and found Luna.


    "Oh! Yen, you''re still here? Are you alright?"


    "Yeah. I''m fine. Can you check my cleaning area for me? I am just a bit curious why there''s not much work for me and Celine."


    "Ah? If I remember correctly, there are eight rooms that needs to be cleaned right now. Celine just went up."


    Cayenne bit her lower lip and nodded her head. "I''ll go up now. However, I don''t know where Celine went."


    "She''s probably in the third floor right now."


    "Okay. Thanks." Cayenne took a deep breath and ignored her sore waist. She needed to work and not let someone carry the burden alone.


    She went to the third floor in order to find her partner and it just so-happen that she found Stefan and Chris, pushing a cart with bedsheets, nkets and pillow cases.


    "What are you guys doing?" Cayenne asked them. The two men looked surprised to see her and Celine just smiled helplessly at her. "Did you help Celine with her work because of me?"


    "Why else would we do this?" Stefan questioned her too. "I told you that I will help youst night so, here I am."


    "What about Chris?"


    "He''s helping his boss." Stefan simply replied and lightly pinched her cheeks. "Don''t feel bad. I feel bad already for causing your pain. I can''t just let you work with that sore waist." He whispered to her and kissed her forehead. "Do you want toe along?"


    "Hn."


    Chris and Celine didn''t say anything. Although she came with them, she was told to sit on one of the couches inside the room. Stefan and Chris were very efficient with their work and Celine wasn''t burdened either.


    "You seemed to be doing good with this. Did you learn housekeeping, too?" Cayenne asked while observing him. She looked like a supervisor now who was watching her subordinates while they''re working.


    "Hn. I studied housekeeping for six months before I ventures to this business." Stefan answered her. "I''m a little bit of a perfectionist so I need to know a bit of everything that rtes to my work."


    "A perfectionist who fell for me. How odd?


    "You plus me is perfect." Stefan replied with a smile. "We''re done here. Let''s move to the other room." The three of them worked together while Cayenne watched them. She''s like the boss and Stefan was the employee.


    In less than an hour, the eight rooms were cleaned and the things were reced. Celine brought the dirty items to theundry area before going back to the lounge.


    "We''ll talk about this tonight." Cayenne told Stefan and bid farewell, following Celine back to the lounge.


    "Will I be punished instead of getting a reward?" Stefan asked Chris in passing.


    "Don''t think about getting a reward, just pray that she won''t punish you for doing this secretly behind her." Chris replied with a smile. "Now, let''s go back upstairs because your own work is waiting for you."


    "Alright." The two of them went back to Stefan''s private room and faced their own work.


    Cayenne brought Celine to the hotel''s restaurant and treat her to some snacks. "I''m really sorry for letting you do all the work."


    "It''s fine. Besides, the boss was there to help and I get double pay even though I work a little. Isn''t it great?"


    Cayenne was still a bit guilty but since Stefan was there and Celine will get a double pay, she tried her best not to mind. "Just wait her for a while." She went back to the counter and ordered some refreshments, telling them that the President was asking for it.


    One of the waitresses personally sent the items inside the cart to the President''s room, hoping to catch some glimpse of the secretary. She likes the secretary so much. Stefan already received the message from his wife regarding the refreshment so he was expecting it already.


    ''I guess I won''t be punished tonight.'' Stefan thought to himself. Smiling without reason, Chris who was observing him couldn''t help but roll his eyes. The boss was acting like a fool again because of his wife.

 Chapter 203 - PARTY I

    <h4>Chapter 203 - PARTY I</h4>


    As expected, when they got home after a day of work, Stefan wasn''t punished for helping her secretly but she didn''t give him a reward either.


    "Why am I not getting a reward?" Stefan asked her after taking a shower. He was currently wearing a bathrobe while trapping his wife between his body and their bed. "That''s a little bit unfair."


    "Darling, my waist still hurts. I am too tired to move. I don''t want to do anything so, don''t ask for reward alright?"


    "Then, does that mean I can work for you tomorrow?" Stefan retorted. "If I can work for you tomorrow, I will get a reward, too. Today plus tomorrow ¨C I can get two rewards."


    "Tsk! Behave yourself." Cayenne pinched his cheeks and pushed his chest right after. However, he didn''t budge. "What is it?"


    "Where is my good night kiss?"


    Cayenne cupped his face and was nning to ce a light kiss on his lips. When their lips touched, Stefan pressed his body on her and deepened the kiss. It turned into a wet and hot kiss instead.


    Cayenne was gasping for air when he pulled away from her. Her cheeks looked a little bit red and her face felt so hot. "A good night kiss shouldn''t be a French kiss."


    "Why not? We can kiss this way. After all, you''re my wife. I don''t see any problem doing that."


    "Whatever. Just get off from me and let''s go to sleep." She was about to cover herself with the quilt when she remembered somethings. "Hon, can I borrow your ring?"


    "Hn." Stefan pulled off the ring from his finger and handed it to her. "What are you nning to do with that?"


    "Just watch it." Cayenne ced the ring on the table. She did what Celine instructed her to do to confirm about the dragon symbol inside the ring. She did see the dragon carving on Stefan''s ring and when she pointed the sh light of her phone into it, the dragon was reflected off to the other ring''s inner side. It was fantastic. "The designer is really great."


    "Oh! You knew this trick?" Stefan asked unbothered.


    "Uh huh. Someone told me how to do this and someone told me that this is one and only wedding ring. I searched for this and how it was created. So, my dear, don''t you think you''ve got some exining to do for tricking me?"


    "I didn''t trick you. I just didn''t say anything because you will surely contradict my decision." Stefan took back his ring and put it on. "I want to give you the best of everything. What''s the use of my money if I can''t even buy a decent ring for you?"


    Cayenne sighed and smiled faintly. "Alright. I won''t say anything regarding this ring but, let''s not buy another wedding ring, okay?"


    "Why not?" Stefan hugged her waist and ced his chin on her shoulder. "Our marriage wasn''t formal at all and I want to give you a grand wedding. So, you should be wearing the best ring."


    "And what''s the best ring?"


    "A ring that is customized for you alone."


    Cayenne can''t really persuade him out of this matter. "Let''s not talk about this for now. We still have so many things to do and we haven''t told my parents yet. It''s another problem for us."


    "When are you nning to tell them about our marriage?"


    "I am not sure yet. When I feel that the time is right, I''ll let you know and you must cover things up for me or I will kick you out of my room."


    "Sure. Sure. Mom can scold me because I''m the one who persuade you in doing this. I won''t let her scold you when the timees."


    "You better keep your promise." Cayenne turned to her side and faced him. "Stay by my side forever, will you?"


    "Hn. I will never leave you." The two of them cuddled to sleep and rested the night away. Although, Stefan woke up in the middle of the night to relieve himself.


    Sleeping with his wife beside him but can''t do anything with, it''s a bit of a torture for him. Nheless, he would rather suffer than add to her pain.


    Days passed by quickly and the party that the Dumrique family nned was finally held. This was to wee the new CEO who will manage all properties and businesses that the Dumrique owns.


    The party was held on Saturday at the back of the family mansion since it has a huge space ofwn and the garden was really nice to look at even during the night. People starteding around six in the evening since the party will formally start at seven. Many people came, most of them were businessmen who came with their wife, girlfriend or fianc¨¦e. A pianist was invited to y them a song and there was also a singer that Magnus invited to entertain the guest.


    "Where''s Stefan?" Ferdinand asked his son since it''s almost seven and the most important person hasn''t arrived.


    "He didn''t send me any message. I guess he''s on his way already." Magnus responded. He was receiving the guests in front of their house and when his father left, it didn''t take long and Travis arrived with his wife. "Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Madrigal." Magnus greeted the two of them.


    "Good evening. Is Stefan here already?"


    "Not yet but he should be arriving soon." Magnus replied. "Come inside. You can treat yourself to some food and wine while waiting."


    "Thank you." Jillyanna mumbled and walked inside the house while holding on to her husband''s arm.


    On the other hand, Stefan and Cayenne hadn''t left the house yet. She just got better from her sore waist but now, she was having menstrual cramps. Usually, when she got menstrual cramps it would happen when Stefan wasn''t around and he never noticed it before as well.


    This time, he''s been with her the whole day and he had been paying attention to her. He finally knew what happens to her when she''s having her period.


    "Ayen, wait for a while. I''ll make some ginger soup." He was wiping her forehead which was covered with cold sweats before leaving the room. ''Good Lord, please don''t let her suffer.'' He chanted this prayer mentally while going to the kitchen.

 Chapter 204 - PARTY II

    <h4>Chapter 204 - PARTY II</h4>


    Instead of wearing a suit, Stefan was wearing a shirt and an apron. He wanted to buy medicine for her but he knew that it wasn''t advisable to let her drink medicine every time this happens. Her body will be too dependent on it and it would cause her more harm in the future.


    He could only resort to natural way of easing her pain. While boiling water, he was also slicing some ginger into thin pieces. When the water was boiled, he poured some to the warm pack that Cayenne always use every time she gets menstrual cramps. He gave it to her first before going back to the kitchen to continue making the ginger soup for her.


    "Is Yen having menstrual cramps again?" Kyle asked Stefan when he saw him in the kitchen. He was tasked to cook for dinner which was why he came out.


    Stefan looked worried when he nodded his head. "Does this happen to her every month?"


    "Hn. Not a month had been skipped." Kyle responded. "When this happens before she will just buy some medicine to ease the pain."


    Stefan sighed while putting the ginger inside the casserole. "I never noticed it before. I''m so insensitive."


    "You are not insensitive." Kyle responded to him and gave his back a gentle pat. "My sister chose not to show it to you. Probably, she didn''t want to rely on to you before."


    "That maybe true." Stefanmented. ''After all, we weren''t really in a rtionship before so, I guess she''s got reason''s why she didn''t want to impose on me.''


    "Don''t think too much about it." Kyle looked into the soup that Stefan made. "You searched this up?"


    "Yeah. I don''t have any idea how to handle this kind of situation but most people say that this is good."


    "Yen, will be happy." He turned to Stefan and looked him up and down. "You''re still going somewhere, right? Just go and leave Yen to us."


    "No, I''ll stay with her."


    "Don''t. She''ll feel guilty if you do that." Kyle told him. "Just do what you have to do. In any case, we''re all here for her. Don''t worry."


    "O-okay. I''ll go and talk to her first." Stefan walked back inside Cayenne''s room and found her lying on the bed with her legs up and pressing the warmpress few inches below her navel. "Are you alright?" he sat on the space beside her and caressed her cheek.


    "Hn. I''m feeling better. Why don''t you just go and attend the party? I''m not going there anyway so, you can just leave me here."


    "I feel guilty for leaving you like this." Stefan wiped her forehead with face towel once again. "You look pale."


    "I''ll be fine. You cooked some soup for me, right?" Stefan nodded. "Then, that''s a lot better. I''ll drink itter. Juste back as soon as the party''s over."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yup. I''ll be waiting for you toe back."


    Stefan slightly nod his head and stood up once again to change his clothes. He grabbed his keys and walked out of the room. Not five seconds after he closed the door, he opened it again and strode inside. "I''ll be right back." He kissed Cayenne''s left and this time, he really left for the party.


    Kyle ced the ginger soup that Stefan made inside a small bowl and brought it to his sister''s room. "Stefan made this. Can you sit up?"


    "Hn. I''ll drink this up once it cools down a little."


    "Okay. I''ll just prepare our dinner." Cayenne nodded her head and Kyle left her alone. She stared at her white ceiling and blinked her tears away. Ever since she hit puberty, ever since she had her first menstrual period, nobody really cared for her this way. Her mother was always busy working for them to survive. Her brothers were still young. She had to endure the pain every single time she experienced her menstrual cramps. When her teacher found out, they will just give her medicine even though it''s harmful for the body to be dependent on it.


    Stefan was the first person to care for her this way and she couldn''t stop her heart from falling deeper for him.


    She sat on her bed and leaned her back on the headboard with a pillow to cushion her. She picked the bowl and the spoon, scooped some of the soup with her spoon, blew it off and drank it. Her tears cannot be kept anymore. She cried while drinking the soup and some of her tears fell on the soup as well. But she didn''t care.


    Meanwhile¡­


    Stefan arrived to the Dumrique''s family vi and got inside. The party has started when he arrived but it didn''t matter to him. His father introduced him to the crowd and his presence was warmly weed by the people. They raise their wine sses for a toast with him and many people came to him for a chat as well.


    When Jillyanna saw him, she kept looking around to find Cayenne. "Where''s Yenyen? Isn''t she with you?"


    "No. She didn''t want to attend this kind of gathering and she''s also having menstrual cramps. If this party isn''t made for me, I won''t even attend this." Stefan replied without lowering his voice.


    When people heard his statement, some of the women who came showed concern and told him what to do in this type of situation. And Stefan knew that they''re all doing this to curry favor. Nheless, as long as their suggestion can help his wife, he wouldn''t mind them sucking up to him.


    Jillyanna pouted and looked a bit dejected. "I want to go home now."


    "Ah? Why?" Stefan asked in surprise. "The party is not even halfway yet."


    Travis chuckled when upon seeing his wife acting this way. "She came to see Cayenne but since she''s not here, my wife no longer wants to stay."


    "I''ll visit you guys next time and I''ll bring Cayenne with me."


    "You better keep your promise." Jillyanna stood up and held her husband''s hand. "We''re going ahead. And make sure to take care of her."


    Stefan saw them out to their car before going back to the venue. He told his father that he''d be staying for an hour only because his wife. For some men, they thought that Stefan has no pride at all for lowering himself into a wife ve. But for women, they were hoping that their partner would be like Stefan, a man who didn''t focus on making money alone but someone who really cares for his beloved girlfriend.


    Cole had been telling his brother to stop going after Cayenne but right now, Arthur was looking through his ns once again. ''When will I get the chance to get her? Cayenne can only be mine. I won''t let anyone have her.'' His twisted smile appeared on his lips as he printed a kiss on Cayenne''s picture. ''I love you, Yen.''

 Chapter 205 - A SELFLESS LOVE

    <h4>Chapter 205 - A SELFLESS LOVE</h4>


    Stefan didn''t stay for long in the party. He talked with the guests, drank a little bit of wine, ate a little bit of food and then left after an hour. He didn''t care about what they thought of him since he didn''te to please anyone and he had no intention of pleasing them either.


    Around nine in the evening, he arrived home and found Cayenne ying with her phone. There were many posts regarding the party and how much everyone wanted to meet the nextdy of the Dumrique family. Sadly, she didn''t like this kind of gathering and didn''t attend it with her husband.


    "I''m home." Stefan kissed her forehead. "How are you feeling?"


    "I''m good. Thanks for the soup. It warmed me up." She put down her phone and looked at him. "How was the party? I kind of regretted it a bit that I didn''te along with you. I saw some posts online and found that Jillyanna came."


    "Oh yeah. She did but she went home when she found out that you didn''te. I think she only came to see you and not because it was a weing event for me."


    "Hehe. Are you jealous that I''m more important than you now?" Cayenne teased him while helping him remove his coat.


    Stefan just grinned and lightly pinched her cheeks. "Why would I be jealous? In fact, I''m thankful that you get along with her." However, his smile disappeared and it turned into a deep frown. "Don''t you find it weird that they care so much about you?"


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Cayenne asked him. She didn''t know that many people care for her. "Why would they care so much for me?"


    "That''s what I want to know as well? I mean, I am not mad or upset that they care for you but given that you didn''t have any connections with them except the event a year ago, isn''t it strange that they would think for your sake. Last week, when I talked with Stefan, he told me not to break your heart or Jill will make me suffer." He sat on the space beside her and held her hand. "I don''t have any n to hurt you or anything but, I''m just wondering why. And this wasn''t the first time that I receive a warning from him. I am starting to think that you''re more of a friend to them than me."


    Cayenne pondered over this matter as well. It was indeed strange given that the only connection she got was the event one year ago. "I don''t know either." She muttered softly while staring into space. "Maybe I should ask them about this."


    "Well, it doesn''t matter. I won''t give them the reason to make me suffer. I won''t hurt you and I will never leave you."


    "You just left me to attend the party." Cayenne retorted to tease him.


    "Is that counted? Sorry. I won''t do it again. Let''s attend every party next time, shall we?"


    "I was just kidding." Cayenne chuckled and pushed him off the bed. "Go and take a shower so we can sleep."


    "Okay." Stefan kissed the tip of her nose before going inside the bathroom to take a shower.


    Cayenne was left on her bed, still thinking about what Stefan said. She didn''t notice it before but now when she thought about it, even though she was aplete stranger, Jillyanna and her family epted her. ''Why exactly?'' Cayenne asked herself mentally. But this question will remain unanswered until they pay a visit to the Madrigal family.


    That night, because Cayenne was having period and her menstrual cramp was on and off, Stefan didn''t have much sleep. One little movement will wake him up with anxious expression on his face. And whenever she''s dotted with cold sweat from pain, he will start to panic. He was really worried for her. He would rub the heat pack on her lower abdomen in circr motion and watch her fall asleep. "Ayen, let''s not have a baby. Having menstrual cramp was already too painful for you, how much more when ites to giving birth. I heard a lot of mothers say that it''s a very painful process as if twenty of your bones were broken. How could I let you suffer such pain?" Thus; he already decided not to have a baby with her. Contrary to his idea, Cayenne likes to have a child.


    And when he thought she didn''t hear him, Cayenne wasn''t actually asleep. She was just closing her eyes while listening to his breathing. So, she naturally heard what he said.


    Stefan woke up the next morning with an empty and cold space beside him. It jolted him awake and he rushed out to find her. The bathroom was open so, it was unlikely for her to be inside because she''ll always close it if she''s using it. He found her in the kitchen, cooking breakfast like how she normally does in her daily life.


    "Why are you up so early? Are you alright?" He looked her up and down, trying to observe her expression. He didn''t want her to endure the pain while doing some chores.


    Cayenne kissed his cheek and smiled at him. "I''m okay. You don''t have to worry about me now. My menstrual cramps onlyst for a day and on the second day, it''s nothing. I''mpletely fine."


    "Are you sure? You''re not just enduring it?"


    "Yes, honey. I''m sure so, stop panicking and just go back to sleep. I''ll wake you up when breakfast is ready."


    "No way. You can go to sleep and I can cook breakfast instead."


    "No. You go to sleep because you''ve been up all night while looking after me."


    "No. You go to sleep because you didn''t have enough sleep because of the pain."


    "No ¨C"


    "Ahem!" Kyle coughed with obvious exaggeration with a fake smile on his lips. "Can you go out of the kitchen and go back to your room. If you keep arguing who needs to go to sleep then, both of you go to sleep! You are so annoying, going back and forth with your sweet banter early in the morning. Go to sleep! I''ll cook breakfast here." He pushed his sister and brother-inw out of the kitchen and red at them.


    Because of this, Cayenne and Stefan went back inside their room.


    "I''ll apany you back to sleep." Cayenne led Stefan back to their bed but Stefan wasn''t sleepy anymore.


    "Let''s just talk."


    "Talk about what?"


    "Just random things. I''m not sleepy anymore." Stefanid on their bed and pulled her into his arms so that he can cuddle her. "Let''s talk about some ces that you want to visit. We already processed your passport but because a lot of things happened, I kept cancelling the trip that I nned for you."


    "How about we go to Paris?"


    "That''s a good choice. I think it''s a perfect ce for a Valentine''s Day trip. Or we can stay there for a week. How about that? And we can¡­" Stefan mentioned a lot of things and a lot of ces that they can go if they were to visit France. Cayenne was very outgoing with his ns and she made mental notations in order to keep things in order. She will have to settle everythingter if they would really go to this ce. She would make sure that not a single second will be wasted.


    When evening came and since it was Sunday, Cayenne and Stefan decided to have a family dinner in a restaurant nearby. And in this restaurant, someone familiar was also dining with his family.


    Cayenne walked past him, not even giving the man a side nce. Stefan looked at him and frowned, nobody knows what he was thinking at this moment. Emerald looked at him, the emotion in her eyes cannot be describe. As for Kyle and Luiz, they weren''t the least bit bothered and interested.


    This was supposedly a family dinner but Stefan told Cayenne to invite Luna and her boyfriend over to eat with them. He wanted to be close to those who were close to her. He wanted to show that he cares for those people that Cayenne cares about. In this rtionship, he wanted to care not just her but the people who were important to her as well.


    The waitress handed them the menu and when Cayenne received it, she ordered three dishes that Stefan likes and the ones he can eat without taking his anti-allergy pills. When Stefan received the menu, he ordered several dishes that Cayenne loves the most. It showed just how much they paid attention to each other and how much they cared for one another. A selfless kind of love.


    In the middle of having dinner, one of the waiters approached them with a chocte cake. "Good evening, Ms. Ardolf. This cake is for you. Advance happy birthday and I wish you a longer and healthier life."


    "That wish won''te true." Emerald retorted which stunned the waiter and put him in an awkward situation. Nheless, Emerald received it and thanked him.


    Cayenne leaned closer to Stefan and whispered, "Did you prepare that for my mother?"


    "Nope."

 Chapter 206 - WHAT BOTHERS CAYENNE?

    <h4>Chapter 206 - WHAT BOTHERS CAYENNE?</h4>


    Cayenne frowned and found this a little bit weird but she didn''t think too much about it and just pushed it at the back of her mind. Their dinner continued while they converse about random things. Cayenne was obviously having fun and the smile on her facested even when they reached home.


    "Thank you for treating us all to dinner." Cayenne whispered to her husband and kissed his cheek. "I can see that my mother''s getting better every day and she stays positive as well. Jasmine also told me that she stopped making a fuss about her medication."


    Stefan hugged her and ced his chin on her shoulder. This became his new habit now. He liked to cling to her and cuddles her. As long as the time and ce permit it, he would start acting clingy to her. "I''m d to know about that. As long as it can make you happy and erase your worries, I''ll do everything I can to achieve such result."


    "You promise that you''d visit Jillyanna and Travis, right? When are you nning to go there?"


    "Next weekend."


    "Okie dokie. I''ll take that moment to invite them as well. You wouldn''t mind, would you?"


    "Why would I? If that makes you happy then, go for it."


    Cayenne cupped his face with both hands and kissed his lips twice. "I love you so much."


    "I love you to the moon and back." Stefan replied and returned the kiss. And just like what Cayenne mentioned before, once he started to make his move, it would be a little bit difficult to stop him. But Stefan made it to a point that he will only caress her body and touch the ces that feels good to her; then, he would instantly stop when he feels that things were going out of hand. In the end, he will relieve himself in the bathroom and take a cold shower beforeing out to sleep with her.


    Cayenne felt a bit guilty whenever this happens but even if she wanted to give in to him, just thinking about the pain she felt would make her want to cry.


    The next day, it was working day once again and for the very first time in her life, Cayenne went to look for Luna, asking for advice during their break.


    "Holy mother f*cking of god! Yenyen, how could youe up to me and ask these questions?!" Luna eximed with wide eyes while looking at her best friend. "Your boyfriend is an expert in this field, why don''t you just leave the rest to him?"


    Cayenne took a deep breath and sighed. "That''s the problem." She whispered to her. "I''m the first virgin he ever had and he never knew that it would be very painful. And I think, it seems like a traumatic experience to him."


    Luna wanted tough but seeing the anxious look on Cayenne''s face, she held back herughter and calmly advised her. "Yen, I won''t pretend that I don''t know these things since I basically did it with my boyfriend. Just give it time. Rest to ease the pain and then, you can do it once you''re feeling better. Once your body get used to it, you won''t feel the pain again."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Trust me." Luna sped her friend''s shoulder and grinned. "But if your boyfriend''s thing is rather big than what you think is normal size then, you might really need a lot of mental preparation every time you do it."


    "How big is big and how big is a normal size?" Cayenne asked Luna with a bashful expression. Now, this question truly horrified Luna.


    "Don''t ask me this thing. How would I know? Innocentdies are terrifying." Luna checked the time on her wrist and stood up. "Break time is over. Let''s go back. Anyway, experience is the best way of learning."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "Nothing."


    Cayenne pondered the things that Luna told her making her very quiet for the rest of the day. Celine and Manager Kim even asked her several times if she was alright. And she could only say yes even when she''s not. Travis was the same. When he came to pick her up from work, he noticed that she''s been very quiet and she would only respond to him perfunctorily whenever he asked her some questions.


    "We''re home." Stefan opened the door to the apartment and announced their arrival but Cayenne just went inside without even taking her shoes. "Ayen, wait." Stefan held her hand and pulled her back to stop her from walking farther.


    "What is it? Did something happen?" she asked, still oblivious to what was happening.


    "Your shoes. You have not removed it yet." Stefan crouched down and removed her shoes for her. "Did something happen at work? You''ve been spacing out since I picked you up."


    "I''ll tell you about itter. Thank you for taking it off for me."


    Stefan pat her head and there was a gentle smile on his lips. "Just get inside and change." Cayenne also smiled and turned around to get inside her room.


    "Thank god! I thought this flirting will never end." Kylemented who was actually standing behind Stefan while holding several grocery bags.


    Stefan chuckled without making ament to Kyle''s words. "Did we run out of groceries?" Stefan asked him while taking some of the grocery bags to help his brother-inw. "Sorry, I forgot to buy for our supply."


    "Oh no. Not at all." Kyle waved his hand in front of him. "We still have enough supply but mom wanted to eat something else for tonight and most of the ingredients weren''t avable so I ran out to buy some."


    "Okay. Please let me or your sister know if we ever ran out of groceries." Stefan replied while walking to the kitchen. He ced the bags on the table and looked around. "Is there anything that I can help?"


    "Hn." Kyle nodded. "Go and talk to my sister. Help us ease her mind. I don''t know what''s happening to her but it''s very obvious that she''s bothered by something."


    "I''ll do that, then."

 Chapter 207 - THE WIFE TOOK THE INITIATIVE

    <h4>Chapter 207 - THE WIFE TOOK THE INITIATIVE</h4>


    Stefan was tasked to find out what''s bothering his lovely wife but when he got inside their room, Cayenne was currently taking a shower. And she spent a long time inside.


    "Ayen." Stefan knocked on the door to find out if she''s still alright.


    "What is it?"


    "What''s taking you so long? Are you alright? Can I join you and have a shower, too?" He was genuinely worried for her but he couldn''t add a little tease to his words. He absolutely thought that Cayenne wouldn''t answer him or would ignore thest question but who would have thought that she''d open the door for him.


    "Shower with me, then." She was blushing and her eyes were avoiding him but he knew how much courage she saved up just to reply him this way.


    "Ayen, I was just kidding. Take your time. I might do something really naughty if I shower with you." Stefan kissed the corner of her lips and that was supposedly a quick kiss.


    To his surprise, Cayenne wrapped her arms around neck and pulled him closer to kiss him back. "I will let you do whatever naughty things you have mind." She whispered in between kisses which really shocked Stefan. He had no idea what she was thinking.


    "Ayen." He called her name while trailing his kisses from her mouth down to her neck. The towel that was wrapping her body was long gone, fell on the floor and ignored by them. Stefan pressed her on the wall and continued kissing her. "Ayen, do you understand what you''re talking about? Are you sure you won''t regret this?"


    "Why am I going to regret this when I''m doing it with you? You''re my husband so, there''s nothing wrong with it."


    "But I don''t want to hurt you. I don''t want you to suffer in pain."


    "I''ll be fine." Cayenne replied and even smiled, reassuring him. Stefan was about to agree when he realized something.


    "I didn''t buy any condoms."


    "What for?"


    "I told myself that we''re not going to have a baby because it will be too painful for you. And aside from that, you are still young and your family didn''t know that we''re married. If you get pregnant, they will think badly of you. I don''t want that. So, even if I''m reluctant to refuse your offer, my wife, I still have to say no for tonight."


    "Alright, I don''t really mind. I can still serve you next time."


    "Then, I''ll prepare lots of boxes of rubber for you." Stefan kissed the corner of her lips and get away from her. "Just finish your bath as soon as you can."


    "You can still shower with me, you know."


    "With this," Stefan pointed at the bulging seam of his pants. "I don''t think we''lle out in an hour."


    Cayenne pulled out a new towel from the cupboard and wrapped it around her. "I''m actually done. You can take a shower and take care of yourself. I''m stepping out now."


    "O-okay." Stefan watched her go out of the bathroom and he couldn''t stop himself from take a deep breath. Relief washed over him when she finally stopped distracting his thoughts. "Does she even know how alluring she was? How can she show her naked body in front of me when I''m trying to be a saint for her?"


    Stefan stayed longer than Cayenne inside the bathroom. He relieved himself not just once but thrice. Whenever he remembered how she looks in front of him, like a sheep waiting for the wolf to take a bite of her, his manhood would be stiff and hard again. Cold shower wasn''t helping him at all.


    Cayenne had been stealing nces at the bathroom door. She learned that taking cold shower to suppress your desire for physiological pleasure isn''t good for your health. As much as possible, men needed to release it but time and time again, Stefan had to rely on his hands to do the job.


    "Whatever." She brushed her hair and dismissed the idea. "I already took the initiative earlier." She went out of her room and helped her brother cook their dinner. By the time Stefan came out, Cayenne was no longer there.


    After dinner, Stefan didn''t let his wife escape from him again. Of course, she couldn''t do it even if she wanted to since it''s already night time and they needed to go to sleep. Cayenne was lying on his arm, her face pressed close to his chest and her breathing was really warm to his skin.


    "So, will you tell me what keeps bothering you?" he asked. His voice was low and there was certain ring to it that calms her down.


    She hugged him and moved even closer to him before she responded. "I was just thinking that I''ve been very unfair to you. You catered to my needs. You always take care of me but I can''t even do anything for you. I''m such a failure of a wife."


    Stefan kissed the top of her head and rubbed her arms. "I didn''t marry you because of your body or that I want you to take care of me. I married you because I love you. I want to be around when you need me. I will listen to your worries. I will make you happy and I will take care of you because I like taking care of you. But I would still wee it if you would want to do it with me."


    "Tsk! You really love to make up those sweet-sounding words in order to cover your perverted side." Cayenne retorted with faint chuckle. "But I believe you anyway."


    "Ayen, I know that you''re aware of how I act before and it is very well-known to everyone. I won''t even try to deny it but I promise you that the past stayed in the past. I''ll dedicate my whole life to you and I hope you can do the same because I have no n in letting you go or letting myself fall for someone else."


    "Hn. I will only belong to you."


    This was what they promise to each other but someone else was holding to the same promise and he will never let go of her no matter what happens.


    "Soon. Very soon. I''ll have you back."

 Chapter 208 - SECRETIVE JADE

    <h4>Chapter 208 - SECRETIVE JADE</h4>


    With the new status added to his name, Stefan became even busier than he ever was. But no matter how busy he was, he would always get off from work at five in the afternoon to pick up his wife and went home. If the other employees go to the basement and followed Cayenne, they would have found out her rtionship with the boss already. Sadly, they never thought of doing this.


    The days were passing by quickly and the time to visit Jillyanna finally arrived. Cayenne woke up happily in the morning, had a morning walk with Stefan for twenty minutes and bought a cup of hot chocte on their way home.


    At first, she was very adamant of Stefan going to her apartment or even sending her home before. But after formally introducing him to her family, she didn''t care about the people who gossiped about her. It''s her life and she lives ording to what her heart wants not how people wants her to live her life.


    When they arrived home, she had breakfast with her family. And Cayenne took this opportunity to ask her brothers about their studies.


    "You don''t have any failing marks, do you?" She asked both Kyle and Luiz who only smirked in return.


    "Me? Getting a failing mark? No way!" Kyle replied to her sister. "Aside from studying, I don''t have any other ways to waste my time."


    "How about your girlfriend? You don''t date her?" Luiz also asked nonchntly. "I don''t have any failing marks. Don''t worry about that sis. I won''t disappoint you." He added while looking towards Cayenne with a smile.


    Kyle chewed his food before answering his brother''s question. "We''re ssmates. We spend our time together in ss. We study together and we ate together. I date her on weekends." He ced some bacon on his tes and looked at his sister. "Don''t worry, Yen. I won''t let my rtionship get in the way of my studying as I have promised you."


    "Oh." Cayenne replied perfunctorily. "I''m not really against your rtionship and mama didn''t say anything against it either. Just keep up with your studies."


    Emerald didn''t say much. When ites to their house rules and governing their studies, everything was carried out by Cayenne. She wasn''t very strict when ites to her brothers'' studying but she wouldn''t ept failing marks either. Average grades were enough for her but then, she''s gifted with two smart younger brothers and they''re very understanding as well.


    ''God, thank you for blessing me with these children.'' Emerald thought mentally making her tear up and cry in the middle of having their meal.


    "Ma? What happened to you?" Stefan was the first to notice since he was sitting right in front of her mother-inw. "Are you alright?"


    "Ah?" Emerald wiped her tears as soon as she can but her children still saw her crying. "Yeah, I''m alright. I just remembered some things and I get a little emotional with the memories."


    "Don''t get too emotional. It''s bad for your health." Cayenne told her mother and smiled at her. "You can always count on us so don''t think too much, alright?"


    "Hn. I will leave everything to you."


    After the emotional breakfast, Cayenne and Stefan took a shower. It was the third time this week that they showered together but they didn''t do anything inside the shower. Although, Stefan had to stay a little bit longer than her to relieve himself.


    "Tonight, we can do it, right?" Stefan asked her in the middle of scrubbing his wife''s back.


    "Hn. I don''t have work tomorrow so, it''s fine."


    "Does this mean I can only do it once a week?"


    "For now. Just bear with it, ''kay?" Cayenne turned to face him and kissed his face. "Once I get used to it, we can have it twice a week."


    "How can I say no to my lovely wife? Of course, I''ll agree." Stefan kissed the tip of her nose before continued scrubbing her body. They flirt, they kissed, they touched each other''s body but that was it. Stefan didn''t mind it at all. Unlike those other women he had carnal rtionship in the past, he treasures his wife more than anyone else.


    After a long bath, they dressed up and went to buy some gifts at the mall. Jillyanna and Travis didn''t like receiving gifts from their friends every time they visit them so, they would buy gifts for Jade and Raizel instead.


    They arrived in the Madrigal home half an hour before lunch and Jade came running out of her little y room to meet Cayenne. "Auntie Yen, you''re finally here to visit us."


    "Hi little sweetie." Cayenne gentle rub the little girl''s head and smiled happily at her. "I was a little bit busy with work so, I didn''t have time to visit in the past."


    "Why do you have to work? Isn''t Uncle Stefan feeding you?"


    "Ahem." Stefan coughed drily to let them know that the person they''re badmouthing was still around.


    Cayenne chuckled beside him and her eyes turned to a crescent moon like they''re smiling as well. "Uncle Stefan wanted me to stop working but I am happy with my work so, he just allowed me to do it. And I also take some rest from time to time."


    "Oh. I see." Jade didn''t say anything anymore but she narrowed her eyes towards Stefan. "Girls should be pampered." She mumbled before leaving them to call her parents. She was just about to walk upstairs when Jillyanna and Travis came down. Travis was holding Raizel in his arms. "I don''t have to call them." She walked back to where Stefan and Cayenne was and sat beside Cayenne. "Auntie Yen, I have something to tell you."


    "What is it?"


    "It''s a secret. Do you want to talk in my room?"


    "Sure." Cayenne looked towards Stefan and the Madrigal couple. "I''ll talk with your lovely daughter first. Would that be alright?"


    "Go ahead." Both Jillyanna and Stefan told her at the same time.


    Jade held Cayenne''s hand and led her upstairs to where her room was located. The three adults were left in the living room along with Raizel.


    "What''s your daughter being secretive about?" Stefan asked the couple in front of him.


    "I don''t know either." Travis replied.


    "She shares everything with us but she didn''t tell us anything that might rte to Cayenne so, it must only be an exclusive matter for your wife." Jillyanna added to the conversation. "So, how is your life being the new CEO of all the Dumrique properties? Did you still make time for her or do you always face your work?"


    "Before it was work first, women second. Now, it''s wife first and wife second. My work? I don''t which part in my priority lists it falls. I only work when she''s working but when she''s not, I don''t work either."


    Jillyanna couldn''t stop herself from chuckling. Before, she seldomly meet this man because he prioritizes his work so much. During her wedding, he also left early because he''s got an appointment. He was a work maniac but when Cayenne appeared, he started to rx and spend less time working.


    Jillyanna didn''t know that the reason why Stefan worked so hard was to tire himself until he''ll copse and fall asleep. He worked day in and day out and once he copsed, that''s the time he can sleep. Travis knew about it and introduced him to one of the best psychologists he knew but his insomnia was so severe that they can only help sleep with hypnosis; and it''s not good for the body.


    Now, there''s Cayenne who can make him fall asleep without the help of hypnosis or the help of sleeping pills. Truly an angel sent by the god above.


    In Jade''s room, she let Cayenne sat on the couch near the window wherein you can see the back garden of their home. The ce was really beautiful and the flowers were blooming to its fullest. ''I want a garden like this, too.'' She thought to herself.


    Jade was rummaging through her things, looking for something that she wanted to show her beautiful guest. "Auntie Yen, I heard that you have no father."


    "Hn. He left when my mother got pregnant of me. So, my mother had to raise me by myself."


    "We''re the same. My father left when I was young and my mother was also pregnant at the time. We were so poor and we didn''t have money to send my mother to the hospital. In the end, my mother and little sister died and left me alone. I was then, sent to the orphanage where I met my parents now. They gave me a home and a family."


    "Life is really full of surprises don''t you think? We lost something and we gain something. When we feel sad and lonely, someone wille to light up our way."


    "Hn. I agree." Jade found the picture she was looking for. "Do you want to know how your father looks like or if he''s still alive?"


    "Of course, I want to. I have never seen him and my mother has no picture of him. But I think, I''ll just give up on it. My mother doesn''t want me to find him."


    "Oh. Then, forget about me taking you here."

 Chapter 209 - CAYENNE KNEW HER FATHER

    <h4>Chapter 209 - CAYENNE KNEW HER FATHER</h4>


    Cayenne frowned while listening to the little girl beside him. Sure enough, she was speaking like an adult instead of a seven-year-old child.


    "Jade¡­" Cayenne bit her lower lip, hesitant to ask her question.


    "Go on. I''m willing to listen." Jade encourage her. For a young child, encouraging an adult seems funny but it was actually really sweet.


    "Do you know anything about my father? Did your parents tell you anything? Is that why you''re all good to me?" Instead of answering her question, Jade handed her a photo. "This is -?"


    "That is your father."


    "Eh? Isn''t this the man I saw at the restaurant? Or was I wrong?" Cayenne looked at the picture carefully. "Is this really my father? We don''t have any simrities at all?"


    "That''s because you take your look after your mother. But you have the same eyes and nose as him." Jade responded while pointing her index finger at the picture. "I found this in my Uncle''sputer and I remembered that you told me you don''t know your father so, I secretly printed this for you."


    "Thank you, Jade."


    "I wonder why uncle kept this from you."


    "They must have a good reason. Aside from that, I told them that I won''t look for my father anymore. Seeing his picture and knowing that he is my father is good enough for me."


    Although she was ted to know how her father looks like, Cayenne kept this matter from her mother. She promised her that she won''t look for him so she will hold on to that promise no matter what happens.


    When lunch was ready, Auntie Sisi knocked on Jade''s door to get them for lunch. She folded the paper and ced it inside her pocket. She''ll dispose itter when no one''s watching. She can''t let her mother see it.


    "So, how is it being the nextdy of the whole Dumrique n?" Jillyanna teased her during lunch. She didn''t get to see her at the partyst week so, she nned on teasing her this time. "Last year, you two were still arguing and I could still the coldness from a certain man named Stefan when he scolded you. Who would have thought that in a year, you be the nextdy? This is man is very lucky."


    "Can you stop bringing my dark past?" Stefan told Jillyanna. "I worked so hard to win her over. What if she will change her mind?"


    "Then, it''s your fault." Jillyanna mercilessly throw the me at him. "It was you who scolded her and I am just recalling memories. How''s that my fault?"


    Cayenne chuckled seeing how childish and shameless Jillyanna can be. She can only show this personality in front of the people that she cares about. "Where are the other people in your family, if you don''t mind me asking?" Cayenne questioned after observing that she didn''t see the usual number of people.


    "They''re all busy and won''t be back until dinner. Would you like to stay over until after dinner? You can meet Rileyter." Jillyanna replied and even tried to persuade her to stay longer.


    "The night is scheduled for the husband. How can you snatch her away from me?" Stefan argued back with Jillyanna. "You have to think for your husband''s sake, too."


    "What does that have to do with me?" Travis asked nonchntly while feeding his son. "I can spend quality time with my wife whenever we want. We don''t follow schedules."


    "Hear that, Ayen? They don''t follow schedules. Why are we following one?" Stefan retorted but this time, he was asking his wife shamelessly.


    Cayenne sliced some pork meat and fed it to Stefan. "Stop spouting nonsense and eat. Say one more thing about it and you will sleep in the living room tonight."


    Stefan mimed zipping his lips while chewing his food. This made Jillyanna smile.? ''I hope nothing will change when he finds the truth?'' she thought to herself.


    After lunch, Jillyanna and Cayenne yed with Jade while men talk about business in the study. Travis was still carrying baby Raizel in his arms, not letting his wife get tired at all by carrying him.


    They were feeding the koi fishes in the pond when Cayenne brought up the topic of his father. "Miss Jillyanna, I want to ask you something."


    Jillyanna''s eyebrow rose up when she heard how Cayenne addressed her. "Addressing me like that, this must be something serious."


    "A little bit."


    "Just call me Jill. Either it''s a serious matter or not, just call me Jill. So, what is this all about?"


    "It''s about why you''re treating me so kindly. I mean, we were just strangers over a year ago and then you left me a piece of letter. I still have it with me because I treasure it so much. It''s the first time that someone cared for me without asking anything in return. And then we met. I was never suspicious at the beginning but, I¡­I don''t really know how to see this¡­I"


    "Go on. I''m willing to listen."


    Cayenne burst outughing instead. "You really are a mother and daughter. Jade told me the exact same thing earlier."


    "Well, she takes it from me." Jillyanna responded with a smile. "I guess, you wanted to ask about your father?"


    "Hn." She nodded her head. "Did you get close to me because of my father?"


    Jillyanna took hold of Cayenne''s hand with her right and Jade on the left; and she brought her to the swing where there was a huge mango tree, shielding them from the harmful rays of the sun. "Let''s talk here." She ced on the hammock while they sat on the rattan chair under the same mango tree. Cayenne had no idea that it was also a grave yard to Jillyanna''s father.


    "When I first meet you, I didn''t know that we''d be tied up by fate. It was just a mere coincidence that I help you that night. When I touched your hand, I realized that you are just like me, a woman who was trying to live a life, carrying the responsibility for the wellness of the whole family. Travis was fully ware of this. I gave the letter, hoping that one day, when you need help, you cane to me. I guess you won''t need it anymore because you have Stefan who loves you so much." She took a deep breath and continued. "We didn''t get close to you because of your father. Whether we know your father or not, I will still like you."


    "What''s his name?"


    "Reuben Montefalco."


    "Oh. He''s rich."


    "Hn."


    "I see." Cayenne didn''t say anything much. "Let''s just forget that we have this conversation. And I don''t know who''s my father is."


    "You won''t go and find him?"


    "No." Cayenne looked up at the mango tree hovering above them and smiled. "He abandoned me and my mother already. Right now, I''m happy with what I have. I don''t need him to pay attention to us."


    "Okay."


    "Don''t let Stefan know about him either."


    "Hn. It''s your family matter. I won''t interfere. But then again, if you need help in the future, juste and find me."


    Cayenne adjusted her emotion and cheered up. She won''t let anything dampen her mood while she''s with her idol. She smiled once again and told Jillyanna about her mother''s birthday. "It''s on the 31sth of this month. I hope you cane with your family. Stefan and I thought about this so much."


    "Sure. I won''t let this event pass without me attending it."


    Soon the depressing atmosphere was gone and it turned to a discussion of what does Cayenne''s mother like. Jillyanna likes elders so much and she respects them as long as they''re good people. And seeing how Cayenne was raised, her mother must be a very good person.


    After almost three hours, Stefan and Cayenne left the Madrigal home and went back to their own house in Peach Wood subdivision. It would be bad if they engaged in a steamy and passionate activity in the apartment where walls have ears. It would be better to do it in their own home where Cayenne wouldn''t be bothered with the noise she''d make.


    They watched movie to pass the time and after the movie, they yed scrabble. Whoever makes a higher score every time a word was ced will have a consequence. In preparation of what''s about to happen, Stefan made the rule. In each round, whoever gets a lower school will take off one piece of his clothes.


    ''Thank goodness I''m wearing a lot these days.'' Cayenne thought to herself. She was already eyeing her tiles while thinking of the words that she''d form with it.


    First round ¨C Stefan won. Cayenne removed her sweat shirt.


    Second round ¨C Stefan won. Cayenne removed her socks.


    Third round ¨C Stefan won. Cayenne removed the headband she was wearing but this time, she didn''t concede to it. "Howe you always win? You must have cheated on me."


    "Cheating is thest thing I would do. I will never cheat alright. I''m just lucky and god is helping me fulfill my wish tonight."


    "More like the devil''s pushing you tomit such act."


    "No, sweetheart. If we''re not married, I''d think that the devil is pushing me to take advantage of you. But you''re my wife; loving you and doing something that can give us pleasure is normal for us."


    "Many women say that men always think with their lower body and I guess it''s true."


    Stefan disregarded the game and leaned closer to his wife and whispered. "I also think it''s true. Shall we test to have it proven?"


    Cayenne chuckled and just kissed him on his lips. He said it himself, they''re husband and wife ¨C they''re not doing anything which was against the low.

 Chapter 210 - SECOND PHASE HONEYMOON

    <h4>Chapter 210 - SECOND PHASE HONEYMOON</h4>


    He carried his wife to their room upstairs and ced her on the bed to undress her without stopping his kisses. Since she removed some of her clothing earlier, it didn''t take long for Stefan to undress her. Her clothes were scattered on the floor while Stefan was still full of his garments.


    "Take off¡­take off your clothes, too." Cayenne muttered while catching her breath after Stefan pulled away from her.


    "Why don''t you take it off for me?" Stefan pulled her up and ced her hand on the button of his shirt. "You can start it from here."


    Cayenne bit her lower lip and with trembling hands, she unbuttoned her husband''s shirt. It was the first time that she''s unbuttoning his shirt for him. After finally removing his shirt, Stefan teased her a little more. "My pants?"


    "Can you do it yourself?" Cayenne asked with a bashful expression. She''d seen that monster underneath his pants before but she never thought she''d free it herself tonight.


    "What''s there to be embarrassed? You''ve seen my body several times already."


    "It still feels different when I''m the one doing it for you."


    "Come on, honey. It''s about to burst." Stefan took hold of her hand and ced it on the bulging seams of his pants. "See? It wants you."


    ''Whatever. He''s my husband so this is natural.'' Cayenne chanted mentally while preparing to remove his pants for him. She slowly unzipped his pants and took it off from him. While trembling, she also removed his boxer and underwear. His manhood sprang in front of her and it was really big.


    Now that she saw it up close, she couldn''t stop herself from gulping her own saliva. "No wonder it hurts a lot." Cayennemented and rolled her eyes at him. "You better be gentle tonight or I won''t ever let you do it again."


    "I''ll do my best honey." Stefan pushed her on the bed and hovered over her. He kissed her eyes, her nose and her lips. His tongue slipped inside her mouth and caressed her ptes and gums, sending tingling sensation from her spinal cord down to her toes.


    Cayenne responded eagerly to his kisses. She''s getting better at it as well after several times of doing it with Stefan. "I just can''t get enough of you." Stefan whispered and kissed her once more. "Does it feel good?"


    "I don''t know. It''s ticklish." Cayenne responded in a daze. She likes the feeling of their tongue twisting together and the way he touched her body, it amplifies her pleasure.


    Stefan caressed one of her chests while he was licking the other.


    "Ahh..mm..Stefan¡­that''s enough. It''s too much." Cayenne tried stopping him but Stefan held her hands over her head with his other hand. His tonguepping her aree while his fingers caressed and pressed her other nipple. The sensation it brought her was assaulting her mind and body.


    "This is not enough, sweetheart." Stefan printed a kiss on her chest before moving his kisses downward. "I''ll make you feel even better." Stefan spread her legs apart and he used his tongue to assault her core.


    "Nngg..Stef¡­an¡­ahh¡­wait¡­ahh.." She couldn''t form the words that she wanted to tell her husband. It seemed like she lost all her knowledge at all. Her was just focusing on what she was feeling right now. She arched her body and wiggled her way to stop him but Stefan held her waist to prevent her from getting away from her.


    The way he licked her love button, Cayenne thought she''d die from overwhelming pleasure. She felt somethinging out of her and she wanted to go to the bathroom but she couldn''t even say the words. Whatever it was that came out of her, Stefan sucked them which added to the pleasure. He licked her, kissed her, stroke her, and sucked her. It was as if a hungry beast finally found its food and wanted to savor it.


    Cayenne was gasping for air when Stefan finally stopped. There were tears clinging on hershes ¨C tears of pleasure. Her chest was moving up and down while she was catching her breath.


    "Ayen, how do you feel?" Stefan whispered to her ears and licked her earlobe.


    "Stop. Honey, please s-stop¡­for a while. Let me¡­Let me catch my breath." Cayenne replied with stammering voice. She was still trembling from the pleasure that Stefan brought her and her husband didn''t even feel tired from what he did. "I feel dizzy. I think I''m going crazy."


    "Then, shall we go crazy together?" Stefan retorted with faint traces of chuckles in her voice.? "I''m going to burst, my love. Can I put it in?"


    Cayenne turned her head to look at him and kissed his face. "Just do it slow. I have to get used to it first."


    "Okay." Stefan positioned himself on top of his wife, kissing her while stroking his manhood over her love button. The tip of his shaft was already slippery and Cayenne was wet enough for him to slid inside her. With one thrust, he was inside his wife. "Not enough." He thrusted himself until Cayenne took all of him, down to the hilt. "Mm¡­my wife, you''re so hot inside."


    Cayenne wanted to reply but she was busy biting her finger to stop her voice from being heard. He didn''t want him to know that it was very painful. ''I thought it would only hurt the first time, why is it still hurting?! Damn it!'' She mentally cursed but externally, she was just expressionless.


    "Shall we stop this? I think you''re still in pain." Stefan mumbled while watching her. Her expressionless face was enough to tell him that she was feeling the pain again, like the first time she took him.


    "Just move slowly." Cayenne told him. "I''m your wife. This is part of my obligations to you. It wouldn''t be good if you look for someone else to relieve yourself, right?"


    "I have my hands and a shower if needed. There''s no need to look for women." He pulled himself slowly from her and pushed it inside as well. "My love, nngghh¡­I think this will kill me. Hmm."


    "Endure it babe. I''ll let you have your way once I''m used to your size."


    They continued their activity at night without anyone interfering them. Cayenne stopped biting her finger and her moans echoed inside of their room ¨C this what Stefan loved so much. The sound of her voice while calling his name was an additional pleasure to him.


    Watching them from outside the window, the moon and stars covered their eyes, embarrassed of what they witnessed that night.

 Chapter 211 - MAKING IT UP TO HER

    <h4>Chapter 211 - MAKING IT UP TO HER</h4>


    Sunday came and Cayenne woke up earlier than Stefan. Her husband was still lying beside her, sound asleep after his hard workst night. She wanted to get off the bed and find some clothes to wear but her waist hurts. ''Damn this pain! When will it go away?!'' she cursed again before lying back on the bed.


    She decided to wait for her husband to wake up instead. She watched him sleep and hugged him with a smile on her face. "I''m really lucky to have you." She whispered and kissed his chin. "Stefan, I will endure the pain, just don''t leave me, ''kay?" She didn''t really expect any answer to her question, knowing that her husband was asleep.


    Unbeknownst to her, Stefan was wide awake the moment she hugged him; and he heard everything she said. Instead of answering her loud and clear, he hugged her back and kissed the top of her head, pretending to be sleeping still. ''I won''t leave you no matter what happens. You can only be mine, Ayen.'' Stefan thought to himself with his eyes close.


    The two of them fell asleep once again and the next time they woke up, it was past noon already. Cayenne''s stomach was rumbling from hunger.


    "Let me prepare the bath first." Stefan get off the bed and went to the shower room to prepare a warm bath for her. After five minutes, he went out to get her and carried her off to the bathroom.


    "You know what, I realized something." Cayennemented out of nowhere.


    Stefan put her inside the bathtub before responding to her. "What is it?"


    "I realize that you didn''t wear a condomst night."


    "Oh." Stefan scratched the tip of his nose when he realized it, too. "I forgot to buy one or bring the ones we have in the apartment. I should bring those things here next time."


    Cayenne just rolled her eyes at him. "Aren''t you going to take a shower?"


    "I''m bathing with you." Stefan replied. "But I will have to ask Chris to buy some food for us first."


    "Why don''t we buy it after bath? Stop relying on your secretary."


    "Okay. If you say so." Stefan washed his body and went inside the bathtub with her.


    After fifteen minutes, they came out of the bathroom. Stefan was carrying his wife once again and ced her on the couch while he looked to the hair dryer. He dried her hair for her, chose clothes for her, dressed her up and after making sure that she''s good to go, he finally paid attention to himself.


    Every movement will cause her to flinch from pain so, Stefan prevented it from happening.


    When he was done dressing up, the two of them left the house and went out to buy food. Stefan bought some rxing aromatherapy oil as well when they passed buy a Spa Essentials Store. He wanted to give his wife a massageter.


    "Ayen, since we already hired a nurse for mom, would you like to stay in our own house for a while? It''s been a long time since we spent time together here." Stefan asked when they arrived home with their food and some other things.


    "I don''t mind. How about we stay here four days in a week and we stay in the apartment three days in one week?"


    "Sounds like a good n. We can stay here from Friday until Monday and then we''ll be staying in the apartment on Tuesday until Thursday." Stefan responded with the days. He carefully nned it. He can make love to her on Friday and Saturday night. In that way, she won''t be worried about work.


    Cayenne had no idea that her husband had something in mind when he proposed this and she just agreed to it.


    The two of them ate their lunch and rested for an hour in the back garden after eating. They talked about the design of the garden and what kinds of nts they would like to put in there. Stefan was noting the details using his phone, looking at the calendar as to when he can make it and surprise her as well.


    "Let''s go to France next month." Stefan told Cayenne out of nowhere. It wasn''t part of their gardening conversation at all.


    "Why do you want to go out of the country so suddenly?"


    "It''s not very sudden. I''ve always wanted to go out of the country with you. Next month, there''s an event that I am invited to attend. It''d be great if you cane with me."


    "If it''s an event, won''t the people know about me if someone posts a picture of us?"


    "I don''t think it will happen. It''s a private wedding."


    "Oh. Okay." Cayenne nodded her head. "Shall I tell Ms. Kim about it? How long will we be gone?"


    "For a month."


    "A month?!" Cayenne eximed in surprise. "Is there a wedding that wouldst a month?! You''re kidding me."


    Stefanughed at her response while pulling her closer to kiss her cheek. "For the wedding, we will only be there for two days. The rest of the days, we will take this chance and travel abroad."


    "Alright." Cayenne didn''t argue or refute his words anymore. "You tell Ms. Kim about it. I don''t want to tell her myself. I still feel embarrassed whenever I realize that she knows about us."


    So, it was decided. Stefan ced on the notes that the garden will be made within a month that the two of them weren''t around. In that way, once they''re back, he can make it a surprise to her.


    After resting in the garden, Stefan carried his wife back to the house for a massage. He needed to make it up to her, specially that he caused her pain. And instead of letting other people touch his wife, he decided to do it himself.


    While they were having fun, back in the apartment, Emerald was holding on to a secret that she only knows. A secret that will terrify her family if they knew.

 Chapter 212 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION I

    <h4>Chapter 212 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION I</h4>


    The days continued to pass without any problem. Cayenne worked everyday and Stefan was the same. The only changes in his life was that, he no longer works overtime like before. Unlike other employers who went to workte; Stefan''s very punctual which the employees admire the most. And he leaves thepany at exactly five in the afternoon as well.


    Day after day, Cayenne''s colleagues were getting curious as to who her boyfriend was but they never got the chance to find it. Stefan had been using a different car to make sure that no one recognizes him.


    "Tomorrow is mom''s birthday. I have asked Chris toe along." Stefanmented while they''re on their way home.


    "It''s good to give him a break sometimes." Cayenne responded. "We''ll be leaving early in the morning. Did you tell him the time?"


    "Of course."


    For some reason, Cayenne felt that nervous. Her life had been peaceful in the past few days; it was so peaceful that she was starting to worry about it. She thought of the saying ''calm before the storm''. She didn''t really want to think it that way but somehow, there''s something that''s making her anxious.


    ''I hope nothing happens tomorrow.'' Cayenne mentally stated while keeping her eyes on the road. Without noticing, she already tightened her hold on her husband''s hand.


    "Ayen, is there something wrong?" Stefan asked in worry. He didn''t like to see a sad or worried expression on her face. Cayenne faintly smiled while shaking her head. "If you have any problem or worry, make sure to tell me. I don''t want you to be burdened alone."


    "I''m fine. Promise."


    "Okay." Stefan parked the car outside their house and the two of them got out at the same time. Since it''s Friday, they will be staying in their house and he''ll be able to make love to her again. Friday and Saturday were the days that he looked forward to every week.


    With the moon and stars as witness to their actions, Stefan kissed his wife as soon as the door got closed. Cayenne''s used to it now. She''s less embarrassed when he did it and when he make love to her, it didn''t hurt that much ¨C just a little bit.


    In the middle of the night, Stefan massaged his wife after thoroughly rocking her body for several hours. They still needed to go somewhere tomorrow and he didn''t want her to be ufortable because of the pain on her waist.


    "Mmm¡­That''s enough. I''m good. We can go to sleep now." Cayenne mumbled with her stomach on the bed.


    "Okay." Stefan put away the oil he used and wiped her body with tissue to remove the grease from her. After making sure that she''s fine andfortable, heid beside her and cuddled her to sleep.


    With Cayenne''s rm clock, the two of them got up around six in the morning, took a shower together and dressed up to meet her family at the apartment building. When they arrived, Chris was already there as well as Jasmine, the nurse. Ali and Luna said that they''ll meet with them at the resort so, they didn''te early in the morning. David, as a close friend to Stefan, was also invited but he could onlye in the afternoon.


    Emerald still had no idea what her daughter nned for her. She thought it was just a normal family bonding with some of their friends. Speaking of friends, Cayenne had a bad feeling about it.


    Her mother already rooted Stefan to remain as her boyfriend, well, she didn''t know that her daughter married him already. Even so, she still likes Arthur because she knew this man ever since the children were young. He stayed with Cayenne most of the time before and he took care of her as well. There''s no way that she would just ignore him because Stefan came to her daughter''s life.


    If his rtionship with Cayenne changed over the years, Emerald didn''t care about it. She still likes talking to him out of respect for being a good acquaintance to her daughter in the past.


    Cayenne walked towards her mother. "Ma, today is your birthday and I know you''re close with Arthur. Did you invite him toe?"


    "Nope. I didn''t. He said that he will be busy with some meeting today." Emerald responded almost immediately.


    "Oh." Cayenne didn''t say much and went back to Stefan. "Anyway, let''s go already."


    "Chris, you lead the way." Stefan told his secretary.


    "Sure. Sure." This time, instead of driving an expensive sports car, Chris was using a van to make sure that there''s a space for everyone. Stefan didn''t really have any van at home so, he rented it.


    Cayenne, along with his brothers, decided to celebrate their mother''s birthday at Turtle Beach Resort. It''s a white sand beach, known for scuba diving, snorkeling and sea turtle egg hatching. Sadly, it''s not the season for egg hatching so, they wouldn''t be able to see it. However, there were other activities that everyone might enjoy so, Cayenne didn''t really mind missing the egg hatching.


    Cayenne told Stefan that she didn''t want to celebrate her mother''s birthday in one of his resorts. What she didn''t know is that, Stefan didn''t really own the Turtle Beach Resort but, he''s one of the shareholders of this resort. He just kept it a secret from her in case she''d change her mind again.


    "Yenyen!" Luna called Cayenne while waving her hand. They arrived earlier than them and were currently waiting at the lobby. Usually, the resort''s check-in time would be one in the afternoon but because of Stefan, they allowed them toe early in the morning.


    "I''m d you could make it." Cayenne told Luna while giving Ali a faint smile.


    "Of course. I wouldn''t miss Auntie''s birthday celebration." Luna replied and went to Emerald, greeting her happy birthday with a warm hug.


    "Thank you foring." Emerald gently squeezed Luna''s hand with a smile on her lips. "I''m really happy."


    "Alright. We can have a chatter. Let''s check-in first and arrange our things inside our rooms." Stefan suggested in which everyone agreed.


    Meanwhile¡­


    Arthur was happily choosing his clothes for the asion. He prepared a gift for Emerald already and she told him that they''d be going out today. She said that it was just a family bonding and invited him if he cane over. He''s very thankful that he has a good rtionship with her. No matter how much Cayenne wanted to avoid him, her mother was doing her best to bring them closer as well.


    "My dear Yen, even your mother wants you to be mine. Fate doesn''t want you to escape from me." Arthur mumbled while looking at his own reflection in the mirror. The twisted smile on his lips started to mellow and his temperament change. He was now the normal Arthur that everyone knows.


    In the morning, Cayenne and Stefan joined everyone for breakfast. After breakfast, they took a short dip in the pool except for Cayenne and her husband. Luiz and Kyle had apetition as to who can reach from one edge to the other with Kath as the judge. Of course, as a younger brother, Luiz didn''t fight with all his might. It would be good to make his older brother leave some impression to his girlfriend. Kyle knew it, too. Between the two of them, they both knew who was a better swimmer.


    "Thanks." Kyle whispered to his brother when he passed by him to get the towel.


    On the other side of the pool, Cayenne and Stefan was browsing through the brochure that the hotel gave them earlier. They wanted to make sure that everyone will have fun in this trip so they were looking for some activities that they can do.


    "Would you like to try going for a jet ski? It''s fun." Stefan asked her while showing some pictures.


    "As long as you''re with me, I don''t mind at all." Cayenne replied while leaning on his shoulder. "Should I go and change my clothes now?"


    "Hn. Let''s go up." Stefan brought the brochure with him, pretending he had no idea what the hotel offers at all. If Cayenne noticed that he knew a lot about the hotel, she might start to suspect so, he had to give his best in keeping it a secret.


    "Yen, where are you guys going? Aren''t going for a swim?" Luna asked her while wrapping herself with a robe.


    "We will just change our clothes." Cayenne replied with a smile.


    "Okay. Hurry up." Luna waved her hand to dismissed them. "I want to go and ride a jet ski with you."


    "Ah?" Cayenne looked toward her husband before shifting her eyes back to her best friend. "Let''s talk about thatter." She finally turned around and went back to their designated room with Stefan.


    Stefan bought a lot of swim suits for her but when Cayenne put them on, he just wanted to wrap her with a nket and keep her inside the room. He suddenly felt jealous with just a thought of some other men eyeing at her.


    "If you''re notfortable with the swim suit, we can look for something else." Stefanmented while looking on the tile floor instead of his wife. If he continued looking at her, they might not be able to go down again. ''Why must she look so pretty in that flimsy clothes?'' Stefan thought as he suppressed the urge to push her down on their bed.

 Chapter 213 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION II

    <h4>Chapter 213 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION II</h4>


    Cayenne was wearing the maroon colored two-piece swimsuit that he bought for her. If he knew that she''d look so sexy and hot in it, he wouldn''t have bought it.


    Cayenne has a voluptuous body that most women would want to achieve; and since she''s tall, any kind of clothes would look good on her. It''s just she didn''t have much money to buy them before. But now, Stefan bought so many clothes for her and she always go out wearing beautiful clothes because of him.


    "I don''t like wearing this bikini." Cayenne whispered. "I''m fine with the top but I don''t think I can handle going out with the underwear. Let me look for something."


    Stefan agreed with her and looked for something that she can change into. But most of the swimsuits he bought for her were of the same time ¨C sexy and revealing. Nothing much that can cover most of her skin.


    Cayenne picked a white short and showed it to him. "How about I used this one? I can keep the top and pair it with shorts."


    "I don''t mind." Stefan replied with a smile. "It''s a lot better." He looked at the clothes on the closet and thought, ''I should get rid of these things. I''ll buy something less revealing.''


    Even though he wanted to keep her from the eyes of otherscivious men, he also wanted to unt at them how lucky he was to have her. If he remembered, when he asked Chris to investigate her, he found out that Cayenne got so many admirers even when she was young. Many of her male colleagues wanted to date her but because she has different priority, none of them was given a chance. Out of these admirers, he was the person that she chose. ''I''m amazing, am I not?'' Stefan thought with a smile on his lips whenever he recalled this matter.


    "I''m done. Let''s go out." Cayenne strode towards him and held his hand. The two of them went down and looked for everyone to check if there''s any water activity that they''d like to join.


    Emerald and Jasmine didn''t want to join any activity but they were taking a dip at the beach. Luiz and Kyle wanted to try scuba diving so, Stefan asked someone to have a crash course with these two before they can go out to explore the sea. Kath didn''t want to join the scuba diving so she yed with Emerald at the beach. Cayenne and Stefan against Luna and Ali, these two pairs decided to y water jet ski and have a little game.


    Jasmine was watching the couples flirt and enjoy their quality time while he, on the other hand, was still single. "Sir Chris,e over here." He called to Chris who was only lying on a rattan chaise lounge, enjoying the heat of the sun while drinking his fruit and milk shake.


    "I don''t want to go there. It''s hot." Chris responded.


    "Oh,e on! What are you expecting from a beach? Have you ever heard of anyone going to the beach because it''s raining?" Jasmine retorted with a roll of her eyes.


    "I''m fine in here." Chris replied without a care in this world. He was wearing dark shades to hide his eyes from anyone while he was observing the surroundings for any signs of danger. After all, many people wanted to take his employer''s life.


    "Why are you forcing him? He likes to spend time with me so, what can you do?"


    Everybody turned their head to see who spoke to with such lovely and maic voice. Kath was totally dumbstruck to see a handsome man walking towards Chris. If she guessed it right, the man should be a foreigner based on her look and his ent. He was tall and has a fair skin. He''s got four packs but his legs and arms didn''t have bulky muscles like those people who go to gym have. His bronze hair was a little curvy and long and he looked so pretty.


    When he removed his sses, Kath and Jasmine was dumbfounded. "It''s David Wang." The two of them murmured in unison.


    "What brings you here?" Chris questioned but he didn''t move an inch or even smile at him.


    "Still cold as ever." David responded. "I came because I''m invited." He sat on the other chaise lounge right beside Chris and ordered a drink from one of the waitresses nearby. "So, who is she?" David asked while pointing his finger towards Jasmine. Just one single look and he could tell that Jasmine was a rival.


    But Jasmine didn''t know that she was already taken as a rival. She admires Chris but she won''t hit on him. She knows how to be professional. She might tease him and flirt with him a little but she wouldn''t do anything beyond that. She''s only good with words but not in action.


    Chris looked towards Jasmine who was now talking to Emerald about something. It must be a funny subject because they wereughing. Kath was also joining their conversation without any issue.


    "That''s Jasmine. Emerald''s private nurse."


    "She''s pretty."


    "Yeah." Chris replied intentionally which made David frown. "If you''re looking for Cayenne and Stefan, they''re over there." He pointed his finger towards the sea where the couples were having fun ying water jet ski.


    "Say Chris, you don''t like me, right?" David asked, almost a whisper that a wind could blow it away without the other person hearing it. But Chris was different, he''s got good sense of hearing.


    "What kind of like are we talking about here? There are many kinds of them."


    "The kind of like that I have for you."


    Chris sat up straight and remove his sses. "You like me for my pretty face and because I have a small resemnce of Alexander, right?"


    "Why are you bringing Alexander to the picture?"


    "Because you like him. I am nothing but a shadow to the person that you like the most. You should stop going after me. It''s won''t lead you to happiness."

 Chapter 214 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION III

    <h4>Chapter 214 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION III</h4>


    David didn''t say anything. Perhaps what Chris said was true. Perhaps, he liked him because he looked like Alexander, especially when he smiles.


    "Maybe you''re right." David retorted. "Thanks for letting me hear a piece of your mind." He stood up and went back to the hotel without giving Chris another nce.


    Chris was dismayed. He was just trying to test him but it turned out, David wasn''t over with his infatuation for someone who died over a decade already. He was still looking at him as if he was Alexander.


    You guessed it right, Alexander and Chris were blood-rted. They share the same father but different mother. Alexander was few years older than Chris but Chris didn''t grow up with the Minato family.


    He was conceived by mistake just like Alexander. The only difference was that, Alexander found a good family while he didn''t. They were poor and his mother died when he was ten years old. His grandparents kicked him out of the house for being a bad luck to them. Instead of loitering in the streets, begging for food, he worked as garbage collector in exchanged for money and sometimes, people give him food as well. He washed cars, walked the dogs, and did other kinds of work that didn''t care about his age. He did these odd jobs for two years.


    It was when he washed an expensive car that his fate was changed. The owner of the car was a military official. He gave Chris the opportunity to change his life. He joined the military camp to assist Dr. Anderson with his work, along with his adopted son, Evan Anderson. When there''s not much work, Dr. Anderson would train him a closebat fight. Sometimes, Evan would join them, sometimes, he won''t because he''s also a medical practitioner.


    When he reached the legal age, he was allowed to formally join the military and was introduced as the adopted son of Major General Hawkins. And so, his life started to prosper with the help of friends and those people who believed in his ability.


    What he didn''t expect was that, he will be sent to be a spy. Travis Madrigal was the one who asked for him to keep Stefan Dumrique safe, a sworn brother of his while he checks the illegal trade that many big tycoons keep.


    When Chris heard about Stefan and his life story, he instantly knew that he found an ally. At first, he didn''t know about Alexander, he had no idea that they were rted either. Stefan remained lowkey and he didn''t ask anyone to be investigated. It was just recently that he started to have doubts. If he didn''t investigate about his mother''s death, Chris wouldn''t know that he was Alexander''s half-brother. And whenever he thought about it, he gets angry. He''s angry that David likes him because he looks like his half-brother.


    At the same time, he didn''t really like David in a romantic way. He wanted to be friends with him but he can''t have this kind of rtionship because the other person looks at him in different way.


    He''s a straight man and David was not.


    If David will like him for who he is and just maintain a normal rtionship between friends, he would be d.


    "Well, it''s good if he will just forget about me and move on with his life. I cannot be Alexander and I cannot love a man like he can. I am just your regr kind of guy. I don''t bend that way." Chris mumbled while looking at the disappearing back of the well-known man.


    While this shortmotion happened, Cayenne and Stefan was having the time of their life. Cayenne was happily riding the jet ski with Stefan supervising her. It was her first time doing this activity but she wasn''t afraid of falling on to the sea. As long as she''s with her husband, she knew that she''ll be safe.


    "Your stomach is t." Stefanmented when he hugged her from the back.


    "What are you expecting? It''s not like I''m pregnant, you idiot." Cayenne replied and smacked his hand lightly. Stefan''s heartyughter rang out and this made her smile, too. "When I get pregnant, you can take back your words."


    "Who said you will be pregnant? I don''t want you to get pregnant. It''s painful when you give birth."


    "Why are you saying that? Did you experience giving birth already?" Cayenne questioned him apanied with an eye roll. "Stop thinking of nonsense things. I should be the one who will decide if it''s painful or not."


    Stefan turned off the jet ski and it stopped in the middle of the sea. It suddenly turned silent wherein you can only hear the faint sounds of the waves. "Ayen, do you want to have children?"


    "Hn. A boy and a girl would be great. How about you?"


    Stefan took a deep breath and sighed. He ced his chin on her shoulder while looking into a far distance. "I want you to give birth to my children, too. However, it really scares me whenever I think of you going through a painful ordeal. How about we get one? I don''t want you to experience the pain twice. One baby is good enough for me. Either it''s a boy or a girl, I will still love our child."


    "Well, let''s not talk about it yet. I don''t think it will happen in the near future." Cayenne told him while massaging the back of his head that she was able to reach. "Don''t think too much."


    Stefan nodded his head and printed a kiss on her neck. "Let''s go back." He turned on the vehicle once again and they went back to the shore. They returned the jet ski to where they borrowed it and went back to the beach to swim with everyone. They yed water volleyball while waiting for Kyle and Luiz to return and this time, Chris joined in the fun.


    ''I''m finally ready to die.'' Emerald thought while watching her daughter having so much fun with her friends. ''I wonder what ruined her affection for Arthur?'' She asked herself in deep thought. She really don''t know why they became estranged with each other when they were so close before.

 Chapter 215 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION IV

    <h4>Chapter 215 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION IV</h4>


    They yed for over two hours at the beach and stopped when Kyle and Luiz returned from scuba diving. They changed their clothes and went to the restaurant to eat their lunch and this time, they had David joined with them. Stefan didn''t notice the weird atmosphere between his secretary and his friend since he was solely focusing on his wife''s needs.


    "Just tell me which one you want to eat and I''ll get it for you, okay?" Stefan reminded Cayenne even while he was removing the shells of the lobster for her.


    Since Cayenne''s mouth was full, she could only nod in response to him and when no one was watching, she quickly pressed a kiss on his cheek and wiped it off as well because she left an oil stain.


    "You don''t need to wipe it." Stefan whispered to make sure that no one would know what his wife did. "With or without the grease, I will like your kisses." Cayenne needed her head again with bulging cheeks and crescent moon eyes. "You look adorable, a little chipmunk owned by me."


    Cayenne swallowed her food and picked one deboned shrimp from her te and fed it to him. "I''m not a chipmunk." She mentioned while feeding him. "Let me feed you since you are busy removing the shells for me."


    Stefan swallowed his food with a smile. "Thanks." He said and opened his mouth again. "Come and feed me."


    Jasmine looked at them and felt envious. Well, any single person who would witness such sweet and lovely couple will feel envy. Not just Jasmine, David also felt the same. He looked towards Chris but the man didn''t pay attention to him. He was busy talking with Luiz about some mathematical form and other school topics.


    The lunch ended with Stefan and Cayenne''s flirting gestures in passing. After they ate, they looked around the ce, took pictures here and there, bought some souvenirs and enjoyed themselves to the fullest.


    Kyle and Kath took a picture together and uploaded it as cover photo for their social media ount. Just a look of their picture and you would know that they''re couple and were very much in love with each other.


    "Director Kai, your sister is already taken?" the young movie actor, who''s ying the male lead of the current movie he''s working on, saw the new update of Kath''s cover photo. He had a crush on her since they first met during the director''s birthday. But the director told him that he won''t allow his sister to have a boyfriend yet, not until she graduates college. He waited, thinking he''s still got a chance but the battle ended without giving him a chance to fight for her.


    Director Kai pulled out his own phone and looked at his sister''s picture. The look in her eyes can spell the love that she felt for her boyfriend. He gave it a heart before putting his phone back to his pocket.


    "Director, you didn''t answer my question yet." The young actor stated.


    "My sister didn''t want to give up on him and she loved him ever since we moved here. I think it''s been five or six years. And Kyle felt the same for her. The feeling is mutual so, why should I hinder them?"


    "But you told me that you won''t allow her to have a boyfriend until she graduates in college."


    "Things change over time." Director Kai replied.


    Since he can''t do anything about it, the young actor decided to forget this matter. He also unfollowed Kath from her social media ount in order to avoid seeing her love updates.


    When you know that you can''t win a battle, it''s better to surrender with dignity than to hurt yourself and someone else. Surrendering doesn''t mean you are a coward, it means you are mature enough to let go of something or someone that you know you can''t have.


    Luna and Ali also took several pictures but instead of changing their cover photos or profile pictures, they uploaded it in one album. Many of their friends expressed their jealousy because they get to spend time travelling and have fun in different resorts recently. They never knew that it was only because of Cayenne that they get to do this.


    Most of them took pictures tomemorate to this happy family day they have ¨C thanks to Stefan. Sadly, only Stefan and Cayenne couldn''t go all out. They took so many pictures together but they couldn''t upload it at all.


    Stefan sulked whenever he sees the update from everyone else while he, on the other hand, couldn''t do it.


    "Let''s take a picture over there." Cayenne suggested while pointing her finger to a spot with beautiful rock formations. She was wearing a white dress paired with white slippers and a mixed of white and gold floppy hat. She looked really pretty with her hair swaying by the wind behind her.


    "Ayen." Stefan called her name and the moment she turned back to face him, he captured that moment with his phone. "Lovely." Hemented with a wide smile.


    "Shall we take a picture together?" Cayenne asked him while she peered at him. "Even if you won''t be able to upload it, when we grow old, we can still look at them together while looking after our grandchildren, won''t we?"


    "I like that idea." Stefan agreed and stopped sulking. The two of them happily took pictures together as they walked by the shoreline. There were many tourists during this time but Cayenne wasn''t worried because she knew that her face was hidden under the floppy hat she wore.


    Without them knowing, one of the employees who worked in one of Clover Hotel branches was also having a family bonding with her husband and two kids. She saw her boss with a beautiful woman beside her and because she didn''t work in the same branch as Cayenne, she had no idea of her identity.


    She took a picture of her boss with his woman and uploaded it.


    "I finally witnessed how sweet the boss is towards his girlfriend." Apanying this caption was three photos of Cayenne and Stefan. One was a picture of them holding each other''s hand. Another picture was when Stefan carried her slipper for her. Thest picture was Stefan taking a picture of his girlfriend.


    Many people read this post and asked the uploader where the ce was but, the employee knew that her boss didn''t want to be disturb so she didn''t answer to any inquiries. They can only try to guess as much as they could but she never answered them.


    Stefan was also mentioned in this post and he confirmed it with a heart. Since Cayenne''s face wasn''t very clear in the three photos, he wasn''t bothered by it.


    However, no matter how far Cayenne was, there were some people who were very familiar of her and these were her colleagues. When they saw that it was their boss, they were a bit doubtful of the identity of his girlfriend. Many people thought it was Cayenne because the woman was so simr to her when she smiled; and they figure looked like her as well. Some other people thought that it must be someone who looked just like Cayenne. They still believed that Cayenne''s boyfriend came from a show business. It''s impossible to be their boss because their boss won''ty his hands on his employees ¨C and this was where they got it wrong. Not only Stefanid her hand on her, he even married her.


    Nheless, since there was no confirmation from any party, they can only guess who Stefan''s girlfriend was and who Cayenne''s boyfriend was, except for those who knew already.


    Around 3:00 in the afternoon, Stefan and Cayenne talked to the resort''s manager to ask about the birthday preparation. They already started decorating the venue which was at the infinity pool on the left wing of the resort. It was temporarily closed because Stefan booked it exclusively for his mother-inw. It will be a pool birthday party for her.


    They didn''t need to wear anything fancy since they''ll be swimmingter anyway. The manager assured that the party can start at six and they can end it by ten. At the same time, they can use the pool whenever they want since it was rented for the whole night.


    "I only wanted to spend a little bit more than usual for my mother''s birthday but in the end, you still spend a lot." Cayenne muttered while watching the people decorating the ce.


    "It''s for our mother. She deserves the best. After all, she gave birth to the best daughter and raised her to be the best woman for me. She deserves all the credit for making me have you in this life. I can''t just give her a cheap birthday party when I have the money to spend, right?"


    "Well, there''s nothing I can do about it. You''ve done what you think is best already. I won''t darein."


    "But, don''t I have a reward for it?" Stefan asked with a sly grin appearing on his lips. "It''s Saturday today so, don''t make the party as an excuse for not giving me a rewardter tonight."


    ''This perverted devil.'' Cayenne thought as she rolled her eyes at him. "I didn''t forget and I won''t make excuses either."


    "Yay! My wife if the best." Stefan hugged Cayenne happily.


    "Wife? You two got married?"

 Chapter 216 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION V

    <h4>Chapter 216 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION V</h4>


    Cayenne and Stefan didn''t notice the man who was walking towards from their side. The two were so focus on themselves, ignoring other unimportant presence.


    Cayenne didn''t expect to see Arthur this time and looking at his get up, it seemed like he came from or maybe he came for an important meeting with someone.


    Stefan gently pulled Cayenne behind him, hindering the man from seeing her. "So, what if we''re married and what if we''re not? I can call her wife because that''s what she is to me."


    Arthur chuckled loudly, a little bit mocking and contemptuous towards Stefan. "You can call her wife today but we don''t know about that the next day."


    "Are you dering a war against me?" Stefan retorted with an obvious smirk. "I don''t think you have the chance. Cayenne doesn''t even want to see you."


    Arthur''s face dropped and turned cold as he looked towards Cayenne but Stefan blocked his sight towards his wife. ''So, she''s still avoiding me after what happened.'' Arthur thought to himself. He took a step forwards and stretched his hand to get hold of Cayenne.


    "What are you doing?" Stefan caught Arthur''s hand and pushed him away from them. "How dare you try touching my girl right in front of me? Do you want to die that much because I can definitely send you to hell!"


    "I want to talk to her."


    "She doesn''t even want to see you and tha-"


    "She didn''t say it herself. She doesn''t want to see me or you don''t want her to see me? Do you think I''m blind? I can see you''re manipting her."


    "Hey Arthur!" Cayenne yelled at him angrily. She stepped out from hiding behind her husband and faced the annoying guy head on. "Can you stop appearing in front of me?! I haven''t forgotten what you said to me in the hotel. Do you think I''d just forgive you because we''re friends? Come on, you wave to wake up. We were once friends but your mother broke that rtionship five years ago. And you know what, I have realized that she was very kind to me for doing that. If she didn''t, I would never know that you were actually looking down on me." She took another step and looked at him straight in the eyes. Her anger was like a fire burning and soaring from the depths of her heart, reflected on her clear brown eyes. "Anyway, let''s just part ways while we''re all cool-headed, shall we? I don''t really don''t want to make things difficult for you since my mother likes you so much. I didn''t even tell her how you mocked mest time in order to not ruin her opinion of you. I don''t really care if you''re close with her or not. Also, don''t appear in front of my husband in the future. I don''t want him to be annoyed by you."


    "Hear that?" Stefan added in mocking. "My wife says it just like how you wanted. So, you can get lost now." Stefan waved his hand in dismissal as if he was shooing a dog away from them.


    Arthur gritted his teeth in front of them and turned around to leave the ce. ''I will make sure to end your happiness. She can only be mine.'' Arthur thought as he walked away from them.


    "Arthur?" a woman called for him at the lobby and when he turned around to see who it was, his face turned from sour to happiness.


    "Auntie. What a coincidence!" He strode towards her and gave her a warm hug. "Happy birthday."


    "Thank you." Emerald smiled at the man. "Did you have a meeting with someone here?"


    "Oh yes! I''m on my way to meet someone."


    "Wow! I''m d that you''re having a meeting here. Once you''re done with your meeting, would you like to have some afternoon tea time with me?"


    "Sure. I will never refuse your invitation auntie. I''ll call you once I''m done, alright?"


    "Okay."


    Arthur left the lobby and went to the hotel restaurant. He wasn''t really meeting with someone because he met her already. And there''s a plus to it because he met Stefan as well. He thought that it was just a normal family trip and he didn''t know that Stefan would be with Cayenne. "Tsk! So annoying!" Arthur cussed while looking at the menu on his hand.


    After two hours, Arthur sent a message to Emerald, stating that he was done with work but since it''s a littlete for afternoon tea time, he suggested to have dinner instead. ''It would be good to have dinner with Yen again.'' He told himself while smiling foolishly with his phone in hand.


    "Sorry, Arthur. I didn''t know that there''s a party made for me and I''m getting ready to attend it. Can youe instead? I would be very happy if youe to celebrate my birthday." This was Emerald''s reply to his message. He paid for his food, left the restaurant and went to get something from his car. It was the gift that he readied for Emerald.


    He already calcted that this would happen so he came with something for the celebrant. Cayenne and Stefan wouldn''t be able to get rid of her because he''s Emerald''s guests. "I''m so smart." Arthurmented towards himself with a proud look on his face.


    He didn''te back so soon. He waited for another hour before going back to the resort. ''Based on my observation, the ce where I met Cayenne and Stefan should be the venue for this party.'' He mentally noted as he walked down the lobby and to the corridor on the East Wing. And he was right. He found a lot of people there and Emerald was sitting happily on her chair, chatting with a cute little girl beside him.


    "Arthur." Emerald waved her hands when she spotted him. "Come over here."


    "Auntie, I''m a little bit sad that we can''t have dinner together but since it''s your birthday, I won''t mind it." He handed his gift to her. "This is for you. Happy birthday."


    Cayenne took a deep breath and sighed. Her mother really knows when to ruin her mood.

 Chapter 217 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION VI

    <h4>Chapter 217 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION VI</h4>


    "You look like you wanted to strangle someone." Jillyanna whispered to Cayenne and followed her line of sight, seeing a handsome young man talking to Emerald. "You don''t like him?"


    Cayenne took a sip of her wine and nodded her head. "I used to like him but I stopped liking him five years ago. However, my mother likes him a lot. I believe she invited him today."


    "So, he is Stefan''s love rival?" Riley asked when she passed by them and heard their conversation. "I don''t think he''s got a chance to win you over even if your mom likes him."


    "I don''t think either." Cayenne replied. "I didn''t even consider him as Stefan''s rival. For me, no one can rece his position in my heart. Not even a man that my mother likes for me. If I don''t like him then, that''s the end of the story."


    Riley gave her a thumbs up and smile. "Stefan is very lucky to have you."


    "True." Jillyanna added in agreement.


    The three of them chatted happily on the side. Stefan was with Travis, talking about some thing that only the two of them understands. This time, since it''s a pool party, Travis decided to leave Raizel to his grandparents. Only Jade came along with them.


    Valkyrie and Brown were sitting on the edge of the pool, talking to Luiz about his study. Brown was a smart man and Luiz was the same. The two of them could totally converse with whatever subject they could think about.


    The atmosphere was very cheerful despite the fact that Arthur was there, too. Stefan ignored him as if this annoying fly didn''t exist. Cayenne did the same. Whenever Arthur tried to approach her, she''d do her best to avoid him. In the end, he could only approach Kyle to chat with.


    But even with Kyle, he can feel that the man didn''t want to talk to him.


    "Kyle, why do you hate me?" Arthur suddenly asked which caught Kyle off-guard.


    His mouth was gaping to say something but he couldn''t find the right choice of words. "Why do you ask that question? Do I look like I hate you?" Kyle questioned back with faint chuckle.


    "If you don''t, why do I feel like you''re avoiding me? Only Luiz and Auntie remained normal. Did I do something wrong? I ought to know it in order to correct it, don''t you think so?"


    Arthur was very insistent about it so, Kyle decided to spill the beans. In any case, it happened five years ago and Cayenne already have someone else in her heart. "Arthur, what do you think of our family?"


    "You''re a big happy family, I guess."


    Kyle looked into a far distance with no specific thing in sight. "We were. We''re a happy family. We''re contented of what we have but it changed fifteen years ago. Our parents got separated and our mother needs to work for the whole family. When Cayenne reached the legal age, she started working to help us while also studying. She''s very diligent and kind. She didn''t care about what other people think of our status. She''s fine being looked down by everyone else because there''s that one person who cares for her despite their status gap, and that was you. My sister looked up to you because you didn''t look down on us. However, your mother didn''t like you to befriend us or my sister in specific. She told Yen to stay away from you and she didn''t want to do it at first but, you left. And I thought that it was just your mother who thought that way but, you also think of that, right? You think we''re leeching off of you in the past and now, you think that we''re leeching off on Stefan. Am I right?"


    Arthur turned quiet beside him. He was looking on his hand and then he looked toward Stefan. "Did you know something that happened recently between me and Cayenne?"


    "Hn. Someone told me about it."


    Arthur faintly nodded his head. "I didn''t mean to say those words to her." He started. "I just didn''t want to give her to Stefan. I liked her so much but, I said the wrong thing out of selfishness." He turned to Kyle with self-loathing and guilt. "Kyle, I didn''t know about what my mother did that time but I know of what I did and I am very conscious about it. I want to say sorry to her but she didn''t want to see me anymore."


    "That''s very expected after what you said." Kyle retorted. "Anyway, I won''t interfere with my sister''s decision and I won''t help you with her either. I can see that she''s happy with Stefan so, I hope you can give up on her. I don''t want you to be tied to the past."


    "I understand." Arthur muttered. ''Give up?! Huh. You want me to give up? Dream on! I won''t let anyone have Yen. She''s mine. If you won''t help me then, don''t.'' Arthur''s dark thoughts echoed in his mind but he kept a guilty and a little sad face in front of them.


    Kath was listening the whole time and she was truly surprised to hear it from them. She had no idea that the always-kind and always-loving Cayenne experienced something so heartbreaking. And to think, it came from the person she once trusted the most.


    The party continued without any hitch or problem at all. Everyone was happily eating and drinking to their heart''s contents. There were games with many prizes. There were on the spot-performance presentation wherein Jillyanna sang a song for Emerald. It was great time.


    Not far from the venue, a waiter was standing silently while observing the party. There was a smile on his lips as he looked at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in her life.


    "You won''t go and talk to her?" a prominentdy came and spoke to him.


    "I''m fine looking at them in a far distance. As long as they''re safe and sound, I won''t ask for anything else."


    "Alright. Then, will you change your clothes already? We have to go." The woman said with patience. "I''ll wait for you in the car."

 Chapter 218 - COLE MEETS THE COUPLE

    <h4>Chapter 218 - COLE MEETS THE COUPLE</h4>


    The next day, Cayenne woke up feeling a little sore on her back, waist and thighs. The memories ofst night with Stefan flooded her brain. She started blushing as she recalled it.


    Stefan was nowhere to be seen but there''s a letter left for her on top of the bedside drawer. ''I went out to get some food for you. I''ll be right back.'' Cayenne read the letter mentally. She put it down and remove the quilt from her body to get out of the bed. The moment she saw herself in front of the mirror, she felt a sudden headache. Her body was covered with hickeys. From the side of her neck to her chest and when she lifted her top, she found some on her tummy down to her navel.


    ''Eh?'' she found some little red spots on her inner thighs and so, she lifted her shorts. Sure enough, Stefan left hickeys on her inner thighs, too. "Forget about wearing shorts, I can''t even wear normal shirts without anyone seeing his marks." She sighed helplessly while looking for a way to conceal them. "I don''t even have any concealer." She muttered as she picked up her phone to call Luna but her friend wasn''t answering her call. ''She must be asleep.'' Cayenne thought and decided to call herter.


    She went back to the bed and while she was contemting what to do, Stefan came back with a paper bag and a waitress was following behind him, pushing a cart inside their room. "Morning sweetheart." Stefan greeted her with a wide smile.


    "Morning." Cayenne returned his greeting. "Why did you take so long?" she asked while covering her body with the nket to prevent the waitress from seeing her current state.


    "I went to buy something for you, my dear wife." He handed the bag. "I thought you''d want to hide those." A cheeky smile appeared on his lips while he caressed the spots where he left his marks on her.


    "I''m ttered to find my husband caring for me." Cayenne replied with a fake smile. "Who do you think is the one responsible for it?" Cayenne throw a light punch on his abs. "Hmp! I''m not even a beauty but I married a beast." She snickered which made Stefanugh so hard. "Stopughing at me." She pushed him a little but Stefan didn''t even budge.


    "If I''m the beast, you can only be my Belle." Stefan whispered and ced a quick kiss on her lips. "I''ll give you a massage after breakfast."


    "Okay." Cayenne replied with a faint smile. "What do we have for breakfast? I''m really starving. I have exhausted all my energyst night for you."


    "I know. Which was why, I went down to cook breakfast for you." Stefan took her hand and helped her up. The two of them went to the dining area where the waitress finished arranging all the dishes. "Let''s eat." He pulled a chair for her and the two of them ate their food happily.


    They checked out in the afternoon and went home. Chris sent Cayenne''s family back to the apartment and dropped Luna and Ali to the bus station where they wanted to be dropped off before he went home to his new apartment.


    Cayenne and Stefan went back to Peach Wood Subdivision.


    "Yen." A gentleman called for her name. When Cayenne looked at him carefully, she found that it was Cole.


    "Hi. Did you move to this subdivision?" Cayenne asked while Stefan was taking out their things. "This is Stefan by the way. He''s my boyfriend."


    "Hello." Cole greeted him. "I''m Cole. This is my wife Sofia and this our daughter."


    "It'' nice to meet you. If only your brother is as sensible as you, nothing would have happened to your business." Stefan responded without even bothering to hide the fact that he was slowly destroying the small businesses that Cole was traying his best to build and prosper.


    "Looks like Mr. Dumrique met my brother already."


    "I have. He kept annoying my girlfriend so there''s no other way but to deal damage sometimes. Sadly, he didn''t learn his lesson and you''re taking the fall with him." Stefan replied coldly. He didn''t care if the man meant well or not, as long as he''s rted to Arthur, he will treat him coldly just as how he treated his rival.


    Cole smiled faintly while shifting his eyes between the intimidating and Cayenne. "I apologize for what he did to both of you but, whatever happens to their business, it has nothing to with me anymore. You can do whatever you want with it Mr. Dumrique. It doesn''t matter to me anymore."


    "Oh. That''s a bit sad. After all, you worked so hard for it."


    "What''s there to be sad about? It''s even sadder to work hard for something you won''t get a recognition." Cole responded with a fake smile on his face and disappointment was clouding his eyes. "Anyway, I won''t be taking so much of your time. See you around."


    "Excuse us." Sofia slightly nodded her head towards them and followed Cole to leave the ce and go back to their house.


    Looking at their silhouette, Cayenne felt a bit sad for him. She knew that Cole wasn''t someone who would discriminate someone because of their poor status. He even cut ties with his family for his wife. And he never looked down on Cayenne because he could understand the struggle of his wife. It was just sad that the family he grew up with didn''t share the same view as him.


    Stefan and Cayenne went inside their house and as a husband, he noticed that Cayenne was in deep thought ever since they met Cole right outside their house.


    "Are you being sentimental for him because of Arthur?"


    "No, of course, not." Cayenne answered almost instantly. "Don''t be ridiculous. I don''t care about that guy anymore."


    "Really?"


    "My dear husband, stop thinking of some foolish things. I''m not being sentimental but I do care about Cole. After all, he''s been through a lot with his family as well."

 Chapter 219 - TAKING A MONTH OFF

    <h4>Chapter 219 - TAKING A MONTH OFF</h4>


    It''s the start of February and just like what Stefan said, they''d be going overseas to attend his cousin''s wedding and to have a vacation as well. They''d be out for a whole month and she''s very excited about it.


    "Cayenne''s absent again." One of the employees said while they were lining up to log in for their shift.


    "I know, right. I heard she''s taking a whole month off."


    "No kidding?!" Another eximed in question. "If she didn''t want to work, why is she even here? I don''t mean anything ill about it but, isn''t she worried that the president will know about her performance and fire her?"


    Luna heard what they said and she couldn''t help but butt in. "Apparently, the president knew about it. Manager Kim asked him for approval and he said yes."


    "Seriously? The president agreed to it? For what reason? If she can do that, maybe we can take sometime off as well." Another employeemented with deep anticipation.


    Luna just faintly smiled without saying anything. They can obviously try to file for a month off but it would be difficult for Stefan to agree to it. No, he won''t agree to it and they''re bound to be disappointed.


    "Is she taking a month off because of her boyfriend?"


    "Are they going on a vacation?"


    "Come on, let''s check which artist is currently on vacation."


    Then and there, the employees who were very interested about Cayenne''s rtionship started searching online to see which artist went to have a vacation. But no matter which entertainment they looked into and which artist, none of them went to have a vacation. Some just took a day or two for a rest day but no one left a post stating that they''d be gone for a whole month.


    "Let''s just give up on it. Anyway, Cayenne will surely post some pictures. We can check which artist goes to the same ce as her." another brilliant idea came from one of the Cayenne''s colleagues.


    "Why are you so interested with her love life?" Luna couldn''t stop herself from asking them. "Aren''t you prying too much about her life?"


    "We don''t mean it in a bad way, Lulu." One of the women defended in behalf of the other employees. "We all know that Cayenne had been single for the entire 23 years of her life and we''re just a bit worried for her. What if her boyfriend is a scam? What if he''s going to hurt her? You know, people from the entertainment circle cannot be trusted. As a friend, aren''t you worried for her. What if she''s invested too much of her emotions and he ended up hurting her?"


    "That won''t happen." Luna replied with a face full of confidence. "I can assure you that would never happen. And who said that her boyfriend is from the entertainment industry?"


    "Ah? He''s not?"


    "No. Did Cayenne said so? She didn''t. And I know the man. I also know how much he cared for her and her family. If you aren''t serious and just wanted to y, would you dare show up yourself in front of your boyfriend or girlfriend''s family? Would you introduce your partner to your close friends? Would you introduce your partner to your own family? They may have kept it in public but those who were close to them knew about their rtionship already. And besides, if he dares to hurt her, it''s not Yenyen''s loss, it''s his." Luna stumped them with her words. She pressed her finger to the biometric and logged in for the day''s shift. "You don''t have to worry about her that much. If anything goes wrong, Cayenne still has friends and families who will take care of her."


    "You''re right." Left with no choice, they kept their phone and stopped minding about Cayenne. Since it came to this point, they can only watch over her andfort her if needed; hopefully there''s no need tofort her. They won''t wish her to have a break up with her partner and have her heart broken. It would be too painful for a fragile girl like her.


    At 10:00 in the morning, Cayenne and Stefan was waiting for their flight bound for Italy. Cayenne was still sleepy because of excitement, she didn''t get a wink of sleep.


    "Later, you can sleep inside the ne since we''ll be taking sometime before we can reach." Stefan informed her while caressing her face. "You have dark circles in your eyes."


    "I know. I can''t even conceal it. I was so excited for this trip with you." Cayenne replied while covering her mouth to yawn. She leaned on his shoulder and closed her eyes for a bit. "Wake me up once it''s our time to get inside."


    "Sure." Stefan ran his fingers through her hair tofort her. While doing so, he told Chris to get in touch with Cole and asked if the man would be interested to work for him. He''s got family to support and even if he got savings, money will still all be spent up if you have no source of ie.


    He remembered what Cayenne saidst night. Cole had been working so hard to bring their business to what its current state. However, his mother didn''t acknowledge his hard work. And on top of that, when he decided to get married against his mother''s choice, Kirinpletely ignored him. She didn''t promote him and he only got the basic sry for a general manager. ''What''s even sadder is when you work so hard but you don''t even get an acknowledgement for it.'' That was what Cole said and it struck him that he can use the man to spite Kirin and Arthur.


    "Attention, flight IT12215 bound for Venice, Italy¡­" Stefan heard the announcement and gently woke up his wife. "Ayen, it''s time to go." She stirred for a moment but she didn''t open her eyes. "If you won''t wake up, I''ll kiss you in front of everyone."


    "Whatever." Cayenne responded with a faint groan. The next thing she knew, she was having a hard time breathing.

 Chapter 220 - WHAT KEEPS A RELATIONSHIP?

    <h4>Chapter 220 - WHAT KEEPS A RELATIONSHIP?</h4>


    Cayenne tapped his back anxiously and while staring back directly into his eyes. There was mirth in his gaze and she was so embarrassed knowing that there were many cameras shing directed to them. Is she wasn''t wearing her shades, she would be dead ¨C people would know of her identity.


    "Are you awake now?" Stefan asked with a smile. He didn''t even bother hiding his identity. Many people recognized him so, she was pretty sure that they already associated her as his girlfriend.


    "I''m wide awake. I can barely breath because of what you did." Cayenne retorted while rolling her eyes but her husband couldn''t even see it. He only chuckled at her.


    "Let''s go my dear wife." Stefan whispered and winked at her.


    Cayenne nodded her head with hot cheeks. She never expected that he would really kiss her in public. And now, her face was burning and she knew she was blushing in front of the crowd. Stefan slightly hugged her to keep her face hidden from other people.


    "You''re such a beast. Can''t you spare this beauty sometimes?" Cayenne questioned but she didn''t really expect he''dply to this request knowing his sly characteristics.


    They walked towards their boarding gate under the watch of envious gazes from other people. And while they were busy lining up, their pictures made it to the social media in no time.


    "President Stefan Dumrique was publicly disying his affection."


    "Stefan kissed his girlfriend to wake her up."


    "Stefan loved his girlfriend so much and kissed her in public."


    "The couple was boarding for a flight bound to Italy."


    Many people posted their pictures with this kind of thoughts and even took a picture of the gate and the flight that they were heading for. Comments and likes flooded these posts and they were all interested to know the woman''s identity. But then again, Stefan was able to sessfully hide her face from the public. Even the angle when he kissed her, he made sure that no one will be able to see her face clearly.


    Kath and Kyle were having a break from school and the two of them were having some snacks in their school cafeteria. While Kath was browsing her social media ount, she came across some photos of Stefan and Cayenne.


    "Babe, this is your sister and Stefan, right?" She asked Kyle who was busy studying for their next ss. She leaned closer and showed him the picture.


    Kyle took a nce on it and nodded his head. "They''re going to Italy and they''ll be back next month."


    "Wow! That''s amazing. Would you like to go on a trip with me during summer? It would be great if we could go out of town as well."


    "How about I look for a summer job first and we can go out after I get my first pay."


    "Hn. That would be wonderful, too. Let me know which ce you want to apply. I''ll apply with you?" Kath responded happily while putting her phone back to her bag.


    But Kyle frowned upon hearing her say this. "Why would you be applying for a summer job? Do you need money for something?"


    "Nope. I just want to spend more time with you. In that way, I can also earn money for our date. I don''t want to ask my parents for a date allowance. That''s totally embarrassing."


    "Alright. I will find a job where we can work together." Kyle reached out his hand and gently rubbed his girlfriend''s head.


    "Tsk! What a bitch!" One of the students, who were watching, snickered at the sight of Kath smiling towards the Kyle. "She keeps on flirting with him. She''s so annoying."


    "Duh! She must have paid him to act as her boyfriend. Who would want a spoiled and whiningdy to be a girlfriend?"


    "On top of that, she''s not even smart to match with him. I heard that she''s just so-so in her sses."


    "I know right. If I know, Kyle must be just dating with her for her money. So na?ve!"


    Jealous women were everywhere and they deliberately said those words out loud to spite Kath and make her loseposure in front of Kyle. Sadly, they were disappointed.


    Kyle yed a music with his phone and connected it to his headset. "I''ll study in advance for the next ss and I''ll teach you about it after getting the procedures confirmed with the prof. For now, just listen to the music next to me and ignore those b*tches, okay?"


    Instead of getting upset, Kathughed so hard while taking the headset from him. "I can''t believe you''d say that word in public knowing your reputation in school."


    "Which word?"


    "B*tches."


    "Oh. Isn''t that true?"


    Kath just chuckled without answering him. When Kyle turned to face his book again, Kath turned around to face thosedies. With a mocking smile, she raised her middle finger up but Kyle was actually just observing her.


    "I saw that." Kylemented in amusement. "I thought you''d let them nder you."


    "Ah? Hahaha." Kath scratched the tip of her nose. "I wasn''t really bothered by their opinions of me but I hate it when they say that you only like me for my money. You didn''t even know that I have money. How dare they say those words?! Hmp!"


    "Thank you for getting angry on my behalf." Kyle kissed the top of her head in front of everyone just like how Stefan shows his sincerity towards Cayenne. "Don''t stoop to their levels. I don''t want my smart and kind girlfriend be a fool and jealous woman."


    "Alright. In that case, I don''t need to listen to music. I can just review my lessons while you study in advance." She handed back the headset to him. "They can say whatever they want and I won''t care. After all, we both met our families already."


    "Smart girl."


    Seeing this public disy of affection, those women who kept ndering them turned silent. Then, they left the cafeteria in embarrassment.


    No matter what other people do, if it''s true love, no one can separate the couple who haveplete trust and loyalty to each other. Even if therees a time that they''ll break up, they would still get back together. Why? Because love is more powerful than other people''s opinion.

 Chapter 221 - TUSCANY

    <h4>Chapter 221 - TUSCANY</h4>


    When they reached Italy after a long flight, Stefan persuaded Cayenne to sleep more while they''re inside the car but because of so much excitement, her sleepiness was gone.


    "This ce is really pretty." Cayennemented while looking outside the car window. "Their hotels here must be expensive."


    "Of course." Stefan replied to her. "But we won''t be staying in a hotel so you don''t need to worry."


    "Where are we staying then?" Cayenne asked in wonder. She knew that they''d be attending his cousin''s wedding but she didn''t want to live with them. First, she didn''t know any of them. Second, they might not like her. Instead of putting herself in trouble, it would be better to avoid.


    Stefan noticed the small frown she had on her face and he massaged it away. "What are you thinking? We will be staying in my property." He told her to give her an assurance. Faint it maybe, he still noticed the sigh of relief from her mouth.


    "How did you get a property here in Italy?"


    "Basically, my family owns a lot of properties here in Italy due to business reasons. My grandfather gave me all of them so, I am the new owner of these properties now. That includes that ce where my cousins are staying."


    "Are they aware of what happened?"


    "Yup. They knew it but since I''m not selfish, I gave it to them already."


    "You did? When?"


    "A week ago. It''s my wedding present for her. Instead of fighting over it, and since they lived in that ce for a long time, I''d rather give it to them. It has no sentimental value to me anyway."


    Cayenne just nodded her head without saying anything. It''s Stefan who owned it so he can do whatever he wanted with it. She was just d that she cares for his rtives even after what happened to him.


    "Stefan."


    "Hm?"


    "Are you close with your cousins?"


    Stefan thought for a while regarding her question. "I won''t say we''re close but we''re not stranger either. Before they were sent to Italy, we''ve been very good friends but we didn''t spend so much time as much as I spent with Alexander. ra forbid them to say me because I am an adopted son, as they say. Aunt Celestine, my father''s younger sister, was framed by ra for stealing some funds from thepany. My auntie had no idea how it happened but all the evidences were pointing at her. Because of that, grandfather sent them overseas instead of sending her to jail. I was still very young back then. And ever since they left, they never set foot in our city again ¨C not even once. My cousin, Julia, she kept in touch with me after Alexander''s death but she didn''t want to go back either. In fact, in this wedding, they only invited me toe. Over a week ago, grandfather knew the truth of what happened before and he wanted to bring auntie and her family back but they no longer want to do anything with him. In all these years, they''ve been neglected. We were all neglected."


    "Good for you, you still receive the inheritance after what happened."


    "Right." Stefan replied with a faint smile. "That is why, I want to give them some presents because I don''t need those riches. Having you by my side is more than enough for me. I am contented with the small business I own."


    The two of them acted all lovery-dovey once again, ignoring the feelings of their driver.


    After a long time of travel, from the airne to the car, Cayenne and Stefan finally arrived in Tuscany, Italy. The beauty of its ce was overwhelming and it was so peaceful and you can see green everywhere. The trees, the grass ¨C they''re all good for the eyes; and there were beautiful flowers everywhere.


    The driver drove the car for another half an hour before they arrived in front of a huge ck metal gate. The wall that surrounds the ce as its fence was covered with some creeper nts that she had no idea what it''s called. There was big flower garden and there was big fountain in the middle of the garden as well. On top of that, there was a huge Victorian-styled house erected in the middle of this fairy-tale like ce.


    "If some bad people know that I''m your wife, will I be abducted?" Cayenne asked Stefan while keeping her eyes to the huge mansion in front of her. It was bigger than his family''s mansion back in their city.


    Stefan pulled her hand and drew her closer to him. "You won''t be abducted. I''ll make sure that you''re safe and sound."


    "Thank you. I''ll be careful as well." She had no idea that the world she got into was very different to what she was expecting. She knew he''s rich but she didn''t know to what extent. Now, she found one of his properties and she''s extremely shocked. How much more once she knows everything?


    "Sir, I''ll be putting your luggage in the master bedroom." The butler informed them after putting all the luggage down on the porch.


    "Sure. Thanks Jeremy." Stefan responded before leading Cayenne inside the house. "Would you like to rest first or would you like to have a tour with me?"


    "Let''s take a rest first. I got so excited after setting foot in this country. I forgot the long ne ride we had and now, I''m feeling a bit dizzy."


    "Alright." Stefan agreed but to Cayenne''s surprise, he lifted her and carried her to the master bedroom like a princess. "Just let me carry you to our room. In that way, you won''t feel dizzy."


    "Thank you." Cayenne wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face on his chest, feeling the steady beating of his heart. "I like the sound of your heartbeat, it calms me."


    "Then listen to it for as long as you like."


    The butler opened the door for them to get inside the room when a loud noise from the living room startled all of them.


    "Stefan! Stefan! Where are you?" It was a woman''s voice. She sounded frantic but there was also joy and excitementced in her voice.


    "Who''s that?" Cayenne asked with expressionless face.

 Chapter 222 - CAYENNE WAS JEALOUS?

    <h4>Chapter 222 - CAYENNE WAS JEALOUS?</h4>


    Stefan stiffened when he heard that voice as well. He''s very familiar with it since he grew up listening to her. He didn''t expect that she''d be in Italy, too.


    "Can you give me a moment? I''ll check on the person outside." Stefanid her on the bed and kissed her forehead. "I''ll be right back."


    "Okay." Cayenne replied without making any fuss. ''So, what if it''s another woman? She can just give up because I''m married to him. Stefan would never betray me.'' Cayenne thought to herself while watching her man left to deal with his guest.


    Cayenne wanted to go out and see but she felt that eavesdropping won''t do her any good. She decided to just wait for him to exin.


    She waited for half an hour since he promised he''d be right back. Half an hour became one but Stefan didn''te back yet. She continued to wait. Instead of sleeping, she was bugged with anxiety from waiting. They arrived around 2 o''clock in the afternoon and now, when she was checking the time, it was almost 5 o''clock.


    "Did he just abandon me for a woman?" Cayenne whispered this question to herself. Her self confidence was slowly crumbling. "I might be his wife but not many people knew about it. If he divorced me and marry someone else, it won''t matter to anyone. They wouldn''t even know that Stefan married a second time." Her thoughts were slowly chipping her trust away. As the time went by, she couldn''t help but sigh. ''Alright. I may have promised that I''d never leave him but I also told him that I''d set him free if he likes someone else.''


    Cayenne tucked her head under the quilt and closed her eyes to sleep. ''I wish I''d never wake up after this.''


    Stefan came home around seven in the evening with a smile on his face. He was expecting to see Cayenne awake at this time but when he arrived, the house was quiet and the food in the dining table was left untouched. They were already cold.


    "Suli, did my wife look for me?"


    The head servant shook her head as she said, "She never came out of your room ever since you put her there. When I called her for dinner, she didn''t answer me, too. I had been checking on her every fifteen minutes but she wasn''t making any noise. The door is locked so, we cannot force our entry. Sorry, sir."


    "No need to apologize. I''ll just go and check on her. Can you ask Dani to make new dishes for dinner? Just three dishes, a rice and a soup would be fine. No need for extravagant meal for now."


    "Yes, sir."


    Stefan went upstairs and the door was indeed locked from the inside. He unlocked the door but it still won''t open, which means, Cayenne locked the door with thetches and the chain lock.


    "Ayen, it''s me. Can you open the door?"


    Cayenne was wide awake at this point but she didn''t open the door. She was out in the veranda, looking up into the dark sky, watching the twinkling stars and the bright moon.


    "Ayen, I''m home. Can you please open the door? I''m sorry I didn''t keep my promise." There was no response from her at all.


    Let with no choice, Stefan went to the guest room right beside the master bedroom and opened the huge closet. There was a small passage inside the closet which would be enough for a man to get in. He crawled and crawled, until he reached the other end. He removed the small wooden cover in front of him and got outside of the passage. Then, he stepped out of the wardrobe of the master bedroom.


    He didn''t find her on the bed and the bathroom was also open. He walked towards the veranda and there she was, looking so lost and broken.


    "Ayen." He called her name softly. She turned around to see him but she didn''t say anything. "Ayen, I''m sorry." There was no response from her. "I know I''m wrong for not keeping my promise. I told you that I''d be back right away but I didn''t." She didn''tment or even gave him a side nce. He hugged her from the back but she didn''t react at all. Even when he kissed her neck, she didn''t do anything at all.


    After almost five minutes of silence, Cayenne spoke. "I''m fine. You don''t have to be sorry at all. I''m sure something came up and you couldn''t get away from it. I understand."


    "You''re not angry?"


    "I''m not."


    "Why didn''t you open the door when I called you?"


    "I didn''t hear you."


    "Why didn''t you say anything when I was talking to you?"


    "I was listening."


    "Why didn''t you react when I hugged you and kissed you?"


    "I didn''t feel anything."


    Stefan was certain, his wife is angry. "I''m really sorry. I''ll make it up to you, okay? I''ll give you a tour tomorrow."


    "Okay."


    "Let''s go down and eat. I''m hungry."


    "I''m not hungry. You can go and eat by yourself. I don''t need to feed you, right?"


    "I want you to feed me."


    "Are you disable?"


    "Then, will you feed me if I''m disabled?" Stefan asked and was about to throw a punch on the wall to disable his hands.


    "You''re crazy." Cayenne muttered and pulled him away from the veranda to go downstairs.


    Stefan was happy that Cayenne was feeding him but he can tell that Cayenne was slowly giving up on their rtionship. ''Did she think I have rtionship with Sabrina? Is she jealous?'' Stefan frowned at thest question and dismissed it. ''There''s no way she''d be jealous. She wasn''t even jealous when I gave the phone, which was meant for her, to someone else. But what if she''s really jealous?''


    Stefan couldn''t help but smile knowing that his wife was jealous. If his guess was true then, he just experience what she''s like when she''s jealous because of some other woman.

 Chapter 223 - SABRINA

    <h4>Chapter 223 - SABRINA</h4>


    The next morning, Stefan woke up with a smile on his face. Cayenne may have been angryst night but the two of them still hugged each other to sleep. Right this moment, she was sleeping in his arms.


    "Good morning, Ayen." Stefan kissed the corner of her lips. "Rise and Shine. We''re having a tour today."


    Cayenne stirred for a moment, opened her eyes and when she saw it''s him, she turned around and went back to sleep again.


    "Wifey, are you still angry?"


    "Shut up! I''m sleepy." Cayenne covered her ears with her hands while shutting her eyes tightly. "If you want to go on a tour, go by yourself. I''m not interested."


    "I see. I''ll just go with Sabrina. Stay here today." Stefan deliberately provoked her but Cayenne didn''t say anything against him. She even agreed to him.


    "Go and have fun. I''ll behave here. Don''t worry, you won''t lose face because of me."


    "Ayen, are you fine with your husband going out with some other woman?"


    Cayenne removed the quilt abruptly and sat on the bed. "So, you still remember that you are someone''s husband? Then, why are you going out with another woman?"


    "Because you don''t want to go with me."


    "Even if that''s the case, you''re not allowed to go out with another woman! You can find a man and go out with him!" She red at him angrily but Stefan onlyughed at her. "Why are youughing? Are you insane?"


    "It''s just, you are so cute when you get jealous." Stefan replied and pulled her for a warm hug.


    "I''m not jealous."


    "Then, why are you angry?"


    "Because I don''t want to be cheated."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t cheat."


    "Whatever." Cayenne bit her lower lip and buried her face on his chest.


    "Ayen, no matter what happens, no matter what you see or hear, please believe in me. I won''t hurt you."


    "Okay."


    Stefan knew that she said ''okay'' but, he also knew that she''s got too little faith in him. If he makes another mistake, her trust willpletely crumble and things would be bad. He needed to be very careful with the people around him. They might plot something against him just to get what they want.


    Cayenne and Stefan dressed up and went downstairs to have breakfast. After eating, they toured around the house wherein, Cayenne found out that there were two houses buildings. The front was therge Victorian house and at the back, there was another garden and fountain with lush pine trees and flowers. Then, another house was built for the workers.


    They didn''t go to the smaller house since it was where the servants stayed. They just explored therge mansion. There was a game room where you can y billiard, board games, darts, and other indoor games. There was a gym and an indoor pool. There was a study room with so many books and there were three guest rooms.


    After the house tour, Stefan and Cayenne went to the living room to take a short rest. They were nning to go out and explore Tuscany and have lunch in one of the Italian restaurants that they could find.


    Just as they were about to go out, someone came inside and she was about to hug Stefan.


    Perhaps it was from displeasure and surprise, Cayenne moved quickly and pulled Stefan to her side. The woman hugged an empty air instead.


    "What are you doing?" The woman asked Cayenne with her raised eyebrow. She looked really annoyed with what Cayenne did but Cayenne didn''t back down either.


    "Shouldn''t I be asking you that question? Where you nning to hug my husband?"


    "Your husband? Don''t be ridiculous, Stefan isn''t married?"


    Cayenne looked towards Stefan but he didn''t say anything. He didn''t try to help her out or confirm her words about marriage. "Alright. I''m just joking miss. You can have him." She pushed Stefan towards the woman and walked out the door herself.


    "Stefan, I think we went overboard." Sabrina whispered while watching Cayenne go. "You should have at least confirmed to me that she''s your wife. If things go wrong, I''m not at fault here."


    "She''ll be fine. I want her to make the decision of going out to public with our rtionship."


    "But you know what, I think you will lose her instead of your marriage being known." Sabrinamented. "Anyway, I''m just ying along with you."


    The two of them went out and followed Cayenne. She was already sitting at the back of the car. "Thank you for leaving the front seat for me." Sabrinamented and got inside the car.


    "You''re wee." Cayenne smiled faintly at her before looking outside the car once again. She had no idea where they went to and what ce they were talking about. When they asked her a question she''ll just answer yes or no. She didn''t join in with their conversation, just keeping things to herself. ''If I had known this would happen, I would never agree to this trip.''


    When they stopped in some beautiful ces, she''d take a picture of them and send it to her brothers. She likes showing them the ces she went to even though she had no idea where she was.


    After two hours, of traveling and stopping for sight seeing and picture taking, they found a ce to eat and rx. Cayenne was still silent but from time to time, she would smile while holding her phone. She was chatting with her brothers during their vacant time. Sometimes, she''d chat with Luna.


    "Who are you chatting with?" Stefan asked while trying to look at her phone. And that''s when he noticed that something was missing. "Where''s the cover of your phone?"


    "I threw it away. I found it¡­disgusting." Cayenne replied with a smile on her lips. ''He just promised he won''t hurt me but not even a day has passed and here he is, hooking up with someone right in front of me. He didn''t even confirm our marriage to her. She must be someone he likes which was why he can''t divulge our marriage.''


    While Cayenne was lost in her own thoughts, Stefan was devastated.


    "I told you so." Sabrina whispered to him.

 Chapter 224 - A LITTLE PUSH WAS ALL HE NEEDED

    <h4>Chapter 224 - A LITTLE PUSH WAS ALL HE NEEDED</h4>


    Because Stefan wasn''t in a good mood after what Cayenne said, the three of them went home instead of continuing the trip. Cayenne didn''t say anything to him on their way home and she didn''t even nce at him.


    "I''lle back some other day." Sabrina kissed Stefan''s right cheek but Cayenne didn''t even react to that. She got out of the car first before Stefan and Sabrina could. "Tsk! I don''t want to do this anymore." Sabrina pushed Stefan away and looked at the straight and proud back of Stefan''s wife.


    "Alright. Let''s stop this. I don''t think she''ll ever forgive me for doing this."


    "I''m d that you''re aware of that. Anyway, if you need help exining things to her, just give me a call." Sabrina got out of the car and went to her own car to drive away from his home.


    Stefan asked the butler to park the car and he went to find his wife as soon as possible. She''s not in their room. "Ayen? Where are you?"


    Cayenne was at the back garden, enjoying the afternoon breeze of the wind and appreciating the wonderful view in front of her. She heard Stefan calling for her name but she didn''t answer to him. ''Hmp! This idiot! How dare he look for me after what he did? So annoying!'' She thought to herself while trying to pluck a beautiful red rose.


    "Ayen." Stefan found her and the sound of his voice startled her which made the thorn of the flower pricked her and blood started oozing out of her finger. "I''m sorry. Are you hurt?"


    Cayenne held her skirt to stop the flow of the blood. There''s no way she''d let him see it. "I''m fine. I''m not hurt."


    "Oh." Stefan noticed her little action and immediately took her hand. "So, this doesn''t hurt you?"


    "Compared to what you did, this little prick is nothing. Anyway, stop looking for me. I don''t want to see your face. You''re so annoying." She yanked her hand back and walked away from him.


    "Ayen, I want you to tell the world that we''re married." Stefan yelled at the top of his lungs to let her hear the words of his heart. Cayenne stopped and turned back to face him. Her deep frown was already a sign that she''s even more annoyed at him. "I want the public to know about us. I want them to know that you''re taken and you are mine."


    "Are you serious?" Cayenne questioned with faintughter. "Stefan, do you want me to be aughing stock? Who would believe my words? Didn''t you just see it with your own eyes? The girl who came here, I forgot her name, she didn''t believe my words. Do you want them to think that I''m insane? Who would believe that a poor girl like me will be married to you? At most, if they would believe it, they would think I married you for money."


    Stefan shuffled his feet while looking at her with gentle eyes. "Sabrina knew that you''re my wife."


    "She knew? Haha." Cayenne''sughter was empty. And the way she looked was mocking. For sure, she was mocking herself. "Did you just try testing me?"


    "No, it''s not like that." Stefan approached her as soon as possible but before he could hold her, Cayenne pushed him back. "Ayen, I was just trying to see if you would have the determination to tell them that I am yours. During the wedding, many people will attend the wedding and many of them would want me to marry their daughters. Sabrina''s family was just one of them. I''m d that Sabrina didn''t hold the same feeling as her parents and they knew that I''m married."


    "Stefan, our words don''t hold the same weight when ites to this kind of matter. Anyway, you''re powerful and you can refuse marriage if you want to, without mentioning my existence in your life. Deal with it, I don''t want to get involved in the affairs of the riches. If you will tell them that I''m your wife, I won''t go against you. If you won''t, I don''t mind either. Just spare my heart from the pain." Cayenne left after saying these words.


    And since she had her back facing him, she didn''t see the wide smile on Stefan''s lips. That''s what he needed. A little push from her for him to announce to the world that he''s married.


    Stefan called Sabrina to help him with Cayenne at the same time, nning what he can do for the public to know about his marriage. It won''t be that troublesome since they''re in Italy. Italians don''t gossip that much and they don''t likes posting information that don''t rted to them. So, announcing his marriage to these people won''t affect Cayenne back in City A.


    That night, Cayenne didn''t sleep in the master bedroom with him. She just took a shower, dressed herself and went to sleep in the guest room next to his. She made sure to lock the door before going to sleep. She didn''t want to think about Stefan or what happened in the afternoon. She didn''t want to think about her marriage with him. If possible, she''d want to have her mind empty from any kind of thoughts.


    In the middle of the night, Stefan came out from the wardrobe and slept beside his wife. Cayenne was so tired she didn''t know that someone came to her room. And she was confident with the locks.


    "Mm." She moaned happily and moved closer to the source of warmness beside her. She hugged Stefan and pressed her face to his chest.


    "Good night my sweet little wife." Stefan whispered and kissed the top of her head. He also closed his eyes and went to sleep with her in his arms.


    When the sun greeted the day with its warmth, Cayenne rubbed her eyes while trying to register where she''s at. Stefan was sleeping next to her. His sleeping face was as handsome as ever.


    "Eh? How did you get here?"

 Chapter 225 - NO KISS, STILL MADE UP

    <h4>Chapter 225 - NO KISS, STILL MADE UP</h4>


    Even though she was still a little upset with what happened yesterday, Cayenne wasn''t so heartless as to wake up her husband. She just watched him sleep while contemting what she should do. In all honesty, she wanted to tell the people who would covet him and she''s married to him. However, she was also afraid that Stefan won''t acknowledge her statement in front of everyone just like what he did in front of Sabrina yesterday.


    Cayenne sighed as he removed the quilt from her. She covered her husband with it before going out of the room to take a shower in the master bedroom.


    The moment she left, Stefan also woke up. Instead of getting out of bed to follow her, he just stayed in bed while staring at the ceiling above him. ''I won''t let you go no matter what happens. Ayen, I will tell the world that you are mine and no one shall touch you aside from me.'' With this thought in mind, he rose to his feet to look for his wife.


    When Cayenne walked out of the bathroom, Stefan was already inside the master bedroom, sitting on the bed with a foolish smile on his lips. "Ayen, did you really throw the phone case yesterday? You must be joking right?"


    "It wasn''t a joke." Cayenne replied tly while looking for the hair blower.


    "Then, what is this?" Stefan pulled something out from his pocket and it was the phone case that Cayenne said she threw out. "You said you threw this but I found it inside your bag."


    "I didn''t say I throw it in the garbage or outside the house. I just said I threw it."


    "So, you threw it inside your bag?"


    "Uh huh. Witty, aren''t I? Did I scare you or did I anger you?" Cayenne asked as she reached out her hand to get her phone case back. "Next time, when I get really pissed off, I won''t throw the case. I will really throw you out of my life."


    "I''m sorry, wifey. I know I have gone overboard yesterday. It won''t happen again." Stefan wanted to kiss her face but Cayenne covered his mouth before he can do it. "No kisses for me?"


    "No. I haven''t forgiven you yet." Cayenne walked away from him and ced her case back to her phone.


    "Yesterday, you said you find the case disgusting." Stefan talked again which made Cayenne raised her eyebrow.


    She just watched him through the vanity mirror while drying her hair. "I didn''t want to say that but when I saw you flirting with that woman, the word just came out of my mouth."


    "I wasn''t flirting with her. We were just talking."


    "Yeah, right. Whatever." Cayenne didn''t pay attention to him anymore. Just recalling what had happened yesterday would blow her mind of and she felt so annoyed even just the thought of it. "Stop talking about yesterday. It annoys me."


    "Yes, ma''am." Stefan even made a salute to her like a soldier but Cayenne just rolled her eyes at him. "Don''t go somewhere yet. Wait for me to finish taking a shower."


    "Go. I don''t care."


    "My wife is really adorable when feeling jealous." Stefanmented while giving her head a gentle pat. "I won''t make you jealous anymore. I promise."


    "Tsk! Go away. Stop making promises that you can''t even keep." She elbowed him to push him away but Stefan was very quick to avoid it.


    With his fadingughter, he walked towards the bathroom with a smile. He sessfully made her jealous so, he was going to make a surprise for her on his cousin''s wedding night.


    After taking a bath, Stefan put on his clothes which matches what Cayenne was wearing. The two of them went downstairs for breakfast but this time, Stefan didn''t ask the chef to cook for them. He decided to cook for her.


    "Even if you cook for me, I still won''t forgive you for yesterday." Cayenne muttered while following him to the kitchen.


    "I''m not doing this to earn your forgiveness. It''s been a long time since Ist cooked for you. I wanted to do it whenever I can."


    "Suit yourself." Cayenne responded while pouring herself a ss of water.


    "What do you want to eat? I''ll cook it for you."


    "Anything''s fine."


    "Okay. I''ll just cook your favorite dishes." Stefan opened the fridge to get all the ingredients he needed and ced them on the table. Cayenne was just sitting, watching him do his thing. "It will be smoky in here so you can stay in the living room while I''m cooking."


    "I want to watch you." Cayenne mumbled. "Who knows, someone might show up and take you away while cooking."


    "Silly." Stefan chuckled as he put the met on a ss bowl. "I won''t let anyone take me away from you but, if you want to take me away, I don''t mind. I wille with you willingly."


    "Why should I take you away? You''re mine already." Cayenne blurted out without thinking. These words, she never said these to him. "I mean, yeah, you are mine. After all, you married me. And don''t forget, it was you who proposed to me. If you cheat on me, I will hack you to pieces."


    "Then, you won''t have the chance to hack me because I will never cheat on you." Stefan replied with a gentle gaze on her. "I have broken several promises to you but I assure you, cheating will never appear in my vocabry."


    "You should remember that." Cayenne replied defiantly. Her arms were crossed over her chest while she looked away from him. ''Instead of giving up, I will fight for my love. As long as you fight for me, too.'' Cayenne thought to herself before returning his gaze to her husband. "You''re very annoying to make me jealous, you know."


    "I''m d that I have seeded."


    "And what if I decided to break up with you?"


    "You can decide but I won''t agree so, there''s no point in that matter. I won''t break up with you or divorce you. You will only be my wife for the rest of my life."


    "Fine. I forgive you for yesterday."


    Women''s mood really changes almost every second of their lives. But that makes them special. If you love them, you would understand what changes their mood and how to pacify them. You don''t get angry when she''s angry. If it''s your fault, apologize to your woman. If it''s her fault, take the me and apologize again. A happy wife is a happy life.

 Chapter 226 - SABRINAS APOLOGY

    <h4>Chapter 226 - SABRINA''S APOLOGY</h4>


    In the afternoon, Cayenne was reading a book under the tree in the garden when a car honked from the outside of the gate. The butler opened the gate as soon as possible and Sabrina drove the car inside the property.


    She saw Cayenne reading a book under the tree so she walked towards her.


    "If you''re looking for Stefan, he''s in the kitchen, making some afternoon snacks." Cayenne stated without even looking at the visitor. She hates her so she won''t y nice with her.


    "I came to talk to you." Sabrina replied and sat on the ground next to Cayenne.


    "If you are here to ask me to leave him, sorry that won''t happen." Cayenne was very direct. She didn''t even bother with any pleasantries.


    "Is that what you think of me?"


    "My opinion shouldn''t matter to you. What matters is how you think of yourself. At the end of the day, it''s your life. You live with it, not me."


    "I like you." Sabrina blurted out and hugged Cayenne. "You are so honest."


    "I don''t like you. Get off me."? Cayenne tried pushing the girl away from her. She didn''t even know her and she hadn''t forgotten what happened yesterday. There''s no way she could y nice in front of her.


    Sabrina fixed her clothes and sat quietly beside Cayenne. The silencested for five minutes before she spoke again. "I know you''re Stefan''s wife."


    "So?"


    "I apologize for yesterday. And I swear, may the lightning hits me if I''m lying, I won''t ever go along with his ns to make you jealous and make your marriage public. Stefan just really wanted to see you tell people that you are his wife. He wanted to see your proud look and he wanted to know that you won''t find anyone else better than him. There was no intention of cheating or looking for another woman to rece you."


    "I know." Cayenne replied without lifting her head to face the woman beside her. "He told me everything. But me, telling the world of our marriage, that''s not going to happen. Who will believe my words? People will only think that I''m delusional. Anyway, I''m fine with our marriage being a secret."


    "You just said that other people''s opinion shouldn''t matter so, why are you thinking too much of what they would think about you?"


    "It doesn''t matter to me but it will tarnish Stefan''s name. I don''t want any negative opinion to be said about him."


    "You really care for him, don''t you?"


    "Why are you asking me that question? Did you also think that I married him for money?"


    Sabrina waved her hands frantically in front of her. "No, that''s not what I mean. It urred to me that you really care about him and not his wealth or his connections. If he married other women, I think he will be used as their stepping stone. They would unt to the world that they conquered his heart. But in your case, you wanted to keep everything a secret. That''s very sweet."


    Cayenne smiled faintly and closed the book in her hand. "Thank you for going along with my husband''s stupid n. I know that you''re not at fault but remembering what happened yesterday, it really annoys me. Anyway, I don''t hold grudge to anyone. So, rest assured, I don''t hate you."


    "Thank you." Sabrina stood up and reached out her hand to help Cayenne up. "Shall we get inside? It''s not good to stay too long under the sun."


    "You''re right." Cayenne agreed and the two of them went inside the house. Stefan just finished baking the cookies and instead of tea, he served it with milk for Cayenne.


    "What about me?" Sabrina asked as she watched how attentive the man was to his wife.


    "I didn''t know you woulde. I only baked for my wife. Go and make your own cookies and serve yourself."


    "Hey! Is this how you thank your savior?" Sabrina eximed and throw him a soft pillow. "You are so mean after getting a wife. I shouldn''t have told her the truth, you idiot!"


    "Even if you didn''t tell her, my wife knows it already." Stefan stuck out her tongue at her like a little child fighting over a toy. "My wife trusts me the most."


    "Hmp! I''ll make my own cookies and I will never ever give you, even a little bit of crumbles from it."


    "My wife knows how to make it, too. I won''t ask them from you."


    Sabrina couldn''t believe that Stefan could be so childish. In her memory, he was always cold and serious. He would only smile andugh around Alexander. Although he yed with her and his cousin when they were young, he didn''t show any emotions.


    Cayenne can''t stop smiling as well. She prepared another te of cookies for Sabrina and a cup of tea. Stefan was sulking that she gave some of the cookies away, to make up for it, Cayenne gave him a quick kiss on the corner of his lips. "Stop sulking."


    Seeing them doing good, Sabrina sighed a breath of relief. "By the way, I know this topic is a bit sensitive but I heard about Alexander and his family. How are you holding up?"


    "I''m good." Stefan replied with a dull tone. "Alex would still remain my brother even if we''re not rted by blood. He''d been so good to me and he cared for me, knowing that I am not rted to him. Whatever scandal his family had, it won''t matter to how I look up to him. And besides, Cayenne''s with me. She helped me a lot during those horrible days."


    "I''m d you found your happiness. You must treasure her, Stefan. You would regret it if you can''t hold on to her. And don''t n those stupid things again. You won''t be sessful." Sabrina throw these words out to him.


    "I am very aware of that fact." Stefan replied as he intertwined his fingers with Cayenne''s. "She''s the world to me." He told Sabrina and ced a kiss on Cayenne''s ring finger. Today, she decided to wear the ring and she will wear it until the dayes for them to go home.


    "Geez! Stop being lovey-dovey in front of me."

 Chapter 227 - LATE NIGHT TALK

    <h4>Chapter 227 - LATE NIGHT TALK</h4>


    Sabrina just ignored the lovebird''s intimacy in front of her. It was her fault foring to their nest so, she had to put up with the dog food their disying.


    "By the way, do you guys have any ns for tomorrow? My friends and I were nning to go and have trip in Venice. It''s been a while since we had time to shop."


    "That coincides with our n." Cayenne replied to her. "Stefan and I was nning to go there tomorrow."


    "Would you guys want to go there together?" Sabrina asked a suggestion. She wanted to spend more time with Cayenne but she was worried about disturbing their date as well.


    "That would be fine. We''ll be staying there for four days so, I don''t mind you disturbing my date for a day." Stefan responded which made Sabrina roll her eyes at him. Whenever he can, he will unt his love in front of her.


    After having an afternoon tea time with Cayenne and Stefan, Sabrina left and called her friends about their n. She also informed them that a special guest will be joining them as well. However, she didn''t tell them about Cayenne''s identity.


    During dinner, Stefan and Cayenne ate their food at the back garden. It was a candlelit dinner that Stefan prepared with the help of his butler and chef. He needed to make it up to her, after, she''s been giving her so much stress in the past few days.


    "This is for you." Stefan gave her a bouquet of red roses. "I picked them and arranged them myself. I hope you like it."


    Cayenne received the flowers with a bright smile and kissed his lips. "I love it. Thank you."


    He pulled the chair for her and after making sure that she''sfortable enough, he walked to the opposite side and sat on his chair. Since they''re in Italy, he prepared her some Italian dishes like Linguine Alle Vongole, Lasagna, Grilled Tuscan Steak and other side dishes. And to top it all, a wine should never be missing.


    "Why did you prepare this kind of dinner? We could just eat normally in the dining room." Cayennemented in wonder.


    "I have been causing you so much trouble even though I was nning to make this a romantic and a memorable trip. Sometimes, my brain would just tell me to do some naughty things and I ended up hurting you. So, I want to make it up to you."


    "I see. Well, thank you for doing this. At the same time, you don''t have to do this much next time. Just stay with me and everything will be alright. Being with you is romantic and memorable for me, regardless of the ce."


    Stefan smiled and reached out for her hand across the table. He linked their hands together while giving her a gentle gaze. "I love you, my Cayenne Ardolf Dumrique."


    "I love you, too, my dear husband." Cayenne raised their hands and she kissed the back of his palm. Usually, it would be Stefan who would do this but she wanted to be in equal footing with him. If he can do it, so can she.


    They talked about trivial matter during dinner and while she was busy eating, Stefan took the chance to take picture of her. Although he couldn''t show her face, showing her hand holding his was enough. He posted it in his timeline which made people ogle on this news again. It''s been a while but still had no idea who was Stefan''s girlfriend.


    ''Being with you is romantic enough for me.'' Stefan ced this caption together with the picture. He also added some pictures that he took secretly when they left yesterday. All of them were showing her back or a little bit of the side of her face. He made sure that all angles won''t give away her identity.


    "So sweet."


    "I want to have a candlelit dinner, too."


    "Look at those roses! It''s really beautiful."


    "I am still curious with the identity of the girl."


    "I agree. I am still wondering who''s the girl this time."


    "I can see that he''s serious. It''s been a long time and I am seeing this girl in all of his posts."


    "Hopefully, this will be thest girl."


    "They''re having Italian dishes. Did they asked an Italian chef or did they go to Italy?" Among all thements, Stefan only replied to thisment. ''Italy.'' This was what he ced which garnered a lot of attention from other people.


    Kyle and Luiz had been paying attention to Stefan and Cayenne. They wanted to know what they''re doing and if they''re fine. After all, their sister was away from them. Seeing Stefan''s post, Kyle was happy that his sister was being taken cared of. He had no idea that Cayenne had been through something stressful in the past few days.


    Luiz gave this post a heart but he didn''t leave anyment. He didn''t want anyone to know that they''re close ¨C very close.


    While some people were still specting, some got ideas of who was the girlfriend but they couldn''t prove it. In Stefan''s picture, Cayenne was taking selfies and some pictures of the scenery. Yesterday afternoon, Cayenne posted some pictures on her timeline and somehow, the scenery where Stefan took pictures and where she took pictures, were the same.


    But given that they don''t have proof, they couldn''t really say that Cayenne and Stefan were in a rtionship. They thought that it might just be a coincidence that the two of them were in the same ce.


    But you know what, sometimes, gut feeling could be true. It''s just up to you if you want to believe it or not.


    Back in Italy, Cayenne and Stefan finished their dinner within an hour. After dinner, the two of them showered together. Stefan didn''t do anything this time. He was well-behaved and just helped her bath. This time, Cayenne didn''t sleep in the guest room. Under the view of the lovely moon, the two of them cuddled each other to sleep.


    "How did you get inside the master bedroom when I locked it? Also, you were able to get in the guest room even though I made sure that the locks were in ce." Cayenne whispered while drawing circles on his back. "Did you have some secret ways to unlock your door locks here?"


    "Nope. But I have a way to get inside." Stefan whispered back while running his fingers through her hair. "There are secret passages to get to this room and to the guest room beside this."


    "Really? You must be kidding me. Why do you put some secret tunnels leading to this room?"


    "It''s because my grandfather and grandmother often fought when my grandma was still alive. When she''s angry, she would use the guest room to sleep the night away. My grandfather thought of connecting the master bedroom to the guest room through a tunnel. In that way, when she''s asleep, he cane and find her."


    "Just like what you did." Cayenne stated tly. "How did you know about these passages? You weren''t close with your family back then, right?"


    "I wasn''t close with them but I''ve been thrice when I was still a kid. My grandmother likes me so much and she always reminded my grandfather that even if I can''t have other things, this house must be given to me. She showed me the passages back then. I never thought that everything would end up in my hands."


    "Did you ever think of getting this wealth when you were young?"


    "Nope." Stefan shifted his gaze and looked at the ceiling instead. "When I left, I swore to destroy them and then I realized that even though they didn''t love me, they still raised me for several years. So, I gave up on the idea of destroying them. I am contented with my life without their support. I am happy with all the achievements I got. But since they gave them to me, I decided to take care of this wealth. Our children will need them in the future."


    "I thought you didn''t want me to have a child."


    "We can adopt." Stefan replied almost instantly. "We can adopt an infant and raise it like our own."


    "But what if I get pregnant?" Cayenne challenged him. "What will you do? Will you ask me to abort it just because you don''t want me to give birth?"


    "Hell, no!" Stefan eximed. "If you really want a child, we can have one. I can allow you to have one child. No more than that. It''s scary to think of the hellish pain you''ll have to go through for the baby."


    "Silly." Cayenne chuckled at his response. "Giving birth to a child won''t hurt all the time. There are some exercises that I can do to make it less painful and besides, if it''s too much, we can always go for CS. But I still think normal delivery is better."


    "Alright. We''ll think about having children when you''re twenty-five. You''re still young, there''s no need to hurry on this matter."


    "But what if I want a child before I turn twenty-five?"


    Stefan turned his head and looked straight into her eyes. "My wife, are you testing my control tonight?"


    "Alright. Twenty- five it is. Let''s not do anything until I turn twenty-five, then."

 Chapter 228 - DONT LIKE CAYENNE

    <h4>Chapter 228 - DON''T LIKE CAYENNE</h4>


    Stefan and Cayenne slept peacefully that night. No argument, no jealousy and whatever negative feelings that may affect their rtionship. They were just happy being with each other.


    And ording to their n, the next day, Stefan woke up early and prepared the things they will be needing for a trip to Venice. It''s quite far from Tuscany and Stefan was nning to show her around the town while waiting for his cousin''s wedding. He asked the chef to cook Cayenne''s favorite dishes for breakfast while his queen was still asleep.


    It was still six in the morning so, Stefan wasn''t in a hurry. He was working as quiet as he could to prevent her from waking up so early. He packed some of her clothes and other important things to make sure that she won''t be worried about itter. As for the other things that she might needter, Stefan thought of bringing her to some shops so that they can shop for some things together.


    Half an hourter, Cayenne woke up. She rubbed her eyes while looking around her surroundings. ''Right. I''m in Italy right now.'' She reminded herself as she got out of bed. "Stefan?" She called for his name when she went out of the room. Not to disappoint her, Stefan was easily found in the living room, arranging their things to make sure that he can grab it easilyter.


    Stefan raised his head to the sound of her voice and found Cayenne walking down the stairs towards her. "Morning, love." He kissed her lips and her forehead.


    "Good morning, my dear husband. Why are you up so early? I thought we''d leave around ten." Cayenne questioned as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Don''t leave the room when I''m not awake yet. If you have to do something and must leave, you should wake me up to let me know or at least, leave some notes for me. I feel insecure when I couldn''t find you."


    "Alright. I''ll do that next time, ''kay?"


    "Hn. Love you." Cayenne gave him a peck on his lips before letting him go. "Did you also pack my things?"


    "Yup. I packed them first before I packed mine."


    "Thank you."


    "You are most wee."


    The two of them flirted for a little while but it was cut off since it was time for breakfast. The chef prepared a sumptuous meal for them since they''d be gone for a little while.


    Cayenne loved the dishes so much and she ate a lot in the morning. Even so, Stefan still asked the chef to prepare some sandwiches for Cayenne to eat on their way to Venice. ''It would be great if my little Queen be a little plump." Stefan thought to himself. He loved Cayenne despite her status and appearance but he was a bit worried for her because she was little skinny. She didn''t want other people to think that he''s starved his wife.


    Around nine in the morning, Stefan and Cayenne left the house in order to go to Venice. Sabrina already informed them and gave them the address of the ce where they would meetter.


    They were nning to have lunch together.


    "Sabrina, who''sing to join us during lunch?" one of the Sabrina''s friends asked her. They were currently sitting inside a small caf¨¦ to take a break from all the shopping they did.


    "My friends nned to be here in Venice and I will show them around."


    "I see." They didn''t say much about it and Sabrina didn''t open up as well. She''d answer if she''s being asked but she won''t voluntarily offer the information.


    They waited for Stefan and Cayenne together while talking over some clothes and other items that they were nning to take a look in the afternoon.


    After waiting for so long, the people they were waiting for finally arrived. They took a little bit more time because they check-in to their booked hotel first beforeing out to find Sabrina. Although they were expecting to see her with some friends, Cayenne was still a bit shy when she finally met them.


    Sabrina''s friends were all Italians. They all looked towards her as if evaluating the kind of person she was.


    "Cayenne." Sabrina smiled as greeted them. "I''m d you made it here safely. Let me introduce you to my friends." She stood up from her seat and held Cayenne''s hands while pointing to her friends. "The one with the red hair is Maribeth. This woman with a wavy ck hair is Suzanne. And the man who keeps eating, ignoring us girls, is named Diego."


    "Hello. Nice to meet you, all." Cayenne greeted them politely and everyone smiled back to her except for Diego.


    "So, they''re my important guests now." Sabrina stated. "This is Cayenne and this is Stefan."


    The moment they heard Stefan''s name, Cayenne noticed the subtle changes of their expression. She knew that they all knew about Stefan even before they met him.


    Stefan, on the other hand, looked towards everyone emotionlessly. He could tell that Sabrina''s friends didn''t like Cayenne. And whoever dislikes his wife, he won''t be polite to them either. In order to be friends with him, you have to be friends with his wife and treat his wife sincerely first.? She''s like the gate pass to be connected with him.


    Instead of being led by them, Stefan suggested a restaurant for them to have lunch together. He specifically chose an expensive restaurant to dine. For him, money is not an issue.


    "Sabrina," Maribeth approached her on her left and whispered, "that Stefan, is he the same Stefan that you''ve been talking about ever since you were young?"


    "Hn. That''s him."


    "And who''s that girl with him?" Suzanne asked from her right side. "Is she his girlfriend?"


    "Why don''t you ask him? Stefan doesn''t like people prying over his life matter. Don''t let him hear you asking me these questions." Sabrina retorted while keeping her eyes on the couple, walking not far from them.


    "But you like him, right? In the years that we''ve been together, I have never seen you so happy talking about someone else." Maribeth added.


    "Correct. Are you just going to give up? Aren''t you friends with his cousin? Why don''t you ask her to create some opportunities for the two of you?" Suzannemented on the side.


    "Stop it. I don''t want to be a third party in his rtionship. If he''s happy, I''m happy for him." Sabrina answered in all seriousness. "Stop talking nonsense now. I am good friends with Cayenne and she''s lovely. I don''t want to hurt her."


    "Whatever." Suzanne rolled her eyes and signaled Maribeth with something through eye contact. She stayed back for several steps and walked alongside with Diego. "Do you want to help Cayenne achieve her happiness?"


    "Of course. She saved me once and now, I want her to be happy, Whatever and whoever can make her happy, I''ll make sure to get it for her."


    "Sabrina didn''t save you in vain." Suzannemented with a chuckle. "Let''s discuss this matterter."


    The six of them continued to walk in pairs. Sometimes, Stefan would stop whenever he found a nice ce and he would take a picture of Cayenne twice or thrice. In fact, in his gallery, if you could open his phone, you would see that Cayenne took up most of the storage space of his phone.


    They arrived in a ce where throng of peoplee and go from all directions. It was the busiest ce in Venice and it was also the ce where on could easily get lost.


    "Let''s do it hereter." Suzanne whispered to Diego. As long as no one knows about what they''re nning to do, Stefan won''t me them or Sabrina. They weren''t really nning to harm Cayenne, just making her a lost puppy for a little while.


    Stefan and the people behind him got inside a fancy and expensive restaurant for lunch. Stefan was very attentive to Cayenne and he ignored the other people around him, including Sabrina. He didn''t like her friends so, he wasn''t ying nice with her as well.


    "I can feed myself." Cayenne whispered when Stefan started feeding her food.


    "I want to feed you. What can people do about it? I want to spoil you so much so that you won''t leave me anymore."


    Cayenne smiled and lightly pinched his cheek for sulking in front of her. "Fine. If you want to feed me then, I can only feed you."


    They flirted regardless of the ce and the people they were with. And this made Stefan very happy. He was so ted that Cayenne was publicly showing her affection for him.


    "Ahem! Ahem!." Maribeth coughed drily to get their attention but Stefan yed dumb instead.


    "It''s not polite to cough when everyone''s eating. You should excuse yourself and go to thefort room." Stefan stated without batting an eyelid. This embarrassed the woman, putting her in an awkward position since there were some other diners inside the restaurant.


    ''Hmp! As if I can''t see how you''re discriminating my wife with your eyes. You should be thankful that I didn''t gouge it out from your socket.''

 Chapter 229 - SABRINAS CHOICE

    <h4>Chapter 229 - SABRINA''S CHOICE</h4>


    After that small episode during lunch, Sabrina''s friends started being nice with Cayenne. But Stefan could see how fake they were. Not just him, even Cayenne could tell that they weren''t genuinely making friends with her. She didn''t care though. As long as Stefan''s with her, she won''t be bothered with fake people like them.


    Stefan and Cayenne were inseparable. Wherever Cayenne went, Stefan would always hold her hand to make sure that she won''t be lost. Suzanne and Diego''s attempt to separate the two of them was futile. Not only was Stefan was holding her hand, he was half-hugging her, two bodies pressed together by their sides where no one can pass between them.


    From time to time, they would talk andugh together which made the other four people look like their chaperones. Cayenne didn''t really want to buy so much but Stefan loved to unt his love for her. He wanted the people to know how much he spoils her.


    In a women''s store, Stefan was sitting on a couch while Cayenne tried a lot of clothes. He chose the clothes himself as well.


    "Do I look god in this?" Cayenne asked while wearing a red tube body fit dress. It showed her sexy shape and her sexy corbones.


    "No, you don''t look good in that. Change."


    Cayenne went inside the fitting room and changed it with a blue spaghetti-strapped dress which was two inches above her knees. "How about this?"


    "No. It''s not good. Another one." Stefanmented while covering his mouth with his fist. He was blushing and he didn''t want her wife to see it.


    Cayenne changed into different kinds of clothes until Stefan agreed with one item. It was a white long-sleeved dress which was one inch below her knees. The neckline was a little bit high but it still showed her corbones. Nheless, Stefan didn''t make a fuss over it.


    "What about this now?" Cayenne asked with her hands on her hips. "I don''t want to change anymore." Sheined as she walked to sit beside him. She didn''t even make a turn in front of him to show how she really looked in it.


    "Alright. We''ll take this." Stefan replied with a cheeky smile. "Wrap everything that she put on earlier as well."


    "Huh?" Cayenne turned her head to face him with a clear surprise on her face. "You said that I don''t look good in them. Why are you buying useless things?"


    "It won''t look good if you''re in public but it''s good in front of me." Stefan responded which made her blush.


    "I¡­I¡­I''ll go and change now." Cayenne stated and stood up. When she walked with her back facing him, Stefan''s eyes went wide. It was because, the back of the dress was actually bare down to the lower base of her spine.


    ''God! That was sexy.'' Stefan thought and hurriedly calmed himself before he would make a fool of himself in front of everyone.


    Sabrina and her friends were also buying clothes from the same store as them but they didn''t use the same VIP room as Stefan. He didn''t want to let anyone see his wife changing into different clothes. He wanted such moment to be theirs alone.


    "Hey Sabrina, are you really giving up your happiness?" Suzanne asked her friend. "If she''s not a wife yet, you still have a chance."


    ''Sadly, she''s his wife already.'' Sabrina thought to herself but she kept a sweet smile on her face. "Stefan won''t be happy with me. Instead of forcing him to be with me, I''d rather make him happy with someone else. So, stop asking me these kinds of question and don''t get on their way because of me."


    "Okay." They reluctantly agreed but Diego didn''t. He continued to browse the magazine he was holding while listening to their conversation.


    After shopping in this store, they went to shop in different stores until the sun set. Stefan was holding a lot of shopping bags and most of them were Cayenne''s items. He bought some things for himself but most of the time, he would bring her to women''s apparel and buy things for her.


    "Why don''t you hand me some of the bags? I''m sure they''re heavy." Cayenne told Stefan in an attempt to help him.


    "No, you can''t bring them. You''re already tired from walking, I don''t want your hands to be tired as well. Just let me carry these. They''re not heavy at all."


    "You''re lying." Cayenne mumbled.? She approached him and caught him off-guard by kissing him in public. When Stefan was still relishing the moment, she took this opportunity to get six bags from him. "Stop spoiling me. I can carry things myself as well."


    Stefan smiled and nodded his head. "Alright, I''ll let you carry those bags but I won''t stop spoiling you."


    Sabrina can see happiness in Stefan''s eyes. How evil would she be to ruin his happiness? She just watched them walked towards where their car was and bid farewell to them. "I had so much fun today. Thank you foring with us." Sabrina told Cayenne.


    "Thank you for inviting us, too." Cayenne replied.


    Stefan smiled faintly and nodded his head towards Sabrina. "Be careful on the road. Next time, let''s have dinner together."


    "Sure. Goodbye."


    They went on separate way and Stefan went back to the hotel he booked with Cayenne. "Wifey, are you really friends with Sabrina now?" Stefan asked while driving.


    "I guess."


    "What about those three of her friends?"


    "No, I don''t think so. I can see hostility in their eyes when they spoke to me." Cayenne shifted her position and leaned her side on the seat while she looked at his face. "You mentioned that Sabrina didn''t have the same view as her parents when they wanted you to marry their daughter. Is it after you said you were married or before you said it?"


    "After I said I''m married."


    "Then, I think you''re wrong. Sabrina might have liked you for a very long time."

 Chapter 230 - GUESSING GAME OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP

    <h4>Chapter 230 - GUESSING GAME OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP</h4>


    "Why do you say that?" Stefan asked with faint chuckle. "That''s really impossible."


    "I thought you''re smart." Cayenne retorted with a roll of her eyes. "Why do you think her friends hated me even though it''s the first time we met and why they kept talking to you about Sabrina when you''re not really friends with them. It only means one thing ¨C Sabrina likes you and she talks about you with her friends. And because I came, they thought I took you away from Sabrina. Do you get what I mean?"


    "Hn. I understand but I still think it''s impossible. But if what you said is true, I still don''t care. My heart doesn''t beat for her." Stefan answered and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Don''t think too much. No one can take you away from me and the same goes for me. I won''t let anyone take me away from you, not even my family."


    The two of them arrived in the hotel around seven in the evening. They ordered food from the hotel''s restaurant and ate dinner in their room. After dinner, they showered together, made love for one round ¨C which didn''t really satiate Stefan; still he didn''t force her to just fulfill his desire. They watched the city lights together while talking about the future and uploading pictures on their timeliness as well.


    Even though they posted pictures of different ces, Cayenne''s colleagues were still able to distinguish that they''re both in Italy. And the ces they''ve been to ¨C they''re all in Venice.


    And so, the discussion between employees was about Cayenne and their boss.


    "Don''t you think that Cayenne is the President''s girlfriend? Look at them, they''re both in Italy." a female employee told her friends while showing pictures of Stefan and Cayenne.


    "The boss is there with his girlfriend."


    "Cayenne is there with her boyfriend."


    "Then, do you know who their boyfriend and girlfriend? We have no idea. And besides, I am bothered with this." The female employee showed a picture of Stefan and Cayenne holding hands together.


    "What about their hands? Isn''t this the post of our president?"


    "Exactly. Now, tell where did you guys see this ring?"


    They group of five looked towards each other. They have thought of the same person ¨C Cayenne. Cayenne wore this ring as a ne pendant not long ago.


    "I don''t think it''s Cayenne. Remember, there was time that the President dined with Cayenne. He said that he gave the same ring to his girlfriend." Another employeemented.


    "Correct." The female employee agreed as she scrolled down through her galleries and she stopped in one of the screenshots she took. "Read this."


    They read it and found that it was about the ring that Cayenne was wearing. It turned out, there''s only one pair of rings in the whole world.


    "So, if the President gave it to his girlfriend, that means Cayenne is his girlfriend." A deduction came from another employee.


    "See? But let''s not show that we know about this. The president might get angry. After all, he''s been protecting Cayenne''s identity."


    Not only this group of people talked about Cayenne; the employees in the restaurant, the employees who were at the lounge, those who were working, those who were eating and resting, they talked about Cayenne.


    Luna heard about the gossips and many people came to her for confirmation but she stubbornly denied it. If Cayenne and Stefan didn''t want their rtionship to be known, she wouldn''t say anything as well.


    Manager Kim informed Stefan about the gossips as well but he onlyughed it off. "Just let them guess. No need to be bothered with it. Our rtionship is true anyway."


    "Okay, sir." Manager Kim replied to his message before going back to work.


    Jessie and Celine, they pretended as if they had no idea at all. Some employees came to Celine and asked about Cayenne and she told them about her work; nothing else.


    Even without confirmation, the employees were already setting their eyes on Stefan and Cayenne as a couple.


    The next day, Cayenne woke up first but she didn''t get off the bed immediately. She watched him sleeping peacefully beside her. Stefan mentioned to her that they will be meeting his auntie and cousins today. She was really nervous but since Stefan promised that not his family can separate them, she felt at ease.


    Stefan woke up around eight in the morning with thefort of Cayenne''s stroke on his head. She was kissing the top of his head, too. Every morning, it''s either he woke up with Cayenne in his arms or he woke up in her arms. He raised her head and kissed her lips with a smile. "Good morning, my dear wife."


    "Good morning, hubby." Cayenne lightly pinched his cheeks and kissed his nose. "Did you have a good sleep?"


    "Hn. It''s alwaysfortable sleeping with you."


    "What if I''m not around. For example, when you go on business trips. What will you do without me?"


    "That''s not possible. I''ll make sure to bring you wherever I go. In that way, you can rx yourself from work as well. There''s no way I''d leave you alone."


    Cayenneughed heartily upon hearing his statement. However, little did they know that this promise will be the turn of events in their life. After all, secrets can be very lethal to a rtionship, depending who''s involved ¨C and they''re very involved in the secret that everyone kept from Stefan.


    Cayenne will be meeting Stefan''s family so, she made ample preparation for it. She didn''t want to lose Stefan''s face because of her so, she made sure that she didn''t look tacky for their meeting.


    They will be having lunch with them but Cayenne didn''t expect to see Sabrina to be joining them.


    "This is a family lunch." Celestinemented while throwing a side nce towards Cayenne. Obviously, she was indicating that she didn''t belong to the family.


    Stefan frowned with the kind of tone that his auntie was using when she spoke. "If this is a family lunch, why is Sabrina here? I don''t remember her in our family tree." he retorted, ignoring the fact that he could hurt Sabrina with his words.

 Chapter 231 - CHOOSING CAYENNE

    <h4>Chapter 231 - CHOOSING CAYENNE</h4>


    "She''s a family to me. She''s been with us for over a decade already." Celestine tried to reason out with Stefan but he remained unmoved.


    "If you think she''s a family then, I can bring my family, too. Anyway, I''m just here as a sign of respect that were blood rted. Don''t ever think that you can manipte me with the people around you." Stefan didn''t spare them from his anger at all. He pulled a chair for Cayenne and helped her seat. "You can order whatever you like."


    "Do you want me to order for you, too?" Cayenne asked, ignoring the sharp gazes that Stefan''s family was throwing at her. Why should she care about them? Stefan''s father and grandfather already gave their approval to their rtionship. A mere aunt has no say in what rtionship they have.


    Stefan kissed her temple and smiled. "Go ahead. I don''t mind."


    Cayenne called the waitress and ordered the food that she found familiar and made sure that they were the dishes that Stefan can eat. Stefan talked with his auntie and cousin but instead of a warm conversation, it felt like they were walking on eggshells around Stefan. One wrong word and he would flip his mood.


    "So, won''t you introduce her to us?" Julia, Stefan''s cousin, the one who was getting married asked while looking towards Cayenne. "She looked simple. I didn''t know that you''re into simple things."


    "Simplicity is beauty and Cayenne is not a thing. She''s the most important person in my life."


    "How important?" Celestine tested the water to see if there''s a way that she can find a loophole. However, she didn''t expect that Stefan''s answer would put them in a predicament.


    Stefan looked at everyone around the people except Cayenne. His eyes spoke the anger he was holding within him. "Cayenne is more important than my life. You know what that means?"


    They all nodded their head in silence. Stefan didn''t bother introducing his family to Cayenne. In his mind, she didn''t need to know them since she won''t be meeting them again the future. Their attitude already told him that they won''t bring happiness to his wife.


    They ate their lunch peacefully. They tried talking to Stefan but he didn''t entertain them. If they asked him, he would answer the ones that requires Yes or No. If it was a question that needed a long exnation, he would just ignore it and focus on Cayenne. Cayenne appreciated his care for her but she also felt a little bad that Stefan had to go against his family.


    But when ites to love, you would have to make choices. You need to make sacrifices. And Stefan chose her over everyone else. ''I shall take care of you for the rest of my life. I will love you for eternity.'' Cayenne thought to herself while putting some dishes on Stefan''s te.


    After lunch, Stefan bid farewell to his family. He didn''t want to stay any longer knowing that they don''t like Cayenne. It will only make his wife feel awkward. "My dear wife, I won''t let you suffer for long. Just wait a bit longer, okay?"


    "What are you talking about? With you by my side, I am not suffering at all. I am more worried for you." Cayenne linked their fingers together and kissed his knuckled. "I''m sorry for letting you go against your family because of me."


    "You shouldn''t apologize for that. The thing I hated the most is when I''m being manipted. And they wanted to manipte my marriage which I hate so much." They continued to walk on the roadside while watching a lot of peopleing in and out from different establishments. "You are my happiness. You are the woman I want to spend the rest of my life. No one can change that so don''t ever feel insecure or jealous. Do you understand?"


    "Yes. Yes. I understand." Cayenne stood on her tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "I will forever remember your words.


    The two of them looked around Venice. They rode a boat, took pictures together, sang a love song, talked to other foreigners and they also asked a street artist to pain them. Cayenne had so much fun in the whole afternoon and in the evening, she had a fancy dinner with Stefan at the hotel''s rooftop restaurant. There was a pianist and a violinist; and there were other couples who were dancing to the song. It was a very romantic atmosphere. They had wine and because Cayenne was a light drinker, she got drunk in no time.


    Stefan brought her back to their room and made love to her from the door to the bedroom and then to the bathroom. He only stopped after letting himselfe inside her twice. Cayenne felt dizzy but she also felt good. She didn''t even protest this time.


    And because of their intense night activity, the two of them woke up at eleven in the morning. The wedding will be held at one in the afternoon but they were still rolling on their bed.


    "My head hurts a lot." Cayenne mumbled while massaging her temple.


    "I''ll ask for a hangover soup. Just wait here. I''ll call the hotel service and prepare the bath for you."


    "Okay." She let Stefan do everything and just behaved herself on the bed. She remembered what happenedst night which made her blush. Even though they''ve done it several times, she still couldn''t stop herself from blushing.


    "Why are you blushing? Did you remember the fun we hadst night?" Stefan teased her uponing out of the bathroom and seeing her red face. "I enjoyed it so much."


    "You don''t really have to say it so shamelessly."


    "I like saying it though." Stefan retorted as he lifted her off the bed. "I''ll wash you first and you can drink the soupter."


    "Stefan?"


    "Hn?"


    "I love you."


    "Now, who''s this clingy cat in my arms? I didn''t know you can act like this." Cayenne just smile without saying anything. It''s enough that she expressed her sincere love to him.

 Chapter 232 - WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY WIFE?

    <h4>Chapter 232 - WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY WIFE?</h4>


    Julia wanted a garden wedding and she wanted it done in their own garden. They have a spaciousnd and they have a huge garden where they can hold different asions all throughout the year. It was the property that Stefan gave as a wedding gift. The decoration was done by one of Julia''s friends and most of the people invited where just from friends and families. There weren''t many businessmen involved.


    Cayenne and Stefan arrived few minutes before the wedding started. And because they arrivedter than everyone, they got everyone''s attention on them.


    Stefan didn''t care that much since he recognized few faces in the business circle. Cayenne also ignored the looks that everyone gave her since Stefan was holding her hand.


    She wore the dress that Stefan bought for her the other day. It was the one with an open back. They sat in the middle rows to make their presence less conspicuous at the same time, still able to see the whole ceremony.


    Not long after they have taken their seats, the song Canon by Johann Pachelbel, softly yed in the whole garden. The sound of the violin and the piano were so nice to the ears that Cayenne wanted to have her own grand wedding as well. They watched the opening of the ceremony as the bride''s maids and groom''s men walked down the aisle followed by ring bearer and then flower girl.


    Cayenne took a lot of pictures. Even if Julia didn''t like her for Stefan, she still wished the groom and the bride to live a happy life.


    "Let''s have our wedding this October." Stefan whispered to her which made her turn abruptly to face him.


    "We-wedding?"


    "Yeah. We already registered our marriage but we haven''t held our wedding yet."


    "I don''t mind not having a wedding."


    "But I mind it. I want to give you a grand wedding."


    Cayenne took a deep breath and sigh. "Instead of giving me a grand wedding, why don''t we use that money to help those people in need? It would be more fulfilling."


    "I can help them but I can also give you a grand wedding."


    "Alright. Let''s have it set in October. But you still have to talk to my parents about that."


    "Hn. I''ll work on that as soon as possible." Stefan replied with a triumphant smile on his lips. The two of them stopped whispering and returned their attention back to the wedding.


    The wedding ceremonyst an hour and after that, they all went to the reception area which was inside therge mansion. Cayenne and Stefan walked inside and handed their gift to the newly-wed. Julia was being nice to her and didn''t embarrass Cayenne in front of everyone.


    ''It seemed like she''s got proper manner.'' Cayenne thought while giving a smile to the bride. Sabrina also appeared and gave her gifts and blessings to the couple before walking back to her seat.


    There was another program during the reception and it was fun and engaging. There were games that many people enjoyed and there were questions asked to the groom and bride to see how much they knew each other. To everyone''s surprise, they knew each other so much and they were prly opposite to each other. Even so, with the difference they have, they still love each other and supported each other''s likes and hobbies. They got along so well despite their opposing nature.


    "I didn''t expect to see Mr. Dumrique here. Now, I believe that the news was true." A businessman appeared and talked to Stefan while taking nces towards Cayenne.


    "Which news is Mr. Lardy referring to?"


    "The news about the inheritance. You stopped getting in touch with your family for over a decade. We didn''t expect that you would still inherit everything."


    "I have the blood of the Dumrique so, it''s only right that I get the inheritance."


    "That''s correct." The man agreed before shifting his gaze towards Cayenne. "And who is thisdy with you?"


    "This is my wife, Cayenne Ardolf Dumrique." Stefan introduced Cayenne to the man. Since they were standing in a corner, far from the crowd, no one heard his words but he didn''t mind it. "Ayen, this is Mr. Lancelot Lardy. He is one of the business partners we have here in Italy."


    "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Dumrique." The man held her hand and kissed the back of it. "I''m d to see that Stefan chose to settle with a woman of his choice."


    "Nice to meet you, too. It''s my happiness to stay by his side as well." Cayenne replied with a smile, her eyes turning to a crescent moon shape.


    "I won''t take much of your time. I''ll go and talk to other people. You guys have fun." Mr. Lardy raised his ss for a toast and left.


    Stefan turned to Cayenne and took the wine in her hand before asking a waiter to bring her a ss of juice. "Don''t take anything aside from this and don''t go anywhere. I''ll just use thefort room for a while. I''ll be right back."


    "Sure. I''ll be right here." Cayenne promised him and leaned on the wall while taking a sip of her juice.


    The moment Stefan was out of her sight, a man appeared out of nowhere. He was holding two sses of wine and handed one to Cayenne.


    "I''m sorry. I can''t drink wine." Cayenne refused politely and even bowed her head in apology.


    "Didn''t you know that it''s rude to refuse an offer specially in this kind of event?" the man retorted as he continued to step forward towards her. "You should know your ce and ept the drink that I''m giving you."


    "I''m really sorry, sir but I am not good with wine." Cayenne refused once again but the man kept pressing her. She could see people whispering while looking at her and she even saw Julia smirking at her. Her sister-inw wasn''t nning to help her.


    She looked around to find Sabrina but she couldn''t find her in the crowd. Suzanne and Maribeth just looked at her with contemptuous smile. Diego was nowhere to be seen as well.


    She held her ground and kept a calm face but deep inside, she was already screaming for help. She didn''t know where the bathroom was and had no idea when Stefan will be back.


    The man already trapped her in his arms and his face was very close to hers. "Sir, you shouldn''t force yourself to a woman. You should learn to respect someone."


    "Respect? Didn''t youe to hook up with the rich people here? Now that I am offering myself, you''re trying to act pure like a virgin? Tsk! It''s not going to work on me."


    "I''m not here to hook up with anyone." Cayenne retorted. Everyone''s attention was already at her but she didn''t lose hope. She still looked at the crowd to find someone she''s familiar with to ask for help. However, Mr. Lardy wasn''t around either. ''Where the hell are these people when I need them the most?!'' Cayenne eximed angrily in her heart.


    "What the hell are you doing with my wife?! Get away from her!"

 Chapter 233 - STEFANS WIFE

    <h4>Chapter 233 - STEFAN''S WIFE</h4>


    ''Thud!''


    ''tter!''


    Stefan punched the man on his face as hard as he can. The man fell on the ground and hit one of the tables, causing damage to the utensils and other items.


    "How dare youy your hand on her?!" His eyes were red in anger. Blue veins popped up on his temple and there were veins bulging on his tight clenches fist.


    The man spit out some blood and wiped his lips with the back of his hand as he stood up from the ground. He looked towards Julia in anger. "Were you trying to kill me? Do you hate me this much that you set me up with you sister-inw? You really wanted to ruin me?"


    Julia was shaking her head to deny what he said. "You''re lying! Why are you involving me in your matter? It was you who approached her!"


    "It''s because you told me to!" The man angrily yelled at her. "If my family is ruined because of this, I''ll drag you down to hell with me."


    Stefan sharply nced at his cousin before turning to Cayenne. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?" He asked frantically while checking her face and her arms.


    "I''m alright. He didn''t touch me either. He just asked me to drink wine with him."


    "Thanks god, you''re alright." Stefan pulled her in his embrace and caressed her back. "I''m sorry you had to go through that."


    "I''m really alright. Don''t worry."


    While they were hugging and talking, the crowd was taking pictures and were whispering about them. "No wonder she said she wasn''t hooking up with anyone. It''s because she''s married."


    "I didn''t know Mr. Dumrique is married. I just know that he''s got a girlfriend."


    "You know the man?"


    "Yeah. I followed him on his social media ount but we''re not close."


    "The woman is pretty. It''s natural that men would eye her. Sadly, she''s married."


    Hearing their whispers, Julia gritted her teeth. She knew she won''t be able to get away from his event and Stefan won''t forgive her. She''s dead. She was so dead. ''Why didn''t he say that he''s married to her? I thought she was just a girlfriend.''


    The groom knew that his wife will be kicked out from the Dumrique n but it didn''t matter to him. He can still love her and provide what she needs and wants. Julia should be very thankful because she found a person who truly cares for her.


    Since it was an important event, Stefan didn''t confront Julia at this moment. The party continued but Stefan brought Cayenne to the indoor pool to help her calm down.


    "Are you sure you don''t want toe home?" Stefan asked her as he drape his suit on his shoulders and sat beside her after.


    Cayenne nodded while looking at the clear water of the pool. "It''s an important event for your cousin. Don''t miss it. Also, even though she''s involved in what happened today, don''t do anything to them and to that man as well, don''t ruin him. He only did it after Julia instigated him."


    "I''m afraid I can''t do what you''re asking from me." Stefan responded in a whisper. "If I don''t deal with them, they would think that I''m easy to bully. If I don''t do anything, they would think I''m letting them off and don''t care about what you had experience. Ayen, you are important to me. How can I let this matter off?"


    "Alright. I''ll let you handle this the way you wanted." Cayenne leaned her head on his shoulder and linked their hands together. "I was scared. I was scared that I would ruin your image if I wasn''t able to hold on. I was really nning to punch that man."


    "Oh. If something like this happens in the future, don''t worry about me. Just punch the daylight out of them. I''ll take care the aftermath."


    Cayenne chuckled at his response. Her husband spoils her so much but she won''t abuse him and his power as well. She''s happy as long as their together.


    Meanwhile, the citizens were paying close attention to some posts online. There were many posts about Stefan''s marriage and there were pictures of him and the woman. However, they couldn''t clearly see her face because Stefan was blocking everyone''s view.


    "Oh! My! G! The boss is married?!"


    "I thought he just got himself a girlfriend?"


    "He must have married her secretly."


    "But who is the girl? Can anyone send a clear picture?"


    They all wanted to have a clear picture of Stefan''s wife but they were nowhere to be found. Those who uploaded the picture couldn''t make a follow up so they put their phones in silence to stop thinking about the notifications.


    "I just uploaded a pic of the couple earlier and I didn''t know that it would be a hot news. Many citizens wanted a clear picture of the woman." A guest told her colleague while showing her post to her.


    "I''ve got the same situation here." Another guest stated.


    "The man is Mr. Stefan Dumrique. He''s the cousin of the bride. Perhaps he is famous in City A."


    "I searched for him." Anotherdymented which caught their attention. "He''s very rich. Before he graduated from his business course, he already had a business. He owns a lot of hotels, resorts and restaurants. He also invested on some small businesses. Recently, his grandfather turned over all their properties and assets to him. The shipping lines that they owned and some businesses across Europe were given to him."


    "He''s that rich?!"


    "His wife was very lucky."


    "Is there any news about his wife?"


    "No, there''s none. The people in City A didn''t even know that he''s married."


    "So practically, we are the ones who knew about the identity of his wife. Do you think he will get angry?"


    "I don''t think so. Afterall, he acknowledged their rtionship in front of us."


    Because of this incident, Cayenne''s identity as Mrs. Dunrique was slowlying to light.

 Chapter 234 - IN THE PALM OF HIS HANDS

    <h4>Chapter 234 - IN THE PALM OF HIS HANDS</h4>


    Later that night, they went back to the hotel to rest the night away. Because of what happened during the party, Stefan didn''t do anything strenuous for his wife. They just took a quick shower and slept.


    In the morning, Cayenne woke up earlier than Stefan. She picked up her phone from the bedside drawer and checked for any messages from her family and friends.


    ''Why didn''t you tell me you guys got married?''


    ''When did you get married?''


    ''Does your family know?''


    These were messages from Luna. From the messages alone, she can already imagine the surprised look of her best friend. ''How did she know about my marriage?'' Cayenne thought about it. She surfed in the inte using different keywords such as Stefan''s wife and Stefan''s marriage; and there were many search results online.


    She read some of them and looked into the pictures, trying to see for herself if anyone would be able to recognize her. "Thankfully, Stefan blocked everyone''s view of her. Hopefully, no one can recognize me." She mumbled to herself before shifting her browser to the messaging app.


    ''I''ll tell you about itter.'' Cayenne replied this message to Luna.


    There were some congrattory messages from Celine, Manager Kim and Jessie as well. Cayenne just said her thanks to them since there''s no point in lying. And she knew that they won''t spread any news about her confirmation as well.


    ''Call me when you have time.'' This was the message that Kyle left for her. Knowing that she''s done something awful like keeping her marriage from them, Cayenne braced herself before calling her brother through his social media ount.


    While the call was getting through, she got out of bed and put on her robe before going to the balcony. It had a nice view and can help you rx your nerves.


    "Sis!" Kyle''s anxious voice came through. "Are you alright?"


    "Yep. I am fine. How are you guys doing?"


    "We''re doing good but mama was a bit worried for you. Is the news about your marriage true?"


    "It''s inconvenient for us to talk about this over the phone. I''ll talk to you about when we get back home."


    "That''s fine with me. Would you like to speak with mama to put her at ease?"


    "Hn. Give her the phone." Cayenne talked to her family while waiting for Stefan to wake up. She didn''t say much about the marriage and just told her mother to trust her decisions in life. What else can they do? She''s past the legal age and she has her on mind. She knows what''s right and wrong and she can decide things by herself.


    When Stefan woke up, the two of them showered together before having their breakfast. Instead of going for a trip around the city, Stefan and Cayenne stayed in their hotel. Cayenne watched movies using hisptop while he made phone call after phone call. He was very busy but he made sure to pay attention to her and ordered food for her in case she''d get hungry.


    "You''re raising a pig." Cayennemented when she saw a waitering inside with a food cart.


    "It''s fine. I love this pig so much. It''s fine to spoil my little pig."


    "Who''s little?" Cayenne retorted with her raised brow. "I''m not little."


    "Alright. You''re big."


    "I''m not big either. I hate you."


    ''Hahaha. Women can be unreasonable sometimes, especially those with husbands or boyfriends who spoils them so much.'' The waiter thought to himself while arranging the food on the table. "If there isn''t anything else, sir. I will take my leave now."


    "Okay. Thank you." Stefan slightly nod his head at him before sitting beside his wife to watch what she was watching as well. "Let''s take a break first."


    "No. You will call me big."


    "How dare I call you that? You are sexy and petite." Stefan replied and hugged her in a warm embrace. "See? Your waist can be measured with my one hand. "


    "Hmp!" Cayenne acted spoil in front of him and Stefan liked it, too. Cayenne was always stubborn and strong-willed. It''s not everyday that she acts spoil and childish in front of him.


    During their flirting moments, amotion urred involving one of the Italian young masters. There were several posts online with him taking girls to hotels and other ces where he indulged himself in carnal desires. One of them was a married woman and was even a business partner to one of this family''s business. There was also a news about him getting someone pregnant and he asked the woman to get an abortion and get lost. There were just too many to mention and their family business was going downhill.


    ''Pak!''


    "You, useless bastard! I ignored your behavior and tolerated you. I told you to never leave any evidences! Look at this mess you have caused! Our family is going to die in shame! And someone even asked the government to audit ourpany! Who the hell did you offend?! Go and make an apology!"


    Right at this point, Mr. Ri received a message on his phone. ''I won''t ept apology.'' It was from an unknown number which frightened him. It''s just him and his son inside the study. How can someone know about their conversation? "We''re ruined. Everything that I put all my efforts to is now ruined." He slumped on the couch with dejected and hopeless expression.


    The young master of the Ri family was the one who harassed Cayennest time during Julia''s wedding. Stefan just sought him out for revenge. As for his cousin, he didn''t let her off as well. He already announced to the world that he''s breaking ties with Celestine and his family. They were no longer part of the Dumrique n. Even when his father and grandfather asked him about it, he didn''t concede.


    ''Hmp! I got everything in the palm of my hands. I can decide which one to destroy and which one to prosper. They better not mess with my wife.'' Stefan thought to himself as he read the news articles on his phone.


    ''Buzz!'' Stefan checked the unknown message on his phone. ''I took care of it already. Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon.''


    In the Madrigal''s home, Shein put down his headset and stopped typing on his keyboard. ''I''m finally done.'' He stood up from his seat and changed his clothes to leave the house. He still needed to pick up Riley.

 Chapter 235 - MANIPULATOR

    <h4>Chapter 235 - MANIPULATOR</h4>


    Since Shein dealt with everyone ording to Stefan''s instruction, Cayenne and Stefan had a peaceful and joyful vacation. After spending time in Venice, the two of them didn''t think much of where to go. They just traveled to ces that were usually visited by other tourist disregarding the travel time and the fare.


    From Venice, they stopped by Verona before going to Mn. They shop, eat, took pictures, appreciates the beauty the ce could bring and engaged with other tourist who were also making trips around Italy.


    After Mn they went to Genoa where they look around the Romanesque Cathedral of San Lorenzo. They stayed in a hotel for the night but they left the next morning for Bologna. Its Piazza Maggiore is a sprawling za lined with arched colonnades, cafes and medieval and Renaissance structures such as City Hall, the Fountain of Neptune and the Basilica di San Petronio. It''s a ce that one shouldn''t miss when traveling in Italy.


    After spending time in Bologna, they went home to Tuscany for a little while and left their things in Stefan''s mansion before continuing their trip the next day. They went to Perugia, spent two days there and then to Rome ¨C which was sadly, thest destination before they''d left for France.


    "The days passed by so quickly." Cayennemented as she cuddled with Stefan to sleep. "I don''t want our trip to be over yet."


    "Me, too. I want to spend time with you alone." Stefan responded and kissed her temple. "I''ll try to finish my works as soon as I can so that we can have more travel time in the future."


    "Hn. I''d love that." Cayenne hugged him and pressed the side of her face to his chest. "Were you having fun?"


    "Of course. Traveling with you is so much fun and I enjoy having your presence right by my side. Also, I got so many pictures of you." Stefan caressed her nose with his fingertip.


    "I got pictures of you, too." Cayenne responded, not willing to lose to him in the photography field. "So, tomorrow, we will be going to France. I''m so excited to see Paris."


    "I''m so excited to see your reaction when you see the Eiffel Tower and the whole Paris. I won''t miss taking a photo of you."


    "Then, let''s go to sleep. I don''t want to be sleepy during the trip there." Cayenne snuggled even closer to him and kissed the corner of his lips. "Good night, my dear husband."


    "Good night, sweetheart."


    In the past few days after the wedding, Stefan didn''t suppress the news of his marriage and he didn''t make any statement as well. He busied himself with the trips to different ces, apanying his wife and making sure that she''s having fun all the time.


    Because of this, the photographer who was responsible for the reception during the wedding posted all the pictures he got during the event. Thebel was about the wedding and he even tagged the groom and the bride with his posts but he made sure that the thumbnail was Cayenne and Stefan. In his pictures, everything was HD and everyone''s face was clear for everyone to see.


    Since many people was interested about the identity of Stefan''s wife, his post was shared by many people until it reaches the citizens of city A.


    "This isn''t a joke anymore." One of the employees in Clover Hotelmented as she scrolled through the pictures. "Cayenne is really the president''s wife?"


    "Hey Luna, look at this." Another employee called Luna and showed the photos. She wanted to deny what was in the picture but her expression already busted her. "Don''t even say that this picture is photoshopped." The employeemented and showed Luna a video during the wedding where the photographer caught Cayenne and Stefan walking down the aisle.


    "I have noment on this matter." Luna stated and left to logged in for work.


    "Even if she won''tment. It''s already obvious."


    "So, that exins why Cayenne can take a month off and leave whenever she wanted. She''s actually ourdy boss."


    "I wonder how long have they been together?"


    "It shouldn''t be that long. Remember, it was around Christmas when the president posted of his official rtionship with her."


    "Right. But they must have known each other before. After all, the president imed her to be his wife."


    "Maybe they''re not married yet. Maybe it was just an endearment."


    "Do you think the president is serious with Cayenne? What if our Yenyen is being led by the nose? What if he''s going to hurt her and use her like those other women?"


    "Well, Cayenne is an adult now. She knows what she''s doing. Let''s just support her."


    Many people were concerned about Cayenne and they were all worried for her. Luna has been sending her messages as well but Cayenne didn''t have time to check her phone for messages because of too much excitement for her trip to France.


    On the other hand, Stefan knew about it. Chris would always report him everything that''s happening in City A, letting no mishap to slip in. However, he just let the news to go on. He has no intentions of stopping it.


    Inside a ck car, a man was sitting elegantly at the back seat with a tabled in his hands. He was reading the posts andments online. His lips twitched and he had a deep frown on his face. "It took me a great deal to ruin his rtionship with Arthur and now she''s married? Come on. I came back to find you and yet, this is what you have for me. Cayenne, you can''t be this cruel."


    If he didn''t need to leave to deal with family problems back in Singapore, he wouldn''t let her go. He even went to the extend of ruining Kirin''s opinion of her just to make sure that Arthur will be on her bad side. He orchestrated everything but now, she ended up in someone else''s arms.


    "Investigate the marriage of Cayenne and Mr. Dumrique. I need the result tomorrow afternoon." He told his subordinate and threw the tablet to the side.


    "Right on it, sir."

 Chapter 236 - BLINDNESS OUT OF LOVE

    <h4>Chapter 236 - BLINDNESS OUT OF LOVE</h4>


    The moment Stefan and Cayenne reached France, he received a call from Chris.


    "Yes?" Stefan answered as soon as he pressed the ept button.


    "Sir, someone investigated your marriage with thedy boss. We found the private investigator but we''re on stepte. The information was already given to his employer. We tried to trace it back but every means ofmunication was cut off. There was no wire transfer to trace as well because the transaction was paid through cash."


    "Just let it be. The people will know about our marriage sooner orter. There''s no need to worry about it." Stefan responded while pushing their suitcases in front of him. "I''m hanging up now."


    "Have a nice trip, sir." Chris put down his phone after the call ended.


    Stefan pocketed his phone as well and walked towards the exit gate with Cayenne. Since they weren''t in City A, the two of them weren''t disguising at all. They walked around normally like what other people do.


    "Chris something about our marriage?" Cayenne inquired as they got out of the airport.


    "Hn. Someone checked our marriage information."


    "Is it from your family?"


    "Nope."


    "I see." She didn''t press on this matter after that. "Let''s forget about it and enjoy this vacation. It''s not all the time that we get this chance."


    Stefan held her chin and tilted her face to make her look up to him and he pressed a gentle kiss on her lips. "I agree with my darling."


    "If you won''t agree with me, who else will you agree to?" Cayenne retorted with a raised brow. Stefan chuckled softly as he pulled her to a hug. "There are so many people." Cayenne mumbled.


    "So, what? You''re my wife. It''s only natural that I''d be clingy to you."


    "Fine. Fine." Cayenne just hugged him back while waiting for their service toe and pick them up.


    Stefan kissed the top of her head but when he looked into the distance, there was a chilling coldness in his eyes. ''Why are there so many people trying to get in our way?'' Stefan thought deeply. He just sessfully warded off Arthur away from Cayenne but now someone''s trying to get in between them. Although, he didn''t know who the person was, his gut feeling was telling him that they''re onto Cayenne this time.


    Valentine''s Day was just around the corner which was why Stefan brought Cayenne to Paris. This ce is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond suchndmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is known for its cafe culture and designer boutiques along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honor¨¦.


    Most lovebirds would wish to visit this City of Love with their partner and enjoy the scenery that the city brought to them. Stefan was no different than them. He wanted to spend his first Valentine''s Day with Cayenne in this city. After all, Cayenne also wanted to visit this ce.


    Aside from this, he needed to bring her away while his surprise was being constructed at home.


    ''I''m so excited for this trip. Which ce should we visit first?'' Cayenne thought while looking outside the window of the car. She looked prim and proper but her eyes would light up every time she sees something interesting outside.


    "Do you like the scenery outside?" Stefan whispered close to her ears. Whenever there''s a chance, he would always grab it and flirt with her. He licked the base of her earlobe which sent shiver down her spine and she red him. "Don''t like it?"


    "Stop it. There''s another person inside the car." Cayenne pushed him a little but Stefan caught her hand and kissed her inner wrist. "You, lustful idiot. Don''t let other people see your true side."


    "That''s fine. Many people knew that I''m a wolf."


    "And you''re proud of it? Do you want me to kick you?"


    "Honey, don''t be harsh. I just wanted to try having it inside the car."


    "Don''t you dare." Cayenne looked at him with sharp gazes. "Don''t forget, this isn''t your car."


    "So, we can do it if it''s our car?" Cayenne took a deep breath and pulled his cor, pressing their lips together. "Shut up now, will you?"


    "Okay. I can see that my wife is shy. I won''t pursue this matter for now." Stefan moved even closer and wrapped his hand around his waist.


    ''Tsk! So possessive.'' Cayennemented mentally while linking their hands together. ''But I like it.''


    The two of them arrived in their hotel and to make sure that Cayenne will enjoy her stay, Stefan chose a hotel which has a nice view of the Eiffel Tower.


    As soon as Cayenne saw the view outside their ss window, her eyes widened in joy and amazement. "This is beautiful."


    "It''s even more beautiful at night." Stefan told her while taking care of their things. "Are you hungry? We can eat first before taking out our things."


    "Okay. Let''s go and eat first."


    As they ate their brunch together, in City A, a man pushed back his spectacles on the bridge of his nose while reading the documents he received. His long and purplish hair was tied at the base of his neck with a silver rubber band. "So, it''s true. She really got married."


    "Sir, she is indeed married to Mr. Dumrique, however, don''t you think it''s weird that the news only got out this time. If there wasn''t an ident during that wedding reception, people wouldn''t even know about this."


    "I know. They''re hiding their marriage on purpose." He responded while looking into the photos of Cayenne and Stefan. "I got rid of Arthur five years ago. I can do the same now."


    "So, what are your ns?"


    "Slowly buy the shares of Madeline Park until you get more than fifty percent."


    "Why chose that park? It''s not even in this city."


    "Madeline Park is just one of the amusement parks that he owned. And since it''s not in City A, he won''t be paying much attention to it. By the time he noticed this, it will be toote. I''m chipping off his business piece by piece."


    "I understand sir."


    He remained seated on his swivel chair while scrolling on the pictures that shows both Cayenne and Stefan having fun together. "Am Ite again this time? Are you really in love with him? After all the things I did, don''t you have the slightest bit of love for me? Do you still even remember me? If he''s no longer sessful, will youe and look at me?" He kept talking even though no one was answering his questions.


    He recalled the times they spent together when they were in primary and secondary school. He still remembered her innocent smile that Arthur likes to monopolize. He still remembered how much Cayenne hate him after he was framed by Arthur. Five years ago, he just ruined their rtionship to get back with Arthur. Using Kirin was the best chess piece he had. He just didn''t anticipate that the moment hees back, she''d be someone else''s wife.


    ''Wait. If I remember it correctly, fifteen years ago ¨C " he immediately sent a message to his secretary and had him dug out some information involving Alexander Dumrique. It was still fresh in his mind since Cayenne had been so devastated on that same year. ''If everything''s connected then, isn''t it the best way to ruin their rtionship. Once that happens, I can go andfort her.''


    He already made ns in mind, hoping that the result he was anticipating woulde true.


    Even with the danger and evil plots lurking in their lives, Cayenne and Stefan still enjoyed their vacation. They went sightseeing, shopping, eating and do whatever they can do to make the trip worth of their time.


    Valentine''s Day was slowly approaching so, Stefan talked to one of the hotel managers to help him with a romantic dinner on the 14th of the month. He wanted it to be special for the two of them. He wanted it to be memorable given that it was their first Valentine''s date together.


    "Which flower would you like us to prepare, sir?" the manager showed him pictures of different flowers and most of them were roses.


    "I want to give a bouquet of red tulips for my wife. Can you do that?"


    "That''s not a problem sir. How about your food and wine? Do you have any preferences?"


    Stefan and the manager continued to talk since Cayenne wasn''t around. He only sneaked out of his room with the excuse of meeting a business partner downstairs.


    ''Good thing that Ayen didn''t make a fuss about being alone.'' Stefan thought to himself on his way back to his room after the discussion.


    He was busy securing their rtionship but other people were busy thinking how to ruin it. It''s the nature of the society. Some people can''t just stand seeing others being happy. Some people would even covet someone else''s partner knowing that doing so is a wrong thing.

 Chapter 237 - VALENTINES DATE

    <h4>Chapter 237 - VALENTINE''S DATE</h4>


    The most awaited day for couple finally arrived. Valentine''s Day isn''t just for couples. It can also be celebrated with close friends and family ¨C people that you love and care the most.


    Stefan had been waiting for this and he was extremely excited about it. Although he had dinner with Cayenne and went to trips with her, this asion was something special because she''s his wife.


    "Wear this one." Stefan stated and gave her the dress that he chose for her. It was a maroon colored dress which long skirt and a slit on the side of her legs. Every step she took, her long legs can be seen which was the source of envy for other women. It was a strapless dress and for some reason, Cayenne found it odd that Stefan allowed her to wear this kind of clothes in public.


    "Why do I have to dress up with this?" She whispered. "I''m fine with other dresses. It doesn''t have to be so revealing."


    "I want you to look sexy and feel sexy tonight because it''s special. I want other men to feel envious that I, Stefan Dumrique, won the heart of my beloved Cayenne Ardolf."


    Cayenne chuckled at his response but she also loves it. He can be silly sometimes and it''s a fact that she hase to love along the way as she continued to spend time with him. And she knew that she will discover more of his personalities as they grow older.


    Stefan was wearing a ck suit and nicelybed his hair back to make sure that he looked good beside her. He can''t be sloppy with his beautiful wife on the side.


    The venue was held at the observation deck on the roof top. There were other people who came to date with their partner as well but it was a limited space and those who were able to get there were either highly influential personalities or very wealthy people. Stefan was fit for both category and was able to get a spot without any problem.


    "Good evening sir. Good evening, ma''am. Please follow me to your reserved seat." The waitress greeted them and led them to their table. All of the tables were located near the ss wall for the diners to see the view of Paris. The middle of the roof top was littered with flower petals and there was a pianist and violinist ying a romantic music for the lovers. Some couple were dancing, some were eating and some were looking at the beautiful night view of Paris.


    They arrived at the table with a huge bouquet of red tulips sitting on the table. It was the only table with different kind of flower because the rest opted for red roses. "Happy Valentine''s Day, my love." Stefan picked up the flowers and handed it to her. "This is for you. I hope you''ll like it."


    "I love it." Cayenne kissed his cheek happily and smelled the fresh scent of the flower. "You really know me."


    "Of course. It''s my duty to figure out what my wife likes and dislikes." Stefanmented as he pulled the chair for her to sit. "I didn''t prepare much since this is my first time celebrating Valentine''s day. I don''t know if I''m missing something. If I did, I''ll make it up to you next time."


    "This is more than enough. In fact, I''d prefer simple date instead of this high-end celebration. But I am really happy that you''re taking so much effort for me."


    Stefan finally breathed a sigh of relief after knowing Cayenne''s thought. He told the waitress to start serving their food and wine. While they ate, they talked about a lot of things rted to their school days and Cayenne avoided talking much about Arthur. Instead, she talked about her other ssmates and some close friends whom she spent most of her times with.


    "Are you still in contact of these people after you left school?" Stefan asked casually because he enjoyed listening to Cayenne talk about her experiences. There were sad and happy experiences which shaped her into who she was.


    "I lost contact of Marian after we graduate in high school. Thest thing I heard about her is that she left the city. Seiji went to Singapore and I also lost contact of him. And thest person left was ¨C well, you know who he is but I don''t want to talk about him. Anyway, my school life wasn''t really that great. But when I look back, I''m still happy that I got to meet those people who helped me. And as the saying goes, peoplee and go in your life. So, I understand that we''ve lost contact with each other."


    "My wife, do you want to go back to school?"


    "Huh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"


    Stefan took put down his spoon and fork, and took hold of her hand. "I remember that you quit studying because of what happened to mom. You chose a vocational course in order to find a job as soon as you can. But if given the chance that you can go back to school, would you like to take it?"


    "Nope. I''m contented with what I have. Besides, after finishing your course, you will have to find work. Why waste my time when I have a great job already?"


    "You have a point." Stefan agreed as he gently squeezed his hand. "Anyway, you are still very young. It''s not toote to pursue what you really like. If ever you change your mind and you want to study again, just tell me."


    "You''re so considerate." Cayenne responded with a bright smile. "Thank you for always thinking what''s good for me."


    "So, I believe I deserve a reward for that." Stefanmented which made his wife blush. "I''ll expect a reward tonight."


    "Sure." Cayenne agreed readily because she had something in mind. She opened her sling silver purse and took out a small ck box. "Here''s your reward."


    Stefan was asking for a different reward but his wife got something else for him. "Alright. I''ll let you tease me this time."


    Cayenne covered her mouth while letting out soft giggles. She knew what he meant when he asked for a reward but since he had been teasing her a lot of times, she decided to let him taste a little bit of his own medicine. It wasn''t a bad medicine, though. In fact, it was a sweet medicine from a sweet wife.


    They continued to eat their food and drank some wine while looking at the huge Eiffel tower not far from them. They also took pictures together and separate pictures as well.


    "Ayen, people know that we''re I''m married to you."


    "Hn. I think we can''t keep this secret forever." Cayenne replied, staring in to a far distance with a sigh. "Do you want to post pictures of us together?"


    "Can I?"


    "I don''t mind. The cat is out of the bag already."


    "Don''t worry, I will always protect you. No one can harm you."


    "I trust you." Cayenne smiled happily and gently squeezed his hand.


    Stefan pulled back his hand and stood up from his seat. He felt a little nervous but at the same time, he felt a happy. He reached out his hand and made a slight bow of his head to ask her for a dance.? "My dear wife, can I dance with you tonight?"


    "Sure. My husband can only dance with me." She ced her hand on his and the two of them walked towards the center where other couples were dancing. The soft music made them sway their bodies softly. Cayenne wrapped her hands around his neck and leaned her head on his chest. Stefan was hugging her on her waist as they softly moved their body like flowers dancing in the wind.


    Cayenne wasn''t a good drinker so the wine made her feel a bit tipsy but since she was with her husband, she wasn''t worried at all. He felt warm and the faint sound of his beating hear was calming her.


    "Hon, I have a gift for you." Stefan whispered and his warm breath softly brush her ears. "But you can only get it once we''re back in our room."


    Cayenne''s face turned a beet red and she buried her face on his chest. "I''m not looking forward to it." Cayenne mumbled but because she was pressing her face on his chest, Stefan didn''t hear the words clearly. They were all gibberish words to him but somehow, he had a slight idea of what she was saying.


    They spent two hours with their date and when Cayenne''s mind was a bit clearer, they went back to their hotel suite. With the lovely view of Paris, the two of them kissed as they slowly undressed each other. Under the faint light of the cityscape, he showered her with kisses, leaving no part untouched.

 Chapter 238 - APPEARANCE OF A RIVAL

    <h4>Chapter 238 - APPEARANCE OF A RIVAL</h4>


    "Hhmm." Cayenne stirred in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes, greeted by her husband''s firm chest, her face felt a bit hot. She''s getting used to waking up with this sight and she likes it. She felt warm and safe in his arms.


    Since Stefan was still sound asleep, Cayenne didn''t wake him up. She got out of the bed and dressed herself up before calling the hotel service for breakfast. Stefan woke up after half an hour and had breakfast with her.


    The two of them continued to spend their time travelling across Europe until the end of the month. They bought a lot of souvenirs for friends and family as well as bringing home the memories that they have umted from the entire month of vacation trip.


    When they got back to City A, it was the first day of March.


    "We''re finally home." Cayenne mumbled while opening the lock to their house. Stefan was following behind her silently while pulling their luggage. Knowing that they''re both tired, she went to the kitchen and got a ss of water for him. "You restter. I''ll unpack our things."


    "Let''s unpack it together after resting." Stefan suggested as he reached out his hand to receive the water from her. "I want to rest with you."


    "If that''s the case, let''s go and take a rest. We''ll be going back to work tomorrow and I need to make some mental preparations for it."


    "Why?"


    "Because I am pretty sure they will ask me about us. I need to think carefully." Cayenne responded with a little bit of worry. "And by the way, we need to speak to my family. They must have so many questions for me, too."


    Stefan put down the ss on the coffee table and pulled his wife to sit on hisp. "I''m sorry."


    "Hn? What are you apologizing for?"


    "For telling the world that we''re married. I thought that since we''re in Europe, the news of my marriage and the identity of my wife will take time before it reaches here. I was only nning to let my business partners know about us. But the incident during Julia''s wedding ruined it all. Now, people know about us and it caused you to be worried. I never wanted you to be worried."


    "Sooner orter, people will know about us. I''d be unreasonable if I get angry for this matter. You''re not at fault here. There''s no need to apologize."


    "Thank you." Stefan kissed her nose and stood up with her in his arms. "Let''s go to bed and rest. Let''s unpack our thingster." Stefan carried her to their bedroom and walked directly to the bathroom to shower together. This time, he really meant it when he said rest. He didn''t make love to her for the time being because of having a jeg.


    In the apartment where Cayenne''s family lives, Luiz was making afternoon snacks for the nurse and his mother. Kyle wasn''t around since he left to go on a date with Kath.


    ''Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!


    Luiz strode towards the door and opened it but there was no one outside. "Did the kids y a prank again?" Luiz asked himself softly while scratching the back of his head. When he was about to close the door, he caught sight of a small envelope on the floor. "What''s this?" he picked it up and brought it inside. The surface of the envelope was clean without any information of the sender but it was addressed to his sister. Luiz brought the letter to his room and sent a message to Cayenne regarding it.


    ''Do you know who sent it?'' Cayenne replied to her brother''s message when she woke up in the afternoon. When she checked the time stamp, it was three hours ago that his brother sent the message to her. ''Just keep it for me. I''lle and get it tomorrow.''


    ''No information of the sender and yes, I''ll keep it for you.'' Luiz replied almost instantly to his sister''s message. He knew that Cayenne''s back and they would finally see her again the next day.


    Cayenne thought it was weird. Ever since they moved to their current apartment, she never received any letter with an anonymous sender. ''Who could be sending me an anonymous letter?'' Cayenne thought while fiddling with her phone. She wanted to tell Stefan about it but since she wasn''t sure of the content yet, she decided to keep it for now.


    "Sir, we''ve sent the letter to her doorstep." A young man who was wearing a hoodie told the person inside the ck Mercedes Benz. "Is my task done?"


    "Hn. You can go back now." The man handed him a small envelope which contains three thousand dors. A high price for sending a small envelope to Cayenne''s home.


    "Thanks." The young man pocketed the money and left to buy food for his family. He didn''t do anything bad. He was merely sending that envelope to someone''s home so he didn''t feel guilty or afraid at all.


    The man sitting on the driver seat shifted his position to face the person sitting at the back seat. "Sir, where are we going now?"


    "Let''s go back to thepany and wait for my darling Cayenne to contact us."


    The man drove the car and left the neighborhood where Cayenne''s family stay. "Sir, with all due respect, why did you give the envelope to her? Wouldn''t it be nice if you give it to Mr. Dumrique?"


    "My darling will be hurt if Stefan would break up with her all of a sudden. It''s better if she breaks up with him instead."


    "Isn''t it the same? Either she breaks up with him or he breaks up with her, she will still get hurt."


    "And that''s where I wille in. I will be there tofort her when she gets her heart broken."


    "Oh." The man didn''t say anything anymore. He chose to work for him. He chose to ept his help when he was in dire situation. Now, no matter what his employer will do, he can only turn a blind eye to it in order to avoid getting his family killed alongside him.


    When Stefan woke up around five in the afternoon, the sun was slowly sinking below the horizon and the streetmps outside lit up one after another. He called to order some food while they unpacked their things and sorted out the souvenirs they bought.


    After unpacking their things, the food delivery also arrived, just in time for them to have an early dinner.


    "Just wait for me upstairs. I''ll just arrange the dishes." Stefanmented and led his wife back to their room. "And don''te out unless I call you."


    "Do you have another surprise for me?" Cayenne asked him with anticipation.


    "Hn. I have another surprise for you. I will prepare surprises for you whenever I can. So, just stay here." Cayenne nodded her head but Stefan realized that she might go to the balcony and see the back garden. "I change my mind. Can you stay in the living room instead?"


    "Oh. Okay." Cayenne picked up her phone and went downstairs with him. She went to the living room while Stefan went to the kitchen to arrange the dishes that he ordered.


    He set up a simple dinner at the back garden and turned on all the lights to lit up the whole surroundings. Since it was night time with lots of stars littered on the sky, Stefan decided for a night pic. They can also spend this time star gazing and talk about their life.


    His n was perfect. The mood was perfect. He prepared everything with the thought of Cayenne''s sweet smile in his mind. But a single phone call ruined it all.


    "Sir, bad news." Chris stated while looking through the data he gathered in his tablet. Some of them were information given by Shein. "Someone has been buying the shares of Madeline Park in PH. At first, they appeared to be separate entities but I started to get suspicious when many shareholders sold their shares and the price was thrice the actual amount. I have asked Shein for help and he found out that it''s actually bought by one person. He only used different people to carve up the shares."


    "Who is it?" Stefan asked with a deep frown. Madeline Park in PH is one of the big projects that his grandfather worked on. This park earns tens of millions every year and many shareholders clung to their shares because of the dividends. He couldn''t understand why they would sell their shares just because the price was tripled.


    Chris scrolled on his tablet and found the picture of a handsome man with a gold-rimmed sses and purplish-white hair tied neatly at the base of his nape. "His name is Seijie Sy. His family is a powerful business magnate in different business lines in Singapore, China and Korea. He personally owned severalpanies in Europe and U.S."


    "Seiji?" Stefan asked Chris. "This name is very familiar."


    "Cayenne must have talked to you about this person in passing. After all, they were quite close when she was in high school." Chris replied instantly upon remembering this detail. "Wait. Could this be ¨C "

 Chapter 239 - I WONT SEND YOU OFF

    <h4>Chapter 239 - I WON''T SEND YOU OFF</h4>


    Stefan felt a sudden headache with the news that Chris brought to him. He didn''t expect that the moment he''s back from a sweet vacation with his wife, he''d be facing this much trouble rted to hispany.


    "I see. I''ll handle this matter. Please help me reach out to Mr. Sy and book me an appointment with him." Stefan responded and after getting an affirmative reply from Chris, he ended his call and went inside to call for his wife. Even if he''s having problem with business, the surprise for his wife matters more than thepany.


    Cayenne noticed that something''s off with Stefan as soon as he got inside. Before, she couldn''t fathom what her husband was thinking but recently, after spending so much time with him, she started knowing what''s going on with him based on his facial expression.


    "Would you like to tell me your problem?" Cayenne asked him with an encouraging smile. Stefan had been attentive to her and she wanted to do the same for him. She wanted to help him carry the burden that he''s got on his shoulders.


    Stefan didn''t speak but he pulled Cayenne and hugged her tightly. He buried his face on the crook of her shoulders, still silent and unmoving.


    Cayenne knew that something awful must have happened for him to act so clingy and devastated in her arms. She gently pats his back without saying anything or inquiring about what happened. Actions speak louder than words. She may not be saying anything but she was stillforting him with a warm embrace.


    After few minutes of silent embrace, Stefan pulled away from her and held her hand instead. "I''ll tell you what happened after dinner. Come with me first."


    "Okay. I''ll wait until you''re ready to speak." Cayenne smiled with an expression full of understanding and patience. She walked right beside him and the two of them went to the back garden. The ce that Stefan wanted her to see after a month of nning and preparation.


    He didn''t bother putting a blindfold on her since she will be taking it off anyway. "I hope you will like my surprise for you." Stefanmented as he pushed open the door to the back garden. The spacious yet empty and in backyard before was now turned into a beautiful garden.


    There were many nts of different kinds surrounding the area and there were small flowering trees nted in the two corners of the garden as well. There was a huge fountain in the middle and there were underwater lights which illuminates the water and helps you see the beautiful fishes swimming in it.


    The brightness from the surrounding lights helps Cayenne see the beauty of the garden that Stefan had made for her and if the lights were turned off, you will still see the beauty of the ce because of the light of the moon.


    "Oh my gosh! Did you ask someone to make this while we''re away?" Cayenne asked the obvious question. Even though it was so obvious, she still couldn''t stop herself from asking him.


    "Do you like it?" Stefan asked while watching her expression. ''She''s just like a child who came to see a wonderful amusement park for the first time.'' Stefan thought to himself and smiled as well.


    Cayenne turned to face him with a deep frown on her face. "You''re asking me if I like it? No, I don''t like it."


    "You don''t?"


    "Uh huh."


    "Why?"


    Seeing his confused face, Cayenne burst outughing. "I don''t like it because I love it." She threw herself at him and kissed his left cheek happily. "I love it. Thank you."


    Stefan wrapped his hand around her waist and swayed their bodies, dancing to the music of their beating hearts and faintughter. "I''m so happy that you like it. I prepared a night pic set up for us. Would you like to have dinner now?"


    "No. Let''s stay like this for a while. I want to listen to your heartbeat."


    Since that''s what she wanted, Stefan dly obliged to her words. The two of them danced for a little while with the thought of one another in their heart and mind. After a couple of minutes, they decided to eat the food that Stefan ordered and sat on the pic nket that heid on the ground.


    Usually, pic should be done during the day but since it''s lovely to spend some quality time during the night under the sky littered with stars, Stefan decided to go for a night pic with her.


    After eating their food, Stefan ced the disposable items inside a garbage bag and dumped it on the nearest garbage cans where the garbage collectors pick them on the next day.


    He went back to the back garden and found Cayenne sitting with her hands on the ground while she leaned back and looked up onto the night sky. "I love watching the stars." Cayenne spoke knowing that her husband was back.


    "I love watching you." Stefan responded, intentionally flirting with his wife. He sat on the ground beside her and watched the stars as well. Cayenne didn''t say anything but she chuckled at his response.


    She moved a little bit closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. They were both silent but it was afortable silence between the two of them. After almost five minutes of silence, Stefan spoke first.


    "Ayen, I''ll be going to PH. I received a call from Chris and something terrible has happened to one of our businesses there. I told him to reach out to the person and asked for an appointment. Unexpectedly, they agreed to meet me and they scheduled it tomorrow at 7:00 in the morning. So, I need to leave now to arrive on time tomorrow."


    "I won''t send you off." Cayenne responded. "But I will wait for you to return. Will you be taking time?"


    "I''m not sure. As soon as I''m done with my business and settles everything, I wille back to you."


    Cayenne nodded her head in understanding. She won''t stop him from doing what he needed to do because he didn''t need a hindrance, he needed a support. "Make sure to take a rest and eat your meals on time. If you''re not busy, just send me a message so I would know that you''re doing good."

 Chapter 240 - DIRECTING A PLAY

    <h4>Chapter 240 - DIRECTING A PLAY</h4>


    After several months of being together, from being his personal sleeping pill to being an official girlfriend and wife, it was the first time that Cayenne slept without Stefan.


    He leftst night after she fell asleep and there was no fixed date as to when he coulde back home. She wasn''t worried being alone but she was worried for him. After all, she wasn''t sure if Stefan will be able to sleep without her beside him. ''I hope he''ll be fine.'' Cayenne thought as she got out of bed.


    Stefan left her a note containing several reminders for her to make sure that she''s fine. It includes about her meals and other stuff which he always kept in mind when he was still around. She prepared for work and made sure that she''s not forgetting anything before leaving.


    "I''m off to work now." Cayenne sent muttered while typing the same words and sent it to his ount. Whether he read it or not, she won''t mind. She understood that he''s a very busy person.


    She went to work like usual but she noticed that her colleagues were looking at her from the moment she stepped inside the hotel. ''It must be about the marriage news with Stefan. Should I still cover it?'' She asked herself as she strode towards the employee''s lounge to put her things inside her locker.


    Luna was already inside, cleaning her locker and disinfecting it. The moment she saw Cayenne, her eyes lit up. "Yenyen! You''re finally back! How was your vacation?"


    Cayenne scratched the tip of her nose, looking bashful and shy from the hot gazes of everyone. It was so obvious that they were waiting for something to gossip from her.


    "It was okay. I had so much fun." Cayenne responded while opening her locker. "I brought souvenirs for you." She handed Luna a shopping bag which contain two small boxes from a famous brand. "The other box if for Ali."


    "Oh. Thanks for this." Luna ced the bag inside her locker and locked it before turning to Cayenne again. "I didn''t wait for the souvenir, though. I''m waiting for the news that you wanted to say. So?"


    "Uh¡­Can we talk about it during break. I''ll find a ce for us to talk about it."


    "Sure. I don''t mind. Let''s go and log in for the day." Luna pulled her best friend after Cayenne locked her own locker. They were about to leave the lounge when someone came inside with a basket of choctes and a small pink teddy bear in the middle of the knick-knacks. There was a bouquet of pink tulips as well.


    "Yen, someone asked me to give this to you." Her colleague handed Cayenne the basket and the flowers. "Must be from your boyfriend." She teased her which made Cayenne blush.


    Actually, Cayenne thought the same. She expected that it came from Stefan. Apparently, it was not. There was no name of the sender but there was a note left among the choctes in the basket.


    ''Please press the small heart on the bear''s chest.'' Cayenne read the letter and followed the instruction as well. There was a soft sounding from the bear. It was so soft and low that she almost missed the words.


    ''Why do I have to dress up when it will just waste my time? Someone would still take my ce and take your hand.''


    ''Why do I need to give you roses when many men offer them to you?''


    ''I''d rather stay and wait, while singing this song to you ¨C " The song continued while memories shes back in her mind.


    Cayenne was very familiar to these words because she received simr written lyrics several years ago. It was a song dedicated to her but during those times, she was too focused with Arthur that she neglected other people''s feelings. She still made friends with the sender but she made it clear to him that she won''t be affectionate to him like what couples do.


    "Is he back?" Cayenne whispered while the low music continued to y. At the end of the song, there was a short message that made Cayenne smile.


    ''This song is for the strong woman who saved me in my darkest days.''


    If she was still doubtful earlier, this time, she knew that Seiji really came back. She''s happy that her friend still remembers her but she was also a bit worried ¨C worried that the man might still have feelings for her.


    "Cayenne? Who sent you these?" Luna asked when she noticed that she was silent while staring at the small bear.


    "It''s from one of my friends back in high school."


    "Oh. Is he one of your suitors?"


    "Nope." Cayenne responded almost instantly. She lied to her because she knew that Luna would tell Stefan about it. She didn''t want it toe from another person. She wanted to tell Stefan herself about the things she received today.


    Luna logged in for work and Cayenne was following next to her ¨C feeling a bit apprehensive and nervous for no reason. Her palms were even sweating coldly but she had no idea why she was feeling nervous.


    "Yen, are you alright? You look pale. Is there something wrong?" one of her colleagues asked when she saw caught sight of Cayenne''s pale lips.


    "I''m fine. Sorry to worry you." Cayenne smiled faintly and she was about to type her credentials when she received a call from Luiz.


    "Yen! Yen,e to the hospital right now. Mama is in critical condition."


    The things that she was holding fell on the floor and she gave up typing her credentials anymore. "Cayenne, where are you going? Wait up." Luna picked up the basket and the bouquet and chase after Cayenne who went to the lounge. When she got there, Cayenne was also on her way to leave the ce. "Yen, what''s going on?"


    "I don''t have time to tell you. I need to go now. Sorry." Cayenne left with tears blurring her vision. She had a bad feeling with the call and she had no idea what to do.

 Chapter 241 - PROBLEMS

    <h4>Chapter 241 - PROBLEMS</h4>


    Cayenne took a taxi to Senyu Medical Hospital. She urged the taxi to go faster but they couldn''t go beyond the speed limit which made her feel more anxious as time went by. She clutched her bag as tight as she could, as if it was giving her the strength that she needed the most.


    ''Lord, please don''t let anything bad happen to my mom. Please don''t take her yet.''


    She prayed silently while wiping the tears off her face. She tried to calm herself but the nearer she was to the hospital, the more nervous she felt.


    As soon as they reached the entrance, Cayenne handed her fare without waiting for a change. The driver called her again and again but she never stopped to get it.


    "Luiz." Cayenne called her brother''s name when she reached the emergency area. The room where her mother was sent to still has a red light on and her brothers were waiting for the doctor at the lobby. "What happened?"


    Luiz was crying and his handsome face looked distraught with what happened to their mother. As for Kyle, he was calm andpose on the outside but the turmoil he felt can only be hidden deep within his heart. He didn''t want to breakdown. His brother and sister needed him. They needed someone to stay strong for them during these times.


    "I don''t know." Luiz answered while shaking his head again and again. He''s at loss of what''s happening and what he should do. "Jasmine and the doctors are still inside doing their best to help her." His tears kept rolling his face. Out of the three children, Luiz was the closest to Emerald. Her situation was really a blow to him which worried Cayenne for his brother.


    "Shh. Let''s just pray. Everything will be alright. Mom won''t leave us yet." Cayenne hugged her youngest brother and gently rubbed his back. "She''ll be fine." She was saying this tofort her brother but the fear in her heart still lingered and she wasn''t even convinced with her own words.


    The time slowly ticked by as the three of them waited for the doctor toe out. Kyle told his sister that the doctor and nurses had been inside the emergency room for almost twenty minutes already. They should being out already.


    After few minutes more of waiting, the light of the emergency room was turned off and the doctor came out with dejected expression. Even without saying anything yet, Cayenne already had a hunch of the bad news.


    "I''m sorry." The doctor stated with a solemn face. "We''ve tried our best but the patient''s illness madeplications to her other vital organs. Her heart and lungs failed her and there was a blood clot on her brain. I''m truly sorry for your loss."


    Cayenne''s tears fell on the cold floor. Her chest felt so painful and that''s when she realized that she had stopped herself from breathing. "This can''t be happening." Cayenne mumbled, taking a step back. "You''re lying, right? Doc, my mother can''t die. I still have so many things to tell her."


    "I''m really sorry. I''ll have my assistant help you with all the remaining procedures." The doctor left them to their own ord, letting reality sank to their minds.


    Cayenne''s slumped down on the nearest bench and wept bitterly. "Why is this happening?"? She whispered mixed with hups and sobs. "I still need my mother. I still have so many things to say and show to her. I haven''t told her about my marriage yet. I want my mom."


    Luiz was the same. The two of them cried their heart out while Kyle tried his best not to lose hisposure. "You can go home first. I''ll go with the nurse for the discharge procedure and to have her body sent to the morgue for embalming."


    Cayenne looked to her brother and nodded her head. Before she left with Luiz, she gave Kyle her savings card which contained all the money she saved from her work. She saved them for her mother''s hospitalization but someone else''s paid for it. Who would have thought that she''d be using it to settle all the bills rted to her death?


    Her heart ached so much. She kept crying on her way home with Luiz. Death, she knew it woulde sooner orter but still, she was caught unprepared. Last night, she was still thinking how to speak to her mother about her marriage registration. However, she wasn''t given the chance to talk to her.


    "Yen, what will happen to us now?" Luiz questioned when the two of them got home. His eyes were red and swollen from crying. There were still tears hanging on his thick longshes making him look so pitiful and devastated.


    "Don''t worry. Kyle and I are both in legal age already. I will be your guardian. The three of us will stick together until we grow old. I won''t leave you or let you suffer. We''ll get back on our feet. This is just part of our challenges. I''m here for you so, don''t worry." Cayenne stillforted her brother even though she neededforting as well.


    Seeing how sad Luiz was, Cayenne stopped crying and decided to stay strong for the three of them. She''s the eldest. She needed to take care of her siblings.


    While Cayenne was having a hard time, Stefan wasn''t having it easy with his business problem either. He arrived earlier than the expected meeting at 7:00 in the morning with Seiji Sy. However, two hours had passed and there was no sight of the man he was supposed to meet.


    "Chris, didn''t they confirm that they will meet us at 7:00 a.m?" Stefan asked while looking at his wristwatch. It was the watch that Cayenne gave as a match to the bracelet that he gave her.


    Chris handed showed him the email confirmation which showed the time of the appointment. "This is the confirmation email. I have tried calling his secretary but there was no answer from him as well. Maybe they ran into something."


    "I hope so." Stefan responded with clenched fist. He might be overthinking but he felt that everything that happened has something to do with Cayenne. ''Why would someone attack my business for no reason? And they even ghosted me in this appointment.''

 Chapter 242 - DEATH IS INEVITABLE

    <h4>Chapter 242 - DEATH IS INEVITABLE</h4>


    After waiting for another half an hour, a woman came to them and bowed in apology. "Mr. Dumrique, I''m sorry for letting you wait for so long."


    "So, where''s Mr. Sy?"


    "Regarding that, our Chairman received an emergency call earlier and left the country for immediate response. He just remembered the booked appointment with you. He called me to book your meeting for another day."


    "That''s fine. I really need to talk to him. Can I ask when he''d be back?"


    "He''lle back after three days." The secretary responded, still bowing her head in front of them. "This is the time for the rescheduled appointment." She sent them an email and Chris received it right away. It came from a different email address than the one he contacted before.


    "Pardon my question but, are you really his secretary?" Chris asked after receiving the email.


    "Yes. I''m one of his secretaries. Although our Chairman has one all-around secretary with him. You might have contacted him before."


    "Oh." Chris didn''t pursue the topic and just closed his tablet.


    "We''lle back in three days time." Stefan stood up, followed by Chris; and the two of them left the visitor''s lounge. PH was one of the Seiji''s business turf and Stefan believe that the man was in PH which was why he took interest with the park. "But why now?"


    "Sir?" Chris asked Stefan because he didn''t get what he meant.


    "I was wondering why he likes the park now. He never took interest in this business before and we never crossed each other''s path. So, why is he provoking by doing all these?"


    "You will get your answer when you meet him. I just hope there won''t be any other emergency after three days."


    "Did you think he was making excuses?" Stefan asked Chris. He was already doubting the man and now that Chris mentioned something like this, his suspicions grew. He had no idea that Seiji was not in PH but was in City A; currently making his way towards Cayenne.


    Cayenne was currently sitting in her mother''s bed with tears pooling in her eyes. She just finished cleaning and was horrified with what she found out. Under Emerald''s bed were bloodied clothes. The were so many of them, justifying the fact that her mother had been in critical condition. But because she was so caught up with her work and rtionship, she never noticed this.


    She regretted it so much. She never thought that time would make her realize how she neglected her own mother. The pain of losing her mother overwhelmed her again, making her cry in silence.


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    The door to her mother''s room was knocked twice and Luiz came in with Jasmine following behind him. "Yen, I''m really sorry for letting you down." Jasmine stated. His face which was always covered with make up was now bare and looked depressed.


    Cayenne took hold of his hand and squeezed it. "I''m not ming you. In fact, I''m thankful with what you have done for my mother. I have neglected her and focused on myself. You were there for me in my stead. You were more like her daughter than me." She wanted to smile but the more she forced herself to smile, the more tears fell on Jasmine''s hands that she was holding. "I''m sorry. I''m really sorry. I didn''t mean for all this to happen. I want my mother. I still need her."


    Jasmine, although he''s a man, he''s got a woman''s heart. He pulled Cayenne in his arms and rubbed her back in an attempt tofort her. But Cayenne was so hurt with her reality. She couldn''t even forgive herself for what happened to her mother. "Don''t me yourself. Your mother would never want you to me yourself."


    He pushed her by her shoulders and looked Cayenne in the eyes. "Yen, your mother didn''t die angry or upset. In truth, she was happy before she died. When I spent time with her, she would always talk to me about you. She would tell me how kind you are, how caring you are and how resourceful you are. She was very proud of you. And she was happier when she knew that you found someone you love and who can love you back. She told me that she will die happy because she knew that you''re in good hands."


    "But I haven''t told her about my marriage yet. I still have so many things I wanted to say to her." Cayenne retorted with grievances. "I still wanted her to attend my wedding."


    "Yen, death is inevitable for all of us. Your mother just happened to leave us early because she''s got an illness. Even so, I believed that she would still look over you guys and protect you from harm." He turned to Luiz and smiled at the young man. "You have to study hard. Show your mom that you will grow and be a smart and kind person. Show her that you will always be with your sister because she only wished for you guys to be together in all circumstances."


    Jasmine spent timeforting and talking to the two of them. It''s the least he can do for them.


    Because of what he said, Cayenne and Luiz finally calmed down and continued to do what they must do. Kyle also finished all the procedure and had sent them a message that their mother''s body will be sent to a funeral home in the afternoon. Kyle already told Kath about it and also called the university to ask for leave.


    Luiz had already told his school about his family matter and they offered condolences to him. They sent him alms that his ssmates and schoolmates gathered together to provide him some financial help.


    ''Stefan, if you''re not busy, can you give me a call. If you are doing something, it''s fine. Just finish what you have to do ande back home.''


    Stefan needed to stay for three more days and he was nning to give Cayenne a surprise as soon as hees back so, he didn''t reply to her message or call her this time.


    He has no idea that this negligence will cost him his wife.

 Chapter 243 - REUNION

    <h4>Chapter 243 - REUNION</h4>


    "Condolence to you and your family." Jillyanna told Cayenne and pulled her in a hug. "Stay strong for your brothers. And don''t hesitated to tell me if you need help."


    "Thank you, Jill."


    "How about Stefan? Where is that idiot?" Travis asked Cayenne while looking around the ce to find his friend.


    "He leftst night to deal with some urgent matter. Don''t tell him anything. I want to be the one who will tell him about this."? Cayenne told Travis. This was to avoid them telling Stefan of what happened and distracting him from his work. Even though they''re married, she didn''t want to burden him of her own matter. And besides, if he''s not busy, Stefan would surely call him send or her a message. Or so she thought.


    Jillyanna''s family and friends came over as well. And Cayenne had said the same thing, telling them not to tell Stefan about it because she wanted to tell him personally.


    Around seven in the evening, Manager Kim and Luna came.


    "Ms. Kim, please don''t tell Stefan about this yet. I want to tell him personally about this matter."


    "Okay." Manager Kim replied while gently hugging Cayenne.


    Luna also received the same words from Cayenne and she nodded her head. She understood it; when ites to letting the person, you care about hear the words from your own mouth instead of hearing it from someone else. "Just remember that I am always here for you. Let me know if you need anything else."


    "Thanks, Lulu."


    Kath, who came over after ss, came out with Kyle to go home. "Sis Yen, I will go home for now. I''lle back tomorrow to help you out."


    "Thank you, Kath. Your presence is more than enough. Right now, my brother needs you the most and I hope you canfort him. Luiz and I will be fine."


    "Hn. I won''t disappoint you." Kath waved her hand and bid farewell. She didn''t want Kyle to leave his siblings during this time so, she asked her brother to send a driver toe and pick her up. "You don''t need to send me home tonight." Kathmented. "My eldest brother sent someone to fetch me."


    "I see." Kyle looked into the dark sky and tears fell on his face. He didn''t want to cry but with Kath beside him, he didn''t mind showing his weak side. "Babe, I won''t be with you in the next few days. Don''t sleep during ss and don''t skip any sses as well."


    Kath knew that he was just making random excuse to hide the pain he was feeling but she understood. She hugged him and kissed his tears away. "It''s my turn to stay with you. But since I won''t be of much help in the funeral home, I will be a good student for you instead. I''ll attend all our sses and make sure to take notes for you. I''lle to you after sses as well. If you want to talk to me, you know when our breaks are so, feel free to call me."


    Kyle sobbed and hugged her back, letting herfort him in a different way. Others would probably try to use some sugarcoated words just to soothe his pain but his girlfriend decided to study for him instead.


    Kai''s driver had been waiting for Kath so, she didn''t linger for too long. "I''lle back tomorrow." She told her boyfriend again while waving her hand.


    "Hn. I''ll wait for you."


    The next day, Celine and Jessie came and offered their condolences. Like everyone else who knew her rtionship with Stefan, they were wondering why he didn''te. And Cayenne responded to them just like how she responded everyone else.


    Luna also arrived with Ali, helping around to relieve Cayenne from stress.


    Luiz''s teachers and ssmates also came. They brought so many foods for them and they talked with Luiz to at least, distract him from the pain of losing his mother.


    And even though Cayenne had been treating him coldly, Arthur still came to offer his condolences. After all, he remained friends with Emerald. She didn''t hold grudges towards him and she treated him kindly. Even though he used the woman to get close to Cayenne, he was also thankful to her. Emerald was his number one supporter when ites to chasing Cayenne. And she didn''t shoo him away even when Cayenne was already taken.


    "Yenyen, I''m sorry to hear about what happened. I know that you''re in pain and my words may notfort you but, I hope you will stay strong. I''m pretty sure that auntie won''t like to see you sad and devastated. But death isn''t something you can be happy about so I understand the urge to cry. If you need a shoulder to lean on, I''m always here for you."


    "Thank you, Arthur." Cayenne responded softly. Her voice was already horse from all the crying but even though she rested for several hours already, it wasn''t back to normal yet. "Thank you for staying friends with my mother. I know that I''ve been unfair to you but I''m still thankful that you didn''t treat her badly because of my attitude towards you."


    "What''s between us has nothing to do with auntie. I don''t have the right to get angry to her."


    They talked for quite a while and Cayenne was no longer that angry towards him. She hadpletely forgotten what Arthur said over a month ago.


    Around eight in the evening when other people started leaving, a ck Maserati arrived and stopped in the parking space in front of the funeral home. A man alighted from the driver seat and went to open the back seat where another man came out. He was wearing ck pants, ck suit, ck shirt and a pair of ck gloves. The only colorful thing on him was his long purplish ¨C white hair.


    He picked the flower he bought and asked his driver/secretary to bring it inside with him.


    Cayenne was currently speaking to Kyle about something and Arthur was talking to Luiz. When Cayenne saw the new visitor, her eyes lit up. "Seiji, you are really back."


    Arthur''s face fell when he heard this name. He''s the man that he never wanted to see again in his lifetime but here he was, standing in front of Cayenne.

 Chapter 244 - LEAVE CAYENNE

    <h4>Chapter 244 - LEAVE CAYENNE</h4>


    "Condolences to you and your family." Seiji smiled faintly and asked his secretary to ce the flower at the altar. "I didn''t expect that we''d be reunited under these circumstances. How are you?"


    "I''m doing better as time went by. Although, it''s still brings me pain whenever I remember my mother." Cayenne responded. "Come inside. I''m sorry I don''t have anything better to give you at this moment." She ced a cup of coffee and some pastries in front of him. "When did youe back? Oh! Arthur''s here by the way." She turned to Arthur and called him. She can use this opportunity for them to catch with each other.


    Seiji kept a smile on his lips when he was facing Cayenne but the moment she turned around to call Arthur, his face disappeared and he looked Arthur sharply.


    Arthur was no different. He was hiding his sharp res with a sweet smile. And Cayenne had no idea that an intense battle already urred between these two men that she thought were friends. After all, they''ve been together for quite sometime during their high school years.


    "Arthure here." Cayenne called for him. "You must have missed Seiji, too. You guys were always together in high school."


    "Is that the look of people who spent time together in high school years?" Luna asked Jessie beside her.


    "I bet only Cayenne think these two men were friends. If I were to say my opinion, these two were rivals. And who they were rivaling for, it''s obviously Cayenne''s heart. And this girl couldn''t even see that." Jessie replied in a whisper, making sure that only their group will hear her words.


    Manager Kim and Celine agreed with her words. As for Ali, he didn''t bother joining their gossips.


    Seijie, Cayenne and Arthur sat around one table and talked about their recent life activities but no one asked Cayenne about her marriage. Seiji thought that it would be inappropriate to talk about it given that she was still mourning over her mother''s death.


    "I heard that your brother left your home. Did he also leave yourpany?" Seiji asked Arthur even though he didn''t really want to talk to him. In front of Cayenne, he had to y nice and kind. When you think about it, Arthur and Seiji were of the same feather. They both hid their true colors in front of the woman they like but they would show their fangs to the people they don''t like.


    In the blink of an eye, it was almost midnight. Seiji bid farewell saying that he''de back again the next day. Arthur was the same. He would never lose out to his rival. Apparently, they both forgot the point that Cayenne''s married. She''s no longer avable for them to have a contest of who could win her heart.


    When most people left, Luiz and Kyle went to Cayenne and sat with her.


    "Did Stefan call you already?" Kyle asked while looking on a far distance. "Did you tell him what happened?"


    "I don''t want him to get distracted. When he left, he looked so stressed and worried about his business. And you know that his family worked so hard for it. Since he didn''t call me, he must be busy. As soon as he calls me, I will tell him about our mother''s death."


    Luiz looked at his sister, wanting to say something but he decided to keep quiet and wait for the right time. He and Kyle got so many questions but they didn''t want Cayenne to think so much during these times. As much as possible, they wanted her to be rxed and free of worry. But they also know that those were just wishful thinking in their part.


    The next day, Arthur came and unexpectedly, he met with his brother Cole. They haven''t seen each other for over a month already. He didn''t expect to see him during Emerald''s funeral.


    "Yo." Arthur greeted his brother and he even walked towards him, thinking of persuading him toe back home. However, Cole just nodded at him and went inside to find Cayenne and her brothers.


    When Arthur tried talking to him, he also did his best to avoid him. He was determined to cut ties with his family.


    It was the third day of the funeral which means, it was the third day that Stefan has gone to PH. And it was also the day for him to meet with Seiji.


    Stefan arrived thirty minutes before the appointment. This time, Seiji didn''t disappoint him. He was already waiting for Stefan toe, waiting for him toe to his trap and act the y that he was directing.


    "Good morning, Mr. Sy." Stefan greeted him and offered his hand for a handshake.


    "Good morning, Mr. Dumrique." Seiji responded to him. "Have you been staying in PH these past three days?"


    "Yes. I had to do some business while I was free."


    "I see. What I did must have kept you busy." Seiji admitted shamelessly.


    "May I know why Mr. Sy did what he did? Your family was never interested with our business. Why do it now? And you could have bought small shares if you just wanted to be our business partner. You don''t really have to boldly do something like this to gain ownership. And I asked your father about this, too. It seemed like the decision was solely made by you. Did I do something that offends you?"


    Seiji snapped his fingers and his secretary gave him a folder which contains the documents of the shares he bought. There was also a transfer of shares agreement that he prepared for Stefan.


    "Mr. Dumrique, I wasn''t really nning to take ownership of the business that your family worked so hard for. I did it to have a little leverage against you. And of course, I''m willing to give it to you, making you the sole owner of Madeline Park. How does that sound?"


    "And why would you do that? There''s no free lunch in this world. What do you want?"


    "Simple." Seiji crossed his legs, leaned back on his chair, sped his hands together and ced them on top of her knees. He looked more elegant, like an aristocrat sitting on a chaise for someone to paint him. However, his words were cold and demanding. "Leave Cayenne."

 Chapter 245 - MISSED OPPORTUNITY

    <h4>Chapter 245 - MISSED OPPORTUNITY</h4>


    Stefan left the Seiji''spany with darkness on his face. Everyone who saw him shivered from fear. They didn''t even try greeting him out of politeness.


    Few minutes ago,¡­


    "Mr. Sy, I''m afraid I can''t do that. Cayenne is my wife and I have no intention of divorcing her." Stefan stated and pushed the documents away from him. "I love my wife. I won''t exchange her for a mere number of shares."


    "Well, looks like we''ll be facing each other more often Mr. Dumrique." Seiji responded with a smile. A smile that never reaches his eyes but instead, it made him looked even colder and devilish. "I hope you won''t regret your decision today."


    Stefan stood up and left the room without looking back.


    Now, he was sitting on his car with Chris driving it as usual. "Stefan, I don''t think that man was joking. He wasn''t saying those things out of friendship with Cayenne." Chris stated while taking nces on the rearview mirror. He wasn''t speaking as a secretary''s point but from a friend''s view instead. "If I am not mistaken, Seiji Sy likes Cayenne. This was something we have overlooked."


    "I already had a faint idea about it but I wanted to get confirmation. At the same time, I think Cayenne wasn''t seeing him in the same view as he sees her."


    "That''s a fact." Chris agreed. "But what are you nning to do now? If they continue to attack yourpanies, you will lose your position as the CEO of severalpanies."


    "Losing the position won''t matter to me. As long as I have my own shares, Cayenne and I can get by with it." Stefan replied in nonchnce. As long as Cayenne stays with him, he won''t be bothered with what Seiji does to his businesses. "Book me the next flight to City A. Let''s go back home."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne had no idea what transpired during this time. Stefan hadn''t called her. Seiji who promised toe didn''te as well though, it didn''t matter to her.


    "Luiz, Kyle, I will go and visit Jonas and tell him about our mother''s death. I''ll try to ask if he can visit during her burial or the next days for her funeral. If you need me for something urgent, don''t hesitate to call me." Cayenne told her brothers while preparing herself to leave. Her eyes weren''t swollen anymore which was why she volunteered herself to go.


    "Yen, will you be alright?"


    "Hn. I will be fine. Don''t worry about me."


    "How about I go with you?" Luiz suggested. "I think it will be better if I''m with you."


    "But Kyle will be needing your help here." Cayenne replied to his brother. He tussled his hair and smile just to reassure him. "Trust me on this."


    "I understand." Luiz nodded his head. "I''ll stay with Kyle here. Be careful."


    "Hn. See youter." Cayenne left in a hurry, missing the chance to see her own father face to face.


    Reuben Montefalco arrived at the funeral home just few minutes after Cayenne left. He looked around to see his daughter but he couldn''t find her. The two men, her stepbrothers, were taking care of the visitors and found him standing at the entrance.


    "Hello. How can I help you?" Kyle asked politely, looking at the man from head to toe. He was certain that he had seen him somewhere but he couldn''t remember where and when.


    Reuben coughed drily to clear his throat and handed Kyle a small envelope as his alms for the funeral. "I''m here to attend Emerald''s funeral. You must be her eldest son."


    "Yes." Kyle answered politely. "Pleasee in. Are you my mother''s friend?"


    "I don''t think she considers me her friend. I think she sees me as an enemy. I''m not even sure if I shoulde here."


    "That''s alright. My mother won''t take it to heart if youe to see her for thest time." Kyle responded while showing him the way to a vacant table.


    "You have a sister, right? Where is she?"


    Kyle''s eyes suddenly dimmed when he remembered something. Although he had no rights to get angry to him, he still felt bad for what Cayenne and his mother went through when Jonas didn''te to their life. "You''re Cayenne''s father." He said. This made Reuben felt a bit awkward. "Don''t worry, I won''t chase you out. Also, my sister isn''t here. She left to visit our father."


    "You mean, your father?"


    "Hn."


    "What time will shee back?"


    "I''m not really sure. If nothing goes wrong, she''ll be back after three hours."


    "I see."


    After Kyle gave him a ss of juice and pastries, the two of them sank into a deafening silence. "I''ll go over and greet the other guests." Kyle spoke to break the silence. He was about to leave when Reuben held his hand to stop him from leaving. "Do you need something else?"


    "Can I talk to you for a moment?" Kyle nodded his head and sat down once again. "My name is Reuben Montefalco. I am Cayenne''s biological father. I actually came here with the intention to get my daughter back but I am not sure what to do? I also heard that she''s married to Stefan Dumrique. I am not really against it but I am wondering if she was treated right by that man."


    "Sorry to cut you off but, you must be aware that you don''t have a say to Cayenne''s rtionships after you abandoned her, right?"


    "Hn."


    "And you must be aware as well that Cayenne won''t go back with you. After all, you never showed up when she needed you the most."


    "Hn."


    Kyle felt so angry for his sister but he also didn''t want to give the man a hard time. At the end of the day, he was still Cayenne''s biological father. "Mr. Montefalco, I am not against your decision of taking our sister back. You are still his father no matter how we flip the world. However, the decision still lies in her hand. You should talk to her when she''s back."


    "Thank you."


    "No problem. I''ll get back to work now." Kyle left him with a heavy heart. ''If Yen leaves us to go with him, I will have to find a ce to work. I need to take care of my own brother.''

 Chapter 246 - JONAS SLYVESTER

    <h4>Chapter 246 - JONAS SLYVESTER</h4>


    Cayenne bought some food and fruits on her way to visit Jonas. She didn''t want toe with nothing but bad news. Although Jonas wasn''t her real father and even though he added to her mother''s burden, she still knew that her mother loves him. In fact, he was the only one who thought of him as a burden.


    "Good morning, chief." Cayenne greeted the chief police officer as she strode inside. "I''m here to visit Jonas Slyvester."


    "Alright. Just wait for him at the visitor''s lounge. I''ll have someone get him for you."


    "Thank you." Cayenne turned to the left wing were the visitor''s lounge was located. There were other people visiting their family member as well. She didn''t wait for a long time. Jonas was escorted with another officer and brought him to the lounge. "Hello, Jonas."


    "You''ve grown." Jonasmented the moment he saw her. "It''s been a long time since I saw you. What brings you here?"


    "I''m wondering if you can ask for a leave." She started. "Mother died three days ago."


    Jonas was stunned with her words. She didn''t even try dying this news from him. "I¡­I¡­why?"


    "You know that she got ill, right?"


    "Yes, I know about that. But she told me that she was getting better. Luiz and Kyle said the same thing to me. How did she die all of a sudden? And why did you just tell me about this now?"


    "We got so busy dealing a lot of things because of her sudden death. We forgot to tell you. Luiz and Kyle are both devastated. As the remaining parent, I was hoping for you toe and give them words offort. But I am not sure if that''s even possible."


    "I don''t think that''s possible, Yen. After all, I was imprisoned for murder."


    Cayenne nodded her head. She only visited Jonas once and that five years ago. When Jonas was sent to prison she was just eight years old. She had no idea why she was sent to prison but she also hated him for it because he left her mother all alone. Her mother was left with the men she loved. Up until now, she never tried asking him about the reason why he was put to jail and who she murdered. She didn''t ask her mother or brothers as well.


    "By the way, I know that it''s toote to ask you this but I didn''t really have the chance to ask in the past. Jonas, why are you sent to jail? Who did you murder? I never talked with my mother and brothers about this because this a sensitive topic to them. But I just want to know a little bit this time."


    "About that ¨C"


    ''Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.''


    Cayenne looked at her phone and found Stefan''s name shing on the screen. "Just give me a moment." Cayenne told Jonas and turned to the side to press the answer button. "Hi. What took you so long to call me?"


    "I was really busy the past few days. Where are you now? I''lle and get you."


    "You''re back?!" Cayenne''s eyes lit up as soon as she heard hisst statement. "I''ll send you the address. I have something to tell you as well. Come and find me soon. I missed you."


    "I am missing you every second of the day, darling. Wait for me." Stefan hang up and waited for the message from her. When he received it, his face fell. "Why is she in city jail?" Stefan asked himself this question. "Chris, let''s go and hurry to the city jail."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne put down her phone on the table, which was right in front of Jonas, letting him see the wallpaper on her screen.


    "Yen, what''s your rtionship with this man?" Jonas asked while pointing on her wallpaper.


    Cayenne''s face brightened when she was asked this question. If it was before, she would be worried how to exin things but since Stefan chose toe out to the public, she decided to go along with his decision. Answering to Jonas, the smile on her face was even sweet. "Stefan is my husband. We got married over a month ago. But it was a secret marriage so we didn''t tell you."


    "Your husband?" Jonas asked with a horrified expression. His eyes were so wide that Cayenne was afraid his eyeballs woulde out of the socket. "How did you guys know each other?"


    "I worked for him. We fell in love and we decided to get married. Why? Are you not happy for me?"


    "Of¡­of course, I am happy for you. I''m happy. Congrats." Jonas smiled but his smile couldn''t hide the worry on his face.


    "Just tell me what exactly you think. Although it won''t affect my rtionship with him, I still want to know about your opinion." Cayenne insisted. Even though he wasn''t her own father, Cayenne wanted to get an impression from her stepfather''s point of view.


    "I am really happy for you, Yen. The man who will love you will be very lucky because you are pretty, kind, caring and you are very optimistic in life. But ¨C"


    "But?" Cayenne asked, trying to encourage him to continue his words.


    "But Stefan Dumrique is ¨C "


    "Jonas Slyvester?" Cayenne had her back facing the door so she didn''t see Stefaning inside. The moment she turned around to face him, his face was red from anger and there were veins bulging on his clenched fists.


    Jonas was also surprised to see the young master that he served fifteen years ago standing in front of him. In the whole Dumrique n, Stefan was the person that Jonas didn''t want to see the most. He disappointed him. He hurt him by killing Alexander.


    Cayenne looked towards Stefan then shifted her gaze to Jonas. There were rm bells ringing in her mind as she tried to understand the situation. "This can''t be. Tell me that what I''m thinking is wrong." She sounded desperate and scared. She looked towards Jonas with hope in her eyes. "The person you killed, it couldn''t be Alexander, right?"

 Chapter 247 - COOL OFF

    <h4>Chapter 247 - COOL OFF</h4>


    Stefan turned around immediately and left the visitor''s lounge. Cayenne was still stunned with the truth but she also knew that they needed to talk before things gets worse.


    "Stefan, wait up." She ran after him, forgetting the fact that she didn''t even bid farewell to his stepfather. Jonas didn''t mind being ignored but he was worried for his stepdaughter. Of all people that she could love, she ended up with Stefan who hated him the most.


    As soon as they stepped out, Stefan got inside the car. Cayenne immediately followed him inside, not giving him the chance to get away.


    "Stefan, let''s talk about this. I didn''t know. I really had no idea of what happened. I didn''t try to find out as well. But you can''t me me for this. It''s my stepfather. I didn''t want to mind his business or whatever he has done because he wasn''t my biological father. Stefan ¨C"


    "Cayenne, can you give me some time to think about this?"


    "Are you going to think about us as well?" she asked but Stefan didn''t answer her question. "Chris, can you stop the car somewhere. I want to get some air, too."


    Since Stefan didn''t refute hermand, Chris followed Cayenne and stopped the car somewhere. Cayenne alighted and walked to another direction without looking back. They both needed space with what happened. After all, she knew how much pain it caused Stefan when Alexander died.


    Her tears fell and she wiped them abruptly. But no matter how much she wiped them off, they wouldn''t stop falling. "I''m scared. I''m so scared. What will happen between us now? I should have told him about my mother''s death. Perhaps he wouldn''t be that angry with me."


    Cayenne walked aimlessly with tears streaming down on her face. People were staring at him but they didn''t pay her any mind. They just went on their way, ignoring her after looking weirdly at her.


    "Stefan, won''t you get her back? She looked distraught and broken." Chris told Stefan while looking at Cayenne''s hunched back.


    Stefan looked at her walking away as well but the pain of what he discovered still haunted her. "Let''s just go to A''s bar."


    After an hour or walking, she decided toe back to the funeral home. Her personal matter was important to her but her mother''s funeral must be respected and she needed to be there as her one and only daughter.


    Unexpectedly, one problem came after another. Reuben Montefalco was still around when she arrived. She felt an onught of headaches stabbing her brain from all the stimtions she has received in a very short span of time. It was so depressing that she wanted to flip a table.


    ''Calm down. Calm down, Yen.'' She told herself again and again as she strode inside.


    "Cayenne." Reuben called her name. "Can we talk?"


    "What do you want to talk?"


    "About us?"


    "I don''t even know you. What us are we talking about?"


    "I''m your father. Didn''t your mom tell you about me?"


    "No, she did not."


    "I see."


    The atmosphere sank and the two of them were in dead silence. Cayenne had no intentions of breaking the silence. She didn''t even want to talk to him at this point. She was too tired to have another headache inducing conversation.


    "I just wanted to see you." Reuben mentioned while taking a sip of his drink. "I was thinking that maybe I can lend you some help or perhaps asked you toe with me. After all, I am still your biological father."


    Cayenne looked at the man with dull eyes. She was angry at him for leaving her mother. If he didn''t leave, none of the sufferings she''s been through will happen. Her mother won''t find someone else to love. She wouldn''t have a murderer stepfather. Stefan''s brother probably wouldn''t die or if he still died, it wouldn''t have anything to do with her.


    "Yen?" Luiz tap her shoulder which brought Cayenne to reality. Seeing her brother''s handsome face, her tears fell once again. She felt so guilty of denying their existence. Even though they were having a hard time, her brothers neverined or asked her anything outrageous. They were always mindful and careful around her. They never talked back to her. They never fought.


    ''How could I think that way?'' Cayenne asked herself in pain. ''There''s no ifs in life. What''s done was done. I cannot turn back the time. I can just fix it now.''


    Cayenne hugged her brother and cried her heart out. As for the reason why she was crying so hard, they had no idea. Reuben was sure that he didn''t say anything wrong.


    Luiz didn''t ask any question. Kyle was just watching the two of them with worry. Now that everything''s turned awful. They can just depend on each other. Although, he was still worried that Cayenne would go with her biological father.


    After her the pain on chest subsides, Cayenne wiped her tears and faced her father again. "I''m sorry for letting you see my weak side. I''m usually strong." Cayennemented while giving the man a faint smile. "Anyway, I won''t take anything against you. You and mom, you were not destined to be together even when I was conceived. But I won''t take away your rights to be a father to me. However, I cannote with you. I want to stay with my brothers wherever and whatever situation we''d have to go through. If I really need help, I wille and find you. Until then, don''t send me any financial help. I''d like to stand on my own two feet."


    "Then, how can I be a father to you?" Reuben asked in confusion.


    "You can be a father to me when I ask for help."


    "Can I give you a gift first to seal this agreement we have. I just want to know that you have epted me as a father."


    "Hn. I don''t mind."


    "Alright. I''lle back tomorrow with my gift. Thank you so much, my daughter. Thank you for giving me another chance." Cayenne would have never thought that her father''s gift woulde in handy after several days.


    After they separated their ways earlier, Stefan didn''t contact Cayenne even once. But around seven in the evening she received a message. ''Come to A''s bar. Your husband is drunk. Take him home.''

 Chapter 248 - KIDS AND DRUNK PEOPLE DONT LIE

    <h4>Chapter 248 - KIDS AND DRUNK PEOPLE DON''T LIE</h4>


    "Kyle, I''ll be going out for a while. Please look after this ce while I''m away." Cayenne put on her coat and shoes, preparing herself to leave. "Tell Luiz that I''ll be back as soon as possible."


    "Okay. Take good care of yourself." Kyle waved her hand and see her off to the main entrance.


    Cayenne received a message from an unknown number, and even though it was unknown, knowing that the message was about Stefan, she couldn''t just ignore it. She hailed a taxi and looked at her phone to read the address. The taxi driver looked at her and frowned.


    ''She looked so innocent but she actually goes to that kind of ce.'' He thought to himself but since she was a customer, he still drove the car towards A''s bar.


    In the Madrigal mansion, Travis and Jillyanna was sitting on a couch with Shein and Brown. "So, Stefan already knew about the connection between Cayenne and Jonas." Travis mentioned casually while running her fingers through his wife''s hair.


    "Although we knew about this, we never told them, knowing that they needed to settle this on their own." Jillyanna alsomented with a deep sigh. "Where''s Cayenne now?"


    Shein''s hand flew across the keyboard of hisputer, locating Cayenne''s current location. "Huh? She''s on the move. She''s going somewhere."


    Somehow, Jillyanna felt nervous with this. She didn''t want the same mistake to befall on Cayenne. She overheard Stefan''s conversation with Diego before and misunderstood it. She knew that once someone gets drunk, they would start spouting thing that they never really meant. She might be overthinking but she really felt a bad premonition on this matter.


    "Stefan is in A''s bar." Shein said which confirmed Jillyanna''s train of thoughts. "Base on Yen''s direction, she should be going to this bar."


    Jillyanna ran to her room to get her phone and call Cayenne. However, Cayenne didn''t pick up her calls. She dialed the number again and again but it was to no avail. ''Oh god! Yen, you can''t go there.''


    Jillyanna''s prayer wasn''t answered.


    Cayenne arrived at the ce and got out of the car, not waiting for the driver to give her the change. The ce was so loud. The colorful lights were blinding her. Throngs of people came in and out. Women were wearing revealing clothes and there were some who were making out despite the crowd around them.


    The loud and fast beat of the song almost caused her to go deaf but she still went inside to find her husband. Men tried hooking up with her but Cayenne politely refused, saying that someone was waiting for her. Thankfully, she wasn''t harassed by anyone.


    She continued to move forward, seeing women grinding their body with men. A lot of them were drunk and the stench of the alcohol lingered in the ce, assaulting her nose.


    She looked around and the ce and found Stefan sitting on a stool in the counter area. Chris was also with him.


    "Stefan." Cayenne called his name but he didn''t hear her. "Stefan, let''s go home." She shook his shoulders but Stefan just shrugged her off.


    "Chris, stop shaking me. It makes me feel dizzy." Stefan stated in a drunk stupor.


    Chris was worried for Cayenne who seemed hurt while watching Stefan in front of her. "Stefan, Cayenne is here. She''s taking you back." Chris told Stefan but then, realization hits him. "Lady boss, how did you get here?"


    "Me? I received a message that he''s here and drunk. I just wanted to take him home."


    "Who sent you the message?"


    "I don''t know. It was an unknown number." Cayenne turned back to Stefan and took away the ss of brandy from him. "Stefan, let''s go home. Don''t get drunk. You will have a huge headache tomorrow because of this."


    "No! I don''t want to go home." Stefan pushed Cayenne away, making her took several steps back in staggering manner. "I can''t believe she lied to me about this."


    "Stefan you said it to me thrice already. You don''t have to say it again." Chris tried stopping him from spouting nonsense because the subject of their conversation was just in front of them. "Let me send you home, alright. Tomorrow, just talk tody boss about it."


    "Lady boss? She won''t be thedy boss anymore. Did you know that I only married her because of my illness? But in thest three days, I proved that I am fine. I can sleep without her."


    "Stefan stop talking. Let''s go home."


    "I will divorce her. It''s time to divorce her then I can get those shares back. I can take them back."


    Chris couldn''t hold himself anymore. Knowing that Stefan just ruined his own happiness, his fist sent Stefan flying. "Yen, he was just spouting nonsense because he''s drunk. Don''t take his words to heart."


    Cayenne smiled but it was a sad one. "Chris, there''s a saying that kind and drunk people don''t lie. They speak what is truly inside their mind. You don''t have to say anything to make me feel at ease. I have seen thising the moment he appeared in city jail." She bowed her head deeply in front of him in gratefulness. "Thanks for trying to stop him. And please take care of him. I''ll go back home first."


    "Yen, why don''t you go home together?"


    "There''s no need. I have some matters to tend to as well."


    Cayenne turned around and walked calmly out of the bar. Only her tears betrayed what she truly felt. ''I knew this would happen. I already have this bad feeling when he showed up. If I had known this would happen, I would never tell him about Jonas. But a rtionship built with lies, it would still crumble down.'' Her thoughts were messy and she felt emotionally tired. Even so, she continued to stand strong. ''What Stefan needed is freedom.'' She told herself as she hailed a taxi.


    "Where to ma''am?"


    "To the City Hall''s Marriage and Civils'' Affairs."


    Not far from the bar, Seiji watched Cayenne board the taxi. He followed her and found that she went to the City Hall. ''Looks like I won this game again. Well, it''s not my fault that Stefan was an idiot.''

 Chapter 249 - HASTY DECISIONS

    <h4>Chapter 249 - HASTY DECISIONS</h4>


    Kyle received a message from his sister, telling him to prepare for the burial on the next day. Previously, they agreed to hold five days of funeral and have their mother buried on the sixth day. But now, it was just three days of funeral and Cayenne wanted to bury their mother already.


    When he asked what happened, Cayenne just told him that it was due to the illness of their mother. She can''t be exposed to other people for too long. Although, Kyle didn''t buy that reason from her, he didn''t ask anything.


    Luiz just agreed to whatever his sister decides. It was also better so that she can rest from the pain.


    The two brothers had no idea what just happened.


    After getting the divorce papers from the City Hall, Cayenne went back to Peach Wood Subdivision. Sheid her body on their bed, cried her heart out with the scent of her husband lingering on their sheets. The pillows had the scent of him which made her felt even more devastated.


    ''Why am I punished for?'' Cayenne asked herself. ''I''ve been a good girl all my life. I never made a fuss over something. I helped people whenever I can. I never talked back to my mother. I worked so hard for my siblings and for my mom. So, why is this happening to me? What did I do to have my heart broken into pieces?''


    She continued to cry for god-knows-how-long, waiting for Stefan toe home but he didn''te back home that night. The next day, with her heart broken to pieces, Cayenne took off the ring from her finger and the bracelet from her wrist. She pulled Stefan''s bank card from her wallet and ced it on the table. With a deep breath, she picked up a pen from the drawer and signed her name on the divorce papers.


    She wrote him a note with her tears falling on her face. "Let''s start another chapter of our life separately. I don''t deserve you. I know you were hurt when your brother died but I honestly had no idea about the connection between Jonas and Alexander. I didn''t mean to hide the identity of my stepfather to you. I just thought that you wouldn''t like me to be acquainted with a criminal. And I guessed it right. I am setting you free. And for the other things that you need to get, juste and get them in the apartment. I''m leaving you a copy of our key. Bye."


    Cayenne once told him, as long as he wouldn''t give up on her, she wouldn''t give up either. As long as they would hold out together, it wouldn''t matter how much pain she would be in. However, she wouldn''t fight a losing battle. Last night, Stefan''s words already told her that she wouldn''t win. Instead of forcing herself to fight and cling to him where they would keep getting hurt, she would rather set him free.


    Cayenne went back to the funeral home to finish all the preparations. Her father was also there and was informed of the burial ceremony that Cayenne asked Kyle to process.


    "Why are you burying your mother in a hurry? Did something happen?" Reuben asked his daughter. He was aware of the previous n so he was surprised to know that they''re burying her on that day.


    "Nothing happened. I just don''t want to expose the people to her illness. It''s not good to keep her for a long time. And she needed to rest." Cayenne responded with an expressionless face.


    "Yen, I know this is not the right time but I have my gift here for you." Reuben handed her a folder which contains information about the house and lot property. "It''s not much. I wanted to give this when your mother was still around but she refused me. I just really wanted to give you your own house."


    "Thank you. Do I have to sign my name anywhere?"


    "Yes. Please sign your name here so that it will be legally yours." Reuben gave her a pen happily and pointed the spaces where she needed to sign her name. "Thank you for epting my gift."


    "Thank you for giving it to me as well. My brothers and I needed it so much right now."


    "You''re wee. Here are the keys to the house and the rooms. I''ll have someone apany you thereter."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne didn''t dawdle anymore. Because the ceremony was in haste, there weren''t many people who came. Luna wasn''t even informed about it.


    At ten in the morning, the burial ceremony was formally started. This time, Cayenne didn''t cry. She was just staring on the coffin as it was lowered six feet below the ground. Her eyes looked dull and lifeless. Kyle was worried for her but he knew that Cayenne won''t open up to them if she didn''t want to.


    He had tried getting in touch with Stefan but no one was picking up his calls. He thought it was weird but he was now certain that Cayenne had a fight with Stefan.


    After the mass was over, Reuben talked to Cayenne and also asked one of his drivers toe to the public cemetery to pick up the kids. Cayenne was thankful to him but she never once called him father.


    "Let''s go back to the apartment and pack." Cayenne told Luiz and Kyle. The two boys were stunned with her words but they didn''t ask her anything. They boarded the car that Reuben prepared for them and the driver sent them to the apartment.


    In Clover Hotel, Stefan woke up with a splitting headache at one in the afternoon. There was medicine on top of his bedside table and there was a note as well. ''Apologize to thedy boss as soon as you wake up. You said a lot of nonsensest night.'' It was a note from Chris. There were several missed calls on his phone as well and three of them were from Kyle and one from Manager Kim.


    "Since I''m in the hotel, I might as well drop by the lounge to see Ayen." He drank the medicine, took a quick shower and left his suite to find Cayenne.


    Inside the employee''s lounge, Manager Kim was talking to Luna and Celine. She received Cayenne''s resignation letter emailed to her this morning which was a shock to her. She tried calling Stefan to ask if she was aware of Cayenne''s decision but given that they were married, she decided to drop the call, thinking that Stefan must have known about it.


    But now that she was talking to Luna and Celine, it seemed like she never told anyone about her resignation.


    ''Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.'' Luna''s phone was vibrating in her pocket. When she picked it up and read the message, her eyes went wide from wonder. "Cayenne had her mother''s body buried today."


    "Today? I thought it would be on Saturday." Celinemented.


    "No. Kyle sent me a message asking why I didn''te. I had no idea they had moved the date. Cayenne didn''t tell me anything. The information she told me was that the burial of her mother would be this Saturday."


    "Whose mother is being buried?"

 Chapter 250 - TOO LATE

    <h4>Chapter 250 - TOO LATE</h4>


    "Boss, when did youe back?" Luna asked Stefan as soon as she saw him. "Cayenne''s mother was buried this morning. We didn''t know that the burial was today, though."


    "Wait. Emerald died? When?" Stefan asked. His confused expression told them that he really had no idea of what happened.


    "I thought Cayenne told you because she said that she wanted to tell you about it personally. Auntie died on Monday morning. Supposedly, she will be buried on Saturday but Cayenne moved the date and had her mother buried today."


    "This¡­how¡­" Stefan staggered a step back with the news. He remembered the messages that Cayenne sent him, asking him to call her if he wasn''t busy. He pretended to be busy because he wanted to surprise her as soon as he got back. But he saw Jonas and everything went wrong after that. "Ayen¡­Ayen, I need to find her." He ran as fast as he can towards the elevator. He went to the basement and got inside his car, drove it out of the basement and went to her apartment.


    Cayenne was packing her important stuff and left those that weren''t. "Sis, are we really leaving this ce?" Luiz asked his sister who looked like a machine doll. She was expressionless ever since she came back in the morning.


    "Hn. We''ll be leaving to start a new life. We can''t have ourselves tied to our past. We need to move forward."


    "And what about Stefan? Does he know? I haven''t seen him during the funeral or during the burial. Did you guys fight?" Luiz asked again.


    Cayenne paused for few seconds but she resumed packing almost immediately. "Stefan and I weren''t really married. Everything was an act. He paid me with my acting skills which was why I have lots of money. Now that mother is gone, I have cut my ties with him. You don''t need to worry about it. Have you transferred all your files to your cloud storage?"


    "Ha? Ah, yes." Luiz turned around and went back to the living room where Kyle was transferring all their documents and other school-rted files to his cloud storage. "Good thing I didn''t throw the cartoons of thisptop yet." Luiz told his brother with a faint smile. "I can''t believe that everything we''ve seen for several months were just part of their acts. I really thought Stefan likes our sister."


    "Stop thinking about it. Just pack up your things." Kyle told his brother. Unlike Luiz, he didn''t believe an ounce of what Cayenne said. If there''s something she wanted to believe, it would be the fact that Cayenne and Stefan got into fight. As for the reason why they''re fighting, he had no idea.


    "I''m done packing. I already brought all my things downstairs."


    "Go help, Yen. Once I''m done here. We can leave this ce."


    "Okay."


    The three siblings worked together and the driver also helped them carry some heavy things to the car. After Kyle returned theptop and the iPad to their boxes, Cayenne left them on the coffee table and ced a note as well. ''These things had been very helpful to my siblings. However, I couldn''t let them shamelessly use something that came from you. After all, their father killed your brother. Please don''t take it against them either. The crime was done by Jonas, the kids had nothing to do with it. Thanks for all your help. Bye.''


    Cayenne locked the door. In any case, she left a key to Stefan. He shouldn''t have a hard time opening it.


    "Let''s go." Cayenne told the driver and she boarded the car with her siblings. "Send us to our new house."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    Stefan drove the car as fast as he could, almost breaking the speed limit just to get to the apartment where Cayenne lives. It was the first time that he was driving recklessly. He passed by a blue Ford Expedition car but because he was in a hurry, he didn''t even bother looking at it for more than three seconds.


    "Was I seeing things or was it Stefan''s car that passed by us?" Luiz asked his brother but Kyle ced his finger on his lips, signaling his brother to keep quiet.


    "Can we go a little faster?" Cayenne told the driver. "I want to rest after all that happened." The driver nodded his head and added speed but all three of them knew that she was basically avoiding Stefan.


    When Stefan arrived to the apartment it was locked. He knocked on it several timed but no one answered to open the door.


    "Young man, you are Yenyen''s boyfriend, right?" one of the neighbors saw him and asked. "If you''re looking for Yenyen, she left with her brothers already. I think they''re moving to a new house. Didn''t she tell you?"


    Stefan''s world crumbled when this information reached him. He was toote. She already left before he could apologize to her. "Thank you for letting me know." Stefan left the apartment and got back to his car. He had no idea where to find her. He knew that Cayenne won''t go back to Peach Wood. That was just impossible. He was still unaware with the fact that Cayenne knew of the words he said at the bar.


    He drove the car and went to find Travis. He''s the only person he can turn to and help him find where Cayenne moved to.


    "Are you here to sulk?" Travis questioned without raising his head to see who came to find him. "I don''t know where your wife is."


    "I didn''t even say anything yet." Stefan retorted and sat on the couch, exhausted and emotionally unstable.


    Travis continued signing the documents on his table without sparing him a nce. "Even if you won''t say anything, I already know why you came here."


    "You don''t seem surprise. Did you know that this was bound to happen?"


    "Hn. I knew that this would happen but I was hoping I''d be wrong but it seemed like I was still right in the end. Human hearts are fragile and emotions can betray us. I am speaking from my experience which was why I knew this would happen."


    "Then, will you help me?"


    "No."


    "That was a quick answer. Is it your decision not to help me or is it Jill''s?" Stefan knew that they care for Cayenne but he couldn''t believe she would matter more to them than how he matters to Travis.


    "It''s our decision not to help you. If you want her back, you have to do your best and find her on your own. After all, you were the one who pushed her away."


    "I didn''t push her away. She just left me without waiting for my decision." Stefan refuted Travis.


    "You already give her your decisionst night." Travis responded as he closed the folder in front of him.


    "What do you mean?"


    "You decided to divorce her and you said it right in front of her."

 Chapter 251 - ONLY MY WIFE CAN SAY THOSE WORDS TO ME

    <h4>Chapter 251 - ONLY MY WIFE CAN SAY THOSE WORDS TO ME</h4>


    "You''re lying." Stefan mumbled but his mind was telling him that Travis was just saying the truth. "It can''t be true, right?"


    "Why don''t you ask your secretary? He was with youst night. He tried stopping you from speaking but you said those words anyway."


    Stefan touched his pocket but he couldn''t find his phone. "I''ll go back home for now." He stood up and walked towards the door.


    "If you want to find her, Reuben Montefalco, that''s the lead for you to start looking for her." Travis gave him another chance to make up with Cayenne but the decision still lies in her hand. Whether she forgives him and start over again with him, or justpletely ignore him, it''s up to her.


    Stefan left Venus Industrial za HQ and went to Peach Wood. Even if Cayenne wasn''t there, it was still a ce that he built for the two of them. He wanted to stay there.


    Chris was outside the house, waiting for him toe back. "Sir, I tried calling you but you didn''t answer your phone. Did you know the news about Cayenne''s mother?"


    "Hn."


    "Where''s Cayenne?"


    "I don''t know." Stefan got inside the house and closed the door, not letting Chrise inside with him. He went to the master bedroom and found several items on top of Cayenne''s bedside table. What stood out among all these was the ring that he gave her. "Did I really push her to this extent? Did I really tell her that I wanted a divorce?"


    Stefan sat on the table and took the divorce papers. It had her name signed on it already. His vision became blurry and hot tears fell on the papers he was holding. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I''m really sorry. Ayen, I don''t want to divorce you. Pleasee back to me." He clutched on the papers, as if it will give him the answer to his prayer.


    The bracelet that he gave her and the card was on the table as well. And there was a key. He read the letter that Cayenne left and anger rose to his chest. He wasn''t angry to her but to himself. He wanted to punch himself or just dig his heart and give it to her but how can he give her heart when he didn''t even know where to find her.


    "Reuben Montefalco." Stefan murmured these words before copsing on his bed.


    In the outskirts of City B, Cayenne and her brothers arrived to their new house. It was far from the city but Cayenne loved the location so she didn''t mind. The only problem was her brother''s education. They''d have tomute to City A from their new house which will take them three hours.


    The house was fully furnished and there were appliances ready for them. It was obviously bought not long ago because they were still inside their boxes. And the house was well-maintained, no dust or dirt were umted even though no one lived there.


    "The three of us will be living here from now on." Cayenne stated as she slumped on the couch.? "When will you guys go back to school?"


    "Next week." Luiz and Kyle answered in unison.


    "I see. I''ll look for a new apartment where you guys can stay during weekdays."


    "There''s no need to do that, Yen. We will just apply to stay in the school dorm and we''lle home during weekends." Kyle told their sister what he and Luiz had nned. "Instead of spending our money for the apartment we can save it instead."


    "That sounds good. Alright, let''s unpack our stuff and take a good rest in our new home."


    In the Madrigal mansion, Jillyanna was having afternoon snacks with Reuben. "Is she staying in the new house?" Jillyanna asked the man in front of her.


    "Hn. She agreed. Mrs. Madrigal, thank you for always helping me."


    "I''m not helping you Mr. Montefalco. I''m just helping Cayenne. Anyway, if Stefanes to find you for help, please don''t give him a hard time. Cayenne must be hurting because of him but I know she still cares for him. If you give him a hard time, your daughter might resent you."


    "I understand."


    Travis told Stefan that he had no intention of helping and that''s the same with Jillyanna. But in truth, they were still helping him in some other ways.


    Three days passed and Monday came. Luiz and Kyle had packed their stuff for school already and they were prepared to stay in the dorm. Which means, Cayenne will be left alone during weekdays.


    Monday is working day. Stefan went to attend meeting in hispany but he wasn''t listening at all. He was just staring into space and most of the time, it was Chris who was talking to the shareholders. He notes all the information during the meeting and asked copies of the presentation as well, just in case Stefan asked for these thingster.


    While they were having a meeting, Chris''s assistant came inside and told him something which made him frown. He ryed this message to Stefan as well, not omitting or adding a single word to it.


    The CEO who had been quiet the while time suddenly stood up in anger. "Take a break. Let''s resume the meeting after half an hour." He left the meeting room and went to the visitor''s lounge in a hurry.


    "Good morning, Mr. Dumrique."


    "What are you doing here?" Stefan''s anger and disgust towards Seiji was apparent. He didn''t even try hiding his hate from him.


    "I heard that you have divorced my darling Cayenne in exchange for my shares. I''m here to give you back the shares I bought."


    "You must have heard the wrong thing." Stefan retorted and the sneer on his lips was so clear for Seiji to see. "I didn''t divorce my wife. I don''t need those shares back either. You can keep it to yourself. I don''t care if you will try attacking all my businesses. I won''t divorce my wife. Not now and not in the future."


    "Cayenne doesn''t love you!" Seiji blurted out in anger. He was so angry that he wanted to punch the smile on Stefan''s lips but he knew he''d be in disadvantage because it wasn''t his turf.


    Stefan stood up and fixed his suit. "Whether she loves me or not, it''s not for you to say. Only my wife can say those words to me."

 Chapter 252 - GETTING HIS WIFE BACK

    <h4>Chapter 252 - GETTING HIS WIFE BACK</h4>


    Three days ago, fter finding out what happened, Stefan came to realize a lot of things. Chris told him the words he had said the night he got drunk and he said all those things in front of Cayenne.


    He told her that he would be fine without her, that he can sleep without her but it turned out wrong. His heart felt restless and he missed her so much. He wanted to see her, to talk with her and to stay with her forever.


    He said that he would divorce her to get the shares that Seiji got but when the man gave it to him, he realized that those shares don''t matter to him. He would never divorce his wife just for small number of shares. His wife''s value was million times more than that.


    He red up when he found the connection between her and Jonas. Instead ofmunicating with her, he ran away and got himself drunk. In the end, he missed the most crucial time of her life. He abandoned her. And the dumbest thing out of everything was that, he got angry for something she wasn''t at fault.


    Jonas was pulled by Alexander''s own selfish desire to die. Cayenne just happened to be Jonas'' stepdaughter. They''re not even blood-rted.


    His words pushed her away from his life and he can''t me no one but himself.


    The past three days, he read Cayenne''s letter again and again. He could feel the pain from her words and there were even dried tear marks on the paper. He hurt her.


    And since Cayenne left him a key to the apartment, Stefan went to check what was left for him. To add more pain to what he felt, he found the things that he gifted to her and her family. She really meant it when she signed the divorce papers; she wanted to cut ties with him.


    ''Impossible.'' Stefan thought. ''It''s impossible for me to sign those stupid documents. I''d never write my name on it.'' He thought to himself. Even when he came to work and even when he faced Seiji, he only got one thing in mind ¨C he won''t divorce his wife.


    Stefan acted really quick after leaving Seiji. He didn''t care about the man''s opinion. He didn''t care about his n. All he wanted to do was find his wife as soon as he can.


    "Sir, I have called Mr. Montefalco''s secretary and he agreed to meet with you this evening." Chris stated after receiving an email confirmation from the other party.


    "Thank you, Chris." Stefan walked back to the meeting without looking back to the visitor''s lounge. Seiji can show himself out. "Let''s go back to the meeting."


    While Stefan was busy dealing with business problems, love rivals and finding Cayenne, his woman was currently lying on her bed. Cayenne was staring at the ceiling with tears falling off from the corner of her eyes. Since her brothers left for school, she had the whole house to herself. It''s quiet with only the chirping of the birds and the rustling sound of the bushes and trees can be heard.


    She only ate breakfast with her sibling before they left and now, she''s so bored to death. She checked her bank ount and found that she still got lots of money on her savings. It may not amount to millions but it can still help her and her siblings for the next three months.


    "I''ll just take this time to heal myself from the all the pain and invisible wounds." Cayenne mumbled to herself while wiping her tears. She sat up straight on her bed and looked around. The ce was clean and spacious. She can even roll on the floor with no worry.


    Because she was too bored and everything thates to mind can only hurt her, she went down stairs and walked around the house. She had been preupied with so many things in the past few days and she didn''t giver herself time to explore her surroundings.


    Now that she was a bit sober from heartache, she could finally see how big the house was. The ce was far from other houses, letting you have the privacy that you need. There were a lot of nts around the house and there were so many trees that she felt like she was in the middle of the forest.


    Looking at the huge space at the backyard, Cayenne finally found something that she can use to distract herself. "I''ll show you Stefan Dumrique that I, Cayenne Ardolf, can live my life without you. If you can do it, so can I." She put her hands on her hips and nodded to herself with a proud expression. She walked back to the house and looked for her phone to order some things online.


    But the moment she saw her phone, she felt a stinging pain on her nose. Her vision became blurry once again because of her tears. "I hate you. I hate you so much." She sat on the floor and drew up her knees to hug it. She buried her face on the crook of her arms and just let herself cry again.


    In truth, she missed him. She wanted to see him. She wanted to talk to him. She wanted to stay with him for the rest of her life. ''But Stefan didn''t like me. Everything was just a pretense to him. I didn''t even notice that he was just acting.''


    "Am I really just a joke to him? Everything that happened, don''t they have any special meaning? How can he do that when I didn''t even do anything to offend him? I was genuine from the very start. Why? Why did everything fall apart?" Outside her window, only the birds witnessed her pitiful look and silent hups and sobs. Her shoulders were shaking from her crying. Her tears kept falling on her shirt.


    She felt extremely tired. So tired, that she wished she could close her eyes and never wake up to face her painful reality again.


    Cayenne fell asleep, sitting on the cold floor while leaning her head on the side of her bed.


    When she woke up again, the sun was slowly setting on the west. The sky was brushed with red and orange hue from the sun''s rays while darkness slowly crept to bring in the night life.


    She stood up and stretched her numb legs to let the blood circte in her body. It felt tingly when she did it but the view outside her window made her forget the numbness and the tingling sensation of her feet.


    "Slowly. I''ll just take it slow. And I know, I''ll eventually forget you." Cayenne muttered.


    In Royale Restaurant, Stefan was having dinner with Reuben Montefalco, Cayenne''s father. He knew the man in name and he had seen him several times in business dinners with some colleagues but he never had any experience of talking to him. Their business doesn''t cross with each other.


    But now, he had to dine with him in order to find Cayenne.


    "I''m aware that you''re not here to talk about business." Reubenmented without waiting for Stefan to say anything. "Is it really true that you married my daughter?" He still asked even though he knew.


    "Yes." Came Stefan''s short but firm answer.


    "So, if you''re married to him, howe I didn''t see you or even your shadow when she was going through difficult times? Where were you?"


    "I didn''t know she was going through so much. I was in PH. No one said anything to me. I didn''t contact her because I wanted to give her a surprise when I get back. I didn''t know that I''d destroy our rtionship instead."


    "Do you think I''d believe that?"


    Stefan kept quiet. He was well-aware that everything he''d say would sound like an excuse. Even if he was saying the truth, it will be hard for other people to believe his words.


    "It doesn''t matter if I believe you or not. I''m not your wife." Reuben stated which give Stefan a little hope. "However, you''ve hurt my daughter once, why should I give you another chance to hurt her again?"


    "Mr. Montefalco, I know that my words alone can''t convince you but this time, I''m willing to do anything for my wife. I just want her back. When she left, I realized how much she means to me. Shepletes my world. Without her, I don''t know if I can still continue living. I just want to get my wife back."


    "You''re willing to do anything? Are you sure? What if I ask you to give me your shares in Aurora'' Snow World in JP, will you give it to me?"


    "Hn." Stefan answered without any hesitation. Before he decided to meet the man, he already made up his mind to sacrifice anything for her.


    Reuben looked at him and sneered. "I won''t give you her exact location, though. I will only give you the city and it''s up to you if you can find her there. After that, whether she forgives you and want you back, it''s up to her to decide. I won''t interfere in her matter."


    "That''s a deal. When can are you avable to sign the transfer of shares?"


    "I don''t need it." Reuben wiped his mouth with his table napkin and stood up. "I hope this time, you can keep your promise. You can look for her in City B." Reuben turned around and left after saying those words. ''I hope you can give her a warm family, a ce she can call home.''

 Chapter 253 - GARDENING TO FORGET HIM

    <h4>Chapter 253 - GARDENING TO FORGET HIM</h4>


    Tuesday, the sun was up but it was only peeking through the fluffy balls of clouds. It wasn''t so hot because of the shade that the clouds provided.


    Cayenne was up early and was drawing lines on the ground of her back yard. She was wearing her jogging pants, loose t-shirt and a baseball cap to cover her face.


    "Young miss, these are the seedlings that you asked me to getst night." Erwin, the driver that Reuben gave her, came and handed her a small paper bag which contains different packets of seedlings. "I also bought some fertilizer that you might needter on. I ced inside the tools shed."


    "Thank you, Erwin. You can go back and rest."


    "Don''t you need my help in making the nt beds?"


    "No, thank you. I can do this on my own."


    "Okay. If you need my help, just give me a call. Sir Reuben would get mad at me if something happens to you."


    "Don''t worry about me. I''m not a fragile and delicate princess." Cayenne grinned at him and even showed her non-existent muscle to him. "Just go. I''ll be fine."


    Erwin gave her onest look before turning around to go back to the house. During the day, he would only stay in his room or go to the kitchen to get some food. He would onlye to find her if Cayenne asked him to. But most of the time, she does things on her own. Just like now; she decided to make a vegetable garden in her backyard. If it were someone else, they''d probably nt flowers on it.


    There were gardening tools inside the toolshed at the backyard. Obviously, it was used for the flower garden in the front yard but Cayenne lost her interest with flowers. She''d rather nt something worthy of herbor in the back yard.


    With a hoe in hand, she started making canals for six nt beds, following the lines that she made. She was part of the agriculture team when she was in elementary and high school so she had background knowledge in gardening. Also, she was very studious when ites to nts during her younger days because of Arthur. She never thought that she''d be using her knowledge this time just to distract herself from thinking of Stefan.


    After an hour or work, she managed to make one garden bed. She was drenched in sweat and she felt tired but she felt happy at the same time. She wiped her face and neck before starting to make another garden bed.


    "Let me do it." Erwin softly said behind her which startled Cayenne.


    "Why are you sneaking behind me?!" Cayenne eximed and red at him.


    "I wasn''t sneaking behind you. You were just too distracted to notice my presence. Anyway, I''ll make the garden bed. You go and make the seedbed and let them germinate."


    Cayenne looked at him with a deep frown but since someone was willing to help her, she didn''t refuse him anymore. It will make her work lighter and she won''t be alone as well.


    "Okay. I''ll go over there to make the seedbed." Cayenne picked up the paper bag that she left on the ground and used a small shovel to create a small seedbed right below the willow tree.


    At the end of the day, they sessfully created the vegetable garden although, there weren''t any nts yet. She needed to wait for several days for the seedlings to sprout before she can transfer them to the flower bed. For the meantime, she was nning to make organic fertilizer from manures.


    During the day, she''s busy as a bee. But during at night, she''d toss and turn on her bed. Tears still falling on the side of her face every time she remembers Stefan. Sometimes, she''d even wake up from a nightmare of Stefan leaving her alone. And then, she''d wake up to the reality that he already gave up on her.


    Her days passed like this with no one beside her.


    In City A, Seiji threw everything on his desk on the floor. He had asked his men to look for Cayenne but they still couldn''t find her. It feels like she just disappeared to nowhere. Her siblings were staying in the dormitory and when they were asked about their sister, no one says anything.


    He had been trying his best to distract Stefan from finding Cayenne. He attacked his businesses, bought shares, caused damage and whatever problem he could think of to make him stop looking for her. But Stefan didn''t care. He handled his problems efficiently and those deemed traitors in his field were dismissed.


    And still, he looked for Cayenne personally during his spare time. He asked helped from the police to help him find Cayenne. He even reported her missing.


    "Kyle! Kyle look at this." Luiz ran to his brother and showed him an online news. Kyle''s eyes widened in shock and the corner of his lips was pulled up into a smile. "Why are you smiling? This is not funny. We have to go back home and check on Yen."


    "Don''t." Kyle stopped his brother. "The moment you step out of this school and go to her, you will only lead Stefan to her."


    "But ¨C"


    "Let him find her without our help. Let''s just call her to check on her but let''s not go to her for the mean time. I am sure that Erwin won''t let anything happen to her."


    "By the way, do you remember the man named Seiji?"


    "If that man appears again, don''t talk to him. Avoid him as much as possible. Arthur told me that he''s not a nice person and he had been eyeing Cayenne for a long time."


    "I thought you don''t trust Arthur?"


    "I don''t. But when ites to Cayenne''s safety, I''d trust him on that. Hopefully, I am not wrong to trust him."


    Luiz nodded his head and continued to listen to the news. "Cayenne Ardolf- Dumrique, the wife of the famous businessman Stefan Dumrique had been missing after her mother''s burial. She ¨C " Luiz turned off his phone and went back to his bed. "I hope Stefan can find her soon before anyone else."

 Chapter 254 - I DIDNT SIGN IT

    <h4>Chapter 254 - I DIDN''T SIGN IT</h4>


    Cayenne continued to take care of her garden with the assistance of her all-around helper, Erwin. He was left by her father to make sure that she''s doing alright. Anything she needed should be given without questions.


    In the blink of an eye, a week had passed since she left Stefan. A week of struggle from moving on and from starting a new leaf in life. A week of toss and turn on her bed at night. A week of missing him.


    "Whatever." Cayenne jumped up and down to distract herself. "Today, I''m going to paint and enjoy my life." She ran downstairs to get the canvas and painting materials which she asked Erwin to get for her few days ago.


    Reuben knew that his daughter was going through a tough time of her life but even if he wanted to stay beside her, Cayenne wouldn''t want him to do that. She wanted to be left alone.


    "Young miss, I will go to the city and buy groceries. Is there anything you want me to buy as well?" Erwin told her when he saw Cayenne going downstairs.


    "None so far. If anythinges to mind, I''ll just send you a message."


    "Okay. I understand. If somethinges up, make sure to call me. Don''t wander to the forest area as well. If anyone rings the doorbell, don''t open it. Everyone who knows this property also knows the password. There''s no reason for us to ring the bell. I will get going now."


    "Okie dokie." Cayenne waved her hand at him before going to the small storage room beside the kitchen. She took out her painting materials and brought them out to the backyard.


    Half an hour after Erwin left, a ck SUV and a police car arrived in front of the gate.


    "Are you sure this is where she lives?"


    "Yes, sir. This was a property owned by Mr. Montefalco but recently, it was given to Ms. Cayenne Ardolf. If I am not mistaken, she should be living here. And this ce is still under the jurisdiction of City B."


    Stefan stepped out of the car and looked towards the quiet and lonely house in front of him. He had been waiting for Luiz and Kyle to lead him where his wife stayed but the brothers didn''t leave their school dorm at all. He had no other choice but to continue looking for her without asking for their help. Thankfully, the police found a lead which helps him a lot.


    "Stefan, how about you ask the police officers to ring the door bell for you. If Cayenne sees you, I''m pretty sure that she won''t open the gate for you. If she sees the police officers, she''d open the gate for sure." Chris suggested which was what Stefan thought as well. He knew his wife. She wouldn''t want to see him now.


    "Alright. Chief, can you please ring the bell? My wife would be upset to see me if it''s me knocking on her doorstep." Stefan humbly requested to the officer who came along with them.


    "Okay. Give me a moment." The officer went to the gate and pressed the doorbell button.


    Cayenne heard the sound of the bell, alerting her that someone was in front of her gate. ''Hmp! Erwin said that everyone who knows this property also knows the password to the gate. I wouldn''t open my door to strangers.'' She mentally sneered and continued painting. She''s not a great painter but she loves drawing and painting nature ever since she was young. She''s only good with art involving nature but she''s not good when ites to making human portraits.


    Right now, she was drawing the trees in her backyard.


    ''Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!''


    The sound of the doorbell didn''t stop, making her felt so irritated but she remained unmoving from her ce. "You can press it as many times as you want. I don''t care." She mumbled to herself and continued to paint. "I don''t have time for strangers."


    "I''m not a stranger."


    Cayenne''s hand stopped moving and the painting palette that she was holding fell to the ground. As if the world stopped moving, she held her breath and didn''t dare turn around. But she quickly got over her shock and picked up the palette. "I must be hallucinating. I''m starting to hear things now."


    "You''re not hallucinating."


    Cayenne immediately turned around and found Stefan standing in her backyard. He still looked handsome despite the dark circles under her eyes and he looked thinnerpared to the man in her memories.


    Realizing that she had been staring at him, Cayenne returned her attention to her painting in order to hide the surprise and the longing expression on her face. "Mr. Dumrique, what are you doing here? How did you get inside?"


    "I typed the password."


    "I see." Cayenne continued to paint, ignoring his presence as if he didn''t exist there in the first ce. ''Who the hell gave him the password? I''m pretty sure it''s not Erwin. And there''s no way my brothers would give him that. Was it my father?''


    "I didn''t ask anyone for the password. I just knew it." Stefan stated as if he knew what she was thinking at this moment. He didn''t know what she was thinking but he just guessed that she might be wondering how he got the password to enter the ce. "It''s your birthday."


    "I didn''t know it was my birthday." Cayenne retorted. ''Come to think of it, I haven''t really typed the password on my own. I never went out of this ce ever since I arrived here. So, who made the password?''


    Stefan watched her paint the trees in her surroundings, looking so serene and quiet. He thought that she''d be angry when he appeared in front of her but he was proven wrong. Cayenne was emotionless with his presence. She even ignored him.


    "Ayen, I didn''t sign the divorce papers."

 Chapter 255 - KNEEL

    <h4>Chapter 255 - KNEEL</h4>


    Cayenne was shocked with his words, making her pause from making strokes on the canvas. The brush that she was holding stayed unmoving on her canvas, leaving a blob of paint which ruined her work. She put down the palette and the brush on the table before turning around to face him.


    "What does that have to do with me?" She removed her apron and ced it on the chair while looking nonchnt in front of him. "You should sign it. It''d be bad if you couldn''t get back those shares that you wanted." Obviously, she was mocking him but Stefan wasn''t upset with her words at all.


    "I don''t want those shares. I don''t want to divorce you."


    "Why not? If you can get those shares, you can just buy any woman you like. I''m done with my job. You are doing fine already. You can already sleep without me. So, what else do you want?"


    "I want my wife back."


    "Sorry, Cayenne Dumrique doesn''t live here." Cayenne went back to the house unaffected with his words. She had him fooled her once. She won''t let him fool her again. "You can show yourself out Mr. Dumrique. I won''t send you off."


    "I''m not leaving." Stefan firmly stated and followed her closely into the house. He chased after Cayenne and held her hand to stop her. "Ayen, I''m sorry. I''m sorry for saying those words. I never meant any of those. I was very upset with the fact that you hid your rtionship with Jonas but I realized that you have nothing to do with what happened fifteen years ago. Ayen, please give me another chance."


    "I''m also sorry, Mr. Dumrique. The person you want no longer exist. The moment she signed her name on those papers, she already dug out her heart and buried it, together with the love she had for you."


    Stefan stood there speechless. He thought that if he admitted his mistakes, Cayenne would forgive him. He thought that there''s a little bit of love left for him. And he was mistaken once again. He hurt her so much to the point that she looked at him like he was a dead person in her eyes.


    "Ayen, can I water that heart and nurture it back to life? It must not bepletely dead, right? Just a little bit, I just need a little bit of your love to continue living. Ayen, I don''t need anyone else. You are more than enough for me." Stefan got down on his knees and looked at her. "Ayen, I''m begging you. Please give me another chance."


    "Get up. Even if you kneel in front of me, it won''t make me change my mind."


    "No, I won''t get up here unless you give me another chance. I will repent for my mistakes here."


    "Suit yourself." Cayenne yanked her hand from him and walked upstairs, leaving Stefan kneeling at the foot of the stairs.


    Stefan didn''t go back on his words. He kneeled on the cold floor, ignoring his pride in exchange for her love. His phone rang and it showed Chris'' name on the screen.


    "What is it?" Stefan asked without moving an inch from where he was kneeling.


    "Stefan, are you okay? What''s taking you so long? Is Cayenne there?"


    "Yes, I found her. You can go back to thepany first."


    "What about you?"


    "I''ll have to stay here for a little while."


    "She''s letting you stay?"


    "No, she didn''t. However, she can''t make me leave either."


    "Well, I won''t say anything anymore. Just fix your problem with her. I''ll deal with thepany for you. Should I let the Vice ¨C President take over thepany while you''re gone?"


    "Hn. That would be fine." They talked for a little while more before the call ended. Chris left together with the police officer. He had no idea that his boss was currently kneeling in the living room.


    Erwin was on his way back to Cayenne''s ce when he noticed the two cars leaving from the gate of the property. One was a police car followed by a ck SUV.


    Erwin waved his hand to stop the cars and wind down the window of his own car to talk to the officer. "Officer, is there anything I can help you with? I am the butler who lives in that property you came from."


    "Oh. We just came to find Mrs. Dumrique."


    "Her husband came?"


    "Yes."


    "Okay. Thanks for letting me know." Erwin closed his window and drove his car. "Hmp! What took him so long to find her? Sir Reuben gave him a cluest week and he just came today. So slow." Erwinmented while driving the car back to the ce.


    When Stefan heard the sound of the car engine, he wanted to go out and check who it was. But remembering his promise, he just stayed where he was and turned around to see who came.


    "Young miss, I''m ¨C " Erwin''s eyes went wide when he saw Stefan on the floor. The dignified businessman, who loved to fool around with women before, was now kneeling to earn forgiveness from his young miss. "Pfft!"


    "Justugh all you want." Stefan said seeing that the man was holding back hisughter. "Who are you?"


    "My name is Erwin. I''m the person assigned by Sir Reuben to take care of the young miss." He chuckled while watching Stefan and continued to walk to the kitchen and ced the groceries on the table. He poured a ss of water and handed it to Stefan. "Until when are you going to kneel here?"


    "Until she gives me a second chance."


    Erwin sat on the couch while talking with Stefan who was kneeling on the floor. "You''re not so prideful, are you?"


    "I can''t eat my pride. It won''t help me either. I have to be sincere to her."


    "Why? Were you insincere to her before?"


    "I was sincere. I have always been sincere to her but I said something hurtful. I don''t know if that makes me less sincere to her."


    "Well, good luck to you. I hope you can get another chance. And if you do, don''t waste it. It''s rare for a woman who''s deeply hurt to give someone a second chance."

 Chapter 256 - NOT GOING HOME

    <h4>Chapter 256 - NOT GOING HOME</h4>


    Cayenne was listening to their conversation on the top of the stairs. Obviously, Erwin spoke to Stefan to let Cayenne hear what Stefan was really feeling. He was helping them mend their rtionship.


    "Erwin, when did you get back?" Cayenne asked even though she knew when he arrived.


    "Sorry, I took so long to buy the groceries." Erwin stood up as he spoke to her. "I bought some take outs for lunch. I''ll prepare them now."


    "It''s alright. You can take a rest. I can do it." Cayenne walked to the kitchen without even sparing Stefan a side nce.


    Erwin looked towards her then shifted his gaze to Stefan. "You still have a long way to go."


    "I know." Stefan whispered his reply. He was well-aware that Cayenne won''t forgive him that easily. "You can go and do whatever you have to do. Don''t mind me here."


    "Uh. Alright." Erwin left and went back to his room. He already ate lunch on his way back home so, he didn''t join Cayenne in the kitchen.


    Cayenne, on the other hand, was eating her lunch without any care at all. She ate everything that Erwin bought for her and didn''t leave anything for Stefan.


    After lunch, she cleaned the table and throw the disposable containers before arranging the groceries inside the refrigerator and the cupboards. She was even humming a song while doing her work.


    Stefan listened to her hum and a single tear fell on his face. It was the song that Cayenne sang to him when he had a nightmare. It was the song that pulled him back to her warm embrace. ''I deserve this punishment. She was so genuine to me but I ruined her.'' He looked down on the floor and a shadow fell over him. When he looked up, Cayenne was standing in front of him.


    "Don''t kneel here. You''re blocking my way."


    "Sorry." Stefan moved to the side to make way for her. "Ayen, can we talk? I don''t mind talking to you while kneeling."


    "I don''t have anything to say." Cayenne walked upstairs and stayed in her room. She refused to go out once again. She didn''t want to see him. She didn''t want to be fooled by him. She didn''t want to get hurt again. He also apologized to her several times before but he still hurt her in the end.


    At three in the afternoon, Erwin came out to get some snacks and found Stefan looking on his phone. "Do you want some sandwich?"


    "No, thanks."


    "Alright." Erwin went to the kitchen and made some sandwiches for himself. Feeling guilty that he was eating while Stefan was suffering a little, he went back to the living room and handed him a ss of juice plus a sandwich.


    "I don''t want to eat."


    "Hunger strike won''t work to the young miss. You better eat and have energy to continue kneeling here."


    Stefan looked at him and epted the food from him. "Why are you helping me?"


    "Because you''re courageous and not prideful. I think the young miss still likes you but because of what happened, it would be difficult for you to get inside her heart again. Just hang in there. As long as you''re sincere, she''ll give you a chance for sure."


    "I hope so."


    Stefan ate the sandwich and drank the juice that Erwin gave him. In the evening, Cayenne ate dinner with Erwin while talking to Luiz and Kyle. She never mentioned Stefan to them during their conversation and Erwin didn''t say anything either. They acted like he didn''t exist.


    Erwin wanted to leave some dishes for Stefan but Cayenne ate everything, not giving him the chance to help a certain someone who had been kneeling all day.


    "Come home tomorrow. I''ll cook your favorites." Cayenne told her brothers. "I will also show you my vegetable garden. And you can help me nt the seedlings, too."


    "Sure. Sure. We''ll be there. Make sure to sleep early." Kyle reminded his sister. Cayenne liked to act tough when she''s facing people she cares about but when she''s alone, she''ll just cry her heart out. Kyle knew his sister that much.


    "Alright. I''ll end the call now. I still have so many things to do. Bye."


    "Bye, sis."


    "Bye, Yen."


    Erwin put down his chopstick and drank his water. "You asked them toe home to help you chase Stefan out, right?"


    "Smart." Cayenne responded with a wide grin on her face. "I''ll leave the dishes to you. I''m going to my room now." She walked past Stefan and continued to walk without looking at him.


    "Good night, Ayen."


    "Good ni-." She turned around and red at him for making her respond to his words. "I hope you''re no longer here tomorrow."


    However, Cayenne''s wish didn''te true. When she woke up the next day, Stefan was still kneeling on the cold floor while scrolling on his phone, looking at her pictures.


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him when they met and walked past him to go to her garden and water the seedlings. After watering them, she went to the kitchen and prepare breakfast. Her brothers will arrive early and she promised that she''d cook for them.


    "Sis, we''re ho-home." Luiz blinked his eyes to see if he was really seeing things right. "Brother-inw? Why are you kneeling there?"


    "Who''s your brother-inw?" Kyle nudged his brother and red at him. "Let''s go and find Yenyen."


    "Hn." Luiz looked towards Stefan and smiled at him faintly. When he was out of their sight, Luiz turned to his brother. "I thought you want them to get back together."


    "Of course, I want it to happen but I won''t help him. I won''t recognize him as my brother-inw either."


    "What are you guys whispering about?" Cayenne looked at them with questioning gaze but they only shook their heads. "You go to your room first and rest. I''ll call you down when we''re going to have breakfast."


    "Okay." Luiz and Kyle answered in unison and went out of the kitchen. They left Cayenne alone and when they passed by Stefan, they looked at him withplicated expression before leaving.


    ''Cayenne didn''t tell them anything.'' Stefan thought to himself when he saw the two brothers. He was always envious of them and he had no idea that it was their father who took what was so important to him. ''It was their father, not them.'' He told himself over and over again. ''No, it was all Alexander''s fault. He killed himself and framed someone else.'' Stefan corrected himself mentally.


    He looked so quite on the outside but in truth, he was having a mental battle of himself.

 Chapter 257 - COLLAPSED

    <h4>Chapter 257 - COLLAPSED</h4>


    After breakfast, Erwin wanted to give some food to Stefan but Cayenne was in the living room, reading some magazine which made it difficult for him. In the end, he left the food on the table and went back to his room.


    "When are you nning to stop kneeling there? I heard that you''ve been kneeling since yesterday." Luiz asked Stefan while ying his mobile phone.


    "I will only stand once your sister forgives me."


    "Oh. Then, prepare to stay there for a long time." Luiz responded and decided to stop talking to him anymore.


    Stefan kept watching Cayenne, etching her face to his mind and remembering the smile on her face. Ever since he came to find her, he never once smiled at him. She would faintly smile to Erwin but she was emotionless when she was facing him.


    "Ayen, grandfather wants to see you."


    "I don''t know who my grandparents are. They''re probably dead already."


    "No, I mean, it''s my grandpa who wanted to see you."


    "Since it''s your grandpa, go away and find him." Cayenne retorted while flipping her magazine to the next page. "Kyle, how about we buy this one? It will be good for your research and Luiz can borrow it, too since you guys are staying in one room."


    "Yen, that''s very expensive." Kylemented when he saw theptop price. "Let''s find something cheaper."


    "It''s fine. It''s fine. I still have a little bit of savings here. I can just go to work if I ran out of money."


    "There''s no need. I''ll just find my own work. Don''t stress yourself. Just go and buy new clothes with your money. I''m already past the legal age. I can work and help you."


    "How about me? What if I work as a tutor? It would be great, don''t you think?"


    Cayenne looked at her brothers and nodded her head. "If that''s what you want then, you can do it. If you need anything, just let me know."


    Stefan just listened to them and wanted to tell them about theptop and iPad that they left in the apartment but he knew that Cayenne won''t listen to him at all.


    Another day had passed and Stefan still didn''t earn her forgiveness. Cayenne had been chasing him out but he refused to leave. He would only get up to go the bathroom and then, he''d go back to kneel on the floor again. Kneeling inside her house was better than kneeling outside.


    Cayenne woke up to the chirping of the birds. She looked outside her window and sighed. "It''s his third day kneeling on that cold floor. He should just go home and face his business, not me. I''m not really worth his time. So stupid." She went to the bathroom, washed her face and brushed her teeth before changing her clothes.


    But when Cayenne got out of her room, she didn''t see Stefan kneeling on the floor. Instead, he was lying on the sofa with a towel on his forehead.


    "Young miss, you''re awake. Sorry, I moved him to the couch. He copsed with high fever."


    "Then, why didn''t you bring him to the hospital?" Cayenne questioned with no trace of concern. "Go and send him to the hospital."


    "No, I''m not leaving." Stefan pushed himself off the couch and kneeled on the floor again. His face was flushed and his body kept swaying. "I won''t go. I''d rather die than go without you. Ayen, I''m sorry. I''m really sorry." Perhaps it was because of his fever that Stefan let himself cry in front of her. He no longer cared about his image. Ruining his image was nothingpared to losing her forever. "I will continue to kneel here until you give me another chance."


    "Even if you continue to kneel, it won''t change my mind." Cayenne turned around and left. "Help me take care of him. Once he''s fine, send him home."


    Stefan wanted to hold Cayenne and stopped her from leaving but he felt so dizzy from his fever. He reached his hand to touch her but he only touched an empty air before everything went ck.


    "Brother-inw!"


    "Mr. Dumrique!"


    Erwin and Luiz called in unison and helped Stefan up. His lips were pale but his face was flushed due to high fever. He looked emaciated and thin. Cayenne''s tears fell on her face as she walked back to his side. "Bring him to my room. I''ll take care of him." No matter how tough she acted, in the end, she still cared for him. "Kyle, can you call a doctor for me."


    "Hn." Kyle knew that his sister will give in to Stefan sooner orter. After all, she never changed the wallpaper of her picture up until now.


    While waiting for the doctor, Cayenne undressed him and wiped his body with a wet cloth to cool down his body temperature. She also ced a folded wet face towel on his forehead. They didn''t have any first aid kit so Erwin left to buy some fever medicine from the nearest pharmacy.


    After quarter an hour, Dr. Rivera, Jillyanna''s friend came and provided help. He gave Stefan an IV drip and checked him at the same time to make sure that everything''s fine.


    "Uhm, I know that it''s not easy to forgive someone but please don''t make him kneel on the cold floor for a long time." Dr.Riveramented. "His blood wasn''t circting properly and some of his nervescked oxygen. He''s also dehydrated and his stomach is empty. He''s suffering from so many stressful matters and got over fatigued."


    Cayenne didn''t say anything or show any emotion. She was just watching Stefan who was sleeping on her bed.


    "Once he''s awake, give him light food and don''t give him stress. He''ll be fine after the drip is done." Dr. Rivera talked to them about the things they must and must not do. After making sure that they have understood everything and Stefan was out of danger, he left them and reported the information to Jillyanna.


    Cayenne was still standing at the foot of her bed, watching Stefan with tears pooling in her eyes. "I''ll go to the kitchen and make something for him." She left without hearing their answers. But instead of going to the kitchen, she went to the backyard and cried.


    ''I don''t want to give him a chance to hurt me again but I am also hurting when he''s suffering. What should I do?''

 Chapter 258 - ITS NOT EASY TO FORGIVE

    <h4>Chapter 258 - IT''S NOT EASY TO FORGIVE</h4>


    Stefan woke up to the sound of the pitter-pattering raindrops on the window in Cayenne''s room. He removed the wet face towel from his forehead and looked around the ce.


    ''I''m still in her room.'' He thought to himself as he pushed his body up to sit up straight on her bed. He was wearing one of Kyle''s clothes and there was a drip standing on the side of the bed, obviously it was the one that Dr. Rivera gave him.


    Cayenne opened the door to check on him once again and found that he''s already awake. "Are you feeling better now?"


    "If you stay beside me, I will feel even better." Stefan responded and tried walking towards Cayenne but he felt dizzy and wobbled on his way.


    Cayenne helped him back to the bed and sat on the space beside him. "Stefan, once you''re fully recovered, you can go back home."


    "You''re not forgiving me?"


    "When I opened up myself to you and give you my body, my heart and soul, it took me all my courage to do that. When you break me apart, I didn''t take any of those back. I''m empty. I buried everything that had happened between us. I no longer have anything to give you"


    "Ayen, I don''t want to give up on us. I didn''t sign the divorce papers because I still love you. I want to stay with you. I want to see your smile. I want to hear yourughter. I want to eat with you. I want to wake up to the sight of you beside me. I just want to be with my wife forever. Is it wrong of me to ask for that?"


    Cayenne didn''t say anything. She also wanted to do all those things with him but she was scared that she''ll get hurt once again.


    Stefan watched his wife going silent for few minutes. "Ayen, I ¨C"


    "If you''re okay, go to the kitchen and eat your food." Cayenne stood up, wanting to leave him as soon as she could but Stefan held her hand to stop her.


    "I''m still dizzy and my fever isn''t gone yet."


    "Fine. Just stay here and skip your meal." She yanked her hand from him and walked out of her room. She said those words to him but after few minutes, she came back with a bowl of hot chicken and mushroom porridge.


    "Are you going to feed me?" Stefan asked with anticipation.


    "Can you feed yourself?"


    "No."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him and that familiar reaction made Stefan smile faintly. She ced pillows on his back to support him and sat on the side of her bed with his food to feed him.


    "Did you cook this for me?"


    "No. It was Erwin who cooked it." She lied with a straight face but Stefan knew it was her who cooked it because of the taste. But he didn''t let her know that her lie was uncovered. "You have to finish this food since you won''t have anything other than this. No solid food for you as stated by the doctor."


    "Hn."


    "After this, I''ll have Erwin send you back to your house."


    "Hn."


    Cayenne stiffened when she heard his response. She thought that he''d insist to stay. She even decided to let him stay with her until she''s ready to open herself again. ''Looks like things has to end.''


    "Ayen?"


    "What?"


    "Why are you so quiet?"


    "Because I don''t have anything to say to you."


    "About your stepfather, I have decided to withdraw the case and provide the information about my brother having a suicide."


    "It''s your matter. You can do whatever you want. It has nothing to do with me."


    "I want to set him free because of you. I don''t want his situation to hinder as from getting back together."


    "It''s not just him, Stefan. You said those words to me. It would have been better if I heard those from someone else but they came directly from you."


    "Ayen, I was really upset that time. I didn''t think clearly and said those words but the next day, I realized that I don''t want those things to happen. You still matter to me."


    ''Liar. You just admitted that you''re going home.''


    "Ayen ¨C"


    "Just finish your food." Cayenne fed him one spoonful after another, not giving him the chance to speak again. She didn''t want to hear anything from him anymore.


    After feeding him, Cayenne left her room once again without looking back at him. Few minutester, Erwin came inside to get Stefan and send him back home.


    "I thought you want to earn her forgiveness? Why did you make her cry again? She even took care of you."


    "Cry? She was crying? Where is she?" Stefan got out of bed to find Cayenne but Erwin''s words stopped him.


    "Young miss left with her siblings. They''d be back tomorrow. Go and get your things. I''ll send you back to your house."


    Stefan''s face fell as he walked to the couch to get his things. He didn''t even get the chance to bid farewell to her. "Erwin, thank you for helping me."


    "No worries. Her happiness is the top priority in Sir Reuben''s list. I will help you if needed."


    "Do you also think that I can make her happy after what happened?"


    "Hn. Trust me, I know that you will get a chance as long as you persevere." ''After all, the young miss still keeps the stuff toy you gave and the wallpaper in her phone wasn''t changed.''


    Stefan didn''t know about this since Cayenne didn''t take her phone out whenever he''s around. And the stuff toy was ced inside her wardrobe to make sure that he wouldn''t see it.


    In truth, Cayenne didn''t leave the house. She was inside Kyle''s room, hiding herself.


    "If you still love him, go and get him. Why are you pushing him away? Shouldn''t you run to him and ept him with open arms?" Luiz questioned without looking at his sister. He was ying chess with his brother, Kyle.


    "It hurts you know." Kyle responded to his brother. "It''s not easy to forgive someone. And he didn''t trust me in the first ce which was why it was easy for him to say those words to me."


    "But he already apologized. He didn''t even sign the divorce papers." Luiz retorted with a wide grin on his face.


    "He didn''t sign it now but he will sign it in the future." Kyle answered.


    Cayenne looked at her brothers who were obviously teasing her. They were even ying her part as if they really knew what has happened. "You two, will you zip your mouth or do you want me to cut your allowance?"

 Chapter 259 - HE CAME BACK

    <h4>Chapter 259 - HE CAME BACK</h4>


    Cayenne thought that everything ended since Stefan already went home. Who would''ve thought that she would wake up the next morning, only to see him cooking in her kitchen?


    "Good morning, my dear wife." Stefan greeted her with an apron tied on his waist. He was holding a spat in one hand and a bowl of scrambled eggs on the other.


    Cayenne was stunned to see him, making her stay rooted at the door, not knowing if she shoulde in or go back to her room.


    "I''ll be done in a minute. Here''s a warm milk for you." Stefan gave her a ss of warm milk and led her to the dining area. "Just wait for me here."


    Luiz came down, on his way back to school, and saw the stupid face of her sister who was still confused with why Stefan was inside their home. "Brother-inw, did you make our breakfast today?"


    "Yup. Come here and sit. I''ll be taking out the dishes now."


    "Oh! Let me help." Luiz ced his bag on the couch and ran to the kitchen to help Stefan. "You finallye to your senses?" He asked Stefan who nodded and chuckled. "Good. I wish you luck in getting her back."


    "Thanks."


    Stefan cooked bacon, hotdog, scrambled egg, sunny side up, pork tocino, and stir friend vegetables. There was a bowl of fried rice and a bowl of in rice. He poured three sses of milk for the two brothers and for Cayenne. He was like their personal attendant.


    "I''ll call Erwin." Kyle said and went out of the house to find Erwin. He knew that the man will be outside, cleaning the car which he will use to drive them to school. "Erwin, it''s time for breakfast."


    "Got it. I''m almost done here."


    "Okay. Come inside as soon as you''re finished."


    Soon after, the five of them ate their breakfast together. Luiz was so happy to be eating with Stefan again, felt like his family wasplete once again.


    On the other hand, Cayenne was frowning while staring at her food. She felt like she missed something at this point. "Wait! Howe you''re here? Didn''t you go back home?"


    "I did." Stefan answered her question. "But I came back because I am not forgiven yet. I realized that I can''t just kneel and do nothing. So, I''m going to court you once again."


    "Ahem! Ahem!" Cayenne choked on her food and couldn''t stop coughing. She drank mouthful of water but her throat still felt rough and she wanted to cough again.


    "Don''t scare her like that." Kylemented before he continued to eat his food. "She''s still your wife, right?"


    "Yes. And I will continue to pursue her even if she''s my wife already." Stefan answered, not embarrassed when ites to showing his sweet side to them.


    Cayenne red at him but she can''t really get angry at this point because she was eating the food that he cooked. She didn''t ask any other questions and just continued to eat.


    "Thanks for the food brother-inw." Luiz said as he wiped his face and put down his cutleries.


    "Thank you." Kyle also added and stood up from his seat.


    "Are you guys done? Are you leaving now?" Cayenne asked her brothers. They will be away for another week and she''d be left alone again.


    "Hey, don''t make that face. I''m sure you won''t have time to feel sad because your life will be full of sweetness and irritations. Make sure to sleep well." Kyle told his sister. It was obvious what his words implied and whenever Cayenne sees Stefan, she couldn''t stop herself from looking at him sharply.


    "Can you bring this man with you once you leave?" She asked them while pointing her finger towards her husband.


    "We can bring him, of course, that is not a problem. But you should know that he will stille back here. After all, you''re his master. Am I right, Stefan?" Erwinmented which none of them refute.


    "Don''t make it sound like I''m a dog but yeah, I agree with you. I will find her no matter where she goes. I will stille back in her arms." Stefan responded with gentleness reflecting on his face. "I won''t have any other home but the ce beside her."


    "I don''t have space for you beside me." Cayenne retorted and just continued eating. "Eat your food."


    Her brothers left together with Erwin, leaving only the two of them. They ate their food in silence but it was no longer an awkward silence like before.


    "I''ll wash the dishes."


    "Okay. I''ll dry them for you."


    She wanted to get rid of him but Stefan wanted to stay with her. in the end, the two of them worked harmoniously in the kitchen.


    Since it rained yesterday, Cayenne didn''t have to water her nts. She just checked on their growth to make sure that they''re striving hard to live.


    "What makes you decide to make a vegetable garden here?" Stefan asked while holding the umbre for her since it was still drizzling a little bit.


    "I needed to do something to forget you."


    "Was it effective?"


    "Yeah. Sadly, you showed up again and messed up my world." She turned around and walked back to the house. "You just recover from your fever, you shouldn''t havee out with me."


    "Are you worried for me?"


    "No, I''m not. I just don''t want your family to me me if something happens to you."


    Stefan nodded his head at her response but he didn''tment on it. It was obvious that she cares for him but she was still denying it. "Ayen, can I see your phone?"


    "Huh?! Why?" She felt a rising panic in her throat which made her heart skip a beat. "I¡­I already changed my phone."


    "I see." Stefan pulled her close to make sure that she won''t get wet. "It''s okay. I just wanted to know if you still have my number."


    "Hn. I still -, no I don''t have it. Hmp!" She stomped on his foot and walked as fast as he could back to the house.


    For the first time in two weeks, Stefanughed genuinely.

 Chapter 260 - NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US

    <h4>Chapter 260 - NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US</h4>


    "Sir, Mr. Dumrique has found Ms. Cayenne already. It was said that he had been away from hispany for several days because he wanted to stay with his wife."


    "Where is her current address?" Seiji asked.


    "It''s in City B."


    "Let''s go and get her. Let her see Stefan''s true colors. I don''t believe that he will stay with her knowing that hispanies will belong to me if he continues to stay with her." Seiji was confident that Stefan values power and wealth before his wife. He had no idea that he will fall on the trap that he made himself.


    Stefan would leave at night to deal with his business matters and woulde back the next morning to cook breakfast and stay with her the whole day.


    "I want to eat that green mango." Cayenne told Stefan while pointing on the green mangoes up on a mango tree. There were many fruit trees within the property that Cayenne lived and some of them were bearing fruits even though no one took care of them.


    "Alright. I''ll get them for you. Just give me a moment."


    "Do you even know how to climb a tree?"


    "Nope. I don''t need to climb the tree." Stefan looked for Erwin and asked for sliding metal stairs that he can use to get the mangoes that his wife wanted to eat. When he came back with the material, Cayenne couldn''t help but smile.


    ''He''s really smart.'' She wanted to make him climb the tree and make fun of him but he was smart enough to think of getting those metal stairs. "Be careful." She told him in nonchnce. Even though she cared, there''s no way she''d show it on her face.


    Stefan gave her a yful wink before climbing up the metal stairs to get the fruits for her. "Are these enough? You''re not allowed to eat lots of green mangoes. You''ll be in pain during your period."


    "Then, you take care of me during my period." She mumbled but she didn''t expect him to hear it.


    Stefan climbed down with six green mangoes and gave it to her. "I''ll take care of you during your period so, just eat it."


    Cayenne looked at him and then looked at the green mangoes. "Hmp! You just know how to say those stupid sweet words. Give them to me." She got the mangoes and walked back to the house which was quite some distance from where they went.


    Stefan followed her quietly with a foolish smile on his lips.


    Cayenne received a message from Erwin, stating that a man named Seiji came to look for her. Cayenne looked back to her husband and saw him carrying the metal stairs. "I have a visitor. Do you need help with that?" She asked while pocketing her phone in a hurry.


    "No, thanks. I can carry them on my own."


    "Are you sure? I can ask Erwin toe and get this."


    "Are you worried that I''ll get tired?"


    "Not really. Since you can just carry them on your own, I''ll go ahead of you. I still have visitors waiting for me."


    "Who''s your visitor?" Stefan asked as he walked beside her, taking small strides to keep up with her.


    "He''s a ssmate of mine. Remember the one named Seiji that I told you before. He came back not long ago."


    "Oh." Stefan didn''tment on it and just continued to walk. "Should I leave you guys aler?"


    Cayenne looked at him and then to the mangoes that she was holding. "Can you stay? I''m notfortable talking to him on my own."


    "Sure. It''s my pleasure to stay with my wife."


    "Thank you." Cayenne looked at him and smiled. It was faint but a smile is a smile, no matter how faint it is. Stefan got a little bit more courageous and took hold of her hand. He linked their fingers together which made Cayenne frown and looked at him. "Why are you holding my hand?"


    "It gives me strength." Stefan replied shamelessly. "I can carry this metal stair back and forth as long as you let me hold your hand."


    "I don''t n to make you go back and forth." Cayenne stated and rolled her eyes. "Just leave it here. I''ll have Erwin return this item to the storage room."


    Stefan ced the metal stair on the ground at the backyard and got inside the house through the kitchen door, following after Cayenne. "Wifey, let me clean those fruits first. Do you want to eat them now orter?"


    "Let''s have itter." Cayenne washed her hands and left the fruits to Stefan. When she came out, she found Seiji standing in front of her mini bookshelf. "Seiji, what brings you here?"


    "I just want to see how you''re doing." Seiji turned around and looked at her up and down. She didn''t look depress or stress at all. "Where did you get these pictures? They''re lovely." He pointed his finger to the frames on top of her bookshelf.


    "Really?" Cayenne blushed when she saw the pictures he was pointing at. "They were taken by Stefan when we went to take a short trip."


    Seiji cursed himself because he justplimented his love rival. "I see. I''m pretty sure it''s not the photographer''s skills that makes it beautiful but the muse herself."


    "Haha. You tter me." Cayenne waved her hand to dismiss the topic and she sat on the couch. Seiji followed her and sat on the couch opposite her. "How did you know this address?"


    "When it''s about you, there''s nothing that I can''t find."


    "Oh." Cayenne let out a perfunctory response, not knowing what to say. They were indeed close when they were in high school but it ended when he left. There''s no way for her to act close when they''ve lost touched for several years.


    "Yenyen, Are you alright?"


    "Me? Yes, of course. I''m doing fine."


    "I see. I heard that you wanted to divorce your husband so I was thinking that something must have happened."


    "It''s just a rumor." Stefan stated as he walked towards Cayenne from the kitchen. "My wife and I are doing fine. Nothing can separate us, not the past painful events nor the shares that''s been taken away from me."

 Chapter 261 - ADMITTING THIER MISTAKES

    <h4>Chapter 261 - ADMITTING THIER MISTAKES</h4>


    Seiji knew that if he stayed longer, Cayenne might notice something between him and Stefan. He can''t let her find out that he was attacking Stefan''spanies. And he was also sure that Stefan won''t tell her directly because he was a friend to Cayenne. Saying things against him, Cayenne might think that Stefan was acting out of jealousy. He was sure that Stefan won''t take that course.


    He left the house after half an hour with a smile on his face but as soon as he stepped inside his car and close the door, his true color showed. "That bastard! Cayenne should be mine. Why did he have to show up in our life?" His anger was directed to the couch he was sitting.


    "Sir, where are we heading to?"


    "Let''s go back to the city and continue to attack hispanies. He will have to choose sooner orter. With the pressure from his family, I don''t think he will be able to continue being a headstrong person."


    The driver drove the car and left Cayenne''s property.


    Cayenne and Stefan were sitting on the couch, still and silence. After almost five minutes of being quiet, Cayenne turned to Stefan. "Am I just seeing things or are you holding a grudge against my friend?"


    "You''re just seeing things my wife. He''s your friend, why should I hold a grudge against him. It''s just, I get jealous sometimes when you talk to other men."


    "That''s very unlike you." Cayennemented as she stood up. "I''m going upstairs to rest. Are you having dinner with us?"


    "No, I will have to leaveter."


    "Okay. If you want to rest, you can use one of the guest rooms."


    "Can''t I rest with you?"


    "No."


    "But I want to rest with you."


    "Guest room or outside? Just choose which one."


    "I want to stay with you outside or we can stay in the guest room together."


    Cayenne looked at him with her eyebrow raised intimidatingly. "Stop talking or I will throw you out. You choose."


    Stefan made a zipping action of his mouth and smiled at her like a foolish child. When Cayenne left, he took out his phone and walked out to the garden to contact Shein. He asked him to dig some dirty secrets rted to Seiji but Shein couldn''t find anything at all.


    "He''s that clean?" Stefan asked.


    "Yeah. I doubled check everything already. It''s either he''s clean or the people around him are just very loyal to him."


    "Alright. You don''t need to check on him. If he wants to attack mypanies, I don''t care. He can own them if he likes them."


    "I wonder why he''s attacking yourpany though. Isn''t he a good friend of your wife? Why is he doing this to you?"


    "It''s because of my wife that he''s doing this. He likes Cayenne. He wanted to use those shares to threaten me and divorce her. He must have thought that I care about those shares."


    "And you don''t care? Aren''t they the fruit of your family''sbor?"


    "They are. And they gave it to me. I can do whatever I want about it. If acquiring those can make Seiji happy, he can have them. Even if he acquires everything, I won''t divorce my wife."


    "What if your wife divorces you because you have no money left?"


    "Not owning thepanies doesn''t mean I have no shares left. He only acquired the shares from other people but not mine. He only got more shares than me but Ayen and I can still survive with the little shares I have."


    "You say it''s little but it still amounts to millions."


    "Exactly." Stefan responded with a sigh. "I don''t care about Seiji anymore. He can do whatever he wants but there''s no way I''d allow him to get my wife."


    "Jillyanna likes your answer." Shein replied with a chuckle. "She''s sitting beside me right now and she heard your words."


    Stefan spoke to Shein and Jillyanna a little longer, not aware that Cayenne was standing behind the door, listening to his conversation.


    She left earlier to rest but she remembered the mangoes which was why she came back. She heard Stefan talking to someone and he mentioned her name. Out of curiosity, she eavesdropped even though it was wrong. She didn''t expect to hear something to shocking.


    ''Seiji was attacking Stefan''spanies because of me. He likes me?'' Cayenne blinked her eyes several times, still in disbelief with what she heard. "I must be mistaken." She mumbled as she walked away from the door and went to the kitchen. "There''s no way that Seiji would do that.


    "Ayen? Why are you here? I thought you''re resting." Stefan asked with worry clouding on his face. "Are you alright?"


    "Yup. I''m fine." Cayenne opened the fridge and took two green mangoes.


    "Let me peel them for you." Stefan took the fruits from her and took the peeler to start peeling the fruits. "I will be going to the court tomorrow morning so I can''te here. I will be presenting the evidences regarding Alexander''s death to the judge in order to free your stepfather."


    "Can Ie together with you?"


    "Sure. I''ll pick you up, then." Stefan paused for a while and sighed.


    "Why are you sighing?"


    "I''m just thinking; if I wasn''t selfish and immediately withdraw the case against Jonas the moment I learned the truth about Alexander''s death, your mom, she would''ve been able to live her life with him. I felt so regretful with happened and I even ruined our rtionship during the time that you needed me the most. If I can turn back time, I would sit down and talk to you. But I know there are no ifs in life. I can only swallow my regret and start over again."


    "I''m also at fault in this matter. I should have told you about Jonas before."


    "No, I''m the one who''s at fault here. I promised that I''d wait for you to tell me your secrets and I promised that I would listen to you without judging you. In the end, I pushed you to a corner and make you sign those papers."


    The two of them owned to their mistakes and didn''t throw mes on each other. It was even better and they weren''t fighting. "Alright. We''re both at fault in ruining our rtionship. Let''s stop thinking about it."


    "You''ve forgiven me?! Really?"


    "Hn. I have forgiven you but I can''t start over with you again."

 Chapter 262 - GETTING BACK TOGETHER

    <h4>Chapter 262 - GETTING BACK TOGETHER</h4>


    "Ah? Why?"


    Cayenne looked at him for few seconds before turning around to hide her blush. "We can''t start over again because our rtionship didn''t end. I am still your wife and you''re my husband. And ¨C"


    "I''m happy." Stefan hugged her from behind and buried his face on her neck, inhaling her scent that he missed so much. "I''m so happy, Ayen. I was really scared that after doing everything, you won''t still forgive. I was scared that I''d have to spend my whole life without you. I don''t want that. I don''t want to be separated from you."


    Cayenne felt a warm liquid falling on her shoulder. He was crying.


    "I''m sorry it took so long for me to forgive you. But Stefan, this is the second chance I''m giving you. There won''t be a third chance anymore."


    "Hn. I won''t waste this chance."


    "We have to be honest with each other."


    "Hn."


    "No more secrets."


    "Hn."


    "Then, who was it you''re talking to over the phone. I heard you mention my name and Seiji."


    Stefan stood up straight and wiped his tears. "Can I tell you after peeling the mangoes?"


    "Okay." Cayenne took a stool and watched him peel and sliced the fruits. It''s been a while since he watched him do things in the kitchen in this manner. Her tears were threatening to fall once again and she wiped them as quick as she could, making sure that Stefan won''t see her crying.


    "Here." Stefan handed her the te with the sliced mangoes. "Do you want to talk here or in the living room?"


    "Let''s just talk here." Cayenne ate one sliced of mango, her face didn''t even change with the sourness of the fruit. Watching her eat a sour food, Stefan couldn''t stop his mouth from watering. "Do you like to eat some?"


    "I''m not fond of sour fruits."


    "Just take one bite." Cayenne reached her hand with a slice of fruit. "I want to see your face after eating it."


    "You''re a bully." Stefanmented but still ate the fruit that she fed him. Feeling the sourness in his tongue, Stefan''s face crunched every time he chewed the fruit.


    "Pfft! Hahaha" Cayenneughed at him and handed him a ss of water. "This is the first time I knew that you can''t handle sour fruits."


    "I don''t understand why you like it so much. But it''s your preference. I''ll just take care of you when your period visits you." Because he knew she''d be in a lot of pain during her menstrual period. "Now, let''s talk about what you heard earlier."


    "Okay."


    "Seiji attacked one of mypanies on the night I left for PH. He acquired a lot of shares to overthrow me from my position as the CEO. Later on, he asked me to divorce you and he''ll give the shares back. I didn''t do it. So, he attacked my otherpanies, alerting my family because of this downfall and asking me to give you up in exchange for the shares."


    Cayenne didn''t say anything. She still couldn''t believe that Seiji would do such thing. "I''ll talk to Seiji about this. I think there''s a misunderstanding. I don''t believe he''ll do something like this. And it''s even more impossible for him to like me. He had been treating me like his little sister during high school."


    "So, you don''t believe my words?" Stefan asked softly.


    "I believe you, of course. But ¨C well, it doesn''t matter." Cayenne waved her hand in dismissal to this topic. "Let''s talk about the case instead. I don''t want to think about Seiji, it''s stressing me."


    "Speaking of the case, I believe that Kyle and Luiz didn''t know the connection between me and their father."


    "You''re right. I didn''t tell them. I couldn''t bring myself to tell them."


    "That''s alright. It would be better to tell them about it once their father is out. It can serve as a surprise."


    "Thank you, Stefan."


    "Call me hubby."


    "That''s too much." Cayenne retorted with a flustered face.


    "You said it yourself; you are my wife and I am your husband. Calling me hubby is a natural thing."


    "You''re so shameless." Cayenne rolled her eyes and continued eating the mangoes in front of her. After eating all the fruits, she stood up from her hair. "Hubby, you should wash the te. I''m going to rest now." She ran away as quick as she could to hide her red face and to calm her stupid heart. ''Goodness! I''m falling in love with my husband again! I am so stupid!'' She told herself while burying her face on her pillow.


    Stefan didn''t go after her. He knew that they just reconciled and he should give her little time to think of her decision and their future. He washed the te and ced it back to its organizer.


    After half an hour, he went upstairs and knocked on her door.


    "I''m sleeping." Cayenne told him but she was actually wide awake, staring on her phone''s wallpaper again.


    "I''m going home now."


    "Ah? Now?" she looked at the time and found it was still four in the afternoon. She opened the door and found him standing at the hallway. "I thought you''re going home already. Go away. Why are you still here?" Even though she was saying those words, deep inside, she was happy that he was still there.


    "Do you want to go home with me today? In that way, you don''t have to wake up early for tomorrow."


    "No, you have to pick me up from here."


    "Okay. I don''t really mind picking you up." Stefan pulled her close and hugged her. "Let me stay like this for a little while."


    "O-okay." Cayenne let him hugged her without saying anything.


    "Won''t you hug me back? Didn''t you miss me? Because I missed you so much."


    "I didn''t miss you." Cayenne retorted but her hand was moving to hug him back. "I was so busy with my garden. I have forgotten you."


    Stefan chuckled at her response and hugged her even tighter. If possible, he wanted to ce him inside his coat pocket and bring her wherever he wanted to go. "I love you, my dear Cayenne Ardolf Dumrique. I love you today, tomorrow and forever."


    "I know. Thanks."


    "Is that how you should respond to my love?"


    "You''ll have to make do with it." Cayenne red at him and lightly pinched his waist. "One moreint and I will kick you out of my house."


    Stefan''s shoulders were shaking from his silentughter. His wife just wouldn''t admit how she feels. He pulled away from her and kissed her forehead before bidding farewell.


    He had no idea that the moment he left, Cayenne let another man inside her house.

 Chapter 263 - SOLVING STEFANS PROBLEM

    <h4>Chapter 263 - SOLVING STEFAN''S PROBLEM</h4>


    Seiji didn''t expect to be called by Cayenne to her house at night. He left with a dejected expression in the afternoon but now, he was feeling recharged again.


    "Good evening, Cayenne. Flowers for you." Seiji gave her pink roses plus a beaming bright smile on his lips.


    Feeling conflicted, Cayenne epted the flowers and handed it to Erwin. "ce it inside the vase in the kitchen."


    "O-okay." Erwin epted the flowers and brought it to the kitchen.


    "Have a seat." Cayenne gestured for Seiji to sit on the couch across her. "I''m not really sure if we should talk about this but, I just wanted to know something."


    "What is it?"


    "Uhm¡­I heard that you''ve been acquiring shares from Stefan''spanies. Is that true?"


    "Where did you hear that? Did your husband tell you?" Seiji had to thread carefully specially that he was using those shares to force Stefan to divorce her. He wasn''t sure if Cayenne knew about this fact though.


    Cayenne sped her fingers together and ced her chin on top of it. "Stefan didn''t tell me about it. I heard it from someone else. With my husband''s pride, there''s no way he''d tell me about these things."


    "Doesn''t that mean he didn''t trust you enough to tell you about hispany problems?"


    "It''s not about trust. I have promised that I won''t interfere with his business problems because I don''t want to add to his burdens. However, you''re my friend, I was wondering why you''re doing this? And someone even told me that you''re using it to ask Stefan to divorce me. Is the news true? If so, why would you do that? Why are you trying to ruin my life and my marriage?"


    Seiji looked towards Cayenne with hooded eyes. He didn''t want to give up on her. He loved her for several years. How can Stefan win over her with just few years of knowing each other?


    "Do you really love him?"


    "Yes."


    "I can give you all the shares that I acquire from hispanies, will you leave him in exchange for that?"


    "No, I don''t need those shares. I''m content with my life."


    Seiji chuckled faintly as he crossed his legs and leaned on the back of the couch to rx himself. "I did ask Stefan to leave you in exchange of the shares that I acquired. I told him to divorce you but he refused. I started attacking his other subsidiarypanies and still got refused."


    "Why? Why would you do that?"


    "Because I like you. I liked you first but he came and stole you from me. At the same time, I realized that you were never mine to begin with and you have the right to choose who you should love. So, I decided to test the person who got your heart." Seiji knew that he lost to Stefan. The years that he had known Cayenne couldn''tpare to the time that she had known Stefan but, matters of the heart, it cannot be exined rationally. He can only choose to stop and back out with his pride still intact.


    "So, you mean, everything that I heard were just a misunderstanding, right?"


    "Yes. I was just trying to see how much Stefan can hold out with his love for you. And I must say, he''s very loyal to you. I have acquired a lot of shares that amounts to billion if exchanged but he didn''t care at all."


    "I knew it. There''s no way that you would do such malicious thing. You''re my friend after all and I like you as well. If I don''t like you, how could we be friends? I''m happy that everything''s just a misunderstanding. So, what are you nning to do with those shares?"


    "It''s a secret. You will find out in the future but I assure you, I will stop using them to test Stefan and I won''t acquire any more of his shares."


    "Okay. I''m looking forward to it."


    "Can I still visit you sometimes?"


    "Sure. I don''t really mind. Can you give me a sec? I just want to check something."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne stood up and walked to the dining area. After making sure that Erwin was done preparing their dinner, she went out once again. "Would you like to stay and have dinner with us?"


    "Can I?"


    "Of course. It''s been a while since we shared meal together. I wish Marian and Arthur are here to join us, too."


    "Are you still friends with Arthur? I heard about what happened in the hotel that you worked before. I didn''t expect that he''d say those words, though."


    "Arthur must have been drunk." Cayenneughed it off and pulled her chair to sit. "Erwin let''s eat."


    "Yes, young miss. Just give me a moment."


    With the Seiji''s issue being cleared up, Cayenne ate a hearty dinner with him and Erwin. The three of them talked about trivial matter ¨C none of them spoke about business or anything rted topanies.


    After dinner, Cayenne walked him out of her house while reminiscing about their past. "I''m happy that I am friends with you." Cayennemented when they reached his car. "Seiji, don''t tie yourself to the past. You deserve to be happy and I know that someone out there is waiting for you."


    "Thank you, Yen. I''m happy that you didn''t shun me after what happened."


    "How can I? You only thought what was best for me and checked if my husband truly loves me. Thank you for doing that."


    "Alright. Let''s not talk about it anymore. It''s gettingte already. I''ll take my leave now."


    "Okay. Be careful and see you next time."


    "See you."


    Cayenne watched him got inside his car and drove out of her property. When she finally lost sight of him, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Stefan.


    Stefan was currently reading the documents that needed his approval when he received Cayenne''s message. ''I''ve taken care of Seiji''s problem. You don''t have to worry about it.''


    "Thank you, wifey. What do you want for a reward?"


    ''Matcha Cake.''

 Chapter 264 - FACING HER PAST AND PRESENT

    <h4>Chapter 264 - FACING HER PAST AND PRESENT</h4>


    The next morning, Stefan came to pick up Cayenne to bring her to the court with regards to Alexander''s case which sent Jonas to jail.


    "Are you alright?" Stefan asked Cayenne who remained silent on their way to the public court.


    "I''m fine. I just didn''t expect that I''d see my stepfather in this manner. During his court trial fifteen years ago, I wasn''t allowed toe. Eventually, I decided not to see him in jail as well. If my memory serves me right, I only visited him thrice. Most of the time, Luiz and Kyle would visit him together with my mother."


    "Do you hate him?"


    "Hn. I hated him for doing what he did. If he didn''t try stealing, he wouldn''t wake you up. You wouldn''t call for help. Alexander wouldn''te. He wouldn''t have died. You would still have a brother. My mother won''t be left alone with the three of us to raise on her own. She wouldn''t fall sick. She wouldn''t have died so early. When I think about it, I felt so frustrated and upset; and ¨C " her voice turned soft and low, almost a whisper in Stefan''s ear. "I would start to wonder if staying with you is the right thing to do."


    Stefan slowed down his speed to take some time with her alone. It would be better to establish anotheryer of trust at this point knowing how insecure she was with their rtionship. When he found a nearby caf¨¦, he stopped the car. "I''ll go buy something. Wait for me here."


    "Okay."


    Stefan got out of the car and went inside the caf¨¦ to buy some hot drinks for Cayenne. After getting the drinks, he went back immediately to make sure that she won''t wait for a long time.


    "Here''s a hot cocoa for you." He gave one cup to her and took the other cup for himself. "Don''t think too much of the past. My brother would still die in the end because he already decided to end his life a long time ago. He just needed an excuse to do it and your stepfather just happened to be there. And I remember correctly, your stepfather didn''t even try stealing anything valuable that night. I saw him open my mine fridge and took out two bars of my Amedei Poa choctes. I was just too afraid at that time and everything went south when I called for help. He didn''t even run away like what others criminal do. He stayed and tried administering first aid to my brother until ra and Magnus came."


    Cayenne felt even more guiltier now. She still remembers that fifteen years ago, she was flipping the magazine pages which talked about dishes, desserts and other things. She pointed on Amedei Poa picture and told her mother and Jonas that she likes to eat it. Jonas had been trying his best to act as her father when she was young and she told him that she would only recognize him as her father if he can get her that chocte. Everything happened because of her.


    "I''m sorry." Cayenne''s tears fell on the cup she was holding and she couldn''t stop them at all. "I didn''t know. I told him to get me those choctes and I will recognize him as my father. I really had no idea that he''d do it."


    Stefan put his cup down and pulled her for a hug. "Shh. Everything will be alright. Aren''t we heading to the court to make things right. You said that you started it and now, you''re ending it yourself as well. You don''t have to be sad about it. You are still young at that time. The actions of the adult shouldn''t be med on you."


    "Aren''t you angry? My careless remark cost your brother''s life."


    "I''m not angry. Everything happened for a reason."


    "And what reason would that be? A reason for us to suffer?"


    "Nope. Everything happened for you to meet me. Look at the bright side. If things of the past didn''t happen, you probably won''t work in my hotel. Jillyanna and Travis won''t help you on your first day of work. I won''t be acquainted with you. No one would encourage me to make DNA test. I wouldn''t know about my real identity and uncover the secrets behind my mother''s death. And it might be a littlete but, the discovery of Alexander''s death made me free your stepfather from his suffering in jail. Now, you still have the chance to recognize him as your father. Your brothers will be able to spend time with them. Don''t you think it''s enough to outweigh your guilt?"


    Cayenne hugged him even tighter and cried silently. She only had one regret left, the fact that she wasn''t honest to her mother until she died. "Aaahhhhh!" She cried loudly this time and let her guilt and frustrations fade away with the wind.


    Stefan gently pats her back and kissed the top of her head. He knew that she needed to let it all out in order to face her reality and confront the past with the stronger version of her. She needed to feel secure and he''s the only one who can give it to her.


    After few minutes, Cayenne pulled away from him and wiped her tears. "Thank you. Thank you for epting me despite everything that has happened."


    "If I won''t ept you, where else can I find an amazing wife like you? I have no space for someone else in my heart. This ce is upied with the one and only Cayenne Ardolf Dumrique."


    "Your sweet talks are getting better." Cayenne continued to wipe her tears while letting out faint chuckles.


    "I''m not just sweet talking you. I mean everything I said." Stefan took hold of her hand and kissed it. "I won''t let anything or anyone take you away from me."


    Cayenne looked at him straight in his eyes. You can see the sincerity in him and the gentle care he possessed for her only. "Close your eyes."


    "Why?"


    "Just close it." Stefan just did what she told him to do and the next thing he felt was the kiss from Cayenne. However, when he opened his eyes to catch her on the act, Cayenned was already sipping her hot cocoa. "Why are you staring at me?"


    "Nothing. I didn''t know that my wife likes stealing kisses from me. I thought I was the only one who does that."


    "Who kissed you? You must be dreaming." Cayenne retorted and looked outside the window to hide her blush. ''I won''t admit to it. Hmp!''

 Chapter 265 - JONAS IS FREE

    <h4>Chapter 265 - JONAS IS FREE</h4>


    When they arrived at the public court, the attorney who worked on Alexander''s case was already present and the public attorney who was going to defend Jonas was also there.


    There weren''t many people inside the court since it wasn''t a public trial. Magnus and Ferdinand were already sitting on their chair, waiting for the judge toe. Stefan and Cayenne went to take their seats as well, two chairs apart from where Stefan''s family was.


    As soon as the judge came, they started the hearing and Dr. Albert came as the witness with the evidences in his hand. With all the crimes involving the Minato family, they believed his words. After all, he was the doctor who was involved with them and he knew all their secrets. The judge epted his words and sentenced Dr. Albert to three years of life in prison. He was just an aplice and was never involved with the murder or anything illegal. And given that he helped them solve many crimes with the Minato family, they reduced his sentence to three years and one year of probation.


    Dr. Albert thanked Stefan for helping him get his sentence reduced. He knew that the man was the one who talked to the judge and the officers for this matter.


    "With all the evidences present, proving that Jonas Slyvester wasn''t involved with the death of Alexander Minato Dumrique, I now dere that the defendant is not guilty. Court hearing adjourned." As soon as he pounded his gavel to seal the result, the public attorney shook hands with Jonas and hugged him.


    Dr. Albert also went to Jonas and apologized to him for everything that has happened. Thewyer who handled Alexander''s case walked towards Magnus and Ferdinand. He apologized to them but the two men just waved their hand at him in dismissal. They still cared for Alexander due to the fact that he grew up with them. However, they won''t let someone else suffer from his own actions.


    "Cayenne." Jonas walked to Cayenne. His eyes were red, obviously he was about to cry in front of her. "I''m sorry foring outte. I''m sorry for disappointing you."


    "It''s alright. We still have a lot of time in the future. You can make it up with your boys. They will surely be surprised to see you."


    "Speaking of the boys," Stefan cut them off and spoke. "Luiz will graduate from senior high next month. How about we keep this news for now and surprise him on his graduation day?"


    "I don''t mind." Cayenne responded. "Can you hold out until then?" She asked Jonas in case he wanted to see them as soon as he can.


    "Can I look at them from afar?"


    "Sure." Cayenne grinned from happiness, just imagining how her brothers would react to the sight of him. "I''m pretty sure they''d be very happy to see you. I can''t wait for the month to skip its days and stop on his graduation day."


    "Don''t be too excited." Stefan pats her head with a tender smile on his lips. He turned to Jonas and smiled at him. "We will wait for you outside. Once you''re done with all the process together with the officers."


    "Okay." Jonas turned around and walked to the officers and thewyer who was waiting for him.


    Cayenne and Stefan walked out of the court and found his family waiting for them at the lobby. "Grandpa." Cayenne muttered and looked down on her hands to hide her anxiety.


    "When are you going to visit us? Stefan had been hiding you and won''t even tell us where you''re staying. You''ve been away for quite a long time already." Ferdinand told Cayenne which surprised her. She didn''t expect that they were waiting for her toe and visit them.


    "Right. Stefan won''t even allow us toe and visit you." Magnus added.


    "When are you going to give me a great-grandchild?"


    Cayenne coughed awkwardly from the shock of his question. She just reconciled with Stefan and they were already asking her for a great-grandchild. Where can she get that?


    "Wait." Cayenne turned to Stefan and red at him. "You didn''t tell them?"


    "Tell us what?" Magnus questioned her when he noticed something amiss. "Did you guys fight? Is that why Stefan couldn''t let us find you?"


    Cayenne coughed again and Stefan could only smile faintly at his father''s question.


    "You, silly boy! How can you fight with her? Stop bullying your wife. Here I thought you''d bring me a great-grandchild when you brought her to Europe but instead, you fought with her." Ferdinand reprimanded Stefan and even hit him lightly with his stick. "Little girl, if Stefan bullies you again, juste to me and tell me. I will discipline him for you. Okay?"


    "O-okay." Cayenne responded with a bright smile this time. Stefan''s family didn''t hate her. They were even nicer to herpared to Stefan. "Thank you for worrying about me. Stefan and I have reconciled already."


    "That''s good. That''s good. In that way, you can give me a great-grandchild soon."


    "Grandpa, don''t put pressure on her."


    "I''m not pressuring her. I''m just giving reminder." Ferdinand gave Cayenne a yful wink which made Cayenneugh. "Alright, we will leave for now and give you back your world. Come and visit us sometimes."


    "Yes grandpa." Stefan and Cayenne responded in unison.


    When the two men left, Cayenne sat on the bench to appreciate the lovely day. She was so happy and she felt that a heavy thorn pricking her heart has been lifted. Stefan sat beside her and talked to her while waiting for Jonas toe out. After several minutes, Jonas came out with a shirt that the police officer gave her instead of the orange colored shirt for the inmates.


    Not far from where they stood, a car was parked with a man smoking inside his vehicle. There was only a small opening of his window to let the smoke out. With all the cigarette butts littered on his car floor, you can only imagine how heavy smoker this person was.


    "So, it''s true. He really withdrew the case and freed this murderer." He clenched his fist as he puffed out the smoke, crashing the cigarette with his bare hand. He didn''t even feel the pain of the burnt at all. "I won''t let you live happily. You killed my son. So, I must kill yours. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth."

 Chapter 266 - I WANT TO PAY FOR IT

    <h4>Chapter 266 - I WANT TO PAY FOR IT</h4>


    Since Jonas was finally free, Cayenne and Stefan took this time to shop for his clothes and other necessities. After all, it''s been fifteen years since he stayed in the prison and most of his things were gone.


    "Cayenne, I want to work." Jonas told Cayenne while they were choosing some shirts for him. "I don''t want to depend on you."


    "Just take a rest for now. You can find a work after Luiz graduates this year." Cayenne responded knowing that it wouldn''t be easy for someone who came from jail to find a work. "I''ll find a ce for you to stay in the meantime. You cannot stay in my house yet since Kyle and Luiz woulde home and they might bump into you. Our surprise will be ruined."


    "I have a good ce for him to stay." Stefan stated while holding lots of clothes in his hands. "I think this would look good on him." He gave Cayenne the shirts he found and went back to the topic. "He can stay in our house in Peach Wood. Your brothers don''t go there since you''re not staying there."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yup. I don''t stay there that much so it would be good if someone lives there and take care of the house while we''re gone."


    "Is that alright for you?" Cayenne asked Jonas who was just listening to them. "I can find another ce for you to stay if you don''t like the idea."


    "I''m all good. It''s just a temporary ce."


    "Right. After the surprise, you can move to my house and stay with the boys." Cayenne agreed before they continued shopping.


    At lunch, they ate together and talked a lot of stuff but they didn''t talk about her mother. She didn''t want to ruin the good day she''s having with the topic of her mother''s death. She was nning to talk to him at night when there''s just the two of them.


    When they passed by a dessert store, Stefan bought her a matcha cake and matcha milktea. They bought a new phone for Jonas and a sim card as well. They saved their numbers to make sure that he can contact them if anything happens.


    The whole day, the three of them spent it inside the mall. They bought so many things for him and Cayenne didn''t pay a single scent of those. She wanted to pay for it because she knew that her savings can still cover the total cost but before she can hand her card, the cashierdy was already swiping Stefan''s card.


    She was left with no choice but to keep her own card.


    After buying a lot of things for Jonas, the three of them went to Peach Wood. It was the first time that Cayenne set foot on this ce after signing that stupid divorce papers.


    "Why are you still standing there?" Jonas asked Cayenne when he noticed that she was just staring at the house.


    "I''m just appreciating its beauty." Cayenne replied with a wry grin. She stepped inside the house and the ce was still the same as shest remembered it. Stefan didn''t change anything at all. "I''ll show you the guest room."


    "Okay." Jonas followed her with a lot of shopping bags in hand. Stefan was also following them with another batch of shopping bags.


    "You can stay here in the meantime." Cayenne opened the door to the guest room which was bigger than her apartment room before. "Stefan, do we still have enough groceries in the fridge?"


    "Nope. I didn''t buy groceries. I order food online."


    "Alright. Let''s buy groceries tomorrow. And I will pay for it." She really gave emphasis to herst statement because she didn''t get to pay anything from their shopping spree today.


    "Okie dokie. I''ll let you pay for the groceries."


    And the next day, Cayenne wanted to kick her husband so much. She said that she wanted to pay but Stefan gave her his card. "I want to pay the groceries with my own card."


    "You didn''t say itst night. You only said that you want to pay for it. So, you can go and pay for it using my card."


    "This not what I mean."


    Stefan chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. "I''m just teasing you. You can pay for these things now."


    "With my card."


    "Yes. With your card." Stefan handed her a card with her name on it. "This is your card."


    "Huh? This is not my card."


    "Howe it''s not yours? There''s your name written on it."


    "I didn''t apply for a credit card."


    "I applied for you." Stefan grinned at her. "You can ask me questionster. Just go and pay for it because people are watching us now."


    Cayenne looked around and sure enough, many people were watching them. Some were even taking photos or videos. "Sorry." She apologized to them while handing her card to the cashier. She elbowed her husband who was only smiling at her, no traces of conscience for dragging her into the embarrassing situation she was in as of the moment.


    "What''s your n after this?" Stefan asked her. Last night, she didn''t go back to her own house and stayed with him instead. It was the first time in over two weeks that they slept together again. "Do you want to watch a movie or go somewhere?"


    "I want to go back home. I need to nt the seedlings to my garden already. I can''t just leave everything to Erwin."


    "Why are you still continuing that project? Didn''t you do that to forget me? Are you still nning to forget me?"


    "Can you be serious? I nted it to save money from buying vegetables in the market."


    "Oh. So, you didn''t do it to forget me?"


    "Stop making traps for me." Cayenne kicked him lightly which made Stefanugh at her. "You''re so annoying."


    "Aren''t you used to it?" Stefan questioned while taking the stic bags containing the groceries. Cayenne signed her name on the paper to confirm the transaction and then she received a notification on her phone about it.


    She checked her phone and read the message, making Stefan see that she didn''t change her phone at all. Even the wallpaper was still the same. He whistled happily with these discoveries he made.


    Cayenne looked at him and then looked to her phone. "I decided to keep the phone. I don''t have the money to buy this after all."


    It was an excuse that none of them believe but they both decided to ept it that way. As long as Cayenne''s keeping even one single thing rted to him, Stefan would be over the moon from so much happiness.


    "I''m d you''re keeping it."

 Chapter 267 - EXPANDING HIS CARE

    <h4>Chapter 267 - EXPANDING HIS CARE</h4>


    Cayenne went home with Stefan back to their house in Peach Wood. When they arrived, Jonas was pruning the trees and taking care of the garden to make sure that they''re all doing good and won''t wither.


    "Thank you for your hard work." Stefan told Jonas while giving him a ss of juice. "I remember that you can cook delicious meals, can you do it for dinner? Cayenne wanted to visit her brothers after ss. So, I thought it would be good to bring some homemade food for them."


    "That would be fine. I can do that." Jonas agreed immediately with twinkling eyes. He wanted to do something for his sons and Stefan suggested something that he can handle so easily.


    "We bought groceries and ced them in the fridge. You can use anything with it. In the morning, I don''t eat breakfast here since I would go to Ayen''s house. No lunch either since I''ll be staying with her. In the evening, I will be working. Basically, you''ll be on your own most of the time. You don''t need to worry about the bills, it''s automatically deducted from my bank."


    Jonas stared at the man he once-served fifteen years ago. He''s be a responsible adult and even married his stepdaughter. It was as if fate was making fun of them. "Stefan, I apologize for what happened fifteen years ago. I''m really sorry for taking away the person who loved you the most. I''m sorry for letting you go through a harsh and difficult life." He deeply bowed his head in front of him in apology.


    "Let''s forget it. Ayen and I wanted to start over again and let the past stay in the past. You don''t have to think too much about it either. Let''s get along well from now on, dad." Stefan''s way of addressing him made Jonas raised his head in surprise. Tears welled up in his eyes but he soon wiped it away and smiled.


    "Hn."


    "What are you guys talking about?" Cayenne asked while poking her head at the door to the kitchen. "You''ve been whispering things since a while ago."


    "We''re just talking about the dishes for dinner." Jonas told Cayenne with a bright smile. It was a smile free of worry and anxiety. "You''re nning to visit Kyle and Luiz after their sses are over, right? Can Ie and see them? I''ll just stay in the car."


    "Sure. Sure." Cayenne skipped her way to the kitchen with her hands on her back. "What will you make? Can I help?"


    In the end, the three of them worked harmoniously in kitchen to prepare their dinner. Stefan was responsible for making desserts while Jonas cooked their dishes and Cayenne was their assistant to wash the ingredients or the utensils. They looked like a team, not just an individual who wanted to please someone.


    Around six in the evening, Jonas packed the dishes that will be brought to visit his sons. Stefan also ced the macaroons on a separate container to bring it to his brothers-inw. It will be the first time that they''d see them after reconciling with Cayenne. And he wasn''t sure yet if Cayenne had told them that they have reconciled or not yet.


    "Are you ready to see them?" Cayenne asked in excitement.


    "Hn. I''ve been longing to see them."


    "Alright. Let''s go."


    The three of them went out of the house and Stefan drove the car to go to X University to find the two brothers. Since it was already evening, there weren''t many students left in the campus.


    "That''s all for today everyone. See you in our next meeting."


    "Goodbye Ms. Lin." Luiz bid farewell to his teacher together with everyone and stood up to leave the room. He packed his things and slung his bag as he walked outside.


    "I thought I''d wait forever." Kylemented as he walked towards his brother. "Yen, ising to school to bring us some food. Let''s go and meet her."


    "It''s not just about the food, right?" Luiz asked his brother as they walked down the corridor under the passionate gazes of the girls in school. "Have they reconciled?"


    "We''ll find out after seeing her." Kyle put his arm around his brother''s shoulder and they went out of the campus to meet Cayenne at the gate. It''s already evening so, visitors weren''t allowed toe unless it was for emergency reason.


    Females from different years and different departments looked at them as they walked on the school ground. When they arrived at the gate, Cayenne was sitting on the bench under the waiting shed. And she was leaning on Stefan who was sitting right beside her.


    "Looks like you''ve guessed it right." Kyle told Luiz as they made their way to their sister and brother-inw.


    "My guts told me so." Luiz responded with a triumphant smile. "Yenyen!" He called his sister''s name and ran towards her. "I''m so happy to see you here. Did you feel bored and decided toe out?"


    "Yup. I felt so bored and I missed you guys."


    "Not even a week has passed yet." Kylemented and looked towards Stefan. "So, what is he doing here?"


    Cayenne scratched the tip of her nose andughed awkwardly. "I forgot to tell you that Stefan and I have reconciled."


    "Really?" Kyle asked with a smug face. "Are you sure you want to be with him again?"


    "Hn." Cayenne looked at her brothers with a faint smile.


    "I''m not against it." Kyle walked towards Stefan and bumped into him chest to chest. "If ever you hurt her again, I won''t let you see her ¨C not even a shadow of her. Mark my words."


    "Understood." Stefan responded and even gave Kyle a gentle pat on his head. "I''m d that Cayenne have you guys as her brothers."


    "Thanks." Kyle pulled back and took a few steps away from him. "And congrats for getting another chance from her. Don''t waste it."


    Stefan nodded his head and handed the two paper bags that he was holding. "These are for you. Cayenne made them with the help of a special someone."


    "Special someone? You didn''t mean yourself, right?" Kyle retorted while epting them.


    "If not me then, who else?" Stefan returned a question but Kyle didn''t say anything to him anymore.


    Luiz and Cayenne just watched them bicker with each other like a cat and dog. They got along really well which made Cayenne feel happy.


    "We''ll be going back home now. If anythinges up, let us know as soon as possible." She reminded her brothers, ready to leave the school and go back home.


    "Ayen, I''d like to speak with your brothers for a while. Can you wait for me in the car?"


    "Alrighty!" Cayenne waved her hands at them and walked back to the car.


    Stefan moved closer to the two boys and whispered. "Have you noticed if someone''s been following you or stalking you?"


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Kyle questioned with a confused expression showing on his face.


    Luiz thought for a while and after sometime, he nodded his head. "I wasn''t sure if I was just overthinking but yesterday, when I left the campus to buy some materials in the nearest bookstore, I felt that someone''s following me. When I turned around to see who it was, there was no one behind. I only felt secured when I arrived inside the campus. During lunch break today, I went out to eat with my friend and I felt that someone''s been watching me."


    "You''re not hallucinating. I noticed that someone''s been watching you earlier but he left without your notice. Although, I''m not really sure if they''re here for you or not. But, it''s bad to start being cautious, don''t you think so?"


    "Thank you for letting us know." Kylemented while scratching the back of his head. "Don''t worry, we can protect ourselves."


    "I see. Then, just do your best in school." Stefan waved his hand at them and turned around to go back to his car. His eyes were scanning the surroundings onest time before he got inside his vehicle.


    Inside the car, they watched the two brothers left and get back inside the campus to return to their dormitory. "Stefan, was I seeing things or was the man stalking my kids?"


    "I want to say you''re wrong but my gut told me you''ve guessed it right." Stefan told Jonas as he pulled out his phone to call Chris.


    "Which man? I didn''t notice anyone." Cayenne stated with worry clouding over her face. "Are my brothers in danger?"


    "I''m not too sure but let''s take precautions to avoid any damage and injuries." Stefan responded to his wife before talking to Chris. He needed to hire more secret body guards to look after the people that Cayenne cared specially, her brothers.


    He may look nonchnt and carefree but there were several people who had been following him secretly to take care of any hidden dangers waiting for him. When he states he''d divorced Cayenne, they also stopped following her in secret. Thus, he lost her. But now that he found her again, he won''t let her fall into any harm or danger; and that protection expanded towards her family, too.

 Chapter 268 - CHRIS VISITS X UNIVERSITY

    <h4>Chapter 268 - CHRIS VISITS X UNIVERSITY</h4>


    That night, Stefan sent Cayenne to her house and went back to the hotel to deal with some paper works that Chris brought for him.


    "Have you worked on the additional secret guards that I need?" Stefan asked Chris while taking off his suit to give himself some breather.


    "Yes. They''ll be here tomorrow."


    "Alright. I''ll leave it to your care." Stefan responded and walked towards his desk to start working. "In the next few days, you can send everything to Ayen''s house. I''ll be staying with her in order to protect her. And please assign two guards to keep Jonas safe. I don''t want my wife to be troubled with safety and precautions."


    "Noted." Chris stuffed his tablet on his briefcase and closed it. "Do you need anything else before I leave?"


    "Nothinges to mind. You can go home now and rest."


    "Okie dokie. Bye boss." Chris left the Presidential suite and went home. He has a lot of things to do tomorrow specially that there will be additional secret guards that he needed to manage. Thankfully, Seiji stopped giving them headaches and his work was a lot easier and lighter nowpared to thest few weeks.


    Early the next morning, Stefan left the hotel and drove the car to go to his wife''s house. Chris also left his apartment to go to X university in order to talk to the school head and Luiz'' ss adviser regarding the people who will being to check on him and his brother Kyle.


    "Hey Chris!" Luiz waved his hand to him when he saw the maning out of the administration building. "What are you doing here?"


    "I came to talk to the school head and the present administration about something."


    "I see. Are you leaving now?"


    "Nope. I''m going to look for your ss adviser regarding some business matter."


    "I''lle with you, then." Luiz smiled at him and walked together with him to his ssroom. Student looked at them with hot gazes but he only smiled faintly at them.


    "Where''s Kyle?"


    "Bro''s ss with start at nine in the morning today." Luiz responded as they continued to walk. "By the way ¨C" he turned to Chris but he found him looking into something or rather someone somewhere. "Are you looking at the young woman with a high ponytail who''s wearing a ck ck with a white tank top and zer?"


    "Yeah." Chris replied in whisper. When he realized it and turned to look at Luiz, the young man was already grinning from ear to ear.


    "You have good eyes." Luizmented with a thumbs up. "That''s my ss adviser. Her name is Rissy Chan. She''s twenty-five years old. And she''s single."


    "Little guy, why are you telling me this information?"


    "Nothing. I just thought that you might be interested to know these important details." Luiz winked at him before turning around to continue walking. "She''ll be in our ss any moment. Let''s go."


    Chris wouldn''t deny what Luiz had said. His attention was indeed caught by the littledy who walked with elegant and poise. She wasn''t wearing anything revealing or sexy clothing but she looked so sexy in his eyes. Her charm was making him look at her; and look only at her with no space for anyone else in his eyes.


    Luiz arrived in his ssroom together with Chris. He ced his bag on the side of his desk before going out to apany his brother-inw''s secretary.


    Many students started to arrive as well and all of them couldn''t help but look towards Luiz and Chris. To begin with, Luiz was already known in the whole campus as one of the most handsome and most sought out young man together with his older brother Kyle. Now, he was standing in the hallway, looking so handsome and fresh in the morning with another handsome man who looked mature and capable.


    "Luiz, is he your brother as well?" one of the female students asked.


    "Nope. He''s my uncle." Luiz answered with a straight face. He knew that the students were trying to hit on him but he has no time for such things.


    "Uncle? He looked so young." The student replied with hearts in her eyes.


    "I know." Luizmented and turned his back to look at the man beside him. "You don''t prefer the students here, right?"


    "Nope. I prefer your teacher." Chris whispered which made Luiz chuckle. "Don''t tell her though."


    "Sure. Sure. I''ll keep it for you."


    The two of them waited for Ms. Chan at the hallway. When she arrived, Chris couldn''t take his eyes away from her. He was even imagining her walking down the aisle towards him.


    "Chris, don''t let your imagination run wild." Luiz whispered to the man beside him which pulled him back to reality. "Ms. Chan, my uncle came to find you."


    "Me? Why? Is there anything wrong?" His teacher approached them with worry reflecting on her face. "Would you like toe and talk to me in the office instead?"


    "No, there''s no need. You''ve had to walk from the office to the ssroom; must be tiring. I won''t take much of your time so we can just talk here."


    "Uh. Sure."


    "Luiz, you can go inside your room first." Chris told Luiz and the young man immediately left. "I''m here with the concern of his safety. Lately, we''ve found out that there were people stalking him and we''re worried that something might happen to him." Chris told the teacher in a low voice. He didn''t want anyone to hear their conversation. Most of the students were inside their ssroom already but he was still a little bit worried that someone would overhear them.


    "Are you really his uncle? I haven''t heard him mention anything about you."


    "Actually, I''m not his uncle by blood but he treats me like one. I''m his brother-inw''s secretary. My name is Chris Hawkins."


    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Hawkins. I''m Rissy Chan. Regarding your concern, I''m not aware of what''s happening outside the moment that the students leave the campus unless they share it with me. As for Luiz, if my memory serves me right, he''s currently staying in the school dormitory. Is he being stalked inside the campus or outside the campus?"


    "Outside the campus. We have no way of monitoring them inside the campus before which was why we decided to have me visit the school today. We''d like to have your cooperation in this matter."

 Chapter 269 - VISITORS

    <h4>Chapter 269 - VISITORS</h4>


    Chris exined everything to her which took quarter and hour. He tried to be brief as he can but he also wanted to prolong his stay if possible. Sadly, he needed to do other things in thepany.


    "You won''t mind it, right?"


    "No, of course not. It''s for the safety of my smart student. I''m d that you''re doing your best to keep him safe. Thank you for reaching out to us."


    "Thank you for teaching him as well. I''ll take my leave now." Chris bowed his head slightly at her and when he looked at her, the smile on his lips was bright.


    Rissy watched the man walked away from her and she felt a littleplicated deep inside her. It was the first time that she wanted to spend a little more time with the opposite sex who''s not a student and not a co-teacher as well.


    ''This is bad.'' She thought to herself before going inside the ssroom to start her ss.


    Chris scratched the back of his head as he walked out of the school campus. In truth, he didn''t really have to talk to the ss adviser but when he was nningst night, he decided to check the school administration as well as the faculty; and his eyes were glued to Rissy''s profile. They have the same birthday.


    He went back to the office to start working in behalf of his boss who was still busy pursuing his wife. Even though they have reconciled, they weren''t back to how they were yet. Cayenne was still very reserved around Stefan.


    When he arrived, his assistant secretary came to inform him that there were six men waiting for him in the visitor''s. "Thank you, Elena. Can you bring us some coffee?"


    "Okay, sir." Elena went to the pantry to make coffees for Chris and the visitors.


    Inside the visitor''s lounge, Chris met the mercenaries that were hired through some connections. They looked normal like some fresh meat from the military camp but Chris knew how bloody their hands were. They will kill if asked to. They''re bound to money not to morals. They''re the type of people who will be loyal to you as long as you have the money to pay for them.


    "You will be divided into three groups, two people for each team. You will be guarding three people. One in Peach Wood subdivision. His name is Jonas Slyvester. He''s the stepfather of ourdy boss. You must follow him wherever he goes and take care of any harms around him. The other two are students in X university. Kyle Ardolf, a college student; and Luiz Ardolf, a senior high school student. One of each pair will monitor their master closely. The other one will monitor them secretly from a distance."


    "When will we start?" one of the men asked.


    "You can start today." Elena came and ced the cups of coffee on the table in front of them. "Let''s divide the group." Chris continued and divided the six of them into pairs. He also gave one car for each pair and handed them the cards that they can use to buy their daily needs. There was also an apartment rented for the six of them to stay. "I will give you the contact number of your employers and the people that you will be guarding. If something urgentes up, you need to inform the president and thedy boss immediately."


    "Okay." The six of them agreed with a faint nod of their heads.


    After Chris assigned them their task, he began with somepany matters. He also informed Stefan of what has happened to make sure that he''s updated.


    Cayenne was currently nting the tomato seedlings, Stefan was nting the eggnt seedlings and Erwin was nting the beans. The three of them worked early in the morning to make sure that the nts won''t witherter from the sunlight.


    "Do you have any ns in the afternoon?" Stefan asked Cayenne while nting the seedlings.


    "I don''t. I will just be staying at home, idling and reading books."


    "Let''s visit grandpa this afternoon. He''s been bombarding me with messages to bring you home."


    "I don''t mind. Let''s go thereter." Cayenne agreed with a faint smile. "Do you want to bake something with me? I''d like to bring something for them."


    "Let''s make some cookies for them. Grandpa likes cookies so much."


    "Alright. I''ll prepare them after nting these seedlings here."


    As they continued to nt, the doorbell rang which made Erwin stopped nting and went to the front yard to open the gate.


    "Good morning. Is Cayenne here?"


    "Yes. Come inside. I''ll go and call her for you." Erwin brought the guests to the living room before calling Cayenne from the backyard. "Young miss, you have visitors."


    "Who?" Cayenne asked as she put the seedlings back to its bed. "I''m not done here yet. Can you take over my work?"


    "Sure. Just put the remaining seedlings there. I''ll nt them for you."


    Cayenne removed her gloves and went to the kitchen to wash her hands. Stefan was following right behind her as well. "There''s some dirt on your face." Cayennemented while reaching out to wipe Stefan''s face. "Let me get a tissue for you. You wash your hands first."


    Cayenne took a roll of tissue from the cab in order to wipe her husband''s face while he was washing his hands. The two of them looked so loving and caring, like they didn''t have a fight few weeks ago. Although Cayenne looked reserve sometimes, she still cares for him.


    After making sure that they''re all clean, Cayenne went to the living room to see who came to visit her. To her surprise, Jillyanna was sitting on the couch with Jade, Riley and Brown. The four of them came to visit her.


    "Oh! My! You guys are here! I''m sorry I was taking so long. I was nting something in my backyard." She strode quickly towards them and gave them a hug. "I''m so d you''vee to visit me."


    "I heard Stefan''s been visiting you, too." Brown replied with a cheeky smile. "You guys have reconciled already?"


    "Yeah. We have." Stefan answered his question with a tray of refreshments in his hands.

 Chapter 270 - SIMILARITIES

    <h4>Chapter 270 - SIMILARITIES</h4>


    "I''m surprised that Travis allowed you toe with just the three of you." Cayennemented while pulling Jade for a hug. "I missed you so much little girl."


    "I missed you, too Auntie Yen. You didn''t visit us for a long time. Are you okay now?" Jade''s little voice was traced with deep concern regarding Cayenne and Cayenne felt so thankful for meeting this little angel in her life.


    "I''m all fine now. When I have time, I''lle and visit you again. I''m currently busy nting veggies in my garden."


    "Really?! Can you show me?"


    "They''re still seedlings as of now. I''ll show them to you when they''re all grown."


    "Okay. I''m waiting for that."


    "I believe Travis stayed at home with Raizel." Cayenne said while looking to Jillyanna.


    "You got half of the statement right. He''s with Raizel but they''re both in thepany not at home. He brought our son there with Savy and Hawk."


    "For real? I thought he''d never bring the child out of the house."


    "You should know, Travis is overprotective. You think we''re the only ones who came here, right? You should try to look outside." Riley told Cayenne which made thetter look outside her house. To her amusement, Travis sent several people to guard her three visitors.


    "Just how many enemies does he have to make him send a whole troop here with you?" Cayenne couldn''t help but ask. Even before they became acquainted, she already heard a lot of news rted to the couple. Most of the news were about them being sent to the hospital due to idents. Deliberate idents at that.


    "It''s not just him. We all have enemies of our own and he only did his best to protect what''s his." Brown responded to Cayenne''s question. "Besides, not only Travis does that. Your husband arranged a lot of secret guards to protect you and your family, too."


    "Oh! I guess men with power do that." Shemented without a hint of surprise or shock. She knew that Stefan nned such thingst night. "Will you stay for lunch? I haven''t had a lot of visitors in this house. I''d be happy if you guys will stay."


    "Sure." Jillyanna and Riley agreed instantly. Brown only smiled at her with a helpless expression.


    With that, Stefan busied himself in the kitchen while Cayenne entertained their guests. When Erwin finished nting all the seedlings, he cleaned himself up and helped Stefan in preparing their lunch.


    Cayenne brought her guest to the flower garden where a small tea house was built to enjoy the scenery. "I''m d that you two have reconciled." Jillyannamented while looking at the fully bloomed red roses in Cayenne''s garden.


    "I didn''t want to. I still feel upset whenever I remember the words he said but I don''t want to miss a lifetime of happiness as well." Cayenne smiled faintly after letting out a deep sigh. "Do you think I''m stupid?"


    "If you''re stupid, that means I am, too." Jillyanna chuckled as she said these words. "You know what, your rtionship is almost simr to Travis and I." Hearing her mother''s words, Jade sat near her to listen to her parents'' love story. "We are each other''s first love. We consider ourselves as childhood sweetheart but due to some selfish reasons, we argued and fought. He told me that he hated me so much for taking away his parents. To make a long story short, we got separated. After a long time, we got into a rtionship. And we didn''t know each other''s identity. I''ve known him as RV and he knew me as Jill. When all our secrets came out, our rtionship went downhill. But he''s already a father of my child. Misunderstandings happened a lot of times between us but I chose to trust him once more. I chose to give our rtionship a second chance. And here we are now. I''m living my life happily with him. But I don''t think of myself as stupid for doing so. I just want to be happy and I know deep in my heart that he''s the source of my happiness. And that happiness extended to our kids."


    Cayenne didn''t know what Jillyanna had gone through but knowing a little bit of it from the person herself, she was happy for being told this story. "Thank you, Jill. I''m not really sure what to do from this point onwards but I still care about him. When he wasn''t here, I''d cry myself like a stupid woman. I missed him when he couldn''t find me. And I''m happy when he''s around me. I felt like we''vee back to how we were."


    "That''s a good start. Just trust him. It''s easy to doubt than to trust someone. But it''s beneficial for both of you if you can trust him."


    "Hn. I''ll do that."


    They talked a lot of things while Brown became a photographer of Riley. They took a lot of pictures in her garden and they also included Jade from time to time. However, the little girl liked to stay beside her mother and listened to their conversation, getting a lot of moral lessons from them.


    For someone who''s just seven-years-old, Jade was a little maturepared to other children of her age. She likes to study and y with her brother. Cayenne didn''t know if Jade has some friends other than the people in her family.


    "By the way, doesn''t Jade go to school? It''s still Thursday today."


    "She took one day leave when she heard that we''re visiting you. She''s really worried about you after all the things that happened."


    Cayenne gently rubbed the little girl''s head with a smile. "Thank you for your concern. I''ll do my best not to worry you again. I don''t want you to skip any sses."


    "Okay." Jade beamed a smile towards Cayenne.


    Cayenne checked her phone and found it was almost lunch time. "Give me a sec, I''ll just check on my husband." She left them at the garden and ran back to the house.


    In PH, Seiji received a very unexpected call. He never thought that Arthur would take the initiative to call him. After all, they were secretly enemies behind Cayenne''s back. Only when she''s looking at them that the two of them pretends to be friends.


    "What do you want?" Seiji asked in a bored tone. Obviously, he didn''t like talking to him.


    "Do you know where Yen lives?"


    "What if I know? Do you think I''d give the address to you?"


    "I heard that they have reconciled."


    "So?"


    "Are you giving up already? I thought you''d be putting a good fight."


    "I know when to push my way and I know when to step back. I''m not stupid like you."


    "If you don''t want her then, I''ll take her for myself. You don''t have to give me the address. I''ll find her myself."

 Chapter 271 - NOT READY TO HAVE A BABY

    <h4>Chapter 271 - NOT READY TO HAVE A BABY</h4>


    Cayenne had a happy lunch with her lovely guests. However, during the whole time they spent together, she noticed that Brown seldomly spoke. He took pictures of Riley and Jade at the garden with happy smiles. He also took another picture with all of them but the smile on his lips would be gone after few seconds.


    After lunch, Jillyanna, Riley and Jade were staying in the living room, looking at the photo album of Cayenne and her family. There were plenty of pictures with Stefan as well.


    "I''ll go out for a while." Cayenne said and went to the front porch were Brown was sitting on the terrace. "Are you alright? You seemed to space out a lot of time."


    Brown took a deep breath while fiddling with his fingers. "I''m just a bit worried for Matt. He had been away for a week now with no news. I don''t know if he''s alright or not."


    "Speaking of, you''ve always been together and I heard that you also took missions together. Howe you''re being separated now?"


    "The mission is a lot tougher this time and he requested that I don''te. He didn''t want to be distracted during the mission. And I understand his point, because I''d feel the same. Whenever we''re on a mission, I keep thinking of protecting him and he would think of protecting me. We''ll be distracted."


    Cayenne nodded her head in agreement. "It''s indeed tough to be on the same mission together but it''s also a way of assurance that the person you love is by your side, safe and sound. But you have to believe in him. You''ve been taking missions together. I''m sure he can protect himself. Just wait for him toe home. Maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, he''d be back in your arms once again."


    "Thank you, Yen. I''ll wait for him."


    "That''s good. Let''s go back inside." Cayenne brought Brown inside and this time, he looked a lot better.


    Riley also smiled when he saw the sudden change in Brown''s mood. They''ve been trying to cheer him up for three days now but he still looked miserable without any updates on Valkyrie. So, they decided to bring him to Cayenne, hoping that he''d feel fine in a different environment.


    After staying for almost three hours, Jillyanna and her family left. They still nned to go to Venus za and meet with some friends as well. It was also good for Cayenne since she needed to start making cookies for Stefan''s family.


    While she was busy preparing the ingredients with the help of her husband, someone was patiently waiting for Stefan toe out of Clover Hotel and another one was waiting for him toe out from his main office.


    They''re the people that Arthur hired to follow Stefan because he believed that the man will go to Cayenne. They waited for him early in the afternoon but only saw his secretarying out from the mainpany. He left thepany and came back after an hour.


    They waited and waited to no avail.


    "Sir, the target didn''t show up in Clover Hotel." The man who''s waiting for Stefan in the basement reported to Arthur.


    "Sir, the target didn''t show up in hispany today. I only saw his secretary early this afternoon." Reported by the man stationed in the mainpany.


    "Just continue waiting. He will show up eventually." Arthur replied to their messages and threw his phone on his bed. Ever since his brother left, their businesses were facing lots of troubles and he didn''t have any idea how to take care of them. His mother became even more grumpy and she continued to me Cole even though the man left their house a long time ago.


    It wasn''t also untilst week that he found where Cole worked. He was hired to be a manager in one of Stefan''s resorts and the sry was even higherpared to how much he earned from their own business. He poured so much effort to make their business prosper but their mother didn''t know how to appreciate him. Now, everything''s falling down the drain.


    Arthur wanted to retaliate to Stefan for taking his brother away. This gives him the reason to take Cayenne away from him. A n that would bring an end to his whole family excluding Cole''s family. The moment he severe his ties from them, Stefan no longer hold any grudge to the man. In fact, he was thankful for his brilliant management that his resort prospered even more. He also knew how to treat his employees ordingly which was why Stefan didn''t receive any report of someone quitting from Clover Seaside Resort for the past two months.


    Usually, one or two will quit every month because of the previous management but after hiring Cole, everything went well. His mother didn''t know which was the real gem among her sons. It was because of her blindness that Stefan got so much benefits.


    Around five in the afternoon, Cayenne and Stefan arrived in the Dumrique''s family vi. They nned to stay for an afternoon teatime but since they arrivedter than nned, they decided to stay for dinner instead. Ferdinand was ted with their decision and told the chef to cook a lot of dishes for Stefan and Cayenne. They also made sure that none of the dishes contains ingredients which Stefan was allergic to.


    "Grandpa, we made cookies for you. These should be for an afternoon teatime but we arrivedte." Cayenne gave the man the box she was holding with a faint smile on her lips.


    "Don''t think too much about me. I only want to have a great-grandchild to apany me when I''m bored." Ferdinand replied with a sly smile. However, he earned a sharp re from Stefan. He coughed to clear his throat and added, "But there''s no need to hurry. Just take your time."


    Cayenne nodded her head at him and turned to Stefan with a smile on her lips but her eyes were telling him to behave. After what happened to them, she wasn''t ready to give herself to him yet. So, having a baby was still far from being granted.

 Chapter 272 - CHRIS MADE A MOVE

    <h4>Chapter 272 - CHRIS MADE A MOVE</h4>


    "Sir, thepany has closed and the target didn''te today."


    "Sir, the hotel is still open but I didn''t see the target today."


    Arthur felt a sudden headache with the reports he''s receiving from the men that he hired. But even so, he can''t really me them that Stefan didn''t show up.


    "Don''t give up. That man will show up eventually. There''s no way that he won''te to his office. If not today, surely, he''lle tomorrow." Arthur sent them a reply to their message. He has no other way of knowing where Cayenne was aside from asking someone to follow Stefan. That''s the best thing he could do.


    He would never anticipate that Stefan stoppeding to the office in order to stay with his wife. All of his meetings and conference were done online and Chris would onlye at night in Cayenne''s house to send him the documents that he needed to sign.


    Arthur''s men waited and waited. They waited for him with no result.


    The only person that they saw was Chris. He would go to the hotel and other ces but all the time, he never came out with Stefan. Usually, the secretary always apanies his employer. But in this case, they never saw Stefan and Chris together. One of the men wanted to follow Chris but without Arthur''s order, he can''t do anything about it.


    Saturday, usually there''s no ss for senior high school students but since they''re having their final exam, they had extra ss day for this week. But they will have no ss on Monday next week. Yesterday, they had exams for four subjects. Today, they will have another four subjects which will end at lunch.


    Saturday was a day off for Chris, and he didn''t have any thing to do since Stefan didn''t ask him to do anything special. He was bored and was lying on his bed while staring on the ceiling of his apartment.


    ''Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.''


    He picked up his phone which was lying right beside him and found a message from Luiz. Obviously, he was telling him that they won''t have any ss in the afternoon and that his teacher must be tired from monitoring them. It was still half an hour past nine, which means that the message was sent during his break.


    So, without a trace of hesitation, Chris took a quick bath and put on his casual clothes to visit Luiz. He needed an excuse toe to his ss and since it was day time, the school allowed visitors as long as they won''t make any ruckus inside the campus.


    He bought some fruit shake on his way to school and there were three different vors. He didn''t know what she likes so, he ordered three to give her choices. Luiz and he can have the remaining two to choose.


    He didn''t drive his car in a fast speed. He was just driving in a normal speed to make sure that he''d arrive not so early orte in the campus.


    "Oh! God! This makes me feel so nervous." Chris told himself and his palms were starting to sweat. This was the first time that he felt attracted to the opposite sex and even though he knew a lot of things when ites to pursuing a woman, it was the first time that he''d apply his learnings in real life. "Hopefully, I won''t fail."


    During the exam, Luiz always finish his tests first among his ss. But for thest subject which was English, he took his time in answering them because he was waiting for Chris to show up and he wanted the other students to leave first before he does.


    "Luiz, you''re taking so long this time. We''ll go home first."


    "Bye Luiz."


    "See you on Tuesday, dude."


    "Bye."


    "Goodbye Luiz."


    One after another, the students left the room until there''s only Luiz and Ms. Chan remained. "Luiz, is the exam difficult this time? You''re taking too long with your English test when you''re always the first one to finish them before."


    Luiz stood up from his seat and handed his exam paper. "I finished them already but I wanted to review my answers. After all, my schrship depends on my grades. I don''t want to disappoint my sister."


    "I see. Well, I haven''t seen any failing marks on your exams and this is thest for this year. Just inform your sister ahead of time that there will be a meeting in two weeks. I''ll give you the formal letter next week."


    "Okay, Ms. Chan." Luiz give her a thumbs up and walked towards his desk to get his pencil case. When he came out, Chris was already waiting for him at the lobby. "Would you like me to give one to her or would you like to give it yourself?"


    "Aaahhh. This is embarrassing. Can you give it to her instead? Just let her choose which one she likes."


    Luizughed at him which made Chris feel even more embarrassed. And when Luiz turned around to get back inside her room, it so-happened that Rissy came out of the ssroom as well. And she saw Chris standing at the lobby with a red face.


    "Is your uncle, okay?"


    "Yup. He''s vey fine." Luiz raised the stic bag that contains the fruit milk shakes and showed it to her. "Ms. Chan, which one do you like? I have here mango vored shake, apple-banana, and pineapple fruit shake."


    "Are you bribing me?" Rissyughed as she asked this question because she knew that Luiz didn''t need to bribe his teachers at all. He was always the top of his ss ever since he was in primary school. He was following the steps of his older brother who''s also smart.


    "Hn. I''m bribing you." Luiz moved closer and whispered. "I''m bribing you Ms. Chan to look at my uncle."


    "Ahh?" Rissy was stunned and the papers she was holding fell on the floor.


    "Sorry, Ms. Chan. I didn''t mean to startle you." He apologized to her but he was looking towards Chris. Although, before he can signal him toe and help, Chris already kneeled on the ground to help Rissy Chan.


    After picking up the papers, Rissy chose the pineapple fruit shake. "Thank you for this. I''ll think about what you said." She wouldn''t dare deny what Luiz has said. After all, she was really interested with Chris. ''But Luiz will graduate this year. We won''t have any other excuse to see each other.'' This thought added to herplicated feelings.


    "What did you tell her that made her so shock?"


    "It''s a secret." Luiz responded with a sly smile on his face. "But you will benefit the most with it."

 Chapter 273 - STEFAN IS SMARTER

    <h4>Chapter 273 - STEFAN IS SMARTER</h4>


    Seiji told Cayenne that he''de visit her once again but because Arthur was looking for Cayenne, Seiji didn''te to visit her once again. He won''t give Arthur the chance to get Cayenne through him.


    ''Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.''


    Cayenne''s phone kept vibrating on top of her table. She''s currently eating lunch with Stefan in her house but the phone call made her pause for a while.


    "Who''s calling?" Stefan asked even though he clearly saw the name of his rival appearing on her phone screen.


    "It''s Seiji. Can I answer this call for a minute? This must be something important. I mean he would always contact me if it''s something important."


    "Go ahead." Stefan didn''t mind it because they promised that they''d never keep any secrets again. Sure enough, Cayenne answered the call right in front of him.


    "Seiji, you''ve called. Is there something wrong?"


    "Yenyen, I am not saying this because I want you to have a dispute with Arthur but because I care for you. You must be careful with Arthur from now on. And don''t go out alone no matter what happens. I won''t visit you as well in order to prevent him from using me to find you."


    "Why? Is something wrong with Arthur?" Cayenne was a little bit confused why she needed to be careful with someone she grew up with. Although she always felt that something bad will happen when she''s alone with Arthur, she ignored it in the past because she liked him.


    "You know that he likes you, right?"


    "I don''t know. We never talked to each other about that. Or maybe he said it but I was too preupied to even realize it."


    Cayenne heard the deep sigh from Seiji on the other end of the line. "Arthur likes you. We weren''t friends, to be honest with you. We alwayspete to win you over but sadly, none of us got you. However, Arthur is different from me. I can take my defeat and leave with pride but Arthur won''t. He''s looking for you everywhere and I believe that nothing good will happen if you bump into him.


    "I never knew about this." Cayenne mumbled with a disappointed look on her face. "Thank you for letting me know about this Seiji. I''ll be very careful from now on."


    "Hn. That''s what I wanted you to do. Anyway, when''s your wedding?"


    "We-wed-wedding?" Cayenne''s flustered face made Stefan looked at her and frown. The call was on loud speaker so Stefan heard what he said. "W-we¡­we haven''t talked about it y-yet."


    "Tsk! What''s your husband doing?"


    "He''s eating." Stefanughed at Cayenne''s response which gave Seiji the signal that the two of them were together.


    "That''s not what I mean." Seiji massaged his temple with a helpless smile. "Anyway, I won''t take so much of your time anymore. Just remember what I said and don''t forget to give me an invitation to your wedding. Bye Yenyen."


    "Bye." Cayenne ended the call and ced her phone on the chair beside her. "Don''t mind what he said. Let''s think of how to deal with Arthur first. I don''t think Seiji was joking about what he said."


    "I agree with you on that." Stefan put down his spoon and fork before picking up his own phone to send Chris a message. He needed everyone to stay alert in order to protect his wife. And Chris was responsible for managing the secret guards. He''s the one who ns everything to make sure that no one will get hurt anymore.


    If Stefan was still alone, he wouldn''t mind having no guards to protect him. But now that he has Cayenne, he didn''t want to die so early and leave her. He wanted to be there for her until they grow old with white hair and loose teeth. He may not have said his vows yet but he was only allowing death to part them; and no one else.


    Arthur became wiser with all the reports that he received. Since they couldn''t find Stefan, he told them to follow his secretary instead. He knew that the man will go to Stefan sooner orter because of some things that will need the CEO''s attention. He may not be someone who deal with business matter but he knew thismon knowledge. The secretary will always look for his employer.


    So, instead of being in separate location, the two men that he hired decided to follow one person which was Chris.


    However, Cayenne and Stefan were aware of his ns already so Chris was also informed. Instead of sending the documents to Cayenne''s house, Chris was told to send the documents to the Dumrique''s family vi and then, the butler will leave the house with the documents to send it to him.


    It may take time but it will at least divert their attention and would prevent them from finding Cayenne.


    Arthur might be smart but Stefan was smarter. After all, he had been dealing with lots of danger in his life. He''s already used to it. At the same time, even if he was used to it, it didn''t mean that Cayenne have to get used to it either. As much as possible, he wanted her to live a peaceful life.


    "Sir, we have been following the secretary for three days now but all we know is that he visits the vi owned by Stefan every day after work and he would talk to Ferdinand, the previous Chairman about some things. We never saw Stefan or his wife in the vi."


    "What does he do after that?"


    "He''d go home and rest. And then morninges again and his routine continued. The only thing that he does which was out of ce was meeting a woman during his lunch break. He seemed to be dating."


    "Tsk! Continue to watch and follow him. I''m sure that he''d find Stefan soon. It''s impossible for thepany to go on without the Chairman''s decision. He must be somewhere with Cayenne. Please check for me if they left the country as well."


    "On it, sir."

 Chapter 274 - A SEAL TO NEW BEGINNING

    <h4>Chapter 274 - A SEAL TO NEW BEGINNING</h4>


    "Luiz, you were just lying to us when you said you''re poor, right?" one of his ssmates asked him during lunch. He was waiting for his brother and Kath toe to the Canteen but someone else was waiting with him.


    "I was telling you the truth. Would I even apply for schrship if I''m rich enough to pay for my own tuition?"


    "Then, how can you afford to have a body guard?"


    "It''s my sister''s husband who arranged for him to guard me. I didn''t pay him, my brother-inw did."


    "Oh! So, your sister got married to rich man?"


    "Noment."


    "It''s already obvious. Why would you still notment on it?


    "If it''s obvious, why do you have to ask me about it?" Luiz retorted, not sparing the fact that he was having argument with a female ssmate. He just hated their gossipy mouths. He turned to the man beside him and smiled.


    "Luiz!" Kath called for him while waving her hand, even though she was still at the entrance of the canteen. She''s always jolly and carefree, not caring about what other people say regarding her rtionship with Kyle.


    Kyle was standing right beside her with a faint smile. And a man with a stoic expression was following behind them.


    It''s been three days since the students noticed these two men following the Ardolf brothers. They didn''t pay it any mind at first but as the days continued to pass by, they started to get curious with the true identities of these two brothers.


    "Sir, what do you want to eat? I''ll go and get it for you." The man following Kyle asked beside him.


    "There''s no need. We can get it ourselves. What do you guys want to eat? I''ll pay for it." Kyle responded and thoughtfully asked for their preferences as well. He can''t just ignore them when they''re around to make sure that they''re safe.


    They were told by Cayenne that someone will be guarding them and they thought that they''d be guarding them from afar. He didn''t know that they''d be following them closely. They would even wait for them outside their ssrooms. The professors were informed about this already so, they weren''t surprised to see these two guards walking around campus while following the Ardolf brothers.


    Because of this tight security, the people who wanted to cause them harm couldn''t do anything to them.


    After lunch, they went back to their sses. Luiz and his other ssmates received a letter regarding the meeting for the parents. Since he wasn''t aware that his father had gone out from the jail, she told asked Cayenne toe instead. After all, she''s been their guardian for the past five years.


    One weekter, Cayenne woke up early and started making preparation. She will be attending the meeting with Stefan and she wanted to look presentable. She didn''t want to embarrass her smart little brother. But since it was just a meeting, she can be casual with her get up.


    "Ayen, let''s buy gifts for your brotherter." Stefan suggested but Cayenne red at him. "Did I say something wrong?"


    "You''re spoiling my brothers. I don''t like it."


    "Are you jealous?"


    "No, I''m not." Cayenne rolled her eyes at him. "I just want don''t want them to be dependent on you."


    "Why?"


    "What do you mean why? I''d feel bad for them if something happens between you and me. And I know they''d still choose me over you but the things that you''ll give them, they will only make thingsplicated in the future."


    "Hey, what do you mean by that? Are you still thinking that we''d be separated? That won''t happen. Not ever."


    "You don''t know what''s in store for us in the future. You promised the same thing to me before but you told me you''ll divorce me."


    "But I didn''t do it. You did it. You signed the papers first."


    "Let me remind you just in case you forget. I won''t fight a losing battle. If you give up on me, I won''t think twice and give up everything we have. Don''t even think of testing me. And if you don''t like me signing the papers first, you can sign it first in the future."


    "Why are we even talking about this?" Stefan sat on the bed with guilt and frustration crisscrossing his face. "I don''t want to think about it. I won''t even sign the papers, even if you will exchange my life for it. You will be bound to me for all eternity."


    "Hold on to that promise and I won''t let you go but the moment you let go of my hand, I won''t try to stop you."


    Stefan didn''t expect that her insecurity was so difficult to fix. One wrong move and Cayenne will crumble into tiny bits of pieces. He needed to extra careful with her or he will break her fragile heart again.


    Stefan pulled Cayenne and hugged her waist, burying his face on the warmth of her tummy. "I won''t let you no matter what happens. So, you don''t have to walk on eggshells anymore. I can exchange my life for yours. I can give up everything but you. Ayen, let me fulfill my promise this, okay?"


    Cayenne looked at him and nodded her head. "This time, I will trust you with all I have. Please don''t break me again. I won''t really know how to start over next time."


    "Hn. I will hold you in my arms with gentle care. I won''t let you down."


    Cayenne lowered her face and kissed him. Her tears fell on his face, evidence of her fear from letting herself go and give in to him once again.


    For the first time since they reconciled, they shared the gentlest kiss they ever had. It was a seal to their new beginning. A seal to their promise of forever.


    On the other hand, Arthur caught wind of the meeting for the senior high students in X university. He told his two men to stop following Chris and looked for Cayenne and Stefan in X University instead. He was sure more than anyone else that Cayenne wille to attend this meeting for her brother.


    "Soon. Very soon. You will be mine."

 Chapter 275 - SCHOOL MEETING I

    <h4>Chapter 275 - SCHOOL MEETING I</h4>


    The meeting will be held in Luiz''s ssroom and will be conducted by his teacher at ten in the morning. To make sure that they won''t bete, Stefan and Cayenne left the house at eight in the morning.


    It wouldn''t do them good if they get themselves stuck in the traffic and got therete.


    Half an hour after nine, Cayenne and Stefan arrived in the school campus. Luiz had been waiting for them and when he saw his sister, he couldn''t stop himself from running to her.


    "Sis!" Luiz called her and gave her a hug. "I missed you. Can Ie home with you after the meeting? I don''t have any ss in the afternoon."


    "Alright. I''ll take you home with me. How about Kyle?"


    "He''s finishing up his projects with Kath. They needed to submit everything by next week to get their final grades."


    The three of them walked on the school ground towards Luiz''s school building. The secret guards were following them not to close and not so far; just maintaining the right distance to make sure that they can respond to them immediately.


    When Cayenne and Stefan got inside the room together with Luiz, all eyes were looking at them. Some students were surprised and some were squealing silently as they looked towards Stefan. Before she got married to him, Stefan was already famous to girls. It''s no wonder that they got hot eyes directed at them the moment they stepped out of the car.


    "Ms. Chan, I have no parents so, my sister and brother-inw will be attending the meeting as my guardians." Luiz informed his teacher who was looking behind them, obviously, she''s waiting for a certain someone toe out but she was met with disappointment. "My uncle isn''ting today due to some serious matters."


    "Oh!" Rissy Chan pulled back her senses and faced her reality. "You guys can sit wherever you like."


    Luiz led Stefan and Cayenne to sit on the side corner, near the window, so that they can get some air.


    "Who''s your uncle?" Cayenne nudged her brother''s elbow. She had no idea that he got himself an uncle.


    "It''s Chris. He came one time and the two of them met. And they caught each other''s interest so now, I''m ying the matchmaker for both of them."


    "Chris? My secretary?" Stefan asked in surprise. He never knew.


    Luiz nodded his head with a sly grin. "You should have seen his face when he came to give her a fruit shake. It was epic. I didn''t know that capable man will get embarrass in front of her."


    "I''ll give him more time now. In that way, he''ll have time to pursue her. If I remember correctly, she''s the first woman that Chris likes."


    "Really?! He never had a girlfriend?" Both Cayenne and Luiz eximed in whisper. They just couldn''t believe that Chris never had a girlfriend.


    The three of them talked in low voices but many parents and students were still looking at them. Some were even taking pictures. Ever since the news of their marriage came out, Cayenne no longer hide herself. She stops wearing those baseball cap, mask and shades. She felt freer this time and just did what she loves doing as long as she wasn''t stepping on anyone.


    "Luiz, your sister is very pretty." One of his ssmates, who was sitting close to him, whispered these words.


    Luiz smiled proudly and even pulled his sister closer. "People say that I''m handsome so, it''s only natural that my sister is pretty. And a pretty woman deserves a handsome man."


    "You look so conceited." Cayenne knocked him on his forehead which earned a chuckle from Stefan.


    "I was just telling the truth, alright?" Luiz retorted.


    One after another, parents came in with their child and soon, the ssroom was full. Rissy stood up in front of the crowd near the white board.


    "Good morning, parents and students. Since it''s already ten in the morning, we will now officially begin the meeting." The teacher handed them some pamphlets which contains a lot of information but the thing that caught Cayenne''s attention was her brother''s name.


    "My gosh! Stefan, look at this." Cayenne whispered while pointing her finger on the pamphlet happily. "Luiz is the top of the ss." He whispered to him. "My brother is really smart."


    "Of course." Stefan whispered back. "You''re smart so, it''s only natural that you have a smart brother. And a smart woman deserves a smart man like me."


    Cayenne pursed her lips and looked at her husband weirdly. "Did you catch the conceit disease of my brother?"


    Luizughed faintly beside her when she heard her statement. Stefan didn''t say anything but he smiled towards her, a smile that made the students swoon for him.


    "So, senior high school students will graduate on the 15th of May. Starting next week, they will start their graduation practice together with the other sses. The students can dress up casually during practice, no need to wear their school uniform but they should still wear their school ID for us to know that they came to rehearsal."


    "Ms. Chan, what about the after party that the whole ss has decided? Was it rejected by the school director?" one of the students asked. They wanted to mingle with the whole ss for onest time, of course, they wouldn''t miss this opportunity to ask their ss adviser.


    "The after party was approved by the school director and we will talk about that with your parents." Rissy Chan picked up her marker and started writing lots of things on the white board.


    Cayenne watched the numbers written on the board, which was obviously the fees that they''d be paying. "Now let''s talk the venue of the party. Parents should give their approval because it''s for your children. I won''t allow them to go to a ce without their parent''s consent."


    They named a lot of ces but the parents were adamant to approve them. How could they approve it when their children suggested expensive ces?


    ''The nerve of these students! They''re not even paying it but their parents.'' Cayenne thought to herself while listening to the noise.

 Chapter 276 - SCHOOL MEETING II

    <h4>Chapter 276 - SCHOOL MEETING II</h4>


    After several minutes of talking and contemting, the students and parents couldn''t agree to the venue that the after party will be held. Listening to them, Stefan sighed.


    "Can I ask how much is the budget for this after party?" He asked the teacher which cut the noise abruptly. His voice wasn''t loud, in fact, it was mellow but the students were like hypnotized by him. They kept quiet.


    "The students have been keeping their funds for this since December but we haven''t counted it." Rissy responded.


    "Then, can you ask the ss treasurer to count it? We can continue the meeting while the treasurer is counting." Stefan replied with a serious face, no room for negotiation.


    ''I''m taking back my words against these students.'' Cayenne thought to herself. She thought that the students were depending on their parents that much. She didn''t know that they have funds for this after party.


    "Chloe, can you get the coin bank from my office?"


    "Yes, miss." The ss treasurer named Chloe left the ssroom to get their school funds.


    "Now, let''s talk about the graduation ceremony." Rissy Chan pointed her fingers to the writings she ced on the whiteboard. They talked about the toga color, the phot studio that will take their pictures and a lot of other things. This time, the parents didn''t say anything against it.


    The meeting was harmonious and they were able to finish one segment of the agenda listed on the board and on the pamphlet. Next the teacher announced everyone the top students of the ss in which Luiz held the 1st rank.


    "It''s this handsome guy again. I expect no less from him. Ever since he''s ssmates with my child, I always find his name on the rank lists." One parentmented while reading the names.


    "Even though they''re having issues at home, his sister worked so hard for them to go to school."


    "I know. It''s so sad that his parents couldn''t attend his graduation anymore."


    "I heard about his mother''s death but where''s his father?"


    "Oh! You didn''t know? His father was convicted fifteen years ago because of murder. I think he''s still inside the jail."


    "I feel bad for him. Good thing he got a loving sister and brother."


    The gossip circled among parents was all about Luiz and his family situation. Thankfully, they didn''t ostracize him because of his father''s criminal records.


    Luiz pretended he didn''t hear anything and just sat beside his sister quietly. Cayenne was the same. She didn''t care about what other people said and just listened to the teacher''s words.


    "Hmp! Looking at his sister, she must have married that man for money! They must have bribed the teachers to be the top of the ss." One father stated with a condescending attitude while his daughter sat quietly beside him. "I wonder how much they gave for that little guy to be the top of the ss?"


    "We don''t tolerate bribery in this school campus. Just so you know Mr. Rodrigues, Luiz has topped the ss ever since he was in primary school. And during those times, his sister was still in high school, not married yet and they didn''t have money to bribe the faculty. With all due respect sir, before you ran your mouth, think your words carefully." Rissy Chan smiled at the man but it was a smile with warning.


    "Tsk! You don''t have to be so petty if your childes second, alright?" another parentmented since Mr. Rodrigues'' child was on the 2nd rank.


    "At least your children make it to the top, my boy didn''t even make it but I''m not making a fuss over it." A mothermented with a faint smile.


    "It''s not my fault that your child is stupid." Mr. Rodrigues responded coldly which embarrassed the mother and her child.


    "Sean isn''t stupid. There are just people who are smarter than him. And even if he wasn''t that very good in academics, he''s a nice person and was good in sports." Luiz defended his ssmate who''s a very good friend of his. "Life isn''t all about academics."


    Mr. Rodrigues was fuming with anger from being lectured by the teacher and by the student. He wanted to retort but his daughter held on to his clothes and stopped him.


    Luiz looked towards risse and felt bad for her. He knew that she studies very hard but because of his schrship, Luiz excelled in all of his subjects, taking the 1st ce and delegating risse to 2nd.


    "And Mr. Rodrigues, your daughter is really smart. She''s very studious and she''s often seen in the library. She doesn''t hang out with our ss that much because she wanted to study in order to meet your expectations. I''m not sure if she enjoyed her life as a student because all she faced were books. However, you shouldn''t put too much pressure on her. She gets so tense during exams probably because of your expectations. I''m not saying that you''re doing a bad thing but you should let your daughter deal with everything at her own pace. Let her set an expectations and goals for herself. At the end of the day, she gets to live her life. Isn''t it sad to see your daughter suffering because of you?"


    These words from Luiz didn''t just open the eyes of the man he was talking to but all the parents who were very strict with their children, making a path of their own for them felt ashamed and guilty towards their child.


    He was right. You shouldn''t let your children live a life that you wanted to have. Most parents would tell their children to take a certain path because they didn''t get to do it when they were at their age. Life shouldn''t be like that. Children shouldn''t be born to make up for the missed opportunities of their parents. Children should be born and given freedom to choose which path they would like to take. And parents should be there to guide them, making sure that they''re doing the right thing; not to hinder them.

 Chapter 277 - SCHOOL MEETING III

    <h4>Chapter 277 - SCHOOL MEETING III</h4>


    Cayenne was very proud of her brother. She knew that theyck so much in life but the thing that they didn''tck was support. As a sister, she gave them full support and advised them a lot of times to do what they like doing. And thankfully, her brothers were smart and they have a sense of responsibility even though they were young.


    Cayenne was kind of thankful to their family situation because it allowed her brothers to see their reality and helped improve themselves.


    Mr. Rodrigues didn''t say anything anymore. risse felt thankful to Luiz, hoping that her father would stop putting pressure on her during college. She was hoping that he will allow her to take the course that she likes instead of taking the course that he likes for her.


    The meeting continued after a short hup and this time, the treasure was done counting their funds as well. She gave the money to her teacher as well as the list of the coins and the paper bills.


    "We have a total of $3995 from all forty-seven students. Is there anything you''d like to say Mr. Dumrique?" Rissy asked Stefan while showing him all the money they got.


    Somehow, Cayenne already got an idea of what her husband was nning.


    "I have a rest house in Lipa. The students can stay there for three days and two nights in order to make memories with their ssmates. The money that you have, you can use it to buy your own groceries and other necessities. You can cook your own food there, no need to worry about the electricity and water. Their safety is also ensured since I have my guards looking after them. The parents can be at ease for this matter."


    "Re-really?" Rissy asked with trepidation. She''s adamant to ept such nice offer without giving anything in return.


    "Yes, Ms. Chan. But you have to go with the children, too in order to look after them. After all, you''re the adviser." Stefan told him with a sly grin. He already had an idea how to help his secretary develop his love. But it was still up to Chris how he can use this opportunity that he created for them.


    "Uhm. Can we pay a little bit for this after party? I feel guilty letting my child go on vacation without paying anything." One of the parentsmented.


    "There''s no need to pay for it. The children already did their best to umte the funds. Besides, this will be theirst vacation together with the whole ss. Let them enjoy and have fun to their hearts content." Stefanmented with a sweet smile. "Rest assured, nothing will happen to these children. My wife and I will being along as well. At the end of the day, it''s my property. I need to look after it as well."


    The parents finally agreed and reminded their children to behave. Even though they just reached the legal age, Stefan already have things in mind to prohibit them. He told the students what they can and cannot bring. Alcoholic beverages were on the list of cannot be brought which disappointed the students. Illegal items were also mentioned by him, although, none of the students used them, it was still better to be safe than sorry.


    Rissy Chan listed everything that Stefan said and ced a reminded on the board for the students to see. Apany van will be provided to take the students to the designated area. Stefan showed them the rest house and told the students to make ns since there were only four rooms avable. The fifth room was the master''s bedroom which can only be used by him and Cayenne.


    Some students who owned tents decided to camp out at the beach since they haven''t tried it. Some students decided to bring their sleeping bag on that day.


    After three hours, the meeting was finally adjourned. It was already past one o''clock when they came out of the ssroom. The meeting should be done at noon but they decided to finish everything in order to make sure that they don''t miss any important matters.


    When they got out, Cayenne found Kyle and Kath standing at the hallway. "You guys are here." Cayenne walked towards them and gave her brother a hug. She also hugged Kath who''s now a girlfriend to her brother. "Don''t you have ss?"


    "Nope. It''s our vacant time until two-thirty. I saw Stefan''s car in the parking area so I thought the meeting isn''t over yet." Kyle told her sister. He nodded towards Stefan as a form of greeting and congratted his brother for ranking 1st in the whole ss.


    "Did you guys eat already?" Luiz asked his older brother.


    "What time is it now? Of course, we had our lunch already." Kyle retorted to his brother.


    "How about joining us for lunch? You can have desserts while we''re eating." Stefan suggested.


    "That sounds good. I''ll take up your offer."


    With that, the five of them got inside Stefan''s car and left the school campus. Following behind them were the body guards who kept an eye at them while observing the surroundings as well.


    Jonas saw his sons walking with Stefan and Cayenne. He didn''t approach them or told Cayenne that he was around. After seeing them, he left as well to go back home.


    It wasn''t just Jonas who was following them. Not far from where Stefan parked his car, another driver parked his car but he didn''te out of his vehicle. He was only watching them from a far, waiting for an opportunity to strike them.


    Contrary to this man, another driver parked his car and he parked it at the open space right beside Stefan''s car. Two men stepped out of the car and went inside the same restaurant that Cayenne and her family get into. They sat on a corner, ordered their food and chatted normally like good friends.


    In truth, they were following Cayenne as per Arthur''s instruction. This time, they needed to know where exactly she lives. Anything that the man does after knowing her address has nothing to do with them.

 Chapter 278 - FOOLING THEM

    <h4>Chapter 278 - FOOLING THEM</h4>


    After lunch, Stefan and Cayenne should have gone to the mall and buy things for Luiz but the man that they wanted to surprise wasing along with them so, they decided to watch a movie instead.


    Stefan let them choose what movie they like to watch while he bought a small box of popcorns and bottled water. They just finished their lunch so a small snack was more than enough.


    The men that Arthur sent were still following them. They also bought the same movie tickets that Cayenne and Luiz bought. As for ra''s uncle, he decided to follow Kyle, thinking that he had lesser guards which means more opportunities to get him.


    The three of them watched the animated movie whichsted for almost two hours. After watching the movie, they got out of the cinema and went to the nearest dessert store.


    "We just ate not long ago. Why are we buying desserts?" Cayenne asked Stefan who was currently looking at the cakes and other desserts in front of them. "Just so you know, I''m not craving for anything."


    "You''re not craving it for now but you will want to eat itter." Luiz told his sister.


    "Don''t make it sound like I''m a glutton." Cayenne nudged her brother and poked his head.


    "It doesn''t matter if you''re a glutton. I can feed you for the rest of our life." Stefan stated and gave her a yful wink.


    "Gluttony is a sin, idiot." Cayenne let him do whatever he wanted and look for a ce to sit while waiting.


    Stefan bought different slices of the cakes being sold as well as different kinds of doughnuts. He bought a lot. "Don''t think too much. I''m giving some of these to the people in the vi."


    "We''re visiting your father and grandfather?"


    "It''s our father and our grandfather, my dear."


    "Yeah. I know." Cayenne rolled her eyes and took some of the boxes from him. Luiz took the other boxes as well to help Stefan.


    "Am Iing over, too?" Luiz asked them. "You can just drop me somewhere. I''ll just call Erwin toe and pick me up."


    "You''reing with us. We''ll be sleeping over at the vi since you don''t have any ss tomorrow." Stefan mentioned and intentionally made his voice louder this time. He knew that they were being followed so, he was nning to let them reach another dead end.


    Luiz and Cayenne didn''t know that it was just a plot made by Stefan to let their stalker fail. The three of them left the mall and walked to the parking lot. The men didn''t show up immediately so, Stefan took his time to arrange the cakes at the backseat with Luiz.


    When they showed up and got inside their car already, Stefan get into his own vehicle and drove out of the parking lot. "Is it just me or are we being followed?" Cayenne asked her husband when she noticed that a car was tailing them few meters behind the guards'' vehicles.


    "We are being followed. If I am right, they don''t intend to do anything harmful as of now. They''re just waiting for the right opportunity. Anyway, we''re not really staying over in the vi. We''re just changing vehicles there." Hearing Stefan''s words, Luiz took a deep breath and sigh with relief. "You don''t like to meet my family?" Stefan asked Luiz while watching him through the rearview mirror."


    "It''s not that I don''t like them but I am just nervous to meet them."


    "Don''t worry, they won''t do anything bad or say anything bad against you." Stefan reassured him. Of course, they won''t. After getting acknowledgement from them, Stefan was the voice of the whole family now.


    He continued to drive and after almost half an hour of driving, they arrived at the entrance of the huge property where the vi was located. There was a guard at the main gate of the property and he knows all the vehicles that belongs to whichever family owns a property inside the huge space ofnd. When the car that belongs to Arthur''s men wanted to follow them inside, the guard stopped them.


    The driver opened his window and looked towards the guards in irritation. "Excuse me, sir. This is a private property. Can I have your ID and lot number so I can ask the house owner to verify your visit?"


    "I am with Stefan Dumrique! He asked me toe and follow him closely! How could you ask me these stupid questions?!" He acted aggressive and rightful but the guard wasn''t the moved at all.


    "Mr. Dumrique didn''t give me a go signal about you when he passed by here."


    "Are you serious?! That idiot didn''t tell you about me?"


    "Yes, sir. But I can call them for you instead to make some rification."


    "There''s no need." The driver waved his hand in dismissal. "I''ll call him myself." He made a U-turn and left the gate. They decided to wait for them toe out and had parked their car few kilometers from the main gate.


    Stefan didn''t inform his family that he''d being over so, they had no idea that they have arrived. Magnus and Ferdinand actually left the vi to y golf with friends. Once they arrive, they''d only see the cakes that Stefan brought for them.


    Luiz was actually happy that Stefan''s family wasn''t around. He was very nervous on the way to the vi but now that they weren''t home, he''s nerves has finally rxed.


    "To all the guards, you go out of the property through the north gate. There''s no need to change vehicles. Let''s meet in Cayenne''s houseter."


    "Yes, sir." The guards left first since they''ll be leaving through the north gate.


    Stefan chose another low-key car from the garage and the three of them boarded it. When they got out through the main gate, the men who were waiting for them didn''t know that their target already passed by them.


    "Idiots." Stefan mumbled in amusement.

 Chapter 279 - MADNESS

    <h4>Chapter 279 - MADNESS</h4>


    "Useless! You are all useless!" Arthur swept everything on his table when he received the call that his men lost sight of Cayenne again. "How were you able to get inside before? How is it possible that you cannot get in this time?"


    "Sir, the guard was different this time. And he''s very difficult to deal with."


    "Then, get rid of that guard!"


    The man on the other line was shocked and his face darkened. "Sir, we epted this work because you said that we don''t have to kill anyone but now, you''re ordering us to kill an innocent guard? Even a million won''t help us offset this crime. If you want to get rid of that guard, do it yourself or else, we''re quitting."


    Arthur was so angry that he crushed the flower under his foot. "Whatever. Just continue to follow the secretary for now and her siblings."


    "Yes, sir."


    Arthur ended the call and angrily punched the table in front of him. They missed a great opportunity again.


    They didn''t have any idea that they were all in the palms of Stefan and he was just ying them. He still didn''t know that it was Arthur who sent those men. All that he knew was that Cayenne will be in danger if he won''t take action against those stalkers.


    Kirin heard the noiseing from her son''s room. Worried that something has happened, she knocked on his door to see how he was doing. Arthur opened the door and resentment was clear and evident in his eyes.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Kirin asked his son with a deep frown reflecting on her face. "Don''t look at me as if I ruin your life."


    "Didn''t you?" Arthur retorted which made his mother gasp in shock. It was the first time that he talked back to her.


    "Arthur! What has gotten into you?! Why are you talking back to me now?"


    "Mom, why did you have to push Cayenne away? Why did you have to belittle her? Why did you have to cut our rtionship? You know how much she means to me. You know I''ve always liked her since we were young. Why did you have to ruin my happiness? And look at her now, she fell into someone''s arms. She should be mine to begin with. But you pushed her away to someone else." His voice was low like he was mumbling on his own but the words were clear for his mother to hear as well as the deep rising anger that he felt. "How could you do this to me?"


    "Arthur, there are other girls who are more deserving to be paired with you. Why must you force yourself on her?"


    "Because she''s the one I like. She''s the one that I love! She''s the only woman that I will ever love! I don''t care about the other girls!"


    "If you love her, you should let her go! Why must you cling to her when she doesn''t even like you the same way that you do? Arthur wake up! Cayenne was never meant to be yours. Even if I didn''t push her away, if she was fated to be with Stefan, she would still end up in his arms! Don''t be so foolish!"


    Arthur closed off his hears from whatever his mother was saying. He didn''t listen to her. His mind and his heart were closed to the point that no one can enter it anymore. He didn''t want to let go of Cayenne.


    "If I can''t have her, no one else can." Arthur muttered which horrified his mother. For a moment, she wanted to help her son to get Cayenne back, just to make him happy once again.


    "No, this can''t be. Arthur!" Her mother pped him which brought Arthur back to reality and put his attention to her. "You can''t be willful. Cayenne is already happy with someone. You should move on as well. Please don''t do something that you will regret."


    "Mom, I have done so many things that I regretted in the past but this time, I won''t regret whatever the oue is. Even if I end up going to jail."


    "No, son. You can''t! You can''t do this! What about me? Cole already left. Are you leaving me, too?"


    Arthur looked at his mother but he didn''t say anything. Everything has been nned. He didn''t need a second opinion or an advice.


    Kirin looked at her son in dismay. If she can go back in time, she wouldn''t push Cayenne away from him. She had no idea that he''d go mad because of her.


    "Do whatever you want." Kirin turned around and left his room. When she''s out, she went to the storage room and looked for a padlock and a key. She''s going to lock her son instead of letting him ran about with dangerous idea in his head. She can''t let him do something so foolish.


    A shadow fell over her and when she turned around, Arthur hit the back of her head. Losing her consciousness, she copsed and fell into her son''s arms. "I''m sorry, mom."


    Arthur carried his mother to her bed room and reminded their caretaker to make sure that his mother is well-taken cared of. Then, he left with no intention of going back again. He has a secret ce that his mother and brother didn''t know. A ce that he bought with the thought of living with Cayenne before. Everything was all prepared but the person he wanted to live there was currently living with someone else.


    ''I''m back.'' He thought but no one was there to wee him. "I won''t let any man have you. And I won''t let anyone hinder my ns. Yenyen, you should be with me instead. I even bought this ce for you."


    Cayenne''s pictures were hanging on the wall. Some were ced on top of the shelves and some of them were lying on the coffee table. There were so many pictures of her as if she lives there herself.

 Chapter 280 - TAKING PRECAUTIONS

    <h4>Chapter 280 - TAKING PRECAUTIONS</h4>


    The next thing that Kirin knew when she woke up, was that her son was gone. She tried calling him but her calls weren''t going through. Either he turned off his phone or he blocked her. Panic rose from the bottom of her heart and he started calling Cole. Her eldest son was rational and always calm when dealing things. She knew that she can count on him.


    Cole was finishing up his work in order to go home and be with his family. He didn''t like working overtime so as much as possible, he''d finish his work before the end of his shift. He was about to close his bag when he received a call from his mother. Although he had cut ties with them, Kirin was still the person who gave birth to him. He didn''t have the guts to ignore her but he already made up his mind that he won''t go back to them.


    He picked up his phone and answer it. "What is it that you want this time?"


    "Cole, your son is going crazy!" Kirin blurted out in a moment of panic.


    "Excuse me? I have a daughter not a son."


    "No, it''s my son. My son is going crazy! Cole you have to find him and stop him. Or he will end up in jail."


    "What do you mean? Make it clear."


    "He was nning to do something against Cayenne. You''re working for her husband, right? You must have their contact number. Please talk to them. Please don''t let them send Arthur to jail. I''m begging you."


    Cole took a deep breath and sighed. "I already cut my ties with you and Arthur. Whatever is his problem, I''ve got nothing to do with it. He''s smart and well-behaved, right? A smart son like him won''t stoop so low as tomitting a crime. Find him yourself. He''s your best son after all." Cole ended the call and closed his bag before leaving his office.


    Even though he said those words out of anger, he was still concerned about his brother and Cayenne. He didn''t want any of them to get hurt.


    While getting out of the elevator, he called Cayenne to let her know about what happened.


    "I''m not saying this to burden you with his madness but because I''m worried for him and for you. I know that Stefan won''t think twice and would send him to jail if something horrible happens to you. So, please be careful. I don''t want my mother to end up alone for the rest of her life."


    Cayenne smiled faintly although, Cole couldn''t see it. "Don''t worry, I won''t let Stefan hurt him. Even though he''s nning to hurt me, our rtionship in the past can offset his bad intention. But Cole, would you mind if I''ll push them away and let them leave the country?"


    "Nope. You can do it if that''s what you think is best. It''s better than living in jail while the other live alone in a house with no warmth."


    "Alright. I''ll take up words. Don''t worry, at this point, I still see him as a friend who had been with me through my ups and downs."


    "Yen, thank you so much. I know it''s disappointing to be facing him with how he is currently but I don''t have any other idea but to ask for your help even though the victim is you and the bad person is my brother."


    "You asked the right person because if you told my husband about this first, your brother won''t just end up being in jail but he might be crippled for the rest of his life."


    "I know. That is why I''m calling you. Let me know if there''s something I can help you with."


    "Hn. Thank you for the information, Cole. You can just go home and spend time with your family. I''ll handle the rest."


    "Okay. Bye now."


    "Bye." Cayenne ended the call and looked towards her husband. "Let''s lure him to our trap first. I hate being followed with stalkers." Cayenne put down her phone and smiled evilly. It was the first time she felt a rushing adrenaline with the thought of taking someone down.


    "You''re starting to act like Jill. It''s creepy." Stefanmented which made Cayenne kick his legs under the table. Stefan chuckled happily with her reaction. He pulled her close and let her sat on hisp. "So, what''s my wife''s n? Is there anything I can help?"


    "I just want to scare him a little." Cayenne told him. "I know that he''s be a little bit twisted and mad now but I also knew that he cares for his mother. I don''t want them to be separated so let''s act before he does."


    Cayenne discussed her ns with Stefan while Erwin and Luiz were busy cooking for their dinner.


    She didn''t only think of n A but there were n B and n C included to make sure that things will work her way. "Birds of a feather flock together." Stefan stated which earned a sharp re from her. "You don''t have to re at me. Jill was really like you. She''s always prepared with different ns in mind."


    "Smart woman." Cayenne retorted. "Anyway, I''m not like her. I just know that we''re nothing alike. Maybe there are simrities in some things but we''re not alike."


    "I know. Jill is Jill. My wife is my wife, unique and only one in the world." Stefan kissed her face which made Cayenne raised her brow at him. "Is kissing not allowed."


    "No."


    "I thought we''re okay now."


    "We are."


    "But why can''t I kiss you?"


    "Because you''re annoying." Cayenne pushed his face away but Stefan held hands and kissed the back of it. "Really annoying."


    Stefan grinned at her and stole another kiss on her lips. "You love this annoying man, though."


    "Of course. Why else would you be able to stay here? Duh!" Cayenne rolled her eyes at him.


    Luiz took a peek of at them and captured them flirting with his camera. "They''re fine. They''re flirting." He sent this message along with the picture to his brother, Kyle. ''Even though they''re married, they still keep flirting with each other. But why don''t I have a niece or nephew yet?''

 Chapter 281 - CAYENNE VISITS CLOVER HOTEL

    <h4>Chapter 281 - CAYENNE VISITS CLOVER HOTEL</h4>


    The next day, Stefan and Cayenne left the house. They already informed Chris about their n in order to make sure that everything will go ording to what she had in mind.


    Cayenne didn''t bother hiding her identity anymore and she went to Clover Hotel to visit Luna whom she had not seen for quite some time now. She was busy healing her heart that she closed off herself from anyone else. Although they kept in touch through text messages and calls, it was still different when they get to see each other face to face.


    "Do you want me toe with you in the lobby?" Stefan asked when the two of them got out of his car. "I don''t mind showing off to everyone that you''re my wife."


    "What''s there to show off?" Cayenne retorted with a question. "I''m in and normal. I don''t even know why you liked me?"


    "I don''t know why either." Stefan answered with wry smile on his lips. "I just know that I don''t want to be separated from you. I don''t want to live without you and I don''t want to see you with another guy. I''m a jealous man. I want you all to myself."


    "I have brothers."


    "Family is excluded from my jealousy." Cayenne rolled her eyes at her with a helpless expression on her face. Stefan just chuckled at her as he intertwined their fingers together. "Let''s go." The both of them got inside the elevator exclusive for the president.


    Inside the employee''s lounge, those that were having breaks couldn''t stop themselves from whispering. They caught the news of Stefaning over with his wife. They''ve been specting that Cayenne was his wife but there were instances that they doubted themselves because Cayenne didn''t make ament. And she denied it.


    The news of her and Stefan during the wedding of Stefan''s cousin wasn''t confirmed by Cayenne as well. But out of one hundred, ny percent of their guts told them that it was Cayenne.


    "So, the boss is reallying over?"


    "Yes. I heard that the boss wille and visit his hotels and resorts; and his wife will being over as well."


    "Now, it''s time for us to see if it''s really Cayenne or not. I''ve been very curious of their love life. That''s all."


    "You''re not alone."


    "I know right. Cayenne says she''s got a boyfriend and it was around the same time that our president got a girlfriend. And what''s more, there were pictures of our boss'' girlfriend that looks like Cayenne. I''m staking my one-month sry on this. Cayenne is thedy boss."


    "We''re not making a bet, alright?"


    "Oh! We''re not?"


    They continued to gossip with excitement while Luna sat on the couch with a serious face. She was worried of what might happen now that Cayenne was no longer hiding her identity as Mrs. Dumrique. She didn''t want her best friend to be in constant danger because of this title.


    ''Ding!'' The elevator opened and Cayenne stepped out of it, leaving Stefan inside.


    "You have to eat with me during lunch, okay?" Stefan reminded him while pressing the open button to make sure that he''s got more time to see her off.


    "Hn. I''ll send you a messageter. Let''s with Lulu. It''s been a while since we had meals together."


    "No worries."


    Cayenne went back inside and kissed his check before going out again and waved at him. "See youter."


    "See you." Stefan let go of his hand and the elevator door slowly closed as he looked at his wife smile at him.


    Cayenne looked for Lulu at the reception desk but she wasn''t there for the meantime. So, she went to the employee''s lounge instead, knowing that her best friend likes taking her rest inside.


    The moment she got inside, everyone looked at her. There was a hint of surprise on their faces and there were ones who were in a trance of disbelief.


    Luna turned around to see who her colleagues were looking at. And as if time stand still for both of them, Luna couldn''t move an inch for several seconds. She was struck to see how her friend changed in almost a month that they have not seen each other.


    "Yenyen! It''s really you." Luna ran towards her friends and hugged her tightly. "I was so worried about you when you moved out. I thought I wouldn''t see you anymore. How are you?"


    "I''m fine. I''m doing good so far. I learned a lot of things while healing myself from being broken."


    "I''m really sorry to hear about what happened to Auntie. I know it''s a sad thing but I am d that you are living your life well. Auntie must be happy to see you''re doing good as well."


    Cayenne looked around the people inside the lounge and she couldn''t help but feel a little bad for lying to them. "I''m sorry for worrying you." Cayenne pulled away from Luna and led her to sit once again on the couch.


    Her female colleagues, who love to gossips, quickly walked over to Cayenne and sat beside her. Some were standing behind her, as if they''re waiting for her to tell her love story to them.


    "Yen, is it true? Are you really married to the president?"


    "I thought you guys have confirmed that already?" Cayenne retorted with amusement dancing in her eyes. She knows that her colleagues love to gossips but they never really caused her any physical harm so she didn''t mind it. And aside from that, even if she won''t say anything today, they will still find it out in the future. It might as welle from her ¨C the directly involved party.


    "We couldn''t confirm anything because you didn''t say a word. We dared specte with it but we didn''t really ask you. Specially that your mother passed away the moment you came back from vacation."


    Cayenne smiled at them, thankful that she worked with kind people. "I''m indeed Stefan''s wife but you don''t have to feel awkward around me. Before I married him, you guys were with me first. I am happy that I got to work with you all."


    "Eotteokkie! Our little Yenyen is now married. What to do?"


    "You''re not her mother, why are you worried?"


    "I''m not worried because she''s married. I''m worried because she got married while I''m still single."


    "Why are you making a fuss over it? I''m not even worried when I''m older than you and still single."


    They allughed together for their silly antics and Cayenne finally rxed around them. They asked her how she was doing after her sudden resignation.


    They knew that there was a little misunderstanding between her and Stefan because their boss didn''t know that Cayenne''s mother died. But seeing that she appeared in the hotel, they didn''t ask her anything rted to it. At the end of the day, it''s a problem between husband and wife. They needed to settle their problems privately.


    During lunch, Cayenne ate with Stefan and Luna. Thinking that his wife might be ufortable eating at the restaurant where people looked at her, he asked the chef to bring their food in their suite.


    It was the first time that Luna got inside the presidential suite. And it was even to have meal with them.


    Chris also arrived during lunch to bring some documents that Stefan needed to sign; and following behind him were Arthur''s men. They have been following him for over a week now and it was the third time that he went to the hotel. They were hoping that this time, Stefan would be around for them to get a break. As long as they get Cayenne''s address, they''ll be done with their work.


    They didn''t know that they were just being yed by Stefan. The news of himing to the hotel with Cayenne was spread by himself using dummy ounts. He was hoping that it would reach these men''s ears and make them fall for the trap that the couple nned.


    Although, Arthur''s men didn''t hear the news, they will still fall on their trap because they''ve been following Chris.


    On the other hand, Kirin had been looking for her son. She knew that they''ll be doomed if Stefan make a move on them because of Cayenne. Their businesses were already doing bad because Cole left and Stefan attacked it previously because she badmouthed his wife.


    She''s facing nothing but trouble. It wasn''t until now that she realized the grave mistake she did. She shouldn''t have spoiled her son so much, neglecting the eldest just because he got married to the woman she didn''t like. Now, Arthur was giving her nothing but trouble and the person who always helped her to mend everything has left their family.


    She was sitting on the couch while waiting for the news from the private investigator that she hired. This was thest thing she can do and she needed to stop her son before it''s toote.


    ''Oh god! What have I done? How did things turn out this way?''


    Kirin deeply regretted her decision. However, just like there''s no time machine to turn back time; there''s no medicine for regrets either. You just have to swallow it forcefully and cry.

 Chapter 282 - FALLING INTO THE TRAP SHE MADE

    <h4>Chapter 282 - FALLING INTO THE TRAP SHE MADE</h4>


    Luna left the lovebirds right after lunch. She didn''t want to be the third wheel and give the less time in baby making. Or so she thought.


    Stefan was currently sitting on the couch while Cayenne sat on him. The two of them were cuddling each other while recalling some memories in the past.


    "I never expected that the night I invited you to drink with me will bring us to where we are now. I was just really trying to tease you that night but now, I''ve fallen so deep with my life for you." Stefanmented while caressing his wife''s arms in front of him. "If I had known we''ll end up together, I would have invited you long ago."


    "Do you know how scared I was that night? I really thought I''m done for. I thought you''d take advantage of me specially that you have the title of being one of the city''s yboys. And the next morning when I woke up on your bed, I thought the day will end. I already thought of finding a new job when I got home that day."


    "You were?"


    "Hn. I was worried that I''ll be fired for what happened so, my mind already made up several ns to look for another job."


    "I''m d you didn''t."


    "Well, you gave me a better offer to feed my family."


    "I don''t regret making that choice."


    "I''m not regretting it either. I''m happy with what we have now."


    "If only there are no people stalking us, life would be happier." Stefan blurted out with a deep sigh. ''Can''t we just dispose them?'' Stefan asked mentally but he didn''t dare ask this question to his wife. He didn''t want her to think that he''s a criminal. His term dispose waspletely different to Travis'' literal meaning of the word dispose. Stefan would just make traps to lure them out that would put people to jail but Travis was different. If there''s a need, he would kill his enemies and he wouldn''t even think twice about doing so.


    Sometimes, he would dispose Stefan''s enemies for him because Stefan won''t do it. Although Stefan has no guts to take someone''s life, it didn''t make him any less of a man. He just had his own ways which were a little less brutal than Travis.


    On the other small study table, Chris couldn''t stop himself from shaking his head in disbelief. There were people after their life already but the two of them still got time to flirt and reminisce about their past.


    Unlike Luna, he couldn''t leave the ce yet because the two lovebirds need him to be their propster. He can only watch them being flirty in front of him while he was working ¨C really merciless.


    After an hour, Stefan and Cayenne decided to go to the mall and buy some gifts for Luiz since he was left at home. He won''t be able to see the things that they''ll buy for him.


    To make sure that their stalkers can see them going out, they followed Chris closely. And when they came out of the parking lot, Cayenne opened the window to show her face from the people outside. After all, Stefan''s car was tinted and won''t allow anyone from the outside to see them.


    "That''s the secretary!" one of the men eximed while pointing out Chris'' car. "And Ms. Ardolf is following him with her husband."


    The other man who was responsible for driving immediately started the car engine. They finally found a break to find Cayenne''s address after over a week of searching for different ways.


    Stefan noticed the car of their stalker following them behind while the secret guards followed them from a certain distance. They didn''t get too close to them to make sure that they won''t alert their enemies. At the same time, their stalkers didn''t know that they were just being monitored by Stefan and his secret guards. They were so clueless at all. If Stefan was really like Travis, these men who''s stalking them would have died a long time ago without them knowing their cause of death.


    They were idiot in his mind.


    They reached the mall and Chris who didn''t have any ns to buy anything was pulled by Cayenne toe along with them.


    "Don''t just spend time working. You have to think of ways to win your love, too."


    Chris looked at her with a sheepish smile knowing where she got the information. And since she knew about it, he was hundred percent sure that Stefan knew of his interest as well.


    "I have lots of ns to win her over." Chris retorted but he was still walking right beside her. "I''m nning to pursue her formally after the graduation."


    "Why wait for that time toe? You can just start pursuing her now. Just so you know, whether you start pursuing now orter, it will not affect Luiz performance and grades in school. However, if you keep dawdling, she might be stolen by someone else." Cayenne said with all seriousness which made a lot of sense.


    "The ss will have an after party for three days and two nights in Lipa. You can use that opportunity to give her a gift and express your interest in her. I will be giving you days off during the ss vacation so, make use of the time wisely." Stefan added while walking to men''s department store. He alreadyid his eyes on something that would look good on Luiz.


    Chris looked at them and chuckled. He never thought that he''d be, one day, listening to these two people giving advises and creating opportunities for him, when not long ago, they were in the brink of having a divorce.


    ''The power of love is stronger than the external forces which were trying to pull them apart.'' Chris thought to himself while looking at Stefan and Cayenne. ''Somehow, they look like parents who came to buy things for their son. When will these two have their own baby? They keep flirting but they don''t have any results yet.''

 Chapter 283 - THEIR VIDEO TOGETHER

    <h4>Chapter 283 - THEIR VIDEO TOGETHER</h4>


    Stefan and Cayenne bought a watch, a pair of shoes and several clothing items for Luiz. After they finished shopping for him, they also bought some things for Jonas and Kyle.


    Chris chose some new shirts and jeans for himself since he''ll be going to have vacation with them in the future, he didn''t want toe with his suits and cks. He wanted to be casual but his casual clothes can be counted with his two hands alone. There weren''t much to wear since he didn''t love going out before. He''s closet has more formal clothes than his casual.


    "What did you even do with the money that Stefan and the government gave you?" Cayenne whispered while watching Chris picked a lot of shirts.


    "I sent them to my family. And I didn''t find anyone that caught my interest before. I''d rather sleep at home than go out somewhere. Now, I want to have more time to go out with her."


    "That''s a good start." Cayenne retorted while picking up another shirt to let him try on.


    "Why are you choosing clothes for another man and neglected your husband?" Stefan leaned his head on her shoulder and sulked. "I don''t like it."


    Chris raised his eyebrow at his childish employer and left them alone to let Cayenne deal with him on her own.


    "Stop being childish. I though we''re helping him." Cayenne gently pat his head tofort him.


    "I''m tired carrying all these bags but you''re happily choosing clothes for him. You didn''t even buy anything for me."


    "Who said that I didn''t buy anything for you?" Cayenne turned around to face him and looked at him in the eyed. "Stop sulking, alright? We''ll buy few more clothes for you even though our closet is already full."


    "I''ll take out those suits that I bought for myself and those with no sentimental values. I''ll throw them away."


    "Stop joking. Those were very expensive. You can''t waste your money like that." Cayenne retorted while lightly pinching his face. "There should be a better way to let go of them, right?"


    "My wife is really smart." Stefan grinned at her as Cayenne stretched his face. He looked silly and cute which made Cayenne blush the more she looked at him. "So, buy me lots of things and I will let go of those pother pieces."


    "Okay. Your wife will certainly look for items that will look good on you."


    "Can we buy more couple shirts and other couple items?" Stefan asked her, making the other shoppers giggle at his question.


    Many women were looking at Cayenne with envious gazes while they looked at Stefan with coveting eyes. However, they also knew that luring Stefan was a hopeless idea because he was deeply smitten with his wife.


    The salesdy who was watching from the corner couldn''t stop herself from filming this adorable couple. Her phone had a better camera resolution and the voices of Stefan and Cayenne were recorded clearly as well.


    ''I wish my boyfriend is like Mr. Dumrique. Wait, I''ll look for a boyfriend first.''


    This was the caption that was ced together with the video when she posted it in her ount. And not long after, this video and was liked by many people and was shared several times. Cayenne''s colleagues saw this post as well and couldn''t help but smile. Their president has really changed when he met Cayenne. The otherpany employees who saw the video were also surprised to see their CEO anddy boss going out without bothering to hide themselves.


    "Looks like our boss won her heart now."


    "Thedy boss is very pretty."


    "Hahaha. I never expected this side of the president. So cute."


    "Once a yboy falls in love, he''ll really treasure her like a diamond mine."


    "I''m so happy for you two."


    "I want to buy couple shirts with my boyfriend, too."


    "I can rte with the person who posted this."


    Many people expressed their opinion and blessing but there were some who were a little bit annoying than the rest. These were the people who got Jillyanna''s attention as well. She was currently watching some videos online when thetest video of Cayenne and Stefan appeared.


    She smiled while happily watching their interaction and started reading thements below. She gave a heart to thosements that expressed good intention and silly remarks but her fingers stopped scrolling for a moment when she found somements that she didn''t like.


    "I heard that Stefan neverid his hands to his employees. That isn''t true. His current wife is a worker in his hotel before."


    A reply was posted right below it which piqued everyone''s curiosity to read it. "How did you know? Do you know her?"


    "I don''t know her but my friend likes Clover Hotel so much because of one employee that caught his attention." Thementer attached a picture of Cayenne who worked in Clover Hotel. It was taken when she was still working during night shift. "He frequently visited this ce because of her but not long ago, her shift was changed. I wonder if it was because of his indecent rtionship with the owner. Getting privileges that other employees don''t have."


    Jillyanna clenched her fist while reading thisment and couldn''t help but reply to it. "Don''t make spections when you didn''t know anything. Before Cayenne became his employee, they knew each other already. Stop judging people. You better look after yourself instead of creating gossips and trampling other people''s rtionship."


    "Oh my gosh! Goddess Yna came out to defend Mrs. Dumrique."


    "Aaahhhh! My goddess! You''re amazing. I love your words."


    "My goddess, when are you posting another video with your kids?"


    "Goddess Yna, I will keep your words in mind. I love you."


    "Is it just me or does anyone wants to ask why our goddess knows Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique?"


    Riley was also watching the video of Cayenne and Stefan; and just like Jillyanna, she was also reading thements. "Shein, can you look into this person''s ount? I really want to diss him." Riley told her boyfriend while showing him her phone screen.


    "On it." Shein''s fingers fluttered across his keyboard like a butterfly wings pping to make dialog boxes appear on his screen. While he was looking into it, Riley came across the littlemotion that her sister created. With a silly smile on her lips, she typed a reply to thetest question.


    "We knew them because we''re friends." Riley attached a picture that she took during Emerald''s birthday where everyone was in it. "And I love Yenyen. Mwah!"

 Chapter 284 - THE START TO HIS END

    <h4>Chapter 284 - THE START TO HIS END</h4>


    While the video continued getting more attention, the people involved were still buying lots of things. Stefan was now holding a lot of bags while Cayenne was holding only the bags containing the shoes and the bag.


    In just an hour, the saledy didn''t expect that her video will gather lots of attention from so many people. An inte idol even left ament and liked other people''sments as well. It was the first time that she got so much attention in one post.


    ''Those lovebirds got so many people looking at them. Being famous isn''t always a good thing.'' She thought to herself while letting out a sigh.


    Cayenne chose a lot of couple items for him and Stefan while Chris looked for something that he can give to Rissy. Most women like jewelries and other expensive items but when he recalled Rissy''s outfit when they met, she''s always simple yet elegant. She didn''t wear any expensive items when they met.


    "Will she like this or not?" Chris muttered to himself while looking at the jewelries in front of him. He was choosing between a ne or a bracelet with worry on his face. "Well, if she won''t like it, I can just go and look for something else." Chris pushed the box with the ne to the saledy and smiled faintly at her. "I''d like to get this one. Can you wrap it as a gift? I''m giving it to someone special."


    "Okay, sir." She took several gift wrappers and asked Chris which one he likes. She wrapped it right in front of him in order to make adjustments ording to his preferences. At the end of the day, she was trained to make sure that the customer will feel that their opinions and ideas are being valued.


    "Thank you." Chris paid it using his card and left after he settled the bill.


    Stefan and Cayenne was currently waiting for him in a dessert shop. It''s always been like this. Every time they finished shopping or watching a movie, they will always go to a dessert shop because of Cayenne. She likes sweets and it became a habit for Stefan to buy her dessert whenever he can or whenever she craves for it.


    "Let''s just wait for him." Cayennemented while eating a slice of red velvet cake. "Do you still have anything in mind? I don''t mind staying a little longer here."


    "I still wanted to buy something but I think I can just find whatever bag I have at home. Let''s go home after this. I want to spend the rest of the day with you in bed."


    "Who wants to stay with you in bed? You can just stay on your own." Cayenne fed him some of her cake while she takes some from his te.


    Stefan was watching her eat when something came to his mind. A smile appeared on his lips but he didn''t say anything. He wanted to surprise her when the timees and make her unable to say no. It was something that he hasn''t given her but it was also something that he wanted to make grand and memorable for them. After all, it would be a once in lifetime event.


    Few minutester, Chris arrived with all the things he bought and took a seat on the couch across them. He didn''t order anything since he didn''t like sweets that much and just waited for them to finish.


    "Once you reach home, things will change. I hope nothing life threatening will happen, though." Chrismented while watching Cayenne and Stefan. "Are you sure we''re not going to involve the police force in this matter?"


    "There''s no need. I don''t want Arthur to end up in jail. But if he''ll do it again next time, I don''t mind him rotting in jail." Cayenne retorted with a faint smile on her lips. "I just hope that everything will end once and for all."


    "I hope so." Chris replied with a sigh.


    On the other side of the caf¨¦, their stalkers were also eating some sweets while trying their best to get something out of Cayenne''s conversation with Chris. However, they were like talking in whispers and the stalkers couldn''t get anything from them.


    As soon as they''re done eating, the three of them left the mall and decided to head home. Chris went to thepany first to deal with some works that he left while the couple went to Peach Wood Subdivision to get the clothes that Stefan didn''t like anymore. Instead of just throwing them out, Stefan decided to give them to his employees who got the same size as him.


    In that way, the clothes will still be useful to other people.


    "Good afternoon, Pa." Cayenne greeted Jonas and gave him a hug. "We bought this for you." Cayenne handed him two bags which contained take out foods from the dessert shop they stayed earlier.


    "Are you two staying over?" Jonas asked while letting them inside the house. "I''ll cook dinner for us."


    "We can''t stay for dinner since we still have things to do at home. How about next weekend? We can have dinner together."


    "That''s fine with me, too. Just do whatever you like. I''ll be at the kitchen eating these desserts you gave."


    Cayenne and Stefan got inside their bedroom in order to start getting those clothes that he doesn''t like anymore, suits that have no sentimental value for him because he wanted to have a closet full of clothes that Cayenne chose for him.


    Outside their house, from a certain distance, the stalkers were able to get inside the subdivision after Stefan told the guard to give them a go. They were so ted and wanted to tell Arthur where Cayenne stayed but they noticed that the couple didn''t take out the shopping bags that they were carrying at the mall earlier.


    "I believe that they''re just dropping by." One of the men said while watching the house from a far distance.


    "We''ll continue to wait and follow them out. Let''s not be an idiot this time or Arthur will be angry again. I still want to get the rest of the money from him."


    "Me, too. After giving the address and getting the payment, I''ll leave the city."


    "Same goes for me. I don''t want to be involved with whatever crime he has in mind."

 Chapter 285 - YOU SPOIL ME, I SPOIL YOU

    <h4>Chapter 285 - YOU SPOIL ME, I SPOIL YOU</h4>


    Stefan hauled out over a hundred shirts and suits; and Cayenne folded them before cing them inside the suitcase that they found at the bottom of the wardrobe.


    "I feel like giving away the clothes that I don''t like, too." Cayennemented, purposely saying it out loud for her husband to hear.


    "What are you giving away?" Stefan asked while looking at the clothes on her side of the wardrobe.


    "I will give these things away." Cayenne pointed her fingers to random clothes but making sure that those were the couple clothes that he bought for her. "I don''t like them anyway."


    "Y-you don''t like them? But I bought them for you." Stefan responded with a disappointed look on his face. "Are they really ugly? I didn''t know much about women''s clothes but I like them because they can be paired with my clothes. If you don''t like them just throw them away."


    "Hn. Can you get me a garbage bag?"


    Stefan looked at his wife and then looked to the clothes that she was going to throw away. With dejected expression, Stefan went down stairs to get some garbage bag from the kitchen.


    When he got back, Cayenne grabbed the garbage bag from him and went inside the bathroom. "Go and pick the clothes that you still want to give away. I''ll clean the room while waiting for you to finish choosing."


    "Y-you¡­you''re cleaning the room?"


    "Uh huh."


    "What about your clothes?"


    Cayenne kissed his cheek and smiled sweetly. "Did you really believe that I''d throw them out? You gave them to me, okay. There''s no way I''d given them away. Even if they won''t fit me in the future or even if they will fade, there''s no way I''d throw them out."


    "R-really?"


    "Hn. Really. I love them because they''re from my husband so I will keep them forever."


    Stefan breathed out some relief when he found out that she was just messing with him. "Even if you want to throw them out, I don''t mind. My wife''s words will be the voice of this house. I will let you do whatever you want."


    "You don''t have to spoil me that much." Cayenne winked at him before going inside the bathroom to start cleaning.


    After an hour, the two of them bid farewell to Jonas and came out of the house with the big suitcase. Stefan ced it on his car''s trunk before getting inside the car to drive it out of the subdivision.


    The stalkers who have been following them started their car''s engine and followed Stefan and Cayenne out of the subdivision. They drove for almost three hours before the reached another private property. Although it was a private property, there were no guards who looked after the security of the ce.


    There was just arge fence and gate lock which needed passcode. However, one won''t be able to see the password being typed because the numerical cases were covered with a metal. You will have to insert your hand under the metal cover and press the numbers by memorizing the cements of the buttons.


    If you wanted to get inside the ce, you needed the password or you can call someone from the inside to open the gate for you. Or worse, you can climb the fence and get electrocuted from the live wires on top of it.


    There''s no need for humans to stand guard because the ce was already heavily guarded with mechanisms.


    Cayenne didn''t type any password or asked someone to open the gate for them because the gate was also remote controlled and when they left the house, she asked Erwin for the remote because she didn''t want to bother them to open the gate.


    "Sis! You''re back." Luiz ran towards them and helped them carry the things they bought inside the house. He had no idea that he was carrying some of the things for himself. "Is brother-inw finally moving to stay here with you? He''s bringing a suitcase with him."


    "Oh! Those clothes will be given away. He didn''t like them anymore."


    "I see. Anyway, Erwin and I was cooking in the kitchen. Are there any cravings you''d like us to cook?"


    "Do we still have crabs? I want to eat crabs."


    "Okay. I''ll ask Erwin to prepare some dish made of crabs for you." Luiz brought the bags to her sister''s room and went downstairs to help Erwin.


    Stefan ced the suitcase at the side of the wardrobe since he''ll be giving them away in the next few days. "Ayen, I''m tired."


    "Then, take a rest. Do you want me to give you a massage?"


    "Will you?"


    "Hn. Let me wash my hands and change clothes first."


    "How about we do something other than massage?"


    Cayenne throw a bathrobe on his face and snorted. "Do it yourself. I can help you with the massage and nothing else."


    "A massage it is." Stefan remove the bathrobe away from his face and grinned at her. It''s not everyday that his wife will offer to do something like a massage for him. He must take this opportunity instead of ruining it.


    Cayenne changed her clothes and washed her hands before taking out the massage oil that she has inside her bathroom cab. She bought it for herself to massage her arms and legs after toiling her garden in the past. But when Stefan came, her work was a lot easier so she stopped using it. She never thought she''d be using it on her husband instead.


    When she came out, Stefan was already lying on the bed with his back facing her. He was half naked with his boxers on and nothing else.


    "Do you want me to bring your dinner hereter or will you join us downstairs?" Cayenne asked him knowing how many bags he carried earlier. Those were heavy for sure and made him feel tired.


    "It''s fine. I''ll go downstairs with you. I don''t want them to think that you''re spoiling me."


    "Isn''t it fine? You can spoil me and I can spoil you. It''s fair."


    Stefan chuckled at her response which made Cayenne smile. Somehow, life was a lot better now and they''re interacting normally like how a husband and wife should.


    "Ayen."


    "Hn?"


    "I love you."


    "Thanks."


    Stefan pouted his lips when he got her response. He thought he''d be able to trick her into saying ''I love you, too'' this time.

 Chapter 286 - VISITING HIS COMPANY FOR CHARITY

    <h4>Chapter 286 - VISITING HIS COMPANY FOR CHARITY</h4>


    The stalkers stayed around the property, watching if Stefan and Cayenne wille out again. They waited and waited until morning came but the couple only left the house around eight in the morning. Luiz was also with them since they''ll be dropping him off to school.


    "I guess this is where they live." The other man said while watching Cayenne and her family left the house. Only leaving one single man to look after the ce or so they thought. They didn''t know that aside from Erwin, three other men were tasked to look after the ce secretly.


    "Let''s follow them for now. Let''s observe for two more days before telling Arthur what we know."


    "I agree."


    The two of them followed Stefan''s car from a distance, thinking that they weren''t found out yet; but Stefan already calcted everything.


    Although Stefan was smart, there were things that you couldn''t calcte specially when you''re facing up against an obsessive psycho.


    "Will you be going home next weekend?" Cayenne asked Luiz on their way to X university.


    "Hn. I''m going home next weekend. I think bro will being home as well. I''ll rify it with him."


    "Sure. Sure. Ask him to bring Kath as well. It''s been a while since we had dinner together."


    "Alrighty. She''d be happy for sure."


    "Remember not to wander alone outside the campus." Stefan reminded Luiz with the concern of his safety. "If you have something you needed to do outside, make sure to bring someone along with you. A man will be better."


    "Yes, I understand."


    Luiz respects his sister a lot and he''s very obedient. And since she married Stefan, he was also very respectful to this man and was obedient as well. After all, he''s the man that their sister chose to stay with for the rest of her life.


    When they reached X university, Luiz got off the car and waved goodbye to them. However, Cayenne and Stefan didn''t leave yet. They watched him get inside the campus, making sure that he was able to get inside the ce safely.


    "Let''s go." Cayenne muttered and Stefan drove the car in order to go to hispany.


    "I will give the clothes to my employees who''s got the same measurement as me. Do you have anything in mind on how we can choose them? I mean, what if there are so many of them and I won''t have enough clothes to give?"


    "Are you running a charity?" Cayenne joked on him but she knew that he was indeed running a charity and he donated a lot of money to different foundations. It was his way of giving back to themunity.


    "I''m just following your order ma''am to make sure that I won''t waste the clothes."


    Cayenne smiled as she nodded her head in approval. "I''ll think of a way when we get there. But, are you just giving it to the employees in yourpany?"


    "I guess."


    Cayenne just smiled and didn''t say anything.


    Stefan was also observing the stalkers who have been following them through the side mirror and his rearview mirror. He really salutes to this people for being so determined to follow them.


    "You have known Arthur for a long time, do you really think that he''d harm you?" Stefan asked his wife with regards to his rival. "I know that he loves you and he wanted you for himself but I don''t think he will harm you."


    "I don''t think so either. But, Seiji and his brother, Cole said so. I''m worried that the Arthur I knew is no longer the same Arthur now."


    "Are you sad or disappointed?"


    "Of course." Cayenne answered almost instantly while keeping her eyes on the road. "I liked him in the past and we''ve known each other for a long time. He was really sweet and considerate back then. He always takes care of us and he''s always mindful with our situation at home. I just couldn''t associate the current Arthur to the man that I knew. I''m really sad that we''vee to this point."


    "I''m also a bit disappointed." Stefanmented. "I thought he''ll fight for you fair and square. I didn''t expect that he''d resort to this method. Although he''s not doing anything yet, I don''t like it when I''m always on guard. I hate it."


    Cayenne just smiled faintly as she squeezed his hand gently. "Thank you for worrying about me."


    "If I won''t worry about you, who am I should be worried, then?"


    "Yourself. You should also worry about yourself." Cayenne responded. "Don''t just think about me. Think for yourself as well."


    "Hn. I will. I don''t want to die young and leave you alone."


    "You better be or else, I will buy a toy boy for me and keep mepany."


    "Really? I shall possess that toy then so I can keep you to myself."


    The two of them talked about weird things on their way to thepany just to forget the stress that Arthur brought them. When they reached thepany, Cayenne stepped out of the car and waited for Stefan to get out and take the suitcase as well. In allpanies he owned, he has his private lift to make sure that he won''t bete. Right now, they''re taking one to get to the top most floor where his office was located.


    As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, Chris was already waiting for them and helped Stefan with the suitcase. "Are you guys going somewhere?"


    "Nope." Stefan answered as he walked hand in hand with his wife. "We''ll be giving those things."


    "Really?! How lucky for those who can get them. They''re all branded and expensive."


    Cayenne was also thinking of giving some to Chris but he''s got a different body size than Stefan.


    "Can you help me ask the regr employees if anyone of them has the same size as Stefan? This is exclusive for men." Cayenne told Chris who nodded his head automatically.


    "Give me an hour." Chris ced the suitcase near the door and took out his tablet. "Is there anything you''d like to drink while waiting? I''ll have my assistant take care of you."


    "I''ll let you know if there is." Cayenne told Chris with a smile.


    "Alright. I''m out now. Just ring me up if you need me for something."


    While they''re having conversation, the employees chat forum already exploded with messages from all departments.


    "Thedy boss is here! She''s with the CEO. She''s really pretty up close." The assistant secretary who sneakily took pictures earlier uploaded it in the forum. "Gorgeousdy boss."


    "Why are they bringing a suitcase? Are they leaving?"


    "Nope. I heard that the CEO will be giving some things today and thedy boss said it will be exclusive for men."


    "Ahhh! I want to know what''s inside the suitcase."


    "It''s probably clothes. Duh!"

 Chapter 287 - GIVING HIS CLOTHES AWAY

    <h4>Chapter 287 - GIVING HIS CLOTHES AWAY</h4>


    One hourter, Chris came back and gave Cayenne his tablet. "There are twenty-four males who has the same size with the boss. And don''t worry, I didn''t tell them that it was the boss size. I just asked if they''re size X and X. They didn''t know they''ll be getting something from the boss."


    "Thanks for your hard work. You can call these twenty-four people and have theme to the conference room?"


    "Why there? Can''t you do it here?" Chris questioned but before he realized he''s asking nonsense, Cayenne already threw her answer.


    "This ce is my husband''s office. There are many confidential information here. Have you be stupid now that you''ve fallen in love?"


    "Hey! Don''t bring my love life to our conversation."


    "And what if I will?"


    "Well, what can I do other than letting you do so?" Chris responded. "Your husband spoils you a lot."


    "You can spoil Ms. Chan, too." Stefan told Chris which made thetter click his tongue.


    "Whatever. I''ll call this people now." Chris left the room in order to avoid being teased by the couple.


    Cayenne walked towards her husband and sat on hisp. "Are you really giving those items away? You won''t change your mind?"


    "Nope. In return, let''s buy a lot of couple shirts."


    "Sure. Sure. I''ll buy lots of clothes for you. Let''s go to the conference room."


    "Can you give them while I work here?"


    "Do you want me to spend time with your employees all alone?"


    "Fine. I''lle with my wife." Stefan kissed the tip of her nose and stood up while carrying her. "I''ll go there if you let me carry you like this."


    "No way. It''s embarrassing. People will see us."


    "So, what? You''re my wife. I can do this to you and it''s normal."


    "I don''t want people to think that I''m enving you."


    "I don''t mind them thinking that way." Stefan retorted and kissed her.


    "How can that be? Where''s your pride?"


    "I threw it away in exchange of getting you back."


    Cayenne blinked her eyes while looking at him with a serious face. In their rtionship, she always thinks about herself ¨C about the things she will lose and gain. She never thought in Stefan''s perspective. She never thought that he''s also sacrificing so much in order to get her back.


    He was willing to spoil her to the ends of the earth just to make her stay. He didn''t mind being controlled by her to the point of being her ve.


    Cayenne buried her face on his chest and cried. He''s losing so much because of her.


    "Why are you crying? They will think that I''m bullying you."


    "I''m not crying. I just got something in my eyes."


    "Should I blow it off for you."


    "No."


    Stefan didn''t know why she cried but he knew that it must be rted to him. He just let her cry her heart out while carrying her in his arms. He wasn''t nning to let her go at all.


    After sometime, Chris knocked on the door and found the two of them cuddling each other again. But when he saw them up close, he realized that Cayenne was crying. He looked Stefan with questioning gaze but Stefan only shrugged his shoulders.


    "Can you bring the suitcase to the conference room first. We''ll go thereter."


    Chris nodded and followed Stefan''s instruction. He was a little worried now. He never expected that women''s emotions were very unpredictable. Cayenne was just smiling earlier when he got out. When he came back, she was already crying for no reason. Well, to be exact, she cried for a reason but they just didn''t know what it was.


    Cayenne wiped her tears with the tissue that Stefan handed her and smiled. "I''m alright now. Let''s go?"


    "Your eyes are red as well as your nose. Do you want to wash your face before going out?"


    "Okay." She stood up from hisp and went to the adjacent room inside his office. It was where she slept before. She got inside the bathroom and washed her face. "I promise to treat you better in exchange for the sacrifices you made." Although she didn''t say it out loud, Stefan who was standing right outside the door of the bathroom heard her.


    ''Then, let''s take care of each other.'' Stefan thought with his arms crossed over his chest and a smile on his lips.


    The twenty-four employees were all waiting inside the conference room, specting and guessing the purpose of why they were being called.


    Several hourster, Stefan and Cayenne went inside the room with their hands linked together. Cayenne''s face was a bit better nowpared to her messy look earlier.


    "Good morning, sir. Good morning, ma''am." The employees greeted them and waited for the couple to take their seats.


    "Good morning. How are you guys?" Cayenne asked with a bright smile. "I hope you''re all doing fine."


    "Yes, ma''am. We''re all doing great. Thank you for asking." Two or three employees answered shyly.


    Stefan sat on a chair and instead of letting Cayenne sit on another chair, he pulled her close and let her sat on hisp once again. "I believe you''re all aware now that she''s my wife. I hope you''ll help her if needed in the future." Stefan voiced out making them nodded their heads.


    "We''re not here to make introductions but to give you something." Cayenne signaled Chris to put the suitcase on the table. "I hope you don''t mind them. My husband didn''t really wear them that much and he thought of giving them away. They''re well preserved and were all clean."


    When she opened the suitcase, they were all astonished to see a lot of clothes inside and they were all from expensive brands. Regr employees like them needed to save their one-month sry if they wanted to buy one piece from the brands that''s Stefan often bought his clothes from.


    "Those clothes must cost him millions all in all." One employee whispered.


    "I know, right. And the boss is just giving them away."


    "I wonder why he''s giving these clothes away?"

 Chapter 288 - DEPENDENT ON HER

    <h4>Chapter 288 - DEPENDENT ON HER</h4>


    Their curiosity was showing on their faces while they looked at the clothes inside the suitcase. They really wanted to know why they''re giving such expensive items away.


    "Sir, I know that you''re rich and giving these things away must be a normal thing for you but, may we know why you''re giving so much of your personal stuff?" one of the employees who couldn''t stop his curiosity asked Stefan.


    Stefan hugged his wife in front of them and ced his chin on her shoulder. "They''re not given by my wife. I want everything inside my wardrobe to being from my wife or something that my wife chooses for me."


    "Oh." They nodded their head in understanding but some of them couldn''t help themselves from shaking their head in disbelief. Their boss has be so dependent on his wife


    Chris face-palmed himself when he heard Stefan''s answer. He was really childish. ''Well, as long as he''s happy, nothing else matters because a happy CEO will bring happiness to thepany. And when the CEO is grumpy, the employees suffer.''


    Cayenne asked Chris to bring her paper bags in order to have something that she can use to put the clothes on. After several minutes, Cayenne started giving away the shirts and the suits.


    Stefan just held on to her while she did what he was supposed to do. Chris assisted her, making sure that the items were ced inside the bags carefully.


    One after another, the employees received an early gift from Stefan and thanked him couple of times before going out of the conference room.


    Inside the employees'' chat forum, pictures of bags containing suits with pants or shirts with pants were posted by the employees who received them from Stefan.


    "Even if someone sells this for a second-hand price, I won''t be able to afford it unless it''s fake. I''m so thankful for this gift."


    "The boss is so generous and thedy boss is kind. A good pairing indeed."


    "I can''t wait to try the clothes on."


    "It''s so expensive. A regr employee like me never thought I''ll have a very expensive item one day."


    "Wait! You mean that the president was giving away his personal belongings?"


    "Why didn''t we know about this?"


    "I want a shirt from him, too."


    "Lady boss can have him all to herself. I just want a shirt from him to inspire me."


    "Oh geez! I saw one brand and searched for it. You can''t believe the price." The person who left this message attached a picture of the shirt and its price.


    "Howe we''re not informed about this?"


    "Because you''re a female. We received emails earlier asking as about our sizes. Who would have thought that we''ll receive these items?"


    "Wow! So lucky!"


    "You should have seen the boss with his wife. He was so clingy to her. Can''t believe that the devil would be so sweet towards his wife."


    "You just received something from him and you called him a devil."


    "Even if I didn''t receive anything, I will still call him a devil. It''s an expression alright. And just so you know, the boss is fully aware that we''re calling him devil sometimes."


    "Howe he knows?"


    "Because his secretary is also inside this forum. Duh!"


    Everyone was surprised with this reply and they all scrolled to see the member''s list. And to their horror, Chris''s profile was indeed in the list. They never thought that he''d be inside this forum because he never spoke.


    Now, they all knew that he was monitoring them.


    "Are we doomed?"


    Chris who was reading the chats without saying anything left a series of devilughing emojis.


    The forum became silent after he left this response and everyone went back to work. ''We''re all doomed.'' This was what the employees thought but in truth, Stefan didn''t really care about their opinions. As long as they''re working and were able toplete their tasks efficiently, he won''t bother them.


    Cayenne finished giving clothes to the twenty-four employees but there were still a lot of clothes left. "Let''s give them to those who works in the hotel. Some employees must have the same measurement as you."


    "Hn. We can drop by the hotel in the afternoon."


    Cayenne kissed his cheek and stood up from hisp. "Do you need help with your work? I might be able to help you with some things."


    "I have some documents that needed to be tranted in English. Can you do them?"


    "Sure. I had good grades in English when I was sill a student. But help me with some business terms that aren''t familiar to me."


    "Okay."


    The two of them went back to the office while Chris followed them, pulling the suitcase with him. "What do you guys want for lunch?"


    "How about we try some Japanese food this time?" Stefan asked while looking at his wife.


    "I don''t mind. I''m not picky."


    "Then, I''ll find a Japanese restaurant nearby." Chris left the suitcase near the door and closed Stefan''s office when he came out.


    "Where can I work?" Cayenne asked Stefan while looking around the ce.


    "You can sit here." Stefan pulled out his own swivel chair and opened theputer for her. "You can type the tranted version here." Then he grabbed a document from his locked drawer and gave it to her. "These are the proposals that I need your help with."


    "How about you? Aren''t you working?"


    "I just need to read some documents and give approval or rejections to it. I''ll be sitting on the couch."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne started working on the documents that Stefan wanted her to work on. She studied very hard when she was a student and she had good grades in all subjects. Sadly, she had to stop because of her family situation back then.


    Cayenne worked diligently and was very focused on her task. When Stefan looked at her, she''s really like an office assistant who works for him.


    "Honey, don''t take it so seriously. You can finish just finish three pages today and do another three pages tomorrow. The deadline for that is one month from now. You still have so much time and I can help you if you can''t meet the deadline."


    "I''m fine here. I can do this little thing."


    "Alright. If you say so."


    While the two of them worked inside his office, the stalkers were still waiting for them in the parking lot not far from thepany. They have a full view of the entrance and exit of the building, making it easy for them to spot Stefan and Cayenne if the twoes out of the ce.


    ''Ring! Ring! Ring!''


    It was Arthur calling them. As soon as the driver picked up the call, Arthur''s voice came in loud and clear. "Haven''t you found out her address yet?! If you can''t find it, just quit. I''ll hire someone else to do the job."

 Chapter 289 - A TRICK UP ON HIS SLEEVE

    <h4>Chapter 289 - A TRICK UP ON HIS SLEEVE</h4>


    "No, sir. We''ve found a great lead already but we wanted to make sure that we are right on this track. We''ll let you know in two days." The driver responded in panic. They''ve been working for two weeks now and it would be a waste for them to get fired just like this.


    "Fine. I''m giving you two days, then." Arthur dropped the call and continued to arrange the items inside his closet. These were the materials that he needed to use in order to get Cayenne back.


    Everything was falling into ces and he needed to make sure that there won''t be a chance wasted on it. "Great! Just great!" Arthurughed coldly while looking into Cayenne''s picture. "You''ll be mine soon."


    On the other hand, the people that he wanted to harass were working silently. Cayenne was busy typing the trantion on theputer while reading the documents from time to time. She''d ask Stefan whenever she sees a term that she''s not familiar with and let him exin a little about it.


    It was almost eleven o''clock and they''ll be having lunch in about an hour.


    "Hubby." Cayenne called out his name without looking at him but Stefan didn''t answer her. "Hubby, I need your help again." Still no response. Cayenne raised her head to see what he was up to but she found him lying on the couch, sleeping peacefully. "Here I was working so diligently for you and yet you''re just sleeping." She mumbled to herself as she stood up to approach him.


    ''He must be really tired.'' Cayenne went to the adjacent room and grabbed a nket to cover him. She''s not strong enough to bring him to bed so she can only put cover on him.


    Cayenne draped the quilt on her husband''s body and made sure that he was covered from his feet to his chest. When she was about to leave and continue working, Stefan grabbed her hand to stop her. Cayenne turned around and found him staring right at her.


    "Hmm? What is it?" she asked seeing that Stefan''s expression was a little restless and confused. "Are you alright? Did you have a nightmare?"


    "Ayen, don''t leave me."


    Cayenne didn''t know that he''d feel insecure as well. She thought that he''d be fine without her. She intertwined their fingers together and sat on the space beside him. "I''ll stay right here. You can take a rest."


    "Where''s my goodnight kiss?"


    "It''s not evening yet."


    "So, I can''t have kiss if it''s not evening?"


    Cayenne looked at him and sighed helplessly. "Close your eyes."


    Stefan closed his eyes and waited for a kiss from his wife. He didn''t know if things will go his way but if it does, he might receive a kickter from her.


    Cayenne tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear and leaned closer to him. She knew it''s normal to kiss her husband but she couldn''t understand why she still feel shy sometimes when initiating it.


    Feeling her warm breath close to his face, Stefan opened his eyes and pulled his wife towards him. Cayenne''s lips were tightly pressed on his. Cayenne was looking right into her husband''s eyes and saw mirth within it. He was teasing her again.


    Stefan ced his other hand on the back of her head and pushed his tongue through her teeth. Cayenne wanted to pull away but he was hugging her waist with another hand, making it impossible for her to leave him.


    His tongue swept her gums and ptes, a little bit itchy but she felt a lot better. The tension she felt earlier dissolved after several seconds and she just give in to him. ''This is my husband. What''s wrong in doing this?'' She thought to console herself.


    Stefan felt her body became soft and pliant within his arms so, he pushed himself up from the couch without breaking the kiss. He shifted their position and let her sat on hisp, giving him better ess to kiss her.


    When she was running out breath, Stefan let go of her lips to kiss the base of her ears and down to her neck. She was still gasping for air when she felt the pleasure he was giving her rose up to a higher level.


    "This is bad." Cayenne murmured while her trembled from his touch.


    "What''s bad about doing this with my lovely wife?" Stefan asked her in between kisses while slipping his hands under her shirt. His warm hands touched her waist and caressed her body up and down before it stopped on the swell of her chest.


    "Mm." Cayenne moaned softly and leaned her head on his shoulder while inhaling lots of oxygen to fill his mind and body. "I¡­we¡­we''re inside your office. Someone mighte inside and see us."


    "That''s not a problem." Stefan took out his hands beneath her shirt and lifted her up. "Let''s find a bedroom, then." He carried her to the adjacent room, after pressing the button under the coffee table to lock the office door.


    Stefanid her on the bed and kissed her once again, forgetting the fact that they still have pending works outside.


    Things happened so fast and she didn''t even know how he got rid of their clothes. Her brain was fuzzy and she felt dizzy with the pleasure that his tongue and hands brought.


    Trapped beneath his powerful body, Cayenne couldn''t move, couldn''t breathe. He was gazing at her with those burning lust in his eyes. Yet, when his teeth scraped the swell of her breast, the erotic enticement sent her arching towards his mouth.


    While his mouth worked wonders with her body, his hands weren''t idle either. He put two fingers inside her and thrusted it in and out, eliciting sexy moans from her. If Cayenne didn''t know that the room was sound proofed, she would definitely cover her face with a pillow.


    Stefan was happy with her reaction and without waiting much longer, he inserted his thick and long shaft within her. It''s been a while since they''ve done this and the pleasure brought fireworks exploding at the back of her head. Every push and every pull brought her to the edge of ecstasy.


    "You can move however you want. I won''t mind." Cayenne told him which stunned Stefan. Usually, she would ask him to be a little gentler but this time, she encouraged him to do what he wanted instead.


    "Ayen, I love you."


    "I know and I love you, too."


    Outside Stefan''s office, Chris was standing not knowing what to do. He''s got important documents that needed to be sign as soon as possible but no one opened the door after he knocked on it. "Well, they must be busy. I''ll juste backter."

 Chapter 290 - REGRETTING HER QUESTION

    <h4>Chapter 290 - REGRETTING HER QUESTION</h4>


    Stefan and Cayenne were covered with sweats from that intense lovemaking and their clothes were all crumpled, piled up at the foot of their bed.


    "I''ll ask someone to buy you a change of clothes." Stefan told Cayenne and went outside the room with a robe on. He called the assistant secretary directly instead of calling Chris. "I need you to buy some clothes for me. I want a ¡­" Stefan mentioned the clothes that he wanted her to buy including the sizes. Not just clothes but underwear as well. "I need it A.S.A.P."


    "On it, sir." The assistant secretary saved her work on herputer and left the office in a hurry.


    Seeing her fleeing like she saw a ghost, Chris looked towards the CEO''s office. "They were indeed busy." He told himself before getting back to work. They still have few minutes left before lunch break but since the secretary left in a hurry, he knew that they''d be having ate lunch this time. Although, it will be extended to cover up the one-hour break.


    After giving the instructions, Stefan went back to the adjacent room and found Cayenne folding the clothes that he removed earlier. "Let''s take a bath first. The clothes should be here once we''re done."


    "Do you want to use the shower or the bathtub?"


    "Whichever you like is fine."


    "Let''s have a rxing bath in your tub then." Cayenne got inside the bathroom first to prepare the warm bath. Stefan took a shower first to wash his body while waiting for her to prepare whatever she wanted to put in the tub.


    After preparing the warm bath, Stefan washed Cayenne''s body before the two of them got inside the tub together. Cayenne was sitting right in front of him, leaning her head on his chest while Stefan hugged her small waist.


    "We''ll bete for lunch and the secretary, too."


    "It''s fine. Either you have an early lunch or ate lunch, I always give my employees an hour break for lunch."


    "I see. I didn''t know that you also implement that in your mainpany."


    "In all businesses I owned, I have this working policy. I know that work can be tiring so giving breaks can be a little motivation for them."


    Cayenne closed her eyes while feeling the beat of his heart. "My sudden resignation must have been a shock to Ms. Kim. When we visited the hotelst time, I didn''t get the chance to talk to her because she was so busy."


    "Manager Kim already expected your resignation but she didn''t expect that I was unaware of it. She thought I told you to resign from work."


    "I felt really bad when I did it but my emotions were so difficult to deal that time. I don''t even know how I pulled myself through it and survive."


    "It''s because you''re strong that you''re able to pull yourself together." Stefan responded with a faint smile on his lips. "You''re strong and brave to let me enter your world again. And Ayen, I''m so happy for that. I really thought that we''d end up separated. That really scared me."


    "Well, it''s in the past now. Let''s forget about it." Cayenne dropped the topic and took hold of his hand to intertwined it with hers. "Let''s just live at the present while thinking of the future. Let''s not think of what happened in the past."


    "If you say so. I''ll follow your words."


    They talked about other things while taking a warm bath together. When the water was a bit colder, they got out of the tub and Stefan drained the water while Cayenne put on her robe.


    "Do you have a hair dryer here?" Cayenne asked and while rummaging in his cabs, she realized something. Stefan didn''t put a condom on. ''It''s good, then. We can have a baby if this continues to happen.'' She thought to herself without letting him know what she had in mind.


    She found the hairdryer and started drying her hair while Stefan rinsed the tub to make sure that it was clean. "I''ll dry your hair after that." Cayenne told him in which Stefan nodded his head with eagerness.


    And like how he guessed it, the assistant secretary arrived when Cayenne and Stefan were done taking a bath and drying their hair.


    The secretary gave the clothes to Chris and told him to send the clothes inside the office.


    Chris knocked on the door and Stefan opened it to grab the bags that Chris was holding. "We''ll be leaving for lunch in while and Ayen wanted your assistant toe with us. Please inform her on my behalf."


    "Sure."


    Stefan and Cayenne changed to the new clothes that the assistant secretary bought for them. "Is the size okay?" Stefan asked Cayenne while helping her hook her bra behind her.


    "Why do you even ask when you know exactly what''s my size?"


    "Nothing. I just thought that they''ve be a little bigger under my hands earlier."


    Cayenne elbowed his stomach which made Stefanugh out loud. "Shameless pervert."


    "That''s how I am when I''m with you." Stefan whispered and lightly bit her earlobe. "Done." He picked up her blouse and put it on her.


    "Why did you choose a shirt and a pair of jeans for me? A dress would have been fine."


    "I can easily slip my hands under your shirt."


    Cayenne face-palmed herself, regretting why she asked him such question.


    After dressing up, the two of them went out of the room to meet with Chris and the assistant secretary. "Let''s go." Stefan stated as he walked with Cayenne beside him.


    "Sweet." The assistant secretarymented while following them with Chris beside her.


    "I know, right. They''re so sweet that you''d start worrying if any ants woulde crawling on your feet." The assistant secretary giggled at his response while stealing nces at him.


    "How about you, sir Chris? Do you have any girlfriend? You will definitely understand the CEO and thedy boss once you have a girlfriend."


    "I don''t have a girlfriend." Chris replied with a smile on his lips. The assistant secretary was happy for a moment but her heart was soon broken with his next words. "But I have someone I''m interested in. I''m currently seeing her but I am not sure if I''d be lucky enough to be his man."


    "Oh! Good luck, then. I hope you will be sessful in pursuing her." she smiled at him but she can already hear the cracking sound of her own heart.

 Chapter 291 - NOT A LITTLE ANGEL

    <h4>Chapter 291 - NOT A LITTLE ANGEL</h4>


    On the way to the restaurant that Chris booked, Cayenne and Stefan were sitting at the back, whispering and giggling with whatever the two of them talked.


    Chris was driving the car with great focus while the assistant secretary remained quiet the whole time. She''d answer if she''s asked but she didn''t initiate a conversation like she did earlier. If truth be told, she was spacing out the whole time as if she was stuck at something that she couldn''t get out from her mind.


    "Good afternoon. A reservation made by Mr. Hawkins please." Chris told the waitress who met them at the door.


    "This way, please." The waitress politely bowed her head and led them to the VIP room that Chris reserved for them.


    The four of them sat on each side of the table but Stefan pulled his chair towards Cayenne to sit closer to her. "You can order whatever you like." Stefan told them while he sat leisurely beside her.


    "Alright. I''ll pick whatever I like and you''ll have to eat the same food that I will eat." Cayenne told him with narrowed eyes.


    "Sure. I''m not picky." Stefan responded which Cayenne roll her eyes at him. This mannerism became a habit already whenever the two of them were together.


    "Sure, you''re not." Cayenne replied even though they both knew how picky he was. And Chris knew this, too. She turned to the assistant secretary who was still quiet and smiled at her. "Don''t be shy. Just order the food that you like. Your CEO will be paying for this."


    Chris chuckled hearing her words but he didn''t say anything. He started ordering some dishes and the waitress was quick enough to list everything that he mentioned. Then, the assistant secretary gave her orders as well before Jillyanna said anything. She was thest to order among them but she ordered a lot.


    And while listening to her, Stefan knew that half of the dishes she ordered where the food that he likes. "My wife is very considerate." Stefanmented with a wide grin on his face.


    "I''m not. I just thought it would be fair since you''re paying for it."


    "Why won''t you pay for our lunch instead?"


    "No way. I''m saving my money for something." Cayenne replied almost instantly.


    "Is that all you need ma''am?" The waitress asked to make sure that she won''t mess up with the orders.


    "Yup. That''s all." Cayenne smiled at the waitress.


    "Alright. Please give us fifteen minutes to fulfill all the orders." The waitress left and the four of them were left inside the room on their own.


    Since they''ve got nothing to do while waiting, they talked about some things that weren''t rted to business. In the middle of the conversation, Chris remembered something.


    "By the way, I''d like to show this to you." He pulled out his phone and looked for the saved pages on his social media ount where he stored the recent video of Cayenne and Stefan at the mall. "I was truly surprised with what Jillyanna and Riley did." He handed his phone to Cayenne and she watched the video together with Stefan.


    Watching the video, Cayenne felt the butterflies on her stomach. She didn''t know they''d look really sweet when it was all normal to her. Stefan looked really adorable instead of the business devil that people knew.


    After watching the video which garnered a lot of attention, Cayenne and Stefan started reading thements. The most hatedment which received lots of replies was none other than from the man who said that Cayenne was using Stefan to gain privileges. And the thing caught everyone''s attention was the very first reply to thement. It wasing from Jillyanna''s ount.


    Cayenne was really surprised with what she was seeing. Being acknowledged as a friend in private and being acknowledged as a friend in public were two different things. She never thought that a day woulde for Jillyanna to acknowledge their friendship in public. And Riley did the same.


    "They really like you." Stefanmented after reading thements from Jillyanna and Riley. "Howe they like you more than me?"


    "Because I''m a sweet little angel."


    "You''re a sweet angel but you''re not little." Stefan retorted, getting pouty lips from her instead. "Fine. Fine. You''re a little angel."


    "I know."


    Watching them, the assistant secretary couldn''t help herself but smile. And to make everyone envious, she secretly took pictures of them and uploaded it in the employees'' chat forum. "I''m eating with our handsome CEO and beautifuldy boss."


    "You''re having lunch with them?! Why?"


    "I''m so envious."


    "I want to spend time with thedy boss and the CEO, too."


    "Is this a double date? Sir Chris must be with you, right?"


    Reading the word date, the assistant secretary couldn''t stop herself from feeling disappointed. Even so, she didn''t tell anyone inside the forum that the secretary liked someone.


    Fifteen minutester, their orders arrived and they finally started eating. Cayenne made ced food on Stefan''s te while Stefan ced food on Cayenne''s te. The two of them were really taking care of each other.


    On the first floor of the restaurant, the stalkers also stayed to have lunch. Although the dishes were expensive, they didn''t mind it as long as they can follow Cayenne and Stefan. They ordered the cheapest dishes and took their time to eat them, waiting for the couple toe out of the VIP room they were in.


    Two days, they''re only given two more days to aplish everything and get the rest of the payment. They couldn''t afford to mess up now.


    They were eating like turtles with the few dishes on their table but they didn''t mind it as long as they will get some results.


    Almost an hourter, Stefan came out with his wife followed by Chris and the assistant secretary. The stalkers ate their remaining dishes and waved for the waitress toe and settled their bill.


    "Please hurry up. We still have other matters to do." The other man told the waitress while following Cayenne''s group with their eyes.

 Chapter 292 - EVERYONE CARES ABOUT THEM HAVING A BABY

    <h4>Chapter 292 - EVERYONE CARES ABOUT THEM HAVING A BABY</h4>


    In the afternoon, Cayenne continued tranting the documents that Stefan gave her.? Stefan also worked his best while Chris assisted him on some other matters. They attended a meeting at two in the afternoon so, the assistant secretary was told to apany Cayenne inside the CEO office while Stefan and Chris were gone.


    "You like Chris, don''t you?" Cayenne asked thedy who seemed looked to be of the same age as her.


    The assistant secretary nodded her head since there''s no point in denying it. She also believed that thedy boss won''t tell Chris about her feelings.


    Cayenne looked at her and smiled faintly. "Chris likes someone. It''s the very first time that he likes someone romantically."


    "Hn. He told me about it."


    "I see." Cayenne paused from her work and thought about her next words carefully. She didn''t like the woman to go made like Arthur. Being obsess about someone who can''t be yours isn''t a good thing. It will only lead you to destruction. "I can see that you are a very capable woman. You are cheerful and I heard a lot of things about you when ites to work. You like Chris but Chris likes someone else and that someone loves him back. What do you have in mind? Do you want to fight for your love?"


    The assistant secretary shook her head. "I will surely lose this battle. I won''t force myself into his life and I won''t force to be mine either. He won''t be happy with me and I won''t be happy either. I don''t like that kind of love. I''m still young so, I don''t need to hurry in this matter. Rtionship isn''t a race."


    "I''m d to hear that. I don''t want you to get hurt as well and I don''t want you to be awkward around him. Chris sees you like his little sister. I hope you still continue to work here despite what you know."


    "Don''t worrydy boss, I''m a professional worker. I won''t let my emotions affect my work. And I will surely stay here because I am paid higherpared to other assistant secretaries. Hehehe."


    Cayenne was happy to see that her emotions were back on track and she wasn''t gloomy anymore. "I''m sure, someone who will treasure you and who will understand you wille to you soon. Just wait for him patiently."


    "Thank you for your encouraging words,dy boss."


    "No big deal. I just don''t want you to be like one of the people I know." Cayenne thought about Arthur and sighed. She didn''t really know what went wrong and when everything went wrong.


    Half an hourter, the meeting was adjourned and Stefan came back from the conference room. Cayenne finished two pages in the afternoon and the two of them decided to call it a day from thepany. They left Chris to handle the rest while the two of them went to Clover Hotel in order to distribute the remaining clothes to the men who got the same size as Stefan. At this point, it was manager Kim who helped them and brought fifteen men who have the same measurement as Stefan. Since there were still remaining clothes after that, Cayenne and Stefan left the hotel to go to a resort that Stefan owned.


    They were enjoying their time together, going to a hotel after another hotel and from restaurants to another restaurants.


    The stalker who have been following them all day long had never felt so exhausted until this time. In the past, they didn''t have to travel around the city to follow Chris but now that the two of them were following the target themselves, they actually found out how tiring it was.


    Around six in the evening, Stefan and Cayenne came home. Erwin already finished cooking their food for dinner, just waiting for them toe home.


    "Young miss, sir Reuben will being tomorrow." Erwin informed Cayenne over dinner.


    "Why?"


    "I don''t know. He didn''t say anything."


    "Alright. It doesn''t matter. He cane whenever he wants." Cayenne replied nonchntly while putting food of Stefan''s te. "I''ll introduce you to my real father tomorrow."


    "Okay. I''m looking forward to that." Stefan ate his food heartily thinking how he can leave a good impression to Cayenne''s biological father. They have met before when he was looking for Cayenne but he wasn''t really sure if the man approves of him. Although it doesn''t matter anymore because he''s married to Cayenne, he still didn''t want to have any disputes with his father-inw.


    "Don''t think too much about." Cayenne whispered while pouring a ss of juice for him. "We''re married already. Either he epts it or not, it won''t matter."


    "I trust your words more than anyone else." Stefan responded and kissed Cayenne''s cheek. "I will follow no one but you."


    "Hn. You''re my husband after all."


    Erwin who was watching them never felt so lonely until this moment of his life. He was being fed with dog food almost everyday in this household.


    "Are you guys nning to have a child soon?" Erwin asked them while eating.


    "Nope. But if the babyes then, it''s good." Cayenne replied with a smile but Stefan frowned at this. He just realized that he didn''t put any condom when they made love earlier.


    He looked towards Cayenne who wasn''t afraid or bothered with having children at all. "Are you really okay with it? It would be very painful to give birth."


    "My dysmenorrhea is more painful." Cayenne retorted which Stefan couldn''t find anything to refute. "And besides, that will be our baby. At least, I get some result after the pain." ''I don''t understand why everyone cares about me having a baby soon.'' Cayenne added mentally while keeping a nonchnt expression on her face.


    "How about when you turn twenty-five? You might want to do other things now. So, do whatever you want and then we can have a baby when you turn twenty-five."


    "A mother at twenty-six. It doesn''t sound so bad." Cayenne replied happily but, in her mind, having a baby now or when she''s twenty-five didn''t have any difference. Stefan was just such a scaredy-cat whenever ites to Cayenne''s suffering.


    Cayenne was still hopeful that she''ll have a baby soon since Stefan didn''t wear any condom but the next day she was met disappointment. Her period arrived and she was curling her body in pain.


    "Damn it! I forgot the date." She cursed and whimpered on her bed while Stefan busied himself in the kitchen. This was what he was talking about. He didn''t want to see her in pain.

 Chapter 293 - GUESTS I

    <h4>Chapter 293 - GUESTS I</h4>


    Stefan brought her a hot ginger soup and a hotpress. "Let me help you up." He lifted her up and arranged the pillows before putting her back to sit on the bed. "Here''s the hotpress for you. You press it on your lower stomach while I feed you."


    "I hate this." Cayenne mumbled while pressing thepress on her body. "It''s painful."


    "Where''s my brave and strong wife who talked about having children yesterday?" Stefan teased which made Cayenne pursed her lips and endure the pain. "Giving birth is said to be more painful than this."


    "At least, we''ll see our baby after the pain. Unlike this, after the pain I''ll have to wait for another month and I''ll be in pain again."


    "I wish I can take it away from you." Stefan sighed with an upset expression on his face. She hated her period? He hated it, too ¨C not really the period but the pain it brings to her. Other people don''t suffer like her every month.


    Stefan scooped some soup and blew it before feeding her. "Are you going to thepany?" Cayenne asked after swallowing the soup.


    "I won''t. I''ll stay here with you. Chris wille to give me whatever that needed my attention."


    "What about my work?"


    "You can work on it once you''re fine. Don''t think too much about it."


    Cayenne nodded her head and opened her mouth for another spoonful of the soup that Stefan made. After few minutes, Cayenne finished the whole bowl of soup and felt a little better. "I''m going to sleep."


    "Okay." Stefan helped her to lie down on bed covered her with the thick quilt. "I''ll just bring this to the kitchen. I''ll be right back."


    Cayenne watched him leave the room while she clutched on the hotpress she''s holding. ''If I get pregnant now and I give birth, the next time I have my period, will I still be in pain?'' Cayenne thought about this as she stared on the closed door. ''I''ll ask someone about thister.''


    Hershes fluttered while waiting for Stefan. Her eyelids were drooping low, an obvious sign that she was drowsy but she stayed awake to wait for Stefan.


    The door opened and Cayenne''s eyes immediately widened to see her husbanding inside. "Why aren''t you sleeping yet?"


    "I''m waiting for you." Cayenne murmured while covering her mouth with the nket.


    Stefan paused on his track for awhile upon hearing her response. His wife looked so cute under the nket. "I''m sorry to keep you waiting." He continued walking and got on the bed to lie beside her.


    Cayenne turned to face him and felt that her lower tummy wasn''t that painful anymore. "I want a hug."


    Stefan kissed the tip of her nose and grinned. "A hug it is." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her body even closer to him. "Just go to sleep. I''ll hold thepress for you."


    "Thank you." She pressed her face on his chest, inhaling his masculine scent to calm herself.


    Perhaps it was because she was drowsy or perhaps it was because she finally felt rxed that Cayenne fell asleep not even five minutes after Stefan stayed with her.


    Stefan watched her sleeping face and found her forehead were dotted with cold sweats. He wanted to give her a child but he didn''t want her to feel pain. If possible, she''d bare the pain for her during her monthly period. Sadly, there''s no way to do that. He wipes the cold sweats with the back of his hand and kissed it.


    Around ten in the morning, a car arrived in Cayenne''s property and Erwin came to open the gate for the guests. Obviously, it was Reuben Montefalco. He already said that he''d be visiting his daughter but now, Cayenne was still sleeping in the arms of her husband.


    "Erwin, where''s Cayenne?" Reuben asked the moment he stepped out of the car. He walked to the other side of the car and opened the door to help his wifee down.


    "Young miss is still sleeping."


    "Sleeping? It''s almost lunch time." Reubenmented as he looked towards the house. It was well-maintained and the garden was well-groomed as well.


    Erwin bowed his head slightly as he spoke. "Young miss is currently suffering from her monthly period. Her husband is taking care of her but she fell asleep."


    "Oh." Reuben didn''t say anything and just strode inside the house. Walking beside him was Ingrid, his wedded wife.


    "It seems like they''re doing good." Ingridmented as she stepped inside the house.


    "I trust that man to take care of her no matter what happens or else, I can just take my daughter away and never let him see her again."


    "Are you sure your daughter wille with you?"


    Reuben pressed his lips into thin line and didn''tment on his wife''s question. There''s no need toment on it because he knew the answer to it. Cayenne will never go with him.


    Stefan didn''t want to be unhospitable towards his father-inw so, he slipped out of the bed, covered his wife with thick quilt and left the room in tiptoes. He was just about to close the door when he realized something - she''ll be looking for him once she wakes up.


    Stefan came back inside, opened her phone and dialed his own phone number. After he answered the call, he let it continue while cing Cayenne''s phone on the bedside table. In this way, he''d be able to hear any sound that''sing from her.


    He connected the call to his Bluetooth earphone and finally left the room to face the guests. Erwin was currently serving them some refreshments when Stefan came down to see them.


    "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Montefalco." Stefan greeted them while keeping half of his attention to the silence backgrounding from his call.


    "No need for formalities. How''s my daughter?"


    "She''s sleeping right now." Stefan answered before sitting on the couch across them. "She''ll be awake soon."


    "Thank you for taking care of her."


    "That''s what a husband should do." Stefan replied without thinking that the man in front of him once abandoned his wife and child.

 Chapter 294 - GUESTS II

    <h4>Chapter 294 - GUESTS II</h4>


    Stefan and Reuben talked most of the time while Ingrid observed the ce that the couple stayed. There were pictures of Cayenne and Stefan all over the ce and there were things she found cute but she couldn''t have. For example, when she got inside, there was a cab on the side of the door containing lots of slippers and shoes. There were two boxes of slippers with the same style but different colors. There were shoes of the same style and same color but different sizes. They''re obviously some couple items that Stefan and Cayenne owned.


    In her decades of marriage, she never had any couple items with Reuben. She loves him but he doesn''t love her. Although he was forced to stay with her, Reuben never med her ¨C not even once. He remained respectful to her and he tried to understand her but there were things that he''ll never give in to her. He won''t love her, won''t have a child with her and he won''t have those couple items with her.


    Ingrid didn''t force him on anything that he didn''t want. When the elders of both families forced them to have children, she always had an excuse to divert their attention away from them.


    Is she happy? Sometimes, she was. Sometimes, she wasn''t.


    When she decided to let him go, Emerald already found someone she loves. And even though life was hard for her and her family, she didn''t ask for help and she didn''t use Cayenne against Reuben to get some money. And so, Cayenne grew up without meeting her biological father until the funeral.


    "Mrs. Montefalco, are alright?" Stefan asked which brought Ingrid back to reality.


    She looked at him and faintly smiled. "I''m fine. I was just looking around the ce and got lost in thoughts. Did Cayenne choose those cute slippers at the door?"


    "For the couple slippers, I chose those. The slippers for guests were chosen by my wife."


    "You chose the couple items? Was the video in the social media true, then?" Ingrid questioned with a teasing smile. "I watched that video of you and Cayenne in the mall."


    "Oh! That? I never thought it would go viral. Hahaha." Stefan chuckled while scratching the side of his face awkwardly. He didn''t expect that Reuben''s wife would watch it, too. "I like having matching items with her and Cayenne just let me do whatever I want."


    Reuben looked at his wife and then to Stefan. He seemed to realize something but he didn''t say anything.


    "Stefan?" The voice sounded so close yet so far and there was still traces of drowsiness in her voice.


    "Excuse me. My wife is calling me." Stefan stood up and ran upstairs to get back to Cayenne. He had been away for almost half an hour already.


    Reuben watched him fled the living room and ran upstairs in a hurry. "I didn''t hear any sounding from upstairs. How did he know that Cayenne was awake and was looking for him?"


    "I always thought you''re smart. Howe you''re stupid, today?" Ingrid berated but she still exined it to him. "Stefan had his earphone on since he arrived and his cellphone was blinking. Obviously, he was having a call. And if I guess it correctly, the call was from his wife''s phone. He left it open so that he could hear her if something happens or if she needs him."


    Reuben was at loss. He never expected that Stefan would be this concern to the point that he''ll have an ongoing call just to respond to her as soon as needed.


    "I guess, it''s really toote to be her father now." Reubenmented. "She no longer needs her father. Her husband and her brothers are more than enough for her."


    Ingrid wanted to say something but she hesitated. She didn''t want to hurt him but she also wanted to make him realize something. After seconds of deliberation, she still asked, "Did you forget that her stepdad hase out of the jail?"


    "He did? How?"


    "Basically, the crime involved Alexander Dumrique, Stefan''s older brother. However, Stefan asked someone to reinvestigate this matter and it turned out that Jonas Slyvester wasn''t really a criminal. He was freed from jail not long ago and he''s currently staying in Peach Wood Subdivision, specifically in the house that Stefan and Cayenne used to live."


    Reuben took a deep breath and sighed. ''How many more things have you done in my behalf?'' In the past years, he found out that Ingrid helped Cayenne with her studies. She told the school to offer a schrship to her without letting her know where it came from. She also helped her find decent part-time jobs when she was studying.


    And the recent event that she paid a lot was Emerald''s hospitalization. She paid the medical bills under someone else''s name which led back to him. She has done so much for him but Reuben couldn''t remember a time that he''s done something for her.


    "Ingrid, are you happy with me?" Reuben asked out of the blue which stunned his wife. "I mean, I haven''t done anything for you in our years of marriage."


    "Ah? Oh. You don''t have to do anything. I won''t ask you to do anything, too. I''m doing fine." Ingrid waved her hands in front of her to dismiss everything. It didn''t matter how it hurts her as long as he can help Reuben. After all, she stole him away from the person that he really loves.


    "I''m ¨C"


    "Dad!" Cayenne called out happily and walked down the stairs with Stefan. "Sorry, I was sleeping earlier."


    "It''s fine. It''s fine. Are you doing okay now?" Reuben asked.


    "Hn. Stefan took care of me." Cayenne looked towards the pretty woman beside her father and guessed her identity already but she still asked his father, "Who is she?"


    Reuben looked towards his wife and back to his daughter. "This is Ingrid. She''s my wife." Then, he turned to his wife and introduced his daughter. "This is Cayenne. My daughter."


    Ingrid didn''t know what to do facing Reuben''s daughter now. The little girl that she robbed off a father was now standing in front of her.


    "Hello, auntie. It''s nice to meet you. Thank you for taking care of my father." Cayenne bowed her head in gratitude. When she raised her head, there was no trace of disgust or hate on her face. She was smiling genuinely at her.

 Chapter 295 - HEART-TO-HEART CONVERSATION

    <h4>Chapter 295 - HEART-TO-HEART CONVERSATION</h4>


    Cayenne sat on the couch where Stefan sat earlier. Stefan sat beside her while intertwining their hands together. It was his form of support at this point where she''s facing the person who broke her family. But he knew that Cayenne wasn''t holding a grudge towards the woman.


    When Stefan came back to see her few minutes ago, Stefan told her about the guests waiting for her downstairs.


    "Your father and his wife are currently waiting for you in the living room." Stefan said without adding anything.


    "Is she a good person?"


    "As far as I''ve heard, she''s a good person."


    "Okay. I''lle and see them." Cayenne stood up and Stefan helped her change her clothes.


    "Are you really okay? It''s not painful anymore?"


    "I''m a lot better now."


    Stefan nodded his head and just assisted her. He didn''t want to stop her from meeting them either; he just wanted to dy it a little bit.


    Sitting across them now, Stefan observed his wife and the people in front of them. Ingrid was a little tense. Reuben wasxed but a bit worried. Cayenne? She was sitting like a queen, dignified despite the painful dysmenorrhea she was feeling.


    "Do you want to stay for lunch? I don''t get visitors every day so I''m happy to have you for lunch." Cayenne invited them to disperse the cold and awkward atmosphere hovering over them.


    "Are you going to cook?" Reuben asked her, anticipating to taste a dish made by his own daughter.


    Cayenne scratched the tip of her nose while shaking her head. "My husband and Erwin will be cooking today."


    "I see." Disappointment reflected on his face upon getting the opposite answer to what he wanted to hear. "Can I help, then? I want to let you taste a dish that I''m proud of."


    "I don''t mind." Stefan answered when Cayenne wanted to refuse it. "It would be great for me to spend time with my father-inw, don''t you think so?" Stefan asked Cayenne who had no other choice but to agree.


    "Sure. I''ll be keeping Auntiepany here." Cayenne let go of his hand and smiled at him. "We''ll take a walk outside."


    "Okay. If you feel ufortable, just let me know." Stefan kissed her head and walked to the kitchen with Reuben following him.


    Cayenne looked towards Ingrid, sizing her up to feel what kind of woman she was. "Do you want to take a walk with me outside? We have a lovely garden here."


    "I heard that you''re spending time with your vegetable garden. Can I see it?"


    "Sure." Cayenne led the woman to the backyard of her house where her vegetable garden was located. In the morning, she will water the nts with the help of Stefan and Erwin to make it easier for her. "These are the veggies that we have so far. My husband and Erwin helped me with it and sometimes, my brothers woulde home to help me as well."


    "Do you like nting?"


    "I''m not sure but I enjoy doing this recently."


    Ingrid was silent for while staring at the nts in front of her. Based on the leaves, she could tell what they were and she thought that Cayenne was very practical in life.


    "Did you nt these because you don''t want to go to the market?"


    "Bingo!" Cayenne smiled as she touched the leaves of the tomatoes in front of her. "The malls or supermarkets are quite far from this ce and the veggies being sold by them are expensive. Thus, I came up with this idea. How did you know that I was busy nting these veggies here?"


    "That''s because Erwin reports to your father every day. He''s worried about you after what happened to your mother." Ingrid waited to see Cayenne''s reaction but she was silently staring at the green leaves in front of her. "Cayenne, are you not angry with me? I took your father away and broke your family."


    Cayenne raised her head to look at the woman in front of her who looked so frail and weak. "Are you happy with my father? Are you living a good life as a married couple?"


    Ingrid bit her lips and shook her head. She looked for a ce to sit but couldn''t find anything aside from the green grasnd under the huge tree at the garden. "I wanted to return your father eight years after our marriage but your mother was already happy with someone else. I didn''t want to ruin her happiness again so, I decided to keep our marriage."


    "When my father left, I didn''t know how my mother felt that time but I could still remember how happy she was with me and she was happier when Jonas came. Although life was hard after some events, she never looked for my father again. It wasn''t because she hated him but because she was afraid that my father would take me away from her."


    "Did you ever ask her about your father?"


    "I did. However, at some point, I gave up and never mentioned him again. I didn''t know I''d still find him and meet him when I almost lost everything." Cayenne led the woman to take shelter under the huge tree and sat on the grasnd under it. "It must have been hard on you, too."


    "It was but I epted my fate. I was selfish and only thought of myself which is why I won''t ask him to do anything for me. I''m okay with our current situation in life."


    "But he''s not treating you badly, right?"


    "Nope. He''s always been respectful to me and he tried to understand me oftentimes. We never argued as well."


    "Aren''t you hurt when hees to see my mother secretly?"


    "It does hurt but I can''t do anything about it. Your father loves your mother so much. I can only allow him to do that in order to ease my guilt." Ingrid looked up on the bright sky and blinked her tears away. "I wouldn''t mind if you get angry with me, you know. I already prepared myself to face your wrath but I didn''t prepare myself to receive your kindness."


    "Why should I be angry with you? It all happened in the past. Maybe, my mother and my father weren''t bound for each other. Maybe he was really meant for you but he just happened to know my mother first before he found you. You know, if you''re not fated for each other, no matter what you do, you won''t end up together. And it''s the same thing for fated couple. No matter what happens, if they''re fated together, they will still end up together ¨C no one can separate them."


    Ingrid couldn''t hold back her tears anymore. They burst out like a dam and flowed down her face. The strong current of her guilt and conscience that she had been holding on for decades hase out.


    "I''m sorry. I''m really sorry." Ingrid chanted these words again and again while wiping her tears with the back of her hands.

 Chapter 296 - ARTHUR KNOWS

    <h4>Chapter 296 - ARTHUR KNOWS</h4>


    Cayenne could only pat the woman''s back without saying anything. She wouldn''t say she wasn''t hurt when her father left Emerald for another woman but at the end of the day, her mother found someone else. Everything happened in the past and she didn''t her past to disturb her present and future so, she decided to let go of any grudge and resentment against Ingrid.


    "Thank you, Cayenne." Ingrid mumbled.


    "No big deal. I just hope you''d continue to take care of my father. And even though your marriage wasn''t built out of love, I''m sure he still cares for you because he chose to stay by your side."


    Ingrid lifted her head and looked at her. She wiped her tears away and didn''tment on Cayenne. Among everyone, she knew Reuben better. She knew why he stayed beside her in all these years despite the fact that he didn''t love her ¨C it was to protect Cayenne and Emerald.


    When they got married, he told her that he wouldn''t love her and he wouldn''t have a child with her. He even attempted to go back to Emerald but he stopped after getting a call from his own parents. The lives of the two women he cared about in exchange of his freedom from his marriage, which one will he choose? Reuben didn''t choose to be willful because he knew that his parents will do what they''re saying. How could he bare to see them dead just to escape his marriage? So, he endured it until the woman he loves found someone else.


    "Auntie, maybe my mother was angry during the few years that she was all alone with only me keeping herpany. But I believed that my mother forgave you already so, free yourself from guilt now. I''m living happily with my family and I hope you can be happy as well."


    "Hn." Ingrid nodded her head but only time can tell if she''s really going to be happy.


    Inside the kitchen, Reuben was slicing vegetables with a deep concern reflecting his face. He was anxious the longer Cayenne and Ingrid stayed together on their own.


    "Stefan, you knew your wife better than me knowing her as my daughter, do you think she''ll fight Ingrid?"


    "What do you think?" Stefan retorted while putting the seasoning on the meat he was cooking.


    "I''m asking you because I don''t know."


    "What about your wife? Is she going to fight Cayenne specially now that you''vee back to act as her father?"


    "I don''t need to act ¨C I''m her biological father."


    "I know that but you were absent for over a decade from her life. I''m not sure how stepmothers feel but she shouldn''t be feeling happy knowing that Cayenne''s back to take possession of your heart."


    "Ingrid isn''t that kind of woman." Reuben replied with deep conviction. "I believe that my wife won''t do anything that could harm my daughter."


    "Since she''s not a promiscuous woman then, there''s no need to worry. If I guess it right, Cayenne already forgave her for taking you away in the past."


    Reuben breathed a sigh of relief with his words. He didn''t know how Cayenne felt but he still wanted them to meet because Ingrid was his other half. In the long run, Cayenne would still meet her sooner orter. It''s better to let them know each other now.


    The two of them continued cooking while Erwin monitored the surroundings of the house through the hidden cameras installed. The stalkers who have been following Stefan and Cayenne for a long time now were hiding behind the thick foliage and bushes. They were looking at the house like eagles looking at their preys. Not far from where they''re hiding, the secret guards were also looking at the stalkers, waiting for Stefan''s instruction to capture them if they do something that could threaten the lives of the people living in the property.


    Fortunately for these two stalkers, they weren''t doing anything out of hand.


    "Let''s tell the boss already. I believe that these is where they live. They''ve been staying here the whole day and someone visited them as well. I firmly think this is their residence." The other man who used to drive the carmented towards hisrade.


    "Alright. I''ll let the boss know where the exact location is." The other man pulled out his phone and dialed Arthur''s number while keeping eyes to the house not far from them.


    "Yes?" Arthur''s voice resounded through the earpiece. He was obviously losing his patience from the two people he hired.


    "Sir, we''ve confirmed their address now. It''s in ¡­." The man gave Arthur theplete address where Cayenne and Stefan lives. "I there anything you want us to do, sir?"


    "Nothing else. I have transferred the remaining money to your ounts. You can leave that ce and let me handle the rest. I can''t involve other people in this. And you better not tell anyone about this or I''lle for your heads instead."


    "You can be rest assured that we''ll not say anything boss. Our lips are sealed."


    "Alright. You''re free now."


    "Thank you, boss." The two men fled from Cayenne''s property and went back to where they parked their car. They got inside the vehicle, checked their bank ounts to confirm the money transfer and left the ce. They no longer cared for what will happen and they wouldn''t say anything as well because even if they''re indirectly involved, they can still be considered aplice for getting the address for Arthur.


    Arthur read the address that he wrote down on the paper. When he searched for it on the map, he found out that it was quite far from the city. "My Cayenne, no matter how far you hide, I can still find you. There''s no ce in this world that I couldn''t reach." Arthur murmured with an evil smile appearing on his lips. He''s well prepared for his n and he couldn''t wait to put them into use. However, he decided to let them put their guards down before he''ll strike. He wouldn''t act recklessly.


    ''Stefan, if you think you can outwit me, you''re wrong.'' He thought to himself before lying on the bed with victorious smile. He was so sure that he''d win against Cayenne''s husband.

 Chapter 297 - CAUGHT IN THE ACT

    <h4>Chapter 297 - CAUGHT IN THE ACT</h4>


    Cayenne and Ingrid went back inside the house after the older woman had calmed down. Cayenne showed her some pictures of her when she was still a child as well as pictures of her siblings. Ingrid was happy that Cayenne didn''t hate her and she was finally able to rx around her.


    "Lunch is ready. Let''s go and eat." Reuben took the two of them and led them to the dining area. They ate their food happily, ignoring the unhappy events in the past.


    Stefan served Cayenne wholeheartedly while she held on to the hotpress on her lower stomach. She didn''t fell any pain earlier but in the middle of having lunch, the pain came back.


    "Are you really alright?" Ingrid asked her. "I haven''t experienced any pain during my monthly visit so, I don''t know how to remedy that kind of pain."


    "I''m fine. I''ll be okay after some time. It''s not as painful as it came this morning. Stefan and I know how to handle this. Let''s just eat. Once I feel warm, the pain will be gone."


    "O-okay."


    Cayenne didn''t show any painful expression on her face in order to prevent them from worrying about her. She just ate her food contentedly, praising her father''s dish as well as Stefan''s. She was really happy that the two men got along together.


    After lunch, Reuben and Ingrid stayed for an hour before leaving. They invited Cayenne to visit their house in the future and she promised she would but they don''t know when it will happen. In truth, Cayenne has no n in doing so. Ingrid and her father might be kind to her but she had no idea how the other people in their family would react. She better avoids any issues to live a peaceful life.


    "Are you feeling better now?" Stefan asked her while rubbing her lower stomach with the hotpress. Cayenne was lying on the couch with her head on Stefan''sp.


    "I''m feeling a bit better. Don''t you have anything to do? I can manage on my own now."


    "Do you want to stay in the study while I work? I have a meeting at two in the afternoon."


    "Okay. I''ll stay with you, then." Stefan lifted her up and carried her upstairs towards the study room. He settled her on the couch and went to their bedroom to get some warm nket to cover her. "Is there anything that I can do to help you?"


    "I''m not so sure but you can listen to the meeting and tell me your opinionster."


    "That would fine." She needed something to distract her thoughts from the pain she was feeling which was why she asked if she can be of some help.


    Stefan set up hisptop on the coffee table in front of the couch and connected his headset on the port. He first called Chris through the conference meeting ID to make sure that he can be heard by everyone and vice versa. Chris checked the speaker in the room which was connected to hisptop as well as the TV where Stefan will be shown earlier.


    After all the preparation, they just waited for the board of directors toe for the meeting.


    Cayenne sat beside him while flipping the pages of the financial magazine that she bought when they went to the mallst time. She bought it with no hesitation when she found that it was her husband on the cover. There was segment on the magazine which was all about him and she had been reading it again and again.


    "When will you be tired of reading that?" Stefan asked while watching the section that she was reading. "If you want to know about me, you can just ask me directly. You don''t need those magazine reports."


    "It''s different." Cayenne retorted and continued reading with her eyes. "If it''s me in this magazine, will you buy it or not?"


    "Of course, I will buy. I want to feel how you are during interviews conducted by other people."


    "Likewise." Cayenne replied to him with a smile.


    Stefan pulled her even closer and leaned his head on her head. "Can we visit my mother''s grave?"


    "When?"


    "Next weekend. We can leave in the morning and have lunch in City D. After that, we can drop by our house and check on your father to have dinner with him as well. You promised you''d have dinner with him."


    "That''s fine by me. Is there any reason why would like toe and visit her?"


    "It''s her birthday."


    Cayenne turned to face him and cupped his cheeks. "Don''t be sad. I''m sure your mother is happy now to see you grow and be sessful."


    "Hn. I believe you."


    "Why do you believe whatever I say?" Cayenne questioned with eyebrows raised and eyes narrowed.


    "Because you''re my wife. There''s no reason for me to doubt you."


    Stefan''s answer rendered her speechless and Cayenne couldn''t find any words to retort him. She blinked her eyes several times while staring right at him.


    "I won''t doubt you either." She threw these words at him and kissed his lips quickly, giving him no chance to pull her and deepened the kiss.


    "Ourdy boss is indeed sweet and loving." Thismenting from Chris brought Cayenne back to reality. She thought it was just Chris who found them but when she looked to the screen of theptop in front of her, she was perplexed. Several pairs of eyes were looking at them in surprise and some were smiling teasingly at them.


    "I changed my mind. I won''t listen to your meeting anymore." Cayenne removed the earphone from her ear and scampered away from him. She sat on the couch across him with her red face and embarrassed expression.


    "You knew they''re watching, didn''t you?" She asked Stefan with using eyes.


    "I didn''t know. I was surprised as well."


    "You don''t look surprise at all."


    "I am." Stefan chuckle, put down the earphone and excused himself for a while. "Just stay here so I can see you, okay. The meeting will be over soon."


    ''Over soon? We haven''t even started.'' The board of directors thought of these words when they heard the faint statementing from Stefan.


    ''The cold devil has changed. Thedy boss brings us luck! Thank god for that.'' If they''re in front of the temple now, they would certainly bow down in gratefulness.

 Chapter 298 - NOTHING FROM ARTHUR

    <h4>Chapter 298 - NOTHING FROM ARTHUR</h4>


    Cayenne yed with her phone while waiting for Stefan to finish the meeting. Sometimes she was sitting and sometimes she was lying on the couch. Some other times, she had her legs raised and rested on the backrest of the couch with her head down. She tossed and turned but the meeting still continued. She waited for half an hour, then an hour has passed. She went downstairs to cut some fruits to share with him but she heard faint footsteps following her.


    "Why are you here? Shouldn''t you be in a meeting?" Cayenne asked Stefan who was walking behind her.


    "I want to know where you''re going?"


    "I''m going to the kitchen to get some fruits. I''ll be right back. Just go and continue your meeting."


    "You won''t take long?"


    "No, I won''t take long." Cayenne smiled at him before turning around to continue walking downstairs. Stefan didn''t immediately leave his ce and watched his wife walked to the direction of the kitchen.


    "Be careful with the knife." He reminded her before he finally lost sight of her.


    After few minutes of absence, Stefan emerged on the screen once again. The board of directors were a bit worried of what has happened for him to suddenly left without saying anything. But looking at how serene and calm he was now, they also felt rxed and thus; the meeting resumed.


    Cayenne cut apples and oranges for the two of them. Erwin was busy removing weeds at the garden so she also prepared some sliced fruits for him.


    Quarter of an hour has passed before she came back with a te of fruits and two sses of water. The two of them spent their time together inside the study room, doing different things at the same time.


    At night, Cayenne had a video call with her brothers who told her that they''d being home next weekend. She informed them that she''d be out on Saturday, just making sure that they won''t be buried if they couldn''t find her at home.


    Luiz already received his final grades and got his report card as well. He was showing it excitedly on the phone, letting her sister see his amazing grades.


    "You are really smart. You got it after me." Cayenne shamelessly announced but Luiz still nodded his head in agreement. Usually, intelligence should be taken after the parents'' genes but ever since they were young, Cayenne acted more like a mother to them. It didn''t make Emerald less of a mother to them but they just didn''t spend so much time with her. And their father was also sent to jail.


    "As for my grades, it will be given next week but I assure you sis, my grades good ¨C no failing marks." Kyle also added. He promised that he won''t let his rtionship affect his studies and he''s holding onto that promise, not wanting to disappoint Cayenne.


    "Alright. You don''t really have to achieve the top ranking. The most important thing is that you don''t flunk your subjects."


    "Dully noted." Both brothers answered her in unison.


    They talked for a little while more while Stefan took a bath. In the middle of their conversation, Cayenne almost slipped her tongue and told them about Jonas. Thankfully, she was able to hold her horses and kept the secret firmly sealed.


    When Stefan was done bathing, she bid farewell to her brothers and took a shower as well.


    The next morning, she was a lot better and decided toe with Stefan to thepany. She still had unfinished work there and although Chris came yesterday with documents, he didn''t bring the documents that Cayenne needed to work on. Which means, she needed to go the office and do it.


    "Good morning, ma''am. Good morning, sir." The employees who met them at the lobby greeted them.


    "Good morning." Cayenne greeted them back with a sweet smile while her husband remained stoic in front of them. Cayenne leaned close to him and whispered. "Why are you not smiling? You looked scary with that unhappy expression."


    "But I''m not happy." Stefan retorted while ncing at the men who were looking at his wife. "I don''t like other men looking at you."


    "You don''t have to be grumpy about it. They can just look at me but they can''t have me. I''ll be yours and yours alone."


    "I know. It''s just¡­I feel¡­I feel a little jealous at times." Stefan mumbled which was only enough for Cayenne to hear.


    She couldn''t stop herself and stifled a giggle, holding herughter deep inside her. "Hubby, don''t be jealous, okay? I didn''t even look at them. I was just looking at the girls."


    Seeing the changing expressions on Stefan''s face, the employees couldn''t help but smile cheekily. Their boss can actually look silly and stupid sometimes. Although, he only shows these expressions when he''s with his wife.


    Days continued to pass by with Cayenneing with Stefan to hispany. She works like his assistant but most of the time, they''ll be flirting in his office whenever Chris was around. Obviously, they''re messing with the single secretary.


    During these days, they always put their guards up, waiting for Arthur toe and strike them. When those stalkers stopped stalking them, they already knew that Arthur will being sooner orter but another week had passed without him showing his face.


    Cayenne called Cole one time to ask if they heard anything about Arthur but he still didn''t know where his brother was. Kirin was still looking for him but even the private investigator she hired couldn''t find her son. It was as if he disappeared like a bubble bursting in the air.


    Since Arthur wasn''t making a move on them, Stefan and Cayenne lived their life in leisure. They didn''t think that Arthur would be able to take them down with all the preparation they have. In everyone''s mind, Arthur was going to abduct Cayenne in order to get her from Stefan.


    In truth, Arthur was after something else in order to obtain her.

 Chapter 299 - ERWIN I

    <h4>Chapter 299 - ERWIN I</h4>


    Weekend came. Cayenne woke up to the handsome face of her husband sleeping beside her. She looked at him for a little while and kissed his cheeks before getting out bed. She brushed her teeth, washed her face and went downstairs to cook breakfast.


    Erwin was already watering the veggies at the backyard which were starting to have flowers. She knew that they''ll have fresh veggies soon with the nts behind her house.


    She opened the window in the kitchen which will was facing on the East side of the house where lush and verdant bushes and trees can be seen. She inhaled the fresh air and listened to the chirping of the birds. She''ll finally visit Stefan''s mother. Although, she''ll be visiting a grave, she was still happy that he''s going to formally bring her to his biological mother.


    When Stefan woke up, he could still feel the faint warmth on the other side of the bed, which means, Cayenne left few minutes ago.


    He rummaged their wardrobe and prepared the clothes that they''ll be wearingter. He chose a white long-sleeved off-shoulders top with a grizzly bear print on it and a ck knee-length skirt for her. As for the shoes, she can choose whichever she wants that will make herfortableter. As for his attire, he pulled a while V-neck shirt and a ck short to pair with it.


    After choosing their clothes, he went to the bathroom to take a shower first. In that way, he can help herter when it''s her turn.


    Cayenne busied herself in the kitchen, thinking that Stefan was still asleep.


    "Young miss, do you need me to drive you today?" Erwin asked when he entered the kitchen. He just finished watering the nts at the backyard.


    "There''s no need. You can just rest today. But my brothers wille home so, I''d be troubling you to look after them."


    "It''s okay. Your brothers don''t really give me trouble." Erwin picked up his cup and poured some coffee in it. "Do you need my help?"


    "I''m fine here. I can manage this." Cayenne finished cooking several dishes for breakfast already and she was delighted that she was able to do it in a short time. It''s not because she was hurrying herself but she was just too excited to go out of the city.


    Stefan came and found her cooking in the kitchen. "Morning, wifey." He hugged her from the back and kissed the top of her head.


    "Morning." Cayenne turned around to face him and found that he''s bathed already and has changed his clothes. "You can stay out of the kitchen first. I''m almost done here anyway."


    "Alright. I''ll arrange the table for you."


    The wife was cooking and the husband was arranging the dishes at their dining area. Erwin watched them with envious gaze which didn''t escape Cayenne''s observation.


    "Erwin, I trusted you because my father trusted you. And I didn''t ask anything personal because it was my father who hired you but just in case, if you want to take a leave from work and visit your family, let me know, ''kay? I won''t stop you from visiting them. Or if you want to take a day off to go on a date, I will certainly approve of it."


    Erwin chuckled as he put down his cup of coffee. "Young miss, you don''t have to think about that. In fact, I don''t have a family to return to. I don''t have a girlfriend either."


    "I''m sorry to hear about that. But since we''ll be staying in this house together for who-knows-how-long, can you tell me a little about yourself? You can ask me anything as well. I will answer any question with all honesty."


    Erwin took the dirty kitchenware and brought them to the sink to be washed. "You won''t judge me?"


    "I''m a poor woman. How can I judge you when I''m no better than you?"


    Erwin was silent for a moment while taking the sponge for washing the utensils. "I don''t know who my parents were. When I''m aware of the ways of the world, I realized that I grew up in an orphanage. The orphanage that I stayed in was actually a good ce and we received donations from rich people which helped us survive. However, when I turned ten, the orphanage was burnt down to ashes. A lot of the children and the social workers died. It was chaotic. I only survived that time because I was outside, ying with the other children."


    "Where did you stay after that?"


    "I was just roaming around ¨C no particr destination in mind. And then, while I was walking, a van stopped in front of me, yanking me to get inside the vehicle. It happened so fast and because I don''t know how to fight, I ended uping along with them. That time, I really thought I would die. I remembered the stories that the social workers told us before; that some illegal organizations will abduct children to take their organs and sell it to the market. I thought I''d be one of their victims."


    "I''m d it didn''t turn out that way." Cayenne expressed her opinion with a sigh of relief.


    "At that time, I wasn''t d that I was taken with them but now, I''m d that they did ¨C because I found a good employer who never ordered me to kill anyone."


    "Wait. You were abducted and trained to kill people?"


    "Hn. At first, I was taught how to read, write and count. I was taught variousnguages so, in my young mind, I thought I was just studying like other children do. When I reached sixteen, I was trained to use different kinds of guns and different items that can be used as weapons. I was totally bewildered. I didn''t understand why I had to do such thing. I don''t want to be a killer." Erwin paused from washing the utensils and looked towards Cayenne. "And on my eighteenth birthday, on the day that I was supposed to have my first kill, someone called our headmaster. Someone wanted to buy a personal body guard. When that person came, he looked each one of us and he stopped right before me. I''m not sure if he was stupid or I was just lucky because he picked me; someone who has no experience in killing."


    "And that stupid person was my wife''s father."

 Chapter 300 - ERWIN II

    <h4>Chapter 300 - ERWIN II</h4>


    Erwin covered his mouth with his fist as he coughed to dispel the awkwardness he was feeling. "That''s right. It was sir Reuben who picked me out of all people. The first time I got inside his car, I really voiced how stupid he was to pick someone like me. I told him that he has no eyes for talents because he picked a useless trash like me."


    "And what does my father say?"


    "He told me that he wasn''t looking for talent. But he was trying to save a life before it''s ruined."


    Stefan raised his brow in disbelief at this point. "Does that mean, all the guards he hired couldn''t even kill a fly?!"


    "Of course, not. Everyone can kill more than a fly, except me." Erwin responded while feeling a little embarrassed about it. "And guess what was my first mission when I became his guard?"


    "Nothinges to mind." Cayenne answered honestly. "Just tell me."


    "I was tasked by his wife to find your school and look after you from afar."


    "Ingrid asked you to do that?!" Cayenne asked in disbelief.


    "You''re not just making things up for my wife to like that madam, are you?" Stefan asked with his narrowed eyes.


    "No, I''m not. I''m telling the truth. In fact, the schrship you got when you were in primary and secondary school came from her. She didn''t tell sir Reuben about it but he found out anyway. But don''t tell the madam that sir Reuben knows. Until now, sir didn''t tell his wife that he knew what she was doing behind his back."


    "Are you the one who paid my mother''s medical bills?"


    "No, it wasn''t me. It was some other personal guard who''s also your father''s secretary."


    Cayenne nodded her head without saying anything. No wonder her ssmates feared her before. Someone was actually guarding her secretly, making people think she was someone that can''t be messes with.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll pretend I didn''t hear anything." Cayenne told Erwin while putting the fried rice on another tter. "So, in other words, you grew up in my father''s side since you were eighteen?"


    "Hn."


    "And how long is it now?"


    "I''ve been with him for eight years now."


    "So, you''re twenty-six years old?" Cayenne asked with her eyes blinking. "You look really young. I thought you''re the same age as me."


    "You tter me." Erwin ced the utensils on the dish dryer and wiped his hands with the towel on the side.


    "Have you ever thought of finding your parents? Or look for a girlfriend and start your own family?" Stefan asked him while carrying the tter of fried rice to the dining area. Erwin and Cayenne was following behind him.


    "I wanted to look for them but I also didn''t want to be filled with resentment. What if they''re alive? I don''t want to find out the truth why I ended up in that orphanage. And if they cared about me, why didn''t they look for me? So, it''s better for me to think that they''re dead. As for having a girlfriend, I''m not really sure about that. I haven''t found anyone that caught my interest."


    "What do you usually do during your free time?"


    "I y video games or watch movies."


    "I don''t think you''ll find a girl while you''re holed up inside your room. How about you and my brothers go out and have some fun while we''re gone?" Cayenne suggested. She didn''t want the man to live alone for the rest of his life and keep guarding them. He deserved to love and be loved.


    "I''ll ask if they want to go but most probably, we''ll just stay and y in the game room." Erwin replied as he sat on his chair.


    "You and Luiz are hopeless. At least, Kyle have someone already."


    "Luiz is still young." Erwin retorted.


    "He is young but you are not growing young anymore. You can''t just live your life guarding us for the rest of your life."


    "I know." Erwin thought about it too but he just couldn''t find someone whom he''s interested with or someone who''s interested with him. While thinking of the things that Cayenne said, someone came to his mind but he didn''t dare go on deeper on that thought.


    The three of them ate their breakfast together and Stefan didn''t forget to pour a ss of milk for his wife. They kept talking about Erwin, his experiences and what can they do to help him find a girl. But Erwin didn''t want to force himself. If it wasn''t his time to fall in love yet, then he wouldn''t think too much about it. There''s time for everything. And surely, there''s time for his own woman toe in his life.


    He wasn''t aware but he already met her.


    After breakfast, Cayenne took a shower. When she was done, Stefan dried her hair while she put on some facial cream on her face for skin protection. After her short skin care routine, she put on the clothes that Stefan chose for her.


    Stefan put on her ring for her and she also put on his ring for him. Everyday, they would do it this way as if they''re having a wedding every single day.


    Cayenne put on her bracelet, the one that Stefan gave and Stefan put on his watch, the one that Cayenne gave.


    "Shall we buy something for your mother?" Cayenne asked while picking up her bag, wallet and phone.


    "We don''t need to. Father called me earlier while you were bathing and asked if we''reing. He already prepared what to bring."


    "I see. Then, shall we go now?"


    "Okay."


    Erwin sent them off and made sure to lock the gate of the house properly. The secret guards hiding around the perimeter of her property followed their madam and their boss.


    ''Do they always leave together?'' Arthur thought while looking at them through his telescope. He was monitoring them everyday from morning to night but he always found them going out together. "Tsk! Such an obsess freak!" hemented while looking sharply on the smiling face of his rival.

 Chapter 301 - VISITING LATTICIA I

    <h4>Chapter 301 - VISITING LATTICIA I</h4>


    If Arthur was hiding within the perimeter of Cayenne''s property like his two idiot men, the secret guards would have found him. Stefan thought he outwitted this person but the intelligence of an honor student can''t be underestimated.


    Arthur investigated the other owners of the neighboring properties around Cayenne''s ce. He befriended them, feeding them nonsense like his wife was cheating and was living in the nearby property. He wanted to catch them red-handed and thus; the owner of the neighboring property allowed Arthur toe and observe Cayenne and Stefan from afar.


    "I have seen them for a while now. It''s been over a month since someone live in this ce and the guy just came over after two weeks that your wife moved there." the old man who owned the property told Arthur. He was also the one who lent Arthur a telescope.


    "I''ve been away for business reason and when I came back, I could no longer find my wife but someone told me that she met with a man several times. So, I have followed the man and here I am, my wife is indeed with him."


    "Poor you." The old manmented. "In any case, don''t be hasty. Your wife mighte home one day so, just talk it out with her and if you can''t fix it, you might as well divorce her."


    "NO! NO WAY!" Arthur eximed angrily which startled the old man in front of him. "I''m¡­I''m sorry for startling you. I¡­I just can''t let go of my wife. I love her."


    "Well, I won''t interfere with your ns anymore." The old man turned around and left Arthur on his own. Arthur also put down his telescope and went to sleep on his bed that the old man provided.


    He was lying to him but he didn''t feel an ounce of guilt at all. All he could think of was to get Cayenne back.


    Although the property was quite some distance apart, he could hear the vehicles from Cayenne''s property. He would know when they''ll arrive and if it was them who has arrived. He almost memorized all of the sound that came from Stefan''s cars already.


    On the other hand, Cayenne was feeling edgy on the way to the cemetery. She felt something was not right but she couldn''t point it out. She already contacted Luiz and Kyle to make sure they''re fine and she also called Jonas to see how he was doing. They were all doing good, safe and sound with their body guards following them all day everyday.


    "Don''t worry too much. If he''lle for us, let''s wee them. If hees for your family, my bodyguards will wee him. There''s no way I''d let him get away if anything bad happens to you and our family." Stefanmented as he gently squeezed her hand with his. "I''m here and I''ll keep you safe."


    "Hn. Thank you." Cayenne leaned her head on his shoulder while keeping her eyes on the street. They haven''t gotten out City B yet and they''ll have to travel for at least 3-4 hours before they reach the ce.


    "You mention that your father ns to visit the grave as well, did he do that even when ra was still around?"


    "Hn. My father still loved my mother even when he married ra which was why she hated me so much."


    "I wonder if my father visited us without us noticing him, too."


    "I believe he did."


    Cayenne nodded her head in agreement but she didn''tment on it. Even if he did or did not, there''s nothing that can be done about it. It''s all in the past and it should be buried together with her hatred and pain.


    The two of them continued their way to City D and after long hours of travel, they finally arrived at Sudlon Public Cemetery. There were few people around the cemetery and Cayenne thought it was really peaceful there.


    Stefan stepped out of the car and was about to walk to her side and opened the door for her when she opened it herself and stepped out. "You''re not giving me the chance to act like a gentleman, are?"


    "Oh! Should I get back inside then?"


    "Silly." Stefan chuckled as pulled her to his side and closed the door behind her. He locked it with the remote key on his hand and left while holding hands with her.


    The cemetery was really big and it was divided into different parts to let the people find their loved ones so easily. There''s an area for babies, for teens, for young adults and for old people. Stefan''s mother fell on the category for young adults and her tomb was really clean and huge. There was even extra space where her remains were buried, which obviously and advance preparation for Magnus.


    "Your father wanted to buried together with her? Does ra know?"


    "She didn''t know."


    While they were standing in front of the gate, the caretaker of the cemetery came and opened the gate for them. Cayenne and Stefan came inside and she found a lovely picture of a woman on the altar.


    "Your mother was really beautiful. No wonder ra was jealous of her."


    "She''s beautiful and kind. Even when she gave birth to me, I heard from people that she didn''te to find my father and have him take responsibility. Although, my father still found out of this news at the end." Stefan wrapped his hand around Cayenne''s waist and pulled her even closer to him. "Mom, I''m back and I came to introduce my wife to you. Her name is Cayenne. She''s lovely and kind like you. I wanted you to meet her earlier but a lot of things happened which dyed our visit."


    Cayenne sped her hands together and closed her eyes in prayer. "I''ll be shameless to call you mom but I will still call you that way anyway. Mom, I love your son and you can be assured that I''ll take care of him in your stead. We had a serious fightst time and we almost got separated but I''m thankful it didn''t happen. Stefan went through a lot of things in the past and experienced so much pain but I''m pretty sure you were watching him because he was able to pass all those adversaries safely. Thank you for giving birth to him. Thank you for letting me meet him. I will give my vow to you that I won''t let any harm fall on him."


    "You haven''t said your vow to me but you already give one to my mother." Stefanmented beside her which made Cayenneugh at his childish behavior.

 Chapter 302 - VISITING LATTICIA II

    <h4>Chapter 302 - VISITING LATTICIA II</h4>


    While they were praying in front of his mother, Magnus and Ferdinand arrived with the butler and one of their house helpers. They brought a lot of food and offerings.


    Stefan and Cayenne stepped out of the ce and waited for them under the tree.


    Cayenne checked her phone and found that her brothers have arrived home earlier. And they decided to go out and have some fun. Since they went out, she didn''t want her brother to go hungry. She opened up her mobile bank ount and transferred money to Luiz and Kyle. As for Luiz, she didn''t have to pay him because he father does that.


    "They went out?" Stefan asked when he saw her transferring money to her siblings.


    "Hn. They went out."


    "Let me give them pocket money, too." Stefan stated as he pulled out his own phone but Cayenne held his wrist to stop him. "Just a little bit."


    "No."


    "Why not?"


    "You''re spoiling my brothers."


    "Aren''t we supposed to spoil them? We don''t have kids so, we might as well take care of them and spoil them." Stefan reasoned out and while his wife was contemting, he immediately took her phone and typed in her brothers'' bank ounts. He even saved them for future purposes.


    "Is this really alright? I don''t want them to be dependent on you."


    "Then who do you want them to depend on if not me and you?"


    Cayenne pouted her lips and shuffled her feet in silence. After few seconds she looked at him and smiled helplessly. "Fine. I don''t know how to talk to you out of this but since you insist, then let''s be their guardian together with my stepdad."


    "That''s my wife. Let''s treat them like our kids since we don''t have one."


    "And if we have, we won''t treat them like our kids anymore?"


    "Yup. We''ll treat them like adults once we have our own kids."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him, a mannerism that she couldn''t change when she''s with him.


    After Magnus and Ferdinand silently prayed or perhaps talked to Stefan''s mother, the butler spread a pic nket inside the tomb hall and ced all the food that they brought.


    "We''re eating here?" Cayenne asked since he didn''t know if that''s allowed, worried that they''re disturbing the peace of Stefan''s mother.


    "It''s fine. I always do this when I visited her on her birthdays in the past years. Come and sit." Magnus handed Cayenne a te and utensils for her to use.


    "Thanks, dad." Cayenne muttered and the man smiled at her. The butler and the helper joined them, too. After all, they didn''t want them to get hungry while serving them.


    Stefan sat beside her and made sure that she ate a lot for lunch since they didn''t eat much during breakfast. They talked about trivial matters but after several subjects of their conversation, they still ended up talking about children.


    Cayenne pretended she didn''t hear anything and Stefan was the one who made excuses time and time again. Ferdinand looked at his granddaughter-inw and couldn''t help but smile faintly.


    "Alright. I won''t rush you two. I will just try my best to hold on to my dear life and wait for my great-grandchild." Ferdinandmented like he was giving them but in truth, his words were trying to make them feel guilty.


    "I''m sure grandpa can do that." Stefan replied with no trace of guilt or panic. "Two more years and you will see your great-grandchild."


    "Two years?! That''s quite long." Ferdinand mumbled. His spoon was paused midair while thinking of the days or years that he''ll have to wait.


    "It''s not long. The days will pass by quickly. So just make sure that you take care of your health always."


    Since he couldn''t do anything about it and his grandson was being stubborn, he could only wait for two more years.


    After having lunch together, they stayed for a little while and then left the cemetery. The caretaker went to close the gate and he received a tip from Magnus from taking care of the tomb hall.


    "Handsome brother! Did you just visit your mother?"


    "Handsome brother, is she your girlfriend?"


    "Big brother, are you leaving now?"


    Kids from nowhere came to surround them with excited faces. They jumped around Stefan and clung to him like he was really their older brother.


    Stefan crouched low and gently pat their heads. "This is my wife and yes, we visited my mother because it''s her birthday today. I brought some food do you want to go down with me and get it?"


    "Yay!" The children cheered and followed Stefan to the parking lot.


    "Is this why you brought a lot of knick-knacks from home?" Cayenne whispered beside him.


    "Hn. I remembered that they stayed here. Although I wanted to send them to orphanages, I found out that they have families here and they''re selling candles and flowers to the visitors."


    "I see." Cayenne just nodded her head and walked beside her husband. The kids were chatting merrily as they followed them.


    Ferdinand talked to the caretaker and gave him several bills to buy some thick clothes for the children. They knew the caretaker for a long time and knew that he was an honest man.


    Stefan opened his car and took two stic bags containing different food and handed it to them. "Share them with your family, okay? Don''t be selfish or this big brother and big sister will not bring you food anymore."


    "Thank you, handsome brother and beautiful sister. We will share this with our family for sure." The little girl who seemed to be older than the rest promised them.


    "Alright. You can go back home now. Take care of yourselves."


    The children waved their hands and left to bring the food to their family. For them it wasn''t much but for the children who rarely eat, the food that Stefan gave them were already too much.


    Cayenne and Stefan bid farewell to his grandfather and his father before separating ways. They promised to visit them with her family next time but Cayenne didn''t know when that next time will happen, specially that her brothers were nervous around Stefan''s family.

 Chapter 303 - WHEEL OF FATE

    <h4>Chapter 303 - WHEEL OF FATE</h4>


    Cayenne and Stefan arrived in Peach Wood subdivision and found Cole pushing the stroller of his daughter while his wife walked beside him.


    "Yen." Cole waved his hand at them when he saw the two of theming out of their car. "How have you been? Did you hear any news about my brother or did he show up in front of you?"


    Cayenne shook her head in dismay.


    "Well, as long as he won''t show up and destroy your harmonious home, I wouldn''t care. I''m just worried that he''d be a psycho and harm you." Cole mentioned with a deep sigh.


    "Your baby has grown." Cayennemented in passing when she saw how cute their child was. "She looks like Sofia. So pretty."


    "Thank you." Sofia responded with a smile, her two cute little dimples showed up when she smiled at them.


    "Do you guys want to have dinner with us? It''s rare for us toe over and eat here." Cayenne invited them while Stefan was busy getting the grocery bags out of the car''s trunk.


    "Is that really fine?" Cole asked in awkwardness. They might not be very close but he was still an acquaintance to her for several years and now, they''ve be neighbors again.


    "It''s okay. It''ll be a lot happier if there are more people." Stefan added, giving them a persuasive look while carrying three grocery bags.


    "We''lle over, then." Cole promised.


    "Thank you for inviting us." Sofia slightly bowed her head in gratitude.


    "We''ll wait for you toe." Cayenne waved her hand at them before turning to her husband and help her carry one bag.


    Cole and Sofia turned around as well and went back to their house in order to change and get prepared. Their daughter was currently ying with her toys inside the crib so they decided to help each other and cook two dishes. They would like to share some dishes to Cayenne and her family.


    To avoid an ambush call from her brothers, Cayenne told them that she and Stefan will be having dinner with some friends. Since her brothers were also enjoying themselves, they didn''t disturb her any further. After all, they received additional money from her and Stefan.


    Kyle brought Kath along with them to have some fun once in a while. It serves as a date for them where Luiz and Erwin became third wheelers.


    "How about we buy some souvenirs for this trip." Luiz suggested since they''ve been walking around the amusement park and didn''t buy anything to take home.


    "That sounds good." Erwin replied. "What do you like to buy?"


    "I''m not sure. Let''s take a look at the souvenir shop." Kyle led the group while holding his girlfriend''s hand.


    Luiz moved closer to Erwin and whispered. "My brother got a girlfriend already. How about you? Don''t you have someone that you like?"


    "None so far." Erwin answered with an expressionless face. He was walking with her heads down, thinking what kind of girl he likes when someone bumped into her.


    The woman was about to fall with her butt on the floor however, Erwin had quick reflexes and immediately held onto her to help her steady herself.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I''m sorry." The petite woman apologized profusely with her hands sped together.


    "It''s fine. I wasn''t looking where I was going." Erwin replied. "I''m sorry for bumping onto you as well."


    Some people were looking at them already and Erwin felt a little awkward while being stared at. "You don''t have to worry about me. Just go and enjoy yourself."


    The littledy nodded her head while muttering her thanks and left. She still needed to catch up with her friends.


    Not far from where they stood, a woman looked towards Erwin with a deep frown. She felt that he was so familiar to her but she couldn''t point how he''s familiar.


    "Sabrina." There was no response. "Sabrina! Hey!" her high school friends called her name to bring her back to reality.


    "Yes? Is there any problem?"


    "Yes, there is." One of her friends rolled her eyes while replying to her. "You''ve been looking at those guys with a deep frown. Do you know them? Did they do anything to you?"


    "Ah? No. There''s nothing like that. Let''s go." Sabrina led the way and went to souvenir shop.


    It''s been several years since shest visited City A. Before she''d visit Stefan and his family but this time, she only came for fun and rxation. She already let go of Stefan and she''s happy that he found his happiness already.


    Her parents wanted her to get married soon but she felt that it wasn''t the right time yet. They thought she didn''t want to marry because of Stefan but in truth, she just didn''t know what''s love anymore. And thus; she started ying an online game. She had fun ying it and she met new friends. Although, she didn''t know them personally, it was a lot better because she can share her problems with them, without worrying of being food for gossips.


    "Sabrina, when are you going back to Italy?"


    "In two weeks."?Sabrina replied.


    "So soon? Can''t you extend your stay?"


    "I wish I could but without their agreement, they might send some people toe and get me. I don''t want to cause anymotions." Sabrina stated with obvious worry and disappointment. "Anyway, I''ll try to visit you guys again."


    Their group continued to walk and found the souvenir shop. At the same time, when they reached the ce, she noticed that Erwin''s group was also at the same shop as them. In fact, they were just few meters apart.


    Erwin was looking at the items for a couple of times until his eyes settled on the little red riding hood stuff toy. He was just about to grab it when another hand came to snatch it from him.


    "I found it first." Erwin stated while looking at Sabrina in a condescending manner.


    "I grabbed it first. It''s not my problem if you were too slow." Sabrina replied defiantly. "Sorry but I''m not letting you have this." She instantly left and paid for that little thing. "This is mine." She told Erwin with her raised brow.


    "Do you know here? She seems to be holding some grudge against you." Luiz whispered to Erwin when he saw what happened.


    "I don''t know any spoil little missy like her." Erwin answered, intentionally making his voice louder for her to hear. Seeing her face fuming in anger, Erwin turned around and look for other items.


    Sabrina stomped her feet and turned around to find her friends. Kath and Kyle were watching from the sideline and saw the exchanged of sharp res and sharp words between Erwin and Sabrina.


    But since Erwin made it clear that he didn''t know her, they didn''t pursue this matter any further.


    "Have you found anything that caught your interest?" Kath asked them while holding two couple shirts and two matching hats in her hands. Kyle was holding some other items that Kath likes.


    "I found one but it was already taken away." Erwin responded with obvious irritation on his face.


    "Do you like that small item so much?" Luiz asked him while looking around for a staff to ask if there''s any stock for that same stuff toy.


    Erwin didn''t say anything for a long time before nodding his head. "I remember someone with that stuff toy and I want to have it."


    "Someone?" The three people looked at him in eagerness for gossip. "Who''s this someone? Is she a girl?" Luiz asked with twinkling eyes.


    Erwin shook his head. "I don''t know anything about this person''s characteristic but I know some information about her. Anyway, let''s not talk about that person." He grabbed a random item and paid for it at the counter.


    Kyle, his girlfriend and Luiz, looked towards Erwin''s lonely back. They looked towards Sabrina who was happily chatting with her friends while showing them the stuff toy that she got.


    Erwin didn''t know that the wheel of fate started to spin a long time ago and it will continue to spin until the two of them be one.


    On the other hand, Cole and Sofia arrived at the door of Stefan''s home. Cole was carrying his daughter while Sofia handed them two Tupperware containing two dishes that she and her husband made.


    "Thank you for inviting us again." Sofia told Stefan.


    "Come in. My wife''s been waiting for you." Stefan led them inside. Cole and Sofia stayed in the living room with Cayenne and their child while Stefan continued to walk to the kitchen and helped Jonas cooked their dishes for dinner.


    "Your brothers aren''t here?" Cole asked when he didn''t notice any presence of Kyle and Luiz.


    "They''re having fun outside." Cayenne responded while ying peek-a-boo with their daughter.


    The three of them talked and yed with the child while Kirin was still worried of her youngest son. She already received a news of where he lived and she''s now on her way to check on it. The private investigator led her to a high-end apartment building and Kirin asked which room her son stayed.


    "Madam, he''s staying in room 403. However, there are three security measures that we need to pass. I knew the passcodes and I can fiddle with the keyhole but I don''t have anyway to deal with the finger biometrics."


    Kirin knew that that her son was up to something dangerous. With the locks on his door, it''s obvious that he''s hiding something. "I''ll deal with it. Wait for my next call."

 Chapter 304 - SECRETS

    <h4>Chapter 304 - SECRETS</h4>


    Since Kirin knew where her son was staying, she took this opportunity to observe the ce and waited for him toe back. However, two days had passed and she never saw her son go home to that apartment.


    "Are you sure that this is where he stayed?" Kirin asked the private investigator over the phone.


    "Yes, ma''am. I''ve seen your sone out ande in of this apartment room. I didn''t see anyone else use that room aside from him."


    "Alright. I''ll just wait here. Thanks for confirming."


    She ended the call and continued to observe the apartment building from her van. She had been staying in her van in the past few days, only leaving the ce for bathroom break. Aside from that, she did everything inside the van; like eating and sleeping.


    On the other hand, Cayenne and Stefan didn''t lower their guard at all and Arthur kept observing them from the neighboring property owned by the old man. He was waiting for the opportunity wherein Cayenne chose to stay in her house while Stefan go somewhere. Sadly, Cayenne and Stefan would always go somewhere together or they won''t go out at all.


    For example, right at this point, Cayenne and Stefan decided to stay at home and do their work at home instead of the office. So, Arthur was also watching them through his telescope, gritting his white teeth every time he sees Cayenne kissing her husband or Stefan kissing his wife.


    His heart will be shrouded with jealousy and her grip on the telescope has tightened. Still, he couldn''t do anything but watch them with envious gaze.


    "Wifey, do you want to go somewhere this weekend?" Stefan asked her while reading the documents in his hand. Cayenne''s head was lying on hisp while she was ying with her mobile phone. His other hand wasbing her hair slowly, massaging her head sometimes in the process.


    Cayenne paused her game and looked at him with serious face. She wanted to go somewhere with her brothers but she wanted to go with Jonas as well. However, she can only pick one of them.


    "I want to visit mom''s grave. Last time, we visited your mom. Can we go and visit my mom this weekend? I''d like to bring Jonas along."


    "Sure. Aside from that, is there anywhere else you''d like to go?"


    "Hn, let''s visit Jillyann and her family if they''re around. I''ll go and ask them." She was just about to stand up when Stefan snaked his arm around her waist to stop her from leaving his side. "How about you? Is there anywhere you''d like to visit?"


    "Hn. I''d like to have a road trip with you. We can visit some famous beaches, beautiful gardens, old and amazing churches. I just want to rx with you." In truth, he was looking for suitable ces where he can give her the best wedding. He wanted to get her opinion on this matter without being too obvious. If he wanted to give her a grandiose wedding, it should be held in the ce that she likes.


    Cayenne nodded her head without suspecting him. "Sure. Let''s go and do that. Let''s do it on Sunday."


    "Okay."


    Stefan already asked Travis and Jillyanna for some ces that Cayenne might like and those where the venues that they''d be checking out on Sunday.


    Seiji had been waiting for the news of their wedding but Stefan and Cayenne seemed to have no ns with regards to this event. He knew that they''re already married but they were united in haste. He wanted to see how much Stefan loves Cayenne through the wedding preparation.


    ''Wait! Hold it.'' He told himself mentally. ''Having a grandiose wedding doesn''t guarantee a lifetime of happiness. Some of the couples would still divorce no matter how much they spent for their wedding.''


    He was waiting for the day toe when he could give the shares to Cayenne and make her the business partner of her husband. He wasn''t doing this because he gave up his love already but, he''s doing this because he wanted Cayenne to be on equal footing with Stefan. In that way, no one will bully her in the future. And even if life gets harder, she''ll have a way to survive this cruel world.


    Since he couldn''t have her, he can only choose to support her now or else, he''dpletely lose her if he forced himself to her. He''s not like Arthur, unreasonable and stupid. Seiji was calm and collected and knew when to step forward and step back.


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    Seiji''s secretary came and handed him some documents. "Are these the news rted to Arthur?"


    "Yes, sir." The secretary took a step back and gave Seiji time to read the documents.


    "Do you have anyway to get inside his apartment?"


    "Yes, sir. I can certainly do that but we need to be more careful because his mother has been guarding the apartment building to see her son."


    "Then, make some distraction for her and get into his apartment. I want you to see everything inside and report it to the authority if needed."


    "Yes, sir. I''m on it." The secretary left while Seiji continued to read the documents in front of him. He wouldn''t believe that Arthur would harm Cayenne unless there''s evidence. He would rather believe that Arthur was setting a trap for Stefan not for Cayenne.


    Cayenne and Stefan had no idea that some forces were helping them with their safety. They were prepared and that was good but sometimes, no matter how prepared you are, idents still happen.


    Their days continued to pass by normally and Arthur''s days continued to pass by in anger and displeasure. He almost coughed up blood in anger when he saw one time that Stefan and Cayenne were flirting each other in their living room. It wasn''t just their normal flirting where they teased each other but they were kissing passionately under his gaze.


    Another weekend came and; Cayenne and Stefan drove out of their house to visit Jonas and go to the cemetery where Emerald was buried.


    This time, Luiz and Kyle didn''te home from the university because they''ll be visiting Kath''s home.


    Erwin was left behind to guard the house again and take care of the nts. Even so, during his break, he will open hisputer and y the online game which he was addicted to.


    He logged in to his ount and found that Little Red was already online. The game character was a boy but the name came from Little Red Riding Hood. But since it''s a very long name, he decided to just call this character Little Red. They''ve been ying this game together for almost two months and he learned some things about this character. However, he still couldn''t tell if behind this impressive character was a boy or a girl.


    "Hi. You''ve been inactive for quite sometimes now." Erwin sent the other party a message and he received a reply almost instantly.


    "I left the country to visit some old friends. I didn''t get the chance to log in until today. How have you been?"


    "I''m doing well."


    Their conversation halted for several minutes, not knowing what they should say. Before, they never ran out of topics but this time, it felt rather different.


    Erwin ced his fingers on his keyboard and told her something. "Do you want to y the game together? I still have two hours of free time before doing my next chores."


    "Sure."


    Sabrina moved her character and the two of them formed a party to y some in-game monsters and demons. While ying the game, she kept ncing on the Little Red Riding Hood stuff toy on her desk. She remembered her encounter with Erwin on the souvenir shop and she couldn''t help but smile. Sadly, she didn''t know his name and she wasn''t sure if they''ll meet again in the future.


    And for some reason, there''s this inexplicable feeling deep within her that the person she''s ying with in the game was the same person she saw at the amusement park.


    Wanting to confirm her wild guesses, Sabrina didn''t pick up her loots from ying demons and instead, she sent a message to her ymate.


    "I''m not sure if I have asked you this question but, where are you living?"


    "I''m stayed in City D for a long time but I''m currently in City B now." Erwin replied without doubting his ymate; thinking it was just an innocent question.


    "Really? I''m actually in City A. I arrivedst week but I''m going back to Italy next week."


    "Italy?" Erwin asked in bewilderment. He didn''t know that she came from Italy.


    "Yup. I was born and raised here in City A but we moved to Italy when I was in middle school. My parents are still there so, I''ll have to go home."


    Erwin nodded his head as if she could see her. Sabrina was waiting for his reply but after some time, he stopped chatting. "Did he guess my identity?" Sabrina questioned with worry.


    "Do you want to meet up?" This reply from Erwin made her smile but at the same time, she needed to refuse. It''s not the right time for them to know each other yet.

 Chapter 305 - BUMPING INTO THEM

    <h4>Chapter 305 - BUMPING INTO THEM</h4>


    Sabrina refused his suggestion, saying that she didn''t have extra time to meet with him up. She promised that she would meet him in the future but it wasn''t sure yet. She wasn''t sure when she can visit City A again.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne and Stefan arrived in Peach Wood Subdivision and took Jonas with them. Ever since they got together again, Stefan was used to driving his own cars for Cayenne. He didn''t want to put her life in the hands of someone else anymore thus; wherever she wanted to go or where the two of them go, he would be the driver.


    "By the way, I have something to tell youter." Stefan stated while he drove the car to City A public cemetery.


    Cayenne just nodded her head without asking what it was all about. She also got questions in mind but she knew that it wasn''t the right time to ask yet.


    "Yen, are your brothers going home today to see you?"


    "Nope. Kyle told me that they''ll be visiting Kath''s family and go somewhereter to rx and chill."


    "Oh." Jonas seemed to be thinking something but she couldn''t tell what it was. "Kyle''s girlfriend, this woman, did he introduce her to the family already?"


    "Hn. Kath introduced him to her family as well. And it seems that they won''t hinder their rtionship as long as the two won''t have any failing grades." Cayenne looked back at her stepdad and smiled. "Don''t worry. She knows about your situation and didn''t break up with Kyle."


    "R-really?"


    "Yup. That means, she really likes your son and epted everything thates along with him."


    Listening to her and Jonas, Stefan smiled faintly. She really knew how to lighten someone''s mood and encourage them. Despite everything that she went through, Cayenne remained optimistic and cheerful.


    After almost two hours of driving, they arrived at the cemetery. Cayenne stepped out of the car at the same time that Stefan did. Jonas also came out and followed behind them with the small basket of flowers in his hand. Cayenne was holding some candle and food offerings for her mother that she personally cooked this morning.


    Cayenne and Stefan were walking ahead of him but suddenly, they turned around and dragged Jonas away to another direction.


    "This is not the way to her tomb." Jonas mumbled but Cayenne put her finger on her lips, signaling him to keep quiet. The three of them were staring at someone else''s tomb while waiting for the other three people to pass by them.


    "Hmm? It looks like Cayenne and Stefan." Luizmented while looking at them few meters away.


    "How could that be? They''re standing in front of a different tomb. I heard that Stefan''s mother was buried in City D so that can''t be them." Kyle retorted and pulled her brother away.


    Cayenne breathed out an air of relief when her brothers and Kath left. They said that they''d be visiting her family and go somewhere; and that somewhere was actually the cemetery. She didn''t expect that they''d bump onto them.


    "Those were Kyle and Luiz?" Jonas asked when the three of them decided to go back on track. The three youngsters were nowhere in sight so they weren''t worried anymore.


    "I didn''t know that they''d be here." Cayenne responded as they continued to walk. "Pa, do you still want to continue with the surprise that we nned for Luiz or do you want toe out and see them now."


    "Let''s go with the surprise." Jonasmented without a doubt.


    "I''m pretty sure Luiz would be the happiest person on that day." Stefan added with a faint smile. He never experienced having families attend his graduation ceremony or other school events and he was used to that. But he didn''t want Luiz to miss this happiness.


    They found Emerald''s tomb and the two of them gave Jonas some time to spend it with his wife. They might not be married but Cayenne knew how much they loved each other. In fact, her mother wanted to marry Jonas even though he was already in jail but it was Jonas who refused her. He didn''t want to give her a name which was stained with blood and crime.


    Cayenne and Stefan stood few meters away from him, starting to mind their own world.


    "Did you visit my mother before?" Cayenne asked him because she saw some flowers which were already dried.


    "I did. Before I came to find you and pursue you one more time, I came here to apologize to her."


    "Why did you apologize? You weren''t at fault."


    Stefan looked to the far distance with deep guilt and regret reflecting his face. "Instead of talking to you, I ran away and spout some nonsense, driving you to draft the divorce papers. I let my emotions control me and forgot the promise that I gave to your mother."


    "A promise?"


    "Hn. I promised that I would take care of you and that I would choose to trust your words over someone else. But I didn''t do any of those. I didn''t return your calls because I was thinking to surprise you when I came back. But I regretted doing that. I should have returned your call and know your situation. Because of my negligence, I didn''t have any idea that you were going through a painful event in life. Ayen, I''m really sorry. I''m sorry for being such an idiot."


    "Don''t worry, even if you''re an idiot, I still love you and will continue to love you." Cayenne lightly pinched his face and smiled at him. "I''m not ming you anymore and I have forgiven you. So, in the future, let''s not talk about this."


    "O-okay." Stefan intertwined their fingers together and raised it to kiss the back of her hand. "I will always follow whatever my wife wants."


    "Stop being lovey-dovey in front of me. I''m done talking to her. Do you guys want to say something, too?" Jonas interrupted them on their sweet moment.


    The couple grinned at him and walked hand in hand towards Emerald''s tomb. It was their turn to speak up their mind.


    After spending time in front of her tomb, the three of them decided to have lunch together. They were walking down the stairs back to the parking lot when Cayenne saw her brothers. As if she saw some ghosts, she pulled her father away and walked on another direction.


    "They didn''t leave yet?" Jonas asked because he knew who are the people that Cayenne likes to avoid as of this moment. It was her brothers again.


    "They must have recognized Stefan''s car. Just stay here. I''lle and get you once they left."


    "Okay." Jonas sat on the ground and watched Cayenne and Stefan left to talk with her brothers.


    "I knew it! It''s really them!" Luiz eximed happily when he saw his sister and Stefaning down towards the parking lot. "Yen, did you visit mom as well?"


    "Yes. Did you guyse here to visit her, too?"


    "We were there. I thought I mistook someone for you and Stefan but I turned out to be right when I saw your husband''s car." Luiz happily replied. "Are you going home now?"


    "Nope. We will be going somewhere after this. How about you?"


    "We''ll be eating lunch together." Kyle replied to her inquiry.


    "I see. Then, you guys go ahead. Take care of each other and be careful always." Cayenne told them while hiding her nervousness in front of them.


    "Do you still have enough money?" Stefan asked them when they were about to leave the ce.


    "Yes. We still have some extra money here. Don''t worry brother-inw, the money you gave us will stillst us a month." Kyle stated with a grateful smile on his lips. "You two, take care as well. Be careful on the road."


    After bidding farewell, the three of them boarded Leon''s taxi. The man only smiled to Cayenne and Stefan before driving out of the ce and send the youngsters to the restaurant that they''d like to have some lunch.


    Cayenne wiped the non-existent sweat on her forehead and sighed. "Can''t believe they waited here." Shemented and turn to her husband.


    "Your brothers are really smart." Stefan chuckled as he opened the door to the passenger''s seat for her. "Just get inside. I''ll go and get our father."


    "Thank you, darling." Cayenne got inside the car and watched Stefan as he walked back to where they left Jonas.


    Once Jonas and Stefan came back, they talked about where they could have lunch together. But because Cayenne was already hungry, they chose the nearest restaurant they could see.


    Cayenne excitedly push the door of the restaurant but the first thing she found were her brothers and Kath eating in one of the corners. ''Why do we keep running into them?!'' She eximed mentally while taking a step back. "Kyle and Luiz are eating here with Kath. Let''s go somewhere else." She told her stepdad while she pulled her husband back to the car.

 Chapter 306 - CONFESSION

    <h4>Chapter 306 - CONFESSION</h4>


    The three of them left the restaurant in flurry led by Cayenne. They went back inside Stefan''s car and drove out of the ce to find a new ce to eat.


    "That was close!" Cayenne put her hand on her chest, feeling the wild beating of her heart. "I didn''t know they''d be eating in that ce, too."


    "Well, that was the nearest restaurant so, it''s not really shocking to see them there." Stefan told his wife. His other hand was holding the steering wheel, driving the car with his eyes on the road while his other hand was patting Cayenne''s head in a gentle manner.


    Jonas just chuckled at his stepdaughter''s flustered face. She was really anxious that their surprise will be busted before the graduation. Thankfully, she was able to react quickly.


    After traveling for another fifteen minutes, they found another decent restaurant which offers variety of dishes. Stefan parked his car and stepped out of the car with his wife and Jonas.


    This time, Cayenne was no longer anxious. She strode inside the restaurant with Stefan''s hand ced on her waist. "Shall we eat upstairs or just here on the first floor?" She asked him while looking the interior of the ce.


    "Let''s go upstairs."


    The waitress who weed them, led the group of three to the second floor of the restaurant. It has a better viewpared to the ground floor and it was a lot quieter as well. You will feel having a private space even though the second floor was still an open space.


    Stefan pulled a chair for Cayenne and settled her first before taking a seat next to her. Jonas was sitting across them thinking how awkward it was to be a chaperone for two adults on a date. Although, it wasn''t really date.


    The waitress handed them the menu and as usual, Cayenne ordered the food for Stefan as well.


    He enjoyed watching her choose the dishes that he likes because it shows how much she knows him and how much she cares for him. Afterall, she already noted what were the things he personally hates and the things that he was allergic to.


    While the three of them were having peacefully, Chris was also enjoying himself. It was seldom to have a long vacation specially with all the work that he needed to handle. Although his work wasn''t really that difficult because he''s got an assistant who helps him make things easier, he also needed to pay attention to illegal trading that happens in City A and report it to Hawk or Valkyrie.


    Yesterday, he finished all his works and gave Stefan the documents that needed his signature or the proposals from the marketing department. After dealing with his work for Stefan, he emailed the analyzed date he gathered from his intel who worked with an underground gang who deals with illegal firearms. After sending it, he deleted all the traces from hisputer and asked Shein to double check if there were any clues left and had him delete them as well.


    Now, he''s free and was having a happy meal with Rissy. It''s Saturday and he was doubting earlier if she''s free and if she''s willing to have lunch with him. He knows that she goes to X University every Saturday to deal with paper works for the graduating students and helped with the preparation as well. Before he went there, he even called Luiz to confirm that she was around.


    "I heard that the student will have an afterparty. Are youing with them?" Chris asked while forking his carbonara.


    "Of course. I''m their ss adviser. It will be irresponsible of me if I won''te and watch over their safety."


    "But, after the graduation you are no longer their adviser, right?" Chris retorted to see how she would react to that and what her thoughts were.


    Rissy hand which was trying to pick some scallops paused midair. But it didn''t take her a long time to continue getting what she wanted and thought of this question over her mind. "It''s true that I won''t be their ss adviser anymore once they graduate from high school. At the same time, I was the one who agreed with this event first. I was the one who asked permission from the principal and I was the one who talked to the parents. Along with Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique, other parents also entrusted their children to me. And I love my students. They''ve always been good and they never gave me any headache. I want to ensure their safety onest time before we''ll part our ways."


    Listening to her words, Chris smiled and nodded his head. "If all teachers are like you, no students will drop out from school."


    Rissy''s face flushed and she lowered her head to hide her blush. "Don''t think so highly of me. I''m just a normal teacher."


    "Alright. If you say so, I won''t argue with you."


    Rissy lowered her head even more, almost having her nose touch the surface if her te. ''This guy is making me like him even more.'' She told herself without looking at him.


    "Why are you not saying anything? Did I say something wrong?" Chris put down his spoon and fork; his tone was of worry and panic.


    This made Rissy raise her head in an instant and shook her profusely to deny what he was asking. "You didn''t do anything. I was ¡­ I was just thinking that you''re such a good man. I''m d that Luiz was surrounded by good people like you."


    "You''re a good teacher, too. And a teacher is the second parent to a child. After leaving home to study, he was under your guidance. It was also part of your teaching that our little Luiz grew up into a fine young man."


    Whenever he opens his mouth andpliment her, her heart would beat like crazy. It was like a beast trying toe out of from the cage of her chest.


    "Ms. Chan, I don''t want to y a roundabout game with you." Chris took out the jewelry he bought when he shopped with Cayenne and Stefanst time, and ced it on the table. He pushed it off slowly towards her and gave her the gentlest smile he could muster. Even though he was smiling, his heart was shaking anxiously. "I like you."

 Chapter 307 - GATHERING I

    <h4>Chapter 307 - GATHERING I</h4>


    Rissy looked at the small box in front of her and looked back to the face of the man that she''s been thinking since he showed up in school to find her.


    She''s not an expert when ites to love and she wasn''t sure if he was being sincere to her or not. They didn''t know each other that well and they just hang out once in a while when they''re not that busy.


    They have different profession and they''re both busy. Rissy thought a lot of things and when these came into mind, even though she likes him, she still hesitated to ept his feelings. ''What if things won''t work out? What if we won''t have time for each other? What if he will find someone better than me? What if¡­What if¡­'' So many what ifs and she just stared on his face.


    Chris scratched the side of his face with his index finger while letting out an emptyughter. He thought that he''s got a chance because she seemed to like him but looking at her reaction, Chris thought it was all his imagination. He was just about to take back his gift when Rissy spoke again.


    "Can we get to know each other more first? Can I keep this gift for the meantime? Once I''m ready to ept your feelings, you''ll see me wearing this gift. Is that fine?"


    As if getting absolution from her, Chris sighed in deep relief. He didn''t realize that he was holding his breath until that very moment she finished speaking.


    "Sure. I don''t mind. I want to get to know you better as well. And you don''t have to force yourself to like me. Don''t let my feelings burden you. No matter what happens, just follow your heart."


    "Then, is this consider our first formal date?"


    "How can this be? This is not counted." Chris replied with a deep smile. "I''ll n our formal date next time and I''ll let you know."


    "O-okay. I''ll look forward to it."


    The two of them continued eating their lunch with new goal in mind.


    ''I''ll make you fall in love with me and be with me for the rest of our life.''


    ''I''ll see how serious you are first and reel you in to keep you by my side.''


    With smiles on their faces, no one knows what the other was thinking.


    At two in the afternoon, Jonas was sent home by Cayenne and Stefan. They didn''t stay for too long and drove back to City B and went directly to the Madrigal home. This time around, Jillyanna and her family weren''t staying in her house but they were staying in Hacienda Amore, a huge farmingnd that was owned by Thomas, Travis'' father. Originally, it was owned by Venus but she died early and left everything to her husband and son.


    Venus za Industry was also named after her.


    There was no special asion but the Madrigal and Madrid family likes to gather from time to time. Before, Cayenne would refuse their invitation because she''d always feel awkward befriending these socialites. But after knowing them, she realized that they weren''t like those wealthy people who discriminate the poor.


    It wasn''t just Jillyanna''s family who were good but everyone who''s close to them were really kind and they don''t befriend people who were cruel and unjust. If you''re a scum of the society, just make sure you won''t trifle with them or they will ruin your life even more.


    They finally saw the mansion but they just passed by it and continued driving towards the farm. When they arrived at the ce, it was so lively.


    "Auntie Yen!" It was Jade who saw them first, who let go of Savannah''s hand and ran towards them with her little arms wide open. "I''m so d you came."


    Cayenne crouched low to catch Jade and hugged her. "I miss you sweetie pie. How are you?"


    "I''m great." Jade smiled sweetly and kissed Cayenne on her right cheek. "Auntie Yen, I topped among our ss and I will be receiving awards on my graduation day." Jade told her with a proud expression on her face.


    "Wow! Our little sweetheart is really amazing! When is your graduation day? Can Ie and watch you, too?"


    "Of course. I will graduate next Friday. The ceremony will start at nine in the morning." Jade looked behind Cayenne and smiled at Stefan. "Uncle, you muste with Auntie Yen, alright?"


    "Sure, sure. We''lle." Stefan rubbed Jade''s hair gently, making sure he won''t mess up the hairstyle that Travis painstakingly make for his daughter. Not many know this but, Travis was actually responsible for styling his daughter''s hair. He needed to learn how to take care of children because he didn''t want to bother his wife, afraid she''ll have sore arms after styling Jade''s hair.


    Cayenne hugged Jillyanna and the other people that she was familiar with. She was also introduced to the other family members that she saw for the first time. And she found out how prominent their family was. There were military officers, police officers, businessmen, actress, and etc. But they never let her feel belittled or left out.


    "Did you know that Stefan never attended this our gathering before?" Jiyanna asked Cayenne which surprised thetter. Seeing her reaction, Jillyanna continued. "I even thought that he wasn''t really friends with my husband. If my memory serves me right, he only attended my wedding, Raizel''s birthday and Jade''s birthday. And he always left in a hurry after giving his gift. He didn''t even sit and eat with us."


    Stefan raised his brow and looked somewhere else, pretending he didn''t hear anything.


    "There might be some things that prevents him from attending this kind of events." Cayenne replied, trying to defend her husband.


    "Right." Stefan added, agreeing to his wife.


    "Tsk!" Jillyanna clicked her tongue at him. "I''m just worried."


    "Worried about what?" Stefan and Cayenne asked at the same time, making them look at each other andugh.


    Seeing their expression, Jillyanna also rxed. "In the future, I hope you guys wille again."

 Chapter 308 - GATHERING II

    <h4>Chapter 308 - GATHERING II</h4>


    Jillyanna was called by her sister Cielo so she left them to the others while she went to see what was the matter.


    Brown was holding a small bowl and inside it was boiled corn kernels with milk. "Do you want to have a try?" He asked Cayenne while handing her the small white bowl. "It tastes really good."


    "Thank you." Cayenne received it and shared it with Stefan but Brown put his hand on her wrist to stop her. "I can''t share it with him?"


    "No."


    "Why?"


    "Because it''s from me."


    Cayenne looked at him in confusion but Stefan wasn''t the least bit displeased with Brown''s attitude. He knew why couldn''t share it with him.


    "Wifey, ites from him and if Valkyrie sees me eating food given by him, he won''t be able to sleep a wink at night." Having him exined it that way, the tip of Brown''s earlobe started to redden.


    "I''ll have someone give him another bowl." Brown left the two of them and went to an olderdy and asked her to bring another bowl of corn kernel with milk.


    Seeing what he did, Valkyrie smiled cheekily.


    There was a huge bamboo house at the farm where people came in and out. It was their makeshift kitchen for the gathering like this and whoever likes to cook and go there. They were just eating the corn kernels with milk as a kind of dessert, a product of Savannah''s experiment. Although it was just an experiment of simple ingredients, it was indeed good.


    In the kitchen, they were preparing for the dinner that everyone will shareter while people outside were ying, chit-chatting and eating fruits as well as other food that Savannah was experimenting in the kitchen.


    "I heard that Arthur was making a move against you two." Travismented while carrying his son in his arms. "Do you need help?"


    Cayenne waved her hands at him in refusal. "There''s no need but thank you for the offer. Stefan an I will be able to handle him. We''ve made preparations but he actually hasn''t made a move yet. I''m starting to think that he disappeared."


    "Don''t belittle your enemy." Travis retorted. "I''m not sure but I think you''re facing someone like my wife did a year ago."


    "What do you mean?" Cayenne asked in curiosity. She''s friends with Jillyanna but she never pried on her privacy unless she''d tell her first. Right now, it was Travis who was talking to her and she wasn''t sure if what she did was considered prying.


    Travis put Raizel down inside his stroller and sat on the chair across them. "My wife met a psycho. That man loved my wife''s mother, Elizabeth. When he saw my wife, he thought she was Elizabeth and he kidnapped her. Thankfully, nothing bad happened. As for you, I''m not sure what''s going on inside Arthur''s brain but, he may have an obsession towards you. Both of you should be careful. If he wants to get you, he will either attack you or attack Stefan. He will never make a move if you two are together."


    Stefan''s eyes turned cold and his hands were clenched into fists on his side. "Since that''s the possible case, I might as well let him rot in wait. I will never leave my wife alone."


    "That''s good. Anyway, I''m just letting you know. If you need help, you can just call us directly." Travis stood up and pushed the stroller towards the direction of his wife.


    Jade had been keeping silent all this while, sitting beside Cayenne while munching on her apple. She didn''tment on anything because it was the conversation between adults but she was already praying mentally for their safety.


    When Travis left, another person came and chatted with them, not letting the two of them became bored. Cayenne met Winter, Travis'' cousin and her fianc¨¦ Gabriel. Both of them were from the military and were high ranking officers. Even so, they were both humble and easy to get along with.


    "Do you want to look around?" Winter asked Cayenne while waving her hand towards therge expanse ofnd.


    "Is it alright?" Cayenne asked in return with full of hesitation.


    "Of course." Winter nodded her head like a hen pecking a grain on the ground. "Do you want toe with us Jade?"


    "Can I?"


    "Yes, you can. But let''s ask your father first or he will kick me if he can''t see you around."


    "Okay. I''ll go to daddy and ask permission." Jade jumped down from her seat and ran towards her father and mother. She looked so adorable, making Cayenne think of having her own baby.


    Naturally, Stefan noticed the expression of longing on her face but he steeled himself to wait for two more years. But sometimes, our ns don''t really go our way.


    After getting approval from her parents, Jade looked around the farm with Cayenne and Winter. Stefan was following them, paying attention to Cayenne''s every expression. He handed her a handkerchief when he saw sweats dotting her forehead. He gave her his cap when she shielded her face from the sunlight. When he saw her looking on a certain fruit for a long time, he''d send a message to Travis that he''d pluck that fruit for her.


    In the end, when Cayenne turned back to see how her husband was doing, she was utterly speechless in surprise. He was already holding a basket with different kinds of fruits.


    "Why do you have so many fruits? Where did you get that basket?" Cayenne asked while looking around.


    "I plucked these fruits for you. As for the basket, Travis asked someone to send this to me."


    Watching them together, Winter couldn''t stop herself from shaking her head while holding back herughter. ''Another man joined the wife-doting husband club.'' She told herself while taking few steps away from them to give them space. She turned to Jade and smiled at her. "Little princess, would you like to see the flower garden? I heard that many flowers have bloomed yesterday."


    "Auntie, you can just tell me honestly. You just want to give them some alone time, right?" Jade retorted with a cheeky smile on her lips.


    "Such a smart little angel."

 Chapter 309 - GATHERING III

    <h4>Chapter 309 - GATHERING III</h4>


    Gabriel was supposed to go with them but Winter told him to stay with Travis and the rest of the family because it was too hot. His just had an operation with his leg and Dr. Anderson told them that he must not overwork himself or stay too long under the sun. Left with no choice from her nagging, Gabriel stayed.


    Jade and Winter walked several meters away from the couple but they would stop from time to time, pretending they were looking at something but in reality, they were just making sure that the two won''t get lost in the farm.


    "Winter, I just want to ask." Cayenne called out to them and walked a little bit faster to catch with them. "This is a farm, right? Why don''t I see any farmers?"


    "Oh! You might not know this but every time a gathering took ce in this farm, our farmers will not be working. Sometimes they''ll be joining us but sometimes, they''ll go to the city and have a date or shopping time with their families."


    "I see. I didn''t expect such treatment. I thought they''d be working early in the morning ''tilte afternoon from Monday to Sunday."


    "I get what you mean. Other farmers really experienced the things that you said but Aunt Venus wasn''t that kind of person. When thisnd was given to her, she decided to make it a farm and hired beggars or homeless families to work for her. In fact, Travis and his family don''t get much from the earnings here because they gave it to the farmers, help them build their own homes, send their children to school and donate some of the money to other foundations."


    "They''re really kind." Cayenne muttered in amazement. In her life, they''re the first people she knew who helped selflessly without asking anything in return.


    However, when Winter heard thement ''kind'' from Cayenne, she couldn''t help but sneer. "Yen, don''t think so kindly of them. Our family isn''t really kind. If I must say, perhaps, only Jenny, Cayenne''s little sister can be considered naturally kind as well as the little kids. As for the adults, well, you can say, they''ve got fangs to show when needed."


    "I think at some point, people will really show their fangs when needed. But still, I am sure that they''re really kind person." Cayenne retorted. No one can change her opinion regarding Jillyanna''s family.


    "Auntie Yen, do you want to y at the swing over there?" Jade interrupted their conversation because her Auntie Winter kept discrediting their family to test Yen. She didn''t like it when people close to her were being tested but at the same time, she understood her auntie''s purpose of doing so.


    Cayenne looked to the direction where Jade''s little finger was pointing and found two sings hanging under therge cotton fruit tree. "It won''t snap? I''m quite heavy." Just as she finished speaking she yelped in shock because Stefan lifted her suddenly. "W-what¡­what are you doing? Put me down. I can walk."


    "I''m just testing how heavy you are." Stefan grinned before putting her down once again. "It won''t snap. A sack of rice is much heavier than you."


    Jade who was watching them covered her mouth andugh softly. They were just like her mom and dad. When she arrived in the orphanage three years ago, she was said to have depression and traumatic experience. At such a young age, she struggled so much on her own after her mother and little sister died. She was all alone. But a new family came, giving light to her dark world, filling her empty heart with love and care. Now, she''s surrounded with people who cares for each other and people who were kind and helpful.


    And she''s thankful that her parents befriended people who are kind and loving just like them.


    "Let''s go." Jade pulled Cayenne and Winter, and they went to the swing area. It was very near to the flower garden so they took their time to rest at the swing and yed for a little while. Since Stefan picked many fruits earlier, they ate them while resting.


    After having a short tour around the farm, the four of them came back and joined Jillyanna''s family once again. At six in the evening, they started setting up the dinner tables and arranged the dishes that Jillyanna''s family prepared in the afternoon. It was this time that another car arrived and a man stepped out of the car with boxes of desserts in his hand.


    "Dr. Rivera?" Cayenne asked in whisper when she saw the man.


    "You know him?" Stefan asked while nodding towards Eli as a greeting.


    "He''s known in the hospital and many nurses and patients like him."


    "Do you like him?"


    "As a person, yes. He''s someone who''s easy to befriend but I don''t like him romantically. So, don''t think too much and push back your jealousy."


    Stefan kissed her temple and smiled at her. "I''m not jealous."


    Eliezer walked towards Jillyanna and Travis, greeted them and the whole family as he put the boxes he brought on the table. When he came and looked towards Stefan, Cayenne was blocked from his view. Now that he raised his head and looked around to greet everyone, he was stunned to see Cayenne in the crowd.


    "Yenyen?" he asked while looking at her, making everyone look at him and then to Cayenne. No one expected that the two of them would know each other.


    "Good evening, doc." Cayenne greeted him. "I''m really surprise to see you here."


    "Likewise." Eliezer walked towards them and stretched his hand out towards Stefan. "I''m Dr. Eliezer Rivera."


    "Stefan Dumrique, her husband."


    Eliezer smiled upon hearing Stefan''s introduction but he didn''tment on it. He turned to Cayenne and grinned. "You finally found the right man for you."


    "Yup. It''s time for you to find someone as well doc."


    "Hn. I''m looking for one already. I just couldn''t find her yet." He told her with a faint smile hanging on his lips. He already moved on from his rejected love for Jillyanna but because he loved her for so many years, it''s difficult to find someone who can rece her.


    He even started paying attention to the single nurses and doctors in Senyu Medical Hospital but none of them was interesting.

 Chapter 310 - A LOVE SO SWEET

    <h4>Chapter 310 - A LOVE SO SWEET</h4>


    It was not until nine in the evening that Cayenne and Stefan bid farewell to the Madrid and Madrigal family. She actually wanted to go home at eight in the evening because she wanted them to rest early for the night, but when she looked for Stefan, he was busy talking with several men, looking so serious and not wanting to be bothered.


    Thinking it was somepany issues that needs serious discussion, she didn''t disturb him and waited for him to finish whatever he was discussing with the others.


    When they reached home, they found Erwin in the living room, yingputer game again.


    ''No wonder this guy couldn''t find a girlfriend.'' Cayenne thought to herself while changing her shoes for a pair of indoor slippers. Since Stefan was carrying a basket full of fruits, Cayenne helped him remove his shoes and put on his slippers.


    "Good evening, young miss. Good evening, sir." Erwin greeted them as he closed hisputer.


    "You''re not ying anymore?" Cayenne asked.


    "I''ll y in my room. I just yed here to wait for you toe home."


    "I see. Have you eaten your dinner?"


    "Yes. I cooked earlier. How about you two? Should I cook something?"


    "There''s no need. We ate already. You can take a rest now. Don''t yputers for too long."


    "Yes, young miss." Erwin rose to his feet and went back to his own room.


    Stefan went to the kitchen with the basket and washed the fruits first. "Honey, you can go to our room first. I won''t be taking long here."


    "But I want to stay and help you with that."


    "O-okay." Stefan moved to the other sink and gave his wife space to wash the fruits with him. Since there were two of them working, it didn''t take long for them to finish washing the fruits. Stefan ced them inside the refrigerator while the others were ced on a big ss bowl.


    "Do you want to take a shower together?" Cayenne asked him softly, so soft that he almost missed the chance to grab this offer.


    "Hm? Shower with you? Are you sure?"


    "Duh! It''s not like I don''t know how shameless my husband is." Cayenne replied as she ced her bag on the ottoman chair at the foot of her bed.


    Wagging his tail with a wolfish grin on his face, Stefan immediately opened their closet to pick their pajamas for tonight. He ced the clothes on top of the bedside drawer and he pulled Cayenne to the bathroom. Although she expected it when she invited him to shower together, she still couldn''t believe how energetic she was after all the things they''ve done for the whole day. She even specifically invited him today because she thought he''s exhausted. If she knew that he was still full of energy, she wouldn''t dare ask him to shower together.


    He kissed her until she felt dizzy and her knees were threatening to give out. She''s trembling in his arms. Stefan wrapped his hands on her waist, pulled her up and have Cayenne''s legs wrapped around his body.


    He brought her inside the shower area but instead of taking a shower, he just put her down, kissing her as if his life depended on him.


    "Mnn." She moaned when she felt his burning hand touched her body underneath her clothes. He stroked the swell of her breast with his thumb without stopping his kiss.


    Her hands weren''t idle either. She unbuttoned his shirt one after another while their passionate kiss continued. When Stefan''s shirt was finally opened, he stopped kissing her and removed his shirt,pletely. He undressed himself without looking away from his wife.


    Cayenne was standing in front of him, still fully dressed while her husband was removing his clothes one by one. Their eyes were locked into each other.


    "Are you seducing me?" Cayenne blurted out while watching him undress himself.


    "Are you seduced?"


    "Kind of." Cayenne replied nonchntly but the blush that was creeping from her neck to her face couldn''t hide the fact that she was feeling a lot of silver butterflies fluttering in her stomach. When she saw his manhood, her face turned even redder. "You aren''t tired after all the things we did today?"


    "Nope. I think I can go for five rounds."


    "Are you nning to kill me?" Cayenne retorted exasperatedly which made Stefanugh happily. He kissed her forehead, her eyebrows, her eyes, her nose and her lips, down to her neck as he removed her clothes for her. Stefan likes doing this. He didn''t want Cayenne to undress herself whenever they make love because he wants to do it for her.


    They made love right under the shower head and in the moment of heated passion, the two of them forgot something once again. It was something that Cayenne wanted but it was something that Stefan feared.


    "You forgot to put condom." Cayenne muttered but there was smile on her lips when she felt Stefan released a lot of his essence inside her.


    "D-do¡­do you want to take contraceptive pills?"


    "Try making me drink it and I will tell our child in the future. And besides, it''s not like we''ll surely have a baby after this." Cayenne stated. Seeing his worried face, she hugged him and pressed her face on his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. "It will be fine. Having a baby now or two yearster won''t have any difference. Trust me."


    Stefan hugged her back as he removed himself from her. Instead of having five rounds with her, after one round, he decided to have a shower and rest right after.


    Thankfully the two of them did it inside the bathroom or else, it would be seen by Arthur who was observing them once again through his telescope. Although he didn''t see what has happened, he already had an idea what urred during the time the couple took a bath.


    He''s bing sicker every single day that has passed. He gritted his teeth and kicked the chair beside him. Just as he was about to smash something, his phone rang. It was from thendlord of the apartment building that he rented.


    "Sir, can youe and check out your apartment tonight? Something happened."

 Chapter 311 - BUSTED

    <h4>Chapter 311 - BUSTED</h4>


    Arthur hurried back to his apartment but before he arrived, he felt that something wasn''t right. He made sure to keep everything in ce in his apartment, checked every item that might leak or those that might explode. He even checked the apartment room under his to see if there was any leakage. It was to prevent any ident from happening that will make thendlord contact him.


    Now that he was contacted by him, Arthur didn''te home directly. Instead, he parked his car in one of the nearby caf¨¦s and hailed a taxi cab to observe what was happening in his apartment. His room was facing the road so he can see it clearly even if he was quite some distance from it.


    When he arrived at the main gate of the apartmentplex, he saw his mother''s car. His face turned cold and there was madness shing in his eyes. When he looked towards his apartment, it seemed like nothing was wrong with it but Arthur knew his ce very well. He pulled out his phone and took a picture of his door and zoomed it in.


    When he left, he ced pasted a small ck tape on the door and the door frame. It has a little bit of tear on the center so if someone opens his door and get inside his room, that tape will be torn in half. Right now, the picture on his phone showed it was torn.


    It would be fine if it was just his mother who found out about his secret but he knew that some other people barged in. His gut was telling him to go back and so, he left without showing his face in front of thendlord.


    "Police officer, I have called him. He said that he''s on his way." Thendlord told the police officer who''s leading the team to investigate this matter.


    "Thank you for your cooperation. Don''t say anything else to him. We''ll be catching him by surprise."


    Little did they know, Arthur has left and was aware of what was happening already. He just didn''t know that there were police officers waiting for him. It can be said that he escaped with a sliver of luck in hand.


    The police officers waited and waited, waited and waited until the clock struck midnight. With the hours passing by, they knew that their target was aware of what has happened. And since he escaped they raised the level of this investigation.


    "Are you really arresting my son?"


    "We need to apprehend him and bring him to jail for questioning. He might not have done something harmful but you can already see that he was nning to do something. And if he''s innocent, he should''ve showed himself here. In any case, if proven that he''s not going to use those things for a crime-rted incident, we won''t be imprisoning him." Police Officer David answered Kirin who had been crying since earlier.


    As a mother, she must have an idea that her son was obsessed over someone and when she talked it over with him, her son ran away. Looking at her haggard expression, Officer David felt sorry for the mother.


    Police Officer David trusted two of his men to stay and monitor the ce in case Arthur showed up once again. As for the rest, they left the apartmentplex and went back to the police station to sort out the report of what they found inside Arthur''s apartment room.


    If someone would tell David that their target was a psycho, he wouldn''t argue with that.


    On the other hand, after he left the ce earlier and went back to his car, Arthur was now driving aimlessly in the city. He didn''t know what to do. He nned everything in order to get Cayenne but not it was ruined. Someone ruined his n but he didn''t know who. At first, he thought it would be Seiji but he also dismissed this idea because he thought that Seiji wouldn''t bother himself with things like this.


    And that''s where Arthur was wrong. Seiji won''t be bothered if Arthur wants to harm someone but since it involves Cayenne, he wouldn''t just sit around and wait for harm to befall her. He would destroy everything and everyone who wants to harm her and make her live a happy life that she deserves because that''s what you should do for someone you love so dearly.


    The next morning, Cayenne woke up and felt Stefan''s hands wrapped around her waist. She picked up her phone on top of her drawer and checked the time. It was still early so she didn''t get out of bed yet. She just decided to read the messages she received and one that struck her the most was the message from Cole.


    It was the news about Arthur''s apartment and the what they have discovered inside. If before Cayenne defended Arthur for being such a nice guy in the past, this time, she felt goosebumps all over her.


    Apparently, when Kirin found the address of her son, she informed Cole about it. She even took pictures of what it was like inside the room and sent it to him, asking him to tell Cayenne to be careful. Kirin wasn''t asking her to be careful for Cayenne''s safety but for the safety of her son.


    If something happens to Cayenne, Arthur will be damned for the rest of his life. If nothing happens to Cayenne, they can still run away and live in a ce far, far from them.


    Cayenne sighed and ced her phone back on the drawer. So many things have happened and she couldn''t remember anymore when did things go wrong between her and Arthur.


    "Whatever." She muttered and shifted her body to the other side in order to face her husband. ''I chose this guy to be the person that I''d spend the rest of my life with. Arthur should move on, too. If he won''t, well¡­it''s not my fault.'' Cayenne thought to herself and hugged Stefan. Seeing that he was still asleep, she stole one quick kiss on his lips before burying her face on his chest.

 Chapter 312 - PRAYERS

    <h4>Chapter 312 - PRAYERS</h4>


    Noticing the faint movement beside him and that quick stolen kiss, Stefan''s eyes fluttered open and found his wife hugging him tight. It was like she was seekingfort from him but because he was asleep, she could only hug him.


    "What''s the matter?" Stefan asked with his groggy voice while kissing the top of her head. "You can tell me anything that bothers you."


    "I''m not really bothered by it but you might be." Cayenne drew circles on his back with her fingers while recounting the message that she got from Cole. When she''s done talking, Stefan inhaled deeply and exhaled abruptly to rx himself. Just by listening to her, he couldn''t stop himself from being angry.


    "He''s really insane." He muttered as he caressed his wife''s head. "We need to be extra careful now. Since his ns were busted, he might take some drastic measure just to get you away from me. Also, we need to thank that person who tells the police about this."


    "I don''t know who gave the tip to the police."


    "That''s easy. I''ll check on itter." The two cuddled together for a little while before deciding to get out of bed and shower together. They''ll be having a road trip the whole day and this time, it will be just the two of them.


    Last night, he discussed with the other men the ces which were good for wedding venues. Of course, they didn''t ask the girl for opinions because they would know who it was for and Cayenne might know about it. And Stefan trusted their words, after all, those men were just like him ¨C a wife-doting husband, a wife ve.


    Last night, they also received the wedding invitation from Savannah and Hawk which will be held next month. On that day, he will ask for her opinion about the wedding and note of them for her. He''s nned for everything. If nothing goes wrong, before the end of the year, they can have their own wedding, too.


    "Are you guys not having breakfast here?" Erwin asked when he saw that the two of them were nning to go out once again. He just finished watering the nts at the back and was about to prepare some food for breakfast.


    "We will be leaving early today." Cayenne answered him while grabbing some apples for her and for Stefan. "Why don''t you eat breakfast in the nearest restaurant. It saves you the time from cooking."


    "Nah. I''d rather stay here and cook. You both take care."


    "Thanks. We''ll be heading out now. Look after the house and don''t just y with yourputer games. It''s bad for your eyes." Cayenne reminded him while walking out of the house.


    Erwin was left with a faint smile on his lips. It''s obvious that he was older than her but she nags at him like she was the older sister. Perhaps it was because she''s used to taking care of her younger brothers, and Erwin actually likes the treatment. It made him feel that he belongs to a family.


    Although Cayenne told him not to yputer games that much, he couldn''t just follow her words. It was the only source of entertainment he knew and whenever he sits in front of hisputer to y, he''ll end up ying for hours.


    Back to the couple, they traversed the road from one city to another, to see beautifulndmarks and tourist spots. Aside from the tourist spots, Stefan made sure to let her see the possible venues of her wedding.


    "We''ll be sight seeing only, right? We won''t end up booking a room in a hotel here and spend the night?" Cayenne asked Stefan when the two of them reached San Bernardo Beach. It was a beautiful ce with a white sand beach and a clear enticing water of the sea.


    "Nope. I still want to spend the night with you at home." Stefanmented while they watched the ce. They walked at the bay, watched people swim and do other water sports, and left after almost half an hour. "We''re only here to enjoy the tourist spots that we haven''t visited." Stefanmented, not leaving any space for her to start doubting his intention.


    They visited three beaches in the morning and stopped when he noticed Cayenne''s face was turning red. They didn''t really go for a swim but she still got sunburns even after applying sunscreen and he was worried for her.


    They arrived in City C were old yet magnificent churches can be found for weddings. Before visiting the churches, Stefan looked for a restaurant first to have lunch with Cayenne and to rest for the mean time. He didn''t want to be in haste or Cayenne might start to suspect him.


    They found a restaurant that offers buffet meal of various dishes from different countries which delighted Cayenne so much. Food was always another source offort for her and seeing lots of cuisine in front of her, she was really happy.


    The two of them ate a hearty meal and only decided to leave the ce after one and half hour.


    "Do you like old churches?" Stefan asked Cayenne while they strode inside the cathedral that was first on his list.


    "Not just old churches but the new ones as well. I like their design and the stained sses that they use. I don''t know. There''s just something mesmerizing about them."


    "I''m d that I brought you here." Stefan held her hand and pulled her to take a seat on one of the benches inside the church. "Thest time I visited a church was the day I graduated high school. I was so lost that time, I don''t know what I should do after graduation. I didn''t have enough money for college and the schrships that I applied for didn''t call me whether I passed or failed. I felt so hopeless. When I came to the church, I didn''t even know what to pray for. I just sat on the bench for god-knows-how-long before telling Him ''I''ll leave everything to you.''" Cayenne listened to Stefan without saying anything. It''s rare for Stefan to recall this kind of events in the past to her and she was happy that he''s telling her about it.


    "The ns I have for myself didn''t work but His ns for me work." Stefan added. "And I bet, you are one of the events He nned for me to have in this life."


    "So, you didn''t pray to have me in your life?"


    "Will you be angry if I say no?"


    "I won''t. What''s there to be angry? So, you didn''t?"


    "No. When I was in high school, suffering from insomnia, I prayed that I''ll be cured that I''ll find relief in this world. And I waited for fifteen years before you came. In those fifteen years, I don''t know how many times Travis had to bring me to hospital or to the school infirmary because I kept copsing from exhaustion. And you might think I''m weird but before, I feel happy when I fainted because I can get a wink of sleep."


    "Aren''t we an answer to each other''s prayers?" Cayenne said with a smile hanging on her lips. She intertwined their fingers and kissed the back of his hand. "I wasn''t sitting inside the church when I prayed for it and I even mistook a person."


    "What did you pray for?"


    "You know that we''re poor, right? When my stepfather was sent to jail, life became even harder and my ssmate knew of this news as well. They often bullied me at school and although I didn''t retaliate, it didn''t mean I wasn''t hurt. It was when my clothes got soaked in the bathroom that I prayed to find someone who wouldn''t bully me and discriminate me for being poor. And there''s Arthur. All those years, he always stayed by my side. He defended me from everyone. There''s Seiji and Marian, too. They were good friends of mine but they disappeared at a certain point in my life. Now, I realized that they weren''t the person that was given to me as an answer to my prayer but it''s you. I waited for so many years to find you."


    "So, it''s proven that you are really made for me." Stefan stated with a wide grin on his face.


    "I believe so. Youplete what''s missing in me and I give what you needed." Cayenne retorted, gentleness reflected on her face as she looked at him with love and care in her eyes. "Do you want to pray something together, this time?"


    "Sure."


    The two of them separated their hands for a moment to pray inside the cathedral.


    ''I pray that my husband will always be safe, free from harm and danger. I pray that he will change his mind soon and that we''ll have a baby in the near future.''


    ''I pray that my dear Ayen will always be safe. I''d rather exchange my life for her if she''s to suffer something bad and painful. Also, I don''t really have a problem with having children but can you bless us a kid after two years? She''s still very young and I''m afraid she''ll be in a lot of pain. If ever you give us a baby soon, can you not let her suffer when giving birth? I want nothing else but the safety of my wife.''


    Cayenne''s prayer was short and simple- direct to the point. After saying her prayers for her family, she opened her eyes and found Stefan still praying. ''This guy, he''s not praying for me not to have a baby soon, is he?''

 Chapter 313 - TO MY WIFE

    <h4>Chapter 313 - TO MY WIFE</h4>


    They visited two more churches and one of those was the St. Augustine Parish that many weddings took ce whether in real life or in TV shows. Cayenne loved the interior design as well because it was spacious and the color was elegant ¨C mostly white and gold. She even imagined having her own wedding there. Of course, she didn''t tell Stefan about it.


    They took pictures together during the whole trip and she posted them online, no longer worried about her rtionship with Stefan. Many people evenmented on the pictures if the two of them were looking for a ce to hold their wedding but Cayenne didn''t reply to any of those. They can just keep on guessing because she herself didn''t know what Stefan had n.


    "Since we''re already outside, I booked a ce for us to have dinnerter." Stefan told informed her while driving his car. They were on their way home and the traffic jam was heavy which takes their time toe home. If they would wait to go home before having dinner, his wife would be famished thus; he booked a restaurant in the next City C for dinner. They can use this time to wait for the traffic to lessen as well.


    "Are we near?" Cayenne asked while looking outside the window.


    "Two more stop lights and we''ll turn right. It''s an amazing ce to relieve your stress from this traffic jam."


    "O-okay." Cayenne didn''t ask anymore and just observed the surrounding area while being stuck in the traffic. After almost half an hour of slow driving, they arrived at the restaurant that Stefan booked.


    They booth that they booked was on the fourth floor which where VIP rooms are located. Stefan made sure to book the room with the best view of the city and the one that was facing the Kali Mirror Tower. Although it has a mirror on its name, the building wasn''t actually made of tower. Instead, it''s a tower which walls were made of LCD screens.


    Usually the screen will disy the building''s interior design, some products that the buildingunches and whatever things they want to promote using the LCD screens of the whole building.


    "This ce is indeed lovely. I like it here." Cayennemented while looking at the view outside.


    "Right. I''ve been here once due to some meeting with clients and I remember it today. I''m d that you like the ce."


    "Hubby, let''s take a picture with the tower as our background." She pulled out her phone and was ready to take pictures with him when suddenly, the disy on the LCD screens was changed. It became a photo of a woman who was standing in a flower field who was wearing a flower crown.


    ''The happiest day of my life is when I met her ¨C my dearest sleeping pill.''


    And then it was changed to another picture. It became a woman who was standing in the middle of the crowd, while an artist was painting her a portrait.


    ''Her smiles are always vibrant, brightening up my day. She''s my best friend.''


    Then, it flipped and changed to a new picture. This time, it was a woman who was happily smiling after receiving a pot of tulip flowers.


    "She''s my confidant. She always encourages me and cheer for me when I felt a little down."


    And then the picture was changed again to a coge of hundreds of pictures of the same woman. When the pictures flipped, it became one picture of a couple.


    ''She''s my dearest wife. She''s the answer to my prayers for fifteen years.''


    It was a picture of Cayenne and Stefan. It was their picture when they had their first trip together and took horseback riding. It was also the day that they became an official couple.


    "OMG! OMG! OMG! Mr. Dumrique took this chance to profess his love for his wife again."


    "That''s very sweet!"


    "Just how much did he pay for them to disy those words for him? Rich people sure have it easy."


    "His wife is very lucky!"


    "Does that mean they''re nearby?"


    "I want to have a confession like this, too."


    Not only the people were surprised, Cayenne was utterly speechless from shock, too. The phone that she was holding to take pictures of her and Stefan was still raised midair. She was stunned to see those pictures of herself and the short words that apanied it. It was really sweet and romantic.


    "Did you n this earlier?" Cayenne asked her husband who had been grinning beside her.


    "When I realized that we''d be facing this tower, I called someone to do this for me."


    "Please don''t tell me you own that tower, too."


    "I don''t own that tower or any shares of that building but I am friends with the owner. I just asked for a little help."


    Cayenne breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that he didn''t own it. Sometimes she felt really scared when she realizes how much Stefan was worth and how much she was worth. The disparity was overwhelming and it would sometimes disappoint her.


    Stefan knew what was running in her mind and he held her hand, kissing the back of it. "My wife, do you like my surprise?"


    "Hn. I love it but don''t waste your money like this in the future. I''m fine with simple surprises."


    "As long as it makes you happy, it''s not a waste of money."


    A little whileter, several servers came and ced the food that Stefan ordered on the table. It turned out, while she was stunned and surprised, Stefan took this chance to order their food while she admire what she saw. She didn''t even know that the waitress was taking their orders earlier.


    The short love confession from Stefan to Cayenne wasn''t just enjoyed by the local people but all over the world. Someone was actually filming around the area and caught the confession disyed on the tower. When he uploaded it, it didn''t take too long for other people to caught wind of the news and soon, the video went viral.


    Cayenne and Stefan became the talk of the town once again.

 Chapter 314 - WHICH ONE?

    <h4>Chapter 314 - WHICH ONE?</h4>


    When the two of them got home it was almost ten in the evening. Luiz and Kyle were ying video games, waiting for Stefan to send them a message that they''re home. Once they received his message, Luiz immediately took out his phone and called his sister.


    "It''s a littlete now. Why aren''t you asleep yet?" Cayenne asked her brother the moment she answered his call. Stefan was currently taking a shower but he knew that Cayenne must be taking a phone call from her brother. After all, he nned for it to happen.


    "I don''t have ss anymore so, we yed a little today." Luiz responded while turning on the loudspeaker for his brother Kyle to hear. "We''ve seen the confession."


    "You did?"


    "Well, someone uploaded it. Who would''ve thought that it will turn out to be you and brother-inw?" Luiz teased Cayenne knowing how easy she would blush. "Are you blushing while remembering it?"


    "Shut it. Why are you calling me for? I don''t think you''re calling me just to tease me, am I right?"


    "No, we are not. We just saw the photos you uploaded while we''re surfing the. Did you guys go for a trip again?" It was Kyle who asked the question this time.


    "Just a short trip. We''re home now."


    "Can you bring us along next time?"


    "Sure. I''ll save up to bring you two with me next time."


    "Among the ces that you''ve visited, which one do you like the most?" Luiz asked without sounding too pushy towards his sister.


    Cayenne thought for a while and remembered the churches they visited earlier. "I like the St. Augustine Parish in City D the most. It''d be great to have a church wedding there. If Kyle wants to marry Kath in a church, I suggest that ce. Of course, if you don''t want to, you can look for other ces. The beaches we went to were good as well but I still like St. Augustine Parish the most. I''d love to go there once again."


    "If ever you''ll go there, don''t forget to bring us, okay?" Luiz reminded his sister.


    "Right. I''ll bring Kath there, too. I''ll ask if she wants to get married in church or at the beach." Kyle alsomented. "But that''s when I have a stable job and savings to start our own family."


    "Young man, you''re too young to think about those things but it''s also good that you''re thinking of your future. Anyway, study first. Don''t follow my footsteps." Cayenne told her brother, reprimanding like how a mother should. "It''s gettingte already. Two more weeks and Luiz will graduate soon. I have a big surprise for the both of you."


    "Really?!"


    "Yup. I am sure that you will bow down to the heavens due to happiness."


    Hearing her words, both brothersughed at her. She really knew how to make them happy.


    "It''s gettingte now, sis. We''ll call you once again next time. We won''t be taking much of your time for now. Good night." Kyle said.


    "Good night, Yen." Luiz also bid farewell and wished her good night.


    The call ended and Cayenne ced her phone on top of her bedside drawer. Stefan was currently drying his hair while walking barefooted with only a robe on.


    She patted the space next to her indicating for him to sit down. "Come here. I''ll dry your hair for you."


    "Was it your brother who called you?" Stefan asked even though he was very clear about who called her.


    "Yup. They saw a video of that short confession you made through the LCD screen of that Mirror building and they teased me about it."


    "Are they really your brothers?" Stefan joked which made Cayenne lightly pinched his arm.


    "From who do you think they got this trait?"


    "From you?" Cayenne pinched his arm once again, making Stefanugh at her reaction. "Alright. They learned it from me. My wife is a good woman. They would never learn anything bad from you."


    "Of course." Cayenne replied triumphantly, as if she won the best argument ever. "Am I just imagining it or is your hair a little bit longer this time?"


    "I think it''s longer, too." Stefan answered while feeling Cayenne''s hands massaging his scalp. "Can you apany me to the salon tomorrow?"


    "How about I cut it for you?"


    "You know how to?"


    "Uh huh. I always cut my brothers'' hair when they grow longer than the allowed length in school. It may not be as good as the one in the salon but it''s still decent and presentable."


    "Alright. You can cut my hair tomorrow."


    The two of them flirted for a little while until midnight before deciding to finally go to sleep.


    On the other hand, Erwin was still wide awake. It''s been over a week now since thest time he visited the amusement park with Luiz, Kyle and Kath. It''s been over a week since the little stuff toy of Little Red Riding Hood was snatched from him. Every time he ys hisputer game with his partner Little Red, he will be reminded of the event and be reminded of that little woman who stole the toy from him.


    "Hey, I''ll be going back to Italy tomorrow." Sabrina messaged him using her ount Little Red.


    "When will you be back in City A?"


    "I''m not sure. When I''m bored in Italy, I''ll probably go back here."


    "I see. Then, take care of yourself there. If you''re not busy,e and y a game or two with me."


    "Sure." Sabrina was about to log out from the game when she remembered something. "When Ie back and visit City A next time, let''s meet formally and be friends in real life."


    "Okay."


    Erwin watched the icon of Little Red dimmed and the status was changed to offline. Since he''s partner has logged off from the game, he lost interest with the game and logged off as well.


    None of them had any idea that they''ll be meeting really soon, not in Italy and not in City A but in City B ¨C right inside Cayenne''s property.

 Chapter 315 - WEVE MEET AGAIN

    <h4>Chapter 315 - WE''VE MEET AGAIN</h4>


    Monday came and the couple was supposed to go to the office. However, Stefan wanted to have a new haircut and Cayenne was going to cut his hair for him. So, they ended up not going to work in the morning to give Cayenne all the time she needed.


    "Do you have any preferred style?" Cayenne asked him while putting on the silk cloth around him to prevent him from getting covered with hair.


    "Any smile that would make me look handsome."


    "You''re handsome already. Does that mean I don''t have to cut your hair anymore?"


    "My wife has good eyes." Stefan chuckled as he pulled her close and kissed her t stomach. "You can style my hair however you want."


    "Alright. I''ll make you more handsome, then." Cayenne ced the portable razor, the scissors and theb on the chair while she thought of a good hair style for him. At the end, she chose a simple hairstyle. As they say, simplicity is beauty.


    Cayenne slowly cut his hair to make sure that she''ll get the right length she desired for him. To make sure that he won''t feel hot and stuffy, she went for a clean undercut. But she didn''t cut it too short in order for him tob it back or style it however he wantster. She only shaved the part right behind his ear to give it a clean cut and refreshing feeling.


    It took her almost half an hour to do it, afraid she might mess up his hair.


    "How about that?" Cayenne asked while handing him the mirror she brought. "Is it good? If not, you can ask a professional to trim it for you."


    Stefan looked from side to side, then from the top of his head to the side of his neck. The smile on his lips showed how satisfied he was. "Wifey, do you want to build your own salon?"


    "No."


    "That''s a very quick answer. Why not?"


    "I don''t want to serve other men." Stefan was stunned with her answer and for some reason, it made him grin like a foolish man he was.


    "Then, let''s not build a salon." Stefan removed the silk cloth that was wrapped around him to avoid getting hair all over him. Actually, it was a silks scarf that he gave her but since they couldn''t find anything else to cover him, Cayenne used that scar instead.


    Stefan felt fresh with the new haircut and he couldn''t wait to show it to Erwin and the other guards. He carried the things that Cayenne used and brought them back inside the house.


    "Wow! Young miss, you really are good with this. Can you cut my hair, too?" Erwin asked when he saw Stefan with the new haircut.


    However, Stefan pulled something from his pocket and stuffed it on Erwin''s hand. "Go get your hair cut in a salon. You can''t afford my wife''s service fee." It turned out, he stuffed him several bills to pay for a hair cut in a salon.


    Erwin clicked his tongue with a sly grin on his face. He put the money inside his pocket and left the couple to go find a salon and have his hair cut. He was about to get inside his car when the doorbell rang.


    Erwin got down of his car and went to the gate to see who it was. Since the guards hiding in the properties didn''t alert him, it means the visitor was harmless. He turned on the monitor to see the visitor''s face and when he did, his eyes almost fell out of his sockets.


    ''What the hell is this woman doing here? Isn''t it enough that she took the toy from me? Is she here to torment me?'' Erwin didn''t open the gate and just stood there thinking what he should do.


    "Huh? No one''s home? I heard that they didn''te to work. So, where did the two of them go?" Sabrina muttered to herself while checking her phone. "Maybe I should give them a call." She scrolled on her phone contacts, looking for Cayenne and Stefan''s name. "Hopefully, they didn''t change their contact numbers."


    Erwin watched Sabrina muttering while looking on her phone. Then, she''s calling someone.


    "You two are home? No. I rang the bell twice already. Are you guys so busy you didn''t hear me? Oh. Okay. No worries. I''ll wait." Sabrina ended the call and went back inside her car to wait for the gate to open.


    Cayenne went out to open the gate for Sabrina, thinking that Erwin has left already. "Eh? You''re still here? I thought you left. Someone''s ringing the bell. Why didn''t you open it?"


    "You know that evil woman?" Erwin asked with a horrified face as if he couldn''t believe that his young miss was close to the woman he hated the most.


    "Evil woman? Which evil woman?"


    "The one ringing the bell."


    Cayenneughed at him and flicked his forehead. "Don''t judge her alright? She''s a very good woman. Go and open the gate so that she cane in."


    "Definitely not. That woman reeks of evil."


    "Have you been reading too manyics these past few days? What reeks of evil are you talking about? Go and open the gate."


    "Okay, young miss." Erwin slowly opened the gate and as soon as he was done opening it, he ran to his car and got inside, hiding himself from her.


    Cayenne was watching him the whole time and seeing his reaction, she was really confused. She knew that Erwin won''t make unfounded usations but she didn''t know why he was acting that way.


    Sabrina drove her car inside and Erwin was supposed to drive his car outside to get a haircut somewhere but Cayenne blocked him from going.


    "Young miss, I need to have a haircut."


    "You can do itter. We have a guest."


    "Hmp! She''s your guest not mine." Usually he''s very obedient but he''s very stubborn this time.


    "You get down here this instant and receive the guest or I will ask dad to cut your allowance and sry."


    "I don''t care. I won''t receive that evil witch."


    "I will confiscate your game console and yourputer." This threat was very effective against Erwin. He stepped out of the car and went to receive the guest, opening the car door for her.


    "My. My. My. We''ve meet again." Sabrinamented, the smile on her face was genuine but for Erwin, it was like a smile of an evil witch who was up to no good.

 Chapter 316 - SABRINA STAYED FOR LUNCH

    <h4>Chapter 316 - SABRINA STAYED FOR LUNCH</h4>


    "I am not happy to see you." Erwinmented as he ushered her inside the living room with Cayenne. Before Sabrina could respond to him, he already vanished to the kitchen in order to prepare some refreshments.


    "Hi Sabrina." Cayenne greeted her with a humble smile on her lips. "It''s really unexpected to see you here. When did you arrive?"


    "About two weeks ago." Sabrina answered while giving Cayenne a hug. "I''m going back to Italy tonight so I''m just dropping by to see how you guys are doing."


    Stefan was currently sending messages with Chris and was a little bit surprise to see Sabrina inside their house. "What a surprise?!"


    "I''m surprise that you''re living off of your wife as well." Sabrina taunted Stefan but he only smiled proudly that he''s marrying off to his wife''s family. "It''s good to see that both of you are doing well."


    "How about you? What makes youe back to the country?" Stefan asked her while waiting for Erwin to give some refreshments.


    "I wanted to take a break and meet with my friends here. I''m going back tonight, though."


    "So soon?" Stefan questioned. "You didn''t run away from home, did you?"


    "Of course, not. My parents are aware that I am here." Sabrina looked towards the kitchen and waited for Erwin toe out but the man seemed to have no n of showing himself in front of her. "That man who opened the gate earlier, is he your butler here?"


    "Erwin? Well, he''s kind of our butler but he''s a direct employee of Cayenne''s dad."


    "Oh. He seems to be holding a grudge against me."


    "I want to ask something regarding that." Cayenne stated which got Stefan''s attention as well. "Have you guys met before? Erwin seems to know you."


    Sabrina didn''t say anything, not wanting to share the first meeting that she and Erwin had. After almost ten minutes, Erwin came out with a tray of refreshments and he ced it on the coffee table.


    "You didn''t put poison in my drinks, did you?" Sabrina asked while picking up the ss of juice.


    "I''m not like you." Erwin replied before turning around to go back to the kitchen. Seeing that she''s having fun talking to Cayenne and Stefan, he didn''t immediatelye out once again. He just stayed in the kitchen, sulking as he remembered having the little stuff toy snatched away from him.


    It was still ten in the morning. They should be able to do a lot of things before lunch came but since there was a visitor, Erwin was told to start preparing for lunch. Obviously, Sabrina will be having lunch with them.


    Since he couldn''t really do anything about it, Erwin just focused himself in cooking for lunch.


    "Are you alright?" Cayenne asked when one moment when she came to the kitchen to check on him. Seeing that it was his young miss, Erwin just nodded his head without saying anything. "Are you upset that she''s staying for lunch?"


    "Not really." He said no but in truth, he was really bothered by Sabrina''s presence.


    Cayenne can''t really force him to open up about why he hated Sabrina so, she didn''t ask him for more information. She just left him alone and went back to entertain the guest with her husband.


    "Stefan, your cousin wanted me to send her regards to you by the way. She said that she''s sorry for what she didst time."


    "If sorry can fix everything, why are we needing the police force?" Stefan retorted, still angry with Julia. "Don''t say anything about her anymore. If you want to visit us, you can do so but you don''t have to be someone''s messenger."


    "But Stefan, she''s your cousin. Can you bear to see how ¨C"


    "Ayen is my wife and she knew it. I introduced her prior to the event. But what did she do? Just because I''ve been good to her before doesn''t I''ll be good for the rest of our life. I have a bottom line and she crossed." Stefan angrily retorted. "Let''s not talk about her. I don''t want to ruin my mood."


    "What are you guys talking about?" Cayenne asked when she noticed that Stefan was fuming in anger. "What''s wrong? Did something happen?"


    Stefan snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her to sit close to him. "I just remembered something that upsets me. I''m fine now."


    The three of them talked about another topic while waiting for lunch to be served.


    When it was lunch time, Erwin didn''t join them. He still felt a bit irritated whenever he saw Sabrina with them.


    "Young miss, I''ll have my hair cut done now. Just leave the dishes in the sink. I''ll take care of them when I get back."


    "You''re not eating lunch with us?" Stefan asked him while giving Sabrina a side- eye.


    Erwin grabbed the keys on the counter as he nodded his head. "I''ll be eating lunch with friends. Got to go now."


    Watching him leave the house, both Cayenne and Stefan looked towards Sabrina. They wouldn''t believe that there wasn''t an enmity between her and Erwin. Why else would he try to avoid her this much?


    "So, what exactly happen between you and Erwin?" Stefan asked while pulling a chair for his wife. "As far as we know, you are the first person that he hates."


    "Sure?!" Sabrina asked in surprise. "Should I be happy that I took the number one spot on his most hated person list?"


    "Well, if you don''t want to say anything, it''s fine. Anyway, you''re leaving for Italy soon." Stefan added.


    The three of them ate their lunch while talking over some stuff. Sabrina also avoided bringing in Julia to their conversation in order to maintain peace and order with Stefan. She didn''t want to anger him once again.


    And because she''s eating with them, she was stuffed with lots of love from them. Stefan was very attentive with Cayenne''s food and every time her te became empty, he''d reach out for her favorite dishes and ce some on her te.


    "I can understand why your butler left. He must be tired of seeing you lovey-dovey in front of him."


    "Don''t pretend that you don''t know you''re at fault for making him leave." Stefan responded which made Sabrina stuck her tongue out like a child.

 Chapter 317 - SWEETS SO SWEET

    <h4>Chapter 317 - SWEETS SO SWEET</h4>


    After lunch, Sabrina left Cayenne''s home in order to buy some souvenirs at the mall in the city. She still needed to pack her things and leave earlyter to make sure that she won''t bete for her flight.


    On the other hand, Stefan and Cayenne also left home for work in the afternoon.


    "Good afternoon, sir."


    "Good afternoon, ma''am."


    The employees greeted them when they saw Cayenne and Stefan walking at the lobby towards the president''s private lift. Chris has prepared the documents that Stefan needed and made sure that everyone was doing their job properly.


    Cayenne was still working on the documents that needed to be tranted for Stefan''s proposal overseas. Although she''s given a month to finish all of it, she still tried her best to finish it before the deadline.


    As soon as they got inside his office, the two of them busied themselves with work and would sometimes take a break to flirt with each other.? A day couldn''t pass without them flirting.


    Meanwhile, Arthur was sitting in his car, eating some takeout foods while watching the building that Stefan owned. He was following them since earlier, thinking how he can continue his n without tipping off Stefan and his men. During his observation in Cayenne''s property, he noticed that there were men hiding at the forest area, surveying the property for security purposes. He knew that if he take actions in her property, he''d be dead in the hands of Stefan''s men before he can do something. Thus, he decided to make his n work outside of her property. There''s a higher chance of sess if he''s outside her property.


    While he was waiting for Cayenne and Stefan toe out, he wasn''t very idle either. He investigated the uing events that she might attend and one of those was Jade''s graduation which will be on Friday. There''s also a wedding next month that she will be attending with Stefan. If he won''t be sessful this Friday, there''s no need to worry because there''s next month.


    He wasn''t nning to involve Jillyanna''s child with his n but he''s going to use the event as a way to get Cayenne back.


    Although Cayenne knew that someone was helping them secretly when ites to exposing Arthur, she still didn''t lower her guard. Stefan was the same.


    In addition, Travis put one of his men to tail them and check for any possible danger around this couple. He didn''t want his wife to be worried if something happens to Cayenne.


    "Do you want to eat dinner outside tonight?" Stefan asked Cayenne while reading the documents in his hand.


    "I want to eat dinner with my stepdad."


    "Did you tell him already?"


    "I''ll be telling him."


    "O-okay." Stefan didn''t say anything anymore since his wife already has ns in mind.


    Chris got inside and told Stefan about the meeting that was scheduled at three in the afternoon. It''s about the new coboration of another hotel that will be built in City D. The shareholders wanted to see the nned project in order to see if they can pitch a little money for investment.


    "Do you want to join me in the meeting? You can do your work there." Stefan asked Cayenne again, not wanting to leave her side, not for even a moment.


    Cayenne nodded her head in agreement, wanting to see how the meeting would be like. Although, she''d be working on her own beside him.


    Stefan picked up the folder containing the documents she''s working on as well as theptop that she was using to type the tranted version. The two of them went to the meeting room followed by Chris who was holding his Ipad.


    When they arrived, the shareholders, the investors as well as the chairman for the nned project were already inside the room. They were all seated properly while waiting for Stefan toe. What they didn''t expect was that thedy boss woulde along, too.


    "Good afternoon, Mrs. Dumrique." the shareholders greeted her warmly and Cayenne returned the greeting with genuine smile on her lips.


    "Good afternoon,dies and gentlemen. You don''t have to mind my presence at all. I''ll be working on another thing here." She sat on the chair beside Stefan which was supposedly a seat for Chris. Chris, on the other hand, sat on the couch behind them.


    Stefan ced the documents in front of her before opening theptop so that she can continue working.


    ''Is she the new secretary?''


    ''Is the president using his own wife to be his secretary?''


    ''Thedy boss isn''t just a sitting pretty flower vase. She''s also someone who helps the boss with his works.''


    They secretaries of the shareholders were thinking different things when they watched Cayenne working silently beside her husband. Just like she said, she''ll be working on another thing and she really did. She didn''t disturb the meeting and she didn''t ask a lot of things as well. She was just minding her own little work.


    The meeting started and the presentation of the new hotel was shown to the other shareholders. Cayenne just nced at the project in front of her before continuing her work. From time to time, she would look at the presentation but she won''t say anything.


    Stefan was also quiet beside her but every few minutes, he''d take a look on the documents she''s working to see her progress. "Do you to take a break? You''ve been working on it since earlier."


    "I''m fine but I''m craving for milk tea."


    "Okay. What brand do you like?"


    "I like the milk tea sold in Clover Hotel. It''s not so sweet."


    "Alright. I already asked someone to buy milk tea for you." Stefan whispered closely but even so, the other employees still heard his words. They didn''t see him make an order though.


    Twenty minutester, Chris went out of the meeting room and he wasn''t out for long. Just after a minute, he came back with a matcha milk tea and a slice of triple chocte cake.


    "Lady boss, here''s your milk tea and cake."


    Right then and there, in front of everyone, Cayenne kissed Stefan''s cheek happily. "Thank you, hubby."

 Chapter 318 - PLANS

    <h4>Chapter 318 - PLANS</h4>


    "You kissed the left side, what about the other side?" Stefanmented to his wife, ignoring the incredulous stares that everyone was giving him.


    Cayenne cupped his face and turn it on the other side so that she can kiss his right cheek. "Mwah! Thank you, hubby."


    "That''s more like it." Stefan grinned at her before giving back his attention to the meeting.


    The people who were stuffed with their sweet love can do nothing about it. They could just endure this public disy of affection since it was their big boss.


    Cayenne went back to work with her snacks. Among all people, she was the only one having snacks inside the meeting room. Sometimes, they''d see her feeding Stefan with the cake and sometimes, she''d let him take a sip of her milk tea. She didn''tment on the project that everyone was talking about but she typed her opinions on the project on a separate notepad in order to show it to her husband once the meeting''s over.


    Around five in the afternoon, the meeting was finally adjourned after a lot of questioning. Stefan also had a lot of questions which were derived from Cayenne''s opinion on her notepad. He thought that she wasn''t paying attention to the meeting but she was actually noting down several important information.


    Before leaving thepany, she called Jonas that she''d like to have dinner with him. Instead of going outside, Jonas volunteered to cook for their food and just take their dinner at home.


    Cayenne was very happy about it.


    They bought some fruits on the way and gave it to Jonas when they arrived in Peach Wood Subdivision. Although they haven''t been staying in this ce for a while now, it was still warm and lovely since Jonas take care of the ce properly. The garden at the backyard were properly groomed and the flowers were blooming beautifully. There were new species of nts that were added as well.


    "Pa, are you excited? Two more weeks to go and you''ll finally see Kyle and Luiz." Cayenne blurted out while watching her father poured the content of the casserole to a big bowl.


    "Of course, I am. I even practiced the words that I want to say to them."


    "Huh? Why are you practicing? It''s not a formal event that you''ll have to make a speech. But I understand your point. They might ask you lots of questions when the timees."


    "Hn. I think so, too." He handed Cayenne the big bowl and told her to bring outside to the dining area. Cayenne helped her father arrange the table and the dishes while Stefan stayed in the master''s bedroom. He was noting down the things that his wife likes and the things that he can probably use for their wedding.


    He already knew that Cayenne likes church wedding and she preferred the St. Augustine Parish in City D. He just needed to book it after getting the most auspicious date for a wedding. He already designed the wedding ring that he likes for her and it''s currently being made in Italy.


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    Cayenne opened the door after knocking and found Stefan standing at the balcony of their room. "What are you thinking?" She asked as she walked towards him.


    "What do you think should we give to Jade on her graduation day? What about your brother? How should we celebrate his graduation ceremony? And what gift should we buy for Savannah and Hawk''s wedding?"


    "Wow! Seems like you''re having a hard time thinking about all these." Cayenne stated with an obvious surprise on her face. Usually, Stefan wouldn''t think much of these things. He would just do whatever he wanted and buy whatever he thinks was right. It was really unusual for him to think too much of this stuff.


    "Jade is a very important lo you so, I want to make sure that we''re giving her something important and something she can use. As for Luiz, he''s your brother. His sess should be celebrated no matter how small it is. And for the wedding, there are many things that can be given but there should be a special meaning to it. And we can''t just give them whatever random items we like."


    Seeing his serious expression, Cayenne smiled as she linked their hands together. "Let''s go and buy Jade''s gift tomorrow. As for Luiz, he didn''t like having a big event for himself so, we will just invite families and friends toe and celebrate his graduation. As for Savy''s wedding, we can buy the gifts tomorrow as well. I''ll think of the things that we can give to them. Don''t think too much about these things."


    "Okay."


    "Let''s go and have dinner. Papa''s been waiting for us." Cayenne led Stefan downstairs and brought him to the dining area. Jonas was currently making fruit juice for the three of them with the fruits that they brought.


    The dinner wasn''t fancy like what''s offered in restaurants but it was warm and merry since it was cooked by a family member. Stefan remembered the days that he and Cayenne stayed in this house. They would usually cook for themselves but when they''re press for time, they would just order take outs.


    Their meal was simple but it was what Stefancked when he was growing up. He never received love and care from his own family so when Cayenne came, she''s like a sunshine on his rainy days. She brought colors to his life and made him live again.


    Stefan raised Cayenne''s hand and kissed the back of it. It was unexpected, making Cayenne looked at him with questioning gaze. Instead of saying something, Stefan fed her some food and quietly ate his own food as well.


    It was a harmonious dinner.


    "Pa, where do you like to celebrate Luiz''s graduation? Here or in the other house?" Stefan asked Jonas for his opinion.


    "Whichever is fine." Jonas replied.


    Cayenne thought about it, too and decided to have it in Peach Wood subdivision. "The garden here is spacious. The space in my house is very limited because of the things I nted. Let''s just have it here."

 Chapter 319 - SHE ACCEPTED IT FINALLY

    <h4>Chapter 319 - SHE ACCEPTED IT FINALLY</h4>


    When the two of them reached home, they flirted for a little while before deciding to take a shower separately. Cayenne wanted to wake up early tomorrow since they''ll be working and will be going to the mall to shop as well. She needed energy. And she knew that if she showered with her husband, more energy will be expended because of him.


    Thus, Cayenne showered first while Stefan took out his phone to make other notes while his wife wasn''t watching. After her short skincare routine, she went out of the bathroom and let Stefan shower as well.


    She opened their closet and looked for pajamas that they can wear. "It should be matching or that idiot will sulk again." Cayenne muttered to himself before pulling the royal blue pajama sets for her and for him. "This should be fine." She dried up her hair and let it hang loosely behind her while she put on her clothes.


    As soon as Stefan saw he pajama that he will be wearing which matches Cayenne''s, his smile couldn''t be wider anymore. He was grinning from ear to ear while putting on his clothes.


    "Wifey, let''s buy more clothes for us tomorrow." Stefan stated as he hugged Cayenne from the back.


    "We don''t have enough space for our clothes."


    "Then, we''ll buy another closet."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at this unreasonable man behind her. "We didn''t even have the chance to wear all the clothes we have here and we have more clothes in the other house. Let''s buy more once we''ve worn all of them."


    "Okay." Stefan replied dejectedly and went to his bed and sat quietly.


    "What are you being sad for. It''s not like the clothes will runout if you don''t buy them tomorrow."


    "How about we buy one matching clothes every month?"


    Cayenne thought for a while. Since it was just one matching clothes per month, she thought it was eptable so, she nodded her head. "Just one item per month, alright? Don''t waste your money on these things. You have to save."


    "I''m saving."


    "Fine. Fine. You''re saving." Cayenne climbed on the bed andid on the space beside him. "Let''s go to sleep. It''s almost eleven already."


    "I can''t sleep." Stefan mumbled while watching her pretty face.


    Cayenne was a bit rmed. It''s been a while since Stefan''s illness acted so she was worried why he can''t sleep all of a sudden. "Is something bothering you?"


    "Nothing. It''s just that, when I close my eyes, you will suddenly appear. And I can''t sleep." His wide smile was telling her he''s messing with her again.


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him and shifted her body to have her back facing him. "Go to sleep." She whispered while covering her face with the nket. She felt her face was extremely hot and her heart was beating erratically.


    Stefan moved closer to her and hugged her waist. "My dear wife, you''ve got to help me get some sleep tonight."


    "And how should I help you?"


    "How about giving me a goodnight kiss? You didn''t give me my goodnight kiss yet."


    Cayenne faced him once again and with a bashful expression, she kissed him goodnight on his lips. "Stop messing around and go to sleep or you will sleep in the couch if you keep messing with me."


    "I won''t. I''ll behave now. I don''t want to sleep on the couch." Stefan did what he promised and just hugged Cayenne to sleep. Sometimes, he''s very obedient but there were times that he''s also stubborn and naughty. Every day, he''s studying his wife''s expression to see what makes her happy and what''s not. Her happiness has be his number one priority.


    The next morning, they went to work like usual. They worked and flirted at the same time. They publicly disyed their affection which made other employees envious of theirdy boss and their big boss. Nheless, they''re still very efficient with work and Stefan didn''t skip meetings as well.


    In the afternoon, they left with Chris and went to the mall to buy gifts for Jade''smencement ceremony and for Savannah and Hawk''s wedding. They didn''t need to buy gifts for Luiz since they bought a lot of stuff for him already. He just didn''t know about it.


    "Let''s get a small backpack for Jade." Cayenne told Stefan and led him to several designer bags'' stores but she didn''t find anything that she likes. "Let''s go over there."


    They walked from one store to another, looking for the best bag that she wanted to gift Jade. "If we can''t find one from this mall, let''s go the other malls. We have a lot time in hand to find something that you like." Stefan told his wife to encourage her a little. Of course, if he was the one buying, he would just pick whatever looked decent but Cayenne wasn''t like that. She always wanted to give something that can be used and not something to be disyed.


    They walked around for few more minutes when her eyes caught something. "Let''s check that bag." Cayenne led her husband inside the LV store and found a cute bag. It can be used by adults but can also be used by kids. It was a small white backpack made of authentic leather. There were smallpartments inside where you can store necessary items for hygienic purposes. "I like this. Let''s take this bag."


    "Sure." Stefan didn''t even try offering to pay for that bag which was also another unexpected thing. Usually, he would offer to pay for whatever she likes to buy. Cayenne just walked to the counter and paid for the bag that she found. She took out her wallet from her bag and opened it, only to see an extra card among her cards.


    "I don''t think I owned this card." Cayenne stated while raising the card with Stefan''s name on it. She turned to her husband who was only smiling at her. "When did you put this in my bag?"


    "You told me to save my money so, I''m giving my card to you for safekeeping. You''re better when ites to handling our finances. You just handle everything."


    Cayenne raised her eyebrow and smiled wickedly. "I hope you won''t regret giving your card to me." Although it was like a threatening message, she knew that she won''t be doing anything excessive with that card. It''s his hard-earned money. She didn''t want to spend it mindlessly.


    After so many months of offering his own card to her, Cayenne finally epted it. Though, he''s not sure if his wife will use his card to pay for anything. Most likely, she will still use her own money.

 Chapter 320 - NO NEGOTIATION?

    <h4>Chapter 320 - NO NEGOTIATION?</h4>


    Cayenne paid for the bag using her own card. Even though it was her card, the money was stilling from Stefan since he made an automatic transfer every end of the month to her ount, making sure that she''s not running out of funds.


    After buying the bag, they went to the home appliance department to find something that they can buy for the wedding. It was a little early to buy gifts but Cayenne wanted to buy the gift in advance before she''llpletely forget about it.


    "I''d like to give them washing machine." Cayenne told Stefan when they passed by the washing machine area. "They''re always busy with work so, a washing machine will make things easier for them."


    "I don''t mind giving them a washing machine but it would be nice to give them an oven toaster as well. Savannah likes cooking and she''s into baking as well. That''s what she does during her free time."


    "Then, let''s get both of them. Is that fine?"


    "Sure."


    The two of them chose the best washing machine with economic price as well as the oven toaster. In Cayenne''s mind, not all expensive items were good. She really asks a lot of questions when she bought the items even though she''s not the one who will be using them. She wanted it to be of best quality instead of having the best style and great color.


    "Just deliver these items to this address." Cayenne wrote down her address and gave it to the salesman. "A man will receive the items in my behalf. Thank you."


    "You''re wee, ma''am."


    After buying the gifts, Cayenne and Stefan went to the department store to buy one matching clothes for this month. Chris was following behind them, looking around to buy Rissy a present as well.


    "I''m in a department store right now. Do you have anything you''d like to have?" Chris sent this message to Rissy but it took her a little longer to send her reply since she was very busy as well.


    "I''m all good. I don''t need anything." Rissy''s reply came which was already within his expectation.


    "Stefan and Cayenne will be getting a matching stuff for this month. Do you want to have matching item with me?"


    "Like what?"


    "Let''s start with a couple shirt. Is that fine?"


    "I don''t mind." Rissy''s reply was a little faster this time. "We can wear it the next time we go on a date."


    "I have the same thought." Chris looked around and took pictures of the couple shirts around him and sent it to Rissy. "Do you want to have the same color and same style or different color with same style?"


    "I want white shirt. You can have a ck."


    "How about this?" he sent another picture of matching clothes which were ck and white. While he was busy sending messages with Rissy for her preferences, Cayenne and Stefan were also torn between different items. Stefan promised to have one matching item per month but now that they''re inside the mall, he was holding a lot of items in his hand.


    "Ayen, let''s buy two for this month."


    "No."


    "We can buy two for this month and we won''t buy anything next month."


    "No."


    "You''re not up for negotiation?"


    "No."


    "Do you love me?"


    "Yes."


    "Then, let''s buy two items this month."


    "No." Cayenne was firm with her decision and no matter how much Stefan wanted to negotiate with her, she wouldn''t judge budge at all. "If you buy one more item this month, we won''t buy anything for the next six months."


    Stefan put down the other items he got and chose the thing that he likes the best. He wanted the matching sweatshirts with bunny ears print but he also likes the matching shoes that he found.


    "If you can''t decide which one, let''s just make a wheel of this items and pick and let the app choose one."


    "How about I pick one and you pick one. One item for each of us in one month." Stefan tried another strategy to buy one more item from the things that he got.


    "That''s not what we talked." Cayenne retorted with her hands on her hips. "One item or none at all."


    "Wifey, let me buy two pairs this month, ''kay? Just one more item."


    "No, you can''t." Cayenne waved her hand at him and turned around. "If you follow the rule this month, I''ll let you ask me one thing. I''ll do my best to grant it."


    "Sure." Stefan picked the matching shoes immediately andpletely ignored the other items that he was having a hard time letting go earlier. "Let''s go and pay for this now."


    The saledies who were watching them couldn''t stop but smile. Stefan was really clingy to Cayenne and between the couple, it was obvious that he was spoiling her so much. Her words were the rules and even though he would try to be stubborn and fight his way, in the end, he would still listen to her.


    Cayenne paid for the shoes using her own card and waited for Chris to pay for the items that he bought as well. Seeing that they were couple items, Cayenne grinned at him. "Looks like you''re learning from your boss."


    "Of course. I learn from the best." Chris replied while handing his card to the cashier. He didn''t buy that much since he wasn''t officially in rtionship with Rissy yet. And he didn''t want her to think that he was unting her money in front of her.


    "Wifey, do you want to visit the Clover Hotel? We can have dinner with Luna there."


    "Great! I''ll go buy something for her." Cayenne went to the cosmetics department and looked for something she can give her best friend. It''s been a while since theyst meet and she missed her so much. Cayenne bought two shades of lipsticks and have it wrapped nicely for Luna.


    In truth, Stefan wanted her to meet with Luna because he heard that she sent her resignation letter. She didn''t know when the two will meet again given their busy life. And Luna will be a lot busier in the future. It would be difficult for Cayenne to meet with her. But he didn''t tell his wife about it.

 Chapter 321 - LUNA RESIGNS

    <h4>Chapter 321 - LUNA RESIGNS</h4>


    One hour before Luna''s end of shift, Cayenne and Stefan arrived. Chris didn''te along with them since he needed to go back to the office and finalize everything before going home. And he also made ns with Rissy. He needed to strike while the iron was hot.


    Arthur had been following Cayenne and Stefan all day long and he felt so exhausted. He was parking his car at the basement while watching the couple stepped out of the car and went to the elevator together. They were happily holding each other''s hands while he was full of anger and misery.


    "If you don''t stop, you will end up hurting yourself and hurting Yenyen even more." It was a message from Seiji.


    He had been trying his best to reach out to Arthur, reminding him what he will lose if he continued what he was doing. Even so, he couldn''t bring himself to stop. He didn''t want to lose Cayenne.


    Stefan didn''t need to turn around to know that someone was tailing them because his secret guards were letting him know ahead of time. No one can do anything to them unless he allows it.


    Stefan went to his private suite while Cayenne went to find Luna at the reception desk. Her best friend was still busy with work so she sat on the couch to wait for her, receiving curious nces from her ex-colleagues.


    "Yenyen, you''re here? Is the boss around, too?" one of her previous colleagues asked Cayenne.


    "Hn. He''s inside his suite. I''m waiting for Luna."


    "Oh! Did you hear that she''s resigning, too?"


    "Resigning?" Cayenne returned the question in surprise. "I didn''t know she''s resigning. I just came to have dinner with her." She turned to look at the reception desk and found Luna looking at her with a faint smile. She looked back to her ex-colleague and smiled as well. "I''ll talk to herter."


    "Alright. It''s between you friends. We''ll go back to work now. See you."


    "See you around." Cayenne waved her hand as well to bid farewell.


    Manager Kim saw her sitting on the couch at the lobby and asked if she needed anything to drink. Cayenne shook her head, to say she needed nothing and the manager left her on her own ord.


    To other people, it would have been awkward to know that your colleague has be your boss but to them, they never thought too much about it. Cayenne''s friends still remained friends with her. They didn''t treat her any differently than how they treated her before. Although, they be a lot more respectful to her.


    After an hour of waiting, Stefan came out to meet with Cayenne and Luna logged off from work as well to meet with her best friends. When she went to the lobby, she found Stefan sitting beside Cayenne, waiting for her to finish work.


    "Where are we eating tonight?" Luna asked them in excitement, concealing her anxiousness regarding her resignation. She hadn''t said anything to Cayenne about it yet.


    "We''ll eat here in the hotel. Stefan already made reservations."


    "Okay."


    Stefan stood up first and walked ahead of them while Cayenne and Luna chatted behind him. The two friends hadn''t seen each other for a little while now and Cayenne didn''t even know that Luna was resigning. She thought that everything''s alright. And Luna loved her job, so what makes her resign.


    "Lulu, I heard that you''re resigning." Cayenne asked her best friend even before they could take a seat. She really wanted to know why she''s leaving the hotel.


    Luna looked towards her boss a little awkwardly but since they''ve known quiet sometimes because of Cayenne, she just told them the truth behind her resignation.


    "Remember that I told you how I left home? Ali and I was keen on making our own family. I didn''t care about what my parents want for me. I left for several years now and that''s how I found this job as a receptionist. I like my work and I''m doing fine. However,st week, my parents called me. My grandfather is ill and has been asking me toe home. I don''t really want toplicate anything so I have decided to resign and go back home with Ali."


    "I see. Have they epted your rtionship with Ali?"


    Luna took a deep breath and sighed. "They said that they won''t interfere with our rtionship. Hopefully, they''ll keep their words. In any case, I can always runaway and live my life if they don''t like the path I''m taking. I can give up anything except my boyfriend and you know that."


    Cayenne knew Luna''s situation and she knew that the day wille for her to go back home. She only wished for her to be healthy and happy all the time. Hopefully, her parents wouldn''t ask her to break up with Ali.


    "I wish you happiness whatever your choice is." Cayenne told Luna and even gave her shoulder a gentle pat. If they force you to get married with someone else, you can always turn to me for help."


    "How will you help me? Will you take my ce as a bride and marry the person they want?"


    "Nope. I will abduct you and make you marry Ali, instead." Cayenne stated with a wide smile. Of course, this was just a joke. If her best friend will be force to get married to someone she didn''t like, she might ask Stefan to pay that person with hefty sum of money and make him leave or else, she can ask someone to beat him up if he insist to be with her.


    "Don''t think too much." Luna told Cayenne. "I will be fine. Ali and I will be okay. You know me. I don''t let people dictate the way I live. I just hope you''lle and visit me sometimes. It would be boring in my home for sure."


    "Alright. I''lle and visit you."


    The two of them talked about Luna''s home and the things that she might be doing aftering back. She''s from a well-off family and Cayenne knew this which was why she was worried that Luna was being forced toe home. After all, her family had been threatening her rtionship for a long time now.

 Chapter 322 - I TAKE HER AWAY OR I KILL HER

    <h4>Chapter 322 - I TAKE HER AWAY OR I KILL HER</h4>


    Two dayster, Jade''smencement ceremony was finally held. She''s studying in Trine Elite University in City A and many people came to witness this event. Parents brought flowers for their children and Travis was no exception. He bought a huge bouquet for Jade and had Jillyanna carry it since he was carrying their son.


    "When is sheing up?" Cayenne asked Riley who was also watching the event.


    "Her ss should be next ording to the program." Riley responded with her camera ready. She was nning to take lots of pictures in this moment for Jade to seeter.


    Jade was wearing a white dress with a red rose belt tied around her waist. She looked so delicate and her smiles brightens everyone who looks at her. She''s the smallest person among her ss but she''s the one receiving the highest awards, which made it obvious how intelligent she was.


    "Now, let''s have the Teacher May, the head teacher from Grade 5 to announce the honor students of the year." The emcee stated and handed the microphone to the school teacher.


    "Good morning,dies and gentlemen. To the parents, students¡­Let''s start with the top ten." Teacher May announced the ranking of the students from the tenth ce upwards. "As for the first honor, may I wee the school principal to present the award together with the superintendent of the Education Department. This student is also Best in English, Best in Mathematics, Best in¡­" Teacher May read the other awards that will be presented before calling out the student''s name. "First Honor of Grade 5 is Jade Venus Madrid-Madrigal."


    The school auditorium was full of thunderous ps when they heard Jade''s name. It''s not because she''s famous or something but because, she''s one of the students who brought glory to the school at the very young age. She joined a lot of academic contest during this one year of study and she always brings home the bacon. She never lost to anything.


    For the first time, Travis asked someone to hold her son. He gave Raizel to Stefan while walking down the aisle toe up on stage and put on the medals that his daughter got. Jillyanna gave her daughter the bouquet of flowers and one after another, they shook hands with the people on stage who presented the awards.


    Riley took pictures of them and she uploaded some of the pictures on her social media ount while keeping the rest in her phone. The day was divided into two ceremony. In the morning, it was for the primary school student and in the afternoon, it was for the high school students.


    The college department have different schedules for their graduation.


    After the ceremony, Travis took his son back from Stefan and they all went to the resort where they booked to have the celebration. Jade was happily counting her medals as she put them inside her little bag. She didn''t want to lose them because she still wanted to show them to the rest of her family.


    Jade received so many gifts from everyone and all of them were useful to her. They knew that she likes arts so most of them gifted her lots of coloring materials or art materials. There were books about science that she likes so much and some other things. Cayenne gave her the bag that she bought which widened Jade''s eyes.


    "Auntie Yen, thank you so much for this bag. I have another bag to use now." Jade hugged her and kissed Cayenne''s cheek. "Thank you as well, Uncle Stefan."


    Stefan just rubbed Jade''s head while Cayenne hugged the little girl. Most of the presents were all expensive but the thing that stand out the most was theputer sets that her biological father, Damien, gifted her. Damien left the city and was just roaming around but whenever there''s an important event in her daughter''s life, Travis would always let him know. Just like her awarding ceremony. Damien may not be around every day but he would still make time for her when needed.


    The whole resort was booked by Travis thus; they have ess to all facilities and they can do whatever they wanted. Jade was happily showing her awards to everyone and took pictures with them. There were different kinds of food they can eat, different kinds of wines, different entertainment activities and soon. It was a day to be happy and rx.


    Cayenne drank a little bit of wine but since she''s a lightweight, she was easily drunk. She went to the beach to get some fresh air and clear her mind a little. The sound of the dance music can still be heard but the sound of the waves crashing to the shore was still a lot better for her.


    She sat on the sand without any care of the world and looked at the people swimming from a distance. Cayenne was just about to start reminiscing her past when she was hit at the back of her head.


    It was so sudden and she didn''t even hear any footsteps behind her. The impact of the material that was used to hit her was really painful as well. She''s seeing starts circling above her head before she passed out and lost her consciousness.


    Arthur was about to carry Cayenne away from the ce when several men emerged out of nowhere. "Where do you think you''re bringing our madam?" one of the men asked while taking a step towards Arthur.


    "I''m taking her back to her room. I already told Stefan."


    "That''s clearly a lie. Why don''t you give her back to us before blood gets spilled? And by the way, we saw you hitting her with that two by two wood."


    Since he was left with no choice, Arthur pulled out his gun and aimed it at Cayenne. "It''s either you let me take her away or I will kill her. I''d rather not let anyone have her if it''s not me."


    They all looked towards Arthur and knew that he wasn''t joking. His obsessive love would really make him kill Cayenne due to his selfishness. He was really nning to kill her if he can''t have her.

 Chapter 323 - FAILED

    <h4>Chapter 323 - FAILED</h4>


    Themotion on their side garnered attention from the other visitors. Many people came to see what was going on but when they saw that one of the men held gun over a woman, they were all frightened.


    "What''s going on over there? Are they fighting over a woman? In this broad daylight?" Cielo asked when she saw what was happening from a distance.


    "The woman seemed unconscious." Jennymented while looking at what happened as well. Since the woman''s back was facing them, they didn''t know that it was Cayenne at all.


    It wasn''t until Jade looked for her Auntie that they noticed she was missing.


    "Where''s auntie Yen?" She asked Riley but Riley was busy looking at the pictures she didn''t know where Cayenne was. Jade went to Brown and asked again. She looked for her until she found Stefan. "Uncle, where''s Auntie Yen?"


    "I''m looking for her as well." Stefan told Jade while looking around the ce. Right at this moment, his phone rang and it was one of the secret guards. "What happened?" Stefan asked directly without beating around the bush.


    "Sir, the target was able to get inside the resort. He''s currently taking the madam hostage. He''ll kill her if we won''t let him take her away."


    "Where are you right now?"


    "Where at the beach front. More or less fifty meters away from the pool."


    "Wait for me there." Stefan stuffed his phone back and ran away. Jade was still looking for Cayenne and seeing Stefan''s anxious face, she knew that something happened. She ran back to where her parents were and told them what happened based on her observation. She didn''t get to her the conversation through the phone but she knew that it was rted to Cayenne because she''s the most important to Stefan.


    Jillyanna handed her son to her mother, Sky, and dragged Riley to the beach front. Just like how Jade describe it, Cayenne was indeed with a man but she seemed unconscious.


    "Arthur, please put down your gun. I don''t want us to fight in here. Ayen wouldn''t want you to drag anyone else into this mess." Stefan stated while walking towards Arthur and his wife with caution.


    Arthur didn''t lower his gun instead, he pointed it towards Stefan. "You took her away from me. Isn''t just right for me to get back what I owned?"


    "Excuse me?" Stefan was stupefied with Arthur''s reason. "You never owned my wife. She was never yours and to make my point, you left her. You abandoned her when she needed you the most. You left. And to begin with, there''s nothing between you two."


    "I told her that I''de back and get her." Arthur retorted. "I promised that we''d leave the city together and make our family. I promised her."


    "Arthur, you should know that Cayenne felt tired waiting with nomunication from you. And she never said anything about those promises."


    "Just because she didn''t say anything doesn''t mean it didn''t exist!" Arthur shouted and shot Stefan. Thankfully, he wasn''t good at his aim. Instead of shooting Stefan''s heart, he missed shot his shoulder instead. Stefan took few steps back from the impact of the bullet. He didn''t expect that Arthur would really shoot him.


    "Only one person can have Cayenne but if I can''t have her, I might as well kill her." Arthur crouched down and looked at Cayenne''s unconscious figure.


    Jillyanna was about to take a sneak attack when Travis stopped her. "Darling, what do you think you''re doing?" Travis asked Jillyanna while holding her hand which was holding a flower vase. "You''re nning to hit him with that?"


    "Yeah. I''m really good with my aim." Jillyanna replied with no trace of guilt or anxiety. "We''ll settle thister. You''ll have to answer me why this guy got his way inside the property."


    "I can exin it now." Travis mentioned.


    "No, I''m busy. You take care of the children and make sure that Jade isn''t watching. I''ll be right back." Jillyanna yanked her arms from Travis left.


    Arthur sensed that someone was approaching him from behind. He immediately moved to the side, and had his back facing the sea. It was way better and he could see everyone aiming at him. He saw Jillyanna holding a ceramic vase and couldn''t help himself butugh.


    "Mrs. Madrigal is really a good friend. You were trying to hit me because I hit Yenyen, right?"


    "Duh! Everyone''s a good friend to Cayenne but you." Jillyanna retorted while rolling her eyes. "She trusted you so much and she was very proud to have you as a friend. I really pity her for not seeing your true color."


    Her words were quite effective because Arthur seemed to be dumbfounded. He started to lower his hand but when he noticed someone moving, he''d raise it again. "Liar! Cayenne knew that I belittled her. She''ll never see me as a friend."


    "She was indeed hurt that you belittled her but she never thought of breaking up ties with you. She even asked Stefan to never hurt your business again because you were always there for her to help her. She remembered the good times she had with you instead of you belittling her. Why else would she be in that state? It''s because she never put up her guard against you. She was so confident that you''ll never hurt her. Sadly, she''s wrong. Yen doesn''t know how to see people''s soul." Jillyanna talked and talked, spouting whatever that came into mind even though she had no idea about Arthur belittling Cayenne. She was just going along with him, using his own words to attack where it hurts.


    While talking, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore also added to the noise around them. Arthur didn''t notice that a good man, who saw themotion while swimming from a distance was inching his way towards him from the sea. Because of the waves, any noiseing from his man was canceled by the waves.


    "Gotcha!" The man tackled Arthur and brought him to the sea. He was biggerpared to Arthur and it seemed like he was knowledgeable when ites to self-defense. Not five minutester, Arthur''s hand was bound tightly with a rope and his gun was taken away by Lucian.


    "Sorry, I still won Cayenne in the end." Stefan whispered when he passed by Arthur''s side, carrying his wife in his arms.

 Chapter 324 - SHES FINE

    <h4>Chapter 324 - SHE''S FINE</h4>


    Cayenne was sent to the nearest hospital for immediate medical assistance and Stefan was of courseing with her. They didn''t know how much of an impact did Arthur caused her head so they needed to make sure that she''s fine. The celebration was halted for a moment and even though Cayenne and Stefan wanted to settle this matter privately at first, this time, they couldn''t do it anymore.


    Many people have seen what Arthur did and Lucian was their as well. He wouldn''t let the criminal escape just like that. Together with Jackie and Vincent, they escorted Arthur to the police station and called his family to let them know what happened as well.


    On the other hand, Cayenne was lying on a hospital bed with a flushed face. "Why did she drink alcoholic beverages today?" Stefan asked himself. In normal days, Cayenne wouldn''t drink wine or alcoholic beverages. She''d only do that if something really bothers her. And she didn''t look for him when she got drunk as well.


    "Did I do something wrong that I''m not aware of?" Stefan asked himself while looking at the sleeping face of his wife. "Ayen, did I cause you another problem?" Stefan was most afraid of Cayenne experiencing pain and Cayenne bottling up her own feelings. He didn''t like it because it would make him feel less reliable. He''s afraid that she''ll run away from him because he''s not capable and reliable.


    Two hourster, Cayenne walked up. She''s holding the back of her head while pushing herself up on the bed. "God! Who hit me? That was really painful." She mumbled to herself before looking around her surroundings. White curtain, white bedsheets, white pillow, white walls and white tables. "I''m in a hospital? Did my husband exaggerate things again?"


    Thinking about Stefan and he came. He was holding a small paper bag which contained small boxes of food for her to eat. "How are you feeling now?"


    "I''m alright. What happened? Who hit my head earlier? Did you see the person?"


    "It was Arthur."


    Cayenne was stumped for words when she heard Arthur''s name. "How did he get in the property? It was booked by Travis, right?"


    Stefan ced the paper bag on the table and pulled a chair to sit beside her. "Basically, that resort was booked by Travis but the nearby resorts weren''t. Arthur got through the other resorts and walked at the shore toe and find you."


    "Oh." Cayenne only made a perfunctory remark and nothing else but it didn''t mean Stefan doesn''t have questions. "Why did you drink alcoholic beverages?"


    "I didn''t know they were alcoholic. They looked like juice to me and they tasted really good. When I noticed something was wrong, I was feeling so dizzy already."


    "Why didn''t you look for me when you got drunk?"


    "I was. I tried to find you but my vision started to be blurry. I decided to get some fresh air and cool my head instead. How would I know that he''de out of nowhere and would hit me?" Stefan didn''t say anything and just looked at her. He was so relieved that the things he imagined earlier wasn''t happening.


    Cayenne felt that Stefan was angry and was just hiding it from her. She knew that she made him worry again but she didn''t really mean it. "Hubby, I''m sorry." Cayenne stated while holding his hand with hers. "I''m sorry for worrying you. Next time, I''ll never leaver your side no matter what happens. Even if you think I''m annoying, I won''t go farther than three meters."


    "Promise?" Stefan asked like a child. "Pinky swears?"


    "Hn. I promise." Cayenne lifted his finger and made pinky swears with him.


    Stefan pulled her into a warm embrace and kissed the top of her head. "I was really worried. I was so scared when I couldn''t find you. I was even more rmed when Jade couldn''t find you as well. It turned out that she was looking for you."


    "I made that kid worry for me. Did they stop the party because of me?"


    "No. I told them not to stop it because you''d feel bad for Jade."


    "Thank you." Cayenne rested her head on his chest with a sweet smile on her lips. "I''d feel really bad if they stopped it because of me. About Arthur, where is he now?"


    "They brought him to jail. At the same time, without properint filed against him, he won''t stay in jail for long." Stefan pulled away from her and took the paper bag. "This was sent from Riley. I heard that she borrowed the resorts kitchen to make this food for you. It''s good for your recovery."


    "I must thank her for thister." Cayenne stated while opening the paper bag. "Will you feed me?" Cayenne asked at the same time, she felt embarrassed for asking.


    Stefan grinned at her before taking the food boxes from her. "I didn''t expect for my darling Ayen to act childishly like this."


    "Hmp! It seldoms happen."


    "I know which is why I''m not letting go of this opportunity to baby you."


    "I''m always your baby until we have our own child."


    "You will still be my baby even if we have our own child." Stefan responded. The two of them flirted once again as if the ident earlier didn''t happen.


    Thankfully, the test results came out fine and there was nothing to worry in Cayenne''s condition. The doctor prescribed her some pain relief spray for her pivotal joint which was hit by the wood earlier.


    "When will you speak with Arthur?" Stefan asked his wife knowing that she''s kind enough to still care about the person who hit her head.


    Cayenne thought about it for a moment. She wanted Arthur to feel a little guilty for what happened to her. So, even though her life wasn''t at risk, she decided to stay in the hospital for three more days and even asked the doctor to put a ster around her neck to make it look life-threatening incident.


    "Let''s make an act for him." Cayenne told Stefan with a cheeky smile.

 Chapter 325 - SETTLED

    <h4>Chapter 325 - SETTLED</h4>


    Three dayster, Cayenne and Stefan visited Arthur in jail. To make things look even more realistic, Cayenne was sitting on a wheelchair while Stefan pushed it behind her.


    "Good morning, Officer Seville." Cayenne greeted Lucian softly when she passed by his desk. "I want to speak with Arthur."


    "Sorry, you''d have toe in that condition. How are you?" Lucian asked not knowing that Cayenne was just acting.


    "I''m fine. I''m still alive and kicking." Cayenne replied with a faint smile. "Don''t worry about me. My husband has been taking care of me."


    Lucian nodded his head towards Stefan who was standing behind Cayenne''s wheelchair. "Just give me a moment. I''ll arrange for the two of you to meet." Lucian left and talked to other officers while Cayenne waited for him at the lobby.


    After few minutes, Lucian came back and he led Cayenne to the room where Arthur was waiting for her. He asked for a favor to talk with Cayenne alone so, they left the two of them to converse. Lucian, two other officers and Stefan was standing outside the room, watching the two people inside through the ss window. If Arthur does something against Cayenne, they''d be able toe inside in no time.


    "Yenyen." Arthur muttered her name without looking at her. He was so ashamed to look at her. "Yen, when did things go wrong?"


    Cayenne sighed helplessly as she shrugged her shoulders. "I want to ask the same thing. When did things change? How did it change? Why? Was it me who change or was it you? Or perhaps it''s the both of us. I don''t know."


    "Yen, I''m really sorry for hitting you. I don''t know why but I just couldn''t ept the fact that you''re with him. I met you first. I loved your first. So, why did you end up with him?" His voice was getting hoarser and his tears kept falling on his face. Despair, pain and regret ¨C they''re all shing across his face.


    Cayenne bit her lower lip without saying anything. She didn''t know how tofort him and she was worried that any word she''ll say wouldn''t be a form offort but of emotional torture instead.


    After a full minute of silence, Cayenne took hold of Arthur''s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Arthur, I''m not angry. I know you did that because you love me and I am so thankful that despite our differences, you still continued to love me. But Arthur, we have our own destined love. Maybe you loved me first because you met me first but love doesn''t happen like that. Don''t imprison your self to this one-sided love. Someone must be waiting for you out there. If you keep looking at me, you might miss that person who will love you for the rest of her life. Not only that, you''ll miss out that lifetime of happiness, too."


    "I don''t think someone will love me, a person with criminal record."


    "Who says you''ve got a criminal record? Did someone sue you before?"


    "Huh? Aren''t you filing a case against me?"


    Cayenne looked at him and then she smiled. "I''m not filing anything against you. My husband and I talked about and we both decided to let you go. But since something this serious has happened, he wanted you to leave the city. He didn''t want to see you anymore or he might really do something against you."


    "So, you''re freeing me just like that?"


    "Hn. Go somewhere and find your own happiness. Live your life without me and I''m sure you''ll be fine. Your brother already processed everything and he will also help you to make sure that you will be able to stand on your own. You''re a professional. Use your intelligence to make a name for yourself."


    Arthur sobbed in front of her and held on to her hand as if he was hanging on to his dear life. He cried and cried, letting out all the negative emotions he had in his heart.


    "Yenyen, I hope you will still say hi if ever we met in on the roadside or in a caf¨¦. I don''t know which ce we will go but I will certainly wish you all the best in life."


    "Thank you. I will pray for your happiness, too." Cayenne stood up and bid farewell. She told Lucian about the n and since Arthur was a legal owner to the gun he used, he wasn''t imprisoned for it.


    When they got out of the precinct, Cole was already waiting outside for his brother. Everything was ready and all they needed to do was to meet up with Kirin.


    "Sir, thank you for letting my brother off." Cole bowed his head deeply in front of Stefan and Cayenne. "I''ll assure you that he won''t pose a threat to you and your wife in the future."


    Stefan nodded his head without saying anything and passed by him. He helped Cayenne get into the car before putting the wheelchair at the backseat. He got into the driver''s seat and looked at his wife with a deep frown on his face.


    "Give me your hand." Stefan stated while rummaging inside hispartment to look for something. When Cayenne saw the spray bottle, she burst out into a series ofughter. "I''m not happy. Why did you have to hold his hand? Dirty." Stefan sprayed an alcohol on her palm and wiped it with tissue.


    Cayenne just let him do what he wanted to do without making anyints. After getting her hands wiped, she cupped his face and kissed his lips. "My husband is a petty person sometimes."


    "Well, too bad. You married this petty man."


    "Too bad indeed but I don''t regret it." Cayenne smiled at him and kissed him again before taking a proper seat. She put on her seatbelt before removing the ster cast around her neck. "Yay! We don''t have to worry about Arthur now. Do you want to go somewhere?"


    "Let''s have a honeymoon."


    Cayenne sneered and rolled her eyes at him. "Shameless. So shameless."

 Chapter 326 - THEIR VISITORS

    <h4>Chapter 326 - THEIR VISITORS</h4>


    After the couple left, Cole went inside the police station to bail his brother out. Since there were many people who have seen what happened and with his state of mind that can be detrimental to the safety of other people, Lucian wasn''t convinced to free Arthur. However, since Cayenne and Stefan didn''t file a im against him, he couldn''t do anything about it.


    "I''m not convinced with all this but since there''s no formalint, we cannot take it against you. At the same time, for the safety of everyone, I''ll be asking my men to watch over you. If you do something that can be harmful to theizens, we will take you into custody. It will be the public filing a im against you. This observation period will run for a year."


    Arthur listened carefully and nodded his head. "Thank you, officer. I''ll keep everything in mind."


    Cole took his brother away and sent him home first to meet with his mother.


    When Cayenne came home, her brothers were still in the living room. It''s Monday so they should be at school but instead, she found them sitting in the living room with worried expressions.


    "You don''t have to go to school today?" She asked them while putting away the cast that she was using earlier when meeting with Arthur. "I think it''s Monday today."


    "Yup. It''s Monday. I took a leave and Teacher Chan allowed me to." Luiz responded while looking at his sister from head to toe. He was observing her with his scrutinizing eyes as if she was an organism held under his microscope.


    "I have finished everything that I needed for school and have cleared everything that needs to be cleared. I can stay at home and take care of you now." Kyle also added with a faint smile.


    Watching her two brothers who cared so much for her, Cayenne felt teary-eyed. Her nose twitched and she felt her throat go dry. "I''m fine now. It wasn''t really a big deal. I wasn''t hit that hard either."


    "I''ll just bring your things upstairs." Stefan stated while carrying her bag. "You catch with your brothers first. What do you want for lunch? I''ll cookter."


    "I''m not craving for anything. Just cook whatever you like."


    "Okay."


    When Stefan was out of their sight, Luiz smiled at his sister. "I never expected that a day like this woulde in your life. I''m so happy for you sis."


    "You''re happy that I just got hospitalized?"


    "No!" Luiz eximed. "That''s not what I mean, okay? I''m just thinking that brother-inw pampers you a lot."


    "Isn''t that what husband should do?" Kyle questioned in behalf of Cayenne. "Since he married Yen, he should care for her and pamper her."


    "I know." Luiz replied. "Only that his pampering is above normal. Anyway, I''m not against it. As long as you''re happy and he''s happy then, everyone will be happy." Luiz grinned happily. "So, you are really okay now?" The topic still went back to Cayenne''s health condition.


    "Hn. I''m really fine. Stefan took care of me."


    "By the way, we''ve decided to go somewhere and bring our whole family with us. Do you guys have any idea where we can go on a family trip?"


    With her urge and change of subject, the attention of her brothers was shifted to another thing. They talked about different ces that they can go and enjoy themselves. Since her brothers didn''t have passport yet, they couldn''t go out of the country for the moment.


    Even so, there were many tourist spots in their country so they weren''t that worried. The only problem was, they didn''t know which ce to go because there were so many beautiful choices.


    When Stefan came down, he found the three siblings talking about their family get-away. Luiz was really considerate and he would think of so many things for one particr ce, noting if it was really worth it to go there or not. Cayenne didn''t really express much of her opinion since this vacation was mainly for her family. She didn''t care whichever ce they chose as long as they like it.


    Stefan went to the kitchen to cook for their lunch, leaving the trio to discuss their ns.


    Jillyanna heard that Cayenne was already discharge so in the afternoon, they visited her to check how she was doing. Jade cried in worry but after a while, she calmed herself knowing that Cayenne was fine. They brought her fresh fruits, homemade jam, cookies and other things.


    Reuben Montefalco also visited her in the evening with Ingrid after getting off from work. What surprised Cayenne was their outfit. If her father didn''t take off his coat, she wouldn''t ever expect that he would wear such thing.


    Ingrid was wearing a white shirt with a ck panda print on the lower left side. Reuben was also wearing the same shirt but it was a man''s size. Obviously, it was a couple shirt.


    "Looks like there''s an improvement between them." Cayenne whispered to her husband while giving her father and Ingrid a side nce.


    "It''s because of your help." Stefan whispered back before kissing her temple. "My wife is the best."


    "What are you whispering about?" Reuben asked them when he observed that Cayenne and Stefan were whispering something.


    Cayenne snorted and raised her eyebrow. "If you''re envious of us whispering, why don''t you whisper sweet nothings to Auntie Ingrid." Cayenne replied with her arms crossed.


    Reuben felt embarrassed with what his daughter was spouting but he didn''t say anything. "Hmp! I can see that you''re doing fine now. We''ll get going. You take care of yourself."


    "Of course. My husband will take care of me for sure." Cayenne replied shamelessly, provoking her father again and again. "Only my husband knows how to pamper his wife. Unlike someone I know¡­" she didn''t mention a name but Reuben knew that his daughter was pointing him out.


    When theirst guest left, the two of them took a deep breath and smile. "We can finally have some alone time together." Stefan stated while leading her back to their bedroom.


    "Hubby, I''m tired."


    Stefan narrowed his eyes at her. She really knew when to y her ''tired'' card with him. "We will go to sleep, then." Stefan replied. ''Wait when you give in. I''ll make sure you''ll really get tired.'' He thought to himself while showing an evil grin at her.


    Seeing that wicked smile, Cayenne knew that he''ll get back to her in the next few days. "No, wait! Hubby, I''m not tired."

 Chapter 327 - IT SHOULD BE ENJOYED

    <h4>Chapter 327 - IT SHOULD BE ENJOYED</h4>


    "You''re not tired?" Stefan asked with his raised brow. "Are you sure?"


    "If I say I''m tired, you will not do anything, right? But in the next few days, when I finally give in, you will make me tired for sure." Cayenne blurted out as if she was reading what was in his mind. And it was exactly what Stefan thought.


    "My wife knows me the best."


    "Of course. I''m the only one who knows how shameless you can be." Cayenne chuckled as the two of them went back to their room.


    As soon as they got inside, Stefan pulled her and pushed her up gently against the door while locking it behind her. He didn''t give her the chance to say anything as he kissed her lips, hungry for the taste of her.


    Her soft moans enticed him to do more. His warm hand slipped under her skirt, touching her thighs all the way up to the seams of her underwear. He ced his other hand to the back of her head, deepening their kiss, dancing his tongue with hers as he swept through her ptes.


    When Stefan pulled away to give her a breather, Cayenne wrapped her arms around his neck to give herself some support. Her knees were getting weak and they were threatening to give in. She''d fall if she let go of him.


    "Hubby, we haven''t taken a shower yet." Cayenne muttered softly while catching some oxygen.


    "Who cares about that? I will still mess you up after taking a shower. We might as well get dirty now and showerter." Stefan swooped her up and brought her to their bed. In slow motion, he kissed her again while getting his hands working. He was removing her clothes one after another while kissing her again and again.


    Cayenne didn''t let him do all the work. With her trembling hands, she unbuttoned his shirt and unbuckled his belt. ''I don''t have a tiring work tomorrow, anyway. I can let him have his way tonight.'' Cayenne thought, giving Stefan the chance to take charge of her body once again.


    Amidst the pleasure of his kisses, she didn''t forget one thing. Stefan didn''t want her to have children for now but Cayenne wanted one. He already bought lots of condoms in preparation for their love making but he had no idea that Cayenne poked a hole on them.


    Desperate times call for desperate measures. In Cayenne''s mind, it''s good to have children now that she was still young. In that way, she would be able to look after her child while she was still young. But Stefan didn''t think it that way. He still wanted her to enjoy her life because life would be a bit different when you have children. He didn''t want her to have regretster.


    Stefan took one of the condoms he stashed inside his bedside drawer and put it on, not noticing anything. He once told Cayenne that they will leave it up to fate if she gets pregnant but he was putting on the condoms so, how will she get pregnant? Thus, she thought of leaving fate to her own hands.


    Stefan thrusted himself inside her. The warm feeling of their bodies colliding brought him ecstasy. It was pure bliss being inside her and he was happy that Cayenne was enjoying it as well. Love making should be enjoyed by both parties thus; Stefan would never do it if Cayenne says no. But once she says yes, he''ll grab the chance and let them live in pleasure for a moment.


    Cayenne was on all four with her back facing him. Stefan was holding her waist as he pushed himself in and out of her, hitting her sweet spots to get a wonderful moan from her.


    "Babe, don''t do it that way. I''ll go crazy." Cayenne muttered while gripping on the bedsheet tightly.


    "Then, I''ll go crazy with you." Stefan responded as he thrusted himself. "You can melt into me. I will be here watching and will catch you when you fall."


    "Ahh." Cayenne let out her voice but she soon covered her mouth with her pillow to stop her moans.


    "Come and scream my name, sweetheart." Stefan whispered and licked her ears. Cayenne finally lose her control and just let the pleasure wash him away. She was throbbing inside, gripping into him tightly while Stefan released himself as well. "Can we have another round?"


    Before she could answer, Stefan already shifted their position.


    In the end, the two of them finished their activity few minutes before midnight. Stefan carried his wife and showered her. After taking a shower, he dried her hair and put on her clothes before he took care of himself. Under the dim light of thempshade, Cayenne watched Stefan dress himself up. She didn''t want to sleep without him.


    "Hubby, let''s visit your family tomorrow. We haven''t seen them in a while now."


    "Okay." Whatever she says, it goes.


    Cayenne helped him change the bedsheet, pillow cases and nket before they finally settled down to sleep. Stefan hugged her to sleep, a habit he formed from the very first night that they slept together.


    "Honey?"


    "Hn?"


    "I love you."


    Cayenne raised her head and looked at him in the eyes. She gave him his goodnight kiss and smiled. "I love you, too."


    To some couples, uttering these words was embarrassing. And as they grew older, at some point, they''d stop saying these words. But for them, they''d say it oftentimes. They''d show how much they love each other. They would give themselves the reassurance that nothing has change after a lot of things that happened.


    They''re still young and they will still face a lot of consequences specially those people that they had a beef with.


    One problem was indeed resolved but that wasn''t the end of it. There were still a lot of people who wanted to take their revenge against this couple and one of them was ra''s uncle. He had been trying to find a way to get close to Luiz and Kyle but it was just so difficult to do it with the bodyguards around them.


    ''Damn it! Damn that Stefan! He should have remembered how much his brother protected him but now, he let the killer free from jail! So stupid! Idiot!''

 Chapter 328 - GRADUATION CEREMONY I

    <h4>Chapter 328 - GRADUATION CEREMONY I</h4>


    Another Friday came and this time it was Luiz who will graduate from senior high. Cayenne was so excited about it and even the night before, she tossed and turned on their bed, unable to sleep from excitement. If Stefan didn''t threaten her for another round of their love session, she wouldn''t go to sleep at all.


    "Sis, the ceremony will start at eight in the morning. Let''s not bete. Last time, you werete and didn''te to my mid-year awarding ceremony." Luiz blurted out while putting on his necktie in the living room.


    When he said those words, Stefan stiffened and turned around to hide his embarrassment. He wouldn''t forget the fact that he caused Cayenne to bete during the mid-year awarding ceremony, making her unable to go on.


    Luiz didn''t know about this which was why he said it, unknowingly hitting Stefan where it hurts.


    "I''m almost done." Cayenne told her brother while putting on her sandals. Whenever she''s going to wear sandals, she''ll put it on in the living room because she''s afraid she''d trip on the stairs and fall if she wears it from her room. "Hubby, are we forgetting anything?" She asked Stefan while locking the straps of her sandals.


    "We''re all good. Everything''s been handled properly." Stefan stated while leaning closer to her. "Including the surprise." He whispered, making sure that Luiz won''t hear anything.


    Ever since the ident, Luiz had been going home in Cayenne''s house instead of staying in his dorm. He would frequently ask how she was doing before going to school and would ask the same thing right after getting home from school. He was really worried after hearing what Arthur did.


    Two days ago, when she visited Stefan''s family, they were all worried as well. Stefan even got scolded by his grandfather because he didn''t take care of Cayenne properly. If Cayenne didn''t block it, Stefan would''ve been hit by the cane that Ferdinand was holding. When they got home after that family visit, Cayenne promised that she''ll take care of herself properly. She didn''t want her husband to be scolded again.


    And because these two boys had been staying at home, Jonas couldn''t visit Cayenne at all. They could only call each other, afraid that his son will find him and their surprise will be ruined.


    And finally, the day that they''ve been waiting for hase.


    Cayenne told Jonas of the venue and the time of the ceremony. Instead of Cayenne presenting the award for her brother, Jonas will be the oneing on stage. They even asked Teacher Chan for help. And since she''s dating Chris, she didn''t refuse them at all.


    "Let''s go." Cayenne stood up from her seat and walked towards the door with her husband. Kyle and Luiz were following behind them with Erwin. This time, Erwin will be driving the two brothers to school to avoid being the third wheelers of the couple.


    One car left ahead of them which was taken by the bodyguards. Stefan followed them, then Erwin followed behind and another car was following them to take up the rear end.


    Cayenne has received a text from Jonas that he has arrived in school and was currently speaking with Teacher Chan to find a ce where he can hide for the mean time.


    Luiz had no idea what''s in store for him that day.


    Luna took a work leave for that day and she came together with Ali to witness the graduation rites of Luiz. Riley and Jillyanna came as well with Jade but the boys didn''te with them because they''ve got missions. Travis and Shein were still at work but they promised toeter.


    As soon as Cayenne saw them, she frowned. "Travis went to work and you came here with Jade. What about Raizel?" she asked while looking around to see if someone woulde with the baby.


    "He brought the baby to the office." Jillyanna answered with a sweet smile on her lips. "Didn''t I tell you that he''d rather bring the baby to the office instead of getting me tired looking after him at home?"


    "You didn''t tell me about it." Cayenne replied in disbelief. He thought that Stefan was abnormal for doting her so much to the point that he didn''t want to have a child because she''d be in pain. Unbeknownst to her, someone was even more abnormal than her husband. ''Well, what can I say? Birds of a feather flock together.'' Cayenne thought to herself.


    Jillyanna looked towards Luiz and smiled at him. "Congrattions, Luiz."


    "Congrattions, big brother Luiz." Jade also greeted him happily.


    "Congrats, Luiz." Riley stated and snapped her phone camera at him. "I''ll be taking lots of picturester."


    Luiz scratched the tip of his nose, shy to receive congrattory messages from this higher-ss people. "Thank you." He smiled genuinely at them.


    Luna and Ali congratte him as well and gave him a wonderful brooch pin. "I knew this would look better on you." Luna stated while helping Luiz put on the crystal star brooch pin. "There you go."


    "Thank you, sis Lulu." Luiz gave her a hug and smiled happily. Luna had been their second sister for god-knows-how-long and she took care of them when Cayenne''s not around as well. "I got to go inside first. I''ll see you guys around." He waved his hand and ran towards the gym.


    Many people were looking towards their group specially that Jillyanna and Riley came. Even so, the students were well-behaved and they only took pictures from a distance, afraid of disturbing them.


    Cayenne squished Jade''s face lightly before leading them inside the school gym where the graduation was being held. Parents, teacher, students and other school visitors havee to witness the ceremony.


    Kyle followed his sister while looking around the ce. "Sis, you will be giving the awardter, right?"


    "Uh huh." Cayenne answered without looking at her brother.


    "Then, you should be sitting on the chairs at the ground floor. If you sit here on the upper deck, you will be taking time to go there."


    "It''s fine." Cayenne replied while waving her hand. And since he couldn''t persuade his sister, Kyle just gave up.

 Chapter 329 - GRADUATION CEREMONY II

    <h4>Chapter 329 - GRADUATION CEREMONY II</h4>


    The students have prepared themselves for the procession already, wearing their togas and graduation hat properly. Usually, parents would escort the students during the procession but because there were so many students, they''d be taking so much space in the gym. Thus, the teacher came up with an idea to pair the students instead.


    The group was divided into two; males and females. It would be better and those who couldn''t get a female partner could only choose to stick with a male. Despite this arrangement, the students were all happy. After all, they''re finally ending this chapter in their life to move on into the next stage.


    Cayenne was watching her brother from a distant and shes of memories came into her mind. She could still remember how easy it was for Luiz to calcte mathematics at the very young age. She remembered that he won a contest in Math and came home with a prize happily. He''s very good in science as well and he likes to experiment things. From the little boy who loved to cling on her, to a grown young man who''s starting to fulfill his dreams; Cayenne was very happy to witness all these. The only regret she had was for her mother to miss something so important.


    Her body couldn''t hold on to wait for few months anymore. ''She must have been so tired already.'' Cayenne thought of her mother. Nheless, she knew that her mother must be watching them from wherever she was and must be happy to see how much her son achieves.


    "Good morning teachers, students, parents, family and friends. Today, we will witness the 105th graduation rites for the senior high school students. These students have gone through a lot and now, they''re ready to face the society with the better version of them. Let''s wee our graduates! The processional!" The emcee announced and soon, the song for their graduation march started.


    The students walked down the aisle in pairs with a wide smile on their faces. Some students waved their hands towards their parents while some just smiled and nodded their heads. Luiz was very prim and proper. He only smiled at the visitors while scanning his eyes in his surroundings.


    ''Huh? Yen isn''t sitting on the ground floor area?'' Luiz asked himself but since they came together, he knew that his sister was just somewhere there.


    After almost ten minutes of marching, all the students havee to their seats. The emcee took over once again and talked her part. The school principal gave his opening remarks and after his speech, the ss advisers started to present the number of students who were graduating.


    An hour has passed and finally, it was time for the Valedictorian to give his message and get his awards. "Let''s wee the ss Valedictorian, Mr. Luiz Ardolf, for his valedictory speech."


    A warm apuse echoed inside the gym as he made his way to the stage. Luiz looked around to find where his sister was and found her sitting at the upper deck with their family and friends.


    "In my life, I''ve always believed in the saying ''poverty is not a hindrance to sess''. From a very young age, I learned that my family belongs to underprivileged people. And life was even harder when our father was sent to jail. I thought, my life was over. I thought that god must have punished us. However, there''s one person who never gave up on us. And that''s my sister. She works so hard for all of us, trying to make ends meet. She works from morning to night time ande morning again. And she neverined. She always encourages us to do better because we are the only ones who can help ourselves. Some of my ssmates asked me why I disdain those girls who spends so much time on make ups. It''s not that I disdain them but I just thought a woman with callous hands, dark eyebags, messy hair but still full of energy when she came home from work was the most beautiful woman. She takes care of the whole family without caring so much about herself. She''s the epitome of someone who selflessly love other people. Because of her, my brother and I worked so hard. When there''s an open schrship, we''ll grab it. In all these years, we survived from the schrships that the school offered and I am so thankful for that. I''m so thankful that there were many foundations out there who helped less privileged students like me. I am so thankful that there are teachers who understand the situation of their students and helped them as much as they can. The heck I care about poverty. I''ll beat it with hard work and perseverance. I''ll kick it with my diligence and patience. I''ll emerged victor from all the struggles and obstacles because I have my family. So, to my ssmates and school mates who''s going through so much like me, don''t give up because there''s always a light at the end of the tunnel but if you give up, you will not make it out of that dark tunnel. Let''s end this chapter of our life and soar high to the future of our adult life. Even so, let''s not forget all the memories we had and let''s stay connected. I hope everyone here will be sessful in the path they choose in life. Aim high!"


    From the beginning of his speech until the very end, Cayenne had been crying on her seat. She didn''t expect that the little things she did for her brothers would bring a huge impact in their life. She didn''t really think much when she worked. She just wanted to have money to pay for her mother''s medical bills, have money to pay for their school fees and have money to buy their daily needs. All she could think of was for them to survive in this cruel world.


    Stefan just hugged her and let her cry her heart out.


    Kyle was sighing helplessly while handing out his handkerchief to his sister. "How did you be such a crybaby?"

 Chapter 330 - GRADUATION CEREMONY III

    <h4>Chapter 330 - GRADUATION CEREMONY III</h4>


    After his speech, Luiz was asked to stand in the center of the stage for his awards. The school principal was holding the gold medal inside its box and the other teachers were holding the respective awards for him while Teacher Chan read the name of the awards that he''ll be taking home.


    "He performed the best in ss and almost always got perfect scores in exam. Let''s have the school principal give the gold medal award for being the ss valedictorian." The school principal congratted Luiz and put on the gold medal for him.


    "Because of his excellence in his major subjects, he will be receiving the Best in Science, Best in Mathematics, Best in World History and Best in English from his respective teachers." One after another, his teachers congratted him before putting on his medals.


    "As one of the best students who excels in various fields, Luiz was chosen to receive this prestigious award along with a certificate of schrship that he can use in any school he wants. Let me wee the Department of Education Superintendent to give the Governor''s Award for Educational Excellence as well as the certificate of schrship." Luiz had no idea about this award. Before graduation, they were told about their awards already but this wasn''t one of them.


    Luiz thanked the superintendent as he received a heavy gold medal along with the certificate. He even kissed the medal happily. But it didn''t end there. He still got one more award.


    "Our school offers three foreignnguage ss and Luiz Ardolf excels in his chosen field which was French Language ss. However, the French teacher we have was sent to hospitalst night because of a back pain. So, let''s wee our special guest who will be presenting this award, Mr. Jonas Slyvester!"


    Luiz thought he was hearing things. He looked at his teacher who only shrugged her shoulder then he looked at the people behind him. His father wasn''t there.


    "Teacher Chan, are you ying a prank on me? How can my father be here?" Luiz asked in a joking manner but his heart was actually trembling in nervousness.


    "I''m not joking. Your father is here. He was sent for another trialst month and it was proven that he wasn''t involved in that incident. He''s been free."


    "Oh my god! And no one told me about this?!"


    His sudden outburst made the other studentsugh at him. Some were wiping their tears in this unexpected reunion and even Kyle was standing from his seat.


    "No way! This couldn''t be real." Kyle stated while looking at the stage with so much anticipation. "Yen, did you know about this?" Kyle asked his sister without looking at her. He didn''t want to miss the moment that his father wille on stage.


    The guests on stage parted a little to give space for this special person. And when he showed up, it was as if the world has stopped turning. Kyle looked at his brother and father on stage with his mouth wide open.


    "Congrattions son." Jonas presented thest award to the young man who was standing stupefied in front of him.


    Unexpectedly, Luiz walked towards the nearest microphone and stated, "Sis, I''m getting back at youter. I know you''re the mastermind of this surprise. With my brother''s stupid expression, I''m sure he didn''t know this, too." While saying these words, his tears kept rolling down on his face.


    His schoolmates and ssmates were also crying with him. Even the other teachers and the parents who witnessed this emotional reunion also cried.


    "We''re so happy for you, Luiz!" One of his ssmates shouted which made everyone pped for Luiz on stage.


    "You deserve to be happy! We''re happy for you."


    Luiz hugged his father tightly under the eyes of everyone. He was really happy that he hase back. Everyone gave them a round of apuse and after which, they stepped down from the stage and let the ceremony continued. Many people from his row and column congratted Luiz when he came back to his seats. Some of them asked about his father and how he feels.


    The awarding ceremony continued and the other students received their rewards as well. After the ceremony, students were busy taking pictures with their family and friends.


    And this doesn''t exempt Luiz. Many students from other sses wanted to have picture with him. After all, this will be the day that they will be together and it''s not a guarantee that they will still see each other in the future. Pictures here, pictures there; he was surrounded by different students of all gender.


    And not just him, even Kyle was pulled by some female students to take pictures with. Jillyanna and Riley didn''t escape the ws of the students, too. Some even asked them for autographs.


    "It''s not easy to be famous." Cayennemented while holding Jade''s hand.


    "That''s why they always bring bodyguards with them to avoid idents." Jade responded, looking at her mom and aunt being surrounded by people.


    Earlier, they couldn''t afford to bete for the ceremony thus; the students didn''t dawdle and take pictures with these known public figures. Now that the ceremony''s over, they flocked around them for a chance to get pictures with them.


    "You''re only given half an hour to take pictures. After this we''ll be leaving because my child is still waiting for me." Jillyanna stated but this didn''t disappoint the students at all. One after another, they took pictures with her and they''d thank her before leaving to give the chance to others.


    After half an hour, the bodyguards came and escorted Jillyanna and Riley out of the crowd. Kyle and Luiz also used this opportunity to get out from the crowd, excusing themselves that their family was waiting for them.


    "I''ll send you guys a message for the outing tomorrow." Luiz told his ssmates while waving his hand at them.


    "See you tomorrow." His ssmates and friends waved back at him before walking towards their family.


    Jonas watched his sons getting along with lots of people. When he thought about it, it was all thanks to Cayenne. She endured so much for her brothers and without her, they might not be here standing amidst these people.


    "I wish you''re here to witness this." Jonas mumbled while looking up at the clear blue sky.

 Chapter 331 - CELEBRATION

    <h4>Chapter 331 - CELEBRATION</h4>


    Jonas boarded the car that Erwin drove and followed Stefan and Cayenne back to Peach Wood Subdivision. The celebration will be held there and because no one was at home to prepare the food, Stefan had booked a catering service for the celebration. In that way, everyone can just enjoy without thinking too much about serving the guests.


    "It''s been a while since west visited this house." Luizmented the moment Erwin pulled his car over at the parking lot.


    "I still remember Stefan''s face when we pranked him that time." Kyle added as he stepped out of the car. "By the way, where have you been staying, Pa?"


    Jonas pointed his fingers to the house in front of them. "I''ve been living here with the bodyguards since I was freed. Yen and Stefan often visits me and dine with me here."


    "Yen was so unfair. She didn''t tell us anything at all. And I wasn''t suspecting anything either." Luiz retorted. He put his hand around his father''s shoulder and smiled sheepishly at him. "Pa, wee back."


    "Hn. I''m back."


    Cayenne was watching her stepfather and brothers having their small reunion not far from them. Even though her mother left them so early, she still got two caring brothers, two loving fathers and a doting husband who cares for her so much. She''s still contented with her life.


    "Let''s get inside." Stefan opened the door to their house widely and let everyone inside.


    To Cayenne''s surprise, David was already there.


    "Hi Yen! How are you?" David greeted her as he gave her a warm embrace.


    "I''m fine." Cayenne was truly shocked to see that he''s back. "After my mother''s birthday, you suddenly disappeared and we couldn''t get in touch with you. I was really worried. Where have you been?"


    David pouted as he covered his chest with his hand. "I was mending my broken heart. By the way, I just heard about what happened to your mom. I''m sorry I wasn''t there for you."


    "That''s alright. I''m okay now. When did youe back?"


    "Last night. I just got off the ne when Stefan called me about your brother''s graduation ceremony. And without considering my feelings, he asked me to help you find the best catering service and decorate the house for the celebration."


    Stefan who was badmouthed right in front of him didn''t mind a single thing about it at all. "If you keep sticking with me, you will find your right guy."


    "Hmp! I don''t need a man anymore. I can live on my own." David responded with a snort. When he saw Cayenne''s youngest brother, he congratted him and gave him a small gift. "I wish you sess with whatever path you''ll choose after this chapter of your life."


    "Thank you, David." Luiz gave him a manly hug and gently pat his back. "I hope your heart is doing okay now."


    David smiled faintly as he nod his head. "I have a strong heart. I move on pretty quickly from rejection and pain." David told Luiz. Before David left, on Emerald''s birthday, Luiz saw him talking with Chris. Although he didn''t really hear what the two were talking about, he was able to perceive that it was matters of the heart.


    He also heard from Jasmine that David likes Chris so, putting things together using their facial expressions, he concluded that David was rejected. And after that, David left and they didn''t hear anything about him.


    "I''m d you''re back." Luiz replied as he let go of the man.


    Jade came to them and also handed her gift. "Big brother Luiz, here''s our gift for you. I hope you will like it."


    "Thank you, Jade." Luiz received the gift and lightly rubbed the litter girl''s head.


    One after another, people gave him their gifts and Luiz was stunned to receive so many of them. He never expected that there wille a day in his life that he''d receive so many gifts from other people.


    In school, he''d receive many gifts during Christmas and Valentines but those were given with a hidden intention that he couldn''t fulfill at all. This time, he received gifts merely because he graduated. He was so happy and thankful to his sister and Stefan.


    The venue for the celebration was at the back garden. There were many tables and chairs prepared for the guests and there were foods and drinks as well.


    As an extension to their family, Ferdinand and Magnus came to congratte Luiz. It was Luiz'' first time to see Stefan''s family and he was a bit nervous to see them. However, Ferdinand was very kind and he even offered Luiz a schrship which he can use in whichever university he likes but, Luiz received the schrship from the governor already so he politely refused the offer.


    They gave him their gift and this time, Luiz epted it with a humble attitude. Cayenne''s father Reuben didn''te because he didn''t want to feel awkward with Jonas but he sent someone to give his gift to Cayenne''s brother. The child may not be his but he''s important to Cayenne.


    "Sorry we''rete." Shein came with Travis behind him, holding little Raizel in his arms.


    "It''s fine. Come inside." Cayenne led them to the back garden where tents have been erected to avoid people from being under the direct sunlight. "Jillyanna''s at the back with everyone else."


    Travis nodded his head and went inside together with Shein. When they saw Luiz, Shein handed him another gift which they bought on their way to Stefan''s house. Even though Jillyanna brought their own gift, Travis and Shein didn''t want toe empty handed.


    One by one, their guests came and they congratted Luiz for graduating with high honors. They handed their gifts to them and chatted with other people that they''re familiar with. Foods and drinks were served and they can just help themselves with whatever they like.


    "Is Kathing or not?" Luiz asked his brother Kyle who have been staring at his phone for a while now.


    "I''m not sure. I already texted her but she''s not replying to my messages. I''m nning to introduce her to our father but if she won''te, I''ll just have to postpone it forter."


    "Did you tell her that you''ll introduce her to Papa?


    "Yes." Kyle replied in worry.


    Luiz clicked his tongue and looked at his brother in disdain. "I thought you''re smart. Howe you''re so stupid when ites to this situation? Kath must be very nervous now thinking that she''ll meet our father for the very first time."

 Chapter 332 - YEN IS THE RULE

    <h4>Chapter 332 - YEN IS THE RULE</h4>


    Kyle thought about what his brother said and he realized that he had a point. But then, he could no longer take back his words and tell his girlfriend to forget it.


    Everyone started eating and chatting with friends. Luiz turned to his father who was sitting beside him and talked to him about so many things. They talked about their uing family trip which he was looking forward to because it will be the first time that they''d go out as a family.


    Since there were only family and friends, the atmosphere was very lively. Riley presented a song to them and she even danced in front of them as if she was dancing on a real stage. Since she''s born performer, whenever she performs all eyes would be directed at her.


    Luiz even took a video of her and uploaded it on his social media ount, making a lot of her fans see what she''s like behind the camera. As long as you won''t trifle with her, Riley would always remain cheerful and approachable. But once you make enemies with her, you can just start praying that she won''t kill you.


    Many fansmented on the video that Luiz posted and most of them was asking how he was rted to her but he didn''tment on it. He didn''t want to say one single word that might be taken against him or taken against Riley who was an uprising star.


    Cayenne was happily enjoying her life as a spectator today. She''s happy to see that her brother was happy. In all her life, she always thought about their happiness and that wouldn''t change even if she''s married.


    Few minutester, Kath sent a message to her boyfriend that she has arrived. She had been reading his messages since earlier but since he mentioned his father, her started to sweat coldly for anxiousness. He didn''t know what kind of person Kyle''s father was and he didn''t talk so much about him as well. Thinking about meeting him, she was feeling a bit scared.


    Although Kath didn''t know Jonas, Jonas already saw her several times when he followed his sons. He would look at them from a distance and he always find her sitting with Kyle, walking with Kyle or eating with Kyle. And Cayenne confirmed his hunch already.


    "Come inside." Kyle held her hand and led her inside the house. "This is my brother-inw''s ce and this is where my father stayed for the meantime. We''re holding the celebration here since they have spacious garden. In my sister''s house, she nted so many vegetables in her garden so we can''t hold the celebration there."


    Kath smiled and squeezed her boyfriend''s hand. "Thank you for trying to divert my attention but I''ll be fine. Sooner orter, I''ll have to meet your father anyway."


    "I''m sorry for making it so sudden. I didn''t know that he''d be here and I was really happy. I wanted to share this happiness with you."


    "I know and I''m d that you did. Anyway, what does your father like? I brought some gift here with me but since I was caught unprepared, I''m not so sure if he will like this gift I have."


    "My father isn''t picky at all." Kyle ushered her to the back garden where everyone was having fun. There was an extra chair next to his which was specially prepared for her.


    "Congrattions Luiz." Kath gently pat his shoulder and handed her gift to him. "It''s just a little something that I bought. I hope you will like it."


    "Thank you, Kath." Luiz received the gift. Taking this opportunity, he helped his brother and introduced his father to Kath. "By the way, this is our father, Jonas. We just knew this morning that he came back. Our sister didn''t tell us at all." Luiz added while giving his sister a side nce, who only ignored what he said. "Pa, this Kath. She''s Kyle''s girlfriend. Mom met her already in the past and they got along so well."


    Kath reached out her hand to give him a handshake. "Hello uncle. I''m d that you''re finally here with your family. Kyle told me that you''vee home so, I bought this little weing gift for you." Kath handed a small gift bag to Jonas, keeping her humble smile on her lips even though she was dying from anxiety deep inside her.


    "Thank you. I have heard so much about you from my daughter. I''m d that you are able toe today. Have a seat." Sensing that the man was kind, Kath finally rxed and sat beside her boyfriend.


    Cayenne looked at her and smiled as well, giving her reassurance that everything''s fine.


    "What do you want to drink? I''ll get it for you." Stefan stated to his wife as he stood up from his seat. "No alcoholic beverages for you."


    "Why not? We''re at home. I can just go to sleep upstairs if I get drunk."


    "No, you can''t get drunk. We''re leaving tomorrow, remember?"


    "You''re so stingy." Cayenne replied with a pout. "Just get me whatever you like then."


    "Okay. I''ll be right back." Stefan left to get some drinks for them leaving.


    "Did you see that Pa? Yen has been spoiled by him. You don''t have to worry about sis anymore. She''s married to a very nice person." Luiz told Jonas. "In fact, Yen is the rule in our house. Whatever she says, it goes."


    "No, Pa. It''s not like that. Don''t believe his words." Cayenne denied Luiz''s words in front of his father.


    "If you don''t believe me, we can test it out." Luiz looked around to see if his brother-inw wasing back. As soon as he saw Stefan walking back to their table, he winked at his father. "Look at this." He whispered and when Stefan sat down, Luiz started asking him questions. "Brother-inw, what time are we leaving tomorrow. I need to inform my ssmates about the time."


    "It depends on what time Ayen wakes up. If she wakes upte, we can just extend your stay in the rest house."


    "How about our family trip? Did you guys have any idea where to go?"


    "I''m letting your sister decide on this matter. I thought you discussed it with her already."


    "No, we haven''t decided yet." Luiz replied while looking at her sister. "By the way, since papa came back, can we stay over here with him for today?"


    "You should ask your sister about it. This house is her house as well."


    After answering a lot of questions from Luiz which were all pointed towards Cayenne, Stefan noticed what Luiz was trying to do but he didn''t say anything.


    Luiz looked at his father and smiled cheekily. "I told you so. Yen is the rule."

 Chapter 333 - CAUGHT UNPREPARED

    <h4>Chapter 333 - CAUGHT UNPREPARED</h4>


    Kath looked at the people around her and she couldn''t believe that she''s surrounded with so many known figures in the public. She secretly took pictures of Jillyanna and Travis who made her feel so envious of their rtionship. Jillyanna was holding her little son while Jade was sitting on her left side. On her right was her husband, Travis, was feeding her from time to time while she yed with her son.


    Shein and Riley were subtly flirting as well. And because she''s a celebrity who didn''t show off her rtionship to the public, Kath didn''t take pictures of them. She didn''t want to start rumors of the young couple.


    There was David, too. A famous hairstylist and make-up artist. He''s widely known by many celebrities and many artists sought him. He''s also a fashion designer who opened up his own fashion line in New York.


    Aside from that the business magnate whose almost equal to the Madrigal''s wealth, Stefan''s family, was also present. There were many big shots around but none of them talked about business. They were just like normal people who were rxing and having fun with everyone.


    Kath has forgotten that her family was also wealthypared to the average people. Well, she never thought of herself as wealthy because the money she has and has been using weren''t hers. They were the money that her brothers worked so hard for.


    She leaned close to Kyle and whispered. "I didn''t know that you knew a lot of bigwigs." She told him while looking around her.


    "It''s because of my sister and Stefan that we became good friends with them. At the same time, your brother knows a lot of people, too. You just didn''t know it because you never paid attention to their work."


    "Ah!" Kath eximed and pped her forehead. "I forgot something." She rummaged her bag and took a business card which was from her brother, Kai. "My brother asked if you guys wanted to work part-time this summer. There''s a modeling job and he thought that you''re suited to do it with Luiz."


    "Me and Luiz?" Kyle asked in surprise. "I''m not so sure about that."


    "Why don''t you give it a try?" Stefan told Kyle. "You won''t be doing much during summer so, why don''t you try working on that field. Modeling should be easy for you since you have a good temperament, good body and a handsome face. You can sell your smiles."


    "Is that really okay?" Kyle looked at his sister. "Do you agree? You always disagree with us looking for part-time jobs before."


    "If you like it, I think it''s fine." Cayenne replied before turning to her father. "What do you think about it, Pa?"


    "You started working when you were young. It''s time for these boys to experience what''s it like to work." Jonas responded.


    And since they all agreed to it, Kyle didn''t say anything anymore. Luiz was just listening to the conversation and was relieved that his family agreed. He can finally start earning his own money.


    "I will inform my brother about this so that you guys can talk." Kath stuffed the business card to her boyfriend''s hand with a smile. "I''ll be with you if you decide to ept it."


    "Then, I''ll ept it so that we can be together."


    As the fun continued, otherters arrived. Rissy Chan came with Chris with a small gift for her excellent student. Luiz was very happy to see his teacher and he enthusiastically talked with her.


    "Teacher, you were the one who deal with that Governor''s award, weren''t you?" Luiz asked while leading his teacher to another table.


    "Hn. I thought that you were still in need of money and schrships for college so I sent your grades and achievement profile to the governor''s office, hoping that you will be selected for the award. And I''m so d that I did."


    "Thank you, teacher. I am so happy that I am giving my sister less burden now. I was always worried that she''d overworked herself so I was really looking forward to getting schrships with my grades."


    "But your sister, I mean, she''s married now, right? Does she still work?"


    "Hn. She works in her husband''spany but it''s just a little work that she needed to do. My brother-inw just wanted to spend more time with her so he brings her to thepany."


    "I''m so happy that your family is getting better now. I was really worried that your situation will affect your studies. Thank goodness, everything''s falling into right ces."


    Luiz talked to his teacher for few more minutes and when he''s reassured that she has rested enough, he told them to enjoy themselves with the food and drinks. Since Chris was with her, Rissy didn''t feel out of ce.


    However, someone who just came back from nowhere was now sulking on the side. He didn''t expect to see him with a woman the moment they see each other again.


    David drank his juice and emptied his ss before wiping his lips. "Excuse me for a moment." He told those people around his table and stood up from his seat. He went to Cayenne''s table where her family was chatting and bid goodbye to them.


    "You''re leaving already?" Cayenne questioned. "Sorry for letting you see them." Cayenne stated when she realized that David must have wanted to avoid Chris and Rissy.


    "It''s fine. I know he''ll find someone in his life. I just didn''t expect it toe sooner. Anyway, I won''t be running away this time. I''lle and visit you guys when I''m not busy."


    "Sure. I don''t mind. Give me a call once you are home." Cayenne reminded as he sent him off. Seeing his expression, it was obvious that he was still hurt from the rejection. Although they couldn''t really do anything about that since Chris wasn''t into men.


    When Cayenne came back to her seat, she found Chris standing beside Stefan. "I wasn''t seeing things, right? He''se back." Chris asked in which they all nodded. "Is he still mad at me?"


    "No, he''s not. Don''t worry. The next time you meet him, he''ll be able to face you head on." Cayenne told Chris. Yet in her mind, she was really hoping that David will be able to face Chris without any lingering pain in his chest.

 Chapter 334 - GETTING ALONG SO WELL

    <h4>Chapter 334 - GETTING ALONG SO WELL</h4>


    Most of the guests were adults and there weren''t many children around. Jade didn''t have anyone of her age to y with but she didn''t feel out of ce because the people around her talked to her frequently.


    "Mom, I''ll go get some sweets." Jade told her mother while pointing his little finger on the table where foods, drinks and desserts were ced.


    "Sure. Be careful okay. If you need help, just asked one of the big brothers for help, okay?"


    "Hn." Jade climbed slid off from her seat and walked towards the food buffet area.


    Luiz was also looking for desserts and saw little Jade looking at the food. "Jade, what do you want? I''ll help you get it."


    "I cannot see the food from here. It''s a little bit higher for me to reach."


    "How about I carry you to see the food?"


    "No, I cannot allow you to do that. You will be tired because I''m heavy now."


    Luiz chuckled upon hearing her response. She looks so small yet she knows how to be considerate of other people. "I won''t be tired." Luiz walked closer to her and hold her up to her waist and carried her while they both looked for food that they wanted. "Do you want to have sweets?"


    "Hn."


    "I''m looking for sweets, too." Luiz eximed and the two of them gave each other a high-five. "Let''s see what we have here. You point out which one you like and I''ll get it for you, deal?"


    "Deal." Jade looked around the table full of food and she started pointing out her hand to the desserts that she wanted to eat. There were pies, cakes, marshmallows with chocte fountain, different kinds of mini trifles, doughnuts, brownies, cupcakes and a lot more. She wasn''t allowed to eat lots of sweets due to health reasons so, Jade could only choose three as the maximum.


    Luiz put her down on one of the vacant chairs so that he can get the desserts for her. "Just stay here while I get the desserts for you."


    "Okay." Jade sat down properly and waited for Luiz to get the desserts for her. After few minutes, Luiz came back with two tes of desserts. One was for her and the other one was for himself.


    "If you like to taste the other desserts just let me know." Luiz reminded her with a smile. "Should I help you bring this to your table?"


    "Can we sit here instead?" Jade asked while looking at her te.


    "Sure. Let''s sit here." The two of them got along so well and started to eat the desserts they chose.


    Jade was happily scooping her mini berry cheesecake trifles which Luiz got for her. "Brother Luiz, earlier it was announced that you have a schrship from the governor. Which school will you be using that?"


    "At first, I thought I''d still go to X university''s college department since that''s where my brother studies. After receiving the schrship, I decided to try enrolling for Trine Elite University this summer."


    "Go! That would be good. I study in Trine Elite University with my friend and I can introduce you to him next time."


    "Hopefully, I''d get it."


    "I''m sure you will. You''re so smart." Jade praised him with genuine smile and encouragement. "There will be lots of opportunities for you if you study in Trine and their curriculum is really good. I''m pretty sure that you will have a great time studying there."


    Luiz smiled at her and rubbed Jade''s hair. "Thank you for the encouragement. I''ll let you know when I passed the exam."


    They continued to eat their desserts, sharing with each other''s food happily. Luiz was happy to talk with Jade.? He finally felt how it''s like to have a younger sibling. After all, he''s the youngest in the family.


    Jillyanna saw that her daughter was having fun with Luiz so she let her stay with him for a little while more.


    Since Luiz and his ssmates needed to leave tomorrow for the after party, and because Cayenne had to go with them, the celebration was ended rather early. At five in the afternoon, the graduation celebration was ended but everyone had a lot of fun.


    One after another, they left Stefan''s ce while they congratted Luiz once again. Jade didn''t forget to cheer him on to pass the examination for Trine Elite University where she''s studying.


    The catering services started to clean up as well and Jonas watched over them to make sure that they won''t damage any of the flowers in the garden. Cayenne and Stefan was sending off their guests one after another with smiles on their faces. She looked across the street and found that the lights inside Cole''s house were still off.


    "Aren''t they home?" Cayenne mumbled while looking at the lonely house.


    "Cole asked for one week leave to help his family settle down. I think they''ll be home on Sunday." Stefan answered his wife. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her a little closer. "Are you worried for them?"


    "Just a little." Cayenne answered honestly. It''s impossible for her not to care for them since she still thought of them as acquaintance. ''Seiji didn''te, too.'' Cayenne thought to herself. She was thinking that the two of them has reconciled so he invited Seiji toe over but he didn''t respond to her messages.


    "What are you thinking?" Stefan asked her when she had gone silent.


    "Honestly, I thought that Seiji and I have reconciled so I invited him over today but he didn''te. I''m just wondering if I did something against him."


    "Seiji? He went back to Singapore. I heard that his father gave him a new project to handle."


    "Why do you know that?"


    "I need to know what my rivals are up to." Stefan whispered and kissed her temple. "I need to be prepared just in case he''d do something to take you away from me again."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him and nudges his side with her elbow. "Don''t make me remember something awful."

 Chapter 335 - WANTS TO STAY OVER

    <h4>Chapter 335 - WANTS TO STAY OVER</h4>


    Thest guests to leave was Kath. She was talking with Kyle at the front garden and it should be something funny because she wasughing happily. Kyle was smiling, too.


    "Just give me a call when your brother is free to talk about work. I''ll always keep my line open." Kyle told her. He was holding her hand as they walked out of the gate. "In that way, we can still go on dates during holiday." He whispered to her which made Kath blush from her neck up to her ears and face.


    "Hn. I''ll let you know." Kath gave him a goodbye kiss on his cheeks after seeing that the driver hase to pick her up. "Sis Yen, I''ll get going now. Thank you for inviting me. Luiz, congrats once again. I''ll see you guys next time." She waved her hands at them but when she couldn''t see Jonas she frowned a little. "Tell your father it''s nice to meet him." Kath whispered to her boyfriend before getting inside the car.


    "Hn. Send me a message or give me a call once you are home."


    "Okay."


    The day was so much fun and Cayenne was so happy for her brothers. They finally get to spend time with their father and Luiz graduated with high honors. Her sacrifices weren''t for nothing.


    "Luiz, are you serious with your question earlier that you wanted to stay over?" Cayenne asked her brother. She didn''t mind them staying in Peach Wood but she wasn''t sure if Luiz was just joking or not.


    "Yeah. I want to stay and spend more time with papa. Can I?"


    "Are you staying, too, Kyle?" she asked her other brother who was walking back from sending off his girlfriend.


    Kyle nodded his head. "If it''s alright, I''d like to stay here, too."


    Cayenne shrugged her shoulders and smiled faintly at them. "Alright, you guys can stay. There''s a vacant room upstairs, you can use it tonight. However, since we''re leaving tomorrow you have to go back to the other house and pack your things beforeing back here."


    "Yay! Thank you, sis." Luiz ran back to the house to get his gifts and brought them to Erwin''s car. "We''ll be right back."


    Seeing that his brother was running back and forth from the car to the house and vice versa, Kyle went up and help him carry those gifts he got. Some people once asked Kyle if he ever was jealous of his brother who seemed to be smarter and more popr than him. He said, "I am not and will never be jealous of him. His achievement is because of his diligence and not just because he was born smart. There are smart people out there who didn''t be sessful because they''rezy. As for being popr, that''s the people choice and I''m d that many people like him. I don''t care about poprity since I have a girlfriend already."


    That''s why, many people like this pair of brothers. They look after each other and they don''t feel jealous to one another. If it were someone else, they would probably fight over their poprity and their intelligence; and they wouldpete to prove whoever was smarter and more popr.


    After getting all the boxes inside the house, Erwin closed the door of his car and walked to Cayenne''s side. "Young miss, do I need to follow you tomorrow? I don''t mind going wherever you go but I don''t know the address."


    "You can rest during he days that we''re not around. Stefan will bring his bodyguards with us."


    "O-okay."


    "And when I say rest, it means rest, okay? Don''t just yputer games all day." Cayenne reminded knowing that he will probably just stay at home and face hisputer.


    Erwin nodded his head with a cheeky smile. "Stay safe young miss and call me if you need me to do something." He left after saying these words and got inside his car. Luiz and Kyle also stepped inside to go back to Cayenne''s house and pack their things. Kyle won''t be going with Luiz to Lipa for the after party but he will stay with Jonas thus; he still needed to pack some of his personal belongings while he''s staying over in Peach Wood.


    After everyone left, the house was peaceful once again with only the three of them left. Jonas was watching a movie in the living room since he''s got nothing more to do.


    "Shall we pack our things as well?" Cayenne asked Stefan as they walked back inside their house.


    "Are you sure you''re letting your brothers work or is it because of my words?"


    Cayenne looked at him and thought for a while. "You were just stating facts regarding my brothers and I thought it would be best for them to have something they can be busy with during summer. Also, they can use their own earnings as their allowance. I''m just a bit worried."


    "About what?"


    "About this work. Modeling industry is fine but there are many people who likes topete and likes to pull off the rug from other people''s feet. I''m worried that my brothers will suffer."


    "Since it''s Kai Labrador who asked for them, I can guarantee that they will be fine. And it''s not a long-term work. They will just do it during summer. Don''t think too much. And I''ll ask someone to apany them every day."


    "Thank you." Cayenne kissed his cheek and smile. "Thank you for making today''s celebration a sess and thank you for always cheering me up and giving me reassurance."


    Stefan rubbed her head and messed up her hair. "That''s because you''re my wife. You shouldn''t be stress about little things like this."


    As they talked they reached their room and Stefan opened the door for her. "You can go and take a shower. I''ll pack our things while waiting for you to finish."


    "Okay. I''ll be quick."


    "No, you can take your time."


    Cayenne narrowed her eyes at him because she knew what he was thinking. "No sexy lingerie for me." Cayenne told him before getting into the shower.


    Stefan chuckled at her words. He was indeed nning to put one or two sexy items for her but now that she knew, he could just withdraw his idea.

 Chapter 336 - YOU BEGGED FOR IT

    <h4>Chapter 336 - YOU BEGGED FOR IT</h4>


    The next day, Cayenne woke up early to cook breakfast for her family. She didn''t want to leave with an empty stomach specially that they''d be travelling for few hours.


    Luiz was also very excited for the after party so he woke up early as well. When he came downstairs, he found his sister cooking. "Can I help?"


    "Sure." Cayenne nodded her head and gave her brother some space. "You can cook whatever you want. Just check the ingredients inside the fridge."


    Luiz started getting his own ingredients. The two of them worked harmoniously in the kitchen, something they haven''t done for a while now.


    "Did you inform your ssmates where to meet up today?" Cayenne asked Luiz while making omelet.


    "Yes. I sent them a message about the time and ce."


    "That''s good to know."


    While they cook, Stefan popped his head in the kitchen and when he saw his wife, relief washed over him. He was startled when he woke up and didn''t find Cayenne in his arms. He got out of bed, checked the bathroom, looked out of the balcony to see if she was in the garden but he still couldn''t find her.


    Thankfully, he decided to go downstairs and look for him in the living room and the kitchen. If he didn''t, he''d be paranoid again. Losing her once always put him on edge that he''d lose her again. He''s always sacred for such thing to happen.


    "Do you want coffee?" Cayenne asked without turning back.


    Luiz doesn''t like drinking coffee so he knew that the question wasn''t for him. When he looked up, he saw Stefan standing at the counter. He didn''t even notice that his brother-inw came yet his sister knew it.


    "A ss of water is fine." Stefan responded.


    Cayenne turned off the stove and poured a ss of water for him. She put it on the counter top and leaned over to kiss his lips. "Morning, sweetheart. Did I scare you again?"


    Stefan cupped her face and kissed the tip of her nose and her forehead. "If you knew I''d be scared, why did you still leave?"


    "I left a note on my drawer. Didn''t you read it?"


    "No. I didn''t see anything."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes and poked his chest with her finger. "If I knew, panic took over your reasons again. You didn''t even look at my drawer, did you?"


    Stefan scratched the back of his head after Cayenne pointed everything right. "What can I do? I always felt scared when I wake up without you."


    Cayenne sighed helplessly at him. "Fine. I won''t do it again."


    After giving her reassurance, she went back to cook and Stefan drank the ss of water that she gave him. Luiz became a third wheel again and was stuffed with another dog food but he didn''t mind. It''s the happiness of his sister, after all.


    Since Cayenne was found, Stefan decided to water the nts at the back garden to help out. The three of them became busy once again. After few minutes, Jonas and Kyle came and decided to help out as well.


    If you think about it, they''re the only wealthy family who didn''t have any helpers aside from their bodyguards. They do the house chores by themselves and didn''t ask for someone to do it for them. They clean their own house, wash their own clothes, cook their own meals and other chores. It''s very seldom that they''d go to aundry shop or order take outs.


    Only Erwin got a special case. Since Cayenne didn''t ask him to do a lot of things and he was very rxed at home, he decided to help her out with house works. Most of the time, he''d water the vegetables for her but sometimes, Cayenne would still wake up early to do it. She would also cook their breakfast and if it''s not her, Stefan would do it.


    This was all because they grew up with nothing much on them. They knew they could only depend on themselves and these became a good trait to them.


    Around seven in the morning, the whole family ate their breakfast together and talked about the things they will do. Since Jonas and Kyle won''te with them, the two of them decided to go somewhere and spend time together. It''s time for them to have a father-son bonding. Although Luiz wanted to join them, he wanted to be with his ssmates for thest time as well. And besides, he can always stay with his father once he gets back from the short vacation.


    After eating, Jonas and Kyle volunteered to wash the dishes and clean up the table so that the three can start preparing for their trip.


    "Let''s take a shower together." Stefan stated nonchntly but Cayenne would always think that he''s up to something whenever he suggested such thing. "It''s to save time and water." Stefan added when he noticed that his wife was just looking at him.


    "Since when did you care about saving time and water?"


    "Whenever I want to shower with you." His shamelessness wouldn''t fade at all. He hid it from the deepest corner of his soul and it woulde out when he wanted to be mischievous again.


    "A leopard never changes its spots." Cayenne muttered which earned her a heartyughter from Stefan. "Don''tugh at it."


    "Darling, don''t worry. This leopard wouldn''t change its prey either."


    "Shameless." Cayenne mumbled with a roll of her eyes but even so, he allowed Stefan to pull her to the bathroom for a shower. And since they still have a lot of time before ten, the two made love inside the shower room.


    "You can go faster this time to save more time." Cayenne told him while doing her best to catch her breath.


    "No, let''s savor the time." Stefan whispered, thrusting shallowly and slowly inside her.


    "Are you trying to kill me? Just let me go already. Don''t just push high and keep me hanging, you idiot."


    "Since my wife begged for it then, I can only obliged." Stefan leaned closer and kissed her as he thrusted himself harder, pouring all of his essence into the rubber. Not knowing that there were small little holes on them that Cayenne poked with a needle.

 Chapter 337 - AFTER PARTY I

    <h4>Chapter 337 - AFTER PARTY I</h4>


    On their way to X University to meet with the students, Stefan had a satisfying smile on his face. Cayenne really wanted to smack his face and wiped that smile away. It''s annoying her. They talked to have one round but it became two. And now, early in the morning, she felt so weak on her knees.


    "I''ll give you massageter, ''kay?"


    "Okay." Cayenne replied since she couldn''t do anything about it and she couldn''t really me him since she enjoyed it herself. "I hate you."


    "Hm? What? Why?" Stefan blinked his eyes several times, pretending he didn''t know at all.


    "Don''t y dumb with me." Cayenne pouted and cross her arms over her chest.


    "Honey, are you ming me because I made you enjoy it?"


    "Shut up."


    "Is it wrong to enjoy it your husband?"


    "Are you going to keep quiet or are you going to shut up?"


    "Aren''t they the same thing?"


    "That''s why. You have no other choice."


    Stefan pursed his lips to stop himself fromughing. "Okay. What my wife says it goes."


    "Why didn''t you remember that earlier inside the shower? I said we can do it once but we did it twice. It''s just a bluff when you say I''m the rule."


    "But hon, can you really me me? I always forget things when I''m inside you."


    "Whatever." Cayenne shifted her body and looked outside the window, hiding the blush that was creeping up on her face. Stefan looked at her and smiled cheekily.


    ''She blushes so easily with my words.'' Stefan thought to himself while reaching out his hand to intertwine their fingers together. Cayenne felt his hand and didn''t say anything. The two of them were silent but it wasn''t cold or awkward. It was rather sweet and charming.


    When they reached the university, there were students already inside the bus that will take them to the vacation house. They were just waiting for other students toe.


    Luiz was riding a different car with his brother and father. He didn''t want to be the third-wheel again between his sister and Stefan.


    "I''ll get inside the bus now. I''ll let you know once we''ve arrived." Luiz told his father and brother.


    "Take care of yourself there and don''t give your sister a hard time." Jonas reminded his son.


    "Yes, Pa." Luiz carried his bag and walked towards Stefan''s car. Cayenne opened the window and looked at him. "Sis, I''ll take the bus with my ssmates."


    "Why won''t you stay with us?"


    "I don''t want to be a third-wheel." Luiz responded almost instantly. "I''ll be there at the bus. Don''t worry." Before Cayenne could say anything else, he ran towards the bus and got inside.


    "Your brother has grown."


    "I know. I cannot baby him anymore." Cayenne whispered while looking at the bus. "Should we have a baby of our own?"


    "No."


    Cayenne punched his arms lightly and harrumphed. "Why do you disagree instantly?"


    "Because I know you''d say something like that."


    "Alright. I won''t talk about having a baby anymore. Let''s leave it to fate." She smiled at him but in her mind, she was already grinning from ear to ear. At the end of the day, she was the only one who knows about those holes she poked on his condoms.


    Few minutester, Chris arrived together with Rissy. The students looked at each other but they didn''t say anything. They have this silent understanding that their teacher will not be single for long.


    As soon as their teacher stepped inside the bus, the students whistled; some eximed in surprised and some teased her.


    "Teacher Chan, I didn''t know you''re taken already. I was even thinking of introducing my brother to you."


    "Teacher, how did you catch a big fish like him?"


    "A pretty teacher deserves a handsome and sessful man."


    "Teacher, when did you two start dating?"


    "You guys didn''t notice anything else?"


    "What?"


    "Their clothes."


    Everyone looked at Rissy''s clothes and tried to check on the man who stayed inside his car. They have the same style of clothes but with different colors.


    "Wew! I wish I have a boyfriend like him."


    "Ahem! Ahem!" Rissy coughed drily to get everyone''s attention. "Sorry, he''s the only one in this world. No one''s like him." Everyone fell silent and after few minutes, they burst out into a cacophony of discussions, whistles, and teasing. It was so noisy but at the same time, it was fun.


    "Alright. Everyone, listen now. Stop talking about my love life." This time everyone paid attention and became serious. "You''re all adults now and I trust you''d be responsible with your words and actions. For the next few days, we will be staying in Mr. Dumrique''s property. Please be mindful of your actions specially that we''ll be using the property for free. And let''s enjoy ourselves."


    "Yes, teacher Chan." The students replied loudly in agreement.


    "Anyway, is there any space left for me here?"


    Hearing her questions, the students throw their things on the empty seats before looking back at her. "Sorry teacher. There''s no space for you. Why don''t you just go with your boyfriend?"


    "He''s not my boyfriend yet. I don''t want to impose on him anymore."


    Luiz stood up and pushed his teacher out of the bus. "He will be very happy if you stay with him. Just go with him. I promise that we will behave."


    "Are you sure you can handle the whole ss?"


    "Wasn''t I the ss president for several years now?" Luiz retorted to his teacher. "Don''t worry teacher, we will behave. I promise."


    "O-okay. Let me know if something happens or if you need something else."


    "Sure."


    Rissy went back to Chris'' car and Luiz went back to his seat. After confirming that everything''s fine, Stefan started his car''s engine and they finally set off.


    The students talked about many things and their ns for the whole vacation. They even nned to surprise their teacher who had no idea what the students were up to.


    Luiz kept his phone on just in case his sister or his teacher would need something from him. They have many snacks and they shared it with everyone, enjoying themselves on the way to the vacation house. From time to time, Luiz would give something to the bus driver as well and he would converse with him, making sure that he was fully awake.

 Chapter 338 - AFTER PARTY II

    <h4>Chapter 338 - AFTER PARTY II</h4>


    After several hours of travel, the bus finally stopped in front of a huge gate. Stefan stopped his car as well and talked to the driver for a minute. Listening to them, Luiz found out that the bus wouldn''t be able to get inside the property which means the students will have to walk few meters to the vacation house.


    Stefan stepped inside the bus and talked the students about what happened. Since it was just few meters, the students didn''t care at all. They picked up their bags and other things before stepping out of the bus. Stefan instructed them where to go and Luiz led his ssmates on the way. There''s only one way to the destination and one of the cars that the bodyguards used was leading them as well.


    The just walked for more than a minute and they saw a huge house facing the sea. Not only that, there was huge pool as well. Saying it was a vacation house was an understatement. It was more like a small yet expensive resort.


    "Oh my gosh! This ce is beautiful!" Eximed one of the girls who already pulled out her phone to take pictures of the ce.


    "I want to stay here forever. This is amazing."


    The students were mesmerized by the beauty of the ce.


    The huge house was painted with gold and white. There were trees surrounding it and there were three small cottages around the pool where they can stay and rx. There were chaise lounges as well and there was a karaoke bar. The lights were off but the light from the sun illuminated the beautiful ce. The beach front has white sands and the water was very clear. You can see the little fishes swimming underwater.


    Cayenne was also amazed by the beautiful ce in front of her. "Just how many properties do you have? Are there other ces that I don''t know yet?" Cayenne asked Stefan while he parked the car.


    "Let''s go on a trip next time to visit my properties."


    "Really?"


    "Hn. I''m sure you''ll enjoy your time."


    "Hn. I''m looking forward to it."


    The two of them stepped out of the car and Stefan went to the back to get their luggage. Cayenne was only carrying her shoulder bag.


    Chris and Rissy also stepped out of the car and once again, she briefed the students of their responsibilities. The students who brought their tents were so excited to camp at the beach. The girls were even more excited to show off their swim suits that they newly bought.


    The master''s bedroom was of course upied with Stefan and Cayenne. There was a separate house for the bodyguards and Chris stayed there with them. He''s not officially together with Rissy yet and it would inappropriate to sleep with her. Rissy also knew about this so, she stayed with her female students.


    Luiz wanted to try camping with his ssmates and he told Cayenne about it two weeks ago. And now, he''s got a big tent from Stefan. It was Stefan''s personal tent that he kept in the house.


    The female students who didn''t want to camp outside upied another room and there were extra futons provided for their use. It goes the same with the boys. They upied another room and there were futons as well. In that way, those who wanted to shower after dipping in the beach can take a shower inside the room of their respective gender.


    It was past twelve noon when they arrived and everyone was hungry. They thought they''d have to cook for their meals and they were ready to do it but to their surprise, the body guards came inside with lots of bags but they went directly to the beach to arrange the food for lunch.


    "You don''t have to worry for yourte lunch. We already bought foods on the way." Cayenne told the students which also shocked Rissy. She didn''t know that the couple considered a lot of things for this trip.


    "Thank you so much, Mrs. Dumrique." Rissy bowed her head in gratefulness and the students did the same.


    "No worries. We''re all here to enjoy ourselves. If you want to swim, you can do so. Our men are still setting up the tables and the food."


    "O-okay. I''ll tell the other students."


    Everyone was so happy to hear the news and they began changing their clothes. Some of them decided to swim in the pool while the other decided to take a dip in the beach.


    "Let''s y water volleyball. Did anyone bring a ball?" a female student asked her ssmates but they all shook their heads.


    One of the bodyguards, who was tasked to look after the students who used the pool, heard their discussion. "Just give me a moment little miss." The guard left after giving his word, leaving the students dumbfounded.


    "Did you hear that? He called me little miss. I feel like I''m in Victorian era." The studentmented while fanning herself. Her ssmates justughed at her and some shook their heads.


    "Don''t daydream. He called you little miss because he didn''t know your name." one of the boys retorted making the female student snort at him.


    "I know. Can''t you just let me be happy for a little while? Tsk!"


    A few minutester, the bodyguard came with ball. He gave it to the students and soon, they yed to their heart''s content.


    "Wow! Do you always provide this kind of services here?" Sean, the best in sports, talked to the bodyguard.


    "Not really but young miss wanted everyone to enjoy as much as her brother."


    "We''re so lucky." Seanmented which made the guard smile at him. "Thank you for looking after us."


    "Sure. Go and enjoy your vacation man." The bodyguard sat on the bench while watching the students.


    "Sean!" Luiz came running while waving his hand at him. "Are you camping with us tonight or are you staying in the room?"


    "I''d like to camp but I don''t have a tent."


    "Want to share with me? My brother-inw allowed me to use his tent. It''s really big."


    "Okay. I''ll help you set up the tentter." The two of them talked and joined in the fun of their ssmates.

 Chapter 339 - AFTER PARTY III

    <h4>Chapter 339 - AFTER PARTY III</h4>


    After half an hour, the bodyguards called Cayenne and Stefan that everything''s ready. Cayenne told Chris and Rissy about it and the two of them informed the students.


    Everyone went to the beach front and found the food set up. There were three long tables covered with white table cloth and on top of it were different kinds of dishes. There were fried chickens, roasted chickens, chicken curry, pork chops, pork bellies, sweet and sour fish cutlets, fried fishes, shrimps, lobsters, crabs, scallops and many more. There were fruits and drinks. You would never think that those food were just from takeout orders. They looked like a buffet arranged by professional hotelier not by the guards.


    None of the students moved. They didn''t know if they should get food already since Cayenne and Stefan wasn''t doing anything yet.


    "Sis, can we eat now? I''m hungry." Luiz spoke to crack the silence and to help his ssmates as well. He knew that everyone''s hungry.


    "Sure. What are you all waiting for? Just eat whatever you like." Cayenne told them while walking at the shore with Stefan.


    Luiz saw risse sitting at the edge of the pool, watching everyone getting their tes and their spoon and fork. "Riz, why are you still sitting there? Come here."


    Everyone looked at her and smiled. "Come on. We won''t leave anything for you if you won''te over." Another student called, making it a joke to let her feel at ease.


    risse was the student who came in second. In ss, you wouldn''t see her talking to other students if it''s not about ss-rted. She''s reliable when ites to academics but she''s not a very social person who goes out and have fun. She''s very quiet as well and you would often see her inside the library during her free time.


    Even so, her ssmates still like her because she''s not proud and arrogant. Whenever she''s asked a question, she would answer it as long as she knows what it was all about. If she didn''t know the answer, she will help you research it. Just don''t talk to her about anime, manga or your favorite k-pop idols because she would have no idea at all.


    One after another, the students picked the food that they like and looked for the best spot to sit. Some where sitting on the white sands, looking at the beautiful beach in front of them. Some went to sit on the chaise lounge, some were at the edge of the pool and some were at the cottages.


    "What do you want to eat?" Luiz asked risse and he even handed his own te to her. "You don''t have to be shy. My sister and brother-inw are very kind people. And also, we''re all ssmates here so, there''s no need to be so uptight."


    "Thank you." risse replied softly while looking at the food.


    "Do you like shrimps?" Luiz asked her.


    "No. Ah! Yes. I mean, I like them and I like how they taste but I''m allergic to shrimps and crabs."


    "You are? I didn''t know about that. I thought you just hated them because I noticed you''d look at the dishes with shrimps at school but you never get one."


    risse looked at him in surprise and she blinked her eyes at him. She didn''t know that Luiz has paid her attention. "I ate sometimes but that''s when I took my medicine. I didn''t know that there will be shrimps today so, I didn''t bring any antihistamine with me."


    "That''s not a problem. Just get whatever you like to eat. I''ll be right back. You can get crabs and shrimps, too." Luiz ran away and went his sister.


    risse watched him talk to Stefan and Cayenne and then, he ran to the house without looking back. risse didn''t know what he was up to but she trusted him and took several kinds of dishes including shrimps and crabs.


    "I didn''t know that my brother''s type is like her." Cayenne whispered while taking nces at the girl. She remembered her that this girl was the one who remained quiet during the whole meetingst time and her father even used them of bribing the teacher. Although she didn''t like Mr. Rodrigues, Cayenne likes the girl''s personality.


    "Don''t jump into conclusions. Maybe he just cares for his ssmate." Stefan told Cayenne bursting her bubbles.


    The two of them walked along the shore, picking up cute shells and yed with little hermit crabs. "Would you like to take a dip?" Stefan asked while pulling her to the sea.


    "Sure. Let me put my shirt on the shore." Cayenne pulled her shirt over her head and folded it on the shore. She was only wearing her blue shorts and blue bra. "Aren''t you hungry?" Cayenne asked him just in case he wanted to eat. Although her question came a bitte, she felt it was good to ask him still.


    "I''m not hungry yet. Let''s have the students eat first."


    The two of them swam for a little while, picked up shells and colorful stones, yed with the small fishes and talked about life. They flirted and teased each other. Cayenne''s heartyughter and Stefan''s throaty chuckles made everyone looked at them.


    Luiz came back with medicine in his hand. "Take this medicine for now. It''s very effective said my sister. Just eat the food that you''re not allergic to and eat the shrimps and crabster." He handed the medicine to risse and gave her water, too.


    "Thank you, Luiz." risse took the medicine and thought that Luiz would leave her alone. However, after getting his own food, Luiz came back and sat beside her. Sean saw this and went to sit beside Luiz. Chloe, the ss treasure also saw this and sat beside risse. They didn''t want to make her feel that she''s being left out.


    "Luiz, your sister and her husband are very sweet. Are they like that every day?" Chloe asked while watching Stefan and Cayenneughing together.


    "You know that I moved to the dorm, right? It''s because I''m always stuffed with their PDA."


    "Your brother-inw seemed to spoil your sister so much." Seanmented as well.


    "Well, my sister is the rule at home. Whatever she says, it goes. No one defies her not even her husband. But my sister is not unreasonable and petty. She always considers a lot of things for everyone. Sometimes, she can be very protective and sometimes, she''s justzy."


    "You adore your sister so much, don''t you?" risse asked while eating her fried chicken.


    Luiz looked at his sister and his brother-inw from a distance. There was faint smile on his lips. "My sister was like our mother to us. When my father was sent to jail, our mother started working and usually, it''s just the three of us. Yen takes care of us and she neverins. When our mother got ill, she took the responsibility to raise us all. I''m just so amazed with her strength. And I''m so d that Stefan came to pamper her."


    "I wish I could find a man like him. Someone who will understand me and someone who pampers me and spoils me." risse stated without noticing that the three people beside her was looking at her. It was the first time she expressed her opinion which wasn''t rted to academics and they were all surprised to hear that.

 Chapter 340 - PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

    <h4>Chapter 340 - PLANS FOR THE FUTURE</h4>


    After another half an hour, Stefan and Cayenne got out of the water and walked on shore again. Cayenne picked up her shirt and dusted it off before putting it back, ignoring that she was still wet. A bodyguard came over and handed robes to both of them. Cayenne wore the robe and Stefan did the same thing.


    "Shall we eat?" She asked him while pulling him towards the table. There were still many foods left and she decided to go for her favorites.


    "I''ll have whatever you want." Stefan stated. "I drank antihistamine already so, there''s no need to worry."


    Cayenne nodded her head and took one te for both of them. She put lots of shrimps and crabs on her te and some fruits. "Let''s sit with Chris and Teacher Chan." Cayenne stated and was already pulling Stefan but she stopped. "Never mind. Let''s not ruin their dates. Let''s sit with Luiz and his friends."


    "Okay." Stefan didn''t mind wherever they sit as long as he''s with his wife. Anywhere else was fine.


    "Can we sit here?" Cayenne asked Sean who was sitting beside Luiz. Sean was a little stunned as he nodded his head. "Don''t worry, I don''t bite people." Cayenne added with a sweet smile.


    "She only bites me." Stefan stated which earned him an elbow jab from Cayenne.


    The studentsughed at them knowing what Stefan meant but they didn''t say anything. They''re already considered adults since they''re of legal age and they were all thought about sex education.


    "So, what do you guys n for your future?" Cayenne asked them, just wanting to chat with the ssmates of her brother.


    Sean was sitting next to her so when Cayenne looked at him, he knew he should answer. "I''m not very good with academics but I''m very good with sports. I have decided to be a P.E teacher and be a coach of a school."


    "That''s nice." Stefanmented. "If you want to go for sports, T University is very good choice of school. It''s not very expensive as well."


    "Oh! That was what I have in mind, too but, my parents are moving to City H and the university was quite far from the city. If I still pursue my choice, I''d have to find an apartment or apply for school dorm but they''re expensive even if I look for part-time jobs to cover the fees."


    "Do you have any other ssmates who wants to study in T University?" Stefan asked while helping Cayenne removed the shells of the crab.


    "Hn. I know three of my ssmates wanted to enroll there. So, there should be four of us if we pursue this choice."


    Stefan looked at his wife and Cayenne knew exactly what he was thinking. Stefan grew up with nothing but help from other people and he wanted to do the same thing for students as well. As much as he could, he wanted to help them realize their dream like how Travis helped him in the past.


    "I have an apartment building near T University and if you really want to pursue your school choice along with your ssmate, I can cut you a deal."


    "R-really?"


    "Hn. I''m not joking. When I was a student like you, I depended on the help of other people as well. I had nothing but there those kind people who helped me to achieve my dreams. I want to be like them. As much as I can, I want to help students, too."


    Sean was so happy that he jumped from his seat. "I''ll talk to my ssmates about it and I will let you know. Thank you so much Mr. Dumrique."


    "No worries." Stefan slightly nodded his head and smiled.


    Luiz didn''t need to answer his sister''s question because they talked about it already and she knew what he wanted to do with his life. So, the turn went to risse.


    She drank her juice and looked at Cayenne with a faint smile. "I''m nning to be a doctor and if I pass the entrance examination, my father will allow me to continue this path and if I don''t pass, I''ll have to be an industrial engineer."


    "Where do you n to study?" Cayenne asked.


    "Trine Elite University." risse answered. "They''re one of the top schools in the whole country when ites to science and medicine."


    "What a coincidence." Cayenne''s eyes instantly lit up. "My brother was nning to take the examination in Trine, too."


    "You are?" risse asked Luiz who nodded his head. "Well, I hope we''ll both pass the exams."


    "Hn. Good luck to us."


    Cayenne looked towards Cloe while putting a piece of shrimp inside her mouth. "What about you pretty girl?" she asked Chloe who seemed to space out a little.


    "I''m not going to college." Chloe responded.


    "Why not?"


    "My father is ill and someone needs to manage our family business. Being the only child, I need to take over the property. I will have to study the ins and outs of the business while my father is still alive. I don''t want anyone to take our business away."


    Cayenne looked at her and she can see the determination in her eyes. She wasn''t just doing it for her father but for the sake of the business that his father worked so hard for as well.


    "You need to learn proper business management if you want to take over your family business. I could understand that learning from experience is better than learning some theories but it would be best if you can get some theoretical knowledge. At the end of the day, wisdom and knowledge are your best weapons. Since you don''t have much time to study in college, why don''t you enroll from online sses? You can manage your own time and choose your own ss schedule."


    "I didn''t know there''s an online ss for business management." Chloe stated.


    "I''ll give you a link to their websiteter."? Stefan told Chloe as they continued to eat. They chatted for a little while more and soon, students started to gather around them and asked questions.


    While everyone was chatting, two people were quietly eating their food but they have the same thought in mind. ''I have to pass the entrance examination in Trine he''s/she''s going there, too.''

 Chapter 341 - HIS COMFORT ZONE

    <h4>Chapter 341 - HIS COMFORT ZONE</h4>


    After eating theirte lunch, there were still many foods left and the bodyguards have eaten as well. Instead of keeping them, Travis just keep the food disy in case the students go hungryter.


    The two of them took a dip in the pool but after quarter an hour, they decided to take a rest. Stefan had been driving for few hours and Cayenne knew he must be tired.


    Cayenne walked towards Chris and Rissy who were talking at the cottage while looking after the kids. "Teacher Chan, if the food won''t suffice for dinner, you guys can cook in the kitchen. There are many ingredients inside fridge that you can use. If you also want to buy something else, there''s a market one kilometer from here. You can go and buy some groceries there."


    "Thank you, Mrs. Dumrique. We owe you so much for this trip."


    "No. Not at all. I want my brother to enjoy this short vacation and this is my ''thank you'' to you for taking care of him as well." She smiled faintly towards Rissy and looked towards Chris who looked away to hide his blush. "Well, then. I won''t be taking so much of your time." Cayenne turned around and left to talk to the bodyguards.


    "Young madam, do you need anything?" one of the bodyguards asked when he saw Cayenne approaching him.


    "Nothing. I just want to say that Stefan and I will be resting for a while. You and your team and enjoy the beach and the pool as well. You don''t have to be so stiff and strict but please don''t forget to look after the kids from time to time. In any case, they''re all responsible adults."


    "Yes, young madam."


    "Alright. Just let Chris know if you need anything else." Cayenne left and went to her husband who was sitting on a chaise lounge. "I''ve done everything. Let''s go back to our room."


    Stefan rose to his feet and took his wife''s hand. The two of them walked back inside the house under everyone''s envious and teasing gaze.


    "Babe, are we really going to sleep?" Stefan asked as they walked back to their room. He was swinging their intertwined fingers between them while looking at her beautiful face.


    Cayenne nodded her head. "I will knock you out if you won''t sleep by yourself."


    "Can you knock me out?"


    "Of course." Cayenne answered confidently but she knows she couldn''t really do it. "Fine. Kidding aside, let''s just watch a boring movie until you fall asleep."


    "Hon, if you make me sleep this afternoon, I will have lots of energy tonight. Can you handle me at night?"


    She knows exactly what he meant and she couldn''t stop herself from rolling her eyes at him. "I have lots of ways to deal with you. If you don''t want to take a rest now, it''s fine. I''ll just rest on my own. I felt tired from swimming."


    Of course, Stefan couldn''t allow that to happen. If she''s sleeping, he must be right beside her. The two of them took a shower together without doing any extracurricr activity. After drying their hair and changing into their sleeping clothes, the two of themid on their bed.


    Stefan hugged Cayenne and buried his face on her chest, inhaling her sweet scent that he likes so much. Cayenne was stroking his head and ran her fingers through his hair. It was soothing and calming. So, even though he told her that she didn''t want to sleep, in the end, he still fell asleep faster than Cayenne.


    When she noticed that his breathing was even and calm, Cayenne smiled and kissed the top of his head. "Have a good sleep sweetheart." She whispered even though Stefan couldn''t hear it.


    After few minutes, Cayenne fell asleep as well while hugging her husband. The two of them sleptfortably without any worries. They could finally put their guards down because Arthur was no longer around. They were back to their peaceful life.


    Around seven in the evening, Cayenne woke up first but she didn''t turn on the light. Therge windows were open the lights outside was illuminating the ce for them. It was a very beautiful evening.


    She looked at the man beside him who was still asleep, clinging to her like a child. They were each other''sfort and having a clingy Stefan was no longer new to her.


    Cayenne kissed his cheek and chuckled. "Look at you telling me you won''t sleep but now you''re sleeping like a log." Cayenne mumbled while caressing his face. "You must be really tired."


    She just stayed in bed with him hugging her while she stared at the ceiling over them. She didn''t make any noise or move, just letting him continue to sleep.


    "Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!''


    It was her phone. She picked it up from her bedside drawer and opened to see the message. "Sis, what do you want for dinner? We ate all the food that you brought earlier and there''s nothing left for you. I can cook dinner for you and brother-inw instead." It was a message from Luiz.


    "There''s no need. It will be cold if you cook now since he''s still asleep. You can just have fun with your ssmates. We''ll cook our own dinnerter. If you guys want some snacks, you know where to find them already." Cayenne told her brother through her reply.


    Luiz just replied shortly with two words, "I understand."


    In the kitchen, risse and Luiz was standing at the counter. "So, are we cooking for them?" she asked Luiz while feeling lost and guilty. She ate too many shrimps and crabs earlier and she only found outter that those were Cayenne''s favorite. She felt very guilty about it.


    "My brother-inw is still sleeping. They will cook their own food if they go hungry. Let''s just go back and have fun with everyone."


    "O-okay."


    "Don''t worry about it. We all ate the food and my sister isn''t so petty to think so much about losing those shrimps and crabs. Cheer up!"


    risse nodded her head and smiled faintly while following Luiz back to the swimming pool where everyone was gathered around, chatting and ying ¨C just having pure fun.

 Chapter 342 - LEARNED NEW THINGS ABOUT THEM

    <h4>Chapter 342 - LEARNED NEW THINGS ABOUT THEM</h4>


    It was almost eight in the evening when Stefan woke up. He felt so happy knowing that Cayenne stayed and waited for him to wake up. He raised his head and found Cayenne looking at him.


    "Did I wake you up?" Cayenne asked with a guilty expression. She''s been massaging his scalp so, she thought that she woke him up.


    Stefan stole a kiss from her lips and grinned at her. "I just thought my wife will be lonely if I continue to sleep."


    "Nonsense. I wouldn''t feel lonely even if you continue to sleep until the next evening." Cayenne retorted instantly with her raised eyebrow.


    Stefan frowned and pouted a little. "Why is that?"


    "Because you''re here with me."


    Stefan was stunned with her simple answer and the smile on his face wouldn''t stop spreading. He was grinning from ear to ear once again. "I love my wife so much."


    "I love my husband, too."


    The two of them flirted for a little while before deciding to go downstairs and check on the kids. The students who brought their tents have already set them up at the beach and there were logs prepared for a campfire.


    "Good evening, Mr. and Mr. Dumrique." greeted the students one after another when they saw theming out of the house. Stefan nodded at them and Cayenne smiled. They looked approachable unlike those other rich people who felt disgusted when mingling withmoners.


    "Are you guys having fun?" Cayenne asked them as she sat on the chaise lounge beside her brother.


    "Yes. Thank you so much for the amodation." The students answered happily.


    Cayenne was also happy to see them happy. Beside her, Luiz was scrolling on his phone. "Sis, look at this." Luiz showed her his phone and what was in there was a picture of Kyle and Jonas.


    The two of them were left in City A and they thought that they''re staying at home. Now, they found out that the two went to have their own trip as well. They visited lots of ce and at the end, they stayed in a resort to chill and rx.


    "Well, it''s good to see them having fun." Cayennemented. "Are you jealous because you''re not there with them?"


    "Nope. They can have fun on their own and I''ll have fun here as well. Once we go back, I can catch up with them."


    "That''s right." Cayenne replied and rubbed her brother''s head. "I''ll go back and cook dinner. Stefan must be hungry."


    "O-okay."


    Cayenne stood up and walked back to the house to prepare dinner in the kitchen. She had forgotten her promise that she won''t leave his side for more than three meters and now Stefan was thrown in panic.


    He was just talking to Chris about some business matter and he wasn''t worried because Cayenne was just there talking with her brother. However, when he looked back to find her, she was gone. He looked around to find Cayenne but he couldn''t find her.


    "Have you seen Ayen?" Stefan asked Chris just in case he noticed where she goes.


    "Ah? She was just talking with Luiz earlier."


    "Where''s Luiz?" Stefan looked for his brother-inw who seemed to disappear as well. "Have you seen Luiz?" Stefan asked one of the students.


    "Luiz? He''s there." One of the students pointed to a figure, swimming in the pool.


    Stefan went to the other side of the pool where Luiz was heading to and stood up there, waiting for him to emerge from the water. "Where''s my wife?"


    Luiz was still wiping the water off of his face when he heard the question. "Didn''t she go to the kitchen to cook dinner for you?"


    Without responding to Luiz, Stefan jogged towards the house in worry. He went directly to the kitchen and found Cayenne standing at the table with her hands on her hips as she looked at the ingredients in front of her.


    "He''s be paranoid again." Luizmented which piqued the student''s curiosity.


    "Paranoid? Does that happen a lot?" Chloe asked Luiz while looking at the direction of the house.


    "It happens when he couldn''t see my sister. They almost broke up before and my sister even signed a divorce paper that my brother-inw didn''t know of. That scared the hell out of him and he had to pursue my sister once again. And recently, my sister got involved in an ident and he was so scared he''d lose her."


    "Isn''t he too dependent to your sister? Where''s his pride as a man?" one of the males students asked with a deep frown. To most men, pride was like a second skin to them. They''d rather lose anything than letting someone trample over their pride.


    Luiz chuckled at this question which made everyone looked at him in a weird way. "Pride? My brother-inw doesn''t have such thing when ites to my sister. He''d rather lose his pride than lose her."


    "That''s so sweet."


    "Your sister is very lucky to have him."


    "No, it''s Stefan who''s lucky to have her." Chrismented on the side while listening to Luiz. Everything Luiz had said was true and he knew it because he witnessed all of it. "Stefan is indeed a prideful man but he wouldn''t let his pride took over his feelings for his wife. After all, he never depended on anyone except for her."


    The students outside learned new things about Stefan and Cayenne and they were even more envious of their strong feelings and rtionship.


    On the other hand, Stefan was hugging Cayenne in the kitchen. It''s been over five minutes and he wasn''t letting go of her. "I''m really sorry. I thought it''s fine since this is your property. And why were you panicking again instead of thinking rationally. There''s no way I''d leave you alone, okay?"


    "I forgot this is my property. I even forgot to call my bodyguards. I was so scared I couldn''t think properly. I just knew I needed to find you." There was a trace of fear and regret in his voice, which gripped Cayenne''s heart. She didn''t know how to assure him and make him feel secure.


    "I''m sorry. I won''t do it again."


    "You promised the same thingst time but you suddenly left." Stefan retorted in pain. "Ayen, don''t do it again, okay? I will really die if you leave me."


    "Hn. Let''s not leave each other''s side. I won''t leave you no matter what." Cayenne had to promise him again and again until he finally calmed down and let her go ten minutester. "Would you like to make dinner with me?"

 Chapter 343 - WHOS MORE DOTING?

    <h4>Chapter 343 - WHO''S MORE DOTING?</h4>


    Some students were actually sneaking on Cayenne and Stefan and they couldn''t stop themselves to be in awe. They''ve heard so much about Stefan Dumrique in the business world and his face had been a cover of many financial magazines along with Travis Madrigal and other businessmen.


    They knew of him as cold and ruthless decision maker. He''s never lost to a business gamble or investments. He''s very decisive and he''s very smart. They also knew that he''s called a rich yboy. Who didn''t know of him having different partners?


    And now? Where''s that yboy? Where''s that cold CEO? Where''s that ruthless decision maker? He''s gone! They couldn''t see any traces of that person at all. The only Stefan Dumrique they knew of was a kind, caring, considerate, and helpful Stefan. Plus, a wife''s ve.


    They only knew the good thing about them and the things that they wanted the public to know. But there were very few people who knew what these lovers have gone through.


    Stefan and Cayenne cooked their dinner together and since they''re the only one''s who haven''t eaten, they decided to make a candle lit dinner at the balcony of their room. The balcony was facing the sea and right below them was the swimming pool where the students have gathered together.


    Seeing that the couple was setting up their dinner at the balcony, they tactfully decided to give them space.


    "Let''s go to the beach." Sean stated and everyone agreed. Even though they were at the beach, they could still see the romantic atmosphere at the balcony.


    "Sigh. I want to have a doting husband, too." One of the female studentsmented.


    "Look for a boyfriend first before thinking of having a husband." Sean told his ssmate and left to join his other ssmates.


    The female students have gathered around Luiz and asked him several questions about her sister and Stefan. Luiz chose his words carefully and only allowed them to know little information as possible. Although it was just a little information, it was enough for them to worship this couple.


    "Speaking of doting husband. I think Mr. Madrigal don''t lose out to Mr. Dumrique." one of the female studentsmented.


    "And speaking of them, didn''t they attend your celebration yesterday?" Chloe asked Luiz who was the least bit bothered by it.


    Luiz scratched the tip of his nose and smiled faintly. "They''re close friends with my brother-inw and if I remember correctly, Stefan was life a younger brother to Travis. And before my sister and Stefan became couple, my sister met Travis and Jillyanna already. Jillyanna even gave her a letter."


    "Wow! Really?! Then was Riley there, too?"


    "Uh huh. She took lots of pictures of us."


    "Can you show us?"


    Luiz walked towards his tent and took his phone to show them pictures of his graduation celebration. There pictures of Jillyanna and Travis together with Cayenne and Stefan. There were pictures of Luiz and Jade, too.


    "By the way, this little girl was shown in the television once for being so cute and adorable. At the same time, she''s very smart. Is that true?" they asked Luiz about it.


    Luiz nodded his head while looking at the cute little girl who wanted to have pictures with him. "She''s six years old and she just finished Grade 5 and she topped her whole ss as well."


    "For real?" risse asked in surprise. She thought that Luiz was really smart but she never thought she''d find someone who''s even smarted than him in real life.


    Luiz chuckled and looked towards risse. "If we pass the exam in Trine, you will see her there."


    "Wow! She''s studying in Trine, too. That''s really amazing." rissemented in a daze. She didn''t know much about what''s trending in television or in social media tforms so, she had no idea who Jade was. But now, she was so amazed with the young girl.


    The students continued to look at the pictures and scrolled across a picture of Kyle and Kath. "Your older brother is really handsome." Chloemented. "Is he really in rtionship with this pretty girl?"


    "Hn. Kath has liked my brother for so many years and my brother felt the same. So, they confessed and ended up together." Luiz answered nonchntly but this broke the hearts of other girls who have a crush on Kyle. They already doubted his rtionship with Kath but there''s no one to confirm their gut feeling. It was until today that someone raised this question to Luiz.


    "I''ve seen so many pictures of Travis and Jillyanna now. I can tell that her husband is just like your brother-inw." Another female studentmented.


    "I am not so sure about that. I don''t think we canpare as to who''s more doting to their wife but I can say that Travis was on a different level." Another student stated.


    "And why do you think so?"


    "Well, this is just some information I know and I am not so sure if it''s true. Travis didn''t like getting his wife tired so he takes care of their children personally. He didn''t like her to think too much about business so he''s managing her business, too. She''s surrounded by many bodyguards because he was afraid something happens to her. And he cooks her food personally. When she was pregnant with their baby¡­" The students'' attention was finally diverted to Travis and Jillyanna which made Luiz felt happy. While they were talking happily, he secretly kept his phone and quietly left their group.


    He joined with the other boys and talked about life with them. Sean also talked to his three ssmates who was nning to enroll in T University. They didn''t expect that Stefan would help them at all. When Luiz confirmed Sean''s words, they were even more ted. They were just so happy that they can finally go to their dream school.


    "Looks like I didn''t have to worry about their future." Rissy stated while watching her students. She was sitting on the edge of the pool with Chris. The bodyguards were also spread out to look after them.


    "They''re all responsible and smart. They knew what they want and were looking for ways to achieve their dreams. In any case, you can still ask them how they are from time to time."


    "I always felt so attached with them because they''re the first senior high school students that I''ve taught. Our ages weren''t that far from each other and I felt more of a sister to them than a teacher."


    "No wonder your students like you so much." Chris replied. "You can create a group chat with them, you know. There, you can ask them of their life and progress."


    Rissy and Chris talked about the students while at the balcony, Cayenne and Stefan talked about the teacher and the secretary. "We should let them spend more time together. It''s good for Chris to have a love life, too."


    "I know. Do you want to y the matchmaker?"

 Chapter 344 - I WILL BE HERE

    <h4>Chapter 344 - I WILL BE HERE</h4>


    Around ten in the evening, the students started turning inside, took showers one after another and put on their sleeping clothes. Since it was their first night, they postponed the campfire to the second night of their stay. They wanted to wake up early tomorrow morning to watch the sunrise with their ssmates.


    It''s not everyday that they get to stay in such a nice ce with a very nice view. They needed to have fun and make memories as much as they could. In that way, they can leave the ce with no regretter.


    "You guys can chat and y a little while more but it''s lights off at twelve, got it?" Rissy reminded her students while she was making her way back to the house as well.


    "Got it teacher Chan." The students responded in unison.


    Two guards also put up their tents at the beach in order to look after the students who stayed outside. At the same time, the house was remained open just in case they needed to use the bathroom or if they felt hungry in the middle of the night, they can just get food in the kitchen.


    Cayenne and Stefan were both wide awake now because they slept earlier, even so, the two of them had no ns to get out of bed. Cuddled together under their nket, the two were watching a rom movie to spend the night away. Cayenne ced theptop on herp while her back was leaning on her husband''s stomach and chest. Stefan was leaning on the headboard with a pillow on his back and ced his chin on her shoulders while hugging her t stomach. In this way, he can steal kisses from her and she can''t do anything about it because theptop will fall if she moves.


    "Honey, stop kissing my neck. It tickles." Cayenne mumbled without looking at him.


    Stefan stopped kissing her neck and now, he started kissing the base of her earlobe.


    "If you keep kissing me, I won''t be able to concentrate on the movie."


    Stefan grinned and blew on her ears which made Cayenne shiver right in his arms. "I told you I''d be very energetic at night if you let me sleep in the afternoon. Now, how are you going to deal with me?"


    "I don''t n to deal with you. I can''t really knock you out, okay? Duh, just stay put and stop teasing me."


    "But I can''t help it. You''re right in my arms and my body will react."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes as she swatted his hands away from her. "Go deal with it yourself."


    "Why are you being heartless now? Didn''t we just have our romantic dinner?"


    Cayenne didn''t know what to do with him at. He really knew when to exploit her weakness and it always made her give in to him.? "We had a romantic dinner because I want to make it up to you for leaving you suddenly earlier. It''s not like we had it in preparation for a passionate love making. So, just give up because I won''t give in to you tonight."


    Seeing that she was determined to ignore him, Stefan raised his hand and made a surrender hand gesture. This time, he really stopped teasing her and just watched the movie together with her. However, the movie wasn''t even halfway when Cayenne noticed her shoulder felt heavy.


    Stefan fell asleep.


    "See? When you''re not thinking with your lower body, your exhaustion will still take over your body." Cayenne mumbled as she closes theptop. She moved Stefan''s head away from her and gently leaned him on the headboard before prying his hands away from her waist to get out of the bed.


    Sensing his empty arms, Stefan was jolted awake and he instantly looked around to find his wife. Cayenne noticed it, too. Her heart ached for him with hisck of security. "I''m just putting theptop back inside the drawer." She told Stefan who was still looking restless at her.


    He just looked at her without saying anything and Cayenne moved faster as well. She closed the drawer immediately and climbed back to the bed to stay with him.


    All this time, she thought that it was just her who was feeling insecure because he has achieved so much and has many properties while she had nothing at all to give back. It turned out Stefan, was just insecure as her but it was for a different reason.


    Cayenne kissed his lips and wished him good night while hugging him.


    But Stefan didn''t go back to sleep. "Ayen?"


    "Hn?"


    "I''m not having a beautiful long dream, am I?" Stefan whispered with a slight trace of fear and anxiety. His voice sounded lonely as well.


    "What do you mean by that?" Cayenne lifted her head to look at him but Stefan ced his chin on top of her head to stop her from seeing his expression. "Are you afraid that I''m not here when you wake up, again?"


    "Hn."


    Cayenne hugged him tightly and kissed his Adam''s apple. "Can I sing you a song?" Cayenne asked.


    "Okay."


    "Tomorrow mornin'' if you wake up, and the sun does not appear, I, I will be here¡­ If in the dark we lose sight of love, hold my hand and have no fear, ''Cause I, I will be here¡­ I will be here when you feel like bein'' quiet, when you need to speak your mind - I will listen and I will be here,when theughter turns to cryin'', through the winnin'' and losin'' and tryin'', we''ll be together¡­Cause I will be here¡­" Cayenne sang this song softly like a luby instead tofort her husband in her arms. She just continued to sing until Stefan fell asleep once again.


    ''Stefan, I don''t many riches like you. I''m not wealthy. I''m not sophisticated and I am not elegant like any other women you''ve been with. But if my presence gives youfort, I will stay with you until we grow white hair and lose our teeth. I will only be with you.''


    SONG USED:? I Will Be Here by Gary Valenciano

 Chapter 345 - RESPONSIBLE LUIZ

    <h4>Chapter 345 - RESPONSIBLE LUIZ</h4>


    At five in the morning, the students started waking up, looking forward to the view of the suning out from the east. Rissy woke up early as well since she as nning to buy groceries for the next few days for their use.


    Three students have volunteered toe with them, so they prepared to set out. When they arrived at the living room, Chris was sitting on the couch with morning coffee and his tablet.


    "Good morning. Are you guys going somewhere?" He asked while putting down his coffee on the table.


    Rissy greeted him back as she nodded her head. "We''re buying groceries at the nearest market."


    "Oh. How about I go with you instead? Just let the students enjoy time with their ssmates. I can still carry the heavy items for you."


    "Is that okay? I mean, I don''t really mind the studentsing with me."


    Chris looked at the students and they knew exactly what that look was all about. He was asking them to give them time. "Teacher, since he wants to go with you and he''s a man, isn''t it betterpared to us girls?"


    "Right. And honestly, I want to watch the sunset with everyone, too." Another student added with a longing look on her face.


    "Just let him go with you, teach. He''s much betterpared to the three of us."


    Rissy stood there with her eyebrow raised at her students. ''Do you think I don''t know what you''re thinking?'' She asked mentally while looking at them. "Alright. Be at your best and don''t make a ruckus since Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique are still resting. We will be back as soon as possible."


    "Oh! It''s fine if you will take some time." One of the students stated which brought blush to Rissy''s face. Her students knew that she''s dating with Chris and from time to time, they''d just tease her like this.


    "Let''s go?" Chris asked her and she faintly nodded her head. She walked beside him and went to get his car in order to go to the market.


    The students were happily chatting at the beach and those who were staying inside their tents have woken up as well. Luiz looked at his ssmates and counted them, making sure that everyone was there.


    "Where''s teacher Chan?" asked Sean when he noticed that their teacher wasn''t around.


    "She''s gone on a date with Mr. Secretary. They''re buying groceries at the market." The student, who was supposed to apany their teacher, told the ss with sly grin on her face.


    "Hey guys, I have an idea." They immediately gathered together to hear what this idea was all about. "Since we''re nning to surprise our teacher, how about we include her date?"


    "You mean, we''ll let Sir Chris do the surprise for her in our behalf?"


    "Kind of." The student turned to Luiz and asked, "Do you know any ce here that can be a good spot for their date?"


    "I don''t have any idea." Luiz answered truthfully. "But I can ask my brother-inwter. We can set it up in the afternoon."


    "Good. Good." The continued their discussion but when they noticed the faint lighting from the sunrise, they all stopped talking and looked to the east. The beautiful sun was slowly rising over the horizon, dispelling the remaining darkness of the night, symbolizing hope for another beautiful and blissful day.


    They were all amazed with the beauty of the sunrise, specially that they all grow up in the city, covered with buildings and more buildings.


    Some of them were taking pictures and eventually they decided to ask the body guard to take one ss picture for them. "Let''s take another tomorrow with Teacher Chan."


    "It''s a good souvenir for our ss."


    Half an hourter, they all went inside the house and waited for Luiz to give them instructions. Although they were given free ess to everything inside the house, they still followed Luiz since he was rtive to the owner.


    Luiz opened the fridge and found many ingredients and the cupboards still got lots of groceries. ''Hmm. Did they just use buying groceries as an excuse to go on a date?'' Luiz asked himself with a faint smile on his lips. ''Ah! Those were probably for the next few days. Teacher Chan must have been feeling embarrassed that my sister and brother-inw took care of everything.'' After this realization, he took out lots of ingredients and ced them on the table.


    "Alright. Sean, Chloe, risse and I, will be making our breakfast. In that way, once Teacher Chan and Uncle Chrises back, we can eat together."


    "How about your sister and brother-inw?"


    "When there''s nothing work-rted stuff to do, they usually wake upte so, don''t worry about them. They''ll take care of themselves." Even though Luiz has stated that, he was already nning to cook extra food just in case they''ll wake up early. "Who wants coffee, milk or tea, juice or ss of water?" Everybody raised their hands. "You can just get it yourself here. Juste two at a time so that we won''t crowd the kitchen."


    Luiz was indeed liked by everyone because they listened to him whether they''re inside the ssroom or when they''re not. And to think, they''re no longer considered ssmates because ss was over and they will all be separating to different paths soon.


    In two pairs, students went to the kitchen to make coffee, milk or any drink that they like in the morning. The four students were also working their best to provide a hearty breakfast for everyone.


    "Morning." Cayenne greeted them with a sweet smile as she walked downstairs together with Stefan.


    "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique." The students greeted back which made Luiz look over the counter top and found the two walking towards the kitchen.


    "Sis, do you have any cravings? I''m cooking with my ssmates today." Luiz stated while showing the food ingredients on the table.


    "No cravings today. I''ll eat whatever you guys have." Cayenne replied while looking through the dish organizer to find a cup. She turned to Stefan who was sitting on a chair, looking at her who was moving around. "ck coffee or caf¨¦ auit?"


    "Caf¨¦ auit."


    "Okay." Cayenne took out milk from the fridge and heated it while making coffee on the side.


    The students were looking at them with great interest, specially the girls. "Why do I feel that they''re so sweet even when asking what kind of coffee to drink?"


    "I feel you girl. Their kind of rtionship is what I like."


    "Oh! Really? Then, you must be prepared to throw divorce papers to your husband in the future." Another student stated which dampened the mood of the other.


    "No way!" Who knows? The husband might agree to the divorce. They wouldn''t risk such thing to happen. Not all men are like Stefan after all.

 Chapter 346 - PLAYING THE MATCHMAKER

    <h4>Chapter 346 - PLAYING THE MATCHMAKER</h4>


    "Sis, is there any other tourist spot that you can go here? A ce where you can have a good date?" Cayenne looked at his brother and unintentionally, her eyes went to look at risse who was busy cutting vegetables. Luiz noticed where her eyes went to and he couldn''t stop himself from ring at her. For the first time, he red at his sister.


    "Hahaha." Cayenneughed so hard while pointing at her brother. "You should have seen your expression. I didn''t even say anything yet."


    "You didn''t say anything but your face says it all." Luiz retorted feeling aggrieved and wronged. "I''m telling you now that it''s not what you''re thinking."


    Cayenne nodded her head in agreement but it was obvious that she wasn''t convinced at all. Luiz couldn''t do anything about it and he wasn''t nning to do anything about it at all.


    "We''re nning to surprise our teacher and we wanted to include Uncle Chris." Luiz started to divert his sister''s attention because she kept looking at risse. He was worried that his ssmates would notice it.


    Stefan put down his coffee on the table and looked at Luiz. "I knew some ces here that you guys can use. If you want we, can check it outter."


    "Thanks, brother-inw."


    "Well, your sister and I was nning the same thing. Since we have one goal, we might as well think together."


    "So, you want Teacher Chan for your secretary, too?" Luiz asked.


    "I don''t mind. She''s the first woman that Chris got interested with and she''s a good girl. I have no qualms about her personality and background."


    So, the students began to discuss their n with Stefan and Cayenne in order to give their teacher a surprise. After an hour, their two targets havee home with lots of grocery bags. The students helped them carry the items to the kitchen and arranged them inside the fridge and the cupboards.


    The students acted like nothing and continued doing whatever they were doing. Some were chatting, taking pictures and uploaded it on their social media ounts, drank their coffee and milk, they were all behaving like usual.


    Stefan took out his phone and sent a message to his secretary. "Chris, we''re going to have a tripter after having breakfast. Can you check online if there''s any van services around that we can rent for the students?"


    "Sure." Comes a fast reply from Chris and he was soon scrolling on his tablet while doing the task that was given to him. He had no idea that he will be part of the surpriseter. And he was even helping them. "I''ll go and talk with Stefan for a while." Chris told and left Rissy in the living room. As soon as he left, the students with to Rissy to gossip with her. They were more like friends instead of teacher and students at all.


    Chris approached Stefan and Cayenne, and showed the information he found online. "Which one do you want to use? And how many?"


    "I think three should be enough. The rest can go along with us if they won''t fit inside the three vans. You can just choose whichever you think is best."


    "Okay." Chris scrolled up and down and after finding the nearest van services to them, he called and booked them for today''s use. He didn''t know where they will go and what time they will be back so, he booked it for the whole day. After getting the confirmation, Chris transferred the down payment and told Stefan that everything''s fine.


    At eight in the morning, they all have their breakfast together, along with Cayenne and Stefan as well as the bodyguards. They students didn''t feel awkward and the atmosphere was warm. Everyone was just having fun.


    After eating breakfast, they started taking showers and changed their clothes since they will be going on a ''trip''. Stefan and Cayenne showered together again to save time and water. It was really just saving time and water and nothing else because Stefan had something else nned for both of them.


    The vans they rented arrived at half past nine and the students started getting inside to find seats. Luiz allowed his ssmates to get inside first, making sure that everyone''sfortably seated. "Make sure that you didn''t forget your important belongings like phone and wallet." Luiz reminded them.


    "We''re all good." The students responded.


    "Is this van full already?" Luiz asked since there were still five students who weren''t able to get inside and that includes him and risse.


    "We''re full here already."


    "Alright. I''ll check out the other vans." Luiz closed the van and left to check the other two vans if there were any avable seats.


    "We''re full now."


    "Okay. That''s fine. I''ll just be a third-wheel to my sister and brother-inw again." Everyone chuckled at his response since it''s really awful to be a third-wheel, specially in a rtionship like Cayenne and Stefan.


    Luiz went to Chris and called his ssmates toe over. "Uncle, can you let Jill and Cindy, ride with you?"


    "Sure. Get inside girls." Luiz opened the car door for them and the twodies went inside. "How about her?" Chris asked when she saw there''s another girl left.


    "risse will be staying with me."


    "Ohhh." Everyone just ''Oh''-ed and that included Chris and Rissy. Seems like they discovered something in this short vacation.


    Luiz turned to risse and asked her to wait for a moment while he settles his other ssmate. "I''ll let you ride with the bodyguards. I''m sure you will have a good time with them." Since he was male, it was alright to spend time with the guards,pared to a woman spending time with them.


    After making sure that everyone''s settled already, Luiz went back to risse and led her to Stefan''s car. "We''ll be staying with my sister and brother-inw. Just ignore their overloading sweetnesster."


    "O-okay." risse followed Luiz silently and Cayenne, who was watching them from the side mirror, couldn''t stop grinning from ear to ear.


    She knew it! Her gut feeling was telling her she was right but, since Luiz wasn''t saying anything, she didn''t say anything either. She was just smiling at him teasingly. ''My brother has grown.'' She thought to herself while watching them from the mirror.

 Chapter 347 - THEY NOTICED

    <h4>Chapter 347 - THEY NOTICED</h4>


    There were three ces that Stefan wanted to show to the students. He''s been to these ces before when he bought the vacation house but he never really stayed there and the vacation house has soon be a little business for him where people can rent it and stay in it, use the facilities as long as they keep it clean and order.


    On the way to the first stop, Cayenne noticed that Stefan was very silent. Sometime, he would frown and sometimes, there''s a faint smile on his lips. She had no idea what he was thinking at all.


    "Honey, what are you thinking? You look weird." Cayenne whispered, trying her best not to let the other two sitting at the back hear her words.


    Despite that, Luiz and risse still heard her but since Luiz told her to ignore Cayenne and Stefan, risse stopped paying attention to them and just watched the scenery outside.


    Stefan looked at his wife grinned at her ¨C that wolfish grin that tells Cayenne he was up to something naughty again but his answer surprised her. "I want to eat ice cream with you."


    "Oh. I thought there''s something bothering you." She was just about to sit properly when she''s reminded of something. ''It''s not what I''m thinking, right?'' Just the thought of it brought blush to her face.


    "Why are you blushing?" Stefan asked pretending he was all innocent and serious.


    "Nothing. Don''t mind me. You can buy ice cream on our way home. I want to eat something cold as well." Cayenne looked outside her window and then closed her eyes. ''It''s all this idiot''s fault!'' she mentally scolded him but on the other hand, Stefan was just grinning from ear to ear.


    ''If she knows what I''m thinking, isn''t it the best proof of our synchronicity?'' Stefan thought and faintly chuckled at his own idea.


    "Here we go again. These two have gone to their own little world, forgetting that we existed here." Luizmented which made risse giggle. He also smiled at her but he didn''t say anything anymore. If things go well, if they both pass the entrance examination, they''d still be able to see each other. "Riz, I have something to tell youter."


    "O-okay." risse nodded her head as her heart began to jump in her chest. She didn''t want to expect anything but her heart and mind weren''t really getting along together. Her brain says, "Don''t expect." but, her heart says otherwise. ''It''s okay to expect a little, right?'' she thought but when she took a peek on his face, he looked nonchnt. ''Maybe I was overthinking things.''


    Beside her, Luiz was already practicing what he should say to her. She''s been her secret crush for so many years now. That''s why he could sympathize with Kath and his brother because he had been feeling the same thing. And when he thought about it, he had a crush on risse far longer than the years that Kyle and Kath liked each other.


    ''This is making me anxious.'' Luiz told himself while keeping a straight face. ''I could only hope that no one would know what will happenter or it will be so embarrassing.''


    While the two of them were immersed in their own little world, Cayenne noticed their silence as well. She frowned and turned around to look at her brother and risse. "Are you two fighting?" She asked them.


    "No." risse and Luiz answered at the same time.


    "I see. I was just wondering why you''re so quiet and not making a single peep with each other." She smiled towards risse and looked at her brother with meaningful look.


    Not long after, Stefan drove into an elevated slope which means they''re going up into a mountainous area. They could see nothing but trees and more trees. Some were bearing fruits, some were bearing flowers and most of them were just greens. It was very rxing to watch.


    After five minutes of driving, they arrived at the top of the hill where there was a huge restaurant. It was mainly a four-storey restaurant building. They offered varieties of dishes, desserts and other cuisines from different cities. The best part was that, you could actually see a volcano in the middle of theke. It''s only visible during the day and it was very beautiful. It was just one of the many dormant volcanoes so there''s no need to worry about its eruption.


    At night, it was said that you can see the city lights below and there''s an observatory at the top floor of the restaurant where you can see starts and moon. There were also activities offered during the night like a fire dance show, a battle of the bands and many more.


    "It''s a good ce for casual date and thest floor is good for a romantic date." Cayennemented while looking around the ce. They just ordered drinks and stayed in the small cottages around so that the students can take pictures of the view and enjoyed the ce.


    "Do you want to have a date here?" Stefan asked casually.


    "No. It will be very crowded at night for sure."


    "You got that right. During the day, there aren''t many people but during the night, it bes really lively. Let''s go over there." Stefan led Cayenne to the best spot he could find and took pictures of her.


    "Let''s take a selfie together." The two got busy taking pictures and the students got busy taking pictures of this couple, too. In just few minutes, the social media tform was flooded with pictures of Cayenne and Stefan once again. And the couple? They had no idea about it yet.


    "Let''s go the next ce." Stefan told the students and one after another, they got inside their vehicles.


    As soon as the students got inside their cars, they couldn''t stop themselves from gossiping again. "Hey! Is it just me or is Luiz really especially considerate of risse?"


    "I noticed it, too. Ever since we got inside the bus up until now, he''s been paying attention to her."


    "You guys might not know but Luiz ¨C" Chloe pped Sean''s arm to stop him from talking. "Luiz is really a nice person." Sean corrected himself and smiled. "Don''t think too much."


    "I guess you''re right. Luiz has been very considerate to us all the time. Maybe we''re just reading too much about it."


    Sean kept his mouth shut while Chloe red at him. In the whole ss, only Sean and Chloe knew about Luiz''s affection for risse. And they''ve been cheering him for years now but Luiz wanted to keep his promise to his sister first before anything else.

 Chapter 348 - AMUSEMENT PARK

    <h4>Chapter 348 - AMUSEMENT PARK</h4>


    The second ced that they Stefan showed them was still a restaurant with a secret garden. You couldn''t see the sea or the lights of the city but there were thousands of flowers and within their secret garden which surrounds the tables and chairs. At night, there will be thousands of little lights lit up by the restaurant manager which will make the flowers visible at night.


    You can have candle lit dinner under the bright stars and beautiful constetions at night. The students who wanted to throw a surprise alreadypared the first and second ce they visited. As usual, they took pictures once again and just bought some pastries to eat.


    After that, they visited thest ce that Stefan wanted to show them. It was the all-year round small amusement park. The kids didn''t expect to see an amusement park in a rural area and although it wasn''t as big as those parks in the city, it still has several rides that kids can enjoy.


    Chloe had been observing their teacher''s expression ever since they visited the first ce. So far, she didn''t react as much when she saw the secret garden earlier. It was obvious that among the three ces, Rissy liked the secret garden the best.


    She sent her ssmates the message and they finally chose the second ce to make a surprise for her. Although the ce didn''t show much, like seas and mountains or whatnot, the beautiful garden was still enchanting enough to capture their teacher''s heart.


    Luiz walked towards Cayenne and asked permission if they can y for a stay for a little while.


    "Sure. You have an hour to y here and after that, we''ll leave to have lunch." Cayenne responded which made Luiz smile. He can finally have an alone time with risse.


    Cayenne noticed that expression on her brother''s face but she didn''t say anything. Having rtionship with someone isn''t really a bad thing. As long as you know your limits and boundaries, and you know your priorities, a rtionship won''t affect you badly. And she believed that her brother was smart enough to weigh things on his own.


    Stefan linked their hands together and pulled Cayenne towards the shooting booth. "Let''s go over there and get some souvenirs."


    Looking at the ce they were heading to, Cayenne remembered the first time they went on a date. That time, Valkyrie and Brown were around and even though Stefan kept bickering with Valkyrie, she and Brown had the best time. She even got a wallet for him that time.


    Ever since the two of them got back together, she never paid attention to his personal things. The only things she sees daily was his phone which still has the same cover that matches hers.? As for his wallet, he''d often take it out but she never really remembered if it was the one given by her or if it was not. ''He must have kept it somewhere.'' She thought to herself. After all, most of the things that Stefan gave her were kept by her somewhere, too.


    The bracelet that matches his watch, the bracelet with her name on it, the ne that he gave and other essories ¨C she kept them somewhere but she wore them sometime.


    "What do you want to get?" Stefan asked her as they went nearer to the booth.


    "Anything''s fine. I''m not really look for something this time." Cayenne just smiled faintly and followed his lead.


    "I''d like to get nine shots for each of us." Stefan told the man who watched over the booth.


    "Got it sir." He handed the toy gun and the stic bullet to them to let them y nine times.


    Cayenne still remembered the things that Brown taught her and she started shooting randomly to several stuff toys that she found to her liking. Out of nine, Cayenne hit six and missed three. Still it was worth it. Stefan got seven little things out of nine.


    "We got too many. I thought We''d miss a lot." Stefanmented while showing Cayenne what he got. They were all small stuff toy that can be used to decorate the car or their room.


    Cayenne looked at him and chuckled. For a big man like him, to carry a lot of cute things, it looked weird. It didn''t match his image at all. "Let''s use ce these things in the living room once go back home."


    "Okay."


    The two of them looked around together while waiting for the students. Rissy and Chris were also going around the park, yed some games happily. Sometimes they won, sometimes they lost but, they were still happy with the experience.


    "Let''s go for a ride?" Chris asked Rissy but when Rissy looked at the rides he was pointing at, her face paled. "Uhm¡­You don''t like it?"


    Rissy gulped and smiled helplessly at him. "To be honest, I''m not fond of amusement parks. I''m afraid of heights. I can be at ease being on the ground ¨C I need to feel my feet on the ground."


    Chris smiled at her and just rubbed her head. "That''s fine, then. There are many things we can do here. I just thought you might like to ride. Let''s just find something else." The two of them continued to walk while looking for other things to do. The students were happily choosing their rides as well knowing that they only have one hour to do so.


    As for Luiz, he chose to ride a Ferris wheel with risse. They have more privacy and it''s a lot quieterpared to the other rides. They can finally have a proper conversation.


    The moment the cable rose, Luiz felt his heart leapt inside his chest as well. It wasn''t because he was nervous of the ride but he was pretty anxious of the possible oue to their conversation.


    "I have something to tell you." The two of them stated at the same time which made them look at each other andugh. risse really looked pretty when she smiles specially, when she''s not wearing those fake graded sses. Many people thought that she''s wearing sses because she''s got a bad eye. In truth, it was fake and she just used them to look simple and na?ve. If she won''t wear those and really let herself be free of what she likes, she''ll be much prettier.


    "You can talk first." Luiz encouraged her and gave her the chance to say anything that she wanted to say.

 Chapter 349 - TEEN LOVE I

    <h4>Chapter 349 - TEEN LOVE I</h4>


    risse fiddled with her fingers nervously while trying to think of how she can express her feelings. When they reached the highest peak of the Ferris wheel, she let out a shaky breath and smile. "Do you still remember the first time we got acquainted with each other and talked for the first time?"


    "Of course." Luiz answered almost instantly. "It may not be a good thing to keep remembering it, though given that you were bullied that time." Luiz added with a faint smile.


    They''ve been ssmates since primary school years and during those times, Luiz was still very much affected with what happened to their father. He didn''t like going to school and when he did go, he won''t listen to the teacher. He just wanted to go home as soon as he can and find his sister.


    One day, he was going to have lunch at the backyard of their ssroom when he found three other students shouting at someone. He looked closely and found that they were bullying his ssmates and it was the honor student ssmate. Without giving it much thought, he jumped from where he was hiding and stepped in between the students and his ssmate.


    "What are you doing? Bullying is someone is against the school''s rules and regtion! And you''re even ganging up on her! So coward and petty."


    "So, what? You want to save the damsel in distress?" One of the three kids questioned and even pushed Luiz but Luiz wasn''t a pushover. He stood right there, unmoving with a serious face. He didn''t even do anything but the kids felt afraid and scared.


    He helped his ssmate picked up her things on the ground and ced them back inside her bag. "Do they alwayse here to bully you?" She didn''t speak but she nodded her head. "Don''t wander alone next time. If they ask you toe out, don''t go. Are your parents picking you up after ss?" She didn''t say anything again but nodded her head. "Don''t wait for your parents alone next time. Wait for them in a crowded ce so that no bullies can harass you. Or you can stay close to me so that they won''t approach you."


    "You know me?"


    "Ah? Aren''t we ssmates?" Luiz asked while scratching the back of his head. "You should be risse, my ssmate, right? Or are you her twin sister?"


    Her face lit up and she smiled at him. "Hn. I''m risse. Thank you for saving me, Luiz."


    "Oh! You remember my name."


    "Everyone remembers your name."


    "Is that so? I didn''t know." Luiz handed her bag to her and picked up his own bag. "I''m eating lunch over there. Have you eaten already?"


    risse dropped down her head and shook it. "They took my lunch box and ate my food."


    "Does that mean you always skip lunch because of them?"


    "Hn."


    "Do you mind eating lunch with me? It''s not much but it''s still better than getting hungry during afternoon ss."


    "Is it really fine?"


    "Hn."


    Thus, the two of them shared their first lunch together. Starting that day, risse can be seen few meters away from Luiz. Whenever a bully appears, Luiz will show his face automatically to keep them away. After ss, he''d stay a little bit longer until her parentse to get her. And then, he decided to take the first rank of the whole ss to get the attention away from her. It was killing two birds with one stone. He can fulfill his promise to Cayenne and he can keep people at bay from bullying risse.


    Their close yet distant rtionship went on for years and until now, they never really showed to other people that they were rather close to each other.


    Inside the cable, risse smiled while looking at the scenery outside the ss they were in. "During your graduation speech, you said that we shouldn''t lose hope because there''s a light at the end of the tunnel. When I was bullied back then, I thought I''d never see the end of the tunnel where there''s light. I thought I''d be a victim of bullying for several years. But then you came. You defended me against those awful kids and you even shared your lunch with me. None of the other kids do that."


    "I only did what was right." Luiz responded to her. He didn''t even know that he will start to like her at a very young age.


    "I know."? risse agreed. "You''re always valiant and courageous. You helped students and you always strived to be the best for the sake of your family. At some point, I was jealous of you. Even though you didn''te from a wealthy family, you seem to live your life freely and happily. Your sister was very kind and thoughtful. Your brother was smart and considerate. Yourte mother worked hard for all you. I was so jealous that I wished I was poor like you. But I realize, there''s really nothing I can do about it. Just like how children couldn''t choose their parents and parents cannot choose their children, we cannot choose the state we''re living as well. But above everything, I really look up to you. I want to be free and just be myself, without caring for people''s opinion. I just wanted to be myself."


    "Come over here and I''ll help you." Luiz patted the space beside him which stunned risse. "Don''t worry, I won''t do anything overboard."


    "No, I''m not thinking about that. I just didn''t expect you''d help me again."


    "Of course, I''ll help you. I want you to be at your best, too."


    risse went to sit beside him and waited for Luiz to do what he wanted to do to help her. To her surprise, he removed the sses she''s wearing. "So, you know these are fake, too?"


    "Yup. I knew it since we were kids." Luiz replied which warmed her heart so much. It wasn''t to her expectation at all.

 Chapter 350 - TEEN LOVE II

    <h4>Chapter 350 - TEEN LOVE II</h4>


    risse just sat quietly while Luiz worked on her. After removing her sses, he lifted her chin and looked at her face, and his eyes stopped at her eyes. The two of them looking into each other''s soul.


    ''Oh! God! I don''t want to show her best self to everyone.'' Luiz thought while looking at her. He turned to look at the side and coughed drily while risse felt like wanting to hide her bashful expression.


    "Can you face the other side?" Luiz asked and she followed it. "Do you have ab?"


    "Are you going to style my hair?" risse asked while looking inside her sling bag to get herb.


    Luiz leaned closer and smelled the fruity scent of her hair. She smelled so good. You wouldn''t know that they''ve been to different ces today because of her scent. "Just so you know, you''re the second person I do an exclusive hairstyle. First was my sister and now, you."


    "What about your mother?"


    "My mom doesn''t like us touching her hair because she''ll remember our father and she''ll felt sad about it. My father used to style her hair before."


    "I see. I''m really sorry to hear about what happened to your mom."


    "It''s okay. We''ve epted it as part of her fate and our fate." Luiz replied. Hebed her hair several times and braided it from the top to the tail-end. He pulled some strands to make it look a bit messy at the same time sophisticated. Her bangs have grown longer now so, Luiz asked for clips to clip her hair on the side. This way, she didn''t have to cover her face.


    "Are we done?"


    "Do you have lip stick or lip gloss?"


    "I do."


    "Give it to me." Luiz stated which brought another blush to her face.


    "I can put it on myself." risse said and she did put a lip gloss by herself. She also took some oil control paper and wiped her face. She looked more refreshing now. "I always experimented myself at home but the moment Ie out of my room, I still choose my old style."


    "Why? Isn''t it better to look this way? You can face everyone proudly and you get to show your best self. Don''t let your best hide inside your room. You have to show it. At the same time, you should know your limits."


    "Luiz, why are you so good to me? You know what, aside from the teacher, you''re the first person who remembers my name. Most of our ssmates back then called my girl with sses, nerd or whatever they wanted to call me but they never called my name."


    "It''s because you''re like my sister."


    "Ah?"


    "I mean, I''m not treating you like a sister but you''re hardworking and you''re smart. And I like protecting you. I mean, I thought I should protect you from harm like what other people should do. And ¨C"


    "Luiz, have you ever thought that you''re making me fall in love with you?"


    It felt like the world stop spinning and the time stand still. Luiz couldn''t think of anything else and before he noticed, the words came out of his mouth already. "Then, are you in love with me?" risse seemed to panic and she was looking left and right. "You don''t have to be scared. Just answer me honestly."


    The atmosphere turned tense and the both of them kept quiet. It was so silent that a pin drop can be heard. risse looked down on her hands and smiled helplessly as she shrugged her shoulders.


    "I have liked you since you saved me. I liked you so much that I tried experimenting things to look good in front of you. But you, don''t have to like me back, okay? You''re not responsible for my feelings and you''re not obliged to return them as well. It''s just me own emotions."


    "Oh? Then, do you expect me to forget what you just said?"


    "Hn. It would be better if you just forget about it. I don''t really want to be a burden to anyone. At the same time, I know this is weird, but can I ask a souvenir from you? A button of your shirt is fine, too. I''m not asking for anything special. I just want to remember the boy who helped me during my worst days."


    Luiz wanted to say something else but their ride hase to stop and they needed to get out. "Sorry, I cannot give you my button." He told her and led her outside.


    risse was dropping her head down once again from disappointment. When Luiz looked back at her, she wasn''t looking where she was going anymore. She even bumped into someone. "Give me your hand." Luiz told her. She raised her head and blinked at him several times. "You''re not looking where you''re going and you might bump into someone again or you might lose me. So, hold me hand, okay? And don''t let me go."


    For some strange reasons, risse felt that Luiz''s words held different meaning but she didn''t say anything. She took his hand and the two of them continued to walk. Luiz was looking for a ce where he can buy her something but since it was a rural area and a smaller park, there weren''t anything so special in there.


    After three minutes, they found a ce where they can buy souvenirs and Luiz bought a small baby pink teddy bear which was carrying a small heart in its arms. "I cannot give you my button or my sister think badly of me." Luiz stated to continue the words he wanted to say earlier. "But, will you ept this?"


    risse was surprised once again with this gesture. And what was even more surprising was the little heart has words written on it. ''I like you'' that''s what it says. Isn''t it the same thing as expressing his own feelings.


    "This isn''t much but I hope you will ept it. If you ept this, I will consider it as you epting me. So, what do you say?" It was his turn to wait for her answer now but instead of replying to him, risse pulled him and went to another direction. It was a photo booth.


    "Let''s take a picture together." risse took the teddy bear from him and smiled. "And I''m epting you, of course."


    "Then, let''s both do our best to pass the entrance exam in Trine."


    "Hn. I''ll do my best to pass the exam."


    The two of them took several pictures together and after getting their copies, they put it inside their wallet. risse hugged the teddy bear happily as they left the booth.

 Chapter 351 - TEEN LOVE III

    <h4>Chapter 351 - TEEN LOVE III</h4>


    Some of their ssmates were nning to take pictures at the photo booth as well and they saw Luiz walking with a prettydy beside her. They were even smiling happily while talking about some things that only the two of them knew. Sean frowned but when he realized who it was, his eyes bulged in surprise. Before he could say anything, one of their ssmates already ran towards Luiz.


    "Yo! Where''s risse? Didn''t you ride the Ferris wheel together?"


    Luiz looked at his ssmate then he looked back to risse. "Is the difference so big that he didn''t recognize you?" Luiz asked risse who was half hiding her face with the teddy bear.


    Their ssmate was stunned to hear the words and he couldn''t stop blinking his eyes while looking at the woman in front of him. "No way! There''s no way! You just rode a Ferris wheel and you be like this?! Holy cow!"


    "What are you fussing about?" Another ssmate asked while looking at Luiz and to the woman beside him.


    "Do you recognize her?" the first ssmate who approached them asked.


    "No. How would I recognize someone I just met?" the second ssmate retorted.


    "How about you Sean? Do you know her?" the first ssmate asked Sean.


    Sean snorted and raised the corner of his lips into a mocking smile. "I may not be as intelligent as these two but I still have brain. Of course, I recognize her. Isn''t this risse?"


    "risse?!" Everyone who came with them was shocked to the point that their jaws were dropping to the ground.


    The all looked at her from head-to-toe which made her hide her face even more until only her eyes are showing to them. They just couldn''t believe it.


    "How did you know it''s her?" Someone asked Sean and thetter felt like smacking his ssmate on the face.


    Sean pointed at risse''s bag and dress. "Didn''t risse wear these clothes when we left? She was also bringing this sling bag. And besides, who left with Luiz''s earlier? Wasn''t it her? There''s no way Luiz would leave her so suddenly after so many years of ¨C"


    Luiz looked at him and Sean halted his words. "We''re going first. You guys can enjoy. We still have several minutes left before leaving." Luiz led risse away from them and the two of them looked for a ce they could sit and talk once again. "You know what, I''m happy that most our ssmates weren''t paying attention to you."


    "Why?"


    "Because it means, I''m the only one who knows a lot of things about you."


    "Like what?"


    Luiz thought for a while as heposed his thoughts. "You''re allergic to shrimps. You like drinking strawberry milk juice. You would wear headset when it''s time to study. You like eating mint candies when thinking. You like butterflies. And you like¡­" Luiz listed lots of things that he noticed about her. It was not until this point that risse realized how much he paid attention to her.


    "Sean knows that you like me?" She asked because she heard what Sean said earlier and even though he stopped, he was till able to get its meaning.


    "Well, Sean, Chloe and I practically grew up together. We were very close since we were young and we like to hangout together as well. They already noticed it when we were still in primary. They thought it was just a passing feeling that will change over time but as we continued to grow, my feelings remained the same. They found me staring at you several times and smiling at you even though you weren''t doing anything special."


    "Why didn''t you say anything until now?"


    "Then, let me ask the same thing. Why didn''t you say anything until now?" Luiz returned her question but he still answered first because she asked him first. "In my case, my priority was to study hard and get schrships to lessen my sister''s burden. Second, we''re still young. Third, I''m not sure how things will end between us. I was thinking it would be very awkward if I confessed to you while we''re still studying and get myself rejected. So, I waited until we graduate. I thought it would be fine if I get rejected. In any case, we''d be going on our separate ways after this. I didn''t expect that things would go well and we''re even nning to enroll in the same university. Isn''t it our fate working to bring us together?"


    risse smiled and nodded her head. She was really happy to hear his words and at the same time, she did the right thing to confess now. At this point, everything''s settled and they''re finally free of being ssmates.


    The two of them talked about different things and not far from them, hiding from the crowd, Cayenne was taking pictures of her brother''s date, sending them to her stepfather and Kyle. Earlier, they went back to Stefan''s car to put their stuff toys but when they came back, they found Luiz walking with a prettydy beside him. Thus; Cayenne stopped and secretly took pictures of them.


    "Looks like someone''s going to have another daughter-inw soon." Cayenne messaged within the chat group that she created for her family. Luiz was included in that group as well but since he was busy with risse, he didn''t pay attention to his phone.


    "She''s good." Jonasmented.


    "Isn''t this the top 2 of their ss?" Kyle asked in the group chat.


    "Good eyes my dear brother." Cayenne responded. "And guess what? She was also nning to go to Trine just like Luiz. Isn''t it fate? Luiz didn''t even tell anyone that he''s enrolling to Trine."


    Cayenne chatted with her family with a wide smile on her face. Watching her childish behavior, Stefan couldn''t help but steal a kiss from her.


    "Hey! We''re in the crowd."


    "But you''re neglecting me. You''re not paying attention to me anymore." Cayenne rolled her eyes at him but at the same time, she ced her phone inside her bag and held his hand. "Where do you want to go?"


    "Anywhere as long as I''m with you."


    Cayenne looked down on her feet to hide her blushing face. Whenever, wherever, there were really times that his simple words can make her heart skip a beat. She felt so foolish yet happy.


    "Alright. Let''s go and ride pirate ship together." Cayenne intertwined their fingers together and led him to the booth to buy tickets for the pirate ship.

 Chapter 352 - TREATING THE STUDENTS TO LUNCH

    <h4>Chapter 352 - TREATING THE STUDENTS TO LUNCH</h4>


    Stefan''s happiness was very simple. All he needed was to stay with her, talk with her,ugh with and do happy things with her. As long as he''s with her, he''spletely satisfied.


    The two of them rode several rides together and took pictures together until one hour was over.


    Along with the students, Chris booked a restaurant where everyone can eat together. Each table can cater four people so, everyone went in groups of four and took one table. As the adults, Chris, Rissy, Cayenne and Stefan took another table and stayed together. The bodyguards went in groups of four as well and made sure to spread out evenly to watch over the students. And being considerate as they were, the three van drivers were also included.


    "I didn''t expect that we''d all eat outside. The money I brought for the students wouldn''t suffice for their meals here." Rissymented while whispering to Chris. "We could actually go back home and just cook our own food." She added while ncing towards Cayenne and Stefan who weren''t really paying attention to them.


    Chris leaned over and whispered back, "It''s not me who booked this. It''s Stefan. Since he''s decided to take the students out, don''t think too much about it."


    "I can''t stop feeling guilty." Rissy replied with a helpless smile. "Can I pay half of the bill instead? I can take it out from my sry. I don''t mind."


    "Stefan will feel bad if you do that and Cayenne will certainly think too deeply into this if you pay for it. Don''t worry, they wouldn''t take this against you."


    The two of them continued to whisper back and forth and even though Cayenne and Stefan knew what Rissy was worried of, they didn''t say anything. ''Let Chris handle the rest.'' The two of them thought and was once again immersed in their own little world.


    "Just order whatever you like." Cayenne stated with a sly grin on her face. "It will be on Mr. Dumrique''s tab." She added while looking at the students around them.


    Stefan looked at her with a deep frown. "Why am I paying for this? Aren''t you paying for our lunch?"


    "Huh? Why me?" Cayenne retorted. "Why are you making me pay for the lunch?"


    "Because I don''t have my card. Didn''t I give it to you?"


    Cayenne was at loss for words and could only blink her eyes at him. The students giggled while watching the two of them exchanging their words.


    "You still have many cards in your wallet. You can use them to pay."


    "I want you to pay. At least use my card to pay for something. I never received any notifications of you using it."


    "I used it to pay for the bills of the two houses, okay? You just didn''t read the message from your bank."


    "Oh? You did?"


    "I did and don''t y dumb with me. I know you noticed it." Cayenne rolled her eyes at him and took the menu that the waitress handed to them. "Do you want to look at the menu with me or am I ordering for us?" she asked him while flipping the pages of the menu.


    "I''m looking at it with you."


    The two of them quickly changes the subject of their conversation which made the other students shake their head. Since the were single, they couldn''t really rte much to this sweet couple in front of them.


    Knowing that they''re being treated for another free meal, the students felt a little guilty just like their teacher. And because of this, they decided to pick one dish for each person and just share it with the others. In that way, they can eat four different dishes. After all, the servings were really good for three to four people.


    As soon as their food was served, they started eating while chatting with their friends. Rissy and Cayenne talked about Luiz and what kind of students was he under her care.


    But nothing was surprising at all. Luiz had never done anything that would cause stress to his teacher or that would bring trouble to his ssmates.


    "Have you noticed if he likes someone in school?" Cayenne asked even though she knew it already. She just wanted to know if Rissy has observed the same thing before.


    Rissy turned her head to look at her students and found Luiz happily chatting with Sean while risse sat beside him. She looked really different to how she was before but she looked betterpared to her gloomy past. She looked back towards Cayenne and smiled. "I''m not really sure and I have no confirmation either but he seemed to care about risse a lot. Sometime, I''d hear Sean teasing him about her but given that they were still young, I didn''t pay much attention to it."


    Cayenne nodded her head in agreement. "I like that girl but just like what you said, they''re still young. Things might change in the future but I''m hoping it won''t."


    Thedies were busy talking while the gentlemen were busy serving them from time to time. Stefan was currently removing the shells of the shrimps for Cayenne while Chris was busy getting meet from the lobsters. As long as these sea food dishes were served in a restaurant, expect Cayenne to order them and expect Stefan to peel off the shrimps for her.


    After eating their lunch, it was already few minutes past one in the afternoon. They all walked back to their cars in order to go back to Stefan''s vacation house. They still needed to n for their surpriseter.


    Stefan and Cayenne got inside their car while waiting for Luiz and risse. Stefan looked at his wife and grinned at her. "Wifey, what ice cream vors do you want to eatter?"


    "Vani or strawberry. Either of the two."


    "Then, let''s have both. It will be exciting to have two different vors." Cayenne red at him knowing he''s got something naughty in his mind again. But she had no idea that there''s more to what she had guessed.

 Chapter 353 - DID SHE MAKE A MISTAKE?

    <h4>Chapter 353 - DID SHE MAKE A MISTAKE?</h4>


    The travel on their way back to the vacation house was smooth and the students were happily chatting of their short trip to three different ces. They shared which one they liked the most and which one they preferred to have a date in the future.


    Meanwhile, inside Stefan''s car, Luiz felt that the atmosphere was really weird. Stefan was smiling from ear to ear while his sister kept ring at him or sometimes, she even pped his arm as if warning him of something that only the two of them knew.


    risse was very silent as well. She''s hugging the teddy bear that he gave to her while ncing at him from time to time. Nevertheless, Luiz didn''t think much about it since everybody looked okay.


    When they almost reached the vacation house, Stefan stopped in front of a convenience store to buy ice cream. And just as Cayenne guessed, they weren''t coned ice cream but a one-liter tub ice cream, instead. He bought vani and strawberry vor.


    Stefan handed her the ice cream and he started the engine to continue driving. Luiz knew that his sister loves sweets so he didn''t really question them buying ice creams even though they just finished eating. And if he remembered correctly, Cayenne also ate desserts earlier.


    "Sis, don''t eat too much sweet food. You know that it''s not good for your health."


    "Don''t worry, Luiz. I always make sure that she exercises."


    "Oh. That''s good to know." Luiz responded softly and didn''t say anything more. When he turned away his head, he didn''t see Cayenne pinching Stefan''s arm. Obviously, the exercise that he meant was a different thingpared to what others knew.


    "Later, you can have a meeting with Chris. You can ask him for help and everything will be handled ordingly." Stefan told Luiz. It was a reminder to let them not disturb the coupleter.


    Cayenne didn''t really know what to do with him anymore.


    The moment they reached the vacation house, Stefan went to the kitchen and chilled the ice cream. "I''m going back to the room." Cayenne informed him just in case he''d be panic when he couldn''t see her again. Stefan nodded his head in agreement since he knew where to find him.


    As soon as she got inside their room, she opened the closet to check her clothes. When Stefan packed their things, he didn''t know what he chose for her but she knew that he must have brought something unusual again. She checked her clothes one after another but she couldn''t find anything wrong with them.


    ''Am I mistaken this time?'' Cayenne thought to herself as she closed the closet. She didn''t bother checking the suitcase at all. If she did, she would have known that not all of the items were taken out from the luggage, and the things she was looking for were still inside the luggage.


    Since she couldn''t find anything, she just sat on the couch facing the balcony to watch at the beautiful sea. There were birds flying above water while looking for small fishes to catch as their food. There were other people swimming from the neighboring resorts and rest houses. Others were jet skiing.


    She opened her phone and logged into her social media ount. Ever since people knew of her identity, her followers have increased but she didn''t really post that much. Some were pictures posted by other people and she was just tagged on it with Stefan.


    This time, she was choosing pictures to upload to her own social media ount. There were lots of pictures in her gallery and she liked all of them. She was even having a hard time choosing which one to upload.


    "Let''s just pick three pictures." She muttered to herself. She picked one picture of them at the beach, another one at the mountain restaurant which was facing the volcano and another one at the amusement park. They didn''t have pictures together at the secret garden because Stefan liked taking pictures of her alone in that ce. In his opinion, a beautiful fairy belongs to beautiful flowers which was why he didn''t join her in the pictures.


    Cayenne uploaded the three photos she chose and ced one heart as her caption. She didn''t have to say many words but one symbol alone can sum up everything that she felt.


    She looked at her notifications and found many tags of her and Stefan. It turned out to be the pictures of her and Stefan that the students took secretly. There were many likes andments already but Cayenne only gave them a heart without saying anything.


    The door creaked open and Stefan came inside with two small bowls of ice cream and another bowl of mixed slices of fruits. "Why didn''t you shower yet? Aren''t you resting in the afternoon? I thought we''d go night swimmingter when everyone''s gone."


    "Well, I thought we''d shower together." Cayenne responded unabashedly.


    "So, you know what I have in mind?"


    "I can only guess. At the end of the day, didn''t I marry a shameless wolf?" Cayenne retorted his words.


    Stefan chuckled while moving towards her. He kissed her lips but it was only a quick peck. He needed to change the windows to a tinted one since it''s daytime.


    He pressed the button below the light switch of the balcony before going back to her. "You can go to the shower first. I''ll follow right after."


    Cayenne narrowed her eyes at him but after few seconds, she still did what he said and went to the bathroom. Stefan immediately opened the suitcase and took out the things he needed. He ced them under his pillow and returned the suitcase to the closet.


    "I don''t think she guessed it right. Maybe half of her guess was right?" Stefan told himself before walking towards the bathroom. To his surprise, Cayenne locked the door. "Wifey, are you punishing me already when I haven''t done anything yet?"


    "It''s better to be safe than sorry." Cayenne shouted from the bathroom, teasing him. "Now, why don''t you have a taste of your own medicine. Hehe." Sheughed wickedly while taking a bath on her own.

 Chapter 354 - HIS KIND OF DESSERT I

    <h4>Chapter 354 - HIS KIND OF DESSERT I</h4>


    Cayenne hummed a song a happily while taking a shower alone. She was scrubbing her body with the body soap when she heard the soft clicking sound of the locked door being open.


    She spun around to the direction of the door and there she found her husband standing with a triumphant smile on his lips. He was holding bunch of keys in his hands.


    "Where did you get those keys?" Cayenne asked while pointing her finger at the keys he was holding. "You''re not fair at all."


    "Honey, did you forget that I own this ce? So, naturally, I will have the keys." Stefan ced the keys on the side drawer and took several steps forward toe to her side. "Now, how will you repent for what you did?"


    "I didn''t do anything wrong." Cayenne retorted and continued showering. "I was just teasing you a little."


    "Really?" Stefan pulled her arms and pressed their bodies together. His warmth quickly spread to her and not just that, she felt the bulging monster of his manhood when he hugged her. "Teasing me is a huge crime, sweetheart."


    "Tsk! You''re just horny." Cayenne replied while pushing him away. "Let me finish my bath. It''s getting cold."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne thought that Stefan would let go of her since he said ''okay''. However, he lifted her chin and kissed her lips. At first, it was featherlight and as he couldn''t get enough of her, he put one of his hands at the back of her head to deepen their kiss. Since she was covered with soap, her body was slippery and when he ran his hands over her, touching her everywhere, her knees wouldn''t stop trembling from the pleasure.


    Stefan slowly pushed her off to the wall without stopping their kiss. Coincidentally, he pushed Cayenne right beside the shower and it wasn''t her intention at all, but her she ced her hand on the faucet to get support. In the end, she identally turned on the shower which was right over Stefan''s head.


    He abruptly stopped kissing her and looked at her in surprise as if she really did something wrong by turning on the faucet. She instantly turned it off and thought for words to tell him. "Uhm¡­you¡­you still have your clothes on." She couldn''t find any better words than these. Stefan''s heartyughter echoed in the four corners of the bathroom making Cayenne mentally pped her face.


    "Then, why don''t you take them off for me like you usually do?"


    "I don''t usually do this." Cayennepletely denied his statement but that didn''t put off Stefan at all. He just stood there with damp clothes so, left with no other choice, Cayenne still undressed her husband.


    Standing naked, Stefan turned on the shower once again to rinse off the soap from her body. As soon as she was done, Stefan kissed her once more and lifted her. Cayenne wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling that huge shaft poking her bum. The continued to kiss until they reached their bed where Stefan slowly put her down.


    He kissed her forehead, her eyebrows, her eyes her nose, her cheeks ¨C just small little kisses but they still heated up Cayenne. He held her hands over her head and kissed her lips, down to her jaw and chest. Cayenne twisted and turned beneath him but since he was holding her down, she can only sumb to the pleasure he''s giving her.


    Stefan''s hand rummaged under the pillow and he took something ck and silver. Cayenne just caught a glimpsed of it and she soon found out what it was when Stefan handcuffed her two hands with one of the cuffs and connected the other to the metal bar of their headboard.


    "Where did you get these handcuffs?" Cayenne asked with wide eyes. "Did you bring them from the house?"


    "Hn. I found them while packingst night and I thought we should use them once in a while or they will be rusty."


    "I don''t care if they be rusty." Cayenne responded automatically but he only smiled at her.


    He picked up the pillow beside her and took the things that he hid underneath. There was a blindfold and a small item which looked like a pink egg but just a small version of it. Cayenne had an idea what it was but since she never really sees one in real life, she wasn''t sure if she was right.


    Stefan blindfolded her saying it will add to the excitement. Before her eyes werepletely covered, he still saw her rolling her eyes at him.


    "Now, what should I do first?" Stefan asked himself while looking at his wife as he ced his hand on his chin. "Well, there''s no other to love making so let''s just deal with what we have."


    Cayenne felt him putting something inside her and she knew it wasn''t his finger or his shaft. "Honey, did you just put vibrator inside me?"


    "Uh¡­I want so see your reaction using it." Stefan answered while messing her body with the ice cream. Since they took time showering, the ice cream has melted and now, Stefan was using it like a syrup instead of a cream.


    Cayenne shivered from the coldness and she knew goosebumps were already covering her stomach and arms. "Can''t you just start? I''m getting cold."


    "Don''t be impatient sweetheart. I''m still decoration you."


    Cayenne bit her lower lip and controlled herself not to kick her husband off the bed. She was feeling anxious now that she couldn''t see anything but he was actually just decorating her? Cayenne was waiting what he was going to do next. It suddenly turned quiet and he stopped putting things on her as well.


    To her shock, Stefan kissed the swell of her breast and ate those fruits he ced on her with the ice cream. "You''re now my special dessert, darling." He told he while taking his time licking her and eating those fruits. He licked her stomach all the way up to her chest and gave her nipple a soft bite.


    "Mnn¡­you''re too much." Cayenne mumbled while arching her body, making other slices of fruits fall on the bed. Some of the ice cream slid to her side and some slid down to her lower body.


    Stefan continued to lick the cream off of her while one of his hand remained on her breast, softly massaging it. Her soft moans and groans made Stefan smile while he continued kissing her.


    He removed his hand from his chest and continued kissing her down to her core while holding down her thighs from moving.

 Chapter 355 - HIS KIND OF DESSERT II

    <h4>Chapter 355 - HIS KIND OF DESSERT II</h4>


    Stefan kissed her inner thighs and left small hickeys, showing ownership of her body. His kisses moved upward until he found her core and kissed it at the same time, turning on the vibrator that he ced inside her.


    "AH!" Cayenne eximed and tried to move her legs to cover her lower part but Stefan was holding her down, spreading her legs apart to stop her. "Stefan, make it stop! I don''t like it. Make it stop." She wanted to shout but the moving item inside her made her felt so sluggish and her words came out between moans.


    His kisses and soft touches left sparks on her body, making her warm but the addition of vibrator inside her made her felt weird and she wanted to mp herself altogether but he kept stopping her.


    "Hmm¡­Stefan¡­stop it now." She bit her lips at the end of her words and her body kept trembling under him.


    Stefan pulled out the small vibrator and ced it on the space beside her. She was still trembling and her love juices were already flowing out, making her wet and slippery.


    Stefan held his hard shaft and gently nudged her entrance with it. Not five seconds longer, Stefan pushed himself in, eliciting another moan from her. "You''re still tight as ever." Stefanmented while feeling the throbbing of her insides.


    Cayenne was breathing in and out, adjusting herself to the different kinds of pleasure he''s giving her. "Did you wear rubber again?" She asked in disappointment. She wanted to have a baby but he always wears condoms.


    Stefan leaned over to her and slowly thrusted himself in and out. "I am and I bought this from the store earlier. I didn''t use the ones at home."


    "Hmm¡­you don''t¡­ah¡­you don''t really have to tell me where you get that."


    "I just felt like telling you." Stefan replied with faint traces ofughter in his voice. "After all, you were so dedicated in poking holes on them."


    "You knew?!" Cayenne eximed and if she wasn''t cuffed, she would have pulled the blindfold from her eyes to see his teasing smile.


    Stefan''s slowly thrust started going faster while he continued to whisper beside her ear. "I noticed thest time we made love. And thank god, you''re not pregnant yet." He kissed her ears and moved down to her neck.


    He changed her position and made her lie down on her stomach so that he can take her from behind. Cayenne buried her face on the soft pillows, muffling her moans. "Don''t cover your mouth. I want to hear your voice." Stefan whispered while turning her head for another kiss.


    Cayenne''s beening with him but Stefan couldn''t seem to go soft. He already cum inside her but he was still hard and hot. "Sweetheart, I can still go for another round, how about you?"


    "Don''t ask me such question. Idiot." Cayenne mumbled, just letting him do what he wants. She''s doing it with her husband anyway, so there''s nothing wrong with it.


    On the third round, Stefan removed the hand cuff and the blindfold from her. She was still adjusting her eyesight when she felt him lifting her and with one push, he''s inside her once again.


    "So deep." Cayenne whispered while wrapping her arms around him.


    The two of them made love several times, cum several times until Stefan went limp from all the positions they took. When he finally finished his special dessert and making her exercise those sweets she ate earlier, it was already five in the afternoon.


    Cayenne felt sticky all over her body but she was so tired she didn''t want to move at all. She was just closing her eyes while he cuddled her. "I can''t believe you put that vibrator inside me. Don''t use it again. I don''t like the feeling of having strange things inside me." Cayenne mumbled.


    "Hn. I''ll throw it away."


    "Include the handcuff and the blindfold." She added.


    "Can we make those two and exception? It would be a waste to throw them out."? Cayenne didn''t say anything. She was really exhausted this time. "Your stamina is really weak."


    "Isn''t it your fault? We stopped going to the gym so, how can I possibly ¨C "


    "So, you really want to work on your stamina?" Stefan teased her upon hearing her words. Cayenne just red at him and swatted his arms which were holding her.


    After few minutes of silence, Stefan kissed her cheek and the top of her head. "Can you sing the song you sang to mest night?"


    "You still want me to sing after exhausting me this much? My throat hurts from taking you earlier." Cayenne mumbled while hiding her blush away from him. "I''ll sing it to you some other time, okay?"


    "Hn."


    "But I have a question. How did you know that I poke holes on your condoms at home?"


    Stefan grinned at her and that grin was telling her that he didn''t know at all. He was just making assumptions. Who would''ve thought that she will fall so easily and confess to her crime.


    "You tricked me!"? Cayenne eximed and tried pushing him away from her but Stefan held her tightly. "How dare you trick me?!"


    "I wasn''t really nning to trick you but give your longing to have children of your own, I knew you''d resort to such thing."


    "Tsk! I hate you."


    "I will still love you even if you hate me."


    "Then, I''ll just love you back. I have no choice anyway." Cayenne replied as if he was forcing to her to love him. "I just can''t believe you''d notice something like that."


    "Do you really want to have children at this age? Don''t you have anything you wish to do? Like finishing up your course or doing something fulfilling before having children."


    "Well, since you insist having kids after two years then maybe I should continue my study. I still have two years more to take so, it''s worth the time waiting."


    "Shall I find the best school for you to transfer?"


    "No, I''ll study in my old school. I don''t want to transfer to other schools. It''s a hassle."


    "My wife deserves the best so, just sit back and rx, I''ll handle this matter for you, okay? I''ll let you know once I''m done."


    Cayenne couldn''t do much when he''s mind was set onto something. She just hugged him tight and kissed his chin. "We need to take a bath again. I felt like a sticky rice cake."


    Stefan chuckled at her statement but he still moved to take her to the bathroom for a quick shower.

 Chapter 356 - CAYENNE KNOWS A TRICK

    <h4>Chapter 356 - CAYENNE KNOWS A TRICK</h4>


    After taking a shower, the two of them came out and found some students in the living room. Some of them were in the pool and other were at the beach. Rissy and Chris couldn''t be seen anywhere.


    "Where did your teacher and Chris go?" asked Cayenne as she took a seat on one of the couches. She felt really tired from the intense activity she had with Stefan.


    "We told them to go somewhere. I''m not sure where Uncle Chris brings her to." Luiz responded. He was leading his ssmates to n for the said surprise and the rest were just hanging out. "Sis, we''re leaving in few minutes. We''ll be back after two hours."


    "Are all of you going to leave?"


    "Not all of us." Luiz responded. "Just ten of us will be enough. We don''t one to crowd the ce."


    "Sure. Just let us know if you need anything." Cayenne told Luiz and then she turned to look at Stefan who was sitting beside her. "Do you want to have an early dinner?"


    "I don''t mind. Shall we cook now?" Stefan stood up and reached out his hand to helped her up.


    Luiz stopped the two of them once again and faintly smiled. "Some of my ssmates are cooking for dinner already. You can just sit back and chill."


    "Oh. I see." Stefan nodded his head and then looked at the pool. "Shall we take a dip in the pool, then?"


    "Let''s go."? Cayenne instantly nodded her head and even led him to the pool. She''s always ready all the time. Underneath her shirt and shorts was a two-piece swimsuit that she can use anytime and anywhere; be it in the pool or in the sea.


    The students who were at the pool looked at them and smiled. They didn''t disturb the couple and just minded their own business while Cayenne and Stefan took off their clothes.


    They jumped down into the pool together, sshing water everywhere. When the emerged, Stefan was holding Cayenne on her waist and was smiling at her. "Do you want to have a contest with me?"


    "What contest?" she asked while wiping the water off of her face.


    Stefan pointed at the other side of the pool and spoked. "We''ll see which of us can reach the other end first. If I win, you''ll give me a kiss. If you win, I''ll give you a kiss."


    "Isn''t it the same thing. You still get a kiss from me either way." Cayenne retorted with narrowed eyes. "You really don''t know how to think of a prize."


    "Then, what do you want?"


    Cayenne grinned and wrapped her hands around his neck. "If you win, I''ll give you a kiss. If I win, I''ll give you a kick."


    Stefan chuckled and kissed her forehead cheekily. "I won''t let you win, then. I don''t want to be kicked."


    "If you won''t let me win, I will still kick you out of bed tonight." Cayenne replied which earned another heartyughter from Stefan.


    "Then, I won''t let you sleep tonight." He whispered which sent warm waves in her heart at the same time, it sent shivers down her spine. She could already imagine what will happen and that would totally make her copse. "Are you thinking what I''m thinking?"


    Cayenne pushed him away and raised her eyebrow. "How can that be? I''m not shameless like you. Come on.? Let''s do this contest."


    Stefan smirked at her and positioned himself. Cayenne also did the same. "Shall we get someone to be our judge?"


    "I don''t mind."


    Cayenne called one of the students and told her what was going to happen. Janine, one of the students listened carefully and agreed to their demand of her acting as the referee.


    Cayenne was really pumped up with this game because she was nning something. There''s no way she''d let him win this time. She already suffered from his intense stamina this afternoon and now, he still wanted to get kisses from her. Really insatiable.


    They went back to their position and smiled at each other. "On your mark. Go!" As soon as Janine let out these words, Stefan swam really fast which surprised everyone. He didn''t give his wife any face at all.


    And to surprise them even more. Cayenne winked at the students and swam to the side of the pool before getting out of water. She ran as fast as she can to the other end of the pool and slowly jumped down to pretend she was swimming.


    The studentsughed at her cheeky idea but when Stefan came out of the water, they stoppedughing and pretended they didn''t know anything.


    "I won." Cayenne stated. "I''ve reached here few seconds earlier than you." Cayenne raised her leg underwater and kicked him softly. "Next round."


    Stefan was still bewildered with what happened but she already prepared for the next round. He looked at his wife with a slight pout on his lips. "Tsk! I''ll make sure to get a kiss from you in the next round."


    "On your mark. Ready. Get set. Go!"


    Stefan swam as fast as she could and just like what she did earlier, she got out of the water and ran to the other end of the people and got into the water, pretending to swim with all her best.


    "I won again! Yay!" Cayenne cheered happily and kicked him underwater again. Stefan was frowning now and couldn''t believe that he lost to her twice in a row. "What now? Are you giving up?"


    "No way. Let''s have another round."


    They went to have another round and Cayenne did the same trick again. She won the third, the fourth, the fifth and the sixth round. Stefan got kicks from her round after round.


    "Mrs. Dumrique is very witty." Janinemented with a giggle.


    "I''m sure Mr. Dumrique was aware of her cheating in this game but he didn''t expose her at all. Really doting on her."


    The students expressed their opinion while watching the two having a contest. When they finally arrived to the other end of the pool where everything started, Cayenne grinned at him. "Hubby, are you tired now?"

 Chapter 357 - TALK BETWEEN MEN

    <h4>Chapter 357 - TALK BETWEEN MEN</h4>


    Stefan pulled Cayenne by her waist and pressed their bodies together even though there were students watching them. "Wifey, are you cheating on me?" Stefan frowned at his own question which didn''t sound right. "Are you cheating on me in the game?" He repeated and became more specific.


    "I didn''t."? Cayenne said while shaking her head left and right.


    "How can you win all the time if you didn''t cheat?"


    "Why can''t I win? Can you not ept the fact that you lost to me?" Cayenne rolled her eyes, pretending to be innocent in front of him. The students giggled and left them alone, giving Stefan space to deal with his wife.


    Stefan raised his hand and slightly pinched her face. "How can you win against me, a national swimming champion, when you don''t have much endurance and stamina?"


    "My. My. Who is so shameless as to exploit my weakness and get kisses from me?" Cayenne returned him a question which made Stefan smile. "I was right with doing few tricks against you. If I didn''t, I''d lose to you every round."


    "Why are you so hung up in kicking me?"


    "Hmp! That''s to get back at you for what you did this afternoon."


    Stefanughed once again while giving her a warm hug. "My wife is the smartest." Stefan stated as he kissed the top of her head. "So, you got out of the pool and just ran to the other end to win against me, right?"


    "Hn."


    "I never thought you''d use this trick against me."


    "If not you, who should I use it against with? Besides, I don''tpete with anyone else but you."


    The two of them spent more time chatting and hugging while they''re still in the pool. The students also yed and chatted on the other end.


    Half an hourter, Luiz bid farewell to his sister and brother-inw to go back to the secret garden. Chris already made reservation of the ce and it''s up to the students as to how they would make their surprise.


    Now, only Cayenne and Stefan were left to watch over the students along with the body guards. "Do you want to go to the beach?" Stefan asked her while looking at the beach not far from them.


    "Hn."


    They got off from the pool and put on the robe that the bodyguard handed to them, then they walked to the beach where the other students stayed. Some of them were swimming and some were just chatting casually. Some were talking about their future and some were talking about work.


    "What are you guys talking about? You look so serious and anxious. You should be having fun." Cayenne told the students who were sitting on the sand.


    The students just smiled faintly at them and shook their heads to tell her everything was alright. Stefan on the other hand knows men. They tend to keep things within and suffer on their own.


    "Why don''t you take a swim in the sea? I''ll look after the students here." Stefan told Cayenne to give the boys a space. For sure, they didn''t want Cayenne to hear them being weak. The children have pride on their own.


    Cayenne knew what he was nning so she nodded her head and removed the bathrobe. She handed it to Stefan and went to take a dip in the sea. Stefan was still looking at her but his words were directed to the students. "Many people say that I was born with silver spoon but within the social circle of the rich people, I didn''t belong in it. I was a nobody at home. I was ignored and only my older brother paid attention to me. Sadly, he passed away which forced our family to hand the business down to me. Before getting to where I am now, I was once a student with nothing. I depended on other people''s help and generosity. Now, I want to help students as much as I can as well. So, if you have any problem, you can tell me and I''ll think of ways to help you."


    The students were silent at first while looking at the sea where Cayenne was ying with other female students. "Sir, you''re so blessed with Luiz''s sister. We heard so much about her from Luiz and we all thought she''s a very good person."


    "Well, she''s indeed good. She''s the best gift I ever received in my life. She''s far more valuable than my riches. I can give up anything but her."


    "You really love her, don''t you? Many female students here were envious of your rtionship because you dotted on your wife so much." Another studentmented.


    "She''s my priceless possession. And if you love a person, shouldn''t you dote on her? You should spoil her and let her be happy. Because a happy wife is a happy life."


    "That''s true." The all agreed to his words.


    Another silence enveloped them but this time, one of the students finally opened up to him. "Me and my friends here, have talked about getting a job right after school. We''re practically neighbors and we depended on a government schrship to finish our study. However, the schrship doesn''t cover our study for tertiary level. Given that we''re poor and we''re not as smart as Luiz and risse to get higher schrships, we better find a job. In any case, after studying in college, you will still go and find a job. Isn''t it better to start early?"


    "If you''re given a chance to study, what courses are you guys taking?" Stefan asked them while formting things in his head already. He might not be able to help all students out there but helping small number of people was still better than not helping at all.


    In fact, Stefan had been giving schrships to students and discounts to his apartments. The only requirement was for them to study hard and be a better version of themselves. They''re not allowed to bring liquor inside his apartment building and there''s a curfew as well. He wanted to help as much as he can.

 Chapter 358 - DISCOVERED SOMEONE

    <h4>Chapter 358 - DISCOVERED SOMEONE</h4>


    "I was nning to take Hotel and Restaurant Management. I always like cooking and house keeping so, I thought this course suits me the best. It''s very expensive, though. I wanted to work part-time to cover some of the cost but I''m not sure where to find a high-paying part-time job." One of the students told Stefan.


    The other also informed him of what they wanted to be. "I want to be a nautical engineer. I found a schrship already that could help me with tuition fees but I still need to find a part-time job to buy the books and other misceneous items for school."


    "I''m not really good at everything like Luiz but I''m very good with Math. I was nning to take finance."


    "I also wanted to be a nautical engineer but just like everyone, I needed to find work to support my studies."


    The four students told Stefan what they wanted to be and the problem that they''re facing to reach their dreams. Stefan nodded his head. "Do you have your phones with you? Can I borrow? I didn''t bring mine when we came out." One of the students pulled out his phone from his pocket and handed it to Stefan. "Can you right your names first and the courses you like to get?"


    "Sure." The students wrote their names and their corresponding courses. "Done, sir." He gave the phone to Stefan.


    Stefan read the name of the students and his eyes stopped into someone very familiar. "Who''s Dominic Sugo?" The person sitting beside him slowly raised his right hand. "You''re a Sugo? Are you familiar with the name Latticia?"


    "Huh? That sounds like my auntie''s name but she''s dead already? Why?" Stefan blinked his eyes again and again. He couldn''t believe that this after party will make him find one of his rtives.


    "Let''s talkter." Stefan told him before looking back to the phone. "I have schrships offered to those hardworking students. All I need you is to study hard and achieve your dreams. I offer discounts to students who wanted to find apartments with their friends. Also, we have part-time jobs that students can apply for." While speaking Stefan was typing on the phone and sent the message to his own number. "One of these days, once we''re back to the city, someone will call you. Make sure to keep your lines open and don''t lose hope. Just like Luiz said, as long as you don''t lose hope and continue moving forward, you will see the light at the end of the tunnel."


    "Which one of you is Marnie Olivares and Rhod Vincent?" Stefan asked the students and they answered correspondingly. "And you must be Paul Arroyo since you''re the one who wanted to be an HRM student?"


    "Yes, it''s me." Paul answered.


    "And Dominic Sugo. After dinner, look for me. I have something I need to talk with you." Stefan lookedposed in front of them but deep inside, his heart was trembling. He was able to finally meet one of his maternal rtives. It was really fate that brought them together in coincidence. "By the way, I''m not Stefan Minato Dumrique. I''m Stefan Sugo Dumrique."


    Dominic was stunned and was looking at Stefan with blinking eyes. He didn''t know much about histe auntie but he heard a lot of things about her. There were so many pictures of her in their albums and in the past when he asked who she was, his family will be sad. They would tell him about her painful story and at some point, he just stopped asking them. He didn''t want to see the pain in their eyes again and again.


    "Are you, by any chance, her son who was taken away from her?" Dominic asked.


    "Taken away? Wasn''t I adopted?"


    Stefan showed a confused expression just like Dominic. The two of them looked weird now and no one talked for a moment. "Let''s talk now. Dinner can wait. Just give me a sec to get my wife back." Stefan walked to the sea and called Cayenne out.


    "Are we going back to the house?" Cayenne asked him. Stefan helped her put on the robe for her as he nodded his head. "So soon? I wasn''t done having fun yet."


    "We can have funter." Stefan stated. "I found a very important person this time and I needed to talk to him."


    "Who is it? Is it an enemy or what?"


    Stefan kissed her forehead and let out a shaky breath. "He''s my mother''s nephew." Stefan whispered to her.


    Cayenne looked at the students and found one particr boy who was looking at them with anxious face. She looked back to Stefan and then back to the boy. They were indeed simr if you look at them closely but since there were so many students, they just overlooked him.


    Who would have thought that they''d find another piece of information about his mother?


    "Alright. Let''s go back inside." Cayenne walked beside him and student was following behind them. "What''s your name?" Cayenne asked the boy.


    "Dominic Sugo."


    "Hn. I see. It''s nice meeting you. My name is Cayenne Ardolf-Dumrique."


    "Nice to meet you, too." Dominic replied with a faint smile but that smile couldn''t hide away the anxiety he was feeling as of the moment. The students looked at them and some where asking what was happening.


    "Marnie, what''s going on? Did Dom make a mistake or something?" one of the female students asked.


    "I''m not really sure but sir said that he''s not Stefan Minato Dumrique. His name is Stefan Sugo Dumrique."


    The students gasped in shock and looked back to the disappearing figures of the three people. They were utterly shock with what they knew.


    "But It could just be a coincidence, right? Just how many Sugos are there in the whole world? Not everyone can be rted." Another studentmented.


    Marnie looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. "That''s what I thought but they seem to know amon person. And that person''s very important to sir Stefan."


    The students immediately gossiped about it and the possibility that the two were rtives. If that''s the case, Dominic was indeed very lucky.

 Chapter 359 - COUSINS I

    <h4>Chapter 359 - COUSINS I</h4>


    Cayenne and Stefan went back inside the house with Dominic following behind them. Stefan led him to the study room and let him sit on the couch. "Can you wait for us here? We''ll just change our clothes."


    "Okay, sir." Dominic replied and sat quietly. Stefan went out of the room once again and went back to the master''s bedroom with his wife. Dominic was left alone and there were so many things running in his mind but he didn''t know how to feel about it. ''If we ended up being rtive, what would he do about us? Besides, Auntie didn''t have a good life in our home before. What will happen?''


    On the other hand, Cayenne hugged Stefan and kissed his lips while they''re inside the bathroom taking a quick shower together.


    "Why are you being so sweet all of sudden?" Stefan asked her as he ced his hands on her waist.


    "What are you talking about? I''m always sweet to you."


    "Weren''t you kicking me earlier? And you were so happy doing it. You were bullying me." Stefan retorted with grievances. "You didn''t even try to make it up to me after the six kicks you gave."


    "I''m making it up to you now. And you knew I was cheating but you still went on for another round. It''s not my fault."


    Stefan knew that Cayenne was trying tofort him on her own way. She''s always awkward when ites to this kind of matter but she always does her best. She wanted to make sure that he''s fine. Stefan leaned his head on her shoulder and bit her a little.


    "Meanie!" Cayenne yelped and tried pushing him. "I was kissing you and you bit me. That''s not fair."


    "I''m doing you a favor, sweetheart."


    "What favor?"


    "The favor of not making you stay in bed for the rest of the vacation. You know that if I start kissing you, there''s not stopping until I can release everything right?"


    "Tsk! You''re just a beast in heat. Let finish showering quickly." Cayenne rolled her eyes helplessly and the two continued taking a shower without doing anything extra anymore.


    After showering, Stefan and Cayenne dried their hair immediately and put on their clothes. After few minutes, they went back to the small entertainment room where Dominic was waiting for them.


    "Let''s talk about the Sugo family." Stefan started before he can even take a seat. Cayenne sat on the couch across Dominic and Stefan sat beside her. "It may be a coincidence for us to know the same person and we might not be rted but I want to make sure, just in case."


    "I understand, sir."


    "So, what do you know about Latticia Sugo?"


    Dominic recalled the information he got from his grandparents and father before telling them to Stefan. "She was no longer around when I was born into the family. All the information I have is just base on the things I heard from my grandparents and my father." Dominic took a deep breath and let it out, calming his nerves in the process. "Auntie was the eldest. She has one younger brother which is my father. Our family came from City H. And base on what they told me, auntie fell in love with someone. They didn''t know about this person and she didn''t introduce him either. Probably because the family she came from was poor."


    "I thought she''s from City D. Howe you''re from City H?" Stefan asked with a baffled expression on his face.


    "As far as I know, she was supposed to go to college in City D. And she was meeting that man that she liked in City D. They both became lovers and my grandparents only knew about who this man was when she got pregnant. They said it was the most twisted kind of affair that they ever witnessed in their life. They didn''t think that their one and only daughter will agree to be someone''s mistress. It was shameful but since the deed was done, the couldn''t do anything about it anymore. Soon, she gave birth and my grandparents were so happy to see her son even though he was a product of an immoral act ¨C they loved him so much. Two monthster, auntie was killed. It was hit and run ident and they all suspected that it was a crimemitted by Auntie''s lover to keep their rtionship a secret. Later on, auntie''s lover came. He took the son away and promised to take care of him since he''s got fortunes to raise him. Our family was poor and they didn''t have any means to raise you properly so, they agreed. Auntie''s lover agreed for grandma and grandpa toe and visit the child sometimes but one weekter, a woman came to them and told them to never show up their faces again. She gave them hush money but my father and grandparents didn''t ept them. They were also threatened by that woman so, they didn''t dare say anything to that man. They said that auntie''s lover woulde and visit them once in a while but they told him to stoping because they were afraid to anger his wife. They were afraid that she''d vent her anger to their grandson who was in their territory. They stopped visiting auntie''s grave as well. And eventually, my father got married and have me. I just knew this information because I kept asking them of the woman in the picture that I have never seen. Ande to think of it, I''d always find my grandmother flipping financial magazines which features you. I never thought too much about it before."


    "Do you have a picture of my mother?"


    "I''m not sure but let me check my phone. I always keep a family photo in my gallery but ¨C " he pulled out his phone and opened his gallery. He had so many pictures of his family and even though they were poor and the house they''re living was small and simple, they looked very happy in his pictures. "Here it is." Dominic showed his phone to Stefan and Cayenne took a peek as well.

 Chapter 360 - COUSINS II

    <h4>Chapter 360 - COUSINS II</h4>


    Her eyes widened and her hands instantly covered her mouth to cover up her surprise. "She looked exactly like the picture in the cemetery." She mumbled right beside Stefan. "Do you have other pictures of her?"


    "I only have two." Dominic showed them another picture who looked exactly his mother. "Since I have never met her in my life, I only store two pictures of her in my phone. Just in case something happens that could damage the pictures at home, I still have a soft copy of her photo."


    Stefan wasn''t saying anything anymore. He just kept looking at the two pictures that Dominic showed him. When he asked Chris to investigate about her mother''s death, he got recordings from different people and that included her family. However, when he tried to look for them, he couldn''t find any traces of these people. The people in City D stated that they didn''t know this family and have never heard of them. He even asked the city registrar to see if there''s a Sugo family residing in City D but it was to no avail.


    He asked Chris to look for them as well but they just disappeared like bubbles bursting in the air. He also asked his father about them but he said that he no longer knew their address.


    "Are you sure you really came from City H?" Stefan asked after several minutes have passed. "I''ve been looking for my maternal rtives but I couldn''t just find them." Stefan told Dominic the truth. ''I should have asked Shein to look for them.'' Stefan thought to himself. But most of the time, he didn''t really want to depend too much on Travis and his friends. He wanted to do things by himself.


    Dominic frowned at his question but then he instantly schooled his expression. "I was born and have been raised in City H. My parents and grandparents told me that we''ve been in City H. And I didn''t ask too many questions to them either."


    Stefan took a deep breath as he returned the phone to him. "I''m Latticia''s son. I was raised by the Dumrique family until I was thirteen years old. When my older brother died, I left home. I have never seen anyone from my maternal rtives and you''re the first person I know. I hope you can show me where your family is once we get back."


    "Yes, sir. I don''t mind."


    "Stop calling me sir. It''s inappropriate. Just call me big brother or Stefan. Whichever is fine."


    "O-okay."


    "And this is your cousin-inw. She introduced herself already so I don''t need to see it again. As for her family, you know it as well. Uhm, what else¡­" Stefan thought about some things while looking at him.


    "Wait." Dominic halted him. "Don''t you need other proof aside from this picture?"


    Stefan stood up and stretched his hand towards the young man across him. "The fact that we have resemnce and that you have my mother''s picture doesn''t need to be questioned. It''s enough proof for me. It''s nice to meet you, Dom."


    "Nice to meet you, too, big brother." Dominic also reached out to him and the two shook their hands together. Cayenne pped her hands happily while looking at the two of them.


    "I''m so happy for you hubby." Cayenne hugged Stefan and kissed his cheek. "You have one new family now and there will be more in the future. Ah! What should we buy for them? We need to n this visit properly." Cayenne mumbled thest sentence and she was then lost in her thoughts. Stefan just smiled at her and kissed the top of her head.


    While the two of them talked inside the entertainment room, Luiz and his other ssmates havee back from the surprise preparation. They already told Chris when toe and what to do.


    "What''s going on? Why are you all here?" Luiz asked his ssmates who were in the living room looking anxious at the same time worried. "Are you tired of having fun?"


    "Not really." Janine, one of his ssmates, answered Luiz. "We''re waiting for Dominic toe back."


    "Dom? What has happened to him?" Luiz asked once again with a frown. "Did hemit a mistake?"


    "Not so sure. Let''s just wait and see." Janine didn''t want to say anything more because she wasn''t sure what to say either.


    Luiz went to the kitchen and helped his other ssmates to arrange the dishes on the table. He said that they''ll have dinner once his back with everyone from the secret garden but looks like they''ll have to wait a bit more.


    Around ten minutester, Dominic came out with Stefan and Cayenne. He was smiling happily at them and they were chatting about something that only the three of them knew.


    "Looks like it''s true." Marnie mumbled under his breath.


    "I''m so happy for Dom. Thankfully, he''s rtive with someone like Mr. Dumrique."


    "So, it''s really true that Mr. Dumrique is an adopted son like the rumors say?"


    "Adopted or not, he''s deserving of what he has now." Another student responded as they watched the three of theming downstairs.


    "Oh! Sean, you''re back with Luiz already?"


    "Hn. We already did what he needed to do and sir Chris was on his way toplete the rest. Luiz is in the kitchen."? Sean stated and informed her where Luiz was just in case she''d ask. And that was what Cayenne was about to do. Thankfully, Sean was smart enough to tell her in advance.


    "I''ll go to the kitchen." Cayenne told Stefan and went to find her brother. Luiz was currently carrying tters of food towards the long dining table when Cayenne came. "Luiz,e here for a sec. I''ll introduce you to someone."


    "Who is it?" Luiz asked as he put down the dishes. "Didn''t we all know each other here? Who is this person?"


    Cayenne pulled her brother''s hand and brought him to Stefan and Dominic who was sitting together with the other students in the living room. "Meet Dominic."


    "Sis, I know him already." Luiz replied with an incredulous expression showing on his face. If he has Cayenne''s habit of rolling her eyes, he would have done the same thing.


    "Can you let me finish my words?" Cayenne lightly flicked her brother''s forehead. "Dominic is Stefan''s cousin. They just reunited today."


    Everyone in the room froze with this affirmation from Cayenne. Although some expected it, they were still surprise to hear the confirmationing from her.

 Chapter 361 - SURPRISE DATE FOR THEIR TEACHER

    <h4>Chapter 361 - SURPRISE DATE FOR THEIR TEACHER</h4>


    Because of this happy news, Stefan allowed the students to drink wine. He asked the bodyguards to buy some wine outside since he didn''t have any stock in the house. Thankfully, the stores around the ce were still open and they have good wines to sell.


    Some students drank wine but there some who didn''t. They still preferred fresh juice and soft drinks.


    They all had fun together.


    Meanwhile, Chris was getting nervous as he drove nearer to secret garden. His hands were sweating already and he can feel his heart trying to jump out of his chest.


    "Mr. Dumrique is very generous."? Rissymented while looking at the road. "Does he treat other people like this all the time?"


    "Not all people." Chris answered. "He only cares for those people that make Cayenne happy or her family happy. Since Luiz is now considered as his extended family, and his happiness is Cayenne''s happiness, he would do his best to be considerate and make these two people happy."


    "They''re both lucky to have found each other." Rissymented. "Luiz is a very smart student and he never gave me headaches. His very responsible as well and he helps his ssmates. At his young age, he''s got good grasp of being a good leader. I have never worried about them until this point. All I wanted is for my students to be sessful in the future and help other people, too. But I''m not sure if all of them will achieve the dreams they have in mind."


    "Don''t think too much about the future. They''re very excellent and I''m sure they''ll find the best path that suits them. Just check on them from time to time." Chris replied while slowly pulling his car over to the parking lot. "We''ve arrived."


    "Hn. Let''s go and meet them." She thought that the students and the sweet couple will be there to eat dinner with them. To her surprise, the ce was rather quietpared to what she had in mind. There was a sweet sounding from a violin somewhere and the atmosphere was quite romantic.


    "A reservation for Chris Hawkins, please." Chris told the waitress who was standing at the door.


    "Right this way, sir." The waitress led them inside and walked directly to the secret door which leads to the secret garden. It was like the world in fairytale which Rissy liked so much.


    "Those kids tricked me!" She eximed while nervously clutching on her handbag. "They''re not here, right?"


    "They''re not. They already went back to the house after making this surprise for you." Chris answered her honestly.


    Rissy took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. "I didn''t expect you''re an aplice. So, you brought me out to distract me?"


    "Hn."


    "Nice n." She said but Chris couldn''t tell if she was happy with the surprise or upset that they lied to her.


    They arrived at the table reserved for them which was right in the middle of the garden. There were small lights shaped into arge heart where the table and chairs stood inside it. There was arge bouquet of roses on the table and there was a small card with a note.


    ''Teacher, it''s your time to be happy after all the worries we''ve caused you. Thank you so much for taking care of us. Enjoy your date!''


    Rissy smiled at the note and took a picture of it. "risse wrote this. I know her penmanship." She simply said as she put the note inside her wallet. It was a cute token to be appreciated. She didn''t want to throw it away.


    "There''s more." Chris mentioned from behind her and when she turned around, she saw a huge teddy bear. "This is still from your students. They wanted you to remember them every time you look at this bear."


    She felt a surging emotion from the bottom of her heart and she was so thankful that she epted the job to teach them. She''s happy that they appreciate her. She''s overwhelmed with their gratefulness. Even though the students weren''t around, the thought of them making this surprise for her made her so happy that she started to cry.


    "I will miss them." She mumbled as she tried wiping her face. "I will surely remember them even if I don''t have this bear to look into."


    "I know." Chris pulled her into a hug and gently rub her back. "They will miss you, too." They hugged for a little while more before pulling away from each other. Rissy took the bear from him and ced it on the chair next to her.


    "No wonder there''s an extra chair on the other side." Shemented with faintughter. "Sweet."


    "That''s not all." Chris picked something under the table which was arge paper bag. "These are from your students. It''s a collection of their little tokens for you aside from that bear." He handed the bag which contains lots of things from her students and there were letters as well. "And this is from me." Chris gave her a small box. "It''s just a little something, I hope you will ept it, too."


    Rissy happily took them all and ced it on the chair beside her, together with her bag and the huge stuff toy. "I''ll take my time reading themter."


    Chris raised his hand and the waitress came. He only mentioned several words and the waitress already knew what to do. She started serving their food and a violinist not too far from them continued to y a romantic song.


    They were surrounded with flowers and right above them was an empty space where you can see stars in the dark sky. It was truly a romantic date that she wished.


    "Basically, we were having this short tour early in the morning because they were looking for a ce to set this surprise, right? And they were observing me."


    "Yes. Chloe was observing you all the time." Rissy just smiled after hearing these words. "Let''s eat."


    "Sure." The two of them started eating their dinner while chatting about different things. She also talked about what was the happiest moments for her with the students and what was the most worrying. She shared a lot of things, opening up to him her feelings and her other emotions.


    Chris put down his utensils and drank a ss of water to clear his throat. "Rissy, I''m not rushing you to give your answer to me or make you have an obligation to return my feelings. We just started dating for a month now and I''m giving you time to think of our rtionship carefully. At the same time, once we get back to the city, I''ll let you inside my secret world and make you decide if you still want to date me."


    "Hn. I''ll let you see my secrets, too."

 Chapter 362 - THEIR LAST NIGHT TOGETHER

    <h4>Chapter 362 - THEIR LAST NIGHT TOGETHER</h4>


    Back in the vacation house, after an hour, the students finished eating their dinner. They were currently chatting happily in the living room while some of the students volunteered to wash the kitchenware they used. Some clean the dining area and the kitchen as well.


    "Let''s prepare the campfire. In that way, once teacher and sir Chrise back, they can just join us."


    "Hn. That''s a good idea."


    The male students left to prepare the camp fire while the female students went to the pool and take another swim. They will be going back tomorrow so, they wanted to enjoy as much as they can.


    Dominic was currently talking with Stefan and Cayenne about the surprise that they were nning for his family. "We cannot make grandma too, happy because she''s ill. Her heart cannot take overwhelming emotions." Dominic told Stefan.


    "Then, what should we do?" Cayenne questioned in worry.


    "Do you think they will recognize me?" Stefan asked his concern. After all, they were quite old already.


    Dominic nodded his head at first then the shrugged his shoulders. "I''m not sure if she will recognize you because her eyesight has be so bad over the years but grandpa will surely recognize you since he still got good vision."


    Stefan just nodded his head in understanding. He really wanted to see them.


    "Let''s not think too much about this for now. Let''s go outside and have fun with the others. Ideas will juste to us naturally." Cayenne pulled her husband and Dominic to stand up. "You have fun with your ssmates for now." She told Dominic before pulling Stefan outside. The two of them went to the beach but they didn''t swim. They walked along the shore, listening to the sound of the rolling waves and feeling the salty breeze on their skin.


    "I''m nervous and anxious to meet them." Stefan told Cayenne as they walk.


    "Aren''t you going to inform your father about this?"


    "Should I?"


    "I''m not sure but I think he deserves to know but given that he treated your mother as a mistress and even told your grandparents about it, I don''t think they''d be happy to see them. Having treated their daughter as his mistress brought shame to them and for sure, they hated him for doing so."


    "I also have the same thought. If we have a daughter in the future and she''s being cheated and treated as a mistress, I will kill the man for sure."


    "That''s not going to happen." Cayenne told him. Her stifledughter made him raise his eyebrow. "I just knew it''s not going to happen. No one will foolishly take our daughter as his mistress and make you kill that person."


    Stefan also smiled at her words. She''s very confident in it. "Anyway, I won''t tell my father. In any case, they''re not his family but mine. He didn''t marry my mother so he has no obligation to them. On the other hand, they''re blood rted to me and I am their first grandson."


    "I agree."


    The two of them continued to walk until they reached the end of his property before retracing their steps to go back to where the students stayed.


    risse and Luiz were currently sitting on a hammock, watching the sea in front of them. The lightsing from the house illuminated the ce which looked really beautiful.


    "Riz, I know you like me and I like you, too. I really like you. However, we have priorities. You have to be a doctor or your father will force you to take the path he wants for you. I also have to prioritize my study in order to be sessful and help our family in the future. My concern is, do you want to be in rtionship with me or do you want to wait for few more years?"


    "Can you wait for me?"


    "Of course. I''ll wait for you until you''re ready to be in rtionship with me.? And if you find someone else who you think suits you better, you can definitely tell me to back off as well."


    "I won''t find anyone else." risse replied. "I don''t need anyone else."


    "I won''t find anyone else, too." Luiz held her hand and kissed the back of it. "Let''s both do our best. I will be a great engineer and you will be the best doctor."


    "Hn. Let''s do our best." risse smiled happily.


    They''re not official couple but they have a tacit understanding that no one else was fated for them and they wouldn''t want anyone else either. Their priority was still their dream and education. Instead of bing a distraction to their studies, they chose to support each other instead.


    Soon, the campfire was set and there were several students sitting around it already. It was warm around the campfire and the students were happily chatting with each other. Some were taking pictures together and uploaded it in their social media ounts.


    Cayenne has never experienced this kind of trip when she was a student but now with Stefan, she experienced a lot of things. She''s getting used to this kind of events already but the only thing she wasn''t used to up until now was discovering new properties that her husband owns.


    "When do you n to take me to see your other properties?" Cayenne asked Stefan about it since he was nning to take her to another trip with just the two of them. "How about we just look into them through the inte? You wanted me to study again and you have works to do. Let''s just postpone this trip and focus on your work. And speaking of work, I still have three more pages to trante from the documents that you gave me."


    "We''ll go with whatever you have in mind."


    "Why won''t you say these words when we''re in bed?"


    "Because I know you have no experience in that area. Might as well make me take the lead and we''ll both enjoy it."


    Cayenne red at him and let go of his hands. "Mr. Dumrique, don''t remind me that you had several women before me."


    "Sorry. Sorry. It wasn''t on purpose."


    "Hmp!" Cayenne stomped on his foot lightly and walked away. Stefan was chasing after her with wide grin on his face.

 Chapter 363 - BEGINNING AND ENDING

    <h4>Chapter 363 - BEGINNING AND ENDING</h4>


    Half an hourter, Chris and Rissy came back. He was holding her stuff and brought them inside thedy''s room beforeing out again to join them at the beach.


    Cayenne and Stefan was sitting on a log along with the other students. They sat wherever they wanted to sit and chatted with their friends.


    Some of thedies talked to Cayenne about her skin care routine and Cayenne just told them the items she used at home. Those were pretty cheap for her but they''re very effective on her skin. The students were stunned at first and then their faces showed disbelief.


    How could a woman like her use cheap items? Didn''t her husband give his card to her? She can practically buy those expensive products for skin from Country K.


    These were the thoughts of the students and Janine, being herself who speaks out what she had in mind, blurted these questions to Cayenne.


    "It''s not that I don''t like those products or that I find them expensive but I don''t want to try anything else. My skin is used to the things I''m using and I don''t want to ruin my skin if in case I''m notpatible with other items." Cayenne told them patiently. "Some likes to experiment and try other things but I''d like to stick to them."


    "That makes sense." Janine responded. "I never thought of using those items you mentioned because their cheap and I thought they''re not effective. I''ll try buying some of those and use them."


    "Hn. Just try if they don''t work on your skin, just stop using them." Cayenne advised her.


    Soon, they decided to have an open forum with everyone. They shared whatever they had in mind. Some were bad things and some were good things. They also expressed their opinions towards their ssmates and their first impression on them. They also told Rissy what they think of her and how she changed their view in life. Some of their ssmates expressed their love to their teen crushes, getting teased and cheered on.


    They asked questions to Cayenne and Stefan as well. They shared a lot of things. And they quickly forgot the passing of time. When Rissy looked at her watch, it was almost one in the morning. The fire was slowly growing fainter as well and it was slowly dying out.


    "Alright. It''s time to wrap things up. Let''s all go to bed and wake up early tomorrow morning. You can still half a day to enjoy your vacation because tomorrow afternoon, we will leave this amazing ce already."


    The students were sad with what she said but they all knew that all events have a beginning and ending. They slowly went back inside the house while chattering. Some of the students remained since they will be staying in their tents.


    Cayenne and Stefan was walkingstly behind the group.


    "Do you want to y with a jet ski tomorrow?" Stefan asked her while they walked hand in hand.


    "Hn. Let''s y."


    "I''m so happy that this trip happens. It was really a good thing that I volunteered to let them use this ce." Stefanmented. A faint smile was hanging on his lips as he stopped on his track and looked into the dark sky. "My mother must have been guiding me to find you."


    "Huh? How did it end up to me?"


    "Because everything happens after I found you." Stefan replied. "You encouraged me all the time and your encouragement led me to find out the truth of my mother''s death. It also pointed out the truth that your stepdad didn''t kill Alexander and that everything was staged by him alone. And now, because of you, I met your brother which led us to have this trip, making me find my lost rtives. It all started because I found you."


    When she thought about it, she was partly the reason why things have happened. Thankfully, she didn''t cause him trouble at all. "Looks like I''m your lucky charm."


    "Indeed." Stefan agreed and pulled her closer. "Having you is the best thing that has happened in my life. I''m lucky to have you."


    "We''re lucky to have find each other." Cayenne retorted as she stood on her toes to give him a quick kiss. "I love you, hubby."


    "I love you, too, wifey."


    The bodyguards who were following them just looked to the side, to the ground or wherever they can put their eyes on, as long as it''s not the sweet couple in front of them.


    They really thought that they''d be attacked by lots of ants due to the overloading sweetness.


    The next morning, the students woke up early and watched the sunrise once again. This time, their faces held hope for their future. After all, Stefan was there to willingly help them as long as they study hard.


    Rissy also came out and they took a ss picture together with her. Then they took another picture with Cayenne, Stefan and Chris.


    Since it''s theirst day, Rissy decided to cook for their breakfast. They still have lots of ingredients so she made a hearty meal for all of them.


    Some of the students were already swimming while some helped the boys fold their tents to keep them. Cayenne and Stefan were ying with the jet ski and after getting tired of it, they let the students y as well. They weren''t just allowed to go far just in case an ident will happen, the guards will be able to rescue them on time.


    They had so much fun altogether. For sure, this will be one of their happiest memories as teens.


    At one o''clock in the afternoon, the bus came to pick them up once again. They all piled up one after another while taking short nces at the beautiful beach and the beautiful house. It was like they were having a dream and now that dream, has finallye to an end.


    They soon hit the road to go back to the city and face their lives once again. They have different situations and different decisions to make. All they could hope was that they will lead a bright life.


    Cayenne felt tired from all the ying she did with Stefan and now, she was sleeping on hisp. Usually, it would be Stefan who will drive the car but now, he asked one of the guards to drive while the two of them sat in the back.


    Her whole body was on the seat while he ced the pillow on hisp, sleeping on him while Stefan covered her with a softforter. The temperature of the aircon was just right, making her sleep as soon as she hit the soft pillow.


    When they reached X university, the sun was about to set and the parents came to pick up their children. Some didn''t have service so they were just nning tomute. And because Stefan promised to make sure that they will be back safely, he asked his bodyguards to take children to their homes one after another. Chris also lend a hand to help and together with Rissy, they sent the other children to their home.

 Chapter 364 - HOME SWEET HOME

    <h4>Chapter 364 - HOME SWEET HOME</h4>


    By the time they arrived in Peach Wood Subdivision, it was almost seven in the evening and knowing that they''d being home, Jonas and Kyle prepared lots of food for dinner.


    Luiz jumped out of the car happily and ran towards the house to meet his bother and father. Cayenne watched her brother happily with warm emotions in her eyes.


    "Wee back." Kyle gave Luiz a brotherly hug and patted his back. "Did you have fun?"


    "Yup! It was so much fun and lot of beautiful things happened."


    "Oh! That must have included that you got yourself a girl." He teased his younger brother which made Luiz elbowed him lightly. "Am I wrong?"


    "Hn. You are very wrong. She''s not my girlfriend yet and we promised that we''d focus on our studies first."


    "I see. Then, I''ll stop teasing you for now." Kyle nodded his head with his hand on her chin. Luiz wanted to say something but his brother already walked past him to meet Cayenne and Stefan. "Sis, wee home. Wee home, brother-inw." He also greeted Stefan with slight nod.


    "Hn. We''re home safe." Stefan stated while pulling their luggage behind him. "Luiz, can you check on your ssmates if they''re all home safely? Specially Dominic."


    "Sure. I''ll check on them now." Luiz put down his back pack to get his phone. "By the way, can we stay over here tonight? It''s already night time and it will be tiresome for Erwin toe at get us at this time. It will be another long travel time for me, too."


    "Go ahead. You can use the guest room anytime you want." Stefan answered him.


    Cayenne was still very tired even though she just slept all the way home. She sat on the couch and leaned her head to the soft material. "I still want to sleep."


    "Dinner''s ready. You can go to sleep after eating." Jonasmented when he came out of the kitchen.


    "Good evening, Pa. We''re all home." Cayenne said with a sleepy face and tired expression. Even so, there was a smile on her lips upon seeing her stepdad.


    "I''m d to see that you''re all back. Go and take a shower now so that we can all have dinner and rest the night away after."


    "Okay." Cayenne stood up once again and walked upstairs with Stefan. He wanted to take out their clothes first and arrange their things but Cayenne was already pulling him to the bathroom. "Bath me. I''m tired."


    "Sorry honey for tiring you out." Stefan whispered while taking off her clothes one after another. "I wanted to make memories with you that much."


    "No worries. I enjoyed the trip as well and that''s all thanks to you. I''m so happy and it tires me out a little."


    "Let''s get plenty of rest tonight."


    Stefan helped her wash her body and washed her hair. She was just practically standing right under the shower head without moving an inch. After taking a shower with her, he put on their bathrobe and took her out to bed so that he can dry her hair. He was taking care of her while Cayenne sat there drowsily. Even a shower couldn''t reenergize her at all.


    "I want to wear one of your shirts andrge shorts. I don''t want to wear anything silky tonight." She told him when he was choosing for their clothes to wear.


    "Right on it, hon." Stefan pulled out one of his shirts and put on her before taking one of her baggy shorts to pair with it. "Are youfortable enough?"


    "Yes."


    Stefan looked for another to put on and after dressing up, the two went downstairs once again to eat dinner with the whole family. Her brothers and stepfather were already sitting at the table while chatting about the trip. On the table, there was box with a red ribbon tied around it.


    "Whose present is this?" Cayenne asked her brothers while pointing at the box.


    "Oh! That''s yours." Luiz told his sister. "Everyone has gone home safely and Dominic haven''t told his family yet. He was waiting for the two of you to give him the go signal.? At the same time, everyone was thinking how they can thank you for the trip and apparently, they hade up with this gift."


    Cayenne''s eyes lit up when she heard it. She didn''t expect that the students would think too much about what happened to the point that they prepared a gift for her and Stefan. She sat on her chair next to Stefan before taking the box. She pushed her te for a moment to take time and open what was inside.


    The moment she looked at it, she blushed but she was happily looking at the items. There were two white coffee mugs with a picture printed on it. It was a photo of her and Stefan. One of the mugs had her name written on it while the other had Stefan''s name written on it. At the bottom of the mugs, the words ''forever with you'' were written as well.


    "This is wonderful. Stefan likes to have matching stuff at home so, this is really a good souvenir." Cayenne stated while cing the mugs bag. Under the small cartoon that held the mugs in ce, there was a photo album. "Hn? What''s this?" Cayenne questioned while taking the item.


    "That''s what the girls have been working on this morning. One of them brought a proid camera and took several candid shots of you and brother-inw. They kept them altogether and made an album for you."


    "Tell your ssmates our thanks. I like the gifts very much." Stefanmented when he saw the pictures of him and Cayenne. Of course, he likes it. He always wanted to be in the same frame as her but most of the time, he just like taking pictures of her. "Put them away first so that we can have dinner. Let''s look at them againter."


    "Hn. I''d love to see the pictures again. Those students were very mindful. I didn''t even know when they got the time to make them or bought these things."

 Chapter 365 - BRINGING BACK HIS FAMILY

    <h4>Chapter 365 - BRINGING BACK HIS FAMILY</h4>


    The whole family ate their dinner while chatting about the short trip. Most of the time, it was Luiz doing the talking while the four of them listened. He also gave his father and brother a souvenir that he bought from Lipa.


    He showed them many pictures that he took and told them the story behind the pictures. It was really a happy meal and somehow, Cayenne felt awake now.


    After dinner, they went back to their room while Luiz stayed to help his father and brother to clean the kitchen and wash the dishes. He still wanted to spend more time with knowing how busy he''d be in the next several days once he gets the modeling job.


    Cayenne and Stefan looked at the photo album once again and took a clear look of the pictures. There were so many of them and it was obviously taken carefully. Even though they were all candid, they were still beautiful and not blurry at all.


    "Whoever took this picture has a good photography skill." Cayennemented while flipping through the pages. Base on the dresses that she wore on the pictures, she can tell that they already started taking pictures of them from the day the arrived until the day that they needed to leave.


    "They put so much effort in this little thing. I like people with this attitude. I just hope they would continue to do their best and not becent just because I''m helping them. The help I''m giving is nothing more than a support, a step for them to take a leap to their future. If they won''t do their best, there''s nothing more that I can do for them." Stefan stated while looking at the picture.


    "They will be fine. I''m sure they will be fine." Cayenne told him. She turned her face to see him and kissed his cheek. "They will be fine because you chose to give them a support."


    "I hope so."


    They continued to look at the pictures and on thest two pages of the album, a family picture of four which consisted of Cayenne, Stefan, Luiz and Dominic, was ced on it. There was a note left on the side as well, wishing them good health and other things. Thest picture was the one they took with all the students. They were all smiling happily while looking at the camera.


    Once done looking at them, Cayenne ced the album inside her bedside drawer andid down on the bed with her husband. She hugged him and pressed her face on his chest to inhale his scent. She felt drowsy once again.


    She raised her head and kissed his chin. "Good night, hubby."


    "Good night, love." Stefan kissed her forehead and closed his eyes as well, allowing themselves to be pulled deeper into sleep.


    They felt at ease and rx with no worries in mind. Home is always the best ce to return to and for them, home is being right next to each other inside their own bed, in their own abode.


    The next day, Cayenne called Erwin toe and pick the three guys from Peach Wood. She wanted to let Jonas see her own house and stay there as well. On the other hand, Stefan called Dominic so that the three of them can meet up and make a surprise.


    "Pa, you stay in my house these next few days and bring lots of clothes because we''ll go on a trip as a family. Also, you should think of moving to my house because we''ll probably give this house to another family." Cayenne told Jonas in the living room.


    "Are you selling this house?" Kyle and Luiz asked in unison. It was such a nice ce and it''s a waste to sell them.


    "I said ''give'' not ''sell''. Stefan and I will talk about it but just be prepared and I will let you know when you can move to my ce."


    "O-okay. I don''t really mind." Jonas answered. "Just give me a call."


    "Okie dokie. Stefan and I will leave in an hour but Erwin wille as well toe and pick up the three of you."


    "Sure. Sure."


    Stefan finished talking to Dominic and looked towards Cayenne and his family. "We need to make a trip to City H since Dominic can''t leave the ce and it''s quite far for him as well. We might stay a night over there."


    "I see. How about this house?" Cayenne asked.


    "We still need to wait for their reactions. I''m not sure how things will go but if in case they''re willing to move back here, I want to give them this house."


    "Alright. Shall we pack some clothes, then?"


    "Just stay here with your family. I''ll pack our clothes."


    Cayenne leaned over and whispered to him, "No naughty items this time, okay?"


    Stefan couldn''t help but chuckle at her words. He wasn''t actually nning to do anything knowing how tired she can be from all these trips they''re making.


    Jonas also left to pack some of his things in order to stay in Cayenne''s house. Kyle also went with him to help his father. In the end, only Cayenne and Luiz was left in the living room.


    "Yen, do you know Dominic''s family situation?"


    "I heard some but I don''t know much. Do you know anything? You can tell it to me."


    Luiz looked sad and helpless as he sped his hands together before start telling what he knows. "His father was working in apany before and they were all fine. Later, thepany got involved in some illegal activities and was close down. So, his father lost his job. He started applying for otherpanies but given the fact that he worked in an hicalpany before, they were quite wary of him. In the end, he decided to work as a janitor just to make sure that they can continue to support their daily expenses. When we were in fifth grade, his mom left them with some other guy and until now, they didn''t know where she went. She never came back. And then, his grandma got ill. She was sent in and out of the hospital and soon, his father''s savings was all spent. They had nothing more so, Dominic started applying for schrships."


    Cayenne didn''t know all about his. Dominic didn''t tell her and Stefan about this. He told them that they''re doing fine despite being poor. He was probably worried to ask them for help.


    "Thanks, Luiz. I''ll let Stefan know. Since you will all be staying together at home, don''t open the gate to strangers, okay? Always consult Erwin if some visitors came. Also, don''t leave the house with no bodyguards at all."


    "Hn. I understood. You can count on us."


    After half an hour, Stefan came out with a suitcase and another bag which contained their dirty clothes. "Let''s drop by at theundry shopter."


    "Okay." She stood up from her seat and went towards Luiz to ruffle his hair. "We''re leaving now. Tell Kyle and Papa that we''ve left."


    "Yes. Be careful. Give us a message once you''ve arrived."

 Chapter 366 - BRINGING BACK HIS FAMILY II

    <h4>Chapter 366 - BRINGING BACK HIS FAMILY II</h4>


    On their way to City H, Cayenne told Stefan the things she heard from Luiz. He looked forlorn with the news and it was understandable. After all, it was his long-lost family. He had been looking for them on his own for several months now. Cayenne couldn''t thank enough the fate that allowed them to have a trip together with all the students.


    They made a stop in City D to refill his gas and bought some food to eat along the way. Since Stefan was driving, Cayenne was feeding him while chatting about some things that they could buy. City H wasn''t asrge as City B but their economic industry can still be considered decent and still uprising.


    After driving for several hours, they finally arrived in City H. The ce was actually beautiful and there were still so many trees around the ce. Even their buildings have so many nts on them. They looked eco-friendly.


    Stefan looked for a hotel to stay and since there weren''t many people, they were able to get a good room for themselves. They took out their clothes from the suitcase and arranged it inside the closet. "Let me give Dominic a call." Stefan mentioned while pulling out his phone.


    "I''ll send a message to my family as well."


    The two of them contacted their family but Cayenne finished soon since it was just a message. Sheid on the bed with her arms and legs spread on the bed. She was staring at the ceiling while thinking what they should buy for his family.


    She was considering a lot of things but in the end, she thought that simple gifts were still the best. After all, they didn''t want to shock his family so much. They only came to meet them first and see if they''re willing to move with him to City A.


    Stefan sat down beside her and put down his phone. "I talked to him and he said that he will just meet us at the lobby of the hotel. Let''s just rest while waiting for him."


    Stefan lie down on his side and looked at her. "Have you thought of what we should buy for them?"


    "Hn. I already have something in mind. First, let''s buy some food that we can share with them. Since Dominic didn''t tell them anything, I''m pretty sure that they didn''t prepare for arrival. Isn''t good to share a meal with them? At the same time, let''s buy them simple gifts. We can buy a good wine for uncle, a scarf for grandma and pair of gloves for grandpa. How''s that?"


    "Sounds good. As for Dominic, let''s just allow him to choose anything he likes." Stefan responded. They cuddled together while waiting for Dominic, talking in whispers even though no one can really hear them.


    After half an hour, Dominic called, informing them that he has arrived at the lobby. Stefan and Cayenne walked out of their room and met with him immediately. They told him their ns so, Dominic told them where the nearest mall was.


    "Is really alright for you toe and meet us? Won''t your reputation be affected?" Dominic asked. "We''re poor after all."


    "Who cares about that? We''re rtives. It''s just a shame that my father didn''t know where you guys went after all these years."


    "Sorry about that. I really had no idea what has happened in the past but I am sure that my father will answer all your questions once you''ve arrived."


    Cayenne was just listening to their conversation while looking outside the window to appreciate the beauty of the city. It was still afternoon and many people were strolling outside. Some were families and some were friends. Some were walking alone while talking on their phone and some were just walking aimlessly, probably thinking about their worries.


    Not long after, they arrived at thergest mall in the city. "Do you know who owns this?" Stefan asked Cayenne when they parked the car.


    "Don''t tell me that you own this mall, too?" Cayenne asked in disbelief.


    Stefanughed at her answer as he stretched out his hand to lightly pinched her cheeks. "I''m not that rich."


    "Really, huh."


    Stefan unfastened her seatbelt and smile at her. "It''s your father who owns this mall. He owned three malls as far as I know and other several businesses."


    "Oh. I don''t know about that and I didn''t ask either." Cayenne responded with a nonchnt expression. "It''s his properties. I don''t care about them."


    "Alright. Let''s not talk about it." The three of them stepped out of the car and went inside the mall to buy the things they needed. They first went to the pharmacy to buy vitamins and it was Dominic who told them what vitamins to buy. They also bought some of his grandma''s medications.


    Then, they went to buy wine for his father before going up to the third floor where they can buy men''s and women''s apparel or gadgets.


    "You can choose what you want." Stefan told Dominic but the other guy still felt a little awkward around him and didn''t know what he should buy.


    Cayenne went inside a store with lots of shoes being disyed. "What''s your shoe size?"


    "Ah?" Dominic looked at her and scratched the side of his face. "I''m actually fine without buying anything. I don''t need shoes at the moment either."


    "How about bag? Or shirts?" Cayenne asked again, not letting him off at all. "One of these days, you will be called by one of Stefan''s people for interview. Don''t you need anything to wear during that time?"


    "Do I need to be formal during that time?" Dominic asked Stefan who was looking at the shoes as well.


    Stefan looked at him and shook his head. "You can be casual during the interview. It''s just getting your information for the schrship and for the part-time job that will fit for you."


    "Oh. Then, can I buy some casual clothes here?"


    "Sure." As soon as Stefan answered, Cayenne also smiled at the young man. "Just choose whatever you like and we can go to the next store to find something to pair with your shoes."


    "Thank you."

 Chapter 367 - BRINGING BACK HIS FAMILY III

    <h4>Chapter 367 - BRINGING BACK HIS FAMILY III</h4>


    As soon as they were done shopping, they looked for a restaurant where they can buy takeout order. Stefan asked Dominic if there were any allergies his families suffered from before ordering the food. Since everyone''s fine with anything, he just bought everything that can serve four to five people. In that way, they can share it with everyone.


    "We''ll them for dinnerter." Stefanmented when he looked at the time on his watch. It''s almost five in the afternoon, which was few hours away from dinner time.


    They waited for their food and after half an hour, everything was finally ready for them to take away. Dominic was holding the bag containing the food boxes while Stefan held the things the just shopped earlier. As for Cayenne, she''s empty-handed once again. She''s only responsible for paying the things they bought using her husband''s card.


    "Is your house far from here?" Stefan asked Dominic as they walked back towards the parking lot.


    "If it''s not traffic, you can get there half an hour with a bus if it''s traffic, you can get there after an hour or so. But the traffic here in this city isn''t so heavy like the one in City A."


    "Since you went to X University, do you go home everyday or did you stay in an apartment?"


    "I stayed Marnie''s home. I helped them with their small farm and house chores as a repayment for taking me in. I also gave them some of my allowance to add up for the bills or for the groceries."


    "I see. So, they''ve been helping you all these years." Stefanmented upon hearing his response. "How many are they in their family?"


    "Not so big. Marnie has two little sisters. His father works in their small vegetable farm and his mother is a cashier in a convenience store. He has no grandparents since they died early."


    "O-okay."


    Hearing his responses, Cayenne already knew what he was thinking and she could only smile at him. ''He''s got such a big and warm heart.'' She thought while watching her husband.


    When they reached the parking lot, she opened the car for them. They decided to ce the takeout orders at the backseat so that Dominic can look after them in case some of them would be spilled.


    And because it was already peak hours, they were stuck in the traffic just like what Dominic described earlier. However, it wasn''t really a heavy traffic jam so they were still able to move forward.


    Dominic told Stefan the direction of his home while Cayenne watched the things outside, remembering which direction the turn left and turn right.


    After several turns, they arrived in a suburb where less cars were passing by. It wasn''t overly popted like the city and you can see some farm animals on the roadside.


    "So, the only public transportation here is the bus?" Cayenne asked Dominic when she saw the scenery outside.


    "Hn. Only buses and private vehicles woulde here. It''s very seldom that you can see taxi here. It''s very expensive after all."


    "I agree."


    They continued to drive until Dominic told them to turn right and stop. In front of them was a small road with many flowers on each side. It was like an aisle and at the end of it, you can see a small house. It was a bungalow type of house and even though it was small, it was quite lovely to watch with all the flowers around it.


    "Who nted these flowers?" Cayenne asked as soon as she stepped out of the car.


    "When my grandma still got good eyesight, she likes to nt flowers. When her sight has gone bad, grandpa nted them for her. She likes the scent of the flowers permeating our home."


    "It does smell good."


    While they chat, the door of the house swung open and a middle-aged man, came out. "Dom, is that you?"


    "Pa, we have some visitors."


    "Thiste? Come here. Come inside." His father called to them and opened the door widely for them. "Sorry we didn''t prepare anything. We didn''t know we''ll have visitors at this time of the day." He was looking at them nervously and since the light outside the house was dim, he didn''t see Stefan''s face clearly.


    "Excuse our intrusion." Cayenne politely bowed at the man. "Good evening, uncle."


    "Uh¡­good evening¡­good evening."


    Stefan was standing right behind Cayenne and was holding the things they shopped earlier. "Good evening." Stefan also greeted them and when he showed his face clearly under the lights, the man in front of them was stunned.


    He blinked his eyes several times and rubbed it several times as if he couldn''t believe what he was seeing at the moment. Instead of greeting him back, he ran to the small living room and took several magazines out of the drawer.


    When they saw what it was, Cayenne couldn''t help but smile.


    Dominic''s father flipped through several pages of the magazines, looked at the picture before looking back to Stefan who was standing right inside their house.


    "Ma! Pa! Come outside! Come here! Stefan''s home!"


    "What did you say?" an old man came out from the room on their right and looked at Cayenne and Stefan standing in the middle of their living room. With staggering steps, he walked towards Stefan and touched his arms. "Is it really you?"


    "Hello grandpa. I''m home." Stefan answered with a faint smile.


    The old man couldn''t contain his happiness anymore and hugged Stefan with tears on his face. How many years has it? How many years have they been watching him from a far, seeing him secretly until he grew and be a young man? How many years has it been since they started buying the magazines which features him just to know how he''s doing?


    Cayenne took the bags from Stefan and ced it on the sofa next to Dominic. Her nose was also stinging and she was about to cry from this family reunion. Stefan had been alone for so many years. He had no idea of his true identity and it was just recently that he found the truth about his mother''s death. He had been looking for his maternal family and now, they were right in front of him. He''s finallye home to the family that he was taken away from.


    Stefan hugged his grandfather and cried silently. He was just so happy. He didn''t know how to express this happiness at all and all he could do was hug his grandpa back.


    "I''m home. I''m home." These were the only words he could say.


    His uncle came to get his mother and when she came out, she didn''t walk to Stefan. She was just standing there, listening to themotion in the living room.


    Stefan let go of his grandpa and walked towards his grandmother. "Granny, I''m back. Stefan is back home. I''vee home."


    "Stefan?! Really? You are my grandson?" She asked but all she could see was a blurry face in front of her. "Too bad, I can''t see you now."


    "It''s fine granny. Everything will be fine." Stefan held his grandmother''s hand and ced it on his right face. "Can you feel me? I''m warm. I''m alive and kicking. I''m alive because you gave me the chance to live. I''m home granny. I''m home."


    His grandmother cried and slowly walked towards him. Stefan hugged his grandmother warmly, feeling the weak body tremble in his arms. She was so thin and small.


    He looked towards his uncle who was also crying on the side. "I''m home uncle. Thank you so much that you''ve all waited for me toe home."


    Cayenne turned around and secretly wiped the tears that she just cried. Dominic was also crying on the side. Twenty-eight years. His family had been waiting for Stefan toe in these twenty-eight years.

 Chapter 368 - BRINGING BACK HIS FAMILY IV

    <h4>Chapter 368 - BRINGING BACK HIS FAMILY IV</h4>


    After hugging them and crying in happiness, Stefan led his grandparents to sit on the worn-out sofa. He didn''t care about it and just sat beside them. Cayenne also sat beside him.


    "I came here with my wife, by the way." Stefan told them and finally introduced Cayenne to them. "Her name is Cayenne. She''s very kind and very warm person. We already registered our marriage but we haven''t held our wedding yet." Stefan turned to Cayenne and smiled at her. "Honey, I finally found my family."


    "Hn. I''m so happy for you." Cayenne also smiled, controlling herself to hold back her tears. She looked at them and smiled sweetly. "Nice to meet you all. I''m so happy that Stefan has found you."


    "We''re also happy to meet you." His grandfather replied. "We had no idea that you''de today. Is that the reason why Dom left this afternoon?"


    "Hn. We meet during his trip to Lipa. Actually, I was the one who volunteered to bring them there and I didn''t know him at first. Thankfully, I sat and talked with him and his friends. That''s how I got to know him."


    "It''s fate. It''s fate." His grandfather stated.


    "Grandpa, why didn''t youe and see me? You knew me all along while I didn''t know anything about all of you. If I didn''te and find you, won''t you evere and find me?" Stefan asked these heart-breaking questions which made her heart sank deeply.


    "Sorry, Stefan. We didn''t want to disturb your life and we didn''t want you to know that you''re a son of a mistress. We thought you''re having a good life already so, we never had any intention to see you again."


    "Did you really think I was having a good life? Grandpa, I wasn''t leading a good life at all. No one cares for me. Everyone ignores me like an eyesore. I even ran away from home when I was thirteen and nobody looked for me. I studied on my own, depending on strangers for help. I went to college with schrships and thankfully, I made friends with people who was willing to help me without asking anything in return. Grandpa, I knew you allowed me to be adopted because you thought I''d live happily with them but I really think you should have just held on to me."


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry for letting them take you away." His grandfather looked so heartbroken with what they just found out. This was just a tip of the iceberg for what Stefan was gone through. They didn''t everything at all.


    Now that they''re sitting and was talking properly, Cayenne was able to observed the house properly. It was only made of light materials like plywood and other stuff. There was no ceiling and you can directly see the roof right over your head. There were only two room inside the house, a small living room and a small kitchen. There wasn''t much furniture inside aside from the old sofa and old drawers. There was no TV or any other appliances.


    They talked for almost two hours and it wasn''t until Cayenne''s stomach grumbled did they realize that they haven''t eaten yet. Stefan smiled apologetically at her and held her hand.


    "Why don''t we chat over dinner? I don''t want my wife to get a stomach ache."


    "Sure. Let me just arranged the dishes." His Uncle Stanley stated and gestured to Dominic toe and help him. The father and son worked together in the kitchen to prepare the food that Stefan brought.


    As soon as dinner''s ready, they all went around the small table and sat together for dinner. Cayenne didn''t care where she was and just ate heartily beside Stefan. She was just about to put food in her mouth when she smelled something in the air. "I don''t intend to be rude but, did you cook fish for your dinner?"


    Stanley stiffened and thought that Cayenne might not like the smell at the kitchen but he still nodded to answer her honestly. "I cooked fried fish for dinner earlier."


    "Really?! Uhm¡­uh¡­ Can I have some?"


    "Ah? Ah. Sure." Stanley stood up and went to get the fried fishes that he ced on the side. He ced it beside Cayenne and she took one happily and ced it on her te.


    Stanley and his father Jose, was looking at Cayenne with surprised faces. Dominic was eating without any reaction since he knew what Cayenne''s life was before marrying Stefan. As for their grandmother, Cory, she just smiled at the direction where Cayenne was sitting even though she couldn''t really see her.


    "This is delicious." Cayennemented while putting food in her mouth. She chewed on her food and swallowed it before talking once again. "It''s been a while since I ate fried fish."


    "Oh." Stanley just made a perfunctory remark.


    "Then, just ate them happily. Don''t worry about us." Jose told Cayenne and because of his encouragement, Cayenne ate all the fishes that they cooked.


    Stefan was just watching his wife with a smile on his face. From time to time, he''d ce rice on her te and some other dishes as well. In the end, she ate a lot that night. She''s always been a glutton and Stefan knew that.


    "Do you still have space for dessert?" he asked Cayenne who was wiping her face with a tissue beside him. "I bought red velvet cake."


    "Yay! Sweets. I still have space for desserts." Cayenne nodded with stars sparkling in her eyes.


    Watching them, Jose was happy that his grandson found a good woman to be his wife. Stanley was the same. If his sister didn''t find a good person to be her partner, it was still a good karma that her son found a good wife.


    They continued to chat while eating the cake that Stefan bought and they found lots of things about each other. It was really a happy reunion for him and his maternal family.


    When the clock struck ten in the evening, they bid farewell to them since they still needed to go back to the city. "I wille back tomorrow morning and don''t bother to make breakfast. I will buy our food so we can have another meal together."


    "O-okay." It was his uncle who answered since his grandma and grandpa needed to take a rest now. "You both take care on the road. Drive safely."


    "Yes, uncle."


    Cayenne also smiled and waved her hands at them. "Bye Uncle Stan. Bye Dom. We''ll see you tomorrow."

 Chapter 369 - BRINGING BACK HIS FAMILY V

    <h4>Chapter 369 - BRINGING BACK HIS FAMILY V</h4>


    That night, when they arrived back to their hotel room, Stefan wasn''t able to sleep right away. He was staring at the ceiling while thinking about his past experiences and the things that his maternal rtives experienced. In the end, he concluded that they both suffered in the hands of ra.


    "Are you okay?" Cayenne asked and snuggled in his arms. "Stop thinking about what happened in the past. It will not help you. Just move forward with your family. Since you''ve found them now, just focus on them. Focus on what you have and nurture it. Don''t let your past tie you down."


    Stefan looked at his wife and finally showed her a cheeky grin. "You really know what to say in every situation. You''re so kind, Ayen. You make up the things that Ick."


    "What are you talking about? You''re kind, too. You help other people who deserves your help. I can understand if you hate someone or dislike someone, it''s natural."


    "Then, do you have someone you dislike and hate?"


    "Of course. There are so many of them that I lost count already. I don''t even remember their names anymore. But one person that standout among all of them is Kirin, Arthur''s mother. I really don''t like her. In the past, present and in the future ¨C I don''t think I''ll evere to like her."


    "Then, why did you choose to help her and Arthur?"


    "For the sake that we were once friends and that he helped me a lot in the past. Also, Cole is a decent person and even though they have this family conflict, I know that he loves his family. I don''t want him to be troubled."


    Stefan hugged his wife even tighter and kissed the top of her head. "I couldn''t thank god enough for sending you to me and I''m so d I didn''t let go of you."


    "You did let go of me."


    "Right. I did for foolish reasons."


    "Uh huh. But you still came back to pick me up."


    The two of them talked about several things until sleepiness took over their body. It was a peaceful night with no extracurricr activities.


    In the morning, instead of eating breakfast at the hotel, they only drank a cup of coffee and ordered take outs from the restaurant so that they can eat with everyone at home.


    Since it was still early, they weren''t met with traffic and they arrived at the house in less than thirty minutes. Dominic was currently sweeping the yard and when he saw them, he smiled happily. "Good morning to both of you."


    "Good morning, Dom." Cayenne greeted happily while Stefan only nodded at him. "Is everyone awake?" She asked in whisper just in case they''re still sleeping.


    "Everyone except grandma."


    "Oh. I see. Can wee inside now?"


    "Sure. Go ahead. I still have to sweep here so, just make yourself at home." Dominic opened the door for them and went back to sweep the ce when Cayenne and Stefan got inside.


    They both greeted the elders and chatted with them once again. They talked about different stuffs from business, to families and ended up with babies. Cayenne just smiled at them when ites to this topic because no matter how she likes to have babies now, her husband doesn''t want to. It''s early for her and he wanted her to achieve her dreams first before bing a mother.


    When his grandmother woke up, all of them started to eat dinner together.


    "Dom will be studying in City C for college, right?" Cayenne asked Dominic base on the information that she gathered from Stefan. "That''s quite far from here."


    "I will be staying in big bro''s apartment together with my ssmates." Dominic told Cayenne about it.


    "But you intend to work part-time, which means you won''t have so much time to spend your family or even go back home to see them. Why don''t you all move back to City A with us?"


    The whole house turned silent and everyone looked at her with a shock expression except for Stefan who was still eating calmly.


    "Don''t joke around, Yen." Uncle Stanley told Cayenne. "That ce is very huge and the living expenses are very expenses. We''re all fine here and Dominic can juste home whenever he wants. We can stillmunicate through phones."


    Stefan put down his spoon and fork and looked everyone in the eyes. "I was nning to say this, too but my wife, she was just faster than me in saying it."


    "Because you''re slow." Cayennemented before putting another spoonful of food in her mouth.


    Stefan just chuckled before continuing to speak his mind. "Currently, I''m living with my wife in her house. We have a house in City A which her father uses for two months. Now, he''s going back home with Cayenne and the house will be left empty. So, instead of letting it umte dusts for nothing, why don''t you all move back with me and live in my house? In that way, you''re closer to Dom and I can check on you as well. I won''t have to travel for several hours going here which limits our reunion. At the same time, I can give you a job, uncle. You can work in mypany to save up once again."


    Jose looked at his grandson and smiled faintly. "Stefan, aren''t you afraid that we''re just using you to get by with our lives by riding on your coattails? Aren''t you afraid that we might extort you again and again, using the fact that we''re blood rted?"


    "What kind of question is that grandpa?" Stefan asked him back with a frown. "I helped other people that I don''t know at all. I gave them chances to make their future bright. Now, that I''m helping a family, I don''t think it''s considered extortion. You''ve suffered enough from what happened in the past and now, it''s time to bury everything and move forward. I don''t care if you call it extortion. You can extort me all you want and I wouldn''t care. I have money and I can provide for you for the rest of your lives."


    "You really inherit your mother''s kindness." Jose replied. "I just hope that you won''t inherit her foolishness."


    "It''s fine if I inherit her foolishness. My wife wille and rescue me before I jumped into the firepits of hell."

 Chapter 370 - BRINGING BACK HIS FAMILY VI

    <h4>Chapter 370 - BRINGING BACK HIS FAMILY VI</h4>


    They discussed this matter again and again until they were left with no other ways to retort Cayenne and Stefan. In the end, they all agreed to move and live in his house which was in City A.


    "Just give us three days. We''ll just process everything that needed to be done in here." Uncle Stanley told Stefan and Cayenne. He has work that he needed to go and inform about his sudden resignation. The owner of thend that they''re staying needed to be informed as well.


    "It''s okay, Uncle. Just let me know once you''re ready to move so that I can ask someone toe and pick you up. You don''t need to bring lots of things with you, few changes of clothes are enough. We can shop when you reach there for our new beginning."


    "Thank you, Stefan. Thank you so much. We never really intended toe to you for help but in the end, you still came and found us. We''re so d that you''re back and I''m so d that your mother''s happy for all you have achieved now."


    "Hn. I''m sure she''s proud of me. I''m thankful that she gave birth to me, too. I wouldn''t have everything I have now if she didn''t give birth to me." Stefanmented while holding the photo album that his uncle gave him. "So, I''ll be taking this album with me to have pictures of my mother."


    "Sure. It''s not really a problem. We still have lots of pictures here."


    At ten in the morning, they left the house and bid farewell to them. They needed to check out from the hotel and go back home to clean up the house in Peach Wood Subdivision.


    Dominic and his father started settling things on their end as well. They talked to thendowner first, thanking him for letting them use that small area all these years.


    "I didn''t expect that Latticia''s son wille back and get you. But I am happy for you." Thendowner gave Stanley a gentle pat on his shoulder. "Are you destroying the house once you leave?"


    "Not really. Even though it looks like that, I think it''s a waste to destroy it. So, if you can find someone who wants to live there, you might want to give it to them or start renting it and use the money to renovate that house."


    "That''s a good idea. Well, I thank you for your parting gift."


    "No, we thank your for taking us in all these years. Thank you so much."


    After talking to thendowner, they started packing some of their things. He still needed to wait for Monday toe in order to go to his workce and inform them of his resignation.


    It was already evening when Cayenne and Stefan arrived home. They didn''t return to Peach Wood this time but went to Cayenne''s property in City B.


    His father and Erwin were cooking dinner while Luiz and Kyle looked at the magazine that was asking them to model for their summer edition.


    "We''re home." Cayenne announced her arrival and ced some shopping bags on the coffee table. "These are the souvenirs I got for you in City H. The name''s written on it so, just get whichever has your name."


    "Yay! Thank you, Yen." Luiz happily took the bag with his name on it and ran back to his room. When he looked at the boxes and bags at the foot of his bed, he pped his forehead. "They''re umting now and I haven''t opened any of them. There''s shouldn''t be anything that will get spoil over time, right?" He looked at them for few minutes and finally, he sat down on the floor and began opening each one of them.


    There were shirts, watches, shoes, bags, perfume, a hard drive where he can store lots of files, headphones, and together with another pair of shoes were three transformers. Luiz was stunned to see these toys among so many expensive gifts he received. But among all of them, these toys were the ones that touches the string of his heart the most. Ever since he was a kid, he likes transformers so much. Sometimes, his father would buy him those little figures that he can afford and gave it to Luiz. Up until now, these little toys still exist in his room. He treasured them so much and seeing the additional tree items, Luiz couldn''t stop himself from smiling.


    He looked at the name of the sender again and it was from Jillyanna and Jade. Obviously, the pair of shoes was from Jillyanna and the transformers came from Jade. Such a lovely and thoughtful kid.


    Luiz took a picture of himself with the three transformers and sent it to Jillyanna''s number. He didn''t expect that he''d contact this goddess for such silly matter. "Please give my thank you to Jade. I really love these toys."


    To his surprise, Jillyanna called him not a minuteter. Luiz was so startled as he pressed the answer button but he soon calmed down when he heard the cute little voice on the other side of the phone.


    "Did you just open the gifts now?" Jade asked with her cute little voice.


    "Hn. I''m so surprised to see these three little toys. You''re the only one who gave me a unique gift."


    "I''m so d that you like it. I remember auntie Yen telling me that her youngest brother likes transformer so much. So, I thought of buying it. I don''t have a big allowance so, I can only get you those cheap and small things."


    "The price and the size don''t matter. What matters is that, you thoughtfully considered my gift. Thank you so much, Jade."


    "You''re wee brother Luiz. I''m cheering for your entrance exam, too."


    "Hn. I''ll do my best."


    "Okay. I''m hanging up now. Dad doesn''t like me talking to boys for a long time. He''s already ring at me. Bye bye."


    Luizughed so hard on his hand but he still replied a cute ''bye bye'' to her. What Jade was telling him was actually the truth. Travis was already looking at her with a stern face when the call exceeded two minutes.


    "Dad, you don''t have to worry so much. I know my priorities and limits."


    "What can I do? Our little princess is very pretty." Travis replied with a deep sigh of worry. "But I''m not really bothered with Luiz. I''m more bothered with Ethan. He will being tomorrow, right?"


    "Hn. We will have an advance study for my 6th grade subjects. We will also bake cookies in the afternoon and make mango jam that you like so much." Jade responded with a sweet smile. "You keep seeing that you''re bothered with him but you like the mango jam he madest time. You even ate all of them."


    "I ate them because I didn''t want you to eat them. What if he ced something in it and then you ate them?" Travis retorted with a serious expression on his face.


    Jillyanna rolled her eyes at her husband. ''Not honest at all. He wouldn''t just admit that he likes it. So childish.'' Jillyanna thought. The grin on her face widened while looking at her husband and daughter talking and making retorts to each other. She quickly sent a message to Luiz. "Jade is so happy that you like her gifts. Thank you for letting her know that you appreciate her effort."


    "I''ll treasure them." Luiz replied before putting the transformers on the shelves inside his room.


    While Stefan was trying to put back andplete his family, someone was trying to destroy them as well. At first, he was nning to destroy Jonas or his son but then, he realized that Stefan was also involved in everything thus; their lives were in danger once again.


    "Anyone loved by him, I''ll make sure they suffer."

 Chapter 371 - SHES IN PAIN

    <h4>Chapter 371 - SHE''S IN PAIN</h4>


    Over dinner, Cayenne told her stepfather that he needed to move out of Peach Wood and live in her house together with Luiz and Kyle. In this way, they will be able to spend more time together.


    "So, tomorrow, we will help you move out your things and clean the house as well." Cayenne stated before turning to her husband. "Are we moving our things, too?"


    "I don''t think they will agree to that. Let''s just leave our things there. In any case, we''ll visit them from time to time so, it will be good if we have a room of our own. And there are enough room for them to stay. I guess it won''t be a problem."


    "Alright, then." Cayenne nodded in response to his statement before he continued to eat.


    Usually, when they''re at home, only Erwin ate together with them. The security guards will eat in batch in order to make sure that someone will be able to watch over the safety of the people inside the house and double check the security measures around the house.


    But if they''re outside, they would eat together but the guards will be sitting from different ces where they can observe the movements of the crowd.


    Just like right now, only three guards were eating in the kitchen while the rest were still patrolling the area. Once the three of them finishes their meal, another group of three wille to eat.


    "How about we hire a helper?" Cayenne thought. "I''m not really looking for a helper who will work around the house and do all chores but just someone who can cook and wash the dishes. After all, we have so many people who eats at different times."


    "I don''t mind that. I can certainly find someone like that." Stefan replied while removing the bones of the fried fish that Cayenne wanted to eat.


    Yesterday, she ate a lot of fried fishes that his Uncle Stan cooked. Earlier when they arrived, she also requested to have fried fish which made Erwin cook the fish at the veryst minute.


    Stefan didn''t think too much about it but he was a bit worried. ''Is she pregnant?'' He asked himself and he really wanted to buy a PT stick for her but Cayenne wasn''t saying anything. She knows her body more than anyone else. She would be saying something if she''s indeed pregnant knowing that it''s her happiness. ''I might be just thinking too much'' Stefan told himself and shrugged off this idea from his head.


    As if to answer his question and to clear his doubt, the next morning, Cayenne was curling her body from pain once again. Her menstruation period came bringing dysmenorrhea to her.


    Stefan immediately noticed her difort and when he checked the time, it was still four in the morning. The date of her period wasn''t regr but he noticed that it would alwayse around night time or when the dawn was just breaking.


    "Honey, just hold on for a minute. I''ll be right back. Don''t move or go anywhere else. If you need something just give me a call." Stefan didn''t bother wearing his slippers and ran out of the room to go downstairs. He heated four sses of water and ced them inside thepress bag.


    As soon as he was done, he ran back upstairs and ced it on her lower tummy, rubbing it to on her skin to give her a littlefort. Her forehead was dotted with cold sweat which worried him so much. "Hon, can you do this by yourself? I''ll downstairs again to make you some ginger soup."


    "No. Don''t go. Just stay here, okay? I will be fine. Just don''t leave me." Cayenne mumbled with her eyes closed. She looked so exhausted.


    She really hated her period. Other women have no problem during these times of the month but there are women who suffer from dysmenorrhea just like her. Thankfully, she''s got her husband beside her.


    Stefan wiped her forehead with a face towel while rubbing the hotpress on her lower stomach. Their bedsheet was already stained with her blood but Stefan didn''t care at all. He can just wash itter once she''s doing a little bit better.


    "I really thought that you''re pregnant because you were craving for fried fish which was really rare." Stefan spoke while she remained lying on their bed.


    "I''d be very happy if your thought has happened but sadly, I was just simply craving for that food." Cayenne replied in whisper. "Whenever we thought of me being pregnant, my periodes the next day. I hate this."


    "Don''t hate it. It''s a proof of your strength." Stefan kissed her face and rubbed the space between her eyebrow. "You''ll have wrinkles if you keep frowning."


    "Then, I''ll go to some derma clinic and use your money to treat my wrinkles."


    Stefan chuckled with her response as he continued to rub thepress on her stomach. "It''s still four in the morning. Why don''t you get some sleep?"


    "I don''t want to."


    "Why?"


    "I need to change my clothes as soon as I''m feeling better."


    "Don''t think too much about that. It''s just you and me here. You can changeter. I don''t mind."


    "Okay. I''ll try to get some sleep." Cayenne whispered, just letting Stefan do the work while she''s trying to fall asleep once again. Stefan covered her with the nket, ignoring the fact that it will be stained by blood. Feeling a little bit morefortable, Cayenne fell asleep once again.


    Stefan looked at her tired face and sighed. "If only I can take this pain away from you." He mumbled while keeping his hand moving in rotating motion on her lower stomach.


    He knew that it was still early but he still sent a message to Luiz, asking him to prepare a ginger soup for his sister as soon as he wakes up.


    When Luiz woke up at six, he first checked his phone and found Stefan''s message. He instantly got out of bed and washed his face. Whenever Cayenne experience the excruciating pain of dysmenorrhea, it was Luiz who will make her ginger soup in the past. Recently, it was her husband but since Stefan asked him for help, Luiz knew that his sister must be clinging on to him now.


    "I''m on it." He sent this reply to Stefan and ran out of his room to go downstairs and make some ginger soup for Cayenne. He busied himself andter on, Erwin also woke up to water the vegetables at the backyard. One after another, the whole family finally came out of their room except for Cayenne and Stefan. And when they saw Luiz making ginger soup, they already knew why the two weren''ting out yet.


    Kyle and his father decided to make breakfast for everyone since they needed lots of strength to move his things and to clean the house in Peach Wood.


    Obviously, Cayenne won''t be able to go with them this time. And since she won''t be able to go, it''s already given that Stefan won''t be able to go either. After all, his number one priority has always been his wife.

 Chapter 372 - WORKING TOGETHER

    <h4>Chapter 372 - WORKING TOGETHER</h4>


    When Cayenne woke up again, it was already eight in the morning. Stefan had changed thepress twice already while she was still sleeping, running back and forth from their bed to the kitchen just because he didn''t want to leave her longer than five minutes.


    Her father and brothers already left along with some bodyguards to move Jonas''s belongings and other stuff.


    She got out of bed to change clothes and wear some pads to prevent any leaks. Stefan changed the bedsheet, pillow covers and nket, and ced them in a basket so he could wash them downstairs. He didn''t really mind washing the things with her blood stains on them.


    "Sweetheart, I''m going downstairs to put these items in the machine. I''ll be back as soon as possible."


    "Okay." Cayenne softly whispered her answer and smiled at him. She was sitting on the couch, holding the hotpress on her own now. She''s already feeling better but the pain was still there, though it was already faint and she can already handle herself.


    Stefan left the room with a basket ofundry, looking back at her before closing the door to make sure that she''s alright. Just as he promised, he didn''t really take long. He just put theundry inside the machine and poured soap powder on them. After turning it on, he left it on its own volition. He went to kitchen and prepared her meal that she missed to have with everyone this morning.


    When he came back to their room, she was lying on the couch with her feet up on the wall. She was still pressing thepress on her stomach but she looked a lot better nowpared to her expression when the dawn was breaking.


    "Come and have breakfast." Stefan stated as he walked across the room, ced the tray on this bedside drawer beforeing to her side. "You missed breakfast with everyone so, I decided to just bring your meal inside."


    "How about you?"


    "I''m eating with you. I brought enough food for both of us."


    "Okay. Let''s eat."


    She''s more cheerful now and she smiles at him genuinely without any traces of pain on her face. This made Stefan sigh a breath of relief. He was really d that she''s getting better.


    "Did I scare you again earlier?" Cayenne asked while walking beside him to their bed.


    "I wasn''t really scared but I was worried. I didn''t know what to do with you and I didn''t know how painful it was for you. I can only watch you suffer from your period."


    "You didn''t just watch me, okay? Stop thinking so negatively. Didn''t you make a hotpress for me? Besides, there''s nothing that we can really do about this. It''s part of me already. And it only happens on the first day of my period. And it will slowly fade. In the afternoon, I''m sure this will be gone."


    Stefan pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "My wife is very strong."


    "Of course. I''ve always been strong." Even if she''s got moments that she showed her weakness, Stefan didn''t really say anything about that. He just allowed her boast in front of him because he knew that Cayenne only shows this side of her to him. "Didn''t you have any ns today? I must have ruined it again."


    "I just nned to work today. Chris will be here any moment to bring my work since I don''t want to leave your side."


    "Are you also nning to work tomorrow?"


    "Hn. I need to work in order to make up for the days that we had vacation with the students and for the next trip that we''ll have with the whole family."


    "What about me? What am I going to do? I can''t just sit here and do nothing, right?"


    "Just do nothing today and tomorrow, you cane with me to the office."


    "Okay."


    They continued eating their breakfast while chatting in whispers in their own room. Around ten in the morning, Chris came with a briefcase which contains the work that Stefan needed to deal with for the whole day. He reported some things to him and after making sure that he didn''t forget anything, he left in order to continue his work in thepany.


    The two of them went to the study room and there, Stefan dealt with the documents while Cayenne was lying on the couch once again.


    "Hubby, I''m bored." Cayenne mumbled. "Can I do something to help you?"


    "Are you fond of analyzing things?"


    "Not really but I can still do it if I put some effort."


    "Then,e and help me analyze the advantages and disadvantages of these projects. You can have one to start with and let me know of your opinion. Last time, you were able to observe the meeting and you jotted notes even though you''re in the middle of tranting my proposal and your idea were good."


    "It was just in passing. This time, I''ll put on more effort for these works." Cayenne picked one document that has no approval from him yet. The two of them sat side by side, reading documents and discusses it right after. Cayenne has very good analyzation skills and Stefan was very happy about it.


    "How about you study to be my secretary?" Stefan asked her with a teasing smile. "With your skills, I''m sure we''ll be very efficient with our work."


    "No way. If I be your secretary and we stay close to each other every single day even inside your office. I don''t think we''ll be able to do any works. So, you better give up on your idea."


    His heartyughter echoed inside the four corners of the room and Cayenne couldn''t help but smile. She was telling the truth. Knowing how insatiable Stefan can be and how shameless he can be, they''ll for sure do it inside his office. There''s no way they''d be efficient with work.


    "Alright. Let''s stop joking now." Stefan ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the tip of it. "Once we get back from our family trip, we''ll look for school where you can transfer to in order for you to finish your studies."


    "Hn. I''m looking forward to it."


    After teasing and flirting, they went back to work again and just stopped thirty minutes before lunch. No matter how busy they were, one thing that Stefan would never want her to miss was her meal. He was already traumatized when Cayenne was sent to hospital because of her ulcer. And it was even his fault. Now, wherever they went to, he would always keep in mind that Cayenne must eat three meals a day. She can eat snacks if she wants and it didn''t matter to him.

 Chapter 373 - MOVING ON A NEW CHAPTER

    <h4>Chapter 373 - MOVING ON A NEW CHAPTER</h4>


    During lunch, Stefan was about to cook their food when Kyle sent him a message not to cook anything because they bought food along the way. They wereing back from Peach Wood already. So, instead of cooking, Stefan went to the living room where Cayenne was and just chatted with her.


    Not long after, three cars came inside her property. Kyle came down first while Luiz handed him some of the food boxes beforeing out as well. The two of them were holding food boxes as the walked inside the house.


    "We''re home, sis." Luiz announced their arrival with a huge smile stered on his face. "How are you feeling now?"


    "I''m a lot better. Thank you for making that ginger soup for me."


    "Sure. No big deal. We''ll just arrange the dishes on the dining table." Luiz and Kyle left them and went to the kitchen. Jonas also came inside with several luggage. Erwin and two other body guards were helping him.


    "We clean the house before leaving which took us a little bit of time." Jonas mentioned as he walked towards the couple. "Here are the keys. Thank you for letting me stay there, Stefan."


    "You''re wee, Pa."


    "I''ll just bring my things upstairs." Jonas left along with Erwin and the guards.


    The two of them was just sitting and rxing on their own. Stefan sent a message to Dominic asking him how everyone was doing. Not five minutester, Dominic replied telling him that they''re doing good and were able to settle some matters already. They just needed to do few things more before they can finally leave the ce.


    At this moment, Dominic and his father were currently sitting in the living room of a huge house. He didn''t know how his father got to know this person and they''ve been waiting for ten minutes already and yet, no one came to entertain them yet. They were only given sses of water and then, the maids left.


    "Pa, why are we here?" Dominic asked. "Did you have a debt with some people living in here?"


    Stanley nodded his head. "I have a huge debt to the woman who''s living here. Don''t worry, I won''t run away from my debt."


    "Uh¡­that''s not really what I''m concern about. Why didn''t ¨C"


    "Stanley! How many times do I have to tell you not to show your face here anymore?! Why can''t you just ¨C " a woman was yelling angrily while walking down the spiral stairs but when she saw Dominic, she was stunned and her eyes went wide. "Who''s this young man?"


    "He''s my son." Stanley replied nonchntly. "And here." He put down an envelope that he took out from his pocket. "The medical bills, the prescription receipts, the amount of money you lent to us, I''m returning them all to you. Thank you for helping us all these years." He stood up right after putting the envelope on the table. Dominic followed him but there was an unsettling feeling on his chest when he looked at the woman.


    "Wait!" she ran to chase after them, her eyes still lingering on Dominic''s figure. "Stanley, won''t you introduce me to him?"


    "Are you sure you want to be introduced?" Stanley returned a question which really stunned her. She opened her mouth, only to close them back with no wordsing out from her. "We''re leaving now and this time, it''s for our own good. We''re now moving forward with our lives."


    Perhaps it was because of guilt or perhaps it was because of embarrassment but she didn''t go after them and tried stopping them again, just watching their figures disappearing from her sight. she could only cry but she knew that her tears couldn''t amount to the pain that she caused them.


    Dominic and his father left after boarding a taxi. They were silent for almost five minutes and it was Stanley who broke the silence. "Did you recognize her?"


    "I almost didn''t recognize her. After she left, I threw all the pictures that showed her face. I had forgotten how she looked like. If we didn''t have any resemnce, I wouldn''t know that it''s her."


    "Your mother is rich now. If she everes to find you and take you back, would you like to go with her?"


    "Pa, you don''t need to think too much. I wouldn''t go with her even if she gives me her riches. I don''t need those. When I needed a mother, where was she? She was never there beside me. It was you, grandma and grandpa who stayed with me and raised me to who I am now. Anyway, I won''t go with her."


    Stanley breathed some relief upon hearing his words. Ever since he received help from her, he kept the receipts and kept tabs of the money that she gave them. She said that it was her help but it was more likely her way to ease her guilt from breaking their family.


    He had nothing back then and his son''s study and mother''s medication were very important to him. He promised that he''d pay her one day and he didn''t know when that one day woulde.


    Thankfully, the money he was able to saved up totaled to the amount he owed her plus some change. It was already more than enough for him topletely severe their ties. He loved his ex-wife, even now, he still loved her. But why fight a battle that you knew you''d lose? She let go of him for some other guy and no matter how much he loves her, his savings couldn''tpare to the amount of riches that her new partner has.


    They even paid for the divorce process and for the attorneys, just so they could annul his marriage with her.


    "Pa, are you regretting that you let go of her?"


    "Nope. If I keep her, she wouldn''t be happy. And if I continued to keep her knowing that she was cheating behind my back, isn''t that making me look like a fool? I''m sane and rational. If she''s happy with someone else then, let her be. My love for her isn''t as important as money in her eyes."


    "Once you get back on your feet and have more money again, would you like to get her back?"


    "No. I wouldn''t waste my time and maybe, we were not really meant with each other. And who knows, I might be able to find someone else in the future. I''m not so old yet, after all."


    Dominic chuckled at his father''s response while giving him a thumbs up. "If you ever find someone, I hope it''s the right person this time. I don''t want you getting hurt again and again."


    "Let''s just leave it to fate."


    And in the future, they would realize that moving on to a new chapter of their lives was the best choice they''ve done in their lives because more beautiful things were awaiting for them.

 Chapter 374 - HIS FAMILY IS COMING HOME

    <h4>Chapter 374 - HIS FAMILY IS COMING HOME</h4>


    The next day, since Cayenne was feeling a lot better than yesterday, Stefan brought her to hispany so that they can do some work and lessen the piles of documents on his table.


    The employees greeted them happily and she greeted her back. She was smiling genuinely at them, cheering them to do a good job and to be safe always.


    She resumed tranting the proposal that Stefan wanted her to work on. She had few remaining pages to deal with but her husband had a lot more to dopared to her.


    He also attended a lunch meeting with some clients and she had toe along with him or he will panic leaving her in the office. In the afternoon, he talked with all the finance manager of all his firms, getting reports from them from thest two months. He wasn''t able to finish all the work and he could only bring some of them to their home.


    "Who will pick up granny and everyone else tomorrow?" Cayenne asked Stefan as theyid on their bed. He was still reading some documents while Cayenne hugged his waist.


    "I already asked the bodyguards to pick them up. Martin was the one who sent Dominic homest time and he knew where he lives. He will pick them up tomorrow along with the other guards. We will just meet them at home."


    "O-okay." Cayenne muttered softly while trying to see what was written on the paper that he was reading. "Will you be taking time with your work? Won''t you sleep yet?"


    "It''s still nine in the evening. I can work for another hour and then sleep. You can sleep first. I won''t be going anywhere."


    "No. I want to sleep with you. I''ll just wait."


    Stefan looked at her and knew that she wouldn''t change her mind. "Alright. I''ll just work on it tomorrow." He ced the documents inside his bedside drawer and cuddled her to sleep. "Are you alright now? No more pain?"


    "Hn. Nothing at all. I told you it will only happen on my first day."


    "I just want to make sure. It''s really scary to see you struggling in so much pain."


    Cayenne hugged him even tighter this time. "Thank you for always taking care of me. I can understand now why you''re anxious about us having a baby. In any case, I''m already agreeing to two years of waiting time."


    "You''re no longer mad at me about it?"


    "Who said that I''m mad at you? I was never mad at you."


    "Oh." Stefan just smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "I''m so d you''re not angry about it."


    "Let''s just go to sleep. Stop overthinking things." Cayenne kissed his lips and smiled at him. "Good night, hubby."


    "Good night, my lovely wife."


    And because Cayenne had her period, Stefan stopped being shameless this time. They went to sleep peacefully with the moon and stars watching them from the night sky outside their window.


    Another morning came and the day that they''re both so excited about has finallye. Cayenne woke up early and made a cup of coffee for him since he needed to continue on the things that he didn''t finishst night. Martin and the other guards left early as well in order to pick up Dominic and his family.


    "Morning, Yen. Morning bro." Kyle greeted the two of them as he walked down the stairs. "We''re meeting with Kath and her brother this afternoon. Is it okay?"


    "Are you meeting him about the modeling work that Kath mentioned before?" Stefan asked him while sipping a cup of his coffee.


    "Hn. We will talk about the work and the contract."


    "Before signing the contract, would it be fine if you bring it home so I can take a look at it?"


    "Hn. I''ll bring it back home." Kyle promised. "Do both of you have cravings today? I''ll be cooking breakfast now."


    "Let''s just have our usual breakfast." Cayenne answered her brother.


    Kyle just nodded his head and left the two lovebirds. Not long after, Luiz came down as well and greeted the two of them before going to the kitchen to help his brother.


    Jonas was outside the house, specifically at the backyard, taking care of the vegetables that Cayenne nted. The vegetables have grown in the past two months and there were small fruits already. Two or three weeks more, they will be able to harvest their veggies from the garden. They won''t have to spend so much money and time going to the market to buy vegetables.


    In City H, Dominic and his family were all prepared. Their things were ced in several boxes with their names written on it to make sure that they''d be able to find their belonging once they reached Stefan''s house.


    Their neighbors were chatting with them, wishing them good health and happiness in the new ce that they will be moving to. Some of the teenaged girls, who liked Dominic, took pictures with him as a remembrance that they once knew each other. After all, it wasn''t a guarantee that they would still meet in the future.


    Around ten in the morning, Martin arrived with other bodyguards and greeted them politely.


    "Sir Stefan instructed us to pick you up. He will meet you together with the madam at your new home." Martin told them which stunned the people who were present at the moment. They didn''t expect that Stanley and his family will be living with someone very rich. They all thought that they''re moving because of his work and Dominic''s study.


    "Please get inside the car. I''m responsible for driving you home." Martin added while picking up some of the bags to ce it at the back.


    "Thank you, young man." Stanley replied before looking at his neighbors once again. He bowed his head deeply at them and thanked them from the bottom of his heart. "I hope we will meet again someday. If you evere to visit City A, don''t hesitate to contact us."


    "See you next time." Dominic waved his hands at them before turning around to get inside the car. The moment he stepped on it, he knew that it''s the start of his new beginning.

 Chapter 375 - CLARA DIED

    <h4>Chapter 375 - CLARA DIED</h4>


    Natsuki left the country when all the crime that his family was involved to got expose to everyone. Although he wasn''t involved in anything illegal given that he has no power in their family, he was still embarrassed with all that has happened.


    However, as soon as he heard the news that there was a new trial on going involving Alexander''s death, he immediately went back home to check on it. And the moment he arrived was also the day that Jonas was freed from his life sentence imprisonment. Jonas looked so happy having a family reunion while he, on the other hand, was all alone now.


    ra was sent in jail and won''t be going out of it for the rest of her life. And their son? He''s dead several years ago. Alexander might have been mistake born from their lustful and immoral acts but he truly loved him. He loved him so much that he wanted to avenge his death.


    He had been following Stefan now but he wasn''t like Arthur who would follow them everywhere. He was only paying so much attention on the social media about him and his wife. At first, he wanted to make a move against Kyle and Luiz but the security around them was so tight that he couldn''t find a gap to insert himself and put end to their lives.


    So now, he widened his range of target. He no longer focused on those two young men but he focused on everyone that Stefan cares about because Stefan was the reason why his son died and he was also the reason why Jonas was freed from jail.


    Currently, he was sitting in the visitor''s lounge to see ra for the first time after the scandalous news of their family broke out. The moment ra stepped out to meet him, he almost couldn''t recognize her. The elegant and sophisticated woman in his mind was gone. The one standing in front of him was so thin, her face was gaunt like she hasn''t eaten for months, the dark circles around her eyes were so clear and she looked so exhausted.


    ra found her uncle sitting on the lounge waiting for her and as soon as her eyesnded on him, she couldn''t stop herself from crying. She didn''t say a single word but just cried silently.


    Natsuki stood up and pulled her to sit in front of him. "Sshh. It''s alright. Everything will be alright. I''m here. I''m still here for you." Natsuki gently pat her shoulder, trying his best tofort her a little. "How did you be like this? Did someone bully you here? Didn''t your husbande and visit you?"


    "No. After all that happened, do you think he wille and visit me?" ra returned the question to her uncle. "Anyway, why are you here?" she wiped her tears and looked at him straight in the eye.


    "I''m here to avenge our family. Have you heard that Jonas Slyvester has been freed from jail? Stefan helped him."


    ra looked at her hands before raising her head to look at him again. "Uncle, don''t go anywhere near them. Don''t do anything harsh. Stefan isn''t a simple man anymore. He can fight back and he''s got so many friends who would help him. And he''s very close with Travis Madrigal. Don''t do anything or you will end up here like me. I chose not to drag you before because I know it was my selfish whim that brought me here but Stefan might find something against you. Just leave and go somewhere. Live a new life."


    Natsuki looked at his niece in surprise. He never expected that these words woulde out directly from her mouth. He blinked his eyes twice in disbelief. "Are you sure? All you have now is me? If I leave, no one wille again to visit you."


    "It''s fine. I''ll be fine." ra stated. Her visiting time was over so she needed to go back inside her cell. She smiled at her uncle and waved her hands at him. "I''m d that you visited me."


    Natsuki left the ce and got inside his car to go back to his apartment. He was now living in his apartment because he didn''t want to go back the vi that they owned once. There were still some people who''re living there, people who weren''t involved in anything unscrupulous, people who didn''t have any power before and they''re the people who were saved from being sent to jail.


    That night, ra went to the bathroom and cried so hard. Ever since she was sent to jail, she was living in humiliation. The women in her cell yed with her body using different kind of things. They tortured her and humiliated her and the cell guard didn''t care about it. Thankfully, someone was still sane enough to help her.


    Since ra didn''t have anyone who visits her often, she can only ask one of her cellmates for a favor. She asked if her family good bring her some slipping pills next time.


    Her cellmates thought that she only asked for it because she wanted to get some sleep. After all, they tortured her almost all the time that they had their breaks.


    Right now, she was sitting inside the bathroom cubicle with the sleeping pills in hands and a grape juice that she got from the same cellmate. She poured all the contents of the pill on her palm and drank all of them with the juice.


    It was the easiest way to kill herself without anyone knowing it or doubting her actions.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry for everything." These were the only words she could say while her breathing started to go out of control. Her chest has started to be painful and her breathing was erratic.


    Two hourster, when she still didn''te back, it was then that the police officer started to look anxious. They looked for her inside the bathroom and found her lying on the floor, pale and lifeless.


    Natsuki wouldn''t have known that it was thest moment he could see his niece in person. The ever-cheerful woman in his mind waspletely gone, out of his life and out of this world.


    The next day, to the shock of everyone in Cayenne''s house, reporters were flocking right outside their gates. They didn''t know who gave their address to them but they were obviously waiting for them toe out.


    Today was the day for them to go out and meet with Stefan''s family but now, they were surrounded by many reporters.


    "What''s going on?" Stefan casted a confused look at the reporters. "Don''t tell me you''re all here to tell my wife that I have a new woman again."


    They were all silent with his question but they didn''t answer it instead, they all asked him a question. "Mr. Dumrique, what can you say about ra Minato''s suicide?"


    "Huh? Shemitted suicide? Did she die?" Stefan asked them the question instead because he had no idea about such news.


    "It was confirmedst night that she died from over sedation. Traces of sleeping pills were found on her body." Another reporter stated to let Stefan know of the news.


    "Well. She''s not my mother and she never acted like a mother to me. I don''t have any opinion on this matter. It was her life, and she knows what she did better than anyone. Her death has nothing to do with me or my family. Now, can you excuse us? My wife and I have to go somewhere and meet important people."


    The reporters started to disperse and Stefan went inside his car once again to drive out of the property and meet with his family in Peach Wood. Martin just texted them that they will arrive in half an hour.


    "Who do you think sent them our address?" Cayenne asked while looking at the side mirror. The reporters were still there but they were also starting to leave the ce since their intention was already fulfilled.


    "I''ll look into this."

 Chapter 376 - THEYRE HOME

    <h4>Chapter 376 - THEY''RE HOME</h4>


    Cayenne and Stefan arrived first in Peach Wood because Martin and everyone suddenly got stuck in a traffic on their way back. There was an ident on the road that they were trying to pass by and it caused a heavy traffic.


    "I was nning that we should go and shop with themter but given that they traveled for a several hours, they must be tired. Let''s just postpone our n and do it tomorrow. Is that fine?" Cayenne asked Stefan while looking at the school brochures that Stefan handed her.


    They were sitting in the living room with several school brochures that Stefan gathered for her to look into and choose a school where she can transfer and finish her degree.


    "I don''t really mind." Stefan answered her. His hand was resting on her shoulder as he pulled her in a warm embrace. "You''re always considerate."


    Cayenne just grinned at him and kissed the side of his jaw. "I''m considerate because my husband always spoils me. I can''t spoil other people but I can be kind to them."


    "And it''s a very good quality of a person." He added and kissed the space between her eyebrows. "Just be who you are."


    "Yes, sir." Cayenne winked at him with her answer while giving him a school brochure of her choice. "I want to go to this school."


    "Xena University?" Stefan questioned while getting the brochure from her and as far as he remembered, this school was the cheapest among the school brochures that he gathered for her. "Did you choose this because it''s cheap?"


    "Uh huh. Aside from that, they have a very good reputation. It''s not far from our ce as well."


    "Well, I don''t have anything against this school. If you want to study here then, I''ll go process the transfer procedure. Before going for a family trip, let''s handle settle everything first in order to have no problem once we get back."


    "Sure. Sure." Cayenne hugged him and rubbed her face on his chest. "Your scent reallyforts me."


    "And your scent does the same thing to me."


    They looked at each other''s eyes and chuckled. They both seemed like perverts who loved smelling each other.


    Half an hourter, several cars finally arrived in front of their gate. Cayenne ran outside and opened the gate for them so that they can drive inside the property. As soon as the car was parked, Martin came down to help the elderly. Dominic also stepped out of the car followed by his father.


    They all stood and looked at the magnificent house in front of them. "Are we really living this ce?" Dominic muttered under his breath.


    "I guess so." Stanley, his father, answered with the same dazed expression. "Anyway,e and help me take out our things."


    "There''s no need, sir." Martin told Stanley. "You can just get inside the house and we will bring those things inside. Sir Stefan and the young madam had been waiting for you."


    "O-okay. Thank you so much for taking care of us." Stanley bowed his head in front of the guards which really put them in another awkward position.


    "It''s not much. It''s not much." Martin stated as he waved his hands at them and smiled. When they applied for this job, they thought that they''d be engage in bloody battle against Stefan''s rivals. They didn''t expect that the moment they got hired, they will only babysit several adults. But it wasn''t the problem, the issue was, they were very polite to them. These really put the guards in awkward position because they were never treated politely before. They were usually hired to kill someone not babysit someone. But this also put them at ease. They were treated as a human being not killing machines.


    Stanley and his family walked towards the house where Cayenne and Stefan stood, waiting for them to arrive. "Wee to your new house." Cayenne greeted them and hugged them one after another. "How was the trip?"


    "It was fine. Martin is a very good driver." Stanleymented. "He didn''t talk much but when you ask him questions, he''s got very sensible answers."


    "Oh! Martin was once the top of his ss when he was in high school." Cayenne told his uncle.


    "Really?! No wonder he sounded so smart whenever he talks."


    "Have you eaten?" Stefan asked them as he opened the door wider for them to get inside.


    "We ate already." His grandfather, Jose, answered his question. "That young man brought us to a fast food chain to eat."


    "I see." Stefan nodded his head. "I''m d you''ve arrived here safely." They all went to the living room and sat on the couch while the guards brought several boxes inside the house.


    "Stefan, are we really living here? This ce looks so big for us." Uncle Stanmented as he looked around the ce. There were so many photos of him and Cayenne around.


    "Yes, you will be living here. Once in a while, my wife and I will drop by in here to see you guys. We already cleaned the rooms upstairs so you can choose which one you like to upy. There''s also a room downstairs which grandma and grandpa can stay. In that way, you don''t have to keep climbing the stairs which will be detrimental for your health."


    "You''ve thought so much for us." Jose said with tears blurring his vision. He never thought that the grandson they''ve been missing so much would juste back and take them away. He didn''t even dare imagine such things to happen.


    "Stefan always think the best things for his family. You should start getting used to it." Cayenne told them whichforted them a little. "And you don''t have to worry about the expenses here. I will be paying the monthly bills like water and electricity. As for the groceries, we will buy them as well. For now, there are so many groceries inside so, you don''t have to worry about food. If you need anything, just let me know."


    "Thank you, Yen." Stefan''s grandmother, Cory, smiled at her, even though they knew that all she can see was Cayenne''s blurry figure.


    "Let''s rest for a while and start unpacking your things. We''ll help." Stefan simply mentioned with no room for negotiation. His family could only thank him and smile at him.


    After fifteen minutes, his grandparents went to their room and Stefan followed them together with Dominic, to bring the boxes that belonged to their grandparents.


    Cayenne also came along because Stefan would start to panic if he couldn''t see her. ''I should start getting rid of his anxiety. Don''t tell me he''s going to school with me if this continues?'' Cayenne thought to herself while looking at her husband. ''It seemed so sweet but it would affect the school and his business.''

 Chapter 377 - SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET I

    <h4>Chapter 377 - SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET I</h4>


    "What are you thinking about?" Stefan asked her when he noticed that she was looking at him with dazed expression. "Is there anything wrong?"


    "Nothing. There''s nothing wrong but I was indeed thinking of something. I''ll let you knowter."


    "Alright." They went back to the living room since Jose and Cory wanted to rest first and unpack their thingster. They''re old already and it''s given that they get easily exhausted.


    The room that Cayenne and Stefan stayed had their names written on a wooden que and was hanging right outside their door. In that way, people knew which room was owned by whom. Dominic and Stanley also chose their room and wrote their name on the wooden que that was hanging at their door.


    Since it was just the two of them in the living room, Cayenne looked at her husband and took a deep breath before speaking. "Hubby, what will you do once I start going to school?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, you always panic when you couldn''t see me for several minutes and once I start going back to university, doesn''t that mean we''ll be away from each other for hours? Don''t tell me you''re nning toe with me to school?"


    Stefan didn''t expect that his n was seen-through by his wife. And because he didn''t want to lie to her, he could only nod his head with all honesty. "Is it wrong to do that?"


    "It''s not really wrong but it will affect the school and they will think that I''m using money to get into this school because of you. Aside from that, it will affect your work."


    "But Ayen, I''m always afraid when you''re out of my sight."


    "I will have several bodyguards with me every day, what''s there to be afraid of?"


    "Anything. I''m afraid of anyone and anything that will harm you."


    "I''ll be fine. Nothing will happen to me. I can manage myself. And it''s a school. Nothing will happen to me inside the school campus."


    "So, you don''t really want me toe with you to school? I shouldn''t have told you to go back to school. I''m regretting my decision now."


    Cayenneughed at him while lightly pinching his face. "You''re just so possessive over me and always so panicky when you couldn''t see me. It''s time to get rid of your anxiety. So, let''s practice on it over this summer."


    Stefan nodded his head reluctantly and was looking at her with grievances. He didn''t really want to be away from her. Just thinking about it made him feel suffocated.


    "Wifey, will you be fine if I asked Travis to install some tracking device on your personal belongings?" Stefan asked after few minutes. He just remembered that Travis likes putting tracking devices on his family''s personal things. It allows him to know where they are and if something dangerous has happened to them. Stefan never thought of getting one because he thought that they''d never be separated.


    "I don''t mind." Cayenne responded. "How about you ce it on the ne that you gave me? Or on my bracelet?"


    "I''ll ce it in every single thing you own."


    "Hey! That''s a bit excessive. One or two tracking devices should be fine." Cayenne retorted. "Anyway, it''s gettingte. What do you n for dinner?"


    "I was nning to have dinner outside with the whole family including yours. In that way, they will get to know each other and be acquainted with one another"


    "That sounds good. Where are we eating?"


    Stefan pulled out his phone and the two of them started looking into the restaurants near them. If it was before, Chris would be the one who usually does this kind of things. Booking restaurants, booking hotels or whatever that needs to be booked, it was his job. But ever since they got together from that unexpected divorce paper from Cayenne, Stefan started to be more hands-on to a lot of things.


    This way, Chris got more free time and he can go on dates with Rissy as well. Just like this time, usually, he''d be stayingte in thepany to work overtime and finish lots of things for tomorrow but now, as soon as he''s done with his work for the day, he''d leave thepany to look for Rissy. Unless, she''s busy, they would always go somewhere to have a date.


    Currently, they''re watching a movie. He was holding her hand while paying attention to the action movie that they''re watching. It was a preparation to the things that he wanted to tell her during dinner. He was a little nervous and afraid but, he knew that he couldn''t run away forever. He needed to tell her the truth of his identity if he wanted her to ept all of him.


    As soon as the movie ended, they stood up and left the cinema. They walked around the mall, bought little things that they can shareter and some little items that they can have as souvenirs. It''s always been like this ¨C they''d get little things for souvenirs every single time that they went on a date.


    "We''re going at your ce first, right?" Rissy asked Chris who was driving the car towards his apartment.


    "Hn. We''ll be at my ce first and then, to your house."


    "Okay." She wasn''t nervous at all. She has prepared herself for Chris'' reactions once he knew of her secrets. If he epts her, it would be very great and if he won''t then, she can just move on.


    They stepped out of his car as soon as they arrived in his apartment and brought the things they bought inside. Some of the tenants who knew Chris greeted them warmly.


    When he opened the door and turned on the lights, Rissy was greeted with a cold atmosphere. It wasn''t because of an aircon or what; the ce just looked so cold and empty.


    "You''ve been living in this cold ce for three years now?"


    "Yup. Ever since I was hired to be a secretary."


    "You''ve never went home to your family ever since?"


    "I don''t have family. The man who adopted me stays in the militarypound most of the time. I''m a soldier working as an undercover agent to uncover some illegal trades that might put the country in jeopardy. In short, my job as Stefan''s secretary is just a front."

 Chapter 378 - SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET II

    <h4>Chapter 378 - SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET II</h4>


    Rissy walked inside his apartment and sat down on the ck couch. She looked around without saying anything yet. In fact, she was thinking how to react to his words without sounding pretentious or overreacting. She didn''t want to break their fragile rtionship.


    "It doesn''t really matter to me." Rissy stated after some time. "It''s not that I don''t care about it but, it''s something that I can''t change. You don''t have a family? So, what? I have a family and I can extend the love of my family to you. And we can make our own family if our rtionship works. As for your job, isn''t it a decent work? You''re protecting the country from being jeopardize. Whether your work as a secretary is fake or not, as long as you like what you''re doing, I will support you on that."


    The apartment sank into silence and Rissy couldn''t bring herself to look at him. She was a bit nervous to see his expression after all the words she said. Unexpectedly, Chris sat on the space beside her. He sped his hands together and turned his head to the side to look at her.


    "Have you heard of Alexander Minato? Stefan''s older brother?"


    "Yup. Why?"


    "He''s my half-brother. We share the same father and I was born few years after him. I was conceived by mistake but his family didn''t take responsibility of my mother''s pregnancy. She died when I was ten years old and because we were poor, my grandparents couldn''t afford to raise me. They kicked me out of the house and I started wandering on the street. I became a garbage collector, washed cars, walked dogs and do different kinds of menial works just to earn a meager some of money. I did all these for two years. And then, a military official found me. He told me to be an assistant to a military doctor because I''m efficient with my work. And then, I was adopted by Major General Hawkins which is how I became Chris Hawkins. The fall of the Minato family, was also part of my n. It just so-happen that Stefan decided to take them down as well and I willingly helped him. If he did not, I would do it on my own."


    "Oh. I''m d that someone out there helped you and raised to be the person you are now."


    "Aren''t you mad? Hasn''t your opinion changed after hearing all these words from me? I''m vengeful and I keep grudges hidden deeply in my heart."


    "Well, I''m not a very kind person either. I think we all have a dark side to us." Rissy responded with a faint yetforting smile towards him. "And I am so d that you''re letting me know about these things."


    "I don''t want to keep any secrets from you. Anyway, my mission will be done soon which means, I will have to stop working as Stefan''s assistant. I don''t know what will be my next mission is but I am pretty sure that I''ll be able to survive it. After all, I have you now."


    "Hey, we''re not done yet. I haven''t shown you my secrets yet." She replied. "Let''s have dinner first. We can chat while eating and we can still chat on our way to my house."


    "Sure." Chris stood up and arranged the dishes they bought on his small dining table. It was just enough for four people to eat but since it was just the two of them, it looked very spacious. "My apartment seemed cold, isn''t it?"


    "For most single people, I can say that their house or apartments would really look cold."


    "I''m so happy that you have an open mind."


    "I can''t say that you are way better than me because we have different experiences. The pain you felt might not have the same intensity to the pain I felt as I grew up but I''m sure, it must be really painful to be alone for two years."


    "It was, but it helped me realize a lot of things. No matter how cruel the world to you is, there are still people who remained kind and would always lend a helping hand and I met a lot of people like that. The kindness might note from your own family but kindness is still kindness, you should be thankful for it."


    Rissy was silent for a little while and her spoon stopped moving as well. She was staring into space with a nk look on her face. "Have you¡­have you experience being bullied?"


    "Being bullied? I guess but not to the extent of getting wounds and bruises. When I was loitering in the streets, doing odd jobs here and there, there were some bigger children who would ask for my money but not all of it. They would just take half of it."


    "And you just let them do it?"


    "Hn. I don''t want to make enemies of them because they outnumbered me. Since it''s just money then, they can have it. I don''t want to be beaten into pulp."


    "Good for you." Rissy continued to eat which put a little bit of uneasiness in Chris''s heart. Asking him a question like that, he was more or less, sure that she was asking base on her experience and somehow, he didn''t want to talk to her about it. He didn''t want to open any scabs of her wounds.


    "Is there anything else you wish to do after dinner?" Chris asked in hope to divert her attention but it was futile.


    "I''d like to go home as soon as I can. It would be best if you know me better before entering the rtionship that we both want. And since you shared a lot tonight. I''d like to share something of myself as well. So, just send me home after dinner."


    "O-okay. I don''t really mind."


    Rissy''s confidence started to waver and she was starting to be afraid but things like past experiences and awful secrets, it should be known earlier and it should being directly from the person involved because at the end of the day, you don''t want your partner to know these thingster on and from someone else''s, do you?

 Chapter 379 - SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET III

    <h4>Chapter 379 - SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET III</h4>


    Right after eating their dinner, the two of them worked together to clean the dining area and disposed the items that needed to be disposed while Chris washed the tes and other utensils they used.


    They rested for few minutes and then left his apartment to send her home and to see what she wanted him to see. The house where Rissy lived wasn''t very far which was convenient for him to visit. He already met her family during the ss trip several days ago and he went to pick her up. Although it was informal, he visited them again on the next day that they cam back from the trip. He introduced himself as her suitor to them and just chatted with them about her.


    He already lost count to the times that he visited her home but this was the second time that he felt very nervous. In fact, he was more nervous tonightpared to the time that he came to meet her parents. After all, their secrets will decide their future rtionship.


    "I''m home." Rissy announced her arrival to her parents. "And Chris is here to visit again."


    "Oh. It''s good to see you." Her mother smiled towards Chris before looking at her daughter up and down. "Have you eaten dinner yet?"


    "Hn. We had dinner." She walked upstairs and beckoned Chris to follow her. "I''ll show him something."


    Both her mother and father were stunned with her words and they both turned their heads to Chris. Their expressions can''t be described and it seemed like they wanted him to stop from moving forward.


    "Excuse my intrusion. I won''t be doing anything unnecessary if that what you''re worried about." Chris told them but somehow, something was telling him that it wasn''t like that at all. There''s something else that they wanted to hide from him.


    He followed Rissy closely as they made their way to the second floor of their house. There were four rooms on the second floor and two of them rooms have her name on it.


    "Why do you have two rooms?"


    "Because one room is very special." Rissy said without looking back. She opened the room with the name Rissy 1.0 and what you can see was just a normal room. In fact, it was like a princess room. You can tell from her room that she''s loved by her parents and were very attentive to her. She''s got so many things and they were mostly pink and purple ¨C it''s really a girl''s room. She''s got so many teddy bears and other stuff toys but, the one that sat on her bed, taking lots of space on it was the teddy bear that her students gave her. Their souvenirs were also ced in different parts of her room and there was also a special box that contained so many letters from her students.


    "I didn''t expect you''d have a room like this?" Chris stated while looking around. "I was thinking that you''re a minimalist type of person because you always looked elegant andposed; always so mature and kind of domineering. I never thought you''d have a girlish side as well. I like it."


    "Really?"


    "Hn." he looked at the box with so many letters before looking at her. "Do you always read them?"


    "Yup. It keeps me grounded and reminds me of why I be a teacher. It calms me."


    "You have lots of pictures of your students, too."


    "Hn. I like seeing their faces and their happy smiles. I just like being there for them. I want to be there for them when no one else can." Rissy looked around her room as well and shrugged her shoulders. "Now, I don''t really want to ruin your mood but, let''s move on to my other room, shall we?"


    "Okay."


    Rissy closed the door of her beautiful room before turning to the other side which has Rissy 2.0 written on it.


    "What''s that other room there?" Chris asked before she could open her room. He was pointing on the room with no name on it which was just right beside hers.


    "That''s a guest room. We keep one vacant room just in case someone woulde over but that''s rarely used since we rarely have visitors."


    "Oh." Chrisposed himself once again and looked at her. "Alright. Show me this special room of yours."


    Rissy opened the door to her second room and what Chris saw shocked him so much. It was just a white room at first with some colorful writings on the walls and lots of coloring materials on the side. It was almost empty but when she turned off the light, he felt suffocated. He felt like his throat was blocked and he couldn''t breathe. The writings on the walls became vivid in front of him and he can clearly see the things and words that were written on it.


    He can feel her anguish on each stroke. He can feel the searing hate with the colors used. It seemed like the childish drawings were moving and they were showing him the things that she had in mind when she drew them. It was morbid. It was painful. It felt like he''d go crazy if he continued to watch it. There was sketch of someone''s head falling off from its body. The written words were full of hatred and they all came from the very bottom of her heart. There was a sketch of a person being burned down in a huge fire.


    He didn''t notice at all, that he was already on his knees, trying his best to take a deep breath from the onught of her emotions. His tears fell on the floor one after another and he couldn''t seem to stop them. He wanted to meet the little girl who wrote them. He wanted to give her a hug. He wanted to let her know that he''s waiting for her.


    Chris never felt so weak in his entire life until this moment. After several minutes, he could no longer withstand it all and he copsed.

 Chapter 380 - FAMILY DINNER I

    <h4>Chapter 380 - FAMILY DINNER I</h4>


    Meanwhile, Stefan''s family and Cayenne''s family met for the very first time. They were having dinner in one of the restaurants near Peach Wood subdivision and Erwin came with Jonas along with the other guards. After few minutes, Luiz and Kyle also arrived from meeting with Kai and the magazine staff. The four guards were still following them.


    When they arrived, the restaurant manager thought that it was only the ten or so people who will eat but he didn''t expect that the all the bodyguards will also upy lots of tables surrounding the family for their safety. Suddenly, the ce was full.


    "So, this is the ssmate that you''ve been telling us?" Stanley asked while looking towards Luiz. "Thank you for looking after my son in school."


    "Ha? Ah, not at all. I didn''t really do much." Luiz waved his hands while shaking his head from left to right.


    "You helped me with my studies a lot of times. How can you say that you didn''t do anything? I wouldn''t pass if you didn''t do anything."


    "Oh. I was just doing what I can." Luiz muttered with embarrassed expression. "It was just a little something."


    "Still, we want to thank you for helping him." Stanley smiled to Luiz. "When this uncle gets his first pay, I''ll surely find a gift for you."


    "You don''t really have to do that." Luiz tried to refuse again but looking at Stanley''s face, he knew that he couldn''t wind this battle. He could only nod his head and smiled helplessly.


    Everyone started to order their food and Cayenne was happily pointing her fingers to the menu while talking to Stefan what he likes to eat. Even though she knew what he likes, from time to time, she would still ask for his opinion. Having openmunication to each other helps strengthen their rtionship. They never wanted to keep any secrets again.


    "By the way, I have finalized the family trip and we will leave as soon as we''re done settling our matters. I''ll keep everyone posted in our family group chat and just in case there are any changes." Cayenne told everyone while waiting for their orders. "Do you have other ns?"


    "Well, I just received a message from big bro''spany. It''s about the schrship and the part-time job. I''ll have to go there tomorrow at nine in the morning." Dominic told Cayenne this information. When you think about, their grandfather should be the head of the family but because they''re poor, they had to rely on Stefan. But when ites to nning and decision making, everything falls to Cayenne. She''s really the rule in their whole family.


    Cayenne frowned and bit her lower lip. "Do you still intend to take that schrship?"


    "Hn. Luiz will study using the schrship he got even though he can choose to depend on you. I want to be like him. I want to put more efforts to my studies."


    "Well, I don''t have anything to argue with that. Do your best, then!" Cayenne cheered for him happily before looking at her brothers. "What about you two?"


    "I will be taking the entrance examination to Trine in three days. The photoshoot for the magazine will start after two weeks since they still needed more preparations." Luiz answered his sister.


    "As for me, aside from taking out Kath on a date and the photoshoot, I have nothing else to do." Kyle added which earned him a raised brow from his sister. "Can''t I go on dates during summer?"


    "Aren''t you nning to get a part-time job?" Stefan asked him because he remembered that they wanted to work before. He wanted to know if it has changed.


    Kyle scratched the back of his head while taking out the folder that he kept inside his bag. "It all depends on this. Can you look at it while waiting for the food?" he asked Stefan with a sheepish smile.


    Stefan took the contract and read it. "Does Luiz have the same contract?"


    "Hn. We checked it earlier and we have the same contract; no more, no less." Kyle replied.


    Since Stefan was busy reading, Cayenne was also busy typing on her phone to note down everyone''s schedule. "As for grandpa and grandma, we will be going out tomorrow to buy your sses and to have a full body check-up. Uncle Stan will go to Stefan''spany for briefing and contract signing. Papa will just stay at home."


    "I don''t like to stay at home tomorrow. I want to do something." Jonas retorted with a grumpy expression. He felt useless now that everyone has made ns.


    "What do you want to do?" Cayenne asked him.


    "Never mind. I''ll just stay at home and clean the whole house."


    Cayenne stifled herughter while writing something on her phone. They were told to wait for fifteen minutes because the chef had to make lots of food for all of them thus; Cayenne used this time to discuss things with everyone.


    Suddenly, Stefan snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her a little closer. "Honey, aren''t you going to ask what my ns for the next few days?"


    Cayenne frowned and looked at him. "Didn''t we talk about it earlier?"


    "Did we?"


    "Yeah. We''re nning to deal with your separation anxiety, aren''t we?"


    Stefan froze and so was everyone. Only Cayenne was smiling at the moment. Even the body guards looked at her in astonishment.


    "You''re no longer sticking with each other?" Luiz asked.


    "Are you going somewhere, Stefan?" Uncle Stan also asked.


    Stefan put down the contract on the table and blinked his eyes. "Are we really doing this? It wasn''t a joke?"


    "Nope. I was serious about it." Cayenne told him and even pinched his face to let him know that they''re having a real conversation. She turned to everyone and told them the purpose of this matter, telling them that she''s going back to school and had to practice living her life without Stefan for most of the day. In fact, it was the other way around. Stefan had to get used to his life without seeing her for several hours of the day but of course, she wouldn''t tell them that.

 Chapter 381 - FAMILY DINNER II

    <h4>Chapter 381 - FAMILY DINNER II</h4>


    Soon, their foods were served and Stefan was done reading the contract that Kyle handed him. There was a frown on his face which worried Kyle and Luiz. They''re both smart but they don''t know much about the entertainment industry. At the same time, they knew that there were many hidden works and agendas in this industry which always worries Cayenne. She didn''t want her brothers to be wronged when all they wanted was to model for work. And that''s why Stefan was tasked to read the contract for them. He needed to spot those ''hidden'' uses.


    "Is there something wrong with it?" Cayenne asked as she put her hand on his wrist.


    Stefan shook his head and gave the papers back to Kyle. "You can sign it. There are no problems with it. In fact, you got more benefits in this work. It made me doubt the contract for a little while. I mean, for starters, there were just too much for you."


    "That''s what I thought so when I looked at it." Kyle responded. "I thought there was something wrong with it and that they''re traps set for us."


    "I''ll call the magazine directorter. Don''t sign it yet before I get confirmation. Anyway, let''s eat for now." He finally started eating his food that Cayenne had ced on his te.


    They chatted over dinner but since it was a good event, Stefan didn''t ask anything that involved his past and his mother. They didn''t even talk anything that involves his parents. Most of the time, they only talked about the future of the children as well as Cayenne''s n of going back to school.


    With everyone''s n falling into ces, Stefan was starting to worry for himself. And in fact, he was the only one worried. Cayenne seemed to be enjoying so much.


    After dinner, they all bid farewell and went home. Now, the guards were divided once again. It surprises Stanley and his parents that Stefan would give them several body guards. Dominic was not bothered with it at all. And he was very closed to the guards since he spent time with them during the trip and somehow, he knew little things about them.


    When they reached home, Stefan pulled Cayenne for a hug and buried his face on the crook of her neck. He just wanted to embrace her like this for the rest of their lives. His anxiety was starting eat him before she could even start her ns. "Honey, can''t I reallye with you to school?"


    "You can''t."


    "But I really have to see you."


    "You can call me during breaks."


    "I want to see you all the time."


    Cayenne was speechless and she started to waiver in front of him. She also didn''t want to leave him but if this continues, they wouldn''t be able to move forward. She didn''t want to affect his work that much knowing that he has so many responsibilities to shoulder.


    "Stefan, I know that this is really frustrating and causes us to have anxiety but, we both need this to grow. You want me to study and I''m epting this. However, you can''t sacrifice your work for my studies. There are things that we needed to do separately. In any case, let''s just take this one step at a time. We''ll get use to this."


    "But I don''t want to get used to this."


    Cayenne sighed helplessly as she rubbed his back tofort him. "Sorry for doing this."


    Stefan didn''t say anything because he knew he couldn''t change her mind this time. He could only hug her tofort himself a little.


    And so, Cayenne was punished after having their baths. She had to make up for the time that they''ll be separated. They made love until she was thoroughly exhausted, she didn''t want to get up anymore.


    "Are you still thinking of pursuing your ns?" Stefan whispered as heid on their bed beside her. He didn''t even pull out himself from her yet.


    "I won''t change my mind no matter how many times we do it. But love, can we stop now? You know that my stamina can''t keep up with you."


    Stefan kissed the side of her neck and smiled. "Let me stay like this for a while. I won''t do it again."


    "Okay."


    They just cuddled together, ignoring the stickiness they felt with their bodies pressed on each other.


    On the other hands, Chris was still lying on the bed inside the guest room of Rissy''s house. After copsing in front of her, Rissy could only ask her father for help to carry him to bed.


    "He didn''t run away? He''s the first to withstand what he saw and just stayed there to continue watching your room." Her fathermented when he carried Chris to bed earlier.


    "He was probably too shocked to even move an inch." Rissy whispered with a trace of sadness and disappointment in her voice.


    After putting him to bed, she just stayed by his side while reading some messages from her students. She didn''t reply to the chat group but she reads all the messages that she missed. They were just sharing their experiences for the day.


    After two hours of being unconscious, a frown appeared on his forehead as he started to wake up. Rissy looked at him before looking back to her phone. As soon as he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the white ceiling. He looked to the side and found that he was inside a normal room and Rissy was sitting on a chair next to him.


    "Why?"


    This was the first word that came out of his mouth. He wanted to know why she showed those things to him. It was like seeing to the deepest part of her soul and her mind. It was like he''s invading so much of her when he only informed her few things of himself.


    Rissy looked at him and smiled. "Because I''m not really a kind person. I''m not an angel. I''m not perfect. I''m not good. I wanted to show you the evilness that I''ve had since I was young."


    "But that is not really the case, right? You were bullied."

 Chapter 382 - YES! ITS OFFICIAL

    <h4>Chapter 382 - YES! IT''S OFFICIAL</h4>


    Thest words weren''t asked but it was stated calmly. He already had a gist of what might have happened to her in the past when she asked about being bullied. He had different views when ites to bullying because he didn''t experience an extreme bullying in his life and he didn''t let other people to bully him physically either.


    Rissy put away her phone and faced him. "I was bullied when I was in primary school. At first, I thought that I was friends with my ssmates because they hang out with me. I shared my things with them and I bought lots of food to give them. I was really having fun at first. Then, my father was hospitalized due to some illness. We had to save up and had to cut my allowance. I couldn''t buy them foods anymore. I can''t hang out with them because I need toe home early and help my family. The friends I had, they weren''t my friends at all. They were actually just hanging out with me because I have lots of money. Then, people started making fun of me. They pulled pranks on me. They left marking on my tables that I had to spend so much time cleaning. They tore my notes, put my bag inside the trash bin and lots of stuff happens. It happened for several years. I endured for years and I started to write down words on my walls. I scraped off the wallpapers and bought lots of coloring materials. When bad things happen to me in school, I didn''t retaliate. I kept everything to myself and waited for the ss to be over. I''de home and wrote things or drew sketches of what I''m thinking and what I''m feeling. My parents didn''t know of this until high school. I''ve always told them to nevere inside my room but they identally stumbled down upon this secret of mine."


    Chris looked at her intently, not looking away even for a second while she talked. He listened to everything she wanted to say. It must have been hard on her to say all these things.


    "Basically, that room was your original room and the first room you showed me was the second?"


    "Hn. My parents were worried and they even asked a psychiatrist toe and check on me. We showed my room to her and I felt so vulnerable at that time. I thought I''d be deemed insane and will be sent to a mental institution. But you know what, she praised me. After a long time, someone still praised me even after seeing all those things in my room. She was proud of me for not hitting back my ssmates. She was proud of me for staying strong all this time. Writing those words didn''t mean I was crazy or something. It was just my way of venting because I am not someone who resort to physical violence. And she said that the right colors that I use still represents the kindness in me because no matter what I wrote or no matter how gruesome the sketches were, they will all remain on my walls. She knew that I can''t put them into actions."


    "I believe she''s the one who told you to be a teacher?"


    "Hn. When I was about to graduate in high school, I asked her what course I should take. She told me that I''d be a very good teacher, someone who can guide students to stay in the path of goodness. So, here I am now. I became I teacher and this profession led me to find you."


    While she talked, Chris was also getting up from bed. This time, he was already sitting face to face with her. There was a proud smile on his lips as he took her hand to hold them. "She was right about you. You''re indeed a good teacher. And the proof is the love that your students have for you."


    "Uhm¡­are you still going to stay with me after knowing all these?"


    "I don''t see anything wrong with that." Chris stated. "In truth, I felt so bad for you. I pity the girl who suffered so much but I am also proud of that same girl for being so brave to withstand all the bullying. I am so happy that she remained kind after what happened. And my feelings for you wouldn''t change because of that. As I have said, we all have dark pasts that we didn''t want the world to know but I still want to share all the good things and the bad things with you."


    Rissy smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."


    "Thank you for trusting me, too. Thank you for sharing these secrets with me."


    "Do you mind if I keep that room? May parents had been asking me to renovate it but I don''t want to. How about you?"


    "Are you happy keeping that room?"


    "Hn. It reminds me of my sad past but it also reminds of my journey to who I am now. Those words and those sketches, they''re all part of me. I don''t want to get rid of them yet."


    "Then, just keep it."


    "Okay. One day, I''ll surely get rid of this room once I''m ready to let go of everything."


    "That''s right and I''ll stay with you until you get to that point. I''ll be with you every step of the way."


    "Then, do you want to be my official boyfriend now?" Rissy asked all of a sudden which stunned him but it didn''t take long for him to respond. He''s been waiting for this day and it''s been over two months. Although it was a short period, he didn''t expect that he''d pass herst line of defense.


    "You won''t take back your words, right? If I say ''yes'', we''re really official, right?"


    "Hn. I won''t take back my words."


    Unexpectedly, he pulled out his phone and check the time and date. He took a screenshot and sent it to Stefan and Cayenne. "I won''t be envious of you now."

 Chapter 383 - HER MISSION BEGAN

    <h4>Chapter 383 - HER MISSION BEGAN</h4>


    Stefan didn''t get to read this message until the next morning. He slept so peacefully beside his wife and he left his phone on silent mode. As long as his wife stays beside him, nothing else matters.


    Around seven in the morning, Cayenne woke up first and wanted to get out of bed to start her day but Stefan pulled him back to bed. "Let''s stay here a little bit more."


    "No, honey. I have to make breakfast."


    "Let''s make it together."


    "No, we can''t. We''ll start our mission now. While I''m making breakfast, you''re not allowed toe out and find me. You have to stay here, okay?"


    "Can I stay in the living room? At least, I can hear the soundsing from the kitchen."


    "Okay. I don''t mind."


    The two of them got out of bed and went to wash their faces together and brush their teeth. After changing their clothes, they both went downstairs. Stefan was holding his phone andptop while Cayenne only brought her phone with her.


    Just like he said, he stayed in the living room. He read the message from Chris and after sending him a congrattory message, he called the director of YES mags to talk about the contract that Kyle and Luiz got.


    It turned out that the students were already popr among girls in colleges and universities, even in high schools. They thought that they''d give them higher remunerationpared to other starters. Although that was what they said, Stefan wasn''t convinced at all. But he didn''t say anything against the director. He only reminded him to keep the two men safe while they''re in his care.


    After few minutes, Stefan put down his phone and was about to look for Cayenne but he remembered what she said to him. And when he checked his phone, it wasn''t even five minutes yet since she went to the kitchen.


    "I got it." He grinned to himself and walked to the kitchen. Before reaching, he schooled back his expression and turned serious.


    Cayenne paused from breaking the eggs and looked at her husband. "Why are you here? It''s not even five minutes since I left you in the living room?" She really wanted tough from helplessness but she kept a straight face in front of him.


    "I''m getting a cup of coffee." Stefan answered. He took out the mug that the students gave him with his name written on it. He liked this mug a lot because it has a picture of him and Cayenne. He brewed himself a coffee while observing her from time to time. "Do you need help?"


    "Nope. I''m fine here." She just said it but Jonas came down and went to kitchen as well.


    "Is there anything that I can help?" Jonas asked and she said yes to him. The father-daughter pair worked harmoniously in the kitchen, ignoring Stefan on the side.


    "Once you''re done with that, you have to go back to the living room." Cayenne told him and even gave him a yful wink.


    "You''re surely enjoying this little torture n you have." Stefan muttered as he poured the coffee in his mug. "I''ll make you pay for this."


    Cayenne just stuck out her tongue at him andughed while working with her father in the kitchen. Stefan went back to the kitchen and continued working.


    Erwin came inside from the back garden and saw Stefan sitting in the living room all by himself. "Young madam was really serious with her words? I thought she was just messing with you."


    "Well, it looks like she isn''t." Stefan sighed as he put down his mug on the coffee table. "By the way, someone wille today to apply as our chef. You and Jonas can test her out."


    "Sure. No problem." Erwin went to the kitchen as well to see if there''s anything he can help but Jonas and Cayenne told him to just rx and wait. In the end, he went out of the house to chat with the other guards who were on shift that time.


    Ten minutester, Luiz came down as well with Kyle and sat in the living room with Stefan. "Morning brother-inw." Luiz greeted him while rubbing his eyes.


    "Morning. Did you guys sleep well?"


    "Yeah."


    "I thought you wouldn''t be able to sleep from so much excitement." Stefanmented while stealing nces from the direction of the kitchen. He sighed once again while thinking of ways to see his wife.


    "Is Yen cooking this time?" Kyle asked when he noticed his restlessness. "She''s really serious this time, huh." Stefan could only nod his head with sadness clouding over his face. "You don''t really have to worry this much. Being away from her because she needs to study is fine. I mean, it''s not like she''s leaving you forever. At the end of the day, she''d stille home in your arms."


    "But I want to see her every moment of the day. I always worry that something bad will happen to her."


    "She''ll be fine." Kyle reassured him once more but it isn''t that easy to get rid of the anxiety that Stefan has for Cayenne.


    Not fifteen minutester, he stood up from the couch and went to the kitchen. Kyle and Luiz sighed in helplessness. They never thought that Stefan would be this clingy to their sister. He must have been really frightened when she was attacked by Arthur, someone that Cayenne trusted for several years.


    Cayenne saw Stefan standing in the middle of the kitchen once again and she couldn''t stop herself from rolling her eyes. "What is it this time?"


    Stefan looked at her and then looked at the basket of fruits on the table. "I''m getting an apple. Do you want some?"


    "No, I''ll have itter." She watched Stefan wash the apple and left the kitchen on his own. "What exactly should I do to rid his anxiety?"


    Jonas looked at his stepdaughter and smiled at her. "You won''t be able to do it so easily. Stefan had seen you several time in pain and it must have caused some trauma in him. Just take it slow and prove to him that everything will be alright."


    Ten minutester, Stefan came again and took another apple from the basket.


    Five minutes after hisst time to check on her, he came back again and took some cucumbers from the fridge. He munched on it on his way out of the kitchen.


    Until he decided to check on her in between three minutes. He would only take a peek at her ande to his seat. Seeing him do things like this, Luiz and Kyle couldn''t stop themselves from chuckling.


    ''He''s hopeless.'' Both of them thought with their head shaking from side to side.

 Chapter 384 - TURNING A NEW LEAF IN LIFE

    <h4>Chapter 384 - TURNING A NEW LEAF IN LIFE</h4>


    Around eight in the morning, the whole family had their dinner together. Stefan felt like having no appetites as he kept thinking of being separated from her but Cayenne forced him to it. She won''t let him go hungry just because of their current situation.


    "You have to it. We will be meeting with grandma and grandpater. Do you want to copse in front of them?" Cayenne questioned while putting more rice on his te. "Honey, I''ll give you a prize if we can do things right."


    "I don''t want a prize. I just want to be with you."


    Kyle, Jonas, Luiz and Erwin dropped their heads and yed a staring game with their tes. They didn''t want to look at Stefan with their grins stered on their faces. It''s just so funny to see him act like a clingy puppy around Cayenne.


    Cayenne pinched his face and kissed the tip of his nose. "I promise that I''ll stay with you all the time during weekends and I will dedicate all my free time with you."


    Stefan sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Must we do this?"


    "Uh huh. I''m not going to change my mind."


    Stefan kept sulking until they finished their breakfast. When they left to meet with his family, Luiz came together with them. Stefan didn''t talk the whole travel time and Cayenne could only sigh inwardly. She knew this would really put him in the worst situation but she needed to do it anyway. Luiz pursed his lips, trying so hard not tough at him.


    They arrived around nine-thirty in the morning and only the oldies were around with the guards. Stanley and Dominic have left to settle the things that they needed to do before the family trip.


    "Good morning grandma. Good morning grandpa." Luiz greeted them happily as he was the one who stepped out of the car first.


    "Good morning, Luiz." Jose replied and smiled sheepishly at him. "Are youing with us today?"


    "Hn. I don''t have anything to do at home at the moment so, I want toe along."


    Cayenne and Stefan also stepped inside and he immediately changed the expression on his face. He was smiling once again but deep inside, he was still troubled with Cayenne''s n.


    They didn''t stay for long in Peach Wood and left together with the two oldies. Luiz and Cayenne conversed with them happily while Stefan focused on driving. He only answered them a couple of time and nothing more.


    The first thing they have in their to-do list was an appointment in Senyu Medical Hospital. Both Jose and Cory needed to undergo a full body check up to make sure that they''re fine and any illness will be treated immediately if there is.


    "Yen! It''s really you. How have you been?" Eli spotted the three of them in the waiting area outside the X-Ray room.


    "I''m all good, doc Eli. And you? I haven''t seen you after the party at Jill''s home." Cayenne answered politely.


    "Are you here apanying someone?"


    "Hn. Stefan''s grandparents are currently having their x-ray inside."


    Eli nodded his head and shifted his eyes towards Luiz. "Congrattions on your graduation."


    "Ah? Thank you, doc." Luiz bowed his head and smiled at the doctor. It''s been a long time since theyst met and he didn''t expect that the doctor would still remember him.


    Stefan didn''t say anything but he was watching Cayenne and Eliezer all the time. He wasn''t jealous because Eli didn''t have any special feelings for Cayenne but he still felt annoyed that other men can converse with her normally.


    Noticing his displeasure, Eli chuckled and bid his farewell. He didn''t want to cause any rift between the couple.


    After the x-ray, Jose and Cory had to go through a lot of tests. They went to differentboratories and was referred to different doctors who specializes in different things. And because they have money, they didn''t have any problems at all.


    ''I wish we had money when my mother got sick. Things wouldn''t have escted to the worst-case scenario. She wouldn''t have died so early.''


    "Yen?" Luiz called her but Cayenne didn''t respond. Stefan also looked at her and called his name but she was in a daze and her expression should despair and pain.


    "Wifey." Stefan kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer.


    She felt the sudden pull and so, she raised her head only to see the worried look on his face. "What''s the matter?"


    "Shouldn''t we be asking you that question?" Stefan retorted while giving Luiz a side nce. Cayenne looked at her brother and found the same sad expression that Stefan had on her brother''s face. "What were you thinking earlier?"


    "I just remembered my mother." Cayenne answered truthfully but she didn''t have to borate more for Stefan and Luiz to know the whole thing.


    "Sorry, I came toote in your life." Stefan rubbed her arms tofort her a little and to apologize to her but they both know that there was really nothing they can do now.


    "You don''t have to apologize." Cayenne mumbled. "Everything must have happened for a reason. I''m fine now."


    She tried to reassure the two men beside her but their expressions didn''t change at all. Luiz received a call and had to step out for a bit. It was also his way to give the couple some time to be alone.


    It was risse who called him about her examination schedule. It turned out she will have the exam one week after Luiz. Luiz also told him about his part-time work as a model cover which surprised her the most. They talked about so many things that only revolves around them.


    On the other hand, Dominic and his close friends were currently having discussion with the schrship coordinator and the supervisor for working students. They all received a full schrship that covers their tuition fees and misceneous fees. They can also buy their uniforms and books, and using their receipts they will be reimbursed with the same amount from their schrship. Two students will work part-time in the Dumrique''s shipping line. Dominic will work part-time in Clover Hotel''s finance department and another student will work as a kitchen assistant in the same hotel. Their schedules will be finalized as soon as they get enrolled to their preferred universities and have their study loads.

 Chapter 385 - TURNING A NEW LEAF IN LIFE II

    <h4>Chapter 385 - TURNING A NEW LEAF IN LIFE II</h4>


    Stanley was also currently signing a contract with Raddison Hotel. It was another hotel that Stefan has shares with. He wasn''t really a CEO or the president in this hotel but he was the next biggest shareholder and the CEO was more respectful to him as well. They knew each other in college and when Stefan started gaining fame and became rich, he contacted him and asked if Stefan wanted to coborate on a project. If the project wasn''t great, Stefan wouldn''t invest at all.


    Stanley was assigned to work as an assistant manager in the hotel. He was a manager in his previouspany so it was given that he can handle this kind of matter. After signing the contract, the representative from the HR department gave him a tour around the hotel. They needed to amodate him properly knowing that he''s rted to Stefan. They didn''t want Stanley to tell Stefan that they weren''t doing his job.


    They were walking at the lobby when they met with another five other people who were having their tour as well. It includes Jessie. Raddison Hotel was nearer to her cepared to Clover Hotel. Because of her excellent performance, Manager Kim agreed to transfer her to this hotel.


    Stanley looked towards her and stopped for a moment but when Jessie turned around to look at him, he pretended that he was looking at something else.


    "Mr. Sugo, do you have any questions for me?" the HR representative asked him.


    "None so far. If ever I have some questions, I''ll definitely find you or other senior employees to ask. As for now, I''d have to wait for Stefan''s decision of my starting date."


    "Oh! Don''t worry about that. The Vice ¨C President already informed us that you will be having a family trip in the next few days. So, you will formally start your work after two weeks."


    "I see. Thank you so much for your help."


    "No worries. If there''s nothing else. I''ll go back to my work now."


    "Hn. Thanks again." Stanley nodded his head. The representative left but Stanley didn''t. He stayed for a little while more and observed the fiver other people who were having a tour. "It''s been a while since I found someone really attractive."


    Jessie might jam with her colleagues who were younger than her but she''s actually quite oldpare to how she looks. She''s already twenty-nine years old and was still single because she didn''t believe in love anymore. She had four failed rtionships in the past and she started feeling that something''s wrong with her. Her self-esteemed took a heavy blow from these failures and she decided not to love again. No matter how romantic the couples around her, she would only smile for them but she won''t wish to have this kind of rtionship again.


    And in fact, when she heard about Stefan and Cayenne''s divorce, she rolled her eyes with an internal monologue. "I knew it. Love is no longer a sacred emotion that everyone values. And now, Cayenne has be a victim of this stupid thing." This was what she thought. But when the two got back together, she also sighed in relief. She was happy that Cayenne could have a happy ending that she couldn''t have.


    While having a tour, she felt that someone was really looking at her but when she turned her head to look around, she didn''t find anyone suspicious. In the end, she threw this worry at the back of her mind and listened to the HR representative.


    Stanley also left, feeling dejected and disappointed to himself. He realized that he''s quite old for romantic rtionship and although he told Dominic that he was young and could surely find someone that can be his mother, he couldn''t actually do it. Those were just silly words that he couldn''t act on.


    After observing her for a while, he left the ce and went back home. He wanted to stay at home and contemte on other things in his life.


    Back in Senyu Medical Hospital, Cayenne and Stefan continued to wait for his grandparents while Luiz was still having conversation with risse. He wasn''t worried with his phone bill at all because Stefan upgraded his subscription to an unlimited usage. It''s the same for Kyle. Jonas didn''t like using phone before but Stefan and Cayenne forced him to have one in case of emergency. Stefan also wanted to have his number subscribed to unlimited usage but Jonas refused. He didn''t use his phone that much anyway.


    After two hours, all the tests werepletely done but the results will take time so, they left the hospital to have lunch first and juste backter to get the results.


    "Shall we have lunch with Dominic and Uncle Stan? They should be done with their appointments." Cayenne suggested as the made their way back to the car. Even when they''re walking, Luiz was still talking with risse.


    "That''s not a problem with me." Stefan replied while opening the car door for his grandparents. "Let me give them a call."


    Cayenne nodded her head and got inside the car. She also called Kyle and Jonas but the two were having barbecue with the guards at her backyard. They even used some of her vegetables. ''These two really knew how to have fun without us.'' She mentallymented while reading the messages in their chat group. They even sent pictures as proof.


    "We''re actually testing out this new chef that Chris hired." Jonas sent and posted another picture of a middle - aged woman.


    Cayenne waited for Stefan toe inside before opening up her question to her. "By the way, did you also hire someone who can wash the dishes and utensils? I mean, it''s not good for a chef to wash after cooking, right?"


    "The dishwasher wille tomorrow. He''s currently settling up his matter."


    "Can you tell me their backgrounds?" Cayenne asked because she had this inkling idea that these people he hired weren''t just picked from an agency.


    Stefan started the engine of his car as he answered, "Lucia is a single mother. She''s got two children going to school and she recently got fired from her a convenience store, saying that they no longer need an old woman. She was reced by a young girl. Chris and I saw her selling some cheap food near the construction site which was very dangerous because she had no protection gears. Chris asked around about her and also bought some of her dishes. He said that they''re quite good so, he told her about this job offer."


    "And the dishwasher?"


    "The dishwasher is an orphan. He wanted to work and help the other orphans. They''re actually living with two old people who took care of them for several years now. Because they''re old and have insufficient funds, they couldn''t send the children to school but the children were happy to have shelter and food. So, Justin works as a dishwasher in a fast food restaurant but they didn''t pay him with the right amount of sry and he has no other benefits as well like insurance and such. But he couldn''t report them because they''re the only ce that epted him."

 Chapter 386 - TURNING A NEW LEAF IN LIFE III

    <h4>Chapter 386 - TURNING A NEW LEAF IN LIFE III</h4>


    Cayenne looked at him and smiled tenderly. She knew it. Stefan wouldn''t just pick people from the agency. It''s not that he didn''t want to help those people who applied through agencies but he wanted to look for people on his own if he needed one.


    After learning this information, Cayenne was looking forward to see these two people who will be a new member of their household.


    Stefan drove for over fifteen minutes and arrived at the restaurant that he had in mind. It''s one of the restaurants that he coborated with other investors. "I invested in this restaurant as well." Stefan told Cayenne because he remembered that she wanted to know more of the other businesses andpanies that he owned or have invested in.


    Ten minutes after they arrived, Dominic and his friends arrived as well. As for Stanley, he didn''t join them, saying that he wanted to rest and do some housework.


    "Good afternoon." They greeted Cayenne and everyone with her. They looked awkward and shy when they saw them and Cayenne understood how they felt.


    "Good afternoon. Go and find a table. Let''s all have lunch together.


    "Thank you for inviting us." Marnie spoke in behalf of his two other friends. "We''ll be sitting over there." He walked ahead of everyone and choose a table, not so far yet no so close to the Dumrique''s table.


    "I didn''t know we''d have lunch with your family." Marniemented in a whisper to Dominic. "Is it really alright for us to join? Wouldn''t we disturb you?"


    "No, not at all. It''s my big bro who told me to bring you guys." Dominic responded. "And I will be sitting with you as well."


    Marnie and his two other friends felt relieved that Dominic will be staying with them the whole time. They''d be feeling awkward if Dominic would stay with his family.


    They started ordering their food and chose several dishes that they can share with each other. They''re doing the same thing that they did back when they went on a school trip.


    Stefan whispered something to Cayenne and after getting her approval, he suddenly stood up and approached the table of these young men. "Marnie, can I talk to you for a moment?"


    "Ah?" Marnie was startled for several seconds and if Dominic didn''t kick him under the table, he would probable stiffen to death from nervousness. "Sure." He stood up and followed Stefan. Cayenne didn''t bother looking at them because she already had an idea what Stefan would do. Luiz was also nonchnt about it and was walking to his ssmate''s table to talk to them.


    "How was your interview and the part-time work?" Luiz asked them while taking a seat on the chair that Marnie upied earlier.


    The three of them smiled and started sharing the things they received and what their future would look like. Rhod and Paul was having fun talking with Luiz but Dominic was quiet while looking at his cousin and his best friend outside.


    The window ss was clear so he could see the two of them outside. Both of them looked serious and then he saw Marnie shaking his head and waved his hands in front of him. In the end, he still pulled out his phone.


    "You don''t really have to do this sir. Dominic is my friend and I''m d that I''m able to help him. Besides, he helped us with the house chores. No need to repay us." Marnie stated once again, refusing Stefan money from being sent to his ount.


    Stefan smiled and reached out his hand and gently pat Marnie''s shoulder. "It''s because of your help that he''s able toe this far and I am so thankful for that. This money that I will send you isn''t a way to offset your kindness and forget about your friendship but I just want to help as well. I know that you were having a hard time but you still chose to help him. This time, it''s my way to help you. Just ept this little help from me and buy some stuff for your family."


    "O-okay." Marnie showed the QR code of his bank ount and Stefan scanned it. After scanning the code, he sent $15000 to Marnie''s ount.


    When Marnie saw the amount on his ount, his mind went nk and his eyes were wide open. It was just too much for him. "My father would probably think I''m selling some illegal drugs if he sees this money in my ount."


    "Then, you don''t have to tell your parents about this. Just tell them that you have a part-time work and just slowly help them every day." Stefan suggested with a faint smile on his lips. "Let''s go back inside. Our food is being served now."


    "Thank you so much, sir."


    "No worries. I can''t thank you enough for the help you''ve lent to Dom. Let''s go." He gave him another pat on his shoulder before the two of them went back inside the restaurant.


    Marnie didn''t tell them anything about the money and just mentioned that Stefan thanked him for helping Dominic. Luiz also went back to his seat beside Cayenne and started eating.


    Although Marnie didn''t say anything to his two other friends, he told Dominic about it through text. After all, it involved Dominic as well. The two of them just kept it a secret among themselves.


    After lunch, they decided to go to the mall but Rhod and Paul couldn''te with them since they have other ns in the afternoon. Marnie and Dominic shop together for some stuff that Marnie could bring to his family.


    Cayenne and Stefan went to find an eye clinic first to buy some sses for Cory. Senyu Medical Hospital didn''t have an ophthalmologist despite it being a high-end hospital. Thus, they needed to find an eye clinic inside the mall. Dominic and Marnie wanted to go to the supermarket first so, they went on separate ways from his family.


    They bought lots of groceries for his family and some clothes and toys for his two little sisters. "How about Ie with you to your house for onest time. I''ll help you exin about these things as well." Dominic made a suggestion to his best friend and he wanted to see his family as well, the people who helped him for several years.


    "You won''t go back home with your family?"


    "It''s fine. They will understand."

 Chapter 387 - SMART HUSBAND

    <h4>Chapter 387 - SMART HUSBAND</h4>


    After getting her eyes checked, they chose the frame for her sses. Cory couldn''t see things clearly so she relied on Jose for it. Cayenne and Stefan were watching the two oldies spending time with each other. After choosing, they gave it to the staff who went inside the small room to give the frame to the doctor.


    They needed to wait for another two hours so, they decided to look around and buy things such as clothes, shoes and other essories.


    "Let''s go the men''s section. It''s nearerpared to the women''s sections." Stefan suggested which everyone agreed on. Followed by their guards, they walked towards the men''s store and bought several clothes for Jose. For the very first time, the guards could finally hold the things that their master and madam bought.


    Usually, when Stefan and Cayenne went to shop for some things, Stefan would always carry the bags. This time, he didn''t. You can really see the disparity in his treatment. But the way he treated his maternal rtives was still better than how he treated his own father and his paternal grandfather.


    He never ever once bought something for them on his own volition. It''s always Cayenne who would think of such things and he will just allow her to do it. Every time they went to visit his father and grandfather which happens seldomly, like once a month or once in two months; it''s Cayenne who will buy gifts for them but of course, it was paid with his own money.


    He even agreed to bring his maternal family to the trip that Cayenne nned and it was a way for the two families to get to know each other more. But he didn''t tell Magnus and Ferdinand about it.


    After buying things for Jose, they went to the next floor where all apparels for women can be found. This time, it was for his grandmother. Cayenne was happily choosing clothes for her, letting her try lots of things that she found pretty and nice. They bought her shoes, bags, watches and some cosmetic products that will be good to her skin as well as essories.


    Stefan was also looking around when he spotted something not far from him. He called one of the men staff around and pointed to the clothes that were disyed. "Can you get that for me?"


    "Sure, sir." The man left immediately and took the dress that was disyed. It was an off-shoulder blue dress with a white silk neckerchief. "Is this the right one, sir?" the staff asked.


    "Yes. Thank you." Stefan received the dress and handed it to Cayenne. "Wifey, can you try this dress? I''m sure it will look good on you."


    Cayenne looked at the dress he was holding and frowned. "You''re not buying a matching outfit this time?"


    "I bought this because I have something at home that can be paired with this. We cannot buy a matching outfit this month, right?"


    Cayenne chuckled and took the dress from her. "My husband is really smart. Just because we cannot buy matching outfit, you''re just buying something that can be paired with what you have at home."


    "It wasn''t really my intention. It only urred to me all of a sudden."


    Cayenne grinned at him and pinched his cheek. "Fine. I''ll believe you. Wait for me here." She went to the changing room and put on the dress that he found for her. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn''t help herself but smile. Stefan really knew what would look good on her and what would fit her perfectly.


    When she stepped out with the dress on, Stefan coughed drily and the tip of his ears were red. "It looks good. You look pretty in it."


    "Of course, I would. You chose this for me, after all."


    Stefan blushed even more and looked to the side where more clothes were hanging. "You can change back to your clothes now."


    "Okie dokie." Cayenne was about to get inside the changing room but she turned around and walked towards him. "Honey, do something with your lower part. I don''t want other women to see that." She whispered and left in a hurry to hide her embarrassment. She didn''t want to say those words at all but she just couldn''t believe he''d be turned on at this moment.


    Stefan softly chuckled as he tried calming himself, using the stand of so many clothes to hide himself. He wasn''t embarrassed about it because it was his natural body reaction to his wife.


    After paying for her dress and Cory''s items, the guards took the bags except the bag that contains Cayenne''s clothes. And as expected, Stefan carried that bag voluntarily. They went to another floor were gadgets, home appliances and essories can be found.


    They bought another batch of things for his grandmother and grandfather. They wanted to shop for Stanley but they didn''t know anything about his preferences and sizes so, they gave up on that idea. They can shop again next time or he can shop with Dominic next time.


    Luiz was also looking around for something that he can give to risse. He wanted to wish her luck for her exam so it didn''t have to be so expensive. But, is there even something cheap inside a mall?


    He kept looking around and found a keychain with little stuff toy hanging on it. "Can I have two of these?"


    "Is it for your girlfriend, sir?"


    "Well, she''s not my girlfriend yet." Luiz answered while scratching the back of his head.


    "Oh." The saledy smiled faintly. "We actually have a service where we can embroider that initials of your names but ¨C"


    "Like a couple thing?" Luiz turned around to see who spoke and found Stefan standing behind him. "Sigh. I want to have one but Cayenne will get mad at me. We can''t buy matching stuff this month and I bought a dress for her already. What to do? Do you have a limited stock for these essories?"


    "No, sir. We always change our stocks every three months and it''s the third month now." The saledy answered.


    Looking at his mournful expression, Luiz can''t stop shaking his head at his brother-inw. He seemed to really want it. "I''ll get four of these items. I want two purples." He turned to Stefan and asked, "What colors do you like brother-inw?"


    "I want pink for Ayen and sky blue for mine."


    Luiz turned back to the saledy and repeated his orders. "Two purples and please embroider the letter C and L on it. And for the pink, it will be letter C and for the sky blue, it will be letter S. How much will it be in total?"


    "That''s $200 sir, including the embroidery service."


    "Okay. When can I get it?"


    "It should be done after three two hours."


    "Hmm. Okay. I''ll return to get itter."


    "Thank you, sir. Please show us your receipt to im the items."


    After finalizing their order, Stefan was smiling from ear to ear. "Thank you, Luiz. You really saved me there."


    "It''s nothing. I''m just helping you a little."


    Cayenne watched her brother and husband getting along so well and for some reason, she felt that these two were up to something again.

 Chapter 388 - SEE THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS AROUND

    <h4>Chapter 388 - SEE THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS AROUND</h4>


    After buying so many things, Cayenne wanted to check the bnce of Stefan''s ount. If it was hers, she would''ve done that already. It was the second time that she spends so much using his card. And she''s using his debit card not his credit card.


    "I don''t want to swipe your card anymore." Cayenne mumbled as they walked back to the eye clinic to get the sses for his grandmother. Stefan looked at her with a questioning gaze but didn''t say anything. "I think I spent a lot today using your card. I''ll use my card next time."


    "Isn''t it great? I never had any ways of spending my money before. It must be because, fate was readying my savings for you."


    "Is that so? Then should I spend all of your savings?"


    "Can you?" Stefan asked while pulling his wallet from his pocket. He took out his other cards and handed it to her. "These are all my savings card. You can have them."


    Cayenne looked around and instantly stuffed his cards back in his wallet. "Don''t just take these things out in public." Cayenne whispered with a wary expression on her face. "I don''t need your other cards. I''m all fine with this one. I was just kidding you."


    "I actually wanted to give you all these cards and manage the two households but I thought you''d be scared silly and I don''t want to keep you worried about these things which is why I keep them."


    "You made the right decision. That''s right. I can manage both household with this one card. No need to give me more." Cayenne refused again and again which earned her more respect from the people around her, specially the guards.


    The all thought that she''d someone selfish and greedy since she came from a poor family. It''s not that they wanted to stereotype her with everyone else but based on their experiences and their observations, most women from poor family tend to be capricious and greedy when they marry someone rich. They would be very selfish and would want power over their husband as well, using their love and affection as weapon.


    In Cayenne''s case, she didn''t need any of those. She only wanted to be on equal footing with Stefan and be respected despite her origin. Stefan had been letting her make decisions, but in the end, she would still ask for his opinion. She would also try her best to save us money as she could but Stefan would tell her to spend his money that much as well. He would be ted every time he receives a notification from his bank that his card was being used.


    Cayenne was very respectful as well and she cares for everyone around them, including the guards. If it were other people, they would surely be haughty knowing that they''re the employers and these people were under theirmand. But for these couple, it wasn''t like that at all.


    After getting the eye ss, they asked his grandmother to wear them as soon as possible to make sure that she''s fine with it. It was also to make adjustments if she felt that it wasn''t right for her.


    Cory looked at her husband first. Her eyes turned red and teary when she saw him clearly once again. It''s been a long time since shest saw his face and it was still the same as she remembered him to be. Then, she looked around her and found the handsome man who had resemnce with her daughter. "Stefan?"


    "Hello grandma. Nice to see you again." Stefan waved his hand at her and smiled. The tears that she had been holding back started escaping from her eyes and fell on the cold flood. She ran towards him and hugged her grandson that she hadn''t seen for so many years.


    Stefan hugged her grandmother as well and rubbed her back to calm her down. "I''m so d I''m able to see you now. You really look like your mother."


    "I''m d that we''re also reunited granny." Stefan whispered, keeping himselfposed despite the turbulent emotions in his chest.


    The two of them hugged for a long time and some people were even taking pictures and videos of them. They didn''t expect to see a very warm and heartfelt reunion.


    "You must be Cayenne. And this young man here is Luiz." Cory stated while looking towards Cayenne and Luiz beside Stefan.


    "Hello grandma." Cayenne gave her a hug as well and gently pat her back. "I''m so happy for you and Stefan." She responded before letting her go.


    "Nice to meet you, grandma." Luiz also hugged the olddy. He never had any grandparents and he wanted to have one for a very long time. Now, his wish has finallye true. He felt closer to Jose and Cory because they came from the same background whereas, he felt a constant anxiousness when he''s around with Magnus and Ferdinand who came from a rich family. Luiz still had no idea that his father was imprisoned because of Stefan''s family. And that same goes for his brother, Kyle.


    Cory thanked the doctor again and again for helping her see the beauty around her again. She was so happy that she couldn''t stop herself from looking around the ce.


    "Why don''t we stay a little bit longer and look around the mall. In that way, granny can start getting herself used to her sses." Stefan suggested to everyone but he also have another intention in mind. It was to wait for the items that Luiz bought earlier. He wanted to see them as well before giving them to Cayenne.


    Because of this, they decided to have dinner outside again. Jonas and Stanley promised toe and since Kyle was out dating with Kath, Cayenne told him toe and bring his girlfriend along. In this way, she''d know more of the new members of their family.


    Dominic couldn''t join them though since he went to Marnie''s house, bringing all the things that they bought for his family.

 Chapter 389 - THE OLIVARES FAMILY

    <h4>Chapter 389 - THE OLIVARES FAMILY</h4>


    Dominic came back once again to the Olivares family after graduation. They haven''t told him yet of his current situation and he didn''t intend to keep it from them. He wanted to share the good news to this family who helped him so much without asking anything in return from him.


    "Good evening, auntie." Dominic greeted Marnie''s mother when he saw her getting the dried clothes that she washed earlier.


    "Dom! It''s nice to see you again." She smiled at him and gestured for him to get inside.


    "Brother!" The two little girls ran towards Marnie and when she saw him carrying lots of things, they stopped few feet away from him and changed direction. They ran towards Dominic instead who already ced down the groceries he bought. "Big brother Dom!" Both the little girls hugged his legs and clung to him. "What are you two bringing?"


    "Well, we have good news for you and we wanted to celebrate it a little." Dominic stated while rubbing the small little heads. "These are all for you. Your brother bought lots of your favorite food and he also bought a lot of toys and clothes. Would you like to look at them?"


    "Can we?"


    "Of course." Dominic led the two of them to the kitchen where he ced the grocery bags. Marnie''s mother also went along with them to see what the two of them carried earlier. She was so busy with herundry that she didn''t pay attention to it.


    "Marnie, you''re home." His father came back from their little farm and saw his son in the living room. "Oh! Dom is here, too." He smiled happily and walked over to greet him.


    Marnie also watched his parents getting along with Dominic. "Pa, Dom and I have something to tell you." Marnie told his father. "Can we talk in the living room?"


    "I''ll bring your sisters inside their room first." His mother stated and gave her children something to eat and sent them back to their room. After making sure that the girls were settled, the four of them sat in the living room. "What is it?"


    "Marnie and I got a full schrship. We received a discounted apartment as well where we can live along with our two other friends. We were also offered a good part-time job to earn some money while studying." Marnie told his parents about the good news he got, making them tear up in happiness.


    Her mother smiled and wiped the tears hanging on hershes. "Is that true? How did you get such a good opportunity?"


    "It''s all thanks to Dom." Marnie stated and turned to his best friend. He wanted to keep this thing a secret from his family like what Stefan said but he decided to tell them the truth instead. "He found his long-lost rtive and he turned out to be so rich and well-known."


    "Really?!" His father eximed in shock. "That''s good. That''s good. Someone can help you now with your grandparents'' medication." He added in relief. Before taking in Dominic, they knew almost everything that has happened to his family and it was out of worry and pity that they took him in. It''s really a good thing that someone hase to rescue them.


    Dominic moved closer and took the woman''s hand and held it tightly. "Auntie, thank you so much for taking care of me all these years. You and uncle are like parents to me. I am so happy that I met all of you. I will never forget all of you."


    "That''s nothing." She rubbed Dominic''s head and smiled at him. "You''re such a fine young man. We''re d that we helped you. You don''t have to worry about us. Just work hard to reach your dreams. I''m sure that Marnie will do the same."


    "So, what about those things you bought?" Marnie''s father pointed out the things on the table. "I don''t think you''ve started working yet so, where did you get all the money to buy those things?"


    "Earlier, we had lunch with Dom''s cousin. He gave me these things as a little token of appreciation. He''s also the one who arranged for our works, schrships and apartment."


    "Hmm? Why do you have to get schrships if he''s rich? Can''t he pay for your tuition fees directly?" Marnie''s father asked.


    Dominic thought of his words carefully to make sure that Stefan won''t look bad to other people. "Actually, the top student of our ss is my cousin''s brother-inw. Even though they have lots of money because his sister married my cousin, they didn''t really depend that much on him. He''s still studying through schrships and he''s also working to earn his own pocket money. I wanted to be like him. I want to earn my own money as well."


    "I see. What work will you be working, then? Won''t it affect your studies?" Marnie''s mother asked in worry. She knew that the boys weren''t like those top students. They have average intelligence and it worried her that their studies will be affected if they divide their focus between studied and work.


    Marnie told his parents about his job which really surprised them. They knew a long time ago that their son wanted to be a nautical engineer. They just didn''t expect that he''d work part-time in a shippingpany. They thought he''d work in a fast food restaurant or a caf¨¦ like what other students do.


    "Send my thanks to your cousin, Dom."


    "Same here. We can''t thank him enough for helping us."


    Dominic scratched the back of his head with a faint and helpless smile on his lips. "My cousin told me to extend his gratitude to you for helping all these years. And here you are, asking me to extend your gratitude to him for helping Marnie. Just when will this extending of gratitude ends?"


    They all burst outughing at this and knew that he was right. They were just going back and forth.


    "Have dinner with us. You will be busy in the future and we don''t know when we can have dinner again." Marnie''s mother stood up and went to the kitchen. "I''ll just prepare the dinner quick."


    "Thank you, auntie. Let me help you."


    Once again, Dominic helped thedy in the kitchen just like he used when he was still studying in X university.


    Later on, because of the money added to his saving, Marnie didn''t ask money from his parents and he started helping with the bills at home. He was able to buy in advance the school supplies for his sisters and bought some materials for his father''s farm. Little by little, they were able to save up some money and improve their living.

 Chapter 390 - SHES THE BOSS

    <h4>Chapter 390 - SHE''S THE BOSS</h4>


    Leslie and Jennie were very sad when they found out that Dominic won''t be staying with them anymore. They got used to his presence already and they got along so well. Dominic always helped them with their studies and yed with them. He didn''t care about having a tea party with these two little girls with their old toys and other stuff.


    Now, he needed to leave to grow. When he left them to go back home, the two little girls clung to his legs and cried so much. They wanted to stop him from leaving but their mother and father took them away from him.


    "I''lle and visit when I have time. I will also call when I''m not busy so, be good and help your mama and papa here, okay? Don''t give them a headache and study hard, too."


    "Promise you woulde back?" Leslie questioned in between hups. Her eyes were swollen from crying while she was in her father''s arms. "If you won''te back, I will go and find you in the big city."


    "Promise. I promise that I wille back."


    "When will youe back?" Jane asked as well as she blew her nose on the handkerchief that her mother handed her. "You should tell us the date so we can circle it on the calendar."


    Dominic chuckled as he shakes his head from left to right. "Let me check." He pulled out his phone and checked his calendar. "I''lle and visit you every 3rd Sunday of the month. How''s that?"


    "Be sure toe. I will circle the 3rd Sunday of the month. If you won''te, I will keep calling you."


    "Yes, yes, yes. I wille as promise." Dominic had to reassure these little girls again and again before they allowed him to leave. When he stepped inside the car, Martin couldn''t stopughing.


    "You''re very well-liked with these kids." Hemented while starting the engine of the car. "You must have spent so much time with them."


    Dominic looked at his best friend and his family who were standing at the door. The two little girls were having their smalls hands at him. He opened the car window and waved them good bye. "I''ve been with them for three years now. Most of the time, Marnie would help his father in the farm and his mother is working in a convenience store. I''d be left to look after them. I learned to cook because of them because they have sensitive taste buds. We didn''t get along so well at first because they thought I was taking away their brother. And I don''t quite remember it now but we just started to y together with their little toys and then, they''d start looking for me to y a tea party. They were poor but they didn''t hesitate to take me in. I''m so d to have met this family."


    "It''s because you''re a good person." Martin replied to Dominic. "By the way, don''t forget to inform the madam that you''reing home."


    "Hn. I''ll give them a call now."


    On their way back from dinner, Cayenne received a call from Dominic and was told about what has transpired. She liked knowing that everyone''s having a good time and that their life was improving day after day.


    Stefan and Cayenne sent his grandparents home with so many body guards following them. After making sure that they''re all fine, the couple also left to go back to their own humble nest. Jonas already went upstairs to change his clothes while Kyle was still talking with Kath in the living room. As for Luiz, he was busy looking at the boxes in a small paper bag.


    "Sis, I have something for you." Luiz called out and handed her a small box. "It''s for your and brother-inw."


    She handed her bag to Stefan and opened the box right then and there. What greeted her were a matching set of phone straps or something that can be used as a keychain, too. Instead of thanking her brother, she narrowed her eyes towards her husband. "You didn''t urge him to buy this because you can''t buy it, did you?"


    "No, I didn''t." Stefan instantly replied while shaking his head. "You can ask Luiz about it."


    Cayenne looked towards her brother, waiting for an answer from him. "I saw these when we bought some essories and thought of getting one for risse. I remembered that you two likes having matching items so, I decided to buy a pair for you two."


    "So, this is reallying from you? He didn''t tell you buy this?" Cayenne still asked, not believing the two of them. "You better not lie to me because I hate liars."


    "Promise." Both Luiz and Stefan raised their hands and made a cross over their chest. They were so in sync that even Kyle couldn''t stop himself from smirking. It was obvious that they were lying and Cayenne could tell it, too. Nheless, she didn''t expose any of them.


    It''s true that she hates liars but she also knew what a while lie means. After all, she lied to her mother and brothers for their own good as well.


    "Thank you for this." Cayenne rubbed her brother''s head and smiled. "I like them so much."


    "If I find something matching next time, I''ll buy one for you and brother-inw again." Luiz went to the kitchen and poured himself a ss of water. "Hi. Are you the new chef?"


    "Yes, sir. My name is Lucia."


    "Come over here. I''ll introduce you to your employers." Luiz smiled at the middle-ageddy and led him to the living room where Cayenne and Stefan was strapping the little items to their phone. "My name is Luiz, by the way. The man sitting in the living room is my older brother, Kyle."


    "And that couple?" Lucia asked in whisper.


    "They''re your direct employers." Luiz led him towards Cayenne and Stefan. "Yen, I met our new chef." Luiz stated which caught their attention.


    Cayenne stopped fiddling with her phone and ced it inside her bag once again. "Hello. I''m Cayenne Ardolf ¨C Dumrique. I''m¡­uh¡­I own this property."


    "She''s the boss." Stefan casually mentioned, grinning from ear to ear when he saw Cayenne ring at him.

 Chapter 391 - EXTENDING THEIR BLESSINGS

    <h4>Chapter 391 - EXTENDING THEIR BLESSINGS</h4>


    "Yes, she''s the boss." Kyle agreed upon hearing Stefan''s voice. Even though he was calling Kath, he was also paying attention to what was happening around him.


    Cayenne looked at his brother and back to Stefan. Since her husband was nearer to her, she lightly pinched his waist. "Stop saying nonsense."


    "It''s actually true." Luiz told Lucia. He was always gentle when ites to older woman because of histe-mother''s fragile countenance. He was even more careful and kind to those women who works hard for her family because of how he sees Cayenne all these years. "In this house, my sister is the rule."


    "So, in short, she''s the master of this house?"


    "Yes." The three men answered, leaving Cayenne all speechless and dumbfounded.


    She pressed her fingers on her temple and gave it a slow massage in circr motion. "Let''s talk with just the two of us. I think I''ll kick these three men if we continue to chat under their presence."


    "What about me?" Stefan asked while pointing his finger to himself.


    "You? You go back to our room." Cayenne told him which dampened his mood but he couldn''t do anything about it. With his dejected expression, he walked upstairs while looking back to his wife every five steps of the way.


    Cayenne and Lucia went back to the kitchen to chat. "My husband is Stefan Dumrique. You have met my father already which is Jonas Slyvester. Actually, he''s my stepfather. My biological father is this man." Cayenne showed him a picture of Reuben and Ingrid. "Sometimes, he''lle here and visit me with his wife. asionally, my friends woulde and visit me here as well. Anyway, your job is to cook for us. You don''t need to do anything else. Just cooking. Someone wille tomorrow to be your dishwasher because we can''t allow you to wash your hands right after cooking. It will damage your hands and nerves."


    "What time do you usually have breakfast ma''am?"


    Cayenne poured a ss of water and drank it to keep her throat from getting dry. "You don''t have to worry about my family''s breakfast. Usually we''d just cook on our own because we don''t wake up that early. Just cook for the bodyguards and for yourself."


    "Okay ma''am. Do you have anything that you''re allergic, to?"


    "I''ll give you the list of the things that you should avoid in the future." Cayenne thought for awhile as she tapped her fingers on the table. "What else."


    "About my sry ma''am. Sir Chris told me that you will be the one who will discuss it with me."


    "Me?!" Cayenne blinked several times with a surprise expression shing across her face. "I thought Stefan discussed it with you already. Wait." Cayenne wanted to get her phone but she realized that she ced it inside her bag and Stefan has holding her bag for her. "Please give me a moment. I''m not really good at this and it''s my first time hiring an employee. Just stay here. I''ll be right back." She ran out of the kitchen and went upstairs to her room.


    And what she found gripped her heart so much in pain. Stefan was sitting on the couch while hugging his bent legs and cing his chin on his knees. He looked so sad and when he saw Cayenne, he only pouted and looked away.


    Cayenne walked towards him and kissed his forehead. "I''m sorry I had to leave you."


    "Hmp!"


    Cayenne raised her eyebrow with his childish reaction but she didn''t say anything. She cupped his cheeks and made him look at her then, she kissed the tip of his nose. "I love you and always will."


    Stefan put down his legs and hugged her waist instead. "What will I do if something bad happens to you again? What will happen to me? How should I deal with it?"


    "I know you''re worried for my sake but trust your men and trust me. I''ll be safe."


    Stefan had never shown his weak side to anyone but her and it was always because of her that his worry never subsides.


    "I''ll go back downstairs. Lucia is waiting for me."


    "Okay." Stefan let go of her and watched her step out of the room. With heavy heart, he went inside the bathroom to take a shower first.


    Cayenne discussed Lucia''s sry and other benefits she will have while staying with them. She asked about her family situation and found out that the high school children were actually both girls. And they will be left on their own while their mother works for them. Cayenne felt guilty about it.


    "Do you want to go home everyday to keep your childrenpany?" Cayenne asked tentatively while thinking of some other ways to help the children.


    "There''s no need ma''am. My girls can be trusted and knows how to live on their own. They will be fine."


    "But they will still need your protection, won''t they? Specially that they''re both women." Lucia felt helpless with this information but she didn''t want this to be the reason that she''d lose her job. "Are you living in your own house or is it an apartment or what?"


    "We''re living on the small t that my parents left us before they died. My husband died not long ago so, I decided to work in a convenience store but I got fired as well because I''m too old for it."


    "The t that you stay, is that fully paid or are you renting?"


    "We''re renting."


    "We actually have arge space in our maid''s quarter and you''re the only woman helper that we have hired all this time, how about you stay here with us? Your daughters can help with the house chores and well pay them monthly allowance as well. They can clean the house and divide the work to make it easier for them."


    "No, ma''am. That''s already too much. We will be fine. I can just go back home at night."


    "But our ce is quite far from the city." Cayenne stated to entice the olderdy to ept her suggestion. Just like Stefan, since she''s given the chance to help other people now, she might help all the way and see the end of it.


    "I''ll talk to my husband about this. In that way, you won''t be separated from them."


    "Okay, ma''am. If sir Stefan agrees, I''ll inform my daughters about this."

 Chapter 392 - THIRTY MINUTES AND HE SNAPPED

    <h4>Chapter 392 - THIRTY MINUTES AND HE SNAPPED</h4>


    After discussing everything with Lucia, Cayenne went back to her bed room and found Stefan drying his hair. She took a quick shower and Stefan dried her hair for her. The two of them weren''t talking but their actions still spoke how much they cared for each other.


    She put on her skin moisturizer and once her hair dried, the both of them climbed to their bed to rest the night away. Cayenne was using Stefan''s arm as her pillow while she hugged his waist and ced one of her legs on top of thigh. "Hubby, I told Lucia to bring her two daughters over here and have them help with the house chores in exchange of their monthly allowance. I just don''t think it was a nice idea to let the two girls stay in their t by themselves."


    "You can do whatever you think is right. Just make sure that you establish rules with them in order to keep them in ce. You don''t want them to abuse your kindness, do you?"


    "What rules should I make? I''m not good with that kind of things." Cayenne replied. "It''s my first time hiring someone so, I''m not really good with this."


    "I''ll establish the rules for you, then."


    "Okay. That''s very helpful. Thank you for agreeing with me."


    "Anything for my wife." Stefan kissed the top of her head and the space between her eyebrows. "I''ll do anything so, can I go ¨C"


    "No." Cayenne interrupted what he was about to say because she knew what it would be. "I won''t change my mind. You can go with me."


    Stefan didn''t say anything anymore. He failed today but he can try again tomorrow. "I''m going to meet Travis and Jillyanna tomorrow."


    "Hn. You can do that. I''ll go to my previous school and get my records to process the transfer procedure."


    "Can''t I go with you to do that as well?"


    "You can''t."


    "So, you''re not going with me to meet Travis and Jill?"


    "No."


    "Really?"


    "Yes."


    "I mighte homete."


    Cayenne knew that he was trying to bait her but she also felt that she''s taking thing too far all of a sudden. "How about youe with me to school tomorrow to get my records but once we go to the new school, you can only stay inside the car."


    "Okay." Stefan happily kissed her head again after getting a little bit of amnesty from her. He knew that the transfer procedure won''t take long which will allow him to see her again without taking so much time.


    Stefan caressed the side of breast but that was all. He knew that she tired so, he didn''t take things too hard for her. Cayenne just bit her lip to stop her moans; and let him do it topensate for what she did the whole day to him.


    Stefan fell asleep first while still cing his hand underneath her shirt. Cayenne raised her head and smiled faintly. "Good night, hubby." She kissed his chin without removing his hand from her body.


    The next morning, Cayenne and Stefan woke up early. Just like yesterday, Cayenne was distancing from her husband once again. Stefan was now in the kitchen, talking to Lucia about the house rules while Cayenne sat on the couch in the living room. The roles were reversed.


    Lucia listened carefully to Stefan''s instruction and she was given the whole day to get her daughter and their things to move to the maid''s quarters. Since Stefan and Cayenne will go somewhere, it''s given that most of the body guards wille along with them. Thus, she didn''t need to worry about the meals since Jonas and the others will be left at home.


    Around nine, they left the house and went to Cayenne''s old school. Stefan was happily walking at the school ground with her. Some students were looking at them, probably in school to get their records or attend summer sses. Stefan was holding his wife''s hand while she led the way to the school registrar''s office.


    "Good morning." Cayenne greeted the student assistant who was working at this moment. "I''d like to withdraw my school records to process a transfer of school procedure."


    "Please write your name, course and year please."


    Cayenne took the piece of paper and the pen and wrote down the information that was needed from her. When the girl received the information, she typed it and Cayenne''s records popped up in herputer screen. "Cayenne Ardolf?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh." The student made a perfunctory remark and looked towards Cayenne and Stefan. "I''ll just print out your documents. Please wait for a moment. I''ll be calling your name when it''s ready."


    "Thank you."


    Cayenne and Stefan found an avable bench and sat there to wait for her name to be called. "Are you going to get a tracker from Travis?" she asked him as they sat beside each other.


    "Hn. I won''t be with you all the time and it worries me always. I want to know where you are all the time if possible."


    Cayenne nodded and leaned her head on his shoulders. "I''m sorry for always causing you troubles."


    "It''s no trouble." Stefan responded. "I''m just a coward who couldn''t live his life without his wife."


    "Of course not. You''re the bravest person I know." Cayenne smiled and kissed his knuckles. The other people watching them felt jealous of their sweetness and just decided to avoid looking at them else, they''d get diabetes or tooth cavities.


    There were other people who came before Cayenne so they waited for almost an hour before she got her papers. After finalizing everything, they looked around the campus and checked on Cayenne''s previous ssroom and favorite spots. Since she was always busy before, she didn''t really spend so much time in school aside from attending her sses. In fact, there were some ces in school that she didn''t know of.


    Since they''ve got nothing else to look into, the two of them boarded his car once again and left the vicinity. They needed to go to Xena University, the school that she chose to transfer.


    This time, Stefan was told to stay inside the car while she handles everything by herself. "I''ll call you if I needed something."


    "Okay. Be careful." Stefan kissed her lips before she stepped out of the car. He watched his wife strode on the school ground while being stared by some other guys. Stefan narrowed his eyes but didn''t say anything. "Hmm. I should let her wear our wedding ring every day. She can''t put it on as a ne anymore."


    Stefan waited inside the car and felt that it was the longest time that he hadn''t seen Cayenne. In fact, only twenty minutes had passed. He kept watching his phone for messages but there was nothing from her. He started feeling nervous again. He sent a message to the bodyguard who was following Cayenne earlier.


    After knowing that she was still in the registrar, he felt relieved but when thirty minutes passed without any message from her, he stepped out of the car and started walking to where the registrar was.


    Cayenne was still talking to the person in-charge of the transferee students when she noticed someone running towards her direction. When she turned to look at the person, her eyes widened.


    Stefan''s eyes looked restless and his forehead was dotted with sweats. Obviously, he was running around to find her. "You didn''t send me a message after thirty minutes." He mentioned which stunned everyone around them. Even the teacher couldn''t stop herself from smiling at this young couple.


    Cayenne looked around and found that the three bodyguards who followed her were still there. They only shrug their shoulders at her, simply telling her that they couldn''t do anything about him. "Sorry. I got so busy listening to the process. Come here." Cayenne pulled his hand. Stefan thought that she''d get mad at him but Cayenne wiped his forehead with her handkerchief and held his hand instead before turning to the teacher once again. "This is my husband. I hope you don''t mind him listening to the procedure."


    "No, not at all."


    Stefan intertwined their fingers as he stood beside her, feeling relieved and happy to feel her warmth once again. But to Cayenne, it was a good progress. At least, he was able to withstand her absence for thirty minutes.

 Chapter 393 - CAYENNES ENEMY

    <h4>Chapter 393 - CAYENNE''S ENEMY</h4>


    After an hour and half, Cayenne and Stefan finished the whole transfer of school process. Stefan paid for her school fees and he was her direct guardian as well. He wanted Cayenne to graduate college with her own name so, he didn''t ask the school registrar to change herst name.


    Since she''s new to Xena University, the two of them walked around the school campus to get herself familiar with it. The bodyguards were following them closely at the same time, giving them enough space to be alone with each other. Some of the students who recognized them took pictures and some were looking at them with excited smiles.


    Cayenne was shaking her head mentally. Even though it was announced to the whole world that Stefan was married and he''s wife was even walking right beside him, many girls still like him. Even with his soiled reputation before, many women still wanted to be his girl. And she took this position without doing anything superfluous.


    "Let''s take a look at their cafeteria and maybe get something to drink. I''m a little thirsty." Cayenne suggested. In her brain, the cafeteria would be the most important part of her life as a student specially that she''s a foodie.


    Stefan let her led him around, just following wherever she wanted to go without saying anything. He was holding her hand, making sure that she''s right beside him, putting his heart and mind at ease.


    "By the way, have you checked on the issuest time? Did you know who leaked our address?" Cayenne asked as they walked toward the school cafeteria. Their hands were swinging between them and from time to time, she would raise it and kiss his knuckles,forting him a little in her own way.


    Stefan nodded his head for a start. "I looked into this matter and found out that someone sent a message to the mediapanies about our address. And that person sent the message right after the news of ra''s death was announced. It was obvious that he was trying to put us in a difficult situation. However, it doesn''t really matter. People knew how I was treated before they knew that ra isn''t my mother. They won''t be able to get anything from me when ites to her."


    "Do you think it was someone from the Minato who leaked our address?"


    "I believed so." Stefan stated. "I asked Shein to check on this after obtaining the number where the message came from but he met a dead end. The number was newly-registered and it was only used once. After that, it cannot be traced anymore."


    Cayenne looked down on the ground in worry. This was what she worried the most. She didn''t like her private life to be messed up and yet, the media got hold of her home address.


    Seeing her worried expression, Stefan smiled and caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. "Everything will be alright. Don''t worry."


    "Okay." Cayenne tried her best to calm herself and she was only able to do that when she saw a milk tea stall inside the cafeteria. "They''re selling this in school?" Cayenne questioned andpletely threw off the worries out of her mind. Since Stefan said it would be okay then, she won''t be bothered with it anymore.


    "What do you want to have?" Stefan asked while looking at the disys. Cayenne''s eyes were moving from one item to another, unsure what to get because they''re all tasty and she likes sweets a lot. "Shall I order for you?"


    "Alright. That would be better."


    Stefan looked at the items and finally decided to buy one triple chocte milk tea and lychee milk tea. The lychee was for Cayenne and the chocte was for him but just like always, Cayenne would still end up exchanging their drinks when it''s half-finished already.


    They took their order and decided to leave the campus and visit the Madrigal home. On their way out, Cayenne was happily talking to Stefan about Jade and wasn''t looking her way. Stefan pulled her closer to him but someone still bumped into her.


    "Ah!" The woman yelped in shock as she looked at her dress before looking towards Cayenne. "Oh my gosh! Just what the hell have you done?! Stop flirting and look where you''re going?!" she shouted angrily which caught the attention of the other students. The guards where on alert as well but since they were inside the school ground, they cannot make any decisive actions.


    Cayenne wanted to apologize but her words got stuck in her throat when she was being yelled at. She blinked her eyes at the woman and displeasure was slowly showing on her face. Stefan can feel her anger as well and he was even madder seeing someone yelling at his wife.


    "You better watch your tone." Cayenne responded softly but a trace of coldness showed in her eyes. "And excuse me, I wasn''t flirting. I was merely chatting with my husband. And besides, he pulled me away from your way but you still bumped onto me. Do you know what that means? It means, you''re not looking your way. So, stop putting the me onto someone else. It''s not my fault that you''re being careless."


    "How dare you talk back to me?"


    "Why wouldn''t I dare? I didn''t do anything wrong. You''re the one who started shouting here." Cayenne remained calm but her trembling hands told Stefan that she''s really angry this time.


    "Do you know who I am? Are you new here? You should know better not to mess up with me."


    "Whatever." Cayenne rolled her eyes and started walking away. "I don''t want to waste my time talking to a mad dog."


    Her words angered the woman even more but when she wanted to attack Cayenne, Stefan turned around and looked at her sharply. "This may not be my territory but trust me, I can expel you from this school if I want. So, don''t mess up with my wife."

 Chapter 394 - SECRETS SHE DIDNT KNOW

    <h4>Chapter 394 - SECRETS SHE DIDN''T KNOW</h4>


    The two of them left under the stares of everyone and no one cared about the woman who''s getting hysterical now from getting milk tea all over her dress.


    As soon as they got inside their car, Cayenne covered her mouth and scream. "Aaahhh!"


    "What''s wrong?" Stefan asked. The wide grin on his face was telling her that he knows what she''s feeling as of the moment but he still pretended to not know.


    Cayenne pouted and hit his arm. "Why didn''t you stop me? Why did you allow me to spout those nonsense? Now, people will think badly of me and the ss hasn''t started yet but I made myself an enemy already. What should I do now?"


    "What do you think you should do?" Stefan asked but Cayenne had no answers to this question. "Sweetheart, you did the right thing back there. How dare she bully you? If things like this happen in the future, as long as you didn''t start it, you can always fight back and I will certainly support."


    "What if he''s got a powerful backer? Someone more powerful than you?"


    "Is there someone more powerful than Travis?"


    Cayenne frowned when she heard his best friend''s name. "Why are you bringing him into this conversation?"


    "Because if we talk about backer, don''t we have the most powerful person in the city behind us? And Jillyanna would surely not sit tight while someone bullies you."


    "Oh." Cayenne blinked her eyes. It wasn''t until now that she realized how blessed she was with people. She would never expect that in her poor status, she''d befriend Jillyanna Madrigal and her whole family seems to like her. Apparently, Jillyanna and everyone in her household could rte to Cayenne which was the reason why they like her so much. "Let''s go now. Shall we buy something for Jade and Raizel?"


    "Sure. Let''s stop by the mall."


    They left the campus and went to the nearest mall to buy some toys for the two children. After getting the toys, they finally embark on their trip to Jillyanna''s home. To Cayenne''s surprise, lots of people were present in her house. It was very lively even though there was no asion.


    "Auntie Yen!"? Jade spotted Cayenne immediately when she heard the familiar sound of Stefan''s car engine. She ran to the porch and sure enough, Cayenne was walking towards their house. "I miss you, Auntie Yen. I''m so happy that you''vee to visit us."


    "I''m so happy to see you as well." Cayenne kissed the little girl''s cheek and rubbed her head. "I heard that you gifted Luiz three transformers. He always looks at it and he''s very happy about it."


    "I''m d he treasures it." Jade beamed a smile and held Cayenne''s hand, bringing her inside the house.


    "Hey, little brat, that''s my position." Stefan told Jade. He was following behind him and was about to hold Cayenne''s hand when Jade beat him to it.


    "You''re so petty, uncle." Jade mumbled without letting go of Cayenne.


    Everyoneughed hearing Jade''s words and they all made fun of Stefan. At first, they didn''t believe that he''s be so clingy to his wife and was so dependent on her presence but seeing him now, they all believe those words in the web.


    "Where''s Travis?" Stefan asked when he reached the living room.


    "Where else could he be?" Savannah responded with a helpless sigh. If Travis isn''t working and he''s not with Jillyanna and Jade, it''s obvious that he''s taking care of his son.


    "Is he putting Raizel to sleep?"


    "Not really. Just changing his diaper." Jillyanna answered.


    "I see." Stefan handed the gift bags to Jade and smiled at her, gone the petty uncle who was being robbed of his wife earlier. "Your auntie chose them for you and Raizel."


    "Really?" Jade looked to Cayenne and thanked her. "I''ll bring this to Rai''s room." She got down from the sofa while holding the two gift bags. "Do you want me to say something to my dad?"


    "Nothing in particr." Stefan replied and watched the little girl left the living room. Now, only the adults remain.


    "So, what brings you here? Your face is telling us that you''re not here for business." Sheinmented while watching Stefan from head to toe. He, together with the twin, was trained by Jillyanna to read facial expressions and they''re very good at it. She''s really a good teacher.


    Stefan scratched the back of his head and told them Cayenne''s situation of going back to school. He wasn''t embarrassed telling them how anxious he was when his wife was away from him because he knew that they could understand him and he dide to the right ce.


    "I see." Shein looked towards who was now red in the face. She was the one who felt embarrassed for what she had been doing to Stefan. Then, he looked to his girlfriend beside him who was busy eating some bunny apples.


    Riley was listening to them but she had no idea what was the n because no one talked after. Noticing Shein''s gaze on her, she looked towards Cayenne. "How about we talk separately? I''m sure Yen has something in mind that only girls could understand. We''ll go to our house." She told Shein who nodded his head in agreement.


    Stefan looked at them with incredulous expression. He just told them that he didn''t want to be away with his wife and now, they''re taking her to another house. "Are you guys kidding me?"


    "No, Mr." Riley replied with an eye roll. "You stay put there and think that you wanted to do. The boys will help you out. And on the other hand, we will have a girl''s talk." Riley led Cayenne out of the living room and followed by Jillyanna and the other women, they left to go to Riley and Shein''s home.


    "Poor Jade." Savannahmented, she''ll find us gone when she''s back.


    "I think my husband will ask her to look after Rai while he talks to Stefan."


    "Jade can look after a baby?" Cayenne asked when she heard this. It was really a news to her.


    "Jade likes to have a baby sister before she was adopted and I guess you knew her past already." Cayenne nodded when Jilyanna looked at her. "Apparently, we couldn''t give her a baby sister but she also likes a baby brother. In the orphanage, she helps the social workers in taking care of the children so, when she came home with us and when Raizel was born, she would always hang around him and helps her father take care of him. And Travis trusted her to look after our son, too."


    "Just so you know, aside from their family of four, no one else an enter Rai''s room." Jackie mentioned to Cayenne. "Travis is very particr with sanitary and whatnot for his children, unless he has no other choice, he won''t let you inside his son''s room but he will allow you to hold him for few minutes."


    The more they talk, the more Cayenne knew of this family that she looked up to. And she realized that if Stefan was possessive, Travis was hundred times more than that. ''Wow! How did Jill handle him?''

 Chapter 395 - SAVED BY SHEIN

    <h4>Chapter 395 - SAVED BY SHEIN</h4>


    They stayed in the living room and this time, Cayenne started to rx because they''re all girls and she can freely express herself around them.


    "I''m d that you''ve decided to finish your study." Jillyannamented while taking a seat on one of the couches around. Riley didn''t bother sitting on the couch and chose to sit on the carpet instead.


    "It was Stefan''s idea. I told him that I want to have a child but he didn''t want and asked me to finish my degree instead while waiting for the time."


    "No wonder you''re friends with Jill." Savannah replied with faint chuckles. "A year ago, she also wanted to have a child so desperately. She was at your age. And now, she ended up to where she is now."


    "How did you achieve your goal?" Cayenne asked in curiosity but theyughed. It made her even more curious.


    "I didn''t achieve my goal." Jillyanna stated with a grimace on her face. Looking back to the past, she really didn''t know what to feel about it anymore. "I was nning to have a baby and ran away. I wanted to leave the country and be a single mother. I wanted to just live my life with myself and the baby." Nevertheless, she''s thankful of how things turned out.


    "You didn''t want Travis to take responsibility for it?"


    "Oh please, I didn''t even want any man in my life to begin with. I only wanted a child. Any man will do and then, it just happens to be him. And then all the storms and typhoons in my life happened."


    Cayenne smiled with how Jill described it but she knew that she wasn''t exaggerating things. It was just a metaphor. After all, who didn''t know of her situation back then? They might now know the whole story but they knew she''s been in and out of the hospital when she was pregnant and there was a time when Travis was hospitalized for three months, too. Thankfully, he forgot everyone but her. It would have been very painful if he remembers everyone but her.


    "You know what, I don''t really want to be away from Stefan. I also worry for him but I realize that there are things we must do separately. If he continues to stay with me every single day, it would affect his work. And I''ll be a veryzy person beside him."


    "But his work will still be affected with you gone from his side." Riley stated. "He''s so used to your presence now and he''s a worrywart, too. Added with the trauma of the recent incident with your former ssmate, he would be very restless every second that you''re out of his sight."


    "I know. But I cannot bring him to school every day, right?" Cayenne looked towards Jillyanna, as if she was making a plea on her. "Jill, how did you convince Travis to work while you''re at home? And sometimes, he even allowed you to go somewhere with just several bodyguards following you. How did you do that?"


    "Ahem!" Jillyanna coughed drily as she scratched the side of her face. She looked to Riley and everyone else who showed the same awkward and helpless expression. "There''s something you didn''t know about us yet. Well, you know that Savannah is a soldier who''s taking missions, right?"


    "Yeah."


    "Well, the truth is, Savannah isn''t the only fighter here. Except the two children and our two helpers, everyone else can fight and kill a person barehanded."


    Cayenne blinked her eyes several times while listening to her words. She was observing Jillyanna''s face if she was just joking or not but she couldn''t really tell. "You''re kidding me, aren''t you?"


    "I''m not." Jillyanna smiled and sighed. "Aside from Travis who wouldn''t dare fight me, I''ve defeated everyone here, including the boys."


    "What?! You fought with them?"


    "Uh huh. I would spar with them from time to time and so far, no one won against me yet."


    Cayenne looked towards the twin and then to Savannah. "This is really unbelievable." She muttered with obvious surprise.


    Riley tapped her fingers on the coffee table to add a little bit of information to her. "Savannah came from the military along with Valkyrie, Hawk and Brown. They''re a team so it''s given that these four can fight. Travis was also trained in the military before. Winter, Travis'' cousin, who isn''t here, is a Lieutenant Colonel and her fianc¨¦e, Gabriel, is also from the military. Jackie, Shein and I were trained by Jillyanna. It''s the reason why I didn''t use any stunt double in my movie ¨C because I can fight. And the bodyguards here, they''re special men hired by Travis."


    Cayenne was slowly processing their words in her head, not knowing how she should react into this information. "That is amazingly cool but, I don''t think I can fight. I have a very weak stamina and even if I start training now, I don''t have much time."


    "You''re right on that matter." Jackie told her. "But you''re already doing a good job with your n now. You still have over a month of summer help Stefan with his separation anxiety. You just have to show him that everything will be alright. Reassure him along the way that you''re fine."


    "Regarding that, I was wondering if you have any tools that I can use tomunicate with him without alerting my future professors or ssmates?"


    "I do have one." Riley raised her hand in an instant. "Uhm, actually, it isn''t mine. It''s Shein''s. But I think, he will agree to let you use it. Let me give him a call." Riley dialed Shein''s number right in front of everyone and turned on the speaker. "Babe, do you have any use for that pen that you made not long ago?"


    "No, why?"


    "How about we give it to Yen?"


    "That''s fine with me." Shein replied and then, realized that it was the answer to Stefan''s worry as well. "Give it to Yen and bring her back here. Stefan will probably tear down our house if you keep her inside any longer."


    "Not even an hour has passed yet." Cayenne mumbled as she pinched the space between her eyebrows. "If I didn''te here, I wouldn''t know what to do at all. Thank you so much for helping me."


    "Not at all. If you need help, you can always count on us." Savannah winked at her.


    Cayenne grew up with no one else to depend on but herself but now, she''s got so many people who''s willing to help her. Truly, fate has many surprises for you along the way.

 Chapter 396 - TO CALM STEFAN

    <h4>Chapter 396 - TO CALM STEFAN</h4>


    The girls went back to Jillyanna''s house as soon as possible and when Cayenne got inside, Stefan immediately pulled her to his side. "I couldn''t concentrate on what they said." He told her with an apologetic tone. "I really tried but I can''t."


    Cayenne gently squeezed his hand and smiled encouragingly at him. "It''s fine. I understand. But I honestly thought we''d make progress since you survived for an hour earlier."


    "Sorry."


    Cayenne didn''t say anything but she rubbed his arm tofort him. She turned to Shein and Riley, and to everyone who was looking at the pen now. "What''s this pen for?"


    "Just a sec. I''ll show you something." Shein took out his personalputer that he always brings with him wherever he goes. He typed something on hisputer and pressed the green button on the pen. "This is mytest invention. Actually, this was Jade''s idea and I just tried putting some things together to make it possible." Soon, his own face was reflected in hisptop. "This pen has a mini camera."


    Cayenne waspletely amazed with this. She knew that Jillyanna''s family members have different kind of weird things for protection and tracking purposes but it was the first one that she sees in person.


    The cute pink pen was ced inside a small case. It has a little bear head on one end of it, which eyes were made of small cameras. There were three small buttons that you can press; green to turn it on and start recording, red to stop it; and ck to turn it off. It has very simple mechanic. At first nce, you would really think it''s a normal pen because the ballpoint and can be used to write something but its main purpose was to really record the surroundings.


    "The only sad thing about this is the battery life. This recording pen can onlyst for eight hours a day but you can recharge it using your phone''s charger." Shien showed them the charging hole which was at the back of the bears head. "I''m giving it to you." Shein handed the pen to Cayenne including the case. "In this way, Stefan will be able to see you without any of your ssmates or teachers knowing about it."


    "Oh." Cayenne received the gift and look at it in amazement. "Thank you, Shein."


    Stefan looked at the pen and felt a little relieved but he still wasn''t convinced with one single item for Cayenne''s protection. Seeing his expression, Travis couldn''t stop smirking at him. But he can totally understand him. If Jillyanna wasn''t a fighter who canpletely defend herself, he would be paranoid just like this friend of his.


    "Fine. We''ll stop teasing you." Valkyrie told Stefan and took out a small box under the coffee table. There were chips of all shapes and some things that Cayenne didn''t know what to call. "Can I have your phone, Yen?"


    "Sure." Cayenne handed her phone to Valkyrie and watched him tinker her own gadget in front of everyone. She was already crossing her fingers that nothing would happen to her phone. Valkyrie ced a small circr item inside her phone and put them back together like he did nothing. "Are you done?"


    "Yes."


    Valkyrie returned her phone and turned to Stefan. "Give me your phone, you big clingy man."


    "Isn''t that you?" Stefan responded while taking out his phone. "I couldn''t beat your clinginess at all."


    "Shut up or I won''t help you." Valkyrie responded but his hands were already moving on its own. He shared an app to Stefan''s phone which he used to monitor Brown''s whereabout. "When you open this app, you will see a red dot here which corresponds to Cayenne''s phone. As long as she has her phone, you would know her direction." Valkyrie showed him how to do it twice before handing the phone back to him.


    "How about the pen? How can he check on me?" Cayenne asked Shein this time since it was his own invention.


    "Don''t worry about that. I have configured hisputer already. As soon as he opens it, he will see the program running."


    "O-okay." Cayenne thanked them again, thinking that was all. When Valkyrie picked another thing, she realized that they''re just starting.


    They gave her a lot of small items that can be used as a self-defense, in order to calm Stefan. They were small and handy, notplicated to use and not noticeable by other people. They looked like little essories inside her bag.


    "Thank you so much for all your help." Cayenne stood up and bowed her head in front of them. She was truly grateful that she met all these people who care for her and Stefan.


    "Not at all. We just don''t want a certain someone to go crazy. It would be a great loss to the society." Valkyrie stated, mocking Stefan on the process.


    Stefan didn''t say anything because they were indeed a great help. He just ignored Valkyrie''s words and focused on the good result of their visit.


    "It''s lunch time already, why don''t you two stay for lunch with us?" Jillyanna invited them but Cayenne and Stefan has other ns in the afternoon.


    "Thank you for inviting us but, we actually have other ns in the afternoon. Maybe next time?" Cayenne tried her best to refuse Jillyanna politely in which the other woman just smiled.


    "Sure. Come again next time."


    "Thank you for helping us." Stefan mentioned as he stood up from his seat. "We''ll get going now."


    "Hn. Take care always." Travis gave him a pat on his shoulder. "If there''s anything else that you want, just give me a call."


    Stefan nodded his head and together with Cayenne, he bid farewell to them. They left the Madrigal home and went back to City A. They didn''t n anything special in the afternoon but just spend time together while he works in hispany. He needed to work more because they will leave again after three days. It wouldn''t be good if his works pile up like a mountain on his desks. Although Chris can help him with most works, there were still things that only Stefan can do.


    "Shall we try using the pen in the office?"


    "No."


    "Eh?" Cayenne didn''t expect him to refuse her suggestion immediately. "I thought my words are the rule."


    "Honey, you left me twice today. I thought we''re taking this slowly."


    Cayenne thought so as well thus; she gave up on the idea. "Alright, I won''t do it."


    The two of them bought some foods through drive thru because Cayenne didn''t want to waste any more of their time. She didn''t need a fancy lunch with him this time. When they arrived at his office, the first thing that Cayenne looked at was his table. And just as she expected, lots of documents were ced on top of his desk. There was a note left as well.


    "Is there anything that I can help you with?" Cayenne asked while putting her bag on the couch. She was done with the trantion work he gave herst time and she wanted to help him again with whatever little thing she can do.


    "Can you help me check on this." Stefan handed her a folder with lots of numbers on it. "Can you review if the numbers add up correctly?"


    "Down to the decimals?"


    "Yes."


    "Okay." Cayenne took the folder and sat on the couch to start working. "Do you have to review this kind of documents all the time?"


    "Yup. I don''t want to sign things blindly." Stefan replied. "I don''t know all the employees that the HR hires for me and I don''t know when I''d step on andmine with financial holes. It''s better to be safe than sorry so, I always review every budget before signing them."


    "No wonder you haven''t experiences any loss."?Cayenne replied. "But, I am not really good with math. Are you sure you want to trust me with this millions-worth of project?"


    "It''s a simple math. I know you can do it. Don''t blindly follow the numbers printed on the docs, make your ownputation andpare them."


    "Do I have a deadline?"


    "Not really. You can do that one the whole afternoon if you want."


    Cayenne nodded her head once again. She pulled some clean bond papers under the coffee table and started writing on it. She wanted to use her own brain without the help of calctor in this document but she will still make an input on the calctorter to make sure that she got it right.


    When Chris came inside to talk with Stefan, he found the two lovebirds working seriously and as soon as he saw what Cayenne was doing, he couldn''t stop his head from shaking. If it were another people''s wife, they would probably re up if their husband handed them this document to work on. But Cayenne was diligently taking her job.


    After giving Stefan another folder, which made him smile, Chris left immediately to give them back their space.


    As for the folder? It wasn''t anything rted to business but it was a list of things for their wedding that Cayenne had no idea at all.

 Chapter 397 - THE EVIL BOSS

    <h4>Chapter 397 - THE EVIL BOSS</h4>


    Cayenne was working seriously with the task that Stefan gave her. And while she was busy with work, Stefan was busy taking pictures of her as well. Whenever he can, Stefan would always capture several photos of her. In fact, ny percent of the pictures he stored in his phone was photos of his wife.


    At three in the afternoon, they took a break from work and Chris took this chance to call his girlfriend. Now that he''s got a lover of his own, he finally found the purpose of taking breaks.


    Cayenne ordered some pastries online and gave Elena and Chris their share. Usually, Chris''s assistant would go somewhere during breaks but this time, she chose to stay and did her work as best as she could. You can obviously say that she was working hard to forget everything involving Chris. After all, she liked him for a long time. Letting go of her feelings and moving on wouldn''t be that easy for her.


    "I believe that you will have a bright future ahead." Cayenne wrote on a small note and ced it on the small box of pastry that she gave Elena. It was her little way of motivating her because soon, she will be promoted; though, they haven''t told her about it yet.


    After the half an hour break, the couple went back to work. Cayenne finished calcting everything and when she made theparison, she frowned. It might be a little disparity in numbers but still, a cent will determine the win or lose of a big project. Aside from that, it shows the loyalty of your employees. A change in number when they''re obviously usingputers to calcte the amount, tells Cayenne that something was definitely wrong with the person who calcted it.


    "Is this the first time for this employee to calcte this kind of project?" Cayenne questioned Stefan since she wasn''t very familiar with the person.


    "Can youe over here for a sec?" Stefan asked but his expression was actually pleading her. When Cayenne stood up, his face instantly lit up and a wide smile appeared on his face. "I''ll search on the name for you." He took the document from Cayenne and looked at the name of the person who calcted it. "I guess there''s something wrong with the calction since you asked me the question." Hemented while typing on his keyboard.


    Cayenne sat on hisp and leaned her head on his chest, like a cat purring on him. And this made Stefan smile even wider. "It''s just a little amount but I don''t like it when people aren''t doing their job well."


    "Of course, you will be upset. When you still worked in my hotel, didn''t you always receive a monthly bonus because of your performance evaluation? It''s your perfectionist side."


    "I''m not really perfectionist." Cayenne retorted. "I just have this thought that ''since it''s entrusted to me, I should do my best to work on it and not a half-assed performance''."


    "I wish all employees have the same thought process as you." Stefan kissed the top of her head while looking at theputer.


    Cayenne was looking on hisputer as well and when the name popped, the employee''s information and the projects being handled showed up. So far, this was the first project that the employee took part in.


    "Let''s just say that he made a mistake this time. Maybe he just overlooked it." Cayenne mumbled, giving the employee the benefit of the doubt. She didn''t want to judge him just because of this.


    "How did you spot the mistake?" Stefan asked even though he had been watching her when she worked on it.


    Cayenne showed him her manual calction and the one she calcted using a calctor. Both showed the same exact amount but the one that the employee calcted showed an excess amount of $3380.15. It might not be a huge amount but it''s still incorrect


    "Hon, do you always keep record of the people who calctes for your projects?" she asked him after showing the information.


    "Hn. Just in case there are some underhanded anomaly, I''d be able to trace it to the right person. Don''t worry, I know how to deal with this." Stefan wrapped his arms around Cayenne''s waist and buried his face on her hair. He really likes her scent.


    "Uh¡­What should I do next?"


    "Just stay with me like this for a little while." Stefan mumbled. He hugged her for few more minutes before letting her go to call the Finance Team and asked for the person-in-charge in the project that Cayenne had calcted.


    When Joel Mason heard that he was called to see the CEO in his office, he was a little bit nervous. As far as he knew, you will only be called by the CEO if you havemitted a huge mistake.


    "Tsk! I wonder what mistake he did." Jason Mason, Joel''s cousin, clicked his tongue and looked at his younger cousin in disdain.


    "Well, he was tasked to handle a big project this time. He must have messed up." Another personmented in passing. He really had no idea and was just pointing out some facts and strung it along with his shrewd opinion.


    "Aren''t you worried for your cousin?" someone asked Jason as they watched Joel walked out of the office.


    "He chose this career and epted the project. He needed to take responsibility if hemitted a huge mistake." Jason blurted with a smirk. He continued to work and ignored thements regarding his younger cousin.


    Joel didn''t take dilly-dally and went to the CEO''s office as soon as he can. When he came inside, he saw Cayenne sitting on the couch. "Good afternoon, ma''am." He greeted her politely before turning to Stefan. "Good afternoon, sir. I was told toe here for some important matter."


    Stefan didn''t stand or even asked the man to sit but directly threw the folders containing the calctions towards him. "Exin to me why there''s an excess amount on the calction."


    "Huh? Why would there ¨C " He didn''t finish his statement because when he saw the documents, he knew that Stefan wasn''t ying a prank on him. The calction was indeed wrong.


    "My wife recalcted it and found the error. So, would you care to tell me how this happen?"

 Chapter 398 - THE EVIL BOSS AND KIND LADY BOSS

    <h4>Chapter 398 - THE EVIL BOSS AND KIND LADY BOSS</h4>


    Joel trembled as soon as he saw what was on the documents. He wanted to say something to deny it but he knew it would be pointless because Stefan didn''t like talking about reasons but results, instead. In the end, he could do nothing but bow his head and apologized to him.


    "I''m sorry for this mistake, sir."


    "If I signed for these documents, I would lose money because of your carelessness. It might not be a lotpared to all the riches I have but every penny counts for me. This excess amount will be a huge help to those less fortunate."


    "I''m really sorry, sir. I will redo this work now and double check the information."


    "You don''t need to do that. Just copy what my wife calcted. It will save you time to redo everything." Stefan mentioned, not forgetting to give the credit to his lovely wife but Cayenne didn''t care about it at all. "I entrusted this project to you because you''ve been doing great recently and that''s the reason why you were promoted to take your current position and ept this kind of projects. Am I wrong to have approved of your promotion? Did you just do a good job for the sake of getting promoted?"


    "Why don''t you just say what''s on your mind?" Cayenne spoke while looking towards the young employee. "Looking at your expression, it seemed you are really clueless of this mistake." Joel looked towards Cayenne but he immediately looked away without saying anything. "We won''t be able to help you solve your problem."


    "How did you know?" Joel looked back to the pretty boss in front of him and his eyes went from worried to surprised. "I didn''t even say anything."


    Cayenne chuckled and ced the magazine she was reading on the table. "I was once an employee like you and because I''m always diligent at work, it can''t be helped that people get jealous of you. I wasn''t even promoted but I attracted a lot of enemies before. How much more that you''ve been promoted rapidly in just a span of two years. I''m sure that many people won''t like you in your current position."


    If Stefan wasn''t nning to uphold his serious expression right now, he would surely give his wife a loud apuse. Few words and little clues helped her analyze things that other people might not think of.


    Joel pursed his lips and refused to say anything once again. He was really ready to shoulder the me.


    "Why don''t we go to your office now and take a look at yourputer?" Cayenne suggested which made Joel gave up. Whether he says it now or not, they will still find the truth because thedy boss would surely insist on doing it. Cayenne was ready to stand from her seat when Joel spoke.


    "I was sure I didn''t make mistake on this." It was just one statement but his expression showed that he was sure and determined to let them know the truth and believe him.


    "This isn''t the first time, right?" Cayenne asked. She wanted to believe in him because she experienced the same thing but if she found out that he''s lying, she''ll make sure that he''d be banned from allpanies.


    Joel recalled what he had experienced ever since he got promoted. Most employees spent three to fiver years before they''d be promoted and gets the chance to work on a multi-million-worth of project but in his case, because of his excellent performance, he was promoted after two years of work and Stefan approved it. Then, two months after his promotion, he was given this big project that everyone was dreaming of having. It''s because once a project bes sessful, the employee who took part in this project will get a big bonus.


    Joel was framed to take this heavy responsibility with the chances of getting fired.


    Stefan clicked his tongue and Cayenne knew that it wasn''t a good thing. "Don''t worry about this." Cayenne told the young man and smiled faintly at him. "You can go back to work now and just pretend that nothing happened. My husband doesn''t tolerate dishonest people and those who harms their colleagues. Rest assured, you won''t be punished for this. Do your best."


    "Yes, ma''am. Thank you so much." He bowed his head several times in front of Cayenne and turned to Stefan right after, doing the same thing as well.


    "You may go now." Stefan pressed the button under his desk and the door was unlocked.


    Chris also came in and handed him another folder. "These are the things that Shein found." He put the folder on Stefan''s desk and looked back to the retreating back of the young man. "Such a young person. If this won''t be dealt with ordingly, his future will be ruined."


    At six, Stefan and Cayenne left thepany together with Chris but the went on separate ways after getting down to the basement. Elena was the only one who doesn''t work over time with them since she''s still an assistant and Chris didn''t want to over work her.


    "Don''t you think it''s time for Elena to be trained to handle Chris'' work assignments?" Cayenne asked her husband when they got inside the car.


    "Chris will deal with everything once he finalized all the things he needed to settle before going back to the military."


    "I hope he won''t be sent to dangerous missions."


    "Sweetheart, as long as you are from the military forces, you will surely encounter different kinds of danger along the way. And I am sure that Chris and Rissy are both aware of that."


    Cayenne didn''t say anything anymore because she knew that he was only telling her facts. She thought of other things and remembered Luiz will be taking the examination for Trine Elite University the next day. She closed her eyes and silently prayed for his brother''s sess. He always liked this university but his previous schrship didn''t cater to this school. Now, he was finally given the chance to go to this university and Cayenne was looking forward to it. She''s not really putting pressure on them but she''d be very happy if they''d do their best all the time.


    "I know what to do." Cayenne blurted out and looked happily towards Stefan. "I''ll apany Luiz to Trine tomorrow while you stay at home. Ahh!" Stefan stepped on the brake identally with her words. "Why did you step on the brake? Is there anything wrong?" She looked on the road ahead to see if there''s anything that he hit but there was nothing.


    Stefan looked at her and sighed helplessly. He didn''t know whether tough or cry while watching his wife pretending to be clueless of his sudden brake.

 Chapter 399 - JUSTIN

    <h4>Chapter 399 - JUSTIN</h4>


    As soon as they reached home, Cayenne slumped on the couch andid with her stomach on. "I am so tired." She muttered. Ever since she stopped working in the hotel, she got more free time and most of it was spent to rx. Usually, Stefan would do most of the work for her and settle whatever she needed to settle.


    Now, they will start acting on their own. She will have to stand on her own two feet again because she has to go back to school. She can''t possibly rely on him all the time. Stefan had to work without Cayenne by his side as well. Both of them had to grow out of theirfort zone because.


    "Good evening, ma''am. Good evening, sir." A gentle voice from the kitchen greeted them which perked up Cayenne''s ears. She instantly stood up and fixed her clothes to see who it was.


    A young man, probably the same age as Luiz, was walking towards them from the kitchen. You cannot say he''s handsome but more like a feminine boy. He doesn''t really wear any feminine clothes or what but he was charming and his voice was soft. His action was kind of cautious and gentle.


    "Good evening. I''m Cayenne Ardolf Dumrique. You must be Justin?" Cayenne reached her hand and the man did the same, forming a handshake with her. "Nice to meet you. This is my husband, Stefan Dumrique."


    "Nice to meet you, too ma''am. Nice to meet you, sir." He was really polite and his smile was really bright. Because of his expressions and his face, you couldn''t see the shabby clothes his wearing. The first thing that you would see in him was his face and his bright smile. He wasn''t really wearing any dirty clothes but they were kind of old.


    "Have you met everyone here?" she asked just in case she needed to do more introductions of her family.


    "Yes, ma''am. Sir Erwin introduced everyone earlier."


    "Alright. That''s perfectly good." She smiled at him and sat back on the couch. "Go and sit wherever you like. Let''s talk about the house rules and your sry." After saying these words, Cayenne shifted her attention to Stefan. "Hon, why don''t you go back to our room first?"


    "No."


    "What ''no''? You have to go to our room and wait for me there."


    "Do I really have to? You were gone for over thirty minutes in Xena University and you left me alone when we reached the Jillyanna''s house. When we were in thepany, you left me for ten minutes to give those snacks to Chris and Elena and you chatted with them, forgetting the fact that I was alone in my office. Do I have to be alone again now that we''re home?"


    Cayenne blinked her eyes while listening to her husband. He wasn''t being usative or ming her but his was merely airing out his grievances. She was dumbfounded.


    "Since that is the case, how about I propose another deal for you." Cayenne''s smile put him even more unease. "As long as we''re home, you can stick with me however you want. I won''t leave your side. You''ll go wherever I go. But if I have to leave the house to do some things, you cannot follow me."


    Stefan shrugged his shoulders and stood up. "I''d rather take this thing slowly. Let''s stick with your former n, okay?" he immediately went upstairs, not wanting to deal with her ns anymore.


    Cayenne chuckled seeing her husband''s silly face when she suggested that to him. "So silly." She mumbled before facing the young man in front of her. "So, let''s talk about house rules. There isn''t much. All you have to do is keep your sleeping quarter clean and do your job properly. Your task is only to wash the dishes after everyone eats. This is because the body guards who stays at home have different eating time. So, you just have to coordinate with our chef."


    "Okay, ma''am."


    "By the way, can you read, write and calcte?"


    "A little. We aren''t given the privilege to go to school but I was taught how to write, read andpute."


    "I see. In that case, during this summer, if you are not working, spend your vacant time to enhance your readingprehension and penmanship. I''ll ask one of Lucia''s daughter to tutor you whenever you guys are free. Aside from that, do you want to go home during weekends?"


    "Is that okay? I wouldn''t be able to do my work if I go home every weekend." Justin was concerned about this because he didn''t want to lose another job again.


    "During weekend, my husband and I usually stay at home and that goes the same for the body guards. We can handle it on our own if you go home on weekends."


    "Thank you, ma''am. I''m really happy. I have to check on my family as well."


    "How many are you at home?" Cayenne asked in curiosity. Stefan told him that it was like a small orphanage which was managed by two old people who didn''t have children of their own but, Cayenne didn''t know exactly the number of people living there.


    "We have grandma and grandpa who took us in. In the past, there were three adults with us but when they got a good job, they left the house and never came back. Right now, I''m the only adult who can work. The other eight children are still very young."


    "How do you get by every day?"


    "We have a small farm at home and we nt vegetables there and other root crops. Grandma and grandpa have pension as well."


    "I see. This weekend, can you bring us to your house?"


    "Sure, ma''am." Justin answered almost instantly but there was a trace of anxiety on his face. "Just please don''t expect anything from us. You would be disappointed."


    Cayenne smiled faintly and this time, she shared her story to her new dishwasher. This was her way of putting them at ease, knowing that their employer has gone through hardships just like them. She didn''t feel bad telling other people what she was before meeting Stefan because that''s part of her. Her past molded her into the person she''s be of the present.


    The two of them discussed his sry and the benefits that he will get along with it. Cayenne told him to apply for a bank ount as well so that he can start saving.


    "This is for you." Cayenne handed him a small brown envelope and when Justin opened it, his eyes went wide from the surprise. "That''s like a bonus for getting hired. I don''t know what is it called because I''m not really a big-time employer. You''re the second person I have ever hired although, it was my husband and his secretary who looked for you. Anyway, it''s yours."


    "Thank you so much, ma''am. I can definitely buy a phone now."


    "Phone? You don''t have a phone?"


    "No, ma''am." Justin felt embarrassed when he was asked with these questions. Many people thought he also have phone because he worked before but he''s got more important things to buypared to a phone. "I always worry that something might happen at home."


    Cayenne nodded her head and thought carefully. "I''m not sure if it''s still working since I haven''t used it for months now. Let me check on my husband, first." Cayenne called Stefan which the other answered immediately. ''Has he been waiting for me to call him?'' She asked herself because it only took her two rings for him to answer. "Hon, can you check my old phone? I think I ced it inside my drawer. If it''s working, can you bring it downstairs?" From the background, Cayenne could hear the noises made by him. Obviously, he was in a hurry toe down.


    Not long after Stefan came running down to the living room with an old phone in his hand. "Don''t make me go back without you." He told Cayenne while handing the phone to her. He sat beside her and ced his arms on her waist, ignoring the fact that someone was still sitting across them.


    Cayenne just let him do what he wanted topensate for letting him stay in their bedroom all alone. She turned on the phone and thankfully it was still working. But they needed a new sim for him because her sim card has expired. "If it''s for emergency purposes, you can have this phone now. Let''s a buy a sim card for you this weekend and open a bank ount as well. In that way, you can save up your money. Prioritize your needs over your wants and make sure to manager your money carefully."


    "Uhh, ma''am, if I have a bank ount, can you send half of my sry directly to my ount and then just give me half as cash?"


    "Sure. That''s not really a problem. Let''s settle everything this weekend. It''ste now. Let''s turn in and rest."


    "Okay, ma''am. Thank you again." He turned to Stefan and bowed his head politely. "Thank you for finding me, sir. Thank you so much."


    "Not at all." Stefan just smiled faintly and stood up from the couch. He took hold of Cayenne''s bag and the two finally left together to go back to their bed.


    Stefan closed the door and pulled his wife for a kiss. It wasn''t a gentle kiss but a kiss full of needs and wants. "I don''t want you now. I need you." Stefan muttered which stunned his wife. Taking this chance, he kissed her deeply to blow up her mind.

 Chapter 400 - HES COMING ALONG

    <h4>Chapter 400 - HE''S COMING ALONG</h4>


    Cayenne was just kidding when she said she was tired the moment they got home but this time, she was really tired after getting punished for leaving Stefan several times earlier that day.


    "Can I take a shower now?" She asked him who was still hugging her despite their sweaty and sticky bodies. Stefan tightened his hug around her waist and bit her shoulder lightly. Cayenne bit her lower lip and didn''t say anything, knowing how big of an adjustment Stefan needed to take for both of their convenience. "Let''s take a shower together?"


    "Give me five minutes." He muttered and licked the spot that he just bit few seconds ago.


    "Okay." The two of them continued to snuggle in each other''s arm. After fiver minutes, with obvious reluctance, Stefan still went to take a shower with Cayenne. After taking a shower and changing to a fresh and clean set of clothes, Stefan changed the bed sheet before they went to sleep.


    The next day, Cayenne woke up very early and without waiting for Stefan to wake up she went out of bed but Stefan woke up the moment he felt that his arm was empty. Thankfully, Cayenne was still in the bathroom, brushing her teeth.


    Done cleaning her teeth, she went back to Stefan and kissed his lips. "Morning, sweetheart. I''m going to prepare breakfast. You cane down and apany me but I''ll have to go down first."


    "Okay. I''ll be there very quick." Stefan felt electrocuted and climbed down of the bed as quick as he can. Cayenne went out of their room while he was still cleaning his face.


    Luiz was already in the living room, tying his shoece while Kyle sat beside him, reading another magazine. He had been studying the modelstely because of the job that they will take part in this summer.


    "Morning, sis." Luiz greeted him when he caught sight of her. "You left brother-inw again?"


    "He''ll being in a while."


    "Oh." Luiz nodded his head and continued what he was doing. "Will you being with me to Trine?"


    "Yup. Your examination will start at ten in the morning, right?"


    "Yes. It''s still seven in the morning so, you still have enough time to prepare. But do you mind if I leave earlier than you? I don''t want to bete just in case there''ll be a heavy trafficter."


    "Sure. I''ll have Erwin send you there."


    "Okay."


    "Will you stay for breakfast? I''m going to cook."


    "Ah?"


    "You don''t want to?"


    "It''s not that." Luiz scratched the back of his head. "Papa is currently making breakfast. You guys were busy yesterday so, we thought of getting up early today."


    "I see." Cayenne tend to forget that there were many people at home who can cook now. Besides, even if she won''t cook for them, her two brothers can certainly take care of their own breakfast. "I''ll go and prepare to apany you, then. Let''s just leave together."


    Stefan was on his way downstairs when he saw Cayenne walking back towards him. "You''re not cooking today?"


    "Nope. Papa is cooking right now. Let''s go back to our room and prepare. We''ll apany Luiz to Trine."


    "We." Stefan softly mumbled and happily went back to their room with his wife. He didn''t say anything about Cayenne''s words, afraid that she''ll take it back and leave him at home. In fact, Cayenne didn''t make any mistake. She really wanted for her husband toe with them because she needed her to feel at ease. She felt too nervous for her brother even though she won''t be the one taking the examter.


    After taking a shower, Cayenne frowned to find that Stefan didn''t offer to dry her hair. When she turned around to find him, she didn''t know whether tough or cry at his sight. He was busy choosing clothes for her; not for himself but for her. He was matching things and ced them back together if he didn''t like it.


    Since he was busy with something, Cayenne decided to dry her hair. After five minutes, Stefan finally settled for something that was up to his standard. Truthfully speaking, all the clothes he bought were beautiful but he likes to style her clothes every day. He was like her personal fashion stylist.


    "You''ll wear these today." Stefan showed her the clothes that he picked. He got a blue skinny jean for her, paired with white chiffon blouse, a white belt, a pink checkered trench coat and a pair of beige sandals. Looking at them, Cayenne couldn''t stop herself feeling amazed with her husband fashion sense.


    "You really love styling clothes, don''t you?" she questioned while taking the clothes from him.


    "I only like choosing outfits for you." Stefan answered. "I started reading fashion magazines for you."


    "Thank you, hubby." She stood on her toes and kissed his lips. "How about you? How will you match your clothes with me?"


    "That''s not really an issue." Stefan winked at her before looking for his own clothes.


    Inside their ward robe, there weren''t many matching outfits that they bought but Stefan could still find some other normal clothes to match with hers. He really had good eyes for matching stuff.


    Around eight, the two of them came down and joined their family to eat breakfast. Lucia and Justin were up awake as well and were getting ready for their job. Cayenne informed Lucia to bring her daughters on weekend since Stefan agreed with it already.


    After breakfast, Jonas and Kyle stayed back. They let Cayenne apany Luiz for his exam. Apparently, this father-and-son pair didn''t want to be a third wheel. Once Luiz get inside the school for exam, they will be left at the mercy of the sweet couple thus, to save themselves, they decided to stay.


    "Good luck, son." Jonas gave his son a gentle pat on his back.


    "You can do it bro." Kyle also cheered him on. "This is for you." It was a pencil with cute transformer stickers. "You can''t use it for the exam but it can cheer you on."


    Luiz was no longer a kid but he still got a young heart. Everyone has their own kind of favorite collections; be it books, anime, toys or whatever that they like. And it gives those people a certain kind of peace and encouragement.

 Chapter 401 - THEY MET AGAIN

    <h4>Chapter 401 - THEY MET AGAIN</h4>


    If they were in City A, Trine Elite University would be nearer but since they moved to City B and a countryside property at that, they were farther to the ce. Even so, it wasn''t really a problem to them.


    "Can we get inside the campus and look around?" Cayenne asked Stefan and Luiz on their way to the university.


    "I think you can because it''s summer. Perhaps, you''d have to surrender an ID before you can get inside." Luiz answered while looking at his phone. He was busy texting someone and you don''t need to guess who it was.


    Cayenne nodded her head and looked towards her husband. She didn''t say anything but was bluntly staring at him. "Darling, I know that I''m handsome but you don''t really have to stare at me that much."


    "Why not? I like looking at you." She answered without an ounce of embarrassment. It was really unexpected from her and Stefan started to blush under her intense gaze. Luiz was even raising his eyebrow when he heard those wordsing from his sister''s mouth.


    Stefan tried his best to focus his eyes on the road but his heart was skipping faster because of his wife. She wasn''t looking away at him even though five minutes have passed. "Say, wifey, what are you thinking while looking at me?"


    "Nothing much." Cayenne smiled and looked away from him. In those five minutes of staring, she was mentally thanking God for having him in her life. She was very grateful that after so many hardships she went through, she met a man who spoils her so much, someone who''s scared of her painful dysmenorrhea, someone who''s afraid of her getting hurt, someone who puts her life first before his, someone who really cares so much for her and love her. She never really thought of finding a man like him, in fact, she never thought of marrying someone in this lifetime.


    Cayenne blinked back her tears when memories of her past started floating in her mind. She always thinks positively of everything. She always smiles to people and hides her pain. But thinking about it, all those times, she also felt tired, scared, unease, insecure, helpless and anxious. She felt so many negative emotions but she threw them at the back of her mind because she knew it won''t help her survive.


    Stefan noticed the shift in her mood and kept ncing at her but Cayenne wasn''t looking back to him. Left with no choice, he slowed the speed of his car and stopped on the roadside. "Ayen? Are you alright?"


    "Huh? Yeah. I''m fine." Cayenne wiped her tears in an instant before looking at him. "Is there anything wrong?"


    "Nothing." Stefan looked at her before looking to the young man who was also alerted with the sudden question. Luiz was looking at Cayenne with a frown on his face. "Did something get into your eyes?" he asked her again, giving her a way out.


    "Hn. We should get your car cleaned. It''s getting dusty." Cayenne responded. She even pretended to rub her eyes and took out apact mirror to add with her acting.? Stefan leaned closer and blew on to her eyes to get the dusts off. Taking this opportunity, he kissed her forehead and caressed her face. "Let''s talkter." He whispered and she nodded her head.


    Stefan continued to drive his car and they arrived in Trine Elite University twenty minutes before ten. Luiz wasn''t in a hurry at all. He lookedposed and rx while standing near the school bulletin board.


    Cayenne and Stefan were asked to surrender their identification card in exchange for a gate pass. When they got inside, Cayenne found Luiz talking to a cute girl.


    "Sis!" Luiz waved his hand at them.


    risse turned around and bowed her head towards Cayenne and Stefan. "Good morning, Mrs. Dumrique and Mr. Dumrique."


    "Ehh?" Cayenne eximed in shock. "Why are you being so formal with me?" She asked risse withughter dancing in her eyes. "Just call me Yen or sis. You can call my husband, Stefan or yet, brother-inw?"


    risse blushed profusely while keeping her eyes down. Luiz was ring at his sister but there was really nothing he can do about it when it''s so obvious that he''s pursuing her. "Alright, stop teasing her." Stefan saved Luiz and risse from his wife. "Let''s walk around. Do you want toe along with us since Luiz will be taking the exam?" Stefan posed the question to risse.


    "No, thank you. I''ll be staying at the lobby of his exam room." risse answered.


    "Alright. Just give us a call if you need anything." Cayenne left her number to her. "Anyway, we''ll be there in a while."


    "Okay."


    Luiz and risse left to find the building which Luiz was assigned to take his examination. Cayenne and Stefan looked for a ce where they can talk.


    Oddly enough, her new-enemy was also loitering in the school campus and the two of them met once again. Cayenne wanted to keep her mouth shut and just avoid her but the woman said something that irked Cayenne so much.


    "You must like flirting in school ground this much."


    Cayenne closed her eyes and kept a sweet smile on her face before facing the woman head on. "This is not flirting, little girl. This me being sweet to my husband. My husband, gets? I''m not doing anything inappropriate so keep your opinion to yourself." Cayenne looked at the woman from head to toe and a sudden thought shed her mind. The thought came so suddenly but she kicked it out of her mind. Her imagination was just so impossible.


    "I don''t like looking at your face."


    Cayenne was dumb speechless but she didn''t backdown at all. "If you don''t like looking at my face then, please, go and get yourself a blindfold. I don''t really hate looking at your face but looking at you still make me lose my appetite." Not wanting to hear anymore from her, Cayenne pulled her husband and walked away quickly.


    This was the second time that they left without letting her make another rebuttal. It pissed of her enemy so much.

 Chapter 402 - GIRLS ARE EMOTIONAL CREATURES

    <h4>Chapter 402 - GIRLS ARE EMOTIONAL CREATURES</h4>


    "Why was she here, too? Am I going to see her wherever I go now?" Cayenne grumbled as the two of them walked on the school ground.


    "It must be just a coincidence." Stefan muttered but even himself wasn''t convinced with his words. He felt like fate was pulling Cayenne to meet that woman again and again.


    Fifteen minutes of walking and they still didn''t find a quiet ce to talk but they enjoyed their short exploration in Trine Elite University. Knowing that she likes food a lot, Stefan led Cayenne to where the school cafeteria was. He bought her a drink and left like nothing under surprise look on the students'' face.


    "That was¡­that was Stefan, right?" One of the female students asked.


    "Yeah. It''s him."


    "Do you know that I have this urge to pull his arm down and kiss him?"


    "Of course. But his wife is with him. If you''re not afraid of getting pped or humiliated, go and give your imagination a try."


    "No way."


    Two students conversed and shared their lewd thoughts regarding Stefan but none of them have the guts to do it because he''s now married and Cayenne was with him, too.


    Other students were just taking pictures of them like they were celebrities and most of the boys were staring at Cayenne with hot eyes. ''Be envious. Be jealous. Because you can only look at her and do nothing.'' Stefan thought to himself as he pulled Cayenne closer and kissed her cheek.


    "What was that for?" she asked in confusion after he printed a kiss on her face.


    "It''s to tell everyone that you''re mine."


    Stefan thought that Cayenne would raise her eyebrow or re at him but unexpectedly, she stood on her tip toes and did the same thing to him. "I''m showing them that you''re mine, too."


    Realizing how silly they''ve be, the two of them giggled together while leaving the school cafeteria. Since they couldn''t find a quiet ce to talk, they just talked while walking slowly on the ground.


    "So, why were you crying earlier?"


    Cayenne pouted and felt embarrassed to share her thoughts but then, they made a promise that they won''t keep any secrets between them. She looked down on her toes and walked slowly beside him. "You know that girls are emotional creatures, right?"


    "Uh huh."


    "Well, there are times that I get so emotional for silly reasons. I tend to look back in my past and then evaluate the things I have now. I tend topare people with those who imed to be friends and see who''s staying with me now or not. I just thought of random things and then, everything boiled down to you. I am just so grateful for having you in my life and I couldn''t stop tearing up. It wasn''t anything terrible."


    Stefan smiled and pulled her hand to a halt. The two of them looked into each other''s eyes and he reached out his hand to caress her face once again. "I''m grateful for having you in my life, too. I found the meaning of my life when I met you and I am so thankful that my mother didn''t abort me and that my father still chose to raise me. I''m d I survived all the obstacles I faced to meet you in this life time."


    Some students were passing by them and they looked at the couple with envious gaze. Some were looking around to see if there were any cameras and if they were shooting a drama or a movie.


    After clearing out her thoughts with him, they went to find the building where Luiz was taking his examination. risse was sitting on the bench at the lobby of the examination room, silently looking at her phone strap that Luiz gave her.? And to Cayenne''s surprise, she saw the woman sitting on a bench several meters from risse.


    Out of respect to the examinees, Cayenne didn''t say anything to the woman. The woman did the same thing. They were both silent.


    Stefan looked at the woman and then looked at his wife. "Wifey, do you know anything about your mother''s family?"


    Cayenne spun around and looked at her husband with mirth in her eyes. "Are you thinking what I''m thinking?"


    "Well, it''s a possibility too, but the decision still lies in you."


    risse had no idea what they were talking about but she didn''t join their conversation and just sat there with them. "My mother was abandoned for many years. Since she didn''t say anything to us about her family, it must be because she didn''t want us to know about them; just like how she kept my father''s whereabouts from me because she didn''t want me to know anything about him. There''s no point in looking for them now. And I don''t have any intentions to do so. We''re living peacefully and with our own family. I don''t need them anymore."


    "Why is it so easy for you to ept and adjust to my family but you can''t do it for yourself?"


    This question really stunned Cayenne. She didn''t know why but she always found things hard to ept when it involves herself or anyone from her family. It must be because the pain was too great for her. Cayenne seemed lost like a confused child being asked by her teacher of the wrong things she has done but has no idea it was wrong.


    "Let me ask you something." Cayenne raised her head once again and looked at him. "Have youpletely forgiven your father and grandfather for what has happened to your mom?"


    "No."


    "It''s the same thing with me. I cannotpletely forgive the people who abandoned my mother, letting her live a miserable life."


    "But why did you forgive your father?"


    "I don''t know. Maybe because I felt that he didn''t really abandoned us. He was forced to do so but even so, he still looked for ways to help us and his wife was very kind despite knowing that she wouldn''t win my father''s love. He was there for us when we were in dire needs. He was still trying his best to be a father of me."


    "And what if your mother''s parents found you and your siblings?"


    "They cane and they can go. I have no space for them to stay."

 Chapter 403 - DISCOVERIES

    <h4>Chapter 403 - DISCOVERIES</h4>


    risse was only listening to their conversation and it was then when she realized, Cayenne was really a strong woman like how Luiz described her. When she thought of something, she''d really do it without any hesitations. She''s somehow cool and when you think back of her past, she''s really amazing.


    After taking three subjects in the morning, Luiz came out and stretched his arms and legs in front of his family. He put some eye drops in his eyes and blinked several times before cing the item back inside his bag.


    "How was it?" risse asked when he came out."


    "It was okay." He rubbed her head and smiled. "Shall we have lunch? I''m famished. I think all the food I ate was sucked out from me with all the questions."


    The three of themughed at this statementing from Luiz. Stefan led the group and they all went to find a restaurant near the university so that they can eat and go back in time for his next examination at one in the afternoon.


    Seeing Cayenne''s happy smile, the woman felt even more ufortable. She bit her lower lip and shook her head from side to side to dismiss the idea. Few minutester, another youngdy came and walked towards her. "Sis, let''s go and have lunch."


    "O-okay."


    The two of them left as well to have lunch.


    After lunch, Luiz and the other examinees returned back to their examination room to take the second part of the exam whichposed four subjects. They needed to finish it by four in the afternoon.


    "Sis, I''m going inside now."


    "Alright. Do your best." Cayenne cheered up for Luiz and the woman did the same thing as Cayenne, cheering for her sister to pass the exam.


    The woman looked towards Cayenne with conflicted gaze and after two minutes of deliberation, she decided to approach her. "I''m not here to apologize or argue with you. I just have a question."


    "Why do you think I will answer you?"


    "You ¨C " The woman pointed out but she hold on to her control and didn''t say anything that could piss of the person in front of her. "I don''t want to ask you either but it keeps bugging me."


    "And what does that have to do with me? It''s your problem. Deal with it."


    The woman seemed like constipated while holding back her curses. She really wanted to curse Cayenne now but she calmed herself and still didn''t give up. "I just want to know your name."


    "I''m Cayenne Ardolf Dumrique."


    "Ardolf? Oh. I must have made a mistake."


    "It doesn''t matter." Cayenne waved her hand in dismissal and sat on the bench with her husband and risse. Unknowingly, Stefan had informed the guard to take a picture of the woman and had it sent to Shein for investigation. If he wanted to get results in few hours, he can ask Shein to help him but if it''s something not really important, he can wait for days and had Chris to it for him. He''s got choices.


    Shein received the message from one of Stefan''s guards and immediately looked into it. Riley saw him searching information about a woman and her eyebrow raised. "Who are you searching?"


    "I don''t know. I need to find out who she is as well. Stefan asked me to investigate her."


    "Is he cheating on Yen?"


    "That''s impossible. If I take a guess, this woman must have pissed him off or pissed off Cayenne."


    "Right. I was just kidding. I was meaning to ask you if you''re cheating on me with her."


    Shein''s hand paused for a minute and his mind went nk. Riley noticed this, too and immediately went out of hisputer room. "I was only joking with that. I''m going out to meet Jill now."


    Before she could go out of their house, Shein was chasing after her and wrapped his arms around her waist, carrying her on his shoulder like a sack of rice.


    "I''m sorry. I was only joking." Riley kept wriggling her body to loosen his hold on her but Shein wasn''t shaken at all. "How did you be this strong? Put me down now."


    "NO."


    "Don''t you say ''no'' to me. I will kick you out of our bedroom if you won''t put me down."


    "Go ahead." Shein challenged her knowing that Riley wouldn''t dare do it. He ced her on the couch of hisputer room and kissed her lips. "Don''t joke about cheating. I don''t like it."


    "Hn. I won''t anymore." Riley nodded her head with grievances. "I won''t joke with you anymore! Hmp!" she added and rolled her eyes at him.


    Shein ignored herst statement and pulled out a stack of documents inside his drawer, handed them to Riley without saying anything. With befuddled expression, Riley took the papers and started reading them.


    "Huh? Ha?! Is this true?!" She jumped down from the sofa with the papers still in her hand. "You''re not joking with me, right?"


    "I''m not you."


    "Hey! Don''t ruin my mood." Riley kicked his feet but she was so happy reading the information in her hands. She went to their bedroom and jumped up-and -down of their bed. "I''m so happy. I''m so happy."


    "I can see that." Shein chuckled while watching her wide grin. They''ve been waiting for it and thankfully, Brown was able to process everything. And because they didn''t want to add an unfamiliar name to their family, Brown used Summer as hisst name and now, Shein was using Anderson. Although they have exchanged theirst names, they weren''t entitled to the money or possession of the other person has.


    "Let''s celebrate this." Riley summersaulted from her bed andnded on the floor with steady feet. "I''ll go and tell Jill and Jackie about this."


    "Well, I think that''s the reason why they called you." Shein replied and went around to get back to hisputer room. "I''ll just finish this and follow youter."


    "Okie dokie. Don''t take too long." Riley shouted while running out of their room. She was so ted and didn''t know how to deal with her happiness. She just needed to share it with everyone in the family.


    Two hourster, Stefan received a message from Shein. It was a document file and when he opened it, all information showed up. It was something that he thought but not exactly. Emerald Ardolf wasn''t Cayenne''s mother but her mother''s name was Amethyst Rule, the only daughter of the Dragon Empire in City C.


    ''This is bad.'' Stefan thought and while Cayenne was looking away, he hid his phone.

 Chapter 404 - I WONT ABANDON HER

    <h4>Chapter 404 - I WON''T ABANDON HER</h4>


    Stefan didn''t tell Cayenne about it yet because he wanted to talk to her when it''s only the two of them. It''s something that they should discuss in private.


    With the information in his hand, Stefan felt like he was holding a ticking time bomb. It made him feel anxious.


    Time was slowly ticking by and it was the first time that he wanted for time to pass by as quick as it could. Usually, when he''s spending time with her, he would want for time to stop or for time to slow down but this was different. He just wanted to go home and let her know of this information because their life might be in danger.


    At exactly four in the afternoon, the professor who was in-charge of the examination started to collect the papers. The students came out and met with their families, telling them that the exam wasn''t easy at all.


    Luiz was no different, he felt like he exhausted all is intelligent resources with the exam. "We will know the result after three days. They will send us the result as well as the notice of admission." He told his family as they walked out of the building.


    "Well, no matter what happens, whether you pass it or not, don''t feel disheartened. This school isn''t the only ce that offers your course." Cayenne told her brother because she didn''t want to put so much pressure on him. "Let''s go to the mall and buy groceries first. Martin sent me a message that the groceries at home were running out. Then, let''s have dinner together."


    Since it was Martin who sent a message, it was obvious that the home she meant was the house in Peach Wood where Stefan''s family lives.


    "Are you okay with it?" Luiz asked risse just in case she has other ns in mind.


    "Yes, it''s fine. I have no other ns anyway."


    "That''s great. Let''s go the mall now." Cayenne was very cheerful as they walked back to where Stefan parked their car.


    Every time she smiles, two women would look at her with deep frown on their faces. They looked at each other but didn''t say anything. They both decided to go home right after the exam.


    When they arrived home, an old man was sitting in the living room with a stern look on his face. He was holding a golden cane with a dragon engraved on it. The handle had a small dragon figure as well, the symbol of their group.


    "Good afternoon, grandpa." Both girls greeted him and gave him a hug. "How''s your day?"


    "The same as always." He''s Jean Nikko Rule. The head of the Dragon Empire in Country C. "Have you found any clue of her?"


    "No, grandpa but we saw a girl who looked almost exactly as her. I''m not really sure if it''s her though because she has a different maiden name."


    "I don''t need anyone who only looks like her. I want to see my daughter back! Find out where she is. Don''t just waste our resources."


    "Yes, grandpa. No worries about that. We will surely find her."


    "Go and take a rest in your rooms. The dinner will be ready in an hour."


    The twodies went upstairs and got into their respective bedroom. The olderdy, the woman who kept shing with Cayenne was named Diana Rule. The youngerdy who took the exam together with Luiz was named Artemis. They''re not twins but their mother gave them the name of the same goddess. They looked demure and harmless but within their small bodies were explosive strength and power.


    Dianaid down on her bed with a helpless expression. "Twenty-three years. Twenty-three and we still couldn''t find her. We almost flipped the entire country C to find her but she wasn''t there at all. Are we going to scour this country for another twenty-three years, too? She''s probably dead. Tsk! If they would regret doing what they''ve done, they shouldn''t have done it in the first ce." She mumbled to herself while looking up at the ceiling.


    But you wouldn''t really know you''d regret something unless you do something, right? Regret doesn''t happen at the beginning of something. It happens at the end of it.


    Diana was good in archery and closebat while Artemis was good in shooting and hand-to-handbat. Both of them can kill a cow alone if needed. They cannot be underestimated.


    It was the reason why Stefan felt so anxious for his wife. He knew a lot of the Dragon Empire and the dragon gang of country C. He knew that everyone in the Rule family was trained harshly ever since they were young except for the one and only daughter, Amethyst.


    It was known to everyone that she suddenly vanished and up until now, no one knew what has happened to her. Stefan was also intrigued by this but he wanted to show everything to his wife first before letting her know of his opinion. In City A, he might be one of the powerful people but against the most powerful empire in country C, his power couldn''t win against them. He will probably need Travis to help him again.


    While thinking about this, Shein also talked to Travis about what he knew of Cayenne''s identity. At first, they didn''t really look into her mother''s identity because they thought it wasn''t needed. Now, they knew how foolish that idea was. Cayenne was actually in a precipice with a dangerous ravine below her. One wrong move and she''d be killed. It''s time for them to decide whether to risk everything and side with her or let them settle their own problem while they sat and watch.


    "Why are they getting problems every single day?" Travis questioned to no one in particr. "They haven''t deal with their current problems yet and now, another problem arose."


    "That can''t be helped." Jillyanna told her husband. "Who didn''t have problems every day. I think I''m the only one." She told him because most of her problems will be solved by her husband before she stressed herself over it. "Anyway, I''m not abandoning her."


    "That''s the answer." Travis told Shein. "Tell Stefan toe tomorrow for a discussion."


    "I think he will be traveling with Yen and their families for five days." Riley told them because she remembered Cayenne saying those words to her.


    ''Sigh. They even have time to go for a trip at this point?'' This was what everyone thought of the couple. Despite the dangers lurking around them, they didn''t let it bother them and just have fun whenever they can.

 Chapter 405 - HE AGREED AND HES RESTLESS

    <h4>Chapter 405 - HE AGREED AND HE''S RESTLESS</h4>


    It''s weekend. The family will finally go on a trip but before that, Cayenne had to deal with something and it''s going to be another hellish day for Stefan.


    "Hon, I''ll have to visit Justin''s home this morning and I''ll be back at ten. Also, Lucia''s children wille today so, you talk to them while I''m not around, ''kay?"


    "You''re leaving me." Stefan didn''t ask but directly stated these words. "Be careful okay? Make sure that your phone is fully charged and don''t take out the cover. Also, give me a call once you have arrived and another call once you''re about toe home."


    "Yes, sir."


    Cayenne picked up her bag and went downstairs with her husband following her. She found Lucia and Justin in the living room, both were ready to go home and see their families.


    "Lucia, have your children prepared toe over?" Stefan asked their chef as they walked towards them.


    The woman nodded and bowed to them. "Good morning ma''am. Good morning, sir. My children have packed all their necessary things. Those that they couldn''t bring for now, they''ll just get it when it''s time to buy groceries."


    "That''s a good n." Cayenne responded with a bright smile. "I''ll have Erwin take you home."


    "Ma''am?" Erwin came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee. "I''m noting out with you and Justin? Sir Reuben will kick me if he finds out about this."


    "Right." Cayenne pressed her temple for seconds and looked to the other guards. "Let''s just ask someone else. They can be trusted and they''re all good drivers. You won''t have any problems." She appointed another guard to drive Lucia home while Justin get into the same vehicle as her. Erwin was her driver for now.


    "Erwin, I''m putting my wife''s life in your hands. Drive safely. I don''t care if you will take hours just be careful on the road." Stefan reminded him with grieve expression on his face.


    Cayenne stifled herughter seeing how serious her husband was. "I''ll be fine. Don''t think too much."


    Stefan took a deep breath and sighed. He wanted to stop her and just keep her inside his pocket but he knew he can''t. She needed to spread her own wings from time to time as well. "I love you, hon." Stefan kissed her lips and hugged her for a while. "Enjoy your time with the kids."


    "Hn. I will."


    After a moment of hesitation, Stefan still decided to let go of her and closed the door of the car. He watched them leave the house and he stood there for three minutes beforeing back inside. The ce felt empty and quiet.


    Luiz came down and found Stefan sitting in the living room while holding his phone. "Sis, left?"


    "Hn." Stefan answered lifelessly. He looked so bored to death.


    Looking at him, Luiz pressed his lips together, holding back hisughter that was trying to escape from his lips. ''He''s sulking like a child.'' Hemented mentally while shaking his head. "Do you want some coffee?"


    "Yes."


    "Alright." Luiz went to the kitchen and looked for the notes that Cayenne would usually leave for them which was all about Stefan''s preferences. There were so many of them and Luiz had to read each one to find his choice of coffee. After finding it, he returned the notes to its ce and started making coffee for his brother-inw.


    When he came out of the kitchen, Stefan was pacing back and forth in the living room. Luiz looked at the time on his watch and it wasn''t even fifteen minutes yet since Cayenne left and here her husband was getting restless already.


    Luiz put down the cup of coffee on the table. "I tried to make it like how Yen makes it but I''m not sure if it''s up to your standard."


    "Thank you, Luiz." Stefan didn''t criticize the coffee at all because he knew that the young boy tried. There''s really nothing special with the coffee that Cayenne makes except for the person who''s making it. It''spletely different when you make it yourself or other people make it for youpared to your wife making it for you. Even a ck coffee would taste sweet to him.


    Since the chef wasn''t around, Luiz decided to cook breakfast for everyone who was left at home. Twenty minutester, Cayenne sent a message in their family''s group chat to start preparing for their vacation. In fact, they have all prepared their stuff since yesterday except for her and Stefan.


    Stefan read her message and with a deep sigh, he went back inside their bedroom with his hunched back. He needed to pack for their trip because he didn''t do itst night.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne and Justin were buying take out food dishes to bring back to his home. They all left without taking breakfast and she wanted to share a meal with his family. But since his family was barely getting by, she decided to buy the food instead. She bought a lot because she had mening with her who needs to eat a lot for her security.


    After buying food, they stopped by at the pharmacy and bought some vitamins that the grannies used in Justin''s home.


    "Say, Justin, just in case, someone would ask you all to stay in the orphanage, like a formal orphanage, will you go? Or will you allow them to take the kids away?"


    Justin thought for a while and with a sad expression, he nodded his head. "I mean, I want them to go because there''s no other choice. We aren''t blood rted and my money cannot help all of them. However, I don''t want it to happen so soon. Grandma and grandpa will feel really sad if they''re taken away. As much as possible, I want all of us to be by their side until their veryst breath." He looked straight into Cayenne''s eyes and braved himself to ask her, "Are you going to tell the childcare unit about us?"

 Chapter 406 - JUSTINS HOME I

    <h4>Chapter 406 - JUSTIN''S HOME I</h4>


    Cayenne exined to Justin the orphanage that Jillyanna''s father managed before as well as the orphanages that Stefan went to asionally. They all have great facilities and they didn''t just take care of children but educate them as well. There''s also a great chance that they''ll be adopted by amazing people. They also have strict adoption process to make sure that the children will be in good hands.


    "Well, let''s talk about it when the timees. For now, just do your best to provide for this family of yours."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    Erwin was watching Cayenne and Justin using the rearview mirror and he couldn''t stop thinking how Cayenne would''ve grown if she stayed with her father. He knew his master since he was 18 years old and Reuben was very strict with discipline and household rules. ''If young mistress grew up with sir and not with her mother, will she be this kind as well?''


    After all, the growth of one person will always be influenced with what''s surrounding her. Teachers aren''t only found in school. Teachers can be your parents, your friends, your neighbors or strangers; those people who will teach you to do things be it good or bad.


    Erwin shook his head and focus himself in driving or else, if something happens to them, he will be chopped off to pieces by Stefan and Reuben.


    Half an hourter, they arrived in Justin''s home. The bungalow house they''re living isn''t very big. There were many children running around and some were holding carrots and other root crops.


    "Oh. It''s harvest time." Justin mumbled while looking at the children.


    The kids also noticed that some people came and when they looked who it was, they were jumping up and down in happiness. "It''s Justin! Justin''s home!" Someone from the children shouted and the other kids came out.


    "This is how they normally greeted me." Justinmented as he led the group to get inside the yard. The fence surrounding their house was made of bamboos and some of them were broken already.


    "Justin who are they?" a little girl asked while looking at Cayenne and the other big men around them.


    "Graaaaaannnnyyyyy! Justin is bringing a woman home!"


    "Hey!" Justin scolded the little boy who shouted and smack his head. "Stop pouting nonsense. She''s my boss."


    "Ow! That hurts." The little boy rubbed his head and went inside the house. "Granma, Justin found a weird ce to work again."


    "Stop that nonsense!" Justin yelled but the little boy only stuck out his tongue. He turned towards Cayenne and gave her an apologetic smile. "It''s this lively here."


    "I like it. It also proves that the kids like you." She responded and bent her knees to level with the little girl who spoke earlier. "My name is Cayenne. I''m Justin''s boss. I am here to visit his family to see his situation. How about you, what''s your name?"


    "I''m Chloe. I''m eight years old and I will be Justin''s wife when I grow up."


    Cayenne covered her mouth and tried her best not tough at the child. Justin''s face was turning red from embarrassment. He couldn''t believe that she''d be saying those words.


    "You can''t marry me. I''m too old for you." Justinmented and took her up to hold her in his arms. "And stop saying those words to other people. It''s embarrassing."


    "But I like Justin the most." Chloe replied innocently. "I only want Justin for the rest of my life."


    Cayenne raised her eyebrow and her eyes were sparkling as if she found something to tease him. He always looked serious in her house but now, she saw a different side of this young boy.


    "Chloe is beautiful. I''m sure she''ll be a pretty wife in the future." Cayenne teased them which the girl nodded her head several times but Justin''s face was indescribable. She really wanted tough so hard at him.


    "Let''s just get inside." Justin stated. "And please don''t consider her words, ma''am. It''s really¡­really¡­"


    "Really what?"


    "I don''t know." Justin sighed and tried putting down the little girl but she was wrapping her hands around his neck so, he couldn''t really put her down. "Fine." He carried her again and the little girl smiled happily.


    "Good morning." Cayenne greeted the olderdy who was washing the dirt off of her hands. She was actually harvesting with the children at the backyard.


    "Hello. Hello." Thedy wiped her hands and went to the small living room with messed up hair and faint smile. "Sorry, if it''s messy. The children love to y around."


    "Oh. It''s fine. I can understand. I used to take care of two little brats at home as well. Now, they''re all grown." Cayenne replied and handed the small bag which contains some boxes of vitamins. "Here''s our little gift for you."


    "You shouldn''t have bothered with gifts."


    "Where''s grandpa?" Luiz asked when he saw that the old man wasn''ting out to see him.


    The olddyughed suddenly in which the other kids giggled as well. "Your grandpa is hiding in his room. He was so embarrassed with your guests and hid himself."


    "What''s there to be embarrassed about?" Cayenne asked with faintughter. "I have my own little vegetable farm in my backyard, too. My father used them for our dishes."


    "Really?!" a little kid eximed while looking at Cayenne. "What vegetable did you nt?"


    "I nted tomatoes, eggnts, beans, lettuce and squash. My husband and I along with Erwin used to take care of it but when my father came back, he took over my work."


    "Wow! You have so many nts. We have lots of nts here as well." The little boy tugged Cayenne''s hand and led her to the backyard. "I''ll show it to you."


    "That would be great." Cayenne was led outside of the house again and was brought to the backyard. She turned to the other guard and told him to bring all the food and have Justin arranged them inside.


    "Okay, ma''am." The guard left and talked to Justin about it. Chloe didn''t want to leave him at all, he had no other choice but to let her tag along wherever he goes, like he''s grown a tail for some reason.

 Chapter 407 - JUSTINS HOME II

    <h4>Chapter 407 - JUSTIN''S HOME II</h4>


    Cayenne thought that the little farm would be like her little farm but when she came to the backyard and saw their little farm, she was astonished. It wasn''t little at all. Or maybe it was little but they just made use of the space efficiently.


    There were bamboo poles and bamboo strips erected on the backyard, like their making a hut for the vegetables but on these bamboo strips, vines of bitter melon were creeping upwards and there were flowers already. Few weeks from now and the bitter melon will be hanging on the strips. There was chayote, string beans, and cbash nts as well. On the ground, there was a plot for potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and radish. On the other side, there cut gallons and unused vehicle tires; and inside these things were tomatoes and eggnts. There was also a huge broke stic basin and inside it was peanut nt.


    Cayenne was so surprised that she forgot to speak for a full minute. Her eyes kept going from left to right and up-and-down. The ce was really beautiful. Compared to her small garden, this ce was far more beautiful than hers. But when she thought about it, she only tried gardening because she wanted to forget her husband but the people here were gardening to sustain life.


    "This is awesome!" Cayenne eximed after observing. "This is better than my garden at home."? She told the little kid with a bright smile. "Can I show this to my husband?"


    "Sure." The little boy nodded his head with a smile. Right then and there, she pulled out her phone and called Stefan.


    Stefan was currently choosing her clothes when his phone rang. Seeing her picture shing on the screen, he dived on their bed and picked it up immediately. "Honey, look at this." Cayenne showed him the whole backyard excitedly. "I think I''ll ask dad to do this with me. This is amazing."


    "Looks like you''re having fun."


    "Well, it''s really fun in here. The kids are very cute as well. And oh, I got to tell you this, Justin has a little bride."


    The backyard was right at the back of the kitchen and the kitchen window and door was even open. Justin clearly heard what Cayenne said to Stefan and he wanted to scold Chloe for seeing those stupid things but when he looked at the little girl beside him, he could only smile. ''Whatever.''


    Cayenne talked to Stefan for a long time and introduced the kid to him. The little boy who shouted about Justin bringing a woman home, ran back inside the house to look for Justin in the kitchen.


    "That pretty woman is married." He told Justin as if he was an older brother, scolding his little brother foring home with a married woman.


    "I told you she''s my boss. And she bought all these food for all of us. She came here to check the family specially that I''ll be working with them."


    "What will your work be like?" Chloe asked as she climbed up to sit on hisp.


    "I will be washing tes and I''m going to study during my break time."


    "Study? You will study?" Chloe asked in bewilderment. She heard a lot about education but they don''t have money for that.


    "Uh huh. There are many students in their home and they will teach me when I don''t have work. And by the way, I will be going home every weekend, so, I will teach you what I learn next time."


    "Yay! We''re going to learn something from now on." The kids cheered and Cayenne also heard what they talked about. She felt a dull pain in her heart.


    ''Hmmm, I can''t have children in the next two years. Why don''t I spend time with them? That''s right!'' A new n formed inside her head again but she didn''t tell Stefan about it yet. He would probably go insane if she said that now. ''Let''s take it slow. Take it slow.''


    After she ended the call, Justin called for everyone to have breakfast. This time, his grandfather came out together with his grandmother.


    "I apologized for hiding myself." His grandfather smiled faintly towards Cayenne while scratching the back of his head.


    "It''s okay, grandpa. I understand. Anyway, we haven''t eaten yet and when we passed by a restaurant, we decided to buy some dishes. I hope you don''t mind."


    "Oh! Not at all. You guys can go ahead and eat."


    "Huh? No." Cayenne stopped the old man from leaving and ushered him to eat. "Let''s all eat together."


    "But we won''t fit in this small kitchen."


    "Don''t worry, my bodyguards knew how to find ces that they''d befortable to eat." The bodyguards took a te and ced food on their te before grabbing a spoon and fork to eat. They went to the living room and sat with the children, eating without any care at all.


    Big men and small children, eating together and chatting together made a really funny yet warm picture. Cayenne secretly took a picture of them and saved it in her gallery.


    "Chloe, when are you getting off from Justin? You can sit on a chair."


    "No, grandma. I want to sit here." She turned her head and looked towards Justin. "Am I heavy? Do you want me to sit on the chair?"


    "No, you''re not heavy." Justin replied. He didn''t tell her she''s heavy because she''d skip her meals if he did that. He didn''t want that to happen so, he can only eat and feed her at the same time. If they''re not children, Cayenne would really think they''re lovers.


    "Ma''am, please don''t think about anything else. Just eat your food or else, sir Stefan will get mad at us."


    "I know."? Cayenne ced food on her te and started eating. They chatted about Justin''s work and she also informed him about opening a saving ount for his future. However, Cayenne didn''t tell them about the orphanage idea because it''s still very early to do that. As long as these kind people live, she wanted the children to stay with them while she helps on the sideline.


    After breakfast, she talked to Justin and since it''s weekend, he didn''t need toe back to the house with them. He can go back on Monday and Erwin wille to pick him up. However, they needed to open a bank ount for him first. As long as you have money, getting the necessary documents is easy as ABC. They didn''t take long in the bank and his card will be sent to Cayenne''s house in one week.


    As soon as everything settled, she went home with a bag of potatoes and carrots. It was their way of thanking her for giving Justin a job.

 Chapter 408 - IM HOME

    <h4>Chapter 408 - I''M HOME</h4>


    Cayenne called Stefan on her way home and he also told her that he was done packing their things. Lucia''s children have arrived as well and they have settled in their quarters.


    The two kids were really amazed when they saw the room they were living in. Even though it was called a maid''s quarter, it was betterpared to the apartment that they were renting. Aside from their mother getting her own sry and benefits, they will also get their own school allowance for helping at home.


    Stefan told them the house chores that they needed to do and the two kids decided to take turns in doing them every week. They won''t be so tired either because Jonas and Erwin always help at home. They didn''t have to worry about theundry either because there''s a washing machine. Their job was really easy.


    "Ma, we can finally start saving for our own house." Dalia, the older daughtermented. "We''ve been paying for the rent on that apartment but in the end, it wasn''t still ours. This way, we don''t have so much to worry. We just need to do a good job."


    "You are absolutely, right." Daisy, the younger daughter, also agreed to what her sister said.


    The family had been trying their best to save some money but they will still be used up for their bills and for their necessary needs. And then, Lucia got fired, all the small savings left was used up and she had no other choice but to sell dishes at a small price. Thankfully, a blessing came in their life.


    If not for Cayenne and Stefan, they didn''t really know how to continue their life.


    As promised, Cayenne arrived home at ten in the morning. Stefan was at the porch, waiting for her. "I''m home." She ran into his arms and hugged him. "How were you able to hold on this time?" Cayenne questioned before giving him a kiss.


    Stefan led her inside the house and told her what he has been doing. It turned out that after getting a call from her when she arrived in Justin''s ce, Stefan finished packing his things. Then, he cleaned their room and re-arranged their things just to distract himself and stop being restless. And then, Lucia came back with her children. He talked to them to pass the time and showed them around the house. Then, she called again to tell him she''sing home. Thus, he stayed in the porch to wait for her.


    "You actually did a great job." Cayenne gave him another kiss and smiled at him. "You survived for more than three hours straight."


    "I still don''t like it." Stefan replied with a deep breath. "Anyway, I''ll ask Lucia to prepare food for lunch."


    "Did you tell them that Justin won''t be around during weekends?"


    "Yup. Her two daughters will cover his work during weekends."


    "Alright. Is there anything that I should do?"


    "You have to apany with me." Stefan held her hand and led her back inside their bedroom. It really looked new and fresh in her eyes. He changed the curtains, too. "Do you like it?"


    "I like it. Though, we will still mess around with it." Cayenne mumbled as she looked around the ce. "We still have two hours or so, I''ll let you do whatever you want."


    "Really?"


    "Hn."


    "Then, let''s watch a movie together? We haven''t gone on a date recently."


    "You''re right." Cayenne agreed because what he said was true. In the past weeks, when they left home, it''s because they needed to deal with some stuff and they have less time for each other. "Let''s go and watch a movie, then."


    The two of them went to the entertainment room where a huge TV was attached to the wall. The ce was soundproofed and it will really give you the atmosphere that you''re in a cinema.


    "What do you want to watch?" Cayenne asked while turning on the TV and getting the remote.


    "R18"


    "No way." Her instant reaction made Stefanugh so hard. He pulled her into his arms and made her sit on hisp. "We cannot do that because we have less than two hours before lunch."


    "How about after lunch?"


    "I''d be too full to move."


    "You don''t even move because I''m the one who''s moving for us."


    "Stop talking dirty to me. I said no so, it''s a no. Wait until we arrive in our trip destination."


    "Okay." Stefan behaved on his seat but Cayenne felt something else wasn''t behaving at all.


    "Make that thing behave as well. It''s poking my back."


    Stefan chuckled and adjusted his sitting position. "Let''s watch sci-fi movie."


    "Sure." Cayenne looked for sci-fi movie on the list and asked him which one he likes to watch.


    The two of them was watching the movie while chatting in whispers from time to time.


    Kyle went downstairs and found that the guards havee back but his sister and brother-inw was nowhere to be found. "Did the two of them leave the house?" Kyle asked Erwin who was currently looking at the magazine that Kyle and Luiz bought for work reference.


    "I don''t think so. Sir Stefan brought young mistress in their room."


    "Oh." Kyle sat on the couch and looked towards Erwin. "Aren''t youing with us today?"


    "Nope. Sir Stefan said that someone will being over to stay for few days. I need to be here to take care of the guest in behalf of you guys."


    "Did they tell you who it is?"


    "Oh right! They haven''t told me who it would be." Erwin put his hand on his chin and thought for a while. "Well, I know most of their friends and acquaintances. I should know if I should let that person in or not. If I''m not sure, I can always give them a phone call."


    Kyle nodded his head. "What souvenir do you like? I can bring something for you."


    "If you can find a little red riding hood stuff toy, I''d be very happy."


    "You haven''t forgotten that episode of your life?" Kyleughed at him but Erwin didn''t react badly. It''s because there''s another meaning to that stuff toy now.

 Chapter 409 - FAMILY TRIP

    <h4>Chapter 409 - FAMILY TRIP</h4>


    At three in the afternoon, Cayenne, together with Stefan and her family, they left the house together with several guards. Those who didn''te along during the school trip and had to stay at home to guard the house, were now able to go for a trip. And it''s all paid by Stefan, basically, Cayenne was the one who paid for their expenses.


    Erwin was left at home this time. He needed to take care of the house and the people who were left along with them. He was reminded to take care of their future guest as well. And then again, he forgot to ask who it would be.


    This family trip included Stefan''s family so, they stopped by Peach Wood Subdivision to pick them up. In that way, they won''t have to use many cars. Sadly, Chris couldn''te this time because he was busy holding up thepany for Stefan and busy with his own love life as well.


    Only Cayenne and Stefan have passports as well as the guards, the other members of their family didn''t have one so, Cayenne chose not to leave the country this time.


    They weren''t just going to the beach this time but they will go to natural hot springs and falls as well. She searched this ce together with Kyle and Luiz and it was said that the hot springs were good for the health of older people. Cayenne didn''t know why is that so but since they''reing with Stefan''s grandmother and grandfather, this trip would be something that they''d be able to enjoy.


    The resort she chose was something with entertainment facility as well. Just in case they''d get tired of swimming and wanted to spend more time in the hotel, they''d be able to able to y some games for entertainment.


    "You''ve put so much thought into this." Stefanmented when he saw his wife flipping her small notebooks which contains the list of activities she had in mind.


    Cayenne snuggled closer to him and leaned her head on his chest. "I want us to enjoy this trip as much as we can because once we go back home, I am pretty sure that we will be very busy. The kids will be starting their work. Uncle Stan will be working. I will be having an advance ss to do some refreshers for my ss. You will have to leave for States and ¨C"


    "Huh? I will leave for States? When?" Stefan was really surprised at this and he couldn''t stop himself from asking. "Why didn''t I know about it?"


    Cayenne was the one who frowned this time. "Didn''t you make me trante those documents for your business proposal in States? How did you forget about it? I worked so hard for that and I checked the schedule it should be two weeks from now."


    "Oh! That." Stefan covered his mouth and chuckled faintly. "I forgot to cross out the date from my schedule. I won''t be going there anymore. I sent the soft copy to thepany that I wanted to work with and they already gave me the approval. We will have an online conference meeting next week and once everything''s finalize, that''s when I leave to check the sight and discuss other matters personally."


    "I see." Cayenne nodded her head and smiled.? "I''m d to know about that." She kissed his cheek and read her notes once again.


    After two hours of driving, they arrived at the shipping port where they will be taking a ship to go to the ind that they will visit. She hadn''t boarded a ship in her life so, she wanted to try it. They got out of their cars and only showed their IDs to the staff for boarding confirmation. The cars were also boarded via internal ramp for various system checks.


    As for them, they didn''t need ticket because it was the shipping line owned by the Dumrique family. Stefan just needed to give his approval for everything. His family owned international and domestic shipping lines which was now under his name after his grandfather gave it to him. If it were other people, they would be very happy getting the inheritance but Stefan wasn''t happy at all. He only epted it because it was his right to do and that he''s blood rted to them. But he didn''t even like to manage it. Still, people were doing their job to manage the businesses for him.


    As soon as they got inside the ship, the captain came to meet them and showed them where they''d be resting. It was like a small cruise ship but Stefan said it wasn''t. It was just a normal ship which can carry up to fifty people, with small private room for resting and was a little expensivepared to the other ships which can carry hundreds of people and doesn''t have private resting ce.


    "Next time, when we''re not busy, let''s go on a cruise?" he suggested to his wife who was already sprawling on their bed. "It''d be a nice experience."


    "Sure. Let''s do that next time." Cayenne responded while patting the space beside her. "Can youe and sit here." Stefan did as she asked and she ced her head on hisp while looking up at him. "Aren''t you feeling worried or anxious?"


    "About what?"


    Cayenne bit her lower lip while fiddling with the button of her blouse. Her actions were really a distraction in Stefan''s mind. "I''m not really sure but I get this feeling that we''ve been so happytely and that everything''s going well. It''s the same feeling I got before Arthur came to attack me. It''s like ''a calm before a storm''. Do you get what I mean?"


    Stefan stiffened and immediately remembered something very important. Whenever he''s together with her, he forgets a lot of things. Thankfully, she had this conversation with him. "Hon, I think I need to show you something. I was supposed to show this to youst night but Ipletely forgot."


    "What is it?" Cayenne sat up and leaned on her shoulders instead. "It''s not something about me again, right?"

 Chapter 410 - JUDGING HER OWN MOTHER

    <h4>Chapter 410 - JUDGING HER OWN MOTHER</h4>


    If it was a good thing and she guessed it, Stefan would be happy but this time, he only showed her the file that Shein sent to his phone.


    "It''s very small. Did you bring yourptop? Let''s look at this from yourptop." She suggested and Stefan instantly opened his bag to get his gadget. "Is this about me? You didn''t answer my question earlier."


    "It''s about you."


    Cayenne''s face fell and she looked disheartened. "Am I causing you trouble again?"


    "I''m not really sure if it''s trouble. Why don''t you take a look of this yourself?" he opened hisptop, typed in his password and looked for the file that he received from Shein.


    Cayenne raised her eyebrow when she saw the picture of the woman they met twice recently. Her name was Diana Rule, eldest granddaughter of Jean Nikko Rule. There was a picture of the old man, probably the grandfather being described. Her sister''s name was Artemis.


    "Wow! Their parents have a unique way of naming their children." Cayennemented while she looked at the picture of the girl who took the same examination as Luiz. She continued to scroll down while reading their family structure, getting more anxious and restless as she kept looking at their faces which started to look like her or her siblings. The resemnce was bing clearer until she saw a picture of a very beautiful woman.


    Cayenne''s hands trembled and she didn''t know how to scroll down anymore. She just stared at the picture that looked exactly her mother but the name was different. Amethyst Nile Rule, the youngest daughter of Jean Nikko Rule. She left her home and up until now, she was nowhere to be found. They''ve been searching for her in the past twenty-four years.


    "Stefan, my mother is Emerald Ardolf, it can''t be possible that it''s her, right?" Even though she asked that, there''s this tiny voice inside her that tells her, she was looking exactly at the same person.


    "How about you read the rest?"


    "I don''t want to read it anymore. My mother has always been Emerald Ardolf. It couldn''t be her. They might just look the same but they''re two different people."


    Stefan pulled his wife and hugged. Sometimes, it''s easier to ept the truth when things involve other people but when it''s you who''s in that situation, you will still find it hard to digest everything. "Ayen, you need to know everything or we won''t be able to move forward. You need to make decisions on this matter. Whether you ept them or not, I''ll support your decision. I just want you to face this harsh truth."


    "So, what exactly was my mom trying to do? I just couldn''t understand." Cayenne blinked back her tears to stop them from falling. "Stefan, why did we have to live in poverty when she could have asked her family to help us? Why did she make me suffer? I was almost raped! I was almost killed! Every day, I had to leave for work with fear and anxiety! I had to work so hard to make ends meet. I had to shoulder so many responsibilities. So, why? What''s her purpose in doing all this?"


    His throat constricted and he felt so bad for her. He didn''t know that she was almost raped. He didn''t know that she was nearly killed. And during her first night working in the hotel, didn''t he say that she should learn to protect herself? How can you expect a weak girl like her to protect herself?


    Cayenne was currently ming her mother when she identally clicked the arrow down and the file was scrolled further. Her eyes caught sight of the words that Shein highlighted.


    "Wait. What?" she pulled away from her husband and looked for a tissue to wipe her nose but she couldn''t find any. In the end, Stefan wiped her nose with his own shirt. "That''s dirty."


    "It''s fine. Don''t we use our clothes to wipe our tears and snots when we cry alone?"


    Cayenneughed at his statement because it was absolutely true. If she was alone and she was crying, she would do the same thing. That''s perfectly normal when you don''t have a tissue. Sometime, you would even use your nket.


    "Go and change your clothes. I won''t cry. I''m not really weak, you know." She said that but she was in the verge of crying earlier. She was just able to hold it up.


    She continued to read where she left off and if she was able to hold her tearsst time, this moment, she didn''t. Her tears fell in the back of her hands and they were cold. Some even fell on the keyboard of hisptop. "This is funny." Her hollowughter made her cry even more. Stefan felt so helpless this time.


    "I was just ming her earlier without reading the whole information. Now that I did, I feel so stupid."


    "It''s alright. Is there anyone who exist in this world who haven''t tried judging someone without knowing the truth? I''m sure we all tried judging someone without getting the facts. Don''t beat yourself just because of that."


    "But it''s different. I wasn''t just judging some random strangers. I was judging my own mother? It''s my mom!"


    Her tears kept falling and Stefan kept wiping her with his shirt. "I understand. I judged my grandpa and father as well when I didn''t know the whole truth yet and I am so guilty to even face them now. Aren''t we the perfect pair? We both make the same mistakes."


    Cayenne sobbed in his arms from pain. It turned out, her mother didn''t really leave her home but she was kicked out of her home by her own family after she got pregnant of her. They thought she''de back but after months, they didn''t hear anything from her. Months, became years and until her mother died, her family had no idea about it because she no longer used the name Amethyst Nile Rule. She changed her name to Emerald Ardolf. As for who this Emerald was, she didn''t exist in the first ce, it was a name that her mother made on her own when she was seventeen and she created fake IDs with this name.

 Chapter 411 - WILL ALWAYS BE TOGETHER

    <h4>Chapter 411 - WILL ALWAYS BE TOGETHER</h4>


    "Things like this, I cannot keep this from my brothers." Cayenne mumbled as she wiped away her tears. "At the end of the day, we''re all her children. They have the right to know the truth as well."


    "You can do whatever you like. Just always remember that I will always be on your side. I won''t ever leave you."


    "I know." Cayenne caressed his face and smiled while tears still clung on hershes. "And I''m so thankful for having you by my side."


    Stefan just hugged her and let her call Kyle and Luiz. Jonas was also called to be informed of the things he didn''t know. He''s her mother''s lover and just like him, Reuben needs to be informed about this discovery that Shein gave them.


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    Stefan stood up and opened the door for them. This time, he was already dressed up with a new set of clean clothes, no more tears or snots from his wife. "Come in."


    Luiz was stunned to see Cayenne''s puffy and red eyes. He turned towards Stefan and he didn''t bother hide his look of usation at all. "What did you do this time?"


    "No. Wait!" Cayenne walked towards her husband and pulled him behind him. "Stefan didn''t do anything this time."


    "So, who made you cry or what made you cry?" Kyle took a seat on the couch as he asked his question. Luiz was following him while keeping his eyes on Stefan. He still wasn''t convinced with his sister''s words. Jonas had to pull his son and made him in between him and Kyle.


    Cayenne shrugged her shoulders and sniffed. "I don''t really want us toe to this point but, this time it''s not the issue of my father or your father but, it''s an issue rted to our mother."


    "Our mother? What did she do? Did she leave a huge debt for us to pay?" Luiz blurted which earned him a smack from his brother. "Ow! That hurts." He rubbed his head and pouted. "So, what is it?"


    Cayenne took a deep breath and put down theptop on the coffee table in front of them. "I want you to read it yourself. I don''t want to recall anything in that document."


    "Is your source reliable?" Kyle questioned before reading what''s in front of him.


    "The no.2 hacker in the whole world looked for that. We didn''t bother with the no.1 because he''s very busy with his work now." Stefan replied to Kyle''s question. Now, it was Cayenne''s turn to be shock with this information. Her questioning eyes lingered in Stefan''s direction. "Shein is the no.2 hacker in the whole world. The first one is also working for Travis. There''s no information in this world that he doesn''t have ess to." He whispered to his wife while the three men were busy reading the documents.


    None of them spoke but Cayenne could hear them breathing heavily and sometimes, their breathing hitched. She was only observing them without saying anything.


    Luiz wiped his eyes as he continued to read. As a man, he didn''t want to be told that he''s a crybaby. But as he continued to read the information, his tears couldn''t be stopped anymore. ''No wonder Yen was crying so much.'' He thought to himself and wiped his tears with the sleeve of his shirt.


    "So, what now?" Luiz asked and looked towards his sister. Kyle and Jonas were looking at her as well, both of them didn''t say anything but they both have a depress expression on their faces.


    "I don''t know what will happen in the future but just in case, just in case they''de and find us, what will you do?" Cayenne asked them because it''s something they needed to be clear as early as now. They should be mentally prepared of all possibilities.


    Jonas rested his back on the couch and ced his arms on his eyes. Her stepfather had always been cheerful since he came out of prison but at this point, Cayenne felt like he aged another ten years. "I don''t care about her reaches and I don''t care about her family. I only needed you guys. Wherever you go, I will always be with you." Jonasmented as he sighed deeply.


    "Yen, will you go with them?" Luiz asked in worry.


    "After what we just found? There''s no way I''d ept them as family. Over my dead body."


    "Then, we''ll do the same." Kyle and Luiz responded in unison. Despite the depressing matter they found, they still managed tough in their unity. "Wherever you go, we will always follow you. Hmp! I don''t even know this Rule people. Who cares about them? Mother didn''t like them so, naturally, I won''t like them as well." Luiz snorted in disdain.


    "Well, I was really worried that we''d be separated but looks like we''ll always be together."


    "Of course." Kyle nodded his head and gave her a thumbs up. "When we had a bad time, you''re the only one who supported us. So, we want to return the favor in the future. This Dragon Empire? They can disappear and I don''t care. They''re indeed rich but they don''t know how to take care of their own people."


    Cayenne happily approached her brothers and gave them a group hug. She also hugged Jonas and gently pat his back. "I''m d that we''re all in this together pa. Now, you know why mother couldn''t marry you. It''s not because she didn''t love you but because she didn''t want anyone to find her and get separated from you."


    Jonas hugged Cayenne back. "Hn. Although I waste ining out, I''m still happy that she chose to live with you until the end." As he pulled away from her, he couldn''t stop himself from asking, "Will you tell your father about this?"


    "Hn. Dad has the right to know but I believe he won''t interfere in my matter. Most likely, he will just support whatever I''d like to do."


    "That''s good to know." Jonas stood up and stretched his legs. "Let''s not think too much about this. It will only ruin our joyful mood."


    "Correct." Luiz also agreed as he was making his way to the door.


    Kyle followed his brother and father with a smile on his lips. But even though they all said, who wasn''t really worried? Cayenne was still worried because she had no idea what the future holds for her.

 Chapter 412 - SOMEONES COMING BACK

    <h4>Chapter 412 - SOMEONE''S COMING BACK</h4>


    At six in the evening, they ship docked at the pier of the ind they''re visiting they''re visiting and the passengers started getting off the ship. The guards immediately position themselves around the whole family while the others were taking out the cars. Stefan''s family had no idea what just happened to Cayenne and her family; and they all chatted as lively as they always had like there was no problem at all.


    The resort that they''d be staying was a two-hour drive away from the shipping port. Everyone got inside the car and they started the headcount to make sure that they didn''t forget anyone. After making sure that they''replete, they started their journey to their booked resort.


    Cayenne felt so tired with all her emotions going haywire. She wasn''t able to rest inside the ship earlier because she kept thinking about her mother but now, her exhaustion was already pulling her to the depths of sleep. Seeing her tired expression, Stefan pulled her up and had her sat on hisp, cuddling her to sleep while asking the guard to get him aforter for his wife.


    Cayenne snuggled to his warm body and hugged him to sleep, uncaring of the fact that they were still traveling and that the guards were still around them.


    Even when they arrived, Stefan didn''t put her down. The guard had to open the door on Stefan''s side to give him an easy way ofing out with his wife in his arms.


    "Yen fell asleep?" Jose, Stefan''s grandfather asked when he saw his grandson carrying his lovely wife. "She must be tired after putting this trip altogether."


    "Hn. I think so, too. She''s really excited for this trip and she didn''t get enough sleepst night." Stefan responded as they walked to the resort. He asked Kyle to get Cayenne''s phone inside her bag and looked for the confirmation code for their booking since he cannot put her down and he didn''t want to wake her up either.


    Kyle found it inside her email ount and showed the booking confirmation to the receptionist. Kyle also found the notebook that Cayenne brought and flipped the pages to see if there''s anything they missed from her ns. She even wrote the room assignments for everyone. So, when they got the keys, they didn''t have to worry which room stays whom. Kyle just read the note from Cayenne''s little notebook.


    As for Stefan, he didn''t need to know which room because he saw it earlier. They all went upstairs and the guards had to help Stefan with their luggage because his hands were upied with their young mistress.


    "Hey, did you see that couple? My god! They''re so sweet." One of the receptionistsmented with heart in her eyes. She was feeling some butterflies fluttering their wings in her stomach while watching Stefan carrying Cayenne earlier.


    "Oh! You must have not known. They''re known as one of the sweetest couples in City A. They''re friends with Jillyanna Madrigal, your goddess YNA." The other receptionist stated with little knowledge she got.


    "OMG! And they''re actually here?! Here?! I hope my goddess wille and visit this ind, too."


    "When will you be going back to City H?"


    "In two months. I will be¡­"


    The two of them talked about something else because they''re not allowed to gossip about their customers.


    In Stefan and Cayenne''s room, Stefan was busy wiping his wife''s body with a wet cloth. She was deep asleep and didn''t even wake up when he undressed her. They haven''t taken their dinner yet. With this other problem, Stefan sent a message in family group chat to let them eat their dinner without him and Cayenne.


    "Do you want us to ask for a room service for you?" Luiz replied within their group chat.


    "There''s no need. Just enjoy your meal. I''ll take her for dinnerter."


    "Got it."


    As soon as everyone unpacked their things, they left their respective rooms to have a family dinner. The guards were situated across each of their room, making sure that they''d be able to respond as soon as their help was need. If the family stays in the resort, they will have to stay as well. If they wanted to go somewhere, they needed to tag along, too. In fact, they''re job was very easy and they can enjoy going on trips, too.


    Luiz has all their contacts because Cayenne told them to save it for emergency purposes so, he sent a message to all of the guards that it was time for dinner, saving him the time to knock on their doors.


    "Was your sister alright?" Dominic whispered to Luiz when the two of them met at the hallway. "I noticed that her eyes were a little red."


    "She''s alright but sometimes, my sister just gets emotional for no reason. She''s probably remembering our lives in the past before she met brother-inw."


    "I see." Dominic nodded his head and didn''t say anything about it anymore. He didn''t want Luiz to think that he''s intruding to their private life.


    "By the way, you mentioned that you''re going to model for a magazine together with your brother, when will it be released?"


    "They said that it will be released at the end of the month."


    "Great. I''ll be starting my work next week so once it''s released, I can tell my friend and colleagues about it."


    "Thank you, dom. It''s really not easy earning money, right? I always feel guilty towards my sister because she worked so hard for all of us in the past so now, I wanted to return the favor to her."


    "You''re so lucky that you have her as a sister." Dominic smiled faintly while thinking about the smile on Stefan''s face when talking to Cayenne. "And my cousin is very lucky to have her as his wife."


    "You''re absolutely right."


    While they were on their way to the restaurant for dinner, someone was also excitedly packing her things. She just came back from her vacation but because it''s summer time, her parents allowed her to travel wherever she wanted to. And her heart and mind were telling her the same things. She wanted to go back to City B.

 Chapter 413 - IM NOT YOUR SERVANT!

    <h4>Chapter 413 - I''M NOT YOUR SERVANT!</h4>


    On the next day, Erwin was singing while watering the nts in Cayenne''s backyard. He was also pulling some weeds along the way but still felt that it was so boring.


    "Sir Erwin, do you need help?" Dalia asked when she came out to pick some vegetables for breakfastter.


    "I''m all good. Thank you." Erwin smiled faintly at the little girl and sighed. "Don''t you find it boring without them at home?"


    Dalia shook her head, holding a calm expression on her face. "We''re used to being left alone at home so, we don''t really feel anything when they left. Aside from that, we''re knew here. We barely know ma''am Cayenne and sir Stefan."


    "You have a point in that." Erwin replied nonchntly. "In my case, I am just used to them being at home or being with them when they go somewhere. The house felt lonely without them."


    "Don''t worry, sir. You''ll get use to it specially that ma''am Cayenne ns to go back to school."


    "Right."


    The two of them continued to talk as Erwin watered the nts and Dalia picked vegetables. After getting what she needed, she left him alone in the garden. So, Erwin was back to singing again.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne woke up early the next day and was ready to cook for breakfast when she realized that they''re currently on a trip. "Oh. I don''t have to do it." She snuggled back into the arms of her husband and just cuddled with him, not going back to sleep. Stefan was still sleeping beside her.


    Cayenne was thinking of their ns for today when her phone vibrated on top of her bedside drawer. She shifted her body had her back facing him, to reach the phone and answer it.


    Erwin had no idea that his life with be turned upside-down in the next few days.


    Sabrina just arrived at the airport terminal and was currently waiting for a taxi that she can board to City B. She was supposed to stay in City A but she told her parents that she wanted to explore City B this time. She''s not really going to explore the ce, more likely, she''s going to annoy someone to death. She even brought that little toy with her.


    ''Ah! I''m being childish.'' She thought to herself and suddenly felt depressed. She just realized how foolish she was. ''Not that it matters.'' Her depression quickly vanished and she waved her hand to theing cab.


    "Please get me to this address." She gave him the address of Cayenne''s property and sat on the back with ease. She could finally rx. Earlier, she called Cayenne for the password of her gate but she wasn''t really nning to use it as soon as she gets there. She wanted Erwin to open the gate for her and see his reaction.


    She got stuck in traffic on her way to Cayenne''s home so, she decided to call her friends and asked them for their schedule so that they can meet up once again and catch with each other. She''ll only be staying for five days and on the day that Stefan and Cayennee''s home, she will have toe home to City A as well. She didn''t want to disturb the lovers in their nest.


    After three hours of travel, she finally arrived to her destination. Sabrina got out of the taxi and stretched her arms and legs for few seconds before taking out her suitcase.? She paid the taxi driver a little extra specially that it was a very far ce.


    "Now, let''s see this little monkey." She took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell to Cayenne''s home.


    Everyone inside the house looked at each other and was pushing which one of them should face the person outside. They were all worried and didn''t know if they could let someonee in or not.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll take it." Erwin ate thest bite of his sandwich and wiped his hands beforeing out to see their guests. He''s been expecting for this person. He looked at the monitor on the side of the gate and string of curses came out of his mouth.


    "Hey! I can hear you cursing me, idiot!" Sabrina yelled from the outside of the gate while Erwin remained rooted on his ce, not opening the gate for her at all. "Do you want me to stand here for the rest of my life?"


    "Yeah."


    "I called Yen already and Stefan agreed for me to stay here, too."


    "I didn''t know about that." Erwinmented and pulled out his phone.? In truth, he knew that there will be a guest staying over but he didn''t know that it would be her. No wonder he was getting a bad feeling about this. "Young miss, you''re fooling me." Erwin called Cayenne and stated with grievances. "Why didn''t you tell me that an evil woman will being over?"


    "Evil woman?" Cayenne asked in confusion and she remembered the day that Erwin and Sabrina met for the first time. He called her evil woman, too. Sheughed so hard at his statement and wasn''t able to speak for a little while. She could still hear Erwin mumbling on the other side of the line. "I thought my husband told you about it." Cayenne put the me to Stefan and winked at him.


    "No. None of you told me that she''d being here. No wonder Kyle asked me if I had an idea. It turns out that you all gang up on me."


    "Rattling so much and speaking these things to me, you''re actually happy to see her, right?"


    ''Beep! Beep! Beep!''


    The call ended. Cayenne looked at her phone and chuckled. "Sorry, Erwin and good luck!"


    Back at home, Erwin ended the call because he caught sight of Sabrina standing up beside him. He was so startled that he pressed the end call button.


    "How dare you call me an evil woman?!" Sabrina swung her bag and hit his stomach. "Hmp!" She walked away from him while giving him an order. "Show me my room and bring my luggage for me. It''s a little heavy."


    "I''m not your servant!"

 Chapter 414 - HES EXHAUSTED - THEYRE HAVING FUN

    <h4>Chapter 414 - HE''S EXHAUSTED - THEY''RE HAVING FUN</h4>


    It''s still very early in the morning but Erwin felt so tired already. He didn''t know if he couldst a day with her around. She''s not only exhausting him physically but she wasn''t good for his heart either.


    "You''ll be staying here." Erwin pushed the door open to the guest room. It was spacious andplete with room furniture and one thing she noticed was that, it looked exactly the same as the guest room of Stefan''s property in Tuscany, Italy.


    "I love this. Thank you." She jumped on the bed like a child would andid her body in a careless manner. "Just put my things there. I''ll take care of itter."


    Erwin didn''t say anything and just left her suitcase to the side of the bed.


    "I haven''t eaten my breakfast yet." Sabrina mentioned while looking at him. "Can you cook for me?"


    "I''m not your chef, alright? I was only told to look after your safety, not be your servant during your stay."


    "Cooking for me is looking after my safety, too. I shouldn''t be hungry or I will faint."


    "Whatever. What do you want to eat?"


    "Anything that you''d make. And please bring it here in my roomter."


    Erwin''s frown was bing deeper as time passes by but Sabrina didn''t give him a leeway. She''ll annoy him all the time. When Erwin left to cook her food, she was left all alone in her room. A wide grin appeared on her face, making her look silly yet cute.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne and their whole family where having a great time. With the help of the local guide that the hotel provided, they were able to see a lot of beautiful ces. There was also a Taoist Shrine in the ind that many female tourists would like to visit, especially those who wanted to have a baby. The god that the people prayed to was said to be the god of fertility. Of course, Cayenne won''t let this pass.


    Helpless with all her whims, Stefan just followed his wife wherever she wanted to go. He''s the happiest when his wife was smiling brightly.


    "Hon, let''s pray together for a child, okay?"


    "Sure. I''ll pray for the baby toe after two years."


    "Hmp!" she snorted which made Stefan chuckle. And then, a funny n formed in her mind.


    They left to visit the shrine when a call came in from Erwin. Seeing his name shing on her phone screen, Cayenne couldn''t stopughing. "Yes?" One simple word but Erwin heard the faint traces ofugher from it.


    "Young mistress, you are so cruel. You should''ve told me in advance that she''sing. I haven''t prepared myself to be the servant of this princess yet."


    "You can do it." Cayenne cheered. "You don''t have to be so uptight around her."


    "I don''t think I can do that."


    "You can. I trust you which is why I left you to look after her."


    "No, you just want to tease me."


    The two of them talked for almost five minutes before Erwin ended the call. He was currently cooking for Sabrina who was still holed up in her room.


    "Sir Erwin, the woman that came earlier, who is she?" Daisy asked while washing the vegetables that Erwin wanted to use.


    "She''s a friend to the boss." Erwin responded while drinking a ss of water to calm himself.


    "Oh! I thought she''s your girlfriend who came to visit you."


    ''Pfft! Cough! Cough!''


    The water that didn''t make it to his stomach yet came out of his mouth and was sprayed on the table. He was so startled with her words. "Little girl, don''t make such scary remarks."


    Daisy was holding back herughter while handing him some tissue and cleaning cloth to wipe the table. "I was just saying my observation. And you look good together."


    "Nah! That princess won''t look good with a peasant like me. Anyway, don''t think too much." Erwin waved his hand to dismiss the idea that Daisy was having.


    After half an hour, he came knock on her door and Sabrina opened it for him. He was holding a tray of foods and this time, she has already changed her clothes and unpacked her things. "Your food. I''ll be staying the living room so, once you''re done, just call me and I''lle and get the tray and empty dishes."


    "Thanks."


    He opened his mouth only to close it again. He really wanted to ask her something but he was hesitant about it.


    Noticing his expression, Sabrina took the chance to speak first. "I want to take a rest after breakfast but, can you give me a tour in the afternoon?"


    "You''re not going somewhere?"


    "I''ll be going out tomorrow."


    Erwin nodded his head in understanding and smiled faintly, something he wasn''t aware he''s doing it. "Well, just call me if there''s anything you need."


    "Okay."


    He left her room once again and decided to stay in the living room to make it easier for her to call him if needed. But since he''s left with nothing to do, he took out hisputer from his own room and decided to y a game to pass the time. He looked at the small little red riding hood icon on his friends list. It''s inactive for almost 12 hours already.


    He ignored this matter and thought that his friend would probably go online at night. But he was bound to get disappointed.


    On the other hand, the sweet couple was having so much fun. After visiting the shrine, the local guide showed them some of the ces that they can go on adventures but some of these ces weren''t good for old people, so Jose and Cory decided to go back to the hotel first to take a dip in a hot spring.


    To make their adventure even more fun, Stefan and Cayenne decided to have a contest for their family. The EZ adventure park had many obstacle courses that you have to take and thest one was bungee jumping. They will have to do rock climbing and once they reached the peak of the course, they will have to take a zip line to another obstacle course which was to do sky biking. After the bike, they will have to cross the hanging bridge which wasn''t really high then, they will have to climb a tree using a rope and after that, they will wave to ride another zip line to arrive thest course.


    The first three people to finish all the courses will be given a prize. And to make it more interesting, they picked other contestants from the crowd who wanted to take the adventure as well.


    Cayenne exined the mechanics of the contest and the yers didn''t have to worry about their safety because there were many people who will look after them.


    While they''re group was having fun, Erwin was bugged by Sabrina at home. She said that she''d take a rest but then, she changed her mind and wanted to have a tour of the ce to get herself familiar and to know which ces her off limits for her. Erwin had to introduce everyone to her as well in order for her to know which people belong to their property and who weren''t.


    "This whole ce, is this really owned by Cayenne?" Sabrina asked while looking at the dense forest not far from them. There were many trees around her and there were very few houses you can see. During her trip to her property, she only saw three houses and they were far apart from one another.


    Erwin had his hands on his back as he walked slowly beside her, matching her small steps. "This is given to her by her father."


    "Oh! I thought she''s poor. I heard a lot of rumors about her being poor and that she used to be Stefan''s employee."


    "Those are actually true." Erwin looked up into the sky but the sun was too bright he needed to raise his hand to block the shining rays. "Young mistress has a veryplicated background. Anyway, if you want to know about these things rted to her then, just ask her when she''s back."


    "Then how about you?" Sabrina changed the subject from Cayenne to him. It was a very good technique to know someone. "How did you get to know them?"


    "Her father picked me up."


    "Picked you up? What are you? A cat?"


    Erwin chuckled, for the very first time, heughed around her when he''s always grumpy and looked annoyed when she''s around. "It''s literally that. He picked me up like how other people pick up some dogs or cats on the streets."


    "Now, we have something inmon." Sabrina smiled brightly at him. "I never said this to anyone and if I may say, only Stefan figured this out. I''m actually adopted, too. I was also picked up by my current parents in front of their gate. They couldn''t have any child because my mother has a problem with getting pregnant. I may be an ident to my biological parents but I''m a blessing to my foster parents now. Don''t you think we''re a perfect match?!"


    Unexpectedly, Erwin knocked her forehead and threw a bucket of cold water over her head. "We''re not a match. Stop thinking nonsense."

 Chapter 415 - SHES A SPECTATOR

    <h4>Chapter 415 - SHE''S A SPECTATOR</h4>


    Sabrina wanted to touched her forehead and rubbed it but Erwin beat her to it while muttering his apology. "Sorry, I got soxed and forget your identity. I didn''t really mean to knock your forehead."


    "Oh! That''s fine." She grinned at him and let him rubbed her forehead. Her face was getting warmer so, she looked down on her foot, ying a staring contest with it. "Actually, I''m d that you''re starting to feelfortable or rx around me even if it was just a short moment. Most of the people I knew were always tense when I''m around them and even the people, whom I call friends, were always cautious whenever were together. They must have always thought that I am not someone they should provoke because I came from a rich family. But in fact, I''m just your normal kind of girl."


    "I see. Well, it''s good to know this side of you." Erwin put down his hand and ced it on his side, the smoothness of her skin was still lingering on his fingertips. "Do you want to eat mangoes?"


    "Huh?" The question was so sudden and was really unexpected when they''re talking something so serious about their life. Sabrina raised her head and looked at him with her blinking eyes. "Mangoes?"


    "Yup." Erwin rubbed the back of his neck which coincidentally hid his red earlobe. "Auntie Fei visited yesterday with some fruits for us. Basically, the farm that sir Travis owned has a plentiful of produce this month and they would bring us some fruits every two weeks. It saves us from buying them in a supermarket. So, I was thinking of you want to have some."


    "Sure. I think I''ll eat some for lunch."


    The two of them walked around Cayenne''s property and Erwin tried his best to appear hospitable as he can. In his heart, he was really upset when she took the stuff toy away from him but over the passage of time, he eventually let go of that matter but still wanted to get something tomemorate their first meeting.


    You can say that he fell in love at first sight for her but he wouldn''t just admit it. Really stubborn.


    Back to Cayenne, she was happily cheering for everyone who joined the contest. To make it fair, she even allowed the other contestants to pair up with her brothers. And the quickest to chose them were the single girls from the crowd. She couldn''t stop herself from shaking her head at all.


    Even so, the performance of the team was really good. So far, Dominic and his partner which was named Althea were leading the group. Dominic was an athlete and he likes sports a lot. Althea also loves sports andpetition. When the two of them were paired up, Althea''s friends were so happy and kept cheering for them. Now, they left the other pairs behind them.


    "Are you a university student?" Dominic asked while the staff was putting their harnesses and other safety gears.


    "I''m still a senior high school student. I still have two more years to spend before I graduate." Althea answered.


    "Oh! I thought you''re a university student because of your height."


    "I''m often mistaken for a university student because of my height and because I look mature for my age but I take it as apliment."


    When they saw Kyle''s team was following not far from them, they finally started pedaling the bike and the two of them still chatted as if they weren''t biking up in the sky with just several lines of cables to support them.


    Luiz wanted to hurry up but his physical strength cannot really hold on for a little bit longer. In the end, together with his pair, they just enjoyed their moment and took time while taking pictures everywhere. They didn''t care about the prize anymore so another team grabbed the third ce.


    Cayenne and Stefan also tried all the games so that they can reach the finish line and meet the participants there. The whole gamessted for almost an hour and everyone was enjoying. Respectively, the winners were even more ted specially those strangers who were able to join in for fun.


    "So, for those other tourists who joined the contest, whether you won or not, we will reimburse your entrance fee as my thanks for making this trip more fun."


    The crowd became silent and after a minute, they shouted in joy. They''ve been saving just to enjoy this trip with their friends and they didn''t expect such blessing toe to them. And what was even more surprising was the prizes.


    Dominic only asked 10% from the whole prize and gave the rest to Althea. She needed it more than him specially now that he''s got a part-time job and he knew something about Althea as well. She''s like Cayenne but the only difference was that, she still has both parents and no siblings. Even so, they''re not very well ¨C off because her mother doesn''t have a job and her father is a school janitor. He''s not sure if she''s telling the truth nheless, he still gave her the money.


    As for Kyle, his partner was a senior female student who''s about to graduate and he knew that graduating students will need more money for projects and whatever that needed expenses just to pass thest year of their student life. So, he gave her everything.


    The third cer took 45% each and the remaining 10% was used to treat their friends to some snacks. As for Luiz, he didn''t get anything but the girl that he was partnered with was still happy. She was able to take lots of pictures with him, a handsome and intelligent young man.


    "I like the thrill of watching people having a contest." Cayennemented as she hugged her husband.


    "I don''t care about any other thing. I only care about you." Stefan responded and what he said was just proven right then and there. Because the other contestants and their friends were still around, chatting with her siblings and Dominic, yet the two of them were flirting in front of these kids.

 Chapter 416 - DAILY DOSE OF SWEETNESS

    <h4>Chapter 416 - DAILY DOSE OF SWEETNESS</h4>


    After ying and touring looking around the ce in the morning, they finally grabbed a bite for lunch. This time, Jose and Cory didn''te with them but were having a loving time together, reminiscing the past while having lunch at the balcony of their hotel room, looking at the beautiful see not far from them where sea gulls flew and dipped to catch their food.


    Stanley and Jonas were chatting about some manly talk that only the two of them could understand. When Jonas came out from prison, he looked so old and frail. His white hairs were showing and the wrinkles on his face could tell you his sufferings over thest decade.


    But after reuniting with his family, he looked livelier and cheerful with them. Luiz also dyed his hair to ck which made him look a bit younger. Luiz also taught him what to do with his wrinkles so that he won''t looks old. Cayenne let them do whatever they want as long as they weren''t stepping on someone else to elevate themselves.


    "What are we doing in the afternoon?" Luiz asked over lunch.


    "You''re free to do whatever you want in the afternoon. Just make sure that you won''t cause trouble or I will pack your things and send you home." Cayenne responded with a smile but her smile looked more of a warning to them.


    "Since when did we cause you trouble?" Luiz retorted with a pout. "I don''t remember doing that."


    "I''m just reminding you, little brat. I didn''t say you''ve done it. Just in case."


    "I know." Luizughed at his sister before picking some prawn and ced it on his te. "I was only joking, I think I''ll check on the entertainment areater."


    "That sounds nice." Dominicmented in agreement to Luiz''s words. "Would you like to check the ce together? I was nning to look into it, too.''


    "Sure. Let''s meet at three in the afternoon once we get back."


    Kyle was silent during lunch. It''s not that he was in a bad mood or something but if you would look closely at him, you would notice that his earphone was blinking and the screen of his phone showed he was on a call. As to who he''s talking to? It''s not really that difficult to know. Aside from Kath, who would he talk to?


    But surprisingly, he wasn''t talking. He was just listening to his girlfriend, rambling about different things in life. This time, she wasining to him because Kai, her oldest brother was fooled again. He was already fooled many times but he wouldn''t just learn. If she wasn''t able to show him evidence that his boyfriend was cheating on him, he would probably not believe her words.


    "You know what, I''m not really against his sexual orientation but at least, he shouldn''t stick to a person who doesn''t even bring happiness to him. It''s a toxic rtionship! I told him that his boyfriend had been cheating on him but he wouldn''t just believe me. Now, I showed him proof but I don''t know what he will do. He''ll probably turn a blind eye and still look at him through rose colored sses. I hate this."


    "I''m really sorry to hear about all this but you can''t really do anything regarding this issue now." Everyone has a weird and confused expressions on their faces when they looked to Kyle who suddenly talked while they were busy eating. And obviously, he wasn''t talking to them. "Just let your brother handle his own rtionships but you can try talking to him in a gentle manner. I know you''re worried for him but you don''t have to raise your voice at him. He might be having a hard time processing his failed rtionship. He wouldn''t want anyone to scold him for making this mistake. You have tofort him even if he''s already a big guy. His family should be his number one support in this matter."


    "I know. I apologized to him already and I guess I''ll do it againter. I just didn''t know how all this happen. In the past, I thought it''s my brother Kerwin who likes men because he loves beautifying people and he opened a salon. Whereas, my brother Kai, he''s always been serious and he doesn''t talk much. He likes observing people and their expressions which was why he chose to be a director. Who would have thought that they''ll have a switch in sexual interest? Anyway, I''ve been rambling for so long now. Have you eaten yet?"


    "Yup. I''m having lunch with my family while listening to you. And ¨C"


    Kath ended the call and instantly covered her face with a pillow. She was so embarrassed.


    In the restaurant where they''re having lunch, Kyle looked at his phone and found that the call was ended. He smiled thinking how red her face would be right now. And he didn''t send her a message until she messaged him first.


    "Why didn''t you tell me that you''re having lunch with your family? You said that you''re free." Kath message with an angry emoji at the end. "This is so embarrassing and to think I wasining to you about my brother.? I hate you." This message popped up before he can reply to the first one she sent.


    Seeing thest three words, Kyle raised his eyebrow with a smirk on his lips. "Little girl, you didn''t let me finish my words earlier. I didn''t put you on a loud speaker. I was wearing my earphone the whole duration of our call." Kyle sent it and not long after, Kath replied.


    "Forget thest three words that I sent." And a bunch of emojis popped up.


    "I''m sorry."


    "I love you."


    Kyle ignored the stares from his family and smiled foolishly while reading the messages.


    "Love can really make one person look foolish." Cayennemented.


    "I haven''t seen that kind of expression in your face. Does that mean you don''t love me?" Stefan questioned with his questioning gaze.


    Instead of getting intimidated, Cayenne rolled her eyes, picked some food and shoved it inside his mouth. "Just because I didn''t show such expression doesn''t mean I don''t love you."


    "My wife does love me. I knew it."


    Dominic looked towards his father who was onlyughing faintly while Jonas was shaking his head. Dominic leaned closer to Luiz and whispered, "I salute you for having a strong immunity to this daily dose of sweetness. How''s your sugar level?"


    "I think I''m at the brink of getting diabetes." Luiz whispered back while looking at his sister and brother-inw.

 Chapter 417 - ENTERTAINMENT HALL I

    <h4>Chapter 417 - ENTERTAINMENT HALL I</h4>


    Since everyone wanted to check the entertainment area, Cayenne also wanted to do the same thing. She''d like to see what could be fun inside.


    They went home after lunch and took a rest for few hours. Luiz and Dominic went out again at three in the afternoon for the entertainment room.


    The ce was spacious and clean. The couches were soft and smooth. There were three billiard tables where other guests were ying, several dart boards, a small bowling alley where three wooden nes can be seen, three karaoke rooms and other kinds of electronic gaming machine. There was a bar counter too for the guest to order wines or different kinds of juice. It was really cozy and a rxing ce.


    Luiz and Dominic looked around and spotted someone talking to the bartender. "Ehh? You''re here, bro? I thought you left the room to go outside."


    Kyle smiled cheekily at his brother. "I changed my mind." He said but in fact, he wanted to check the entertainment room as well. He just didn''t tell them.


    "So, what do you say? Isn''t this ce cool? Do you want to y darts with us?" Luiz suggested with eager eyes, anticipating for his brother''s positive response.


    Kyle took a sip of his juice and looked at the dart boards. "No, I''ll pass. You guys can go and y. I''ll just look around."


    "O-okay." Luiz looked to Dominic and the two of them left Kyle alone. Most of the guests were ying bowling and some other games, only three people were ying with the darts. With this, Luiz and Dom took the other space for themselves.


    "Do you want to see which one of us can get higher scores?" Dominic questioned, wanting to have a little game contest with Luiz.


    Luiz shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "You''re obviously bullying me. You know that I''m not the sporty type of person."


    "Well, it''s fine. It''s not like we''ll run around the ce."


    "I know." Luiz picked up three darts and positioned himself few feet away form the board. "We won''t really make a bet on this, right? Yen will kill me if she finds out we''re gambling."


    "No, we won''t. We''ll just see who can get higher scores."


    "Okie dokie."


    The two of them yed rock-paper-scissors to see who can y first. Luiz won so, he will be the one two throw his darts. He had seen a lot of people y darts in arcade before but he wasn''t sure if they''re ying it right or not. Nheless, he still tried imitating their pose.


    "Wait." Luiz stood up straight and looked back to Dominic who was sitting on the couch. "Do you know how to score? How will we know if I get a higher score or you got the higher score? I have never done this before."


    "Hmm, this is only base on what I''ve heard." Dominic exined to Luiz how it''s done but Luiz found it a bitplicated without seeing any real time calction. He might be smart but he needed to see a real calction to get the point. "Well, let''s just make it simple. The person who can hit closer to the center or hit the bull''s eye will win."


    "That sounds better." Luiz nodded his head and started throwing his darts. They only have three darts to use and Luiz wasted the other one because it didn''t even hit the board. He couldn''t stopughing at himself. "I really suck in any kind of games."


    "We all have things we''re good at. You''re amazing in academics already so if you''re also good in sports, aren''t you too perfect?" Dominic retorted with faint chuckles. "Don''t feel bad."


    "Hn. I''m okay." Luiz took a seat on the couch and let Dominic have his turn.


    First throw, the dart hit the double ring. Second throw, the dart hit the triple ring. He was really getting closer to the center of the board but on the third throw he hit the double ring again. Even so, he still won the round.


    "How about we y truth or dare for the loser?" Dominic suggested but Luiz instantly wave his hands to dismiss the idea. "You don''t want to? Why?"


    "If I choose truth, there will be things that I will have to say even if I don''t want to. If I choose dare, we might do something silly that will inconvenience other guests. I don''t want to cause trouble for Yen and brother-inw."


    "You have a point."


    "Then, how about I buy you a drink if you win?" Luiz suggested. In this way, it''s not really called gambling since he will only treat Dom to a ss of juice.


    "That''s fine, too."


    The two of them continued to y while Kyle looked at them from time to time, making sure that they weren''t disturb by anyone.


    "Hey handsome, are you alone?" A young woman sat on the stool chair beside Kyle and looked at him with obvious lust in her eyes. She even ran her red-painted nails on his thigh.


    Kyle didn''t bother talking to her and just left to go and sit with his brothers. His eyes held an indifferent expression as if he wasn''t really seeing a person in front of him.


    "Tsk! Snobbish." The woman clicked his tongue and went back to her group of friends. "I failed my dare so I''m going to drink this wine." She picked up her wine ss and drank all of its content. "Tastes great."


    She was ying cards with her friends and lost thest round which was why she had to do a dare. Fortunately, they chose a handsome guy for her to flirt with. Even though she wasn''t sessful, she can''t stop looking at the direction where Kyle was sitting.


    Kyle felt that someone''s been staring at him but he ignored it and decided to have a video call with Kath. In this way, she would know what he''s currently doing.


    Luiz said ''hi'' to Kath when he heard her voice and Dominic greeted her, too. The woman who flirted with him earlier, saw that Kyle was happily talking to a woman.


    Before her feelings could bloom, Kyle cut the growing bud and pulled the roots of her feelings. Dashing her hope all at once.

 Chapter 418 - ENTERTAINMENT HALL II

    <h4>Chapter 418 - ENTERTAINMENT HALL II</h4>


    Half an hourter, Cayenne and Stefan also arrived which made Luiz sighed. As long as this couple was around, they''d be stuffed with so much sweetness.


    Cayenne was walking beside Stefan with his arms wrapped on her waist. They looked left and right, trying to make out the figures inside the entertainment area. When she spotted her siblings and Dominic, she sighed in relief but she didn''t go to them.


    "Shall we have a drink at the bar counter? I''d like to observe the ce first." Cayenne suggested


    "Sure." Stefan led her to the bar counter and ordered a ss of pineapple juice for her. "This will help you with your digestion."


    "Hn. Thank you." Cayenne epted the juice while Stefan ordered some wine. They won''t be going out this afternoon so, it''s fine if he drinks a little. "By the way, do you have any idea where Papa and Uncle Stan went to? I sent them a message if they wanted to y here with us but they didn''t reply."


    Stefan pulled out his phone and sent a message to the bodyguard assigned to these two adults instead. Two minutester, they received a picture from the body guard. It turned out that the two men were busy grooming themselves.


    "So, they went out to shop." Cayenne nodded to herself as if agreeing silently to what she was seeing. In truth, only Stanley was grooming himself. He will be working in apany after two weeks and there, he will probably meet that girl he saw during his contract signing. He wanted to be at his best when this happens.


    Jonas was helping him look for clothes that would look good on him.


    "Before you try to hit on her, you better figure out if she''s single or taken." Jonas told Stanley. "We don''t want troubleing our way. It won''t only affect you but also the rest of the family."


    "I know. That''s why I''m asking you for help because I heard that you and yourte wife was very sweet. I cannot ask my parents about it or else, I''d trigger my mother''s illness. I cannot aske Stefan and Cayenne either knowing that they have a lot of things to think about every day." Stanley was checking himself in front of the mirror, turning around for several times before he looked satisfied. "What about you? You don''t have any ns of finding someone who can cuddle you to bed?"


    "Nah. I''m too old for that. Don''t forget that I''m older than you and I have three kids."


    "Two kids."


    "Three. Cayenne is also my child even if we''re not blood rted." Jonas corrected, not letting anyone make Cayenne feel like an outcast.


    "Oh. I understand." Stanley nodded his head.


    The two continued to buy stuff while the body guard followed behind them, eating an ice cream with a nonchnt expression. If you ever bump into him, you wouldn''t think he''s a bodyguard because he looked like a tourist as well. He needed to blend with the people around him.


    Back inside the entertainment area of the resort, Cayenne and Stefan talked about a lot of stuff. Luna still got two weeks more to work in the hotel and after that, she would leave toe home to her parents with Ali. In Cayenne''s mind, her best friend was really brave. When she fell in love, she fought against the world for Ali. She didn''t give up just because her parents told her to. She even gave up her rights to the inheritance for her boyfriend. She ran away from home and stayed with her boyfriend, starting a life of their own without asking any help from her parents. Ali was very considerate of her as well. He knew how much adjustment she needed to live a poor life just to be with him and to meet her needs, he worked so hard to earn money. Thankfully, Luna wasn''t a brat. Every single time that he gave her all his wages, Luna will buy groceries, two or three new shirts and jeans for him and some other things they needed at home. And the rest, she would save it for their future.


    In her mind, she has to save for the both of them. They needed to work hard for their future because she could no longer rely on her parents. Who would have thought that they''d ask her toe back and even told her to bring Ali home?


    "I''ll have to meet with Luna and Ali before she goes back to her city." Cayenne told Stefan what was in her mind.


    "I don''t mind." Stefan swirl the ss in his hand and the liquid content glide from side to side. "But, I should being with you, right?"


    "No, of course, not." Cayenne answered instantly. "We still have the mission to do. As long as there''s a chance that I can go out, I''ll take it as an opportunity for both of us."


    "Why do I feel that you''re purposely making appointments with other people?"


    "You''re only imagining things, hon."


    Cayenne looked down to her juice and took a sip, making sure that Stefan won''t see her mischievous smile.


    "Hon, I''ll go to the bathroom really quick. Don''t go anywhere." Stefan told her as he stood from his seat. "The guards will be watching you over. I''ll be right back."


    "I know.? You can go now."


    Even though he said that he''lle back as soon as he can, he couldn''t really do it because the bathroom was quite far from the entertainment area.


    Seeing that she''s alone now, the other men who found this opportunity started making bet as to who can sessfully flirt with Cayenne. Seeing theirscivious smiles, the four guards who were observing the area slowly made their way to Cayenne.


    "Young madam, can we sit over here while sir isn''t back yet?" one of the guards mumbled softly while standing beside Cayenne.


    "Sure. Go ahead." The two guards sat on each side of Cayenne, preventing other people to take the ce. ''Let''s see who would dare to mess around now.'' The two guards thought while looking ordering something to make their act even more believable. The other two bodyguards were still ying with other guests but their eyes were quickly scanning the people inside the hall.


    Seeing her being surrounded this bulky men, one of the men who wanted to flirt with Cayenne found this opportunity to save the damsel in distress, not knowing that he was slowly stepping into his own coffin.

 Chapter 419 - FLIRTING FAILED

    <h4>Chapter 419 - FLIRTING FAILED</h4>


    The man stood up from his seat and gave his friends a yful wink. He strode towards the bar counter and one chair apart from the bodyguard to Cayenne''s right. The counter was a semi-circle so he got a perfect view to see Cayenne''s beautiful face. He ordered a drink but even after he got it, he didn''t leave.


    The two bodyguards didn''t leave either. It''s their duty to protect their young madam in the absence of Stefan.


    The man took a nce towards Cayenne but she didn''t look at him. She was busy sipping her juice while fiddling with her bracelet. In truth, Cayenne was doing it because she misses her husband who''s taking quite sometime in thefort room. However, the man took it a distress signaling from her.


    "Uh¡­uhm¡­are you alright miss?" He asked Cayenne without looking at the guys beside her.


    "Yeah. I''m fine."


    He braved up himself and looked to the bulky men on each side of her. "They''re not bullying you, right?" He asked.? There was a trace of concern on his face but his eyes held mirth and sparkles. He wasn''t really doing it out of concern but to boost his own ego.


    "No, they''re not. They''re very kind to me." Cayenne answered with a faint smile.


    "Are you sure?"


    Cayenne chuckled as she looked at him with her hand on her chin. "Don''t be silly. Why would my own bodyguards bully me? They''re sitting beside me to protect me."


    The man''s face flushed and he opened his mouth to say something only to close it again. After a few seconds, he smiled. "I apologize for my mistake. I thought they''re bullying a weak-looking girl like you. But I''m d that everything''s fine. Can I buy you a drink as an apology?"


    "Oh! There''s no need. I don''t ept any drinks if it''s not bought by my husband."


    "Husband?" He was standing there in front of her in surprise once again. Because he was sitting on the right and Cayenne''s left hand was blocked with her ss, he didn''t notice her wedding ring at all.


    Cayenne pretended she didn''t know his intention and just continued to y the kind person she was in front of this lustful man in front of her. "There he is." She beamed a smile when she saw Stefaning back to her. "What''s taking you so long?" Cayenne mumbled as she hugged him in front of the man. "This is my husband. And he hired these men to guard me. Isn''t he sweet?"


    "Yeah. He is." The man never felt so embarrassed in his lifetime until this very moment. He wanted to escape from her radar so soon.


    "Do you know him?" Stefan asked while looking the man up-and-down, as if he was an insect under his microscope for observation.


    Cayenne shook her head in response. "But he''s a kind stranger. He thought was being bullied because of these big guys sitting on my side. He came to help me."


    "Oh?" Stefan just raised his eyebrow and didn''t say anything anymore to the man. He took her half-filled ss of juice from the counter and led Cayenne to the couch where her siblings and Dominic stayed.


    "He was definitely trying to flirt with me." Cayenne whispered and rolled her eyes.? "Did he really think I''d be fooled by him? Hmp!"


    "You''re learning to observe people now?"


    "I learn that from you." Cayenne kissed his cheek and smiled. "Do you want to y bowling with me?"


    "Sure." No matter what she likes, Stefan would indulge her without asking any questions except for the mission that she likes doing with him ¨C the mission to deal with his separation anxiety.


    Cayenne told the boys that they''d be at the bowling alley to y and the three didn''t hesitated toe with them. The bowling area wasn''t crowded and they got the chance to enjoy it for themselves.


    Seeing them walk away, the man also left the counter and walked back to his circle of friends. "That''s her boyfriend?" one of his friends asked.


    "No. That''s her husband."


    "Pfft!" They all snickered andughed. They didn''t expect that a yboy like him would fail to hook up with a woman. "When I saw their faces clearly, I recognized them immediately. Since you''re not from City A or City B, you might not be very familiar with them." Another friend of hismented.


    "Are they celebrities?" the man asked while looking at Cayenne''s cheerful smile while talking to her husband.


    "They''re not celebrities but they''re pretty famous for being one of the sweetest couples. The man is named Stefan Dumrique and he''s super rich. And thedy is Cayenne Dumrique. Not many people know of her background and Stefan, although unted their rtionship in public, he keeps his wife''s real identity a secret. We only know of her name."


    "I see." The man just smiled faintly. It was the first time someone said that he''s kind. He was sure that Cayenne did it to give him some face and he admired her even more because of that. ''Sadly, she''s married.''


    Now, inside the entertainment hall, two one-sided love were unintentionally crushed into dusts by the Ardolf siblings.


    Stefan gave Cayenne her juice as they took a seat on the couch. "I''ll y first. Youe and watch me."


    "Okay." Cayenne sip on her juice and watched him walk to get a bowling ball.


    "I''m not really good at this so, don''t expect me to be perfect." Stefan told his wife who was looking with so much anticipation.


    "That''s fine. I''m not looking for a perfect version of you anyway."


    Stefan smiled and slid the ball down the wooden ne but towards the end, it slowly changed direction and fell on the side. "I told you."


    Cayenne stood up and throw a ball as well and just like him, it went to the side.? "Oh! Look at that. I didn''t score, too. Our imperfections make us a perfect match." Cayenne happily stated while linking her arms with his.


    Seeing their sweet moments, Luiz muttered, "I think I''ll go y somewhere else."


    "Want to y the basketball hoop over there?" Dominic suggested because he didn''t want to get a diabetes because the couple.

 Chapter 420 - BLESSINGS DESPITE THE DANGER

    <h4>Chapter 420 - BLESSINGS DESPITE THE DANGER</h4>


    Back in Cayenne''s property, Erwin and Sabrina were currently at the kitchen. They were nning to eat mangoes but Sabrina changed her mind and wanted to eat mango float. Thus, Erwin left earlier to buy the missing ingredients and just came back not long ago.


    "I want you to put more mangoes. It would taste really good if there are more fruits." Sabrinamented while picking three more mangoes from the basket.


    One was working to meet the demand of this distinguished guest while the guest asked him to do this and do that. She''s really bossy at this point, annoying him again to her heart''s content.


    "Is this enough?" Erwin asked as he showed him his work. They weren''t making a lot of mango float, just enough to serve the remaining people at home which includes the helper and the guards.


    "Yup. That''s enough." Sabrina nodded and gave him a thumbs up. She cleaned the mess on the table which was something that Erwin didn''t expect at all. "By the way, you''re already twenty-six, right? Don''t you have ns to get married?"


    "Why are you asking that all of a sudden?" Erwin asked. His face crinkled when he frowned at her question.


    "Nothing. I just thought that men at your age would probably want to marry someone."


    "Oh!" Erwin made a perfunctory remark as he ced the ssware containing the mango float inside the refrigerator. "You''re like my young mistress. She asked me the same question as well."


    "Really? What was your answer then?"


    "I told her that I probably won''t." He looked outside the kitchen window and smiled faintly. "But I think, I am changing my mind. That''s depending on the situation though. How about you?"


    "Well, at first, I was supposed to marry Stefan. In all honestly, I liked him so much but when I found out that he already got someone in his heart and that he loved her so much, I let him go without any hesitations. I did my best to move on and my parents were very supportive of me. I traveled to many ces and I ventured to things that I wasn''t really good at. I started ying games, reading books, watching movies and just do random stuffs without thinking of my rejected love. And eventually, I found someone." Sabrina didn''t tell him her feelings yet because it was still very early. In fact, the purpose of her trip this time was to observe her feelings after learning things about him. "What''s your ideal girl by the way?"


    "Me?" Erwin thought for a while with his finger on his chin. "I like independent woman but someone who will also rely on me when needed. Someone who doesn''t put too much make up on her face. Someone who''s not vain of her beauty. I like a woman who''s kindhearted and honest."


    "Will social status bother you?"


    "Not really but I think it will bother her and her family." Erwin replied. A deep sigh came out from his lips as he said these words. "Anyway, I don''t have time to get involved in any rtionship now. I don''t have enough saving yet and I''m afraid she''ll lead a hard life if she chooses to be with me. So, I got to save more money for her."


    "You''ve found the girl you like already?"


    Erwin looked at her, etching every angle of her face in his mind. "No, I haven''t but I''m just thinking for our future together."


    "That''s good." Sabrina muttered and turned around. "We will have the mango float as dessert after dinner. I''ll get back to my room now."


    "Okay." Erwin just watched her leave. He wanted to stop her and chat with her for few more minutes but what right does he has to ask for her time? In the end, he clenched his fists on his side and gave up chasing after her.


    Sabrina went inside her room and contemted on what Erwin said. She wanted to be his ideal type and she needed to do something about it.


    Love can really change a person.


    Sabrina took a rest to conserve her energy for her next battle. This time, she won''t just annoy him but she will start doing something to gain his attention even more.


    On the other hand, Cayenne found something really interesting. It was never her n to use YT, a socialworking app or website where you can watch videos of different kinds. Lately, they''ve been traveling a lot and she decided to take short video clips of their trips from the videos that Stefan took. She then uploaded it to her ount and just let it slip her mind whether people watch it or not. To her surprise, there were so many views of her videos and they were even telling her to show more of her travel vlog. Her followers reached up about ten thousand people when in fact, she only created her ount about a week ago.


    She just did it for fun and she didn''t expect that many people will like it.


    "Should I continue doing this?" Cayenne asked herself while looking at her email. She just received a message from the YT administrator that her ount has been verified and she will be able to earn from this kind of fun work.


    "What are you busy with?" Stefan asked when he noticed that Cayenne turned silent while looking at her phone.


    "I want you to read this and tell me your opinion regarding this matter." She handed the phone to Stefan and gave him time to read it.


    "Did you like doing this?"


    "Yeah. I had fun editing the videos and I like sharing the beautiful spots we''ve been to."


    "Then, go and do it, you don''t have to do this everyday anyway. I think you can upload one video per week."


    "Right. Then, I''ll continue doing this when I have time. I have something in mind that can benefit from this." Cayenne smiled happily. It was really a blessing to her. Despite the dangers and the unsolved issues surrounding them, she was still blessed with so many things which she was thankful for.


    People say that, "Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day." And Cayenne believed in this saying from the very bottom of her heart. It keeps her grounded and motivated.

 Chapter 421 - A RARE PHENOMENON

    <h4>Chapter 421 - A RARE PHENOMENON</h4>


    The third day of vacation, Cayenne and Stefan were having breakfast with the whole family. Their morning n was to visit the famous bird and butterfly sanctuary. Cory was very excited about it because she likes birds a lot.


    The bodyguards were also on high alert since they will be getting int another crowded ce.


    They step out of the hotel at nine in the morning and visited the aviary first since it was nearer to them. Cayenne was ready to take pictures while Stefan was ready to take videos for her travel vlog.


    When they got inside the huge metal cage, birds of all kinds were flying inside. The square-shaped cage was about sixty meters high and it covers two hectares ofnd. The metal cage was covered with a blue-green colored to prevent the birds from escaping the ce. Inside the cage wererge trees and shrubs. It looked like a dense forest with a small trail for people to walk and follow.


    "This is paradise." Corymented, looking around with her cheerful eyes. Now that she can see things, she felt a bit emotional but she learned to control her feelings already because she didn''t want to trigger her illness.


    Some of the birds were interacting with the people; flying around them and some of them even ate the bread crumbs that the tourist threw on the ground.


    There were birds singing a beautiful melody, as if showing their prowess to the other birds. Some lovebirds were even in the process of courtship.


    "Bro, can you take a picture of me over there?" Luiz turned to his brother while pointing to arge tree with so many birds resting at its branches. He was making his way as silent as he could but some of the birds still flew away. Luiz was disappointed and shrugged his shoulders. Kyle covered his mouth to suppress theughtering from him.


    Luiz was about to leave the ce but a surprise look appeared on their faces and Luiz stopped moving. In his eyes, a beautiful mixture of colors appeared, the reflection of the beautiful parrot that was perching on his shoulders.? The parrot was looking into Luiz face and Luiz was turning his face to look at this beautiful creature well. The two of them were staring at each other.


    Instead of taking pictures, Kyle decided to take a video of this interaction. Not just him, even the other tourist was looking at Luiz now with envious gazes and with their phones on recording motion. Cayenne was the same. She was stunned to see her brother and the parrot staring at each other.


    "Hey, there little guy." Luiz mumbled with so much happiness in his eyes. He wanted to touch the parrot but he was afraid that it would fly away. He slowly lifted his hand and poked its head and to his shock, the parrot rubbed its head on his finger. It even moved closer to him.


    Luiz smiled happily and rubbed his hand on the parrot''s head. One after another, the birds that flew earlier came back to perch on the tree and the were making sounds that the people couldn''t understand at all. The parrot on his shoulder was also making the same sound.


    "Your friends are calling you now." Luiz muttered, as if the little bird could understand him.


    The parrot tilted its head and looked at Luiz again.


    "This is so cute." One of the tourists stated while taking video as well.


    "A handsome man with a beautiful bird on his shoulder. It does make a strange pair but it makes a beautiful picture and creates a warm atmosphere." Another tourist mentioned.


    Many children were amazed while looking at Luiz. They wanted to know what trick he did but the didn''t make any sounds because they didn''t want the parrot to fly away.


    After five minutes, the parrot pped its wings and started flying around Luiz. They all thought that it would leave but another surprising phenomenon happened. The other parrots joined as well. They pped their wings and circled around Luiz. It was enchanting and even the caretaker and trainer of the birds noticed this, too.


    "This child is blessed." The caretakermented and it so-happen that he was standing right behind Cayenne and Stefan.


    "What do you mean?" Cayenne asked, wanting to know more about what the man said.


    "I''m one of the trainers here and in our province there''s a saying that if a group of birds fly around you, you are a bless soul and the birds like it so much. You can say that the bird which started it was attracted to the young man."


    "Oh." Cayenne smiled. "That bird really knows how to look for a handsome person."


    "They don''t particrly choose handsome people." The trainer mentioned while stealing a side nce at Stefan. His side nce was telling them the obvious meaning. Stefan was handsome but the birds didn''t do the same thing to him which means, there''s something different from him. "This is a very rare urrence."


    The birds circled around Luiz for a minute and then they started flying upwards while making those noises again. Thest one to leave was the bird that approach Luiz. It circled around him few more times, perched on his shoulder again and pressed its beak on his face before flying away to catch with its group.


    Luiz was so stunned to move, just keeping his head raised to see the flying birds.


    "Oh my god! Did you just see that?!" Luiz eximed and walked to his brother. "I''m having goosebumps from excitement. That was really awesome."


    "I know." Kyle grinned and handed the phone back to his younger brother. "We all see what happened so it means, you''re not dreaming."


    "Cool!" Luiz looked at his sister and happily told her what happened from the very beginning. "I just can''t believe it. I am so happy." Luiz couldn''t stop thinking about it again and again.


    Without him knowing, this event was already uploaded to different social media ounts and it spread all over the world. This made people, whose advocate was to save the nature and animal, pursue their objectives once again. To protect our environment will keep us humans alive.

 Chapter 422 - UNIQUE PLACE TO EAT

    <h4>Chapter 422 - UNIQUE PLACE TO EAT</h4>


    Luiz didn''t miss telling risse about this event when they came out of the sanctuary. He also shared the video to her to let her see from the very beginning.


    Their next destination was the butterfly sanctuary. It wasn''t really a huge ce like the aviary but was still huge to house different kinds of butterflies. Just like the aviary, there were trees, shrubs and different kinds of flowers inside the cage. And they were all ced inside a big to prevent the caterpirs from crawling out.


    Even if they can''t really interact with the butterflies, they were still happily looking around and taking pictures of the colorful butterflies. There was a little museum at the end of the trail where they can get inside and read many butterfly trivia. There were different souvenirs with butterflies on them as well.


    Stefan bought three hairpins for Cayenne and a cute jewelry box printed with colorful butterflies. The other bought whatever kind of souvenirs they liked as well.


    After the whole trip, it was just half an hour before lunch. So, they decided to look for a restaurant to have lunch together before going back to the resort.


    There were many restaurants around but there weren''t many vacant seats which means the guards won''t be around to stand by closely and watch over them.


    "How about we just split into several groups?" Luiz suggested. "I mean, we cannot really wait for all of them to finish before getting seats. We cannot make online reservation as well because they all offer walk-in diners."


    "That''s also fine." Stefan replied in agreement. "But that means you''ll have to look for restaurants again. Anyway, we still have time before lunch break, Ayen and I will look for a different restaurant. Just stick together and we''ll call you toe."


    "Okay."


    Stefan drove his car and looked around the area once again. The ind nevercked tourists any time of the day which was why the restaurants don''t need reservations because they knew that their ce will be packed with walk-in diners.


    Cayenne and Stefan drove for another ten minutes when the passed by a rtively quite ce. Unlike the other restaurants which was fully packed with people. Stefan stopped the car and both of them stepped out to look at the ce. Inside the restaurant were few people who were eating quietly. They didn''t talk loudly and they didn''t yell to call out the waitress or waiter. It was really quiet.


    "Excuse me?" Cayenne walked to the counter and talked to thedy. "Is the ce reserved by someone?"


    "No." The woman answered with a faint smile. "Do you want to take a seat?"


    "Oh, yes." Cayenne smiled happily. I''ll call my family toe over."


    Thedy just smiled and ushered them to the vacant table. "You must be wondering why it''s very quiet, right?"


    "Yes. I''m a bit curious why we''re talking in low voices." Cayenne answered honestly. She won''t lose anything anyway if she says what''s in her mind.


    "Actually, this ce is being managed by people with handicaps. Our staff here, excepts for me, they''re all mute and deaf."


    "I see." Cayenne nodded her head. "This is actually a good idea. It''s also peaceful."


    Thedy also returned a smile to them. "Would you like to order now or wait for your family toe first?"


    "I''d like to wait for them first." Cayenne answered.


    After getting her response, thedy left them alone to go back to work. Stefan already sent a message to Luiz and informed him of some reminders regarding the restaurant. Being civil people, they didn''t want to make insensitive remarkster because they didn''t know the rules. Saying mean things, whether it''s intentional or not, can hurt the people around them. So, they had to be careful.


    In any case, there were reminders written ced on the center table for the customers.


    Everyone arrived five minutester and they quietly stepped inside the ce to find Cayenne and Stefan. Thedy told the staff earlier that they were a whole family so, they helped arranged additional tables to make an extension of the ce that the couple upied.


    Cayenne thanked them and thedy she talked to made a signnguage towards the other staff. They all smiled at them and bowed their heads as well.


    They started giving the menu and instead of saying their orders, they just pointed out the dishes they wanted and the waitress and waiter would just write down the names on the paper they were holding.


    This time, the guards and weren''t sitting far from the family but they were sitting right next to them, sharing the same table and the same food. They talked softly, making sure that they won''t disturb the other diners who likes to maintain peace and quiet inside the restaurant.


    "Your food will be ready in fifteen minutes." The staff told Cayenne after handing the lists of orders to the chef. The kitchen got busy and they could hear the faint sounds of utensils nking each other. There was a ss screen in front of the kitchen which allows customers to see how the food was being prepared and how clean the restaurant was.


    It was even better because the chefs don''t talk with each other, preventing from saliva spreading in the air. Cayenne took pictures of the ce because she would include it on her next video. In that way, the ce will get more publicity and there will be more customers next time.


    As promised, the waitresses and waiters came out one after another with several trays of food. They put it down silently on the table and after putting all the dishes, they took out a small board under the card which has some words written on it.


    ''Have a great meal.'' That''s what it says.


    They thanked the staff again and started eating the food that they ordered. Normally, Stefan would serve his wife before himself but this time, Cayenne beat him to it. She ced food on his te first before putting food on her own. "Let''s have a great meal."


    Stefan just smiled helplessly, pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head.


    "Oh please. We''re eating. It''s not time for desserts yet. Stop being sweet." Luizmented when he caught sight of the sweet little gesture again.


    With his words, everyone couldn''t stop themselves fromughing.

 Chapter 423 - [Bonus ] WHAT MISTAKE HAVE I DONE?

    <h4>Chapter 423 - [Bonus ] WHAT MISTAKE HAVE I DONE?</h4>


    Meanwhile, Erwin was in aplicated mood back at home. Yesterday, Sabrina was ordering like a servant but they would talk like friends.


    Today, she''s no longer ordering him around but they''re acting like strangers.


    In the morning, he woke up early to cook water the nts and found her sitting on the porch with a magazine in her hand. "Do you want coffee?" He asked but Sabrina picked up a mug from her side which was blocked by the magazine.


    "I have mine. Thanks for asking." She put down the mug again and continued reading while bathing from the rays of the morning sun.


    Around seven in the morning, Erwin looked for her because Lucia was about to cook breakfast and they wanted to know what she wanted to it. He found her at the garden, swinging on the swing that Stefan made for Cayenne.


    "What do you want for breakfast? Lucia will cook it for you."


    Sabrina stopped swinging and looked at him. "I''m not hungry for now. I''ll cook my own breakfastter."


    "O-okay."


    Erwin left her alone because she seemed to be mad or upset at him. He didn''t even know what mistake he did.


    Sabrina just watched him go and smiled. ''Now, be bothered with my actions and think only of me. You can''t think about any other woman beside me.'' She told herself but she realized it was wrong. "That''s being selfish and maniptive. He won''t like it. Never mind."


    When everyone finished eating their meal at nine, she went to the kitchen to make her own breakfast. Erwin was also there, talking to someone over the phone.


    "Are you sure you don''t want me toe and pick you up?" he asked with his fingers pressed on his temple. He was currently leaning on the counter while taking the call. "Make sure to update me of your location every fifteen minutes." He nodded his head to what the other person said even though they couldn''t see each other. "I understand you''re not young anymore but your safety is important."


    After few minutes, he put down his phone and watched Sabrina picking some strawberry jam and bread. "Is that your food for breakfast?" Erwin asked when he saw the things on the table.


    "I wanted to cook but I lost the mood to cook now. I just want to eat something quick." She spread the jam and returned the remaining items back to the cupboard.


    "I can cook food for you if you want. That''s too little for breakfast."


    "No, I''m fine." Sabrina picked up her te and brought it back inside her room. "Damn it! Who was he talking to? I really want to know who it was but I can hear any words at all. He didn''t mention any name as well. Should I ask Cayenne to know if he got any close female friends? Argh. This is so stressful!" she slumped on the couch and ate the bread quickly. She munched on them angrily as if she was biting his own body.


    One hourter, she went back downstairs to return the te and a young man also came inside with sweats dotting his forehead. Still, he looked handsome and cheerful. Erwin also came inside from the backyard while holding a basket with freshly harvested vegetables.


    "Thank god, you''ve arrived safely." Erwin rubbed the boys head and smiled. "I was really worried. Next time, don''t take the bus. I''lle and pick you up or young miss will get mad."


    "Hn. I understand." Justin nodded his head and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He looked towards Sabrina who was standing in the middle of the living room, watching him and Erwin. "Who is she?" Justin asked Erwin in a whisper.


    "Oh! I forgot to introduce you." Erwin approached Sabrina and smiled. "This is Sabrina. She''s a guest." Then he looked to Sabrina and introduced Justin to her. "His name is Justin. He works here as a dishwasher and Lucia''s eldest daughter will teach him how to read, write and calcte. And hees home every weekend so, you didn''t see him when you arrive."


    "Nice to meet you." Sabrina walked towards Justin to shorten the distance between them and reach out for a handshake.


    "Nice to meet you, too." Justin wiped his hands several times with the side of his shorts before shaking her hand.


    "You didn''t really have to wipe your hands like that."


    The three of them went to the kitchen altogether since she had to return the te. She lowered her head and grinned widely for her own stupidity. She thought that Erwin was talking to a woman earlier but it turned out, he was calling the helper who wasing back for work.


    "Are you alright?" Erwin asked when he noticed that she was lowering her head and was very quiet.


    Sabrina schooled her face and put the ce on the sink. "I''m fine."


    "What do you want for lunch? I''ll be cooking this time?"


    "I''ll eatter. You don''t have to worry about me. I will cook when I''m hungry."


    Erwin frowned and at this point, he was really sure that Sabrina was avoiding him but he still didn''t know what mistake he did. He wanted to ask her but Sabrina was done washing her te and already walked away.


    "Are you guys fighting?" Justin asked because he also noticed the tension between them. "Or was I thinking too much?"


    "I don''t know what happened to her." Erwin shook his head and shrug. "Well, she will be fer. Just ignore her." He looked for the cookbook and chose several dishes for lunch. He looked at the dishes pages after pages but he couldn''t focus at all. He was really bothered with her recent conduct in front of him.


    Justin was washing his hands and was ready to help when Erwin stood up from his seat. "Can you wash the veggies for me? I''ll just talk to her for a minute."


    "O-okay." Justin scratched the tip of her nose while watching him leave in a hurry.


    "Where''s sir Erwin?" Lucia asked when she came to the kitchen and found Justin washing the vegetables. "He told me that he wanted to cook for lunch."


    "I think, we''ll have to cook for lunch. He went to chase after miss Sabrina. I think they''re fighting."


    "Oh." Lucia nodded in understanding and started looking for dishes that she can cook for everyone.

 Chapter 424 - PLAY WITH ME

    <h4>Chapter 424 - PLAY WITH ME</h4>


    Erwin arrived in front of Sabrina''s door but he didn''t know what he should say. He was still hesitating and was doubting himself but he also wanted to know what he did to upset her. He was torn between these two things and was pacing back and forth in front of her door.


    Sabrina, on the other hand, was busy looking for clothes. She nned to go out after lunch and she will drag Erwin along to annoy him again. She had no idea that the man was right in front of her room.


    ''What should I wear?'' she thought while rummaging through her clothes. ''Should I put on a dress? Or should I just wear somethingfy?'' she raised her clothes one after another and tried them in front of therge mirror. "This isn''t a date so, let''s choose somethingfy." She picked up her blue -faded shorts and her white-and-blue stripe shirt with three-fourth sized sleeves. She paired it with blue high-top canvas shoes and a white sling pouch for her phone and wallet. "I should look great in these things."


    She jumped onto her bed and yed fully like she was a child. After jumping up-and down for a minute she got out of bed and ran for the door toe out and look for Erwin.


    The two were stunned while looking at each other.


    "Is there anything that you want?" Sabrina asked while crossing her arms across her chest. She didn''t invite him inside her room.


    Erwin rubbed his nape and his eyes were darting left and right while still thinking what he should say in front of her. "I¡­uh¡­I¡­-"


    "If you don''t have anything else to say you can go back downstairs and continue to cook." Sabrina closed her door behind her and walked ahead of him back to the kitchen.


    "Did I do something wrong? Did I upset you?" Erwin blurted out which stopped Sabrina on her track. Erwin catch up to her and stood in front of her. "What have I done to make you avoid me?"


    "Huh? What are you talking about? I''m not avoiding you, okay? And I am not upset."


    "But this morning, you made your own coffee, you didn''t eat with us as well. When I ask you what you like, you would say nothing. Earlier, too. I asked you something for lunch but you said you''d cook your own food. If you''re not avoiding me then, what is it?"


    Sabrina took a deep breath and sighed. "Didn''t you tell me on the day that I arrived that you are not my servant? So, I''m just doing best not to inconvenient you."


    Erwin was speechless and he kept blinking his eyes to find something to retort but his mind went nk. He did say those words to her once but he reminded her of that word several times.


    "I-"


    "It''s fine. Really. You don''t have to do everything yourself. I can perfectly handle myself. I can take care of my food as well. There''s no need to worry about it. By the way, I''m going out in the afternoon, is there anyone who can drive me to the city square?"


    "I can take you there." Erwin volunteered himself. "Your safety and life were put in my hands when young miss left. If something happens to you, I''ll be responsible for it."


    "O-okay."?Sabrina nodded her head and continued walking to the kitchen. She found Lucia and her daughter, Daisy, cooking food for lunch while Dalia taught Justin how to recognize numbers, adding up and subtracting them too.


    Sabrina opened the refrigerator and found many ingredients that she can choose from.?She wanted to cook the shrimp but she remembered Cayenne loves this thing so she gave up the idea. Erwin noticed it, though.


    "Auntie Lucia, it''s fine if we cook the shrimp, right? Young miss didn''t want the shrimps tost for three days in the fridge and if I remember correctly, it''s the third day already."


    Lucia remembered this and nodded her head in agreement. "I forgot that madam won''t be around. I bought them altogether with the other stuff we''re missing."


    "It''s fine." Erwin smiled and looked towards Sabrina. "Do you want to cook the shrimps?"


    Sabrina bit her lips and nodded her head. She really wanted to eat them and now that she was given the heads up, why would she deny it. "Can I really cook them? Really, really cook them?"


    "Yeah. Go ahead."


    Sabrina instantly took the shrimps and some other ingredients that she would be needing. Right now, she''s really hungry after only having three loaves of bread in the morning. And even though she said that she would eatter, she also wanted to share a meal with everyone.


    Hearing Erwin''s words earlier on how he called the elder woman, Sabrina followed him and walked up to Lucia. "Auntie Lucia, I will be cooking the shrimps for lunch. How many dishes are you going to cook?"


    "I was supposed to cook three for all of us but since you''re cooking, I''ll make two."


    "Okay. Thank you."


    Sabrina started working on her dish and Dalia helped her clean the shrimps and peeled their shells. She was smiling happily while talking to Dalia about cooking stuff.


    Erwin was leaning on the counter top while watching them and a smile was hanging on his lips as he watched her do her stuff. Lucia noticed how he look but she didn''t say anything.


    After five minutes, Sabrina noticed someone gazing at her and when she turned her head, her eyes meet Erwin''s eyes, making her instantly blush.


    "Why are you standing there?" Sabrina snapped at him. "Go away. Didn''t I say we''ll leave in the afternoon? Why are you still goofing around?"


    "Alright. I''m leaving now. You don''t really have to get mad."


    "I''m not mad."


    "Yeah. Yeah."


    Dalia pursed her lips together to stop her smile from spreading on her face. Lucia also turned her back to avoid Sabrina seeing her grin. As for Daisy and Justin, they kept bowing their head while smiling foolishly. The four of them just witnessed a lover''s quarrel.


    Erwin went back to his room to take a shower and to change his clothes. She asked him to send her to the city but he knew that he won''t be going back without her. Thus, he chose some casual clothes to go out with her. If she''s meeting with friends, he can just follow her from a distance.


    He didn''t know that Sabrina was nning something in hand. If Erwin agreed to let someone else drive her to town, she would change her n but since he volunteered, the n still stands.


    When he was done prepping, Sabrina and Lucia was also done cooking. They were currently arranging the dishes on the table. Daisy and Justin were calling for the guards toe inside and eat their meal.


    After lunch, Sabrina went inside her room and took a quick shower before putting on the clothes that she chose earlier. Remembering what Erwin said about make-up, she stopped herself from putting them on. She only fixed her eyebrows and put some sunscreen to avoid getting too much radiation from the sun. She put a light lip stick to make her look a little lively.


    Grabbing her wallet and phone along the way, she walked out of her room and met with Erwin in the living room.


    "I heard that women took so much time when ites to skincare and other routine but you''re like young miss. She''s very quick as well." Erwinmented as he led her out to get the car. "And you look prettier without make -up." After saying these words, he walked even faster.


    Sabrina just smiled and didn''t say anything. She''s slowly getting his attention. But with limited time, she knew that she won''t achieve so much from this trip. ''When can I go back here again?'' she asked herself while thinking for another reason to leave Italy ande back to City B. She hasn''t gone home yet but she''s already thinking how to leave again.


    The two of them boarded the car that Erwin chose to use and left the property to go to the city. "Where exactly do you want me to drop you off?" Erwin asked. His eyes were focus on the road but he would steal side nces at her from time to time.


    "At the amusement park where we first met."


    Surprised with her answer, Erwin choked at his own saliva and had to cough several times to calm himself. "Are you meeting with your friends, there?"


    "Nope. I just want to have fun."


    "Oh."


    The car sank into a deafening silence since they couldn''t find anymon topic to talk about. Sabrina yed with her phone and logged on to her social media ount to stalk what Cayenne and her family was up to. She wanted to see how their trip was going so far. She found lots of their photos and she really envied them.


    "Hey, Erwine with me to the amusement park. I think it will be boring if I go alone." Sabrina softly spoke while scrolling through Cayenne''s pictures.


    Erwin didn''t dislike the idea but it won''t be good for other people to see her with him. "What about calling your friends?" He suggested without looking at her.


    "I sent them messages but they couldn''te."


    Seeing her sad expression, Erwin felt bad for her as well. "If you don''t really mind hanging out with me, it''s fine for me as well."


    "Really?" her eyes lit up in an instant after getting his confirmation. "Don''t take back your words. You''re going to y with me."

 Chapter 425 - POLES APART

    <h4>Chapter 425 - POLES APART</h4>


    Erwin parked the car and stepped outside of the car. He was just about to open Sabrina''s car when she opened it herself and came out of the car.


    "Are you really sure you want me to y with you today?" He asked once again. "It won''t be good for you if someone knows you''re ying with someone''s servant."


    Sabrina smiled faintly and she even stretched out her hand to gently pat his shoulder. "No one will know that you are a servant. And what if they know about it? It won''t really matter. Don''t think too much. Let''s just have fun." She pulled Erwin''s hand and ran towards the ticketing booth to get all the tickets for the rides that they like.


    Erwin looked at their linked hands and wanted to pull away but at the same time, didn''t. He liked the warmth of her hold on him.


    After getting their tickets, they lined up for the first ride which was the spinning tea cups. It was the first ride but Sabrina already chose something that could blow someone''s mind away.


    "This might make you feel dizzy but it''s fun." Sabrina told Erwin just in case he hasn''t tried it. An she was right,st time that he yed with Luiz and Kyle, they didn''t get to ride this spinning tea cups.


    "I''ll be fine." Erwinmented. He was observing how the ride was going while waiting for their turn. It wasn''t really dangerous and the intensity of the spin wasn''t very strong or fast.


    Ten minutester, Erwin was wobbling as he walked towards the nearby bench with Sabrina. He felt so dizzy and he wanted to vomit. "That''s making nauseous." He stated while drinking the water she gave him. "Aren''t you dizzy at all?"


    "Nope. I''m used to this ride already." She sat beside him and looked at the other people who were passing by in front of them. "My foster parents brought me to amusements when I was a kid. Ever since then, I started liking it and whenever I have time, I''d go to amusement parks with friends."


    "That''s good for you." Erwin replied. He was looking back to his past and never remembered any event of himing to an amusement park. "If my memory serves me right, the first time I''vee to an amusement park was when we bumped onto each other. I never wanted to go out or have fun outside but young miss kept telling me to go out and have fun. Her brothers came with me as well. And honestly, it was one of the happiest days of my life."


    "Then, let''s make today another memorable experience for you."? Sabrina stood up in cheerful mood and even looked expectantly at him. "Let''s go and try the rides that you haven''t tried yet."


    "Eh? Aren''t we here because you want to have fun? You don''t really have to mind me."


    "There''s no difference if we''re doing it or not. I will still enjoy so, we might as well have fun with the rides that you haven''t tried."


    With her ns set in motion, the two of them decided to ride those things that Erwin hasn''t triedst time. They all have the afternoon to themselves which made them less worry.


    They tried the scrambler, tilt-a-whirl and pirate ship before taking a rest. "Let''s go buy some snacks." Sabrina suggested and he nodded his head without any questions, letting her led him today.


    They walked to the area where many food stands can be seen and decided to buy burger and c. It''s handy and not a heavy meal.


    "Miss Sabrina?" A man called behind them and when they turned, they saw Erwin with his girlfriend, Rissy, Luiz'' former teacher. "Erwin, too. Are you guys on a date?"


    Erwin''s eyes widened and he was just about to deny it when Sabrina linked her arms with his and nodded her head with a sweet smile on her lips. "Yup. We are. Are you on a date, too?"


    "Yes. I''m free from work so, I decided to take her out on a date." Chris responded. "This is my girlfriend, Rissy." He introduced Rissy to Sabrina since she knew Erwin already. "Riz, this is Sabrina. He is Stefan''s childhood friend."


    "Nice to meet you." Rissy raised her hand in front of Sabrina.


    Sabrina took it happily and shook it a few times. "The pleasure is mine."


    "Ma''am, your food is ready." The stall owner called out to Sabrina.


    Since she was still talking with Rissy, Erwin took their food and paid for it. "Let''s go and eat this over there." Erwin pointed on one of the rows of table before turning to Chris and Rissy. "Do you want to join us over there?"


    "That would be good. We need to take a rest as well." Rissy answered. She and Chris bought their food and after getting it, they sat on the same area as Erwin and Sabrina.


    "I didn''t expect you two to be together." Chrismented as he pulled a chair and sat on it.


    "Don''t let her words get into your head." Erwin replied after chewing his food. "She lied about us dating. I''m only here to apany her because her friends couldn''t make it."


    Sabrina just chuckled but deep inside, she wanted to strangle him to death. ''How could you deny me in front of them?''? She questioned angrily but when she realized he was just telling the truth, her anger vanished and all that was left was sadness. A cold sadness that enveloped her heart.


    "By the way, when did you arrived?" Chris asked Sabrina this time. "I didn''t hear you''reing back there."


    "Well, it''s really a decision that I didn''t put much thought." She answered. "I just wanted to go somewhere and my feet brought me back here."


    "That''s not very you." Chrismented with faint chuckles. "Are you having issues at home? Or are you trying to escape your responsibility as the next CEO?"


    Erwin''s breathing hitched and he felt that his scalp has gone numb. All this time, he thought that Sabrina''s wealth was just a normal kind of richness, something that he''d be able to catch up if he really started saving now. He didn''t expect that she''d be the next CEO of her family''s business.


    ''Well,e to think of it, she''s a friend to sir Stefan and was even one of the candidates for his marriage. I should have known from the start that we''re poles apart.'' Erwin started having an inner monologue, no longer listening to the conversation between Chris and Sabrina beside him.

 Chapter 426 - HIS ACCOMMODATING WIFE

    <h4>Chapter 426 - HIS ACCOMMODATING WIFE</h4>


    After resting, instead of separating, they started getting on the rides together. As people say, ''the more, the merrier'' thus; the four of them got along together and had a double date.


    Sabrina and Rissy hit it off with each other and became really close that they started sharing some of their funny and embarrassing moments.


    Not far from them, three men were looking towards them, whispering at each other and decided to just follow them around from a distance.


    Even after what he knew, Erwin didn''t change his attitude towards Sabrina but he started putting a little distance between them. Sabrina didn''t notice it at all. She still thought that everything between them was fine.


    They continued to have fun until evening came.


    Just like these couples, the other two who''s out on vacation was having fun as well. Cayenne was nning to trick Stefan in the next two months so, she decided to start with the preparation that night.


    "Bareback or nothing at all?" she gave Stefan these two choices which put her husband in dilemma. "Those are the only choices you have."


    "Why are you doing this to me?" Stefan questioned in whisper while hovering over her. "You''re fertile today and you might get pregnant."


    "I''ll drink my pills right after." Cayenne replied back with determined eyes. "I don''t like it with condom."


    "Heh! You like it raw, huh." His words made Cayenne blush from her neck to her face and ears. She was only trying to be shameless because of what she was going to do but she''s really no match with his shamelessness. "Fine, let''s do it bareback. No taking back your words, alright."


    Cayenne just covered her face with a pillow, earning a series of chuckles from Stefan. "Just do it." She told him while taking a peek from under the pillow she was holding.


    His body was something that many women would die for. He''s not the bulky type of person with lots of muscles but he does have toned muscles. His abs were also something that she liked touching whenever they''re about to go to sleep. Her eyes went lower and she found his most precious treasure.


    "You really like looking at me, aren''t you?"


    Cayenne threw the pillow on his face and tried get out of bed. "We''re not doing it anymore."


    Stefan pulled her back and held her hands on both side of her head, preventing from her escape. "I like looking at you sweetheart so, you should only look at me."


    Stefan kissed lowered his face and kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her eyes, the tip of her nose until he reached his luscious lips. He pried open her mouth with his tongue and got a beautiful moan from her.


    He let go of her hands and Cayenne instantly wrapped them around his neck, pulling him even closer to her, pressing their warm bodies together.


    The air was getting hotter and her body was getting warmer.


    "Are you really sure about this?" Stefan whispered as he pulled his lips away from her. He looked at her in the eyes, wanting to see her resolve once again.


    "Hn. I won''t change my mind." Cayenne responded.


    Since that''s what his wife wants, that''s what his wife gets. "If you want it then, take it." Stefan flipped their bodies and changed their position, cing her on top of him.


    Cayenne darted her eyes from left to right, feeling embarrassed that she''d have to take action again. If she remembers correctly, this is the third time that he''s asking her to do it. On the first time, she didn''t do it, so he had no choice but to do it himself. The second time she did it but she was so sloppy and Stefan evenughed at her. In the end, he still had to finish what she started. Now, she''s starting to hesitate on her decision.


    "Can I take back my words?"


    "No, you can''t."


    "Do I have to do it myself?"


    "Yup."


    Cayenne pped his abs and threw another pillow on his face. "Stopughing, you scoundrel. Cover your face and I''ll do it."


    "Why must I cover my face? I don''t cover my face when I did it to you."


    "But this is embarrassing." Cayenne retorted, her eyes was looking on the bracelet on top of her bedside drawer. "I''ll be making face for sure and I don''t like you to see it."


    "I''ve seen lots of faces you''re making. There''s no difference if you do it or I do it. Only the position has changed." Stefan put his hands on the back of his head, lying naked right under her, giving her free ess to what she could do with his body.


    Cayenne closed her eyes and bit her lower lip but imagining the face of her husband turned her even more. "I hate you." She muttered but she raised her hips and put him inside her. When she lowered her body again, he went even deeper which made her open her eyes in pleasure.


    She thought she lost all her strength. A small move from him would make her moan and she couldn''t stop hitting him on the chest. "Don''t move."


    "I didn''t move." Stefan answered but his face was telling her that he was lying. "Alright, I just moved a little to adjust my position."


    Cayenne lowered her head and smiled at him. "If you kiss me, I will move for you."


    "Darling, that''s the best deal I''ve ever received today." Stefan whispered, meeting her lips with his.


    His passionate and hot kisses made Cayenne smile in her mind. His hands were busy feeling her body as well, leaving mes of desire on her skin.


    After their wild kiss, Cayenne started moving her body which made Stefan smile. "You''re getting good at this."


    "Shut up." Cayenne gave him a quick kiss to stop him from talking. "I''ll only do this one round."


    "Oh! There''s next round tonight?"


    "When have we ever done a single round?"


    Her retort made Stefanugh so hard in happiness. His wife was really amodating to him. "I love you, wifey."


    "I love you more."


    Since the two of them were busy, their family decided to have their dinner without them ¨C a dinner without an extra dessert on their table.

 Chapter 427 - IT WAS JESSIE

    <h4>Chapter 427 - IT WAS JESSIE</h4>


    On their fourth day on vacation, the whole family decided to enjoy the beach to their heart''s content. They have no other ns for the day. It was beach time and they could do whatever they wanted to do.


    Cayenne was wearing a blue two-piece swimsuit this time draped with Stefan''srge shirt as they walked at the beach. Luiz and Dominic were already ying with jet skis while Kyle was sunbathing.


    There were many tourists around them and many women looked towards Stefan who was wearing a Hawaiian-style short and polo shirt. He was walking hand-in-hand with Cayenne with his sses on. At first, he was walking on her left side but he noticed that many men were looking at his wife on the right thus; he moved to her right and blocked their view.


    "I don''t see my father and uncle Stan." Cayennemented while looking around.


    "They''re over there." Stefan pointed to the part of the beach where his uncle and father-inw stopped. They were both holding some juice and were talking to some unknowndies.


    Cayenne found them, too and her eyes widened in surprise. "They''re not hitting on those women, right?"


    "If Uncle Stand finds a decent woman to be his lifetime partner, I don''t really mind. And I heard that Dominic was okay with it. How about you?"


    Cayenne looked at her stepfather and sighed. "I don''t know. It doesn''t really matter to me. She won''t be my mother anyway. As long as the boys agreed, I won''t disagree either."


    Stefan pulled her closer and they continued to walk to where Kyle stayed. "I don''t think he will look for someone else, though."


    "How sure are you?"


    "Just a gut feeling between men. I can see that he still loves your mother. There''s no what he''s going to turn back on his words."


    They finally reached Kyle and sat on the chaise lounge next to him. "Feeling good under the sun, huh." Cayennemented while taking out a bottle of sunscreen lotion. "Don''t stay too long under the sun because you will have a shoot after two weeks."


    "I''m fine here. You should tell Luiz about that." Kyle responded and pointed his finger to the sea where his brother was swimming happily with Dominic. "He will surely get a tan if he will stay for more than three hours."


    "I''ll remind him thatter. Anyway, the sun isn''t too hot plus the clouds are covering most of the sunrays. I think it''s fine." Cayenne turned to her husband and handed the lotion. "Can you put some on my back?"


    "Sure." Stefan happily took the lotion from her and even helped her take off his shirt. "I wish it''s fine to wear a long sleeve and pajama at the beach."


    Cayenne and Kyleughed at him knowing what he meant by that. Sadly, it''s just a wish. If you really go to a beach wearing those things, you will surely be the talk of the town.


    After her turn, she also helped Stefan put on some sunscreen on his body. "Is it really okay to leave our grandparents in the hotel?" she asked Stefan because Cory and Jose decided to stay in the hotel once again.


    "They will be fine. They can''t take on so much heat from the sun and we left three guards to stay with them."


    "I wish they can enjoy the beach like us."


    "Well, I heard that they liked the jacuzzi and the hot spring so much. They must be nning to go thereter."


    Cayenne stopped worrying already since Stefan said they''re alright. When she finished putting sunscreen on him, her father and uncle Stanley also came back with their drinks.


    "Oh? I thought you bought the juice for those women earlier." Cayennemented which stunned Stanley but Jonas only smiled sheepishly before drinking the ss of juice.


    "I was only practicing. Just practicing." Stanley replied, scratching the back of his head with his eyes darting everywhere to avoid Cayenne''s and Stefan''s eyes.


    "Oh. So, Uncle Stan has found someone he fancies. Is Dominic okay with her?"


    "I haven''t told him about her yet and I haven''t even told the woman yet." Stanley sat on another rattan chair and put his drink on the side. "I met her during the contract signing. I think she''s going to be working there as well because she was also having a tour of the hotel with one of the HR representatives."


    Stefan sat up straight and looked at his uncle. "We aren''t hiring employees for Raddison Hotel as of the moment so, they must be employees from other hotels that were relocated due to home location and other reasons. What is she like?"


    Stanley thought for a moment, recalling the face of the woman who captured his interest. "She''s a bit taller than Yen." Stanley started. "Few inches taller if I get it correctly. She''s got a short ck hair and a bit messy fringes that reached her eyebrow. She has a very small face."


    Cayenne and Stefan looked at each other because only one person came to their mind when he described the woman he met. "Wait a sec uncle." Cayenne pulled out her phone and searched for Jessie''s social media ount. "Is this the woman you met?"


    Stanley and Jonas looked at the picture together and Stefan''s uncle nodded his head. "That''s her. So, she''s called Jessie. Is that her real name?"


    "Yup. That''s her real name." Cayenne him her phone so that he can see more of her pictures.


    "You really know how to choose ady." Jonasmented while looking at the photos of the woman.


    "I know right."


    Stefan sighed and hugged his wife. He ced his chin on her shoulder while looking at his uncle who was happily browsing Jessie''s information. "If you want to pursue her, you will have to double your efforts." Stefan stated which caught his uncle''s attention. "Jessie doesn''t believe in love anymore and she keeps her distance from men. If you can be her friend, that you would be a good step for you."


    "You really know when to discourage someone." Stanley told his nephew in the process of giving Cayenne her phone. "But since she''s single, I''ll pursue her seriously."

 Chapter 428 - RISING FAME

    <h4>Chapter 428 - RISING FAME</h4>


    After talking about Jessie and giving Stanley some important information, Cayenne and Stefan finally went to take a swim. They swam towards Luiz and Dominic, reminding her brother about the photoshoot that they will be doing in two weeks.


    "Do you think your uncle will be sessful?" Cayenne questioned in whisper as they swam away from Dominic and Luiz.


    "I''m not really sure. It''s hard to tell with Jessie''s stubborn attitude."


    "I see." Cayenne nodded her head and didn''t talk much about it anymore. They changed their topic into more relevant things like his work schedules.


    Stefan was indeed having a vacation with them but from time to time, he''d be calling Chris to ask him about business matters. If he''s got more time, he will also have a conference call with the shareholders. It''s something that she can''t do at all.


    As they engaged in a conversation, Luiz and Dominic felt tired from all the swimming and decided to take a rest at the shore. They bought some drinks first before going back to sit with Kyle and just chat with him.


    "Hey! Guys, check him out. Isn''t the handsome man in the video wherein the birds flew around him?"


    "Yeah. That''s him!"


    The group of females walked towards Luiz and smiled at him sheepishly. "Excuse me, are you the man in this video?" the woman who saw him first showed a video to Luiz.


    He wanted to deny it but even if he wanted to, it will be very obvious that he''s lying. "Yes, that''s me. Why?"


    "Can we take a picture of you?"


    "Eh?"


    Before he can say yes or no, thedy already gave her phone to her friends and decided to take pictures with him. Luiz was left with no other choice but to smile in front of the camera. One after another, they took pictures with him.


    "Can we take pictures of your friends, too?"


    "I guess that''s fine." Luiz stated. However, Kyle covered his eyes with his sunsses and ignored them. "You can''t take pictures of him though because he''s got a girlfriend already and he didn''t want her to get jealous."


    "Oh! I understand. I''d feel the same if it were me."


    And since Kyle refused, they took pictures with Dominic instead.


    Thismotion caught the attention of the other tourists, especially the women who were nearby. They were wondering which celebrity it was and was trying to listen to the conversation. Using the words ''amazing man'', ''bird'', ''yesterday'' and ''aviary''; the tourists searched for the information and finally found what it was.


    They were stunned of the video as well. The young man was indeed handsome in the video and when the looked at him in person, he was even more stunning.


    More and moredies came to take pictures with them and soon, even men went to have pictures with the ''cool dude'' who mesmerized the birds with his soul.


    Kyle didn''t car about the peopleing over to them for pictures. Some stayed for a little while to chat with Luiz and Dominic. Some tried to talk with him but he only answered perfunctorily because he didn''t really want to talk with strangers.


    "Get used to this already. You will be doing this kind of things if we really pursue the modeling career." Luiz whispered to his brother but Kyle shook his head.


    "I want a stable job. I want to be a teacher. In your case, since you want to be an engineer, you can have enough time to do modeling as well. I think it''s not really suited for me. So, I won''t pursue this path."


    "Oh." Luiz didn''t say anything anymore because he knew that once his brother''s mind was set on something, it will be very difficult to change it.


    Cayenne and Stefan was watching from the sea as well as Jonas and Stanley. They weren''t worried about their things though, because the guards were there, looking after the kiddos and their belongings.


    "I think I know what the bird trainer meant now." Stefan told Cayenne while watching the crowd at the shore. "Luiz was nning to embark on a modeling career and because of what happened at the aviary, his path was already starting to be clear in front of him. A step was already taken and as he took few more steps, his future will be even brighter. Unlike Kyle who chose to be a teacher, Luiz wanted to be an electrical engineer. Teachers will have to work more than twelve hours a day. Eight hours in school and four hours or so at home to prepare for the next day''s ss. As for engineers, I''m not belittling them but there are just so many of them in the country. If you get hired, you will have to wait to have projects and it''s not always everyday that yourpany will get the project because there will be a lot ofpetitors. So, modeling is a good sideline job for Luiz when he''s got nothing to do."


    Cayenne was listening attentively to him and also realized that he was only telling the truth. At first, she really wanted to stop her brother from taking engineering course because it will be difficult to get a job in this line of work but she also wanted him to pursue what he likes; and thetter won over the former.


    "Well, he''s got a long way to go. As long as he enjoys his life and he''s not harming other people, I won''t stop him with whatever he likes doing."


    "You''re such a good sister."


    "Of course. I''m the only sister they have."


    Cayenne and Stefan continued to observe themotion while Stefan gave silent signals to the guards, making sure that everyone was alright.


    Just what Stefan said, Luiz will indeed have a bright future because many people will lend their hands to help him but along with his rising fame was the danger that they haven''t eliminated yet.

 Chapter 429 - THE TRIP ENDS

    <h4>Chapter 429 - THE TRIP ENDS</h4>


    In the afternoon, they yed water games and this time, Kyle joined them since the sun wasn''t so hot anymore. Stanley was practicing his skills in conversing with women with Jonas.


    After having stayed at the beach for the whole day, they decided to take the hot spring at night for a rxing bath. Since they''ve been out under the sun for an entire day and had done so many activities, Stefan and Cayenne didn''t do anything intensive at night. They were just cuddling, touching each other whileying on their bed.


    They only intense things they did was kissing each other again and again as if they couldn''t get enough with just a single kiss.


    As for Sabrina and Erwin, nothing happened because Erwin left the house to meet with Reuben. He knew that nothing will happen to the house which was why he left. He also informed Cayenne about and she agreed.


    Well, Cayenne agreed because she though he''d bring Sabrina along with him. She didn''t know that the woman was left at home.


    And the fifth day came.


    Everyone woke up early to have breakfast and morning exercise. They also walked at the beach to breathe in the morning breeze while chatting with the guards and their family.


    They also bought a lot of souvenirs and Kyle looked around longer than everyone else. He was looking for a little red riding hood stuff that he can get for Erwin. He didn''t forget to buy some snacks and other small little tokens for those who were left at home as well.


    He checked the store from side to side, all of its nook-and-cranny but he couldn''t find anything rted to little red riding hood.


    One of the salesmen approached Kyle and asked, "Excuse me, sir. Are you looking for some specific items?"


    "Yes." Kyle looked around one more time before facing the salesman in front of him. "Do you have any items rted to little red riding hood?"


    "Oh. No, we don''t." The salesman answered Kyle with a faint smile. "However, if you go out of this store, find the fifth store to your right and you will see a store which sells many Disney characters. You might get one from them."


    "I see. Thank you so much." Kyle handed his shopping basket which contains a lot of stuff. "Can you wrap them up for me. It would be great if you can wrap them up separately."


    "That would be fine sir but our gift wrappers will be paid by you, though. We only offer the service."


    "That''s okay." Kyle walked behind the salesman towards the counter. "Oh, never mind. Can you just help me put them in these small paper bags? I will be easier for me to spot which gift belongs to whom if I use this."


    "Okay, sir." The man scanned the items including the bags and helped Kyle put on the items separately. "Do you want to write the names, sir?"


    "That would be good. Can I borrow a pen?"


    "Sure."


    After paying for the things, he asked one of the guards for help to carry the other items while he carried some of them. They looked for the shop that the salesman mentioned to him earlier. "Fifth store to the right, right?" he asked the guard who was walking beside him.


    "Yes, sir."


    They counted the stores as they walked and finally spotted the right ce. Just seeing the items disyed can already inform you that it was the right ce. Kyle walked inside and found Luiz and Dominic there.


    "You''re here, too?" Kyle asked them as he strode inside.


    Luiz raised a small stuff toy in front of him and pressed it on his cheek. "Cute, right?"


    "Which one? You or the stuff toy?"


    The saledies stifled theirughter when they heard Kyle''s response. He was obviously teasing the younger man.


    "Bro, why are you being cold to me now?"


    Kyle walked towards his brother and hugged him. "Am I being warm now?"


    "Geez! Stop hugging me. There are so many people." Luiz pushed his brother away who was onlyughing at him. "If that''s for risse, whether it''s cute or not, she will ept it as long as ites from you."


    Luiz turned around to hide his bashful expression and decided to look for more cute things to buy. He also bought a stuff toy for Jade. He didn''t forget the young girl who was very considerate of him.


    The three of them looked around and Dominic looked for some toys for Marnie''s little sisters as well. He will be visiting them next weekend so, he decided to bring some souvenirs for them.


    After buying a lot of things, they went back to the resort and met Cayenne at the lobby who was to a woman. It turned out that one of her high school ssmates was also having a vacation with her family. They just arrived and identally met Cayenne and Stefan who wasing back from shopping as well.


    The siblings just stopped to say ''hi'' and left because they knew that Cayenne won''t stay there for long. They remembered that their sister didn''t have many friends in high school and most of the time, she was the source of envy and jealousy. There''s now way Cayenne has forgotten that.


    And just like their guess, not five minutester, Cayenne and Stefan was already caching up to them at the elevator area. She has no time to pretend friends with people that weren''t her friends at all. In her opinion, those people in her high school life were just acquaintances except for Marian, Seiji and Arthur. Although thest person betrayed her, she couldn''t erase the fact that Arthur yed a big role in her life in the past. But that''s all in the past.


    "I wonder how Seiji and Marian is doing now." Cayenne muttered while looking back in her past. She hasn''t heard anything from Seiji after he went back to Singapore. It was kind of good but also worrying at the same time.


    When the clock hits eleven o''clock, the whole family check out from the resort along with their guards.

 Chapter 430 - [Bonus ] SABRINA LEFT

    <h4>Chapter 430 - [Bonus ] SABRINA LEFT</h4>


    The travel going to the ind was long but when they traveled back home, it felt so short. They arrived before four in the afternoon, just in time to find Sabrina preparing her things for departure as well.


    "Can''t you extend your stay?" Cayenne asked her while watching on the side as her guests was folding her clothes.


    Sabrina smiled faintly at her before she continued to fold her things. "I wish I could but my father will probably send someone toe and get me if I don''t go back on our agreed date."


    "I see." Cayenne gave her souvenir to Sabrina and gently pat her shoulder. "Don''t worry, as long as I am here, no one can take your Erwin away."


    "Wha-what are you talking about?" She mumbled while folding the clothes messily just like how messy the beats of her heart were. "I don''t own him. He can find someone he likes."


    "Really?"


    "Hn." She''s lying but during her stay, she really felt that Erwin felt nothing for her. She tried probing him but he always felt distant to her even though she was just about her reach. "He''s got the freedom like any woman. I won''t be a hindrance to him."


    Cayenne didn''t say anything anymore and just gave Sabrina the time to think things through. "I''ll get back in my room. If you need any help, just let me know."


    "Sure."


    Stefan''s family came there, too. Cayenne invited them toe over for dinner in order for them to see where she lives with her family as well. Jonas was proudly presenting their small vegetable garden which Cory likes so much.


    Downstairs, Kyle and Luiz was busy giving away their souvenirs. Dominic was the same. He shared some of the things he bought and kept the other items for Marnie''s family inside the car.


    Cayenne and Stefan bought souvenirs. Luiz bought souvenirs. Kyle bought souvenirs. Dominic bough lots of delicacies. Jonas bought delicacies. Stanley also bought delicacies. In the end, the people who were left at home felt like they also left to shop for things. They received a lot for the trip.


    They really felt so lucky for bing one of their helpers. Aside from having an easy job and getting good sry, they were treated kindly by the whole family. They never felt belittled or discriminated at all.


    "Sir Luiz, I saw the video of you and the birds. It was really amazing." Daisymented while hugging the things she got from them.


    "Thank you. I didn''t expect that they''de to me at all." He replied with a wide smile. "It was really astonishing. I can still feel the excitement every time I remember that scene."


    "It was super duper amazing. I don''t know what else to say." Daisy replied while giving Luiz a thumbs up.


    After getting their souvenirs and thanking the whole family, they all went back to work except for Erwin who was sitting on the couch in the living room.


    "Here." Kyle handed him a little red riding hood plushie and little red riding hood stickers. "These are the only things I could find there."


    "Thank you." Erwin received the gifts and smiled faintly. "I thought you''d forget what I said."


    "There''s no way I''d forget it." Kyle retorted. "So, is it the devil woman who came to visit?" Kyle asked he sat on the couch beside Erwin.


    "How did you know?"


    "Well, my sister and my brother-inw hid it from you so, I kind of guessed who it would be."


    "It''s indeed her." Erwin responded. "By the way, when you pursued Kath, how did you feel knowing that your status wasn''t on par with hers?"


    Kyle thought about it and leaned back on the couch he was sitting. "I was nervous at first. I was so nervous to meet her parents and I was even more nervous when I found she has three brothers. I didn''t know about that. They interrogated me and I thought my soul flew out of my body. But you know what gave me courage to face her family? It was her presence. It was because she was there to support me. Our love wasn''t one-sided."


    "I see." Erwin took a deep breath and sighed. "I''ll just go back to my room."


    "O-okay."


    Erwin left just in time for Sabrina toe down with her suitcase. Cayenne and Stefan was following behind her. "Is there no one who can stop you?" Stefan asked with a double meaning.


    Sabrina justughed it off while holding her luggage. "He isn''t even trying."


    Hearing her words, Kyle''s eyes lit up. ''So, his love is not one-sided?'' he thought to himself and stood up to chase Erwin but he stopped and thought about it again. ''He didn''t say he liked Sabrina, though. Am I overthinking?'' Kyle sat down once again and frowned.


    Stefan and Cayenne talked to her for a while to buy her time, in case Erwin woulde out to stop her but even after ten minutes, he still didn''te out.


    "My flight is at eight in the evening. I need to leave now. Thank you so much for letting me stay and for allowing me to follow my heart''s wishes."


    "No problem. If you want to visit again, you''re very much wee in our humble home." Cayenne replied and gave her a hug.


    "I''ll definitely visit again."


    "Hn. We will wait for you toe back. Take care of yourself."


    Stefan asked for Martin to drive Sabrina to the airport. They bid farewell once again and watched the car leave the property. "I think she has given up." Cayennemented. "I can see it in her eyes."


    "Maybe, they''re not just suited for each other." Stefan responded and led his wife back inside the house. They found Erwin holding a gift and was walking upstairs in a hurry.


    "Where are you going?" Kyle and Cayenne asked at the same time.


    "I''m going to give her a parting gift. Is that bad?"


    "You''re an idiot!" Cayenne yelled at him for the very first time ever since the two of them met. "She already left and she won''t being back again."


    ''Heh! She''s lying though.'' Kyle and Stefan thought at the same time. They all heard that she promised toe back, whether it''s because of Erwin or just for no reason, she said she''lle back but Cayenne said she won''t.


    Erwin was stunned for being yelled at and he couldn''t move for a while. "Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to chase after her?"

 Chapter 431 - CHOOSING TO GIVE UP

    <h4>Chapter 431 - CHOOSING TO GIVE UP</h4>


    Erwin ran outside with the gift in hand. He drove out one of the cars in the garage and tried his best to catch with Sabrina. ''Damn it! Who''s driving her to the airport? Ah! So stupid.'' He told himself as he pulled his phone from his pocket. He dialed Cayenne''s number to ask him about the driver and after knowing it was Martin, he ended the call and dialed Martin''s number this time.


    "Erwin? What''s the matter?" Martin asked as he continued to driver.


    When Sabrina heard the guard utter this name, his heart skipped a beat and she was torn between excitement and worry. She was hoping that he was calling for her but at the same time, she was telling herself not to get so much hope or she will be disappointed.


    She looked outside the window instead and started singing a song in her head so that she couldn''t hear the conversation.


    Martin gave their current location to Erwin without stopping the car. He thought that the man was just calling for Sabrina''s safety. He had no idea that he was chasing after them.


    "Pull your car over to the side of the road. I''m on my way to take over."


    "Ha? Why?"


    "Just let me drive her to the airport. Don''t tell her anything yet."


    "Oh." Martin nodded his head with a wide grin on his face. Just based on the desperate sound of his voice, he could now deduce what''s going on. "Fine. Be quick."


    Martin slowed down the car to give Erwin enough time to catch up to them and when he saw noticed the car not far from them, he pulled the car at the road side.


    "Why are we stopping?" Sabrina asked when she noticed what Martin was doing.


    "I''ll just check the tires at the back. Give me a moment please."


    "Okay."


    Martin got down the car with his phone and went to the back of the car; not to check the tire but to exchange keys with Erwin instead. Erwin jogged towards him with a small gift in hand and threw the keys in the air to Martin. Thetter did the same and the two finally exchanged keys.


    Martin drove the car that Erwin used back to the property while Erwin got inside the car silently to drive Sabrina to the airport. Sabrina was still looking outside the window and didn''t know that the driver has been changed. However, when the aircon hit Erwin''s body, his perfume wafted in the air.


    Sabrina instantly turned around and looked at him with wide eyes. "Howe you''re here? Where''s the driver?" She looked at the back of the car but there was no shadow of her previous driver. "Cayenne asked for him toe back?"


    "Yes." Erwin took a deep breath and started the engine. "I''ll drive you to the airport."


    She just nodded her head and didn''t say anything. The atmosphere inside the car was really cold and they''re like strangers even though they spent so much time together in the past few days. None of them spoke.


    Ten minutester, Erwin found a drive thru fast food restaurant and ordered some food that Sabrina could eat. "Take this. Your flight will be long and it''s not good to travel with an empty stomach."


    "Thank you." She received the food and she wanted to be happy for what he''s done but she felt like, it was thest meal she will ever have from him.


    Erwin continued to drive while letting her eat. He didn''t drive fast nor slow, just enough to make their time to the airport.


    "Don''t you have anything else to tell me?" Sabrina questioned after some time, braving up herself to confront him.


    "I have. I''m just finding the right words to say them."


    "Just say whatever you have in mind." She told him while taking a bite of her French fries. "I won''t judge you. I''ll listen."


    Hearing her words of encouragement, Erwin stole a look at her through the mirror. "I like a woman. Even though she''s bossy, I still like her. I like her smile, herughter, and her ways of encouraging people. I like her because she could understand me. However, we''re actually poles apart. We''re like south and north poles, no chance of meeting in between. So, I decided to let go of her before my feelings would grow deeper. I decided cut my feelings before it turns to something she would hate. I don''t want to drag her down. I don''t want her to be theughing stock of the town if people find out that she''s hanging out with a person like me."


    "Did you even ask the woman how she feels about you?" Sabrina asked with red-rimmed eyes. She wanted to cry but she stopped herself from doing so. She didn''t want to look desperate and miserable in front of him.


    Erwin looked at the gift on passenger seat beside him. He wanted to stop her from going back but if he did that, what can he do for her? How can he give the life that her parents have prepared for her? "There''s no need to know about her feelings. I''m sure this is just a one-sided love."


    "How sure are you?"


    "Because she never really showed a single hint to me. She annoyed me and she bossed me around. Although we''d talk like friends sometimes, she''d also treat me like a servant most of the time. So, - "


    "What if she was only pretending to do all of those? What if she just did those things to make you look at her? What if she likes you?" Her hands were trembling while asking this question. She didn''t even try doing this to Stefan before. She didn''t confront Stefan this way and she didn''t explicitly told him her feelings. This was the first time that she got so much courage to start showing her own feelings to someone.


    "Why would she like me? I don''t have any good points. Well, if she needed a servant, perhaps I fit the requirement she has in mind."


    "Is that how little you think of yourself?"


    "It''s not how little I think of myself. It''s the truth. I''m a servant."


    "But I still like you despite being a servant. I like teasing you because you easily get annoyed but you still ask me what I wantter on. I only bossed you around to annoy you. Didn''t I change in thest few days? Didn''t I try to be the independent woman that you like? I don''t really care if you''re a servant. So, tell that stupid girl that you like her because she''s telling you now of her true feelings." Sabrina was heaving for oxygen after telling him these things in one go. She was embarrassed. She was scared. But she was also happy that she got to express her feelings.


    Erwin stopped the car once again so that they can talk since the airport was just few minutes away from them. He reclined his chair and turned to face her. "I like you. I really like you even though you snatched the toy from me. And I like you even more after knowing that it''s you little red who''s been ying with me in the game." Sabrina was about to smile but his next words crushed her heart to dust particles. "We''re not really suited for each other though."


    Sabrina''s tears that she had been holding back for a long time started rolling down her face. "How do you know we''re not suited when we haven''t even tried it?"


    "Sab, I''m not rich. My savings can''t bepared to your riches."


    "It doesn''t matter!" Sabrina yelled in anger. "I don''t need those riches! What can it do to me? Buy me things. I don''t need material things. I''ve had enough of them. You don''t have topare your status to mine."


    "But I''m a man. It''s not really good for a man to live off of his wife. I should be the one providing for us."


    "Then, I''ll leave. I will leave everything behind."


    Erwin was stunned to hear her response. All this time, he only thinks about himself and what other people would think of him if they find him liking someone like her. He was thinking of his pride.


    Erwin took a deep breath and sighed. "Do you really like me?"


    "Hn."


    "Then, I''d be shameless to ask. Can you wait for me? Give me a year. I won''t try to match with your riches but I will look for a decent job."


    "I can wait. I can. Just don''t give up on me. Just don''t." She held his hand tightly, looking so pitiful with her tears falling on her face. Some even fell on the back of his hand.


    "I won''t give up on us. I will do my best to find a job that you can be proud of." Erwin pulled her closer to him and hugged her. Sabrina moved to sit on the seat beside him and also received his gift. It was pictures of them together at the park.


    When they took pictures, she intentionally asked him to use his own phone so that he can have those with him. She didn''t expect that Erwin would develop a copy for her and even make it into a memory book with lots of heartfelt words written on them. He learned it from Dalia and Daisy and he even asked those kids to help him with the designs.


    Erwin had no idea that the moment he chose her, Sabrina chose to give up everything for him as well. She understands a man''s pride. She knew that he will be walking on a difficult path because of her. Instead of riding on her parents'' coattail, she decided to start with her own career without their help.

 Chapter 432 - YOUVE GROWN

    <h4>Chapter 432 - YOU''VE GROWN</h4>


    As soon as Sabrina arrived back to Italy, she shocked her parents with her decision. "I don''t want to be the next CEO."


    "What?!" for the first time, her father raised his voice at her. Disbelief and disappointment were showing on his face as he looked at his daughter in front of him. "Stop joking Sabrina. Why would you say that?"


    Sabrina sat on the couch with a calm face. She didn''t even flinch when her father shouted because she had expected this to happen. "I am not your biological daughter. I have no right to inherit thepany. I''m not really belittling myself because I know I''m capable of managing it but, don''t you think someone else is better than me. Uncle had been working so hard for thepany and I think, he''s more than capable of managing it. He''s also young. Why don''t you give him thepany instead of giving it to an outsider like me?"


    "You can''t be serious sweetheart."


    "I''m very serious dad. I don''t want to be the next CEO and let''s be honest here, you only want me to be the next CEO to have a better prospect in getting partnership through my marriage, right?"


    Her father was stunned to hear this thinging from her but he couldn''t deny it either.


    Her mother, who was silent since earlier, finally spoke to the two of them. "Don''t force them if she''s not willing to do so. Instead of giving her a burden for the rest of her life, we should allow her to do what she likes that can make her happy. And she''s right. Your younger brother had been working so hard beside all these years. You can give him thepany. I don''t mind."


    "Mom has agreed." Sabrina mentioned. "I''m already contented with what I have. I won''t be greedy as to get thepany from your family. I''m more than thankful for having raised me to this point. Being alive and having family like you is a lot morepared to being a CEO."


    "Is this really what you want?" her mother and father asked her at the same time.


    Without any hesitations, Sabrina nodded her head. "I just want to live a normal life. Also, I''ll start my career without involving thepany and you don''t need to pull strings to help me either. Another thing, you don''t have to worry about my marriage. I have found someone I like."


    With all these being said and done, she stood up to go upstairs.


    "Wait!" Her mother pulled her hand to stop her from walking. "Did you just say that you found someone you like?"


    "Yes." Sabrina answered. "He''s a decent guy and someone that Cayenne and Stefan have trusted with their lives."


    "Would you tell us more about him?"


    Sabrina took a deep breath and turned to look at his father while speaking to her mom. "You don''t have to ask me if you want to know more about him. Just ask dad. He''s got more than enough to fill your mind for the entire day."


    Sabrina left the two of them alone and went back to her room. She''s tired from the flight and wanted to rest for a little while. "I wonder if they''ll stop me from going back to City A and City B next time." She muttered to herself while taking off her clothes. "Will the secretly go there to look for Erwin? Will he be having a hard time?" She was starting to worry for him but she couldn''t really do anything if her parents would do these things behind her back.


    As for Erwin, after sending Sabrina to the airport, he didn''t go back to Cayenne''s home. Instead, he went to City D to find Reuben, his direct employer. He was indeed working for Cayenne but it was because Reuben told him to do so. The person who was giving him the sry was also Reuben.


    He may be older now but Erwin was still afraid of Reuben. This man was very gentle in front of his daughter but he''s actually a very cold person. And even though he didn''t love his wife, he kept her at bay to hurt her emotionally again and again. Although, things have changedtely because of Cayenne.


    "Erwin, you''re here." It was Ingrid who greeted him since she was at the living room, reading a book. "Are you alright? You look worried. Did something happen to Cayenne?"


    "No, ma''am. Nothing happened at home but I''m indeed worried for something else. Is sir Reuben at home?"


    "Yes. Let me send him a message. He should be at the study right now." Ingrid picked up her phone and sent a message to her husband. Not long after that, they saw Reuben walking downstairs. "Erwin has something to tell you."


    "I can guess what it would be." Reuben stated which sent another chill on Erwin''s back. He really can''t read his master''s emotion which makes him even more afraid of him. "You want to quit being a body guard, right?"


    Ingrid was also shocked to hear this news and she instantly sat up straight to face the young man in front of her. "You want to quit, why?"


    "It''s because of a woman." Erwin answered honestly. There''s no use lying to them because they will still know the truthter on. "I like someone and she''s very rich and she said that she also likes me which is why, I don''t want to be her burden. I want to find a work that she can be proud of. I know that being a body guard is a decent job but her parents might not like it. I don''t know what I can do." The whole time he was speaking, he had lowered his head, not wanting to see his employer''s face.


    "You''ve grown." Reubenmented and gently pat him on the shoulder which surprised Erwin a lot. "My daughter already told me of this possibility and she had been worried for you all the time. Seeing that you''re finally making a move, she''s very happy for you as well."


    "Oh. So, young miss knows."


    "Of course, she will know." Ingrid responded with amusement. "Don''t worry. We''re not really against your decision. So, what''s your next n?"

 Chapter 433 - MY HUSBAND IS CUTE

    <h4>Chapter 433 - MY HUSBAND IS CUTE</h4>


    Thursday, the sun was shining brightly as if weing the new start of someone''s life. Erwin wanted to find a ce to stay over while working but Cayenne told him to stay in their home while they haven''t found anyone to rece him yet. In fact, they weren''t really looking for any recement. They just wanted to let him save more money instead of using it to pay for an apartment.


    Right now, Erwin was putting on his new suit and pants, ready to go to work. Stefan and Cayenne was also getting ready to leave the house because they also decided to go to thepany with him.


    "Madam is really kind." Justinmented while helping Lucia prepare the breakfast. "She didn''t hesitate to help other people at all."


    "It''s because madam experienced poverty herself. That is why she knows how poor people feel." Lucia responded to Justin''s statement. "Anyway, let''s finish this quickly."


    "Hn." Justin helped as much as he can and Lucia''s two daughters were also the same. They were more efficient once they''re working together. They get more free time once they finish their work as well.


    During breakfast, Luiz wasn''t around because he fell asleep reallytest night. And since it''s summer vacation, Cayenne wasn''t really strict to their time. And he knew that her brothers are responsible so, she wasn''t making a fuss about it.


    After breakfast, Erwin was able to use one of the cars at home and drove it to thepany, following Cayenne and Stefan.


    Starting today, he will be working as the Chief Supervisor of the Company''s security and he will handle all security matters. The things that Chris does rted to security measure will be handled by him, specially that Chris will be leaving them.


    When they arrived at thepany, Erwin went to the HR department for formalities and contract signing as well as to get himself familiar with the building. Cayenne and Stefan went directly to the top floor and there, they found Elena working quietly with a piece of chocte beside her.


    Obviously, this little girl skipped breakfast again.


    "Good morning, Elena." Cayenne greeted her and gave her the souvenir bag she got for her. "This is for you."


    "Really? Thank you,dy boss." She epted the bag with a lot of delicacies as well as a cute mug which she can definitely use in the office.


    "Stop skipping your breakfast. You look so thin already."? Cayenne mentioned in passing before leaving the girl to let her contemte on these words.


    They found Chris inside Stefan''s office, dusting off his things and opening the curtains to let the lighte in. "Oh! I didn''t know you guys would being so early. Did you have breakfast already?" he asked the couple because usually, they won''te so early in the office.


    "We already ate. Thanks for asking." Cayenne responded to him while his husband was taking off his suit. "Here''s our souvenir for you. There''s one for Rissy so, you can give that to herter."


    "Thanks.? She''d be very happy to receive this." Chris received the items and walked towards the door. "If you guys need anything, just give ring me up."


    "Sure sure."


    Stefan didn''t need to say anything though because his secretary was really efficient. The documents that needed immediate attention were already piling up on his table. "Looks like I will be buried with work today." Stefan mumbled while checking the documents.


    "Do you need help?"


    "None so far for these matters."


    "Then, I''ll go talk with Elena for a while. I mighte downstairs to the cafeteria so, endure my absence honey."


    And once again, Cayenne left him alone. Thankfully, she''s inside thepany with more bodyguards this time so he was less worriedpared to the time she went to Xena University.


    "Don''t go out of thepany premises, okay?"


    "Hn."


    "Don''t wander alone as well."


    "The bodyguards will be with me."


    Cayenne was about to leave the room but she felt a ming gaze directed at her. She turned around and found him looking at hisputer which made her frown. "Do you have anything else to tell me?"


    "Nothing." Stefan mumbled with obvious distasted in his voice.


    Cayenne was thinking really hard what was it that he was unhappy about. She opened the door and stepped out of the office but just as she was about to close it, she realized why he was sulking which made herugh.


    Chris and Elena looked at her and was confused why she wasughing on her own.


    Stefan sighed heavily when he didn''t get a kiss from her but when he raised his head again, he found his wife walking towards him. "Why are you back? Did you forget something?"


    "Yeah. I forgot to give you something." Cayenne smiled and leaned close to him and kissed his forehead. "I''ll be right back. So, don''t worry about me."


    "Just the forehead?"


    "Don''t be greedy."


    "Just give me one more."


    Cayenne pinched his face and kissed his lips quickly. "Satisfied?"


    "Hn."


    "You could have said it earlier. You don''t have to sulk."


    "But I want you to do it voluntarily."


    Cayenne sighed as she rolled her eyes at him. "I''ll keep it mind. Anyway, you''ve a tracker on me so, just be at ease. I''ll go now." She gave him onest kiss on his cheek before running out of the office. ''Tsk! How can he be so cute when he sulks?'' Cayenne thought to herself and pouted.


    She walked towards Elena who was still eating the same chocte that Cayenne saw earlier. "Chris, I''ll take away your assistant for a while. If you have anything for her to do, just let her do itter."


    "Sure."


    "Where are we goingdy boss?" Elena asked while grabbing the remaining choctes from her table. "Do you want one?"


    "Thanks." Cayenne took one piece and ate it while they walked towards the elevator. Two of the bodyguards were following behind them and the other two were walking ahead of them. "We''re going to the pantry."


    "O-okay." Elena thought that Cayenne wanted to get something to eat. She had no idea that she will be the one eating breakfast.

 Chapter 434 - DONT MESS WITH HIS WIFE

    <h4>Chapter 434 - DON''T MESS WITH HIS WIFE</h4>


    Cayenne and Elena arrived at the cafeteria where most employees have their breakfast if they didn''t get any at home, or have their lunch as well as their snack time.


    Many people greeted Cayenne with smiles and some were also envious of Elena for having such a good opportunity to talk with thedy boss and spend more time with her.


    Cayenne looked at the dishes that the staff served and she nodded her head in silent agreement. Not only the prices were cheap but one set of meal was also bnced with the go, grow and glow categories of food. She couldn''t help but think of a way to praise her husband.


    "Choose whatever you like to eat." Cayenne told Elena who was just walking beside her.


    This statement startled the assistant secretary. She didn''t know that she''d be eating with the boss. "I actually ate choctes already."


    "I know and it''s unhealthy. You should always eat your breakfast. You can skip other meals of the day but not breakfast. It''s very important. It helps you function throughout the day."


    Elena blinked her eyes while staring at herdy boss who talked like a nutritionist in front of her. If she didn''t know what her life was in the past, she''d really think that Cayenne was a doctor.


    "O-okay." Elena didn''t have the guts to refuse Cayenne''s order specially that she really took the time toe with her to the cafeteria. She ordered one set of meal and a milk drink to go with it. Cayenne also bought a sandwich and juice so that she can eat with the assistant secretary even though she already ate at home.


    Don''t forget that Cayenne has reallyrge appetite.


    Every time someone passes on their table, the employees would really stop on their tracks to greet theirdy boss but as much as other people like her, some of the employees don''t like her as well.


    Ady who was wearing a pencil cut skirt and topped with buttoned up blouse, snorted when she passed by Cayenne''s table and she didn''t even bother greeting Cayenne when she saw her.


    Cayenne didn''t care about that though. As long as that person works hard for thepany, even if that person doesn''t like her, she won''t give a dam about him or her.


    "She only climbed to the higher ranks with her bed skills. What''s so good about that? I wouldn''t dare sell my body just to have riches in my hand." The woman muttered as she passed by together with her friends.


    "Shh! Shut up! Someone might hear you." Her friend covered the woman''s mouth but the former swatted the otherdy''s hand. She humphed with a proud expression and even raised her chin arrogantly.


    Cayenne was supposed to ignore her but hearing the poisonous wordsing from the woman''s mouth irked her so much. Her temples throb from her rising anger and she wanted to re up but she chose to smile towards Elena and whispered ¨C though it was a little louder than a whisper, enough for other employees to hear.


    "I''m pretty proud of my bed skills. After all, he chose to marry me among all thedies he frolicked with." Cayenne told Elena and winked at her which made the youngdy blush.


    "Lady boss, you shouldn''t say that. Other people will misunderstand you."


    "Even if I don''t say it, I''m misunderstood by cats and dogs already and ¨C"


    "What did you say?!" The woman heard Cayenne''s words clearly because she clearly paid attention to her. Saying that she was a cat or a dog, it enraged her. She wanted to confront Cayenne but the bodyguards immediately blocked her way with their imposing figures. "You dare say I''m a dog?! Then, what are you?!"


    Cayenne stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at the woman from head-to-toe and back to her face. "Ordinary." Shemented in disdain. "And besides, I wasn''t saying you''re a dog? Did I mention a name? And before you shout at me, know your ce sweetheart because I can still fire you with one or two words. I don''t even know you. Who are you to talk back to me?"


    Cayenne sat down once again and continued eating her sandwich as if nothing happened. On the other hand, Stefan''s face grew colder as he watched the video that Elena sent him. It wasn''t full but even without it, he still knew what''s happening because his wife had been carrying the pen that Shein gave her. It was able to capture the details that Elena''s recording didn''t.


    He dialed Chris number and told him toe inside.


    "What is the matter?"


    "Get this woman out of mypany and ban her from any of our trades. I don''t want any toxic person like her in my business."


    "Got it."


    Chris left without any questions to deal with the issue in the cafeteria. Cayenne was still calmly eating her sandwich while whispers and murmurs erupted around them. The woman was still gnashing her teeth angrily but she couldn''t approach Cayenne at all.


    "Such a coward. Don''t hide behind your bodyguards."


    "It''s exactly because there are people like you that my husband needs to ce guards around me. See? I''m so precious to him." Cayenne taunted her again which made Stefanugh amidst this mess she was in. When angered, she really has a poisonous tongue. "Stop trying to fight with me. I don''t really care about you. I don''t even know you to begin with."


    Cayenne''s statement also made Stefan think of other things. Clearly, Cayenne has no personal grudge against his employee but it was his employee who spoke ill against his wife first. ''Hmm? Did I let someone infect mypany with flies?'' He asked this question to himself while thinking who could''ve been polluting his employee''s ears.


    But that hardly matters to him.


    Few minutester, Chris arrived with three security guards and even Erwin was following behind him with worried expression.


    "Young miss, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Erwin asked while turning around Cayenne to see if she was hurt even just a little scratch.


    "I''m not hurt. Do you think someone could hurt me in his territory?" Cayenne retorted and stood up. "Anyway, we''re done eating here so, we''re going back first." She turned towards Chris and smiled meaningfully before her face turned cold. "Deal with her. Annoying flies should be swatted before they multiply."


    "Yes, ma''am." Chris bowed his head and smiled. When Cayenne left along with her bodyguard and Elena, Chris was back to his cold countenance. "Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! You could have annoyed anyone but her. Why did you even mess with his wife? Even if she won''t tell the CEO, the CEO has a lot of ways to know. Sigh. I don''t understand what''s the benefit of doing this to yourself." Chris turned his back with his hands behind him. "Anyway, go to the finance department to settle yourst pay."


    The cafeteria sank into a deafening silence and everyone was stunned. They never thought that things would escte so fast. They didn''t even see theirdy boss make a call or inform her husband but he already knows what has happened to his wife.


    In truth, it wasn''t just that single nameless woman who was doubting Stefan and Cayenne''s rtionship. Many employees still thought that the two of them were just ying around or that she was paid to pretend his girlfriend to avoid getting married out of convenience.


    But this time, their doubts were finally cleared. Stefan wasn''t just fooling around. Even though there was no proof that they''re really married, the employees already believed them. At the end of the day, who would fire an excellent employee just because she annoyed a fake girlfriend? No one. If things were fake, Stefan should choose business over personal emotions.


    "If I were you, you can choose to mess with the boss - he can tolerate that. But don''t mess with his wife because she''s his life." Chris reminded everyone through the GC that the employees have created. He''s been in that GC for a long time and has read so many gossips and whatnot but Stefan didn''t care about those as long as they were working efficiently.


    But now, the group chat was constantly monitored in case they''d talk about Cayenne in a bad way.


    Cayenne was nonchnt about what happened. She was still talking happily with Elena as they walked back to Stefan''s office. "In the future, you cannot skip breakfast anymore. And make sure to carefully observe how Chris works and the things that he does for Stefan."


    "Why are you telling me these? It feels like sir Chris is leaving." Elenamented and when these words came out of her mouth, her eyes widened in shock. "No way! Am I so annoying that he''s going to leave now?"


    Cayenne didn''t know whether tough or cry at this questioning from her. Where did she even get the idea that she was so annoying? Cayenne couldn''t stop herself from smiling while patting Elena''s head gently. "Don''t be silly. Who said you''re annoying and I will kick them out of this?"


    Elena covered her mouth and alsoughed at Cayenne''s statement. "You''re like my elder sisterdy boss. But let''s not stray out of the topic. Is sir Chris really leaving?"

 Chapter 435 - RESIGNATION LETTER

    <h4>Chapter 435 - RESIGNATION LETTER</h4>


    Cayenne didn''t know how long it has been since Stefan was standing behind her but when he spoke, she thought her soul flew out of her body from being startled.


    "Can you at least give me some signal that you''re behind me?" Cayenne chortled and even pinched his waist. "Don''t startle me like that. All along I was thinking that the guards were behind me."


    "Is that a bad thing?" Stefan snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her even closer. "So, what has happened downstairs?" he asked to divert her attention from Elena.


    Cayenne knew what exactly he was thinking and she couldn''t stop herself from lightly flicking his forehead. "Such a jealous man." Cayenne muttered before turning to face Elena once again. "Chris will tell you about it. I''ll see youter." Cayenne dragged her husband back to the office and led him to the couch.


    Stefan sat on the couch and to his surprise, Cayenne took the initiative to sit on hisp. Her action brought butterfly wings fluttering in his stomach. He felt so loved by her. Really. A very shallow source of happiness.


    "Hubby, howe your employees have no respect?" Sheined but she also looked nonchnt about it. "It would be fine if they''d choose to ignore me and not say anything. I wouldn''t mind that. But I really hate people who easily judge me just because I am your wife."


    "You don''t look bothered about it though." Stefan narrowed his eyes while observing her face and she wasn''t really showing any annoyance like how she faced his nameless employee earlier. Well, that woman has a name, of course but Stefan didn''t bother remembering it.


    Cayenne sighed heavily and leaned her head on his chest. It didn''t really hurt me personally and I don''t really care about it but I don''t like it when someone brings up your past. I hate it. I just want us to live presently and think of the future. I don''t want to keep thinking about the past. And these people just kept on pressing these things on my face."


    Stefan thought that all along, Cayenne red up for being belittled and beingbeled as someone who climbed the higher ranks by selling her body. He never thought that she actually got angry because people mention his past again and again.


    "I''m sorry you''d have to hear this dirty news about me." Stefan hugged her tightly and kissed the space between her eyebrows. "But you won''t let them affect us, right? You won''t leave me, right?"


    "Dear, let me remind you again. I''ll only let go if you let go of me. So, everything lies in your hands." Cayenne pinched his face and smiled coldly at him. "Be wise in making decisions involving me."


    "Howe I didn''t know you''re cold?" Stefan responded with his left eyebrow raised a little bit higher.


    "It''s not my fault that you''re blind." Cayenne bluntly stated but in truth, her coldness was just at the surface. She was showing her fangs in front of other people and in front of him but she was actually still afraid that Stefan would, one day, leave her again. She may look carefree andzy and sometimes bored or cheerful but she has her own inner fears that she battles every single day.


    The two of them cuddled for few more minutes talking about silly little things until Chris came back. He knocked on the door thrice and Stefan allowed him toe inside without changing their position.


    If it was in the past, Chris would certainly grimace at the sight of two people sweetly cuddling with each other in the middle of the day but since he''s got someone in his heart now, he thought that this kind of action was normal between couple.


    "I''ve dealt with the manager already." Chris stated.


    "How about your mission?" Stefan questioned which raised the attention to his remaining time as the secretary.


    Chris sat on the couch opposite the couple and handed Stefan the resignation letter. The letter was only a process of formality between him and thepany''s rules and regtions but it didn''t really matter to Stefan. "The next mission has been finalized and I''ll have to leave in three months. My supervisor allowed to me to continue working for the next two months and leave thepany one month before the next mission starts."


    "Are they sending you to a far away ce?" Cayenne asked. She didn''t know what exactly this mission was all about but she knew that Chris was a soldier who serves their country through undercover works.


    Cayenne didn''t really know how much he toggled his time between his work as a secretary and his work as an undercover spy. And she didn''t want to ask such confidential matter either.


    "I won''t be out of the country." Chris mentioned. He can''t say anything more than that and even Rissy didn''t know anything about this next mission he will take.


    Cayenne didn''t press on him anymore and just smiled. "You must take care of yourself. You have to always remember that someone will be waiting for you toe home. Also, you better train Elena with your work before you leave thepany."


    "Yes, ma''am." Chris answered sincerely and he even gave her a salute.


    This made Cayenne giggled. "Don''t call me ''ma''am'' all of a sudden. It rings a little weird. Oh, right! Have you talked to Elena that you''re leaving?"


    "I''m nning to tell herter."


    Stefan just took the resignation letter and ced it inside his chest pocket. "If ever you need to work again as an assistant, you''re wee toe again."


    "I''ll definitely do that."


    "It will certainly feel a little weird without you here but we''ll get by." Stefanmented with a forlorn expression. At the end of the day, Chris has been with him ever since he started his small business until it expanded and became arge empire. Chris has always been with him and to suddenly leave because of his duty, Stefan felt a sense of loss.


    But then again, parting is part of growing. And as long as you''re both breathing on earth, there will always be a day for you to meet again.

 Chapter 436 - NEEDS MALE ASSISTANT SECRETARY

    <h4>Chapter 436 - NEEDS MALE ASSISTANT SECRETARY</h4>


    During lunch, Chris told Elena that he will be leaving thepany in two months. She already expected this news because of the hints that Cayenne gave earlier but hearing it directly from him, she couldn''t stop crying. She bawled her eyes out from this bad news. She always liked Chris and even though she was in the process of moving on, it couldn''t be denied that the two of them has spent a lot of time together as superior and subordinate.


    They worked together for a long time and being one without the other was just heart breaking for Elena.


    Chris could only pat her back while trying her best to console her. She wasn''t even very happy to know that she''ll be promoted as soon as Chris leaves thepany.


    "Don''t you like it? It''s your turn to boss an assistant around to work for you." Chris teased because that what he usually did when he''s pressed for time.


    Elena shook her from side to side while wiping her tears with tissue that Cayenne gave her.


    Most of the time, Elena would eat lunch with her friends. Sometimes, she''d eat lunch with the just like today. But today was a little different because she got her heart broken instead of being cheered for getting promoted.


    Verbally and with the contract ready, she''s already Stefan''s assistant but since Chris was still around, she will be working under his tutge to make sure she can do her job properly and remember important things as Stefan''s secretary. They will have to hire an assistant secretary for him, too.


    "It''s okay. You will be fine." Cayenne consoled while continuously giving Elena the tissue. "Chris wille and visit us when he''s got time in hand so you will be able to see him again and again."


    "That''s not what I''m worried about." Elena muttered, trying to make an excuse for her embarrassing image at the moment. "Now that he''s gone, I will have to face the clients alone and some of them are the biggest jerks of this world. It''s scary."


    "We will look for a male assistant to apany you next time." Stefan interjected to give her a sense of security.


    "That''s right." Cayenne timely agreed with her husband.


    Elena sniffed and rubbed her face while trying her best to stop her hups. She was reallyme in making excuses but the three people around her had a tacit understanding with her behavior and no one said anything.


    A copy of the resignation letter was sent to the HR and soon, the news spread that Chris was resigning from his post. Many were sad about this news and some were just nonchnt. Most of those who felt sad of his departure were thedies, specially Elena''s friends who knew about her feelings towards the secretary.


    This didn''t just spread within the headquarters but within just a day, almost half of Stefan''s employees in all lines of businesses knew that his secretary was resigning. Many wanted to grab this opportunity but they were blocked with the information that his assistant will rece him once he leaves. They''re looking for an assistant secretary this time but no one wanted to grab this job because they didn''t want to have a woman as their superior.


    This news also reached Travis and his ears perked up when he heard that they''re looking for an assistant secretary, a male at that. ''I wonder if he''s interested.'' Travis thought as he dialed his wife''s number.


    Jillyanna was the one closest to the man he had in mind and even though he didn''t want his wife to talk to that person, he also wanted to get rid of him by letting him work under someone else''s hand.


    After three rings, Jillyanna''s sweet voice came through from the other end of the line. "Darling, are you on your way home?" she asked after ncing the time on her phone which was already past five in the afternoon.


    "Yes. I''m on my way but I''m stuck in a heavy traffic so I decided to call you and chat to pass the time."


    "Good thing." Jillyanna sat on the couch while watching her son and daughter ying on the bed. "Have you heard about Chris? Yen called me asking if I know someone reliable who can work as an assistant secretary."


    "That''s exactly why I call."


    "You have someone in mind?"


    "Yup. But I will have to inconvenient yourself to approach him."


    "You''re letting me approach another guy?"


    Travis chuckled upon hearing this question. Of course, he didn''t want to and even though she will be approaching him, he will be with her the whole time. She just needed to do the talking. "I''ll be with you the whole time."


    "So, who''s this person?" Jillyanna asked and when she heard the name that Travis mentioned, she couldn''t stopughing on the couch.


    Jade blinked her eyes while looking with questioning gaze at her mother. Even Raizel was looking at his mother with wide curious eyes. Both children were wondering what made their pretty mommyugh so hard.


    Jade put her finger on her chin thinking, ''Aside from daddy, I don''t know who else will she call darling during this time.'' "Ah! Daddy''sing homete!" Jade eximed when she realized itter. "Daddy, where are you now?" Jade called out since her mother wasn''t very far away from her.


    Jillyanna turned on the loud speaker for her daughter to hear what her father was talking about. And then, Jade grabbed the phone and now, she was the one talking to her father and her mother was the one ying with her brother. Their roles were changed.


    Jillyanna thought back to what Travis suggested. It was indeed killing two birds with one stone. With this idea in mind, she knew that Cayenne and Stefan won''t have a lot of problem in the future. Or so she thought.


    The storm was just slowly brewing over them without anyone noticing it yet.

 Chapter 437 - SPENDING A DAY SEPARATELY

    <h4>Chapter 437 - SPENDING A DAY SEPARATELY</h4>


    Friday came in the blink of an eye and Cayenne felt like the days were passing by really quickly. As always, she woke up earlier than her husband and got out of bed without waiting for him.


    Two minutester, Stefan came looking for her in the bathroom.


    Every single time she wakes up earlier, he would wake up two minutester and would look for her immediately. She felt that their time being away with each other was improving and also not improving. She didn''t know which one exactly.


    This time, she nned to be spending the whole day without him beside her. He will go to work like usual and she will go somewhere without him. In fact, that somewhere was Hacienda de Amore. She''s going to visit Jillyanna at the farm without her husband tagging along with her.


    Just thinking of her n made Cayenne tremble in worry. She didn''t know if Stefan would be able to take it.


    Stefan was hugging from behind and buried his face on the crook between her shoulder and neck. She was brushing her teeth with a big guy clinging on to her like a little kid clinging to her mom.


    "I won''t be going to the office with you today." Cayenne mumbled after gurgling the water and wiped her face.


    Stefan groaned and even bit her shoulder lightly but Cayenne only closed her eyes to feel the little bit of pain. "Why won''t youe with me?"


    "I''m going somewhere today. I''ll have to deal with some things on my own. Anyway, the guards will be with me so, it''s not really a big deal."


    "But I will be alone in the office." Stefan responded in a disgruntled voice. "I don''t want to be alone for the entire day."


    "I''ll try to drop by in the afternoon if I have time. But I can''t really promise."


    Stefan hugged her even tighter for five more minutes before letting go of her. "Alright. Make sure to send me a message once you''re leaving the house and let me know who you''re meeting withter."


    "I''ll just tell you now to stop you from worry." Cayenne turned around and kissed the tip of his nose. "I''ll be meeting with Jill this morning and I will have lunch with her. In the afternoon, I will meet with my father ¨C my biological father, and I''m not sure if I can leave early. In any case, as long as I still have time, I''lle and get you from the office."


    "Alright. Don''t forget to bring the trackers with you and your pen. Wear the bracelet all the time and don''t let go of your bag and phone." Stefan reminded her over and over again with worry clouding his face.


    Cayenne was also worried but not for herself. She was worried for him. Not knowing how else she can put him at ease, she caught sight of the shower behind him. "Want to shower together?"


    Stefan''s eyes lit up but it dimmed not secondster. "No matter how much you bribe me, I''m still not pleased with our arrangement."


    Cayenne justughed it off and pushed him under the shower head. Just a little bit. She wanted to cool his head off just little bit with her own initiative.


    This day, risse was also going to take her entrance examination in Trine Elite University. Just like her, who supported Luizst time, now, it was Luiz'' turn to support her.


    The young man was holding the bags containing souvenirs from the recent trip he had with her family. One bag was for risse and the other was for Jade which Cayenne will have to bring in his behalf.


    Cayenne and Stefan walked downstairs hand in hand with different expressions. Cayenne looked exhausted while Stefan looked satisfied. In Cayenne''s mind, she really regretted taking shower with him early in the morning but what can she do? Things have been done already. She cannot undo it.


    "Good morning, Yen. Good morning, brother-inw." Luiz greeted the two of them from the living room.


    "You''re early today." Cayennemented as she strutted towards him and sat on the couch right beside Luiz. "Are you going anywhere?"


    "risse will have her examination today."


    "Oh." Cayenne made a perfunctory remark while nodding her head. "I hope she''ll pass the exam like you."


    "She will." Luiz answered with confidence. He believed that his girl will make it with no doubts. "By the way, can you give this to Jadeter? You''re going to meet with her family, right?"


    "Hn. I''ll give it to her." She received the gift bag and ced it on her side. Stefan wasn''t saying anything but he was hugging her while pressing his face on her back. He''s really clingy towards her. "Let''s eat breakfast now." She gently her husband''s hand to get his attention but Stefan tightened his hug instead.


    "Give me five minutes. Let''s stay like this for five minutes."


    Watching this clingy big man in front of him, Luiz was shaking his head in disbelief. Who said that his brother-inw was cold? Who''s cold? The person he was looking at right now was like an insecure child.


    "He''s noting with you to see the Madrigal family?" Luiz asked when he realized why Stefan was acting like this again. He only does this when Cayenne chose to leave home without him.


    Cayenne nodded her head while caressing her husband''s hand. "He needed to work and I needed to do something as well. We''ll have to spend a day separately."


    "No wonder he''s clinging to you like a gum."


    Stefan ignored his remarks and just hugged his wife when five minutes was over, he groaned in disapproval while Cayenne pried his hands open so she can get out from his sp.


    "Hubby, you should do your best at work. You can stop worrying about me because I will be fine."


    "Wifey, take care of yourself and be extra careful when I''m not around. Also, have fun with the people you''ll be meeting today."


    He may not agree with this n of hers. He may be upset and unhappy. But at the end of the day, Stefan still wished for her happiness and safety.

 Chapter 438 - [Bonus ] NO SECRETS CAN BE KEPT

    <h4>Chapter 438 - [Bonus ] NO SECRETS CAN BE KEPT</h4>


    Erwin and Stefan left together since they''re going on the samepany anyway. He only brought three guards with him while the remaining guards went along with Cayenne and three stayed at home to keep the property safe from any intruders.


    As for Luiz, he already got two personal bodyguards a long time ago and they will only go to ces where Luiz wanted to go.


    Cayenne left the house and sent a message to Stefan just like her promise. Her first stop was Jillyanna''s home. Since they''re both located in City B, it didn''t take long for Cayenne to reach their home.


    They were staying at the hacienda for the meantime to apany Thomas, her father-inw, and to check on the farm as well. Travis was also home at this moment instead of going to thepany to work.


    "Auntie Yen! Wee back." Jade ran towards Cayenne as soon as she saw her entering their door. "How have you been?" The little girl asked like how an adult ask a child.


    Cayenne touched Jade head and smiled happily. "I''ve been doing greattely. We just came back from a trip and this is the souvenir that Luiz got for you."


    "Ah? Brother Luiz got something for me?" She received the gift bag and jumped and down in happiness. She turned to Jillyanna and beamed her brightest smile. "Mommy, brother Luiz gave me something. I should thank himter."


    "Hn. Remember to thank himter." Jillyanna returned the smile of her daughter while gesturing for Cayenne to sit. "Jade, you can return to your room first or stay with Raizel. I''ll just talk to your auntie Yen for a while."


    "O-okay. I''ll you two now." Jade ran upstairs with her two little legs while hugging the gift bag that Luiz got for her.


    As soon as she was gone, Jillyanna turned her attention to Cayenne. "I was really surprised that you still went on a trip with all the problems hovering around you."


    "Well, we can''t really stop those problems froming to us and if I just wait while doing nothing, isn''t it a waste of time? And if I just do things which will make me put up my guard all the time, isn''t it tiring? You should know that better than me."


    Jillyanna chuckled upon hearing Cayenne''s retorts. They were very much alike. Thinking back, she also went to Bali, Indonesia with her husband, even though someone was threatening her entire family. While they were in Bali, it was Stefan who hid his family in his resort, ensuring their safety.


    Jillyanna couldn''t stop her smile from spreading on her lips. "Well, it''s still great to have fun and mock those stupid fools because they couldn''t do anything to you."


    "It''s a different story for me though." Cayenne blurted out in which Jillyanna understood. They might have a lot of simrities but they have many things that differs as well.


    Jillyanna''s family was more secure with all the people around them. You can only count in one finger of those people who couldn''t fight. Contrary to her family, Cayenne''s family doesn''t have anyone who can fight, except for Stefan and the guards.


    Every day, she was worried that something might happen to them.


    "Things will be okay. We''ve got your back so don''t worry that much." She tried reassuring her friend who seemed to be really bothered with so many things. "By the way, you asked if we know anyone who can work as a secretary. I do have someone in mind but I still have to talk to him about it."


    "That''s great. I want to help my husband withpany problems so, I wanted to find a man who can assist him and Elena."


    "You really like him, don''t you?"


    Cayenne was stunned by this question and her face started to turn red from embarrassment. She was blushing profusely while fiddling with her fingers. "Let''s not talk about him." Cayenne mumbled which made Jillyannaugh so hard.


    "It''s really fun teasing you."


    "Hey! That''s bad." Cayenne mentioned while cupping her own face, feeling the rising temperature of her face. "I miss my husband now."


    "Isn''t it your fault for doing all this?"


    Cayenne slumped on her seat and shrugged her shoulders. "I know." She thought about so many things in few minutes before sitting up straight once again. "Why are you alone here by the way? Where''s everyone?"


    "Riley has a photoshoot. Shein is working in thepany right now. As for the soldiers, they left because they will have a new mission in three months just like Chris. They will be back after three days once the briefing is done. My husband is taking care of our son. My father-inw as at the farm with Gabriel and Winter."


    "Oh. Everyone seems really busy except you."


    "Of course. My husband is against me working. He''s not even allowing me take care of our children every day. Which is why, he''d stay at home every other day to take care of the children instead of hispany."


    Cayenne didn''t know what to say to say to this at all. "It''s really true. Travis is really the number one most dotting husband." Shemented which earned anotherughter from Jillyanna.


    "Anyway, let''s stop unting our love life because many people will be eating dog food because of us." Jillyanna''s smile vanished and her face turned serious. She also looked at the pen that Cayenne ced on her cor and snorted. "Hmp! Eavesdropper."


    Stefan who was listening to their conversation this whole time let out a heartyughter. The pen has a camera and a mic which can record their actions and voices but it cannot transmit his voice to them. They didn''t know that Stefan was currentlyughing at them but they had an inkling of an idea that he wasughing.


    No secrets can be kept because Cayenne didn''t have the slightest bit of thinking to turn off the pen. As long as the battery won''t ran out of life, she won''t turn it off.

 Chapter 439 - DEALING ANOTHER MESS

    <h4>Chapter 439 - DEALING ANOTHER MESS</h4>


    "Do you mind if we talk in the kitchen? I''m nning to bake some cookies for Jade." Jillyanna told Cayenne as she stood up, readying to leave the living room.


    "It''s fine." Cayenne, just like Jillyanna, stood up from her seat and followed the woman to the kitchen. The kitchen was really spacious and there were many appliances around. There were many fresh fruits on the table and there were ingredients prepared for baking already. "Do you always bake?"


    "Not always but this is kind of our rxing hobby. Jade likes baking, too."


    "You shouldn''t have asked her to leave so she can bake with you."


    Jillyanna picked up the chocte and broke it into several pieces before answering Cayenne. "I don''t want to keep exposing her to the world of adults. You know, Jade is very smart and she could easily pick up things and concerns from her surroundings. I don''t want my child to mature so early. I want her to enjoy her life as a child as much as possible."


    "I see. I really wish to have a child of my own but, it''s not the right time yet." Cayenne mentioned without putting the me on her husband.


    Although without doing so, Jillyanna still knew who didn''t want to have a child yet ¨C it''s Stefan. "By the way, about your mother''s rtives, I''m sure you knew it by now. How are you holding up so far?"


    Cayenne told Jillyanna her ns. She couldn''t ept such fact and she didn''t want to talk to them not even seeing them. As long as they wouldn''t appear right in front of her, she would pretend that she knew nothing. "I''ve been thinking about my mother''s family ever since I was a child. I always ask her so many things but now that I have found the answers, I hate it. I don''t like a single thing about the whole truth."


    "I could understand your point." Jillyanna responded while she mixed the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt together in arge bowl. "For over a decade, I''ve been wondering why my father left us. At some point, I thought that he''s got a mistress and started a new family but I was wrong.? My father died when I was five years old and none of us knew about it aside from his trusted attorney. My mother and I waited for him. We waited and waited, waited and waited until my mother passed away when I was twelve. When I learned the truth of why my father left, I didn''t like any single thing about it."


    The two of them talked about their painful past and shared their sentiments. Cayenne was just watching Jillyanna at first and along the way, she started helping her to make things faster and she enjoyed it, too.


    Stefan was also working on his end while keeping his ears on his wife and Jillyanna''s conversation.


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    Elena came slowly opened the door and got inside the office. "Sir, the meeting will start in about fifteen minutes, everyone''s inside the conference room already."


    "Okay. I''ll be right there." Stefan closed the documents he was working on and picked up theptop and his phone. Seeing that he only picked theptop showing of his wife''s current location and whereabouts, Elena helped him get theptop for his work.


    Following closely behind him, she carried theptop as the walked towards the conference room. Chris was also following behind her to see and evaluate her work for the time being. She has to be prepared for all kinds of menial tasks as a secretary.


    "You did a good job." Chrismented and even gave her a thumbs up. "You bring hisptop to the meeting if he''s busy carrying the more important things. You know what I meant when I say more important things?"


    "Yes. Anything rted to thedy boss should be the top priority." Elena answered.


    "That''s correct." Chris winked at her which made the girl smile happily. She liked Chris and she knew that he''s got a girlfriend already. And she''s already over with her feelings for him but she was still sad to see him leave. Even so, his little gestures still make her happy. She''s happy because there wasn''t any awkwardness between them.


    The three of them got inside the conference room and Stefan sat on his chair. Elena ced theptop in front of him while Stefan ced his personalptop on the side, making sure that he can see where his wife went to every single time he turned his side to the side.


    "What''s with the twoptops?" One of the shareholder''s secretary whispered.


    "I don''t know. This is the first time I''ve seen him bring twoptops here." Another person whispered.


    They couldn''t see what was on the otherptop but they could hear the two voicesing out from it. After listening to it for a minute, they finally recognized that it was theirdy boss talking to Mrs. Madrigal.


    Stefan connected his Bluetooth earphone to stop everyone from eavesdropping to the conversation. He was the only one allowed to listen to his wife.


    "I can''t believe you''d be this possessive." One of the older men inside the roommented with a throaty chuckle. They knew of his reputation as a womanizer. It was really surprising for him to act this way.


    "If you find someone you couldn''t live without, you would treasure her more than anything in this world. I''m sure Mr. Rudy can understand my sentiment."


    "Of course. After all, I''ve been married to my wife for several decade now and I have never once thought of letting her go."


    "Yeah. And that''s one mistake I made." Stefan blurted. "Anyway, let''s start the meeting. It''s not good to talk about our love life when there are singledies and gentlemen here."


    ''You''ve talked enough. Stop unting your love please.'' One of the singledies thought inwardly while looking at the two men in the room.


    Elena handed them the files and soon enough the meeting started while Stefan listened to his wife. Since he wasn''t paying attention, it was Chris and Elena who took note of the questions and concernsing from the shareholders.


    Cayenne finished making the dough with Jillyanna and they were currently cutting shapes out of eat for the cookies not to be in.


    "We''re not trying to judge your mother''s family but, in any case, if ever they give you a hard time, you can always count on us. We won''t just stand and watch you face your troubles." Jillyanna told Cayenne to make her feel at ease. Stefan who was listening felt even more at ease that Cayenne has a friend who cares for her.


    It''s really ironic. She''s been friends with Arthur but he chose to hurt her and she didn''t even realize that Arthur harbored some other emotions towards her. She''s been friends with Seiji Sy but she didn''t even know anything about him. His personality changes as well when he''s meeting with Cayenne or when she''s meeting with other people. Cayenne still didn''t know how cold and ruthless that person can be. She also imed that she has a close friend named Marian but she has no idea where is this person right now. In the past years, when she was having a hard time, none of these three people stayed by her side.


    And then, herees Jillyanna. The two of them identally met over a year ago during a festival. She gave Cayenne a letter without any assurance that Cayenne would keep it. After a year has passed, their paths crossed again because of Stefan. They became even closer for no reason and her words weigh more than Stefan''s words.


    Really. Friendship cannot be measured with time just like love. It will juste right in front of you. If it works then, it works despite the time you''ve been with that person. If it won''t work then, it won''t work no matter how long you''ve known each other.


    The meeting continued and Stefan took the questions that Elena and Chris took note for him. One after another, he answered these questions and rified lots of things to them. His answers were short and concise. He didn''t need to use any flowery words to entice the shareholders to agree with the project he has.


    In the middle of the meeting, Stefan received a message from Shein and it was about the thing he asked regarding the Mason family. There wasn''t really a need to do this thing but he wanted to know the root cause of the problem that he''s having in hispany.


    Small losses are still counted as loss and he didn''t like losing to anyone; much more losing money because of carelessness. He just downloaded the file and resumed with the meeting. He picked up his phone and sent a message to Chris.


    ''Bring Joel and Jason from the finance department in my office after thirty minutes.''


    ''On it.''


    Chris replied and stood up to leave the room. He knew that Stefan''s going to be dealing another mess. It''s not really a frequent urrence in hispany because they have very strict requirement but sometimes, jealousy and envy can really ckened someone''s heart.

 Chapter 440 - SECOND CHANCE

    <h4>Chapter 440 - SECOND CHANCE</h4>


    Thirty minutester, the meeting was ended with the approval from the shareholders. Although there were some who disagreed with his project and didn''t choose to invest, Stefan didn''t care about it. As long as majority wins, he can always find someone else to invest on his project.


    He went back to his office with Elena and right outside his door, two men were standing, eyeing each other up. One was looking in disdain and displeasure while the other was looking with confusion and helplessness.


    "Get inside." Stefan stated as he strode inside. He ced his personalptop on the coffee table and received his work-rtedptop from Elena. "Sit down." He told these two men without looking at them. His tone of voice already showed it wouldn''t be a good conversation. He looked expressionless but the way he spoke can send a chill down someone''s spine. He''s very cold.


    Joel sat up straight in front of him with his heart trembling in anxiousness. He knew that he wouldn''t be fired but the problem was that, his family will be affected. Jason was his cousin and they shared the same lineage of blood and the same surname. What will happen to the other will also affect him in the process.


    While he was trembling, at the point of breaking down, his cousin looked at ease and calm. There was even a slight smile on his face.


    Stefan typed for few minutes on hisptop before putting it down on the table, having the screen facing them. "Would you please exin to me what''s happening?"


    On the screen were two different spreadsheets. These were documents of the recent projects that Joel took up and the miscalction of funds. Basically, the data that was ced were correct but the total was wrong. Each project waspared with another set of calction. One was the calction data made by Joel and another calction data which was tampered with Jason.


    "Sir, I didn''t really do any of these." Joel told Stefan stiffly. He was facing his boss head on but his eyes were restless from fear.


    "Are you saying I did this?" Jason questioned and his voice was dripping coldness while looking at his junior cousin, obviously threatening him with a re.


    Knowing that Stefan would side with the truth and the honest people, Joel didn''t cower this time. He didn''t let his cousin bully him and put all the me on him this time. "I didn''t say it was you. All I''m saying is that it wasn''t me. I didn''t even mention your name."


    "But there are only the two of us here. Are you saying that the boss did these, then?" Jason taunted but his face was already showing a sign of anxiety and fear.


    Joel didn''t back down at all. When he nced Stefan, the boss was busy watching his wife on the screen but he looked at them from the corner of his eyes. "The boss needed an exnation. I didn''t put any me on you."


    Stefan leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs while watching the two of them. "If you''re honest with me, it will be a minimal damage to you and your reputation. If you won''t be honest and ce the me on someone else, I will not only fire you but make sure that you won''t be able to do any finance-rted work.


    Drop. Jason dropped to his knees and kneeled in front of Stefan, kowtowing for forgiveness. He knew. When Stefan said those words, he knew that the boss hase prepared to eliminate all rotten eggs from his business. If he casted the me to his cousin, Stefan still knew the truth and would no doubt, expose him.


    He can only admit to his mistakes.


    "I''m sorry, sir. I''m really sorry. I didn''t really mean to do all these things. I was envious that he''s getting more projects than me so, I did such horrible things."


    "So, the funds added to these calctions, where did it go?"


    Jason and Joel looked at each other, both of them showed a clueless expression on their faces. "Surely, I don''t have it." Jason responded with a nk look. "I only know how to tamper the calction but I didn''t pocket any of these excess funds."


    "I don''t have it either. I always check my bank ounts for any transfer of funds and there was nothing that showed these excess amounts." Joel also mentioned.


    Of course, there wouldn''t be. Stefan would always double check the calction before approving it. Which means, there was no excess funds in any projects that Joel handled. He was just trying to test them for onest time.


    Stefan took hisptop and closed it before giving it to Elena so that she can ce it on his table. "I hope this will serve as a lesson for both of you. Mypany isn''t a battle ground for you to vent your anger and do shameless things for revenge. You both get to where you are now because of your own capabilities. Jason, I''m really disappointed in you. In the past, you''ve been doing an excellent job and you never make any mistake. Now, not only you harm your colleague but you harm mypany as well. And Joel isn''t just your colleague, he is your cousin. I don''t know what family issues you have but don''t bring it in my business."


    "I''m really sorry, sir. Please give me onest chance. I won''t do it again. I really like my job here." Jason bowed his head again and again, hoping that Stefan would forgive him.


    Stefan took a deep breath and sighed. "Thankfully, this doesn''t concern my wife or you would definitely lose your job. You will be demoted from your position. In the next three years, reflect on your behavior and do your best. I will not fire you and I won''t say anything about this matter. You can make your own excuses as to why you''re being demoted. The next time I find something hical as this, you can say goodbye to any work from anywhere of this country."

 Chapter 441 - SURPRISING HIS WIFE

    <h4>Chapter 441 - SURPRISING HIS WIFE</h4>


    Jason was so happy when he was forgiven. He didn''t mind being demoted as long as he stays in thispany. In the whole City A, everyone knows how strict it is to get into Stefan''spany just like how strict Travis Madrigal in City B. They''re employee-friendly and the sry of their employees were ten percent higherpared to otherpanies.


    Even if he was demoted, he still gets better pay than other employees of otherpanies.? He will never do such thing ever again.


    "Sorry." Jason mumbled when he stepped inside the elevator with his cousin. "I was really jealous when it took you only two years to your position when almost everyone had it after five years. You were doing excellent work as well and I can see another promotion hovering over you. If you get promoted, you will be a senior to me. I didn''t like it so, I did those horrible things."


    "It''s fine." Joel muttered while looking at their reflection in front of them. "Sir already forgave you. Just do your best. You can think of your own excuses as well. I won''t say anything."


    "Thank you."


    The two of them walked back to the finance department and not long after, one representative from the HR department came to process the demotion.


    "You''re being demoted? Why?" one of his colleagues questioned in surprise. They knew that he''s done an excellent job in the past years so, it was really surprising to see him being demoted.


    Jason scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly at them. "You know how strict our boss, right? I made a mistake in my calction and he found it. In fact, the boss always reviews our works before approving it which was why it took time for us to know the result. So, you double check everything before handing them out if you don''t want to get demoted like me."


    "Oh! Shoot!"


    "Crap!"


    "I didn''t know about this."


    "So, just one mistake and will get demoted? I don''t want that."


    Everyone went back to their work in a hurry, afraid to be the next one who will get a demotion. "I''m sorry to hear that you''d have to be the example for us to learn." Another employeemented. "But do your best. I know you''ll be back in a year or two."


    Jason just smiled because he knew it won'' be just a year or two. Stefan clearly mentioned to him that it''s three years. "Well, this is how it is. I''ll see you guys around."


    "See you."


    Jason left with his personal things. If it was other people getting demoted, they would feel dejected and would probably quit but, in his case, he wasn''t the least bit dejected. Compared to being fired, getting demoted was a better choice.


    Chris was talking to Elena about some things she should remember while Stefan worked in his office. When the clock strikes eleven, he picked up his personalptop and walked out of the office.


    "Are you going somewhere?" Chris asked when he saw Stefan walking with hisptop. "Do you want me to drive the car for you?"


    "Yes. I''ll be in your care." He turned to Elena and checked their schedule for the afternoon. "I''ll be back at one in the afternoon."


    "Okay, sir."


    Chris and Stefan left her alone and went down to the basement to get his car. If Chris wasn''t with him, he will surely have a hard time driving while keeping his eyes on his wife.


    He wasn''t supposed to see her not until she''s done with her matters but it was Travis who invited him to have lunch with them, saying he''s got something they should talk about. But Stefan knew that it was just his friend being considerate of his feelings for being away from his wife.


    On the way there, he asked Chris to buy a cake knowing that Cayenne loves sweets.


    Back in Hacienda de Amore, Cayenne was helping Jillyanna cook. At first, Jillyanna didn''t want Cayenne to work because she''s a guest but Cayenne insisted. So, the two of them worked in the kitchen harmoniously. The cookies they made earlier were set aside for the moment inside the cookie jars for everyone to eat whenever they like it.


    Travis came down with his son and daughter; and he saw this scene. He took a picture of them and sent a message to Stefan to have lunch since both of their wives were cooking.


    "I just noticed. Do you usually cook for your family? Or does everyone cook?" Cayenne asked becausest time when there was a gathering, it was Jillyanna and her family who cooked as well. The helpers were just assisting them.


    Jillyanna season her dish with salt and pepper before answering her question. "Before, Travis would always cook for me even after I gave birth. After some time, he allowed me to do little work and cooking is one of them. So, I started cooking again. And whenever there''s asion or gathering, as long as we''re healthy and doing fine, we will cook for our food. Our helpers can take it easy during those times. And almost all of us can cook so, as long as someone''s not busy, our helpers will have a little bit of rest time during work."


    "How do you manage them?" Cayenne asked again. "I mean, we took in few helpers recently and I am not really sure how to manage them. I can''t have my husband deal with them all the time as well. I''d feel very useless if that happens."


    "As for the helpers¡­" Jillyanna told Cayenne what she''s been doing and how she managed a lot of helpers in the hacienda and back at her own house. They didn''t like calling them servants because it would bring down someone''s self-esteem. A helper sounds better than it and ites with a dignity that you''ve helped someone.


    They were having a serious conversation while cooking when Cayenne suddenly turned around. "Darling? You''re here." Instead of scolding him why he showed up all of a sudden, Cayenne forget all about that. Seeing her husband, she could only smile and ran into his warm embrace.

 Chapter 442 - DIANA FIGURED IT OUT

    <h4>Chapter 442 - DIANA FIGURED IT OUT</h4>


    Stefan hugged his wife happily and kissed her temple again and again. He was so happy to see her in flesh and blood. "I missed you so much."


    Cayenne chuckled and kissed his face. "I missed you, too." She pulled away from him and looked at him for few seconds. "You''re doing better this time."


    "Hn. I managed to hold on. If Travis didn''t invite me for lunch, I don''t know what could''ve happened to me."


    "You''re exaggerating again." She pushed his chest while keeping a bright smile. "By the way, I''m still cooking with Jill so, you stay in the living room."


    "Thankfully, you still remember me and your dish. I thought you''dpletely forget us after your husband showed up." Jillyanna eximed teasingly while holding a spat. "How did you know he''s arrived by the way?"


    "Don''t ask me about that." Cayenne waved her hands several times to dismiss this question but Stefan was also curious how she knew that he came. Base on his knowledge, Travis wouldn''t tell her about his arrival and Jillyanna wouldn''t do it as well. And he was right. But how did she know? "Just ask me anything but this."


    "Why?" Both Jillyanna and Stefan asked at the same time. They really wanted to know how.


    Cayenne blushed under their curious gazes and her face was starting to feel really hot. Her forehead was even dotted with sweats. "Howe you be gossipy all of a sudden?" She returned a question which stumped the two for words. Jillyanna went back to cooking and Stefan handed the box of cake to his wife. "What''s this?"


    "For dessert." He coughed twice and leaned to kiss the tip of her nose. "I''ll be at the living room but don''t think you''ll get away with my question." He whispered and left the kitchen to give the two women some space.


    Cayenne didn''t really want to answer that question though. If she answers it, he will surely think she''s a pervert.


    The two of them continued to cook for lunch while she tried her best to figure out some excuses for Stefan.


    Meanwhile, Diana Rule was getting more and more fixated on Cayenne. She didn''t know why but she believed that she''s getting closer to the answer about her auntie. But if her conjectures were right, her grandfather was bound to be disappointed because Cayenne''s mother was dead.


    In front of her was aptop showing all kinds of information that she was able to get using just a single picture of her. If Stefan was bold enough to take pictures of her for investigation, she was also able to do the same. She first uploaded the picture on herptop and searched in a browser using the picture. Several photos of Cayenne showed up and she knew that she was on the right track. She found her name and using that she searched for more information since she''s considered a public figure after marrying Stefan.


    Sadly though, she met a dead end. The only information she could find were the details from Cayenne''s social media ount. There wasn''t many news rted to her.


    "Are they just simr or is there any connection?" Diana mumbled while scrolling through Cayenne''s social media ount. There were so many photos of her and her brothers. There were photos of her and Stefan as well. There were just so many things in her profile but she couldn''t find any picture of her mother. "Let''s keep scrolling." She told herself while scrolling down and down, down and down for several minutes, checking pictures after pictures in her ount.


    When she was just about to give up, she saw a picture of Cayenne in a silver dress, raising a ss of wine while holding on to her husband. But it wasn''t the dress that caught her attention, or the wine or her sweet smile. It was her earrings. It was a pair of amethyst heart-shaped earrings with small diamonds iid on the sides of the heart. She couldn''t be wrong.


    Diana jumped down from her bed and picked up herptop. She ran out of her room and looked for her grandfather. Only he could verify if the earring was the real thing or not.


    "Stop running down the hallway." Artemis told her sister when she almost bumped into her. "What''s gotten into you?"


    "Where''s grandpa?" Diana asked.


    "He''s in the living room. He''s ¨C" before she could finish, her sister already ran past her. Instead of running down the staircase, she sat on the wooden banister and slid down from the second floor to the ground floor. It was a dangerous thing to do but to her, it was just a child''s y. Shended on her steady feet and walked towards her grandfather.


    "Excuse me for suddenly disturbing your conversation." She bowed her head lightly towards the man who was talking to Jean Nikko Rule. "Grandpa, can you give me a minute of your time? I''d like you to check on this." She ced theptop in front of her grandfather and erged Cayenne''s picture.


    "Who is she?"


    "She''s the one I told you about. I''ve ran into her a few times so, I decided to look into her background. Guess what I found?" she erged the picture and hovered her mouse to the earrings that Cayenne was wearing. "Is it grandmother''s earrings?"


    The old man raised his trembling hand to touch the picture on the screen. He felt nostalgic and at the same time, indignant to see that someone else was wearing this pair of items. "Get this woman here. Bring these earrings back to me."


    "Yes, grandfather." Diana took herptop back and left. The smile on her face widened as she slowly walked upstairs. "Hehehe. Even though you''re her daughter, grandpa will never ept you. I will still be his favorite girl." At first, she was worried that the old man was looking for Amethyst to give the inheritance but seeing that the woman was no longer around and that Cayenne wasn''t favored, she was ted at the very least. ''If she doesn''t want toe to us, I''ll help her. If she covet what''s mine, I''ll kill her."

 Chapter 443 - COINCIDENCE

    <h4>Chapter 443 - COINCIDENCE</h4>


    Stefan finally got the chance to spend time with his wife during lunch. Thomas also came home and joined them, having little funny conversation with everyone. Ever since Raizel was born, he was doing his best to live a healthy lifestyle. He didn''t have any frequent rpse due to his heart condition anymore. He also spends time with the farmers and his family instead of touring around the world all alone.


    Jade also shared some of the things she learned from the books that she was reading, gaining insights from her parents with regards to different things. The only one person who stayed silent was the little baby in Travis'' arms. He was looking at the people around him, as if he was taking note of their faces.


    Stefan was feeding him with his own food form while Jillyanna feed Travis from time to time. No matter where and when, their sweetness wouldn''t just fade.


    After lunch, Stefan left the hacienda reluctantly with Chris. He wanted to stay with his wife for few more minutes but he needed to go back to thepany by one in the afternoon.


    "Don''t worry about me. I''ll be meeting with dad in the afternoon. As soon as I''m done spending time with him, I''lle and get you." Cayenne promised again while seeing him off at the gate. She was also leaving to find her father in City D.


    "Take care of yourself and pay attention to your surroundings."


    "Hn." Cayenne waved her hand and watched the car leave the property. She turned back to Jillyanna and Travis to thank them as well. "I had fun today. Thank you so much for always weing me here."


    "Anytime." Jillyanna responded with a wink.


    "Waaaaaaiiiit!" Jade was running out from the kitchen with a jar of cookies in hand. She huffed and puffed in front of Jillyanna before giving the small jar to her. "This is thest jar of the cookies I made yesterday. Can you give this to brother Luiz?"


    "Sure."


    "It''s to say thank you for the souvenirs."


    Cayenne smiled and epted the small jar from the little girl. "He will be happy for sure." She gently pat Jade''s head and smiled at her. "I''m leaving now. See you next time."


    "Bye, auntie Yen. Take care always."


    "Bye."


    Cayenne waved her hands at the couple and to the children before getting inside the car to leave the ce. ''I have be a carrier for these two silly little buns.'' She stated without a slight hesitation. Calling her brother, a little bun, isn''t it too much? But in truth, their whole family still treated Luiz as a small child. Not really to the point that they''d be so strict on him because he''s young but they just like to baby him and spoil him a little.


    As soon as Cayenne left, Jillyanna whistled and two young women, probably around eighteen years old, jumped down from nowhere andnded in front of her.


    "What is it, young miss?"


    Jillyanna handed them a picture of Diana first. "Don''t let this woman approach Cayenne." She pulled out another picture and showed it to them. It was Artemis. "Thisdy will be attending Trine Elite University, make sure that she couldn''t approach Luiz, Ethan and Jade."


    "Yes, young miss."


    "That''s all. Decide which one of you will deal with which person. You don''t need to kill just hinder them."


    "Noted."


    Jillyanna held Jades hand and turned around to get inside the room. Travis pretended he didn''t see anything and just followed his wife and his daughter back into the house while carrying his son.


    Stefan had no idea about this. He didn''t know that Jillyanna cared so much for Cayenne, enough to make her deploy two assassins from the secret organization she joined before. She''s the senior student and next to her was Winter Avery. If their master perished, the next leader will be her. Thus, their teacher allowed her to employ these people on her own ord. Jillyanna can use them at her will.


    Cayenne traveled for almost two hours to City D. Thankfully, there wasn''t any traffic so she arrived pretty quickly. She didn''t want to meet her father in his home where people who dislike her mother live. She even requested for them to meet alone, which means Ingrid couldn''te and see her this time.


    "Is she angry at me?" Ingrid asked her husband when she found out that he''s meeting with Cayenne alone in a nearby caf¨¦.


    Reuben caressed her head and smiled at her. "Cayenne must have asked to meet with me alone in order to protect your heart. This must be something about her mother and she didn''t want you to feel out of ce during the conversation."


    "Is that so? Then, invite her toe over for dinner."


    "I don''t think that''s possible."


    "Why?" Reuben kept quiet, looking for the right words to say but Ingrid also realized the reason why Cayenne wouldn''te at all. "It''s fine. I understand. Go on and send my regards to her."


    "Sure. Stay here. I''ll be right back."


    Ingrid watched her husband left their house with a heavy sigh. It was spelled clearly to her why Cayenne never once visited their house even after reuniting with her father. It was because, except for her and Reuben, Cayenne hated everyone else for separating her mother and father.


    Cayenne waited for her father in a caf¨¦ and was busy reading with the menu when she caught sight of someone. It was none other than the woman who made a ruckus during her visit to Stefan''spany yesterday. She turned to face on the other side of the caf¨¦, pretending she didn''t see them and just yed with the pen that she ced on the table.


    Because it was on the table, Stefan didn''t see his employee and the man she was with. If he saw them, he would certainly know who was pulling strings to make usations against his wife.


    Natsu bought his coffee and looked around to find a ce to sit but his caught sight of Cayenne, Jonas'' stepdaughter and Stefan''s wife. ''What is thisdy doing here?'' He thought to himself while thinking how far City A to City D was.

 Chapter 444 - SHES A VESSEL

    <h4>Chapter 444 - SHE''S A VESSEL</h4>


    Natsu pulled the woman beside him and they sat on the space which was quite far from Cayenne. "You''ve been working for Stefan for quite some time, right?" Natsu asked thedy beside him. "Have you ever heard if his wife knew someone from City D?"


    "How would I know? I didn''t pay any attention to her." The woman replied in disgust. "I hate women like her."


    "Oh?"


    Natsu smiled and continued to observe. Stefan''s ex-employee was also observing Cayenne not far from them. She, too, didn''t expect that she''d run into this enemy. She really hated her.


    "She''s not meeting with someone here, right? Going as far asing in this ce, she''s really bold. Did she think no one would know as long as she''s meeting the person far from City A?"


    "Who knows?" Natsu didn''t agree or disagree with her words but, he continue to feed her with negative emotions. "She might be here just to have a coffee."


    "That''s impossible."


    And as if to prove her theory true, Reuben arrived with a gift bag and gave it to Cayenne but they couldn''t hear anything they talked about because they''re quite far from them.


    "Hi, dad." Cayenne greeted him and received the gift from her father.


    Reuben kissed the top of her head and gently pat her back. "I''m so happy you''vee to initiate a meeting with me."


    "I''m sorry you couldn''t bring your wife with you."


    "It''s fine. She understands." Reuben replied with a faint smile. He called the waitress and ordered their drinks before facing his daughter once again. "So, what is it that you want to talk about?"


    "It''s about mom. Don''t you have any idea of her identity at all?" She asked directly, not nning to beat around the bush because she needed to save time.


    Reuben took a deep breath and looked outside the window ss. "I met your mom just like this. I saw her in a caf¨¦, crying her heart out. She said she was heartbroken but she didn''t tell me the reason why. I bought her a drink that time and we chatted just to help her feel at ease. After that meeting, I thought I wouldn''t see her again. When I passed by the caf¨¦, I saw her on that same seat, wearing the same sad expression. I thought it was all a coincidence and then, the next day it was the same. Day after day, while I was going to school, I always see her in the same caf¨¦. So, I told her to get up and go to the nearest park with me. Ever since that day, we got a little bit closer and closer and we fell in love."


    Cayenne was listening attentively but his father abruptly stopped and sighed. Their drinks arrived just in time as well so he took a break while recalling the past.


    "Would you like to talk in my car instead? I think it''s a little bit private and I don''t want anyone to hear about your mom."


    "S-sure. I don''t mind." Cayenne stood up. picked her bag and the gift before following her father out. Natsu and the woman followed them but not closely, making sure that they won''t alert the men that always follows Cayenne.


    Reuben opened the door for his daughter like a fine gentleman before getting to his own seat. He also helped her fastened her seatbelt like how he would for his wife. He didn''t get to spend so much time with her so, he would do everything he could even if it''s just a small thing.


    "To continue," Reuben took a sip of his drink and started to tell Cayenne the rest of the story. Two years, they spent two years together and never once did her mother brought Reuben home. It wasn''t until she got pregnant and carried Cayenne in her tummy for two months. "At that time, I wanted to meet her family to take responsibility for her but she refused. I don''t understand why she would refuse and she even told me to bring her to a far ce. Without really understanding her, I brought her home. That''s when my parents knew about you."


    "And they didn''t like it." Cayenne stated bluntly. She wasn''t hurts by these words anymore. She has already epted that not everyone can like you or ept your existence in this world. And she didn''t care about it. She just wanted to live her life with those people who cares for her and who epts her past, present and her future.


    "I''m sorry, I couldn''t protect you and your mom."


    "That''s fine." Cayenne nonchntly replied with a faint smile. "So, you never knew that her name was fake?"


    "I found out about it after we got separated. I never wanted to marry Ingrid but they threatened me with your lives. How could I have the heart to refuse when your mother was tied on a beam on top of an unfinished building? I married Ingrid and your mother broke up with me. She left. I tried my best to exin and to get her back but she already closed her heart to me."


    "So, you gave up?"


    "I didn''t want to give up at first but, the news broke out between people of higher social hierarchy that the only daughter of Jean Nikko Rule, the Princess of Dragon Empire as they called her, has run away from home. Her name was Amethyst Nile Rule. When I saw her picture, I felt really cold and deceived. And then, my parents knew about her identity. After separating me from her and getting me married to someone else, they wanted me to get a divorce to get back your mother. I''m not stupid? I know that they only wanted her because she was a better connection to getting more riches."


    "And so, you refused this time." It wasn''t a question but a statementing from his daughter. "You didn''t want to get us back because you didn''t want us to be used by your family."


    "Yes."


    "But why didn''t you tell her family where she was? You knew that she was all alone now without you but you kept her whereabout a secret?"


    "No. I didn''t. Well, I didn''t intend to but your mother approach me once again for this matter. She didn''t want to go back home. She''d rather die in the woods than going back home. I was perplexed. I didn''t know why she''d refused to go home when she could just live there happily."


    "Did she tell you the reason?"


    "No." Reuben was shaking his head with a helpless expression. "Up until now, I couldn''t understand why she refused to go back. After she begged me to never let anyone know of her location, she begged Ingrid as well. In exchange of this secret, she wouldn''t bother us anymore."


    ''So, that is why she didn''t want me to know anything about my father. She thought that I''d be bothering them which means she''s breaking her promise.'' Cayenne never thought of this thing before but now, things were making sense to her.


    "Dad, just forget about mom. Start over with Ingrid because she gave you freedom from the impending pain."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Mother didn''t just run away from home without reason. She wanted to live. She wanted to live, have her own family and grow old. Because if she stayed with the Rule family, you wouldn''t have met her or she wouldn''t have given birth to me. If she stayed with them, she will only have a short life because she was meant to die as a vessel to her mother''s heart."

 Chapter 445 - FATHER-DAUGHTER TIME

    <h4>Chapter 445 - FATHER-DAUGHTER TIME</h4>


    Reuben was bbergasted with this news. After the surprise came the bursting anger, the pain and the regret. He was angry to himself for not knowing anything about. He gave her up because he didn''t want her to be used. It was all his idea. He didn''t ask for her opinion and he didn''t try understanding her.


    "That''s not a good joke, sweetheart." Reubenmented after a while. "How could her family do that?"


    Cayenne took out a sh drive from her bag and gave it to her father. "Here''s all the information about her. You can read it at home."


    Reuben received the small item with obvious fear. Leaving Emerald and their daughter wad the biggest mistake he made in the past that he didn''t want to recall. And now, hot potato was being ced right in front of him and an additional pain will be seen once he reads the content of the sh drive. He didn''t like the feeling at all.


    "Sweetie, are you taking revenge on me for leaving you?"


    "Huh?" Cayenne was stunned at first and didn''t know what he was talking about. It took her a full minute to realize what her father meant with his words. "Dad, I don''t hold grudges. Although I hated you in the past, I have let go of that negative emotions. If I look back in to my life, I didn''t really grow up without a father. I''m not doing this to take revenge on you. I just want you to know the truth because I still consider as family."


    "Yen, I know that my apologies won''t change the past and wouldn''t bring us together anymore but, I''m really sorry for everything. You can say that I''m a spineless coward and I wouldn''t retort that. I really regretted my decision up until now."


    "Dad, don''t. Don''t dwell on it. If you keep thinking about mama and me, isn''t it a p to your wife''s face? Ingrid will be hurt."


    "I know."


    Cayenne shifted her position and looked at the road in front of them. Many people were passing by and they had beautiful smiles on their faces while conversing with their friends or colleagues. Cayenne missed those time when she was able to do these things with her friends.


    "You know what dad, Ingrid isn''t a bad person. It''s true that she was selfish to have you for herself whichter on made your and her elders arranged the marriage. She was blinded by her love for you. But in the end, even though she was hurting, she still helped her rival. She helped her rival''s daughter and she kept watch of them. Even though you hated her so much, she still tried her best to smile at you. Even though you don''t want to have a child with her, she didn''t make a fuss about it. She knew that in exchange for her love, she will get the cold and ruthless version of you but she didn''t make anyment about it. She did her best to live up until now because she wanted to be at your side even if you don''t like her. And I felt so bad for her. But I''m also d that you two are doing great. Don''t hurt her anymore. You hurt mom already. If you also hurt Ingrid, you will only push someone''s love away from you."


    "Don''t you hate her?"


    "I''m past that point already. I don''t want to keep hating other people. Hating someone needs energy and I need my energy for something else. Although, there are some people that I also hate up until now, they''re not that much."


    Reuben looked at his daughter who has grown over the years. He watched her grew from afar and watched her struggle just because he couldn''t approach them. He could only watch them and it was painful.


    Reuben looked away and blinked away the tears that were blurring his vision. He didn''t want to cry in front of his daughter. "Do you mind if we go to the mall? I have a mall here and it would be good if I can shop for you and your husband."


    "That''s not really necessary." Cayenne refused because she wanted to go and find her husband soon but looking at her father''s expression, she also didn''t have the right to leave him after she bombarded her with information. "Alright. Let''s go to the mall. It''s still early anyway."


    Reuben''s negative expression instantly vanished and he smiled. He started the engine and left the vicinity to go to the mall that he owned.


    "Did you capture everything?" Natsu asked the woman beside him who was holding the camera.


    "Yes."


    "Let''s go and follow them." They hailed a taxi and got in together. "Follow that car." Natsumanded and the taxi driver started driving without any questions.


    "Should I upload it now?" The woman questioned while looking at the photos on her phone. She''s really a good photographer. Cayenne and her father''s face were captured clearly.


    "Don''t upload it yourself. Stefan has many friends and they''d be able to trace it back to you. Let''s find a reporter and give the pictures to them."


    "O-okay."


    Natsu pinched the woman''s chin and made her face him. Despite having a third person, he kissed her and ignored the driver who saw them through the mirror.


    The nameless ex-employee wanted to stop it because there was the driver looking at them. However, Natsu was really good in kissing. She stopped struggling in his arms and responded to her.


    Climbing to higher ranks using bed skills? Isn''t that what she''d doing? Sadly, no one paid attention to their affair yet. They haven''t gotten to the point of having someone''s eyes on them.


    After almost ten minutes of driving, Cayenne and Reuben arrived at the mall with the guards following closely behind them. The guards greeted them as well as the salesdy. Almost everyone in City D knows Reuben as the owner of the threergest malls in their city plus the other branches located in different cities.


    Cayenne put on her shades and mask, and walked beside her father.


    Many people looked at them but they didn''t react extremely since they didn''t know who she was. They couldn''t recognize her.


    "Let''s buy you shoes. I noticed that you and your husband have a lot of shoes." Reuben stated which made his daughter blush.


    "You don''t know how much I tried to stop him from buying those things. Every single tine he sees a matching outfit for couple, from small trinkets and whatnot, he would just buy them. He spends so much money for these things."


    Reuben gently pat his daughter''s head with a smile on his face. "He loves you so much. I heard so many things about him in the past and I must say, I was really worried when you were linked together with him. I didn''t expect that you''d end up his wife."


    "I don''t know how things happened either. Everything happened so fast and I don''t know how we ended up with how we are today. I know it''s been months but I felt like, it''s been years since we''ve been together."


    "I''m d that he''s treating you well."


    "More than just ''well'' dad." Cayennemented which made the guards stifle theirughter. Whenever they left, these guards don''t look like guards at all. They''re not like those men in ck that you see on drama or anime. They would just wear casual clothes to blend in with the crowd. Before, it was always Erwin who stood out among them because he always wears suit and was very formal. Now, everyone was just very casual.


    Hearing the faintughtering behind them, Reuben raised his eyebrow in question. "What do you mean by that?"


    Cayenne stood in front of her father and pointed on the little head of a bear which was popping out of her blouse. She ced the pen between the second and third button of her blouse to hide the fact that it was a pen. "My husband sees everyone I am with." Cayenne mentioned.


    "He''s monitoring you?"


    Cayenne knew that his father didn''t mean anything bad with his words but she felt it sounded weird when it reached her ears and she turned defensive for her husband without thinking too much about it. "I won''t say he''s monitoring or that he''s being controlling although I''d agree that my husband is very possessive. Even so, we''re doing this for safety purposes."


    "Why are you being defensive for him? Reuben question which made his daughter blush again. "Though, I''m d that he''s putting your safety as his priority. By the way, can this record our conversation?"


    She wanted to say ''Yes'' but remembering her father''s expression when they talked earlier, she couldn''t tear off his pride down. She didn''t have the heart to do so. "It can''t record our voices." She lied.


    Reuben nodded but his face held a disappointed expression. "I wanted to say a thing or two for your husband but since he couldn''t hear it, let''s forget about it."

 Chapter 446 - LAW OF ATTRACTION

    <h4>Chapter 446 - LAW OF ATTRACTION</h4>


    When they finished shopping, the bodyguards, for the very first time were holding several shopping bags that contains Cayenne''s things. Before, it was always Stefan who would bring her items while the guards would bring Stefan''s or everyone else''s items.


    "Where shall we go next?" Reuben asked his daughter but Cayenne was shaking her head this time. "You don''t want to spend time with me anymore?"


    "Dad, it''s not that I don''t want to spend time with you but this is really too much. My bodyguards will have sore arms while carrying these things to the parking lot."


    "They''re not heavy at all. And your guards are strong." Reubenmented. "You can be honest with me, you know."


    "Ah? What do you mean dad?"


    "You can just tell me that you want to leave and find your husband."


    Cayenne chuckled awkwardly having her inner thoughts exposed but she can''t really lie again to her father. She lied earlier already. "Dad, how about youe to our house on Wednesday? I''d cook for you and Ingrid. We can spend the whole day at home."


    "Really?"


    "Hn."


    "Ingrid will be happy to hear this news. Make sure that you won''t forget this. We will surelye to see you."


    Since she made a promise to have them visit her house, Cayenne and Reuben stopped shopping anymore and just decided to call it a day.


    The guards brought all the shopping bags to the back of the car and Cayenne got inside as well. "Dad, thank you so much for seeing me today. I really had a great time. And thank you for the things you bought for us. My husband will be very happy to see them."


    Even without seeing them yet, Stefan was already smiling from ear to ear when he was watching them shop. He wasn''t happy because Reuben chose expensive items or that Reuben bought lots of gifts. What made him happy was that they''re all matching outfits. The only thing which wasn''t a couple outfit was the three dresses he bought for Cayenne but Stefan knew he''d be able to find something to pair with it from his closet.


    "I''m d that you came to find me, too. Although, I''m hoping that next time, you''lle and visit our home instead of meeting in a caf¨¦."


    "I''ll try to do that."


    "Hn. Take care of yourself and let me know once you''ve arrived safely to your husband."


    "Yes, dad. Thank you so much. I''ll see you next time."


    Cayenne kissed her father''s cheek before closing the door of the car.


    Not far from them, Natsu was watching with his new fling which was Stefan''s ex-employee. The two of them have taken a lot of pictures without anyone noticing them. Well, it''s not that no one noticed them. The woman that Jillyanna assigned to follow Cayenne was able to see everything but since she wasn''t told to do anything except for that woman named Diana, she didn''t intercept these two fools lurking around Cayenne.


    In any case, she knew that whatever these two were nning, it will bite them back ten folds.


    Cayenne checked the time and found out that it was almost five in the afternoon and it was traffic, too. She turned off the pen and called Stefan with her phone instead.


    "Miss me?" Stefan questioned the moment he picked up the phone and answered her call. His confidence was brimming.


    "I am but I will bete. I''m caught in a traffic."


    "I have expected that." Stefan responded but he wasn''t disappointed since he knew that his wife had a great time and she was safe as well. "How about we eat dinner outside? We haven''t done that in a while."


    "Right. We''ve been too caught up with a lot of things. You pick a ce and I''ll just go there directly."


    "Sure." Stefan browsed on hisptop to find a restaurant that they could dine. "There''s a restaurant in City B named Faria. It''s a nice restaurant and many celebrities like to go there as well. This must be worth a try. Let''s meet there. I have made a reservation for us already."


    "Okay. I''ll head out directly to that ce. I''ll see youter."


    "Hn. I''ll see you."


    The call ended so Cayenne turned on the pen once again for Stefan to see where she was at. Since he couldn''t really keep bringing hisptop, Stefan opened the app that Shein installed on his phone. In that way, he can still see where she was through his phone.


    He picked up his coat and keys and left the office after locking it. "I''ll be heading out first. Once you''re done with work, you can go home as well. No need to work overtime."


    "Yes, boss." Elena answered.


    Chris didn''t say anything but his fingers were dancing across his keyboard. He was typing faster than usual while keeping his eyes on the time. He was counting the minutes to the end of this shift.


    "This is so unfair." Elena muttered to herself while watching her boss leave so early and Chris who was also trying to finish his work as soon as he can. Obviously, they were rushing time because they have a date waiting for them.


    And since she''s single, every time shees home, she would only watch k-drama or anime, or sing or dance to a BTS song. There wasn''t a date waiting for her.


    Elena sat back on her chair and continued to work. She wanted to finish her work for the day and go home as soon as possible. "Hmp! Soon. I will have a boyfriend and we will go on dates, too. Just wait and see." She arranged the documents for tomorrow and finalized Stefan''s schedule. "C''mon. Law of attraction, where are you now? I want a boyfriend so attract a kind man toe and find me. Law of attraction. Law of attraction don''t be selfish."


    "What are you muttering?" Chris questioned her who was standing right beside her. "It''s time to go home. You finish that up and go home as well."


    Elena just nodded her head while pursing her mouth. Her mind was still urging thew of attraction toe and find a boy for her. Is that even how it works?

 Chapter 447 - DINNER DATE

    <h4>Chapter 447 - DINNER DATE</h4>


    Stefan left in a hurry because he wanted to get to the restaurant. He didn''t want his wife to arrive first before him and had to wait. It would be better if he waits for her.


    He looked for a flower shop first and bought a bouquet of pink roses. He wanted to give her tulips but it was sold out already and most flower shops were close already and there wasn''t much time left.


    "I hope she will still like this." Stefan muttered before getting inside his car to continue driving to City B. Since he was nearer to the ce and knew a short cut to avoid traffic jam, Stefan get there within thirty minutes.


    He fixed his tie and his suit, checked his hair and face in the mirror and sprayed his perfume a little. After making sure that everything''s alright, he got out of his car and went inside the restaurant.


    A handsome man like him will surely get the attention of most women and to top it all, he was Stefan Dumrique, who''s known throughout the city. Bringing a bouquet of flowers, surely, he''s on a date but he still needs to wait for his wife.


    Fifteen minutester, Cayenne arrived to the restaurant''s vicinity and turned off the pen. She ced it inside her bag before getting inside the restaurant.


    "Good evening, ma''am. Do you have any reservation?" the waitress greeted and asked while leading Cayenne inside.


    "Yes, I have. It''s with Mr. Dumrique."


    "This way please." The waitress led her to the second floor where the VIP tables were ced.


    Cayenne looked around the surrounding and nodded her head in internal agreement. She could understand why many celebrities like the ce and why it has amazing reviews.


    Faria restaurant was named after the daughter of the owner of the restaurant. It was a magnificent ce with lush of bamboo trees surrounding it. There were many lights littered around to give off an enchanting aura for diners. The tables and chairs were made of woods and most of the furniture or decorations were made of woods. It was abination of modern and antique style.


    From the second floor, you can see the surroundings better. The artificial sakura trees were blooming to its fullest as it was gazing to the faint light of the moon. The bamboos were swaying from left to right, bending over but not breaking. There was a fish pond with many koi fishes swimming, unting their beautiful scales to the diners.


    There was a faint sound of fluteing off from the speakers around the ce and the you could feel that you''re from an aristocrat, listening to a flute during thete dynasty of China. It feels really amazing.


    When she arrived at the reserved table, her eyes instantly lit up when she saw her husband. A picturesque background and a handsome man with beautiful flowers in hand ¨C truly an amazing piece.


    Cayenne took out her phone and took a quick snapshot before putting it back inside her bag.


    "I''m d you''ve arrived safely." Stefan pulled her close and kissed her face. "I saw you taking picture of me." He whispered which made Cayenne smile. "


    "I wasn''t really taking it secretly. I''ll show it to youter. Have you been waiting too long?"


    "Nope. I just got here." Even though he arrived fifteen minutes earlier than her, he didn''t tell her about it. "Flowers for you. I couldn''t find any tulips for you so, I thought of getting this bouquet of pink roses."


    "Thank you." Cayenne epted it happily but she suddenly frowned. ''Hold up!'' she told herself internally. ''Is there any special asion today?'' she racked her brain to think carefully but she couldn''t remember anything special that should be celebrated with a fine dining experience plus a bouquet of flowers.


    In the end, she still decided to ask. "Why are you giving me flowers? Is there anything special that needs to be celebrated today?"


    Stefan grinned seeing her anxious expression but he didn''t tease her this time. "I''ll give you flowers even if there''s no asion that needs to be celebrated."


    Cayenne breathed a sigh of relief after knowing this fact and could finally smile in front of him once again. "I really thought there''s something I forgot. Thankfully, I was wrong. How''s your day, by the way?"


    "It''s dull. It''s ck and white without you."


    "Don''t be exaggerated." Cayenne chuckled while flipping through the pages of the menu. "Do you want me to order for you or do you want to order for us?"


    "I can order for both of us this time."


    "Okay." Cayenne put down the menu and watched her husband choose the dishes instead.


    "Why are you staring at me?" Stefan asked without looking at her. He was feeling conscious now that his wife was looking at him openly.


    "Are you embarrassed?"


    "Of course, not."


    "Really?"


    "What naughty thought do you have in mind?"


    "Nothing." Cayenne said nothing but she didn''t stop staring at him. "I missed you." She muttered softly, not intending for him to hear but Stefan just so-happen to look up to her and read the words from her lips.


    The tips of his earlobe turned red and he was blushing.


    ''Eh? He''s blushing?'' Cayenne seemed to have found a new hobby and a way to tease him. At the same time, she''s reluctant to tease him. If she does it, he might tease her back and she will surely lose her ground.


    "What are you thinking?" Stefan leaned over and flicked her forehead. "If you don''t want me to tease you back, don''t start it."


    "I''m not going to do it." Cayenne raised her left hand in surrender while she rubbed her forehead with the other. "I can''t afford myself to tease you." She pouted her lips while looking at him and at the table between them. The menu was gone as well as the waitress who stood beside at the side of the table earlier. "You''re done ordering our food?"


    "When you were spacing out, I''ve ordered already."


    Cayenne grinned before giving her a yful flying kiss. Seeing his flushed face, she really wanted to tease him more.

 Chapter 448 - A SUDDEN CHANGE

    <h4>Chapter 448 - A SUDDEN CHANGE</h4>


    While the two of them spent some quality time together, other people were spending quality time to destroy them as well. Diana already prepared her n to deal with Cayenne. She''s got so many ns in mind depending on which route will Cayenne choose.


    In their family, they were trained not just to be a finedy, elegant with aristocracy but, they were also trained to be ruthless and cold. She grew up in a cold environment where even families can be ughtered if they won''t follow the rules. She was walking on egg shells and the day has finallye.


    It would be easy to kill her grandfather but she didn''t want that to happen. Everyone in their organization and business trades still recognized him as the head of the empire, if he suddenly dies, they will be the first suspect. She can''t deal with too much attention on them. So, all she could do was the cleanest and fastest way ¨C make sure that Cayenne won''t fight for the inheritance.


    She didn''t want to kill her, too since they''re blood-rted and since Cayenne didn''t really do anything but if she covets what''s not hers, Diana has no qualms in slitting her throat.


    Well, that is if, she can approach Cayenne. She has no idea that if she tries to harm her, she will be killed in an instant.


    On the other hand, Natsu was looking at the pictures that his new lover took earlier. There were so many pictures of Cayenne with the other man and the more he looked at Cayenne, something was stirred deep within him. Her small face, the sparkle in her eyes, the sweet smile; everything about her makes his heart race.


    "Why didn''t I know that you''re this beautiful?" Natsu whispered while scrolling the pictures. "Tainted. You''re tainted." He said with slightly hooded eyes. There was a soft glow in his face and a faint smile on his lips. These rapid changes, it was something that no one has calcted at all; not even Travis or Jillyanna has seen thising. No one has prepared for this.


    Natsu left the love hotel where they stayed on his own. He didn''t bother waking up the woman who was still sleeping naked on the bed. He no longer needed her. He can find someone else to do things for him.


    "Do you mind if we''ll have some wine?" Stefan asked Cayenne about it knowing that she''s got a low alcohol tolerance. He didn''t want her to get drunk.


    "I don''t mind to have a little amount of wine. We can just ask one of the guards to drive the car instead of you driving it."


    "Okay."


    Stefan called the waitress once again and ordered some red wine for both of them.


    And speaking of the guards, not only Stefan and Cayenne caught the attention of the other diners but their guards as well. It was mentioned that where they ate, the guards will also be eating in that ce, surrounding them with extra vignce. Now, the same thing has happened in Faria.


    Stefan didn''t book them a reservation on the second floor of the VIP room but the guards chose their own seats ording to where the master and madam''s location.


    Faria was known as a spot for dating because of its romantic ambiance. Seeing the burly men, eating nonchntly with another burly man, many of the diners felt weird. Most of the customers were couples and these big men were theplete opposite. They were just eating and chatting while looking around the ce. They didn''t look awkward at all.


    ''Faria will probably attract more customers because of these men.'' The restaurant manager thought to himself while watching the guards eat. He didn''t know who started the rumor about their ce being a space for lovers which really affected their business. Although they like the feeling of being one of a kind where people make reservations for their dates and all, they still wanted to have normal customers like the guards. The kind of customers who didn''t exude the aroma of love and sweetness.


    Having seen many couple day after day, anyone can feel envy. They didn''t like that feeling so they wanted to have normal customers who can make them feel that their restaurant is just a normal restaurant that other people can visit even if they''re with their friends or family; not just lovers.


    As promised, Stefan didn''t drive the car after dinner. One of the guards drove it for him while he and Cayenne sat at the backseat. He felt safe and alive when she''s with him and he started to rx while holding her hand.


    "Wifey, do you have any ns tomorrow?"


    "Yup. In the morning, I wille and visit Justin''s home to see the kids. In the afternoon, I will be visiting Jillyanna to learn some self-defense moves from her. In the evening, I will be spending my time with you. On Sunday, you can have me to yourself alone."


    "Why are you busier than me?" Stefan lightly pinched her face before kissing it. "Don''t tire yourself too much. You have to rest as well."


    "I can rest at night with you." She shifted on her seat and turned to her side to face him. "Hubby, do you want toe with me tomorrow afternoon?"


    "Why not the whole day?"


    "Don''t be greedy." Cayenne kissed his cheek and smile. "Let''s go and meet with Jillyanna tomorrow afternoon, okay?"


    "Can we have lunch together before going to their house?"


    "Sure. I don''t really mind."


    Cayenne wrapped her hands around his waist and hugged him. To give her better position, Stefan pulled her up and had her sit on hisp. "I''m going to sleep for a bit." Cayenne whispered and wrapped her hands around his neck as she pressed her face on his chest. "The sound of your heartbeat is very rxing."


    "It''s because I''m rxed whenever I''m with you."


    Cayenne closed her eyes and inhaled his scent, falling asleep in his arms. She didn''t really want to sleep but she was nning to prank him next month. The preparation for her prank already started when they went on a family tripst time. ''I hope he won''t get mad.''

 Chapter 449 - TEASING HER IN THE SHOWER

    <h4>Chapter 449 - TEASING HER IN THE SHOWER</h4>


    When they arrived home, Cayenne also woke up. Stefan was nning to carry her upstairs but she didn''t want to tire him even more.


    "You can put me down." Cayenne told him and Stefan did as she said. Cayenne took the cookie jar and brought inside while the guards carried the things that Cayenne''s father shopped for her. "We''re home." Cayenne announced their arrival upon entering their house.


    Jonas and Luiz were in the living room, ying chess while Kyle watch on the sideline. Erwin was facing his phone, chatting with someone overseas.


    "Wee home." Kyle greeted his sister and brother-inw first.


    "Wee back." Luiz and Jonas said at the same time without looking towards Cayenne. They were so serious while looking at the chess board.


    Cayenne rolled her eyes and walked toward them, handing the jar to Luiz. "That''s from Jade."


    "Oh. Thank you. I''ll send a message to herter." Luiz took the jar of cookies and continued to y with his father.


    Cayenne and Stefan didn''t bother them as well and just walked upstairs to their room. "Do you want to shower together?" Stefan asked, hoping they would since they showered together this morning. However, Cayenne shook her head in refusal. "You don''t want to?" The trace of disappointment lingered in his voice.


    "I don''t want to do anything extreme tonight. I feel really sleepy."


    Hearing her response, Stefan smiled and suddenly scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom. "We won''t do anything extreme tonight."


    He said they won''t do anything extreme but he didn''t say that he won''t do anything. When Cayenne realized it, it was toote. Her husband yed her with words again.


    She was leaning on the wall with the warm shower falling on them. Stefan was thrusting himself in and out of her core, gently and slowly pushing himself into her deep crevice. It was even more difficult to stay sane at this point.


    Cayenne wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. "Don''t be so slow, idiot." Cayenne mumbled in a dazed state.


    "Can''t do anything extreme."


    "You''ll sleep outside if you won''t keep going at this pace."


    Her threaten worked really well and Stefan moved a little bit faster this time. It was fast and deep strokes, sending her to the edge of bliss and pulling her back to earth. Every time she wanted to release herself, he''d suddenly slow down and gave her shallow thrusts. She was about to go insane.


    Cayenne felt aggrieved and pped his back. "Why are you teasing me this way? I didn''t even tease you."


    "You didn''t?"


    "I didn''t."


    "You did."


    "No, I didn''t." She closed her eyes and bit her lower lips when Stefan hit her good spots. He was doing it slowly to tease her again. "If you won''t give me release, I won''t see you in a week."


    Stefan decided to take things seriously now and didn''t tease her anymore. He caressed her chest with her tongue, licking and sucking on them until she cried in ecstasy. She was throbbing all around him, mping onto his shaft while they kissed.


    After the shower, Cayenne was standing in front of him with her arms crossed. Stefan was holding her clothes and was helping her change while she still sulked. "You yed with your words."


    "I didn''t."


    "Stop denying it."


    "I was just using the loophole from your sentence."


    "So, it''s my fault?"


    "Nope. It''s my fault."


    "Good." Cayenne raised her arms so that he can put on her blouse. "You''re very cheeky." Shemented while Stefan buttoned up her silk blouse.


    "I wasn''t."


    "Right. You were not. You are only shameless."


    "But wifey, you''re the one who asked me to go ¨C"


    "Sshh! Don''t say it."


    "Why not? It was really you ¨C "


    "It was really your imagination."


    "It was?"


    "Yes."


    "But I clearly hear you say ¨C"


    Cayenne stood on her toes and kissed his lips to shut his mouth. "I didn''t say anything so, forget what you have imagined, okay?"


    "But ¨C"


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him and kissed him again. "You can just tell me you want to be kissed, alright. You don''t have to mention those nonsense things."


    Stefan''s grin widened as he got what he wanted. "Can I have another kiss?"


    "Such an insatiable beast." Cayenne whispered before kissing him again, with tongue, saliva and all. They just kissed in the bathroom and now in the bedroom. The two of them kissed until their lungs hurt for theck of oxygen.


    "Practice makes perfect." Stefanmented as he pulled away from her. "I should teach you another thing."


    "I don''t want to." Cayenne instantly turned around and climbed up to their bed but Stefan took hold of her ankle. "Darling, you did me twice already tonight. Don''t tell me you''re not satisfied yet?"


    Stefan wanted to say yes but he knew she couldn''t take it anymore so he denied it. "You forgot to put your night cream and other stuff." In the end, this was what he said.


    "But I am so tired already."


    "Give me the names and I''ll apply them for you."


    Cayenne gave her the items she needed for her skin care and Stefan picked them up from her vanity table. She was already lying on their bed. "Just read the directions." She told him and Stefan did. One after another, he ced the right amount on his finger before putting it on her face.


    He was gently applying the items and he was done, Cayenne was already sound asleep. Stefan watched her sleeping face and smile. He still couldn''t get over his happiness that he found her. After making sure that he didn''t forget anything, he got under the nket and moved closer to his wife, hugging her to sleep just like always.


    Stefan has always dream of his brother''s death in front of him but when she came to his life, it''s very seldom that he dreams but tonight was an exception. Although he was dreaming of his brother once again, it was no longer unpleasant. He no longer sees him in a puddle of blood.


    This time, in his dream, Alexander was still the same young Alexander but he was smiling at him. He was happily waving his hand at him, telling him to leave his life to the fullest. It was just a dream but it meant so much to Stefan.

 Chapter 450 - TALK ABOUT DREAMS [Bonus ]

    <h4>Chapter 450 - TALK ABOUT DREAMS [Bonus ]</h4>


    The next day, Stefan woke up earlier than Cayenne. There was a faint smile on his lips while staring into space. Several deep embedded thorns have been lifted from his heart. He can finally breathe with no hindrance and he felt even more alive after that dream. He got off the bed and went to the bathroom to wash his face, having the urge to cook for his wife this time.


    He wasn''t sure if it was his older brother''s soul showing up in his dream or it was just his subconscious making things up but as long as it wasn''t the bloody puddle, he was satisfied with his dream.


    Cayenne stirred in her sleep and moved closer to where her husband should be sleeping but her hand touched an empty ce. She opened up her eyes in an instant and looked around.


    Stefan heard the faint but quick steps from the bedroom so, he looked outside the bathroom only to see Cayenne''s flustered and panic-stricken face. This was really a shock to him. Usually, she gets up early and go downstairs to make breakfast for them. Recently, she would even leave him alone in their room. Seeing her expression was really surprising for Stefan.


    "Wifey, I''m here." Stefan called for her attention because she was about to go out of their room. "Are you alright?"


    Cayenne found him standing at the door of the bathroom, holding a toothbrush in his hand. She immediately calmed her face and smiled at him. "I''m fine. I was¡­I was just¡­I was wondering where you went to."


    Stefan tilted his head and wanted to probe but he decided to let it go this time. "Do you still want to go back to sleep or do you want to brush your teeth and make breakfast with me?"


    "If I go to sleep again, will you stay beside me?"


    "Sure. Let me just finish this."? Stefan went back inside the bathroom and brushed his teeth quickly. It''s not always that Cayenne shows her clingy side. He would indulge her no matter what she wants. He came out of the bathroom and instead of going to the kitchen, he came back to the bedroom to apany her to sleep. "What time do you want to leave today and visit the children?"


    "Tell Justin that we can leave by nine in the morning. It''s still seven in the morning so, give me another hour of sleep, okay?"


    "Okay." Cayenne nuzzled closer to him and clutched on his shirt. Stefan knew that something''s wrong with her but she didn''t want to say it. "Darling, I dreamed of my brotherst night but it wasn''t a bad dream."


    "I dreamed of your mother, too." Cayenne whispered.


    "My mom?" This was another surprise to Stefan early in the morning. "How did you even dream of her? I mean you''ve never met her so, it was kind of surprising to me."


    Cayenne didn''t want to sleep anymore and just cuddle with him. "That''s why I was so bothered by it. It''s true that I didn''t have the chance to meet her but I''ve seen her pictures, heard her story and I have visited her grave. My brain just conjured things up and I don''t like it."


    "What exactly happened in your dream?"


    "Your mother said she missed you and took you away while I was busy. And when I woke up, you weren''t here beside me. I thought it really happened."


    Stefan covered his mouth while stopping his faintughter froming out. He didn''t want tough at her for being silly but her expression was really funny.


    "Honey, no one will take me away. It''s more possible that someone will take you away from me than me being taken away from you."


    "How could that be? Anyone who will take me away will suffer losses. I don''t think anyone in their right mind would do that." But she didn''t know that someone was really coveting her. "How about you, what was your dream all about?"


    "It''s not much. I just saw my brother back in the vi, ying with our toys and saying some important stuff to me. Then, he left."


    The two of them looked at each other and after few seconds they both burst into a heftyughter. Both being overwhelmed with their dreams and now, they''re just being silly.


    "I''m not sleepy anymore." Cayenne mentioned and kissed his chin.


    "More likely, you''re not afraid anymore."


    "That''s another thing, too." Cayenne nodded her head and got off the bed. "I''ll just brush my teeth. Wait for me."


    Stefan watched her walked to the bathroom and he couldn''t help shaking his head. She''s really quick to flip her mood. Thankfully, he quickly found out the sudden change of her mood. Well, it''s not surprising for him to notice it. After all, he''s been observing his wife for a long, long time now.


    Cayenne brushed her teeth and washed her face as quick as possible. She didn''t put anything on her face since they''ll be going to the kitchen.


    A sudden idea popped in her mind and she smiled while watching her husband who was busy with his phone, probably due to work again. She giggled with her thoughts but when Stefan looked at her, she only smiled. ''Hmp! You keep teasing me. Just wait for me to have my revenge. I will make sure to record it and show it to the world.''


    Stefan had no idea that his wife was already nning to make him pay for all the teasing he did. Though, even if he knows, he will wee her with open arms. After all, he can strike back at her as well.


    The two of them went down and saw Jonas having coffee in the living room while reading some news. "This is for you." Jonas handed Cayenne a small white envelope but there was no name of the sender.


    Cayenne frowned but she brought the letter to the kitchen anyway. "Who do you think sent me this?"

 Chapter 451 - THE LETTER

    <h4>Chapter 451 - THE LETTER</h4>


    Stefan and Cayenne stepped into the kitchen and found Lucia and her daughters working together. Justin was also helping them for onest time before he''d leave to go home.


    "Good morning, ma''am. Good morning, sir." They greeted in unison with great enthusiasm.


    "Morning." Stefan responded while Cayenne only smiled. "I''ll get you a ss of milk." Stefan helped his wife sat on a chair before preparing a warm milk for her.


    "Justin, can you get me the scissors please." Cayenne requested while looking at the letter in her hand. After receiving the scissors, she cut one side of the letter to get what''s inside the envelope. "Hmm?"


    "What is it?" Stefan asked not far from her. "Who sent it?"


    "My brother." She simply stated as she dialed Luiz'' number. "What''s the meaning of this? You make me feel nervous early in the morning."


    "What did I do? Shouldn''t you congratte me instead?"


    "Congratte your face! I was so nervous that I don''t have the mood to congratte you now."


    Hearing her words, Stefan picked up the letter and read it. Apparently, it was the admission letter that Luiz received from Trine Elite University after passing the entrance examination. Instead of telling his sister right away, he ced it on a letter and gave it to her.


    "Congrattions, Luiz." Stefan stated knowing that Cayenne''s phone will be able to pick up his voice. "I knew you can do it."


    "Thank you, brother-inw." Luiz responded not even sure if Cayenne put the call on a loud speaker or not.


    "Come down here this instant." Cayenne mumbled and ended the call. ''He made me nervous then, I''ll do the same.'' Cayenne put down her phone and drank the ss of milk that Stefan gave her. She crossed her arms across her chest and has an expression of displeasure across her chest.


    Stefan knew that she was only pretending so, he didn''t say anything about it. He sat right beside her and waited for Luiz toe down.


    "Sis." Luiz called out for her even before getting to the kitchen. "Sis, sorry." Luiz directly apologized as soon as he saw her. "I didn''t mean to make you feel nervous. I just wanted to surprise you a little."


    Watching his anxious and regretful face, Cayenne couldn''t continue her acting anymore. A smile appeared on her face and she threw and apple to him. "Congrattions for passing."


    "You''re not upset?"


    "Why shold I be upset?" she chuckled and stepped down from her seat. Cayenne approached her brother and held his hands with hers. "I''m so proud of you. Mama must be happy to see your achievements, too."


    "It''s because you always supported us." Luiz responded and hugged his sister like how he used to. "Thank you so much for all your effort."


    "I''m d I''m able to support you." The two of them hugged for a while when Cayenne remembered something. "Speaking of letter, didn''t you tell me that there was a letter for me?"


    Luiz pulled away from his sister with a deep frown on his face. "A letter for you? When did I say that?"


    "You told me about it when Stefan and I came home from Italy."


    "Right!" Luiz jumped when realizing it, too. "I ced it on your drawer back in the apartment. Didn''t you see it?"


    "No, I didn''t."


    "You must have packed it along with everything in your drawer."


    "No, there wasn''t any letter when I packed my things. Well, there was a letter but it was the one I got from Jill over a year ago. I didn''t see anything new."


    "That''s weird." Luiz thought as hard as he could but he really remembered putting it on his sister''s drawer. "I''ll try to check my belongings. Maybe I remembered wrong. I''ll try to check for it."


    "O-okay. Thank you." Cayenne sat back once again to drink the remaining milk on her ss. "Do you remember who the sender was?"


    "There was no information but it was clearly addressed to you."


    "Why do I keep getting letters without the sender''s information?" Cayenne mumbled to herself.


    Stefan was worried of this, too. He pulled his wife close to her and gently rubbed her shoulders. "Don''t think too much about it. Anyway, since Lucia and her daughters are making our lunch, do you mind walking with me at the garden?"


    "Let''s go." Cayenne finished the milk and pulled her husband, leaving the kitchen to have a walk at their garden. Erwin was currently watering the flowers when the two of them came out.


    "Morning, young miss. Morning, sir Stefan."


    "Good morning, Erwin." Cayenne greeted while she walked hand-in-hand with her husband.? "How''s your new work? Have you adjusted to it already?"


    "Hn. It''s not so difficult as long as you get the jest of it. I''m actually enjoying it."


    "That''s good to know." Stefan responded to Erwin''sment. "Don''t take it to hard since you''ve got subordinates who can work with you. Well then, my wife and I will be strolling around."


    Erwin just nodded his head and watched them leave to walk around their house.


    The sun was bright and the sky was blue. It wasn''t showing any sign of iing rain. A new day, a new hope; Cayenne felt refreshed even though she hadn''t taken a bath yet.


    Outside their sweet and loving worlds, Cayenne''s name became the new trending once again. Pictures of her kissing another man, shopping with someone else and having coffee with someone else, all pictures from yesterday was uploaded on the website.


    ''Mr. Dumrique got cheated.''


    ''The affair of Mrs. Dumrique.''


    ''Mr. Montefalco and Mrs. Dumrique''s secret affair.''


    ''Cheating'', ''affari'', ''third-party'' and such was tarnishing Cayenne''s name while she was appreciating the beautiful day. She still had no idea of what was happening. Many people were scolding her on the and many of her followers and subscribers left. People cursed her without knowing the truth of the incident.


    As for Natsu, he only watched the news unfolding in front of him, not stopping and not adding anything either. He was just waiting for them to respond. ''That woman was really a great tool to expend. Even after I left her, she still continued to do this n.''

 Chapter 452 - CAYENNES AFFAIR

    <h4>Chapter 452 - CAYENNE''S AFFAIR</h4>


    After walking around for almost fifteen minutes, they took a rest at the porch for three minutes before getting inside the house once again.


    Jonas was still reading some news because he didn''t have any social media ount. He didn''t want to have one either. Beside him was Kyle who just woke up and came down to have coffee. He was obviously chatting with his girlfriend once again. As for Luiz, he was inside his room, rummaging through his belongings to see if he got Cayenne''s letter.


    Everyone was busy and no one was paying attention to the social media at all.


    Since Cayenne will be leaving together with Justin, she decided to take a shower and get prepared instead of wasting time. Stefan came back to their room with her but they didn''t shower together because they''d end up spending too much time if they would go in together.


    And because he couldn''t bath with her, he decided to choose her clothes instead. In that way, he can pair it up with his clothester when they meet in the afternoon.


    While he was helping her prepare to leave the house and go with Justin to spend time with the kids, he was suddenly disturbed with three heavy knocks, showing that the person has something very important.


    Stefan opened the door and found three men standing there. Jonas, Kyle and Erwin were looking at him with different expressions ¨C all negative expressions. "What happened?"


    "So, you haven''t checked your social media ount? Go and check it." Jonas stated without the slightest bit of intention to enter their room. He didn''t want to invade their privacy.


    Stefan blinked his eyes and went back to the bed to get his phone. He logged in to his social media ount and found so many notifications. As soon as he found what this was all about, his face turned rigid and cold.


    Luiz came down running the hallway to their direction as well. If risse didn''t call him about the ongoing issue, he would have been toote. Thankfully, she was able to read the news early.


    "I don''t know what''s going and who took these pictures but, I''ll go and check it. Don''t worry." Stefan told them but he, himself, was worried for his wife.


    "Should we let her know about this?" Kyle asked in concern for his sister. Not many people knew that Cayenne was Reuben''s daughter so, many people would really mistake them for having an affair.


    Stefan took a deep breath and let it out to calm himself. He needed to keep himself rational during these kinds of event. "I''ll tell her. Just rx. This won''t affect my wife at all. She will be alright."


    Just like them, full of worries and concern, Reuben and Ingrid were the same. Usually, they don''t spend too much attention to the social media tforms even if they have their ounts. They didn''t know of this news until one of Ingrid''s friends called her, telling her that her husband was having an affair and that the whole country knows about this,


    Instead of anger, she was shock to the core. Even if her husband didn''t love her, she knew that he won''t have an affair either. She immediately logged in to her ount and looked for the links that her friends shared to her.


    Upon seeing it and reading the content, she didn''t know whether tough or cry with the nonsense the reporter made. She showed it to Reuben and his first thought was to call his daughter but since it was early in the morning, he thought she was still asleep specially that it''s weekend.


    "How about it? Did you read the news? Don''t tell me you''ll turn a blind eye on this news because of your love for him?" Ingrid''s friend messaged her in worry and scolded her in passing as well.


    "Don''t worry about me. We''ll handle this matter ordingly and my husband is not having an affair."


    "How could you be sure. It''s already seen in the pictures. Don''t tell me that he''s shopping for a goddaughter? Having coffee with a cousin? Or kissing a friend?"


    Ingrid massaged her temple while reading the message but she was also thankful that someone out there was really showing concern for her during this time. "I know you''re worried but it''s not really like that. Cayenne is Reuben''s only daughter."


    Five minutester, a call came in instead of a message from her friend. When Ingrid answered it, she pulled the phone away from her ears. The woman was shouting at her from the other line.


    ''Is it good that I told her the truth or was it a bad thing?'' Ingrid thought to herself silently. In any case, it will be known sooner orter so, she calmly exined everything to her best friend.


    After the call, Ingrid turned to Reuben. "Go and have a DNA test with your daughter. I''ll talk to the shareholders because this will surely affect the business. Also, don''t worry too much."


    "Hn. I''ll call her right now." Reuben did call Cayenne but the person who answered was Stefan. "Is she okay?"


    "Yes, dad. She''s fine. She''s just doing something at the moment. Do you need anything from her?"


    "What''s her schedule for today? Is she going somewhere?"


    Stefan told Reuben his wife''s n for the day without hiding anything. "Are you nning to get a DNA sample from her?"


    "Yes. I want to have a DNA test to deal with this matter."


    "I''ll have someone send it to you instead."


    "That would be good." Reuben nodded his head in agreement, though, it was only his wife who can see him nodding. "I''ll wait here at home."


    Just as the call ended, Cayenne came out of the bathroom with her robe on. "Who called?"


    "It''s your father. He wants to get a DNA sample from you."


    "What for?"


    Stefan told her the issue and showed her the pictures which made Cayenneugh so hard. Among everyone who saw the news, she was the only one whough while everyone was so worried for her. Well, you can''t me her forughing so hard. After all, it was such a dumb thing to say that she was having an affair with her own father.

 Chapter 453 - SPENDING TIME WITH THE CHILDREN

    <h4>Chapter 453 - SPENDING TIME WITH THE CHILDREN</h4>


    After taking a shower, Cayenne put on the clothes that Stefan chose for her. She didn''t bother asking he chose it because, ironic as it is, Stefan knows fashion aesthetics than her.


    "Do you want me to style your hair?" Stefan asked while holding the hair dryer andb in his hands.


    "Yes, please." She was acting all spoiled in front of him because she knew that will just spoil her. Sitting in front of the vanity mirror while her husbandbed her hair, she checked the new online. "Do you have any n to suppress this news?"


    "I do but let''s have them enjoy this matter for a while. I''ll see what you father will do first. Let''s give him the chance to deal this matter for you."


    "Sure." She trusted her husband''s decision no matter what it was. She knew that he won''t let anything bring her down so, she was never worried about such things.


    As soon as Stefan was done fixing her hair, the two of them went downstairs and stayed in the living room. Everyone was observing her expression but Cayenne didn''t show any negative emotion. She wouldn''t let such thing keep her down the whole day.


    Not long after, the breakfast was served and they all went to the dining area to eat. Just as they started eating, cars after cars came in front of Cayenne''s property and the guards became busy dispersing the people once again. They were none other than the paparazzi who wants to know the whole truth. Sadly, they couldn''t enter the property due to tight security.


    Cayenne have the leisure to enjoy her breakfast and didn''t bother with the noise outside her home.


    "I will see youter at noon." Cayenne stated when she was done eating. "I''ll let you know as soon as I''m done."


    "Okay." Stefan stood up as well and walked with her to the living room. "Be careful always and have fun with the kids." Stefan lowered his head and kissed her instead of having her stand on her toes to kiss him. "I''ll be waiting for you." He pulled a little away from her but still wrapped his hands around her waist.


    Stefan walked her out of the house and opened the door of the car waiting for her. Justin was already sitting inside, waiting for her toe aboard. Stefan made it a point to let them stay in one car so that Cayenne has someone to talk to.


    The reporters saw Cayenne getting into one of the cars but no matter how much they try to get close to her, the imposing aura of the guard and their strong arms could easily fling them to the side.


    "Mr. Dumrique, what can you say about the news of your wife''s affair?"


    "Mr. Dumrique, can we have a moment with regarding the affair of your wife?"


    "Mr. Dumrique, are you going to divorce your wife soon?"


    Stefan has no n to answer these questions but when he heard the word divorce, his expression changed and he looked at the reporters with a menacing aura. He hated that word so much. He never wanted to hear it again. He walked towards the gate with his arms crossed over his chest. "We''re currently looking into this issue as of the moment. We are investigating this thoroughly because I don''t want my wife to stress herself over this matter. And no matter what happens, divorce will never appear in between us. I have no n of letting her go, not in this life and the next life time."


    After saying those words, Stefan turned around and left. "Disperse them." Hemanded while watching the four cars leaving their home.


    Since Cayenne sessfully left the house, the reporters decided to follow her, thinking that they''d be able to get her statements but they didn''t expect to lose her the moment they got out of the property.


    "Let''s stop by the supermarket first." Cayenne stated to her guard because she was nning to buy some snacks for the kids.


    "Ma''am, are you alright?" Justin asked her out of concern and worry.


    "Of course. There is nothing to worry at all." Cayenne responded with a bright smile. "I am not having an affair so, I don''t really care. Thanks for your concern."


    "Hn."


    Justin didn''t say anything anymore, least, he''d make things worse.


    Since the reporters weren''t able to keep up with them, Cayenne arrived at the supermarket with no problems. Back to beginning, she wore her sses, a cap and her face mask this time. It was just like when she started living with Stefan.


    She bought lots of things for the kids and for the two elders in Justin''s home. She didn''t like toe empty-handed to the ce.


    After buying groceries, the guards directly drove the car to Justin''s ce.


    On the other hand, Erwin left Cayenne''s home to look for Reuben once again. This time, it wasn''t because he wanted something from him but he''s got something for him. It was the strands of Cayenne''s hair that he got this morning frombing her hair. Stefan ced it inside a zip lock and handed it to Erwin so that he can bring it to his former boss.


    As soon as Reuben received these samples, together with Ingrid, he went to the nearest medical hospital to have a paternity test conducted between him and his daughter. He didn''t do this before because he knew he was her biological father without the test but now, he needed such papers to be used as proof of their rtionship.


    One hourter, the report came and showed 99.99% match which shows a positive result of their rtionship. Ingrid took a picture of the documents and sent it to the PR team of theirpany. Their business was really affected by this matter which was why they wanted to deal with this as soon as possible. At the same time, it''s affecting his daughter''s reputation. Ingrid already felt guilty for what happened between him and Emerald. She didn''t want anything bad to happen to Cayenne as well.


    The PR officer from theirpany released the news of their press conference which will answer all questions regarding the issue involving Mrs. Dumrique and Mr. Montefalco. Even the PR office was shocked to see the documents sent by the madam. Even so, he didn''t let it affect his work and he thought things rationally.


    While Cayenne was busy with the children, her father was busy clearing their names and her husband was busy looking for the culprit. Even if the news was fake, he won''t let the person go unscathed. How dare they mess with his wife and tried to ruin her reputation when she''s currently a start up in vlogging. She needed many supporters for her ns and he didn''t want anyone to keep bashing her.


    Justin was helping the elders with some house chores and Jillyanna decided to teach them how to write. She thought she''d have to buy them school supplies but she was surprise when they took out their paper and pen from the drawer in the living room. Everyone has their own pad of paper and a pencil. Their names were written on their belonging so they wouldn''t exchange their things.


    "Did Justin buy your papers and pencil?" Cayenne asked while looking at the young man who has happily talking to the two elders in the kitchen. Her favorable impression of him deepened a bit more after knowing that he''s not a selfish kid.


    The children told him that Justin bought several school supplies thest time that he came home after getting his work. He also taught them a lot of things.


    He''s not just kind but also selfless.


    Seeing Cayenne looking at Justin, Chloe stood up and blocked her from seeing him. "Sister Yen, you cannot cheat on me. He is mine, okay?"


    Cayenne chuckled and pinched the little girl''s face. "I''m not cheating. I love my husband very much so, you can have him to yourself. Grow fast or else, someone will take him from you."


    "Huh? Is someone hitting on my future-husband?"


    Justin heard this question and looked towards Chloe who was confronting Cayenne in the living room. "Chloe, what are you talking with the madam? Stop asking nonsense."


    "I''m not asking nonsense. I want to know if you were cheating behind my back?"


    "I wasn''t cheating."


    Cayenneughed so hard when Justin made a slip of the tongue. Answering Chloe''s inquiry like that was just a hint of him showing that he''s fond of this girl. His face turned so red from embarrassment so he turned around to busy himself with work.


    After getting the answer that she wanted, Chloe went back to writing. She was even more focus this time. She wanted to grow up as fast as she could to help Justin. In her mind, if you could open her skull and see what''s inside, you''ll see images of the young man in every corner of her brain cells.

 Chapter 454 - HER REPUTATION

    <h4>Chapter 454 - HER REPUTATION</h4>


    At eleven in the morning, Reuben, Ingrid and the PR officer went to City D''s branch of Clover Hotel along with several body guards. They rented one of their conference halls for the press which confused a lot of reporters. Many of them raised their eyebrows, thinking that they''re just trying to appease the public and would surely just make up some story to pull the issue under the rug.


    Some reporters were just like that. They like to make their own assumptions and they like to judge other people even if they haven''t found the truth yet. You can''t really avoid people like them.


    "Good morning everyone." The PR officer greeted with no pleasantries attached. Ingrid was sitting beside her husband, beautiful as ever, like she didn''t go through a painful betrayal.


    ''Is she really okay? Or is she just putting an act?'' the reporters thought while giving her side nces. As for Reuben, they all thought that he was a bastard. Really. Some reporters love to judge people.


    "Let''s not beat around the bush." The PR officer stated. "I have here Mr. Montefalco, the rumored man who''s having an affair with Mrs. Dumrique and together with him is his wife, Mrs. Ingrid Montefalco. They''re willing to answer all your questions so, I hope everyone can be civil and cooperate with us peacefully for this press conference to be sessful. Who wants to go first?"


    Many reporters raised their hands so, the PR officer just randomly picked a reporter from the crowd. "Is the news true that you''re having an affair with Mrs. Dumrique?"


    Reuben didn''t need to stand to answer, he just picked up the microphone from the table and answered, "No, it''s not true."


    Another reporter raised her hand and questioned next. "There are so many pictures of you together; having coffee, chatting inside the car, shopping things for her and there was even a photograph of you kissing Mrs. Dumrique. Do you have any proof to justify your answer?"


    "Yes, I have." Reuben signaled the PR officer and several pictures showed up on the huge screen in front of them. Just several pictures could already shock everyone but they were also able to get back to their senses and took several pictures of these documents. Reuben took a sip of his water before taking the microphone to answer once again. "It''s impossible for me and for Mrs. Dumrique to have an affair because she''s my one and only daughter. The paternity test can testify this im."


    The reporters jot down their notes as fast as they could and they raised their hands to question him again immediately.


    "Even if you didn''t cheat on your wife this time, doesn''t this mean that you cheated on her a long time ago? After all, Mrs. Dumrique is around twenty-three or twenty-four years old."


    Ingrid was the one who defended her husband this time. It''s not just unfair for Reuben, it''s also unfair for Emerald to bebeled as mistress when she was supposedly the legal wife. "My husband didn''t cheat on me. Before he met me, he met Cayenne''s mother first. Due to some personal reasons, the two of them broke up and Emerald took their daughter away. She wanted to raise her and we couldn''t do anything about it but just help on the side."


    "So, you''re saying that you''ve been taking care of your first love and your daughter in secret?" another reporter directed this question to Reuben but Ingrid saved him once again.


    "My husband was told to never see them again or there will be consequences to pay. My husband didn''t want to lose them so, I helped him take care of this mother and daughter in secret, hoping that the elders in our family won''t notice it."


    "Aren''t you in pain knowing that your husband loves someone else and they even have a daughter?"? another reporter asked Ingrid this follow up question. They all thought that she''d be angry or that she''d refuse to answer it. Who would have thought that she''dugh?


    Yes, Ingridughed at this question which made Reuben feel so guilty. The woman beside him loved him so much that she''s willing to take care of Cayenne and Emerald without his knowledge. She went out of her way just to help them alleviate a little of their financial crisis. He didn''t know any of these until recently, when he finally reconciled with his daughter.


    Ingrid held the microphone tightly and smiled sweetly in front of everyone. "How could I say such shameless thing of being in pain? If you think about it, wasn''t I the one who got in between them? And I won''t try to cover things up either. Don''t soil Emerald''s name. I don''t want to disturb her soul now."


    The hall sank into silence, not knowing if they should feel pity for her, salute to her bravery for iming her mistake or to scold her for being blind and for taking someone else''s man.


    "After years of marriage, are you just being sweet in public but actually in bad terms behind closed doors? After all, there''s no news of your pregnancy or is it that Mr. Montefalco can''t get over his love for Cayenne''s mother which was why he didn''t want to have a child with you?"


    "It''s not his problem. I''m the one with pregnancy issues." Ingrid, without a doubt, loved her husband. It was obvious that she''s healthy and they both know it as well but for the sake of not tarnishing his name, she was iming everything to be her fault. If you think about it, she was really at fault with all how things turned. If she didn''t interfere with his rtionship from the very start, none of this will happen. However, she wasn''t entirely at fault of this matter.


    It was soplicated and it affected a lot of people but one thing was for sure, if someone was to be me, it should be him. Reuben took the microphone and stood up from his seat. He bowed his head in front of everyone for few seconds before looking at them with calm expression.


    "I know you have so many things you wanted to ask about Cayenne''s life but it''s reallyplicated. I hope that everyone can understand and could give us the privacy for this matter. We only came her to rify the issue about our affair. Once again, Cayenne Ardolf- Dumrique is my daughter. Regarding her birth and other matter, I don''t want to say anything about this. I don''t want toplicate more things."


    Because of this press conference, Cayenne''s name and reputation wasn''t ruined but anotheryer of mystery wasid around her. A mystery that everyone wanted to know but couldn''t.


    Those people who threw abuse at her online and posted nastyments, they immediately apologized to her. At the end of the day, they didn''t want to make enemies with Stefan.


    Sad to say though, Stefan has already recorded all thesements and Shein were currently digging holes to bury these people.

 Chapter 455 - LEARNING FROM JILLYANNA

    <h4>Chapter 455 - LEARNING FROM JILLYANNA</h4>


    Since Reuben and Ingrid decided to keep things to themselves about Cayenne''s birth and existence, the reporters didn''t dig deeper into this. They didn''t want toplicate their life more and make enemies with the Montefalco and Dumrique family.


    Because of this, many people were making their own spections online about Cayenne. But nobody says her mother was a mistress since Ingrid rified it to all of them that she was the one who came in between the couple and ruined their family. If Ingrid came from an average family, she would''ve suffered so much from the spit of other people from admitting that she''s a mistress. Although, technically, she can''t be called one since Emerald and Reuben weren''t married. Even so, people pitied her instead.


    Obviously, she loves her husband but her husband loves someone else, to the point that he didn''t want to have a child with her. She even took care of her rival and her rival''s daughter without her husband knowing about it. Just where can you get a mistress like her? Even if she''s associated with this word, people couldn''t get angry at her. They could only sigh in pity.


    Ingrid was silent ever since the conference ended until they reached home. Reuben wanted to talk to her but she closed her eyes and pretended to fall asleep. When they''re inside their house, she holed up herself in the study room and didn''t open it to anyone, not even her parents who came to visit them after the press conference.


    To her parents, it was really a shock that she''d call herself a mistress in front of everyone. They never expected that their one and only daughter would do something like that. Her brothers were also upset and they wanted to me Reuben but when they remembered everything in the past, they could only grit their teeth and forget about their anger because Ingrid was indeed someone who selfishly asked for herself to be married to Reuben even knowing that he loves someone else.


    On the other hand, Cayenne and Stefan were currently having lunch together. She just finished spending her time with the kids in Justin''s home and now, it was time for her husband and her to eat.


    "Are you satisfied with what your father did for you this time?" Stefan asked while putting some dishes on her te.


    "It doesn''t really matter to me. But, yeah, he did okay. I didn''t expect him to im his position as my father in public. Although it leaves everyone hanging for more info, I''m happy that he cleared my name swiftly and quickly."


    "Will you say anything about your life to the people who supports you?"


    "If they will ask, I''ll answer them but not now."


    They continued to eat while speaking softly over her recent issues. What Reuben said about her birth being a plicated'' matter wasn''t just an excuse. It''s reallyplicated that even Cayenne was having a hard time digesting everything that she found recently. At first, she only wanted to know about her father. When she finally got to know him, she unveiled one or two secrets about her mother and her life. Then, she decided to look into her mother which pulled her to more secrets. Knowing a lot of things about her life, overwhelms her. Thankfully, Stefan was with her every step of the way.


    After lunch, the two of them went to Jillyanna''s house with the bodyguards following them. She will have to learn few self-defense movements from Jillyanna herself. She could actually learn it from the body guards but she felt awkward around them when ites to this matter so, she wanted to find Jillyanna who knows more stuff in this field.


    When they reached Jillyanna''s house, Cayenne was expecting to see Jade running out to greet her again but to her surprise, there was no little bun in sight. She looked around and couldn''t really find her.


    "Is Jade not home?" she asked Jillyanna who was waiting for her in the living room.


    "She''s currently visiting Ethan." Jillyanna answered while giving Stefan a look. "I didn''t expect you to being with him."


    "What''s wrong with that? I''m her husband so I cane along when she wants."


    "Really? Or were you sulking again which made her bring you here?"


    "Don''t make fun of me, will you? I wasn''t sulking."


    "Alright. I believe you." She even nodded her head in agreement but her face was obviously showing that she didn''t believe him at all.


    Seeing how Jillyanna teased him, Cayenne stepped in to save her husband from embarrassment. "Ethan? Is he a family?"


    "Ethan is not really a family.? He''s ¨C"


    "Soon-to-be family." Stefan chimed in which made Jillyanna chuckle.


    "Don''t let Travis hear that. It will definitely flip his switch." Jillyanna said while leading Cayenne to another room on the ground floor. "Ethan is the first friend that Jade acknowledged outside her family. They kind of understand each other so, they get along so well."


    "Both of them are genius." Stefanmented on the side as he followed them.


    "I don''t want to admit that but yeah, my daughter is a genius."


    Cayenne was secretly observing Jillyanna when they talked about Jade. Even though the little girl wasn''t made of her flesh and blood, Jillyanna still loves her like her own daughter. Jade was really lucky to meet them and be their adopted daughter.


    As soon as they entered the room, Cayenne was astonished to see a lot of equipment. It was basically an indoor gym but there was also a boxing ring and a lot of items that she has no idea how to use.


    She turned to Stefan and smiled at him, a smile that Stefan didn''t want to see. Without her speaking, he knows what she wanted to happen because of that sly and threatening smile of hers.


    "I''ll go and find Travis." Stefan stated and handed her bag to her.


    "Okay. I''ll see youter."


    "Travis is in the study." Jillyanna mentioned in passing in case Stefan didn''t know where to find him. When he left the ce, three guards were stationed outside the gym just to make sure that someone can assist them if needed. "Let''s change our clothes. Did you bring anything to change into? If there''s none, I can let you borrow some of mine."


    "There''s no need. Even if I forgot to bring it, Stefan won''t." Cayenne took the small duffel bag and found clothes, towel and other items that Stefan prepared for her. "See?"


    "Very attentive."


    "He is."


    "He''s only attentive to you." Jillyanna corrected. And it''s true. Cayenne has to think about so many things and of so many people''s welfare but he only thinks about her welfare. Just like

 Chapter 456 - JADE NURSING ETHAN

    <h4>Chapter 456 - JADE NURSING ETHAN</h4>


    After changing her clothes to a t-shirt and leggings, Cayenne and Jillyanna started with a warm up for few minutes. "By the way, I''ve talked to your future secretary already. He will being on Monday to apply formally."


    "Is he really good?" Cayenne asked while stretching her arms and legs.


    "He is. You might not know this but, there are some instances that Stefan has to ask Shein for help. And I''m afraid that he won''t have enough time to spend with Riley. So, I gifted you a very talented person. Shein even said that this man is more knowledgeable than him."


    "Why won''t you tell me his name?"


    "That''s a surprise for all of you. If you knew his name, you might slip your tongue and Stefan will know. Then, our surprise will be ruined."


    "Fine. I won''t ask anything about him anymore. Thank you so much for helping us, Jill."


    "No, problem. I''m d to give this person a better ce for his talent."


    The two of them continued to talk while stretching their limbs. They needed to do this or else, Cayenne will have muscle cramps and painter on. Jillyanna didn''t want that to happen. After ten minutes of warm up, Jillyanna and Cayenne started their first session.


    For starter, Jillyanna has to teach Cayenne simple things. She didn''t really need to do all these things every day but this is just for emergency purposes which probably wouldn''t ever happened. Jillyanna nted a person to monitor her and Diana. Stefan also ced a lot of his bodyguards on her. If the enemies can infiltrate them and break their tight security measure, she would really bow down her head to this people.


    "Let''s study two defense moves today until you perfect them."


    "Okay. What''s the first one?"


    "The first one is called Heel Palm Strike." Jillyanna responded. "So, for this movement¡­" She started exining a bit about it an moved several times to show Cayenne how it''s done. "You need to look at the eyes of your opponent, focus on it while observing his or her other body parts through your peripheral vision. Also, make sure that you put enough strength to your strike. Don''t make a half-baked attack."


    Cayenne started imitating her actions while observing as well. "Are there any specific attacking movements that this defense can be used?"


    "This is very effective to those malicious people who wants to get your body for pleasure. Many women lose their rationality when someone attempts to rape them. It causes them to make unnecessary movements which will expend their strength and anger their enemy. So, if someone does something to you, stay calm and as that man grow closer, use this attacking movement. There''re are other movements that you can couple with this as well. You will learn itter on."


    Cayenne listened attentively to Jillyanna''s words specially that she''s almost raped before. If not for that good man who called someone for help, she would probably have died already.


    They trained for two hours until Jillyanna gave her a satisfying thumbs up. When she''s done, she was sweaty and her clothes were wet. "I can''t believe that you''re very knowledgeable in this area." Cayennemented while wiping her sweat off with the towel that Stefan prepared for her.


    "I learned it when I was fifteen years old." Jillyanna replied with a faint smile. "I didn''t know that I would excel in this field."


    "Why didn''t you join the military?"


    "Hmm, my sister is there already."


    "Sister? Which one?"


    "Winter. Lieutenant Colonel Winter Avery. She''s my husband''s cousin but before I knew they''re cousin, we came from the same training school and she''s a sister of me."


    "Oh. I see. Ever since I married Stefan, I learned so many things."


    "Learning is good."


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    The door was opened and it was Auntie Sisi, Jillyanna''s helper. "Jill, we''re having a little bit of trouble."


    "What happened auntie?"


    "Ethan¡­he¡­Ethan doesn''t want to let go of Jade."


    "What do you mean?"


    Auntie Sisi went inside and handed the telephone to Jillyanna. "It''s ma''am Jackie. She''s been trying to reach you but you''re not answering your phone."


    "Oh! Sorry about that. I forgot where I ced my phone." she received the telephone and answered Jackie''s call. "Sorry. I don''t where I ce my phone. I''m currently training with Cayenne."


    "Sis, what should I do with this little guy? When Jade arrived, he''s been clinging to her. He didn''t want to let go of her at all. Should I just knock him out?"


    "No. Don''t. Don''t do that. He''s sick already and you''re nning to knock him out? That will make things worse."


    "So, what should I do? If we don''t get home by four, your husband will get angry. Jade and I will be doomed."


    "I''ll take it from here. Can you give your phone to Ethan?"


    "Sure." There was a rustling sound on the other end of the line before a hoarse and raspy voice came through. "Auntie Jill."


    "Ethan, how are you?"


    "I''m not okay. Auntie Jackie wants to take Jade away from me. I don''t want her to go home. If she goes home now, she won''te back to me anymore." Jillyanna couldn''t see the young man but base on his voice, he''s definitely crying. ''My goodness! What''s wrong with this child? Should I just let Jackie knock him off?'' Jillyanna thought with throbbing headache. "She wille back to you. Trust me, okay? I will let here back to you tomorrow. As for now, Jade needs to go home. If you won''t let her go home, your uncle Travis will get mad and he will no longer allow you to visit her."


    "But I saw it. She left and didn''te back."


    ''He must be seeing things because of his fever.''


    "Ethan, you need to let Jade go home for now. She won''t disappear, I promise you." It was his mother Tiffany, trying to convince her child but Ethan wouldn''t just give in.


    Jade took a deep breath and sighed. "Can I talk to my mom?"


    Ethan nodded his head and gave the phone to Jade. Seeing her pitiful expression, Jade wiped his tears away with the tissue on the bedside table. "Mom, can you buy me some time? I''ll be back by five. I promise."


    "Okay. I''ll let your father know. Don''t mention about Ethan clinging to you or your father will flip our house over."


    "Hn. I understand." Jade ended the call and handed the phone back to Jackie. "Can you all go out for a while? I want to talk with Ethan alone."


    Jackie, Tiffany and Ethan''s nanny went out of the room to give them space. They didn''t know why but it felt like they were leaving two lovers alone in a room. It didn''t sit well in Tiffany''s heart. If her son does something outrageous towards Jade, Travis will surely kick them down to their grave. She was pacing back and forth in front of Ethan''s room with so much worry in her face.


    Fifteen minutester, Jade opened the door and came out of the room. "I will be back tomorrow morning. Please take care of him for me. Don''t forget to let him take the medicine on time. And also, if he will look for me again, just give him this letter." Jade handed the letter to Tiffany. "Auntie, I will go home now. My father will be angry if I don''t arrive there on time."


    "Thank you, Jade. I didn''t really want to impose on you but that child depends on you so much. I don''t know what to do with him anymore."


    "It''s okay, auntie. I like Ethan anyway."


    Jackie and Tiffany froze on their spots and didn''t know what to say. But then again, a ''like'' of a child and the ''like'' of adults, they''re different right? Right? That''s what they thought. But they didn''t really know what the children were really thinking.

 Chapter 457 - A DAY DEDICATED TO YOU

    <h4>Chapter 457 - A DAY DEDICATED TO YOU</h4>


    The next day, Sunday, as she promised, the whole day will be dedicated to her husband. Cayenne woke up early and cooked for him. She specifically mentioned it to Lucia the night before that she''s going to cook breakfast for her husband.


    As a good helper, she obeyed it and just cooked for the other members of the household. Since it was Erwin''s day off, he helped around as well.


    As for Stefan, his wife was treating her like a king. When he woke up, there was a tray of food on the bedside table and his clothes for the day was already prepared neatly by her as well.


    Cayenne was standing by the window, looking at the surroundings when she hears the faint rustling sounds of the nket.? "Morning, sweetheart." Cayenne greeted him as she padded towards the bed where he was sitting down. "How''s your sleep?"


    "Great. But it would have been greater if you were here the moment I opened my eyes."


    "C''mon. Don''t be greedy for my presence."


    "Can''t I be greedy for my wife?"


    "Fine. You can be greedy but today, I have ns for both of us."


    "Both of us. No extra person or third wheel?"


    "Yup. I promised that I''d be dedicating all my time to you for today and I always keep my promise."


    Stefan got off the bed and hugged her while kissing her forehead. "I''d love to see what you''re nning for me."


    "Then, have breakfast already. I cooked for our breakfast today."


    "Really?"


    "Yup. For us only ¨C no extra person or third-wheel."


    Stefan chuckled and kissed her again before taking the tray of food to the coffee table inside her room. The two of them started eating the food when Stefan remembered something.


    "By the way,st Friday, you went to visit Jill and talked a lot of things. During lunch break, I visited you there without letting you know and no one told you as well. How did you know it was me?"


    Cayenne pursed her lips and slowed down in chewing her food. She thought that she escaped from this question already and here he was, asking her again. "It was probably because I''m familiar with the sound of your car''s engine. I heard it when you arrived."


    "You don''t really know how to lie."


    "What do you mean?" Cayenne questioned back even though she knew that she was really lying.


    Stefan put down his spoon and fork before looking at her. "I know you''re familiar with all the cars here which was the reason why I asked Chris to stop several meters away from Jill''s property. How could you possibly hear it?"


    "Are you saying that I''m deaf?"


    "Of course, not." Stefan replied almost automatically. "But I know it when you''re not telling the truth. Your voice gets shaky and you get restless while looking at me."


    "Why do you want to know? It''s my secret."


    Stefan raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms on his chest. "We promise to tell each other what we have in mind. No to secret, remember?"


    Cayenne pouted and looked away from him. "It''s your scent."


    "Hn? I didn''t hear you clearly."


    "It''s your scent."


    "Can you say it a little bit louder?"


    "You''re just teasing me, aren''t you? You clearly heard me."


    "No, I didn''t."


    Cayenne lowered her head and she started blushing from embarrassment. "It''s your scent. I am very familiar with your scent and I knew it was you when I caught a whiff of your scent."


    "Really?"


    "Hn."


    Stefan grinned and was about to tease her when Cayenne red at him and stood up. "If you''re going to tease me, I will leave you all alone here."


    Since he didn''t want to miss out the day that his wife has carefully nned for him, Stefan didn''t dare tease her. In any case, he''s got a lot of days to tease her next time. "I won''t be teasing you."


    "You better not."


    Cayenne sat down once again and continued to eat with him. After eating, Stefan went to take a shower while Cayenne brought the tray with empty dishes back to the kitchen.


    "Are you going out to day?" Luiz asked his sister while he was ying chess with his father.


    "Yup. I''m going out with Stefan. Do you want me to buy something for you?"


    "Nope. I''m just asking." Luiz replied but after making another move and taking away two pawns of his father''s chess pieces, he looked towards his sister. "Can I go out today as well?"


    "Where are you going?"


    "I''m meeting with my ssmates."


    "Uh. Why are you asking me? You should ask your father for permission."


    "But Papa said I should ask permission from you."


    Jonas smiled faintly at Cayenne, letting her decide for her brother.


    "Alright. Just be careful and don''t go without any bodyguards." Cayenne responded before heading back to her room. Stefan was still in the shower so, she changed her clothes directly since she already took a bath earlier.


    When Stefan came out, she was already done putting on her clothes and was fixing her hair. "Come over and sit down." She told Stefan. Today, she will pamper him like how he does in normal days towards her.


    Stefan sat on the chair and Cayenne dried his hair for him. "How''s the editing process for your next vlog?" Stefan asked his wife since Cayenne got her ount verified recently and she''s taking this hobby seriously to use the money for charity purposes.


    "Kyle and Erwin have been doing a great job. They said that they''ll be done doing it tonight and we can upload it once we get back home."


    "What''s your next content for the next vlog?"


    "Our date." Cayenne simply answered with all honesty. "Many people have been asking what do we usually do on our dates and even though we don''t always go on dates, we still spend a lot of time together. So, I decided that we''ll film our day but not too detailed so that we won''t be divulging so much of our private life."


    "Hn. That sounds good." Stefan responded while letting his wife dry his hair. He was only observing her from the mirror in front of him.


    After his hair got dried, Cayenne fixed it for him, letting some loose strands to fall on his forehead. He looked handsome and so manly in front of her. He put on his clothes that Cayenne chose for him.


    "Do I look handsome?"


    "Always." Cayenne stood on her toes and kissed his lips. "Shall we go?"


    "Alright."


    He picked up his car keys and phone before holding Cayenne''s hand and went out of their bedroom. "We''re going out now. There''s no need for anyone to drive us."


    "But the guards should still follow you, right?" Erwin asked in worry.


    "Yup."


    The first destination that Cayenne had in mind was to go and have fun at the beach. It was really surprising because Stefan didn''t prepare anything at all. He was justing along with her ns with no questions. Although it was to have fun at the beach, it was merely walking on the seashore, watching the tourist and the kids ying around. She took pictures of them together and took videos of themselves as well. She didn''t ask anyone to hold the camera but she was filming it on her own. Sometimes, Stefan would help her but most of the time, she likes taking videos and photos of the ce that they went to.


    Around ten in the morning, they traveled south and visited several dessert caf¨¦s. She ate different kind of desserts, giving herments and suggestions while Stefan fed her from time to time.


    The bodyguards who have been following them felt so troubled. They never thought that they''d be stuffed with so much sweetness from the master and thedy boss. They''d probably die from diabetes if they continued to watch them but they didn''t really have much choice. The needed to look after them.


    Cayenne felt so full from the desserts that she tried so, during lunch, she didn''t eat much. She didn''t have the appetite to eat lots of food for lunch but that didn''t mean she didn''t want to eat anymore. A glutton will always be a glutton.


    After lunch, the two of them visited a theme park and decided to spend the whole afternoon there.


    "You really like this ce, huh." Stefanmented while walking alongside her.


    "I have so many fun memories here with you so, I wanted to visit this ce again and again. How many times have we been here?"


    "Three times." Stefan answered.


    "Three times for I love you."


    Stefan chuckled and pulled her closer, "aren''t you worried that your subscribers will feel bad after you unt your rtionship?"


    "I won''t do this again. So, they can say anything they want once they finish watching this video but they could not see this kind of unting again."


    The two of them continued to have fun while the bodyguards kept a little distance from them. They felt that, if they get too close, they will get bitten by lots of ants.

 Chapter 458 - A DAY DEDICATED TO YOU II

    <h4>Chapter 458 - A DAY DEDICATED TO YOU II</h4>


    "Let''s go and y with Tilt-A-Whirl first." Cayenne held her husband''s hand and led her to the first ride that she wanted to take.


    "Let''s go and try the bumper cars." Stefan suggested for the next ride.


    "How about the haunted mansion for the third ce?"


    "Then, let''s have the log ride."


    "Then let''s take the carousel and we''ll¡­"


    The two of them went from one ride to another, exploring almost the whole park in the afternoon. She had beenughing the whole time, screaming happily, grinning from ear to ear while having a great time with her husband. Some people were looking at them with envy while some felt inspired.


    There were families, group of friends and other couples in the theme park who were enjoying the ce just like them. As for the body guards, they couldn''t help themselves but admire this couple as well. What you see in public was still the same in private. If they''re sweet in public, they''re even sweeter in private.


    Many female visitors were taking pictures of them and Cayenne didn''t really care about it. Ever since their rtionship got revealed to the public, she didn''t shy away from it anymore. She held her high, dignified and sophisticated while wearing Stefan''sst name next to her name. Even though she''s married to him, she still remained humble and kind.


    Stefan took her hand and this time, they decided to just stroll around while eating a cotton candy. Cayenne was slowly nibbling on the food as they walked.


    "What do you want to do after taking this break?" Stefan asked while giving her water to drink.


    "There''s a movie that I want to watch with you. We still have an hour before the movie starts and the cinema is not far from here so, let''s just stroll around for a little bit."


    "O-okay." Stefan answered almost immediately.


    Cayenne would feed him some cotton candy and Stefan would help her drink the water which he was holding. He wanted to buy her some other food but she refused to eat another kind of food which was really surprising.


    After half an hour, they left the amusement park and went to the cinema in order to watch the movie that she likes. When Stefan saw the title of the movie on their tickets, his eyebrow raised a little bit higher than usual. The title itself already gave him a little bit of an idea of what the movie would be like.


    "You want to watch this?" Stefan asked her as they lined up for the popcorn and drinks. Since she just ate some sweet cotton candy, she opted for salted caramel popcorn but she only bought the small portion knowing that Stefan didn''t like pop corns that much and she couldn''t finish arge size by herself. Instead of soft drinks, they bought water this time.


    "Ma''am, the cinema has a tight security and I believe that nothing will happen to you with sir Stefan by your side. Do we still have to follow you inside the cinema?"


    "It''s fine if you won''t but I''ll be happier if you guys will watch this movie, too." Cayenne responded because she really like the movie so much. The thriller was already enticing and there were many great reviews about it. She didn''t want to pass this chance to watch the movie with her husband.


    The leading bodyguard scratched his head with a faint smile on his lips. "We''d love to watch movies, too. However, we don''t think we can rte to this movie at all."


    "Oh." Cayenne mumbled softly while looking at them. "Fine. You can do whatever you want for the next one and half hour. Come back here after the allotted time."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    Cayenne turned to her husband with a frown on her face. "Don''t you have anything to tell them?"


    "Nope. You''re the rule."


    "Hmp! You don''t even acknowledge your own words in some instances."


    "Those are special circumstances." Stefan grinned at her and even though they didn''t mention what instances were those, the bodyguards have a clear idea of what was that all about.


    As soon as the couple enter the cinema, the bodyguards left to do whatever they wanted for the next one and half hour. Some went to buy things that they like and some went to y bowling. Others were ying inside the arcade center while the others chose to watch an action movie.


    Back to Cayenne and Stefan, they were sitting right next to each other and was waiting for the movie to start. Cayenne was holding the popcorn once again while Stefan just took a little from time to time.


    Once Again is a movie about betrayal and forgiveness. It''s about giving second chances to those who love and learning how to cope with broken heart. It''s a movie showing how people mend a broken rtionship and how they could start over again. And it wasn''t just these things that made Cayenne like this movie. It''s because she can see herself on the character that the actress portrayed. It was as if the movie was created for her. The events were very simr to her experiences which made her feel a little bias towards this movie.


    Stefan was also bothered with these simrities, and not just bothered, his guilt was stirred up as well. The things that the male lead did for the girl, he did it to Cayenne as well. The hurtful words that the male lead threw to the female lead, he said those words to Cayenne as well.


    In fact, he also felt that the movie was really made for the two of them.


    In the middle of the movie, Stefan tightened his hold on Cayenne''s hand and he kept ncing at her. He nced at her when the female lead broke up with the male lead. He nced at her when the male lead chased after the female. He nced at her when the male lead started dating someone else. And the next time he nced at her was when the female lead realized she still love the man and when she wanted to start over with him, she saw him with some other woman. However, at this moment, Cayenne was already crying. In fact, ever since the male lead and female lead of the movie broke up, she also felt that her heart was breaking into tiny bits of pieces. As the emotions continued to build within her, she could no longer hold on to her tears. They started pouring like dam that burst after a nonstop and heavy rainfall.


    Stefan pulled out his handkerchief and wiped her tears again and again but Cayenne couldn''t stop her tears. She felt so sad for the female lead and even though they still ended up together at the end of the movie, her hups and sobs still continue. She wasn''t the least bit embarrassed about it though because there were so many of them who cried because of the movie.


    She was not the only one with puffy eyes and she wasn''t the only one with a helpless boyfriend. There were so many of them.


    "I didn''t cheat." Stefan mentioned. "I didn''t really want to let go of you. I didn''t find another woman to rece you either."


    "Hn."


    "I still love you and always will." Cayenne nodded her head while wiping her tears when she heard these words. "I will never let you go."


    After some time, Cayenne finally stopped crying. She finally smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "I know that and I love you, too."


    The two of them hugged for a little while beforeing out of the cinema. When they met with the bodyguards, her puffy eyes shocked the other men and they immediately shifted their eyes to Stefan.


    Seeing their intense gaze as if they were using him, Stefan instantly raised his hands. "I didn''t cause this to her. It''s the movie."


    Cayenne just chuckled and the bodyguards smiled faintly. They were worried that the two of them fought. Thankfully it wasn''t the case.


    After the movie, Cayenne asked Stefan to drive the car to Serenity restaurant. It was the ce where she booked their dinner date. Before, Stefan would always buy her flowers and give her some stuff during their dinner date. This time, she wanted to do something special for him. She didn''t give him flowers but she gave him a small clear jar with lots of origami paper stars.


    She had been secretly making these things but she didn''t know when to give it to him.


    "Did you write anything on the origami?" Stefan asked even though he kind of guessed her answer.


    "Yup. Just read it when I''m not around."


    During dinner, she filmed the restaurant and their food and wine. She also showed them holding hands and sometimes the jar was caught on camera but she didn''t mention it. She felt a bit shy that her gift was very simple.


    Although she didn''t mention it, Stefan posted it on his social media ount the next day. Cayenne might not say anything about the jar but that doesn''t mean her subscribers wouldn''t know it.

 Chapter 459 - SIMPLE LOVING ACTS

    <h4>Chapter 459 - SIMPLE LOVING ACTS</h4>


    Their date didn''t just end with their dinner. When they came home, Cayenne allowed Stefan to do whatever he wanted to with her.


    Around ten in the evening, she was already lying on their bed with his arm as her pillow. For the very first time, she didn''t feel any exhaustion. In fact, she felt so happy and fulfilled that she was able to do something for her husband.


    "Let me send a message to Kyle about my vlog update." She told Stefan in whisper before getting out of bed to get her phone from her bag.


    "Are you going to meet them tonight?" Stefan asked, thinking that his wife might go out to see her brother and Erwin regarding her vlog.


    Cayenne returned to their bed and snuggled on to his arms once again. "I''m all yours today and tonight. I won''t be seeing them. They know what to do already."


    Stefan just smiled and pulled her even closer. He kept kissing her face while she was sending a message to her brother.


    Knowing that Cayenne was busy indulging her husband, Erwin and Kyle just helped her with the vlog. As soon as it was uploaded, even though it was in the middle of the night, the views continued to soar and many people likes her vlog update.


    The scene in which Luiz was surrounded with the birds was hyped few days ago during their trip and now that she included it in her vlog, many people talked about it again. Luiz was well-liked by many girls of all ages and many people came to watch Cayenne''s vlog because she has the whole footage of the scene of Luiz together with the birds.


    "This guy is so handsome that the birds were fascinated by him, too."


    "Mrs. Dumrique is very pretty, it''s no wonder that her brother will be handsome, too."


    "Did you guys notice that Luiz was with another guy who resembles so much like him? I think it''s his brother. He''s got a brother."


    "Are these guys single?"


    "I want to ask if Luiz has a girlfriend."


    "Mrs. Dumrique isn''t fussy about anything. She''s very approachable and she''s cheerful."


    "I am so happy I got the chance to y with them during their trip. I had so much fun."


    "Luiz was very generous, too. We were paired during a game and we won. Instead of getting half of the money, he gave everything to me."


    "There''s another young man whoe along with them, too."


    "Ahh! Mrs. Dumrique, can I marry your sibling?"


    "I just want to send my regards to Dominic. Thank you for helping me."


    "Tsk! These guys are getting more well-known. I am so happy and envious at the same time."


    Different kinds ofments from different people who came from different parts of the world were posted on thements section of the vlog. Some of them came after knowing that Luiz was Cayenne''s brother. Some of them checked on her vlog when they found that they''re siblings and that Cayenne was Stefan''s wife.


    In that night, Cayenne gained another thousands of people as her subscribers. She didn''t pay attention to it in the middle if the night but when the next morning arrived, the first thing she checked was her husband and then her vlog.


    Seeing Stefan''s peaceful sleeping face, Cayenne didn''t bother waking him up and just picked up her phone from her bedside drawer. She checked her vlog and found the video that Kyle and Erwin uploadedst night. They were very good in editing and even without her supervision, the video turned out nice. She knew that they were very techy and they could help her which was why she asked them to edit it instead of hiring other people to do the work.


    People might think that she''s just using their help without anypensation but in fact, Cayenne talked to her brother and Erwin about their sry. At first, they didn''t want to ept it but Cayenne insisted to pay them. She wanted them to save for their future specially now that they''ve got girlfriends.


    Cayenne watched the video first before she started reading thements while waiting for Stefan to wake up. She thanked her viewers and her subscribers before started liking thements she got. She found familiar ounts who subscribed to her ount and she was so happy for getting their full support. She replied to somements and also got other vlogging ideas from thements sections. She was so busy taking notes of thements; shifting between her notepad and her vlogging ount.


    At eight in the morning, Stefan woke up and found her still lying in his arms. He was so happy to have seen her as soon as he opened his eyes in the morning.


    The two of them got off the bed together, brushed their faces together, shower together and take turns on drying their hair. Stefan was the one who chose their clothes this time while Cayenne was busy watching him.


    Simple things, simple loving acts yet it''s so fulfilling to them and it was more than enough to show how much they cared for each other.


    "Today, the person that Jillyanna rmended wille to apply as assistant secretary." Cayennemented, reminding her husband about it.


    "Are youing with me to thepany?"


    "Yup. I''ming with you in the morning but I will go somewhere in the afternoon."


    "Where''s that somewhere?"


    "I will buy some school supplies for the kids in Justin''s home."


    "I see. Make sure to bring the guards with you."


    While the two of them just started their day, the inte was in uproar once again. Now, it''s no longer because of Cayenne but because of several people, whose secrets were divulged to the public. The first person that who was badly criticized was the e-employee of Stefan. There were photos of her having an affair with married men and thetest one was the one with Natsu. Stefan didn''t expect her to be hanging out with Alexander''s uncle-father and even tried ruining his wife''s reputation.


    The other people were those whomented badly about Cayenne. Stefan didn''t let anyone off even after Cayenne''s name was cleared from that affair. Anyone who sullied her name will be dealt ording to his wishes.

 Chapter 460 - NEW ASSISTANT SECRETARY

    <h4>Chapter 460 - NEW ASSISTANT SECRETARY</h4>


    Cayenne didn''t know anything of what Stefan has done and she didn''t ask as well. They joined their family for breakfast and Luiz asked for permission once again to leave the house. He''s meeting with his ssmates once again.


    Confident that the bodyguards will be with him, Cayenne allowed him toe out and see his ssmates. After breakfast, Cayenne and Stefan left to go to hispany. Erwin left earlier than them, not wanting to bete for work.


    "By the way, we haven''t visited your family for a while now. Can you make time tomorrow so that we can see them?" Cayenne told Stefan, not wanting him to neglect his other family.


    "Which family are you talking about?" Stefan questioned which stumped Cayenne for words but she was able to get over it quickly.


    "Your father and grandfather."


    "You want to see them?"


    Cayenne couldn''t tell what her husband was thinking at this point. His face was expressionless as soon as he heard that she wanted to visit his father and grandfather and it worries her. "Don''t you like to see them and see what they''ve been up to?


    "It doesn''t really matter to me."


    Cayenne bit her lower lip and looked in front of them instead of his face. "I just want to see how they''re doing. And they''re your family."


    "If I do the same thing to you towards the Rule family, will you be happy?"


    "Of course, not." Cayenne answered almost immediately. That''s when she realized things weren''t going well. "Did something happen between you and your father? You guys were doing wellst time."


    Stefan took a deep breath and decided to stop the car on the roadside in order to talk to her. "I''ll be honest with you, darling. Although I have forgiven them and even though I have received all of the inheritance, I am still not happy. Every time we came to visit them, I''d have to pretend to be okay but deep inside, I am still upset. I don''t even know when I can really get along with them without pretending."


    "Oh." Cayenne could only give a perfunctory reaction because she didn''t know what to say. All along, she thought that he was doing good with his family but it seemed like she was mistaken.


    "Don''t feel so bad about it."


    "Then, isn''t it better if we visit them from time to time? In that way, you can talk to them more often than not. Also, I really think they have regretted what has happened."


    "What can regrets do? It can''t bring my mother back to life."


    "Then, I won''t bring up this matter again." Cayenne just smiled faintly while holding his hand tightly. "I won''t ask you to visit them with me but can I visit them on your behalf? At the end of the day, they are still your family."


    "Hn. I don''t mind you visiting them."


    Feeling relieved from this burden, Stefan continued driving the car with the guards following them. Not long after, they arrived to hispany building.


    Elena greeted them and told them the schedule for the whole day including the information that someone hase to apply for the position as assistant secretary.


    Chris was waiting for them at the top floor while attending to their guest. He didn''t dare leave him alone after knowing that he''s very good inwork security and other things.


    As soon as the elevator opened, Chris greeted Stefan and Cayenne. The man also stood up and greeted them politely. Seeing his face, Elena blushed and looked away to hide the look on her face.


    "Let''s all talk inside my office." Stefan stated calmly.


    Elena thought that she wouldn''t be included since she''s not really familiar when ites to hiring an assistance secretary. However, Cayenne pulled her along with them.


    Cayenne and Stefan sat on one couch. Chris and Elena sat on their right and left, respectively with the man sitting in front of them.


    "I heard that Jill rmended you." Cayennemented while taking the folder from him which contained his achievements and other things. "Eh? You own a toypany? Why are you applying as our secretary?"


    Stefan also raised his eyebrow when his wide questioned the man.


    "I own it but I don''t really like managing apany. My sister and parents are managing it."


    "Why didn''t you apply in Jill''spany?" Cayenne asked once again.


    "It''s a long story. Do you have enough time to listen?"


    "Sure. Go ahead." Stefan mentioned and just at there with his arm wrapped around Cayenne''s shoulder.


    "My name is Tristan as you can see in my profile. I''m 25 years old. I was Jillyanna''s ssmate and I used to study business marketing. Due to some reason, I suddenly got involved with the Dragon gang and became theirwork security officer as well as getting information from other people."


    Stefan suddenly sat up straight and looked at him in the eye. "Dragon gang? Is this the one under the Rule family?" Hearing his words, Cayenne stiffened and looked at her husband with anxiety.


    "No, it''s a bit different but it''s somehow connected."


    "Is it alright for you to say all these?" Chris couldn''t stop himself from asking.


    "Jill told me to be honest with you all. She didn''t want me to lie because Mrs. Dumrique is her friend."


    Chris made an ''Oh'' sound while Elena nodded her head in agreement. As for Cayenne and Stefan, they were thankful and at the same time worried.


    "With the help of the military and police department, we were able to deal with this gang except for the one in city C which is ruled by the Rule family. Somehow, they''re detached to the main branch and up until now, I am still checking on them. As for why I didn''t apply to be Jill''s employee it''s because her husband didn''t want me to. Also, Shein''s the top 2nd in the world of hacker. There''s no need for both of us to work under the same person."


    "Then, what rank are you?" Elena asked.


    "I''m right above him."


    Elena gasped and Chris frowned. He seems to remember something. "Are you the one with a codename T?"


    "Yes."


    "I see. It was you who helped usst year. Thank you for assisting the military."


    "You''re wee."


    "You don''t seem surprise to know that he''s from military." Stefan stated with his heart starting to calm now.


    "To be honest, I''m familiar with almost everyone in the military. I would check on them every year to see both old and new faces."


    "That''s invading our privacy, you know." Chris responded.


    "It''s not my problem if your security is weak."


    "I can''t retort to that."


    Tristan continued to tell them a lot of things about himself which almoststed an hour. He wasn''t ashamed of what he went through and he wasn''t arrogant either. The only thing he kept was the information rted to his ex-fianc¨¦.


    "So, you''re really willing to be an assistant secretary? You will be working under her." Cayenne mentioned after they talked about him. She pointed her hand towards Elena who was blushing once again.


    "I don''t mind." Tristan responded with a smile.


    He looked so charming that Elena couldn''t stop herself from looking away. Her heart was beating so fast, even more intense to what she felt towards Chris before. ''Is this the result of thew of attraction?''

 Chapter 461 - SHE MISUNDERSTOOD

    <h4>Chapter 461 - SHE MISUNDERSTOOD</h4>


    After getting hired, Tristan has to go to the HR department for the formalities and legal procedure. Seeing this opportunity, Cayenne told Elena toe along with him and give him a tour of thepany and orient him about a lot of things.


    With her heart beating so fast, Elena stood up and ushered Tristan out of Stefan''s office. "Did you bring some valid IDs with you?" She asked him when they entered the elevator.


    "Yes. Jill told me to bring them. I think she was very confident with me getting epted here."


    "I don''t think it''s because of friendship that you got hired but your capabilities. Since you said you ranked first in the world of hackers, that means you will be a great help. In fact, we always asked help from sir Shein before." Elena stated with just few things she knew. She didn''t really know what kind of help they needed but she heard Stefan a lot of times before, telling Chris to call Shein about this and that.


    "How long have you been working here as an assistant secretary?" Tristan asked.


    "I''ve been working here for almost two years now. It was sir Chris who found me and told me to apply here."


    "Don''t you feel upset that my sry is higher than yours even though I am your assistant?"


    Elena chuckled upon hearing this and she was shaking her head. "My position is indeed higher than yours but, you will actually do more works than me. So, I think it''s only right for you to get a higher sry."


    "I see. So, it''s not me who will be under your care. It''s you under my care?"


    "Yup. It''s like that." Elena admitted shamelessly because it''s the truth. The reason why they were looking for a male assistant secretary was to defend her in case something happens during client meeting. They can''t allow her to go and meet with wolves when she''s a gentle looking rabbit, an easy prey to catch.


    When they arrived on the fifth floor where the HR department was located, many people were looking at them. Well, not really them but to Tristan. He''s really good-looking with his long silver hair hanging loosely on his back. He looked so young despite being twenty-five and he''s skin was smooth and fair. He didn''t look tacky with the long hair. He looked so pretty instead.


    "Elena is really lucky."


    "I couldn''t agree more on that."


    "She worked with secretary Chris for almost two years and now, she got promoted and even get this handsome assistant secretary."


    "She''s very close with thedy boss and sir Stefan, too."


    "I am so envious of her."


    "Don''t let your envy cloud your judgement or you will end up like the marketing manager."


    As soon as the marketing manager was mentioned, the other employees kept quiet and went back to work. They didn''t want to lose their job.


    Elena brought him to the supervisor of the HR department and introduced him as the new assistant secretary. Without further ado, the supervisor personally processed all the legalities for Tristan.


    It took them two hours to finish everything and for him to get his own ID and got his thumbmarks registered on the biometric for work purposes.


    After visiting the HR for formalities, Elena started giving him a tour around thepany building while telling him of the businesses under Stefan.


    Apparently, she didn''t need to tell him about these things because he can obviously search for this information easily but Tristan didn''t stop her from talking either. They continued to talk as they walked from different floors, having a tour to different departments while introducing him.


    In that morning, Tristan became a celebrity and became the hottest topic during chitchat. As for Elena, she became the source of jealousy as well but the employees knew better not to let jealousy cloud their judgement.


    Around eleven in the morning, Tristan and Elena came back to the top floor. Chris has booked a restaurant for them to have lunch together and to talk about other matters as well.


    "Do you always leave with these numbers of body guards?" Tristan asked when he noticed that there were many people surrounding them.


    "When I wasn''t married, it''s only me and Chris. When I got married, a lot of things happened so, I need to secure my wife and our family."


    "I see." Tristan didn''t need to ask who were the family members because he already did his research prior to visiting them. "When can I start working?"


    "You can start next week but I will give you something that you can work at home." Stefan responded as they walked out of the lobby.


    "Sure."


    The lunch was like a weing party for Tristan. Along with the bodyguards, they had sumptuous meal in the nearby restaurant. Of course, it was Cayenne who will be paying it using Stefan''s card.


    They talked about different things, both rted and unrted to work. Cayenne was also very interested with Tristan''s toypany and was asking if she could make a customize toy from them. She was nning to give some toys to the kids with their names written on it.


    The lunch wasn''t boring at all.


    After lunch, just like what she mentioned this morning, Cayenne left to buy school supplies with the bodyguards, leaving only two people to look after them.


    "You allow your wife to go alone just like that?" Tristan asked when he saw Cayenne left without Stefan, Chris or Elena.


    "Hn. She''s free to do whatever she likes because I know that she will be safe. I did''t just ce guards around her but Travis and Jill have done the same thing. I just don''t who''s the person they asked to look after her but I know that there''s someone."


    "She''s very lucky to have Yanyan as her friend."


    "Calling her like that, it''s no wonder Travis didn''t allow you to work for them." Stefanmented and got inside his car.


    Elena also heard what Tristan used to call Jillyanna and the reply that Stefan made. She might not be the most intelligent person in the world but she''s not the dumbest either. She knew what the implication was. ''Obviously, Tristan likes Jillyanna but she''s married to Travis. Having him work for the boss must be the way that sir Travis thought to get rid of him from his wife.'' This was what Elena thought inwardly.


    She was just having a secret celebration about the effect ofw of attraction but now, she just wanted to leave and bury herself with work and more work.

 Chapter 462 - HER STALKERS

    <h4>Chapter 462 - HER STALKERS</h4>


    Cayenne was busy buying lots of things of the kids. She made sure that each of them will get the same number of items to avoid the others feeling jealous or aggrieved. She bought a stic envelope for each of them so that they will have something to ce their things and make it neat and clean.


    She was busy buying things while some other people were busy stalking her. Natsu and Diana were now stalking her for different reasons. One wanted to stop her from taking any inheritance while the other wanted her to be his lover. Natsu was obviously lusting after Cayenne even though his niece, who once had an incest rtionship with him, died not long ago.


    The bodyguards were vignt and even the slightest change of expression from the crowd make them think too much. They were very careful when ites to Cayenne because they knew how precious she was, not just to Stefan but to Jillyanna and to Reuben as well. She''s connected to a lot of people who will be deeply hurt if something happens to her.


    Diana pretended to buy things as well but Cayenne saw her immediately. Although their eyes met, Cayenne didn''t say anything and tried her best to avoid the woman. She now knew that Diana was her cousin but she didn''t have the slightest bit of intention to acknowledge her.


    Diana was observing Cayenne and she could tell the displeasure on her face. She knew that Cayenne didn''t want to see her. They''ve met twice before and they always parted in bad blood. She''s wondering what Cayenne''s reaction would be if she knows they''re rted.


    "If I remember correctly, you''re Cayenne Ardolf, right?" Diana questioned while picking up a pen from the table.


    Cayenne corrected her and her tone wasn''t friendly at all. "Cayenne Ardolf-Dumrique. Why?"


    "I am just curious about your mother. You see, you look so much like my aunt when she was younger but she disappeared all of a sudden. Our whole family is wondering if you knew her."


    "My mother is actually dead and she didn''t tell me anything about her family and I have no intention of looking for them either. I don''t need them."


    "Really?"


    "Yup. They can just disappear from my life. I don''t have space and time to entertain them."


    Diana was stunned to hear this reaction and even though she was pleased that Cayenne didn''t want them, she was also upset that someone actually didn''t need them.


    "If your mother is really my long-lost aunt, you will receive part of the family''s inheritance. Why don''t youe with me and do some test to figure it out?"


    Cayenne put down the notebook and she felt like she''s having a d¨¦j¨¤ vu with the woman in front of her. Even so, she remained calm and finally put a smile on her lips. "Even if my mother is your aunt, I don''t care. Inheritance? You can have all of it. I don''t want to be part of your family. And I will never ever show you where my mother''s body is buried."


    "That''s fine, too. I can still find it without your help."


    "Go ahead." Cayenne challenged her. "If I found something has happened to my mother''s remains, I will me it on you even if you''re not the one who did it. I will fight you to death and make sure that no one from your family lives."


    "Can you even fight?"


    "Nope." Cayenne answered instantly. "But I know a lot of people who can. And your family? They''re nothing but ants in their eyes. So, try me and I will start with your sister."


    "Are you crazy?! We''re blood rted. How can you be cruel?" Diana made sure to shout in a loud voice, letting other people hear and see Cayenne''s true colors.


    Surprisingly, Cayenne remained calm and collected. She wasn''t showing any signs of panic or anxiety. Her voice wasn''t loud or low, just enough for others to hear without her spending so much effort. "I didn''t know we are rted with a super-duper rich Rule family of City C. My mother died due to tuberculosis. We don''t have money and we can''t pay for her hospital bills and medications. If we''re family, why did you let my mother die?"


    Whispers from other shoppers erupted inside the stores and soon, many people have be interested of Cayenne''s birth once again. Reuben told the reporters during press conference that Cayenne has a veryplicated birth story and now, they felt it''s true.


    "Ms. Rule, I don''t know anyone from your family. Don''t just go and acknowledge me as your rtive. You''ll be deemed cruel by the whole world if you keep pressing me."


    Diana grit her teeth and left the store in a hurry. Thankfully, she didn''t get any physical and harmed Cayenne or the bodyguards would''ve acted against her as well.


    Natsu was watching not far from them and heard what Cayenne said. She looked so pretty and kind but in truth, she''s also a fighter who keeps her ground and values her family so much.


    ''Oh my. I really want her to be my bride.'' Natsu thought and licked his lower lip while watching Cayenne''s pretty face. ''How should I deal with her bodyguards?''


    He was lost in thought and before he realized it Cayenne''s gone with her bodyguards. He was so busy thinking that he didn''t notice she was done buying things.


    Cayenne left the store and went to buy some clothes for the kids. She didn''t know their size so she called Justin who was currently studying with Daisy in the living room.


    At four, she finished buying things and was about to go back to pick up Stefan from work when she met with Luiz and his ssmates.


    "Sis. What are you doing here?" Luiz asked when he noticed that Stefan wasn''t with her.


    "I bought some stuff for the kids. How about you guys?"


    "We''re nning to throw a surprise birthday party to Teacher Chan and we''re currently looking for her birthday gift." Sean responded to Cayenne.


    "Really? When is her birthday?" Cayenne asked because she wanted to buy a gift as well.


    "Three weeks from now."


    "I see. Then, I''ll let you guys do what you want. I''ll have to pick up my husband from work. You all take care of yourselves."


    "Hn. See youter."


    Cayenne waved her hand at them and thought of what gift she should give. She was running out of time so she decided to buy a gift some other time. For now, it''s time to go and get her husband.


    Just like Cayenne, Natsu also crossed path with Luiz. When he saw him, his heart suddenly turned cold and he instantly forgot Cayenne. His revenge still held so much space in his heartpared to his lust for her.


    ''Wait. Why don''t I use this little guy to get her? Hahaha. Why didn''t I think of that before?'' And so, Natsu finally found a way to get Cayenne to his side.

 Chapter 463 - SHES BUSIER THAN HIM

    <h4>Chapter 463 - SHE''S BUSIER THAN HIM</h4>


    Sean moved closer to Luiz while pulling Chloe and risse closer together with them. His face was full of worry and confusion. He had no idea what to.


    "What''s the matter with you?" risse asked with a deep frown on her face. "Are you alright?"


    "I''m fine." Sean replied. "But, is it just my imagination or are we being followed?"


    Luiz looked at him and stopped for a minute without looking around, pretending to have no idea of this matter. "Sean, which person have you been observing?" He asked in whisper, enough for his ssmates and for the guards to head.


    Sean licked his lower lip and moved closer. "Do you see that man with a brown leather jacket outside the shoe store? The one with a white shirt who looked quite handsome?"


    "Well, yeah. I can see him. And he doesn''t look like a stalker to me."


    "Maybe I am just overthinking things." Sean responded while scratching the back of his head. "Let''s just forget about what I said."


    "No, we cannot." Luiz mumbled and turned to the bodyguards that Stefan assigned to him. "Be vignt at all times. I don''t want anything to happen to me or my ssmates. My sister will be worried."


    "Yes, sir." The guards nodded and continued to look after Luiz and his ssmates.


    Natsu wasn''t nning to abduct Luiz as of the moment. He was still waiting for the right opportunity to do that. Right now, he was just secretly following him wherever they go and he has no idea that Sean already found him suspicious which put him under the radar of the bodyguards.


    Back to Cayenne she already arrived in thepany but she didn''te out of the car. She just waited for Stefan toe out instead of going up to get him.


    "Have you been waiting for a long time?" Stefan asked the moment he stepped inside the car and saw his wife.


    "Not really. I just got here."


    "How''s your afternoon? I didn''t find anything strange aside from Ms. Rule who approached you out of nowhere."


    "Nothing extraordinary has happened in the whole afternoon but I did get into a small fight with that woman. I don''t understand their family at all. We''re already living a good life and they just popped out without any warning signs, destroying my peace."


    Stefan pulled her close and hugged her. "Don''t worry everything will be fine."


    "Hn. As long as you''re with me, I know that nothing bad will happen to me."


    The two of them started their sweet talks once again, ignoring their driver who was silently driving the car.


    The next day, Cayenne visited Stefan''s family which delighted them but Stefan didn''te along with her. Ever since he found his maternal rtives, he never went to visit his father and grandfather. He didn''t want to see them. He was back to being strangers with them.


    "Yen, wee home." Magnus greeted her happily and gave her a hug. He was looking behind him but Stefan didn''t appear at all. "Your husband didn''te with you?"


    "He''s very busy dad. He said he''ll visit sometimes when he''s got sometimes."


    "You went on a trip but you excluded us." Magnusmented which put Cayenne in a tight spot. Seeing her expression, Magnus smiled at her. "I''m just saying. I''m not jealous or anything. I''m so d that he''s having fun."


    "Well, he''s doing his best to rx from time to time." Cayenne replied as she walked inside the vi which was now named under Stefan but they never really stayed in this ce. "Where''s grandpa?"


    "He''s currently having tea with his friends at the back garden. Come, I''ll introduce you to them."


    Magnus led Cayenne to the back garden and as soon as Ferdinand saw her, he was so happy that he stood up from his seat and walked towards her. Magnus wanted to introduce Cayenne as part of their family but Ferdinand took this role away from him and did the introduction.


    Obviously, Ferdinand''s friends were also from the business circle and they were talking about their sons and grandsons. Now that she visited them at this time, the topic shifted to her and her ns of getting a baby. Stefan wasn''t around this time but that didn''t mean he had no idea of what they were talking.


    Few minutester, Magnus received a message from his son, telling him not to pressure Cayenne about having kids. He didn''t marry a birthing machine and he wasn''t in a hurry.


    Reading his message, Magnus'' mouth twitched and he showed it to his father. When Ferdinand saw the message, he stopped talking about having great-grandchildren and just talked about sports instead.


    Cayenne had lunch with them and after lunch, she left the vi to go and buy some books for herself. She will be studying again and she needed to have some refresher to make sure that she won''t begging behind the ss.


    After buying books, she bought a gift for Rissy and kept it while waiting for her birthday toe. She didn''t even inform Chris about it.


    When evening came, Stefan came home with a report regarding the Dragon gang which was under the Rule family and the Dragon gang which was involved with the huge crime incidentst year.


    The Dragon gang was indeed connected but when Jean Nikko Rule took over the branch in City C, they suddenly cut off ties with the original organization. And even after doing that, he didn''t change the name of the group. Thus, whatever crimes he did or whatever illegal things he did, it will be under the name of the Dragon gang while he himself gets out of this matter unscathed.


    He wasn''t in the list of the people under the organization as well which made it difficult for Tristan to look into him a year ago. Now that he was resurfaced and was threatening Cayenne''s existence, they have finally made an ample preparation to take them down.


    Just a single wrong move and everything will be over.


    Cayenne''s days, even though she wasn''t working, she was still very busy with her life. They could rarely see her at home and even if she''s home, she''ll be facing her books or other stuff that she could do. But still, she makes sure that she gets to spend time with her family and specially with her husband.


    Stefan was also getting used to her busy schedules.? She was even busier than him. Sometimes, she''d leave the house to meet with his maternal family, checking on their status specially their health. Sometimes, her friends woulde and visit her at home. Sometimes, it''s her father and Ingrid who woulde to look for her. There were times that she''d leave to practice self-defense with Jillyanna and she would also go and spend time with the kids in Justin''s home.


    Even with all the things she did on daily basis, she looked happy and fulfilled which was why Stefan never stopped her. He would just constantly remind her of her safety because that''s what matters to him. As long as shees home safe and sound, he wouldn''t make a fuss to whatever she''s been doing.


    Several dayster, Kyle and Luiz were finally called to have their photoshoot. Kath was also with them since her brother allowed her toe along. Kai wasn''t really the one who will supervise the photoshoot but he promised his sister that he will look after them in the studio.


    Kyle and Luiz were just about to leave the house when David came. He was visiting Cayenne and Stefan.


    "Good luck with your modeling." Cayenne cheered her brothers and these were the words that David heard as soon as he came inside.


    "Your brothers are really modeling? Can I be their make-up artist?"


    "I don''t have that much money to pay your service fee." Cayenne retorted while walking towards him and gave him a kiss on his cheeks. "How are you?"


    "I''m doing so much fine. I feel like I have freed myself from a rusty shackle. But anyway, can''t I be their make-up artists? I''ll give you 20% discount."


    "I thought you''re visiting us." Cayenne replied while watching her brothers put on their shoes.


    "I am but I have changed my mind. How about we go and watch their photoshoot while we chat?"


    "Is that even allowed?"


    "Yup. With me here, there''s nothing impossible. So, will you allow me to be their make-up artist today?"


    "Fine. Fine. I''ll go and tell my husband first. I''ll just bring him along if necessary."


    So, when Stefan agreed, the five of them left the house with the bodyguards following them. Since David wanted to chat, he just hitched a ride with Cayenne and Stefan, leaving his own car in their property. It''s been quite sometime since hest saw the couple and their whole family because of what happened between him and Chris. Now that he''s over with him, he can face them again without feeling awkward.


    Luiz was also happy to see that David was back to his cheerful self. He might not have experienced it but with all the things he observed and heard, homosexuals always have it hard when ites to love. And right now, all he could do was hope that David will find someone who will truly care for him.

 Chapter 464 - PHOTOSHOOT

    <h4>Chapter 464 - PHOTOSHOOT</h4>


    Kath and Kai arrived at the magazine studio for the photoshoot and they were currently waiting for Kyle and Luiz. The two of them weren''t talking to each other and you could see the distaste in Kath''s face. Why wouldn''t she be? On their way to the studio, her brother met with his boyfriend again. And she hates looking at that man knowing that he was just ying with Kai.


    "Are you still angry?" Kai asked his sister who was sitting beside him.


    Kath rolled her eyes at him and turned to the other side, having her back faced her brother instead. "I am not angry at you. I am angry at your boyfriend. Can''t you see that he''s just fooling around with you? Did you really think I would make up things just to break you two? I hate that person! I don''t like him! I don''t want you to keep looking for him. Why did you even have to meet him when I''m around? It ruins my day."


    Instead of getting upset after his sister scolded him, Kai smiled and reached out his hand to pat her head gently. "I broke up with him."


    Kath felt like a bolt of electricity was charged at her and she stood up instantly as if electrocuted. "You''re not joking, right?"


    "Nope."


    "And you won''t ever get back together with him?"


    "No, I won''t ever get back together with him."


    "When did you guys break up? Why did you wait for me to scold you?"


    "Seeing my sister''s angry face which is full of concern towards me, why would I tell you?"


    Kath hugged her brother and pat his back. "Don''t feel bad after losing him. You still have us and I know that you will find someone worthy of your love in the future."


    "Hn. I will give my heart a break."


    "Does that mean you will being home more often?"


    "Uh huh. I will be moving back home. I will have my apartment rented to someone."


    Kath felt happy and sad for her brother but even so, she''d rather they broke up instead of her brother being fooled.


    Not long after, Kyle and Luiz came with Cayenne, Stefan and David following behind them. The production team were all shocked to see them since they were not informed, specially the presence such as David. He''s widely known in the entertainment circle and it''s not easy to book him.


    "Master Wang, to what do we owe your presence here?" The director questioned while greeting them.


    "I''m just tagging along to be their make-up artist and stylist." David answered with a polite smile. "Don''t mind me."


    "Kyle." Kath called out when she saw them and was instantly running towards their direction. "I''m d to see that you all arrived safely." She turned to Cayenne and Stefan and greeted them as well. Of course, she didn''t forget to smile towards David and said ''hello'' to Luiz.


    "Good morning. I''m Kai, Kath''s brother." He met with Kyle and Luiz so this time, he was greeting Cayenne, Stefan and David.


    "I''m Cayenne." she took his hand and shook it a few times before letting go. "This is my husband, Stefan Dumrique and this is our friend, David."


    "I heard a lot about Master Wang in the entertainment circle. I didn''t know you''d being along today." Kai responded while leading them to the avable chairs.


    "I heard a lot about you Mr. Labrador." David also said politely. "A well-known movie director whose movie tickets get sold out. I always have a hard time getting a ticket myself."


    "So, I take it that you like my movies?"


    "Well, who doesn''t like your movies?"


    David and Kai talked as if they''re long time friends even though they didn''t really know each other that much. Seeing this, Kath smiled but she wasn''t hoping for anything. She didn''t want her brother to get hurt again.


    "We have prepared everything already. After five minutes, we''ll have you change your clothes." The director told Kyle and Luiz who were watching the staff.


    "Are we working with female models for this magazine?" Kyle asked the question that he didn''t get to ask before.


    "Yes, they''re already inside their changing room. Anyway, I told them to maintain professional attitude towards you." The director looked behind and saw Cayenne who was sitting with Stefan. They were observing the whole studio with their bodyguards looking at the equipment to make sure that nothing will endanger Luiz''s and Kyle''s life.


    After checking the equipment, they went back to Cayenne and Stefan, reporting that everything was alright. The director didn''t know whether to feel belittled or to feel envy towards the two models he got.


    Five minutester, Kyle and Luiz went inside their joined changing room. David went inside with them to check the items and the make ¨C up.


    "I didn''t bring my own kit so, let''s just make do with what they have." David stated while looking at the palettes and brushes. The director told him what the shoot would be like and the theme as well. In that way, David will have a picture of what the model should wear and how they should look.


    The first part of the photo shoot will be done inside the studio. The theme was summer and they will be featuring some summer clothes from a well-known brand and they will also show cased some food for summer. Not just that, they will be having a shoot at the beach in the afternoon.


    David already knew what he wanted them to look like and with his amazing skills, he started matching clothes while thinking how they should look on it.


    After fifteen minutes, Kyle and Luiz came out with a different vibe than usual. Kyle was wearing white shorts, buttoned-up blue polo shirt with printed orange lilies. It was paired with white canvas shoes and his hair wasbed back with few strands falling on his forehead. He was wearing brown sses whichplement his skin and his clothes.


    Luiz has a boyish and childish aura on him. He was wearing a blue-and-white stripe shirt which was paired with a denim short. His pair of shoes was also white and he''s got a white-and-blue stripe strapped wrist watch. His hair was a little messy and there was a white jacket tied loosely around his neck.


    Watching her brothers looking like this, Cayenne had had the urged to shop more clothes for them and ask them to model for her. She secretly took a photo of Luiz and sent it to risse. She also reminded her not to show the photo to anyone.? Although, even if she didn''t remind her, risse will never show it to anyone.


    Kath was also taking pictures of her boyfriend from different angles. She was faster than the professional photographer. And of course, the things she took, they''re for personal collections.


    They soon started the shoot and David was happily praising his work right beside Cayenne.


    "I''m so amazing, right? Look at your brothers. They''re more handsome now."


    "Yup. Thanks to you, they will gain more fame now and our peaceful life will be disturbed."


    "Ooppsie. I didn''t think of that." David pretended to regret but in fact, he supported Kyle and Luiz so much. "But I heard that Kyle has no interest in continuing this in the future."


    "It depends on him."


    "I can be a good manager, too. If Luiz wants to continue this path, I''d be happy to be his manager, make-up artist and stylist."


    "You''re very expensive. I don''t want to waste my money on you."


    "How can that be? You won''t need to pay me. Luiz and I will talk about it."


    "You better not deceive my brother."


    "Of course, I won''t. Luiz is like a brother to me, too. Besides, I got money lots of them, too. I can''t even bring them to my grave. Why should I be greedy for it?"


    Stefan was just listening to their banter and since David said that there''s no need to pay him, he nodded his head, letting Cayenne know that he''s supporting David''s idea.


    "Does that mean you won''t be getting other clients?" Stefan asked in passing.


    "I can take clients when Luiz busy. He will be a college student soon and I don''t want his studies to be affected. Thus, we will only do work during weekends or when he doesn''t have ss. And while he''s busy studying, I can still do some normal work."


    "That''s a good idea." Kaimented when he heard David''s words. "I didn''t mean to eavesdrop to your conversation but I still heard it anyway." He handed Cayenne, Stefan and David some water bottle.


    "Thank you." Cayenne stated and received the water. "Mr. Labrador, since you''ve seen Kyle already and is taking care of his work together with your sister, I take it that you approve of their rtionship?"


    "How can I not? My sister will probably throw me out of our house if I say no to them."


    "You didn''t live in our house to begin with. How can I throw you out?" Kath retorted, not allowing her brother to tarnish her name.


    "Oh! You don''t live with your family?" David questioned, not really trying to invade someone''s privacy but was just asking in passing.


    "Master Wang must be not someone who likes to gossip." Kaimented because it''s known to almost everyone that David doesn''t live with his family but was living in an apartment with his boyfriend. It''s also widely known that he''s gay.


    David chuckled and covered his mouth like how girls would. He looked down on his feet to hide the sadness in his eyes. "I was too busy with my life. I didn''t have time for gossips."

 Chapter 465 - PHOTOSHOOT II

    <h4>Chapter 465 - PHOTOSHOOT II</h4>


    Cayenne and Stefan looked towards David. They both knew what he was busy with and, although they''re happy that he''s finally able to move on, they were also a bit sad that he''s had to go through such pain.


    Kai didn''t know what has happened and he didn''t hear any news rted to David as well. He just smiled at him without pressing on anything. "I''ll give you tickets next time." Kai stated to disperse the gloomy atmosphere.


    "I''ll be looking forward to that."


    The photoshoot continued and David had to leave his seat every ten minutes to change Kyle''s and Luiz''s outfit. He also needed to do some retouch with their make-up.


    The female models wanted to befriend the two men but they seemed distant even though they have smile on their faces. Kyle was even colder. He would only smile faintly but after that, he would turn around to face Kath and smile brightly at her. Obviously, he has no ns on mingling with other women because he''s devoted to his girlfriend.


    Two hourster, the indoor photoshoot was done and they needed to leave for a change of location. This time, they will be shooting at the beach. And coincidentally, the resort that they visited was one of the resorts that Stefan owned.


    They ate their lunch first together with the staff. At first, it was the director who wanted to treat everyone for lunch but Stefan beat him to it. He''d rather treat everyone for a sumptuous meal instead of getting a treat from them. He''s more of a giver than a receiver.


    Kath and Kyle used this moment to catch with each other, talking about stuff in whisper, not letting other people join their little world. The female models saw their closeness as well and they also found that she''s Kai''s sister. Not wanting to lose their job, they decided not to mess with the male models.


    Cayenne didn''t forget to check the food before putting some on Stefan''s te. No matter where they are, she''s always attentive to his meal.


    "It''s indeed true. Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique are very sweet to each other." The directormented when he saw how attentive Cayenne towards Stefan.


    "Not really." Cayenne smiled faintly and there was a tinge of blush on her face.


    "That''s not sweet." Luiz also stated. "That''s just normal between them."


    "Oh." The director let out a perfunctory remark while shaking his head in disbelief. Among everyone, he should be considered someone of seniority and yet, the younger generation was unting their sweetness in front of him. He didn''t care about it though. As long as it won''t affect him, he won''t bother with it.


    David was talking to Luiz about modeling matters while Kai was silent, only saying a word or two if someone talks to him. He was observing everyone around him specially, Kyle. Just like how his sister cares for him, he also cares for her. He didn''t want her to end up getting hurt like him. So far, he could tell that Kyle really likes his sister and he was hoping that it won''t change not after five - ten years or so.


    After lunch, the shoot continued and David went back to work. This time, he didn''t get the chance to chat with Cayenne and Stefan because he needed to be prepared all the time. The sun was so hot and they wanted to finish as soon as possible which was why he didn''t rest like everybody else except for other people who can be considered as guests.


    Cayenne was sitting beside Stefan, feeling the salty breeze that came from the sea.? Even though she wasn''t under the direct sunlight, Stefan insisted on putting some sunscreen on her. She didn''t mind it though. She was busy taking pictures of the ce as well as some photos of her brothers.


    On the other hand, Stefan was busy replying to the emails rted to work. As of right now, Tristan has started working under him and the office that Chris previously used was transformed to his office room with lots ofputers. Elena wanted to stay in her previous office so, Stefan had it renovated instead to make sure that no one can get in there aside from few people with the ess.


    Even though he apanied his wife to look after her brothers, he still tried to do his work as much as he could.


    The photoshoot was done around seven in the evening and they had dinner together. This time, the director insisted on treating them. Stefan wanted to refuse but he also wanted to give face to the director. In the end, he agreed and they all dine inside the hotel.


    "I''d like to raise a toast to the sess of this magazine. I hope there will be no problem during post editing. I wish as sess everyone!" The director raised his ss of juice for a toast.


    "Cheers!"


    In most cases, he would be popping wine but when everyone was ordering, he noticed that they all ordered some fruit juice. Not wanting to be the only different, the director ordered a juice as well. He didn''t feel about it though. The juice tasted great and refreshing. It was better than having wine after a whole day of work.


    Cayenne also asked permission if she can post two pictures of the shoot as a sneak peek for her subscribers since she was nning to update the date she had with Stefan over a week ago. She wanted her fans to have a look of her brothers. Taking this opportunity as a free advertisement, the director agreed. In any case, it''s just two photos.


    Cayenne sent the pictures to Erwin who was busy editing her video at home and informed him of what the picture was all about. Erwin also consulted with Kyle about the photos since he knew more about the shoot.


    The dinner was lively and they were all chatting happily. After an hour and half, they all decided to go home due to exhaustion as wanted to get some rest.


    "We can''t meet next week." Kath told Kyle while looking stealing nces at her brother not far from them. "We''re nning to have a short vacation to help my brother. You know what I mean, right?"


    "Of course. If that''s the case, I''ll wait for you toe home."


    "Hn."


    Just like the two of them, other people were also bidding farewell to everyone. Kai said goodbye to Cayenne and Stefan as well as to the staff. He also talked to David and Luiz.


    Seeing them chat, Luiz smiled, hoping that the two of them will be able to heal each other in the future.

 Chapter 466 - BUSY AS A BEE

    <h4>Chapter 466 - BUSY AS A BEE</h4>


    Everyone became busy once again when the next day arrived. Not just the next day but the days after it were not so rxing either. Cayenne still continued her usual routine. She would visit Justin''s home every Saturday morning and she woulde to take lessons from Jillyanna every Saturday afternoon. But every Sunday will always be dedicated to her husband no matter how busy she was.


    Luiz was also busy meeting with his ssmates. They held a small celebration for themselves, for getting into the universities that they like and for being able to do the things that they like. They also congratted Luiz after seeing the sneak peek photos that Cayenne released on her vlog. Many people were anticipating the release of the magazine and many people were inviting Luiz to model for them as well. As much as he likes, he was still waiting for David to give him a response.


    After the shoot several days ago, David didn''t go home and stayed the night over Cayenne''s house. He also talked to Luiz about being his manager, stylist and make-up artist. Although it was unexpected for Luiz, he was also happy to work with David. Then and there, the two made a contract with the help of Stefan. It wasn''t aplicated contract like those bigpanies have. In fact, it was so simple that even a grade schooler can understand it. Since he got a manager, all contacts will be directed to him. It also helps to boost his reputation knowing that Master David Wang was working with him. After all, it''s known that he''s difficult to work with.


    Kyle also informed that he didn''t want to pursue modeling but he will take it as a side job if needed.


    Stefan still worked like usual without his wife beside him. Sometimes, he would call her and check her personally. Sometimes, he would find her without telling her and as soon as he found that she''s okay, he will leave secretly without letting her know.


    Among all of them, Cayenne and Stefan were the busiest one.


    And because she''s considered busy, some people who wanted to abduct her couldn''t find the chance to do so. Natsu had been following Luiz wherever he goes and would always look for opportunities but his bodyguards were very vignt.


    Diana was also having the same problem. Her grandfather kept pressuring her to bring Cayenne back together with the ne but no matter how much she tried to talk to her, Cayenne wouldn''t give her a nce.


    She tried sending her a letter but Cayenne threw it away without reading the content. She even looked for Cayenne in her property but they told her that she wasn''t around. Nobody opened the gate for her.


    She has no way of getting in touch with her.


    "Damn it! Why won''t she talk to me? I''m not nning to hurt her." Diana muttered in anger but she couldn''t do anything to change Cayenne''s mind. No matter how much she tried.


    "Give her some space and think for another way. There should be something that will work on her." Artemis, her younger sister,mented while browsing herptop.


    "How about you? Can you think of anything to get close to her brother?"


    "Sis, are you serious? I can''t do it until the ss starts. Isn''t it weird for me to find him out of nowhere?"


    "Right. I didn''t think of that."


    The two of them discussed how to get Cayenne toe home with them. They needed to get her back or their grandfather will get angry or will evensh out on them.


    As for the person they''re nning to abduct, she''s currently cooking dinner with Lucia. "It''s been a while since I cooked dinner." Cayennemented while tasting the food she''s cooking.


    "Do you always cook before, ma''am Cayenne?" Lucia asked while chopping the vegetables.


    "Not really. My brothers were with me and we took turns to cook. Most of the time, it''s them who cooks our food because I''m busy with work."


    "How about sir Stefan? Does he cook?"


    "He does." Cayenne answered enthusiastically. She thought about the times that Stefan cooked and realized something. Stefan only cooked for her. Even when he stayed back in their apartment before, he only cooked for her. Most of the times, he''d treat her family to eat outside or he''ll order some take outs. Cayenne felt something was fluttering within her chest and she couldn''t stop her blush.


    Luiz came into the kitchen to get some water and heard their conversation. At first, he didn''t want toment but seeing his sister''s flustered face, he couldn''t stop the corner of his mouth from raising. "Brother-inw only cooks for her."


    Cayenne turned her head to look at her brother and pouted. "That''s not true."


    "Really?"


    Cayenne couldn''t find any excuse for that and she didn''t want to lie either. Holding the spat, she red at him threateningly. "Why are you even here? Go out of the kitchen. I''m cooking."


    "Hehehe. You just don''t want me to tease you."


    "Whatever."


    Cayenne continued to cook and Luiz was whistling as he walked out of the kitchen. "My brother-inw really pampers my sister."


    "Shut up." Cayenne retorted. She knew that Stefan pampers her but she felt embarrassed when other people say those words to her.


    Stefan was just sitting in the living room and he heard the banter between the siblings. Without raising his head, he asked Luiz, "Did you tease her again?"


    "Just a little bit." Luiz answered while drinking his water.


    "Stop teasing her." Kyle told his younger brother knowing that Cayenne would easily react to things no matter how small it is.


    "I won''t. It will be thest time." Luiz responded while taking a nce at Stefan. Thankfully, he was busy with his work to pay attention to him. "By the way, brother-inw, we will throw a surprise party for teacher Chan the day after tomorrow. Can you give uncle Chris a day off on that day?"


    "Sure. That''s not a problem." Stefan picked up his phone and gave Chris a message right in front of them. Luiz thought that he wasn''t paying attention but he was actually listening to them.


    Luiz and his ssmates were excited for the party that they have prepared. They even talked to their teacher''s parents for cooperation. While she was busy dealing with her secret room, her students were also busy with their surprise for her. And nobody knew that her birthday will change someone''s life.

 Chapter 467 - SOLD OUT

    <h4>Chapter 467 - SOLD OUT</h4>


    When Stefan sent him a message, Chris was on the phone talking to his girlfriend. Usually, they''d go out and have a date but because he was in the process of leaving thepany, he was busy training the two people who will be upying his position. He had to talk with the military forces as well, reporting to them every other day, making sure that they''re up to date with any news and for him to get information as well.


    Thest time he had a date with her was three days ago.


    "You don''t really have to feel bad about it. When sses resume, I will be even busier and it will be difficult for us to meet. Let''s just savor the time that we have. In any case, I''m not running away from you." Rissy told Chris over the phone. "By the way, on my birthday, I will be showing you the transformation of my secret room."


    "Huh? Secret room?"


    "Yup. My first ever room."


    "Wait! You have decided to change it?"


    Hearing the surprise from his voice, Rissy could already imagine the look on his face. Sheughed faintly while telling him what she has been up to. "I decided not to dwell on the past anymore. I don''t want to be the kind of person who lives in a darkness."


    "That''s great. I''m so happy for you and I''m sure your parents are happy, too."


    "Yup. They''re very happy about this. In fact, my father was the one who volunteered to repaint the walls. My mother also helped me with the decorations."


    "That''s great. By the way, can we go and have a date tomorrow? I want to have an advance celebration for your birthday, a day which will be for both us."


    "Sure. I don''t really mind. Are you picking me up?"


    "Of course."


    The two of them talked about other things while she walked back to her house. They ran out of milk at home and she can sleep without drinking milk which was why she went out of their house and went to the nearest convenience store.


    "Apany me to buy groceries tomorrow, okay? We ran out of milk at home."


    "Is that why you went out again? I told you not to go out when it''s night time already. You could have told me about it."


    "You''re busy with work. I don''t want to bother you with trivial things."


    "It''s not trivial. Your safety is my priority. I should put guards around you, too."


    "Hey! I don''t need guards."


    "Why not? I will be at ease with someone strong around you, specially when I''m not around."


    "Come one. I''m not a kid."


    "Exactly. You''re not a kid. Many people out there with bad intentions will be looking at you. I don''t like it."


    "Stop it. I can protect myself."


    They continued to talk until Rissy arrived home. Since it was alreadyte, they decided to end the call and rest the night away. The next day, Chris went to work with a smile on his face. He was even whistling his way while walking at the lobby. Seeing his handsome and cheerful face, many female employees smiled at him. His smile was really contagious unlike the new assistant secretary who kept them at arm''s length and someone who didn''t smile at them. When they greeted him, he will only nod his head. But there''s an exception. Whenever Elena greeted him, he will rub her head and smile at him. Even though she was his superior at work, he still acted like an elder because of their age.


    Elena didn''t mind it though. She''s used to people doing it to her. Her friends will always gently pat her head or sometimes rub it. Tristan was no different to them.


    Stefan didn''te to thepany that day. He went to apany his wife to buy the magazine and do some shopping as well. Cayenne was happily chatting with him as they walked inside the bookstore who also sells magazines of different kinds. However, the smile on her lips vanished when she noticed the empty magazine stand.


    "Excuse me, don''t you have thetest edition for YES magazine? The summer collection?" Cayenne asked the staff who was currently arranging the other magazines.


    The staff looked towards Cayenne and to the man beside him. Since they were wearing sses and cap, the man didn''t recognize them. They weren''t really disguising themselves. Cayenne just felt wearing them so she did. And to match with her, Stefan also put on his cap and sses.


    "I''m sorry ma''am but the stocks we have, it was sold out yesterday. The next batch will be sent this afternoon."


    "S-sold, sold out? Are you sure?" Cayenne asked in disbelief. "Is it the one with the two male covers?"


    "Yes, ma''am."


    Cayenne still held the expression of disbelief on her face. She really couldn''t believe such thing to happen. "Can you reserve me a copy of the magazine? I''lle and get it in the afternoon."


    "Oh sure. Can I get your name for identificationter?" Instead of giving her name, Stefan told the guard toe over and give his own contact details. "Alright. Juste and get it around four in the afternoon." The staff went to the counter and wrote the guard''s name. He was the 105th person to ask for reservation. ''Are these two models famous?'' he asked himself mentally while looking at the poster above the magazine stand. Someone even tried getting that poster but one of the staffs stopped the customers because it wasn''t included.


    Cayenne looked into the official website of the magazine and there she found that not only her, but the magazine team was also surprised and dumbfounded. It was the third time in the whole decade since the founding of their magazine that they needed to make a reproduction of their magazine. They didn''t expect it at all specially that the two male models weren''t celebrities. They were just someone they took because the initial contracted models couldn''t make it. Who would''ve thought that they actually received a blessing through them?


    It didn''t just benefit the magazine but Cayenne''s vlogging ount benefited from it as well. Her subscribers doubled and most of them were female, looking for more update regarding her brothers'' lives.


    "I didn''t know it woulde to this point." She blurted out in a daze. "This won''t bring them harm, right?"


    "I don''t think it will. We''re here to protect them."


    "Right. Right." Cayenne continued to walk beside her husband. After few minutes, she moved on from her disbelief and decided to focus on their shopping. She couldn''t let her husband take advantage of her emotions. After all, it''s the day of the month for him to choose a matching item. She didn''t want toe home and realize that he bought a lot. She needed to supervise him.

 Chapter 468 - CROWDED

    <h4>Chapter 468 - CROWDED</h4>


    Since they have to wait for several hours to get the magazine, Cayenne and Stefan decided to shop first ¨C the thing that Stefan likes so much. He immediately led her to the department store to looks for things that they can buy.


    "Let''s not shop for clothes anymore. We have so much in our wardrobe and we''ve got no space for more."


    "Then, let''s buy a new wardrobe." Stefan retorted with a wide smile. They just bought a new wardrobe not long ago and now, he wanted to buy another one.


    "Let''s buy a bag instead." Cayenne suggested. "If you have noticed my dear, we have no matching bags yet."


    "Right. Why didn''t I think of that? Then, let''s go and look for bags." Stefan held her hand and the two of them went to look for matching bags. It didn''t have to be the same style as long as it has the same color.


    Stefan was thinking of a way to get more than a pair of matching items but Cayenne was looking at him with a threatening smile. He can only sigh and chose one.


    Stefan doesn''t usually use bag but since his wife wanted to have a matching bag with him, he chose a bag for hisptop instead. It''s the gadget that he brings along with his phone and he needed to make sure that it''s safe and secure.


    After buying the bag, Cayenne paid it using her own card and smiled at him. "Good job." She kissed his cheek and smile at him. "Let''s buy some groceries for our grandparents."


    "O-okay." Stefan just followed her wherever she goes without any hesitation. He would look at some items but if she says no, then he wouldn''t pursue it. She has a say in everything and he didn''t have any intention to go against her.


    During lunch break, they ate with the bodyguards and Cayenne was happily chatting with Stefan. They talked about the silliest things in the world and the silliest things he''s ever done in his life. He answers all her questions without fail and he didn''t hesitate to tell her about his embarrassing moments, since there''s not much anyway.


    In the middle of eating her food, Cayenne received a message from Luiz, telling her that the letter has been found. In truth, she already gave up in finding that letter and she didn''t know that her brother was still looking for it.


    Apparently, he couldn''t find it among his things and Cayenne couldn''t find it in her things either. So, he thought of calling theirndy and asked if they have found anything as they cleaned the apartment when they left it. Thankfully, they didn''t throw their things away and just put them inside the storage room with other things that old tenants left. Luiz already gave them permission to give away those things or throw them away except for any envelops and documents.


    And right before he left to meet with his ssmates, a parcel arrived which was addressed to him and they were all papers, others were hardbound documents, some were his projects and some of them were inside the folders and envelopes. Among them was the letter which was addressed to Cayenne few months ago.


    Cayenne told her brother to keep it first before continuing to eat her food.


    "I''m so full. Let''s take a walk around." Cayenne suggested while clinging on to his arms as they walked.


    "How about we y bowling?"


    "I don''t how to y it."


    "Then, I''ll teach you. Let''s go."


    Bowling is not a tedious activity which will be a good way to slowly digest their food while they''re having fun. Cayenne held one ball on her hand while looking at it. Stefan was also holding one and without saying anything to her, he rolled it down thene. "We''ve yed bowling during our family trip; don''t tell me you''ve forgotten it?"


    "Of course not. I just don''t think I''ll be that good. Everything that happened during the trip was because of my luck."


    "So humble." Stefanmented. He gently pats her head and walked behind her to help her into position. In truth, Cayenne knows how to y bowling a little but she also wanted to pretend that she didn''t to let her husband teach her. There''s nothing wrong with that. In any case, it was her husband doting on her.


    Stefan ced his hand at the back of her palm and his other hand on her waist, helping her bend a little to the side to make a swing and roll the ball. It was nothing but a mere acting between them but the other people watching the two of them felt an inexplicable sense of envy. Stefan was just so sweet towards Cayenne and they wanted someone like him as well. Who wouldn''t?


    The two of them yed for an hour before leaving to find another thing to do. They didn''t have any specific goal as long as they get to enjoy themselves. They went watch a random movie and this time, the guards came along with them because Cayenne chose and action movie, not a romantic one.


    Even though it was an action movie, there was still a plot which involves the actors to be in love. There was even a scene where they made love inside an abandoned cabin even though their enemies were after them. There was also a time when they made love inside the boat and inside their tent. Whenever and wherever, as long as the enemies couldn''t get to them, they will make love.


    Cayenne was rather speechless. She didn''t know that choosing a random movie will lead her to this and she was deeply embarrassed specially that her husband was looking at her with hungry eyes.


    "Don''t look at me like a hungry wolf." Cayenne mumbled and pushed Stefan''s face away from her. And because of that, Stefan seized her hand and kissed her inner wrist. "What are you doing?" Cayenne hissed with her eyes open. She looked around and thankfully, no one was looking at them. "You can''t do this in public."


    "Okay." Stefan replied nonchntly. She thought that he already gave up with such shameless acts, she had no idea that he was only taking a break before he''ll continue as soon as they get back to their home.


    Around 3:45 in the afternoon, Cayenne and Stefan went back to the magazine store to wait for the reserved magazine that they wanted to get. To their surprise. There were many people lining up outside the store.


    "Are they all here to get a copy of the magazine?" Cayenne whispered to no one in particr as she looked the crowd of girls from all ages. There were some boys as well but you can count them with your toes and fingerspared to the countless numbers of girls.


    "Are you also here to get a copy of the magazine?" Onedy among all, asked Cayenne while looking at the long line ahead of them.


    Cayenne smiled and nodded her head. "Are you getting the YES magazine?"


    "Yup. Are you the same"


    "Hn."


    "I hope there will be enough for all of us. I wanted to get a copy yesterday morning and they were sold out. I came back in the afternoon and they were still sold out. I checked this morning and still get nothing. I hope I can get one for my best friend now."


    "Your best friend? Not for yourself?"


    "Well, my brother got one for me yesterday but I couldn''t tell my best friend that I got one while she didn''t have one."


    "Why didn''t you tell your brother to get one for her, too?"


    The youngdy smiled faintly while scratching the side of her face. "Th-they fought. My best friend showed me a picture of her recent trip with her cousin and she actually got the chance to y with one of the models." Cayenne raised her eyebrow when she heard this and remembered the cute girl who was Luiz''s partner during the amazing race. "I don''t know what happened but my brother suddenly got angry."


    "Y-your¡­your brother, does he like your best friend?"


    "Of course, he likes her. He even got into fight to defend her."


    Cayenne chuckled upon hearing this information and even Stefan smiled while shaking his head. "He must be jealous. If you get a copy of the magazine and give it to your best friend, your brother will probably skin you alive."


    "Then, should I just not get one for her? My best friend admires that model so much and she wanted to support him."


    "Don''t get one for her but I can get one for you." Cayenne whispered and took of her sses to show her face tody in front of her.


    "Oh my god! Oh my god!" she jumped happily while squealing in whisper to make sure that the crowd won''t notice them. "I''ve been subscribing your vlogging channel. I didn''t expect to see you soon. I''m so lucky."


    Cayenne winked at her and smiled. "I''m happy to have you as a fan. Thank you for your support."


    "Can I take a picture of youter?"


    "Sure."


    One of thedies lining up heard the question and she looked back to see who it was. Her scrutinizing gaze made Cayenne smiled faintly without saying anything but the woman kept looking at you.


    "Ms. Cayenne?"


    And so, the crowd burst into uproar and Cayenne was encircled by them. It was really a surprise but the bodyguard was able to protect her quickly.

 Chapter 469 - IN DANGER

    <h4>Chapter 469 - IN DANGER</h4>


    For the very first time in her life, Cayenne experienced what it feels like under the ring lights of many cameras. She may not be famous but there were still many people who recognized her and follows her life. Some of them were also her subscribers while the others were admirers of her brothers.


    Seeing so many people crowding her, Cayenne also felt a little fear deep within her heart. She didn''t want to be drowned by all of them.


    Stefan held her close to him and made sure that the bodyguards held everyone at bay.


    "Miss Cayenne, can we take pictures of you?"


    "Miss Cayenne, can we have an autograph?"


    "Can you sign my shirt?"


    "Are you here to get the magazine, too?"


    Questions after questions, request after request; Cayenne was stupefied and she didn''t know what to do first. There were just so many people around her.


    She kept a smile on her face without taking off her sses. She was also nervous. "I''m¡­I''m not really famous but if you want to take pictures, it''s okay, too. As for the autograph, I don''t have a pen so maybe, next time?"


    "That''s fine, too." Ady said and immediately approached her to take pictures. Since Stefan didn''t want to leave his wife, thedies and gentlemen took pictures including him. Not that it matters to them.


    One after another, they took pictures with Cayenne and Stefan. At first, the crowd wasn''t thatrge but themotion attracted other shoppers and they joined them as well.


    Thankfully, the magazine store has finally took out the boxes containing the new prints of YES magazine making the crowd to slowly disperse. Cayenne looked for the little girl earlier and told her something that only she knows. After that, Cayenne left the store, letting her bodyguard get the magazine for her.


    Together with Stefan, the two of them went to a dessert shop.


    Since there were many people who wanted to buy the magazine, even though they made reservations, they still needed to line up. And reserved items were double the price.


    After almost an hour of waiting, her bodyguard came back with the littledy earlier. She was also holding a magazine in her hand and was smiling happily as she walks towards them.


    "You''ve managed to get one? That''s great."


    "Hn. I''m so lucky. This is actually thest stock."


    "Oh. That''s great." Cayenne retorted. "Thank you so much for your support and send my gratitude to your best friend, too." Cayenne took a small box from the guard and handed it to the littledy. "This is for you and your best friend. It''s not a lot but I hope that you will like it."


    "Hn. Thank you so much. She will be very happy with this. Thank you."


    The two of them took pictures together and the littledy took pictures with her before leaving to go home. Cayenne received her own copy of the magazine and they also decided to go home.


    "Shall we eat out tonight?" Stefan asked while stroking Cayenne''s hair with his finger. "We can have dinner with everyone outside. It''s been a while since west dined with our family."


    "Yup. I agree with you."


    On the other hand, Chris was driving to Rissy''s house to pick her up and have an exclusive advance birthday celebration with her. He prepared this thoroughly in the morning and he was even taking time to choose her gift. He wanted her to have the best birthday ever, coupled with the surprise that her students have prepared for her on the next day.


    "Good evening, auntie. Good evening, uncle." Chris greeted Rissy''s parents when he arrived to their house. "I''m here to pick up your daughter."


    "She hasn''te back yet." Rissy''s mother stated. "She said that she''ll go out for a while to meet with her co-teacher at the park. Her colleague seemed to have some problem and needed her help."


    "What time did she leave?"


    "Half an hour ago. She should be back soon." Rissy''s father responded while taking out a chessboard. "y with me while waiting for her, will you?"


    "Sure uncle." Chris yed with Rissy''s father but as the time passes by, he started to feel anxious. The two of them agreed to meet at six in the evening so that they can watch a movie together first before dinner. However, it was almost seven in the evening and she hasn''te back yet. "Uncle, do you know which colleague is she meeting today?"


    "She mentioned that it''s Teacher Rose."


    "Teacher Rose? I see." Chris didn''t say anything anymore but he pulled out his phone and looked for Tristan''s number. He sent him a message and after five minutes, he received a message containing a phone number and address. "Uncle, can I make a phone call first?"


    "Sure."


    Chris stood up to make a call and suddenly, a loud crashing sound stopped him from moving for a sec. He changed direction and went to the kitchen instead. A broken ssid on the floor with so many tiny bits of pieces around it.


    Rissy''s mother was standing in the middle with anxious face. Just like Chris, she was also feeling nervous for no reason.


    "Isn''t this Rissy''s mug?" Chris asked while picking the broken item before looking for a broom and dustpan.


    "I was cleaning it because I know she''ll use it to drink milk once she arrives home but¡­but I felt so nervous for no reason and it slipped my hand."


    Chris'' hand trembled from fear and his actions were getting quicker. He cleaned the mess in the kitchen and immediately dialed the number that Tristan gave him right after cleaning.


    "H-hello?" The voice on the other line sounded nasal and it seemed like she had been crying. "Hello. Who is this?"


    "Teacher Rose, I''m Chris. Is Rissy with you?"


    "Huh? I am waiting for her. She told me that she''de and meet be but she has not arrived yet."


    "Do you know where she lives? Can youe directly to her house from where you are right now?"


    "But I told her that we''d meet here. What if she arrives and I am not here?"


    "Your safety is our next priority." Chris was already walking out of the kitchen while speaking. He was hoping that nothing happens to her girlfriend but with how things are, he was getting tenser every second that has passed. "Come over to Rissy''s house now!"


    The call ended and the woman on the other line was startled with the boiling anger directed at her. She instantly stood up from where she was sitting and started to walk towards Rissy''s home. She felt nervous and scared. She didn''t know why but she felt that something must have happened to Rissy.


    Chris didn''t call Rissy earlier because he didn''t want her to feel that he was nagging her and that he''s possessive over her time and presence. He only called to check if she was really with her colleague. But now that he''s calling her, there was no answering from her.


    His heart was beating wildly in his heart. For the very first time, he felt really scared. He was scared that something has happened to her.


    Chris walked around the vicinity and he even bumped to teacher Rose. The rims of her eyes were red and it''s swollen. There was a bruise on her arm and there were handprints around her neck as well. Even though she tried to hide it under her scarf, Chris was still able to see it.


    "Did something happen to teacher Rissy?" she asked when she saw Chris walking around. "We were supposed to meet and she said that she''lle to find me."


    "Don''t worry, she''ll be fine." These words, they were supposed tofort the woman in front of him but it was like an incantation that he put in his heart. He wanted to believe that she''ll be fine.


    Chris kept calling Rissy''s phone. At first, it rang several times whenever he calls but this time, the number was out of coverage. Her phone was obviously turned off.


    "Damn it!"


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Go to her house right now. I''ll find her." Chris didn''t bother sending the woman to Rissy''s house and just asked her to go there by herself. He couldn''t afford to waste more time. He dialed Tristan''s phone and called him before taking a taxi to the nearest police station. He left his own car in Rissy''s ce.


    "What can I do for you?" Tristan asked while eating a lollipop in front of hisputers.


    "I sent you a series of number and I want you to trace itsst location. Give me the ce as soon as you can."


    "Okay." Tristan started typing a series of number on a small search box and put in a series of codes that only himself could understand. Several dialogue boxes appeared on his screen and were showing locations of different ces. "Where was she in thest three hours?" he asked Chris on the call.


    "She was at home and she came out about an hour ago to meet with her friend but she didn''t arrive. They didn''t get to meet. I tried calling her but the phone was suddenly turned off."

 Chapter 470 - CLUES

    <h4>Chapter 470 - CLUES</h4>


    Tristan narrowed down the ces just as Chris arrived at the station. He requested help from them and wanted to report her missing but they couldn''t do it because it hasn''t passed the 24 hours restriction limit. Chris understood that which was why he contacted Lucian, Jillyanna''s brother-inw, because he knew that the man haspassion and would overlook this kind of restriction just to help someone.


    After contacting Lucian, Chris called Stefan who was currently having dinner with his whole family except for Ferdinand and Magnus.


    Stefan was peeling breaking some lobsters for Cayenne when his phone rang. Since his hands were kind of busy, he told Cayenne to get it for him. "Can you answer it for me honey? It''s Chris."


    "You set a different ringtone to his call?"


    "Hn. It helps me know if it''s someone with urgent matter."


    "I see." Cayenne picked up the phone and answered but before she could say anything, Chris rambled on and on which stunned her like a statue. "Have you asked Tristan to help you?"


    "Hn. He sent me thest location of her phone and I''m on my way to go there. I just need some help in case something happens."


    "Sure. Send me the address and I''ll have someone find you. Keep in touch, okay?"


    "Hn. Thanks for help." He sounded nervous and his voice was even shaking but Chris kept a rational mind, something that all militaries were trained for. They can''t afford to panic and lose their rationality or something even worse could happen. They needed to think with a clear mind.


    "What''s the matter with Chris?" Stefan asked while putting the meat of the lobster on his wife''s te.


    Cayenne looked at her brother Luiz who was busy talking to Dominic and sighed. She couldn''t tell him of the bad news yet or it will ruin their mood and might not have the appetite to eat. She leaned closer to Stefan and whispered, "Something has happened to Rissy. It''s just a hunch from Chris but he thinks that someone has kidnapped her."


    "That is bad news. Don''t tell Luiz about it yet." Stefan whispered back.


    "That''s what I thought as well." Cayenne retorted. "I''ll call Erwin and the other bodyguards to assist him."


    "Hn. That''s fine with me, too."


    Chris anxiously looked around the location that Tristan sent him along with Lucian and his friends, who were also from the same police department that he works for. They continued to walk and were led to a dark alley but there was nothing there but filth and garbage.


    Suddenly, his phone rang and it was Rissy''s number reflected on his screen. His eyes lit up and he answered it as soon as possible but to his disappointment, it wasn''t her who spoke.


    "Hello. This is Officer Richard from Police Division 3. A kid picked up this phone and brought it to the station. Do you know who owned this number?"


    "Yes, and that phone is our lead to the kidnapping incident of the owner. I''ll have someone go there to pick the phone and make a report." Chris took a deep, shaky breath as he continued to answer the officer on the other line. Instead of having someone to get the phone, the officer wrote a kidnapping report for Chris, which was really a big help.


    The child also informed Officer Richard of the ce where he picked the phone and the officer ryed it to Chris on the line. Tristan was indeed right. It was just around the ce. They followed the direction of the officer and got into the nearest park. It was the park where she was supposed to meet with her colleague.


    ''So, she really arrived here but was taken away. Howe no one knew about it?'' Chris thought to himself while looking around to find any clues. He already informed Erwin and the other guards of the meeting ce and they all came to help him.


    Erwin looked towards Chris and sighed emotionally. Rissy was a beautiful woman and she was kind andpassionate. She''s also smart and cheerful. It''s not impossible for someone to have negative ideas towards her. And for a woman to walk defenselessly at night, it''s a great opportunity for those imbeciles to do their acts. If such thing happens to Sabrina, he''ll probably lose his mind unlike Chris who remained rational despite the growing anxiety in him.


    They kept looking around with their shlights and after sometime, at the bushes growing near the merry-go-round, Erwin found a shoe. It was the same shoe that Rissy wore on the day that they bumped into her and Chris at the amusement park.


    "It''s hers, right?" Erwin questioned Chris who nodded his head. "Now, we have a solid proof that she''s been abducted and I doubt it if the kidnappers hid her around. They must have brought her to some ce." As he continued to talk, Chris''s face grew paler and Erwin also realized his worry.


    The kidnappers threw Rissy''s phone which means this wasn''t a kidnap for ransom. This would most-likely lead them to a murder case. Fear was evident on Chris''s face and all of them were worried that their hunches were true.


    Chris called Tristan once again and ryed the new information that he gathered. Tristan immediately checked the location and looked for any cameras that he could hack but there was none. He checked the other establishments near the park and got another clue. They found her being carried to a ck van.


    Tristan told Chris about it and instantly checked the route that the van took. They couldn''t afford to waste more time. Just knowing what has happened, Tristan''s anger rose higher. The life fading from his fianc¨¦''s body reflected in his mind once again. He might not have spent so much time with Chris but he knew that he''s a good man and he didn''t want him to go through the same pain as him.


    Tristan tried his best to locate the van through traffic cameras and through establishment''s cameras. His hands typed so fast like a lightning striking on his keyboard. He kept talking to Chris about the locations, letting him know the route that the kidnappers took.


    ''Please don''t let anything worse befall on this woman.'' Tristan prayed silently. He didn''t want any helpless woman to be a victim like his fianc¨¦.

 Chapter 471 - DEFENSELESS

    <h4>Chapter 471 - DEFENSELESS</h4>


    Chris, Erwin and the other guards along with Tristan and his friends, they all drove to the ces that Tristan saw the van. They followed his every word like children following a teacher''s word every step of the way.


    The route that Tristan mentioned over the phone led them to north. They continued to drive and arrived on an underground tunnel used for cars since the ce above it was a railway. There weren''t many cars passing by and there wasn''t that much light as well since some of the lights were broken.


    "Wait! Something''s wrong." Tristan''s voice came through from the other line. "The van, it didn''te out of the tunnel."


    "What do you mean?" Chris questioned with his fear rising to another level. "Did they change cars?"


    "That''s what I''m thinking, too." Tristan replied to him. "Let me continue to monitor while you continue to check the surrounding''s there."


    Chris didn''t say anything because his eyes were wide open as he stared on to the van in the tunnel. It was the same van that the kidnappers used and just like what they guessed, they have changed cars and left the van there.


    "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I''ll tear these people apart once I get them." He cursed angrily which didn''t escape everyone''s sense of hearing.


    "This is going to be difficult." Tristanmented. "I''m seeing two carsing out of the tunnel few seconds after the other and they''re taking two different routes. One of these cars carry your girlfriend while the other does not."


    "I''ll divide the team." Chrismented. "I''ll take Erwin and the bodyguards with me. Can you follow the other car, Officer Seville?"


    Lucian nodded readily. "I''ll keep in touch with you."


    "Thank you, officer."


    "No big deal." Lucian got inside his own car and not long after, he received a call from Tristan, telling him which car to follow and which route to take. He even gave them a map of the route that the car took and the location of the ce where it stopped.


    The same thing went with Chris. He received the information of the other car as well as the location where it stopped.


    The two teams left but they asked someone to stay and keep watch of the van in order to secure it as evidence for the kidnapping incident. Officer Richard, the policeman who called Chris earlier was cooperating with them and also went to inform Rissy''s family. Chris has been busy thinking about his girlfriend''s welfare that he forgot to tell her parents. In fact, he didn''t want to tell them yet but Rissy''s parents already have a hunch of what has happened when Rose arrived at their home.


    Her mother had been crying and refused to eat dinner and so, the food that they prepared has gone cold. They didn''t have any appetite to eat their food. And when the police officer came to inform them of what has happened, confirming their suspicion, Rissy''s mother fainted on the spot.


    It was chaotic. It was saddening. It brought anxiety to everyone''s heart. They were all worried.


    On a rundown hut, with holes on every corner and wall, Rissy was staring emptily in the dark sky. Her eyes were dull and lifeless while the stars twinkled like diamonds in the sky. There was no light inside the hut. There was no moon to give light to her dark world. No human came to her aid.


    Her hair was disheveled. Her clothes were torn to pieces. Bruises can be seen everywhere on her body. Her face was swollen. Her mouth was wounded. Her hands and feet were tied on the bed post.


    "Let me get another round with her and we''ll dispose her in the morning." A man''s voice sounded from the outside.


    "Of course. We''ll get another round with her. We''ve got to make most of our time with her before throwing her away." Another man replied.


    "Her body felt so good inside. I told you. It''s worth our time tailing her." someone said with a tone of excitement.


    "Where did you find this woman? I didn''t know you''ve got some great taste in opposite sex."


    "Well, she used to by milk at the convenience store where I used to work. She smells so good and I got addicted to her scent. So, I started to tail her since she likes milk so much. And now, we''re taking turns giving her milk." The man answered apanies with maniacalughter. His eyes were gleaming perversely.


    "You''re such a pervert." Someone retorted.


    "You''re just like me." The man stated with faintughter.


    They were eating some snacks and drinking beer while talking about her. Tears fell on the side of Rissy''s face. Her body ached so much. Every time she moved her limbs, she felt like she broke two or three bones of hers. Her head was still aching when she tried smashing it on the headboard. She wanted to end her life by herself.


    She didn''t know how much time has passed as she continued to stare at the dark sky through the huge gaping hole on the roof.


    She didn''t know that they came back inside and she didn''t feel anything when they mounted on her. She could only feel the pain all over her body but she couldn''t think of anything. She couldn''t shout. She couldn''t scream. Her mouth was gagged to prevent her from doing so.


    When they had their fill, one of the men took out his gun and aimed it at her. She was still staring on the dark sky with her dull and lifeless eyes. And when she closed it, tears fell on the side of her face and three gunshots sounded in the middle of the night. Birds flew from the branches they perched on. Animals ran around like headless flies, not knowing which direction to go. In that moonless night, sheid still on the bed inside the rundown hut with no lights.

 Chapter 472 - FOUND HER

    <h4>Chapter 472 - FOUND HER</h4>


    Chris couldn''t stop himself. Before he could think properly his anger took over his rationality and his fingers moved quicker than his brain. He pulled the trigger and killed the three men on the spot.


    His tears kept falling on his face. It''s not because he killed them but because he witnessed how they defiled his girlfriend. She was lying still, unmoving, as if she has no concept of what has been done to her. Blood sttered on her body and face.


    Chris didn''t even care that he stepped on to the arm or the leg of the men that he killed, all he wanted to do was to get to her. Erwin and the bodyguards turned their faces away, not wanting to see how horrible she looked like at the moment.


    Three hours ago, they kept following the route that Tristan sent them and it brought them to a dpidated hut. The surrounding was very quiet and the houses were far from each other. It was a ce far from the city, somewhere a crime can be done without anyone doing. The stopped their car far away from the ce and just walked to their destination, not wanting to let their enemies know that they have arrived.


    It was so dark; the moon wasn''t presence to give them light as well. The only light that illuminates the ce was the bonfire that the criminals have made earlier.


    The crickets were making rackets as they passed by and the frogs from who-knows-where were croaking. It would have been a great ce for rxing if they weren''t after some kidnappers. As they move forward, Chris heard faint sounds. It was the sound ofughtering from the hut. He slowly walked, not making any sound.


    The hut was full of holes and he could see them taking turns defiling someone on the wooden bed. His heart jumped out of his chest and blocked his throat. His vision blurred for a moment and he forgot to breath. He couldn''t see the woman''s face because his line of sight was blocked by one of the men.


    When he saw one of them taking out a gun while pointing at her, he snapped and fired his own gun without thinking. It was the gun that Erwin lent to him earlier.


    He killed them and when he finally raised his head to see the woman''s face, his world seemed to stop and his tears fell. She was none other than, Rissy. She looked lifeless even though she''s clearly breathing. When opened her eyes and looked at him, there was no recognition showing on her face, as if she was looking to a stranger.


    Chris draped his coat over her body while untying the rope that was binding her hands and feet. They were tied tightly and he was having a hard time untying them.


    Erwin called Lucian and informed him of what happened.


    At this point, Lucian also arrived at the location of the other car. It turned out that they other vehicle was owned by two old couple. They wanted to contact the police but they were threatened to be killed. They wanted to help the woman but what can two old people do? Their phones were also confiscated and were stomped to pieces, ensuring that they wouldn''t call the police once they were let go.


    When the couple arrived to their vige which was on the opposite direction of were the kidnappers went, they immediately borrowed a cellphone to make a call but it wasn''t much of a help. The men wore bos and they removed the te number of the other car. The only thing they knew was that they were taking a woman on the opposite road.


    Such incident brought so much guilt to the old couple. When they saw Lucian and found that they were from the police department, they immediately informed him of what happened.


    Just as Lucian was about to leave the police department in which the couple called earlier also arrived. "You''re toote." Lucian stated when he passed by them, leaving the officers stunned and feeling guilty of their ipetence.


    Lucian drove his car and called Erwin to find out of the situation. Currently, Erwin was driving his car with Chris carrying Rissy on the back seat. They were on the way to bring her back to the city and to get her to the hospital as well. The other bodyguards were left to look after the evidences.


    Lucian told his men to coordinate with the bodyguards and sent them to the location of the crime while he stayed on the base of the fork road to meet with Erwin and Chris.


    As soon as he saw them, Erwin stopped his car. Lucian opened the window and gave Chris a set of clothes. "I borrowed these from someone. Put this on her."


    "Thank you, Officer Seville."


    "Hn. I know this isn''t the right thing to say but I am still d that you make it in time before they could take her life away. I hope she''ll get better. Don''t worry about you killing those men. I can handle them."


    "Hn. We''ll go ahead of you."


    "Mn."


    Erwin started the engine once again while Chris helped Rissy put on the clothes. Erwin''s phone rang and it was Cayenne''s number showing up on his screen. "Can I tell the young miss about this?"


    "Hn. You don''t have to be specific with the update."


    "Okay."


    Erwin answered Cayenne''s call and informed her of what has happened. It was shocking and a gut-wrenching event. Her past experience shed across her mind and she instantly turned pale.


    "Let me know which hospital she''ll be staying. I''ll¡­I''ll inform Luiz. He needed to know." Cayenne talked for few more minutes before finally ending the call. Stefan was sitting right beside her in the living room and Luiz was sitting in front of them. He had no idea why he was called to stay back in the living room with them. But listening to what his sister was saying, it was obvious that something wrong has happened.

 Chapter 473 - BAD NEWS

    <h4>Chapter 473 - BAD NEWS</h4>


    Cayenne took a deep breath and faced her brother. She needed to tell him the truth.


    "Is there something wrong?" Luiz asked before Cayenne could speak. "Who were you talking to earlier? And who''s going to the hospital?"


    "Your teacher."


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    Stefan gently caressed Cayenne''s palm, giving her the little push that she needed to tell her brother the horrifying news.


    "I don''t think it''s appropriate for you and your ssmates to throw a surprise party tomorrow. Your teacher¡­she¡­she was kidnapped earlier. She got molested and traumatized. I don''t need to go through the details but you should be able to picture it out."


    "Sis, that is not a good joke."


    "Who said I''m joking? Do I look like I''m joking?"


    "How did this happen? And why did you just tell me about it now?"


    "I''m sorry. We''re having dinner earlier and I didn''t want to ruin everyone''s mood with the news."


    Luiz stood up from his seat and ran upstairs, back to his own room. Cayenne watched her brother left with trepidation. She knew that it was a difficult news to ept but she also knew that Luiz and his ssmates deserved to know the truth, knowing how much they cared for their teacher.


    Cayenne received another message from Erwin and it was the hospital''s location. "Let''s just visit her tomorrow. They needed so much time to adjust for now. Let''s not disturb them."


    "I agree with you on that. You needed to rest as well." Stefan told Cayenne and the two of them went back to their room.


    Cayenne also sent a message to her brother, informing him of their ns while he was busy calling his ssmates. Not all of them were awake since it waste at night but as long as few of them could get the news, it''s not long for other to know about it as well.


    Rissy''s parents were informed about her situation and her mother, who just gained consciousness, was shocked to the core that she fainted once again. Teacher Rose, cried and cried for what happened. She was ming herself for what has happened because she was the one who called Rissy earlier. Even though no one really mes her, she was so guilty that she couldn''t stop crying.


    The crime scene was flocked with reporters even though it was very far from the city. The identities of the suspects were soon discovered and their family immediately went out to find out what happened. They were all crying. They wouldn''t believe that the criminals have done such thing. They imed that they were innocent.


    One of the criminals has a daughter of sixteen years old. The other man was married not long ago. As for the third criminal, he was single and was working at the convenience store to pass his time. He actually came from a prominent family.


    Chris watched them being interviewed by the officers, noting down the family members of the people who molested his girlfriend. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. He''s kind to the people who are kind to him but he''s very cruel to those people who hurt his people or those that he cares about.


    The family of the criminals were given all the evidences, things that told them their father, or their husband, or their son, wasn''t innocent after all. Everything was very detailed and many people testified to the crime, their names couldn''t be saved anymore.


    Soon, the public found out who the rapists were and their families suffered the wrath from the public. Many people threw trash into the yard of these families some even threw some dog poop. They were attacked by the public to the point that they didn''t want to go out of their houses.


    The criminal who first found Rissy, the one who worked in a convenience store where she frequently bought milk, was the son of a city councilor. Overnight, after the crime of his son was found out, all of his malicious acts and other illegal activities were exposed to the public.


    It was Tristan who did that and it was Chris who told him to do so.


    As for the other two families, they could wait for their demise because he was still preparing the best scene for them.


    When morning came, all of Luiz''s ssmates found out what happened to their teacher. All of the girls cried while the boys fumed in anger. They couldn''t believe such thing has happened to their teacher. It was shocking, frustrating and painful.


    Luiz went along with his sister and brother-inw to visit their teacher the next morning. As of the moment, he was like the ears and eyes of his ssmates who couldn''te at the moment.


    They picked up Dominic on the way to the hospital to bring him along as well.


    When they arrived, they found her sleeping on a hospital bed while Chris was sitting on a chair beside her bed. His face was haggard. His eyes were dark with mixed emotions and the rim of his eyes were red. You could tell that he was crying.


    "How is she?" Cayenne asked while gently patting his back tofort him a little bit. Stefan also put his hand on Chris'' shoulder.


    "She hasn''t woken up yet sincest night. The doctor said that she''s deeply traumatized with what happened. There''s a light damage to her head, probably when she tried to kill herself by smashing her head on the wooden bed."


    Cayenne didn''t know what to say. She knew how scary it was to be abducted, specially that she was almost raped in the past. She could only imagine the pain and the trauma that Rissy has gone through. Cayenne closed her eyes and took a deep breath.? "She will be fine. She needed the support of those people she cares for. As long as we stay close and help her cope with this event, I''m sure that she''ll be alright."


    "I believe so." Chris responded to Cayenne with a faint smile.

 Chapter 474 - NOT SO CRUEL

    <h4>Chapter 474 - NOT SO CRUEL</h4>


    Dominic and Luiz went out to buy food for Chris. He stayed up all night because of what happened and they thought that he might be hungry. Cayenne and Stefan stayed inside to talk with Chris.


    After three hours of staying, Rissy was still sleeping and the only indication they have to know that she''s breathing and alive was the monitor on the side of her bed.


    Cayenne left with everyone and promised toe and visit next time. In the afternoon, Rissy''s family visited her once again. This time, she was finally awake but there was no recognition on her face. It feels like there were strangers inside her room. She didn''t show any emotions on her face even when her mother hugged her. She didn''t say anything and just stared at them with her dull eyes.


    The bruises and the wounds all over her haven''t healed yet and every time she moved, she would only frown from the pain. She didn''t cry and she didn''t smile. She was very silent.


    Seeing her like this, Chris turned around to hide his face. Tears fell on the floor. He was heartbroken. He didn''t know what he could do to bring her back to her usual self. She was cheerful. She thinks positively of life even though she was bullied. She wanted to help her students achieve their dream. She cares for other people when there were so few who cares for her. She was so bright and happy every time she thinks of her students. But in just one night, she lost all of it.


    You could hear nothing but sobs and hups. Rissy''s mother cried and cried but there was no reaction from her daughter at all. Her father was lowering down his head to hide his face, not letting her see him cry.


    The school board also heard of this news and they extended their sympathy to Rissy and her family. They even promised to pay half of the hospital bill. Even though the school will resume their sses in about a month, the school board took precaution and looked for a substitute teacher.


    Cases like rape and other traumatic incident would take a long time to heal. It''s not the wounds or the bruised on their body but the wounds it incurred to their psychological state. And just one look at Rissy, they knew it would take longer.


    Because of what happened, it greatly affected Cayenne''s mood. She didn''t have the mood to cook, the mood to visit the children in Justin''s home and when she came with Stefan to his office, she would only stare into space. She didn''t talk much with Elena and she didn''t eat much either.


    "I know you''re worried about her but you need to eat and keep up with your schedule." Stefanmented during lunch. "She wouldn''t be happy to know that it affects you so much to this point."


    "I just couldn''t help myself." Cayenne responded. "I felt so bad for her. She was supposed to celebrate her birthday and now, she can''t even tell the people around her. She looked empty." she looked down on her te and sighed. "If in the past, if that good person didn''t ask for someone to help me, I''d have probably ended up like her."


    "Do you know who helped you?"


    "Not really. I just knew that he was a boy. Probably around thirteen or fourteen years old. I couldn''t see his face and I was losing consciousness. When I woke up again, I was already in a hospital. I didn''t get the chance to thank him."


    Stefan nodded his head and there was relief showing on his face. "Don''t worry, just like you, she will be fine. Many people care for her and we will also do our best to help them. After all, she did so much for Luiz. It''s our turn to do something for her."


    "Thank you for understanding me."


    "It''s my responsibility as a husband to always understand my wife. As they say, a happy wife is a happy life."


    Cayenne finally let out a faintughter because of him. She was really grateful for having him in his life.


    In the next few days, Rissy''s students came to visit her. They talked to her even though she wasn''t responding. They showed her many pictures of her with them even though she didn''t react to it.


    It was the doctor''s idea. They wanted to treat her psychological trauma but since she refused toe to reality and locked herself somewhere in the deepest part of her mind, they decided to slowly talk to her with happy memories.


    Chris also joined the student and they talked to her about thest trip that they all had together with Cayenne and Stefan. The atmosphere in the hospital room was jolly but as soon as the studentse out after their allotted visiting time, they would breakdown and cry.


    The person who helped them so much in a span of one year was like a soulless person now. She would keep staring into space like a blind person who couldn''t see anything in front of her.


    Even though Chris was busy attending to her needs to help Rissy''s parents, he didn''t forget to take his revenge. In the suburb, not far from the city, she asked someone to kidnap the daughter of one of the rapists.? Although he didn''t ask someone to rape her, he ordered several men to scare her until she''ll breakdown. It was the same for the wife of the other criminal.


    He wanted them to have a mental breakdown and instill this traumatic experience in their bones. Cruel? He wasn''t cruel enough. It was just his mildest form of revenge and he wasn''t even done yet.


    When these women were rescued, the news was also known to the public but instead of getting justice and sympathy from the crowd, they only snicker and spit on them.


    "They deserved it! It''s not even half of what the victim has gone through."


    "Pity? I don''t feel pity to anyone rted to those three scums."


    "Ha! That''s not enough! They should all go to hell."


    Condemnations and angry words were directed at them, adding to the insult and pain that they just went through. The embarrassment and the trauma was deeply embedded to their mind and bones, not letting them have a single moment to be happy.

 Chapter 475 - WHAT TO DO?

    <h4>Chapter 475 - WHAT TO DO?</h4>


    Days passed by quickly but it felt like they were on a stagnant world with no changes at all. Cayenne does her daily routine just like Stefan. They were booth busy with their lives that they started to forget some things. Cayenne, for example, with so many things to think and do, she has forgotten the issue with Diana Rule. One cause of the that was because Diana stopped looking for her, giving her a peace of mind.


    Luiz and Kyle received lots of work because of the impact they had from the magazine shoot. Many brands wanted them to be an ambassador but Kyle refuse them, saying that he''s only doing for during summer. As for Luiz, David epted the offers for him.


    Despite their busy schedule, they would stille to visit Rissy. After a week of staying in the hospital, she was finally allowed to be discharged. Dr. Anderson, Valkyrie''s father visited her, too. He was checking her condition since he was one of the best doctors they knew.


    Chris has been going in and out of the Chan''s home as well. He''ll work in the morning to assist Stefan and his secretaries, leaving Rissy to spend time with her family. In the afternoon, right after lunch, he''ll be staying with her, talking, showing pictures and recalling their happy memories together. At night, he''lle back home to stay in his apartment and do his job as a military.


    "Hawk, can you do me a favor? I need your help as a witness. Can you ask general Calhoun to allow me to stay instead of going to the mission?" Chris told Hawk over the phone while staring on the ceiling in his living room. It was silent on the other end of the line but after few seconds, a deep sigh came¡­


    "She''s your girlfriend, I can understand. But it''s the world girlfriend that will make things a bit difficult. You should know that once you join the military, your first priority is the safety of our country. Our family onlyes second. If you want to stay back to apany her, you have to do one important thing."


    "What is it?"


    "Apply for a wedding. Submit your request to me and I''ll handle it. In that way, you will be given time to prepare for the wedding and there will be a vacation leave given to you. As long as you can do this, I guarantee you that you will be able to stay back."


    Chris didn''t speak for a while. He didn''t know what to say at this point and he was conflicted. It''s not because he didn''t want to marry her in her current situation but he didn''t want to manipte her into doing something she might regret in the future. Also, she''s not in her right mind and he didn''t want to take advantage of her.


    "I''ll think about it." Chris responded as he rubbed the space of his eyebrow.


    "I''ll give you a week to think. I have other things to do as well. As soon as you have made up your mind, call me so we can deal with it as soon as we can."


    "Hn. Thank you."


    The call ended yet Chris wasn''t relieved. He was deeply worried for Rissy. ''Shall I take advantage of her situation and marry her?'' He asked himself while rubbing his face with his hands. He was confused as to what he should do at this point.


    The next morning, he left for work once again. He waited for others toe and the first person to arrive was Tristan.


    "Morning. How''s your girlfriend?" Tristan asked. Ever since the incident, Tristan would always ask how Rissy was doing whenever he sees Chris. He was a bit guilty for not being able to stop the crime from happening and the face of his ex-fianc¨¦ has resurfaced in his mind once again. His guilt was even amplified.


    Chris shrugged his shoulder and smiled faintly. "She''s improving a little bit better yesterday." Chris stated just to ease Tristan''s worry.


    "That''s good to know but you seem to be worried."


    "Not just seem but I am worried about something else."


    "What is it? Maybe I can help."


    Chris told Tristan the conversation he had with Hawk and asked for advice. At the end of the day, it''s not just his future that he will be dealing but Rissy''s future as well. "So, if you''re in my shoes, what will you do?"


    Tristan thought for a while. The frown on his face deepened as the time went by and it took him a full minute before he responded. "I won''t say ''it''s taking advantage'' of her situation but it''s your way of showing that you really cared for her. After all, most people will leave someone with unstable mind. Why don''t you talk with her parents first? She''s their daughter and with the current situation, they have thest say of everything."


    "What are you guys talking so seriously about?" Elena questioned, strutting out from the elevator towards them. "Has the boss arrived?"


    "Nope, not yet." Chris answered. "Little girl, I have something to ask you."


    "What is it?"


    Chris told Elena his current predicament and asked for another advice from her. Contrary to Tristan''s answer, Elena agreed to the marriage immediately.


    "I''m saying this as a girl because I don''t want to put myself in your shoe but, if you really love her, despite of what has happened to her, I think it''s okay to marry her. I don''t know how will things turn out but as a woman, if that event happened to me, bless me god to avoid it, " she prayed in between as she continued to speak, "I will be very devastated. I will feel horrible for myself and of course, given the fact that I''m a virgin and it''s been taken away by some bastards, my self-esteem will be very low. I will lose confidence in myself. If you leave my side while I''m going through tough challenges, I will be very disheartened and I''d probably take my life. But if you continue to stay and is even willing to marry me, I will be forever loyal to you."


    Tristan''s eyebrow raised while listening to her words. She seems to know a lot of things but Tristan actually knew that she never had a boyfriend. "Great adviceing from a single." Hemented.


    Elena crossed her arms over her chest and raised her lips to snicker at him. "Even if I''m single, I know how women feels because I''m a woman myself. Hmp!"


    "You are? With your body, t as a board, I couldn''t tell at all."


    "Hey!" Elena raised her fist and punched him several times on his arms. "I can''t believe you just said that to your superior."


    "Really? Are you going to use your superiority towards me?"


    "Hmp! Whatever." Elena grabbed his hear and strongly yanked it before letting him go. "I''m not talking to you anymore!"


    Chris could tell that the two of them got along so well and he was relieved to leave thepany in their hands. "Thank you so much for your advice. I''ll think about it properly."


    When Stefan arrived, Chris also asked for his advice as to what he should do. Surprisingly, he had the same answer as Elena. He would definitely marry her during her lowest point in life.


    "Wait. Are you waiting for Cayenne to experience something before giving her a wedding?" Chris asked Stefan because they''ve been together for a while now after registering their marriage but up until now, none of them talked about having a wedding.


    Stefan coughed dryly to clear his throat. "I''m not praying for her to experience anything bad. I just want to give her the best wedding she''ll ever wish in her life. And to achieve it, I will have to prepare it thoroughly."


    "She will surely love it."


    The two of them talked about other things while working.


    On the other hand, Cayenne was busy buying some baking materials that she wanted to gift Justin''s grandparents. She looked left and right, checked an item after item.


    "Oh shoot!" Cayenne eximed and ran out of the store. She looked for the nearestfort room and got inside. The sticky feeling she had earlier was really her period. She had been preparing for this because she knew that it was just around the corner and she will experience an extreme pain. But because she was nning to do something, she couldn''t afford to let Stefan know.


    Stefan knew that she has an irregr period cycle which makes it difficult for him to keep track of it. Cayenne used this opportunity to prank him. "Sorry, hubby. I won''t do this again." Cayenne mumbled to herself while changing her pads. She took a pain reliever pill and rested for a while. Stefan was against her drinking some pills to reduce the pain because it will surely cause some unknown damage to her health if she bes dependent on it. Although she drank one, she promised to herself that she will never take it again.


    Cayenne went out of the bathroom and coincidentally bumped into Diana, the woman she never wanted to meet again.

 Chapter 476 - SHE WON

    <h4>Chapter 476 - SHE WON</h4>


    Cayenne wanted to roll her eyes upon seeing this woman but she remained calm and kept a straight face. She didn''t even say a single word when she wanted to pass by her but Diana raised her leg in a swift motion and stomped on the wall, blocking Cayenne''s way to go out of the bathroom.


    "Cousin, why won''t you say ''hi'' to me? That''s rude, you know." Diana stated while crossing her arms over her chest, looking down at Cayenne with a smirk on her face.


    "Cousin, huh? Who''s that? Me? For a wealthy woman, you really are kind to call a poor person your cousin. I don''t even know you." Cayenne replied with a smug face. "I have no intention and will never have the intention to call you family. I''m contented with the people I have around me and I have no need for monsters."


    "Hey! Watch your mouth!" Diana slid her legs on the wall, wanting to give Cayenne a kick but she was surprised to see her fending her attack.


    Cayenne had been learning a lot of things from Jillyanna and it''s time to put these learnings into use. She blocked the kick using her arms and swing it back, making Diana stagger on her feet few steps back.


    Ashamed that someone blocked her, and on top of that, it was Cayenne, who looked small and weak. Diana became angry and decided to kick her again but Cayenne sidestepped this time thus; Diana missed her again. With her other leg raised and the other one was on the ground, steady and strong, Cayenne smiled wickedly and used her bag, swinging it on the back of Diana''s knees.


    "How could you use a sneak attack on me?!"


    "That''s not a sneak attack, moron. In a life and death situation, someone needed to use all avable resources."


    "I''m not even having a life and death fight with you."


    "Liar."


    "I''m not lying!" Diana insisted while getting up from the floor.


    Cayenne smirked and raised her eyebrow. "Did you really think I can''t see the hatred in your eyes. You keep approaching me, calling me cousin or telling people that we''re family but in truth, you don''t want me to be part of your family. You don''t want me to go back. And I have no intention of going back, either."


    "But grandpa wants me to take you back."


    "Why?"


    "He wants the earrings back? He wanted to verify that you are aunt Amethyst''s daughter."


    "Once the ss starts, I''ll give the earrings to you. While waiting don''t ever show your face in front of me."


    "He wants you to go back with the earrings."


    "Do you want to get the earrings or do you want us to keep fighting? Let me tell you, if I get really angry, someone will kill you despite us being blood rted and I don''t care if that happens."


    Diana looked at Cayenne and lowered her head. "Fine. I''ll wait for you to give me the earrings. But don''t me me if grandpa will send someone else to take you back."


    "Sure. I''ll wee him in my husband''s territory."


    Cayenne left after that without turning back. Without knowing, another woman was inside one of the cubicles. She was the woman who was assigned to keep Cayenne safe. She really wanted to go out and help her but she found out that Cayenne had the advantage this time. So, she looked at them, waiting for opportunity to help. However, until the end, Cayenne didn''t lose herposure and she was smart as well.


    ''She''s indeed deserving of being master''s student.'' The woman thought.


    When Diana left, she also went out of the cubicle to look for Cayenne. She walks really fast and her eyes scanned her surrounding, not missing a single person to observe.


    Cayenne continued to buy the appliances and left the mall right after that. Earlier, the bodyguards didn''t know what has happened because they couldn''t go to the women''s bathroom. They had to stay few meters away from the ce. Since Cayenne didn''t ask for help, they couldn''te either.


    Also, Cayenne didn''t really want to shout for help. She knew that Diana wouldn''t really hurt her that badly because she needed her.


    "Let''s go to my husband''spany. I want to see him."


    Hearing this from the monitor, Stefan raised his head and smiled but because Cayenne turned off the pen when she went to thefort room earlier, Stefan had no idea of what has happened. Cayenne only turned it back on when she was back at the appliance store with the bodyguards.


    Stefan wrapped up his work and went out of his office. "Boss, are you going out?"


    "Nope. I''m waiting for my wife here."


    Elena and Tristan looked at each other before turning their heads away and went back to their works. ''He can wait for her inside his office but he still came out to wee her. Boss is a wife ve.'' Elena thought to herself while working.


    Few minutester, Cayenne came with the bodyguards following her. She found Stefan sitting leisurely at the lobby with his legs crossed. "Hubby." Cayenne ignored manners and ran to his arms. "I missed you."


    "That''s good to know."


    "Huh? That''s not the response I want to hear from you." Cayenne pushed him a little away from her and lightly punched his chest. "You''re being hateful."


    "I miss you, too." Stefan muttered as he pulled her closer to him. He kissed her temple and led her inside his office. "So, what upsets you this time?"


    "If my anyone from the Rule familyes to take me away, do your best to keep me safe."


    Stefan''s face darkened and cruelty shed in his eyes. "Yes, my dear wife. Your safety and life will always be my priority."


    Cayenne clung to him like a child. She needed to recharge herself and erase those negative emotions she felt; and she can only do it by staying beside him.


    Stefan cuddled with her on the couch,forting her silently. "I''ll buy some desserts for you. What do you want?"


    "I want five different vor of cake, donuts and two different vors of ice cream. I also want ¡­" Cayenne gave him a list of foods she likes to eat, making Stefan smile tenderly at her.

 Chapter 477 - HES NOT LEAVING

    <h4>Chapter 477 - HE''S NOT LEAVING</h4>


    Cayenne happily ate the desserts that Stefan bought for her. She also called Tristan, Chris and Elena to join them. She was finally chatting happily with them and she didn''t forget to set aside some cakes for Rissy. She knew that Chris will during lunch to spend time with her in the afternoon.


    In the afternoon, instead of going home, she decided to take a rest in Stefan''s bedroom which was adjacent to his office. Of course, Stefan didn''t disagree to this. Nothing could make him happier as long as she''s beside him.


    While she rested, Diana earned an earful of yelling from her grandfather again. She failed again and again to bring Cayenne back. But instead of getting angry, she felt happy because Cayenne didn''t like them. Her grandfather can''t do anything about it and if he forces Cayenne to take her back, she will hate them even more.


    "Grandpa, she promised to give me the ring once the school starts. Let''s just wait for her to hand it to us."


    "How many times should I tell you that she muste along with the earrings?! I want to see her!" Jean Nikko Rule yelled and staggered back in anger. He had been yelling and now he''s trembling in anger.


    Diana shrugged her shoulders and sigh. "If you will force her, she won''t hesitate to fight back. And let me tell you, her husband is known in City A and he holds a lot of power over merchant trades. Also, Stefan Dumrique isn''t alone in protecting her. Cayenne is friends with the Madrid and Madrigal. Don''t forget how the original Dragon Gang perished from the world."


    The old man looked at his granddaughter. He knew it. He''s not someone who''s blind of what''s happening around him. He also knew that his granddaughter didn''t wee her long-lost cousins.


    "Go back to your room." Jean Nikko Rule told his granddaughter before standing up to leave the living room as well. He needed to n to get his granddaughter back. "If I can''t get her by force then, I''ll just entice her with benefits."


    He was so sure that Cayenne will take his offer but, he had no idea that all their evil ns against Amethyst several years ago was already exposed to Cayenne.


    At the same time, they''re not the only one who''s after Cayenne. Natsu has been lying low several days ago because he was nning how to deal with Luiz. He''ll be using him to get Cayenne to get to him.


    He had been following him closely and he also knew the address where Cayenne lives. However, he won''t abduct her from her own property. It''s their territory and he knew that he will be at disadvantage if he trespasses their ce. Luiz didn''t have much to do but every time he goes out, it''s either he''ll meet with his friends, meet with his girl or go to work with David. And every time he goes out, the two bodyguards will always be tagging along.


    So far, he only knew that there were two bodyguards around Luiz. He didn''t know that Jillyanna had asked someone to tail him, making sure that Artemis won''t get close to him.


    Although she won''t act if it''s not Artemis, that didn''t mean that she can just ignore him when he''s in danger. Natsu overlooked this matter which will lead him to doom.


    "You will finally be mine. I wonder how will that arrogant Stefan reacts to this?" Natsu asked himself and evenughed evilly with his perverted thoughts.


    He just needed to wait for the next modeling job that Luiz will take.


    Life continued to move forward and one week has passed. Stefan didn''t notice that he missed Cayenne''s period. Luiz didn''t ept jobs for the time being because he wanted to prepare himself for college. Thus; Natsu''s n was halted. It was truly a blessing in disguise. Cayenne continued her daily routine, not worried about the uing ss at all.


    As for Chris, he finally decided to process his marriage with Rissy. It''s not proper and hasty but her parents agreed and was even thankful that he still wanted to marry her even after what happened.


    The only thing that has happened which brought happiness to everyone was when Rissy started talking. She talked to Chris about their first date and there was a smile on her face but after that, she refused to talk again. Even though she refused to speak, they were still happy with the progress.


    Chris also showed her the room that she worked so hard to transform from that depressing area to a lovely and cool office. She transformed it to be her office but now, she cannot even teach.


    Even so, everyone held to the hope that she will be fine sooner orter. And they were all thankful that Chris didn''t choose to leave during this hardship that she''s going through.


    Hawk was very helpful as well and together with Dr. Anderson, they testified about Rissy''s psychological issue which will affect Chris. They told the military higher ups that Chris had been nning to marry her and has prepared so much for his wedding which will now be postponed.


    Although they were lying, Tristan and Shein can easily make up evidences that will be used to strengthen the im. Although it''s a sad thing to lose Chris during the next mission, Major General Calhoun asserted to everyone that they shouldn''t send someone with troubled heart and mind. It will not just put the person in danger but the whole team that relies on him.


    After three hours or persuasion and discussion, Chris was finally given two months of vacation but after that, whether Rissy''s back to normal or not, he will need to report back to the military or else he will be punished using militaryw.


    "It''s good enough for me." Chris told Hawk over the phone. "I''ll make good use of the next two months."


    "If you need help, just let us know. As long as we can do it, we will always help you."


    "Thank you. I''ll keep that in mind."


    As of the moment, Chris was inside Rissy''s room. She was currently asleep while he was taking a phone call. Most of her wounds and bruises were healed already but the wound in her mind, it will still take time to heal it.


    "Everything will be fine. It will be fine." Chris told himself again and again, praying mentally that his words will be heard. He never believe in God but ever since this happened to her, he found himself mentally praying for her.

 Chapter 478 - CLASSES RESUME

    <h4>Chapter 478 - CLASSES RESUME</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, the short summer vacation has ended. In the two months that there was no ss, the most productive person was those who worked. Dominic earned a lot as well as his three other friends. Just like him, Luiz got so much money from his modeling as well.


    Not only that, as soon as the sses resume, many students knew him and lots of women like to get his autograph. And the moment he stepped inside the school campus, he was surrounded with students.


    "Did a celebrity enroll in our school?" a male student asked to one of his ssmates when he saw themotion at the gate.


    "I''m not sure if we should call him a celebrity but I heard that a model who got famous recently has enrolled to our school."


    "I see. It must be hard being a model and a student at the same time."


    They just ignored it and continued walking. They were the kind of students who didn''t care about others business and just proceed with their own lives and matters.


    "Tsk! What a famewhore!"


    "I know, right! And to think, he''s just a small-time model."


    "He really thinks of him as a big shot."


    "Ha! Let''s see if he can survive the modeling industry and pass his subjects at the same time. I heard he''s from the engineering department."


    "Whatever. I''ll be waiting for his downfall."


    Students like them were the jealous type. They hated it when others were more sessful than them. They have what Filipinos called crab-mentality. It''s a trait that when someone is getting higher than the other, those at the lower level will drag him back. These disgusting people should be avoided or you will be dragged down by them.


    But even though you try to avoid them, these people will always be looking over your actions, waiting for you to fail.


    In the middle of the crowd, Luiz was signing so many magazines and shirts. He kept a smile on his face and he was really happy with the attention but he also remembered his sister''s words. He cannot let his fame get to his head.


    "I''m not really that famous but I am thankful for everyone who supported me. At the same time, it''s the first day of ss and we need to focus on our studies. How about we end it here and those who didn''t get any autograph, you can find me in the second floor of the library during ten in the morning or at three in the afternoon. Of course, you cannot make a ruckus there. Just silently give your items to me and I''ll sign it. If you want to take pictures, I am free during lunch."


    "Okay, Luiz."


    "We understood."


    "We''ll be there." As soon as the students dispersed, Luiz breathed a sigh of relief and continued to walk towards his department with the two bodyguards.


    "So, ten in the morning and three in the afternoon is for autograph. Lunch is for picture taking. But let''s give our idol thirty minutes to eat before we disturb him. Understood?" This message popped inside the group chat that his fans made and they all gave their thumbs up in agreement.


    "But wait, where will he take his lunch? Some students take their lunch in the cafeteria but some of them will bring their own lunch and some will eat outside. So, where will we find him?"


    "Let''s ask in the library at ten in the morning."


    Thus; the fans all reached an agreement and they were really matured to understand their male idol. Luiz didn''t know about this but he was thankful that they weren''t the forceful type of fans.


    "Brother Luiz!" a cute voice sounded from behind him and when Luiz turned around, he saw Jade running towards him with a young man following behind her. "Brother Luiz! I am so d that you make it here."


    The students looked at Luiz and looked to Jade and Ethan. Before Luiz came, these two children were famous in Trine Elite University. Not just inside their campus but many professors from other university envied Trine for having these excellent students. And now, looking at these two children who took the initiative to talk to Luiz, they already have a feeling that he''s not a simple person either.


    "Good morning, Jade." Luiz greeted her and gave her a hug. "How''s your summer vacation?"


    "It was fun. I got to visit a lot of ce and I got to y with Ethan. Oh! It''s very rude of me. Let me introduce Ethan to you." Jade took a step back and linked her arms with Ethan''s arms. "This is my best friend, Ethan. He''s 12 years old and is already in 9th grade."


    Ethan reached out his hand like a proper gentleman and Luiz took it for a handshake. "Nice to meet you. I''m Luiz."


    "Nice to meet you, too." Ethan smiled brightly and many students were charmed by his smile but this little kid, he never gave a damn with those other women. He only got Jade in his heart and mind.


    Just as they were talking, anotherdy arrived and this one made Luiz''s heart flutter. It was risse.


    "Good morning." She spoke softly but with confidence. She was very different to how she was back in high school. She even stopped wearing her fake spectacles.


    "Good morning." Luiz greeted her back and smiled at her. "Did your father send you here?"


    "Do you think he will? He never wanted me to be a doctor."


    "Right. It must be your driver again."


    "Well, it''s fine as long as he allows me to do whatever I want." risse responded before shifting her eyes to the two little children. "You must be Jade, right? Luiz talked about you a lot of times because you''re smarter than him."


    "Ah? I''m just so-so." Jade mumbled shyly. "This is my friend, Ethan."


    "Hello, Ethan." risse greeted them with a bright smile. Her eyes also curved into a crescent moon when she smiled. She''s got dimples as well. Jade was looking at her with amazement. She has seen a lot of pretty women but the woman in front of her has different kind of beauty, too. "I''m risse."


    "You''re risse?!" Jade blurted out and forgot to cover up her surprise. When she realized it, she covered her mouth instantly. "Sorry, I just remembered how happy brother Luiz when he talks about you. Well, we won''t take so much of your time now." Jade pulled Ethan and they walked away in a hurry.


    Luiz could only shake his head? while watching the two little figures leave.

 Chapter 479 - CAYENNE WANTS TO BE ALONE

    <h4>Chapter 479 - CAYENNE WANTS TO BE ALONE</h4>


    Not just Luiz, his brother Kyle was also getting so many attentions from his school mates but he only smiled faintly at them. Unlike Luiz, he was very open with his opinion and he already said that he won''t be pursuing his modeling career. He even told his fans or his admirer to support his brother instead.


    For Kyle, his teaching career was more important and he didn''t want to give Kath the chance to be bothered with other women. She''s already having low self-esteem with all the admirer he got before he became a model. How much more if he really chooses to be a model? He didn''t have the heart to hurt her.


    They also talked about it and even though Kath agreed that he will be a model, he also knew that she will be jealous of those female models that he will be working with and because of that he chose her over his modeling career.


    Kyle went to his ss and waited for his girlfriend toe. Many students approached him and talked to him about his summer job as a model. He shared the experience and made sure to mention that his girlfriend was with him the whole, time. He didn''t anyone to make issues regarding it which will cause him trouble in the future.


    On the other, Cayenne was walking towards her ssroom for her first ss. As the wife of Stefan Dumrique, many eyes were looking at her, waiting for her to make mistakes so that they can criticize her. However, Cayenne was always careful with her actions and besides, there were bodyguards looking after her.


    Not just that, she always brings the pen with her. The small button that Valkyrie gave her was also ced inside her bag. It serves as a tracker and a voice recorder for her. Not just that, it was directly connected to Stefan''sptop. Wherever she goes, as long as she carries the pen and button with her, they will know which corner of the world she''ll be.


    Cayenne sat at the back of the ss, near the bodyguards who were standing outside. Her professor for the first subject didn''t give them time to know each other. He immediately started the ss but that didn''t matter to Cayenne. She didn''te to school to make friends anyway. She didn''t want to be backstabbed by those so-called friends again. She''s had enough of backstabbing in her high school days.


    Cayenne ced the pen on her desk and made sure that the eyes of the pink bear was facing her. In that way, Stefan would see her face and the people behind her. She was scribbling notes diligently while the professor discussed the subject matter. Many students would turn their heads towards Cayenne but she ignored all of them. She''s not being haughty, she just didn''t want her husband to find something to be jealous of.


    After discussing a lot of things, the professor picked up his ss book and looked at the information. "Let me check the attendance for today. Although it''s the first day of ss, don''t even think for one second that I will be lenient on you. You are students and you should be responsible. Say ''here'' if yourst name is called. Mr. Ababa."


    "Here."


    "Mr. Abatayo."


    "Here."


    "Ms. Aleman."


    "Here."


    "Ms. Ardolf."


    Everyone looked at Cayenne when she raised her hand and answered for the name Ardolf. It was obvious that she didn''t change herst name for her schoolpletion.


    "Money can really make the world go around." Someone whispered softly but Cayenne still heard it as well as her other ssmates but her expression didn''t change at all.


    The professor continued to call all the names of his students and found that no one was actually absent. His mood instantly brightened but it changed after few seconds. He found that the number of his students was odd. They can''t make a pair and if she grouped them by three, it will still not be fair.


    "Uhm¡­everyone, please look for partners and remember that this chosen person will be your partner for the activities and project until the end of the semester so, make sure that you will get along together. Since, there''s an odd number, one group will beposed of three people. Understood?"


    "Excuse me proof." Cayenne raised her hand which garnered attention once again.


    "What is it. Ms. Ardolf?"


    "Uh¡­you said¡­you said that we have an odd number. Can I work alone instead?"


    Hearing this from theptop seeing her flustered face, Stefan couldn''t stop himself from smiling. He knew exactly what he was thinking and he was very proud of her having enough courage to voice out her concern.


    "Why do you want to work alone?" The professor asked the question that many students wanted to ask as well.


    Cayenne thought for awhile and bowed in front of everyone. "I have other things to do aside from studying and I don''t want to inconvenience anyone who will be grouped with me, specially during meet ups. I might have other scheduled work on that day."


    "You have a point." The professor nodded his head in agreement. "If it''s really alright with you. I will allow you to work on your own but don''te to me andinter on."


    "Yes, prof. Thank you."


    Cayenne managed to get a good excuse which sounded as if she was really concern for her ssmates but in truth, she was just putting her guard around them. There were so many people who are after her and Stefan''s life. He didn''t want to give their enemies the chance to use her ssmate against her.


    Her ssmates knew that she has a vlogging ount and they understood that she might be busy with it. They had no idea that she had more than the vlogging to think about each day. She even got more schedules than Stefan.


    After the ss found their pair, the professor told them of their first activity. Cayenne listened carefully and Stefan also recorded this part. He will make sure to help her and finish whatever activity that she needed to finish at home. He will be her pair since she didn''t have one in school.

 Chapter 480 - FRIEND OR FOE?

    <h4>Chapter 480 - FRIEND OR FOE?</h4>


    The second subject for the morning wasn''t like her first ss. They started to get to know each other and during Cayenne''s self-introduction, she gained several subscribers as well. Her ssmates, who didn''t know about her vlogging ount, instantly searched for it and subscribed to her ount.


    They were told to chill and rx, to take this time to get to know each other since they will be together for the whole semester. Other students started to gather around Cayenne and asked her a lot of stuff. She answered them carefully while keeping a faint smile on her face.


    After her second subject, the third came but their professor wasn''t around. So, Cayenne took this opportunity to call Stefan instead. She found a quieter ce at the back of the science department where many herbs and other nts was nted. There was arge tree as well with a wooden bench under it. She sat on the bench before taking her phone out.


    "Darling, are you busy." Cayenne asked while fiddling with her bag''s zipper. The bodyguards were standing not far from her, looking at the fields of herb as if they''re botanists scrutinizing these nts.


    Stefan put down his pen and the documents he was holding before signaling everyone inside the meeting room to keep quiet. "I''m not busy. What happened?"


    "Nothing much. I just remembered a lot of things today. I didn''t pair up with anyone for activities as well. I''ll have to do everything on my own."


    "Who says that? I can pair up with you as long as it''s a homework." Stefan responded with a wide smile. "I''ll make sure that you will have the best output among your ss."


    Cayenneughed cheerfully upon hearing his answer. She knew that he''d say it. "You don''t have to worry about me. I can do it and if you will help me, my ssmates will probably hate me even more."


    "Why would they hate you? It''s not like you robbing them off."


    "I know. Well, anyway, it''s not really the reason why I call you out."


    "Then, what is it?"


    "Eat lunch with me, will you?"


    Stefan chuckled while nodding his head even though Cayenne couldn''t see his actions. "I sure will. I''ll pick you up right after my meeting."


    "Huh? You''re having a meeting? Why didn''t you tell me? If I didn''t forget to bring the notebook with your schedules, I wouldn''t call you in the middle of your meeting."


    "It''s fine. It''s fine. We''re almost done anyway."


    "Well,e and get me once you''re done. I have no ss as of right now and you know that, right?"


    "Of course. The guards told me that you are free right now because the professor isn''t around. I thought you wouldn''t invite me for lunch."


    "How can that be?" Cayenne smiled while looking up and it was at this moment that her eyes widened in shock. Right above her head was a man, sleeping soundly while sitting on arge tree branch. He looked really handsome and cool but there was a smile on his lips. He was obviously listening to her call. "I''ll go somewhere for now. Let me know once you''re here to pick me up, okay? I''ll just visit the library."


    Cayenne stood up without the slightest hesitation and ran towards her bodyguards. She told them that she''d go to the library and without turning back, she walked away from that herb garden.


    Sitting on a branch of the tree, the man opened his eyes and the her disappearing back reflected in his cerulean eyes. They were twinkling with mischief but he also dismissed whatever idea he had in mind. The whole time she was sitting below him, she never mentioned anything about her course or whatever project she will be working on.


    "Never mind. She just called someone ''darling''. Surely, she''s in a rtionship and it''s not even a guarantee that we''d meet again in this huge campus." The man mumbled to himself and decided to continue sleeping. It''s the first day of the ss and he felt really bored.


    Cayenne arrived in the library. The guards shouldn''t be able to get inside the library but to Cayenne''s surprise, they actually got inside with her.


    "How did you get inside?" Cayenne asked one of his guards who was following her.


    "We have a special permit from the board and the headmaster of the school." Her bodyguard showed her a card with some seal and whatever names were written on it. Her eyebrow raised a little bit higher than usual and she already have an idea of what was exchanged for that seal.


    "Don''t worry ma''am. Sir Stefan didn''t spend so much for this permit." Her other guardmented. "When he negotiated with them, the headmaster only asked for him to donate some books andputers to the school."


    "I see. But it won''t affect my grades, right?"


    "No, ma''am. The headmaster said that you will have to study and do your best to have better grades because the donation was just for the permit to allow us to apany you to school."


    "That''s fine." Cayenne smiled. She found a vacant table and chairs; and with the guards following her, they upied it. "I actually came here to wait for someone. Since she''s not here yet, you can do whatever you want."


    "Okay, ma''am."


    As if they were synchronized, the two bodyguards pulled out their phone and put on their earphone. One was watching a movie while the other one was ying a game.


    Cayenne couldn''t herself from smiling at all. They looked scary and bulky but when they''re chill and rx, they''re just like normal people who ys games and watch movies.


    Cayenne also took out her phone to send a message on her brothers. She needed to know how they''re doing to put her heart at ease.


    She looked around the library to see if Diana hase to get the earrings. They already talked about it and even if the old man disagrees, she won''t care about it.


    Cayenne didn''t want to let go of this pair of earrings because her mother gave it to her but if those people kept on pestering her, she''d rather give it up instead of being disturbed all the time.


    Diana got inside the library and many students looked at her way. She''s actually pretty but she really has an awful attitude. She spotted Cayenne immediately and when she thought that the guards weren''t paying attention, she was wrong. When they felt her presence, the guards put away their phones and earphones. Without these things, they looked vigntly at her.


    "I''m not here to fight your young mistress." Diana put down the folders she was holding and raised her hands in a surrender gesture. ''Her husband is so possessive. Tsk!''

 Chapter 481 - TORN BETWEEN LOYALTY AND HATRED

    <h4>Chapter 481 - TORN BETWEEN LOYALTY AND HATRED</h4>


    Diana pulled a chair and sat in front of Cayenne. The two of them measured each other but not a minuteter, Diana pulled back and rxed her guard. "I won''t be arguing with you. I''m here for the earrings."


    "If you have the earrings and it''s proven that your lost auntie is my deceased mother, what will happen?"


    "I''m not sure about that. It''s grandpa who wanted to bring you back. It''s not just the earrings that he wants." Diana responded softly. "I don''t know what he''s up to but I know for sure that he wanted his family to reunite."


    "Ha!" Cayenne scoffed without hiding her disgust at all. "Family, huh?"


    "Whatever your opinion is, I don''t care about that." Diana muttered. "Can I have the earrings now?"


    Cayenne opened her bag and pulled out a small ck box. She handed it to Diana and the other party checked it herself. "If it''s proven that we''re not rted, I hope you can stay away from my life. I don''t want anything to do with you."


    "You can count me on that. I don''t want to be family with you either."


    "Cool." Cayenne smiled and leaned back on her seat. The expression on her face showed relief and it really bugged Diana why Cayenne didn''t want to ept them. Truthfully, she was happy that Cayenne didn''t like them but she was also bothered by it because she can clearly see the disgust and hatred in her eyes.


    Diana kicked her leg on the floor, giving her chair a push backward and stood up. "Just a farewell note, if proven that you are blood rted to us, grandpa will do his best to get you back."


    "Then, can you help me refuse him. You don''t like me and I don''t like your family. Doesn''t that mean we have the same goal which is to keep from each other''s life. How about you help me refuse him?"


    "Even if I want to, grandpa will probably break my legs if he finds out."


    "I won''t tell. He won''t know."


    Diana looked torn between agreeing and not. She hated Cayenne for no reason and she didn''t like her but she didn''t want to disobey her grandfather as well. After sometime, she raised her head and looked Cayenne directly in her eyes. "I''ll think about it."


    "Sure. Let me know as soon as possible."


    Diana left the library without looking back. As for Cayenne, she wasn''t the least bit bothered by it because she knew that her husband will always stay to protect her.


    And speak of the devil, the deviles.


    Cayenne''s phone buzzed and it was Stefan''s face reflecting on her phone. She answered it immediately while walking out of the library with the bodyguards following her.


    "I''m at the gate already." Stefan told her. He was looking at the gate to see if she''sing out.


    "I''m on my way. Just give me a minute."


    "Hn. Don''t run or you''ll be tired."


    Cayenne just smiled with his reminder before ending the call. She took out her umbre and used it because it was very hot at noon. As soon as she got out of the gate, she spotted Stefan''s car and got inside into the passenger''s seat.


    "I missed you." She leaned over and kissed him first. She said it earlier and she said it again when she sees him. It only proves that she really missed him this time.


    When she was about to pull away from him, Stefan held the back of her head and deepened the kiss. It''s not just her who missed him. He missed her, too. Thankfully, the car was tinted or the other students could''ve seen them already.


    When the two parted, Stefan wiped the corner of Cayenne''s mouth with his thumb. "You look sexy after being kissed."


    "Stop it. You''re just horny." Cayenne kissed cheek again before finally sitting down properly.


    "How about I eat you instead?"


    "No, can''t do."


    "Why?"


    "I''m not a food."


    "You look tastier than food." Cayenne grinned but that grin looked threatening to him. "Okay, I won''t eat you. I''ll wait for Friday." He started the car and the two of them left the university to find a restaurant for lunch. The bodyguards were following them like always.


    Not far from the gate, a man was standing with his head tilted a little in curiosity. He saw Cayenne walking in a hurry earlier and a small pen fell from her blouse. "Guess I have to return it when I see her again." He walked towards the cafeteria with the pen in hand.


    Since Cayenne got a little bit more of time for lunch, she took her time dining with her husband. Sometimes, she''d feed him, ignoring the look that other people threw their way. They talked about her sses this morning and she shared a lot. She didn''t get to do this thing with her mother when she was a student but now, she can share her experiences with her husband.


    "By the way, I gave the earrings to Diana." Cayenne told Stefan when she was eating her desserts. Her meal won''t bepleted without a dessert because she''s fond of sweets. Stefan looked at her with questioning gaze without saying anything. "I want them to stop pestering us. I don''t know what the old man is up to but I think, Diana wille to a conclusion to help me."


    "Help about what?"


    "Help me to refuse any rtionship with them."


    "I bet she will. After all, she didn''t want you to have any shares if that''s the old man was nning. Anyway, whatever your decision on this matter, I will support you always."


    "And I''m always thankful that you''ve got my back."


    "So, how will you thank me?" Stefan sped his hands together and ced it on top on the table while looking at her with obvious mischief.


    Cayenne flicked his forehead and fed him the cake on her fork. "That''s my thank you cake."


    Stefan didn''t manage to trap her and she didn''t fall for his tricks as well. He could only chuckle and chew the cake she fed him. "I love you."


    "Sweet! I love you, too." Cayenne winked at him, a flirtatious move that he didn''t expect at all.


    In the afternoon, there wasn''t much to do and the teachers weren''t as serious as their first ss. They gave them time to rx and get to know each other and they also yed some games to lighten up the atmosphere. Although they were enjoying it, they all knew thatter on, they will be faced with many activities and projects. They can only take this chance to rx a little.


    Cayenne''s ss ended with nothing much to think of aside from her first subject.


    On the other hand, Luiz was enjoying his ss very much. He likes mathematics and loved problem-solving that teachers give them. Although they weren''t having serious ss yet, their math professor made them y a game that involves math problem. It was a group activity and the group who got many correct answers was the group that Luiz belonged to. Most of the answers came from him as well.


    Although they all passed the entrance examination for Trine Elite University, the students felt that Luiz was on another level. Given that he''s also a model, they admired him even more; specially the girls.


    When it was time toe home, he stayed a little bit, waiting for risse to finish her ss. They talked a little bit about their first day but when her driver arrived, they needed to bid farewell or Mr. Rodriguez, risse''s father, will get mad at her.


    Luiz left with his bodyguards as well to go back home.


    Kyle was different. Since it was the first day of school and there wasn''t much to do yet, he took this time to go on a date with Kath. They will have more hectic schedules and more activities to do in the future. So, while they could, they grabbed the chance and spent quality time for themselves.


    It wasn''t just them who''s having progress with their lives but Rissy, too. With the help of Chris, who stayed by her side all the time after getting the vacation, she was slowly getting back on her feet. Although she didn''t talk about what happened to her on that horrible night, she''s starting to talk about the happy moments in her life.


    Probably, it was a defense mechanism she put up around her but at the very least, she started talking to them. Sometimes, her former students would call her during their free time or in the evening once they''re home.


    The constant person who kept checking on her without missing a day was Luiz. He will talk to her about random stuff for half an hour and she would also respond although, most of the time, it was only Luiz who will talk and talk while Rissy listened to him.


    "Are you going to call her again?" Cayenne asked her brother over dinner.


    "Hn. I''ll call teacher Chan after dinner."


    "Send my regards to her and Chris."


    "Okay." Luiz just ate his food without bothering anyone. He seemed to have something in mind but he didn''t know if he should say it or not.


    "Do you have something you want to say?" Stefan asked him because he noticed the deep frown on the young man''s face.


    Luiz raised his head to look at his brother-inw before shifting his gaze to his sister. In the end, he decided to keep it and shake his head.. "It''s nothing."

 Chapter 482 - DESTINED OR PLANNED?

    <h4>Chapter 482 - DESTINED OR PLANNED?</h4>


    Since Stefan asked this question, Cayenne also notice her brother''s expression. She frowned but she didn''t say anything. She didn''t want to talk about their problems during dinner.


    She waited for them to finish their meal and right after that, she went to find Luiz in his room. She wanted to talk to him if there''s any problem.


    "Sis? What brings you here?" Luiz feigned innocence and pretended fine in front of his sister. "I''m about to call teacher Chan now. Do you want to talk to her?"


    "I''m here to talk to you." Cayenne told her brother. "You look bothered earlier. Is there something that you wish to tell me? Just say anything. I won''t be judging you anyway."


    Luiz looked away in contemtion. He was worried that she''d be angry if he tells her and he was also worried that she''d be angry if he won''t tell her. "Well, it''s not really important."


    "So, what is it?"


    "I received a letter earlier."


    "And?"


    "It''s asking me if I wish to be a well-known civil engineer. There were many offers and there were lots of benefits as well."


    "But? Look. Are you going to keep me guessing or will you just say it directly? Since when did you be hesitant to talk to me?"


    Luiz shrugged his shoulders and sighed deeply. "The letter was from Artemis Rule. She''s thatdy who took the entrance examination together with me. She''s the granddaughter of the Rule family."


    "No wonder you didn''t want to say it. So, what''s your n?"


    "Of course, I''ll refuse whatever their offer. I don''t want them to get close to us. Whatever their motive is, I don''t want to y along with it." Cayenne nodded when she heard his response because she personally disliked that family. "I didn''t really want to tell you about it since it won''t change anything anyway but, I also thought that you deserve to know this because you''re my sister."


    "Did she do anything to you?"


    "We didn''t meet actually. She only asked one of my ssmates to bring the letter to me. My ssmates thought that it was from a fan and we didn''t think much about it."


    "They will probably do the same thing to Kyle and me." Cayenne muttered. "Help me remind your brother about this matter. We can''t let anything bad to happen in our life."


    "Hn. I understand. Don''t worry too much about us. We won''t be separated from you no matter what."


    Cayenne felt relieved and left his room. When she came back to her own bedroom, she found Stefan sitting on their bed while waiting for her.? "Is there something bothering you as well?"


    "Hn. I think I missed something very importantst month but I just couldn''t point out which one."


    "You''re just overthinking." Cayenne walked towards him, sat on hisp and wrap her arms around his neck. "Can you send me to school tomorrow?"


    "My pleasure." Stefan quickly printed a kiss on her forehead as the two of them fell on top of their bed.


    Even if Stefan wanted to do it, he couldn''t and he promised that he wouldn''t because she will be tired the next day. He can only wait for Friday toe so that he can enjoy her and savor her taste.


    "Sigh. Why is the time ticking so slow this time?" he muttered close to her ears as he cuddled her to sleep.


    "Slow or not, let''s just make most of the time that we have." Cayenne kissed his chin and closed her eyes. "Let''s go to sleep, hon. I still have a ss tomorrow."


    "Hn. Goodnight, love."? Stefan printed a kiss on top of her head and caressed her face.


    "Good night."


    Stefan really missed those nights that they''d be rolling on their bed for several hours before sleeping past midnight but what can he do? He loves her so much that he''d do anything she''d say. Though, that depends on the situation.


    The next day, just as he promised, Stefan sent Cayenne to school with the bodyguards following them. Since the two of them were together, she didn''t have to use the pen that Shein gave her which was why she had no idea that she lost it already. She was happily talking to her husband as they made their way to Xena University.


    When Stefan''s car arrived, many students stretched their necks to see who''de out of the car.


    Stefan wanted to open the car for his wife but Cayenne refused. She didn''t want anyone to see her being pampered and served. "I''ll get going now. See youter and have a great day at work." Cayenne leaned over and kissed him. "Send me a message if you need something from me."


    "I''ll do that." Stefan rubbed her lower lip with his thumb while smiling sweetly at her. "Do your best."


    "Hn."


    The two of them bid their goodbyes and Cayenne stepped out of the car with a smile. "I love you."


    "I love you, too." After hearing his reply, she finally closed the door and left to get inside the campus.


    Many students were watching her and even though she''s not a famous celebrity, they still know her. After all, Cayenne had been on several tabloids for different news and reasons. And because of her vlogs, many people were starting to know her as well.


    "She''s really lucky to marry that Stefan Dumrique."


    "She''s just a social climber."


    "What''s so good about her anyway? I don''t understand why many people subscribed to her channel."


    "She''s really pretty and sweet."


    "She doesn''t look arrogant like what other people say."


    There were many opinionsing from different people but Cayenne didn''t care about it. They can hate her all they want. They will only waste their energy because she''s good at ignoring haters. She''s got so much in her te and she has no time to think about negative things from other people.


    She went to her first ss with several pairs of eyes looking at her. When she arrived, she greeted her ssmates politely and took a seat at the back of the ss. Not long after, their professor arrived with a new student following behind him. Cayenne was currently looking for that special pen that Shein gave her when they came inside. She started to get anxious and she was already taking out her things, one after another.? She still couldn''t find it.


    "Ms. Ardolf? Is there any problem?" The professor called out Cayenne''s attention when he noticed the anxiety reflecting on her face. "Are you alright?"


    The moment Cayenne raised her head to see their professor, her eyes met with the gaze of the man beside the teacher. She blinked her eyes several times before shaking her head to dismiss the professor''s worry. "I''m fine." She put all her things inside her bag once again without making any noise.


    ''I''m so dead. I''m so dead. I lost the pen that Shein gave me.'' Cayenne told herself mentally and she even had the urge to cry. ''My husband will be anxious if he couldn''t see me from hisptop.'' She was so distracted that she didn''t listen to the professor anymore. She didn''t even know that the man will be her new ssmate.


    She only noticed it when the man came to sit on the chair beside her bag. "Hi. I''m Noah." He introduced himself and even stretched out his hand.


    "Cayenne." Cayenne took his hand and smiled politely while shaking it but deep inside, she was a mess.


    The professor saw that the two of them were getting along so he made an announcement. "Ms. Ardolf,st time, you didn''t have a partner for activities and projects. Mr. De Silva will be your partner from now now."


    "Ah? Can''t he just work on his own as well? I''m a very busy person and I might be an inconvenient to him." Cayenne blurted out without stopping to think it over. "I don''t want to cause trouble to anyone."


    "It''s fine. I can adjust to your schedule. Don''t worry. I''m not very busy so, I can be very flexible with my time." Noah responded which earned the professor''s agreement.


    "That''s it, then." The professor already made his mind and Cayenne knew that she wouldn''t be able to change his mind.


    Cayenne pursed her lips and didn''t say anything. What''s more important to her right now wasn''t the man beside her but her husband. She took out a pen and paper and scribbled some notes on it before crumpling it into a ball and threw it to one of her bodyguards outside.


    Since she couldn''t make a call in the middle of the ss, she can only let her guards do it before Stefan loses his mind from worry.


    Noah remembered the pen that he picked up and immediately took it out from his bag. "I believe this is yours." He showed it to Cayenne and as if magic was casted on her, the anxiety that she felt was washed away and she felt so happy to see the pen once again."


    "This is indeed mine. I was just looking for it. Where did you get this?" Noah exined how he got the pen yesterday and Cayenne felt embarrassed for her carelessness. Even so, she was really happy to see it once again. "Thanks a lot.. This pen is very important to me."

 Chapter 483 - NO BOYFRIEND

    <h4>Chapter 483 - NO BOYFRIEND</h4>


    Sadly, the pen ran out of battery life and she needed to recharge it. She didn''t want anyone to know that it was a camcorder so, she didn''t charge it during ss. She listened to the ss attentively and ignored the man beside her. Actually, they weren''t really sitting closely because Cayenne ced her bag on the chair next to her which means, there''s one chair between them.


    Noah kept ncing at her and on the bag between them. In the end, he could only smile faintly and shake his head. "Ayen ¨C" Noah wanted to say something but when he saw her horrified expression, he forgot the things that he wanted to say.


    Cayenne on the other hand was looking at him with wide eyes. She didn''t know if she heard him correctly but she really thought she heard him call Ayen. "Did you just call me Ayen?"


    "Ah? Yes. Can I not call you that?" Noah questioned, looking innocent and confused.


    "No, you can''t. Yen is fine."


    "O-okay." Noah tried to think back the words he wanted to say but he really forgot them. "Do you want to grab lunch with meter? I want to talk about the first activity."


    "Alright."


    Cayenne ignored him once again after giving her response. As much as possible, she didn''t want to get too close to him. He didn''t want Stefan to be jealous of him. ''Is there a possibility that I can change partners?'' she looked around the ssroom to find any prospects that she can pair up with. She looked around but she was disappointed. Everyone seemed close to each other.


    "What are you looking at?" Noah asked her.


    "Nothing." Cayenne avoided his gaze and continued to write her notes. She didn''t pay any attention to him anymore.


    After the first subject, they proceeded to the second subject but before getting inside the next room, Cayenne went to thefort room to secretly charge her pen. She also called Stefan to inform him about it.


    "I''m so worried when I couldn''t see your face in myptop." Stefan stated as soon as he received her call. "Did you find it?"


    "Hn. Someone found it yesterday and he returned it to me this morning."


    "He?"


    "Is that the only thing you catch from my words?" Cayenne questioned while chuckling. "He''s a new student and he''s my ssmate. Anyway, I still have another ss to attend. I''ll use the penter in the afternoon. You can continue to monitor me with the bodyguards. Don''t worry too much, okay?"


    Stefan was still reluctant to end the call with her but he also understands that she needed to go to ss. "I''ll see youter. Call me if you need me. I love you."


    "I love you, too."


    Cayenne ended the call and ran out of thefort room to get to the next ss. Thankfully, the professor wasn''t around yet. She ran to the back of the ss and sat on her seat yesterday. Just like what she normally does, she put her bag on the chair next to her, preventing other students to use it. There were many avable chairs anyway.


    Time went by quickly and since Noah wasn''t sitting close to her, Cayenne was able to put down her guards. Sometimes, other students would ask her several questions unrted to ss and Cayenne answers them politely before telling them to focus to the lesson.


    She wanted to chat with them but she wanted to focus in her ss as well. She didn''t want to fail in her chosen course. Apparently, she chose it because of Arthur but even if she didn''t like it now, she didn''t want to take a step back as well. She has learned to enjoy the course already.


    The third subject teacher was only giving them an activity that needs to be done in the library. It was a research activity and even though there were so many things she needed to look for, Cayenne was happy to take on this activity. She likes reading, although not as much as other people but still, she enjoys reading and she likes to spend time with books as well.


    "Let''s go to the library together." Noah told Cayenne when he saw her getting ready to go out.


    "Uh. Sure." She''s going to the library and he''s going there, too. She thought it''s fine and there''s nothing much to think about. In any case, the two bodyguards will be following her closely while the other two bodyguards will be looking after her from a distance.


    "Do you always go out with your bodyguards?" Noah asked upon seeing the two bulky men following behind them.


    "Yup. If it bothers you, you can just go there by yourself." Cayenne mentioned without hesitating to shake him off from her life.


    Noah just smiled and continued to walk beside her. "By the way, Yen, do you have a boyfriend?"


    "Me? I don''t." the bodyguards were all shock to hear these words and for the very first time, they were thankful that the pen got lost. They had no idea that Cayenne found it already. If Stefan heard her words, they thought that he''d probably flip out in anger and rush to the school to confront her.


    Cayenne looked at the funny expressions on her bodyguards'' faces and she also observed Noah''s expression. He looked relieved and happy but Cayenne was bound to disappoint him.


    "I don''t have a boyfriend but I have a husband." Cayenne said which stunned Noah in front of her. "He also calls me Ayen which was why I didn''t want anyone to call me that way. And the pen that you returned, it has a very special connection to us and I am so grateful that you found it for me. Thank you so much."


    The guards looked away and smiled secretly with the way Cayenne dered her rtionship to the man. She didn''t want to be conceited or feel narcistic to herself but she had this gut feeling that Noah was interested in her. Even if he''s not, she thought that it was better to put some distance between them and the most effective way to do that was to tell him that she''s married.


    Noah looked at Cayenne and after some time, heughed. It was a heartyughter and his eyes were twinkling happily. "You don''t really have to lie to me. Is that your way of stopping men from pursuing you?"


    "Ha?" Cayenne was stumped for words. She didn''t know whether tough or cry at his response. Before he looked handsome and cool to her but now, he looked stupid in front of her. Cayenne sighed and put her one of her hand on Noah''s shoulder. "Do I look like a liar to you? Also¡­" Cayenne took out her ne and showed the ring pendant to him. "This is my wedding ring. Well, not really wedding ring because we only registered our marriage. We have not held the wedding yet. When that happens, I''ll surely give you an invitation letter."


    Noah looked askance but he smiled and didn''t pursue this topic anymore. "I''m d that we''re both taken." He said and gently pat Cayenne''s head. "I was just testing you. Thankfully we''re on the same boat."


    "Oh! That''s great!" Cayenne didn''t know if he was telling the truth or not. But she didn''t care about it anymore as long as he won''t be making passes on her.

 Chapter 484 - JUST GETTING BUSIER

    <h4>Chapter 484 - JUST GETTING BUSIER</h4>


    Noah and Cayenne did their research in the library and with the bodyguards following them. Stefan kept ncing at the red dot on hisputer screen which indicates Cayenne''s location. He was still worried for her but since she said that she''ll be fine, he tried to rx himself.


    During lunch, Cayenne didn''t meet with Stefan. She ate in the cafeteria with Noah and her bodyguards in order to discuss their activity. She was very attentive to al the details he said, making sure that she won''t miss a single thing because it will be for her future grades.


    In the afternoon, Cayenne finally used the pen that Shein gave her. She unplugged it from her power bank and ced the pen on her desk in front of her. And because of this, Stefan finally saw the person who found the pen for Cayenne. ''He looked good.'' Stefan told himself while watching his wife and the man not so far from her.


    "Why are you taking it out if you are not using it?" Noah asked while stealing nces from the pink pen in front of her.


    ''None of your business.'' Stefan inwardly stated while observing but of course, no one would hear his thoughts anymore.


    Cayenne smiled while looking at the pen which melted Stefan''s heart. She knew that he''d be watching her. "This pen is very important to me and as much as possible, I want to see it every second of every day. It makes me feel closer to my husband."


    "Oh." Noah didn''t say anything anymore at the mention of Cayenne''s husband. He didn''t like it when she''s talking about her husband when the two of them were together.


    Seeing the man''s intense gaze to his wife, Stefan took a screen shot of his face and sent it to Tristan. "Investigate this man as soon as possible. I want to know if he''s a friend or a foe."


    Tristan sent him a thumb''s up before starting to dig up for information.


    On the other hand, David finally found something that he could busy himself with. In this way, he could quickly forget the pain caused by his one-sided love for Chris. He looked for works that will suit Luiz and made sure that his school won''t be negatively affected.


    Currently, there were five modeling job in his hand which Luiz needed to work on Starting next month. Four of them were for well-known brands while thest one was for an environmentalist campaign. He will be taking photoshoots in a zoo. Thest job wasn''t decided by David but Luiz himself. He didn''t even care if the modeling fee wasn''t high as long as he could help. He got famous because of the birds singing around him. This time, he wanted to help other animals with his face. David didn''t argue with him. Since Luiz wanted to do it, he can only support him while making sure that nothing bad will happen.


    Suddenly, his phone rang and it was Kai who was calling him. Last time, during the first modeling shoot that the Ardolf brothers took, David had the opportunity to exchange contacts with Kai. They decided to keep in touch with each other and has been exchanging messages since then. Sometimes, they''d talk about modeling works and sometimes they''d talk about his movies. But most of the time, they would just talk about random things.


    David picked up his phone and answered it before taking a seat on the couch at the window of his room. "What''s up?"


    "Do you want to watch a movie together?"


    "Movie? That''s very sudden. I''m a bit busy at the moment. When do you want to watch it?"


    Kai pursed his lips for a while before answering him. He looked troubled and worn out. "I just needed some distractions. I think if I stay at home, I''ll go crazy."


    "Huh? What''s the matter? Are you having issues with the movie that you''re making now?"


    "Not really. I just thought that it''s annoying to have an ex who won''t let you go even if he already has someone else."


    ''He?'' David thought to himself but he didn''t want Kai to feel that he was being intrusive so he didn''t ask about his sexual orientation. "That really happens sometimes. But did you have a clean break up with your partner?"


    "I think we did. I told him that we''re over and that I no longer love him. I even sold the apartment that we used to stay before. I didn''t want anything to do with him."


    David nodded his head in understanding while thinking of a way to help him. "Since he''s not willing to let you go, why don''t you hire a bodyguard to keep him away from you. You can specifically tell your guards to be alert when hees. In that way, you don''t have to worry about him."


    "That sounds good."


    "Right? Also, you can look for someone to pretend as your partner. In that way, he would finally think that you''re over with him and that you already found someone else."


    "And where will I find that person?"


    "I don''t know. You think about it carefully. If you need help, you can always call me. I''ll give you an advice."


    "Then, how about you pretend to be my new date?


    "Excuse me?" David was stunned to hear Kai''s suggestion. It''s not that he couldn''t do it but he was afraid to do it. "I don''t think that''s possible."


    "Of course, it''s possible." Kai insisted. "Besides, you don''t need to do anything intense. We''ll just pretend to be dating. Just dating."


    "No."


    "Why not?"


    "I don''t want to be seen in the public with my partner. If I''m in a rtionship, I''d keep him to myself. I don''t to tell the world about him because he will be bashed and scolded by theizens."


    "In that case, you don''t need to worry about me being bashed. I''m quite famous in this area." Kai stated which made David frown deeply.


    "You mean, your rtionship was known by the public?"


    "You¡­you don''t really know anything about me?"


    David blinked his eyes several times, not knowing how he should respond to that. He opened his mouth only to close it again. "I don''t gossip and I don''t talk about other people''s business. I seldom use my social media ount and I only talk about business with mt clients before. If you ask me about your movies, I know almost all of them but if it''s your private life, I have no idea."


    Surprisingly, Kai onlyughed at his response. David also smiled knowing that the other person wasn''t offended for hisck of knowledge.


    "You are really interesting." Kaimented. "Anyway, since we''re friends now, you''ll slowly know more things about me."


    "Hn. I''ll share some things about me as well."


    "And to put a great effect on that which will both help us, won''t you pretend to be my date? I''m fine being bashed."


    "Then, I''ll help you on that."


    "Let''s watch a movieter, then. We can discuss it after watching a movie."


    "Alright." David couldn''t believe himself. In the end, Kai was able to make him agree to his decision. ''Well, it''s a good idea topletely forget Chris.'' He told himself while listening to Kai''s mumbling. They talked about the time and venue of their movie date before finally ending the call.


    David continued to sort out the signed contracts and the unsigned contracts on the table. He needed to look at the unsigned contractter and discuss with Luiz on weekend if he likes to ept some of them.


    As for Luiz, his life was getting busier but he''s really an epitome of a smart and well-rounded students. He studies in advance when he didn''t have any work to do and when it''s time for ss, he focuses his attention to it. Every ten in the morning and three in the afternoon, he would dedicate his time to his fans and would talk to them in whispers inside the library in the pretense that they were reading books when they''re not.


    Half an hour past noon, they will alsoe to find him in the cafeteria. Luiz enjoyed theirpany because they didn''t make any ruckus and excessive demands. They would just chat with him like how normal friends would.


    During lunch, he would always eat with risse and his fans would see this but they didn''t make any issues regarding this matter. They didn''t ask his rtionship with risse either. And he was very thankful for that.


    Another person who was very grateful was Natsu. Using his intel, he found that Luiz will be working again next month which means, he will get the best chance to get Cayenne. He had been waiting for so long and he thought that God has blessed him this opportunity. But the truth was far from that.


    As for Diana, she''s absent from her ss on the next day. She failed again and again so now, her gadgets were taken away from her and her allowance was cut by half. It angers her and because of that, she didn''t go to school but that didn''t mean she has backed down. She may have been pushed in a corner but she won''t ept defeat because this time, she has decided to cooperate with Cayenne. ''We have onemon goal.. To keep her away from our family.''

 Chapter 485 - LOOK A LIKE

    <h4>Chapter 485 - LOOK A LIKE</h4>


    Cayenne''s getting busier each day but she would always take some time to call her husband and her family. Whenever her ss ended early, she would immediately leave the school and go to look for her husband.


    It wasn''t just Stefan being dependent on Cayenne but Cayenne was also seeking his presence every day. The only difference between them was that, she has more tolerance than her husband.


    Four days has passed and Friday has finally arrived. Stefan has been waiting for this day. Cayenne has one ss in the morning for three hours and after, she can do whatever she wants with her time.


    "Call me as soon as your ss is over. I''lle and get you." Stefan told her before she stepped out of the car.


    "I will. Eyes on the road and send me a message once you''re in the office." Cayenne responded and leaned over to kiss him. "I''m going now. See youter. Love lots."


    "Love you."


    The two of them went on their separate ways to start their day. Stefan watched his wife getting inside the gate of the university and for the very first time, he saw Noah in person. He was waiting for her at the gate.


    Stefan''s face darkened and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. He already received the result of the investigation that Tristan sent to him and he found that Noah is a decent man. He also came from a humble family and he''s smart. Truth be told, he''s really a charismatic guy and someone who could understand the hardships that Cayenne has been through. Looking at their faces, even if Cayenne wasn''t smiling, he could tell that they''re getting along so well.


    "Hmp! No matter what you do, my wife will still be my wife." Stefan stated with confidence before leaving the campus.


    Cayenne looked back and saw his car passing by and she smiled. She could already imagine the things that was circling in Stefan''s head.


    "Was that your husband''s car?" Noah asked when he noticed that she was looking at the ck car that passed by the gate.


    "Yup. He makes it his responsibility to send me to school every morning." Cayenne responded as she walked to their ssroom. "Let''s walk a bit faster or we would bete."


    Noah kept his strides on the same pace as her with a smile on his face. "By the way, we only have one ss today. Do you have any n in the afternoon?"


    "Hn. My husband and I will be going somewhere. I think."


    "You think? You''re not sure?"


    "Well, he told me that he''d pick me up once ss is over which means he has ns for the afternoon. I just don''t have any idea."


    "I see." Noah was disappointed but he couldn''t do anything about it. He''s nothingpared to her husband and he wasn''t nning to fight for a space in her heart either. As long as they could be friends genuinely, he would be happy with that.


    The two of them attended their ss and listened to their professor carefully. On the other hand, Stefan was busy with work while waiting for his rm to ring. Cayenne''s ss will be finished at eleven in the morning but Stefan was nning to leave hispany half an hour before eleven. He wanted to be early as much as he could.


    "You''ve been ncing at the time. Why are you in a hurry?" Chris asked when he came with several documents which needed his signature.


    Stefan shrugged his shoulders and continued to sign the papers. "I''ll be picking her up from school and I don''t want to bete."


    "Didn''t you set an rm?"


    "I did but I just want to make sure. What if I won''t hear the rm? It''s better to be safe than sorry."


    Chris was shaking his head in disbelief while listening to Stefan''s reason and to think it wasn''t even nine in the morning. It''s not even hour yet since Cayenne''s ss started but he already wanted to end it.


    He waited and waited. He reviewed documents, talked to clients, and entertained some guests who came for project proposals. Time slowly ticked and Stefan was losing his patience. He wanted to see his wife as soon as possible. As soon as hisst appointment in the morning was done, Stefan didn''t wait for his rm to ring. He left thepany in a hurry.


    "Why is the boss in a hurry?" Elena asked Chris when they saw Stefan passed by them to leave his office.


    "Single like you won''t understand it." Tristanmented which made Elena re at him.


    When he first arrived in thepany, she really thought that thew of attraction has worked and sent this man to her but now, she refused to believe such thing. Every single day, Tristan would always tease her and sometimes, he wouldn''t go with her to meet with clients unless she would beg him. And not just that, whenever they would meet the clients, he would always put his arm around her waist, iming her to be his girlfriend.


    "Hmp! What do you know?!" Elena rolled her eyes and turned her head away. "I''m dating someone, too."


    "Eh? Someone actually dates a board?"


    "Tristan! Why do you annoy me so much?!"


    "Because I like to see your frustrated expression." Tristan replied before going back to his work.


    Elena''s blood rushed to her head and she red at him angrily. Her face was getting redder from annoyance and irritation but Tristan only grinned at her.


    "Tsk! Why did it have to be you?" Elena mumbled this question which made Tristan raise his head to look at her. He didn''t know what she meant by that and he didn''t want to know either because surely, it''s a bad thing.


    He stopped teasing her and focused on his work. ''Why do they have to look so simr?'' Tristan also asked himself while stealing nces from Elena. The first time he arrived in thepany and saw her, he thought histe fianc¨¦ has reincarnated but he also thought it was impossible. After all, she died several years ago. If she ever reincarnated, she should be someone very young. As the days went by, and as he continued to spend time with her, he realized that she was very different from his ex- fianc¨¦. She was theplete opposite of his woman.


    "Don''t think too much. Don''t think too much." Tristan told himself while shaking his head.. He just wanted to focus on his work.

 Chapter 486 - SNEAKY CAYENNE

    <h4>Chapter 486 - SNEAKY CAYENNE</h4>


    Cayenne''s ss ended ten minutes before eleven. She thought that Stefan would bete but when she came out of the campus to wait for him, she saw his car not far from the gate.


    Her smile bloomed instantly and she put away her phone that she took out to call him. She ran to his car and the bodyguards followed. One after another, they got inside their own services.


    "Have you been waiting for a long time?" Cayenne asked the moment she got inside.


    "Nope. I just got here." Stefan responded. He leaned close to her and fastened the seatbelt for her. "How''s your ss?"


    "It''s nothing difficult." Cayenne said. "I learned some of the stuff when I was in first year and second year. It''s a lot easier this time."


    Stefan started the engine while nodding his head. "Do you have any clue of the things we''re going to do?" Stefan asked while driving his car out of the school premise.


    Cayenne thought of the things that Stefan has been doing but she didn''t notice him nning for anything today. "Wait. The bag that you brought this morning, does it contain our clothes?"


    "Bingo!" Stefan winked at her. "You''re very observant."


    "Well, you weren''t really hiding the bag when you brought it out. So, where are we going? Will we be gone for several days?"


    "Nope. I know you have some things to do tomorrow so, we can only stay out tonight."


    "Yay! I can finally rx after doing so many things." Cayenne cheered happily but she had no idea that she wouldn''t be able to rx that long. After all, it''s Friday ¨C the day that Stefan had been waiting for a long time.


    Stefan booked a ce for the two of them as well as for the bodyguards. It wasn''t an extravagant ce like where they used to go but the ce was still beautiful and good for rxation. It was a ce called Tops. It''s a resort built on a mountain which was an hour drive from the city. As you drive farther from the city, you can start to feel the changes. The air was fresher and it wasn''t hot or humid.


    Cayenne opened the window of their car and inhaled the fresh air. She could see the view of the city as they go up the mountain and she thought it''s beautiful.


    Around noon, they arrived at the ce and has confirmed his booking. He got the keys for everyone and asked one of the staffs to show them the way. There wasn''t any hotel that you can see in the ce but there were many bungalow houses where people can stay.


    There were pools as well and other attractions. The room that Stefan chose was located near the restaurant and the biggest pool. In that way, Cayenne can eat whenever she wants and swim whenever she wants.


    The staff helped them find their rooms ording to the number written on the card key and when they finally settled down, the staff left.


    Cayenne thought that everything was so sudden and that the guards might not have a change of clothes. Contrary to her expectation, when they went out to eat lunch first, the bodyguards have changed their ck suits to casual clothes. She was really surprised. It turned out that she was the only one who didn''t know about this trip.


    Even her family knew that they won''t be around until tomorrow afternoon.


    Cayenne looked around the ce and she really liked this change of view. She can see green trees and flowers everywhere. There were many birds and butterflies as well. It was like a fairnd. There were fruit trees as well. The restaurant was few meters away from their rooms and as they go up, she could see the whole view of the mountain top resort that Stefan booked. It was really a beautiful ce to stay.


    "They say that it''s more beautiful at night. Remember when we visited the restaurant on a mountain top in Lipa? You can also see the night scenery of the city here. It''s a lot better with bigger view.


    "I am so excited to see it." Cayenne mentioned happily while looking around.


    "I''ll make sure to keep you awake."


    "You better do that." Cayenne responded. If she knew how her husband was nning to keep her awake, she wouldn''t ask him to do it.


    They arrived at the restaurant and Cayenne chose to sit on the space where she can see a full view of the city and the resort. She took pictures of the ce while Stefan took pictures of her. After a while, Stefan picked up the menu on the table and started to order. Since his wife was busy appreciating the ce, he just ordered for both of them.


    After observing the ce for safety precaution, the bodyguards started to order as well.


    "Thank you." Cayenne muttered the moment that the waitress left.


    "Thank you for what?"


    "For bringing me here."


    "That''s not a problem. I''ll bring you to beautiful ces whenever we have time. I''ll spend my time with you whenever we can."


    "And I''ll go with you wherever you want to go, given that I don''t have sses or any appointment."


    "Hn. Let''s make lots of memories together." Stefan stated as he kissed the back of her hand. "I really missed you." He muttered while leaning his head on her shoulder.


    Normally, it was Cayenne who would snuggle close to him; either she leaned her head on his shoulder or on his chest. It''s very seldom for Stefan to do such act especially in a public ce.


    She raised her hand and gently caressed his face. "I''m sorry I had to leave for school everyday."


    "Hmm? You don''t have to apologize for it. It''s me who insisted for you to continue studying. Speaking of study, didn''t you choose this course because of Arthur?"


    "Yeah. I did. At first, it was because I wanted to spend more time with him but now, if you didn''t mention him, I wouldn''t even remember this reason."


    "Oh! So, it''s my fault for bringing him up."


    "Yup. It''s your fault. Stop thinking about the reason anymore. Just keep in mind that no one can rece you in my heart."


    "Noah can''tpare to me as well, right?"


    "Why are you bringing him up?" Cayenne questioned and then she realized why. "Don''t be jealous of him. No one canpare you and no one can rece you in my heart. Besides, he''s also taken. I even talked to his girlfriendst time."


    ''He''s taken? Why didn''t Tristan include that in his report?'' Stefan questioned mentally but since his wife said so, he didn''t care about it anymore. He won''t waste his time being jealous as well.


    Sensing his silence, Cayenne was worried that he was still jealous and sulking. She looked around and found that no one was watching them. In quick motion, she cupped Stefan''s face and kissed him. "I love you. Just remember that."


    ''Lady boss, I saw it.'' One of the bodyguards thought while trying to hide his smile.


    Not just him, one of the male customers also noticed Cayenne''s sneaky gestures and saw her kissing Stefan. He didn''t say anything while shaking his head. ''Kids these days..'' He thought.

 Chapter 487 - HAS HE FORGOTTEN?

    <h4>Chapter 487 - HAS HE FORGOTTEN?</h4>


    During lunch, Cayenne took a picture of together with Stefan and posted it in her social media ount. Given that she was gaining fame and lots of followers, as soon as she posted it, many people reacted to her post and ced theirments online. Words or envy, support, love and otherments were expressed right below her post but Cayenne didn''t say anything.


    She''s posting for her fans who wanted to know about her life with Stefan and her whole family. As for those who hates her, she didn''t care.


    And since it''s a short vacation specially prepared for her, Cayenne didn''t worry about anything. After lunch, as soon as they got inside their room, she said that she wanted to swim, Stefan immediately opened the bag he brought and it contained her personal belongings.


    He was well-prepared and made sure that everything that she would need was ced inside the bag. She''s got more things than him.


    "You''re swimming with me, right?" Cayenne asked while taking off her clothes.


    "Of course. There''s no way I''d let you go there without me." He replied while boldly staring at his wife. "You still look sexy even though you like to eat."


    "It''s thanks to my great metabolism. If not, I wouldn''t dare eat a lot."


    Stefan approached her and ced his warm hand on her stomach. "Your stomach is really t."


    "Do you want me to get fat?"


    "It doesn''t matter if you''re fat or not. I only need you and no one else."


    She blushed from his answer and had no idea what to say. She pouted her lips instead and turned around to face her back on him. Unexpectedly, Stefan bent down and ced a kiss on the base of her spine. It was so sudden that she trembled from the inexplicable feeling which was rushing all over her body.


    "There." Stefan rubbed his thumb on her back. "People will see my mark."


    She closed her eyes at his possessiveness before opening it up to look back at him. "Did you think I''d show my body to anyone?"


    "Either you unt your body or not, it''s your decision. And to leave a mark on you or not is my decision."


    She couldn''t stop herself from sighing while she shakes her head in disbelief. "Alright. Stop dering your sovereignty. No one will take me away from you."


    "Who knows? Many people like to covet what''s mine. And you''re sexy, smart, pretty, kind, honest, patient, stud-"


    "Okay. S-stop¡­stop saying anything. Don''t say anything anymore." The blush which was slowly fading earlier has appeared on her face once again and it was even deeper.? "I get it."


    Stefan grinned and pulled her to him as they both fell on the bed. "I don''t want to go out now."


    "Eh? Why? I want to go for a swim."


    "Let''s stay like this for a while."? Stefan cuddled her on the bed, just listening to the beats of their hearts silently.


    Ten minutester, he finally let go of her and told her to continue whatever it was that she needed to do while he went out to talk to the bodyguards.


    Cayenne watched him leave the room with a frown on her face. "Did he forget something?" she wanted to ask and at the same time, she didn''t want to. "Well, whatever."


    She put on some sunscreen to protect her skin but since she couldn''t reach her back, she waited for her husband. Instead of wearing a two-piece swimsuit, she decided to go for shorts and bra. It was a lot better and she felt that it was a good choice.


    Not long after, Stefan came back and helped her put on some sunscreen on her back. He looked calm and rx which made her confirm that her husband has forgotten something so important.


    Not long after, the two of them left the room and went to swim at therge pool. There weren''t many guests during this time since it''s Friday. Most of the people should be working or studying at this point. They just got the privilege of time in their hands.


    Cayenne and Stefan enjoyed their time together in the pool. They met some guests who were actually her fans and she spent a little bit of time to talk with them. Of course, being the understanding husband, Stefan didn''t stop her from doing so. He stayed by her side and sometimes, her fans would ask him few questions as well.


    Knowing that they were spending some quality time together, the other guests didn''t take so much of their time and walked away to y with their other friends.


    "I didn''t know I''d be this popr." Cayennemented while watching the leaving figures of her fans.


    "I didn''t expect it either. Before, we were so worried about people discovering your identity. Who would''ve thought that many people will warmly ept you? If I had known, I wouldn''t disguise you whenever we went out."


    "Well, we had a wrong start and our rtionship was veryplicated. I don''t even know or recall how we develop to this stage. It felt so sudden and surreal."


    "That''s the same for me. I don''t know how I got the courage to confess my feelings and embrace the changes. It seems like a dream."


    The two of them looked at each other with wide eyes and in unison, they both pinched each other''s cheek.


    "It''s not a dream, right?" both of them asked at the same time and they both shook their head as well. Noticing their weird behavior, the two of them burst outughing from being silly.


    "This isn''t a dream." Cayenne wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face on the crook of his neck and shoulders. "Warm. Just like your love for me."


    Stefan hugged her despite the number of people watching them. "Your love is warmer."


    "Honey?"


    "Did you forget something today?"


    "Nope."


    "Really?" Cayenne bit his shoulder when he said no.


    "I''m pretty sure I didn''t forget anything." Stefan insisted. "Why? Is there anything that I you know but I don''t?"


    "Nothing." Cayenne smiled to clear the sadness on her face. She was disappointed but she could also understand that he has forgotten the date of their monthsary because he''s busy. "I''m happy that we''re together today." Cayenne added. ''That''s right. I should be happy that we''re together. I should be happy that he''s fine and healthy right by my side..'' Cayenne thought to herself while looking at her husband tenderly.

 Chapter 488 - WHERE DID HE GO?

    <h4>Chapter 488 - WHERE DID HE GO?</h4>


    Three hourster, Cayenne felt tired and hungry. She was exhausted from fooling around with him in the water. They had severalpetitions in the water and the loser has to do a dare. She thought that her husband would go easy on her but she was wrong. He won all round of everypetition; be it staying longer underwater, swimming faster from one side to another and many more. She didn''t win a single round.


    She had to kiss him and hug him several times which was all in his favor. She can''t believe that her husband, who loved to spoil her, didn''t let her win at all.


    "Hmp! I hate you." Cayenne muttered and swam farther away from him. She thought that Stefan would follow her but he was just looking at her. "What are you looking at?!"


    "I''m looking at my wife."


    "Wife your face!" she red angrily at him. "I can''t believe you didn''t let me win a single round."


    "Then, let''s have another game. I promise I''ll let you win this round."


    "Never mind." Cayenne rolled her eyes and swam a little bit farther again. "I''m going to back." She added while waiting for his response but she didn''t hear anything.


    When she turned around to look at her husband, he was nowhere to be found. She looked around her and scanned the ce to see where Stefan went to. The sun was about to set and she couldn''t find him.


    "Stefan." She muttered his name as she scanned the crowd. Other people were looking at her as well. Some looked worried for her and some were curious as to what happened to her. "This idiot! Where did he go?" Cayenne sniffed while holding back her tears from falling.


    She couldn''t see him underwater or anywhere in the crowd and she was getting anxious. "There''s no way he''s in danger. I''ll sue this entire ce if something happens to him." She muttered while tracing her way back to their room. She wanted to get the bodyguards to help her look for him.


    "Who will you sue?"


    Cayenne whipped her head instantly to see the source of the voice. Standing behind her was Stefan. He was holding two barbecued squids and a bottle of water.


    "Hubby."


    "You will sue me? Why?"


    "Ah? Huh? I''m not suing you." Cayenne muttered not knowing how shaky her voice was. "Wait! Where the heck did you go? I was so worried I thought I''d lose my mind!"


    "I went to buy food but since it was taking a bit of time, I went to thefort room. When I came out, I saw you walking away."


    "It''s your fault."


    "I''m sorry. It''s my fault and I''m sorry. Can you forgive me?"


    "No."


    "Ehh? Why? I didn''t mean to disappear. And you said that you were hungry so I went to get something for you to eat."


    Cayenne looked at the barbecued squids he was holding and pouted. "Hmp! You can''t bribe me with food."


    "Then, what should I do, then?"


    "I don''t know. And can''t you see that I''m cold?"


    "I brought a towel for you." Stefan moved his shoulder forward to let her see the towel which he got for her. "Can you hold the food for me?"


    Cayenne took the food and ate it while waiting for him to wrap the nket around her shoulders. "Am I forgiven now, my queen?"


    "Fine. Fine. I have forgiven you." Cayenne acted as if he was really at her mercy but after some time she smiled happily. "Here."? She gave him the other squid and ate the one she already bit. "It''s delicious."


    Stefan received it from her and started eating, too. The two of them slowly walked towards their room which wasn''t far from the pool.


    "Did you turn off the light when we left the room?" Cayenne asked when she noticed that their room was very dark.


    "Yup. I turned it off."


    "Oh. I thought I remembered you left it open. Anyway, are we allowed to order a room service here? I don''t want to walk to the restaurant for dinner. I want to dine with you inside the room."


    "I''ll give them a call." Stefan responded while observing the ce. The bodyguards have left already to give them space and the door to the balcony was also closed.


    When they arrived back to their room, he didn''t open the door to the balcony yet. "Once you''re done eating that, you can take a shower first."


    "You won''t shower with me?"


    "That''s fine with me, too."


    "Hehehe. Forget about it." Cayenne waved her hand in dismissal but in truth, Stefan wasn''t really nning to shower with her yet because he needed to check something.


    Cayenne threw the barbecue stick and went inside the shower room while Stefan pretended to dial the room service. As soon as she got inside the shower room, he opened the door to the balcony and turned on the lights.


    "Perfect." Stefan muttered and immediately turned off the light and closed the door once again. To prevent his wife from discovering his surprise, he went inside the shower and bath with her.


    Cayenne thought that something will happen inside the shower but her husband proved her wrong again. He was seriously washing her body and hair before cleaning himself. Cayenne even noticed him getting a boner but he didn''t make love to her which was really surprising.


    ''What happened to my husband?'' Cayenne couldn''t help but ask. It''s not that she''s bing a pervert and was expecting something from him but based on how much she knows about him, Stefan would surely make love to her specially when they''re alone.


    ''He''s being weird since earlier. Is he okay?'' Cayenne looked at him but, in the end, she didn''t ask him. If something bothers him, he would surely tell her no matter how childish it may be. Since he wasn''t saying anything, all she could do was wait.


    "I was told that there''s no room service." Stefan said while wrapping her up with a clean and dry towel.. "But I found something for you."

 Chapter 489 - WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

    <h4>Chapter 489 - WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?</h4>


    Stefan chose her clothes for her which was a simple shirt and short. They''re not going anywhere at some point and if he let her dress elegantly, she would know what he was up to.


    Cayenne put on the clothes and dried her hair without any problem. "I''ll be at the balcony." Cayenne mentioned and was walking to open the door already.


    Stefan hurriedly put on his clothes and messilybed his hair with his fingers. Just this once, he wanted to do something simple for her. Well, the set up and the whole ce was simple but he''s got something a little expensive for her.


    The moment that she turned on the light, she saw the romantic dinner that her husband prepared for her. Technically, the bodyguards prepared them after getting instructions from Stefan.


    There were lovely rose petals on the floor although some of them were blown by the wind already. There were four scented candles in every corner and Stefan went to lighten them up before turning off the lights, leaving the candles as the only source of light for them.


    From the balcony, you can see the beautiful nightscape of the city which was breathtaking and mesmerizing.


    "Do you like it?" Stefan asked while looking at his wife who was leaning on the rail to watch the view in front of them.


    "It''s beautiful."


    "I know. It matches you."


    Cayenne blushed from hispliment but thankfully, he couldn''t see it because of the light; or else, he will tease her again.


    "When did you ask someone to do all these?" she questioned while looking at the whole set up in their balcony. "I didn''t notice you calling someone to do this."


    "I asked the bodyguards." Stefan answered. He hooked his arms around her waist and pulled her closer so that she can lean her back on his chest. "I''m d that you like it."


    "I don''t remember disliking something that you prepare for me." She answered as she put her hands on his arms. "But you didn''t really need to do this."


    "I know but I still want to do it for you anyway."


    "Right." Cayenne nodded her head because no matter what she says to stop him, he will still do it to surprise her. "So, what''s our dinner?"


    Stefan pulled away from her and instead held her hand to lead her back to the table. He pulled out a chair and helped her sit before opening the food covers.


    "We have beef chuck roasts, pasta, chicken, and scallops. The restaurant didn''t have the wine that you like so, I asked them for champagne instead."


    Even though he ordered a lot of food, it wasn''t much for Cayenne. She likes to eat and she can eat a lot.


    Normal dates would make people sit across each other, talking andughing with someone opposite to them. But this time, Stefan was sitting next to Cayenne. He was busy serving her while she was busy serving him. Looking at them, you would know that they''re the best sample of give-and-take couple.


    "So, why did you prepare this?" Cayenne asked before eating the pasta from her fork.


    Stefan looked at her with narrowed eyes, scrutinizing if she really has no idea of why he was doing it. "You asked me if I have forgotten something earlier but I think you are the one who forgot it."


    Cayenne chewed on her food and was about to eat the chicken meat when she heard his response. Her frown was evident on her face, showing her confusion. "I don''t think I forgot something. What do you mean?"


    "Well, what date is it today?"


    "The 23rd of the month."


    "So?"


    "I know it''s our 6th monthsary. I even prepared a gift -? oh! I see. I really thought you forgot it''s our monthsary. So, you prepared this because it''s our monthsary. Hahaha I''m so silly." Cayenneughed cheerfully when she realized how silly she was. She thought that Stefan prepared it for no reason because most of the time, he wille up with surprises for no reason.


    Stefan leaned closer and kissed her temple while grinning at her. "Silly or not, I will still love you."


    "I thought you forgot because you seemed weird earlier and I thought that you didn''t remember this day."


    "How could I forget it?" Stefan questioned before taking a sip of his wine. "I''ll probably forget anything except for this day."


    "No wonder."


    "No wonder what?"


    "It''s a secret. You''ll find out next month?"


    "Next month? That''s a bit long.? Why won''t you just tell me today?"


    "Because I want to tell you next month. Anyway, just eat your food. It will be cold if you won''t eat it." Cayenne changed the subject immediately and continued eating.


    However, Stefan didn''t move to pick up his spoon and fork. He was just looking at her with a foolish smile on his lips.


    "Why aren''t you eating? And stop looking at me."


    "Why can''t I look at my wife?"


    Cayenne didn''t have any answer to that. Just why can''t he look at his wife? There''s no problem with that, right? It would be a problem if he''s looking at someone else.


    Since she can''t answer his question, Cayenne smiled and looked at him as well. "Let''s look at each other, then."


    "I love that but I think we can do thatter."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him and just ate her food. Stefan finally started eating as well and sometimes, he would feed her too. Her cheeks were bulging from the food he kept feeding her; as if she was a little hamster that he was raising.


    "Why are you feeding me so much when it''s night time."


    "It''s a secret. I''ll tell youter."


    "Hey! Are you getting back at me?"


    "Of course not. If I would do so, I should be telling you next year. After all, you''ll be telling me your secret next month."


    Cayenne''s jaw dropped from disbelief with what he was saying even though she knew that Stefan wouldn''t really do it to get back at her. "Hmp! If you didn''t forget, I wouldn''t keep it either."


    "Alright. It''s my fault. Once you tell me about next month, you can punish me as well."


    Cayenne thought about the kind of punishment she would impose but she instantly shakes her head to dismiss the idea. If she would punish him, she will get twice the punishment. She wouldn''t do it.


    The two of them talked about other things while eating their food and drinking their wine. They talked about her future ns and the things that she wanted to do. None of them mentioned their wedding. Cayenne knew that Stefan was preparing for the wedding but she knew nothing about the date, the venue and other things. Everything was in her husband''s control.


    "I promise to spend my Sunday with you but I forgot to tell you that I grandpa wants to y golf with me."


    "With you? Not with me?"


    "You don''t even want to spend time with them and you expect them to y golf with you?"


    "You have a point." Stefan responded nonchntly before taking another sip of his wine.


    Cayenne looked at him, observing his expression but he was showing disinterest with the topic. "Actually, grandpa wanted to invite you but he realized that you disdained spending time with them so, he asked me instead."


    "But I can stille with you, right? You promised to spend your Sundays with me."


    "Hn. You''ll being with me. How about you teach me how to y? I don''t really know how to y it and there''s no way I''d ask someone else to teach me."


    "Alright. I''ll be your coach." Stefan answered almost instantly knowing that his wife will be depending on him.


    Watching his expression, Cayenne couldn''t stop herself from smiling. "You are so easy to please." Cayennemented as she put down her utensils and wiped her mouth with the tissue.


    "Only by you, darling." Stefan whispered and winked at her. "I''m not easy to please when ites to business."


    "Of course, you aren''t. You wouldn''t be what you are today if you''re someone so easy to deal with. Your achievements are enough to say how good you are."


    "Speaking of being good." Stefan put down his wine ss and held her hand. "I''ve been good this whole time and I didn''t go to your school without your permission. I took care of the things that you couldn''t do because of your tight schedule and I made sure to always look after our family. So, where''s my reward?"


    Cayenne kissed him quickly and smiled at him. "That''s your reward."


    "Also, you promised me that as long as can hold on during weekdays, I can get my reward on Friday and today is Friday. So, I''m getting my reward now." Stefan was about to kiss her when Cayenne covered his mouth with her hand.


    "Wait. Just wait a minute. We haven''t cleaned the balcony yet.." Cayenne muttered with her flushed face.

 Chapter 490 - GETTING HIS REWARD

    <h4>Chapter 490 - GETTING HIS REWARD</h4>


    Stefan sped up and worked quickly while Cayenne sneaked back to their room. She hid under the nket and pretended to sleep. She knew that she promised it but it''s still very early. If he started it now, she''d be very exhausted the next day. It would be better if they startte because she knew her husband would stop at midnight. In that way, not so much energy will be spent.


    When Stefan was done cleaning, he went inside their room and found the bulging nket on their bed. He couldn''t stop himself from shaking his head while keeping a smile on his face.


    ''She must be really exhausted.'' He thought.


    He walked towards the bed and pulled open the nket to see his wife. Cayenne was trying her best to close her eyes and pretend to be sleeping but Stefan knew that she wasn''t really asleep.


    Heid next to her and pulled her closer to cuddle her. "Good night."


    Cayenne opened her eyes and looked at him which was a wrong move. Seeing Stefan''s sly grin, she gulped drily and smiled. "Good night."


    "Can you really go to sleep with me like this?" Stefan held her hand and ced it on his bulging shorts.


    Cayenne didn''t have to look down to know what it was because she saw it many times already. While contemting what reasons she could use to excuse herself, Stefan lifted her chin and kissed her. Because of what he did, all other excuses flew out of her brain.


    Stefan rose up from the bed and hovered right above her body while kissing her. He kissed her a lot of times but every time felt like his first time. He just couldn''t get over her kisses.


    Cayenne let out a soft moan as their tongues fought for more. She already wrapped her arms around his neck and forgot all reasons. ''It''s Saturday tomorrow anyway.'' Cayenne thought while kissing him, letting all inhibitions go away.


    Stefan''s kisses were wild and wet; from her mouth, he moved down to her neck, sucking and licking. He kissed her vicle, leaving his marks on her. His hands weren''t idle either. They were feeling her, touching her, leaving tingling traces that made her elicit another moan.


    "W-wait¡­darling¡­just ¨C" her words were stuck in her throat, unable toe out because of the building pleasure.


    When he sucked on her chest, she grabbed on to his hair not knowing whether to push him or pull him closer for more. Her breathing hitched when she felt his finger caressing her nub. He pressed it on it and circled his finger, making her want to close her legs but she can''t. Stefan made sure to stay between her legs, not letting her close it.


    He pressed it on and rubbed it, making her feel on edge at the same not. She kicked on their bed, trying to get away from the onught of pleasure but Stefan didn''t let it happen. He kissed his way down; from her chest, to her t stomach and directly to her core.


    Licking and sucking her, Stefan smiled mischievously. She was blushing while feeling the pleasure and he likes looking at her. His eyes never left her face, as if he was a predator watching how his prey looked. He licked her while pushing and pulling his fingers in and out of her.


    The built-up sensations made Cayenne bit her lower lip to stop herself from screaming. She didn''t want other people to know what the two of them have been doing.


    Stefan''s fingers moved faster and faster until she let out a muffled scream while twitching beneath him. Her orgasm coated him and she was breathing heavily.


    "Sweetheart, we are not done yet." Stefan whispered to her and kissed her neck. "I haven''t gone inside you yet."


    "Do it slowly. I''m still catching my breath." Cayenne whispered which made Stefan smile.


    "Your wish is mymand." Stefan lifted one of her legs and put it on his shoulder, making a right angle of her body. Cayenne was surprised to have him in this position because she thought she wasn''t flexible enough but the moment Stefan moved, she just forget whatever she had in mind and just focused on what she was feeling.


    "That''s too deep." She muttered when she felt him inside her. She could even see her t stomach bulging whenever he pushed himself inside her.


    "You have topensate me for taking it slow." His words came out in ragged breathing as he moved in and out of her. "Sweetheart, I can''t take it like this."


    "Move a little faster, then." With her words Stefan moved a little bit faster while holding her leg up in the air. Not contented with this position, he picked up her other leg and raised it up.


    Having both her legs up, he gained better ess and could get in deeper than usual.


    "Ahh¡­Ahh¡­" Stefan moaned every time he made a deep and hard stroke within her, sending both of their bodies to the highest peak of bliss.


    When the two of them climaxed, they muffled their moans with kisses.


    Cayenne could feel the warmth within her but she knew that none of them spilled directly in her womb. They''re all trapped inside a rubber.


    She was still regting her breath to normal when she felt him hardened inside her again. ''Oh no.'' She thought and lightly bit Stefan''s lip.


    "Let me change another condom."


    And just like how she guessed it, Stefan only ended when it was in the middle of the night. She had to pay what she owed him for thest five days plus tax and now, her energy was all spent.


    Stefan was lying beside her with no intention of leaving her deep haven yet. He was kissing her sweaty face, murmuring sweet nothings to her ears.


    "Don''t you dare move again." Cayenne reminded him and pinched his waist with her eyes closed. "I''m really tired this time."


    "Howe you didn''t improve your stamina even after Jillyanna taught you a lot of self-defense?"


    "I''m learning self-defense against criminals not against you or this crime you''vemitted."


    Stefan let out a heartyughter and kissed the tip of her nose. "Alright. This criminal is the one you love after all." He traced his fingers from her neck to her lower back which made her shiver from the tickles. "I''ll wipe you up."


    "Hn." Cayenne mumbled softly when he withdrew himself from her.


    Stefan looked for the wet wipes that he brought and started cleaning his wife. When he was done, Cayenne has fallen asleep as well. "Sorry for exhausting you again.." Stefan whispered and kissed her temple before falling asleep next to her.

 Chapter 491 - LOVED BY ALL

    <h4>Chapter 491 - LOVED BY ALL</h4>


    The next day, Cayenne woke upte but still on time for breakfast. She didn''t want to skip the most important meal of the day just because of the exhaustion. And if she calcted the number of hours that she slept, it can be counted as normal and sufficient.


    After breakfast, Stefan packed up their things to leave. If Cayenne didn''t have anything to do, he would be very happy to extend their stay. Sadly, she''s a very busy person.


    They arrived home around lunch time. She joined her family for lunch and after that, she left with Stefan once again to find Jillyanna for her self-defense lesson. As usual, she stayed for two hours to practice with her. Riley even joined them to make the session more fun and engaging.


    Once her training session was over, she left the Madrigal home and visited Justin''s home. She only came to check on the children since she wasn''t able to visit them in the morning. She couldn''t stay for long. So, after one hour, they left Justin''s home. Together with her husband, she went to buy some groceries and brought it to Peach Wood Subdivision. She didn''t forget to buy the vitamins and the prescribed maintenance for Stefan''s grandpa and grandma as well.


    "Yenyen!" Cory eximed when she opened the door and found Cayenne standing there with Stefan. The smile on her face couldn''t be hidden and she threw herself towards Cayenne for a hug. "I miss you littless. How have you been? Your ss has started, right?"


    "Yes granny." Cayenne answered while walking inside with the olddy. "The university resumed all ssesst Monday and so far, I''ve been doing great; just a little bit busy."


    "How about you Stefan? You haven''t forgotten your responsibility as a husband because of your work, have you?"


    "How could I grandma?" Stefan questioned back with a cheeky grin on his face. "I''d forget anything except my responsibility to her. You know that she''s my life."


    "Ahhh seessshh. You just know how to sweet talk." Corymented with a re before turning to Cayenne. "If this boy bullies you, tell granny okay? I will punish him for you."


    "Hn. I''ll remember that granny. But ¨C"


    "But?" Both Stefan and Cory looked at her with curious look on their faces.


    "But I don''t think you will have the chance to punish him. My husband always prioritizes my well-being. It''s difficult to point his ws."


    Cory looked at Stefan with narrowed eyes but since it was Cayenne who said so, she didn''t bully her grandson anymore. Cayenne and Stefan went directly to the kitchen and ced the groceries on the counter top before going back to the living room; and not long after they have taken a seat, Dominic also came home from his part-time job.


    "Yen! Bro! You guys are here! Did Luize together with you?" Dominic asked while taking off his shoes. "My workmates were asking me to get autographs from him and the magazines have been piling up in my room already."


    "Sad to say, Luiz didn''te with us." Cayenne replied. "I can bring the magazines for you and return it tomorrow."


    "Is that really fine?"


    "Hn. I don''t mind." Cayenne responded while giving him an encouraging smile.


    "How''s your study and working along?" Stefan questioned as he crossed his legs. He looked imposing but Dominic wasn''t intimidated at all. He knew that his older cousin was only looking after him.


    Dominic put his bag on the couch and sat beside it. He looked relieved and satisfied. "I didn''t have so many subjects to study for this semester and my work isn''t very demanding as well. My supervisor was very understanding, too. I''ve been doing fine."


    "That''s good to know. If somethinges up, don''t hesitate to call me." Stefan reminded him like a good older brother. Technically, he''s a good person, only to his family, friends and his employees who do their work properly.


    They''ve been sitting for almost quarter an hour already and they noticed that their grandfather hasn''te out yet. Stefan frowned and looked at his grandmother. "Grandma, where''s grandpa?"


    "Oh! He''s currently resting. He caught a fever yesterday but his temperature has lowered down already. I just told him to rest a bit more to make sure that he won''t rpse."


    "Did you bring him to the hospital? Did you ask for a doctor toe and check on him?" Cayenne asked consecutively in worry. "Why didn''t you tell us?"


    Cory sighed and shrugged her shoulders apologetically. "He didn''t want me to tell you. And we did send him to the hospital yesterday but he wanted to go out. The doctor only allowed him to be discharged this morning which was why he''s still resting."


    Stefan pulled out his phone and sent Dominic a phone number.? "Call that number if you there''s an emergency. That''s a doctor in Senyu Medical Hospital. He''s a friend of mine. Just tell him that we''re family. Also, pass he number to the guards for emergency purposes."


    "Thanks, bro." Dominic saved the number immediately knowing that it''s a very important contact information. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"


    "That would be great. Can I help you cook?" Cayenne retorted almost immediately.


    "No, you can''t." Stefan answered before Dominic could. "You stay here with grandma. I''ll help Dominic in the kitchen."


    "O-okay." Cayenne didn''t argue with him and just followed his arrangement. She can also take this opportunity to rest herself after a busy day.


    Left with Cory, Cayenne started telling her the interesting things she knew from school. She was talking most of the time while the Stefan''s grandma listened to her attentively. Sometimes, she would also share the things she could still remember from her youth but there wasn''t much to share because she had forgotten most of them.


    In the middle of their conversation, Stanley also came home. Previously, he works from Monday to Friday but because of Jessie''s schedule, he also changed his own schedule to match with hers. He''s now working from Tuesday to Saturday.


    "It''s fancy seeing you here, Yen. Where''s Stefan? Did he allow you toe here alone?" Stanley asked as soon as he saw her talking with his mother.


    "He''s in the kitchen with Dom." Cayenne responded. Her observant behavior came out again and she could tell that Stefan''s uncle was bing more handsome every time that she sees him. And he looks youngerpared to the first time that she met him. "Looks like you are progressing steadily, Uncle."


    "You have guessed it right."


    "Looks like we''ll be meeting her soon."


    "Not so soon. We''re still in the phase of getting to know each other."


    "I hope that woman won''t hurt you like what your ex-wife did." Cory mumbled and stood up to leave the living room. Obviously, she didn''t like the topic.


    Cayenne looked towards Stanley and the older man could only smile faintly at her.

 Chapter 492 - FULFILLED

    <h4>Chapter 492 - FULFILLED</h4>


    Dominic and Stefan cooked a lot of dishes and the bodyguards joined them for dinner. Unlike the bodyguards in Cayenne''s property who took turns in eating, the bodyguards who stayed with Stefan''s family would always join them in every meal.


    It''s because Cory didn''t like to establish the master-servant rtionship with them. And aside from that, they weren''t really in danger as long as they''re inside the subdivision because the security there was very tight. You won''t be able to get inside the vicinity unless you are listed on the records that the subdivision securities have.


    After the dinner, Cayenne and Stefan checked on Jose to see how he was doing. They left the ce when they were reassured that he was doing better. They didn''t have any other n for the night and just went home directly.


    "I can finally rest the night away." Cayenne said and linked her arms with Stefan, pulling him a bit closer to her so that she can lean on his shoulder.


    "It''s still very early to sleep. Do you like to watch a movie with me? It''s okay if you fall asleep halfway through it."


    "That''s good. We can do that." Cayenne said happily. At this moment, she realized how fulfilling her life was. She was able to do the things that she likes to do and she was able to help other people improve their lives. She felt tired sometimes but whenever she thought of her past life, she felt reenergized and blessed of what she has at present situation. It was better than the life she had for thest twenty-three years.


    "What are you thinking?" Stefan asked when he noticed that she was staring into space silently.


    "Nothing big. I''m just thinking how lucky I am to have you."


    "I''m lucky to have you as well."


    The bodyguard who was driving the car couldn''t stop himself from smiling. He had seen many couples but it''s rare to see couples like his master and mistress, who were always sweet despite the time and ce. Their sweetness wasn''t forced out of situation as well. They were very natural at that. And after the incident wherein they almost divorced, he never saw them fight or argue over something. If Cayenne wants something, Stefan would think of ways to get it for her. if Cayenne didn''t want something, Stefan would immediately get rid of it. If there''s something that the two of them couldn''t agree, they would always talk about it and weigh the pros and cons before deciding what to do with it.


    His boss was particrly clingy to Cayenne and he''s very possessive as well. Cayenne didn''t hate these traits of him though.


    Half an hourter, they finally arrived in their own home. Seeing the people inside made her smile happily. "We''re home." Cayenne announced their arrival as she walked inside with Stefan.


    "Wee home, sis."


    "Wee back, Yen and Stefan."


    "Wee back, young mistress."


    "Wee back, sir Stefan."


    Erwin and Jonas were ying scrabble game while Luiz was keeping score for them. He was also holding his phone which was showing the thread of messages he had with risse.


    Kyle was nowhere to be found in the living room which only means he''s inside his room.


    "Luiz, can you please sign these magazines?" Cayenne asked her brother at the same time, gesturing Stefan to ce the bag of magazines beside her brother. "These are the magazines that Dominic''s colleagues bought. Apparently, they found out that the two of you were ssmates and that you guys are family. So, they asked him for a favor to get an autograph from you."


    "Sure. I can do that."


    "We''ll get inside our room now. I''m a bit tired." Cayenne walked towards the staircase but Stefan walked towards the kitchen instead. She didn''t need to ask why because she knew what he was nning to do.


    She took a quick shower and changed her clothes to a set of pajamas before taking care of her skin. When she was putting her face mask, Stefan also came inside with a ss of warm milk for her.


    "Drink it first." Cayenne followed his instruction and drank the ss of milk in front of him. When she was done, Stefan opened the door and handed the ss to Lucia who was waiting outside.


    Then, he took a shower while Cayenne sat in front of the vanity mirror with a mask on her face, surfing the and checking her social media ount.


    She replied to some messages and replied to thements that she found below the photo that she posted yesterday with Stefan. After spending time with her own ount, she checked Luiz''s ount to see any updates of his works because every time he received something, either a contract or a gift from a fan, he would post it there.


    As she continued to stream online, she found two photos that made her glue her eyes on the screen. Surprise and disbelief showed up on her face but it was well-hidden beneath the face mask that she was wearing.


    Looking at the background of the pictures, she can tell that it was taken inside the mall and they were holding shopping bags, too. Cayenne wasn''t against what she was seeing but she felt it was too soon. They just met not long ago and she was afraid that they''re just using one another to move on from their past andplicated rtionship.


    "Well, they''re both adults. They should know what they''re doing." Cayenne muttered while looking at thements below the pictures. She was right with her guess. The men were Kai and David. It wouldn''t make an impact to the public if none of them came out of the closet but Kai did. So, anyone who''s spotted with him will be taken as his new fling. However, the public couldn''t seem to judge their rtionship because of David''s status.


    Stefan came out of the shower room with a towel hanging around his neck to absorb the water droplets from his hair. He approached Cayenne and saw what she was looking on her phone. "Jill enjoys watching these kinds of pairing."


    "I like them, too but I am not as crazy as Jill."

 Chapter 493 - SILLY BUT CUTE

    <h4>Chapter 493 - SILLY BUT CUTE</h4>


    The next morning, Cayenne woke up early to start her day. Stefan didn''t make a move on herst night because she was too tired to indulge him. And she was thankful for his considerate attitude towards her.


    "We''ll be meeting your father and grandfather at ten in the morning. We''ll have lunch together before going out to y golf. Hurry up and shower already." Cayenne took the quilt away from her husband and pulled him up to get up.


    "No."


    "What do you mean ''no''?"


    "I''m not getting out of the bed."


    "We talked about thisst night and you said you''de with me. What makes you change your mind at this moment?"


    "You remember a lot of things but you forget something so important in the morning." Stefan responded while taking the quilt back, readying himself to get back to bed.


    Cayenne thought what it was that she had forgotten when she saw his sulking face. As if a light bulb lightened over her, she realized why he was acting childish again.


    "You won''t get up?" Cayenne questioned nonchntly while facing her back on him.


    "I won''t get up."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Hn."


    "Well, too bad. I was thinking we could shower together."


    "That''s not even the reason why I don''t want to get out of the bed."


    "I know." Cayenne sighed and turned around to face him once again. "Sorry. I didn''t really mean to forget it." She pulled the nket once again and kissed his lips. "Are we fine now?"


    "No."


    She kissed him again and looked expectantly but Stefan still refused to budge. "Did I forget something else? I don''t think I''ve forgotten something aside from your morning kiss."


    "Doing it twice won''t suffice."


    Cayenne chuckled as she kissed the tip of his nose, his eyes and his forehead before kissing his lips once again. "Is that better?"


    "Hn."


    "Then, hurry up and get out of the bed already. We''re running out of time."


    "Hmp! They can wait."


    For the very first time ever since they were together, she felt so helpless in persuading him. Usually, he would just say ''yes'' directly to her even if it''s against his will. But she could understand. After all, they''re meeting his paternal family and he dislikes them. Saying that he dislikes them was already the lightest description she could think. If she''d be honest, she''d say that he hated them which was why she was trying to think of ways to bring them closer.


    "We''re still showering together, right?" Stefan asked which pulled her back to reality. Seeing the grin on his face, Cayenne shook her head to deny it. "I thought we will."


    "That was my offer earlier but you refused it. So, we will be showering separately." Cayenne said and turned around to go to the bathroom.


    "No way."


    "Ah! Put me down!" Cayenne yelled in surprise when Stefan caught her off guard and carried her to the bathroom. "I can walk on my own."


    "I didn''t say you can''t."


    "Then, why are you carrying me?"


    "So that we can shower together."


    "You are so sneaky! This is unfair. No, you can''t. Ah! Don''t undress me."


    "What''s there to be embarrassed about? I''ve seen every inch of your body already."


    Cayenne blushed under his intense gaze and she could do nothing but roll her eyes at him. "Why are you so active now? I''ll let you shower with me but you can''t do anything other than that."


    "Why not?"


    "Because we are going somewhere. You don''t want me to look tired in front of your father and grandfather, right?"


    "It doesn''t matter if you look tired."


    "Hey! That''s ¨C Hhmm, wait? - mhnm.."? Whatever it was that she wanted to say was drowned in kisses.


    At the end of the day, she was still powerless against him. The shower which shouldn''t take long was extended to an hour. If she didn''t shiver from cold, Stefan would probably continue to make love to her in the bathroom.


    "Let''s not do it in the bathroom again. It''s cold."


    "Sure. Which part of the house would you like to do it?"


    "Why are you asking me that? The bedroom is fine. Ah! Stop your hands from wandering." She pped his hands away which were touching all over her body again. "I''m dressing up. I don''t want to do this anymore."


    Stefan justughed it off while picking a bathrobe for her. "I''ll spare you tonight since you have a ss tomorrow."


    "Hmp!" she snorted at him without saying anything.


    "Alright. I will look get you some clothes to wear. Since we will be ying golf, you don''t need to wear a dress."


    "I don''t really mind You know things like this better than I do so, I''ll be relying on you all the time."


    "That''s absolutely right. You have to rely on me." Stefan pulled out a white polo shirt, a denim pencil-cut mini skirt and a pair of white rubber shoes. "You can wear this." He handed the clothes to her and Cayenne didn''t bother checking them, just wearing whatever he handed to her as long as they look decent enough for her.


    Stefan looked over his side of the wardrobe to see what he could wear to match with hers. "Hmm."


    "What? Are you having a problem of what you can match with me now?"


    "Next time, let''s buy matching outfits for different kinds of sports."


    "What are you talking about? I''m not a sporty person and I don''t think we''ll have time to y sports anyway. Just pick whatever you have there. I''ll think of a way."


    "Okay." Stefan directly pulled a white polo and a white chino short. "Well, it''s not bad. I also have a pair of white shoes here."


    Looking at him, Cayenne couldn''t stop herself from smiling. Ever since they became an official couple, he would never go out of the house if his outfit doesn''t match hers. It''s a very silly reason but it''s also cute. Other couple wouldn''t mind this little detail but Stefan minds it a lot.


    "I think we have a matching cap that we boughtst time." Cayenne told him which lit up his eyes.


    "You can wear your Rolex watch and I''ll wear mine."


    "Okie dokie."


    The two of them didn''t bother looking at the time because they already knew that they''d bete. She just sent a message to Stefan''s father and thankfully, they weren''t in a hurry.


    Well, even if they were in a hurry, they would still wait for them because it''s very seldom for Stefan toe along with them. "Let''s just grab some breakfast along the way." Cayenne mentioned in which he nodded in agreement. "Also, let''s stop by Dominic''s workce. I''ll give him the magazine''ster. I don''t think we''ll make it if we drop the magazine in Peach Wood."


    "You are right. His work ce is along the way to the vi. It''s better to give the magazines to him there."


    "I''ll inform him about itter." Cayenne picked up her bag and wallet before stuffing her press powder and lip gloss inside. Without saying anything, Stefan gave his wallet to her as well and she received it without further questions. She''s used to it already. Wherever they go, as long as they''re together, she''ll be the one holding his wallet for him. He will only bring his phone and their car keys.


    Stefan picked the bag of magazines that Luiz had signedst night before turning to his wife once again. "Let''s go." Stefan held her hand and the two of them walked out of their room.


    "You guys are going somewhere?" Jonas asked when he saw the two of them descending on the stairs.


    "We will be meeting Stefan''s family." Cayenne answered.


    "I see. Take care, then."


    "Hn. We''ll see youter in the evening."


    The bodyguards have cleaned the cars already and they were all ready to set out. Stefan opened the door for her and she stepped inside with no qualms. Since he opened the passenger seat, it means that he will be driving the car this time.


    Stefan talked to the bodyguards for a minute before walking to the other side and got inside the driver''s seat. "They found something suspicious at the forestry near your property." He whispered which stunned Cayenne.


    "What is it?"


    "They''re still looking into it. It''s not within your property so, it won''t have anything to do with us but if it will endanger our lives, we''ll have to get rid of it."


    "Is it done by humans? Or are there any ghost or bad spirits there?"


    "Silly." Stefan flicked her forehead and chuckle. "You really get scared so easily when ites to ghosts and spirits. Anyway, it''s done by humans. Some of my men will check itter."


    "Okay." Cayenne fastened her seatbelt but she still felt anxious of what he just said. "Tell them to check it thoroughly."


    "No worries. They''re very good in their job."


    "Really?"


    "Hn. I trust them. Don''t think too much."


    The two of them finally left their house and some of the bodyguards followed immediately while the others stayed to guard the remaining family members and to check on the suspicious activities near Cayenne''s property.

 Chapter 494 - CURRY FAVOR FROM HER

    <h4>Chapter 494 - CURRY FAVOR FROM HER</h4>


    On their way to the vi, Stefan stopped by Align Company, a subsidiarypany that was owned by the Dumrique Group. It''s where Dominic was assigned to work. It''s near his university and he can go there directly right after ss.


    "Hello Sis Yen." Dominic greeted her happily and when he came to meet them at the lobby. Many people were looking at them and some were taking pictures not so secretly but Cayenne only smiled without saying anything. "Did Luiz sign on them?"


    "Yup. He signed themst night." Cayenne handed the bag to him which contained all the magazines. "I just drop by to give these to you. If you need anything, just give Stefan a call."


    "Hn. Thank you, sis. You take care." Dominic waved his hand at her and Cayenne did the same. She got inside the car as soon as possible with the bodyguards following closely behind her.


    They drove out of thepany''s premise and left to meet Stefan''s family. Around 10:30 in the morning, they finally arrived at the vi and the guards immediately opened the gate the moment he saw Stefan''s car and the tailing cars behind them. Ferdinand was already the at the porch, waiting for their arrival and he couldn''t seem to hide the smile on his face.


    "Yen. My dear granddaughter-inw. How have you been?" Ferdinand asked even though Cayenne was still several meters away from him. "I heard that you picked up where you left off and study once again."


    "Yes, grandpa." Cayenne answered and gave him a hug. "I''m doing good so far and I''m enjoying my life. How about you? Have you been taking care of your health?"


    "Of course. I need to live longer to see my great grandchildren in the future."


    "That''s right."


    "So, is there any good news?"


    Cayenne blushed as she lowered her head to hide her face. "Grandpa, we still have a long way to go for that. We''re both busy now but maybe in two years or three."


    "That''s fine, too." Ferdinand led them inside the house, mostly paying attention to Cayenne and ignoring his grandson. Apparently, he wanted to talk to Stefan but he was hesitating because most of the time, Stefan would snap at them or get angry over some little things. He didn''t want them to get into argument again. "Come inside."


    "Where''s Dad?" Cayenne asked when she couldn''t see Magnus in the living room.


    "He''s in the kitchen. He''s supervising the preparation for lunch."


    "Oh." Cayenne sat down and Stefan also took a seat next to hers. Ever since they arrived, he didn''t say a single word to his grandfather. "By the way grandpa, something happened at home and if worsees to worst, we will have to move out from our house. Can we stay here for the meant time if that happens?"


    "Sure. Sure. That''s not a problem at all." Ferdinand wee Cayenne''s idea openly which made Stefan raise his eyebrow to his wife. He couldn''t understand why she''s doing it when she knew that he couldn''t stay long with his family. "Let me tell the servants to check the rooms. I better do it now before I forget it. Give me a sec. I''ll tell Magnus toe and get you something to drink."


    "Thanks grandpa." Cayenne smiled sweetly like a virtuous wife but as soon as the old man disappeared, Stefan lightly pinched her waist. "What? Are you angry?"


    "I''m not."


    "Really?"


    "Well, just a little. Uhh¡­not really angry but upset."


    "Why?"


    "Because I don''t understand why you''re doing all this. Look, you''re warming up to my family but you couldn''t do the same to your grandparents. If I force you to be close to them, wouldn''t you be upset?"


    "Of course, I would." Cayenne said almost instantly. "But we''re different" She added. "Our families are different."


    "What''s the difference?"


    Cayenne shifted her position and faced him directly. "Your father didn''t really want to leave your mother. He was forced under several circumstances. Even after what happened, he still loves her and protected you even if that means going against hiswfully-wedded wife. Your grandfather, even if it will tarnish his name, he acknowledged you as his grandchild. Isn''t the will and testament proof to that? It was finalized way before you left home. But my so-called grandparents were different. My father''s parents forced him to break up with my mom and marry Ingrid. They even used my mom''s life as a bargaining chip even though they knew that she''s already pregnant with his child. I am nothing to them. My mother''s parents forced her to leave home. They didn''t see her as a human but a heart container. Can you see the difference?"


    She looked nonchnt when she spoke but Stefan could sense her raging anger from the tremble of her voice. Even if he won''t admit to it, he knew that she was right. They may have suffered so much in life but his suffering can''t amount to what Cayenne has been through.


    "I''m sorry." Stefan pulled her close and hugged her. "I won''t say it again."


    "You don''t have to apologize for it. It''s not your fault."


    "But I upset you."


    "Well, I upset you, too. We''re even." Stefan chuckled and kissed her temple.


    Behind the partition where the two of them couldn''t see, Magnus was hiding with a tray of refreshments. He heard what Cayenne said and he was silently thanking her for that. It felt a little upsetting when such topic was brought up again but he was d that Cayenne pointed the positive things of what he had done in the past.


    Now, Magnus knew that the road to fixing his rtionship with Stefan was through Cayenne. Thankfully, she wasn''t prejudiced against them.


    After calming himself down, he came out to greet them and gave them the refreshment. Stefan only looked at his father for few seconds before turning away to avoid his gaze.


    Cayenne talked to Magnus while keeping her fingers locked with Stefan''s. They talked about her study, about his pastime, and about Stefan''s projects; although Stefan didn''t really respond to him and it was only Cayenne who conversed with his father.


    During lunch, Stefan was very attentive to Cayenne. He would talk to her in gentle manner and he would always listen to whatever she says. If it''s his grandfather or his father who talks, he would be mute and directly ignored them.


    Even though he was treating them coldly, the fact that he didn''t leave already made his family happy. The lunch was still lively with Cayenne conversing with his family. It was as if they have known each other and there was no barrier between them but Cayenne still remained respectful all throughout the conversation.


    After lunch, they all got inside their respective cars and went to the golf club that Stefan''s family would often visit with their friends. When they arrived at the ce, many people greeted them and many curious gazes were thrown to Cayenne.


    "Good afternoon, sir. Is it the same booth?" The receptionist batted her eyelids flirtingly when she looked towards Stefan.


    "Booth? What booth?" Cayenne asked Stefan with a frown. "Wait. That''s not the point. Have you gone here without letting me know?"


    "Oh. That''s before we met." Stefan stated. He actually forgot this thing because he thought it won''t matter anymore. "Anyway, I yed with Travis and my other colleagues here before."


    "Okay." Cayenne didn''t ask any questions anymore. She only looked at thedy in front of her and raised her eyebrow without saying anything. Something was telling her that there was something off with how the receptionist look at Stefan.


    "Yen,e here for a sec. I''ll introduce you to some of my friends."


    Hearing Ferdinand''s call, Cayenne pulled Stefan along with her ande to his grandfather''s side. The friends he was talking to wasn''t able to meet her during the turnover ceremony of the Dumrique group. It was their first time seeing the nextdy boss.


    "You look so young, Mrs. Dumrique. It''s my bad to be of several decades ahead of you." An old man, who seemed to be of the same age as Ferdinand,mented before taking Cayenne''s hand and kissed the back of it. "Young Stefan is really lucky to have found you first."


    "You tter me." Cayenne responded with a shy smile. "Just call me Yen."


    "Then, call me grandpa Zhang."


    "Okay, grandpa Zhang."


    One after another, they introduced themselves to Cayenne and made sure to greet Stefan in passing as well. They have found something worth noting. If you want to curry favor, do it with Cayenne because whatever she says, Stefan wouldn''t say no to her. Between the two of them, she''s the boss.


    Cayenne looked happy while talking to them but she didn''t forget Stefan at all. From time to time, she''d look at him and tell the people how amazing he was. It wasn''t intentional but in the eyes of other people, she was unting the intense love between her and Stefan.


    "Why don''t we continue this conversation in the course?" Grandpa Zhang suggested.


    "Sound fine to me." Magnus replied enthusiastically.


    And with that, they got on the cart one after another. Of course, Cayenne and Stefan was still sticking closely. When they left, the receptionist had a sweet smile on her lips.. Her eyshes fluttered beautifully which made the other male guests looked at her with bashful expressions.

 Chapter 495 - SOURCE OF ENVY

    <h4>Chapter 495 - SOURCE OF ENVY</h4>


    There weren''t that many people in the golf club that day. Cayenne got to enjoy the cool breeze of the surrounding which was apanied by the serene atmosphere.


    When they reached their destination, Stefan got out of the car and stretched his hand for her to take. Such gentleman caught the eye of the otherdies present in the field.


    "There''s a booth upstairs where audience can stay and have refreshment. Would you like to go there?" he told his wife, making sure that she''ll be enjoying this very short trip with him.


    "No. I want to y first."


    "Alright. As you wish."? Stefan led her to the group where his grandfather was and asked someone to borrow a golf club from someone since they didn''t have their own. "Feel the grip of the material. See if it suits your taste or not."


    Cayenne chuckled hearing his words. He looked so serious and uptight like a coach who was teaching a student. "I am not trying to be a pro yer. As long as I can hit the ball, it''s fine for me."


    "Oh." Stefan scratched the back of his nape and smiled. "I didn''t think it that way. Anyway, let''s just borrow this club for a while."


    "So, what''s next?"


    "Let''s go over there."


    Stefan served as a coach to her, showing her how to y golf and exining the rules to her to make sure that she gets the gist of the game.


    "Ferdinand, your grandson is very gentle with his woman. He''s very different from you and Magnus."


    "I treated my wife gently, too when she was still alive." Ferdinand retorted in an instant. "She was just always jealous and a little coward."


    "Didn''t you make her feel jealous on purpose?"


    "Of course not."


    "Liar! I still remember ¨C" their conversation faded in Magnus'' head. He couldn''t seem to hear them anymore because his mind was pulled back to when he was still with Leticia. He knew it was wrong to keep her as a mistress. He knew that he shouldn''t have done that because she won''t be truly happy. He cheated on his legal wife and he hurt the person that he loved the most. He tried getting both but, in the end, he gained no one. Even his son despised him so much.


    Magnus walked away from his father''spany and decided to watch them y. His ears picked up Cayenne''sughter and he couldn''t stop himself from smiling while watching his son and his daughter-inw. ''You are right, Uncle Zhang. Stefan''s a very different person from us. He knew how to take care of his wife and pamper her.'' Magnus thought while watching the two of them y golf on their own.


    "It''s my turn now." Cayenne took another ball and swung her club to hit it. She didn''t swing it with strong force but just enough to make the ball fly to her goal.


    The game they were ying wasn''t like those official matches that yers y. Stefan set a goal for her to reach and if she could, she can ask anything from him. There was a man standing not far from them, checking if Cayenne''s hit would make it to the goal that Stefan set for her.


    She had tried several times. Sometimes, the ball would fly several meters away from the goal and sometimes, it wouldn''t just reach the goal at all. She needed to use the right amount of force and estimate the distance to make sure that she would get it.


    "I''m sweaty already." Cayenne mumbled after hitting the 7th ball in front of her. "Can''t you make it a little closer? That goal is too far."


    "No. That''s the nearest goal already." Stefan retorted while taking out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat on her forehead. "If you can reach it, you can ask anything from me and you can do anything as well. I won''t argue or disagree with you."


    "Well, I don''t remember us arguing." Cayenne mentioned which was true. Stefan nodded his head in agreement but he still didn''t change his mind.


    Cayenne bent down a little and bit her lips while looking at the 8th ball in front of her. She closed her eyes and prayed to hit the target and reached the goal this time. She didn''t want to y anymore. It''s not because she was tired or she didn''t like the game but she started to feel ufortable with the other women looking at her husband. She''s irritated.


    As soon as the club hit the ball, Cayenne''s eyes never left the flying item until it fell on the ground. The man who was assigned to see if she had reached her goal jumped up and happily with the ball in hand. Then, he ran towards Cayenne and Stefan.


    "You have reached the goal this time, Mrs. Dumrique." the man said and handed the ball with a smile. "Congrats."


    "Uh..hahaha Thank you." Cayenneughed faintly with an embarrassed expression. "It''s just my husband''s goal for me." Cayenne added.


    "Ah?" The man looked confused and when he looked towards Stefan, he received a yful wink from him. "Oh. I see." He just discovered something.


    Apparently, Stefan didn''t tell Cayenne the rules and regtions of the Club. If you are new in the club and if you want to get a membership you needed to reach the goal that Cayenne had been trying to. If you can''t then, there is no membership for you. Either by luck or by talent, as long as you can reach it, you will get the membership.


    The otherdies there were also trying to reach this goal but wasn''t able to do it yet. Seeing Cayenne have done it after 8th rounds, they couldn''t stop the envy from sprouting in their heart.


    ''Hmp! She''s only lucky!''


    ''It''s because she''s got a great teacher.''


    ''If my coach is as handsome as him, I''ll do my best to.''


    They have different thoughts about Cayenne but the subject of their topic - when presented with the membership card, she refused it without any hesitation.


    "I came to apany my grandpa and my husband. I won''t be ying golf again because it tires me out so, I''m sorry but I won''t ept the card."


    The otherdies were gritting their teeth from so anger. They just couldn''t believe that she refused something that other worked so hard for.


    Noticing their gaze, Stefan took the membership card and gave it to Cayenne. "Just take it. Don''t you know that many people want to have this card. They like to unt it to their friends. You can do the same." Stefan made sure to say the words loudly, letting those otherdies hear his words.


    "I''m not like them.." Cayenne responded.

 Chapter 496 - NOW SHES JEALOUS

    <h4>Chapter 496 - NOW SHE''S JEALOUS</h4>


    Cayenne still took the card anyway. She can use it next time if Stefan''s father or grandfather will invite her to y golf again. After ying with Stefan, the two of them excused themselves and told Ferdinand and Magnus that they''d be watching from the booth instead.


    There, Cayenne ate some fruits that Stefan ordered and made sure to get some sweets for her as well. The sun wasn''t so hot anymore because of the tall trees surrounding the ce.


    "I''ll use thefort room first." Cayenne told Stefan and rose from her seat. The bodyguards immediately followed her but they stopped several meters from the women''sfort room. It isn''t really nice for them to stay right outside the ce. When she arrived, there wasn''t anyone inside thefort room but when she was almost done with her business, she could tell that severaldies came because of their chattering voices.


    Cayenne was about to push the door of the cubicle she was at when she heard someone mentioned Stefan''s name. Aside from their loud conversation, no other noise can be heard so Cayenne was able to listen to their conversation even if she didn''t want to.


    Her hand paused midair but after analyzing the situation she decided to open it. The door was just opened a little when they talked about Stefan again.


    "I didn''t expect to see sir Stefan again after so many months."


    "Me, too. I thought he wouldn''t step back in this club after getting married. Surprisingly, he came and even brought his wife here."


    "So, to speak, he wasn''t the least bit affected with what happened."


    "Well, I''m not really clinging into him. That one night with him was just a night of pleasure. There''s nothing else. If I can do it again, even if he''s married, I''m most willing to."


    "Oh dear. Who wouldn''t?"


    "Correct. He''s known to flirt with many. I didn''t expect he''d end up with a woman like her."


    Fuming with rage and anger, Cayenne bit her lower lip as hard as she could to keep her calm. She didn''t want to lose herposure and make a scene with them.


    She opened the door and stepped out of the cubicle to wash her hands. Looking at thedies, she found that they were the staff of the club. They were looking at her with gaping mouth and embarrassed expressions. As for Cayenne, she didn''t bother herself with them. She wiped her hands clean and threw the used tissue in the trash bin.


    "No wonder, my husband chose a woman like me. Even though I am poor, I am not a loose woman who throws herself to random guys for pleasure. Such filthy creature didn''t deserve to stand next to him." Cayenne''s voice wasn''t low. In fact, it was so soft that they could barely hear her but the disgust on her face while watching them was more than enough to cut them bone-deep.


    She didn''t say much, just enough to crush their confidence and their imagination. Without waiting for them to reply, Cayenne left the bathroom and left the club directly without going back to find Stefan. She didn''t want to confront him at the moment because she didn''t want to say something awful to him.


    The women were left dumbfounded by her words and when they realized how humiliating it was, Cayenne was already gone. They couldn''t do anything but swallow the humiliating words. They were angry for not being able to retaliate but, so what?


    Stefan had the key to his car so Cayenne could only get inside the car that the bodyguards were using to pass the time. After five minutes, she called Magnus and told him that she wasn''t feeling well and wanted to go back home first. Although the man was a little sad that they''d have to leave ahead of time, he didn''t stop Cayenne from doing so.


    Back in the booth, Stefan was waiting for Cayenne while ncing at his watch from time to time. Ten minutester, she wasn''t back yet and she started to worry. Just as he was about to look for her, one of the bodyguards came to find him and told him that Cayenne walked out of the club.


    "Why did she leave?" Stefan asked while walking out of the booth to find his wife.


    "I''m not really sure sir but, when young mistress left, she didn''t look good. She seemed angry."


    "Did something happen while she was in thefort room? Did she meet anyone?"


    "Well, several women came inside thefort room after her. I think they were one of the staffs."


    ''Sh*t!'' Stefan mentally cursed upon hearing the guard''s response. He got a vague idea of what has happened and he was sure that Cayenne won''t be speaking to him for a long time again.


    The guard led her to the car where Cayenne was staying at the moment. Right outside the car, Stefan saw the membership card that Cayenne got earlier. She obviously threw it out.


    He opened the car door and found her watching something on her phone. She didn''t even look at the person who just arrived. Well, it''s because she knew who came which was why she didn''t bother looking.


    "Ayen."


    Cayenne didn''t move or make any response to his call.


    "Ayen, can we talk?" He was met with silence once again. He got inside and sat right beside her but she scooted away, not wanting to be close to him. "Honey, let''s talk." Cayenne didn''t budge at all or even throw him a nce. Shepletely ignored him as if he wasn''t there.


    Stefan felt a little annoyed that she was ignoring him and chose to focus on her phone instead. Because of this, he snatched Cayenne''s phone.


    She looked at him for few seconds before looking away without saying anything. She didn''t bother getting her phone back as well. She shifted her position and looked on the other side to avoid facing him. She bit her lower lip to stop herself from spouting the words that she''d be regrettingter on. She didn''t want to say anything that might hurt him so, she can only stay silent while calming her nerves and keeping herself sane from the raging me of jealousy and anger.


    "You said that you don''t mind my past.. You said that it''s fine and you won''t care about it anymore. Ayen, are you regretting your decision now?"

 Chapter 497 - NOW SHES JEALOUS II

    <h4>Chapter 497 - NOW SHE''S JEALOUS II</h4>


    Cayenne didn''t look at him and didn''t say anything. She was afraid. Yes, she''s a coward. She''s insecure. She''s worried. She''s got so many things in mind and she didn''t know where to start.


    Stefan looked at her but since she wasn''t saying anything, there''s no point in forcing her. Stefan opened the door of the car but he didn''t step out. Instead, he gave his car key to the other guard and told him to drive the car home. He wasn''t in the mood to drive and it''s safer to let the guards drive for them knowing full well that their emotions were in turmoil.


    "Let''s go back home." Stefan instructed the guards and one after another, they left the golf club.


    Cayenne was still silent. She didn''t ask Stefan to give her phone back and she was didn''t give him a single nce either. When they reached back to city B, instead of going back home, Cayenne told the driver to drop her at thergest mall.


    Stefan looked at her and was trying to guess what was in her mind but he just couldn''t fathom her this time.


    Afraid that she''d run away, Stefan followed Cayenne every step of the way. He made sure that he won''t lose sight of her in the middle of the crowd.


    Cayenne didn''t like shopping that much. Due to poverty and self-discipline, she''s be the type of person who won''t buy unnecessary things. As long as something is still working, she won''t waste her money to buy a recement. It wasn''t until she met Stefan that she''s able to shop a lot of times. Even so, she still remained rational and would only buy things that they needed at home.


    However, this time was different.


    She didn''t know how she can vent her frustration and she didn''t want to argue with her husband. She didn''t want to stress eat as well, afraid that she''d choke to death from the frustration level she was feeling.


    She entered the different stores and bought different things. She bought shoes and even without checking it, Stefan knew that they were his size. She bought lots of clothes; both formal and casual. She didn''t forget buying him essories, too. Not just clothes, shoes or essories but she also went inside the bookstore and bought lots of books.


    She likes reading during her vacant time which was why Stefan specifically made a mini library inside her room. Looking at her now, he knew that there will be more books that will be added to her collections.


    She didn''t just buy things for him or for her. She also bought something for her brothers, her step=dad and his family. Because Cayenne spent most time with them and paid attention to their needs, she''s very familiar to the preference of their whole family. She knew which one would look good and which one would not. She knew which was needed and which one belongs to wants.


    They spent three hours walking around the mall already and the bodyguards have been going in and out of the mall with so many shopping bags in hands. Stefan didn''t try stopping her either. Even when she used his card to pay for the items she bought, he only smiled at her and pretended he didn''t see the saledy swiping his card.


    They didn''t talk much until her stomach rumbled which stunned both of them. Stefan knew it was time for them to have dinner but Cayenne only looked at him and rolled her eyes.


    "There''s a Greek restaurant called Philia on the 3rd floor. Let''s go there and eat." Stefan suggested and took this chance to intertwine their fingers. He led her to the 3rd floor and looked for the restaurant that he wanted to dine with her. Seeing that she wasn''t averting to his hold, Stefan breathed a sigh of relief.


    She''s just upset but she didn''t hate him. She wasn''t nning to leave him as well. Deep in his heart, he was so thankful that Cayenne still allowed him to hold her.


    As soon as they got inside the restaurant, the bodyguards looked for avable spot where they could sit. Stefan pulled a chair for Cayenne and pushed it a little closer to the table when she was seated before sitting on the chair across her.


    "Ayen, are you still upset? What am I supposed to do to earn your forgiveness?"


    "Nothing." Cayenne mumbled which stunned Stefan. "You don''t need to apologize either."


    "But I upset you, right?"


    "It doesn''t matter. Just forget it."


    "I won''t." Stefan retorted stubbornly. "I won''t forget this fact that I upset you. I''m really sorry."


    Cayenne took a deep breath and let it out a shaky sigh. "It doesn''t really matter anymore. I said that I won''t mind it and we both promised that we won''t talk about it ever again. But that didn''t mean other people won''t mention it."


    "I know. And I''m truly sorry for what I''ve done. If I didn''t do anything, this wouldn''te back right at me and ruin our rtionship."


    "Who says our rtionship is ruin? I''m just upset but it won''t ruin our rtionship. Just give me time to adjust myself once again."


    "O-okay."


    Stefan didn''t say anything anymore, behaving like a perfect gentleman as he was trying his best not to upset her furthermore. As usual, he was still attentive to her but Cayenne didn''t seem happy at all.


    From the beginning until they finished their lunch, she didn''t smile at him or had a friendly conversation with him. Their table was shrouded with tension and even the other diners could feel it.


    ''I wonder if the Dumrique couple got into fight. They don''t look happy at all.'' One of the customers thought while ncing on their table but not Stefan nor Cayenne noticed this.


    Some other diners even posted this and made spections that the two of them were fighting. Worst case scenario, some thought that they''d be divorcing.


    These rumors spread like a wildfire and soon it reached the ears of other people who were close to them. Luiz was the first one to know about it but he didn''t believe the news online. He knew perfectly well that if the two of them really argued, they won''t be having dinner outside because Cayenne would certainlye back home and lock herself up.. Thus; he concluded that his sister might be upset over something but they were not arguing and most certainly; not divorcing.

 Chapter 498 - NOW SHES JEALOUS III

    <h4>Chapter 498 - NOW SHE''S JEALOUS III</h4>


    Right after dinner, they went home with all the things that Cayenne bought. When they arrived home, Cayenne didn''t greet anyone and just walked upstairs without looking back.


    All eyes fell onto Stefan and so, he shrugged his shoulders and exined briefly of what happened although, he didn''t really borate the thing that upsets his wife.


    "Does this warrant you to sleep in the living room tonight?" Kyle asked while looking at his brother-inw.


    "I don''t think I''ll be sleeping here in the living room. Most probable, I''ll be sleeping on the couch in our room." Stefan replied with sadness and disappointment reflecting in his eyes. "By the way, she bought a lot of things for you guys. There are names written on the bags so, you should know which one is yours."


    "She shopped to vent her anger?" Luiz asked in a surprised tone. "That''s new."


    "Well, that''s better for me. I''d be very devastated if she locks herself up and refuse talking to me." Stefan responded. "Sigh. Anyway, I''ll get back to our room as well. I still need to sort things out with her."


    "Goodluck!" Jonas patted his son-inw''s shoulder and smiled encouragingly at him. "Make sure to fix it soon."


    "Yes, Pa."


    Stefan carried the shopping bags that contained the items for him and walked upstairs to follow his wife. Just as he expected, he won''t be sleeping outside. Their problem isn''t that big to have him sleep alone in the living room but he knew that if it escted, he will surely stay in the living room.


    When he got inside their room, she was nowhere to be found but the running water from the shower room told him that she was there taking a bath. He took out each of the clothes and ced it inside their wardrobe. Looking at the two wardrobes which was almost full, Stefan thought of changing the study room to a walk-in closet which could be adjacent to their room. He loves buying things for both of them and it seems that Cayenne found a new way of venting her negative emotions. If this continues, having a huge closet was the best choice.


    He was still thinking about this when Cayenne walked out of the bathroom with a fresh set of pajamas. Usually, he would be drying her hair but right now, Cayenne was doing it herself. Even when Stefan offered to help her, she refused it.


    "I''ll just take a quick shower." Stefan mentioned and left her alone for the meantime. By the time he was done showering, Cayenne was already lying on their bed with the nket pulled up to her nose. "I''m sleeping here tonight." It wasn''t a question but a statement. He wanted to see Cayenne''s reaction to his words.


    Looking at him, she only nodded her head without saying anything in response.


    ''For Pete''s sake, talk to him already!'' Cayenne yelled mentally to herself but when she wanted to say something, the words were stuck in her throat and she felt a dull pain on her chest.


    ''Alright. I''ll admit that I''m jealous and I wanted to tear that woman apart. Goodness! This is the first time that I felt so bad after hearing his negative reputation.'' Her one side of the brain stated while she was observing her husband in silence.


    ''I''m sure he didn''t mean any of this to happen. Who would have thought that those women will still fantasize about him even after knowing he''s married?''


    ''I know. I felt really stupid for getting upset but I just couldn''t control my emotions. I felt really hurt hearing those wordsing from those women.''


    ''Forget it. Just forget it.''


    Cayenne was battling herself mentally while keeping a straight face externally. Stefan had no idea that his wife was making a confrontation of herself.


    After he was done with whatever he needed to do, he walked to their bed andid down next to her. Cayenne shifted her body and had her back facing on him.


    Despite this, Stefan moved closer to her and wrapped his arm on her waist, pulling her close to him until her back was tightly pressed on his chest.


    "I''m not angry." Cayenne mumbled once again. "Just give me time to adjust my thoughts once again."


    "Okay. I will wait for you to do that."


    "I know that you had this reputation before we met and I know that we couldn''t change the past and make it right. I won''t be angry and be unreasonable because of these things. Maybe I''d feel bad and hurt when someone talks about this specially if they were involved with you but I won''t lose my head over this. Just let me vent my frustration and just give me time, okay?"


    "Hn. As long as you won''t leave me, I will do anything for you. I love you so much, Ayen."


    "I know that."


    Stefan pursed his lips when he didn''t get the response he was expecting. Nevertheless, given the circumstances and her current emotion, he didn''t press her for any response. He kissed the top of her head and buried his face on the crook of her shoulder and neck, inhaling her sweet scent to calm himself. "Good night."


    "Good night." Cayenne whispered but she didn''t sleep at all. She was just lying silently next to him, not moving and not daring to breath loudly.


    Half an hourter, she felt that Stefan''s breathing has evened out and she used this opportunity to shift her body. This time, she was facing him and was even gently caressing his face. She looked at his eyes, his eyebrows, his thick and curvyshes, his nose, his lips; etching every part of his face in her brain. There was a frown between his brows and she used her thumb to caress it. Stefan''s facial expression changed and he seemed to calm down.


    "I love you, too. I will only love you, hubby." She whispered and kissed the tip of his nose. Now, she took the initiative to move even closer and wrapped her arm on his waist.


    Stefan wasn''t actually asleep and he knew that she was observing him. Instead of opening his eyes, he just tried to feel what she was doing and when she said those words, his heart leapt out within his chest from happiness.. ''Thank you, dear God for letting her stay with me.''

 Chapter 499 - SILENT FIGHT

    <h4>Chapter 499 - SILENT FIGHT</h4>


    Morning came and when Cayenne woke up, Stefan was already gone. She didn''t look for him like she usually did. Instead, she started preparing for another day in school. She brushed her teeth and showered without making any noise.


    On the other hand, Stefan was busy in the kitchen. He woke up very early to cook for her breakfast, wanting to make it up to her now that she''s upset over something he did in the past. He didn''t allow Lucia to help him at all. He did it on his own while Lucia prepared breakfast for the rest of the family.


    When Cayenne came out with her bag and books, he was also done with the food. "Come here and eat. I cooked these for you."


    "Thank you." Cayenne muttered which brought a smile to his lips. Finally, she spoke to him but the happiness didn''tst longer. "You don''t have to send me to school yourself." Cayenne added which made Stefan blink his eyes in disbelief. "I''m fine with the bodyguards around me." She continued.


    Stefan pulled a chair across her and sat. He suddenly lost his appetite. "Why?" he asked even though he knew the reason. "I don''t think I made a grave offense against you. I mean, it was all in the past. I don''t even look at other women now because I have you. I only need you, Ayen."


    Cayenne didn''t say anything anymore. She wanted to say what she was really feeling at this moment but she was afraid that she''d hurt him. After chewing her food, she raised her head and looked at him. "Give me space for now."


    "Alright." Stefan agreed. At least, she was only asking him for space and not asking him to leave her. "I''ll wait until you''re willing to talk to me."


    The atmosphere at home was tenses and even the other people were affected by it. Luiz came down and saw them in the dining room. He wanted to talk to Stefan but Cayenne looked annoyed. One thing that Luiz didn''t want to face was his angry or annoyed sister. It''s because she''s very sharp-tongued when angry. But seeing how she''s trying herself not to say anything, he felt relieved for Stefan.


    Jonas came inside from the vegetable garden and saw them, too. Instead of talking to them, he only ced his hand on Stefan''s shoulder and gave him a gentle pat. No one bothered them.


    When Cayenne went to school, she didn''t smile like she always does. She was expressionless and didn''t bother talking to any of her ssmates.


    "Morning, Yen!" Noah greeted her cheerfully but he was met with a cold stare. He took a step back and sat two seats away from her. Even so, this didn''t stop her from talking to her. "Yen, did I do something wrong? Why are you so cold to me?"


    No reply came.


    A woman who was sitting behind Noah lightly poke his back to get his attention. "What is it?" he asked upon turning around to see who it was.


    The woman smiled faintly and leaned a bit closer. "Don''t take it to heart. Something must have happened at home. She didn''t talk to anyone and that didn''t make you an exception."


    "Oh. Thanks." Noah looked towards Cayenne once again but since she didn''t want to talk, he didn''t press on her he.


    Cayenne paid attention to the discussion but she didn''t pay attention to the students in school. She was immersed in her own little world, doing her best to look at the positive things her husband has done for her.


    Meanwhile¡­


    "Is sir Stefan angry? His face looked so cold."


    "Did he get into fight with his wife?"


    "Did something happen to thepany? Our boss looked like so terrifying just now."


    "The boss was very strict during the meeting."


    "Sir Stefan didn''t even bring his personalptop with him. He probably fought with his wife."


    Whispers about Stefan erupted in thepany and they were all curious as to what happened to him. They chat with their friends and even sent a message through thepany group chat wherein the three secretaries have also joined. Chris didn''t know and he wasn''t in the office anymore, although he was still part of the chat group since no one kicked him out.


    Elena has no idea and has no intention of knowing as well. She''ll never pry on her boss'' private life. As for Tristan, he had a vague knowledge of what has happened because Stefan told him to watch over Cayenne from hisptop. It''s obvious that the two of them has an argument.


    ''Sigh. These love birds don''t know how many people gets affected by their quarrel.'' Tristan thought to himself while following Cayenne''s every action through the school''s security and monitoring system.


    Jillyanna also caught the news of their fighting but she didn''t have the intention to help them about it since Cayenne didn''t ask her for help. As much as she wants, she also wanted these two people to figure out their issues and solve it themselves. It would help them grow as a person and help them build more trust and understanding for each other.


    The day ended and Stefan didn''te to pick her up. Cayenne didn''t care and went home with the bodyguards. When she arrived home, she looked for him and found him in the study room. She took a deep breath and walked towards him with light steps.


    "I''m fine now." She said which made Stefan raise her head to look her in the eyes.


    "Are you sure? You are not upset anymore?"


    "I thought so hard about it and I am not upset anymore. I''m okay now."


    Stefan stood up from his seat and walked up to her. He pulled her by the wrist and hugged her tightly, pressing her body with his as close as he could. "Thank you, sweetheart. I don''t know what I would do if our fight continues."


    "Was it considered fighting?"


    "It''s a silent fighting. And I was utterly defeated."


    "Oh. Sorry about that." Cayenne smiled and hugged him back, inhaling his familiar scent which made her rx. "Next time, don''t bring me to ces where I might bump onto one of your flings. I don''t like knowing them."


    "I won''t. I won''t ever bring you to those ces."


    The two of them just stood in the middle of the room, hugging each other happily. Stefan kissed the top of her head, tilted her head a little and kissed her temple, her brows and her eyes. He lifted her chin, making her look up to him as he kissed the tip of her nose and her face. He was just about to kiss her lips when there was a knock on the door.


    "Sir, there is an urgent matter."

 Chapter 500 - LENDING A HELPING HAND

    <h4>Chapter 500 - LENDING A HELPING HAND</h4>


    Stefan let go of Cayenne reluctantly and fixed her clothes for her before opening the door. The guard standing outside looked nervous while holding his phone.


    "Is it about the property close to us?" Stefan asked while opening the door wider for the man to get inside.


    "Yes, sir." The man opened his phone and handed it to Stefan. "These are theption of evidences we found."


    "What is it?" Cayenne asked when she stood up next to her husband. She looked at the phone and found several videos and pictures. "Is the property owned by someone?" she asked the bodyguard.


    "We asked sir Tristan to look into it and he sent us a message that the property is owned by two old people but they''re currently reported as missing. Apparently, one of their grandchildren came to visit the property and didn''t find her grandparents. He reported them missingst week but up until now, there wasn''t any news about them."


    "This is going to be a little dangerous for us." Stefanmented while looking at the pictures and videos. "They didn''t get the chance to see you, right?"


    "No, sir. We did itst night and they seems tock security or perhaps, they were just confident that no one would find them."


    "What shall we do now?" Cayenne asked in worry. She didn''t want her family to get tangled up in this kind of problem.


    "Didn''t you ask grandpa that we''d stay at the vi? Since he agreed then, we''ll take it." Stefan shared the pictures and videos to his own phone and returned the gadget back to the guard. "Don''t go to that area again. Always be careful when patrolling the vicinity. If theye to us for whatever reason, don''t be hostile and just pretend that you didn''t know anything."


    "Yes, sir. I''ll tell everyone about it."


    As soon as the man left, Stefan dialed a string of numbers and the name appeared as Officer Seville. Cayenne brooded over the name for quite sometimes before she realized where she met the man. She realized that it was Jillyanna''s brother-inw that she met during their family gathering one time.


    "I''ll just go and change my clothes." Cayenne whispered to her husband and left the study room. Stefan didn''t stop her because he has other things to do.


    "Good evening, Stefan." Lucian answered the phone without any enthusiasm. He felt so tired and worried. He had been working over time for a week now but still couldn''t get a breakthrough on the case he was handling.


    "Are you busy now?"


    "When am I not busy?" Lucian retorted.


    "Right. You rarely have time for your family. I bet you will be working over time again."


    "You hit it right off the bat."


    "Is it about the missing children case?" Lucian''s eyes widened and he immediately sat up straight on his chair. "I''ve seen the news of the increasing number of missing children and thought you might be handling this case."


    "Apparently, it was handled by a different team. When they couldn''t solve it, they gave us the case. I don''t understand why they''re giving it to us. I don''t make miracles. I was only able to solve difficult cases because there were people who helps me. Sigh. I want to speed up the time and have Jackie graduate from the academy now." Lucian rambled on and on, venting his pent-up frustration.


    Stefan knew who the woman she was talking about. She''s Jillyanna''s adoptive sister who''s studying in the Police Academy. She''s very good in handling cases but since she wasn''t a full-pledged police officer, they could only ask her to work as an assistant whenever they get big cases.


    "That''s alright. If Jackie is busy to help you this time, I think I can help you." Stefan replied after some time. "I got some leads here in my end. You cane here tomorrow. I won''t be going anywhere but pleasee looking like a civilian. It would be difficult if they find us contacting a police officer."


    "Alright. I''lle and visit you."


    That night, Stefan told Cayenne about his n for the next day. He also told the whole family to be extra careful and vignt towards unfamiliar visitors.


    "Please pack some of your personal belongings and your important items. On Friday night, we will leave the house and stay at the vi. It''s for the safety of everyone." Stefan told them over dinner.


    "Sir, are weing along, too?" Lucia asked in worry. She didn''t want anything bad to happen to her daughters.


    "Yes, everyone except the bodyguards. They will stay at home to make it look like we''re still here."


    "Okay, sir. We understand." Lucia responded in relief. Justin wasn''t worried for himself because he goes home every weekend. He was worried for the other members of the family.


    When Lucian came to visit the next morning, he brought Officer Nik with him. They didn''t wear their uniform but instead, they were looking casual and chill with a bottle of wine in hand.


    "You really made a thorough preparation." Stefanmented as he led them inside the house. "Let''s talk inside the study room."


    "Sure."


    As soon as they reached the room and sat down, they didn''t beat around the bush and talked about the case. Stefan opened hisptop and showed them the pictures and videos that his guardspiled.


    "My guards noticed them three days ago and I told them to observe in secret. They umted these evidences and gave them to mest night."


    "Oh god! Thankfully, none of the children died." Lucian eximed with obvious mirth. He always worries that these will be a serial murder case but god still helped him and kept the children safe.


    In the videos, the children were tied with a long rope. When it''s time for meals, the bulky men will feed them some bread and give them water. After eating, they will gag the children once again to prevent them from shouting for help. Well, even if they didn''t gag the children, the kids won''t shout at all, specially with a gun being pointed on them.


    Some children were crying and some were in daze. There were others who remained strong and calm despite of the situation they were in.


    In the past three weeks, there were 17 children who were reported missing and counting the children in the video, it adds up to the same number. The only mind-boggling question was the whereabouts of the property owner.


    "If you take action, don''t do it now. Ask someone to observe them but don''t take action now.. Cayenne''s family is still here."

 Chapter 501 - COLLABORATION I

    <h4>Chapter 501 - COLLABORATION I</h4>


    The following days, Officer Nik stayed as guest in Cayenne''s home. At night, he''d slip out of the house and patrol the area with the other guards before going out of the property to check on the human traffickers. He noticed that another two children were added to the group which tightened the strings in his heart. If he could disobey the orders, he''d definitely attack this people on his own. But the order is an order. He won''t risk the lives of the children with his disobedience.


    Three dayster, Friday has finallye and everyone was ready to leave the house. Since some of them still needed to attend their sses, they just brought the things with them in the car so that they can go directly to the vi after ss. In that way, no one would suspect them in case the criminals were observing them.


    Stefan was currently sitting on the backseat with his wife, letting the driver take them to her school. She was quiet once again and she kept looking back to their house with a sad expression.


    "We''re not leaving for good. You don''t have to look so sad." Stefan stated while caressing the back of her hand that he was holding. "Nothing will happen at home."


    "I hope so." Cayenne muttered and leaned over him. She needed to attend her one and only ss very Friday morning and instead of going somewhere likest weekend, she decided to stay in the vi with her family. They needed each other during this time of their lives.


    Not long after, Cayenne arrived in front of her school gate and was reluctant to leave her husband. She nced at her wristwatch that read 7:35 AM which means she still have 25 minutes before her ss starts. She sat on her husband''sp, wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder.


    "Let me stay like this for few minutes." She muttered and closed her eyes. "I''m worried." She whispered to him which made Stefan felt bad for her.


    "Trust me. Nothing bad will happen. Those children will be saved and our property will be alright."


    "Hn." she just snuggled close to him and poked his face several times.


    "Why are you poking my face?"


    "I just want to know you''re real."


    Stefan pressed a button and a ss appeared as partition between them and the driver. Cayenne didn''t notice this at all. He lifted her chin and make her look up to him and he leaned closer, iming her lips with his. Their kiss heated up the atmosphere and Cayenne picked up his pace and adjusted her position, catering him with better angles.


    Their tongues intertwined with each other, as if they were holding swords and were having a game of fencing. A sliver of saliva trailed down at the corner of Cayenne''s lips and Stefan licked it off for her.


    "Now, am I real enough?" Stefan asked with a sly smile on his lips. "If not, I have better things we can do."


    "No way! We''re inside the car and the guard is ¨C" her words halted when she turned her head around and saw the tinted ss partition. "Eh? But it''s still a no. I''m going off now."


    "Wait." Stefan stopped her from going out and pulled her back on hisp. "You still have 15 minutes. You won''t bete even if you go there 15 minutester." Stefan kissed her once again, just couldn''t get himself enough of her.


    When Cayenne came to ss, she met the professor in the hallway and they walked to the room together. In this way, she won''t bete and she didn''t have to run for her ss.


    "I can understand that you are a busy person but please try to be early next time, okay?"


    "Yes, prof." Cayenne answered positively. She wouldn''t be runningte if she didn''t let her husband kiss her but since she allowed it, she wouldn''t me Stefan at all.


    She sat next to Noah with the usual one seat apart. She will always ce her bag between them to prevent him from getting close to her. Even though they were partners, there was still this invisible distance between them. She took out her pen, pressed the recording button and ced the pen in front of her once again. In these two weeks since the ss starts, everyone had been wondering why she always does that but except for Noah, no one really asked her.


    Every single time they attend their sses, she would always put her pink pen in front of her and she won''t take it until the ss ends.


    "Everyone, this activity that I have today will be done by group. I want you to form a group consisted of four members. Hurry up and form a group."


    Most students looked towards Cayenne and Noah but she only smiled at them.


    "Noah, let''s form a group with your partner. It''s convenient for us since we''re sitting closer in every ss." The woman who was sitting behind him suggested which stunned the other students. They were a lot slower than her in taking action.


    Noah looked towards Cayenne and since she didn''t refuse, he epted their offer and teamed up with them. They formed a small circle facing each other and this time, the two girls felt a lot closer to Cayenne. They didn''t really do anything out of bounds but they questioned her several times about her vlogs and about her siblings.


    "Don''t chit-chat yet. Listen to my instructions properly." The professormented which caught the attention of the students. Cayenne made sure to note down the instructions because she''s the type of student who doesn''t like to ask for the instructions to be said over and over again.


    After the instruction was said, they started doing their activity which was to identify the twenty medicinal herbs that can also be used as food.


    "Yen, can I ask you a question?" one of thedies asked while writing their names on the paper.


    "Go ahead."


    All three pairs of eyes were now focused on her and even the other students, who were sitting close to them, perked up their ears to listen to their conversation.


    "This is not rted to ss actually but I hope you can answer us. Why do you always bring that pink pen?" she asked while pointing on the pen. "You don''t use it to write and you don''t allow anyone to borrow it either. Why?"


    Cayenne knew that many people wanted to ask her this question but it was only until now that someone was brave enough to ask her. She picked up her pen and raised her eyebrow knowing that Stefan was watching her. "This is a very special pen. It''s a gift from a friend which connects me and Stefan in some way. I don''t want other people touching this and I don''t want to use it either. It has a different purpose."


    "Where did your friend buy it?"


    "He made this himself." Cayenne answered with a nonchnt tone.


    "Really? That''s cool."


    "Do you have any other question?" Cayenne asked but they shook their heads to say no.


    On the other hand, Noah had this feeling that the pen wasn''t that simple. He had been thinking what so special about it that might connect her to her husband. One thing that came to mind was that, it was a recorder or something that can be used tomunicate. He didn''t confirm it with Cayenne though and he didn''t want to ask too many questions as well; afraid that she''d be annoyed and hate him.


    The ss continued and since Cayenne didn''t like chit-chatting during ss, they finished their activity earlier than everyone else. Thus; during the remaining time, they just talked about their hobbies and this time, Cayenne joined them enthusiastically. She also told shared some of her experiences without exining to much that could make her sound arrogant.


    Her other ssmates also listened while doing their activities. Every single time sheughed, they would look at her and smile faintly. Her giggles and faint chuckles can really lighten someone''s mood.


    The time ticked so slow but Cayenne didn''t feel bored and she enjoyed talking to her ssmate a lot. When the ss was over, she picked up her bag and stood up as soon as the professor left the room. She was in a hurry to leave and see Stefan but her wish wasn''t about toe true.


    Outside the ssroom, Diana was leaning on the wall, waiting for Cayenne toe out. She had been wanting to see her but circumstances didn''t give her that chance. This time, she decided to wait right in front of her ssroom.


    "Can we talk?"


    Cayenne stopped on her track and even her ssmates looked at Diana before looking back to her. "Yen, is this woman bothering?" One of her male ssmates asked in a protective manner.


    "Ah? No! She''s not. We agree to see each other today. She''s an acquaintance." Cayenne responded in a hurry. "I''ll see you guys next week. Bye!" She waved her hand and smiled at them.


    Her ssmates just waved back and gave Diana onest look before leaving to do whatever they wanted to do.


    "What do you want?"

 Chapter 502 - COLLABORATION II

    <h4>Chapter 502 - COLLABORATION II</h4>


    Cayenne sent a message to Stefan, telling him that she''d be taking a little bit of time since Diana came to talk to her. Stefan was worried at first that her wife will be bullied but since Cayenne told him to stay and wait for her in the car, he could only obey her and wait.


    "So, what do you want to talk about?" Cayenne asked. They were at the back of the science building where many nts have been nted; the same ce that she met Noah for the very first time on the first day of ss.


    Diana took a step forward and handed Cayenne a letter. She raised her eyebrow at the letter, thinking it must be something to bribe her. When she opened it, her face darkened but she didn''t react strongly to it.


    ''Can I have your number? I don''t want to say something to you because I am being monitored. Grandpa sent other men to check on you and probably take you away when the right timees. Since you don''t want to go with us, I can help you with that.'' This was what the letter has stated and Cayenne looked towards the woman in front of her.


    "You hate me so much?" she asked.


    "No. I just don''t want anyone else to covet the inheritance that should fall right in my hands, I worked so hard for it and if youe, I know that grandpa will do his best to give it to you."


    "Why do you think he''ll give me a piece of your wealth? Why didn''t you think that he must have been looking for me to kill me?"


    "W-what?! Hey! Even if you hate us that much, you don''t have to use my grandpa like some killer."


    "Whatever." Cayenne shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. "Give me your phone." Diana pulled out her phone from her handbag and handed it to Cayenne. After few seconds, Cayenne''s own phone rang and on the screen was Diana''s number. "I''ll save this. Let me know if something rted to me happens in your end. You only have one thing to do; prevent your family to get me." Cayenne mumbled softly before turning around to leave.


    "Be careful always." Diana reminded Cayenne which was really out of her character. Even so, Cayenne nodded her head in agreement and continued to walk away.


    Not far from where they stood, two men emerged and went to Diana. The back garden of the science building didn''t have many hiding spots so, they had to hide behind a pir which was a bit far from where the two women were having conversation. Because of this, they didn''t hear what they were talking about.


    From Cayenne''s condescending look and expression of disgust, they have concluded that she refused toe with Diana again.


    "Young miss, did your cousin refuse your invitation again?" one of the men stated while ncing at Cayenne''s retreating figure.


    "Don''t let her hear you addressing as my cousin. She will re up." Diana responded. "So, you''ve witnessed it yourself. No matter what we do, no matter what kind of bribe we use to entice her, she wouldn''t budge at all."


    "Don''t worry, young miss. We will surely find a way soon. We will inform the headmaster of your effort."


    "There''s no need to tell him about me." Diana started walking out of the ce as well with smirk on her face. She''s opposed to the idea of Cayenneing back to them and Cayenne''s nsplemented with hers. They will surely get along with each other if there is no bad blood between them.


    Almost half an hourter, Cayenne came out of the gate and found Stefan''s car waiting for her. She immediately got inside and kissed her husband who was waiting for her for a while now. "Sorry, I took so long."


    Instead of replying to her, Stefan scanned her from front to her back and from her head to toe. He observed her expression for any slight difort but she seemed fine. "She didn''t do anything to you, right?"


    "Nope. We have the same goal so she''s helping me and also, she''s no longer assigned to get me back to their family. Her grandfather sent other people. I''ll ask her to send me pictures of those people so that we can prepare against them."


    "That''s good to know. Let''s go back." Stefan started the engine and finally drove out of the vicinity. The university was closer to the vi but since it was Friday and noon time at that, they took a bit of time to arrive.


    Lucia was in the kitchen, helping the chef of the house to make Lunch. She arrived first with Justin and other guards after Stefan told them to leave and go to the vi first.


    When Cayenne and Stefan arrived, lunch was already prepared and Ferdinand was waiting for them toe home. Magnus didn''t even go to work just so he could spend time with his son and daughter-inw. He also heard about them having a fight but since they appeared together, looking sweet as usual, he ignored that news.


    "Dad, thank you for taking us in. We will be troubling you this weekend. I am so sorry about this." Cayenne tactfully expressed her gratitude and apology which shows that she has a good character.


    "No problem. I am so d that you havee to stay." Magnus responded. "Come on in. Lunch has been prepared. Let''s join my father."


    "Thank you."


    Like usual, Cayenne conversed with Stefan''s father and grandfather while Stefan stayed silent beside her. If he''s asked a question, he''d answer with a ''yes'', ''no'', ''hn'' and other monosybic response. Or if he''s not in the mood, he wouldn''t answer at all. He only paid attention to Cayenne and no one else.


    In the afternoon, Cayenne yed with the dog that Magnus had kept for over two years now. She saw this dog before but she didn''t really have the time to y with it for a long time because they spent so short time in the vi before. If such crime didn''t happen close to their property, Cayenne was sure that they''d never live in the vi.


    Around four in the afternoon. Jonas came with Kyle and Luiz. They were warmly wee to the house and Cayenne talked to them as well. They were all anxious of what was happening in their property but Cayenne didn''t want to ask the guards about it.


    Around eight in the evening, the whole family, along with the guards and helpers, they ate their dinner while leaving the television open in the living room. For the very first time, Cayenne was paying attention to the news reports but there was no news about the missing children.


    "Stop thinking too much." Stefanmented and ced some dishes on her te. "Eat properly. You still have so many things to do tomorrow. Trust me, everything will be alright."


    "I trust you. I really do. I just can''t stop myself from getting nervous." She whispered back to him, making sure that other people won''t hear her cowardly statement.


    Despite the situation and location they were in, Stefan pulled Cayenne a little bit closer and kissed her temple. "Better now?"


    "Hn." Cayenne smiled that even her eyes turned to a crescent moon and her dimples appeared but her smile quickly disappeared as well. "I felt so unlucky these past few days." She mumbled which didn''t escape Kyle''s hearing. Well, he was sitting beside his sister so, it''s not that difficult to hear her mumbling.


    "You are not unlucky, sis. It''s just that, some people have horrible ideas and attitude towards you." Kylemented which made Cayenne raised her head to look at her brother. "Don''t ever think you''re unlucky."


    "Alright. I won''t. Thanks Kyle."


    In the whole family. Cayenne''s the only woman which was why, her emotions and her well-being were very important to them. Although Stefan has a grandmother, they didn''t spend so much time with them so Cayenne was like the core that''s holding everyone together, preventing them to crumble.


    After dinner, the whole family watched and action movie in the theater room on the first floor. In that way, Cayenne''s attention will be shifted to something else. It was very effective and she even fell asleep halfway through the movie. Stefan didn''t bother finishing it and scooped up his wife to carry her off to their bedroom.


    Supposedly, Friday night shall be spent with them rolling on their bed, love making and such but because she was emotionally distress, Stefan didn''t do anything. He might be shameless but when Cayenne''s not really up to doing it, he would never force himself.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t put you at ease this time." Stefan whispered and kissed the top of her head. He was upset that she''s worried and bothered. He didn''t want her to feel that but he couldn''t really do anything this time because he''s got no hold of what''s going to happen. He could only ask Lucian for some news.


    On that same night, Jean Nikko Rule finally ran out of patience and told his men to get Cayenne back using any means possible.

 Chapter 503 - IN DANGER

    <h4>Chapter 503 - IN DANGER</h4>


    Note: Soul Land - an anime adaptation from the book Douluo Dalu written by Tang Jia San Shao. I personally love this anime. New episode will be released every Saturday.


    "sh report. The reported missing children have been rescued tonight after a good citizen tipped the policemen of the suspicious activity they have found. So far, no casualties were reported on the police''s side and the children. The criminals have been caught and now, they''re being sent escorted to the police station for interrogation and punishment. As for the children, they will be sent to the hospital for check-up. This Lea Miranda, reporting."


    After all the worries and fear that people held in their hearts for the series of missing children being reported, they finally got the chance to breath in relief. They were all happy that the children were rescued and they were thankful for whoever that good citizen who tipped the policemen. No one knows except the policemen that it was Stefan who helped them.


    Speaking of Stefan, he was currently making breakfast for his wife. After confirming with Lucian that everything was fine, Cayenne finally rxed herself. Right now, she''s watching an anime with her brother, Luiz.


    "Sis, you can use my ount and register it in your phone. You are still in episode 20 but I am in episode 175 already. I need to watch the next episode. It will be airedter." Luiz told Cayenne while the two of them sat on a couch in the living room.


    "Then, just watch the next episodeter. I will be done with this in a while."


    "Sis, Soul Land will have a total of 176 episodes today and you are still in episode 20. How long will it take you to watch? Come on. Let me just register my ount to your phone. I already purchased the VIP privilege so you can watch it without any problem." Luiz insisted while taking his sister''s phone.


    "Fine. You register it while I continue to watch it in your phone."


    Luiz opened his sister''s phone without any difficulty. She''s not the type of person who puts password on her phone so, whoever wants to use it, they will be able to.


    "Ah! Dai Mu Bai is so handsome. I like him but, I think he will end up with Zhu Zhu Qing." Cayennemented while watching the anime with so much attention.


    "Why are you still liking someone else when you have a husband already?" Luiz handed the phone back to Cayenne and got his own from his sister. "Continue watching it from your phone. It shouldn''t be a problem."


    "Alright. Thanks."


    "You better not like Mu Bai and Oscar and Fatty. They have their own pairs already."


    "Even Fatty has a pair?"


    "What''s so surprising about that?"


    "Then, who won''t have a pair?"


    "You watch it yourself and look for someone without a pair. In my opinion, Qin Ming is great."


    "Alright." Cayenne opened the app from her own phone and continued watching the anime. Stefan could hear their voices clearly but he wasn''t the least bit jealous. It''s useless to feel jealous towards and anime character.


    After an hour, breakfast was finally served with Cayenne''s meal as an exception. Her food was prepared personally by her husband while the rest was prepared by the house helpers.


    "Yen, do you have ns for today." Magnus asked his daughter-inw over breakfast.


    "I''m going to visit the children in Justin''s home. I''ll be backter in the afternoon since I''ll be going to Jillyanna''s house right after spending time with the children."


    "Since you like children so much, why won''t you have children of your own?"


    "I don''t want her to have children yet. She wants to do many things but she will have a hard time doing it if we have a baby. Her attention will be divided." Stefan answered his father, not wanting his wife to feel pressure about having a baby. Cayenne wanted one as well but Stefan just wouldn''t allow that to happen so soon. She needed to wait for two years at least.


    "Well, since you have a n to make one in the future, we will just have to wait." Ferdinandmented.


    On the other hand, Jonas wasn''t really hurrying his daughter to have a child. He wouldn''t interfere with her decision in life. If she wants to have a child, that''s fine. If she didn''t want to have one, that is also fine. Having no children wouldn''t make one less of a person. Besides, she''s a student now.


    Cayenne finished her breakfast first among everyone and her bodyguards were done as well. She immediately ran upstairs to take a shower without waiting for her husband. Stefan has other ns for that day. He needed to check the progress of the mansion being built for both of them.


    His house in Peach Wood Subdivision was now upied by his grandparents, uncle and cousin. Cayenne''s house in City B was upied by her whole family, servants and guards. It''s a little smaller with so many people living in it. So, he decided to build a new mansion which will be just for both of them. Cayenne agreed to his n but she had no idea that he already started building the house with the help of someone. Aside from Tristan and Chris, no one knows about this secret that Stefan kept.


    Cayenne didn''t take very long. As soon as she was done bathing, she dried her hair and looked for clothes to wear. When she came out of her room, Stefan was talking to Jonas about something she didn''t know.


    "I''m leaving now." Cayenne approached him and kissed his cheek. "I''ll see youter in Jillyanna''s home."


    "Hn. I''ll be early."


    "Alright." Cayenne turned around to leave them be when Stefan held her wrist to stop. "What is it?"


    Stefan pulled out his phone from his pocket and opened the camera app. "Let me take a picture of you. I need to match my clothes with yourster." He snapped a photo of her and saved it. "Be careful always. Did you bring the pen with you?"


    "Yup. I have it." Cayenne kissed him onest time and left the vi to go with Justin to his home.


    On the way to Justin''s home, you will see verdant trees and bushes. There were mounds and a not-so-wide forestry but it was still under the protection of the environmentalist. There weren''t many people on the countryside which makes it really peaceful. Cayenne has turned on the pen and ced it on the cor of her blouse.


    ''Bang! Bang! Bang!''


    "What was that?" Cayenne asked while looking around the ce.


    The sound of the gunshot was so loud that her driver instantly stepped on the brake. "Madam, please stay in the car." The driver went out of the car and looked around. The other bodyguards stopped and looked around as well.


    Cayenne opened the window of the car and stuck her head out. "How about you guys take a look? What if someone needs our help? I''ll stay in the car with Justin."


    "Yes madam." The driver as well as one of her bodyguards, nodded his head and turned to the other men. "Four of the guards should stay with the madam and Justin. The other four wille with me to check the surroundings.


    "Understood." With their tacit understanding, they already knew which of them stays and which of them should go. The four bodyguards surrounded the car where Cayenne and Justin stayed.


    "Miss Yen, will we be alright?" Justin asked in worry. "Do you think the aplices of those kidnappers havee to get us?"


    Cayenne chuckled and flicked Justin''s forehead. "Don''t be silly. There''s no way they''d know we''d be here." Cayenne stated with a smile. "We will be fine." She fished out her phone and turned off the pen like usual since she will be giving her husband a call.


    "Have you arrived?" Stefan asked while looking for clothes. He just finished taking a shower and was preparing himself to leave the vi.


    "We haven''t arrived yet. There''s a little problem in our end. Anyway, we''re doing good and I just decided to give you a call." Cayenne just said that everything was fine but she noticed something was wrong with her bodyguards. "Just give me a moment."? She wanted to look outside the window but she felt nervous and something was telling her not to open the car or stuck her head out. "Justin, can you go to the front seat and locked the windows and the doors?"


    "Yes Miss Yen." Justine rose to his feet and crawled his way to the driver''s seat. He pressed the lock buttons and now, they werepletely locked from the inside. He was just about to crawl back to the backseat when he saw someone right outside Cayenne''s window. "Miss, watch out!"


    His voice was so loud that it was captured with Cayenne''s phone. "What happened?" Stefan asked but Cayenne could no longer hear his question. She freaked out and lost hold of her phone. It fell on the couch while she was fighting off the hand that was trying to grab her after they broke the window.


    "Come and help me get her." the man told hispanion and theypletely break her window but Cayenne still fought.. She punched the man in the face but as if he wasn''t hurt, he only spat the blood in his mouth and continued his best to grab her.

 Chapter 504 - ABDUCTED

    <h4>Chapter 504 - ABDUCTED</h4>


    Cayenne would be lying if she says she didn''t fear them but she just couldn''t show their fear to them. "Justin, call the police. Call them and hurry them toe here."


    "I''m calling. I''m already calling them."


    The man looked towards Justin and signaled his otherpanion to deal with him. "No! Don''t touch him!" They broke the other window to the front seat the man raised his gun. "Oh no! Please no. He''s just a kid." Cayenne started crying and was hurling anything she can get towards the other man.


    Justin opened his mouth and even though he was scared he remained calm. He didn''t leave his eyes on the man in front of him.. And even when the man shot him, he still kept his eyes on him and let him be thest man that his eyes recorded.


    Cayenne shout in horror but she realized something was wrong. Justin wasn''t shot with a bullet. It was a dart gun.


    "They''re tranquilizers." The manmented which confirmed her doubts. "Now, if youe with us, I won''t need to put the same thing on you."


    "No way!" Cayenne hurled her bag towards the man''s face. She hit him as hard as she could. "Stefan! Stefane here as soon as you can! Please save me!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.


    Stefan has long gone from the moment that Justin screamed for Cayenne to watch out over something. He didn''t know what exactly happened but he knew that she''s in grave danger. His knuckles had gone white from gripping the steering wheel. He hasn''t put on his clothes yet and he didn''t care even if he''s got only his bathrobe.


    "Cayenne is in danger. Send someone to look for her. She''s on her way to Justin''s home. I''m still far from her." Stefan told Travis. "RV, please help me save my wife."


    "When did you receive the call?"


    "Not long ago. I still had her on the phone but after screaming for help, the call got disconnected. She has turned off the pen as well. She always does that every time she calls me, thinking to save some battery."


    "Tsk!" Travis clicked his tongue but his hands were already moving so fast to send a message to his wife through hisptop. "My wife had someone tail after her. She must know something."


    Shein was listening to Travis all this time and he already contacted Tristan. Obviously, Stefan contacted Travis first without realizing that he got the number one hacker on his side. It must be out of habit since he always relied on Travis before.


    Tristanmunicated with Shein all the time and after receiving his message about Cayenne''s situation, he worked so hard to locate the master''s wife.


    Cayenne identally stepped on her own phone thus; the call got disconnected. She has no time to turn the phone on. She needed to buy as much time as she could.


    Jillyanna indeed had someone follow Cayenne every day. However, she''s the first one that the men took care of. She let down her guard since Diana didn''t show up. She thought that everything will be alright and didn''t think too much that someone else, someone more vicious was aiming for Cayenne''s life.


    While she was following her secretly with her own car, she noticed some people were hiding in the forest. She stopped and went to the forest directly but she didn''t know that there were traps around. While she was busy evading the traps, someone shot her and it hit her legs.


    "Olivia?!"


    "Arlene?"


    The two women looked at each other and both of them showed surprised expressions on their faces. It''s obvious that they knew each other. Arlene took the dart off her legs and threw it back to the woman who easily caught the small item with her fingers.


    "What are you doing here?" Arlene asked the woman but instead of answering her, Olivia started fighting her again. They exchanged blows but even though Olivia''s fighting skill was superior to her, she didn''t get hurt at all. "I don''t want to fight with you," Arlene stated and took several steps back.


    She ran back to her car but Olivia followed her to stop her again and again. "Did youe for Cayenne?"


    "Yes."


    Arlene didn''t need to ask more questions. The only thing in her mind was to keep Cayenne safe. She got back inside her car but Olivia shamelessly followed and sat on the passenger seat.


    While they were fighting, Cayenne was doing her best as well. She had tried everything she could but she was inside an enclosed space that limits her movements. One of the men outside walked to the driver''s seat and broke the ss. Cayenne thought that he would do something towards Justin but in truth, the man was after the switch buttons.


    He unlocked the door and they sessfully opened the car.


    Cayenne thrashed her legs towards the man''s face but the man caught her legs and pulled her outside the car. He punched her gut mercilessly but Cayenne didn''t pass out from the pain. She held on to stay conscious as she curled her body from pain. The man hurled her up and Cayenne''s head bumped onto the car causing her head to bleed.


    "No! Please don''t take me away." She plead with her tears and blood mixing as it fell on her shirt. "I''ll give you everything you want, just don''t take me away."


    "We only need you." The man carried Cayenne on his back without mercy, not even treating her bleeding head. She was getting dizzy and she was losing strength but she still squirmed her body on the man''s shoulder to make him lose his grip.


    Seeing that she was relentless and not an easy victim, the other man hit the back of Cayenne''s head, causing her to pass out. They walked back into the woods where the other men took care of the bodyguards. None of Cayenne''s men dies but they were all injured and there were darts all over their bodies.


    "We''ve got the target." The man radioed to hisrades and they all withdrew from their position. Olivia heard it, too.


    Without warning, she opened the door of the car and jumped out even though it was still running. Arlene stopped the car and before Olivia could leave, she spoke with a trace of warning. "Cayenne is master''s best friend. You will be punished for colluding with the enemies to get her."


    Olivia did stop on her track and looked at the woman. "I have separated myself from the organization a long time ago. If she wants to punish me, she can do that. That is if she finds me. Ciao!"


    Arlene ignored her for now and drove the car as far as she could. When she saw several men lying on the ground, she knew that she''s toote.


    Her phone rang and Jillyanna''s name appeared on the screen. "I''m sorry master. I couldn''t protect her."


    "Why?" It was just a single word but Arlene felt the heavy pressure pressing on her.


    "Olivia was one of them," she responded. "I''ve always beencking in skillspared to her and she happens to be one of the enemies. I didn''t notice she was buying time for the enemy to take Ms. Cayenne."


    Jillyanna sighed heavily. "Go back to the organization and wait for your punishment."


    The call ended and Arlene leaned on her car hood with disappointment. It was the first time that she failed in her mission. Not long after, several cars arrived but they were toote. They could only look around to look for clues and to get those unconscious men out of the forest.


    Stefan also arrived in bathrobes but seeing the situation in front of him, he clenched his fist and punched his car, leaving some dents on it. "Toote. I''m toote." His tears fell on his face but he wiped them away as soon as he could.


    Lucian, who hadn''t had a wink of sleep from workst night, came along with the other officers to rescue Cayenne but they werete.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Dumrique. My men and I were toote." Lucian bowed his head in front of Lucian to apologize. He owed him big time for the missing children incident but now that he needed their help, they weren''t able to do anything for him.


    Stefan didn''t reply and just looked at his unconscious men. They were injured but not life-threatening. It was obvious that the enemy was only trying to lure them away in order to get close to his wife. He looked inside the car and found her phone on the floor, cracked and heavily damaged. Her bag was still on the seat but the contents were thrown messily on the floor.


    He got out of the car that Cayenne used and walked towards his own car to get his phone. "Tristan, hack my personalputer and checked Cayenne''s location. She must have brought the tracker with her. I couldn''t find it in her bag." It''s exactly what Stefan thought. Cayenne was able to get that button-pin tracker and attached it to her shirt. She knew that she wouldn''t win against them so, she could only grab it, hoping that Stefan would be able to find her soon.


    "Got it. Give me a sec." Tristan responded and worked his hands quickly. Elena wanted him to go with her to meet with a client but seeing how busy and anxious he was, she didn''t dare disturb him and just walked out of the office.

 Chapter 505 - ONE STEP CLOSER, ONE STEP TOO LATE

    <h4>Chapter 505 - ONE STEP CLOSER, ONE STEP TOO LATE</h4>


    With Shein and Tristan working together, they were able to locate Cayenne''s whereabout. The tracker was moving so fast which means that she was on a vehicle.


    "From your current location, go northwest. There''s a highway going for 63rd north. Follow thatne as fast as you can." Tristan told Stefan while looking into cameras to see what''s the actual vehicle she was in.


    Stefan didn''t end the call but he already got inside his car to embark on the road up north. He needed to get to where she was as soon as he could.


    Lucian noticed that Stefan was leaving the ce already so he followed him. "Use the police car instead. We can use the siren to clear the road from any vehicles." Lucian said.


    Stefan didn''t think much about it and agreed immediately. Together with Officer David and Lucian, Stefan told them the location that Cayenne might be in. The loud siren made the other vehicles slow down and stay on the sidene to make way for them. It was faster than what Stefan has anticipated.


    "Sir, the tracker has stopped. The location is currently in an abandoned warehouse in Talisay fish port." Tristan sent him the pictures of the vehicle being used as well as the dpidated warehouse.


    "I have gained control of the cameras of the port." Shein stated in his message. "but not all of them functions. There are blind spots."


    "Hopefully the kidnappers didn''t have any idea of the cameras." Davidmented while driving. If possible, they all wanted the car to fly and send them directly to the warehouse.


    "Have you informed Cayenne''s family?" Lucian asked Stefan.


    Stefan shook his head as he clenched his hands into fists. "I didn''t have the time to tell them. I was in panic and all I could think of was to get to her as soon as I can."


    "Why don''t you tell them now. We''re still quite some distance from the port."


    "I''ll tell them in person. I don''t want to be distracted with their opinion as of now. I need to see her. I need to get her back." Stefan mumbled helplessly.


    Inside the warehouse, Olivia looked around with several men following her. One of them was carrying Cayenne who was unconscious. They have wrapped some gauze on her head to stop the bleeding but she was still not waking up.


    "You didn''t hit her that much, right?" Olivia asked while she continued to walk. She noticed something on the wall and when she looked at it, she smiled before picking a metal bar and hurled it towards the camera.


    Shein was startled to see the metal bar, as if he was going to be hit with that. In just few seconds, the metal bar broke the camera and part of Shein''s monitor turned ck. There were seven cameras inside the warehouse but Olivia was very vignt and she was able to locate all of them. Within ten minutes, she found all the cameras and broke them one after another with a metal bar. Her aim never missed any of the cameras.


    "This is bad." Shein stated which Travis heard. "I''ll try to see if there are other cameras around the warehouse." He also told Tristan to do the same since they could no longer use the cameras inside the ruined building.


    "We have to undress her." Oliviamented. "A rich woman like her will have trackers hidden with her. They will be able to find us soon. Throw everything away and put this on her." She handed them an extra shirt from her duffel bag and gave them a short as well. "We are paid to bring her to the vacation house. Let''s move on. The ferry should be here now."


    They went out of the warehouse through the back exit and found the ferry at the dock. Without waiting for a bit longer, they boarded the ferryboat and left the ce.


    Tristan managed to hack the other cameras in the port but none of them was viewing the direction of the warehouse.


    "Sir, I have secured her with me. I suggest that you bring some doctors with you. She''s hurt," Olivia reported. She must have been yelled at because she pulled the phone away from her ear. "She put up a fight and bumped her head on her car." She responded which basically covered the men who were with her. He knew that one of them must have caused it but she wouldn''t let the man med her men.


    The man said something else and after that, he ended the call.


    At the port, Stefan got off the car as soon as he could and looked for the ugly warehouse that Tristan sent him. "This is the ce." He whispered and signaled Lucian toe and follow him. They found the car right outside the warehouse which confirms Stefan''s guess.


    "Is she still here?" Stefan asked Tristan in a low voice.


    "Yes, sir. Her tracker is still blinking and it''s inside the warehouse." Tristan answered on the phone.


    David went inside first followed by Stefan. Lucian decided to take the rear end in order to protect Stefan from any ambush. They tried to be quite as much as they could.


    "It''s weird." Lucian mumbled. "I don''t think they''re still here."


    "What do you mean?" Stefan asked and before Lucian could answer, his brain worked faster and came up with an answer. "The tracker must have been removed."


    The three of them quickly walked around and looked for Cayenne and just like their guess, the tracker was indeed removed. Stefan picked up Cayenne''s clothes, the clothes that she chose herself before leaving the vi. The pen was still on the cor and the button-pin tracker was still attached on the side of her shirt.


    His heart sank and he felt so cold like a bucket of ice-cold water was thrown at him. His hands trembled as he clutched the clothes to his chest. "Ayen." He whispered her name as tears fell on his face. "Ayen, where are you?" he questioned as he rose to his feet. "Yen! Ayen!" Stefan shouted. "Yen, please. Pleasee back to me. Ayen!" He shouted as loud as he could. His voice echoed within the warehouse but there wasn''t a single response.


    Lucian looked down to hide his guilty expression when he saw how vulnerable Stefan was at this moment. They have no idea who took her and where she was brought. "I''m sorry, Stefan."

 Chapter 506 - TWICE THE PAIN AND FEAR

    <h4>Chapter 506 - TWICE THE PAIN AND FEAR</h4>


    Stefan went home with so agony ripping his chest. He was angry and disappointed. He was anxious and frustrated. As soon as he came inside the vi, everyone stood up and looked at him.


    Earlier, when he left the house, everyone was ying some games in the living room thus; the saw him left with just a bathrobe on. What could make him leave looking like that? If not for Cayenne then, there''s no one else.


    Now, they all stood there looking at him like a savage beast whose mate was abducted by human hunters. Luiz frowned and took several steps forward and grabbed the clothes that Stefan was holding.


    He may not have seen the clothes clearly this morning but he knew it was Cayenne''s clothes because he saw her wash these clothes before. He knew it was his sister''s.


    "Brother-inw, why do you have my sister''s clothes? What''s the meaning of this? Where''s my sister?"


    Stefan''s body trembled in anger when he''s questioned but it was directed to himself. He was angry that he wasn''t able to protect his wife. "I''m sorry Luiz. I''m sorry Kyle. I''m sorry, Pa. I''m sorry, Dad and Grandpa. I''m really sorry. I''m sorry I couldn''t protect her. I''m sorry."


    "What exactly happened?" Magnus asked his son. For the very first time after 15 long years, Stefan called him Dad genuinely but it was under such circumstances.


    "On her way to Justin''s home, they met some people but base on what I heard during the call and what Arlene stated, it was a trap set specifically for her. The bodyguards were injured and Justin was also unconscious. They were brought to the hospital but Cayenne was abducted."


    "Why didn''t you tell us?" Kyle interrupted in question. "You should have told us about it."


    "I wasn''t sure. I was in a hurry to get to her. I was only thinking of getting her back and protect her but I was still toote."


    Luiz''s legs wobbled and he slumped on the ground from the shocking news. His heart was beating so fast as if he was in a race with someone. His mind was making conclusions but he shook it off, still hopeful that she''s not being mistreated.


    Things happened so fast that even after two hours, they still had difficulty in epting this fact. But Luiz was holding Cayenne''s clothes. It''s obvious that they weren''t having a nightmare.


    Stefan went inside his bedroom and cried. "Ayen." He sobbed quietly, not letting anyone hear him. The pain was reflected in his voice while he clutched on her pillow. "Wifey, where should I find you? What should I do now?"


    The news of Cayenne''s abduction was reported immediately and many people were shocked of the news. Stefan even made a post, giving a huge sum of money to the person who can tell him where his wife is.


    Luna was currently baking some bread for her grandpa when she heard the news from Ali who called her. It was so sudden that she loosened her grip on the bowl and it fell on the floor ¨C ss breaking and scattering the tiny pieces.


    "Lulu? What happened?" Ali called for her attention but Luna was already in a daze with tears blurring her vision. "Babe, don''t think too much. She will be fine. She''s good and kind. God won''t let anything bad happen to her."


    "Ali, I''m going back to City A this afternoon. I''lle and pick you up from work, okay?"


    "I''ll just go home and pick you up from there. I don''t think it''s a nice idea for you to drive."


    "Okay. Come back here as soon as you can. I want to see my younger brothers there." Luna has always treated Kyle and Luiz as her own younger brothers because she has none. If she has, her parents wouldn''t be so strict to her just for the sake of their business.


    In Clover Hotel, the ce was shrouded with gloomy atmosphere. Celine didn''t feel like working and she missed Cayenne so much. She was the only employee who didn''t feel afraid of Celine''s strict working attitude. In fact, Cayenne was even thankful for having her as a partner.


    For the very first time, Manager Kim was staying in the lounge far longer than usual. Normally, she would only go there during her breaks or when she needed to find someone. But this time, she had been sitting inside the lounge for almost an hour and she had been staring on the locker that Cayenne used to own.


    The other employees were the same. They have never felt so exhausted in their life until this moment. Cayenne had always been the light of their darkest days. She always lent her ears to them. She always helped them. Whenever she''s not busy, Cayenne would chat with them while helping them do their work.


    She was well-liked by everyone except for those jealous monsters.


    It wasn''t just Clover Hotel. Thepanies under Stefan''s management, be it his own businesses or the business under the Dumrique''s empire, they felt sad for what happened and there was fear apanying this sadness as well.


    The Stefan without Cayenne was very difficult to deal withpared to the Stefan with Cayenne in his life. And now that the source of his happiness was taken away, they could only imagine how difficult theiring working days would be.


    Shein and Tristan didn''t stop working. They still looked for clues and checked the other cities for Cayenne''s whereabouts. Since thest touch was at the port, they believed that she was taken away by boat or by ship. However, the fishing port management said that none of their boats and ship left that day; which means, the abductors took Cayenne using private-owned boat or yacht.


    "Tsk! How could he be so careless?! There are many people out there who wanted to take Yenyen away. Why didn''t he put more guards around her? He should have used his money on her." Arthur grumbled angrily while looking at the news on his phone.


    "Stop thinking about her. You cannot do anything about that either." His mother stated with a deep sigh. Although she hated Cayenne, she didn''t want the woman to experience this horrible incident. "We can only hope that she''s alive and kicking."


    "Mooommm!"


    "What?!"


    "I don''t feel the sincerity in your hope."


    "Shut up!"


    In Singapore, Seiji was having a video conference meeting with other shareholders from different cities and countries when someone mentioned Cayenne''s incident. They knew that Seiji treated Cayenne as friend so he ought to know about the sad news involving her.


    Seiji''s grip tightened on the folder he was holding, crumpling it in the process. His secretary reprinted the documents and gave it to him once again.


    "Book me the earliest flight to City A. I want to see Stefan." Seiji told his secretary who immediately left to book his flight.


    The shareholders stopped talking about Cayenne, afraid that their chairman will lose his mind and me them.


    Cory, Stefan''s grandmother had a heart attack after hearing the news that Dominic and Stanley tried so hard to keep. If she didn''t hear the guards talking about their young madam, she wouldn''t know about it at all. Because of the too much stimulus, her heart couldn''t take it and she fainted. She''s not lying on a hospital bed with so many apparatuses connected to her.


    "I''m sorry, sir Stanley. I didn''t know that your mother was listening to us." Martin, the bodyguard bowed his head in apology.


    "It''s not your fault. Sooner orter, my mother will still know about it. Don''t think too much." Stanley gave the man a gentle pat on his shoulder, not ming him at all.


    David also heard the news and immediately called Luiz to see how he was doing. He knew that Luiz loves his sister so much and treated her as his anchor. If that anchor was taken away ¨C David sighed. He could only imagine how devastated this young man be.


    Kath also called Kyle when she heard the news. It so-happen that her brother Kai was at home so, he listened to their conversation since she wasn''t hiding it anyway.


    While everyone was worried sick for Cayenne someone shared the same emotions as Stefan. He was angry towards Stefan and he was angry that someone took Cayenne away. It was none other than Natsu. He had been nning for a long time to get the woman of his dream. He considered a lot of things just to obtain her. And just few weeks before he couldy his hands on her, someone took her away.


    Around 4:00 in the afternoon, Luna and Ali arrived in City A. They went directly to Cayenne''s house but they weren''t there. One of the bodyguards drove them to the vi instead to allow them to meet Cayenne''s family.


    Time quickly passed by and evening came. Ever since Stefan came home and went to his room, he didn''te down once again. He didn''t talk to Ali and Luna. He didn''t even eat the food that Lucia prepared for him. It was still sitting right outside his room.


    "If this is worrying us, Stefan must have felt twice the worry and fear in his heart. Cayenne has been the center of this world. She''s like the gravity that''s keeping him intact. I don''t know what will happen to him now." Magnusmented with a sigh. They were all facing each other around the dining table but none of them touched their dinner.

 Chapter 507 - AWAY FROM THE CITY

    <h4>Chapter 507 - AWAY FROM THE CITY</h4>


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    Luiz knocked on Stefan''s room early in the morning to check on him. It''s been three days since Cayenne was kidnapped and up until this moment, they still haven''t received any news regarding her.


    At first, they thought that it was a kidnap for ransom but there wasn''t any call from the abductors to negotiate money with them. They fear that this will be a case of rape and murder but as long as no dead body is found, their whole family was still hoping that she''s alive.


    However, Stefan was probably dying inside. Three days have passed and he hasn''t eaten a single meal. The only sign of life that they knew was the rustling sound of his room. As long as he makes some sound, they would know that he''s still breathing.


    Luiz took a deep breath and knocked once again. "Brother-inw, you need toe out and eat. If you won''t eat, who are we going to depend from now on.. My sister is not here and we needed you. If my sister knows that you''re punishing yourself like this, she wouldn''t be happy. Do you want her to be upset?"


    Luiz leaned on the door and he could hear the faint rustling sound inside. It was so faint from the outside but it was already loud within the bedroom. Stefan stood up and looked around, the absence of his wife makes him feel so useless and annoyed.


    He could hear the faint words that Luiz mentioned but he still didn''t get the energy to start over again.


    "Brother-inw, we still have sses to attend to. Please eat something today or I will tell my sister that you skipped your meals." Luiz put down the tray of food right outside his room and left. He stayed for five more minutes but Stefan didn''te out of his room. Luiz couldn''t himself from sighing as he left the vi.


    After the incident happened, Luiz thought that they''d be going back to their own house but, Magnus and Ferdinand stopped them from leaving. With Cayenne''s incident, they suggested that the whole family stays together to make sure that they can protect each other. Besides, the vi has better security protectionpared to their own home.


    "Let''s go." Luiz told his brother Kyle and the two of them left for school.


    Stefan''s room was facing towards the entrance and exit of the vi and he saw that Luiz left already along with Kyle. "Ayen." He whispered her name again. "Ayen, where are you?"


    Knowing that he caused so much trouble to the whole family, Stefan finally came out of his room and took the tray of food that Luiz has left for him. He ate the food and brought the tray to the kitchen where Lucia and the other chef was working.


    Seeing him after three days, Lucia was stunned and her eyes widened from surprise. Not really surprise, more like in horror. The Stefan right now wasn''t the same Stefan she has known for months. He was unkempt with the same clothes he wore three days ago. His stubbles have grown within three days without shaving and his hair was messy like a bird''s nest. What''s worse were the dark eyebags under his eyes. They were so dark that he looked like a panda.


    "Sir? Do you need anything else?" Lucia asked hesitantly.


    "Nothing." Stefan ced the tray and the empty tes on the counter and left. He went back to his room and took a shower. The words that Luiz said struck a chord in his heart and he knew that he needed to stay strong to find his wife. He shaved off his stubbles and changed clothes. Now that Cayenne wasn''t around, he didn''t need to worry about matching his clothes but remembering how happy he was to choose clothes for her, Stefan couldn''t stop his eyes from tearing up.


    Who says men don''t cry? Aren''t they human? Don''t they have feelings? Of course, they would cry. It''s okay to talk about their feelings, their weaknesses, their ws. It is not un-manly to hurt, to feel pain, to cry. Real men do cry. Men get upset and sad and depressed, they feel insecure about themselves, their abilities, and they are allowed to feel pain and frustration and loss.


    Stefan wiped away his tears and put on his clothes. He was about to call Chris toe over and pick him up but he realized that yesterday was thest day of Chris in hispany. He''s no longer his secretary.


    In the end, he decided to drive himself to work. When he arrived, many people looked at him and sighed in sadness. The boss who smiles to them, greets them and talks to them was nowhere to be seen. He was back to being the cold and devil boss.


    Tristan and Elena greeted him as soon as he arrived in his office but Stefan didn''t even return the greeting. "What''s my schedule for today?"


    Elena immediately opened her iPad and looked Stefan''s schedule. "You have a meeting at 9:00 in the morning with the shareholder of Madeline Park, Aurora''s Snow World and Vris Museum. A surprise inspection in Raddison Hotel at 11:00 in the morning and a lunch meeting with Mr. Song. There''s ¨C"


    "Let''s deal with the morning activities first." Stefan told Elena before turning to Tristan. "You will only do one thing starting today; look for Cayenne. Find any traces that might lead us to her. Until she''s found, I''m not giving you another task."


    "Yes, sir."


    Tristan and and Elena left the office and started doing their work. Stefan also prepared for the meeting because it''s important to keep his empire while waiting for his wife.


    In Trine Elite University, Luiz stopped signing autographs and meeting with his fans. He was still worried about his sister''s sudden abduction and he couldn''t muster up himself to give his fans some fake smile. Thankfully, they understood his current situation. Many students expressed their worries as well and some even told him that they would help looking for her.


    He thought that it was just a passingment in order tofort him but his fans really did it. They worked with other fans, telling everyone to pay attention to their surroundings and see if they could find Cayenne. This was just a little effort but they were hoping they could really find him.


    The reality was very different from their expectations though. Cayenne was no longer in the city and she was now in a ce which was away from other people. Aside from the abductors and the doctor, there was no one she can reach out and she couldn''t reach out to anyone as of the moment because she''s still ina.

 Chapter 508 - SHES AWAKE

    <h4>Chapter 508 - SHE''S AWAKE</h4>


    "It''s been three days, why isn''t she waking up yet?" Olivia asked the doctor who was attending to Cayenne.


    "You hit her head with strong force and she was already having so much fright. The stimulus was a bit over with how much she can handle which is why she''s now lying her ina."


    "Will she lose her memories? Will it make her have amnesia?"


    "It depends. We''ll know it once she''s awake." The doctormented and left the room to make a report.


    In the whole ind, there was no other house aside from the vacation house that they were staying. They were supposed to meet with the clients on the day that Cayenne arrived but due to business issues, their client postponed his visit but sent a doctor over to them to make sure that Cayenne was fine.


    "I''ll go and make some food for lunch." Olivia stated, went out of the room and walked towards the kitchen to start cooking..


    Some of the men were patrolling outside the house while the other stayed inside Cayenne''s room, monitoring her in case she''d wake up.


    On the fourth day, their client arrived but since Cayenne was still unconscious, he didn''t stay for long and left to get back to work. On the fifth day, the eldestdy of the house came to visit to check on Cayenne and there was obvious displeasure on her face. Nheless, she couldn''t do anything to her because there were many people protecting her.


    ''If I can decide on my own without implicating the whole family, I''d certainly return you to your husband.'' She thought to herself while watching the sleeping Cayenne. It''s toote now. If she returns her, there''s a high a chance that Stefan would know the abductors and that would lead them back to their whole family. She can''t allow that to happen.


    "Seiji will be very happy to see her. Tsk! I hope she won''t have any memories of her past the moment she wakes up." After saying these words, she left the room without looking back. No one noticed that Cayenne''s eyshes were fluttering. She heard everything and she knew who exactly took her. She just couldn''t believe it.


    Not wanting to let them know she''s already awake, she pretended to be unconscious again in order to see what ns they have in mind.


    In the five days that Cayenne wasn''t around, Stefan copsed once from exhaustion and over fatigue. He couldn''t have a peaceful sleep ever since she was taken away. Every time he closed his eyes, he could imagine his wife''s horrified expression through her voice. He could tell how afraid she was.


    The days continued with no news rted to Cayenne. Even though many people looked for her for the reward money, they just couldn''t find her at all. How could they when they don''t have ess to the ind she was at?


    One weekter, Cayenne finally woke up and found herself in an ind. The abductors were still around and there was a doctor who constantly monitors her.


    "Do you like the view here?" The doctor asked her but Cayenne only looked at the doctor and didn''t say a word. "Do you remember your name?" There was still no answer. "Do you remember what happened before you get here?" She still remained quiet.


    Cayenne looked at the doctor and then to Olivia who wasing towards them. She didn''t show any expression on her face and she didn''t make a sound while looking at the beautiful sea in front of her.


    "Did she speak?" Olivia asked.


    "No." The both of the sighed while Cayenne listened to them. "Let''s just call Mr. Rule. Whether she speaks up or not, it shouldn''t be our problem anymore."


    "You are right. It''s not our fault that she turns out like this." Oliviamented and returned back to the house, leaving Cayenne to y with the flowers and feel the sea breeze.


    As soon as they turned around, Cayenne''s gaze turned cold as she looked at their leaving figures. No one noticed it and no one cared.


    In Country C, Diana was sulking and was ignoring her grandfather. She didn''t want toe with him to the ind because seeing Cayenne''s face angers her so much. She had been trying her best to keep her away from the family but her grandfather still found someone else to get her.


    "Look, I know you don''t want her toe back because you think she''s a threat but sweetheart, I''m not giving her our riches." Old Jean Nikko Rule stated to appease his granddaughter.


    "Then, why did you have to bring her back? She''s fine without us. And besides, she''s got two brothers. She''s not the only child of Aunt Amethyst."


    "Shh! Stop saying her name!"


    Diana felt aggrieved with what''s happening and she couldn''t stop blurting the thing of the past which she just found over a week ago. "Are you nning to take her heart out? Do you want to undergo a heart transnt?"


    "Of course, not. I''m as healthy as a cow. Why would I need that?"


    "Then, is it because of Seiji. Are we really doing this for him? I thought he gave up already?"


    "Darling, he maybe saying that but I know he hasn''t given up yet."


    Diana shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. "Grandpa, I''m not lecturing you but one day, your greed will cause your downfall. Why do you want us to merge with the Sy family? We are doing fine. We are managing our businesses pretty well. And what makes you so sure that Cayenne would love Seiji? For god''s sake, she''s married already! And we''re not even sure if she lost her memories. Can''t you think properly?"


    "Shut up! One more word from you and I will change thest will and testament."


    Diana closed her mouth and walked upstairs. "I''m noting with you."


    Artemis was watching from the second floor and sighed. She knew that her sister was already having a change of mind with their ns but she didn''t really care. As long as she fulfills her role, she would still get the property that she likes so much. Unlike her sister who wanted vast wealth and riches, Artemis only wanted to have a small property that she can live. She wanted to live far away from this family who loves to scheme against one another.


    ''If he can use his own daughter and granddaughter for his own selfishness, there''s no doubt that he can do the same thing to me. I need to get out of this ce soon.'' This was what Artemis always thought. She didn''t care if she''s not a wealthy young miss. As long as she''s away from this family, there''s no better reward than that.

 Chapter 509 - FIANCé?

    <h4>Chapter 509 - FIANC¨¦?</h4>


    At first, Seiji thought he heard the wrong thing so he rified it again. When Diana confirmed to him that her grandfather has taken Cayenne away for him, Seiji was stupefied. He had no idea how he got involved in her kidnapping.


    "Why did you take her away for me?" Seiji asked with obvious confusion.


    "Didn''t you tell grandfather that you will allow our business to merge with you if we can get Cayenne for you? At that time, you probably had no idea that Cayenne is my cousin."


    Seiji pressed his temple and rubbed it several times to calm himself. "Is your grandfather an idiot? She''s married! My god! She will definitely hate me for this."


    "Tell my grandfather that. I''ve been persuading him for months but he won''t stop."


    "Did he expect me to marry her? First, she''s married.. That''s a fact that everyone knows. Second, how could she love someone who''s practically involved with her kidnapping? Unless she lost her memories, that could be possible."


    "So, is this a confirmation that you are going against our family? Are you willing to make enemies with us?"


    "As long as you can find some solution for me to marry her, I would dly ept any condition from your family."


    "That''s easy. How about you visit her in three days?" Diana suggested.


    "That''s fine, too." Seiji agreed and ended the call with Diana. He was about to call Stefan and tell him the news that he got but he changed his mind. "You didn''t protect her so, it''s your loss."


    On that day, Cayenne met her grandfather for the first time. Hatred surged from the bottom of her heart and surfaced in her eyes but she blinked them several times to hide them. She never thought that she''d meet her grandfather in this manner and that makes her hate the man even more.


    "She didn''t speak ever since she woke up?" The old foggy asked the doctor and Olivia.


    "Yes, sir. She didn''t say anything or make any sound. She would only look at the sea and y with the flowers." The doctor responded.


    "That''s fine." The old man says and turned around. "Keep her safe and healthy. In a few days, someone wille here to visit her."


    "Okay, sir."


    For the very first time in her whole life, Cayenne wanted to kill someone. And that someone was her own grandfather. She really wanted to stab him to death but she knew she needed to keep her morals intact. She can''t taint her hands with bloods of filthy creatures.


    ''Seiji, if you are the same man as I have in mind, you better be prepared for my retaliation. I will bury you down along with the whole Rule family.'' Cayenne thought to herself while picking some flowers in the garden. She already made up her mind. She would go along to whatever ns they have and get as much information as she could. Then, she''d use everything she has to destroy them.


    Stefan was still looking for his wife with Tristan and Shein helping him. Since they were busy with so many things, none of them noticed that someone hacked the City Hall''s Civil and Marriage Affairs records. They deleted the marriage registration between Stefan and Cayenne. Diana also paid someone to get the physical record and burn it.


    "The only problem is the documents that Cayenne and Stefan have. Well, as long as the civils office didn''t have records of them, their marriage can be considered fake."


    "Proceed as n. I have deleted their marriage records." Diana told her grandfather with a victorious smile.


    Since Cayenne didn''t speak and showed any expression, they thought that didn''t remember anything. Thus; they already made a y for her to act and dance ording to their will.


    Three dayster, just like what they nned, Seiji went to visit the Rule mansion and apanied Nikko Rule and Diana Rule to their private-owned ind. The moment he saw Cayenne sitting in the meadow with flowers surrounding her, he felt his heart skipped a beat in a happiness. He was so happy that she''s safe. But that happiness didn''tst for even a minute.


    The moment Cayenne turned around to look at the guests, she coldly looked at him as if she was staring to a dead man already. This made Seiji''s heart falter in its beat; not because of happiness but because of fear.


    It was a fleeting expression that Seiji thought he was just imagining it. In front of him, Cayenne was already expressionless as she looked the people who came to look for her.


    "My dear granddaughter, this is Seiji. You have been ina and your fianc¨¦ was deeply worried so, we brought him here to see you. I hope you still remember him even if you don''t remember us."


    "Fianc¨¦?" Cayenne asked ever so softly. It was so soft and low that they didn''t hear the trace of ridicule in her voice except for Seiji.


    Because he feared that Cayenne has known everything, he paid attention to every little thing she did. He even noticed the small movement of her eyebrow. She obviously wanted to raise it but she had to suppress herself from doing so.


    Diana and her grandfather were so focused with their scheme that they failed to notice these small movements. Cayenne didn''t lose her memories. She''s only tired dealing with idiot and people she hated the most.


    ''Will she hate me, too?'' Seiji asked himself. ''No, I can''t let that happen. I must do something before she starts hating me.'' Seiji walked several steps towards her and reached out his hand to hold her. "Yenyen, do you remember me?"


    Cayenne wanted so much to roll her eyes but she stopped herself before doing so. She frowned while looking at them and pressed her temple as if she was remembering something. "Yenyen, don''t force yourself to remember me. We can just start over again. I''m Seiji. And you?"


    Cayenne didn''t say anything while she shakes her head from side to side. "No name." She said as she ced her hand on his.


    Seiji took her hand and gently caressed the back of her palm. "It''s fine. Your name is Ayena. Ayena Rule."


    Diana and Nikko Rule looked towards Seiji with approving looks. They never expected him to be so madly in love with Cayenne that he''s willing to be their aplice in kidnapping her. "We will leave you two." Nikkomented as he turned to look Seiji in the eyes. "Seiji, my grandson-inw, make sure that she remembers us. Tell her all the information she needed to know."


    ''Information I needed to know? More like information that you can nt in my head.'' Cayenne uttered mentally in disgust. She looked towards Diana and Nikko with a faint smile before moving closer to Seiji as if she was dependent on him.


    As soon as the unnecessary people left, Seiji pushed Cayenne a little and looked into her eyes. "Yenyen, do you want to call your husband? He''s been looking for you."

 Chapter 510 - LETS PLAY PRETEND

    <h4>Chapter 510 - LET''S PLAY PRETEND</h4>


    Cayenne looked towards Seiji with narrowed eyes. She didn''t know if she was trying toy traps for her to fall. "Husband?" Cayenne asked in confusion. "Aren''t you my fianc¨¦?"


    "No, I''m not." Seiji answered honestly. Whether Cayenne lost her memories or not, he definitely won''t lie to her. Lying to her now means, she will hate himte when she finds out the truth. He can''t lie to her forever and he definitely didn''t want her to hate him. "Your real name is Cayenne Ardolf Dumrique. You are married to Stefan Dumrique. You have two brothers namely Luiz and Kyle. Your ¨C" Sensing that someone hase, without knowing who it was, Seiji went back to his acting and pulled Cayenne in a warm hug. "Ayena, I''m so happy to see you again. When you suddenly copsed and became unconscious due to your health issue, I was so worried.. Thankfully, your family has a very amazing doctor. I wouldn''t know what to do without you."


    Cayenne saw Olivia standing few feet away from them, probably listening to their conversation so that she could report to Nikko or Diana if she noticed something wrong. To meet Seiji''s acting halfway, Cayenne also hugged him and even forced her tears toe out of her eyes. "Thank you for not leaving me and I''m sorry for worrying you."


    "No, it''s not your fault. We didn''t know it would happen but since you''re awake now, we can finally have our wedding."


    "Wedding?" Cayenne asked and pinched Seiji''s waist a little. "Are we supposed to get married so soon? I haven''t remembered everything yet."


    "You can remember them after getting married to me. We can spend the rest of our lives reminiscing about the past."


    "But-"


    "No buts. I want you to have myst name next to your first. That''s not too much, right?"


    "Let''s ask my family first." Cayenne replied. With that, the two of them let go of each other and walked hand in hand to the house where Diana and Nikko stayed. Olivia followed behind them without saying anything. She didn''t hear any suspicious words from their conversation and she believed that Seiji was getting Cayenne to believe his nonsensical words.


    Seiji brought Cayenne inside the house and the two of the sat on the couch across Nikko. "Grandpa, I have told Ayena some of the things in the past but I think, it''s better if we get married. Anyway, we can spend the rest of our lives talking about our past."


    "That sounds good to me." Nikko replied while rubbing his chin. "I''ll talk to you grandfather about this in two days. For now, we''ll have to leave since she needed to rest. The doctor says that she can''t move around that much due to her health."


    "Okay." Seiji turned to face Cayenne and kissed her forehead. "I''lle back next time okay. Take care of your health and make sure to listen to the doctor."


    "Hn. I understand." Cayenne smiled sweetly and moved her hands to cover Seiji''s hands which was holding his phone. As soon as he let go of his phone, she hid it under her dress and let go of him. "Make sure to visit me again."


    "Yes, my love." Seiji left together with Diana and Nikko Rule.


    Once again, Cayenne was left alone with the doctor and the people who abducted her who seemed to be guarding her now. Since she was all alone, she went back to her usual acting and stopped talking to them. Shey down on the couch and covered the phone with pillow to make sure that no one would see it.


    "Yena, do you want some fruit juice?" the doctor asked politely but Cayenne knew that this doctor, who looked harmless, would put something on her drink. They probably thought she had no idea however, Cayenne learned not just self-defense martial arts from Jillyanna but also things such as poisons and harmful medicines. She didn''t remember most of them but she''s just so lucky that the one the doctor used was the first kind of medicine that Jillyanna taught her. It was something that could damage one''s mind. It won''t put someone''s life in danger but it will make someone lose some of his or her memories.


    Since Cayenne put his guard from the moment she woke, she didn''t drink any of the juice that the doctor made. She did so many things to trick the doctor and so far, he didn''t notice anything yet.


    Cayenne stood up and shook her head. "I don''t want to drink anything." She said and picked up the pillow along with the phone. "Can I hug this pillow to sleep? Seiji put this on my back earlier."


    "Uh. Sure." Thinking she was just being sentimental, the doctor agreed. He didn''t know that Cayenne was hiding the phone right behind the pillow. She turned around and hugged the pillow while rubbing her face on it. In the process, she slipped the phone between the pillow and her chest, pressing it close to her body to make sure it won''t fall.


    "I will go to my room now. Just bring my medicer. I will drink it when I wake up."


    "Okay."


    Cayenne smiled happily while pressing the pillow on her face. She walked towards her room and Olivia saw her giggling to herself. "Didn''t you have enough pillows in your room?" She asked while looking at the throw pillow in Cayenne''s arms.


    "This is different. Seiji used it to protect my back earlier. I want this with at all time."


    "Oh. I see." Olivia didn''t say anything more and just left Cayenne to give her space. "Call me if you need anything."


    "Hn." Cayenne opened the door to her room and got inside. The moment she got inside, she didn''t let go of the pillow immediately. There were cameras inside her room. The only exception was the bathroom. "Alright. Let''s go to sleep for now."


    She slid the phone under her pillow and hugged the throw pillow close to her, pretending it to be something so important. "Hubby, wait for me. I''lle back soon. Just wait for me."

 Chapter 511 - SMART CAYENNE

    <h4>Chapter 511 - SMART CAYENNE</h4>


    Cayenne wasn''t really asleep. She was thinking about the things she learned during the short meeting she had with the three people earlier. Apparently, Sieji knew the Rule family. Not just the type of familiarity between acquaintance but the kind of familiarity that goes way back to their ancestors, probably.


    ''Since they wanted me to marry Seiji, does that mean that the old man wanted to marry me off to someone for convenience? Why didn''t he do that to Diana or to Artemis? Why must he ruin my life? Such an evil person, why does God allow him to continue to live?'' Cayenne asked herself one question after another with no one to answer her.


    She took a deep breath and cuddled the pillow a little bit closer to her body, appearing scared on the monitor in front of Olivia. That''s what she wanted them to think when she''s practically awake.


    ''Wait a minute! Since they specifically looked for me just to marry Seiji, does that mean that Seiji knew my other identity beforehand? Or does the old man know that Seiji likes me?'' Cayenne contemted over this question for a little longer. She had this feeling that these questions were much closer to the truth before her eyes.


    ''Is Seiji lying to me? But he''s helping me now, right?'' She asked herself once again. During the time that Cayenne was closing her eyes which was almost two hours, she umted so many questions that she wanted to so much to ask but she couldn''t..


    Two hourster, she rubbed her yes and opened them. She looked around her bedroom and after confirming she was still in the same ce, she curled her body and pulled the nket over her body until it reaches her neck. She slid her hands under her pillow and reached for the phone that Seiji left her.


    She wanted to ce it inside her pocket but the problem was, she didn''t have a pocket. She was wearing a dress so where could she put it? Cayenne thought about it and something came to her mind. "It doesn''t matter if I have to do this." She lifted the skirt of her dress and slid the phone on her bloomer shorts. The only thing that''s keeping it in ce was the garter of her shorts and underwear.


    She sat up on her bed, stretched her arms and legs before lifting the nket away from her body. She turned to get the pillow, hugged it for few seconds and carefully ced it on her bed before going to the bathroom.


    Olivia, who''s been monitoring Cayenne''s activities in her room, didn''t notice anything wrong. In her view, Cayenne was still acting like a woman who was madly in love with her fianc¨¦ who reunited with her. She was even hugging the pillow that he used to put in her back.


    Olivia watched Cayenne walked towards the bathroom and closed the door. Only the bathroom didn''t have surveince camera which made it easier for Cayenne to contact someone. She pulled out the phone beneath her dress and opened it; only to find so many messagesing from his secretary. Well, the messages came from his secretary''s number but when Cayenne read them, she knew that they came from Seiji.


    "We cannot contact Stefan at the moment. Diana sent someone to monitor my activities. Ife in contact with Stefan, they would know that we''re just ying pretend."


    "Also, make sure that the phone is in silent mode all the time."


    "I wille and visit you in three days again to talk our ''wedding''"


    "Your grandfather has contacted my grandpa about the wedding. Thankfully, I have told my grandpa the truth and he''s taking our side."


    "My mother likes to meet you, though. She''s been wanting to meet the girl that I like but she knows that you are married. I also informed her of our situation. We''ll my parents and my grandfather know. The rest, I didn''t bother telling them."


    "If you read these messages, just send me a reply at your convenience. I''m using my secretary''s phone to contact my personal number."


    Cayenne finished reading the messages and clicked the reply button. "Don''t tell Stefan yet. I want to be the one to tell him. We can''t afford to raise any suspicions from the Rule family. Also, help me get evidences of their evil deeds and I will not mind the fact that you colluded with them. I know that you didn''t mean for all of this to happen but you were nning to join them if I have lost my memories, weren''t you?"


    Secretary Fang received a notificationing from Seiji''s number. Without looking at the content, he gave his phone to Seiji. "Mr. President, there''s a messageing from Ms. Cayenne."


    Seiji reach his hand for the phone and read the content but the moment he finished reading it, he smiled faintly. "You are right. If you lost your memories, I would board on their ship and be their aplice. Yen, you know how much I like you and this is also the reason why I''m helping you. I don''t want you to hate me. As much as I want to be selfish and keep you to myself, I also know that you''d be happiest when with him. I can''tpare to your husband. Anyway, as long as you''re careful and won''t lost your memories, I won''t lie to you either. You should know that I''m opportunist."


    "Thankfully, I didn''t. Seiji, I will trust you this time. Please don''t break it because this will be thest time. If you can''t do it, I''ll be forced to just kill myself. I''d rather die than betray my husband."


    "I know." Seiji replied shortly. He knew that she meant everything that she said and it hurts him like hell. He wanted her to be his. Diana even helped him erase her marriage records. He did so many things for her but on thest step, everything crumbled. Cayenne didn''t lose her memories and she didn''t drink the medicine that the doctor gave her. From the moment she woke up, she was already vignt against everyone. "Yenyen, I''ll definitely bring you back to your husband."


    "Thank you."


    Cayenne had been taking so much time inside thefort room and Olivia was getting suspicious. Just as she was about to leave the monitoring room and check on her, Cayenne came out while pressing her stomach.


    "Go and check that woman. She seems to be pain." Olivia told the doctor who was eating some fruits at the window while looking at the scenery outside. "Hurry up."


    "Okay." The doctor left immediately and went to Cayenne''s room. "Ms. Rule? Are you awake?" he knocked on her door but Cayenne didn''t answer while clutching her stomach.


    ''Thud.''


    A faint thudding sound alerted the doctor that something has happened. He opened Cayenne''s door and saw her lying on the floor while curling her body. She was still pressing her stomach with a painful expression showing on her face.


    "Let me get you to bed. What happened?"


    "I think I ate something bad earlier. When I woke up, my stomach was growling and I went to thefort to have some release. Cayenne was just about to lie on her bed when she stood up and ran to the bathroom again.


    As soon as she was inside, she checked the phone on the cupboard and didn''t see any messages from Seiji. She picked up the phone, put it inside a stic and wrapped it several times with stic before cing on the sink. She lifted the cover of the toilet tank, ced the sealed phone on top of the refill tube. The water won''t reach the phone which relieves her. She covered it again and flushed the bowl as if she was really using it.


    When she came out again, she took a deep breath and sighed. "I need warm water. Help me go to the kitchen."


    "No need. I''ll get some for you." The doctor helped her back to bed and as soon as she was lyingfortably, he left to get some water from the kitchen.


    When he came back, Cayenne held the mug and took a sip of the cold water. In truth, she held the water in her mouth and was just pretending to gulp. She didn''t drink all of it either. She ced the mug on her bedside drawer andid her body back on the bed. As soon as the doctor left, she spit the water on the face towel that she kept underneath her extra pillow.


    You may think she''s being dirty but that''s the only way she can think of to survive. She wouldn''t dare eat anything that they provide her. She didn''t know what they put in her when she was unconscious and she can''t let them do it now that she''s awake.


    "I need to convince Seiji to get me out of here." Cayenne whispered while thinking of different ns that could help her get out of this quagmire she was in. "I need to see Stefan soon. He must be worried sick. I can''t let him be in the dark for so long."

 Chapter 512 - YOUR WIFE IS FINE

    <h4>Chapter 512 - YOUR WIFE IS FINE</h4>


    Another three days have passed and Seiji came to visit her again with Diana. As her fianc¨¦ it should be okay for him toe and visit her alone but since they needed to make sure that the two of them won''t conspire against the Rule family, someone had to monitor their meet up.


    As usual, Cayenne pretended to not remember anything and was entirely dependent towards Seiji.


    "When can I go home? I don''t like to stay in this ind anymore? It''s boring here." Cayenne mentioned with displeasure. She looked really upset and wronged. "Just take me home today, will you? I''m really okay and I can just recuperate at home with you."


    Seiji looked at her and smiled faintly, tussling her hair messily. ''If only this is real.'' Seiji thought but he dismissed the idea as soon as it came to mind. "I''ll ask grandpa if you can be discharged soon. They said that this ce is better for recuperation since it''s away from the city and pollution.. It''s peaceful here and away from stress."


    "You have a point in that." Cayenne responded but the expression on her face didn''t change. "What about our wedding? Have you talked to your parents about it? I mean, we have postponed it for a long while already."


    "You don''t have to worry about your wedding. Grandpa has talked to Grandpa Sy already. Your wedding will be held in two months, just in time for you to fully recover your health." Diana butted in and told Cayenne. She didn''t look suspicious of them and didn''t question them too much as well. "Just focus on recovering your health. Also, grandpa asked me to give you this."


    Cayenne received a small envelope and found many keys inside it. "What are these for?"


    "The keys to the house you''ll be staying. Once we get a go signal from the doctor, you will be discharged immediately and you will stay in that house."


    "Can''t I stay with Seiji instead? He told me that we lived together before although, I don''t remember it. Can''t I live with him again? We''re getting married after all. I can use this time to get to know him again."


    "That''s sounds fine but we need grandpa''s permission." Diana answered. "It''s almost time that we leave. Stay here and make sure to be obedient. Don''t do anything that could harm your body." It sounded like she was concern but she was obviously hinting her not to do anything suspicious. Cayenne just nodded her head and watched them stood up.


    "I''ll see you again soon." Seiji turned around and hugged her. "Wait for me, okay? I''ll bring your favorite dishes next time."


    "Hn."


    It''s been three weeks since Cayenne was taken away and there was no news of her up until now. Stefan still continued to work like usual, burying himself with too much work, trying his best to forget the despair which was raging within him. He didn''t want to stop or pause because if he does, he will remember Cayenne''s desperate call for help. He will remember his failure and he will remember his pain. He didn''t want any of those. He needed to remain calm and sane.


    "Sir, a letter has arrived for you." Elena handed Stefan the small envelope that she received from the courier not long ago. "It didn''t have any return address or information of the sender." Elena stated before turning around to leave. Normally, mails with no sender''s information or return address will be ignored. However, with the current problem involving Cayenne, Stefan told his staff to receive all mails that will arrive, hoping that one of them would contain secret information about his wife.


    Again and again, day after day, he was met with disappointment with those mails. None of them talked about Cayenne. Most of them were expressions of admiration and love. Some were even telling him to rece his wife with someone else. Stefan didn''t know if they were trying to anger him but he didn''t care about those. After reading them, he''d just shred the paper to pieces.


    Like right now, Stefan opened the mail and thought that it was another love letter. He was about to throw it away when his eyes caught something strange. What he received was a poem but he wasn''t interested with the lovepressed in that poem or the title and the flowery design on the letter. What he was interested of was the way the poem was written. Some letters were written in caps lock and they were randomly distributed across the paper.


    Stefan pulled a pen and wrote the capital letters once after another. He looked at it and frowned but he knew that there was a message behind those letters.? "UR WIPE SEAS PINE" Stefan read the words he got after decoding the four-paragraphed poem. "Huh?" Stefan frowned and read the words again and again. "Your Wife She''s Fine?" Stefan was stunned and his eyes went wide in surprise. He pressed the button under his desk and called for Elena instantly.


    "Sir, is there any problem?"


    "Who sent this letter?" Stefan asked.


    "It was brought by a normal courier sir along with those other letters."


    "Come with me to look for Tristan." Stefan rose to his feet and carried the letter with him. They found Tristan tracing something with hisputer and the red line ended up on an ind. "Can I have a moment of your time?"


    "Sir? Oh wait. I have something to show you as well." Tristan stood up to give Stefan the swivel chair he was using but Stefan stopped him. Tristan went back to sit on his chair and pulled the recent information he found. "I found where madam is but brace yourself first."


    Stefan took a deep breath and looked at theputer. If Tristan didn''t remind him to calm down, he''s probably calling his team to look for his wife now.


    Tristan showed him a satellite-captured video which showed Cayenne standing in the flower field, facing the sea in front of her. She looked dazed and distant. Stefan was so surprised to see her and his happiness bubbled up from the bottom of his heart. But before he could express how happy he was, the next scene made him grip the paper in his hands.


    Cayenne was talking to an old man and a young woman. They were all so familiar to Stefan, after all, he investigated them for Cayenne. "Get more information as soon as you can. And please check my marriage record."

 Chapter 513 - CONCLUSION

    <h4>Chapter 513 - CONCLUSION</h4>


    Risking the fact that the National Satellite Defense Ministry might trace him, Tristan helped Stefan to get more information as he could. He didn''t bother browsing the confidential information that the nation has. If they catch him, he can just wiggle his way to apply as their employee but as long as no one can track him, he will be fine.


    Even if he''s the number one hacker in the world, that didn''t mean he can''t be traced. If all those intelligent brains worked together, they''d probably trace him in a month. Well, probably.


    Stefan can''t act on his own in this matter now that he knew Cayenne was in the hands of her maternal rtives. Of course, he will do anything to get her back but he can''t be reckless. For now, she might be safe and sound but if something goes wrong, the Rule family might dispose her. Stefan didn''t want that to happen.


    Also, when he was watching the video earlier, unless he was wrong, in his eyes, Cayenne seemed so close with them. As if she didn''t hate that family.. As if she lost her memories. Stefan didn''t want to dwell on it, hoping that his conjectures were wrong.


    "I heard from Shein that Tristan sessfully hacked the country''s satellites. Have you found her?" Jillyanna asked Stefan over the phone. She had been worried since Cayenne was abducted but she remained calm and collected, knowing that being in state of panic won''t help them resolve their problem.


    Stefan was currently standing at the floor-to-ceiling ss window, overlooking the city in front of him, watching the people walking to and fro below like ants crawling right under his feet. "I''ve found him but there''s some issues."


    "Is she safe?"


    "As I can see, yes. However, I have doubts on some things. Also, I received an email today regarding my wife and I have a hunch of who the person might be."


    "I can ask Shein to help you check it. In that way, you can confirm the identity of the person."


    "I''d be d to take his assistance. I''ll send you a picture of the mail and the name of the courier. Give me a sec." Stefan fiddled with his phone, captured the lengthy poem with his camera and sent Cayenne the name of the courier who delivered the letter. "I''ll expecting answer within the day."


    "Alright. I''ll tell Shein to hurry up with his work. You take some rest, too. Yen won''t be happy to know that you''ve been abusing your body."


    "You''re nagging me again. You are really a perfect match for Travis."


    "Shut up!" Jillyanna ended the call but Stefan didn''t sit back on his chair. Instead, he went out of his room to supervise Tristan with his work, wanting to see the information he got as soon as possible.


    Tristan moved his cursor and presented Stefan some of the information he got so far. "She''s being monitored inside the house which means, they didn''t fully trust her. Also, you might want to see this." He opened another folder and showed Stefan that his marriage record with Cayenne was erased not long ago.


    Stefan clenched his fist in anger but he didn''t say anything. He was just staring into theputer while Tristan navigated something to appear on the screen. Ayena Rule, daughter of Amethyst Nile Rule, was registered in their family registry. It appeared to be registered a long time ago but with these forged documents, it''s easy as ABC for Tristan to check on them.


    "Have youe up with the conclusion because I have mine already." Tristan stated without looking towards Stefan. His eyes and hands were still busy looking for more info.


    "Let me hear what you have in mind."


    "Cayenne probably lose her memory. I''m saying probably because there''s a possibility that she''s faking it. Second, since they believed that she lost her memories, they''re nting some other ideas in her head and has changed her name. They''re probably marrying her off to someone. That''s what I have so far. Give me more minutes to gather everything."


    "I have the same idea in mind." Stefan responded. His voice was a little shaky but Tristan didn''tment on that. He knew how despairing this moment is just like how desperate he was to look for his fianc¨¦ back then. He was alreadyte one time and paid the consequences, this time, he won''t let Stefan down.


    "Don''t worry. Their n won''t seed as long as I am with you." Tristan stated with conviction and confidence. "I won''t let your wife suffer anymore. Just wait for me to get everything and we can make ns."


    "Hn. I trust you to do that. Come to my office once you''ve got everything."


    "Yes, sir."


    Stefan went out and received a message from Shein. The whereabout of the person who sent the letter was now in his email and all he needed to do was get in touch with that person. He got inside his office, checked the email and found that his guess was actually right. The person who''s behind the mail was Seiji Sy, the rival that he couldn''t get rid off. Seiji may not be powerful in City A but his actually on par with Stefan. The man has a clean record as well or maybe, he was too good in hiding his mistakes.


    At the same time, since Cayenne treated him as friends and he helped Cayenne before, he didn''t ask anyone to investigate him further. After this incident, he should ask someone to dig up his dirty secrets but, he went out of his way to inform Stefan of Cayenne''s safety which means, he wasn''t really that bad.


    "Or maybe, my wife didn''t really lose his memory and is colluding with that guy to drag her maternal rtives down. But why does it have to be that guy? Hmp!" Stefan''s worry lessened a bit but his jealousy skyrocketed to the highest level of atmosphere. "I''ll definitely make him pay if he''s done something inappropriate with her."


    Stefan sighed and closed his eyes. ''I really want to beat that guy.'' He thought.


    In Seiji''s office, he was thinking the same thing as Stefan. He wanted to beat him for not protecting Cayenne. "Well, I can''t really beat him. The moment she agreed to marry him, I lost to him already. Sigh. Why do I even have to help them when all this caused me is heartache and endless headache?"


    "That''s because you chose to love her even after knowing that she doesn''t love you the way you do." Artemismented while sipping some tea. "Anyway, I''ll help as much as I could. Just make sure that I won''t get implicated in all this. I don''t want to be included in this family war. I just want to live my life in peace."


    "I always keep my words. y your part and I will make sure to protect you."


    "You can count on me."

 Chapter 514 - A WIFES INTUITION

    <h4>Chapter 514 - A WIFE''S INTUITION</h4>


    Night slowly falls on the city and on the ind. Cayenne had a very nice of the ce, given that it was quiet and it was vast. When she looked up into the sky, she can see the wide night sky, littered with stars that were shining so bright. ''Stefan.'' Cayenne whispered his name. She couldn''t utter his name loudly in the house, afraid that there were hearing devices near her.


    She could only whisper his name from time to time, making it her anchor to get through all this.


    "Let''s cook dinner." Cayenne went out of her room and walked to the kitchen to start cooking. During the first three days that she woke up, she had to eat the food that served by Olivia but since she couldn''t fully trust her, she ate only a little, just for show. As soon as three days passed, she started cooking their meal with the excuse that her taste buds were sensitive to food.


    Cayenne cooked fish cutlet and stir-fried vegetables.. She didn''t cook much since there weren''t many of them anyway. She acted virtuous in front of them, retracting her ws while waiting for the right moment to attack them.


    After dinner, Cayenne went back to her room to take a shower but before that, she opened the toilet tank lid and fished out the phone that she had been hiding since the first day of Seiji''s visit. There were messages from Seiji and the one that stood out the most was about her husband.


    "I told your husband that you are fine. I know that we shouldn''t contact him but we can''t keep him worried. When you have time, try to contact him as well."


    "I will be visiting with Artemis next time. She''ll be helping us so y along with her act. She''s different from her sister and grandpa so, you can let down your guard a little."


    "Also, be careful with the food you eat there. Artemis told me that your grandpa asked the doctor to spike up your food with some kind of medicine which can cause you to lose your memories."


    Cayenne read the other messages from him which were mostly reminders for her. She pressed the reply button and typed her message on the reply box. Before she could send it, a message from an unknown number came.


    Inside Stefan''s office, Tristan and Stefan was talking about their n. Stefan wanted to contact Stefan through mail as well but he was adamant about it. He got this feeling that someone might be observing them in the shadows. He couldn''t risk it.


    "Let''s just contact him directly through his phone." Tristan suggested. "I can tap on his phone using an employee''s phone. In that way, even if someone trace it, they will trace it back to the employee. I can tweak the employee''s information as well so that she won''t appear to be working in ourpany."


    "Alright. That''s a good idea. Go and look for someone, then. I''ll let you do whatever you think is right. As long as my wife is okay, I don''t mind about other things."


    Tristan scrolled the list of the employees and stopped on a man''s name. He sent him a message toe to the CEO''s office. Tristan didn''t really choose him out of nowhere. He chose him because he was working over time and it''s evening which means, not many people are left in thepany now.


    The man arrived immediately and greeted the two men inside the office.


    "Good evening, Mr. Santos." Tristan greeted. "We are looking for thedy boss but we needed someone''s phone to tap onto something. It''s like this ¨C" Tristan exined the purpose and the current situation to make the man understand. After three minutes, Mr. Santos pulled out his phone and handed it to Tristan.


    Tristan connected the phone to hisptop and did some re-configuration before opening the messaging app and sent a message to Seiji''s phone. After the message was sent, Tristan covered his traces and made some fake IP address which will traced back to US before the original IP gets discovered.


    Cayenne looked at the message that she received. It wasn''t on the contact list of Seiji''s phone and she wasn''t familiar with it either but the message was weird.


    "Do you know where my wife is?"


    ''Huh? Why are you looking for your wife from him?'' Cayenne thought. ''Wait. Is this Stefan?'' Thinking that Seiji told Stefan about her welfare, it was possible that he''d look for her. ''But whose number is this?''


    She pouted her lips and typed on the screen,posing her message for the other party. "Don''t forget to water the tulips in our balcony. If it dies, I''ll kick you once I get home." She sent it and waited for a reply. ''If this is really my husband, he should know that I''m the one talking to him.''


    And yes, she was right. Stefan was able to recognize that it was her but instead of feeling relieved, he''s jealousy intensified and he felt really angry this time.


    "Why is she using Seiji''s phone. It''s almost 8:00 in the evening. Are they still together?" Stefan questioned with the boiling vinegar in his chest.


    "Don''t jump to that conclusion, sir. Seiji probably left his phone to her. In that way, she has a means tomunicate to the outside world."


    "But, why do it now? Why didn''t she contact me in the past few days?"


    "Maybe she''s being monitored and can''t make phone calls or send messages whenever she can."


    "That makes sense." Stefan nodded his head.


    "Right. Stop getting jealous. There''s no way your wife would betray you."


    Cayenne started taking a bath while waiting for the reply. Since there''s a bathtub, she decided to take a dip and rx her muscle while waiting for messages.


    ''Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!'' The phone vibrated on the small chair that she ced it on. Picking it up, she saw another message from the unknown number.


    "I think it''s fine. I haven''t been home since my wife was taken away. I wasn''t able to take care of it properly."


    This time, Cayenne can confirm that it was indeed Stefan. "I''m fine. I''m alive and kicking but I cannot leave this ce yet. Anyway, if you ever see me again, act as if you are surprise. Don''t let the enemy think that we''re conspiring against them. Also, you have a very talented secretary. Ask him to dig up the dirty secrets of the Rule family. If we want to leave a happy and peaceful life, we can only take them down. As long they''re sitting on the high seats, I will always be their target."


    After sending this message, Cayenne didn''t have to wait for a long time before getting a reply.


    "Shall I inform your family about this?"


    "No, don''t tell them. We need to make our acting look real. Don''t let them know that I am alive. Just pretend that you have no idea and that you are still grieving. Also, I''ll be pretending to have lost my memories."


    "Okay. I''ll follow whatever arrangements you have."


    Several knocks on the door startled Cayenne and the phone that she used slipped from her hands and fell on the tub. Her eyes went wide from shock and then the expression disappeared, reced with coldness and anger. ''It was my only way ofmunicating and whoever the idiot behind the door has ruined it. Tsk!'' She clicked her tongue as she rose from the bath tub and put on her robe.


    She rubbed her eyes several times and looked herself in the mirror. "Wait. I''m in the tub." Cayenne shouted and walked slowly, as if she was dragging herself to the bathroom door. When she opened it Olivia was there, standing with annoyed expression. "Sorry, I fell asleep in the bathtub." She covered her mouth and yawned, walking past the woman. "Do you need anything?"


    "Yes. Your grandfather said that your fianc¨¦ and your cousin will arrive tomorrow. Artemis is kind of attached to you ever since you are young so, if you see her tomorrow, please don''t get mad if she acts clingy."


    "Oh. Alright. I won''t mind." Cayenne replied. "By the way, have you known the Rule family for a long time? What was I like in the past? Did I hurt any of them?"


    "Nope. You''re very kind and they like you so much specially your younger cousin. She likes you very, very much."


    "I see." Cayenne looked for clothes to wear while talking to the woman in her room. "I wish I can remember everything." Cayenne muttered as if she was really devastated that she couldn''t remember what was her life like.


    "It doesn''t matter if you can''t remember. Your family still loves you and they didn''t mind you losing your memories. Besides, you can make new memories with them."


    "You are right on that matter." Cayenne responded. "By the way, I haven''t heard them talk about my parents. Don''t I have parents?"


    "Your mother died due to some illness and your father has married someone else. You have been living with your grandfather." Cayenne looked solemn but she didn''t ask further. "I''ll leave you to rest now. Good night."


    "Good night Olivia." Cayenne replied and as soon as the door was closed shut, she sighed in relief. She was so worried that Olivia will volunteer to drain the tub and see the phone which was why she kept talking to her. Thankfully, she didn''t. ''Sigh! If I can''t leave this ce, I won''t have any other way to contact my husband.'' Cayenne thought to herself. She never felt worried about the phone that she just ruined.

 Chapter 515 - THREE IS BETTER THAN TWO

    <h4>Chapter 515 - THREE IS BETTER THAN TWO</h4>


    Just as scheduled, Artemis and Seiji arrived the next day. And like what Olivia said, Artemis was indeed clingy to Cayenne. Well, she''s ying her part very well.


    "Sis! I brought your favorite dishes. Bro helped me cooked these dishes this morning." Artemis stated while cing the food container on the dining table. She skipped and hopped towards Cayenne and linked their arms together. "How have you been doing so far? Did the doctor say anything about your illness?"


    "Nope. He said that I am fine now and that I cane home to prepare for the wedding." Cayenne rubbed the girl''s head who was of the same age as her youngest brother, Luiz. ''I miss Kyle and Luiz.'' Cayenne thought while looking at the girl beside her. "Did you guys talk to my father about the wedding? Is heing?"


    "We did send an invitation to him but we''re not sure if they''reing. I mean, someone must have informed you that he''s married to someone now, right?"


    "Hn." Cayenne nodded her head with a perfunctory answer. She looked towards Seiji and smiled at him. "So, you guys will be taking me home today?"


    "Yup! Grandpa agreed to take you back but you will be staying in the mansion because of the ident." Artemis responded before Seiji could.


    Seiji nodded his head in agreement because that''s what Nikko Rule wanted. He can''t let anything bad to happen before the wedding so, he wanted to keep an eye on Cayenne.


    Cayenne didn''t say anything because she didn''t know what to say at this point. "By the way sis, your school called us about your absence and we already informed them of what happened. You don''t need to worry about your ss."


    "My ss? I am still studying?"


    "Yeah. Oh right! I forgot that you lost your memories. Anyway, that''s that and we''ll take care of the things that you''ve forgotten."


    Cayenne smiled and let the woman talk whatever she wanted to say and just indulged her with time. Seiji didn''t interrupt Artemis as well. They just listened to her as if she was really close to Cayenne.


    ''In this whole family, I can''t tell which of them is the best actors and best actress.'' Seiji thought to himself while listening to Artemis.


    Since they brought lots of food, Cayenne suggested that the three of them have a pic outside where they can view the beautiful see and admire the field of flowers. Seiji agreed without hesitation and so was Artemis.


    Olivia, the doctor, and the guards, who were also her abductors, didn''t notice anything. They weren''t suspicious either specially that the other person present was Artemis. Who would think that she''d betray her family for her personal gain.


    Outside, while away from everyone, the three of them wereughing as if they were talking about something funny but if you listen to their words closely, you would think otherwise.


    "Your phone fell on the tub when I was tring to send message. It''s ruined." Cayenne stated before chuckling as if what she said was funny.


    "It''s fine." Seiji replied with a wide smile on his face.


    "We will find a chance for you to meet your husband. Act ordingly and we will make this n sessful." Artemis also added with faintughter.


    "I can''t believe you''d betray your family."


    "They betrayed me first." Artemis answered while smiling but there was a chilling coldness thatced her words. "I''ll have them pay what they owe me."


    Olivia was watching them from the window and she could see that the three of them were getting along so well. There wasn''t any suspicious expression on Cayenne''s face and she was very attentive to Seiji like she was really in love with him.


    "As soon as she gets married to Seiji, I will leave this country and go into hiding. Jillyanna will surely hunt me down. I need to get away." Olivia murmured.


    "Is she that powerful?" The doctor asked.


    "Yes, she is. She''s our next master after all. If she wants to kill someone, she can find that person and she won''t stop unless she achieves her goal."


    "Then, hiding won''t change anything."


    "Actually, as long as Cayenne is fine and not dead, I won''t need to pay for my life. Hiding somewhere faraway will be okay. Would you like to hide with me?"


    "I can''t. I''ll have to stay with the Rule family or my mother will die. I have to protect her even if it will cost me my life."


    "I see. I don''t have a family so, it''s fine with me to roam around this world. Take care of yourself, then. As long as we''re both alive, we''ll definitely met someday."


    "You are right."


    The two of them watched the three people eating outside while thinking of what their future would be.


    In the afternoon, Olivia helped Cayenne pack her things. There weren''t many things that she owned since it wasn''t really her home. Nobody said anything but Olivia paid attention to every little thing that Cayenne has touched.


    "I''m done." Cayenne said as soon as she came out from her room holding a ck duffel bag.


    "Let me carry that for you." Seiji took the bag away from her and held it on his other hand while taking her hand with the other. They looked so lovely together but only three people knew that they were acting. Cayenne moved closer to him and smiled.


    "Stop being lovey-dovey you two. Let''s move out already." Artemis mentioned and walked ahead of them. Cayenne and Seiji followed her, still holding their hands.


    Olivia and the rest of the people paid by Nikko Rule followed them closely, not giving them a chance to make something that would ruin the whole n.


    Last night, after messaging his wife, Stefan didn''t go back to the vi. Everyone thought that he was working over time again but in truth, he went back to their house in City B. He checked the tulips that he once-gifted his wife and made sure that it was still alive.


    While watering the nt, he received a message from the jewelry designer in Italy. "Sir, the wedding ring that you asked us to make has beenpleted. Are you getting this in person or shall we deliver it to you?"

 Chapter 516 - SECRETARY FANG

    <h4>Chapter 516 - SECRETARY FANG</h4>


    The next day, Stefan told Tristan to contact Cayenne again but Stefan was shaking his head disappointingly. Stefan knew that expression very much and he felt his heart sank.


    "Do you think she got caught texting us?" Stefan questioned. "Can you check the camera''s again and see what she''s up to?"


    "Regarding that¡­" Tristan pulled a camera recording and showed them to Stefan. "I think they''re up to something again. Seiji visited her in the morning and took her our in the afternoon with the youngdy from the Rule family. And they didn''te back again."


    "We''re you able to find where they''re going?"


    Tristan shook his head again. "The cameras were only ced at home and some were facing outside but there was no camera ced on the driveway. We don''t know how they got to this ind either. For you, I was willing to hack the space satellite again but they havee prepared and was guarding theirwork.. One wrong move and I''ll be caught. It''s a national crime. I''ll be dead."


    "Just do it. You won''t die." Stefan responded. "Travis and I have a way to keep you away from a death sentence. Just don''t do anything aside from looking for my wife."


    "Alright. You better keep your promise." Tristan opened something from the start menu of hisputer and quickly typed something. To normal people, it appears as random number and symbol but to hackers, they''d be very familiar to these codes used for hacking someone''sputer. "Oh! Sh*t! That''s a close call." Stefan was looking at his employee who was sweating coldly. "Tsk!"


    Stefan took a deep breath and sigh. If he was gifted in this area, he would do this thing himself and not risk the life of someone else. But now, there''s no going back. They can just hack the space satellite to find where Seiji brought Cayenne.


    They might be working together; his wife might be trusting that man and that woman but something could happen anytime and Stefan needed assurance that Cayenne''s safe and sound.


    "Found them." Tristan announced and zoomed the pictures he got. "Obviously, they a private yacht to the ind and took the same transportation when they took Cayenne away. Tristan followed the navigation and found them stopped in Country C which was hundreds of miles away from City A. "So, this is the reason why they coulde and go to City A without us detecting them. They''re using their own transportation and just probably paid the port for docking without sufficient documents and even allowed them to escape after abducting someone."


    "It''s not important for now but take note of that. Let''s find where they brought my wife."


    "She''s most-likely staying with the Rule family since they brought her to Country C." Tristand answered while his hands worked even faster than before. "Here." He pulled another picture captured by the space satellite and on the picture, it was really Cayenne going home to the mansion owned by the Rule family. "What are your ns now?"


    "I can only send a mail to Seiji but I''m not even sure if he''sing here in City A after getting Cayenne toe with him."


    "Ah? You''re saying that this Seiji guy likes your wife?" Tristan questioned without lifting his head. His hands were still busy working.


    "I''m not just saying it, he really likes my wife since they were young."


    "And your wife is aware of this?"


    "Yes. It must be the reason why she''s working with him. She''s using his love for her and Seiji is always afraid of Cayenne getting mad at him. He can''t afford to hurt her."


    "At least for now, we know that Cayenne has someone she could trust in her side." He quickly exited himself from hacking the space satellite before they could catch them. He made sure to leave his traces in different ces, making it hard for the other side to find him.


    If they''re really genius they can find him in a month but if they couldn''t find him within that timeframe, they wouldn''t be able to find him for the rest of his life.


    Since he already got ess to the Rule mansion, Tristan hacked all the cameras around the mansion and the ones inside the mansion as well. "God blessed us amidst this heartbreaking incident."


    "What do you mean?" Stefan asked while looking at theputers.


    "When I was dealing with the Dragon Gang, I couldn''t find any solid evidence against this family even though it was obvious that they''re doing something illegal. At that time, I didn''t have the guts to invade the space satellite and risk myself for being caught. I gave up and just handed the other information I got to the military. Now, because of your wife, I invaded the space satellite and gain ess to this family again. I''ll make sure to thoroughly investigate them and ruin their lives."


    "Well, looks like I don''t have to say my instructions."


    "Lady boss said itst night. I made sure to remember it to make up for my mistakes."


    "Alright. Take a rest for now and just get back to work after five hours. I don''t think something bad will happen to her with Seiji around. I don''t want to trust this guy but he''s our only connection."


    "Okay. I''ll get back to work after five hours." Tristan pressed a button on his desk and the wall behind them slid open, showing the hidden bedroom. It was his request when he took his job. He set his rm to five hourster and went to sleep in his room. Stefan didn''t touch anything on hisputer but he watched his wife on the screen who was currently talking to her family with a bright smile on her face.


    Stefan left theputer room and let Tristan sleep for a while since he had been working sote in the past weeks. He didn''t want his employee to die fromck of sleep and exhaustion.


    "Elena, can you buy him a meal after four and half hours? He should be awake by that time."


    "Okay, sir. That''s not a problem." Elena noted it on a sticky note and stuck it on the side of herputer screen. In that way, she would see the request from time to time.


    Stefan went back to his office and continued working. He was also thinking of ways to get in touch with Seiji secretly. He didn''t want to ruin whatever n he and Cayenne have. He didn''t want to risk their life by getting caught.


    Stefan picked up the telephone on his desk and called Elena who was working in her office. "Would you please find a way to get the number of Seiji Sy''s secretary? I need to get in touch with him. Do it secretly."


    "Okay, sir."


    Stefan disconnected the call and focused on his work. Outside, Elena rummaged a box of business cards that Chris left to her. There were so many cards inside the box, from people overseas and from their own country. Chris even arranged it in alphabetical order.


    Elena looked through the cards withst names that starts with letter F. Not even five minutes have passed, she found Secretary Fang''s business card. In fact, you can search for his contact information online but it was the contact information that public can use. The business cards that Chris umted were private contact information which means, you would be able to get hold of the person directly without getting your messages drowned in a heap of messages they received every single day.


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    "Come in." Stefan announced and Elena came inside while holding the card in her hand. "You got it so quickly?"


    "Sir Chris left me a box of private business cards and secretary Fangs number was also included. I believe this was acquired when you dealt with Mr. Sy before. Sir Chris didn''t throw it away."


    "I see. I''ll have to thank Christer." He received the card from Elena and dismissed her so that she can go back to work.


    Stefan didn''t call the secretary, worrying that someone might be spying on this man. "This is Cayenne''s husband. You don''t have to tell my wife that I have contacted you. I just want to know if she''s really alright and see if you guys areing back to City A."


    The secretary was left in city A to deal with some business while Seiji left to apany Cayenne to country C. Secretary Fang was currently talking to some clients when his phone buzzed, indicating that a message arrived.


    "Please excuse me. I need to check an important message."


    "Go ahead secretary Fang." The clients answered in unison and smiled. As long as they can work with Seiji, they don''t really mind to wait for few minutes.


    Secretary Fang opened his phone and found Stefan''s message. "My boss went to Country C with your wife. He wanted to protect her in your behalf. She''s doing fine for now but my boss found out that the doctor had been putting illegal medicine in her food and drinks. He cannot allow her to be alone with them."


    "Thank you for letting me know."


    "No problem Mr. Dumrique. Also, about them going back to City A, I''m afraid that won''t happen. The Rule family didn''t want you to find your wife. However, Ms. Artemis and my boss are looking for ways. Don''t worry too much. You will get your wife back."


    "Please tell Seiji that I''m willing to repay him with anything once I get my wife back. He can name whatever he wants. I''ll do my best to satisfy him."


    "I''ll ry your words."


    Inside Diana''s room, the voices of Stefan and secretary Fang can be heard clearly. She learned basic hacking andst night, she sessfully hacked secretary Fang''s phone but she didn''t find anything suspicious. Right now, the call was clearly recorded.

 Chapter 517 - DEAD OR ALIVE

    <h4>Chapter 517 - DEAD OR ALIVE</h4>


    Thankfully, it wasn''t Diana who heard the conversation. At this moment, she was taking a shower while the recording yed. Also, Artemis came to look for her and heard the voices. Without letting her sister know, she deleted the record and secretly left, not wanting to alert her.


    Because of her sudden change of mind, she forgot the main thing that she wanted to talk to her. "Never mind. Everything will be fine as long as she knows nothing. We cannot trust her knowing how much she loves money and power." With this thing in mind, Artemis left and went back to her room.


    In all this time that Cayenne appears to be missing, Luiz took up several jobs and was doing well but whenever hees home and find out that his sister wasn''t there inside their house, his heart sank and he would be silent, not even talking to his own brother and father.


    Kyle wasn''t affected with how Luiz was treating him because he knew how much it hurts to know nothing about their sister''s current condition. Every day, Reuben woulde and check on them but just like them, he knows nothing..


    "Brother-inw, don''t you have news about Yen? I''m not trying to be negative about her disappearance but it''s been over a month. If worsees to worst, even if she''s dead, I''d like to know where her body is." Luiz muttered while poking his phone. This was the third time in a week that he didn''t eat his dinner. He would only poke his food with his fork and after five minutes, he''d excuse himself to go back to his room.


    It didn''t look obvious that he was losing weight but he did lose several pounds after Cayenne was abducted.


    Stefan looked at his brother-inw and shrugged his shoulder. He wanted to tell them what he knew but Cayenne told him several time not to tell her brothers. It hurts Luiz and Kyle. Her disappearance hurts a lot of people but she can''t risk her life now. She needed to deal with the Rule family or else, all her efforts up until now will be useless.


    "As long as I don''t find her body, I will hold on to the thought that she''s alive." Stefan responded with an expressionless face. "I know how painful it is that she''s not with us and I will not give up in looking for her. As for you guys, just do what you normally do and don''t let it get affected. If Cayenne knew that your studies and work were affected because of her, she''ll be sad and would most probably me herself. And we don''t want that, do we?"


    Luiz lowered his head in silence, ying a staring game with his food. "Do you have any idea who may have done this? I mean, our family didn''t have any enemies and we didn''t do anything that could make other people hate us. However, since she married you, it''s possible that she was taken by your enemies."


    "I understand your logic and you have a very good reasoning." Stefanmented as he put down his spoon and fork. "At the same time, people don''t really need valid reasoning to hate you or kidnap you. And sometimes, the person you least expected to do something illegal would being to your door tomit robbery or murder. If it were my enemy, it would be very easy for me to find them."


    "So, Cayenne really have enemies?" Jonas asked which cut off the conversation between his son and son-inw. He also couldn''t believe that Cayenne would make enemy with other people. She''s always kind and honest. She''spassionate and gentle. They couldn''t imagine her being rude to someone.


    "She didn''t do anything to gain enemy but it''s also because she didn''t do anything that some people make enemy with her. Do you get my point? Ayen didn''t do anything but other people just like to cause her trouble."


    The dining room suddenly sank into a cold silence and the whole family were just sighing in unison. They knew that jealousy could make people be muddleheaded. No matter how kind orpassionate you are, there will always be some jealous monsters who will make things difficult for you.


    "Let''s just continue to eat first. If you have other things to say to me, let''s talk after dinner." Stefan told everyone and they could only obey his instruction.


    On the other hand, many people received invitation letters to the wedding between Seiji Sy and Ayena Rule. Some businessmen raised their eyebrow with doubtful expressions and some thought that it was some kind of a joke. They didn''t know that Seiji Sy was engaged to someone and they didn''t know that there was someone named Ayena Rule in the Rule family.


    Even so, they were still willing to go. Either it was a joke or not, they won''t really lose anything.


    Seiji already talked to his parents about the whole thing and they agreed to meet with Cayenne and y their part in this game of pretend. They knew that Seiji likes this woman so much but seeing how willing he was to help her and get her back to her husband, they were happy for him.


    They were happy that he didn''t be a selfish person because of a blind love. They were happy that he didn''t let this love ruin him.


    Everything was already set in motion. All that was needed was for the right time toe. Artemis and Seiji were just waiting for her signal and once she starts, everything will just fall into ces and ruin the prestigious Rule family. She warned Diana again and again, telling her before that she didn''t want to have anything with the Rule family. Now, that they have crossed the line already, it''s about time to crush them all.


    ''Wait for me hubby. I''ll be home soon.'' She mentally stated while looking outside her window.


    At this moment, Stefan was also looking outside the window of their room; staring into space while mentally hoping that his wife was around.? "I miss you, Ayen." He whispered wishing the wind to blow his words towards his wife. But it was just a hopeless wish he has.

 Chapter 518 - SHES ALWAYS ONE STEP AHEAD

    <h4>Chapter 518 - SHE''S ALWAYS ONE STEP AHEAD</h4>


    Cayenne wasn''t allowed to use any gadgets using the excuse that radiation will cause her more harm and that will also make her illness worse. As someone who "cares" about her illness, Nikko Rule told her toy low from using gadgets within a month. Once she''s married and fully recovered, she will be allowed to use.


    Of course, Cayenne didn''t need to think much of what was the real reason. For someone who was eyeing on the gains while thinking for any possible losses, Nikko Rule would make sure that she won''t remember anything about her past. He would make sure that she won''t find out the truth of her identity.


    As for the reason why she needed to wait for one month, it was because, Diana was still making a new ount that will be under Ayena Rule. You can say that they were putting so much thought in their ns, too bad, Cayenne knew already about all the possibilities and she was well prepared.


    She has anticipated what their next moves would be.


    The next day, since Cayenne couldn''t use "her" gadgets, which were obviously newly-bought by the Rule family for her, she asked Seiji toe over.


    After she ruined his phonest time, Seiji bought a new one already which was thetest model from iPhone. He wasn''t worried with his contact information or his important documents and notes in his old phone because he had it stored in his icloud.


    During this incident which involved Cayenne''s disappearance and suddenly making her marry him, Seiji left hispany in the hands of his cousin who was the Vice-President. Unlike other families who have internal disputes regarding who should money this business or that; Seiji''s family didn''t have that.


    His abilities were known when he was still young and they knew that their businesses will prosper if he''s the one manages it. There were some of the family members who still get jealous but they were disciplined properly by their grandparents. As long as their businesses remain prosperous, they wouldn''t do anything to Seiji.


    And as a young man in the family who was afraid of getting plotted, perhaps because he had seen so many dramas about family members plotting schemes against their rtives, Seiji treated everyone very kindly. He was very respectful to the elders and he was very good to his cousins. If there were any big projects, he would always make sure that all the family members who''s working in thepany will be able to get a share of that project. He''s very good at dealing with them


    "Yenyen." Seiji greeted her happily when he arrived to the Rule mansion. "I miss you so much."


    "We just met yesterday." Cayenne retorted but still held the sweetest smile she could muster.


    "I miss you every second of the day."


    "Geez!" Cayenne pushed him a little with faint chuckles. "Stop saying sweet nonsense." She pulled him to the living room and sat on the couch. "Did you buy these cakes for me?"? She inquired after seeing the small boxes inside a paper bag. She knew they were desserts just by smelling them.


    Seiji ruffled her hair and grinned from ear to ear. "My mom made them for you. You always say that you like her cakes so, she made some this morning so I could bring them here."


    "Really?! Auntie is really sweet." Cayennemented while pulling out the boxes. After seeing so many cakes of different vors, she happily clung to his arms and smiled. "Say my thanks to auntieter."


    "Why don''t youe over?"


    "Hmp! Grandpa didn''t want me to go out." She stated as she crossed her arms over his chest and pouted her lips. "I wanted to see you but I can only make youe here. How about you ask permission from my gramps?"


    "That''s fine. I''ll talk to him when hees down for lunch."


    "Yay! You''re the best." Cayenne leaned over and "kissed" his cheek. To other people''s view, with her quick actions, many people would think that she really kissed him but only Seiji and Cayenne knew that she only kissed the air. She wouldn''t dare kiss someone knowing how jealous her husband would be if he finds out. "I want to borrow your phone." Cayenne whispered when she was "kissing" him and smiled cheerfully when she sat back on her seat beside him.


    Seiji knew what she would be doing and to make sure that no one would suspect them, specially that there were many guards watching them, Seiji had to take the initiative to let her use his phone.


    "By the way, I found this amazing video yesterday. It was a wedding reception and I thought you might want something like this." Seiji pulled out his phone while speaking and looked for a wedding reception video from his YT ount. "Give me a sec." he scrolled it down and looked at her. "Do you want to contact Stefan?" he whispered.


    "Yup." She answered almost instantly. "I think that''s better." She said while pointing on his phone screen. "I like this one, too."


    "Alright. You can choose yourself." He handed the phone and let her do what she wanted while he was on the look-out. "Don''t call him or send him a message with my number. Diana tapped on my phone." he whispered through his teeth while putting his arm over her shoulder.


    In the eyes of the guards, this couple was just acting sweet and lovey-dover. No one knows that behind these actions were the sharp and ruthless ns to ruin the whole family.


    Cayenne didn''t log in to her own ount, worried that someone was monitoring her ount activity. Instead, she used one of Kyle''s ount to contact Stefan. You may think it''s inappropriate for her to have ess on her brothers'' ounts, right? In truth, she didn''t really ask for those usernames and passwords. It was just given to her when she didn''t have her own ount. And she didn''t think she could still ess it.


    "God is really on our side." Cayenne mentioned as she searched for Stefan''s name. The ount she''s using wasn''t a friend of Stefan since it wasn''t really the ount that Kyle uses every day. Even so, it was easy for Stefan to notice this person. Why?


    Well, Cayenne spammed his ount by liking lots of his posts and leftments as well. There''s no way he''d miss the hundreds of notifications in just a few minutes.

 Chapter 519 - A SLEEPING DRAGON

    <h4>Chapter 519 - A SLEEPING DRAGON</h4>


    Stefan has a deep frown on his face when he received the notification alert of his social media ount. He usually receives a lot of notifications but it was the first time that he received so many notifications from one person. And that ount was even owned by his brother-inw.


    "Is his ountpromised?" Stefan thought while opening one of the posts which Kyle''s ount left ament. "Huh?" he raised one of his eyebrows and deleted it.


    He opened anotherment and this time, he pondered if he was guessing it right. "Is she contacting me throughments?" Stefan asked himself. He wasn''t really sure because in everyment ced on his post, there was only one word which was ''hubby''. And Stefan has received these kinds ofments several times.


    He clicked the name that says Kyle Ardolf and sent a message after several minutes of hesitation. "Wifey, what was the color of the tulip flowers that I gave you before?" Stefan sent this question which would help him recognize if this person was really Cayenne.


    In Rule family''s mansion, Cayenne was eating some cake with Seiji. Even though she was eating, she kept checking Kyle''s ount to see if there''s any reaction from Stefan.


    "Do you like this flower or this?" Seiji asked while pointing on his phone but there were no flowers on the screen at all.


    "I want to walk with lots of tulips around me. A sea of tulip flowers. I love this flower so much." Cayenne answered. This wasn''t part of her acting. She really likes this flower and Stefan gave her lots of them whenever he can. "I miss my husband." Cayenne muttered under her breath which was only enough for Seiji to hear.


    "Don''t worry. Everything will be fine."


    She was about to eat another piece of cake when she received a message notification from Stefan. Her eyes lit up and she instantly checked what he sent. "Huh?" she furrowed her brows while reading the message she received from him. "Why are you asking me about the color? Did you even water it properly? Or are you asking me because it died and you wanted to rece it?"


    Stefan chuckled upon receiving this response because it really sounds like his wife. He knew that Cayenne loves tulips and he always tried his best to give her different color whenever he can. The ones at home were pink, yellow and red. He had to call someone overseas to secure him a pot of these flowers just to give his wife a surprise.


    "There''s no way I''d let them die." Stefan sent and smiled. "I thought Kyle''s ount was hacked. How did you get this information? Did you contact him?" Stefan added and sent.


    "Nope. I''ve had this ount for several years now. I didn''t know that he didn''t change his password."


    "Are you doing okay there?"


    "Hn. Seiji and Artemis are helping me all the time. Although we are being closely monitored, as long as I don''t do anything suspicious, they wouldn''t do anything to me." As soon as she sent her message, sheposed another message. "Can you ask Tristan to block anyone from hacking Seiji''s phone? This phone I''m using is his but he thinks Diana has tapped on his device."


    "So, Diana can hack as well?"


    "Hm. She can."


    "Wait a minute." Stefan stood up and walked out of his office to find Tristan who was monitoring Cayenne. "I''m chatting Cayenne now."


    "Oh? No wonder she had been fiddling with the phone in her hand but I couldn''t see what she was doing because Seiji''s blocking with the camera."


    "I see. She''s asking me if you could block other hackers from hacking Seiji''s phone. She said that Diana can hack devices, too, just like you."


    "That''s an easy request." Tristan borrowed Stefan''s phone and connected it to hisputers. Not long after dialogue boxes in his screen and he typed these random letters, number and symbols again. "How long will she be staying in the Rule family? I have gathered enough evidences against them already. Anytime, we canunch an attack and have them pay for what they did to your wife."


    "It should be less than a month now. If I guess it correctly, we''ll do it during her supposed wedding."


    "She''s really going to continue that wedding?"


    "Yup. She wanted it to be the grandest wedding that the Rule family pays for and she''ll ruin it as well."


    Tristan looked at the woman in the lower side of his screen and sighed. He remembered how bubbly thedy boss was. In his mind, Cayenne has always been kind, cheerful, helpful and smart. He didn''t remember her being ruthless and cruel. If someone should be described as ruthless or cruel, it should be Stefan who defeated a lot of business rivals.


    "It''s done. She didn''t have to worry about someone hacking Seiji''s phone. You can continue to contact her now." Tristan returned the phone to Stefan and went back to work.


    Cayenne waited for several minutes but there was no response from Stefan yet aside from thatst message which he told her to wait.


    "We will be having lunch and the old man will be here in a moment. I''ll return the phone to Seiji now. I''ll contact you again when I get the right time. Take care always and make sure to eat your meals. Take care of our family while I''m not around. I love you, hubby."


    "I love you, too, Ayen. I''ll wait for you toe home."


    Even though Stefan said he''ll wait, he''ll surely go and fetch her. He had been missing her for over a month now. If not for her ns to ruin the Rule family, he would have gone to get herst week. He pulled open his drawer and lifted the small red velvet box which contained their wedding rings. "Ayen, I''m almost done with the preparation for our wedding. I hope nothing bad will happen again."


    He didn''t know that at this point, Natsu has more leverage than him. He was supposed to spend two weeks of vacation in Country C but he identally saw Cayenne getting off from a yacht while he was getting on one to enjoy the ocean. And instead of having a vacation, he decided to resume his ns.


    If he knew that there will be a storm sweeping Country C in few weeks, he would, for sure, stop trying to get his hands on Cayenne. ''Don''t wake the sleeping dragon.'' He would soon understand what this quotation means.

 Chapter 520 - SHES THE MASTERMIND

    <h4>Chapter 520 - SHE''S THE MASTERMIND</h4>


    During lunch, Diana looked towards Cayenne but she didn''t say anything else. Nikko Rule talked about the uing meeting and nothing else. He didn''t even ask for Cayenne''s opinion regarding ''her'' own wedding. Seiji acted like he cared and expressed his opinions on the matter of his wedding,


    Artemis was only stealing nces from everyone but just like her sister, she didn''t make anyment regarding the wedding. However, she talked to Cayenne about other things as if they were really close.


    "Grandpa, can I bring Cayenne home? My mother wanted to see her again before the wedding. I''ll bring her home tomorrow morning."


    Not just Cayenne, but almost everyone was holding their breath, waiting for Nikko Rule''s answer. They have different reasons why they were eager to know the answer.


    "Grandpa, why don''t you allow Yena to visit her inws? They must have been worried after what happened?" Diana stated without looking towards Cayenne. She was only looking at the old man who was sitting imposingly at the end of the table.


    Nikko took a deep breath and sighed. There was obvious reluctance on his face but he still agreed anyway. "I''ll allow you to go and visit your inws. However, you have toe home tomorrow and make sure to call us in order for us to know that you are doing well. I don''t want you to have a rpse."


    "Yes grandpa." Cayenne agreed.


    "Thank you, grandpa." Seiji also expressed his gratitude with a smile on his face. He nced towards Diana who was eating happily but he didn''t stare at her for a long time. He was wondering why she helped them but he also dismissed this mind-boggling incident as soon as it urred in his mind.


    After lunch, Cayenne went back to her room with Diana following her. Thetter used the excuse of helping her pack which was why she was following closely behind her. Seiji stayed in the living room to talk with the old man and Artemis, pretending that they were all having a good rtionship.


    As soon as Diana got inside Cayenne''s room, she looked outside ¨C from left to right, making sure that no one has followed them secretly. She closed the door of the room and quickly approached Cayenne. "I don''t care what will happen to that old man. All of us inside this house are his chess pawns. If you can''t do deal with him before or on your wedding day, I won''t be able to help you anymore."


    "I know. Don''t worry, everything''s moving ording to n." Cayenne responded while looking for a bag where she could ce some extra clothes. "I have asked my husband to block you from Seiji''s phone in that way, our y would look realistic. As for your parents, I''ll ask someone to help you look for them."


    "If you didn''t tell me what really happened to your mom, I would probably remain blind for the rest of my life. I would be his willing pawn if you hadn''t informed me of what happened to Aunt Amethyst."


    "I can''t really me you. You grew up with him after all. It''s really hard to believe that someone so close to you has been deceiving you all this time."


    Diana sat on Cayenne''s bed and rubbed her face with both her hands. On the day that she met with Cayenne and asked for her number, Cayenne told her about the incident which caused her to hate the Rule family that much. Since Cayenne uncovered this information, she also believed that she would know the truth.


    And what she found brought chills down her spine. She couldn''t believe it. She didn''t want to believe it. And then, she realized the sudden disappearance of her parents.


    "I''m sorry I had to drag you in this internal dispute and crime schemes." Diana muttered in apology.


    "Don''t worry. If not for your warning, I wouldn''t be able to take precautions." Cayenne stated with a faint smile on her lips. If it was before, there''s no doubt that she''d re at the woman in front of her and probably throw daggers at her. However, during the time that she was abducted, Cayenne was still able to catch a glimpse of the message that Diana sent. She didn''t get to read it clearly because she stepped on it but she read something with ''kidnapping'', ''grandpa'', ''now'' and ''you.'' Putting these words together, she concluded that the men who were trying to abduct her were sent by Nikko Rule. Since he was relentless and won''t give up in getting her back. Cayenne yed along which brought her to where she was now. "It''s thanks to you that I am still fine now." Cayenne added as she carried the bag which contains some of her personal belonging and walked towards the door. "Let''s go and continue this y."


    "Sure."


    The two of them came out and Cayenne walked towards Seiji directly. He took her bag from her and they bid farewell to the whole family.


    As soon as the ''couple'' left, Nikko turned towards Diana. "Follow them and closely monitor the two of them."


    "Yes, grandpa." Diana followed the two people as per order but there was a smirk on her lips. She''s selfish and she thinks of nothing but personal gain but, so what? As long as she can obtain the things she wants, she wouldn''t hesitate to disobey her grandfather. She wasn''t feeling guilty by doing so as well. Compared to her, Nikko Rule was far more of a beast or a cold-blooded demon. He could even kill his own children, people who came from his own flesh and blood.


    Seiji noticed Diana following them and Cayenne looked back as well. There''s no need to follow them secretly. All four people were just making a y to fool the old man.


    The master mind behind all this was none other than Cayenne. Many people think she''s kind andpassionate but at this point, you couldn''t find traces of those traits. Right now, she''s ruthless.


    Seiji trusted Artemis since they have known each other for quite sometime due to family rtionships. Cayenne trusted Artemis to help them because Seiji trusted her. At the same time, she trusted Diana because of theirmon goal which was to cut ties with the Rule family.


    Diana didn''t want Cayenne to join their family. Cayenne didn''t want to join their family. If they work together, isn''t it a win-win situation? Thus, Cayenne knew that Diana won''t betray her even if they were enemies.


    Seiji and Cayenne arrived at the vi where his parents currently stayed. Because of the wedding that they needed to y, the Sy family has to fly from Singapore to country C in order to join hands with the Rule family for preparation. However, since Seiji''s grandfather was still a little bit weak, Seiji told them not to leave the house and that Cayenne will just visit them.


    If this wedding was real and if Cayenne was really in love with Seiji, his whole family would be very happy. Ever since he was in high school and identally met Cayenne during a field trip which happens in City A, Seiji has been very clear to his goal. One day, he would marry her and make her the most beautiful bride in the whole world. He didn''t know why but he just thought to himself that Cayenne was the one for him.


    So, he worked so hard just to transfer to her school and make sure to be friend her. He was upset that there was an annoying man names Arthur who always stuck himself close to her but since Cayenne considered him as an important friend, he didn''t mind the annoying monkey anymore.


    "Good afternoon, auntie." Cayenne greeted Seiji''s mother. "I hope I am not disturbing you this time."


    "No, not at all. We''re d that you can make it here. How are you?"


    "I''m good. Thank you for asking." Cayenne smiled shyly. Even though she can be considered close to Seiji, it was the first time that Cayenne really met his parents. She was a bit embarrassed and guilty for getting them involved in this scheme that she has n for Nikko Rule.


    "You don''t have to be so tense around us. We have heard so much about you from Seiji."


    Seiji looked at his mother with wide eyes, ring at her, warning her not to say anything embarrassing. After all, he said so many things to his mother before. Since Seiji is a guy, many of must have thought that he would be close to his father but it was actually the opposite. Seiji was very close to his mother and he shared so many things about Cayenne before. If his mother would be given the chance to narrate what she knew, one week won''t be enough to recall all those memories.


    "Come to think of it. This isn''t actually the first time that we met." Seiji''s mommented. "I saw you in City A before but I think you didn''t remember that now."

 Chapter 521 - SEIJI: HIS UNTOLD STORY I

    <h4>Chapter 521 - SEIJI: HIS UNTOLD STORY I</h4>


    Ten years ago, Seiji went to City A along with his other ssmates for a field trip. It was an overseas field trip only rich people could afford. Apparently, he studied in an international school when he was in middle school. At that time, their teachers wanted them to learn about cultural differences and the choice of city that the parents chose for their children to explore was City A.


    Seiji was one of the most excited students at that time. His father was busy managing their business after his grandfather retired from the business world. His mother has to help his father as well so, in the end, his grandpa apanied Seiji during the field trip.


    You can say that Seiji was spoiled by his grandfather very much but he wasn''t a willful and disobedient child. He was sensible and he would always weigh things down if it''s part of what he needs or what he wants.


    He would always listen to his parents and his grandfather.


    However, on the day of the field trip, he found a reason to disobey his parents for once. At that time, Cayenne was walking to school with a test paper on her other hand and a young boy on her other hand. The child at that time was Luiz. Since Cayenne was busy reviewing the test papers that she got from her teachers, Luiz was guiding her to make sure that she won''t bump into someone else. She looked so pretty when she was serious and she was actually paying attention to what her brother was doing.


    As they walked, they passed by a street vendor who sells candies and choctes. It was just a light pull from Luiz but Cayenne stopped walking and looked at her younger brother.


    Since Seiji was quite some distance away from them, he couldn''t hear what they were talking about but based on his observation, she must have been asking what her brother wants. Cayenne bought to pieces of candies and gave it to her brother. She said something again and her brother appeared to be worried and scared.


    Perhaps they were scared that their parents would find out that they ate candies so, instead of going to school, they sat on the flower box that the government ce on the roadside. Her brother ate the candies happily and after that, they left.


    "What are you looking at?" Grandpa Sy asked while looking around to see what his grandson was looking at. But because Cayenne left already with her brother, he didn''t see what caught the interest of his grandchild.


    "Grandpa, can we look around the city and check their schools?" Seiji asked his grandfather, looking at him with hopeful eyes like a puppy looking pitifully at his master. "Please?" he even sped his hands together as if praying for agreement.


    "I don''t think we can explore their school." His grandpa stated. "Today is Friday and we promised your parents that we wille home right after the field trip. Aside from that, if we chose to stay over the weekend, schools are close by that time."


    "Then, how about we visit the school right after the field trip ends. And we can go home after that." Seiji retorted just so he could find out which school did Cayenne goes to. "We won''t need to look from different ces. We can just look at the schools around here."


    "Well, I don''t mind that." Grandpa Sy answered without knowing the real cause as to why he wanted to look around the schools in City A.


    Their teacher called for everyone''s attention after breakfast and she informed them of what the students should look into and observe the surroundings and the people properly. Seiji has always been smart so when the task was given to them, he was very diligent and made sure to work on them properly. He didn''t ask help from his grandpa and just worked like everyone else.


    Seijie observed that people in City A likes to interact with other people even if they''re strangers meeting in the street. Someone even greeted them good morning even though they didn''t know the person. As they continued to walk, he found that there was a different way to greet old people.


    Usually, whenever hees home from school or whichever ce he went to, as soon as he sees his grandfather, he would only greet him happily, hug him and hand him some souvenirs.


    In City A, what Seiji observed was that, young ones like him will greet their elders by asking for the elder''s hand and then, the younger person will press his or her forehead on the back of the elder''s hand. The reason behind this gesture is to show that you are respectful to them.


    Among everyone, Seiji was the first student to finish the activity and he was even ready to write down his report paper. It was almost lunch when he finished the activity so, he went to his teacher with his grandfather following behind him.


    "Teacher, I''d like to submit my activity now. Since I finish the activity before everyone else, can I go somewhere with my grandfather?"


    "Oh! Okay. Make sure to keep yourself and don''t cause trouble." The teacher said while receiving his activity sheet. "Make sure to write your report paper and submit it on Monday."


    "Yes teacher."


    "Thank you for your guidance." Grandpa Sy told the teacher before leaving to have lunch on their own and finally visit the school around City A.


    Earlier, while they went to different ces which his teacher marked, Seiji was observing many people. Well, not really the people but the clothes that they were wearing. He was checking if he could see someone with the same uniform as Cayenne, probably ateer or someone who skipped a ss but there was none.


    Seiji and his grandpa dressed ordinarily to blend in with the other people. Since it wasn''t their territory, it would be better if they won''t draw any attention. Although many people still looked at him because he was really handsome.


    When they were eating lunch, Seiji borrowed a pen and paper from the waitress and drew something on the white sheet. "Pretty sister, do you know where I can find a school with this uniform?" Seiji handed the sheet which shows a drawing of a female uniform. "It should be around her but I couldn''t really find it."


    "AH! This is St. Monica Middle School. It''s a semi-private school. It''s indeed around here. Are you nning to go there?"


    "Yes. I want to visit this school."


    "I see. If you don''t mind, I can show you the way around one in the afternoon. I will be having a fifteen-minute break and I think it''s more than enough to get there."


    "Thank you, pretty sister." Seiji smiled sweetly and the waitress also smiled towards him before excusing herself.


    "So, you were specifically looking for this school?" Grandpa Sy asked his grandson as he ced his cutleries on the side of his te. "Have you been aiming for this school since earlier?"


    "Yes, grandpa."


    "Why?"


    "Because my future wife is there."


    For the very first time in his life, Seiji received a hard knock on his head from his ever-loving grandfather.

 Chapter 522 - SEIJI: HIS UNTOLD STORY II

    <h4>Chapter 522 - SEIJI: HIS UNTOLD STORY II</h4>


    As promised, the waitress became their tour guide and helped them get to St. Monica Middle School. Just like she said, it wasn''t very far but because there were so many buildings around it, Seiji had a hard time to find this school. It wasn''t a very big school but it was decent and the students were really discipline unlike his school where students have more power against the teachers because money.


    Taking time off just to help them, Grandpa Sy thanked the woman and gave her a tip which was actually equivalent to her three days of work. At first, she refused it and she was going back and forth with Grandpa Sy. Seeing that they weren''t done yet, Seiji took the money and thanked her sincerely before cing the money in her hand.


    The waitress left them in front of the school and Seiji, along with his grandpa, walked towards the gate to see the attending guard. "Excuse me?"


    "Yes? How can I help you?" the guards questioned right after opening the school gate. He let them in and ushered them to the guard house first as per protocol. "Do you have any business to do here?"


    Grandpa Sy didn''t know what his grandson was up to so, he let them say whatever he wanted to say as long as his words didn''t hurt anyone..


    "How do I get to enter this school and study here?" Seiji asked which raised his grandpa''s eyebrow. "I want to transfer to this school."


    The guard looked at him up and down but it wasn''t in a rude way, instead, he looked curious as to why a handsome man like him, who looked rich, would like to transfer to their school which was pretty average."


    "I am not sure if you can still transfer in the middle of the school year but I''ll go and ask the principal. Can you wait a moment?"


    "Sure." Seiji held his grandpa''s hand and led him to the vacant wooden bench and sat there while waiting for the guard''s information.


    The guard didn''t leave his post and just called the principal through thendline phone. He listened carefully to what the other end was saying while taking nces towards Seiji and his grandpa. "Alright, sir. I''ll go inform them." He ended the call and went over to Seiji and Grandpa Sy. "The principal says that the transfer duration has passed already but if you really want to join this school, you can enroll next year. You don''t need to take any entrance exam since we don''t conduct that here."


    Seiji frowned and looked at his grandfather. There was obvious discontent showing on his face and grandpa Sy could tell that Seiji will most-likely be down and disappointed once they go home. "Can I talk to your principal instead? Is that alright?" Grandpa Sy asked.


    He didn''t expect that he''d be using his identity just to make a transfer deal for his grandson.


    The guard dialed the principal''s office number and informed him that the visitor wanted to talk directly to him. The principal was very kind and just epted the call without any hint of annoyance.


    "Can we talk in your office? This is Mr. Simon Sy from Singapore."


    The principal was shock from hearing that name and his heart even faltered in its beat. Who would think that someone so known in business world woulde to their school? It took him several minutes to bring himself back to earth from the empty space called shock.


    Grandpa Sy had to bribe the principal just to make sure that he will allow Seiji to transfer to that school. Bribing teachers or headmasters happens a lot of times but this bribing that happened between Grandpa Sy and the principal was a little bit surprising. The principal didn''t ept the money from grandpa Sy, instead he asked if they could donate someputers or books for the school.


    Grandpa Sy likes the attitude of the principal. Even though he was bribed, he didn''t think of personal gain alone. He was thinking for all the students who are studying and will be studying in their school.


    And because his grandson really likes to see that future wife of his, grandpa Sy, agreed. Transferring his grandson to the school he likes cost him ten desktopputers and ten cartoons of different books. Not only was Seiji allowed to transfer, he was even allowed to choose the ss that he wanted to join.


    This sudden transfer of school decision shocked his parents to the core. They thought that Seiji must have been bullied in his school which was why he wanted to leave. They were so worried for him but when the exnation came from his grandpa, the shock vanished and it was reced with disbelief.


    "Son, we won''t arrange a marriage for you so, you don''t have to look for a wife in a hurry." Seiji''s father stated while looking at his son.


    "If I won''t look for her now, someone might snatch herter."


    "Sweetheart, that girl might like someone else. Why would you have to do all this?"


    "No mom. I will make her like me. I will befriend her first and I will curt herter on."


    "Look, rtionship isn''t a simple game. You need to ¨C"


    "Dad, I know. I have read so many things in all my years of living. Don''t worry. No matter what you say, I won''t change my mind. I must transfer to that school and study there with her."


    "Where''s my obedient son? Return him to me. Why are you being willful now?" His father retorted as he put his hands on his son''s shoulders and shook him.


    "Obedient? What''s that? Is that edible?" Seiji responded with mirth in his eyes. "I was never obedient. I just knew what''s good and what''s bad for me. And this time, I know that transferring school will be good for me."


    Left with no other choice, the whole family allowed this young man to transfer school. To his cousins, it was a relief because they wouldn''t bepared to him anymore. To his parents, it was devastating. As for his grandfather, he will always be contented and happy as long as he''s beside him


    One weekter, Seiji''s grandpa settled everything for him and was finally able to transfer him. As for which ss, Seiji believed that it was destiny working its way for him to find her easily because she happens to be in the same year as him. Thus, he joined her ss and tried befriending her on his very first day.


    Cayenne was very quiet during ss but she paid extra attention to their teacher''s words and made sure to keep notes of every topic that the teacher would discuss. He wasn''t annoyed that she didn''t like talking much. What annoyed him was that, a certain monkey named Arthur likes to stick closely to Cayenne. Wherever she goes, he''d be following her like a dog.


    "Yenyen, do you want to eat lunch with me?" Seiji asked while holding his lunchbox that his grandpa carefully prepared in the morning.


    Cayenne looked at him and smiled but she was shaking her head. "I won''t be eating lunch today. I have other things to do."


    "Yenyen doesn''t need you to apany her." Arthur alsomented on the side which made Seiji hate him even more.


    "I''m not talking to you." Seiji blurted out and left to eat his food alone.


    Cayenne watched him walk away and return to his seat to eat lunch. "I''ll eat next time with you." Cayenne mumbled which made Seiji turned his head to look at her. "When I feel like eating lunch, I''ll eat with you."


    Later on, Seiji found that Cayenne didn''t skip meals because she wanted to. It''s just that, they didn''t have much at home to cook for lunch. And so, he decided to bring and extra lunch for her. ''I''ll take it as raising my future wife.''

 Chapter 523 - SEIJI: HIS UNTOLD STORY III

    <h4>Chapter 523 - SEIJI: HIS UNTOLD STORY III</h4>


    "You brought me food again?" Cayenne asked one time when Seiji invited her for lunch. It''s been three weeks since he started to bring food for her. Even when Cayenne has her own food, he would still ask her to eat the food that he and his grandpa has prepared for both of them.


    Before, he didn''t bother thinking about learning how to cook. Why bother when they have so many chefs at home and his grandpa would always supervise every food he eats? But then, Cayenne came and he thought of taking cooking lesson from his grandpa. He wanted her to eat the food that he prepares specially for her.


    Arthur also looked toward Seiji who was holding a huge bento with four foodyers. Two of which contained rice and some dried food while the other contained some side dishes and desserts.


    "You always eat unhealthy food and grandpa says that it''s not good for one''s health. Also, I prepared some of the food this morning so, I guarantee that they''re clean and healthy." Seiji responded while rubbing the back of his neck. He felt a bit awkward specially that some of their ssmates were looking at them..


    "That''s not even my problem." Cayenne answered with a deep sigh. "Why do you have to bring me food? I can manage to cook my own food and bring it for lunch. I don''t need your donation."


    "Huh? I am not donating this food and I not pitying you. In fact, I am very amazed that you are so resourceful and flexible when ites to different things. I am doing this because I don''t want your attention to be divided. If you eat more food, you will have more energy to continue studying and do our activities."


    Cayenne didn''t have anything more to refute and besides, Seiji wasn''t really doing anything bad. It''s obvious that he wanted to make friend with her among everyone else but at the same time, it felt wrong to be taking food from him when she didn''t have anything in return.


    "Alright. I''ll eat with you. If ever you need help in the future, just let me know. As long as it is within my ability and knowledge, I''ll make sure to help you."


    "Okay." Seiji epted her offer happily and the two of them sat down to start devouring thest that he brought.


    Arthur was envious that Seiji could do something like that but he, on the other hand, couldn''t even bring her food because his mom would always know it and he will receive an earful of scolding.


    Because of this, Seiji and Cayenne got even closer and Arthur found himself drifting a little apart from her. Then, Arthur did something to win Cayenne back. He started helping her brothers with their lessons. Seiji was smart. If truth be told, he''s smarter than Arthur but Arthur came first every year.


    Arthur likes to show to the ss that he was the smartest and that makes their ssmates less envious of Cayenne because someone could surpass her grade. He didn''t want more people to pay attention to Cayenne. At the same time, Seiji has a different reason why he would alwayse as third in ss.


    Cayenne needed to stay in the top three of her ss to secure the schrship that she wanted to apply for senior high school. She depended on the schrship to continue studying. Therefore, Seiji taught her whatever he could and at the same time, make careless mistakes here and there.


    And so, every year, Arthures first followed by Cayenne and then, Seiji woulde third. He wasn''t the least bit disappointed because he knew that he''s helping Cayenne achieve the things she likes.


    In front of Cayenne, he got along so well with Arthur but once Cayenne turns her back on them, they would show their sharp ws and cold stares, baring their fangs against each other.


    By the time they became seniors, a woman transferred to their school. Her name was Marian. Since she also experienced poverty, she understood Cayenne so much and became friends with her. The four of them became so close together.


    "Yenyen, it''s almost your birthday. Do you have anything you wish to do?" Seiji asked her one time. In a month, Cayenne would turn 17 years old and he wanted to do something special for her.


    "I don''t have any ns and I don''t have anything I really want to do. Perhaps, I''d stay at home and just spend time with my family."


    "I see but your birthday falls on a weekday. We have a ss on that day." Marianmented on the side. The four of them were eating snacks while talking about her birthday.


    "Then, I''ll just go to ss."


    Except Cayenne, the trio were looking at each other. They wanted to do something for her but even though they have the same mind, only Marian thought of cooperating with them. Seiji wants to do something for Cayenne. Arthur wanted to do something for Cayenne. Marian wanted to help these two men to do something for Cayenne.


    ''Sigh. They were verypetitive against each other and Cayenne didn''t even notice it because she was so busy thinking of ways to help her family.


    During his time studying in St. Monica Middle School, Seiji talked about Cayenne all the time to his family. He would call his mother over the weekend and tell her how amazing Cayenne was in answering mathematics or how beautiful her voice was when she sang during their school festival.


    His parents didn''t need to ask him to know how in love their son was. Before going to school, he''d be thinking about her. And when hees home from school, he''d be talking about her. You could say that 95% of his brain was upied with Cayenne while the remaining 5% was shared between his family and business responsibility.


    You have read it correctly. As early as high school, Seiji was already learning how to manage thepany under his grandfather''s guidance. Whenever hees home at night, after talking to his grandpa of what he has done for the day with Cayenne, he''d be spending his time working from nine in the evening to eleven.


    Cayenne, Arthur or anyone from his ss didn''t know this. They didn''t even know that Seiji came from a wealthy family. Thest name Sy was verymon and they never associated him to the prominent Sy family who was known in Singapore. After all, they never really met his family.

 Chapter 524 - SEIJI: HIS UNTOLD STORY IV

    <h4>Chapter 524 - SEIJI: HIS UNTOLD STORY IV</h4>


    On Cayenne''s 17th birthday, Seiji booked a whole dessert caf¨¦ for her. It was at that time that that her three friends found out that he was actually rich. He knew that Cayenne likes sweets but she didn''t get to eat much because she was poor. Therefore, he was nning to spoil his future wife.


    He asked the caf¨¦ manager to design the whole caf¨¦ with pink-violet motif. He also bought a huge bouquet of tulip flowers. Cayenne didn''t like essories or jewelries but she likes to create memories with her friends. And instead of intimidating her with his riches, Seiji chose to make her birthday memorable by just simply eating out and giving her a small customized gift.


    Seiji invited the whole ss as well.


    When Arthur found out what Seiji has prepared for Cayenne, he was really angry.


    "Ha! You can do it right now but once I''m out of my mother''s surveince, I will make sure to keep up with Cayenne and make sure you won''t be able to manipte her.."


    "I am not manipting her. I am just free to do whatever I love doing because my family supports me." Seiji responded. "Perhaps, when you get out of your mother''s surveince and monitoring, she''d be married to me already."


    "In your dream! Don''t you know, Cayenne never talks to her family about you. Her brothers didn''t even know who you are. But in my case, her family knows me well and I can even go to their house whenever I can."


    Seiji''s face darkened but he was the least bit discouraged. As long as he can confess to Cayenne first, he will be able to monopolize her and make her fall in love with him. He was confident that he''d be able to do it.


    Since Arthur cannot make a huge surprise for Cayenne, he only bought her gifts and treat her to some food during lunch. He couldn''t stay longer with her or his mother would find out and he''ll be scolded again.


    After ss, Arthur went home with his mother ring at him while Seiji cated him an obvious smirk as he led Cayenne and the rest of the ss to the Dessert Ind Caf¨¦.


    "Wow! This is really amazing!" one of their ssmatesmented as they got inside the caf¨¦.


    "Did you really prepare this for Cayenne? This is awesome."


    "Are you going to confess to her?" Marian whispered to Seiji while looking at Cayenne who was walking ahead of them.


    "Not now." Seiji whispered back.


    "You should hurry or someone will take her away from you."


    Suddenly, Cayenne spun around and looked back at them. There was joy and wonder reflecting on her face. She was really happy and her smile couldn''t be contained anymore. "Did you really prepare all this for me?"


    "Yup! Do you like it?"


    "Hn. I like it so much but ¨C" Everyone looked at her, wondering what was the problem. "But I think it''s too much. All these years that we''ve been together, the gifts I''ve given you were so cheap. I don''t think I deserve this."


    "Whether you deserve it or not is up to me. You are the first friend I got after transferring here so, this means a lot to me as well."


    "Then, thank you so much for all this.? Can I really eat any sweets I like?"


    "Of course. Help yourself." Seiji answered and as soon as Cayenne turned around, he took the bouquet of tulips from the waitress and Marian took the cake that he also designed for her. He couldn''t hold both of them so he needed help from his other friend.


    Cayenne was still busy looking at the desserts behind the disy case when suddenly, her ssmates started singing ''happy birthday'' to her.


    Cayenne was really happy to see many people celebrating her birthday but she also felt a bit sad that her family wasn''t around to celebrate it with her. Even so, she still smiled at them.


    "Happy birthday, Yenyen!" Seiji greeted her and handed the bouquet of flowers. "I remember you like tulips so I got them for you."


    "Thank you so much. I am really happy today."


    "Make a wish before you blow the candles." Marian stated and moved the cake closer to Cayenne. She closed her eyes, made a wish and blow it but it wouldn''t take so much time for her to know that her wish won''te true.


    It was the first time that Cayenne didn''t go home early. It was the first time that she didn''te home with her younger brothers. It was the first time that she gets to experience an expensive and wonderful birthday party and yet, she felt guilty about it.


    "Next time, I''d like to celebrate your birthday with your whole family. Do you mind me meeting them? I mean, we''ve been friends but I never really got the chance to meet them."


    "I''ll find time to introduce my family to you and Marian. I hope you''ll give me a bit of time."


    "Sure, sure." Seiji was willing to wait as long as she would willingly introduce him to her family.


    Not long after, Arthur''s mother found out that her son had been sneaking behind her back and still befriended Cayenne in school. She also knew that Arthur was teaching Cayenne''s brothers which was why hees homete sometimes when she''s not picking him up from school.


    Seiji didn''t really know what happened but Cayenne stopped hanging out with Arthur. Whenever Arthur invites her for lunch or to have snacks with him, she''d make any excuses she could think of. But whenever Seiji and Marian invited her for lunch or to have snacks together, she would go with them willingly.


    Problems didn''t stop there. When Cayenne told him that he cane home with her so that she can meet her family, Seiji also received a bad news from their helper. His grandpa had a heart attack and was sent to the hospital earlier that afternoon. His parents also came to City A to find him and take his grandfather back to country C.


    Even if Seiji likes Cayenne so much, he couldn''t just abandon his grandfather. It was his grandfather who supported him with everything he does. This time, it was his turn to do something for his grandpa.


    "Your father needs constant observation from the doctor. We cannot risk him here with you for the love of your life." Isab, Seiji''s mother stated over the call. "I''lle and get you after school."


    "Okay."


    That day, Cayenne met Seiji''s mother for the very first time. She looks so pretty and elegant. "You must be Cayenne. I am Isab, Seiji''s mother."


    "Hello, auntie. Nice to meet you."


    "Nice to meet you, too. I''ve been wanting to meet you for a long time but my son wouldn''t allow me toe here. He felt shy." Isab mentioned which made Seiji blush. ''Hon, I think our son will be taken away from us soon. He raised his future wife really well.'' Isab thought as if she was really talking to her husband. "I hope we could have met each other in different circumstances, not in this time where I am in a hurry."


    "Oh, it''s fine, auntie. We will probably see each other again. I am Seiji''s friend after all." Cayenne responded.


    "I''m looking forward to that."

 Chapter 525 - SEIJI: HIS UNTOLD STORY V

    <h4>Chapter 525 - SEIJI: HIS UNTOLD STORY V</h4>


    Cayenne thought that things were fine between her and Seiji but after that day, he never came back to school. They just heard from his teacher that he''d be taking a long break but will also take sses at home. It was considered as special privilege but when they found what was his real identity, no one reallyint to the school.


    Many women started to get jealous to Cayenne because she was very close to Seiji. They thought she knew a lot of things about her but when Cayenne thought about, she actually knew basic things only. She even only found what his real identity was when his mother came to pick him up at school.


    And because they were getting busier, and perhaps, because he was busy managing their family business under his father''s tutge this time and studying at the same time, Seiji had less time to think about Cayenne.


    When Cayenne turned 18, he sent her a gift but it was returned back to him because the recipient has moved out of the ce that she used to live. He also found out that Arthur left to study abroad and Marian moved to another city because of her father''s work. That''s when Seiji that Cayenne was left alone.


    He hired some private investigator under his father''s name and asked them to look for Cayenne Ardolf. When he finally learned the truth, his heart broke.


    Cayenne has stopped going to school. Her mother was sent to the hospital due to early signs of tuberculosis. Her father, the man that she never mentioned to him before, was currently in jail after he was used of killing someone. Cayenne was working from day in and day out. She took different kinds of jobs as long as they were descent and would pay her with the right amount that they owed her for a job well done.


    He tried paying the hospital fees but he found out that a mysterious person had been paying the hospital bill for Cayenne''s mother. Thinking that it must be a donation, Seiji didn''t think too much about it and just continued dealing with his own life.


    He thought that everything was going well. He thought that Cayenne would forever stay single unless they met again. He thought that he''d be able to confess to her once he takes the seat as the chairman, and make her live a life without worries. He was verycent. He was confident that nothing was more important to Cayenne now than earning money for her family.


    And then, he found out that she was getting really close with Stefan Dumrique, one of city A''s rich bachelor. From a very young age of 22, he made a name of his own by making a business without getting help from his family. And since he was known as the city''s richest yboy, he thought that Cayenne would never love this man. He thought that maybe, they were just friends. After all, Cayenne was working for him. He was known to be someone who doesn''t like getting entangled with his employees.


    But Seiji was bound to be disappointed.


    On the day of Christmas Eve, the most-awaited time that he had been preparing for has finally arrived. His father gave his chair to his son and formally announced him to be the next chairman to managed their businesses. But it was also the day that Seiji got his heart broken.


    He had been busy the past few days and when he finally had time to sit and rx on Christmas day, he saw Stefan''s post. Other people may not have the idea of who was Stefan''s girlfriend but Seiji knows. He knew her stature very well. He recognized the dimples on her cheeks when she really smiles genuinely and he recognized the mole on her right corbone. Even if Stefan didn''t really show her face clearly, Seiji knew that Cayenne had be someone''s girlfriend.


    "I need to go back to City A. I need to get her back." Seiji told his parents after the Christmas party was over.


    "Son, I know that you are worried but they''re just into boyfriend-girlfriend rtionship. You can still take her away when the timees but not now. The business needed you and you have to make adjustment. You have to work hard in order to make a good impression to the old goats in ourpany. And may I remind you that we are currently having internal dispute with the other branches of our family. If they find you like Cayenne, they would surely use her against you." His father stated to stop his son from leaving.


    Seiji thought about it several times and concluded that his father was right. Thepany was at its vulnerable moment because of the changed in management. He needed to work his way to win the trust of other people.


    And while working so hard, Cayenne and Stefan already registered their marriage. By the time, he found out it was already toote. Although she''s already married, Seiji didn''t want to give up. He thought of ways to divorce the two lovers.


    And to make matters worse, Nikko Rule came to visit them. Knowing that he''s got so many underground connection, he asked him for help. He told him that he''d coborate with them no matter what project the Rule family could think of as long as they could help him get Cayenne back.


    Who would have thought that his careless remark will brought them to where they are now? Seiji took a deep breath and sighed in front of his mother. He didn''t want to think much of his past anymore. He already regretted his decision of prioritizing the business instead of prioritizing her but he didn''t want to think that he made the wrong choice back then.


    "Mom, you can have a chat with Yenyen. I''ll just go upstairs to prepare her room." Seiji excused himself and walked to the second floor of the house.


    Cayenne looked her high school best friend and the man who always save her time and time again. "Auntie, you knew that Seiji likes me?"


    "Hn. In fact, you were the reason that he transferred to City A but you don''t have to think about it now. Everything has happened in the past and we''re just happy that you are safe and sound. He might be having a hard time moving on but I''m sure he will be able to do so."


    "I really hope he would. I don''t want him to be stuck in his feelings for me."


    "Honestly, when I heard about your rtionship with Mr. Dumrique, I felt so disappointed and sad as well. When you were still studying with Seiji, I heard so much about you and from his stories, I learned to like you as well. I was even thinking that it would be great if you would be our daughter-inw but maybe, you were not just destined to be together. Still, I felt sad for my son. I was sad that the future wife he carefully raised for several years was taken away by another guy."


    "Didn''t you feel angry?" Cayenne asked. "I mean, Seiji already had this thought in mind when he was young and at that time I was poor and had nothingpared to you. And then now, I suddenly got married to someone and yet, when I''m in a dire situation, it was still your son who came to save me."


    Isab smiled faintly while moving closer to Cayenne. "Actually, I yelled at him when I heard about your situation. As a mother, I don''t want my son to get involved in your affairs again. I know he will be hurt but, he cannot just sit and watch you being used by old Rule. He didn''t want you to get hurt. So, we can only choose to support him. Besides, he promised that he would look for a new girl as soon as you get back to your husband."


    Hearing these words, Cayenne''s guilt increased but even if given the chance, if she could choose to marry someone again between Seiji and Stefan, she would still choose Stefan. What she felt for Seiji was gratitude and overwhelming sense of gratitude. There''s nothing else. She cannot marry him just because she was grateful for him. It will not only ruin them but it''s unfair for Seiji. He deserves someone better.


    "Auntie, thank you so much for helping me. As long as I''m done with all this, I will certainly help Seiji move on."


    "Thank you, sweetheart."

 Chapter 526 - THE SHOW I

    <h4>Chapter 526 - THE SHOW I</h4>


    Now that she''s out of surveince, Cayenne borrowed Seiji''s phone and called her husband.


    Stefan was currently attending a meeting with the shareholders when suddenly, his phone rang. Seeing the familiar string of numbers, his heart leapt up and he waved his hand to stop the presenter for a while. "Let''s take a break. We''ll resume once I am back." He picked up his phone and answer it as he left the meeting room to get back to his office.


    "Hubby." Cayenne whispered on the other line when Stefan answered her call. "I miss you."


    "We just talked earlier." Stefan responded with faint chuckles. "But I also miss you.. Every second that you are away is the same number of seconds that I am missing you."


    "I''m sorry."


    "What are you apologizing for? It''s my fault for not taking care of you. It''s my fault for hiring incapable men to be your guards." Stefan replied while pushing the door to his office and he walked to the couch to sitfortably while talking to her.


    "No, it''s not. Also, your men weren''t incapable. We just didn''t expect that there were enemies lurking around the area and that they were looking for me specifically. Who would have thought? Almost every Saturday, I''d go to Justin''s ce but nothing happened. So, don''t me the bodyguards."


    "Alright. I won''t me anyone but myself. Anyway," Stefan shifted his legs and crossed it together. "Tristan told me that you and Seiji left the Rule mansion together. Where are you now?"


    "I am visiting his family in Country C."


    "He didn''t introduce you as his future wife, did her?"


    "Of course, not." Cayenneughed at her husband''s reply, knowing that he''s being jealous again. "His family knew about the situation. After this, you have topensate them for their losses, okay? I''m pretty sure that they''d lose some money because of my ns."


    "It''s fine. Canpensate him with whatever he wants."


    "Okay. Don''t you forget toe and pick me up on that day."


    Stefan and Cayenne talked for almost an hour while in the meeting room, the shareholders were looking at Elena with questioning gaze.


    "Please understand our boss. We all knew that he''s very busy looking for his wife, too. Anyone who calls his private number should be the investigators he hired. Let''s just wait a moment." Elena told them as she wiped the cold sweat forming on her forehead.


    "Is there any lead to where thedy boss is?" one of the shareholders asked.


    "Hn. There''s a lead already and sir Stefan is working so hard to chase on it."


    "That''s good to know. As long as she''s alive, we don''t have to worry that much. We''ll just have to worry if she''s gone." A female shareholder expressed her opinion in this matter.


    Last year, when Travis got into ident, Jillyanna took over thepany as the new acting CEO in behalf of her husband who was lying in the hospital,atose and unresponsive. On the first day that Jillyanna took over their business, what she did was to clean the empire of her husband. Many employees lost their jobs and many shareholders were exposed of their evil deeds. Anyone who contradicts her will end up in jail. That news really sent goosebumps to everyone.


    And when you think about it, Stefan was friend with Jillyanna and Travis. And not just that, their missingdy boss was very close to Cayenne. If at some point, theirdy boss will be found dead, the Madrigal couple won''t just sit idly about it. They would surely create a storm in the business world that will give everyone a nightmare for weeks or maybe months.


    Stefan has many enemies because there were many people who were jealous of him. Cayenne got enemies as well, probably because she was Stefan''s wife. If she''s caught up in the web made my Stefan''s rivals, three people will, for sure, retaliate indiscriminately. Wait, not just three, Reuben will surely dispose everyone who might have caused his daughter''s ill fate.


    Just imagining of what might happen in the future, the shareholders shivered and rubbed their arms to calm themselves.


    As soon as Stefan came back, he was serious once again. The meeting continued while Cayenne continued her ns as well.


    Days passed by quickly and soon, the most-awaited day has arrived. Stefan booked his flight along with Tristan and Elena. The other bodyguards havee as well to protect them. After what happened to Cayenne, Stefan invested to have more bodyguards. He asked Travis to look for some bodyguards for him no matter how expensive they are. Travis knew a lot of people which made it easier for him to hire these capable men. The old bodyguards that he hired weren''t fired but instead, they teamed up by four and guarded each family member.


    "I am excited to see their reaction." Tristanmented while putting his luggage inside thepartment over his head.


    "That old Rule will surely pay for what he did." Elena also stated. In the office, she seemed to have no knowledge of what was going on but in truth, Stefan and Tristan didn''t keep any secrets from her. The reason she acted like she has no knowledge about was to make sure that she won''t alert the enemies in case they''ve got spies in their turf.


    Since country C was Rule''s turf. Stefan didn''t dare contact their police department, afraid that someone working for the Rule family will tip them off. Instead, Travis asked Major General Calhoun to settle this matter since it also involves the welfare of the whole country.


    On the other hand, Cayenne was currently sitting on her chair while two people work on her make-up and her hair. Artemis was done with her make-up and her hairstyle so she asked someone to help her put on the dress.


    The wedding was prepared in a hurry which almost cost them 2 million but Nikko Rule didn''t mind. Once the Rule and Sy family be one, 2 million can be reced immediately, or so he thought.


    Cayenne''s wedding gown wasn''t very expensive but its style was gorgeous. Sadly, it will be one of the things that she will disposeter.


    "Are you nervous?" Artemis asked.


    "Nope."


    The two of them looked at the mirror and their eyes met. There was this tacit understanding that no one in the room noticed except for them.


    "Where''s Diana? Why isn''t she here yet?" Cayenne asked while closing her eyes for the make-up artist to work on her eyelid.


    "She''ll be here in a bit."


    The preparation continued and Seiji was already dressed up as well. "Grandpa, no matter what happenster, you don''t have to be afraid or nervous, okay? Everything is just an act."


    "I know. I know. I just wish that this is true." Simon Symented while thumping his cane on the floor. He had witnessed how much his grandson loves Cayenne. He witnessed the times he cut himself just to prepare lunch for her. He witnessed how he studied so hard but still make way for her to secure the schrship that she was working so hard for.


    In what aspect is his grandsoncking? In what aspect did he lose to Stefan? He is handsome. He cares for her. He did so many things for her. But why? Why didn''t he receive even a little bit of love from him?


    Sensing the displeasureing from Simon, Seiji smiled faintly. "Grandpa, you taught me that love shouldn''t be forced. If you love someone, you can love them as much as you want to but that doesn''t mean they are obliged to love you back."


    "But ¨C"


    "It''s alright grandpa. I''m alright. I know that Cayenne will be happier with Stefan. I want her to be happy, too. I don''t want to hurt her because of my selfishness."


    Simon just looked at his grandson and sigh. Fate can be cruel sometimes. Still everything happens for a reason and Seiji didn''t want to dwell on the past anymore.


    At 9:30 in the morning, the wedding venue was almost full. Cayenne told Seiji that she didn''t want a church wedding because she can only have it with Stefan. She didn''t want to have any bad memories rted to churches. So, they chose a beach wedding instead.


    If it was a real wedding, any bride would be happy to see the venue and the beautiful view. But she''s not just any other bride.


    "Is everything ready in your end?" Cayenne asked Diana and Artemis.


    "Yes. Once your husbandes, someone will deliver the sh drive to him. I already paid one of the waiters."


    "Good. After this day, once I get back to my husband, we will severe our ties. You don''t need to recognize me as a family in public. At the same time, you don''t need to tell your parents about my existence. Everything shall end here."


    "We understood. Thank you for helping us, Cayenne."


    "You''re helping me, too. It''s win-win situation for us."


    "Alright. It''s time to start the show." Artemis reached out her hand and held Cayenne. The three of them went out of the dressing room to meet with the organizer to start the ceremony soon.


    "I''m waiting for you." Cayenne muttered under her breath.


    "I''ming for you." Stefan whispered as soon as he boarded the car after getting out of the airport.

 Chapter 527 - THE SHOW II

    <h4>Chapter 527 - THE SHOW II</h4>


    The venue for the wedding was very close to Blue Garden Hotel where the reception will be held after the wedding ceremony. Guests have settled down already and many of them were business friends of the Rule family. Since this wedding will be the funniest joke in history, Cayenne didn''t want to drag the name of the Sy family to the mud. She told them not to invite so many people in their side.


    It was a beach wedding but the ce was surrounded with a sea of sun flowers. Cayenne likes tulips but Seiji knew that she wanted them to be in Stefan''s wedding instead of theirs. So, he decided to go for sunflowers whichplements the beautiful view of the sea and the bright sun.


    Even if it was sunny, it wasn''t very hot either. The wind was blowing continuously and there were palm trees blocking some of the sunlight.


    Seiji was standing in front of the altar, waiting for his bride toe. He wasn''t nervous like all other grooms would feel during their wedding. Instead, he was excited to see how Cayenne would deal with the Rule family.. As a businessman, Seiji should prioritize business profit over personal gains but when ites to Cayenne, he was willing to be her pawn just to make sure that she''d achieve her goal. That''s how he was in high school and that''s how he is until this very moment. He didn''t change at all.


    Even though the wedding was prepared in haste, Cayenne was still stunned to see how the preparation was done. You wouldn''t know that this wedding was a scam. She''s got bride''s maids. There were groom''s men. There were flower girls and pageboy. Cayenne didn''t know whose children are those or if they were paid by Nikko Rule to be part of this wedding.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, today we will witness the unification of the loving couple Mr. Seiji Sy and Ms. Ayena Rule. Let''s all wee their entourage."


    Cayenne looked around to see where that voice came from but she couldn''t find the source at all. Anyway, the entourage started walking down the aisle while she waited at the back. She just needed to wait for her turn.


    Meanwhile, Stefan has arrived together with his escorts and Major General Calhoun was few miles away from the venue as well. He used his power and authority to use three choppers in order to get there with his men. This may not be arge scale of event but they needed to prepare that no civilian shall be harm. He''d be dead if someone gets injured in this operation.


    As soon as he stepped inside the hotel, a man who was one of the waiters for the wedding reception, approached Stefan. "Excuse me sir. You must be Mr. Dumrique, right?"


    "Yes, it''s me."


    The waiter gave Stefan a sh drive and bowed his head. "One of the bride''s maids told me to give you this."


    "Thank you. May I know where the reception hall is?"


    "This way please." He showed them the way to the reception area and tended to them while he can. He maybe from country C but that didn''t mean he didn''t know some well-known people in social media. Earlier when he saw the bride, he thought his heart has jumped out of his chest. The bride was Cayenne and he knew her because he followed her ount and watched many videos or vlogs of her. He knew that she suddenly disappeared in the face of the earth and up until now, her husband was looking for her. As a good Samaritan, he wanted to call Stefan and told him where his wife is but, someone approached him and told him to give that small sh drive to Mr. Dumrique. At that moment, he knew that something bad will happen to the wedding.


    "Can you tend to my friends here a while? I''d be going to the wedding venue but I want them to stay here."


    "Sure, sir. Do you want me to show you the way to the wedding venue? I cane back right after leading you there."


    "Hn. That would be great." So, along with his bodyguards, Stefan went to the wedding venue with the waiter leading them. The venue wasn''t very far and when he arrived, his wife was already walking down the aisle towards another man. "Sigh. If I didn''t know that this is just a scam, I''d be very angry right now."


    The waiter turned to Stefan as if he discovered a secret but he didn''t say anything about it. "I''ll go and check on your friends now."


    "Thank you."


    Stefan watched the show until his wife was already in front of the altar, linking her arms with Seiji. The two of them looked happy but only few people knew the sinister intention behind their smiles.


    Three choppers flew over the venue and there were flowers falling from the sky. They thought that it was a wonderful sight but when the guests saw the flowers, they were stunned speechless. The flowers were ck roses. Everyone with their sane mind would know that it signifies death and mourning.


    When Nikko Rule saw these flowers, he felt an ill foreboding and was ready to flee from the ce. However, Cayenne and Seiji was still continuing their wedding as if nothing happened.


    The choppers flew over them once again and this time, there were many soldiers jumping off the flying machine using ropes. From the hotel, many soldiers came and several men in ck surrounded the venue immediately. If someone wanted to escape to the sea, it was also impossible. Twenty yachts were approaching the beach. These were the things that Reuben rented to get to his daughter.


    "Well. Well. Well." Stefan walked slowly to the venue while pping his hands. Every step he took was like a heavy boulder smashed on the guests'' chest. They were scared. They knew that the woman was married to someone but just to curry favor with the Rule family, they neglected that fact and went along his n. "Who is the devil who abducted my wife and married him to¡­to¡­" He looked at his wife and saw him ring at him. The insulting words he wanted to say were forced down back in his throat. "¡­to her best friend?"


    "I didn''t know all about this." One of the guestsmented.


    "I am just a spectator."


    "I have no idea she''s married. I''m only here to make up for the numbers."


    "Too bad." Stefan retorted and smile. "Everyone here shall be escorted back to the reception hall. No wedding will happen at this point."


    "Am I included?" the priest asked with a pale face. He only wanted to preside over this wedding. He didn''t know the inside stories at all. "Oh Lord! Please save me from this perilous situation."

 Chapter 528 - THE SHOW III

    <h4>Chapter 528 - THE SHOW III</h4>


    Stefan didn''t know where tough or cry at the sudden outburst of the priest. Even if he was paid to conduct this wedding, Stefan believed that he didn''t know anything.


    "Father, this is really a troublesome matter. I apologize that you''d have to witness such thing. Anyway, I promise that there won''t be any blood spilled. I can also ask someone to escort you back your ce."


    "I''m choosing thest option. Please send me home. I don''t want to join any of your dispute and since you promise me, please make sure that no one will be killed here."


    "Yes, father." Stefan bowed his head and then turned to one of his men. "Please drive father to his ce.. Make sure he''s safe and sound."


    "Yes, sir."


    Looking around them, Stefan was very pleased to see that everyone was restricted except for Cayenne. Of course, to make things believable, he needed to include Seiji and his family as well as the two sisters.


    "What''s going on?" Cayenne asked, pretending to be confused and worried. "What are you doing to my family?"


    "Family?" Stefan raised his eyebrow and smirked. "Sweetheart, they are not your family. I am your family. Your whole family is waiting for waiting for you at home in City B and City A."


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "Let''s talk about this inside the hotel shall we. It''s hot in here and if too much heat gets inside my head, I might mess up someone''s life." Stefan approached Cayenne and held her hand. "Don''t fight back or someone will die."


    "No! You just said that you won''t kill anyone here."


    "I said here. But that doesn''t mean I can''t kill someone out of this ce."


    "You''re joking, right?"


    "Wanna bet?" Stefan cocked his head to the side, observing how pretty his wife was. ''She''ll be the prettiest if she wears the gown I specially designed for her.'' Stefan thought as he pulled her even closer to him.


    All this while, Nikko was observing Cayenne and he found that she really had no idea and couldn''t recognize the man in front of her. She even tried to defend her abductors. Logically speaking, they can''t be called abductors because Cayenne was one of their bloodlines. However, Cayenne didn''t recognize them as family and they used underhanded means to get her. It was already a vition of human rights.


    The soldiers and Stefan''s bodyguards, as well as Reuben''s men, escorted everyone to the reception hall. When the waiters found that there were many peopleing, they were rmed. It''s not because they didn''t have enough for this people but because there were many soldiers holding their guns as they strode inside the ce.


    "Close the door and make sure that no onees inside and no one shalle out of this ce now. Stand wherever you are and I will make sure that you are unharmed." Stefan stated as he walked to the small podium and turned on the huge screen in front of all the people. "Now, let''s watch some show."


    Among the guests was the doctor. Olivia has left the country already as soon as the wedding started but the doctor stayed because the Rule family got his daughter.


    On the screen, what appeared was a huge mansion. Yes, it was the mansion of the Rule family. During the siege of the Dragon Gang organization, Tristan couldn''t get any information rted to the Rule family. The world was forced to believe that they were just a subsidiary organization and that they didn''t like to involve in the Dragon Gang activities. In truth, they were the main body that cuts its own ws to save themselves ¨C like a lizard cutting its own tail to make a safe escape.


    And because Tristan believed that the ''main force'' was subdued, he didn''t pursue this matterst year. Now, his careless mistake almost caused hisdy boss''s life. If she was really harmed, he would never be able to forgive himself.


    The video continued to y on the screen and it showed them what was under the amazing mansion of the Rule family. It was an example of how medieval castles were like. They appeared majestic in the surface of the earth but they were actually very rotten deep inside.


    The mansion of the Rule family has a very huge dungeon. There were seven rooms and there were many bones piled in heaps. Skulls were littered everywhere and there were three rabid dogs inside one of the cell room. They looked so scary that when they barked on the video, the guests screamed in fear.


    "In one of the cells, a young woman was curling her body as she shivered from cold. She looked so thin and emaciated. It was none other than the doctor''s daughter.


    His face paled and his eyes reddened in anger. Without a warning, he hurled a chair towards old Nikko and if the man didn''t move, he''d probably lose his head already.


    "You''re a beast! You''re a devil! How could you do this to my daughter?! You said that she''s in a good ce, living safely and healthily! Is this what you call safe and healthy?! How dare you?! You''re a monster!" the doctor lost hisposure already and threw whatever he could towards the old man. sses and tes, knives, spoons and forks, anything that he got his hands on were thrown towards Nikko, who was now hiding under the table. "Ahhh! You''re a monster! He toppled the table and everything fell on the floor. He didn''t care anymore. He just wanted to wring this man''s neck and feed him to the dogs.


    Stefan watched the show for full two minutes before signaling his men to take control and order. The other guests have long fled to the other side, not wanting to get caught in the havoc that the doctor caused.


    "Your daughter has been saved. My men told me that they''re on the way to the hospital." Stefanmented which calmed the man a little. Perhaps due to the shock of knowing the truth or maybe because of the relief that his daughter was safe, the doctor sobbed without any care.


    Some of the women cried as well. They might not know the whole story but it wasn''t hard to guess that the doctor was betrayed and was used by the cruel Rule family.


    "Shall we continue?" Stefan asked as if they were just discussing something normal. Even though no one answered him, he still pressed the y button and the video on the screen continued ying.

 Chapter 529 - THE SHOW IV

    <h4>Chapter 529 - THE SHOW IV</h4>


    After the scene of the doctor''s daughter, another cell was shown and there was a man, whose four limbs were tied to the wall. He was sprawled on the wall, almost naked, with just underwear covering that sensitive part of his body.


    There were different kinds of wounds all over his body and he was bruised from head-to-toe. Maybe not head to toe but he was definitely bruised. He was so thin and his ribs can be seen clearly. If the man didn''t raise his head to look at the camera, no one would know that this person was still alive. He looked like a skeleton hanging on the wall.


    "I will definitely haunt you when I''m dead. I will never cross to the other side unless I bring you with me! Nikko Rule, your retribution wille and get you one day. Unless that timees, I won''t die. I won''t just die you bastard!" The man shouted with his hoarse voice and spit towards the person holding the camera. The camera shook a few times but it became steady once again. The man in the video chuckled and smiled.. "Looks like I''m not going to wait for long. Old man, you must not have expected this turn of events. Ahh! I am so happy. If I die, I can finally rest in peace knowing this happens to you."


    The reception hall turned silent not because they heard the man mentioned it was the old man from the Rule family who did this to him. They turned silent because they were observing the two guests who were sitting not far from Nikko Rule. They were the parents of the man being tortured.


    The woman was breathing in and out, clutching her chest to ease the pain. Her head was spinning and her breath was getting shorter and faster. She was turning pale and not long after she copsed due to the shocking and painful stimtion.


    "Tend to her." Major General Calhoun stated and two soldiers went to the woman and tended to her as if it was just a normal thing. As soon as he said this, whispers erupted in the reception hall.


    "I can''t believe this. Oh God! I just can''t believe this! Didn''t Mr. Liu announce two years ago that his son was studying abroad after getting a schrship from the Rule family''s foundation? Is this what''s being abroad is? If that''s the case, I don''t want to go abroad anymore." One of the guestsmented.


    "That''s what I heard, too."


    "No wonder they became really good friends. Mr. Liu was deceived by this cunning old fox."


    "What do you mean? Aren''t they friends before?"


    "Of course, not. I remember that Liu Ye offended old Rule during a party after getting drunk but old Rule it was fine. He didn''t pursue this matter and befriended Mr. Liu. And a weekter, Mr. Liu told his friends that his son will be studying overseas thru a schrship from the Rule family."


    "Aren''t the Liu family rich?"


    "No, they''re not. Well, they''ve got money but not enough to send their child to study abroad."


    "That''s really vicious!"


    "I know! You treated someone as friend. Believing that they have forgiven what your son did and then, you''ll find out it wasn''t the case. That''s scary!"


    "If he''s been ''studying'' abroad for two years, does that mean he has been tortured for two years?" another guest asked which was loud enough for everyone to hear. She didn''t really mean to say it loudly but her surprise was so apparent that she couldn''t lower her voice.


    Nikko Rule didn''t say anything. He knew that it was the end of it but he didn''t expect that his granddaughters would betray him. He raised them after their parents disappeared but now, they were biting the hands that fed them.


    Stefan watched Mr. Liu''s face and smiled because he man didn''t show any expression. He knew that the man must be thinking of something.


    "Mr. Dumrique, right?" Mr. Liu asked while raising his phone. "I just searched who you are and found that the bride is your lost wife. Since you showed us this information, you must have something nned to this evil man, am I right?"


    "Of course." Stefan answered instantly. "How can we allow a criminal to go unpunished?"


    "Thank you for the positive answer. I am just a low-level business man. I don''t owe a lot but I''m willing to pay anything as long as you can save my child."


    "Don''t worry Mr. Liu, your son is being treated now. I''ll give you the address of the hospitalter. As for now, you might want to calm your wife as soon as she wakes up."


    "Thank you once again." Mr. Liu bowed his head and to everyone''s surprise, he didn''t do anything like the doctor. He didn''t even look to old Rule. He just entrusted everything to Stefan.


    Cayenne was sitting quietly, not looking at anyone else but her husband. If they''re not having this show in front of everyone, she would''ve thrown herself to her man already.


    The Sy family didn''t say anything and was calmly watching the show. They didn''t look nervous but because old Rule was so busy thinking of how he can escape, he didn''t notice anything at all. He just knew that his granddaughters have betrayed him.


    The show continued and one after another, the illegal activities that the Rule family did over the years started to emerged. Bones were collected from the dungeon to be examined and to get DNA test results in order to know which family they belong to. Rich or poor, those battered souls needed justice.


    Major General Calhoun stepped closer to Nikko Rule and handcuffed him. "Mr. Nikko Rule, you are being arrested for kidnapping Mrs. Cayenne Ardolf Dumrique, forging illegal documents, abducting women for prostitution, illegal detention of people which vites human rights,mitting murder, illegal possession of firearms and trading firearms to other countries and ¡­" Major General Calhoun stated his wrongful deeds one after another which almoststed five minutes. He even felt so annoyed for reading such long list of vition. "ording to thew, you will then be persecuted publicly and it will be handled by both military officials from our country and country C. The police departments have been affected due to some officers being discovered to be working for you."


    "Why am I the only one?" Nikko Rule responded which stunned everyone. Ever since the show started, he didn''t speak a single word, not until now. "Why are you arresting me but freeing my granddaughters?"


    Diana and Artemis looked at each other and then looked towards their grandfather. They never thought that he would drag their name along with him.


    "I''m sorry Mr. Rule but we didn''t have any solid evidence against your granddaughters. The only evidence we have gathered were all pointing out towards you."


    "No evidence?! Ha!" Old Rule snorted and looked at the officers. "My words are evidence. My granddaughtersmitted crimes under my control. They killed other people, too. They are also part of Cayenne''s abduction. So, why are you letting go of them?"


    "Because I want to let go of them. Is that so difficult to understand?" Stefan replied in behalf of the pale sisters.


    Nikko Rule looked at his granddaughters with resentment and hatred. "You betrayed me! You dare betrayed me! I worked so hard raising both of you and you dare betrayed me!"


    "Raised us?" Diana questioned with obvious disgust showing on her face. "Yes, you raised us. You raised us into a killing machine! We betrayed you?! Didn''t you betray us first? Our parents didn''t disappear you sent them somewhere! You hid them from us! I know they''re not dead and they didn''t leave us because they wanted to. You asked someone to bring them to mental institution! And let''s not forget why Aunt Amethyst left. You wanted to gouge her heart from her!"


    "Why can''t I do that? I raised her. Isn''t it her obligation to repay her parents. She''s nothing but a vessel."


    Cayenne clenched her hands into fists when she heard this from the old man. She felt so sad for her mother. "Take him away." Cayenne whispered and the soldiers immediately escorted Nikko out of the reception hall. As for the other guests, their legs felt so weak that they didn''t have the strength to walk away.

 Chapter 530 - THE SHOW ENDS

    <h4>Chapter 530 - THE SHOW ENDS</h4>


    Everyone thought that the show finally ended but they didn''t expect for Stefan to ask someone to close the doors of the reception hall before other people could go out.


    "You don''t have to hide from the crowd." Stefan stated with his chilly voice. "Are you nning to abduct my wife during the reception? You must have not seen thising, right Natsu?"


    The guests looked at each other to see if someone unfamiliar has joined them but aside from the soldiers and Stefan''s bodyguards, there were the waiters and waitress standing on the side. One of them was smiling evilly.


    "I didn''t expect you to have discerning eyes." Natsumented as he walked several steps and sat on the nearest chair. "How have you been?"


    "Me? I''m doing fine. In fact, I''m very d that we''ve seen each other now." Stefan stepped down of the podium and walked towards Cayenne. "It''s a pity that you underestimated my wife.."


    "Have I?" he feigned ignorance and just yed along. "Now that you''ve seen me, is there anything you''d like to say?"


    "Nothing to you." Stefan replied and looked to the soldiers. "Arrest this man, too. His familymitted heinous crimes and he''s involved in it but he fled and for some reason, he ended up here."


    "We don''t have any warrant of arrest Mr. Dumrique." one of the soldiers stated.


    "Who says we don''t?" Stefan signaled Tristan to call someone and the door suddenly opened. There was a policeman standing there with the documents needed.


    Instead of fighting his way, Natsu just shook his head and stood up to get himself handcuffed. "I can''t believe I''d lose to you again and again."


    "The moment you conspired with ra and pushed my mother to her death, you already lost to me." Stefan waved his hands and the policeman as well as three other soldiers escorted Natsu out of the reception. "Now, lets'' deal with the guests."


    They thought they''d be safe from the storm but Stefan swept every crook and cranny of the room to make everyone pay for what they owe.


    Those people with close rtionship with the Rule family has suffered so much, getting some of their scandals and other embarrassing deeds exposed. Those who weren''t close but still invited to make up for the number of guests didn''t suffer so much ¨C just few hundreds of thousands of losses.


    The only people who were left unscathed were the Sy family, the Rule sisters, and the doctor. Seeing that no one came after him, the doctor looked towards Cayenne in confusion and suddenly, something came to his mind.


    "You didn''t lose your memories?" the doctor asked in surprise.


    "No, I didn''t."


    "Then, why am I not arrested?"


    "Huh? Do you want to?" Cayenne returned the question with a confused face. "You have a child to take care of, don''t you?"


    "I do but, I also did something bad to you."


    Cayenne took a deep breath and reached her hand out to pat the man on his shoulder. "The drug that old Nikko gave you, I was supposed to take on tablet per meal, right?"


    "Yes, that was his instruction."


    "And I found out that you cut this tablet into four, making me take small portion as much as possible. You didn''t really want me to go senile. At the same time, I didn''t really take any of those."


    "Oh. So, what do you want me to do now? If you want me arrested, I''m really fine with that. I can ask some of my rtives to take my daughter away."


    "No, I am not going to do that. Diana and Artemis had been so guilty for imprisoning your child. They never wanted to do it but they couldn''t disobey that old man yet. I heard that you''re better off as a psychiatrist instead of a surgeon or as a physician."


    "Hn. I am supposed to deal with people with unstable mental health but instead he told me to hypnotize people with sound mind and make them suffer. Sometimes, he''d tell me to drug some people or else my daughter would suffer. I never wanted to do any of those. I just want to live with my daughter in peace and yet, my daughter has suffered so much instead."


    "Just like what my husband said, she will be fine. You can visit herter. At the same time, I need your help for someone. If you can help her, I''ll take this event as something I just dreamed about. I''ll let go of this offense as long as you help her."


    "I''ll do my best." He bowed his head several times before taking a seat to rx his nerves.


    As soon as this matter was settled, Stefan dismissed everyone and those that needed to be escorted to jail were sent to jail. Those who needed to visit someone in the hospital were escorted to visit the hospital. Those that needed to be sent home were sent home.


    "Do you want to stay over and talk about the aftermath?" Seiji asked Cayenne and Stefan.


    "That would be better." Stefan answered, no longer jealous or hostile towards this man in front of him.


    "Can wee along?" Artemis asked. She didn''t want to go back to the mansion yet. It was a ce of her nightmare.


    Isab also looked at these two sisters who chose to fought their grandfather for the benefit of everyone. She felt sorry for them after knowing that their parents were actually sent to an asylum.


    "Let''s go back home first." Grandpa Symented and walked ahead of everyone. He wanted to leave this depressing atmosphere as soon as he can.


    The manager of the hotel came and found the ruined items on the floor and many other things that needs to be repaired. She was about to approach Stefan and Cayenne when Elena came to stop her. "Please liquidate the damage inside this room and sent us the bill. This is my card. Also, you don''t to continue cooking for the reception. The food that has been cooked, you can just give it away to other visitors."


    The manager looked at the card in her hand and the current situation inside the reception hall. Since the other party was willing to pay, she didn''t pursue this matter anymore.


    "Rich people can really destroy whatever they want." The manager muttered and left.


    As for Cayenne, as soon as they got inside the car that Stefan used, she did what she wanted to do all this time. She sat on hisp and wrapped her arms around his neck, cuddling him and inhaling his scent to calm her.


    "Now, do you still want to leave the house without me?" Stefan asked which made Cayenne feel guilty.

 Chapter 531 - PUTTING ALL THE BLAME ON HIM

    <h4>Chapter 531 - PUTTING ALL THE BLAME ON HIM</h4>


    "No, I won''t." Cayenne whispered softly with her eyes closed, holding back her tears that were threatening to fall. "I won''t be willful anymore. I will listen to whatever you say and I won''t take any risk involving my life."


    Stefan''s sighs escaped his lips as he listened to her words. He rubbed her back to calm her down and kissed her palm. "I was really worried and scared. For a moment, I nked out and was not sure what to do. Ayen, I thought I''d go crazy after you disappeared."


    "I''m sorry. I''m really sorry."


    "Shh.. It''s not your fault." Stefan kissed her temple again and again. "It wasn''t your fault that you were abducted. You should me me for not protecting you properly."


    "No, you did your best to protect me. It was me who was so stubborn and willful. I caused all this." Cayenne was in the brink of crying already so Stefan diverted the subject to calm her nerves.


    "Let''s stop ming ourselves. The most important thing is, you are now safe and sound in my arms." Stefan hugged her tight but just enough to give her a breather. "I thought you didn''t get to read the message that Ms. Rule sent you."


    "I caught a glimpse of it before I stepped on the phone. Speaking of, did you get someone to fix it?"


    "Hn. It''s fixed already. You can use it as soon as we get home. When you contacted me using Kyle''s ount, I really thought his ount was hacked. I was even ready to ask Tristan to trace the hacker."


    "It was the only way I know. We''ve got to be extra careful around that old man which was why Diana had to act as the viin in my life."


    The two of them hugged each other, feeling the warmthing off from their body, ensuring the presence of the other in their arms. On the way to the mansion that the Sy family was using, Cayenne fell asleep. In the past weeks, she had been on guard, not daring to sleep deeply within the territory of her enemies. She was on edge, her anxiety raised to another level while thinking of the things that she had n.


    Perhaps it''s due to exhaustion and from the relief that she''s back in the arms of her husband, Cayenne just let herself get some sleep.


    She was still dressed with the wedding gown but that didn''t bother them. Stefan draped his coat over her to keep her warm and removed the veil that was hanging from the top of her head. He also removed some off the essories and ced them on the small box before keeping them away. They can sell those essoriester and donate the money to less fortunate people.


    When they arrived at the mansion. Seiji led Stefan to find Cayenne''s room that they have arranged for her before ¨C that time when she visited them. Stefan made sure that she''s sleepingfortably before walking out of the room.


    "Elena, can you stay with my wife while we''re discussing the aftermath of the incident?" Stefan asked his secretary who nodded her head almost immediately. "I''ll try to be quick as possible."


    "Okay, sir." Elena went inside the room and sat on the couch near the window while observing her sleepingdy boss. She could still remember the cheerful and kind Cayenne who always make sure to look after her whenever she visited their Chairman''s office. She didn''t expect she''d be experiencing this horrible event in her life.


    Outside the room, in the living room, everyone has taken their seat in order to discuss the incident seriously. Stefan was facing the people involved in the wedding and the abduction.


    The only person who wasn''t present was Cayenne and Grandpa Sy. One was sleeping and the other has some health issues which made Seiji stopped him from attending this discussion.


    "No matter what ns you have, I will entrust everything to you." Reuben told Stefan as he sat close to him.


    "So, what''s the n?" Seiji asked with his hands sped together on his knees. He was only wearing a white shirt after taking off the wedding suit that he wore earlier.


    Stefan crossed his leg and took theptop from Tristan. "We will continue the y of my wife having lost her memories. I can deal that on my end. Since we''re at this point already, we can say that you were only ying along with old Rule''s n because you didn''t want other people''s lives to be at risk. Since there are many solid evidences of his kidnappings and other crimes, people won''t ask you any further. They will even look at you as one of the victims."


    "I don''t mind with that. Will there be any press conference or media coverage about this thing?" Seiji asked after seeing the worried expression of his mother. Isabel hates dealing with media the most.


    "With what happened today, it''s impossible for the media to not have an idea of what has happened. If they woulde to talk to you, just tell them that you were forced to do the wedding."


    "What about us? If this will be known to the public, other people won''t believe us to be innocent. Most-likely, we will be condemned by the public just like our grandfather." Diana voiced out her opinion with obvious concern.


    "There''s no evidence of your involvement." Stefan responded with a calm face. "Do you get what I mean?"


    Artemis and Diana looked at each other before nodding their head. "We''re forced to cooperate in exchange for the lives of our parents."


    "Right." Stefan responded. "Everything will fall on Old Rule''s head. Other aplices like the men he hired to kill other people and abduct innocent humans will be put to jail as well. As for your riches, after the investigation, whatever''s left to you will be yours but you will have to surrender half of the assets to the government."


    Diana sighed in disappointment. The wealth that she had been eyeing for a long time had slipped through her fingers. Butpared to this wealth, the life of their parents was more important. Even if they could no longer be considered rich, as long as they''re together, she''d be happy.


    The discussion didn''tst long with Stefan taking the lead, his wife''s information and their careful nning. Just like what he guessed, the media was able to hear this shocking news indeed. They immediately swarm the Rule''s mansion which was currently guarded by more than a dozen of policemen. They didn''t guard the ce because it was own by the wealthy businessman. They guarded it because they still needed to collect a lot of bones inside the dungeon. The media was also informed that none of the Rule family member hase home.


    Feeling dejected, some went back to their offices while the others stayed to get some scope regarding the bones being collected. Other media booked a flight to Singapore as well. They were nning to interview the other people involved which was the Sy family. However, they were met with disappointment as soon as they arrived in Sy enterprise. They didn''t expect that the family hasn''te back to the country yet.


    Their current CEO which was Seiji was still in Country C but no one has information of where they stayed.


    Meanwhile, news of Cayenne being found has erupted the social media tform. Her fans were very happy to know that she was safe but when they read the whole event that she was actually about to marry someone else, their happiness was once again changed to worry. They have a bad feeling that she has lost her memories which was why Stefan had a hard time locating her.


    Even so, as long as she''s alive, her fans were hopeful that she''d get her memories back.


    Her friends, family and acquaintances were also happy to hear about the news of her rescue. Some even cried in relief like Luna, Sabrina and risse. Other popped champagne for the sessful rescue like Riley and her twin Jackie.


    The intensity of their happiness after Cayenne was found was also the same intensity of hatred they felt for Jean Nikko Rule. All of his crimes were exposed to the public which made him a target of their criticism and condemnation. Some cursed him to die but upon realizing that death was a very light punishment, the public appealed for him to be tortured.


    Some people, whose friends or family members were abducted, med Nikko Rule and told the police to reinvestigate their cases. He was med for the murders that he didn''t reallymit because of his records.


    Overseas, away from Asia, a man tapped his cigarette stick on the ash tray before putting it in his mouth to suck it again. The iPad he was holding on his other hand have cracks on the screen because of his strong grip but he still continued to read the news until the whole screen cked out.


    "Those people were all useless." He muttered. "Looks like we''ll have toe home and give my nephew a big surprise." He said as he stood from his seat and sucked the cigarette onest time. His eyes held a mischievous glint and malintent.

 Chapter 532 - STREET INTERVIEW

    <h4>Chapter 532 - STREET INTERVIEW</h4>


    After Stefan settled down the aftermath of the incident that his wife created, they didn''t go back home immediately. They rested for a while, letting his wife catch some sleep as much as she could.


    The media still continued to talk about the crime that Jean Nikko Rule hasmitted and some of them patiently waited for the two sisters toe back to their mansion in order to interview them. Some were also waiting for Seiji outside his mainpany in Singapore as well as outside their home.


    Not just them, in City A, reporters have been following the people who were close to Cayenne like her family and friends. Being one of the people from the modeling industry and since he was very well-known now, Luiz was the very first target of the media. At first, he didn''t want to give any report without seeing his sister in flesh and blood but after the media pestered him so much, he decided to give in.


    During the interview, four personal bodyguards surrounded him and another group of ten bodyguards separated him and his manager, David, from the intimidating crowd, making sure that they stay within reach but not so close to cause him harm.


    "Mr. Ardolf, what can you say about your sister''s appearance in someone wedding as a bride? And how are you dealing with this aftermath?"


    Luiz looked at the reported and smiled faintly.. "I''m happy that my brother-inw was able to find my sister after all the time she disappeared. As for bing someone''s bride, I believe that the supposed groom, Seiji Sy has an exnation of this matters. He''s my sister''s best friend since high school and I believe that he didn''t do this thing to create a rift in our family. Of course, there''s also the matter of my sister losing her memories. As of now, I don''t have much information yet and I am hoping that they''de home soon."


    "Could it be considered kidnapping if the person who took your sister away is your grandfather?"


    "What do you mean by that?" David questioned the reporter with his eyes ring at him sharply.


    "I mean no offense and I am not taking sides knowing how horrible that old Rule was but, recently, Mr. Montefalco said that Mrs. Dumrique''s birth was veryplicated and thenter on, Diana Rule came to your life, acknowledging Cayenne as part of their family. Now, she was abducted and the people who took her away was her family, too. What''s your opinion on this matter Mr. Ardolf?"


    Luiz looked at the reporter but he didn''t smile or get angry. Instead, he remained calm andposed as if he has experienced this scenario several times.


    "Why don''t you look at our background history? I am sure all of you are aware that we didn''te from a wealthy family. After all, my sister wasbeled as gold digger when she married my brother-inw. If the Rule family is our rtive, why didn''t I know that? I have never heard of them nor my sister heard of them. I have no idea why someone would just jump out of nowhere and im my sister as her family. Also, my sister and I are blood rted through a mother so, why did she im her only? Why didn''t she include me and my brother? Obviously, they''re up to no good. Thankfully, we didn''t believe them. Look what happened now? If my sister believed them as our family like they imed to be, she must be heartbroken."


    "That''s absolutely right. I agree with you." One reporter said.


    "Oh! But we should not think of old Rule as one of the normal families we have in the society." Another reporter added which gained agreement from the others.


    "Another question Mr. Ardolf? This is questionses from most of your fans. Are you single?"


    "Whoa! That was really a leap of change in question." Luizmented with faint chuckle. "I am single at the moment but I may not be after several years."


    "Well, that''s expected. You are still young after all."


    "Another question Mr. Ardolf."


    "I thought that was thest."? Luiz retorted but still patiently waited for them.


    "How do you deal with people who''s making rumors about your manager and the movie director Kai Labrador?"


    Luiz blinked his eyes several times and looked towards his manager who only sighed beside him. "I just realize that this interview is an umtion of many questions you gathered from past rumors and the recent incident of my sister''s disappearance and rescue."


    "We have to make most of our time since we cannot interview you whenever we want to. Your brother-inw is very protective."


    "Then, why don''t you ask my manager since it''s a rumor about him anyway?" Luiz replied while stealing nces towards David.


    "We asked them already but none of them answers to the rumors."


    "And why do you think I would answer when the involved parties didn''t?" he retorted with faint chuckle. "Anyway, regarding this matter, I have no idea what to make of it. Kai''s sister is my brother''s girlfriend. David is a family friend and my manager. Also, I don''t pry on my manager''s private life."


    "Alright. You''ve asked enough questions. My model needs to attend his sses in an hour. Please excuse us." David signaled for the bodyguards to move and they immediately helped them leave the ce. "That was the first time I saw the media reporters behaving appropriately while conducting street interview but¡­duh¡­whatever. It''s not my work anyway."


    Luiz just looked at his manager who couldn''t stop mumbling his opinion. "That''s alright now. Don''t think too much about it. I have to attend my sses now so, make sure that you get some rest. All your money will be useless if you die early from overwork." Then, Luiz suddenly kept quiet while looking at David. "Say David, don''t you feel that something''s amiss with the sudden disappearance of my sister as well as her rescue and that supposed wedding?"


    "Huh? What are you talking about?"


    "I don''t know. Ever since the news of my sister being found, I felt that someone''s pulling some strings behind the scene but I don''t think my sister is capable of doing so."


    "So, you are thinking that your sister didn''t lose her memory and was nning all this to destroy that Rule family?"


    "It''s just a hunch but yeah, I guess."


    "Why would she do that?"


    Luiz shook his head to dismiss the idea because he can''t tell David about the truth yet.? If Cayenne wants everyone to know that she''s from a Rule family, then that would be alright but Luiz didn''t have the guts to tell others of this family secret. His father was already sent to jail for being involved in a murder incident over a decade ago. He didn''t want to be involved in a family who hasmitted crimes again and again. It will surely damage his name.


    "Forget about it. I must be imagining things."

 Chapter 533 - SHES NOT OUT OF THE PICTURE

    <h4>Chapter 533 - SHE''S NOT OUT OF THE PICTURE</h4>


    If Luiz knew the truth, he''d be very surprise that his wild guess was very urate.


    After that unexpected interview, Luiz went to Trine Elite University to study. The disappearance of his sister affected his grades very lightly. On the first three days that Cayenne was abducted, he was very stressed about it but he''s got friends who always talk to him, praying for his sister toe back home. His fans supported him as well and they didn''t even disturb him for an autograph or pictures. They would just send him letters, wishing for his sister toe back soon.


    Knowing that being depress won''t help him find his sister, he picked up the things he left off and started over again. He knew that his brother-inw won''t stop looking for Cayenne so he regained his energy and studied properly once again. He didn''t want his sister to get mad for having poor grades.


    "I''m d that I didn''t ck off." Luizmented to himself. "Yen would be disheartened to know it if I ever get poor grades or if I neglected my job because of her.."


    "It''s good to know that you have self-awareness."


    "I wouldn''t be who I am today if I don''t have self-awareness." Luiz told David. The two of them talked about random things during the ride until Luiz arrived at the university. "I''ll see youter."


    "Hn. Take good care of yourself." David waved his hand at the young man and as soon as he was out of his sight, he closed the car door and told the driver to send him back to this own mansion.


    Two dayster, after getting enough rest and settling down whatever they needed to settle, Stefan and Cayenne finally bid farewell to the Sy family. Instead of booking ne tickets, they drove to the nearest port instead where all the yachts that Reuben brought have stayed. His men were on standby as well, ready to go wherever their boss tells them to.


    Seiji also booked several tickets for his family so that they can all go home back to Singapore. Whether they go home sooner orter, they wouldn''t be able to escape the clutches of the reporters. Might as well deal with them now.


    He parted ways with Cayenne once again but this time, hepletely surrendered his love for her. He didn''t want her to hate him and he didn''t want to force his love to someone. Since she''s married and happy with someone else already, he''ll take it as if he raised a daughter all those years when they were ssmates ¨C a lovely daughter who has found the love of her life.


    "Dad, thank you foring to rescue me." Cayenne told Reuben while they ate their lunch in the small restaurant inside the yacht.


    "Even if I didn''te, your husband will stille and rescue you."


    "I know but I am still d that you came. I''m sure that those elders in your home are infuriated now."


    "Ingrid can deal with them. She''s very good in pacifying those old goats." Reuben replied with faint smile. "I''ll bring her to visit you tomorrow since it''s weekend. You don''t mind, do you?"


    "Of course, not. Come and drop by to have lunch with us. I''ll cook for you."


    "You don''t have to. Just focus on your recovery."


    "Dad, I''m not really harmed that much. In fact, I''m doing so well."


    "But you''ll have to pretend that you are unwell, right?"


    "That''s for outsiders. I don''t need to pretend in front of my family and close friends. They''d be worried and I don''t want everyone to worry about me anymore."


    "Alright. It''s up to you."


    While talking, Cayenne noticed that her husband was quiet the whole time but he was also attentive to her meals, he didn''t just talk to her or to her father. "Hon, are you alright?" Cayenne asked in whisper. "Are you feeling unwell?"


    "I''m fine. I''m just thinking of the things we should do once you''re back. And remember, you cannot leave without me."


    "What about me going to the university?"


    "That''s what I''m busy thinking about. Most of your time during weekends will be spent in the university so, I have to do something about that."


    "You''re not thinking ofing to school with me, right? I don''t think something will happen to me in school."


    "You''ll never know." Stefan responded with a serious face.


    "It''s easy. Private schools are very easy to handle. Leave it to me." Reuben stated and gave his daughter a yful wink. "I''ll bring you good news on my visit."


    It''s not really what Cayenne wanted but she knew that her kidnapping incident will forever have shadows in their heart. These two men, for example, will never ever let her go somewhere alone. Left with no other choice, she could only voice out her agreement and gratitude.? "O-okay. Thanks for helping us dad."


    Meanwhile, in City A, a private nended and from it, a man in his forties, stepped out of the private ne. Actually, he''s over fifty years old but he looked rather youngpared to his age. His white suit made him look aristocratic and dignified as he put on his white hat.


    "I won''t give him a heart attack, will I?" he asked himself with his eyes closed as he inhaled the air of his new environment. "I wee myself into this city."


    "Sir, I have arranged the best ce for you to stay already." His secretary stated while bowing his body to a 90-degree angle.


    "Good. Good." The man tapped his secretary''s head with the cane he was holding. He didn''t really need this cane but he likes the crown embellishment and sturdiness of this metal cane. It''s also easy for him to whip someone with the cane. Most of the time, the use that cane was to punish his people whenever they don''t follow his instruction.


    His secretary shivered when he felt the coldness of the cane touching the back of his head. He didn''t want to die yet. He straightened his body after a full minute and looked at man with a calm face. "This way, sir." He led him the way to the waiting car and personally drove the vehicle to Royale Garden. It''s a private property that the secretary bought for the old man. Of course, the money that was used was from the man himself. "Here''s the details of the mansion sir. If you need anything that needed to be added, I can have it arranged in the shortest time possible." He handed his iPad and while slowing down the speed of the car.


    The man looked at his secretary and then received the iPad from him. "Good. I''ll forgive you for yourst mistake. This time, make sure to give me a good show with the Dumrique starring in it."


    "Does that include the newly appointed mistress, sir?"


    "Of course. She joined that rotten family so, she''s not out of the picture." The man picked up his tobo pipe and took a drag out of it.

 Chapter 534 - WELCOME HOME YENYEN

    <h4>Chapter 534 - WELCOME HOME YENYEN</h4>


    Country C was quite far from City A. So, by the time Cayenne and her group arrived at one of City A''s ports, the sun was nowhere to be seen but the red streaks of rays on the sky made dusk look really beautiful.


    She invited her father to join them for wedding but then, Reuben was worried for his wife since he left her for more than two days already. Cayenne didn''t feel bad about it though. She could understand her father''s feelings.


    They parted their ways at the port and got into the respective vehicles awaiting them. The news of Cayenne''s arrival at the airport didn''t escape the media''s saucer ears but they were toote. She already went home and the property that Cayenne owned cannot be trespassed like before.


    During her absence, Stefan built a tall fence that only the second floor of the house can be seen from the outside. After what happened to his wife, you didn''t think Stefan to just sit still right? Now, if you want to interview any of them, you''d be lucky if you can stop them outside their home and conduct and on-the-spot interview.


    Security was very tight as well.. If you know the passcode of their home, you can just press it and get inside the firstyer fence? and once you pass the first gate, you will be checked by a security guard and you will have to present an ID if the guard isn''t familiar with you so that they can call the owner of the house or anyone of the family members who might be familiar to you.


    When Cayenne saw the tall wall separating their house from everyone else, she was really taken aback. And then, she realized what she had done that worried the man right beside him.


    "Sorry." Cayenne muttered softly beside Stefan. "I really thought of contacting you as soon as I woke up but I was still checking everyone if I could trust them. And Diana took time toe as well."


    "I know. Don''t think about it anymore. Don''t dwell on it. I won''t even put any me on you." Stefan responded in whisper. "The most important thing is; you are home. That''s what matters now." He kissed her temple and rubbed her arms to calm her down as he spoke to make sure that his wife won''t be overthinking. He knew that Cayenne has the tendency to overthink things a lot of times and he didn''t want that to happen.


    The car stopped in front of their house but both Cayenne and Stefan frown for different reason. Cayenne frowned because the house was dark, an obvious sign that no one''s home. Stefan on the other hand was confused that no one was home even though he told everyone that Cayenne''sing back this time.


    ''Are they still staying at the vi?'' Cayenne thought.


    ''Did they go back to the vi thinking I''d bring her there?'' Stefan also asked himself but since they have the house for themselves, he didn''t think much. In fact, he''s happy to spend more time with her.


    Sadly, he was bound to be disappointed. As soon as Cayenne pushed opened the front door, the house lit up and a lot of smiling faces greeted her.


    "Wee home, Yenyen!"


    The popped some party poppers and confetti flew in all directions of the house. It was a mess but a happy mess. Balloons were littered everywhere and there were just so many people that Cayenne wondered how they all fit inside her house.


    "Sis!" Luiz was the first one to run towards her and hugged Cayenne tightly. As someone who was at the legal age already, even taller than his sister, Luiz couldn''t stop his tears from falling. He didn''t even care that there were many people looking at them. He didn''t care if risse would think he wasn''t manly at this moment. He just wanted to hug his sister and let all of his worries and fears to vanish this instant. "I miss you so much."


    "I miss you, too. I''m sorry for worrying you." Cayenne gently pat her brother''s back, calming him a little bit. She knew that she was at fault, maybe a little bit at fault for not telling them the truth but she knew her brothers, they wouldn''t sit still knowing she chose to sacrifice herself.


    Luiz let go of his sister and wiped his tears before turning her around several times. "You''re not hurt, are you?"


    "Nope. I am not. I''m wise enough not to get myself hurt." Cayenne said proudly which made Luiz smile faintly. He moved a little bit to the side and held his sister''s arms, leading her to see everyone. "I''m sorry for worrying you all."


    "It''s fine now. As long as you are fine, we can bury this bad memory at the back of our mind." Luna told her best friend and smile at her. "I''m d you are safe."


    "Right! What matters most is you are okay." Jillyanna alsomented with a deep sigh. "I was really ready to go and find Olivia myself."


    "Olivia? You knew her?" Cayenne asked in surprise. She didn''t expect that Jillyanna was acquainted to that woman who abducted her.


    "She''s part of the secret organization I was in. She defected from the organization a long time ago. Let''s not talk about her. It irritates me so much thinking that one of my so-called sisters did that to you."


    Cayenne didn''t ask for more information because she wasn''t really curious about her abductor''s information. She walked towards her stepdad and hugged him as well as her brother Kyle. These two men looked strong but he knew that they were worried as well. After hugging them, she walked her father-inw and her grandfather-inw, bowing her head in apology for causing a stir. They just waved their hands and gently pat her head,forting her, telling it was fine.


    "Let''s not stand here in the living room. Let''s have dinner." Jonas told everyone and took the lead going to the kitchen. One after another, they went to the kitchen to have dinner together.


    Cayenne saw Justin and her eyes lit up instantly. "Justin, how are you? Are you okay? Were you hurtst time?" Justin kept his head lowered while shaking to and fro. He was really embarrassed for letting her down on that crucial moment. "I''m so d you are okay. I was really worried when one of the men shoot you. But it''s fine now. They''re all sent to jail."


    "I''m happy that you are also safe and sound ma''am." Justin muttered softly.


    "Hn. Thank goodness we''re all okay. Come and eat." Cayenne invited the young man and soon everyone settled down to eat except for the guards. Some of them ate together with Cayenne''s family while some stayed to patrol the property and stand guard at the gate and their respective positions. Just like always, they will have to eat in groups to make sure that there will be people left to monitor the whole ce.


    Cayenne wasn''t the type to have a meal while the helpers wait. She didn''t like that idea. The dinner was very lively and cheerful and no one talked about Cayenne''s abduction. Most of them just shared what they have been doing when she was gone and they didn''t talk about anything stressful.


    "Auntie Yen, I have a gift for you." Jade mentioned over dinner before pulling out something from her cute LV bag. It was a small white box with small tulips printed on the cover. "Uncle Shein made the jewelry and I made the box. It''s yours now."


    "Thank you." Cayenne epted the small box and opened it. When she saw what was inside, her eyes went wide like saucers before shutting the box again. She closed her eyes and after few seconds she opened the box and saw the same thing. "Oh my gosh! This can''t be real. Why are you giving me this?"


    "It''s inconspicuous and it matches your ring." Shein replied with a sweet smile. "In that way, no one would suspect you having a tracker."


    "Oh. Thank you." Cayenne mumbled but his tone didn''t sound joyful at all. "I''m sorry I lost the other trackers and the beautiful pen you gave mest time. I didn''t know what happened but I passed out but I realized my things weren''t with me except for my ring."


    "Who says you lost them?" Stefan questioned with a wide grin on his face. "I got them back. The pin-button was broken probably after the threw it away but the pen is okay. It''s inside your bedside drawer."


    "Really?" she sighed a huge relief after hearing his news. "Thank you, Shein. Thank you, Jade. I caused you trouble again."


    "You''re part of ourrge family. It''s not a big deal."


    While eating food, drinking wines and juice amidst the chatter andughter, Ferdinand received a message on his phone. "I''m back!" It was just a two-word message but Ferdinand''s hand which was holding his phone trembled from anxiety. As if all strength of his body was sucked out, the phone fell on the floor with a loud thud.


    ''Crack!''

 Chapter 535 - WHEN THE GUESTS LEFT...

    <h4>Chapter 535 - WHEN THE GUESTS LEFT...</h4>


    "Dad? What''s the matter?" Magnus asked his father who was trying to pick his phone from the ground. Seeing that he was still spacing out with his phone on the floor, Magnus picked it up for him instead. There was a huge crack on the phone screen and when he turned it on again, the screen was all white ¨C the LCD disy was broken.


    "My hand was a bit oily so, the phone slipped." Ferdinand sighed. "It is such a sad thing that the phone I have been using for several years is now broken."


    "We can always buy a new one." Stefan stated while looking at the phone. "It''s not like we''re short on money to buy a phone."


    "Right." Cayenne also agreed. "You can definitely buy one again grandpa.. If you want, I cane along with you."


    Ferdinand waved his hand in dismissal as he took the phone with his other hand. "You don''t need toe with me. I''ll have Magnus buy me a new one tomorrow. You should stay at home and rest instead."


    Cayenne just nodded her head in understanding before she continued to eat beside her husband. There so many dishes prepared by Lucia and her children. Kyle and Luiz also helped but they were much into making desserts for their lovely sister who has a sweet tooth. Now, she was having so much fun eating. Trying her best not to think much of what just happened to her and the Rule family.


    After the dinner, they all went to the living room, talking about random stuff, sharing their opinions and whatnot but, their visitors only stayed for another hour. If they stayed longer than that, Stefan would probably hate them for the rest of his life.


    When their guests left their house, it was just few minutes past nine in the evening. It''s not thatte in the night yet. However, Jonas, Kyle and Luiz didn''t want to keep her up any longer. They all went to their bedroom and get some sleep.


    "We''ll have a thorough conversation tomorrow." That''s what Luiz said before hepletely disappeared from their sight.


    Seeing that everyone was gone, Stefan finally breathed a sigh of relief and held his wife''s hand, leading her to their bedroom. "Did you tell them that we''reing home tonight?"


    "I did because if I didn''t, Jill will surely skin me alive. But I wish I didn''t."


    "Ah? Why?" Cayenne questioned while opening the door. Instead of answering her, Stefan closed the door and abruptly pulled her close, trapping her between his arms and the door frame which she was leaning on now. "I see." She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body to him and initiated a kiss.


    This wasn''t a quick kiss like a peck on his lips but rather it was long, hot and passionate with tongue and saliva involved. "I missed you so, so much hubby." Cayenne whispered after breaking off the kiss.


    "I missed you so much, too." Stefan whispered, caressing her cheek with his thumb. He looked her in the eyes and Cayenne could see his love, his fear and his determination in them. Not just these emotions, she could see the longing and the desire in his eyes which really matches hers.


    In those days that she was with the Rule family, she had been thinking of him almost every second of every day. She missed talking to him, cuddling with him, kissing him and making love with him. She missed all the things that they usually do together.


    Seeing her desire that matches his, Stefan leaned for another kiss. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, exploring her crevices until he found her tongue as well. Her lips were so soft that Stefan gets really addicted to it. He''s always addicted to her, just couldn''t get enough with one kiss.


    Pressing their bodies together, Cayenne could feel the bulge of his shorts, rubbing her lower stomach which sent a tingling sensation down her toes. Stefan rubbed himself on his wife, he was intentionally making her feel what she has done to him. One of his hand pressed the back of his head, tilting her for an angle with better ess while his other hand caressed her waist and pulled her even closer until they were chest to chest.


    Stefan let go of her mouth but the kiss didn''t stop. He only moved to the base of her jaw, down to her neck ¨C sucking, nibbling andpping on her skin, leaving traces of red hickeys. He continued to move down, kissing her corbone but her blouse was obstructing him.


    "Let me take off my clothes." Cayenne whispered with her knees shaking a bit from the pleasure he was giving her.


    "Let me do it." Stefan grabbed her blouse and directly ripped them in two. "Better." Stefan kissed her before she could say anything. Well, there''s really nothing she could say about her clothes being ripped apart. "I really like kissing you."


    "I like your kisses, too."


    "I like to kiss you somewhere so, let''s do this on the bed." Stefan carried Cayenne and she automatically wrapped her legs around his waits while wrapping her arms around his neck. As he walked toward their bed, his bulging shorts would rub on her and it was making him felt so hot. It was as if, there was fire lit up inside him.


    Stefanid her on the bed as gentle as she could and started kissing her again. It was a short kiss on the lips before he started moving down again. One of his hands yed with her breast while his mouth yed the other side, licking and sucking on her nipple. His other hand wasn''t idle either. He was doing his best to remove the shorts she was wearing.


    "Ah! This is good." Cayenne moaned which stunned Stefan a bit. Cayenne was never the type to voice out if she was feeling good or not. Even if she wouldn''t say anything, he would still know with her body movements.


    "I''ll make you feel a lot better." Stefan rubbed her nipple with his index finger, rolling it, pressing on it and flicking it just to get a soft moan of pleasure from his wife.


    Cayenne could feel somethinging out of her but it was blocked with her underwear and when Stefan touched it, she also felt her wetness. "I could really get like this for you, huh."


    "I want you to be wetter than this."

 Chapter 536 - GIVE ME A BREAK

    <h4>Chapter 536 - GIVE ME A BREAK</h4>


    Stefan put in two of his fingers and started thrusting it in and out of his wife. He continued to y with her nipple while his fingers yed with her wetness.


    "Ahh. Wait."


    "I''ve been waiting for almost three months, I cannot wait for another second." Stefan mumbled while giving her chest a quick kiss and moved to her mouth once again.


    The wonderful feeling of his fingers thrusting in and out of her plus, the pleasure from her chest and his French kiss, all of these made her feel dizzy. Her mind went nk as she could only cater the lustful desire of her husband at the moment.


    Stefan let go of her mouth and moved down, pulling her to the edge of the bed while he squatted down, facing her wet and hot core. Cayenne was still catching her breath with her eyes closed when she felt him widen her thighs. He kissed her inner thighs and his kisses went up until she could feel it on her pelvis..


    "Hon, that''s enough. I''m about to¡­ah¡­I need to ¨C hey!" Cayenne snapped at him when Stefan, indeed, stopped moving his fingers. Her blinking eyes made him smile but Cayenne wasn''t happy that her orgasm was stopped when she''s almost at the highest peak.


    "Unsatisfied, hm?"


    "I hate you. Do something about this." Cayenne demanded with an embarrassed look on her face. She never thought that one day, she''d beg him to do something shameless, but it''s not really shameful to do things likes these with your husband which was she''s getting a bit bolder now.


    "Alright." Stefan moved his face even closer to her core now and she could feel his warm breath on her wetness. Cayenne just sprawled on the bed, waiting for him do whatever he wanted to do. In the next second, Stefan didn''t put his fingers inside her. Instead he was using his tongue to probe deep inside her. He kissed her one moment, licked her next and sucked everything thates out from her.


    The slurping sound made Cayenne felt so embarrassed that she was beetroot red. She grabbed a fistful of his hair but she didn''t know if she should push him away or pull him even closer.


    When he poked his tongue inside her hole, Cayenne lost her rationality and just pulled his head even closer, feeling his nose on her nub while he probed inside her with his skillful tongue. Cayenne felt the rolling tidal waves inside her and she wanted to close her thighs to stop them but her husband was between her legs, making such action impossible.


    In the end, her orgasm washed over him but Stefan sucked it off instead.


    "That was¡­great." Cayennemented with heavy breathing. Her arms were spread on her side, lying on the bed like a dish served to him. "I miss that."


    "Something misses you more." Stefanmented and was standing on the bedpletely naked. Cayenne couldn''t even remember when her husband removed his clothes. His erection would be the fantasy of many women in the world if they could see it. The veins were clearly visible and, on the tip, sat a pearly liquid. "Do you miss this, too?"


    Cayenne looked at it then, she looked at her husband''s wide grin on his face. "Hmp! I don''t." Cayenne flipped her body to the other side, making her back face him instead.


    It would have been a good move if she had some clothes on but now that she was lying naked in front of him so, when she turned on her side, Stefan could see her firm butt and her wet entrance.


    "Are you sure you didn''t miss little Stefan?"


    "Who says that''s little and I''ll kick them?"


    "Then, I''ll take it as apliment." Stefan chuckled and climbed on the bed, lying on the same position as her and started rubbing his manhood on her entrance.


    She bit her lower lips to stop her moan but with the building pleasure, some still escaped her lips which made Stefan smile even wider.


    "Come and ride me baby." Stefan whispered which made her shiver and involuntarily squeezed her thighs which, in the process, squeezed his shaft as well.


    Cayenne stopped ying pretend and moved up to straddle him. She rubbed herself on his stiff and hard shaft, making it wet and lubricated. That''s when she realized that he wasn''t wearing a condom. She didn''t say anything. Either he forgot to put it on, ran out of stock or if he was doing it intentionally, she didn''t care. She could only hope that in month, she''ll see the fruit of herbor today.


    Cayenne felt the tip touching her entrance and with one push, shepletely engulfed him inside her. She closed her eyes from the pleasure and just sat on top of him not moving yet. "Honey, don''t kill me." Stefan whispered while holding her hips, moving her a little on top of her.


    "I''m the one on top right now so, I get to decide when I should move."


    "F-fine." Stefan gritted his teeth and didn''t say anything more. Since she wasn''t moving yet, Stefan put several pillows on his back to keep his upper body elevated. When she leaned a bit closer to adjust her position, Stefan licked her nipple, making her shudder and her insides suddenly tightened around him. "Either you move or I''ll keep doing this."


    Cayenne put her hands on his chest before focusing on her lower body and started moving up and down. Stefan closed his eyes and hummed in pleasure but even though Cayenne started moving, he didn''t keep his end of the bargain. He ced his hands on her chest, ying with her nipples and when he gets the chance, he''d lick her and sucked her until she moans from the agonizing heap of pleasure he''s bringing her.


    Cayenne slowed down in her movement and she felt sluggish because of what he was doing to her. Because of this, Stefan met her movements and started thrusting inside her. "Could you be a little faster." She demanded, bringing a mischievous smile on his husband''s lips.


    "Yes, my Queen." Stefan pulled her close, pressing her chest on his while he buried his face on her neck, pushing his hips faster and faster, harder and harder until she screamed and bit his shoulder. The pain of her bite and the tight grip of her cervix built so much pleasure that Stefan directly released everything inside her.


    Cayenne felt the hot release inside her and she felt him growing inside her again. "Can''t really satiate you with a single round." She mumbled and kissed his cheek. "Give me a break before the second round."

 Chapter 537 - I CANT ANYMORE

    <h4>Chapter 537 - I CAN''T ANYMORE</h4>


    "I''m tired. I''m so t-tired now. I-I can''t anymore. Cayenne muttered as she slumped on the soft bed after Stefan prated her from the back. She was very sweaty and was heavily breathing but she had a look of satisfaction on her face. "I can''t believe I''dst this long after not doing it with you for several months."


    "I think I can still go on." Stefan shamelessly replied while moving slowly inside her.


    Cayenne picked a pillow and threw it at him but because of her position, it onlynded on his chest instead of his face where she was aiming it to hit. "Beast. Get out of me now. You will kill me from exhaustion."


    Stefan chuckled at her response but he did pull his member out of her. Heid his body next to her and kissed the tip of her nose. "What we did just now was equivalent to our two weeks of separation."


    Cayenne''s eyes widened and in an instant, her fistnded on his chest. "Two weeks? Are you kidding me? It''s not two months?"


    "No, of course, not." Stefan replied while taking her hand and kissed her fingers one after another. "In fact, it should be equivalent to the regr Friday nights we had."


    "No way." Cayenne responded with a deep frown.


    "Yes way, darling."


    "Hmp!" Cayenne shifted her face and looked on the opposite direction. Stefan justughed on her reaction and made circles on her bare back. "Stop it. It tickles."


    "Then,e and face me."


    "No."


    "Then, I''ll continue to y."


    "Will you stop it or would you rather sleep in the living room. I''m so tired to even move my body."


    Stefan stopped teasing her and got off the bed. Cayenne thought that he''d do something again but he actually flipped her over and carried her in a bridal-style. "Let''s take a bath together."


    "That''s wonderful but please don''t make a move on me in the shower. I really can''t take it anymore."


    "Yes, ma''am. I will behave inside the shower." Stefan replied with a wicked grin which made Cayenne doubt his words. In truth, Stefan was just teasing her and when they really had a shower together, he didn''t make a move on her. Cayenne was too tired to move so, he soaped her body, shampooed her hair, rinsed her thoroughly and wrapped her up with the bathrobe. He dried her hair, dressed her up, changed the bedsheets, pillows and nket as fast as he could before theyid down on the bed again.


    Cayenne was groggy and her eyes couldn''t keep up with her strength anymore. She had no idea how her husband did everything on his ownst night and she knew that it wasn''t the first time either but she really didn''t know where he gets all the energy inside his body.


    The next moment she knew was that, she woke up in his arms, the warmth that she had been longing during the time she held captive. Stefan was still sleeping beside her and instead of going out of the bed like what she usually did in the past, Cayenne chose to stay with him and cuddled him.


    She didn''t make a sound, just observing him and their bedroom which didn''t change at all.


    The wind continued to blow the curtain and sun light was pouring inside their room but it wasn''t so bright as to hurt her eyes. Cayenneid there, feeling the ebb and flow of her husband''s breathing through her hand on his chest.


    Ever since she disappeared, Stefan didn''t get enough sleep at night. He would always stay up until midnight to work on some documents and projects for thepany but after that he would only stare into space until he would fall asleep, only to be awaken by a nightmare in the morning.


    His nightmarish sleeps continued until she contacted him using Seiji''s phone. Knowing she was alive and still remembered him, Stefan finally felt relieved. Although he would still sleep after midnight, he didn''t mind because he was no longer having any nightmares.


    And after waiting for several months, even though he still slept past midnightst night, he was very happy and relieved. After all, his wife was finally nesting in his arms.


    Stefan woke up around 8 o''clock in the morning, not so early but not sote either. And the first thing he found was his wife looking at him with a sweet smile.


    "I''m finally waking up to this view again." Stefan mumbled and hugged her tightly. "Morning, babe."


    "Good morning, darling." Cayenne replied and kissed his chin. "How''s your sleep?"


    "Good. Very, very good."


    "You must have not slept well when I wasn''t around." Cayenne muttered and while caressing his cheeks. Although not so visible, Cayenne could still see the dark circles around his eyes. "I''m sorry."


    "Here we go again. How many times are you going to apologize for something you didn''t do?"


    "But I really caused this."


    "No, you didn''t." Stefan firmly stated. "When you disappeared, thepany received so many projects and to distract myself, I worked on them and forget to catch some sleeps. It''s a bit better now though and I know it will still get better now that you are here." Cayenne just pouted her lips and hugged him.


    The two of them embraced each other for few more minutes before getting out of bed to brush their teeth and wash their faces. When they came down for breakfast, Cayenne was surprised to see her brothers in the living room. She remembered it''s Saturday and unless there''s work to do, they''d usually stay in bed or after breakfast, they''d go back to bed.


    ''We''ll have a thorough conversation tomorrow.'' Cayenne repeated the words that Luiz leftst night before going to bed and looking at them, she knew that she won''t escape the ws of her brother.


    "Good morning." Cayenne greeted them happily while descending the stairs.


    "Go and have your breakfast first. We''ll talk after you''re done."


    At this point, Cayenne didn''t know whether tough or cry. Her brother, the youngest of the family, was now sitting on the couch with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked intimidating for some reason.

 Chapter 538 - SHE ADMITTED

    <h4>Chapter 538 - SHE ADMITTED</h4>


    Cayenne and Stefan had breakfast together while her brothers waited for them in the living room. Kyle didn''t say anything to her but she could tell that he has the same intention as their youngest brother. "I think Luiz is angry." Cayennemented in whisper.


    "Your brothers are smart. They must have sensed something during the time you left. Anyway, you don''t have to worry that much. Instead of anger, I think they are more confused and disappointed instead. And being the one and only sister, I know they won''t stay made at you for a long time."


    "Hopefully." Cayenne muttered. "Did Justin leave the house already? I haven''t seen the kids for a long time. I wonder how they''re doing now.."


    "You can call himter and see what''s going on." Stefan replied. "Why have you be so dumb after getting abducted? Are you sure you didn''t eat the pills that they gave you?"


    "Stop insulting my intelligence." Cayenne shoved some food on his mouth to stop him from talking. "I stoppeding to school for a long time. Do you think they will still ept me?"


    "Didn''t your father say that we can leave it to him? Let''s just wait for the good news." Stefan answered while putting some food on her te. "Eat a lot. You need to replenish your energy."


    "Speaking of my energy, I was really spentst night and I''m wondering, with all the stuff you released, do you think I could get pregnant?"


    ''Ahem! Ahem! Cough! Cough!'' Stefan choked on his food, coughing several times after hearing her question. It''s not that he was doubting his sperm count or her fertility but it''s impossible for her to get pregnant this time. Ever since they were together, Stefan had been observing Cayenne''s characteristic and her mannerism in order to cater to the things she needed and the part that he paid so much attention was her period. Why? Because it was during this time that she suffers the most.


    Last time, before she disappeared, Stefan noticed that she was not having period cramps or any excruciating pain but he knew that she was having her period. At that time, Cayenne took some medicine to ease the pain for the purpose that she was going to prank him on the next month. Who would have thought that she''d be abducted and her prank will not happen? It was like a karma to her evil scheme against her husband.


    Stefan looked at his wife and smiled. "As much as you want to have a child now, I cannot let that happen yet. Also, you won''t get pregnant from what happenedst night. If I guess it correctly, you should have your period in the next three or four days."


    "How do you know that? I don''t have a regr period cycle."


    "It''s a secret of your husband. If I tell you, you will certainly change this habit and I might fall for your tricks. I can''t let you bare children yet."


    "Tsk! Whatever." Cayenne rolled her eyes and stuffed more food in his mouth.


    He was just shaking his head while chewing his food. Cayenne can really eat a lot on normal days but whenever she''s about to have her period, she''ll start to crave her favorites and so much, so much sweets. Recently, she''s been eating lots of them. At the Sy''s mansion, she ate ice cream, cakes, choctes and whatnot. Even when they left, she ordered sweets as soon as they boarded the yacht and had lunch in the mini restaurant. Last night during dinner, she almost ate half the amount of the desserts that her brothers made. If he didn''t exercise with herst night, it would surely damage her health.


    Cayenne didn''t even notice that she had this habit with her.


    As soon as they finished eating, Lucia''s daughter, Daisy, cleaned up the dining area and the kitchen. Cayenne could no longer stall for more time and went to the living room to have a chat with her brothers and with her father as well, who just came out to join them.


    "Come and sit." Luiz stated and pointed on the avable couch. Cayenne pouted her lips but she sat on the couch anyway. Stefan was sitting right beside her but it was obvious that he won''t help her deal with her brothers. "So, what was all this disappearance about?"


    "I was abducted and got into the Rule family." Cayenne replied nonchntly.


    "And you happen to have amnesia, marry one of your friends and ruin the Rule family?" Luiz retorted with no intention of letting his sister go. "Your lies will never get past us."


    "What makes you think that I was lying?" Cayenne question her brother instead. "I was really abducted."


    "Yeah, you were but, you didn''t lose your memory. You contacted Stefan but why didn''t you contact us?" Kyle was the one who spoke this time and it was also the first time he addressed Stefan by his name. Usually he''d call him brother-inw or bro but he never calls him by his first name. Cayenne didn''t say anything, still contemting how to exin the situation. Kyle continued, "You must have thought that I don''t use that ount anymore, have you?"


    "Fine. I was really abducted..." Cayenne admitted started, "and I didn''t lose my memories. When I woke up, I was already held captive in only god-knows-where that ind is situated. I didn''t have anything with me and I could only pretend to have not remembered anything. Since they finally made a move that risked my well-being, I nned to destroy them."


    "With you alone, it''s impossible to do it. How did you get to convince the siblings to join you? I wouldn''t ask about Seiji because it''s obvious he cares so much about you." Luiz responded to his sister.


    "In exchange for my freedom, they get the remaining assets and properties of the Rule family which weren''t implicated because of what their grandfather did. It''s not much but it will help them start a new life. And they also asked me to help them look for their parents. Tristan is already working on it."


    "And why didn''t you contact us? What''s your excuse for this?"


    "I didn''t contact you because I know you''d be more worried and you''d probably book a flight to country C, rush to find that old man and risk yourself getting killed."


    "Why did he have to abduct you? You''re not the only child that our mother gave birth to. He could have abducted me or Kyle." Hearing her brother''s retort, Cayenne couldn''t stop herself fromughing. It was hrious to think that her brother was upset because he wasn''t the one who got kidnapped. But she also knew that it was out of worry. "Don''tugh at me." Luiz snapped and threw a pillow on his sister but Stefan caught it instead. "You spoiled her so much brother-inw."


    "Alright. You don''t have to be so disappointed. If Old Rule knew that you''re willing to marry Seiji, perhaps he would''ve abducted you."


    "Ehhhh?" both Kyle and Luiz eximed. Even Jonas, who was listening this entire time, suddenly straightened on his seat and had a deep frown on his face. "He abducted you just so you could marry Seiji? Didn''t he know that you''re married already?"


    "He knew and he erased my marriage records and changed my name." she answered nonchntly as if this didn''t happen to her but to someone else instead.


    "That old man is crazy!" Luiz blurted without a trace of recognition that the old man was blood-rted to them.


    "He is." Stefan agreed with no qualms about it. "Now, let''s talk about your work."


    Hearing this, it was Luiz''s turn to feel nervous. He looked at Stefan with pleading gaze but since he confronted her sister, Stefan was now getting back at him. There''s no use to plea for an escape.

 Chapter 539 - LUIZ HAS A SCANDAL

    <h4>Chapter 539 - LUIZ HAS A SCANDAL</h4>


    "What about your work? What happened?" Cayenne inquired with her sharp and scrutinizing gaze. "Now, be honest with me."


    Luiz looked at his brother but Kyle only smirked. "You asked for a thorough conversation, deal with it."


    "But I didn''t want to talk about me!" Luiz eximed and held her brother''s arm. "Bro, help me."


    "No, I don''t want to included in his wrath." Kyle whispered to his brother. "You can do it. Just be honest with it. Either you tell them now orter, Yen would still know about it."


    "Enough with the whispering!" Cayenne yelled in anger and stood up in anger. "What happened to your work?"


    "Sis, I didn''t even shout at you earlier. Why are you shouting at me now?"


    "Whether it''s earlier orter, you don''t have the right to shout at me. Try it and I will staple your mouth."? Cayenne was really angry this time. Looking at the faces of the people around her, it''s obvious that Luiz didn''t make any mistake but someone was probably bullying him. "You allowed someone to bully you?"


    "I didn''t." Luiz waved his hands while shaking his head. "I just didn''t respond to the issue in a timely manner but I''m fine. I am not bullied."


    She narrowed her gaze and Luiz was fidgeting even more on his seat. "Your lies won''t get past me, you know." Cayenne snickered, returning the statement that Luiz just said earlier. She turned around and looked back to her husband instead. "Hubby, what exactly happened to this brat?"


    Stefan looked at the threatening smile on his wife''s lips and then looked past her to find Luiz ying the puppy eyes on him. "Last week ¨C "


    One of the guards came inside and following behind him were Reuben and Ingrid. "Excuse me ma''am. Your father hase to visit you." He really cut Stefan''s word in a timely manner, giving Luiz the moment of relief.


    Cayenne spun around and faced his father and his wife. Walking towards them, she walked past her brother and whispered, "This isn''t over yet," making Luiz shiver in fear.


    "I''ll deal with it now." Luiz ran as fast as he could to look for Erwin and to call Tristan as well.


    "Did I disturb your conversation?" Reuben asked with apologetic look on his face.


    "No dad. Come and sit." Cayenne was back to being the gentle and sweet girl in front of his father and his wife but she didn''t dare forget what problem her brother could be facing.


    Kyle took a deep breath and left, intending to help his brother settle his matter before the end of the day. It''s not really a difficult situation but because didn''t solve it in a timely manner, it has be a huge trouble now.


    Few days ago, during thest photoshoot that Luiz took for the new gadget that X-techpany released, he worked with a female model and she seemed harmless and kind so, he didn''t really put up his guard around her. They talked and spent time together for the whole day and he didn''t really pay attention to his surroundings knowing that his manager was watching and there were many bodyguards looking after him.


    After the photoshoot, the director treated everyone to dinner. There were other people and other women in the group but that female model chose to sit beside Luiz. Luiz didn''t mind though. She didn''t do anything out of ordinary so, he just focused on his food. From time to time, he''d talk to the director, sometimes to the cameraman and to the other staffs.


    After half an hour, he excused himself to use the toilet and left with the bodyguards following him from a distance. Not long after, the female model also left to get some air. Nobody thought that things would go south from that point.


    She was leaning on the wall, flustered and drank. Worried that something would happen to her, Luiz approached her and held her up to keep her steady. If he had known, if only he paid more attention to her attitude and if only he had looked around, he wouldn''t bat an eye to what was happening to her.


    Apparently, sensing that someone held her, the female model pressed her body even closer to Luiz and when she got the chance, she kissed him. It wasn''t a kiss on the cheeks nor was it a quick kiss on his lips but it wasn''t to the point of French kiss either. However, the duration was more than enough to be caught with the camera.


    Luiz pushed her away as if he was disgusted by her but it was toote. The picture was already uploaded as soon as it was taken. It was a deliberate n to ruin his rising career in modeling.


    "Take her away from me!" Luiz red at the guards and walked, rubbing his lips with the sleeves of his clothes. "I don''t want to see that woman ever again."


    "Yes, sir."? And so, another woman was added on the list of people who are not allowed to approach Luiz.


    After that incident, Luiz went back to their dining table, telling everyone that he wasn''t feeling well and needed to go back home. He had no idea that his picture kissing a woman was already circting online.


    With his mind full of worry for his sister, he had no time to check what was happening on the social media. If risse didn''t call him to ask for exnation, he wouldn''t know that he''s being scolded already.


    It would have been fine if she was just a small-time model but the problem was, her boyfriend was a well-known B-list actor. He starred in many dramas and movies already and has lots of fans despite the fact that he''s already taken. Now, he was making a big fuss about the picture and even tagged many big shots who were close to Luiz. Jillyanna and Riley were even included.


    He wanted to deal with it as soon as he can but the news of his sister''s rescue distracted him again. During the street interview, someone actually asked about the scandal he was involved but he ignored this question and focused on his sister''s news. If only he had answered that question.


    "I will surely kick this woman down along with his boyfriend." Luiz muttered angrily. He wasn''t angry because he was used of being a third party or snatching someone''s loved. What he was angry about was the fact that he caused risse to be upset. He borrowed Erwin''s phone and called Tristan directly. "This is Luiz. I hope I am not disturbing you¡­"

 Chapter 540 - LUIZ HAS A SCANDAL II

    <h4>Chapter 540 - LUIZ HAS A SCANDAL II</h4>


    "I knew it! He really got into modeling through a back door." This is one of the most likedments right below the picture that showed Luiz kissing a girl.


    "Well, that isn''t surprising. His family is a friend of so many big shots." And this was one of the most liked reply under thement written above.


    These weren''t the only opinions of the people towards Luiz. There so many more that flooded the unknown ount of the uploader.


    "To all his fans, I want you to look at your model here. Look at him and see his true colors!"


    "Ha! He''s shameless enough to start modeling through some open back doors and now, he''s even starting to flirt with other people''s girlfriend."


    "The girl is a new model.. He must have thought she''s got no powerful backer so, he hooked up with her."


    "What do you expect? After all, his sister gets them to where they are now after sleeping with Stefan Dumrique."


    More and more people started criticizing Luiz on the social media and the picture was circted on the tform through several paid ounts.


    Luiz thought that the woman would rify this matter after a couple of days but not only did she not rify this matter, she didn''t even exin anything to his boyfriend and just let Luiz suffer the burnt of her boyfriend''s anger. Although it''s embarrassing to admit your own mistake, isn''t more embarrassing if people tell others about it?


    This issue didn''t just affect Luiz but it also affected Riley. As for Jillyanna, she no longer cares about what other people say to her. She''s no longer in the entertainment industry and she knew that she wasn''t opening any backdoor for anyone. Even Riley needed to audition when she started her career two years ago.


    Around 10 o''clock in the morning, when Riley woke up from the faint sound of the fingers tapping on a keyboard, she checked her phone to see if there are any messages from her manager or from her family and friends. There weren''t many of them but most of them talked about the scandal that Luiz got involved.


    ''This guy hasn''t said anything until now? What is he thinking letting this matter grow to this point?'' Riley thought to herself before getting out of the bed. She walked to theputer room where Shein was busy working and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Is he not making a move yet? Shall I say anything now?"


    "Hn. Tristan is working on it already after Luiz called him this morning. You can post a statement on your ount about this matter. Just don''t bully them too much. Let Luiz throw thest blow."


    "O-okay." Riley yawned and stretched her arms before going out to brush her teeth and wash her face. When she''s fully awake, she picked up her phone again and opened her ount. She clicked on the post and share it to her own ount with a new caption. "Luiz has been busy worrying about his sister and yet, people used this chance to ruin him. As far as I remember, the YES magazine was the first everpany that approached Luiz for a work. THEY approached him for work, not Luiz approaching them for work. I stake my name on this. And I know Luiz better than any of his haters here. He''s not someone who dates a celebrity and surely, he''s not someone who steals someone''s girlfriend. If I were you, stop making bullsh*ts with his name because you will surely receive a dozen ps on your face. Take note, we don''t let anyone use us and step on us for self-gain. You better apologize or be sorry."


    Riley read her statement again and again; and after seeing that it was fine, she posted it with no hesitation. Her first sentence was to point out why Luiz wasn''t able to respond to this scandal in a timely manner. The second sentence was to let them know that Luiz didn''t join the modeling industry through back door. And the rest of her words was to warn the initiator of this issue because as a friend, Riley isn''t someone you can mess with.


    Because of her words, Luiz''s fans, who were suppressed by the haters, have found the new strength to fight back. Her post was shared by many people and most of them were people who likes Luiz and also, Cayenne''s vlog subscribers. They started posting theirments; their fingers moving across their keyboards, tapping their phones and stating their firm opinions that Luiz was a reasonable person, a decent man who doesn''t stoop low as to stealing someone''s girl.


    "I knew my idol won''t do anything like this."


    "Hmp! He''s handsome, smart, kind and passionate. Why would he be with someone so ugly?"


    "Our dear Luiz worked with so many female models before, even more beautiful than this girl. I would never believe he''d kiss a frog like her!"


    "Ha! I''ve seen Luiz so many times in school and I know the person he likes! There''s no way it''s this ugly duckling!"


    "I''m sure my idol wille out soon and speak his opinion regarding this. I will just prepare my popcorn to watch the show."


    "Hehehe. I remember that anyone who messes with Riley Summer won''t have a good ending. This time, you messed with her friend. I''m currently having tea with friends while waiting for the face pping."


    "Some people wanted to be famous as soon as they can no matter what means they wanted to use. And now, she''s really famous."


    "Comment above. She will be more famous after our idol gets back at her."


    "I''m waiting."


    "I''m waiting, too."


    "I''m waiting +100"


    "It''s not easy to gather evidence. Let''s give our idol a bit of time. But yes, I''m also waiting. Hehehe."


    Luiz didn''t pay attention to what was happening and was even chatting with risse instead. It is like the saying ''the emperor doesn''t worry but the eunuch does''. He was really nonchnt about what''s going on while waiting for Tristan to send him the details of his investigation.


    Inside her apartment, the woman bit her lips while reading thements under Riley''s posts. She thought that everything would be okay as long as Luiz won''t make a statement but now, many people were standing on his side. Her phone buzzed and when she pulled it out, her hand trembled from anxiety.


    "Mica, tell me what exactly happened?"

 Chapter 541 - LUIZ HAS A SCANDAL III

    <h4>Chapter 541 - LUIZ HAS A SCANDAL III</h4>


    Mica was the model who got Luiz into this mess. She knew she made a mistake but she didn''t have the heart to admit it. She didn''t want her boyfriend to be disappointed in her. And if it''s true that Luiz is kind like what other people say, she believed that he won''t embarrass her.


    Normally, Luiz wouldn''t do anything to retaliate if it was just all about him but many people were now affected because of this. Riley was dragged down. risse was upset. His sister in now angry. His brother and father are worried. His ssmates and friends were worried for him as well. He can''t let it continue.


    Mica was mistaken once again for the kindness in Luiz''s heart. He''s only kind to those people who were kind to him and his family but he was never kind to those people who wanted to ruin him..


    While chatting with risse, his phone vibrated and there was an email notificationing from Tristan.


    Luiz: "I''ll go and handle my mess now. Sorry for upsetting you. I''ll make it up to you on Monday, okay?"


    risse: "Alright. I''m not upset anymore but you still have to make it up to me on Monday."


    Luiz: "Yes, ma''am ????"


    The two ended their conversation and Luiz opened his social media ount first to see the current status of the issue before making his move. He saw Riley''s response to his scandal and saw the thousands of positivementsing from his fans. There were some hateful remarks but he just ignored them. He didn''t really care about those people.


    Some staff from the production team also expressed their opinion, stating that Luiz wasn''t really the type of person to just steal someone''s girl and they also mentioned that it was the woman who approached him first. But having no evidence, they were shut off by his haters and the trolls that were paid by the woman''s boyfriend.


    "Why are you still looking at thements? Just make a statement already. If you won''t be able to deal with this before lunch, Yen would surelye and deal with you." Kyle reminded his brother who was still lying on the couch inside Erwin''s room.


    "Even if I settle this now, she would stille and give me an earful of scolding." Luiz rebutted while scrolling on his phone.


    "You have a point." Kyle replied while controlling his game character. He was ying with Erwin while waiting for his brother to do something with his scandal. Luiz thought of finding out who uploaded the picture on the but Kyle told him to gather evidence instead to show that he wasn''t the one who kissed the girl. But since they''re not the techy-type of person, they had to rely on Tristan for that.


    "I have the video from the hallway where this picture was taken." Luiz stated as he sat up straight. "It''s clear that I just helped her up and she was the one who hugged me. Oh! I have another idea!" Luiz stood up from his seat and ran out of the room.


    Kyle looked towards Erwin and then, to his game character. "I''ll die for now. I need to see what that brother of mine is up to." He left the game and his character was swarmed with so many enemies before the screen turned gray.


    Erwin was shaking his head as he turned off the game console and his TV. He also went out of the room to see if there''s anything he can help with at home. Even though he''s working in thepany, Cayenne and Stefan still asked him to stay so that he can save money before meeting Sabrina''s family in Italy.


    Back to Luiz, he was now sitting inside the control room where three guards monitored three pairs ofputers and sixrge smart TV. This control room was set up by Stefan when he first heard of Cayenne''s whereabout after her abduction. This wouldn''t just monitor Cayenne but everyone in the family. One person will be guarded by four bodyguards and everyone carries micro camera for monitoring.


    The idea that Luiz had came up after reading Riley''s post. It was Mica who approached him several times and he knew that it will be captured by his bodyguard''s cameras which was why he was sitting in the control room, looking for the recordings.


    "Oh! You''re here." Stefanmented when he saw Luiz sitting in front of theputers. "Are you recovering the recordings during your photoshoot?"


    "Yup. I forgot to mention this to brother Tristan and I felt embarrass to call him again so, I''m doing it on my own."


    "I was thinking of doing the same thing while you sister is busy cooking with Ingrid."


    "You''re nning to help me now? Why didn''t you help me earlier and opened up a can of worms instead?"


    "Why did you have to confront your sister anyway? I''m just getting back at you."


    "You spoil her so much."


    "No one spoiled her before so, I''m taking the liberty of doing it now. And if I won''t spoil my wife, who will I do that to?"


    "Whatever. Whatever." Luiz snickered as he typed on the keyboard. "Stop unting your love here. I''m busy."


    "Let me help you with that."


    "No, need. Help me distract my sister instead. I will make sure to settle this matter before lunch time. Just don''t let her find me before I could finish everything or she will finish me."


    Stefan chuckled hearing his response but he knew that Luiz wasn''t exaggerating things. Cayenne would definitely yell and scold her brother if she knows what really happens. "Alright. I''ll keep her upied for you." Stefan left and went back to the kitchen where Cayenne was busy preparing for food.


    Right after Stefan left, Kyle also arrived and offered his help but just like his brother-inw, he was refused to help as well. ''Fine. I''ll just deal with the social media while waiting for your retaliation.'' Kyle thought as he logged in to his social media ount.


    Seeing that he was working so hard to prove his innocence, Kyle took a picture of his brother and uploaded it. "He''s busy looking for evidence. Bro, your friends, family and your fans, know that you are innocent. We believe in you."


    As soon as he uploaded it, many people who followed his ount forwarded and shared his post. This made Mica and his boyfriend even more nervous. And while contemting if she should tell the truth, the man already had a feeling that the girl he loved has betrayed him.

 Chapter 542 - RETALIATION I

    <h4>Chapter 542 - RETALIATION I</h4>


    "You''re spacing out again." Ingridmented when she noticed Cayenne was staring on the kitchen table where the vegetablesy. "Are you really sure you''re okay?"


    "Ah? Yes, I''m fine. I''m trying to think if I had forgotten something." She said, a perfect excuse from being absent-minded.


    "I see." Ingrid didn''tment on her response, not being to privy to the woman who wasn''t even blood rted to her. "Since this is your kitchen, you can be the master chef and I will be your assistant."


    "How can that be?" Cayenne questioned apanied with her faint chuckles. "Let''s just create our specialty dish. You can use whatever ingredients you need from our pantry and refrigerator."


    "Alright."


    The two of them continued to do what they were doing and Stefan would check on Cayenne from time to time, making sure that she''s still in the kitchen, not outside looking for her brother.


    "I got it all now." Luiz muttered, saving the files to his sh drive. "Thank you for lending me theputers."


    "No problem sir. If you need any other help, as long as we can do it, you can alwayse and look for us." One of the guards stated towards Luiz.


    "I''ll keep that in mind. I''ll get going now." He stood up from his seat and ran back to the main house. Kyle was following closely behind him. He opened the door to the living room, looked left and right, listening to the sound of his sistering from the kitchen. "Thank goodness." He stepped inside and ran upstairs, to his bedroom and made sure to lock the door right after his brother got inside. "Bro, help mepile everything in one video."


    "Hn. Give me yourptop and the sh drive." Kylemanded and Luiz did what was told. While his brother was busy working on the videos, he was alsoposing his statement as he leaned on his headboard.


    "Doing this thing against a woman, I am not being cruel, right?"


    "Being merciful to your enemy is being cruel to yourself." Kyle replied without raising his head to look at his brother. "You don''t know what exactly that woman was thinking and we can''t even think of any hidden motive. It was your first time meeting her. You never said anything hurtful and you only helped her. You don''t know her boyfriend as well. And yet, she didn''t hesitate to ruin your career. That kind of person shouldn''t be taken lightly. Who knows, she mighte up with another ridiculous scheme against you or any other models or artist."


    "You are right." Luiz sighed and continued to typing on his phone. He couldn''t understand why Mica did it as well.


    After half an hour, Kyle gave theptop back to his brother. "Done." He stood up from the bed and walked towards the door. "Finish it now or Yen will finish you."


    "Yes. Yes. Thank you." Luiz saved hisposed message and opened his social media ount from hisptop to continue what he was doing.


    By the time noon has arrived, he was whistling with his lips as he descended the stairs. Erwin saw him and shook his head. "You''ve made it in time?" he asked the young man who seemed to have rxed now.


    "Of course. I wouldn''t dare dy it any longer or I will be the next on the chopping board for dinner."


    "Is your sister really scary?"


    "If you bully her, she won''t retaliate. But if you bully me and Kyle, she will do her best to ruin your life. My sister looks really weak but she''s really smart and resourceful. That is why, no one from our neighborhood bullied us in the past. In contrast, they like us so much because of my sister."


    The two of them went to the living room first since Cayenne and Ingrid were still finishing up some of the dishes that they made. Luiz wiggled his eyebrows towards his father and brother-inw.


    Seeing his triumphant smile, Stefan pulled out his phone and searched for Luiz''s name. The post that Luiz made was just published few minutes ago but he was able to reverse the situation. Mica was the one being scolded now.


    "No wonder she didn''t say anything when this issue came up. After all, it''s embarrassing to admit that you are a slut."


    "If I may say, this is probably her own set up."


    "I felt bad for Gavin. He stood up for her but it turned out, she''s not loyal and truthful to him."


    "It''s obvious that she''s the one who kept approaching him during the whole photoshoot and video making."


    "Those who wants evidence,e and get them here! Eat them to your heart''s content and bury yourselves right after!"


    "Tsk! I bet Gavin paid a lot to put the me on Luiz but in truth, his girlfriend was a gold-sucking bitch!"


    "I knew it! I have faith in my idol."


    "We all believe he''s innocent but other people are so blind."


    "To those foolish fans who left the camp, please don''te back anymore. We don''t need irrational people to drag down our idol when some issuese up."


    "Riley and Luiz are really good friends. Since I have followed Riley for a long time now, it''s obvious that I''d trust the choice of friends she makes."


    "Hmp! I saved those people''s ount who dragged our goddess YNA and Riley on this matter. Who wants the lists of names? Lists go and beat these people up!"


    "To thosepany who are nning to work with that ugly model ¨C Mica, go and do it because you will lose millions of profits. We will never buy anything that she models for."


    "Go out of the modeling industry!"


    "Don''t let us see your face ever again!"


    "If I see you, I will dump a can of garbage over you."


    "That B-list actor Gavin is also unreasonable. I will never watch any shows that he casts in."


    "Ha! I don''t even know that actor! Who''s that?"


    "Gavin? Is that edible?"


    "Hahahaha he''s edible if he''s yours."


    "I don''t want that. I heard that name is stinky like a poop."


    Stefan read thements for a long time while shaking his head in disbelief. He''s not really against the social media but sometimes, people''s opinion can be too much. He didn''t care about it though, as long as Luiz cleared his name now, that''s what matters to him.


    Opening his contact lists, He sent a message to the media reporters who always made ruckus about his rtionship before.

 Chapter 543 - RETALIATION II

    <h4>Chapter 543 - RETALIATION II</h4>


    Stefan had so many scandals before meeting Cayenne which earned him the name ''rich yboy''. Letting the reporters catch him in his affairs and flings was all part of his n to tarnish hisst name and make his father and grandfather even more angry. Although it failed and on ra remained hostile against him.


    Some of his affairs and flings were true and some were not. When he met Cayenne, he was very honest about it and he told her the truth as well.


    Now, he''s got so many connections with the reporters. He can give them news if he wants to and refuse their request if he didn''t want to. Simple.


    Gavin just finished the taping for the weekly variety show, where stars appear to promote their movies or any drama series that they cast in, when he received a call from his manager. She was so angry at him that if ever he was in front of her, she would have wed his face already.


    "Why didn''t you tell me about this issue?!" the manager screamed on the other line. "You know that we cannot offend the people close to these big shots! I''m pretty sure you have an idea of his identity. Why must you ruin your career like this?!"


    "Jiji, what are you talking about? I don''t know who you are referring to."


    "I''m talking about Luiz! That Luiz Ardolf! The model! Cayenne Dumrique''s brother! Stefan''s brother-inw! Riley''s friend! Who else do you want me to refer to?!"


    "What do you mean? I wasn''t the one at fault and I just shared the post of him and my girlfriend! If someone should get angry, it should be me! It''s my woman that he messed up with!"


    "I''m impressed! I am so impressed that up until now, you would still believe that woman! I have told you several times already that she will be the stigma of your career! Look what she has done! Open your ount and see what she has done! I don''t care anymore. If you really love her, go and let her manage your career!"


    The call ended before he could respond to her and Gavin was left standing in the hallway with an astonished look on his face. This wasn''t the first time that she gets angry towards him and he likes it when she''s angry, an obvious disy that she cares for him. But he wasn''t sure if she cares for him because of their past rtionship or if because he can bring her money which was why he always use tricks to make her angry. This time, her anger wasn''t just for show. She''s really displeased and wanted to quit being his manager.


    He took a deep breath and dialed her number to call her but she was no longer answering his call. He dialed it again and again until she directly turned off her phone. "She must be really angry this time."


    "Sir Gavin, I have checked my social media ount and searched for your name. Many people are boycotting your shows and many of your fans are unfollowing you. You have gained many haters instead." His assistant stated while showing his phone to the actor. "What shall we do?"


    "You don''t need to do anything. I''ll handle this on my own." Gavin responded and left the TV Station. He just boarded the car when he received a message from the production team, stating that his segment will be postponed, not until he fixed the issue with Luiz.


    Luiz works as a model but the people surrounding him has many connections to the entertainment industry. They would never want to make enemies with him unless they have lost their mind like Gavin and Mica. Although, Gavin still contained his rationality, it''s not assured yet if his career will be spared.


    He was just about to post a public apology, drafting his message on his phone when he received a call from Mica. He just looked at it and let the phone ring, not answering or rejecting it either. The ring stopped for a while and few secondster, it rang again. His phone rang incessantly and he stopped typing his message due to irritation.


    "Sir Gavin, there are many reporters outside your apartment building. It would be difficult to get inside." His secretary stated when he saw the numbers of reporters flocking on their apartment gate.


    "Just let them in. Don''t do anything aside."


    "Okay, sir."


    The guard opened the gate and after getting an instruction from the secretary, he allowed the gate to be opened a little bit wider allowing the reporters toe in.


    "Gavin!"


    "Gavin, can we have a few questions with you?"


    "Gavin, we are here for a short interview."


    "Gavin ¨C "


    Gavin stepped out of the car and looked towards the reporters who were holding their notebooks and their recorders. "I''m really stress right now. What is it that you want? I don''t even want to talk about the issue of my lovely girlfriend and that well-known model."


    "But that is why we are here. Have you read the response from Luiz Ardolf? Did you know that it was your girlfriend who approached him with motives?"


    Gavin looked forlorn when facing the camera and he has been sighing several times ever since he stepped out. Unexpectedly, he bowed his head in front of them and since many reporters had this interview live, the people were able to see his face and his deep bow across the screen.


    "I''d live to apologize to Mr. Luiz Ardolf for the words that I have said online. Of course, having seen your girlfriend kissing another man, I would definitely choose to believe her without asking questions. I''m pretty sure other people would do the same thing. At the same time, these past few days, when there was no responseing from you and nothing came from my girlfriend, I was starting to doubt the events specially that it was just a picture. I have tried contacting her but there was no responseing from her. I have been sending her messages to know the truth. Until now, I don''t know where she is and I won''t deny my mistake either. I just hope that you can forgive me for being blind and careless."


    "So, basically you are still in rtionship with the model." One of the reporters stated.


    "I can say yes to that. Even if I want to break up with her, I cannot do it. I don''t know where she is. I asked my assistant to look for her in her apartment but no one was answering. How will I break up with someone who isn''t even willing to talk to me?"


    "Are you saying that she''s just using you to get some modeling work and approach Luiz?"


    "I don''t think so. We were alright before. She never did anything to cause me to doubt her but one thing is for sure, after this incident, I realized who''s loyal and truthful to me. That''s all I can say. Please excuse myself."

 Chapter 544 - DONT BELITTLE A WOMANS INTUITION

    <h4>Chapter 544 - DON''T BELITTLE A WOMAN''S INTUITION</h4>


    Mica clenched her hands into fists and punch the couch she was sitting on. She was indeed using Gavin to get some modeling job that would allow her to work with Luiz. She had been buying the magazines that he appears into and watched Cayenne''s vlog that included him. She checked his ount several times to get a glimpse of his pictures and she even went to Trine Elite University just to catch his smile before he leaves to go home.


    When she saw the audition poster announcement held by X-techpany, she told Gavin that she wanted to audition for that job or if he can get her to join it using connections. Gavin was once their ambassador before and he was very professional. Since his girlfriend has the talent to be a model, they agreed to take her in.


    He never imagined that she only wanted to model for thatpany because of Luiz who was the current male ambassador of their gadgets.


    And it goes the same for Mica, she would have never imagined that Gavin was only using her to make his upset his manager or make her jealous.


    At the end of the game, she lost to Gavin.


    "So, Gavin was only used. Poor guy."


    "I would do the same thing if I were him. Why would you choose a stranger over your girlfriend? Sadly, the girlfriend wasn''t someone he should have believed in."


    "That''s part of life. There are people who will really betray your trust and love."


    "I think she really nned all this. If she has a conscience and if she didn''t really do it, she could have told him that it was an ident. But she didn''t even tell her boyfriend!"


    "She used Gavin to get some work and then, she decided to use Luiz to be famous. Sadly, she used the wrong person. Hahaha!"


    "Karma is a bitch."


    "Gavin already apologized but she still remained silent. What is she trying to be quiet for? Is her word so expensive?"


    "Poor Gavin. He is now carrying the burnt of Luiz''s retaliation because his woman is nowhere to be found."


    "She didn''t escape from the city, right?"


    "Hmp! She thinks no one would find her. Even if she hides to the North Pole, someone could still find her."


    "Wow! That''s the power of hatred."


    "Hating someone isn''t really a good thing. It''s a waste of your energy. Why don''t you spend it to support your idol instead?"


    "Luiz, my husband already apologized. Can you please forgive him?" one of Gavin''s fansmented and even tagged Luiz on herments.


    "Right. My boyfriend has repented for his mistake. Please don''t ban him."


    "I don''t want my Gavin to be ban from the industry. Even if you hate him, I still like him. It''s not his fault that he was betrayed."


    "I admit that he was foolishly in love with that woman but it''s not a sin to love, right?"


    "My idol is already nning to break up with that bitch but she''s hiding like a cockroach."


    Luiz was eating his lunch and he left his phone inside his room. Therefore, he had no idea what was happening now. Ever since they started eating lunch, no one used their phones so, no one really knows that someone has apologized and that some people were asking for Luiz to forgive their idol.


    Both men spoke already but the one who started the issue still remained silent. Cayenne looked at his brother but during the whole time, Luiz was only eating his food, talking to his father and his brother while making sure that he won''t meet his sister''s eyes.


    It''s not that he was afraid of her but he just didn''t want to talk anything bad during their meal.


    "Yen, I know that you have your personal guards appointed by your husband but as a father, I wanted to keep you safe as well. Starting tomorrow, I will have five of my personal bodyguards to look after you and Stefan. You don''t have to worry about the school and their regtions. As long as Stefan won''t interfere with your ss, they wouldn''t say anything against you."


    "And what have you paid in exchange?" Cayenne questioned because she knew that there is no free lunch in this world.


    "Nothing much. I just promised to coborate with their schrship program to help other students."


    "And?"


    "Well, that''s my end of the bargain. Stefan will have to talk to them on Monday as well."


    "Isn''t it too obvious that we are bribing the university stakeholders?" Cayenne replied in worry. Thest thing she ever wanted is to have rumors about bribery.


    "We''re not really bribing them for you to have good grades. I specifically mention that during the negotiation. Your grades will still depend on your performance and projects. The professors knew it as well. If you''re not doing better then, we can just say goodbye to our money."


    "As if I''d let that happen." Cayenne muttered. "I''ll do my best in ss but don''t expect too much. After all, I have lost my memories."


    "Correct!" Reuben winked at his daughter upon hearing her response. Cayenne didn''t lose her memory but in front of other people she will have to pretend to have amnesia in order for Stefan to sessfully apany her without people questioning his presence.


    As soon as their lunch was over, Reuben and Ingrid left since they still have things to do. Luiz sneaked back to his room to get his phone but his sister caught him.


    "Luuuiiizzzz." Cayenne hissed which sent chills down her brother''s spine.


    "Yenyen, I promise that nothing bad really happens. Let me get my phone and show you." Luiz answered his sister as fast as he can. He was facing her but he was stepping backwards in a very slow motion, keeping his vignt eyes on his sister.


    "You can use my phone. Anyway, it''s in the social media." Kyle handed the phone to his brother which showed the current situation of his issue. "Just tell her what happens. It''s your fault for suggesting this thorough conversation when brother-inw is around."


    "It''s not really a big deal." Luiz swaggered towards his brother since he knew that he has resolved the issue. "Yenyen, we don''t need this thorough conversation. You can just read everything online."


    "You are just escaping! Come back here." Cayenne chased after her brother and grabbed his ears. "You were being careless again, weren''t you?"


    "It''s a small mistake and ah! Yenyen, my ears."


    "And you made someone cry!"


    "No ¨C ouchie! I did but I fixed it already. I''m sorry."


    Cayenne let go of her brother and rubbed his warm ear. "If you ever let your woman cry again, I will clip your nose next time."


    "How did you know that it''s something that could upset risse?"


    "Intuition. Don''t belittle a woman''s intuition."

 Chapter 545 - CAYENNES GUESS

    <h4>Chapter 545 - CAYENNE''S GUESS</h4>


    When Stefan raised this concern, Cayenne felt that the issue isn''t really that huge but it surely impacted a lot of people for him to open up this matter. But since she''s home and the media knew about it already, she realized that the issue doesn''t involve her. There were only two things that came to her mind; either people discovered his interest towards risse and exposed it or he made a mistake involving people in his work.


    Cayenne wasn''t really sure which one was the issue and she didn''t have her phone to check on her brother''s ount. Since her father and Ingrid came, she decided to set aside this issue and focus her attention on them. She was sill unknowledgeable of the current issue that Luiz was facing until she decided to cook lunch with Ingrid.


    Dalia was helping them wash the vegetables but since she didn''t have any pocket and the apron she was wearing has no pockets, too. She ced her phone on the table. She forgot to turn it off so, when Cayenne moved around to get something here and there, she caught a glimpse of the current page that the young woman was reading.


    Knowing that it wasn''t her phone, Cayenne didn''t touch it to scroll down even though she was curious to know what it was all about. The first two sentences were enough for her to put two-and-two together and knew she guessed it right. She was just waiting for the right moment to talk with his brother and see if it was already resolved..


    "Since it''s okay now, I won''t ask you anymore. I''ll just check on itter." Cayenne told Luiz who looked like he received the sickle of death from his sister. "Be careful next time. Don''t let this happen again."


    "Aye! Aye! Captain." Luiz return his brother''s phone and ran upstairs to get his own gadget. He wanted to see what was really happening now. Seeing that the actor already gave a public apology and seeing that many of the people plead for the guy to not lose his job, Luiz didn''t give him a hard time. "I didn''t say someone should be banned from the entertainment industry. I am just letting people know that I didn''t steal anyone''s girl or hook up with a stranger."


    He didn''t care about the couple''s issue. Either Gavin used Mica as a scapegoat or Mica used Gavin as a stepping stone, he didn''t give a damn about their issue. They can deal with it however they like.


    Because of what Luiz posted, Gavin didn''t lose his works. Luiz also gained several thousands of fans because of his big heart.


    Anyway, he wouldn''t work with this man ever in his life.


    Cayenne and Stefan went back inside their room for her to see her things which Stefan retrieved after the investigation of her kidnapping. Her phone was already repaired with the same phone cover and it was the very first thing that she grabbed. "Thank goodness it''s okay now. I was really worried when I stepped on it."


    "I''ll guess why you''re worried." Stefan replied with a helpless smile on his lips.


    "Go on."


    "You were not worried because of the files or the apps or the other things you stored inside it. You were worried for the possibility that I might buy a new phone for you instead."


    "Absolutely right!" Cayenne pped her hands in apuse. "You really know me."


    "Of course."


    Cayenne opened the phone and saw the same wallpaper that she used ever since she received this gadget. It was a picture of them together. "I miss this phone." she whispered while opening her gallery and her messaging app. "I''m so d I have it back."


    "Don''t I get a reward?"


    Cayenne smirked at him but she still stood on her toes and kissed his lips. "Thank you."


    "You''re wee." Stefan just smiled and caressed her face. "I ced your other items inside your bag."


    Cayenne walked towards the vanity mirror where thest bag she used was sitting on top of it. She opened it and saw her personal belongings inside. "Those abductors were all dumb. If they took my bag instead of me, they would have known that my things are much more valuable to them than I am to them. They could have sold these things and go to some other countries, far, far away from that insane old man."


    Stefan nodded in agreement. If they were just robbing Cayenne off of her things, Stefan would probably just let it go and just buy new things for his wife or look for those items and just buy them again from whoever received them. It would have been better. But then again, things have happened and they couldn''t rewind it. There''s no if in this world either. They could just swallow their regret and pent up frustration before moving on.


    Cayenne was still checking her things when Stefan hugged her from the back and slipped his hands underneath her shirts. "Hubby, what are you doing?"


    "Touching you."


    "Why are you touching me there? Keep your hands to yourself."


    "But I like touching you here."


    "Why are you so horny? We just did itst night and ¨C " her words halted when she felt him kissing her on the back of her neck. "It''s still early."


    "It''s the best time. In that way, you can sleep early tonight. Anyway, it''s Sunday tomorrow." Stefan whispered to her, caressing her neck and ears with his lips.


    "One round."


    "Let''s make it two."


    "No, just one."


    "Okay." Stefan gave in to her before tilting her head to kiss her lips. Cayenne says one because she knew he''d make it two. If she said two, he''d make it three. She''s be exhausted again. Stefan just grinned when he let go of his wife. He knew that she understood what he meant. "I won''t wear any rubber again this time."


    "Sure. Sure. I don''t mind. If I get pregnant it''s my luck anyway."


    "Let''s hope for your luck to arrive." Stefan stated, ying along with her even though he knew she won''t get pregnant because of his calction.


    While the two of them flirted, Ferdinand and Magnus were having a serious conversation back in the vi. They needed to deal with the annoying maggot before it grows and pester Cayenne and Stefan. The couple suffered so much already. They cannot allow them to face another danger.

 Chapter 546 - CLASSES RESUME FOR HER

    <h4>Chapter 546 - CLASSES RESUME FOR HER</h4>


    After the intense activity, Cayenne holed up in their bedroom to take a rest. After some time, she called Justin and talked to the kids in his home. They were so happy to see her safe and sound, Chloe even cried after seeing Cayenne. Among all the other kids, she was closer to Cayenne because she''s very sweet and clingy. Other children were reserved and shypared to Chloe. The two elders at home were relieved to see her as well.


    She spent an hour talking to them and after that, she decided to end the call because Justin kept telling her to rest instead even though she has rested enough already.


    Left with nothing to do, Cayenne decided to watch a movie until she fell asleep.


    Two dayster, Monday finally came and Cayenne needed to go back to Xena University but this time, Stefan will be apanying her. The arrangement that she worked so hard for several months was totally ruined because of her abduction. Now, they will be sticking to each other again. There''s just no way Stefan would allow her to leave the house without him.


    "Do you like to choose your own clothes today?" Stefan asked her while opening theirrge wardrobe. He looked at her dress before shifting his gaze to look at her.


    "You choose. You have good taste in fashion than me."


    "Okay." Stefan put his finger on his chin while contemting what Cayenne should wear. "You''ll have ck jeans, white blouse and this brown coat. You can pair it with your ck sandals. Just choose the one that you''refortable with."


    "Thanks."


    Stefan looked at the bag that she chose to use, opened his mouth to say something but in the end, he kept quiet and just looked for his own clothes to match with hers. Cayenne dressed up as quick as she could while waiting for her husband. "I''ll go downstairs and grab some stuffs."


    "Sure."


    Although she said that she''d grab something, she didn''t bring her bag. Stefan opened it and found her careless wife. "I told her already that her period wille in three or four days. She didn''t listen to me." He muttered to himself and pulled out a backpack from the closet. He stuffed some sanitary pads on it, the electric hotpress pack and another pair of jeans. As soon as he was done preparing, he went out of their room with her handbag and his backpack.


    "You are bringing yourptop?" Cayenne asked when she saw him holding his own bag. "Will you be able to work there? It will be very noisy."


    "I''ll manage." Stefan replied and have the handbag to her. "I''ll just get something from the kitchen."


    "O-okay." Cayenne received her bag and put the different kinds of choctes inside. She''s really likes sweets and she needed those to keep her awake in ss.


    Stefan went to the kitchen and looked for the insted tumbler. He put a teaspoon of ginger powder and ced it inside his bag before going back to the living room. "Let''s go."


    Stefan didn''t drive his own car this time. Both he and Cayenne got inside the backseat and one of the guards drove for them while another guard sat on the front seat. Their vehicle was escorted by four cars with five bodyguards inside each car. All of them were licensed to hold a gun and they all have one. If needed, they can shoot someone.


    Inside each of the car, there were ammunitions and firearms as well. If someone ambush them, be it in the city or in the countryside, they will be able to fight back.


    These bodyguards were the people appointed by Stefan. There was another car following them from a distance which was sent by Reuben. Cayenne was now heavily guarded. If someone wants to do something, they will have to pass through these guards first.


    "Why am I heavily guarded? I''m not even this country''s president."


    "You are not nor am I but, that didn''t make us have less enemies."


    "I don''t have enemies, you have." Cayenne snorted.


    "Right. I am the one who got enemies but since you are my weakness, they will go after you."


    "Hmp! Your enemies are coward, going after a weak woman like me."


    "Yeah, right. You are so weak which makes you ruin the Rule family." Stefan stated as she pinched her face and kissed the tip of her nose. "Anyone who will touch you with hidden motives will surely suffer because you are so weak."


    "Hey! Are you making fun of me?"


    "Of course, not." Stefan pulled her close and hugged her. "Nothing bad will happene to you ever again. I won''t let anyone hurt you again."


    Cayenne snuggled closer and kissed his cheek. "I know that. I believe in you after all, you are the man I chose to live with for the rest of my life."


    With their flirting here and there, casual conversation and faintughter, the two of them didn''t notice that they have arrived at the university already. Seeing the familiar convoy, the students stopped on their track and waited for the owner to step out. The bodyguards went out first after parking their cars. Forming a twoyer circle with their bodies, Cayenne and Stefan stepped out car and get into the safe zone which was inside the circle.


    "Cayenne is really back."


    "Her husband has tightened the security around her. Will we be able to talk to her?"


    "Cayenne looked thinner."


    "I hope she remembers a little bit about us."


    "Stefan must be really worried for him to triple the number of her bodyguards."


    "Will he being to school with her everyday?"


    Students whispered to each other while looking to Cayenne''s and Stefan''s direction. Some started walking to their ssroom while others were taking pictures.


    "Yenyen!" Cayenne whipped her head to look where the voice came from. She knew it was Noah who called her but she needed to pretend that she didn''t know. She looked around and found him waving towards her. "Yenyen!" Cayenne blinked her eyes and looked towards Stefan and the bodyguards.


    "Who is he?"

 Chapter 547 - LUSTING AFTER HIM

    <h4>Chapter 547 - LUSTING AFTER HIM</h4>


    Cayenne leaned closer to Stefan and this faint movement irked Noah a lot but he can''t do anything about it. He may have feelings for her but he knew that she''s married and loves her husband so much. He wouldn''t dare mess with her anymore and earn her hatred. After all, when she was abducted, he couldn''t do anything to find her. Unlike Stefan who never stopped looking for her, Noah just left everything to fate.


    Stefan closed the gap between him and Cayenne, leaning over as if he whispered something but in truth, he was just kissing her earlobe. Cayenne pouted her lips and red at him making himugh happily.


    "Noah? Noah, right?" Cayenne questioned while approaching her ssmate and her partner in ss activities. "My husband told me that you are my partner in the activities."


    "Yeah. That''s me." Noah answered as he looked at her from head to toe. "You look thin but I am d you''vee back to us. Is your husbanding to our ss?"


    "Not really. He''ll be loitering outside while waiting for me."


    "Won''t he be bored?"


    "I don''t think so. He''s got so many things he can do on his free time."


    "I see." Noah looked towards Stefan and just nodded his head. "Let''s go to the ss."


    "Sure." Cayenne just followed him while Stefan walked beside her. Noah talked about the thing she missed and he even offered to lend his notes to her. If it were other men, they would be hesitating to show their notes to Cayenne but Noah wasn''t. It''s because he''s got a good penmanship. Every word was written clearly and there were exnations on many things that he ced as well. He''s really a smart person. "I''d be happy to have your notes but I need to talk to the professors first. I don''t really know what they''d do about me."


    "You have a point. You almost missed a whole semester but given that something horrible has happened, I am sure they''d understand."


    "I hope so." Cayenne muttered. They soon reach her first subject room under the attention of everyone. Anyone who sees Cayenne would stop walking and look at her. Some looked relieved to see her back and some were even more surprise to see Stefan with her. She turned to her side and looked at him. "Hon, I''ll be having my ss here. You can go and do the things you needed to do."


    Stefan hugged her and kissed the top of her head several times, making other women extremely jealous. "I''ll be leaving the bodyguards here. Don''t go anywhere without them."


    "Hn. I understand. See youter." She entered her room and settled down beside Noah.


    This time, her ssmates were really convinced that Cayenne has lost her memories. Before, despite her being approachable and nice, she would always sit at the back and she would always put her bag between her and Noah, leaving one seat apart. Now, not only did she sit beside him directly, she didn''t even have the pen that she usually brings.


    "Yenyen, where is your favorite pen?" Noah asked which also caught the attention of everyone. They didn''t surround Cayenne to fill up their curiosity but their ears were all open to listen to her words.


    Cayenne looked at her bag and to her pen case. "I have lots of pen here. Which one are you referring to?"


    "The pink one with a bear. The ones given to you by a friend."


    "Oh." Cayenne tried to look for it inside her bag and found it inside a different case. "Is it this one?" she took it out and showed it to Noah and her other ssmates who were looking at her.


    "Yes, that''s the one. Before, you would always take it out and ce it in front of you but you won''t really use it and you won''t let anyone borrow it either."


    "Really?"


    "Hn."


    "Well, my husband said that Shein gave this to me and it''s very special."


    Noah and her ssmates didn''t say anything, just kept a faint smile on their lips. Few minutester, their professor came inside with lots of things in hands. In all of her sses, this is the subject that she likes the most and Cayenne would always pay attention to her sses.


    The professor swept his eyes to all of his students and found Cayenne sitting beside Noah. "Ms. Ardolf, can youe out and talk with me for a while?"


    "Yes, sir." Cayenne stood up and walked out of the ssroom to talk with the professor.


    "Ms. Ardolf, I know you are smart and is very diligent when ites t work. However, you missed a lot of things after what happened. I won''t really make it difficult for you. Just submit the same activities that your ssmates submitted to me these past few months. There should be 13 activities that you missed. I''ll give you the list and if you need some rification, juste to me or you can ask your ssmates about it as well. But please do not expect to get a high score and at the same time, don''t expect a failure either. As long as you pass everything in two weeks, I''ll let you pass this subject. Anyway, there''s still the final term so, you would be able to cope with everyone."


    "Yes, sir. I understand. I''ll submit them as soon as I can." Cayenne bowed her head in respect and after few second, she stood up straight and smiled.


    The professor took a deep breath and sighed. "I''m really sorry to hear about what happened. How are you doing now? You could have asked for two or three days leave to rest."


    "I have rested already since my husband found me, sir. Also, I missed so much already from ss. I don''t want to miss anything anymore. I''m already d that you''re giving me a chance to make up for my absences."


    "It''s not your fault that it happened. And seeing that you are heavily guarded, I assume that you won''t be in danger anymore."


    "That''s what I''m hoping, too. I don''t my friends and family to continue worrying about me."


    "Alright. Let''s go back inside now. Don''t take things so hardly. Ash help from your ssmates if you need."


    "Yes, sir."


    As soon as Cayenne came back with the professor, the students looked at her in worry. "Everyone, listen here." The professor stated in his loud voice which caught the attention of his students. "Ms. Ardolf will be making the activities she missed on her own and there will be 13 of them. If she needs help, I hope you can lend her a hand."


    "Yes, sir."


    "Don''t worry, sir."


    "We will."


    Cayenne looked at her ssmates and smiled. She didn''t really talk much to them before but she was never rude either. If they talk to her, she will talk to them as well and she never hesitated to share her opinions. And looking at them now, she felt so blessed for having kind people surrounding her.


    Soon, the ss started and Cayenne began to take note of the discussion. She listened to it attentively while her left hand was rubbing her earrings. She really liked the earrings that Shein and Jade worked so hard together. She couldn''t stop herself from caressing it.


    In arge university, did you expect that all people will be kind to her after what happened? Sadly, not all students were like her ssmates. Some of them, specially that they have seen Stefan up close, was trying to look for opportunities to get close to him.


    "Sooner orter, he will leave his wife. Which rich man didn''t have any mistress?" one of the studentsmented while looking at Stefan who was heading towards the administrative building.


    "His wife is now mentally unstable. Surely, he''ll be fed up with her soon."


    "So, you will be taking him away from Cayenne?" a student asked in surprise. She didn''t know whether tough or cry at their stupidity.


    "You better not tell anyone about this."


    "I''m not going to say anything." That''s what she said but that didn''t mean she couldn''t write it. The student left with her eyes rolling at their foolishness.


    Besides, who said Cayenne has lost her memory? They just didn''t know and they were in for a beating.


    After the first subject, Cayenne and her ssmates were heading out to go for the next ss. Stefan hasn''te back yet but the bodyguards were all following her, making sure that she would arrive safely to her next room.


    "Guys, the professor isn''t around due to some emergency but he left something for Cayenne." a ssmate of them, who worked as a student assistant, came inside with a folder in hand. "This is for you. She heard that you will being back to ss today but she really has to visit the hospital now."


    "It''s fine. Thank you." Cayenne epted the folder and found an instruction as to what she can do to pass the subject.


    "Why don''t we take this chance to sort out your missed activities?" Noah suggested. "I still have my portfolio inside my locker. If you want, I can get it and we can discuss it."


    "Thanks, Noah. I really appreciate it."


    So, when Stefan came to find her, he saw Cayenne being surrounded with her ssmates, telling her what she needed to do and how she can aplish it. ''I hope they''d never know that she has not lost her memories.'' Stefan thought, worried that someone would notice it.


    While he was observing his wife, someone else was also observing him from a distance.


    "Sir, should I get rid of them? They look dangerous. Their eyes speak danger and lust."


    "It''s fine. If they really make a move against me.. They will be sorry."

 Chapter 548 - THE BOSS IS...REALLY...

    <h4>Chapter 548 - THE BOSS IS...REALLY...</h4>


    Cayenne didn''t have a hard time during when taking her lessons at all. Her ssmates were very understanding and kind to her. She didn''t know if they were doing it to gain favor from her or just to help her with good intentions. Nevertheless, she was really happy that they were interacting normally with her.


    From one ssroom to another, for the rest of the day, Stefan has followed her. The professors didn''t care about his presence at all though, they gave him a chair where he could sit. Stefan, like any other day, was working on hisptop as if he was in his office. Of course, to avoid anyone seeing what he was working, not that they would understand what it was, he still got the bodyguards to surround him. He even had a conference meeting with the shareholders who were totally dumbstruck to find him working inside the university just because he wanted to apany his wife.


    Really, this isn''t abnormal. It''s just he couldn''t leave her at all. He''s not weak but that didn''t mean he didn''t have any weakness. Of course, he has. And that weakness always leaves home to go to school, exposed in the eyes of many people with both good and bad intentions.


    At the end of the day, his love and fear were all mixed together which makes him decide toe along with her.


    Cayenne''s ss ended at 4:30 in the afternoon. She didn''t care if her day was tightly packed with schedules. What was important to her was to end all her sses as early as she could so that she can still spend time with her husband. Before, she''d leave the school to pick him in his office but now, they''re leaving the school together to go to his office and do some work before going home.


    "Why don''t you bring some work at home? I can help you if there''s something I can do." Cayenne suggested while looking at the man who was seriously working behind his desk.


    "I''ll be fine. Just stay where I can see you or where I can hear your voice." Stefan mumbled as he worked. His desk was piled up with so many documents and his schedules were also packed with client meetings. "If you feel sleepy, just go to sleep in the adjacent room. If you want to eat something, just ask someone to buy it for you. We''ll leave around 7:00 in the evening, just in time for dinner."


    "Alrighty. I''ll take you up on your offer." She immediately went out of the room to find Elena and Tristan. "Hello." Cayenne greeted Elena and walked to her small office. "Do you want to eat something?"


    "Are you craving for sweets again?" Elena asked. She knows that Cayenne didn''t lose her memory since she was there during the rescue operation. "Don''t eat too much sweets, it''s not good for your health."


    "Hehehe. You sound like my husband." Cayenne retorted with faint chuckles. "I won''t eat much this time since I still have to eat dinnerter. Let''s just order some milk tea and cakes? Or maybe some doughnuts? Or cupcakes?"


    "I found a good shop where you can choose these desserts from?" Tristan said who had his head stuck out inside Elena''s office. "In that way, you don''t need to look for another shop to buy milk tea and another shop to buy cakes or whatever you like to eat."


    "But I actually want to eat pizza." Elena muttered without looking at Cayenne. "I''ve been craving for pizza for one week already and I am so busy I always forget about it."


    "Then, let''s have pizza and milk tea." Cayenne suggested which lit up Elena''s face. "That''s it, then. Who will order for it? Stefan won''t allow me to order it."


    "I''ll do it." Tristan stated and went back to his own office were lots ofputers have been installed. "Which pizza would you like to eat?"


    "Search for any pizza restaurant near us first. It has to be near to avoid traffic." Elena mentioned while pushing Tristan away and sat on his chair. Instead of him maneuvering his ownputers and keyboard, Elena was already doing it for her. She''s, indeed, craving for pizza.


    "I heard from my other colleagues that Pizza House in e-bloc 6 offers a lot of pizzas and they''re delicious, too. Why don''t we order from this shop?"


    "It''s your choice. I''ll choose the milk tea." Cayenne responded but as Elena scrolled down the list of pizzas, her eyes brightened up as well. "I want the one with more cheese."


    "This one?"


    "And lots of meat."


    "This or this?" Elena pointed to two pizzas for Cayenne to choose. "This ham and sausage overload is good, too. I think."


    "Then, we''ll get one of those. Oh! I''ll give Erwin a call and see what he wanted."


    While the girls were busy ordering food using hisputers, Tristan took a picture of them and sent it to Stefan. "Boss, myputer room has be an online-food-order room."


    Stefan saw the message and could stop smiling. Even from the picture, he could tell that Cayenne was really looking forward to eat the things they''re ordering. "It''s not that she hadn''t eaten them in her whole life but she just like to explore food that she thinks is delicious."


    "She''s really a foodie. Aren''t you worried she''d get fat?"


    "How can that be? I always help her exercise in bed."


    Reading thest reply, Tristan choke on his saliva from the shock. He never expected that this chairman can really be shameless.


    "If you won''t make a move, Elena will get fat before my wife does. After all, no one is helping her exercise."


    Tristan was really speechless at this point. He had been trying so hard not to show his feelings for this woman in front of him but Stefan still noticed it. In the end, he didn''t reply.. He wouldn''t be able to take it if Stefan would say anything more shameless than he already had.

 Chapter 549 - EXTORTING HIM OR EXTORTING HER?

    <h4>Chapter 549 - EXTORTING HIM OR EXTORTING HER?</h4>


    As he was sending messages with Stefan, Cayenne and Elena have finalized the pizza that they wanted to have. They bought a lot since Erwin would being over and since there were many bodyguards as well. Cayenne would never eat by herself knowing that there were many people working for Stefan, working for her.


    "I miss having Chris here." Cayenne muttered to herself while looking for her favorite milk tea shop that Chris usually ordered from when he was around.


    Elena heard what Cayenne said but she didn''tment on it. It''s not because she didn''t miss the former secretary but she just didn''t want to remember the man who caused her to break her heart for the very first time. But she genuinely wished for his girlfriend to be fine.


    "Which milk tea would you guys like to have?" Cayenne asked them while showing them the photos of the menu.


    "I want red velvet." Elena responded.


    "I want Java chip." Tristan replied.


    "Okay. I''ll get a frap for my husband, matcha for me and java chip for Erwin as well." She clicked the ordered names and also listed it on a notepad to make sure that everyone will get what they like. "Can you ask the bodyguards what they want?"


    Tristan and Elena stepped outside at the same time and since the door wasn''t really wide for two people to go out, they bumped into each other. Elena almost bumped her head on the door frame but Tristan put his hand on her, shielding her head on the process.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry." Elena hastily said and took his hand to check it. "I didn''t really mean to do it."


    "It''s okay. It doesn''t hurt that much. How about? Is your head hurt?"


    "No. You protected it. How can it get hurt?" Elena whispered with her a tint of blush creeping up her face. "I''ll go outside and ask the guards. You stay here and wait." She ran out of his office and went to find the bodyguards without waiting for Tristan to respond.


    "So slow." Cayenne whispered while looking at him.


    "What now? Do you know as well?" Tristan asked Cayenne with a horrified expression. It''s as if someone found out a terrible secret about him.


    "Who else didn''t know that you treated her different than everyone else? Well, if you won''t hurry up, someone else will snatch her from you. Just so you know, many guys like Elena. She just didn''t give her attention to them because he liked Chris before."


    "Hmp! As if I''d let anyone take her away from me?"


    "From you? Who are you to her?"


    This question struck a chord in Tristan''s heart. "I''ll think about this matter. Just don''t let her know."


    "Sure thing." Cayenne stood up from Tristan''s chair and gave onest look on the webpage. "Once she''s back, let her fill in the order and help her review it. I''ll just go back and get the money to pay."


    Cayenne strutted towards her husband''s office and walked directly to him. "Hubby, I don''t have money."


    "Ha? Why don''t you have money? I think I gave you my cards."


    "I mean, I have no cash. The milk tea shop that we ordered from has a note that their card reader is currently broken. We can only pay with cash."


    "Give me a reward first."


    Cayenne sat on hisp, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Is that enough?"


    "No. Do it one more time."


    Cayenne did as she was told and kissed her husband and when she felt something was poking right underneath her, she stopped. "It''s that enough?"


    "Hn. Enough¡­for now." Stefan took out his wallet and handed it to her. The grin on his lips couldn''t be hidden at all.


    "Hmp! I''ll make sure to bring money with me from now on." She stuck out her tongue at him and rolled her eyes. "I''m not giving you a chance to extort me again."


    Cayenne walked out of the door, leaving her husband bursting out into a series of cheerfulughter. Her kisses were quite pricey because when Cayenne checked the wallet, her eyes widened in surprise. There were so many bills inside. ''Oh! Right, I forgot. He always keeps bills in his wallet in case we passed by some less fortunate people.'' Cayenne thought to herself while closing the wallet once again.


    Before, she had bills and coins in her bag all the time as well but after the kidnapping incident, she didn''t have time to withdraw money and she wasn''t able to go out of the house either. Thankfully, Stefan wasn''t as forgetful as her.


    "Ms. Yen, I have filled the order form and sent it already." Elena announced when Cayenne came back to Tristan''s office. She was still there sitting on the man''s chair while Tristan was standing behind her with his arms crossed over his chest. "Do you need something else."


    "None so far. Let''s think another food for tomorrow. I only have a half day of ss because there''s an activity in my university. We will surelye back here right after."


    "You really like to eat." Elenamented and grinned. "I wish I can eat whatever I want just like you."


    "Why not?"


    "I have to be conscious of what I eat. I am already chubby and I don''t want to gain more weight. It''s a hassle to buy new dress and stuff to fit my body. Anyway, let''s not talk about this." Elena took a small note. "When you were inside sir Stefan''s office, someone called thru myndline saying he''s a doctor and you might want to talk to him about your friend''s condition."


    "Did he mention any name?"


    "Nope, he didn''t. He just said that he''d be avable whenever you are ready since he moved to this city with his daughter." Elena handed the note to her with a string of numbers written on it. "That''s his personal number."


    "I know this man. You don''t have to worry about it."


    "That''s the doctor who took ''care'' of you when you were abducted, right?" Tristan asked which made Cayenne nod her head. "Are you sure you should be doing this?"


    "Stefan knows already and he didn''t really do anything bad to me. You don''t have to put a stress on the word care. Anyway, call me when the food is here. I''ll just call the doctor."


    While the couple was busy dealing with their own matters, Ferdinand and Magnus were busy dealing with the maggot as well.

 Chapter 550 - MEETING THE DOCTORS FAMILY

    <h4>Chapter 550 - MEETING THE DOCTOR''S FAMILY</h4>


    The next day, the university held their annual Sports Festival which will run for one whole week. This afternoon was just the opening remarks of the festival and also for other students to showcase their booths. The games will formally start the next day. And because of this, Cayenne finally had an ample time to do her missed projects and activities to make up for her grades.


    However, instead of going back to Stefan''spany as soon as her ss ended, they went to Sunflower Garden Subdivision, the new ce where the doctor lives with his daughter. They passed three security checks before they were able to get inside the subdivision and finally found the house where the doctor is currently staying.


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    "Please wait a moment." It was a manly voice which probably came from the doctor. This was what Cayenne and Stefan thought but when the door was opened, it was a young man who appeared in front of them. "Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique, right?" Stefan and Cayenne nodded their heads in acknowledgement. "Come in. I''ll go and call uncle toe down."


    "Okay. Thank you." Cayenne bowed her head lightly to the polite man before taking a seat on the couch with her husband.


    The ce wasn''t a very huge ce like her property in City B or their property in City A nor was it like the vi that Ferdinand and Magnus currently stayed in. It was pretty much decent for average person but Cayenne was wondering why the doctor chose this ce. If she will be honest to herself, she really thinks that the doctor has a lot of money from working under Old Rule.


    "Good afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique." This time it was really the doctor who greeted them, walking down the stairs with his daughter in his arms. "I''m sorry you have to see her like this."


    "It''s fine. We understand. How is she doing?" Cayenne asked while keeping her smile to the little girl who only squirmed in his father''s arms and buried her face in his chest. "She''s afraid of strangers."


    "She is. Who wouldn''t be after what happened?" He gently pats the girl''s head tofort her. "These are my friends. They are very good people. They are the one who took you out from that basement."


    Hearing these words, the little girls was stunned and her shivering stopped. She turned her head to look at Cayenne and Stefan before turning away with a shy smile.


    "It''s okay. Don''t force her. Anyway, we won''t be taking so much of your time." Stefanmented seeing that the little girl was still adjusting to their presence. As far as they know, she should be ten years old already but looking at her in the doctor''s arms, she looked like an 8-year-old kid. She looked so thin because of malnourishment.


    "Mary,e here. Uncle will be talking to them about something. Let''s go and y with a scrabble." It was the young man again who appeared from the kitchen with a tray of refreshments.


    "Oh! I forgot to introduce them to you." The doctor chuckled as he pped his forehead. "This is my nephew, Izaya and this is my daughter, Meredith or called Mary. As for me, just call me however you want."


    "How can that be? You have a name so we should call you by your name." Cayenne replied with a smile. She watched the little girl get down from her father''s hold and walked to his cousin. "So, when are you avable to visit your patient?"


    "Can I get a profile of what she''s like?"


    "I am not very close to her like the best friend-type of closeness but the man she''s in love with was once my husband''s secretary and we are very close to him. If it''s alright, I can let you meet him first together with my brother since she was his former adviser."


    "That''s great. I am avable right now. My daughter and my nephew are very close which was the reason why I asked him toe over here. His mother, who is my sister, is also living in the neighborhood. I can just call her toe over and watch them."


    "Doesn''t he go to school? I mean, your nephew?"


    "He''s home schooled. For some reason, he didn''t want to go to school and he didn''t want to tell us why. And since his parents are kind of well-off now, they just allowed him to be homeschooled."


    "I see." Cayenne didn''t say anything more of this matter. "We will leave once your sister is here."


    "Okay." The doctor picked up his phone and called his sister toe over as soon as she can. She was still making excuses that she couldn''te and would be sending a housemaid instead but sometimes, you really just have to bribe them. "I''ll let you meet with Cayenne and get an autograph of her model-brother."


    Cayenne looked at the doctor with a shocked expression. She never expected that she''d be used as something to bribe someone. The call ended and the doctor''s helpless face appeared in front of her. "What was all that about?"


    "Actually, part of the reason why I didn''t overdose you with the drug was my sister. She likes you so much since you started vlogging and she likes your brother as well. She even has collections of magazines where your brother appears. I was so guilty that you became one of my patients so, I disobeyed the old man''s order."


    "What a small world." Stefan muttered. "What would she do if she knows you tried to harm the person she likes?"


    "Oh please! Mr. Dumrique, please don''t tell my sister. I don''t like her to get angry. She''s scary when she''s angry and she''s the only sister I have. I don''t want us to fall apart."


    "Alright. Stop it." Cayenne pinched Stefan''s waist and red at him. "We won''t do that. My husband is just joking."


    "But I am not joking though." Stefan retorted as if he was wrong.


    Cayenne pursed her lips and looked at him with a straight face. "You can sleep in the living room or in the study or in wherever you can sleep except for my bed."


    Stefan shifted on his sit and put his arms on his wife''s waist. "That''s right. I was just joking. I wouldn''t do that."


    ''This man is a wife-ve.'' The doctor thought when he saw how fast Stefan changed his mind because of his wife''s words.


    "Bro! You better keep your promise or else -! Or else¡­" She blinked her eyes several times, looking at Cayenne then, to Stefan and then, to her brother. She did it several times and she even walked out of the door to see the number of the house. "Ahhhhhh! Oh dear god!" She eximed and jumped up and down like a teen-age girl who have seen her crush at home.


    "Just to remind you, you are married and you have a son. Please don''t act like a youngster." The doctor told his sister who only rolled her eyes at him.


    "Mom! Can you stop squealing? You scared Meredith!" Her son, Izaya, went out of the yroom to scold her mother.


    ''So, this why he knows me and my husband.'' Cayenne thought while looking at the young man.


    "I''m sorry." His mother poked her head several times as if to punish herself. "I won''t do it again, okay? Mommy was just very surprised." She walked to her brother and thought they''d hug or at least greet each other politely but Cayenne didn''t expect her to kick her brother on his right foot. "I hate you. Why didn''t you tell me they''re here? Look at what I''m wearing! I don''t look presentable."


    "And why do you have to look presentable?"


    "That''s why I hate you." The woman just rolled her eyes before taking a seat on the couch across Cayenne. The way she sat was exactly the same as how her brother did and they looked very simr.


    "Are you, by any chance, are twins?"


    "Oh! You got it right." The woman replied Cayenne with cheerfulughter. "He''s older than me for about six minutes."


    "No wonder you are so close." Cayenne stated. "By the way, we''re taking your brother away to help my friend."


    "That''s fine. I can stay with the kids."


    "Heh! So obedient." Her brother scoffed which made her turn to look at him and smile threateningly. "Her name is Olivia."


    "Olivia and Oliver. Your parents really wanted you to be so close."


    "That was the goal." Doctor Oliver muttered.


    "Aren''t we close now?" Olivia retorted to his brother.


    "Well, Olivia it''s nice meeting you. I hope we''ll see each other again." Cayenne stated as she stood up from her seat with Stefan.


    "I really hope so. Can I have a photo with you?"


    "Sure thing."


    "And with your husband and you, too?"


    "O-okay."


    "Bro, you take the picture."


    The doctor was left with no choice but to take his sister''s phone and took pictures of them several times. "Take care of the kids. If they want something, let me know so I can buy it on my way home."


    "What about me?"


    "Fine. Fine. Just let me know."


    "Yay! Thanks bro.. And oh! Don''t you dare forget the autograph."

 Chapter 551 - MY GIRLFRIEND IS NOT INSANE

    <h4>Chapter 551 - MY GIRLFRIEND IS NOT INSANE</h4>


    Cayenne and Stefan left the subdivision with the doctor to find Chris. Ever since Chris left thepany to focus on his military affairs and his girlfriend, they seldomly spent time with him.


    "I''ll give him a call so we can meet him." Cayenne said while pulling out her phone from her bag. "I hope he''s avable right now."


    "Why didn''t you make sure of it first before looking for me?" Oliver asked in confusion. "Wouldn''t it be a waste if we get there and he''s not avable?"


    "He will be avable." Cayenne firmly replied. "When ites to his girlfriend''s welfare, he''d always make time."


    "Now, I understand." Doc Oliver Nelson didn''t say anything anymore and just let Cayenne deal with the call. Not long after, he heard her talking to someone about some ce and the time. "We''ll be there soon." Cayenne said onest time before the call ended. "We can meet him directly in Rissy''s home. Rissy''s parents left to deal with some things and he''s there to take care of his girlfriend in their absence."


    "That''s fine, too." Stefan said before instructing their driver where to go.


    After half an hour of travel, they finally reached the Chan''s residence. As soon as their cars pulled over to a stop, Chris came out of the house to see them. He had a faint smile on his lips when he saw the both of them but that smile faltered when he saw the doctor. He was unfamiliar of the man.


    "How are you?" Stefan asked while looking at his former secretary up and down. "You look thinner."


    "That''s make me the same as your wife." Chris retorted, giving Cayenne a wink. "Come inside. My girlfriend just fell asleep."


    "How has she been doingtely?" Cayenne inquired as they followed Chris to get inside the house.


    Chris took a deep breath and sighed but he still kept a faint smile on his lips. "There''s not much of a progress from her. We can converse with each other but our only conversations were the dates we went to. There were times that she''d react to some news like; when you disappeared, she frowned and cried but when I asked her why, she as just shaking her head."


    Cayenne and Stefan looked at each other but didn''t say anything about it. "By the way, we found someone who''s expert in this field." Cayenne stated and put the focus on the doctor behind her. "He is doctor Oliver Nelson. A psychiatrist who would be able to help Rissy be normal again."


    "My girlfriend is not insane." Chris muttered softly but there was a trace of anger shing across his eyes.


    "Look, we''re not saying she''s crazy and psychiatrist don''t deal with crazy people only." Stefan replied instantly to stop Chris from getting angry at his wife. They only wanted to help.


    "That''s true." The doctor also added in agreement to Stefan''s statement. "I deal with different kinds of patients but so far, I haven''t dealt with a crazy person." He added which calmed down Chris a bit. "However, before we talk about her treatment and whatnot, I''d like to get a profile of this person and know a little about her past which possibly caused her deep trauma as well as the cause of her current situation."


    Chris looked towards Cayenne and then to Stefan, the both of them just shrugged their shoulders which means, they didn''t tell anything to this doctor. "We''ll let you decide the things to be said." Stefanmented. "If you want, you can talk somewhere private. My wife and I can wait here."


    "It''s fine. It''s not like you are an outsider to me and Rissy." Chris retorted as he shifted his position on the couch. "Regarding my girlfriend. When she was a child, she was often bullied by her ssmates and¡­" Chris started recalling the things that he knew about his girlfriend''s life, mentioning everything that could be traumatic to her.


    Hearing his words, Cayenne started to get emotional and there were instances that her tears would just fall on her face from so much heart ache. She had no idea that inside the kind, cheerful and passionate woman was a huge scar left from her childhood.


    Stefan can''t do anything but rub Cayenne''s back tofort her. His wife has very shallow tear ducts. They''d overflow as soon as she felt something so emotional.


    Another half an hour has passed before Chris finished sharing the information regarding his girlfriend. "If you want to talk to her a little bit, you''ll have to wait for her to wake up." Chris stated as he stood up from his seat. "It would be better if you can get a glimpse of her situation, right?"


    "Yes, that''s right." Doc Nelson answered. "But it''s okay. I don''t want to disturb her for now. Besides, I don''t want to take so much time of Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique."


    "Oh! It''s alright." Stefan stated. "I have something to talk with Chris so, we can wait for a while and you can talk to Luiz while waiting."


    "That''s right." Cayenne agreed almost instantly. She thought it was a better suggestion. Of course, any suggestioning from her husband, as long as it isn''t about their activities in bed, would sound better or best to her.


    Since they havee up to this conclusion, Chris just agreed with them. He took some refreshments from the kitchen, gave it to them before he and Stefan walked out to talk in private.


    "I have finally caught your father." Stefan muttered while looking up into the sky. "I didn''t regret doing so."


    "I know."


    "All evidences I have delivered to the police station will ruin his entire life."


    "I know."


    "Won''t you regret it not telling him that you are his son? I think it can be pretty shocking to see his son all grown up and doing well after he neglected him."


    "I don''t need to do that. As long as he stays behind bars for the rest of his life, I don''t care. He''s only a sperm donor that impregnated my mother. I was raised by my foster father and I owe him my life. I have nothing to do with that bastard."


    Stefan sighed in relief and smiled. "I really thought you''d be hesitating but I''m d you''re not. Anyway, I''ll see to it that he stays there. Also, regarding your girlfriend, did you tell her that your vacation is almost over? You''d have to go back to the military, right?"


    "I haven''t yet but I will.. I hope she''ll understand."

 Chapter 552 - TREATING A FRIEND

    <h4>Chapter 552 - TREATING A FRIEND</h4>


    While the two of them talked outside of the house, Cayenne was also talking to Luiz over the phone. He was currently free which makes it easier for them to converse. The doctor asked him several questions to get to know more about Rissy Chan before making his diagnosis and think of treatments.


    After some time, Chris and Stefan walked in but Luiz was still not done talking. If it wasn''t for his next ss, the call would probably run for a long time. Compared to Chris, Luiz had spent a lot of time with Rissy as his teacher and he was a very observant person ¨C as long as he''s not distracted about something.


    "So, what do you say?" Cayenne asked the doctor if he has concluded something after gathering so much information.


    "Based on my knowledge, Ms. Chan has amon post-traumatic stress disorder. Yes, this ismon to many people who experience trauma but, in her case, the events from she was young, the cause of her current situation plus the news of Mrs. Dumrique''s abduction, these all piled up like a mountain pressing on her."


    "Why am I included in this?" Cayenne asked in confusion. "I didn''t do anything to her."


    "Just to remind you Mrs. Dumrique, she was kidnapped and was treated maliciously. When she heard the news of your kidnapping, this must have triggered something in her which made her retreat from the presence of everyone. Her mind wouldn''t want to acknowledge that these things happen which was why, she kept on talking about her dates with sir Chris ¨C the things that put her mind at ease."


    "So, what are we going to do now?" Chris asked in worry. "Can it be treated?"


    "Of course, but that is if the patient is willing to be treated. The suggestion of staying is indeed better. I''ll have to talk to herter once she wakes up."


    The four of them sat in the living room, the three were looking worried while the other was calm andposed, thinking of treatments which will be effective for her current patient.


    Since they didn''t know when she''d wake up, they decided to y some board games. Chris and Stefan were ying chess while Cayenne and the doctor were ying scrabble. Not long after, Rissy''s parents came home with some stuff and so, they told them of why the doctor was there.


    "Doc, thank you so much foring to our aid. But please don''t tell her that you are a doctor." Rissy''s mother stated, her eyes almost tearing up while speaking. "My daughter is afraid of doctors. We befriended one psychologist before but she died not long ago and my daughter didn''t like any other doctor so, if you tell her about your profession, she''d be devastated and would probably throw a tantrum."


    "Don''t worry. I know what to do." The doctor reassured them and smiled.


    Rissy''s parents started preparing dinner, marinating the meat that needed to be marinated and chopping the veggies that needed to be chopped. They also sliced some fruits and gave it to their guests.


    It was almost four in the afternoon when Rissy woke up. She didn''t to make any noise for them to know because Chris was already running upstairs to get to his girlfriend. Ever since he started his vacation, he had beening in and out of this house. He''s like a family already to them and they even gave him a spare key to their house.


    "Riz, someone''s here. She wanted to talk to you." Chris stated but Rissy only looked at him with a straight face. "Do you want to go out?" This time, her eyes lit up in happiness.


    "Are we going on a date?" Rissy asked with her face blushing from excitement. "You said we''d go on a date before my birthday."


    "Yes, we''ll go on a date after talking to our friends."


    "Okay." Rissy stood up and walked towards her closet. "Which do you think looks prettier on me?" she showed the inside of her closet which was full of beautiful dresses and coats. "I think I like this better."


    "Let''s choose the clothes after talking to our guests, okay? I''ll help you check which one is prettier but I think you''re prettier than the clothes."


    "Really?"


    "Hn. Really." Chris reasserted to assure her. If you look at them, they''re like a couple having normal conversation regarding their date but if you knew when her birthday was and the current date, it''s more than enough for you to know that something''s wrong with her current mental situation.


    Chris brought Rissy downstairs and as soon as she saw Cayenne, her eyes really sparkled in recognition and happiness. It was a genuine happiness that didn''te from a mentally unstable patient. She really looked like she hase to her senses again. "Yenyen. I am so happy. I am so happy you are back." She only spoke to Cayenne, ignoring the other men who were looking at her.


    "I''m happy to see you, too." Cayenne replied and hugged the woman back. She felt fine under her touch. Obviously, Chris took care of her to his utmost capability. "By the way, this my friend Oliver. He''s here to talk to you because I told him that I have a very nice friend here who helped my brother a lot."


    "Nice to meet you." Rissy smiled to Oliver but soon, her attention was brought back to Cayenne again.


    "Mrs. - Yen, shall we talk outside with just the three of us?" Doctor Nelson suggested with a signal of his hand.


    "That would be great. It''s nice to get some fresh air once in a while." Cayenne replied and stood up.


    "We''ll just stay here." Stefan and Chris spoke at the same time which made Rissy giggled.


    The three walked outside while the two men followed them with their eyes. As soon as they got out, they stood up and walked to the door, eavesdropping to the conversation.


    "This is not good." Stefan muttered.


    "I know but I want to see how he would deal with my girlfriend."


    "I''m sure my wife won''t let any harm befall to your woman."


    "I''m still worried.." The two of them took a peek of the trio and saw them standing at thewn, talking about some nonsense that they couldn''t really hear and to their horror, Rissy suddenly copsed in the arms of the doctor.

 Chapter 553 - RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE

    <h4>Chapter 553 - RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE</h4>


    Note: This is a work of fiction. Treatment for PTSD patients vary from one person to another. Do not think that what the doctor is using in this novel will be applicable to everyone in real life.


    "What are you doing?!" Chris bolted right out of the door and ran towards the doctor to get Rissy away from him. "What have you done?!"


    "I''m starting to see how she will respond to me." Doctor Nelson stated calmly.


    "How can she respond to you if she''s sleeping?! Look ¨C "


    "Okay. Stop it now." Cayenne stepped in between to calm down Chris who was holding Rissy in his arms now. "You are not the doctor here and he knows more than what you know. Why don''t you go back inside and let him do his job?"


    "I won''t leave her here." Chris resolutely disagreed even if it was Cayenne talking to him.


    "I need to talk to her alone or I won''t be able to help your girlfriend. It''s your choice." Doctor Nelson sat on the chair without batting an eyelid. He was expressionless as if he didn''t really care. In truth, he cared for the woman in front of him. He could remember how his daughter looked like when he visited him at the hospital after she was rescued.


    Hesitation reflected on Chris'' face and he looked towards Cayenne who only rolled her eyes at him. "I brought a doctor here to help but if you won''t cooperate, that''s not my problem anymore. I have done what I can to repay what she has done for my brother. Stefan and I still have something to do. We''ll go ahead."


    Stefan wrapped his hand around his wife''s waist and gave Chris a smirk. "It''s your choice." He then turned to look at the doctor and nodded his head faintly. "We''ll leave the other guards here. They''ll send you home once you''re done."


    "Thank you."


    Without further ado, Stefan and Cayenne turned around and left the ce. Rissy''s parents were watching them through therge windows and they knew what was happening outside. They were all worried.


    "I''ll bring you to her other room." Chris muttered before carrying Rissy back inside the house. "Why did you have to bring her outside if you just wanted her to be unconscious?"


    "Because it would less suffocate her if I tell her that I am a doctor when she has more space around her."


    "Will this be alright?"


    "Trust me." Doctor Nelson stated with firm conviction. "Justy her down on the bed and leave us."


    Although Chris stepped out of Rissy''s bedroom version 2.0, he didn''t leave. In fact, he was just leaning on the door. The doctor knew it, too but he didn''t care as long as no one would touch the woman on the bed during the first healing process. In fact, part of this healing process was to recognize the traumatic incidents as part of life. She was able to ovee this before with the help of another psychiatrist who now passed away. So, it only means that she will be able to do it this time, too.


    "You werebeled as weak." The doctor started talking while reading some children''s book he found on her mini library. "Many kids hated you because you didn''t have enough money to share to them or enough food to share to them. Other children started to outcast you. They bullied you and they never yed with you again. You grow up into a fine woman and many were envious of your beauty. You didn''t notice it because you are focus on your work. Then, you were kidnapped. You think you are weak again because they were able to take you away. They defiled your body. You thought you were helpless. You thought you are filthy and that the man you love will never love you again. You thought that he would leave after knowing what happened."


    Rissy still had her eyes closed but her tears were falling on the side of her face. Memories kept shing across her mind from she was young and bullied until she grew up and was raped. She could see them clearly as if she was a soul, watching herself getting tarnished and defile. She could see the bruises and wound inflicted in her. She felt the pain once again. The nerve-wracking pain that she wanted to push on the back of her mind.


    ''Stop! Stop it!'' she wanted to scream for help. She wanted someone to reach their hand and grab her. She wanted someone to catch her because she was falling down to the darkest pit of helplessness and fear.


    "Butt you are not really weak." Doctor Nelson mentioned. "You are one of the strongest women in the world. You have the kindest heart to forgive those who bullied you. You have the burning passion within you to be dedicated to your work and to your students. You didn''t just teach them how to do well in ss but you honed their characters. You help them build up their confidence. You are not weak! You are not a push-over! You are not a coward! Instead, you are the purest soul on earth. When you love, you give your everything; your heart, your body and your soul. You are not filthy. And you don''t have to fear anyone leaving you. You don''t have to hole up yourself in a dark room. You have to face your reality because you are brave to do that. Outside the room, beyond the walls that you built around yourself, is a beautiful world where many people love you."


    Rissy still continued to cry in her sleep but doctor Nelson didn''t have the slightest intention to stop her. One way of releasing all the pain, the anxiety and fear is to cry everything from deep within.


    He kept on talking, instilling in her mind that she''s a strong person with the kindest heart and purest soul. He kept telling her that many people were looking forward to see her again.


    It seems like he was talking to her physical body but in truth, doctor Nelson was targeting her subconscious. She was targeting the weak part of herself which was hiding deep in her mind. To treat a person with PTSD, you must make them realize that things happen for a reason. You have to make them ept it and move forward.. As long as someone denies recognition of these things, they will be haunted for the rest of their lives.

 Chapter 554 - HE KNOWS HER BODY MORE THAN HER

    <h4>Chapter 554 - HE KNOWS HER BODY MORE THAN HER</h4>


    Cayenne and Stefan was on their way to hispany when Cayenne spoke up to break the silence. She was still worried for Rissy but she trusted that Oliver will not harm Rissy because of his life debt to Cayenne and Stefan.


    "Do you think she''ll be cured before Chris left for military?" Cayenne asked while looking outside the window.


    "I don''t really know." Stefan answered as he looked at the side profile of his wife. "Let''s trust on that doctor''s skill. Hopefully, she would. If she won''t be cured by then, Chris will have a hard time dealing with his mission."


    "That is true." Cayenne agreed and turned her head to look at him. "I hope everything will be alright."


    "It will be. Don''t worry." Stefan pulled her close and gently ced her head on his shoulder. "Everything happens for a reason. You should always remember that. We don''t know why and with what they have experienced, it could be a challenge of their fate."


    "A challenge of fate whether Chris leaves her or not?"


    "Probably."


    "And what about the thing that happened to us? What was that for?"


    "It was a challenged to our trust, I guess."


    Cayenne nodded her head in agreement but she didn''t say anything anymore. She just closed her eyes and got some sleep on their way to thepany.


    When they arrived, instead of waking her up, Stefan carried her in his arms while letting the guards carry her handbag as well as his backpack which he had been carrying since yesterday.


    Cayenne slept for a very long time while her husband worked silently beside her on the bed. He was reading a financial report, checking if something was amiss or if everything has been calcted correctly.


    A deep frown appeared on Cayenne''s face and she unconsciously curled her body. Stefan stopped reading the report on his tablet and put the gadget down on the bedside drawer near him. He watched Cayenne for few minutes and noticed her hands pressing on her lower abdomen.


    "I told you it would being soon." He muttered as he printed a kiss on her frown. He got off the bed and walked towards the couch at the window. He picked up his backpack, opened it up and took out some of the necessary things that she''d be needing. ''I have never tried helping her wear a napkin. Would she be angry if I do so?'' Stefan thought about it while checking the electric heat pack. Seeing that it was charging properly, Stefan removed her hands and pressed the heat pad on her stomach instead.


    Cayenne felt the warmth on her abdomen and it was a lot betterpared to the pain earlier. The frown on her face disappeared and she seemed to be sleeping peacefully now.


    Stefan rubbed the heat pad in a circr motion while gently caressing her head. He already gave up on the idea of changing her napkin. He could already imagine the embarrassed look of his wife and he would probably sleep outside their room. He can''t risk that.


    ''I''ll just let you stain the bedsheet.'' Stefan told himself with a faint smile.


    The whole time Cayenne was sleeping, Stefan was only focusing his attention on her and the heat pad. He''d let her have the heat pad for around 15-20 minutes and removed it for 5 minutes to give her skin time to cool off before he put the item back again.


    After two hours of sleeping, Cayenne stirred and her hand identally touched the warm item on her stomach. She opened her eyes and found Stefan looking at her.


    "Why are you looking like that? Did I do something again?" Cayenne asked in confusion. She was still daze from her sleep but she recognized the worried look on her husband''s handsome face.


    "I told you it woulde soon but you didn''t listen to me. Howe I know more of your body than you do for yourself?"


    "I don''t know." Cayenne pouted and took the heat pad from him. "I dirtied another bedsheet again." She muttered as she tried to sit up on the bed.


    "It''s fine. I''ll have someone wash it. Are you feeling better now? I have made a ginger tea for you." Stefan handed her the insted tumbler where he put the ginger powder before. He only needed to pour water inside it and it''s ready for drinking.


    "Thank you."


    "Silly." Stefan flicked her forehead but he also kissed it afterwards. "You don''t have to thank me. I am d that I could help you ease the pain."


    "I''d never feel this pain again if I get pregnant."


    "Don''t even think about it for now." Stefan replied without hesitation. "I brought extra jeans for you and other things you might need. You can go and change in the shower room once you feel a lot better. But don''t force yourself."


    "Yes, sir." Cayenne replied with her cheeky smile. Stefan went back to work while she slowly took a sip of the ginger tea that he made. ''Who''s the luckiest in the world? Of course, it''s me.'' Cayenne told herself mentally. ''I have married the most caring and loving man in the world.''


    Stefan had no idea that his wife''s admiration for him soared to another level. He continued to look into the reports that were sent to him when he suddenly received an email from the finance department of the Dumrique''s shipping linepany. "What is this?" Stefan mumbled as he clicked on the attached file.


    "Sir, we have a problem!" one of the personnel from the finance department went to the top floor and spoke to Magnus directly.


    "What is it?"


    "Sir, the report that I should be sending to you, I have sent it already."


    "So, what is the problem?"


    "The problem is, before I could send it to you, I identally sent it to the young master. He has a copy of the report. He''d know the situation of the shipping line."


    Magnus sighed and shrugged his shoulders.. "No matter what we try to do, a secret cannot be kept forever."

 Chapter 555 - NOT BOTHERING WITH EACH OTHER

    <h4>Chapter 555 - NOT BOTHERING WITH EACH OTHER</h4>


    After Cayenne changed her pants to a clean one, she ced the dirty clothes inside a paper bag instead of putting it back on his backpack. Since she was feeling a bit better with the ginger tea, she kept the electric heat pad back to his bag. She tried to deal with her own matter while Stefan worked outside.


    Because she fell asleep on the way to the office and spent so much time sleeping, she didn''t get to eat some afternoon snacks with the employees.? And it''s almost six in the evening as well, just few hours away from dinner.


    ''I''ll just have it tomorrow.'' Cayenne thought beforeing out of the bedroom. "Hon, do you need help?" she asked Stefan when she noticed that he was in a daze behind hisputer.


    "I''m okay. Just take a rest." He didn''t even look at her when he responded to her which made Cayenne realize that something was really bothering him. She didn''t have much knowledge when ites topany matters so, she kept quiet and just sit on the couch while waiting for him.


    Stefan checked the information on the shipping lines and knew that something was wrong. He contacted his father earlier but Magnus only said that everything''s going well. The report couldn''t lie to him, though. Stefan pulled out his phone and sent a message to Tristan. "Hack the shipping linework. Let me know their current status."


    "Your own shipping lines?" Tristan questioned in reply. He couldn''t believe that Stefan was asking him to hack his ownpany instead of strengthening itswork security.


    "Dad is currently managing it to help me but he''s keeping a secret from me. Let me know what''s the problem in half an hour."


    "Alrighty."


    Stefan knew that his father wouldn''t let him know what was the problem. If he wasn''t thinking too much of his wife, he would have known that something was wrong when Magnus asked to help him managed the Dumrique-ownedpanies. Stefan wasn''t really worried about it because he knew that they''d ovee it.


    Stefan continued to work on other things while waiting for Tristan''s report. Cayenne didn''t make a sound and just watched him work, taking pictures of him from time to time without him knowing. Half an hourter, Tristan''s message arrived which contains all the recent problems that the Dumrique shipping line was facing.


    "Do you want to stay here tonight?" Cayenne asked Stefan when she noticed that he was so absorbed with his work, not even bothering the time when it was already seven in the evening. They should be leaving thepany toe home. "I don''t mind staying here with you. I don''t have sses tomorrow because of the activity in the university. I will be focusing on my activities."


    "Give me another half an hour. I''ll just sort some things and we will go home. I want us to sleep in our own house."


    "O-okay." Cayenne didn''t bother him anymore since he promised to leave after half an hour.


    ''It looked like a normal event to the other people but with these reports, it is obvious that someone was attacking thepany." Stefan thought to himself as he looked through the report. ''Is there another enemy who wanted to perish from the business world this soon?''


    Cayenne was just observing him and she knew that something was really bothering him. ''How should I help?'' she asked herself while looking at his serious yet handsome face. ''I really want to help him.''


    "Let''s go." Stefan stated as he stood up from his seat and picked up his coat.


    "You are done?"


    "Hn. I''m taking some work at home but it''s not much." Stefan replied while putting his coat on. "Do you want to stop by somewhere and buy something before going home?"


    "Not now. I''d like to go home as soon as we can."


    "Sure thing." Stefan walked up to her and took the backpack as well as her handbag before leaving the office with his wife. Elena and Tristan were also preparing to go home since their boss was nning to leave already.


    "Goodbye, Ms. Yen!" Elena stated when she saw the husband and wifeing out of the office.


    "Goodbye, Elena and Tristan." Cayenne replied softly with her sweet smile. Tristan only waved his hand and bowed his head lightly towards her.


    Cayenne wasn''t feeling ufortable anymore and even though she was still feeling a little pain on her lower abdomen, the intensity was bearable unlike how she felt earlier.


    The days passed by and Cayenne apanied Stefan every day to thepany but she only focused on her projects while he focused on his works. Even though he knew what was happening to the shipping lines, he didn''t say anything about it and didn''t even tell his father that he knew.


    "Let me know if you need help." Stefan told Cayenne as she put her things and school materials on the coffee table.


    "I''ll be fine. I''ll ask my ssmates if needed. I won''t disturb you anymore." Cayenne kissed the tip of his nose and smile. "Just focus on your work. If you want to eat or drink something, just let me know. I''ll order it for you."


    "Sure. Sure." Stefan walked towards his desk and turned on hisputer before taking off his coat.


    The two of them thought of their own matters without disturbing the other. They were both busy but from time to time, they''d take a peek on each other''s situation.


    "Yenyen, are you noting to school?" Noah''s message arrived and Cayenne replied with a single word ¨C ''NO''. "Again? Are you busy with something?"


    "Yes mister. I''m doing all my activities right now."


    "Oh! Do you need some help? I can go and meet you to help with your activities."


    "Really?"


    "Yup."


    "Let me ask my husband first." Cayenne replied and told Stefan about Noah''s suggestion. Seeing this messageing from her, Noah smiled helplessly. It''s obvious that she''s very much in love with her husband. "Darling agreed. I''ll give you the address and let me know once you''ve arrived. I''lle down and meet you."


    "Faith wants toe along. Is it fine?"


    "Sure. I don''t mind."


    "Alright. We''ll be there soon. See you."


    Cayenne put away her phone and arranged her materials tidily before walking towards her husband. "Your office has a lot of confidential information so, I''ll go and talk with them at the cafeteria."


    "I won''t have any meeting today with the shareholders. You can use the conference room next door. In that way, I can find you easily."


    "Yay! My husband is the best. I''ll do that, then." Cayenne leaned over and kissed Stefan on the lips before leaving in a hurry to avoid developing the kiss into something else.


    She brought her things to the avable conference room which made Elena look at her with questioning gaze but she didn''t voice out her question at all. At first, she thought that the couple was fighting because she was bringing all het things outside but, seeing the faint smile on her lips, she realized that it wasn''t the case.


    Few minutester, she received a message from Noah, telling her that they have arrived at the lobby of the Clover Company. "I''ll be right there. Just give me a moment."


    Under the stares of the employees, Noah and Faith waited for Cayenne quietly.


    "Is she making her activities here? Isn''t this thepany of Mr. Dumrique?" Faith asked while scanning the surroundings around her.


    "That''s exactly why she''s here." Noah answered. "With her current condition, there''s no way for her husband to leave her alone."


    "Oh. I didn''t realize that it would be this serious. Some couple would just forget about what happened and live their life like how they usually do."


    "Don''t measure them up like other couples. Their rtionship is beyond ourprehension."


    Faith just nodded her head in agreement to Noah. Not long after, Cayenne came down to pick them up and they followed her to the top floor where she stayed. They thought that she''d bring them to her husband''s office but it turned out, they were heading for the conference room.


    "Won''t they use this room for meetings?" Noah asked while cing his bag on a vacant chair.


    "There''s no scheduled meeting today." Cayenne answered as she took a seat as well. "Just sit wherever you want to sit and don''t mind the peopleing in and out of this room."


    "Which activity are you doing now?" Faith asked without further ado. "I am not very knowledgeable in everything but I can still help with some things."


    Cayenne looked at her and smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much. I''m doing activity #10 for the 3rd ss."


    "Activity #10 for the 3rd ss? That fast?" Noah and Faith eximed together in unison. Shock was evident on their fair faces.


    "My husband helps me when he can and my brothers helped me, too every time they''re home. I have a friend who took the same course before as well. So, the activities weren''t really that difficult."


    "You contacted Arthur?!"

 Chapter 556 - HER CLASSMATES

    <h4>Chapter 556 - HER CLASSMATES</h4>


    Cayenne was startled and immediately turned her chair around. Stefan was standing behind her with her hand bag and phone. "You forgot these." Stefan stated while cing her things on the table. "So, did you contact him?"


    "Nope. I didn''t." Cayenne answered while putting her bag on the chair beside her. "We had the same course remember? He gave me lots of his books before he left, thinking that maybe I''d be able to use them. And whether you like it or not, I kept his books. You know that I value books a lot."


    "Oh! So, you didn''t contact him. Sorry, my mistake."


    "Hmp! Such a jealous freak." Cayenne giggled as she pushed him out of the door. "I''m going to do my activities now. Go and do your work as well. Let me know if you need something. Ring me up or send me a message."


    "Okie dokie. I''ll check on youter." Stefan went out of the conference room and made sure that some of the guards were stationed outside, just in case she needed something.


    Noah and Faith looked towards Cayenne but they didn''t say anything. They didn''t want to be too privy in her life. "Shall we start?"


    "Yes. That would be great." Cayenneid out the things that she has started and the ones that shecked. "You can help me with the design but I''d love to be the one writing the input."


    "That sounds good to me. I love designing things." Faith stated as she pulled some crafting materials to cut out some designs. "Can I have the scissors?"


    The three of them started working on the activities that Cayenne needed to submit in one-week time. Noah was assigned for the ideas, Faith was working on the designs while Cayenne was tasked for the inputs. She has a very neat penmanship so, she wasn''t worried with her written answers.


    "Help me print these." Cayenne typed these words and sent it to Elena. "Just give it to one of the guards and have him bring it to the conference room."


    "Sure thing. I''ll get this done now." Elena replied without any further instruction. She''s not just Stefan''s secretary, she''s also Cayenne''s secretary sometimes, if needed.


    Few minutester, a guard knocked on the door to hand Cayenne the print outs. Noah and Faith looked at Cayenne and the guard who came but no one said anything again.


    They continued working on the activities up until 11:30 in the morning. Cayenne wrapped things up because she wanted to rest and have lunch with everyone.


    "What do you want for lunch? I''ll treat you guys." Cayenne stated while putting away some of her personal belongings; just leaving her crafting materials on the table. "You don''t have to feel shy and just let me know."


    "I''m not really choosy so, you can choose anything you like." Faith stated, not refusing Cayenne''s invitation.


    "Same with me." Noah answered. So, in the end, it was Cayenne who chose their food.


    Cayenne stood up first with her wallet and phone. "Alright, then. You can stay at the lobby of this floor while I get my husband." Following behind her, Faith and Noah went out and stayed at the lobby where some of the guards stayed to guards the whole floor where Cayenne and Stefan stay.


    "Hubby?" Cayenne called for him as she stepped inside his office. "Let''s go and have lunch?"


    "Where do we go for lunch?"


    "Just somewhere nearby. I don''t want to travel for a long time since I still have other things to do."


    "Okay. I don''t mind." Stefan went out of the office and went to look for Tristan and Elena. "Lunch time."


    "Yes, boss." The two answered in unison as they stood up from their seats. As long as Cayenne is with them, Stefan knew that he needed to bring these two for lunch.


    Noah and Faith was a little dumbstruck to see that it wasn''t just the four of them who will eat but everyone on that whole floor. They never expected it. Usually, CEO and his wife would just treat their guests but in Cayenne and her husband''s case, they would include everyone.


    "They really cannot be measure with the same league as other people." Noah muttered in whisper to the woman beside him.


    "I agree. They are just too kind and generous."


    "That''s Cayenne for you." Noah whispered back while keeping his eyes on the phone as if he wasn''t observing anyone around him.


    Along with everyone else, Cayenne and Stefan left thepany building to cross the street and dine in one of the restaurants nearby. Tristan and Elena became the two people that other employees envied so much. They knew that Stefan was a generous person because of their higher sry than other employees of otherpanies butpared to them, Tristan and Elena have more benefits. They were closer to Cayenne and Stefan, too.


    Noah and Faith have discovered something about Cayenne and Stefan once again. The couple who appeared to be so sweet and loving were also generous and kind.


    "Let''s have some Chinese food this time." Cayenne told everyone. "By the way, these two are my ssmates; Faith and Noah." Cayenne stated as she introduced her ssmates to everyone. "They''re good friends of mine."


    Noah and Faith smiled at everyone when Cayenne introduced them but they never expected that her next words would cause their smiles to falter. Cayenne was always nice to them but she would also put a distance between her and everyone in their room. After she came back, she was really nice to everyone and now, she even told people that they were her friends.


    "Thank you for taking care of ourdy boss." Elenamented and smiled at Cayenne''s ssmates.


    Tristan didn''t say anything but he was very close to Elena and was even pulling her closer to him in some instances. This didn''t escape Cayenne''s observation and of course, Stefan noticed it, too.


    As for Elena, she wasn''t very well-aware and was even ring at the man several times.

 Chapter 557 - GETTING BETTER

    <h4>Chapter 557 - GETTING BETTER</h4>


    These past few days, while Cayenne and Stefan was busy with their life, doc Nelson was also busy dealing with Rissy. To undergo proper treatment, he already established the foundation to help her heal the emotional wounds.


    On the day that Cayenne and Stefan visited with the doctor to Rissy''s home, he already helped her acknowledged the traumatic events in her life. As part of her treatment, she needed to face her present life and see how things have be during the time that she was mentally absent.


    She already learned that the criminals have paid for their crimes and even their families weren''t left unscathed. Many people were angry in behalf of her and many people sympathized her. And to make most of this opportunity, Chris asked Cayenne''s parents if they still remembered Cayenne''s ssmates. He investigated them and everyone who bullied her. Hepiled everything and ced it on the sh drive for the doctor to use.


    "See? It''s not just those criminals." Doc Nelson stated while showing her the videos on hisptop. "I gathered information about your former ssmates who bullied you and I know this isn''t something you want to happen but, know that someone will punish those unkind people."


    Rissy watched the videos of her ssmates and her eyes went wide when she saw their current life. One of them was put in jail for bullying someone until that person died from a nerve shock and a blood clot in its brain. Another ssmate of her was living poorly in a countryside. Others were now drug addicts and some were married but were domestically abused. All in all, none of those who bullied her have lived a good life.


    "Is it really okay to feel happy for their messed-up lives?" Rissy asked the doctor softly. Her eyes were still lingering on theptop which showed the information about her former ssmates.


    Doc Nelson smiled as he closed theptop to stop her from thinking too much about them. "Of course, it''s not okay to feel happy about it but, I won''t stop you from feeling it either. After all the bullying you have suffered, this punishment was even lighter to what you have experienced."


    "But you know doc, I''m still having nightmares of the day that I was kidnapped."


    "Didn''t you see your boyfriend when he came to rescue you? He was there. He came for you."


    "I didn''t see him." Rissy answered honestly. "I didn''t even know that he was right beside me the whole time I was hospitalized. I have no idea."


    Doc Nelson took a deep breath and gave her a gentle pat on her shoulder. "You didn''t know because you were afraid but I want you to acknowledge this fact as well. Chris was there. He looked for you for several hours when you didn''te back home. He traveled far and wide to get to you as soon as he can and when he found you, he punished those criminals. He put some clothes on you and brought you to the hospital. He stayed with you and guarded you with his life. He never left your side even after what happened."


    "I see. Thank you for letting me know doc."


    "No problem." Doc Nelson stood up from his seat and smiled at her. "I''lle back in a week to see how you are doing."


    "Hn. I''m looking forward to know my progress as well."


    Doc Nelson went out of the room and found Chris leaning on the wall outside her bedroom. "Go and talk to her. You must let her know about your future n."


    "Thank you for your help."


    "No, problem. I''m in debt of Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique so, you don''t need to be grateful for my service."


    "Whether you are in debt of them, I am still grateful."


    Left with no choice, Doc Nelson just nodded his head and left the ce. Chris came inside right after he left and found Rissy looking at the box of letters from her students. None of them spoke for a while but their eyes held the deepest understanding between them. Her eyes no longer looked empty or lifeless unlike before where Chris felt like he was talking to a doll.


    Meanwhile, Magnus was no longer taking the passive side of the attack from his cousin. After losing several millions, he counterattacked and made some fatal destruction in his cousin''s business.


    "Hmp! As if I''d let you ruin the future that I haveid out for my son." Magnus muttered while looking at the stocks and shares in front of him.


    Thest time his cousin attacked, he focused on the shipping lines, making many partners withdrew their cooperation with the Dumrique and went to work on a rivalpany. Magnus suffered a huge blow after that but, he wasn''t disappointed. He epted the challenge.


    "Make sure that you defeat that ingrate! How dare he make a move against us in our turf!" Ferdinand angrily hit the floor with his cane while standing beside his son. "He should be grateful that I didn''t kill him back then!"


    "Don''t worry dad. Everything will be fine. Leave this to me. I will never allow this man to give Cayenne and Stefan another problem."


    "You better be! My granddaughter-inw has been so stressedtely which was why she can''t get pregnant."


    Magnus looked at his father and frowned. "What does this have to do with her pregnancy? It must be because of Stefan that she can''t get pregnant. That son of mine didn''t want her to have a baby this soon."


    "No! It should be because she''s very stressed with problems! Don''t reason with me. Eradicate this maggot as soon as possible."


    "Yes, dad. I will. I will. Just give me time. And besides, this person will surely attack another part of our businesses. Let me slowly exhaust everything he has."


    "Whatever. Just make sure that he won''t have the chance to inflict worry in my granddaughter-inw''s mind. If he will, I won''t let you off."


    "I know. I know. How about you go home first and rest at home."


    "Hn. I''m leaving." Ferdinand didn''t stay longer and left to go back to the vi.


    As soon as he was gone, the other trusted people inside the room was shaking their heads. Now, they knew which person among the family should be pleased at all cost. Cayenne was sitting on top of the pyramid and if she''s displeased, the rest of the family will probably cause a war.


    "Sometimes, people can be really blind. Didn''t they know what happened to the Rule family?" Magnus'' secretary stated while keeping his eyes on hisputer.


    "Even if they knew, some people still think that they have the chance to ruin the Dumrique family." the head supervisor from the marketing departmentmented.


    "Ha! The young master didn''t even spare his cousin. Did they think that he''d spare other people who will cause her harm? Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!"


    The rest of the people sighed.

 Chapter 558 - THE FLOWERS THAT SHE LIKES

    <h4>Chapter 558 - THE FLOWERS THAT SHE LIKES</h4>


    Stefan wasn''t taking any action on his part, just letting his father deal with the problem while Tristan kept an eye on the situation.


    Since he wasn''t very busy in the afternoon, he picked up his phone and sent a message to his wife. "What do you want for afternoon snacks?"


    "I want some brownies and fruit shake."


    "Okay. I''ll order it."


    "Just let Elena order it." Cayenne replied instantly because she didn''t want to disturb him from his work. "I already have a restaurant in mind. I''ll have Elena order it for us."


    "Yes ma''am. I''ll just wait here." Stefan responded and ced his phone back on the desk beside hisputer.


    On the other hand, Cayenne called Elena toe over while she was searching for the restaurant that she had in mind. She came across this restaurant when Kyle bought some snacks before and she really liked their fruit shake thus; she wanted everyone to give it a try, too.


    "What can I help you with?" Elena asked when she got inside the conference room.


    "I want you to order something for our afternoon snacks."


    "Yay! My stomach is now looking forward to have another delicious food."


    "Yup yup! I feel the same." Cayenne replied as she turned herptop towards Noah and Faith. "What do you guys want for snacks? Just point it out and I will write it."


    "You don''t really have to buy us some snacks." Noah replied with an embarrassed look. It felt like they came over just to freeload some food.


    Cayenne pouted and pushed theptop even closer to them. "An afternoon cannot pass without me getting some snacks and I always treat everyone in this floor."


    "Everyone gets some snacks?" Faith asked with her eyes blinking several times.


    "Hn. Everyone in this floor. Not everyone in this building."


    "Oh." Noah looked at theptop then he looked towards Faith. "Which one do you like to have?"


    "I''d like to have apple-mango shake." Faith stated.


    "There''s some frappe. I''d like Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappe." Noah stated while pointing on the frappe side.


    "What about the cookies?" Cayenne asked them.


    "We''ll have whatever you like to have."


    "Okay." Cayenne pulled theptop back and Elena wrote down the orders. Cayenne opened her phone and dialed Stefan''s number to call him. "I''m having Elena lists the orders now. Shall I get you Apple Crisp or Strawberry Funnel?"


    "Apple Crisp."


    "Okay." Cayenne scrolled down the menu and found a matcha cr¨¨me but didn''t order it because Stefan told her to reduce her sugar intake.? "I''m getting pineapple shake."


    "Good girl." Stefan stated with faintughter. "Lessen your sugar intake this week."


    "I know, sir." Cayenne replied. "But the brownies will be my choice."


    "Sure. Sure."


    "I''ll hang up now. Bye. Love lots."


    "I love you."


    Elena looked towards Noah and Faith who were blushing with the sweet words that Cayenne and Stefan exchanged. The two weren''t in love but they felt so flustered with how sweet the couple was. "You''ll get use to this." Elena muttered to the other two.


    After Cayenne wrote her order, Elena took the paper and walked towards the door. She was just about to close it when Cayenne called her for a reminder. "Don''t forget to call Erwin."


    "Okie dokie." Elena left a hand signal that she understood before closing the door.


    In that one day that Noah and Faith spent time with Cayenne, they found that she was no different to how she acts in their university. No matter what kind of ce or whoever person she''s meeting, she remained honest and kind.


    However, the next day, Cayenne didn''t go to thepany. And because she wasn''t going out, Stefan had to stay home as well. Elena delivered his pending works to their house early in the morning but she still went to thepany in order to hold the fort for her boss. On the top floor, there were two guards who stayed while Elena and Tristan do their work. Sometimes, Erwin woulde down to check on them.


    "I won''t being to thepany today because my brother suddenly fell sick. I decided to stay home." Cayenne type this and sent the message to Faith and Noah who promised to help her finish all her activities. "If you want, you cane to our house."


    "Is your husband fine with that?" Faith asked after reading her message. The three of them have a chat group of their own to make a convenient directmunication.


    "Hn. I already discussed this with my husbandst night." Cayenne stated. "You cane to the university and meet each other first. I''ll have someonee and pick you up."


    "Okay. We will be there by 9:00 in the morning." Noah replied on the message.


    "Uhhm¡­by any chance, is your brother home? The one who works as a model?" Faith asked and added a sweating expression of emoji.


    "Yes. He''s the one who caught a fever." Cayenne replied in an instant.


    "That''s sad. I was hoping to get an autograph from him but I will postpone it for next time."


    "You can still get one. I think it won''t be too much to ask for a signature."


    "I was nning to have him sign these." Faith sent a picture to the chat group and when Cayenne and Noah opened to see it, they were both dumbfounded. Even Cayenne started to smile helplessly beside her husband. It turned out, Faith was nning to bring all her collection of magazines for Luiz to sign.


    "I think it''s okay. He will be able to sign all of them before the end of the day."


    "Okay. I''ll bring them." Faith didn''t shy away from doing it at all. It''s not every day that she''d get this opportunity to see her idol.


    After settling on the time with her ssmates and now friends, Cayenne put down her phone and shifted her position to hug her husband once again. "I''ll be busying myself with my activities again."


    "I understand. Do your best." Stefan replied, kissing the top of her head to wish her the best. "I''ll be inside the study. Call me if you need anything."


    "Yes, my King."


    "I''m the only King whom you can call for an errand."


    "Hehehe. It''s because you chose to marry this queen. It''s your fault."


    "I''m not regretting it." Stefan replied and kissed her onest time on the lips before standing up from his seat. "I''ll go upstairs now." Cayenne just nodded her head without asking any questions.


    As soon as Stefan got inside the study room, he opened the message from the international florist that he knew. "Panpan, we''re able to cultivate the tulips that your wife likes.. If everything goes well, the flowers will be in full bloom in May."

 Chapter 559 - VISITORS

    <h4>Chapter 559 - VISITORS</h4>


    The ring was already avable and Stefan had it stashed away inside his safe vault along with their marriage certificates and some other important documents such as transfer of shares that Cayenne still has no idea of.


    The flowers will be in full bloom in May which made his n stay on the right track. The wedding gown that he personally designed for her was very intricate which will take some time before the artisans finish them. Amidst his business and other things to deal with, Stefan was still able to n his surprise wedding for his wife. Aside from Luiz and Kyle, no one else in their family knew that he was nning to hold a grand wedding for her.


    "Thank you for letting me know. Just go ording to n. As soon as they''re avable, send me a message."


    "Sure."


    Stefan deleted the message as soon as he was done because he didn''t want Cayenne toe across his n and spoil it.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne instructed two guards to go and pick up her ssmates in front of the university gate. Since they knew which ssmates she was talking about, they didn''t have a hard time looking for them.


    Since it was Saturday, Cayenne''s family was all around. They had breakfast together except for Luiz who was still lying on his bed with a thick quilt covering him.


    It''s the second Saturday since she came home that she wasn''t able to visit Justin''s home. Nheless, still did her best to check on them through a video call.


    "Morning, Yen." Faith greeted when she stepped inside the huge house. "Thanks for having us."


    "No. I should be the one thanking you." Cayenne replied as she gestured for them to sit on the couch.


    Noah was following behind Faith, holding a small paper bag which contains lots of magazines for Luiz to sign. Obviously, it was Faith''s magazines but he was the one carrying them.


    Cayenne shifted her eyes between the two people but she didn''t utter a single thing of their rtionship. She didn''t want to make things awkward if she''s mistaken.


    "Yenyen. Who are they?" Kyle asked when he came out of the kitchen with an apple in his hand.


    "These are my friends and my ssmates at the same time." She turned to her friends and introduced her brother to them. "Faith and Noah, this is my brother. His name is Kyle."


    "Nice to meet you." Kyle smiled at them and slightly bowed his head. "Thank you for looking after my sister."


    "No worries. It''s not a big deal." Faith replied with a sweet smile on her lips.


    "As for my youngest brother, you probably won''t meet him today since he''s sick." Cayenne stated, looking sad and worried.


    "I wish for him to get all better soon." Faith replied.


    Few minutester, the two guests finally met Cayenne''s whole family except for Luiz. They also found out that Stefan was actually staying home and was doing his work inside the study room. This made Faith firmly believe in Noah''s words that Stefan will never leave Cayenne''s side.


    And since they were doing the activities in Cayenne''s home, they found another good trait of her. When they heard that the chef at home named Lucia was staying over with her two daughters, Noah and Faith admired Cayenne even more. And when Cayenne called Justin to check on the children in his home, their admiration soared even higher.


    A woman who looked weak was verypassionate towards other people. She didn''t even care how much money she''d have to spend in order to help these people.


    ''No wonder they''re blessed.'' Noah thought to himself. ''Since they''re very helpful, God made sure to bless them so that they will be his instrument to help the poor.''


    Cayenne was just being himself and she had no idea that she gained two very loyal admirers and fans of hers.


    During lunch, the two guests joined them and they had a very wonderful conversation. Jonas liked talking with Noah because he was quite funny and had so many jokes store in his sleeves.


    And once again, Luiz was absent because of his sickness. But they also made sure that he gets to eat some food no matter how little the amount is. And from time to time, Cayenne would check on him. Sometimes, Kyle would do it or Jonas would. Cayenne already brought the bag of magazines that Faith wanted him to sign and so far, he finished signing half of them already.


    Around two in the afternoon, another guest arrived in Cayenne''s property. This time, the person was looking for Luiz. It was none other than, risse.


    "Hello, sis Yen. I''m visiting to see Luiz." risse mentioned as she handed a small bag which contains some sweets.


    "He''s upstairs." Cayenne replied while epting the gift. "Have you eaten your lunch?"


    "Yes, I did."


    "I see. Let me send you up." Cayenne turned to Noah and Faith and excused herself. "I''ll be right back."


    "Sure." Both Noah and Faith answered in unison. Seeing the anxious face on the young woman''s face, the two of them had a hunch of her rtionship with the model but none of them said anything.


    Cayenne led risse upstairs and knocked on the door to her brother''s room. It was Kyle who opened the door who just finished helping his brother drink his prescribed medicine. "She''s here to visit that brat."


    "Wee to our home risse." Kyle greeted and opened the door even wider.


    When Luiz heard the name being mentioned, he instantly removed the nket that he used to cover his body and looked at her. Their eyes met and his already-flustered face became even more flustered. "Sorry."


    "Hmp! I already told you not to wait for mest night. Look at you now?" risse stepped inside and scolded the sick Luiz without looking back to his siblings who were still standing at the door.


    "We''ll leave you for now." Cayenne mentioned and closed the door without waiting for their response. As soon as the door shut, she covered her mouth and giggled. "Luiz has found the right person."


    "Absolutely. He has no guts to refute her at all."


    When Cayenne came back to the living room, she met another person who came to visit Luiz.. This time it''s a little girl. Who else could it be if not Jade?

 Chapter 560 - FINALLY DONE

    <h4>Chapter 560 - FINALLY DONE</h4>


    "Auntie Yen!" Jade ran towards Cayenne and hugged her. "I missed you so, so much. How have you been?"


    "I''m pretty good little princess." Cayenne answered and kissed Jade''s cheeks. "How about you? Why didn''t youe with your mom?"


    "She''s pretty busy since my father''s birthday ising soon."


    "I see. Well, it''s good to have you here." Cayenne gently pats Jade''s head and brought her back to the couch where she was sitting earlier. "I hope Jackie didn''t mind my small ce." Cayenne told the other woman who looked exactly like Riley.


    "I don''t really mind. I am not a choosy person. I''m d that you are doing pretty well after what happened."


    "Stefan made it possible for me." Cayenne sat on the couch facing her ssmates and friends. "By the way, let me introduce my friends from the university. This is Faith and Noah." Then she turned to Noah and Faith to introduce Jackie and Jade. "This is Jillyanna''s daughter, Jade and this pretty woman is Riley''s twin sister, Jackie."


    "By Jillyanna, you mean the goddess YNA, right?" Faith asked while looking at the little girl with great interest. Cayenne nodded in acknowledgement and this made Faith widened her eyes in surprise. "You really are friends with her?"


    "Not just my mom, she''s friends with everyone at home." Jade replied to Faith''s statement. "Auntie Yen is like a sister to my mom and uncle Stefan is like a brother to my father. They''re very close with my family."


    Cayenne just chuckled and kissed Jade''s head. "What brought you here by the way? It''s really surprising that your mother allowed both of you to leave home."


    "It''s not really surprising." Jade muttered and leaned closer to Cayenne''s ear in order to whisper something. "Look outside and you''ll see why. Besides, auntie Jackie can fight better than our bodyguards so, my mother isn''t really worried for us toe over here."


    Cayenne did look outside the window and found many bodyguards loitering around, waiting for their young miss toe out of the house. "I see. So, what brought you here? It''s impossible that you''de here out of boredom."


    "Ie over to see how big brother is doing. I sent him a message this morning to y with me but he said he''s not feeling well. Is he sick?"


    "Hn. He''s down with a fever. Just few minutes earlier, risse came over to check on him."


    "Oh! It''s good that she''s here."


    "Do you want to check on him now?"


    "No way! I don''t want to disturb their quality time. I''ll wait here. Do you mind me helping you with the designs of your activities?"


    "You want to help me with my activities?"


    "Just the design."


    Cayenne didn''t really expect this but since Jade wanted to do it while passing the time, she just let her be and gave her some crafting material. Thus, for almost an hour, Faith and Jade worked on crafting some designs for Cayenne''s activities and projects. Lucia prepared some refreshments for them in the afternoon and at some point, Daisy and Dahlia started helping Cayenne with theyouts as well.


    When Stefan came to check on his wife''s progress, he was a little surprise to see a lot of people helping her. The projects and activities that she missed, which she was supposed to pass in two weeks, were done in less than a week. Jade was very happy and satisfied to see her designs on Cayenne''s work.


    "I like how you make this butterfly cut out. How did you make this?" Jade asked Faith while pointing on the butterflies pasted on the workbook.


    "I''ll teach you how." Faith taught Jade how to easily cut butterflies for design ideas and Jade was really having fun doing so. Around 4:00 in the afternoon, risse came out of Luiz''s room.


    "Are you going home now? Aren''t you staying for dinner?" Cayenne asked when she saw her.


    "Luiz said that he''s feeling a lot better and I still have some things to do. I''ll have dinner some other time."


    "O-okay. I''ll have someone send you home."


    "There''s no need." risse stated, refusing Cayenne almost instantly. "The driver is already waiting for me outside."


    Seeing her nervous expression and restless eye movement, Cayenne knew that something was wrong. "Okay. I won''t insist for now." She said but she still walked her to the door. "You don''t have to force yourself toe here if your father isn''t approved of it. Don''t worry, my brother won''t change his feelings just because of this trivial matter. Just focus on your studies. We will take care of him."


    "Thank you so much, sis Yen. I feel a lot better now."


    "No problem. Take care of yourself." Cayenne gave the other woman an encouraging hug and watched her leave along with their family driver. When she came back to the living room, Jade was nowhere to be found. "Where''s Jade?"


    "Kyle took her away and brought her upstairs."


    "Oh! I see. Well, let me keep my things first. Do you guys want to see the fruit trees in our backyard? I think our rambutan trees have fruits now. I am not just sure if they are ripe already."


    "You have an orchard at the back of your house?"


    "Not really an orchard but there are fruit trees nted in this area and we didn''t have it cut since it would be a waste. I love to eat fruits so, it''s quite convenient to have them near you."


    "I''d love to see your fruit trees." Faithmented with an anticipating smile.


    "Sure. Let me just bring these things in my room."


    "Don''t worry about those. I''ll take care of them." Cayenne looked up and saw her husband descending the stairs. "You can have a short tour around the house. I''ll keep your things."


    "Thanks hubby." Cayenne grinned and gave him a flying kiss. "We''ll go out for now. Do you want to join as Jackie?"


    "Yup. I''d be bored waiting for that little girl here."


    The four people left the living room and went out of the house to have a short tour of her property. It isn''t as big as the ones that Jillyanna and Travis owned but it was something that Cayenne received from her biological father so, she was very attached to it. However, it won''t be long for her to move out again.


    After all, the house that Stefan personally designed for them to live after the wedding was almost finished.

 Chapter 561 - A FRIEND NOT FOE

    <h4>Chapter 561 - A FRIEND NOT FOE</h4>


    One weekter, Cayenne submitted all her projects and activities after she finished all of them with the help of so many people. Although she didn''t get a high score, she was more than happy to have a passing mark even if it was just average. There''s still second semester anyway. She will still be able to cope with her ssmates.


    As soon as she came back to school after the sports festival was over, her eyebrow raised in disgust. Some women were checking her husband despite knowing the fact that he''s married.


    She''s actually fine with people admiring her beloved but she didn''t like it when people would try to break them up. ''Girl! You''re a woman, too. For Pete''s sake, know your ce and don''t stoop so low.'' Cayenne thought to herself but she was actually quiet and just observed in silence.


    Stefan was aware that other students and even some single teachers were checking him out but he only has eyes for Cayenne. He didn''t have extra eyes for anyone else.


    To put her mind at ease, when she''s not around; like when she''s having ss, the guards would tightly surround Stefan, not letting anyone meet him. No one was allowed to approach him within 2-meter radius if that person wasn''t his wife.


    "Are you wife-sitting again?" Travis messaged since he wasn''t very busy at the moment.


    "Yeah. I need to look after her since she insisted to continue studying here."


    "Oh? If I remember correctly, it was you who insisted her to continue studying because you wanted to distract her from wanting to have a baby soon."


    "Hey! Are you really my friend?" Stefan replied with an angry emoji added at the end of his message.


    Travis just smirked when he read the message and didn''t reply to the question. "I don''t understand why you''re so scared of her having a baby. Jill had Raizel when she''s about the same age as your wife."


    "I just don''t want my wife to suffer from so much pain. Also, we''ll get thereter not soon. I still want her to do the things she wanted to do before we settle down to have kids."


    "Alright. I won''t bother you anymore about having kids. Actually, I just wanted to ask if you know someone named Napoleon Dumrique."


    "That''s my step uncle."


    "Are you close with him?"


    "Nope. In fact, he''s attacking our businesses now but my father is dealing with him."


    "I see." Travis leaned back on his swivel chair and looked outside thepany building while speaking. "So, I take it that, it would be fine if I make him lose some shares and assets?"


    "Go ahead. That would be doing me a favor."


    "You owe me one." Travis responded with faint chuckles.


    "Did he attack yourpany because we''re friends?"


    "Probably. People from other countries, when they get here, they think they own the whole country or the whole city. I hate bugs like them."


    "Likewise." Stefan agreed with a huge grin stered on his face. "Let me know if there''s something I can help. I don''t really mind you getting rid of that bug."


    "I won''t get rid of him. I''ll let your father give the final blow."


    "Jezz! Thanks. My father will be very pleased."


    "I''ll get back to work now. Send my greetings to Cayenne and you better take care of her because my wife is paying attention."


    After few more words, the call ended and Stefan stuffed the phone back inside his pocket. He looked around the ce but he couldn''t find anyone suspicious. ''Just how does she train her people?'' Stefan asked thinking of the possibility that Jillyanna ced some people to monitor Cayenne''s whereabouts.


    In the afternoon, when Cayenne attended her first afternoon ss, a woman with a curly hair approached Stefan''s 2-meter radius of protected circle. The guards immediately blocked her way but she didn''t stop at all. She stood at the boundary of the circle with the guards looking at her. If she makes one wrong move, she will be thrown out by them.


    "Excuse me Mr. Dumrique, can I speak with you?" she asked softly with embarrassed expression, feeling several numbers of eyes looking at her.? "I''m not here to hit on you or flirt with you, I just wanted to say something very important."


    "Why can''t you say it here?" Stefan questioned without looking at her.


    "It''s attracting people''s attention." The woman mentioned which was true. Aside from the guards who were looking at her like tigers watching their prey, there were students loitering around who was looking at her, too. "This is about your wife."


    "Oh? What about my wife?"


    The petite and nerd looking woman felt so helpless but still she wanted to do something in order to prevent Cayenne from experiencing another traumatic experience. Well, she thought that Cayenne was traumatize after the kidnapping incident. Left with no other choice, she pulled a notebook from her bag and wrote something.


    From time to time, she''d stop to think for a while before she''d continue writing. After almost ten minutes of standing outside the boundary, she finished writing what she wanted to say. "Here''s the thing that I wanted to say. I hope this can help." She gave the letter to the guard and the guard gave it to Stefan.


    As soon as Stefan read the content, the corner of his lips rose a bit as if he was smiling but the coldness in his eyes says he wasn''t happy at all. "Thank you for letting me know." Stefan folded the paper and ced it inside his pocket. "I''ll let me wife know about thister. I greatly appreciate your effort."


    "You''re wee." The woman didn''t say anything further than that and left without turning back.


    "Sir, is she a threat? She seemed harmless to me." One of the guards asked. Even though he''s paid to deal with some annoying people, he didn''t really want to misjudge and hurt the innocent.


    Stefan shook his head in denial. "She''s a friend not a foe. I don''t know what''s her motive but I know that she didn''t have the intention to hurt my wife."


    "I understand." The guard bowed his head before going back to his position.


    After she attended her sses for the day, Cayenne and Stefan went to thepany like usual. He needed to do some work before going back home.


    This has been part of their daily routine already.


    "I''m so tired." Cayenne muttered softly. "Aren''t you tired?" she asked her husband who was holding another bunch of documents to bring home.


    "I am but as long as you are with me, I''m at peace and worry-free. I don''t stress myself too much about the business but I will be stressed out if something happens to you."


    "I''m sorry for worrying you but I promise to behave from now on." Cayenne replied instantly with her kilowatt smile. Her bright smile really brightened Stefan''s face and he smiled back at her. "Shall we get a home service spa tomorrow? It''s good for us to rx once in a while. Or do you have any ns? We haven''t gone out with just the both of us."


    "You know what happens if we go somewhere ¨C with just the two of us, right?" Stefan teased her as he zipped his bag with lots of documents in it. "Are you really suggesting something to me?"


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You are so shameless. As if you won''t do me when we''re at home. Do I really have a chance to fight you back when you get horny?"


    "Of course, you don''t." Stefan chuckled, walking towards her with his things. "Let''s go home. We still need to pack for our short vacation tomorrow."


    "So, you were really nning to do something?"


    "Of course. Weekend should still be dedicated to me. No more, no less."


    Cayenne just went along with him, consoling herself that it''s her duty and it''s her repayment for worrying him every single day. Ever since she came back from that abduction incident, Stefan had been constantly monitoring her 24//7.


    To some people, they might think it''s too much and it''s suffocating. But to Cayenne, this made her feel so happy and secure. She felt loved and cared for. When she was young, no one was monitoring her safety. Her brothers were younger than her and her mother was sickly. Her biological father wasn''t around and her stepfather was sent to jail.


    It''s only until she met her husband that the things shecked in the past were being constantly filled. She could never thank God enough for sending this man to her.


    ''What shall I give him this time?'' Cayenne thought to herself while walking towards the parking lot with her hand holding his.


    "What are you thinking? You look so serious."


    "I''m thinking of something to give you."


    "Why don''t you give yourself to me?"


    "Haven''t I done that a long time ago?"


    The two flirted once again while their guards turned a blind eye.. Sooner orter, these twenty people guarding them will be diagnosed with diabetes.

 Chapter 562 - DIARY I

    <h4>Chapter 562 - DIARY I</h4>


    When they get back home, they had dinner together with everyone and this time, even Stefan''s family came to visit. It''s his maternal family, not the Dumrique. Ever since they found his maternal rtives, even though the cause of Latticia''s death has been cleared, they still couldn''t get to forgive Magnus for what has happened.


    And she couldn''t me them. Their daughter suffered some much, blinded by love towards someone that she even epted being a mistress when she was supposedly the legal wife.


    Since they reunited with Stefan, there was never a time that they have attended an asion where Magnus could be present. Their paths have never crossed and it seemed like, they weren''t nning on doing so in the future. ''Perhaps when we have our wedding, both his family will attend it? But when will we have a wedding? We''ve never talked about it.'' Cayenne thought about this in the middle of eating her food.


    Luiz and Dominic, being the former ssmates, they talked so much about their university life as well as their work. asionally, they''d talk about their teacher as well who was now working hard to get back on track with her life.


    "You are distracted again." Stefan whispered beside her while cing another dish on her te. "Is there anything that''s bothering you?"


    "Hmm? Nothing. Just some few things in school that I couldn''t wrap my head around."


    "Stop thinking about it when we''re having dinner. Let''s discuss itter."


    "Okay." Cayenne just nodded her head even though that wasn''t really the thing that she was thinking. She ate her food with Stefan tending to her beside her. "You don''t have to pay close attention to me during dinner. Just eat your own food. Aren''t you hungry?"


    "I am." Stefan answered but there was this wide grin on his face that tells Cayenne he wasn''t thinking of the same hunger as her. "I am so famished that I want to eat you." He whispered close to her ear and even nibbled on her earlobe when no one was watching.


    Cayenne was so scared of being caught that she blushed beside him. "Stop that." She pinched his thigh which turned him on even more. She looked around and everyone was busy doing their own thing, not paying them any attention which relieved her a bit. "No cuddles for you tonight."


    Stefan at up straight instantly and behaved himself until the dinner ends. After dinner, he talked with his family with Cayenne beside him. It wasn''t really anything important, just trivial matters that he needed them to remind of specially their security.


    "We''lle and visit you next time." Stefan told his grandmother who was sulking because they haven''t visited them for a while now.


    "Take care of Cayenne and don''t stress her too much." Jose reminded his grandson as he stood from his seat. "It''s gettingte now. We''ll go back home."


    Stefan and Cayenne stood up as well and walked his family outside of their house. The cars and the guards were waiting for them already. "See you next time, grandma and grandpa."


    "See you next time, granny. See you next time grandpa." Cayenne also bid her farewell to them. "Send my regards to Uncle Stand. Tell him that I wish him luck with his pursuit."


    "He''d be happy to hear that." Dominic stated when he heard what Cayenne said. "Bye, sis-inw. Bye bro."


    "Bye Dom."


    Parting would always be the saddest moment for Cayenne but she didn''t stay sad for a long time because she knew that they would meet again in a week or in few days.


    As soon as their guests left, the two of them came back inside the house. "Let''s go and pack some of our things. You still have a ss tomorrow morning but like in the past, we can go somewhere directly in the afternoon."


    "Can we pack tomorrow instead? I just want to sleep now."


    "Alright. Let''s take a bath and rest the night away." This was the n. They were supposed to rest the night away but when Cayenne finished bathing, she checked some of her personal stuff inside the drawer because she had been feeling that she kept missing something.


    And that something was finally found when she saw the small envelope. "I knew it!" Cayenne eximed and picked it up.


    "What?" Stefan questioned while drying his hair not far from her. She was still wearing her bathrobe because instead of putting on her clothes, she instantly rummaged inside her drawer.


    Cayenne raised the envelope and looked from the front to the back. It wasn''t very small for a letter but it wasn''t too big either. Aside from her old address written at the back of the paper, there wasn''t any information on the sender. "I always thought that I missed something and it turned out that I haven''t read this thing yet."


    "Huh? Didn''t you receive that letter way, way back in March? It''s October already."


    "Well, I lost this when I moved here. Also, Luiz just received this not long ago."


    "Luiz received that before you were abducted."


    "I was busy alright." Cayenne retorted while taking a seat on the bed. "Also, I didn''t really think this is important since there was no sender''s information."


    "It could be a love letter from a secret admirer."


    For some reason, Cayenne shivered at the thought of what he said. She didn''t like that idea at all. "Don''t joke with me. I don''t like that idea."


    Stefan chuckled as he put down the hair dryer and turned it off. "Why don''t you put on some clothes before reading what''s inside? I might slip my hands inside your robe."


    "Dress me up." she said, batting her eyelids flirtatiously towards him. "Please?"


    Stefan was shaking his head as he walked towards her and picked up the clothes he prepared for her on the bed. He has done it before so, it wasn''t really anything new to him. With a serious face, he helped her put on her undies while Cayenne ripped the envelope to open it. There were a bunch of letters inside not just one or two but more than a dozen of letters. ''No wonder it was bulky.'' Cayenne thought.


    As soon as he was done helping her with the underwear, Stefan removed her bathrobe and put on her night dress. He looked so serious while dressing her up but here and there, he''d graze her skin from time to time. Getting no reaction from her, Stefan pouted and stole a quick kiss on her lips.


    "You''re no fun to dress up." heined which made Cayenneugh at him. "You''re feeling it, right?"


    "Why should I tell you? Go to sleep."


    "No, answer me first. That''s just abnormal to have no reaction after all the things I did."


    "You are the abnormal." Cayenne kicked his leg and turned around to get on the bed. The moment she turned around, Stefan pulled her and hugged her from behind. He felt her up and found out that her nipples were actually erect. "I told you. You are the abnormal here."


    "So, you could get like this, too?"


    Cayenne really wanted to smack her husband''s face for being the most shameless person she has ever known. It''s obvious that she''d get that kind of physical reaction but that didn''t mean she''d like to do something with him at the moment. Her head was just too preupied with the bunch of letters she received.


    "Wait until tomorrow." Cayenne told him and swatted his hands away.


    "Alright. Noints tomorrow, okay?" Stefan replied and stepped away from her to return the bathrobe on its rack. Since Cayenne was ready to get to bed, Stefan also got on the bed and sat beside her. "What all those letters? Why are there so many of them in one envelope?"


    "Let''s see." Cayenne leaned her back on the headboard, adjusted herself a little and leaned her head on his shoulder. As soon as she opened one letter and saw the words ''Dear En-en,'' Cayenne''s eyes scanned the whole paper to look for the sender''s name. It was none other than the friend she had been missing for a long time. Marian, the only female she was so close with during high school, was the only person who calls her En-en. Seiji and Arthur call her Yen or Yenyen and to make the girl''s rtionship unique to her, she came up with an exclusive nickname that only she can use.


    "Why did she send me these bunch of letters?" Cayenne questioned as she looked at the other letters. "Wait, they''re in chronological order."


    "Did she make you her diary?" Stefan asked while taking some of the letters from her hand. "I think you became her diary and something has happened to her."


    "Hey! Don''t jinx it."


    "Why else would she send you a bunch of letters? It''s obviously to tell you something."


    She may not like the thought of it but that''s one possibility. Cayenne decided to read one of the letters which was dated thetest and somehow, she felt happy with the content. She did be her best friend''s diary. One after another, Cayenne read the letter while Stefan stayed up beside her, working on some documents to apany her.


    In the middle of her reading, tears started streaming down her face and she had no idea how to stop them.

 Chapter 563 - DIARY II

    <h4>Chapter 563 - DIARY II</h4>


    08/15/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    Today, you didn''te to school again. I was so lonely not having you by my side. Seiji and Arthur were fighting again and you weren''t around to stop them. This is day marks the full month of your absence.


    I hope you are doing alright.


    -Marian


    ***


    08/31/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    My father received the notice that he''d be assigned to another city over a week ago. Today, we''re leaving City A. I really wish to see you again but you''re always busy working. I couldn''t find time to match yours. Sorry, I have to leave.


    I hope to see you next time.


    -Marian


    ***


    09/07/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    I wish I didn''t have to go back. I heard about your mom''s condition and I am not even around tofort you. I hope you will receive the little help I sent. Don''t give up on life. I know that there''s something better waiting for you in the future.


    -Marian


    ***


    09/16/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    Your birthday ising.? I won''t be there to celebrate it with you but I hope you will be able to give time to yourself. Honestly, your birthday would always remind me of someone and it hurts me whenever I remember him but I cannot really me you for being born on the same date as him.


    I hope I can visit City A soon. Take care of yourself always.


    -Marian


    ***


    09/25/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    I''m pissed off. I''m so annoyed. I wanted to call you and talk to you about what I''m feeling right now but I realized that you don''t even have a phone. Sometimes, I really want to send these letters to you but I also realized that I will be bothering your life. Anyway, nothing good happen today. Instead, all the bad things happened since morning.


    I don''t want to say anything anymore. Take care.


    -Marian


    ***


    10/01/20xx


    Dear En-En


    October has finallye! Yay! It''s your birth month. I wish I could celebrate your birthday with you but since I''m quite far, I will just continue to pray for you.


    By the way, I think I''m going to get married soon.


    -Marian


    ***


    10/15/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    You must be wondering why I don''t write regrly, right? I actually don''t want you to burden with so many papers ^_^. Also, happy birthday. At the back of this letter is an address where you can find my safe deposit box. The password is the pin of your school ident. I hope you can get it soon. It''s not much but I hope it can help.


    Well, you will only find it when I decide to send you these letters.


    -Marian


    ***


    12/16/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    This Christmas, I won''t be spending time with you nor will I spend it with my family. I wish you''re with your family, though.


    -Marian


    ***


    02/18/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    I want to tell you a story. I really hope I can talk to you about this but I have no other choice but to write it.


    This is a story of a girl who fell in love with her ssmate when she was still in Grade 6. Imagine, she was still very young but she seriously likes someone in her age. She continued to like this guy every passing day. On her 7th grade, she gave him a letter. It was the very first letter she wrote for a person of opposite sex. She didn''t even write letters to her father. Surprisingly, the man has the same feelings as her. It turned out that this guy likes her for several years as well. He just didn''t say anything because he was afraid he''d be rejected. After all, who would think that kids have serious feelings of love for someone?


    Later on, as they grow a bit older, when they finally reached the 10th grade, they decided to make their rtionship official. Although it was official, not many people knew about it. Their parents didn''t know as well. This rtionshipsted for almost a year but still, they had to break up. Their parents found out and the girl was scolded. A month after that, her parents transferred her to a different school.


    Because of this, the two of them sneaked out of their house in the middle of the night to see each other. They met somewhere near the girl''s house and there, the boy that she liked for 5 years gave her a ring. It was a promise ring. It wasn''t anything fancy or expensive. It was a simple silver ring with a small fake ruby stone.


    "On your 21st birthday, I''lle and get you back. I will never love anyone else in this life but you. Hold on to this ring as a token of my promise. Don''t ever lose this." That was what the boy said and the girl believed in him. She believed that he''d keep his promise.


    Life goes on and they continued to move forward. The girl kept getting transferred to different school and lost connection with the guy. She wasn''t allowed to use any social media ount and her phone was being monitored. She didn''t know how to contact him anymore.


    Still, whenever someone wanted to take group pictures, she''d always join them because she wanted her friends or ssmates to post these pictures on their social media ount, hoping that he''d see them and see her.


    And then, she was finally transferred to a school where she met new people. She became friends with a very kindhearted woman who was the type of girl that her two male friends like at the same time. Whenever her female friend isn''t around, the two guys would always fight but when she''s with them, it was very harmonious. She''s like the core that keeps everyone intact.


    The girl started to get busy with her life but she has never forgotten the promise of the man she loves. And you know what, life likes to y a cruel joke. Her friends started to leave one after another. The girl was left alone once again. And to top it all, her parents were reassigned to another city and she has to move with them. It would have been better if it was the end of it. However, when she came to this new ce where her parents wanted her to continue her study, she saw the man that she loves with all her heart, with all her being ¨C walking down the stairs while holding another woman''s hand.


    ***


    The story that her best friend wanted to tell her was cut off and even if Cayenne wouldn''t see the continuation, she already got the feeling of who Marian was talking about. It was herself. The ring that she mentioned on the story was the same ring that she turned into a pendant and wore around her neck as a ne. There were tear stains on the paper and it was a bit crumpledpare to the other letters. She could already imagine that her best friend was crying while writing it.


    "Do you still want to continue reading it?" Stefan asked while handing several tissue papers to his wife. "Your eyes will be swollen."


    "I''d rather read them all and deal with the pain in one go instead of prolonging this agony."

 Chapter 564 - DIARY III

    <h4>Chapter 564 - DIARY III</h4>


    02/23/20xx


    Dearest En-en,


    Sorry, I couldn''t finish the storyst time. I ran out of paper. Hahahaha. What ame excuse. Well, you can just think whatever reason''s you like. So, I''ll continue writing and I hope that you will continue to read this.


    Apparently, the guy that the woman likes was studying in the same university as her. She thought that her parents purposely sent her there for her to see that the man was already in rtionship with someone but, her parents denied her usations. Since that was the case, she endured the pain.


    She thought that the man would recognize her but even though they met in the campus several times since her arrival, he never once greeted her. She even purposely wore the ne outside her clothes for him to see. She was desperate for his recognition, for his attention.


    En-en, she loved that man. She loved him for almost ten years. She continued to hold on to his promise for almost five years. She never dated anyone because she was thinking of the promise they once said in their youth.


    And then, she turned 21 years old. That yearning, that hope, that desperate love ¨C she waited for him to reciprocate it. She waited and waited but there was nothing. He forgot her already. She''s just part of his memories ¨C the memories that he buried at the deepest part of his mind. She''s a memory that he never wanted to resurface.


    Every day, she watched them acting sweet and loving. Every day, she would hear students talking about them. And every day, without anyone else knowing, she was living in pain.


    She could only go home and cry herself at night.


    Despite knowing that he''s already taken, she didn''t lose her hope. She still continued to hang on. She continued to pray that one day, he will remember the girl who''s still waiting for him. It was fine if he doesn''t have the same feelings that he once felt for her. She only needed his recognition. She only needed him to say the word ''stop''. She wanted him to stop her from the delusions. She wanted him to stop clinging to this tiny bit of hope.


    And as if possessed, she actually had the courage to look for him. She went to his dorm room and knocked on his door. When it was opened, there were many people inside the room. There were girls, too. And his girlfriend was there sitting next to him. Their eyes met but he didn''t say anything. All the courage that she umted instantly vanished within seconds. She stood outside the door and smiled awkwardly to everyone.


    "Sorry, I got the wrong room number." That was all she said and she ran out of the dormitory. She continued to run without looking back and then, she fainted.


    The next thing she knew, she was already lying on a hospital bed. Her mother was crying beside her. She had no idea why but she could feel their distress.


    Today, she''s still in the hospital. She''s been going in and out of the hospital for three months now.


    En-en, the girl has decided to give up on her love today. She felt so tired and lonely. She realized that she wasted so many years clinging to something that ceased to exist.


    En-en, you have probably guessed it already. The girl in the story is me. And I have a chronic leukemia. I don''t know if I would still be able to see you but I really wish I could.


    -Marian


    ***


    03/07/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    I I think I be a burden to my parents now. I don''t have a job and they''re spending so much money for my treatment. And oh! Don''t even think about asking me with my heart status. It''s still bleeding but I know that I''ll move on in time. This illness? It''s nothing. I''ll live on. So, hang in there, okay? I still wanted to see you.


    -Marian


    ***


    03/22/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    Is it difficult to move on? Maybe it''s because I invested so much time and emotion on him. Maybe because from time to time, he''d still slip in my mind. En-en, I really want to forget him. I don''t want to die with so many negative thoughts in mind. I''m even hoping that this illness will affect my memory.


    -Marian


    ***


    05/13/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    Forgive me for not writing anything in the past month. By the way, I heard that you got hired as a receptionist in Clover Hotel. Keep up the good work because their pay is really highpared to other business establishments. I hope you''ll stay there for a long time.


    -Marian


    ***


    06/10/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    My parents are nning to bring me overseas. They said that there''s a chance for me to be cured there. Is there even a cure for cancer? Well, I don''t really have any knowledge of the medical field but I am hoping I''ll be cured so I cane and see you.


    -Marian


    06/15/20xx


    Dear En-en,


    It''s finalized! We''re leaving tomorrow afternoon. This will be myst letter for you from this country. I don''t know if I''d continue to write when I''m overseas. By the way, I saw you yesterday. You were busy working in a caf¨¦. I don''t really know where you get your never-ending strength. I really envy you but it''s also because of you that I''m willing to fight. I want to see you onest time.


    Also, I don''t want to ruin your mood but there''s a chance that I won''t make it back alive. If you ever get to read these letters, I hope you are doing well. I hope you''re happy.


    -Marian


    ***


    Cayenne cried so hard while putting away the letters. She didn''t what to feel at the moment. She had been looking for her friend but because she had limited resources before, she didn''t get to see her. When she married Stefan, she was so overwhelmed with other things that she had forgotten about her.


    The letters were written until a year ago but it was sent to her in March of the current year but she read it in October. She dyed it so much just because there was no information of the sender.


    ''All along, she suffered so much without me knowing anything. She was already having a hard time but she was still praying for me. I am such a bad person.''


    "Don''t think badly of yourself." Stefan stated as if he could read her mind. "She must have reasons why she didn''t show up to see you face to face even though she wanted to. What is herplete name by the way? I think I''ve seen this name somewhere before."


    "Marian Wyatt."

 Chapter 565 - FINDING MARIAN

    <h4>Chapter 565 - FINDING MARIAN</h4>


    Stefan thought so hard to recall where he read that name before. He knew that he read it somewhere but he couldn''t figure out when and where. "I''ll have Tristan look for her. Don''t feel too bad. It''s not your fault."


    Cayenne nodded her head but her tears were doing the opposite. They kept on falling on the letters like an endless spring water. "It''s almost my birthday."


    "Shall we go to the address of the safe deposit box tomorrow? Maybe we''d find a clue before Tristan could."


    "O-okay. L-let''s g-go." Cayenne responded in broken words because of her hups.


    Stefan could only hug his wife and cuddle her to sleep. It''s almost midnight yet there they were, still wide awake with one of them still weeping. He wanted to stop her tears but he can''t really stop the pain she was feeling because of what she learned.


    The next morning, the dark circles around her eyes shocked her brothers so much. They wanted to ask her but they also felt that they needed to shut up. Every time they looked towards Stefan with their questioning gaze, Stefan would only shrug his shoulders.


    "Auntie Lucia, can you slice some cucumbers? We have a panda here that needs a soothing treatment." Luiz stated which almost choked Cayenne to death. She knew that she looked horrible at the moment but she felt it was unfair to be called panda when her eyebags didn''t look so dark to her.


    Lucia was very quick to her work and immediately gave Cayenne a small bowl of sliced cucumbers. Cayenne took one slice and put it in her mouth which made Luiz raise his eyebrow. "That''s for your eyes, not for your mouth."


    "I know. I just wanted to have a taste." Cayenne reasoned out. "Hurry up already or you will bete for school."


    "Same to you." Luiz retorted before taking a sip of his water.


    Cayenne ate silently beside Stefan and from time to time, her deep sighs escaped her lips which made everyone look at her. She was restless and worried. Her mind couldn''t wrap up everything that she just knew. "Is it possible that Seiji and Arthur knew of her condition?" She asked all of sudden but other than Stefan, no one has an idea of what she talking about.


    "That''s possible." Stefan answered. "Anyway, stop thinking about it for now. I''ll make sure that you''d see her soon."


    Cayenne nodded her head in understanding because she knew that if Stefan promised it, he will do the best he can to fulfill it. After having breakfast, she went to school with her husband once again just to attend a 3-hour ss for one subject. Since her eyes were still a bit red and swollen, she decided to wear dark sses.


    "Are you alright? Why are you wearing sses inside the room?" Noah asked her as soon as she took a seat beside him. Faith was also looking at her with a confused gaze but she didn''t ask anything. As for the other students, they weren''t asking or looking at her but their ears were open to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    Cayenne took a deep breath and sighed. "I though it was Friday yesterday. I watched a drama movie and ended up crying for over an hour. I really forgot the date."


    "Oh! I thought something serious has happened. Thank goodness it''s just a movie." Noahmented while giving her once over look. "Stop watching so many dramas. It''s not good."


    "Hn. I''ll refrain from doing so." Cayenne replied with no qualms. After all, it wasn''t really the reason why.


    During ss, the professor did ask her what happened but after hearing her response, aside from the stifledughter, the professor didn''t say anything anymore. She knew that Cayenne pays attention during ss so, having sses or not didn''t really bother the professor who was discussing in front of the whole ss.


    After 3 hours of sitting and doing activities, the ss finally ended. Cayenne went out fast as she can as if she was being chased out by someone. She just really wanted to be with her husband as soon as she can.


    "How''s your ss?" Stefan asked while taking her bag from her and held it on the other hand while he intertwined their fingers.


    "It''s okay. I learned something new today." Cayenne mentioned as they walk to where the cars were parked. She looked around them and when no one was looking at them, she leaned closer and whispered. "Honestly, I was a bit distracted. I think I missed some key points."


    "Just borrow notes from your ssmates. The exam is approaching and you should not ck off."


    "I know. I''ll ask Noah to send me pictures of his notester or tomorrow."


    "You really depend on him, don''t you?"


    "Tsk! Are you being jealous again? Shall I depend on you for school notes and activities, too?"


    "Why not?"


    "That''s crazy!" Cayenne retorted in disbelief. "What can you do for me?"


    "A lot." Stefan winked at her and for some reason, she didn''t like that mischievous wink. She could already sense the foreboding image of her future. Cayenne couldn''t really grasp his mind sometimes. "Anyway, let''s go to the address that your best friend ced on the letter."


    "Hn. Let''s do that."


    On their way to East West International Bank where the safe deposit box was located, Cayenne''s hands were sweating from anxiety. She was afraid of what she might see inside the box. And she was even more afraid to know of what has be to her best friend.


    "It''s alright." Stefan whispered and gently caressed her palm tofort her a little. "You don''t have to be scared."


    "I''m not scared." Cayenne replied but her shaking voice already betrayed her. "Okay. I am a little bit anxious. I just couldn''t help it."


    "She''s alive." Stefan told her to calm her. "I am not sure if she''s doing fine with what she''s been going through but she''s definitely alive. You''ll see her."


    In City D, somewhere on the countryside, Marian was sitting on her bed while looking outside her window. She could see the trees and the small houses far from the ce she was living in. And she could also see the man standing in front of their gate, holding a bouquet of red roses.


    "Young miss, he''s here again." Her personal maid told her even though she didn''t really need to hear it. She can see him.


    "I''m not here."


    "Okay." The maid went downstairs and walked towards the gate to open it. "Mister, the young miss is not here. She''s in the city right now."


    "When will shee back?"


    "I''m not sure. Sometimes, it takes 2 or 3 days but there are times she''d stay for over a week."


    "Since there is no guarantee, I''ll just wait here until shees home."


    The maid raised her eyebrow but she remained silent while looking at him. ''Stubborn.'' She thought before taking a step back to close the gate. "I won''t be letting you in.. Bye."

 Chapter 566 - FINDING MARIAN II

    <h4>Chapter 566 - FINDING MARIAN II</h4>


    "We''re here." Stefan told Cayenne as he unfastened his seatbelt. "Let''s go and check it out."


    "Hn." Cayenne took a deep breath and removed the seatbelt, too. As soon as they stepped out of the car, the bodyguards immediately surrounded them, not allowing any other people to get close to their employers. When they reached the entrance to the bank, the bodyguards stayed outside and only Cayenne and Stefan went in. They were standing in an imposing manner that the guards of the bank felt embarrassed for cking off.


    Cayenne walked to the customer service area to ask about the safe deposit box and see how she can get it. "Please give me a sec. I''ll just look into the details of the safe deposit box that you mentioned." The representative stated as she checked herputer.


    "Sure. I can wait." Cayenne replied, intertwining her fingers with Stefan''s to gather enough strength from him.


    "Are you alright?" Stefan asked in whisper.


    "I am. Don''t worry about me."


    "Can I have your valid ID for me to match the information I have on file?"


    "O-okay." Cayenne handed one of her valid IDs and waited for the representative to be done with it. Then, thedy called someone over the phone and soon, a man in ck suit came out from the sliding wall behind her. "That''s cool." Cayenne whispered when she saw the wall being closed and opened.


    "This man will bring you to the safe deposit box area." Thedy stated as she returned the ID back to Cayenne and gave a small piece of paper to the man.


    Along with her husband, Cayenne followed the man to the hidden room behind the wall. She thought that it would be a narrow passage that would lead them somewhere but what she saw was different from what she imagined. The ce beyond the sliding wall was actually very huge and there were many workers in there.


    The man led them to a staircase which brought them to the second floor and there she saw a lot of safe deposit box. They walked to the left side of the area in which a letter W was written on a metal que hanging above the rows of deposit box.


    The man looked at the paper on his hand and started checking the boxes in front of them. The two of them followed him and soon, they ended up in front of a box with a string of numbers on it. The man opened the vault with his own key and inside the vault was another small box with a keypad on the bottom left.


    "Once you''re done. Just put the box inside the vault again and close it. It will be locked automatically." The guard mentioned and left without saying anything else.


    Cayenne started typing her birthday and when she pressed enter, the box opened a little bit. She pulled the metal handle and what she saw inside the box really stunned her.


    "I never thought she''d still remember my wish." Cayenne muttered while picking up the small letter inside the box. There were monies inside the box and a small notebook which listed down the things that Cayenne should do.


    ''I saved this money little by little to grant your big birthday wish. I know you wanted to experience this with me but I am not sure if I can live through this illness. Anyway, I have already inquired the details and I have written them down to make sure that you won''t be lost. I hope you will have a great experience in Turkey. Make sure to take pictures of the hot air balloons and keep them in an album. I want you to remember that no matter where I am, I will always be your friend. ¨C Marian''


    "So, you wanted to go to Turkey?" Stefan asked after he finished reading the letter.


    "It''s one of my wishes when I was young. We promised that one day, we''ll go to Turkey and experience this hot air balloon but I have forgotten all about this when my mother got ill. All I wanted to do was to work and earn money to pay our bills and send my brothers to school."


    "You really found a very good friend."


    "I know." Cayenne''s tears started falling on the letter that she was holding. "I have a very nice friend but I wasn''t even there when she needed someone the most. In her letters, it was obvious that she didn''t forget me but I was different. I didn''t think of her like how she does for me."


    "She''ll understand." Stefan replied while rubbing her back. "You''ll see her soon. I thought we''d be faster than Tristan but that guy lives up to his name. I received the information about your friends just few minutes ago."


    "Really? Where is she?"


    "She''s currently in City D. She''s been staying there for almost six months now."


    "City D?"


    "Hn." Stefan took the notebook from the box and Cayenne took the money and ced them inside her box. She didn''t bother counting them because she knew it''s a lot. Going to Turkey alone would cost lots of money but Marian included the calction of the amodation and food. It''s too much. "Just keep everything for now. Let''s see what we can do once we see her."


    "Hon, can we not have a date this time? Can we look for her first? Promise, once I see her I''ll go on dates whenever you want."


    Stefan pulled her close and hugged her. He knew that she''d be doing this already which was why he wasn''t the least bit disappointed. "I have cancelled the reservation and you don''t have to promise anything. We can have a date whenever we have time in hand. Let''s prioritize other things for now."


    "Thank you."


    "There''s no need to thank me. I will do anything for you."


    "If we look for her now, can we make it to City D before night time?"


    "Of course. We''ll probably arrived around three in the afternoon."


    "Then, let''s go.. I want to see her as soon as possible."

 Chapter 567 - FINDING MARIAN III

    <h4>Chapter 567 - FINDING MARIAN III</h4>


    "Young miss, that man isn''t leaving." Marian''s personal maid stated when she came back to the house. "He''s really stubborn."


    "He''ll get tired someday."


    "When is that day? He''s beening here for two months now. Even though I told him that you''re not here, he won''t leave at all. Well, he left sometimes but he''de back like a boomerang. I don''t know how to shoo him away anymore. I might hit him one day."


    "Just let him be. Just keep telling him that I am not here."


    "Young miss, I have a question if you don''t mind."


    "I''m just thinking that you love this person ¨C "


    "Loved, you mean?"


    "Oh! Loved. Past tense." The maid muttered. "So, you really have no feelings for him anymore?"


    "Feelings? I have thrown it away. What can my feelings do? Make him suffer with me? How many days I have left? Why should I bother with him when I am dying? There''s no point having feelings for him. It''s a waste of time and energy."


    "But in all honesty, you still love him, right?"


    Marian closed her eyes and sighed. "Go and cook something for lunch. I''m hungry."


    "I already cooked lunch for you. Shall I bring it here or do you want to eat at the patio?"


    "At the patio please."


    "Okay."


    Marian stood up and looked outside the window once again. The car was still there and since the ss wasn''t tinted, she could see him sitting on the driver''s seat. "In another life, perhaps." She muttered before turning away to go out of her bedroom.


    The house she was staying was one of her parents'' properties. She didn''t want to live in the city anymore where pollution, noises and crowd could deteriorate her health even more. She wanted to be with nature and breathe-in the fresh air. She wanted to hear the birds singing and listen to the faint sound of the falls not far from where she lives.


    It''s a rural area but that didn''t mean it''s not a poor ce either. The people living there were mostly rich people who wanted to get away from the city life. There were many retired armies in the neighborhood and there were other people with health problems who stay there as well. Although she has neighbors, they were actually kilometers away from one another.


    It''s different from other rural areas where people grow crops or raise animals. Her ce was like a rural subdivision for rich people. Apart from the houses, all you can see were green trees, green bushes, flowers and whatever the nature can offer. It''s simr to Cayenne''s property in City B.


    "Young miss, what do juice do you want for lunch? Orange? Apple? Pineapple? Watermelon?"


    "I''ll have watermelon." Marian answered. The maid left in a hurry back to the kitchen after she ced the dishes on the table at the patio. Few minutester, she came back with two sses of watermelon juice. "Come now and eat with me. Stop running around."


    "Yes, young miss."


    "Veronica, aren''t you tired being with me?" Marian asked while looking at the food in front of her. "It must be tiring being with me."


    "Huh? What''s there to be tired about?" Veronica questioned in return. "In fact, I''m d that young miss brought me here."


    "Why?"


    "Because I have lighter work. All I need to do is apany you, make sure you eat and drink your medicine on time, cook your food, and clean our rooms. I don''t have to wash clothes, clean the house or tend to the garden. Isn''t it better? And you also allow me to read books?"


    "Have you saved money for yourself and your family?"


    "Yup! My brother will graduate in college next year. He''s even looking for a job now."


    "When I''m gone, what ns do you have for yourself?"


    Veronica blinked her eyes several times trying to see if Marian was just joking. "Young miss, why are you asking me these questions?"


    Marian stopped eating and put down her spoon and fork. She looked at the tree not far from them and smiled faintly. "I don''t want you to keep working as a maid just because you''re used to it. It''s obvious that I''m dying soon. When that timees, I hope you can leave and do what you really wanted to do. You can go back to school or you can study in vocational sses. Find something better to do than being a housemaid."


    "I''m not a housemaid though. I am your personal maid. There''s a difference and besides, I like helping you. It makes me feel like I''m a nurse or a doctor. I don''t want to go back to school. It''s a hassle."


    Marian didn''t say anything anymore. In due time, she knew that her personal maid will be able to find something she''d want to do. Maybe it''s not now but she knew that when she''s gone, Veronica will leave their home. After all, she''s the only tie that keeps this woman around.


    ''I wonder what Cayenne is doing now? She''s already married and I wasn''t even able to congratte her.''


    "Young miss, would you like to change your wig tomorrow?" Veronica asked after few minutes has passed. She''s not really fond of being quiet during meal.


    "Tomorrow? No, let''s not do it tomorrow. Let''s do it when that guy leaves. I''m still okay with my wig now."


    "Okay. If you say so. I just thought you''d be bored with the same style after wearing it for more than two weeks now."


    "It''s fine. I''m already d that I have this. Besides, it would be troublesome if that guy finds out that I am here."


    The two of them continued eating and no one mentioned about the guy outside the gate anymore. Marian has steeled her heart. She has to. Over the years, she kept telling herself that she has given up and that she no longer loves him. And two years has passed, she still felt the same thing.. It''s never easy to not love someone whom you love for over ten years.

 Chapter 568 - FINDING MARIAN IV

    <h4>Chapter 568 - FINDING MARIAN IV</h4>


    "Let''s buy some fruits first." Cayenne told her husband when they reached the metropolitan area of city D. "Let''s get something sweet as well. Marian likes to eat sweets like me but not too much."


    "Do you want to drop by your father''s ce? We will pass their area on the way to your friend''s residence."


    "No, need. I don''t want to go to that ce. Dad knows that, too."


    "Alright. Let''s just buy some fruits and desserts." Stefan stated and he pressed the intemunication radio of his car to the other cars guarding them, letting them know that they''d be stopping at the nearest mall to buy the things that Cayenne wanted to bring.


    They first bought the fruits and asked someone to arrange it into a fruit basket with a colorful cellophane as covering. Then, they went to the third floor to look for dessert caf¨¦ or any caf¨¦ that they could buy some sweets as their visiting gifts.


    After buying the gifts, they continued to embark on their journey towards Marian''s home. They were still far from the area but as they continued their trip, Cayenne turned off the aircon of the car and opened the window instead. Stefan did the same thing. The air was cool and refreshing. The could no longer see the tall buildings and other establishments from the city. All they could see were tress and other greeneries.


    When they reached the mountain top, they started going downhill. The ce was still quiet with no houses can be seen but after driving for almost three kilometers, they started seeing houses although, they were distance apart from one another.


    "The houses are quite far from each other." Cayennemented while she continued to observe the ce. "And it''s far from the city, too."


    "I heard that most people living here are rich people."


    "Does your family own a property here, too?" Cayenne asked out of curiosity.


    "No, we don''t. Grandpa was nning to go back to Italy once the heirship is settled but he changed his mind. He will only go back to Italy once he sees his grandchild."


    "That won''t happen so soon, then."


    "Yup. He will have to wait for two years." Stefan replied while slowing down when he finally found the house that Tristan described to them. "I think this is the ce." He told Cayenne to change the course of their conversation. "Stay in the car. I''ll go and check it out."


    "O-okay."


    Stefan stepped out and pressed the doorbell outside the gate. Few secondster, the car parked outside the house was opened and a man stepped out of the vehicle.


    "Excuse me, who are you looking for?" the man asked while looking at Stefan from head to toe before shifting his gaze to the other cars in front of him.


    "I''m looking for the owner of the house."


    "Oh! The maid told me that she''s not around. She''ll probablye back in 2 or 3 days or maybe a week or two."


    "Really?" There was an obvious doubt in his voice and Stefan didn''t bother hiding it. "What''s your name?" he asked because he had a feeling that the man wasn''t lying but the people from the house might have lied to him.


    "My name is John."


    "I''m Ste-"


    "Why are you still here?! You are so annoying." Veronica eximed as soon as she saw John standing in front of the gate. Then, she shifted her gaze towards Stefan. "Who are you? Why are you here?" Her voice wasn''t loud but you could tell she was still annoyed.


    "I''m just talking to him, telling them that Marian isn''t here." John responded, feeling aggrieved but he didn''t say anything anymore.


    "I''m not looking for a woman named Marian, though." Stefan replied to John''s words. This also made the maid a bit confused. Aside from Marian and her, no one else is living in the house. "I''m looking for Mrs. Wyatt. She told my wife toe and see her in this address."


    "Mrs. Wyatt?" Veronica questioned with a deep frown showing on her face.


    "Yes, give me a sec." Stefan turned around and went to Cayenne''s side of the car. "Give me your phone with Marian''s picture." After a minute, he came back with Cayenne''s phone. "Mrs. Wyatt sent us a messagest night telling my wife toe here. This is Mrs. Wyatt, right?"


    When Veronica saw the picture, her face contorted and she felt like hitting Stefan on the face but seeing so many cars and bodyguards looking at them, she felt something was amiss.


    "What''s the name of your wife? I''ll have it confirmed."


    "Mrs. Wyatt calls her En-en but my wife''s name is Cayenne."


    Veronica''s eyes lit up and she looked towards the house with excitement. "Give me a moment." She ran towards the house without even closing the gate. If it was John, she''d never forget to m the gate on his face.


    "I didn''t know Mrs. Wyatt lives here." John stated while looking at the house and then to Stefan. "Are you acquainted with Marian''s mother?"


    "Not me but my wife is. I don''t know why she asked us toe here either."


    "Yeah. That''s weird. All I know is that my ex-girlfriend is living in this house but not her parents."


    "That''s for us to figure out." Stefan stated as he closed the gate and returned to his car. If he figured it right, the maid was lying in Marian''s order. And after knowing that John was Marian''s ex-boyfriend, he raised his own conclusion to 98%.


    Few minutester, the gate was opened once again and Veronica came out with a wide smile. She walked to the first parked car and saw Cayenne''s face. "It''s really you." She stated with happiness reflecting in her eyes. "Young miss is inside the house. You cane in but, you cannot bring anyone inside." Veronica whispered, making sure that John wouldn''t hear anything from her.


    Cayenne looked at Stefan in worry but her husband only smiled at her. "Just go. I will be waiting for you here. She must be worried for other people to see the state she''s in."


    "Okay. I''ll see youter." Cayenne kissed him on the cheeks before getting out of the car. She picked up the gifts from the backseat and followed Veronica. Veronica led her inside the house and made sure to close the gate ¨C not even sparing John from her deathly re.


    Inside the car, John didn''t notice the re that Veronica threw at him. His mind was still stuck with Cayenne''s face. He was already doubting Stefan''s identity when he saw his face earlier and now that he saw Cayenne, he was even more doubtful.


    "How the hell are they rted to Mrs.. Wyatt? Could it be that Mrs. Wyatt sent them here to see Marian instead? They''re looking for Marian, right? That must be it!"

 Chapter 569 - AFTER FIVE YEARS...

    <h4>Chapter 569 - AFTER FIVE YEARS...</h4>


    Cayenne got inside the house. It was huge and even though it was quiet, the house didn''t look life less. There were many paintings hanging on the wall and there were pictures of the nature as well. There were many books stuck in the shelves and there were flowers on the coffee table.


    They continued walking and reached the patio at the back of the house where a beautiful flower garden can be seen. And there saw the woman that she missed for a very long time.


    "En-en." Marian muttered when she saw Cayenne standing at the threshold of the patio and the house.


    "Bubby." Cayenne whispered and ran towards the woman in front of her. "Bubby." She mumbled again while hugging one of her best friends. "I missed you so much. I really, really miss you." She uttered without letting go of Marian.


    The two women hugged each other for a long time, their tears falling on their faces and wetting their clothes but none of them seemed to have ns of letting go. They cried and cried, making Veronica cried in happiness as well. In all the years that she''s been with Marian, she heard so many things about Cayenne. She even went to City A to apany her young miss just to check her best friend. But she never once appeared in front of her because she felt self-conscious with her look and her fragile appearance. And after fiver years, they finally met each other again.


    After almost ten minutes of hugging and crying, the two of them finally let go of each other and Veronica gave them a box of tissue. "I''ll be in the living room. Just call me if you need something."


    "Hn." Marian nodded her head while wiping away her tears. "I''m so happy to see you again."


    "Me, too." Cayenne muttered while holding Marian''s hands. "I''m so happy. I''m really happy." The tears that they tried so hard to stop were falling once again because of their reunion. "Why didn''t you tell me anything earlier? What if you really couldn''t go back here in the country? I''d be kept in the dark for a long time."


    "Right. How did you know that I''m here? How did you know about my illness?" Marian asked as she crumpled the tissue and threw it inside the small trash bin on the side of the couch.


    "I received your letters. I have read them. I found the safe deposit box and my husband asked someone to look for you as well." Cayenne cried while speaking, still not able to contain her emotions. "I felt so horrible for not knowing anything."


    "Shh. It''s not your fault." Marian gently squeezed her best friend''s hands. "I didn''t tell you because I don''t want you to be worried. You''re already worrying about your mother and it would be troublesome if I add on to your burden."


    "How can that be?" Cayenne retorted. "Even if I worry about you, that didn''t mean you''re a burden."


    "Alright. I know you care for me. Let''s be thankful that we''ve met again. That''s all that matters. Tell me about your life so far. I want to hear about you."


    "Didn''t you monitor me online?" Cayenne stated since Tristan also mentioned in his report that Marian had been paying attention to Cayenne''s issues and even leftments whenever she can. That was why Stefan mentioned the name was familiar. He saw it when Cayenne was being scolded by theizens on her issues before. She supported Cayenne even though she knew that her name will be drowned amongst thousands of names online.


    Cayenne started telling her what has happened when she stoppeding to school. She also informed her that her mother has died which made Marian felt sorry for her. But even so, happiness overcame the other negative emotions she was feeling. Cayenne lost so many things and opportunities in the past and that''s really saddening but now, they knew that everything happens for a reason. She lost them in order for Stefan to fill in the missing pieces. She lost them in order for her to be stronger. She lost them because a better future was waiting for her.


    "When I heard that you''re going out with Stefan Dumrique, I was really worried." Marianmented after Cayenne shared so many things and stopped at the point where she''s happy of having Stefan in her life. "I was worried that you''d be cheated. I mean, everyone should be aware of his reputation and yet, you fell for him. But, who would have thought he''d be a wife''s ve?"


    "Well, I thought he''s that kind of person as well. I didn''t even want to acknowledge that I like him because I was still having little feelings for Arthur that time but, when Arthur came, I realized I didn''t have feelings for him. I realized that I fell in love with my boss who''s really annoying sometimes. And lots of things happened but we''re still together."


    "I''m so d to hear that. Wait, you mentioned that you found my safe deposit box so, when are you going to Turkey?"


    "My husband will n about that. I''m no longer leaving the house without him."


    "Well, you better be. After all that happened to you, I think having him by your side all the time is eptable."


    As they continued to talk, outside the gate, John could no longer contain his doubt. He stepped out of his car and walked towards Stefan''s vehicle. The guards immediately approached him and stopped him from moving forward. "Wait. I just want to talk to him." John stated while looking towards Stefan.


    "Let hime." Stefan ordered and the bodyguards immediately moved away from John. "What do you want?"


    "You lied to me, right?" John asked as soon as he got to Stefan''s car window. "You''re looking for Marian. You are Stefan Dumrique and your wife is Cayenne Dumrique. You are not acquainted with Mrs. Wyatt but your wife is Marian''s best friend in senior high school. Marian is inside that house, right? The maid was lying to me."


    Stefan looked at him in the eyes for few seconds before shifting his eyes to the house in front of them. "Does it matter if we lied or not? Even if we''re telling the truth, you won''t still have the chance to get inside."


    John was stunned to hear the harsh yet truthful words. He knew that he''s got no rights to see his ex-girlfriend but he didn''t want to miss the lifetime of happiness if he gives up now. He still loves her.


    "Let me ask you a question, do you remember the promise you once told her?"


    "Hn. I have never forgotten it."


    "Then, when she showed up in the university, why didn''t you greet her? When she showed you the fact that she still got the ring, why didn''t you speak to her? When she went to your dorm and left in fear, why didn''t you chase her? Why didn''t you stay beside her when she needed you the most? The time she went to your dorm, that was thest straw for her.. You lost the person already. So, why cling to her now?"

 Chapter 570 - HIS BEAUTIFUL FIRST LOVE

    <h4>Chapter 570 - HIS BEAUTIFUL FIRST LOVE</h4>


    "Am I not allowed to do so?" John returned the question as he leaned on Stefan''s car. "I was waiting for her to tell me that she remembered me. Marian and I, we''re poles apart in status. Her family is wealthy and there were many boys who like her. I am nothing but a simple man. I promised I''de and get her when she''s 21 but when she reached that age, I still have nothing. I don''t have anything to promise to her parents. I didn''t greet her because I didn''t want other people to know that I am acquainted with a rich heiress. Why didn''t I speak to her even after seeing the ring? It''s because I felt embarrass giving her that cheap ring. Why didn''t I chase her? I did. I chased after her but I guess, I was seconds toote."


    Stefan didn''t say anything. He only listened to the man, trying to get as much information as he could.


    "I broke up with my girlfriend on the day that she visited the dorm. I studied so hard to be the best in ss. I looked for every opportunity to see her but after that day, she''s be elusive. I tried visiting her in their house but their servant said she has nevere back to their home ever since she transferred school. I did my best to look for a high-paying job and thankfully, I got epted in Xavier''s Shoe Manufacturingpany. I am one of the mechanical engineers there. I saved my money and invested it to build a dessert caf¨¦ because I know she likes sweets. I tried so hard but now that I have money, she''s ignoring me."


    "Did she ever tell you that she wants money? Did she ever mentioned that she wanted you to be rich? Did she ever mention money to you? You should have known it from the start. She didn''t want money from you. She only wanted your time but you gave your time to someone else."


    "But it''s never toote, right? I can still start over again with her."


    "I don''t think you have enough time." Stefan replied solemnly. "I think it''s really toote for you to start over again."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Have you ever wondered why she''s be elusive in school? Have you asked yourself why she never came back to their ce?? Have you ever checked on her these past few years?" Stefan didn''t wait for any answer from the man. He just continued to speak, letting him know the things that he missed. "The day she left your dorm in a hurry, she fainted on the road and was brought to the hospital. She''s got chronic leukemia."


    John stood there in shock from what he just heard. As if he was struck by a lightning, he remained rooted on the spot without moving an inch. It took him a several seconds to recover but he was still unable to say anything.


    "I shouldn''t say this to you knowing that it''s a matter of health privacy but I think you should just give up on her. You are just wasting your time. She doesn''t have much time left. Why don''t you look for someone else? Didn''t you do that during the years that she''s been clinging to your promise? Doing it again won''t matter now."


    John could still hear what Stefan was saying but his brain seemed to have short circuited because they weren''t functioning properly. He was still stuck with the explosive news. He couldn''t move his feet nor look at Stefan''s face. He just stood there without doing anything.


    Few minutes passed without any response from John, Stefan stopped talking. He didn''t bother the man anymore and just let him contemte. If he won''t give up, Stefan was nning to help him see the woman again even if it''s just from a distance.


    Contrary to Stefan''s expectation, John took a staggering step away from him. Step by step, he went back to his car and got inside. Without saying anything, he left the ce.


    ''Maybe it''s for the betterment of them both that he left?'' Stefan thought to himself. He closed the window of his car and took a nap while waiting for Cayenne because he knew that his wife will be taking her time.


    Back inside the house, Cayenne and Marian kept talking but none of them mentioned the illness yet. They just talked about their happy moments in life and they also added Seiji and Arthur to the conversation. Marian was close to Arthur and Seiji as well so Cayenne didn''t mention what Arthur did few months ago.


    "Will your husband get mad if I''m taking your time?" Marian asked while ncing at the time on the wall clock.


    "No, he won''t. He told me to take my time."


    "En-en, I want to see our friends again. I want to see Seiji and Arthur. I want to have pictures of us before I leave this world."


    "How about your ex-boyfriend? Don''t you want to see him onest time? You still love him, right? Don''t even deny it because I can still see the ring that you are hiding underneath your clothes."


    Marian took out her ne with the same old pendant which was the silver ring with fake gem stone. "I tried. I really tried. But En, it''s difficult. He was the only man I have ever love. He was the only man I wished to spend the rest of my life. I never wanted anyone else but him. En-en, I really tried but what can I do? Even if I want to stay with him, I don''t have much time left. I don''t want to give him any painful memories. I don''t want him to see me like this; weak, pale and ugly."


    "You''re not ugly. You''re not."


    "I am." Marian took off the wig to show Cayenne her head ¨C hairless. "En-en, I don''t want him to see this image of me. And you know what, maybe we''re not really meant for each other. I''m already satisfied that he remembers me as his first love- his beautiful first love.. That''s all that matters to me."

 Chapter 571 - MEMORIES I

    <h4>Chapter 571 - MEMORIES I</h4>


    John went back to the apartment he rented in City D. His heart was heavy and the moment he closed the door to his apartment room, his tears fell. His cried in anguish, in regret and in so much pain. He waited for her but she was also waiting for him. But while she did, he actually yed around with another woman while she remained single for him.


    And when she had the courage, he ignored her. He didn''t say anything. ''If only I greeted her. If only I spoke to her. If only I chased after her seconds earlier. Why didn''t I?'' John asked himself over and over again. His body was curled on the floor as he hugged himself from pain. "Why didn''t I?" he questioned once again. He asked this question to himself several times more but he couldn''t find any answer to it.


    He remembered Stefan''s words. ''She didn''t want money from you. She only wanted your time but you gave your time to someone else.'' These words resonated in his head again and again.


    He remembered the first time they met in the university after several years. She was walking silently towards her room when their eyes met. He clearly remembered her smile when she saw him but he looked away and called his girlfriend that time. He watched her turn around and left but he didn''t say anything. He saw her several times wearing the ne with his ring but he felt so embarrassed to acknowledge the cheap item so, he didn''t say anything.


    He remembered that her smile started to vanish. He remembered that she was starting to not appear in front of him. He remembered the time she was stranded at the waiting shed, sheltering herself from the rain while waiting for her driver. He clearly remembered he''s got an umbre that time but he didn''t lend it to her. He also remembered that he didn''t show up to school three days after that. He remembered the time she wanted to buy a sandwich but she didn''t have enough cash and there was no avable ATM near their school. He''s got extra money that time but he only watched her leave the cafeteria with nothing. He remembered so many things and he regretted all those things.


    John fell asleep on the floor and by the time he woke up, it was past seven in the evening.


    On the other hand, Cayenne and Stefan was still on their way back to City A. Cayenne was sleeping beside her husband after crying so much. She didn''t say anything but Stefan knew why his wife was crying when she got inside the car. If he''s in her position, he''d probably do the same thing.


    When they arrived to their house, it was almost nine in the evening. Since it was Friday, most people were awake and were staying in the living room. They saw Stefan carrying Cayenne upstairs and they even caught sight of her swollen eyes.


    "She criedst night and now she''s crying again. Just what exactly is happening to her?" Luiz questioned to no one in particr. He was really worried for his sister.


    "I''m just making assumptions but people say when a woman gets pregnant, she''d be having unstable emotions." Kyle stated which made everyone''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "Wait. Wait. Wait." Erwin raised his hand to stop everyone from going too deep on that conclusion. "I''d love to think the same thing but I just want to tell you, not long ago, Stefan brought an electric heat pad as well as ginger tea in thepany. You know what that means?"


    "Yen had her period." Luiz muttered.


    "Exactly! So, she''s not pregnant and she''s not having unstable emotions. Something probably happens specially that they didn''t leave the city to go somewhere with just the two of them." Erwin added which was better conclusion than Cayenne being pregnant. "You ask your sister tomorrow. It''s worrying to see her crying again."


    "Do you think they''re fighting?" Jonas asked them while looking at the second floor of the house.


    "No. That''s thest thing I''d conclude." Luiz answered his father almost instantly. "After Yen left the divorce papers to brother-inw''s housest time, I''m sure he''d never argue with her. He''s most afraid of Yen running away or Yen throwing him out of their bedroom."


    "You have a point." Jonas agreed with his son. "I don''t want to y anymore. Let''s just go to bed. Luiz, make sure to check on your sister tomorrow."


    "Yes, I will." Luiz replied as he stood up from the couch. "I''ll go to bed, too. I lost interest in the game now."


    "Me, too." Erwin also added.


    "Let''s all rest the night away." Kyle stated and kept the chess board under the coffee table where the scrabble board was hidden, too. One after another, they went back to their rooms to rest.


    Luiz checked his social media ount and found that Tristan was still online. "Big bro, did my brother-inw or my sister asked you to investigate on someone?"


    "Why are you asking?"


    "Is it rted to mom?"


    "Nope. It''s about your sister''s best friend."


    "Which best friend?"


    "Marian Wyatt. Are you familiar with her?"


    "Yes, I am. Thank you."


    "Sure. Sure."


    Luiz put down his phone for a while and thought of Marian. He remembered her clearly because in the past, she was the one who often visited their home aside from Arthur. But when Cayenne stopped going to school, he didn''t see her anymore. He didn''t expect that his sister would be asking Tristan about this woman again.


    "Did something happen to her?" Luiz asked himself while looking at the ceiling in front of him. "Well, it''s not really my problem but I better keep an eye on this matter for my sister." He picked up his phone once again and looked for Chris'' number. He dialed the number and it didn''t take long for the other side to answer the phone.


    "Luiz! How are you?"


    Luiz looked at the phone and found that it was the correct number but he clearly heard the voice of a woman on the other end o the line. And it was even simr to his teacher''s voice.


    "Luiz? ¨C Nah! Look at you scaring him. ¨C I didn''t scare him but why isn''t he saying anything. ¨C Give me the phone first." Luiz heard Chris and his teacher talking on the other end of the line. His heart was beating so fast with the idea circling in his mind. He was still unable to say anything when Chris spoke again. "Sorry for scaring you."


    "Uncle Chris, was that really my teacher? Did she just speak to me?"


    "Yup. ¨C Give me the phone already. I want to talk to him, too. ¨C Just a sec. ¨C Hmp! You promised I''d be the one talking to him this time. ¨C Alright. I''m giving the phone to your teacher or I''ll be wed to death here."


    Luiz chuckled hearing them from the other line but while heughed, his tears fell on his face.. He was so happy that his teacher was getting better now.

 Chapter 572 - MEMORIES II

    <h4>Chapter 572 - MEMORIES II</h4>


    John was sitting on his bed with an album in his hand. He was unable to sleep again after waking up earlier. Most people would be keeping an album which contains memories with different people but the one in John''s hand was an album with no one else but him and his ex-girlfriend, Marian.


    The first picture was when she joined the school''s festival and won 1st ce in a spelling contest. One the picture, she was wearing her medal and was smiling to the crowd. He remembered that they were in 5th grade this time. He didn''t tell anyone anything about his crush but he already liked her ever since 5th grade.


    The second picture was a ss picture of the whole 5th grade. Well, supposedly, it should be the whole 5th grade but he cut the other students and left only the teacher who was sitting in front, Marian on the left of the teacher and himself who was standing behind the teacher.


    The third picture was when Marian joined a cooking contest. Among the contestants, she was the only one who made a dessert and she called it love. At that time, he wasn''t really thinking to much when she gave him the first slice of the cake. Butter on, he knew that it was because of her love for him.


    There were so many pictures of Marian in his album even though they weren''t in a rtionship that time. He wasn''t really stalking her but whenever he gets the opportunity, he''d do his best to get pictures of her.


    It continued until they''re in high school and many pictures were even collected when they be officially together. He has a picture of the first time they held their hands in public. It was during a field trip and everyone thought it was nothing since they were paired up by the teacher. Only the two of them knew how happy they were at that time.


    There was a picture of them wherein he kissed Marian''s cheek, too. He remembered it was taken during a Valentine''s Day activity of their school. Some of their ssmates knew that they were in rtionship so one of them paid for themittee to bring them to marriage booth. It was just a school activity but at that moment, John wished it was truly happening in real life. It was also that moment that he made a promise to not marry anyone else but her.


    He looked at the pictures on the album and when he finally looked at thest picture, he cried. It was the picture of them together at the park near her home. It was taken on the night that she sneaked out of her house just to meet him. It was also the time he gave her the promise ring.


    "Crying won''t do anything." John told himself and wiped his tears away. He put the album beside him andid on the bed. He tried his best to sleep because he needed energy to get her back. ''So, what if you have little time left? It doesn''t matter. Whether you have little time or lots of time, I only need you in my life.''


    Since Cayenne fell asleep on their way home, she woke up in the middle of the night, only to find her husband working on something beside her again.


    "Working again." Cayenne muttered while hugging his waist. "Why didn''t you sleep?"


    "I figured you''d wake in the middle of the night so I cooked something for you to eat. You cannot sleep with an empty stomach and while waiting for you to wake up, I decided to do something."


    "Put yourptop away and lie next to me." Stefan did what she said and hugged his wife who''s being clingy again. It''s rare for her to act like this so, he better grabs the opportunity. "Let''s stay like this for a while before going downstairs."


    "Hn." Stefan kissed her forehead and pulled her even closer. "Are you alright now?"


    "A little better."


    "How is she?"


    "She said she''s doing better but I don''t believe her. Can you say the same thing when you know she''s dying?"


    "We can''t say the same thing but only the person who''s experiencing this illness can tell. Aside from that, she may have a different meaning when she said those words. Don''t dwell on this matter. Just do something to make sure that you won''t live in regret when she''s gone."


    "Then, I want to go to Turkey with her and get into the hot air balloon with her."


    "Your wish is mymand. Let me do something about that." Stefan said while caressing his wife''s face. "We cannot revert back the time and the medical technology can only slow down illness but not cure it. Since we cannot prevent the inevitable, just let her do that things that she wants instead."


    "Oh! She also said that she wants to see Arthur and Seiji. I didn''t tell her anything about Arthur."


    "I want to say your wish is mymand but I''m hesitant to do so. Do you really have to include Arthur?"


    "He''s part of the group and she also wants to meet you in person."


    "Well, I don''t mind having Arthur around as long as I am with you."


    Cayenne giggled at his statement but she knows that there''s no other way to grant Marian''s wish unless Stefanes along with her. She already informed her best friend about this earlier and Marian thought that it was probably because Cayenne''s crush was Arthur. She has no idea of the offense that Arthur made.


    "Seiji is busy dealing the aftermath of the incident that involves of your kidnapping. Although he''s getting back on his feet, there are still many people doubting him."


    "Then, it''s a great opportunity to for him to show the world that we''re doing great as friends."


    "Whatever it is you want to do, I''ll help you. Just make sure you won''t put yourself in harm''s way."


    "Yes, sir." Cayenne kissed Stefan''s chin and pressed her face on his chest. They cuddle for few minutes more before deciding toe out of their room and eat something.


    In the middle of the night, Arthur and Seiji received the same message from Cayenne. "I hope you can free up your weekend next week. I''d like to introduce someone to you.''


    "Your baby?"


    "You preggy?"


    Cayenne raised her eyebrow upon getting this reply but she didn''t say anything about it. "Let''s meet up on Friday afternoon next week. I''ll send you the address on that day.. We''re meeting a girl."

 Chapter 573 - A LITTLE REUNION I

    <h4>Chapter 573 - A LITTLE REUNION I</h4>


    The days passed quicker now that she was anticipating something and Cayenne felt that she hasn''t prepared everything at all. The day for them to meet has finally arrived but Cayenne felt that something was wrong. As soon as she got inside the car after ss, Stefan felt the anxietying from her.


    "Don''t be nervous. Everything will be fine." Stefan stated as he gently rubbed his wife''s head. "I will try my best to behave as well."


    "I know you will." Cayenne replied. "Is everything ready? Have you called the organizingmittee?"


    "Not only the organizingmittee. I also called her parents."


    "Oh." Cayenne fastened her seatbelt and watched Stefan started the car. "Did her parents say anything? You know what, I haven''t really met them even when we were still students."


    "Sweetheart, don''t feel about that. Aside from John, none of her friends really met her parents. They kind of¡­uhm¡­they look down on people. I have heard a lot about them but I never really though you''d be associated with their daughter. They don''t like to socialize with people of lower status."


    "Thank goodness my best friend didn''t end up the sort of her person like her parents."


    "I don''t think she''d end up like them when she never really spent so much time with her."


    "What do you mean? With them being so strict, I thought they kept an eye on her and spent so much time with her."


    Stefan finally drove out of the school vicinity and was heading for the meet up venue that Cayenne has nned for the small reunion event with her friends. "As far as I know, Marian didn''t grow up with her parents around her. When she turned three years old, she''s surrounded with many tutors and had a personal nanny. She grew up with her nanny but that person passed away when she was in 5th grade. After that, they no longer hired anyone to stay with her until she met Veronica, her current personal maid. She told her parents to hire the woman and up until now, Veronica remained loyal to her. Her parents being strict to her doesn''t mean that they love her. They''re just being strict because she''s carrying their name and bloodline. Any mistakes shemits will be a stain to their reputation."


    "So, that is why." Cayenne looked outside the window for few seconds but she suddenly turned around and red at Stefan. "We can''t be like that to our children in the future."


    "Of course, we won''t. And it''s not children. It''s a child. I only wish you to go through such pain once in your life. No more than that."


    "But being the one and only child of our family, it will be lonely."


    "How can that be? Your brothers can give birth to children, too. Then, our child will have ymates."


    "You''re impossible." Cayenne rolled her eyes and sighed.


    "And why are we even talking about children? We''re not having them until you graduate."


    "I know. I know. It''s just ament in passing." Cayenne retorted but her mind refused to ept Stefan''s decision of having one child. ''If there''s a will, there''s a way.'' She thought to herself. She could already imagine their house brimming with heartyughter from their children and she couldn''t stop herself from smiling. Cayenne''s thought was cut off by her phone''s ringtone.


    She picked up her phone and found Arthur calling her. Stefan also read the name on the screen when he took a nce to see who was calling her. "You have his number? I thought you blocked him already."


    "I did but, I have to unblock him in order to have a peaceful cooperation."


    "Block him again after this event."


    "Isn''t that weird?"


    "It''s weird if he starts messaging you and calling you for no reason."


    "I don''t think ¨C " Looking at his grim face, Cayenne swallowed the rest of her words and finally nodded. "Let me answer this call first." As soon as she answered it, Arthur''s voice came through the call line. He was asking Cayenne were exactly the venue in City D since he had arrived already. "There''s a store called La Vida Resto and Bar. It''s in the city center and it''s near the shopping mall and it''s reserved for this event already. Just give them my name."


    "O-okay. I''ll see you there." Cayenne was about to hang up but Arthur said something which made her smile sheepishly. "Tell your husband that I''m sorry for contacting you."


    "Hn." Cayenne ended the call and looked at her husband. "You hear that? He didn''t really mean to contact me because he likes me and he''s even considerate of your feelings."


    "Whatever with that guy." Stefan didn''t buy that reasoning at all and just continued to drive.


    Unlike Arthur, Seiji didn''t have a hard time finding the ce. It''s because his secretary scouted the store first before picking him up from the hotel he was staying. He didn''t want to contact Cayenne for such small matter, lest he''d make the tiger angry for contacting his mate.


    Half an hourter, Cayenne finally arrived at the ce and saw the two males sizing up each other. Seeing their intense gazes, she couldn''t stop herself from approaching them and knocked on their heads. "What are you guys ring at? I didn''t bring you guys here to start a fight."


    "So, what are we here for?"


    "We''re here for a little reunion with our dearest friend. When you see herter, do not ever show pity on her or I will kick you to the ends of the earth." Cayenne threatened and even gave then two of them her deathly res.


    "I''m not friends with your husband, though. Why is he here?" Arthur questioned.


    "Neither am I." Seiji agreed.


    "I really want to beat these people up." Cayenne muttered.


    "Don''t get your hands dirty." Stefan replied and kissed her knuckles. "They''re not worthy."


    Both Seiji and Arthur were justmenting in passing but if they had known they''d be fed up with dog food, they''d rather die in silence than say something about Stefan.

 Chapter 574 - A LITTLE REUNION II

    <h4>Chapter 574 - A LITTLE REUNION II</h4>


    "What time will she arrive?" Seiji asked.


    "She''ll be here in half an hour." Cayenne replied. "By the way, do you guys have any idea who we are meeting today?"


    "Duh! I''m not an idiot." Seiji responded. "We''re meeting Marian today, right?"


    "Bingo!" Cayenne replied and looked towards Arthur. "Did you guess the same?"


    "Aren''t weposed of four people during high school? Aside from that brat, who else would we be meeting?"


    Stefan looked at the three people and sighed. He''s thankful that Cayenne was never left out and that her friends never let her felt belittled because of the disparity in their status.


    The three of them talked while Stefan motioned the waitress toe over and ce the menu books on the table. In that way, they can order as soon as Marian arrives.


    Cayenne''s phone buzzed on the table and when she looked at it, she found Veronica''s message. "They have arrived already. Let''s just wait for them."


    "How are you doing by the way?" Arthur asked in passing since Stefan wasn''t making any move against him. "After that kidnapping incident, I really wanted to check on you."


    "Hmp! As if you haven''t tried doing so." Stefan mumbled which made Arthur feel a little embarrassed. Seiji could only snicker at this moment and Cayenne held Stefan''s hand under the table, tugging it a little to stop him from saying anything more. "I didn''t say anything wrong. I''m just stating facts."


    "I didn''t say you''re lying." Cayenne retorted back and kissed his cheek. "Just forget about it, okay? I don''t want any tension around us when Marian is here." Stefan didn''t say anything and because of that, Cayenne took his silence as ''yes''. Even if he wanted toin, he didn''t want to put his wife on the spot between him and her friends.


    "Hi."


    The four of them looked at the door and found Marian standing with Veronica beside her. She looked really pale but there was a wide smile on her lips. Her eyes were shining brightly and her face has a bit of blush from so much excitement from seeing her friends.


    "Marian! It''s good to see you again. I miss you so much." Seiji was the first one to recover and stood up to approach his friend.


    "Miss me? Didn''t you see me a month ago? How could you miss me that quick?"


    "I knew it!" Cayenne eximed. "I had this feeling that Seiji has an idea of your whereabouts but I didn''t ask him, though."


    "I know why you didn''t ask." Arthurmented and in passing, he stole a nce towards Stefan. "But I won''t say it."


    Marian hugged Seiji and after that, she walked towards Arthur to give him a hug, too. "Behave yourself. She''s already married." Marian whispered to her friend which only the two of them hear. Right after Arthur was Cayenne. The two of them metst week but they still couldn''t get enough of themselves. They hugged each other for a long time before letting go.? "I''m so d you''ve made my wish possible."


    "It''s not that difficult to do and my husband did most of the n." Cayenne replied to her best friend. "He''s the one who called your parents to let youe as well."


    "Thank you so much, Mr.? Dumrique."


    "No big deal. I just want my wife to be happy." Stefan answered without shying away from Cayenne''s statement. "Have a seat. Let your friende and sit as well." Marian''s impression was lifted a bit higher on the good side when he said ''friend'' towards Veronica. It''s obvious that the woman was her personal maid but he didn''t address her that way.


    The six of them finally took a seat around the table, chatting how she''s doing in the past years even though it can be seen that she''s sickly and was suffering from an illness.


    "Let''s order first." Cayennemented. "We can talk while waiting for our food to arrive."


    "That''s a good idea." Seiji second her and picked up the menu as well. "Do you guys want to drink some wine?"


    "Can''t. Just juice for me." Marian stated.


    "Those who wants wine can get wine. Those who likes juice can get juice. You don''t have to be polite. My wife will be paying for this meal." Stefan told them which made Seiji roll his eyes.


    Arthur didn''t say anything and just looked towards Veronica. When the woman looked at her, he instantly lowered his head and looked at the menu.


    "Young miss." Veronica called in whisper towards Marian who was sitting beside her. "Young miss, do I have something on my face? Like some smudged lipstick or any dirt?"


    "Nope. Why?"


    "Oh. I''m just wondering why that guy keeps looking at me." Veronica replied while gesturing her fingers towards Arthur. "Forget it. Let''s just order."


    Soon, the six people ordered their food and waited for a while. Stefan had booked the whole restaurant for the convenient of the patient and Cayenne was very thankful that she''s got a very considerate husband beside her.


    "By the way, I wanted to give you this." Seiji picked a paper bag under the table and handed it to Marian. "You wanted a copy of this book, right?"


    "How did you get this? I heard that this was sold out already."


    "A friend of mine is actually close with the author of that book. She helped me get a copy."


    "That''s so nice of you. Thank you."


    "I have a gift, too." Arthur stated and gave Marian a small box. "It''s nothing special but I hope you will like it anyway."


    Marian opened the small box and found a small deviceying inside the box. When she pressed on the small red button on the side, it lit up and a small hologram appeared. Videos of them during high school as well as collections of their pictures started showing up which were all close to her heart.


    "That''s one step ahead of me." Seijimented as he looked towards Arthur.


    "Why don''t I get any gifts?" Cayenne questioned with one of her eyebrows raised a bit higher than usual. "Am I not part of this friendship?"


    "You are part, of course. We just don''t dare." Arthur replied while ncing at the man next to Cayenne.


    "Right. And what things do you want that your husband can''t get for you? Just name it and he will find ways to obtain it. Even if you ask him for the stars or the moon, he will have ways to pluck it for you."


    Cayenne looked towards Stefan who was silently observing her and her friends. She leaned a bit closer to him and smiled happily, with no constraints or worries. "I agree. My husband is the best."


    ''Ahh! Why did I evenment?'' Seiji asked himself after being stuffed with another disy of affection.


    "Could you spare us, singles from all this dog food? It''s unhealthy to be stuffed so much of this food.." Arthur mumbled but no one really cared.

 Chapter 575 - HER EX...

    <h4>Chapter 575 - HER EX...</h4>


    Not long after, the dishes were finally served and they started eating their not-sote lunch. During their meal, they talked about so many things that has happened in the past but none of them mentioned about thepetitive feelings between Arthur and Seiji when they both likes Cayenne in the past.


    Although the two of them haven''t moved on from their feelings yet, they no longer pushed themselves to their death. Cayenne''s married and she loved her husband so much. The two of them have realized that they didn''t have the slightest bit of chance to obtain her.


    "I heard that you''re living here in City D with Veronica. Didn''t you move back to your parents'' home?" Arthur asked since theyst news he received was about Marian staying with her parents. Apparently, this wasn''t the real case.


    Marian chewed the food in her mouth before letting out a faint sigh. "I realized that I still don''t want to live in an empty house. I''m fine living with Veronica."


    "Wow! I salute to your parents. Despite the fact that this happens to you, they still love going on business trips and business meetings." Arthur''s words wereced with obvious sarcasm and none of them could refute that because they all knew it was true.


    Marian smiled, the kind of smile that could tear someone''s heart apart. She gripped the spoon in her hand while thinking of her words properly. "We can say, my parents have great sense of adaptability. Learning of my illness, they fell in great despair, worry and trouble. They had sleepless nights because of me, too. They tried their best - consulting doctors from all over the world just to find a way to cure me but, things weren''t working ording to their wishes. Since they can''t do anything about it then, might as well ept the fact that I won''t live much longer."


    They were dumbstruck upon hearing her words and even Veronica felt a stinging pain in her nose, holding back the tears that were threatening to escape in behalf of her young mistress.


    Seiji poured himself a ss of wine, despite the temperature outside, he still ordered wine in the middle of the day. He lookednguid but when you look clearly in his eyes, you could see his hatred and distaste. "How about you?" He asked Marian. "How are you holding up so far?"


    "I''m good." Marian answered almost instantly. "Well, I wasn''t at first. Of course, that is to be expected for patient like me." She added while picking up few more dishes and ced it on her te. "I was depressed for several months and I had anxiety and panic attacks because I was really afraid to die. I was scared that I''d never see En-en again and I was afraid that I haven''t been doing the right things. I still have so many things I wanted to do in my life yet I have a very short time to live. Butter on, I gradually epted this harsh truth."


    "Which was why you started painting." Arthurmented before shoving food inside his mouth.


    "You hit right on the spot." Marian retorted with genuine smile. "I started painting which I have never tried before and guess what? I never thought I have a knack for it but I actually painted pretty good."


    "Ah?" Cayenne blinked her eyes several times and remembered the paintings hanging on the walls in the living room when she visited Marian''s ce. "So, you painted all of those things?"


    "Yup!" Marian answered with a proud expression written on her face. "I learned how to make pots and other things. I did a lot of little things here and there. I must say, I have so much freedom because of this illness. I can practically do anything I like to satisfy myself and my parents wouldn''t say anything about it."


    "Well, as long as you''re happy about it. I won''t say anything either." Arthur blurted out. He wanted to say something else when he noticed the mncholic look in her eyes but in the end, he kept quiet about it.


    They shifted their topics to different things while Stefan merely observed them on the side. He didn''t want to join in their conversation because he''s not close to any of them and as much as he could, he''d only pay attention to his wife.


    In the middle of their meal, a delivery man came inside the restaurant and talked to one of the staffs, handing them a bouquet of flowers and a cute little rabbit stuff toy. However, the staffs were shaking their heads and refused to receive the wonderful gifts which made the delivery guy crunch up his face.


    "This is weird." He muttered while looking at the address entered on the website. "This is clearly the ce that is written in our site."


    "But we don''t have anyone named Marian here." One of the waiters stated with a gloomy look while throwing nces on the beautiful flowers. "Is there no other instructions or maybe notes from your customer?"


    "There''s none." The delivery guy scratched the back of his head and turned to leave the ce. "Thank you for letting me in."


    "Uh.. S-sure." The waiter replied but his gaze was still on the flowers. "Uhm¡­could you wait for a while. I have a hunch of who might be the receiver of your flowers but I am not sure. Just give me a sec."


    "Okay." The delivery guy stood near the counter and watched the waiter walked towards the table with six customers.


    "Excuse me. Sir, ma''am, we just want to ask something. Who among you here likes pink carnation flowers?" The waiter asked softly, afraid that he has disturbed their meal so, he didn''t dare make so much noise.


    "Me." Marian answered because among them, she''s the only one who likes pink carnation.


    "And, who among you here likes little rabbits?"


    "Me, again." Marian answered with faint giggles. "Did you guys prepare a surprise for me?" She asked her friends but none of them answered her. ''Weird.''


    "By any chance, are you named Marian Wyatt?"


    "Yeah?" Marian couldn''t stop herself from showing doubts now. She felt something was really weird. Instead of answering her, the waiter looked towards the delivery guy and signaled him toe to the table where the customers currently eat. "Did you have a promotion or something?"


    "No ma''am." The waiter answered politely. "I just helped someone make a delivery."


    "Oh." Marian turned towards the delivery guy who was holding a huge bouquet of pink carnations. In flowernguage, pink carnation means ''I''ll never forget you''. And as she received it, she really had a bad feeling about this sudden delivery that none of her friends admit of doing so. "Thank you." Marian smiled faintly as she signed her name on the delivery form. The flowers were still fresh and she could still smell the sweet scenting from them. "So, none of you ced this delivery for me?"


    They were shaking their heads while looking at the flowers and while Seiji and Arthur had no idea of who could have sent the flowers and the stuff toy, Cayenne and Stefan had looked each other in tacit understanding. They have a very faint idea of who the person was but they didn''t say anything.


    Marian looked at the flowers and found the small pink paper among the lovely petals. As soon as she caught sight of the words, her doubts were solidified because she guessed it right.. The sender was her ex-boyfriend; the only man she loved in the past ten years.

 Chapter 576 - ONCE OR TWICE

    <h4>Chapter 576 - ONCE OR TWICE</h4>


    After eating lunch, Cayenne paid the bill using Stefan''s card. However, the small gathering didn''t end there. They went to the nearest park which was a water-themed park and watch different amazing shows. They didn''t care about the time. They yed to their hearts content and had fun riding with the park''s adventure rides.


    They also went to buy some small trinkets that they can wear every day and had their names engraved on it.


    "I''ll get something uniform for the four of us." Cayennemented while looking at the nes but she realized that Marian still kept the ne that John gave her and on the other hand, she also likes to wear the ne that Stefan gave her. "Let''s get a bracelet. Something minimalist."


    "That sounds good." Seiji agreed and looked at the disyed bracelets.


    "I don''t really mind." Arthur also added but his eyes were on the nes being disyed. He looked at the items and then looked towards Veronica. When she turned around to look at him, Arthur shifted his gaze and looked somewhere else.


    "You can choose whatever item you like. I''ll take a seat first. I feel a little tired." Marian left them at the store and sat on the nearby wooden bench. Veronica followed her suit and none of them said anything. They just looked at the people around them. After few minutes, Marian broke the silence. "I have never thought that I''d have to get ill in order for me to do things that I like. Isn''t it ironic? When I had so much time, my parents would get angry if I do this or that. Now that I am ill, they''d allow me to do things that I like but I have limited time to enjoy it."


    Veronica looked down on her hands and sighed. "Young miss, wouldn''t you really regret it if you keep avoiding your ex-boyfriend?"


    "Of course, I would but I''d regret it even more if he ever sees me with pity. I don''t need his pity and besides, he can be happy with someone else."


    "But what if he still likes you?"


    "For now, maybe he does. But once he knew I''m sick, things would change. I don''t want to know what those changes will be. I don''t have the strength to take a risk. I''m fine now. I''m happy."


    Veronica wanted to say something more but she could see Cayenne and the others walking towards them. In the end, she kept her mouth shut.


    "Look at this." Cayenne showed a phone essory. "It''s cute isn''t it. I think this is great. It will remind me of you."


    "Right. A little rabbit signifies Marian''s role in our life." Arthur added.


    "But Yen, you have a phone strap already. It even matches with your husband''s. Where will you ce the little rabbit?" Seiji asked when he noticed that Stefan was holding two cellphone which belongs to him and Cayenne. Both have the same matching phone essory which was the small stuff toy that Luiz bought for Stefan and his sister.


    Cayenne took her cellphone from Stefan and looked at it. "Tsk! That''s a very simple issue." She untied the little rabbit from the string and untied the small stuff toy from her phone. She strung them together and tied the strap back to her phone. "See?" Her phone has the two little trinkets from Luiz and the one she bought that symbolizes Marian. "This is yours." Cayenne handed the other little rabbit to Marina.


    "Thank you."


    They rested for a while and talked about their future ns. Cayenne''s birthday will happen in few days and it would be her first birthday with Stefan in her life. They asked her what was her n for her birthday and if she would be celebrating it within the country. Surprisingly, she won''t.


    "What do you mean ''you won''t''? You won''t celebrate your birthday or you won''t celebrate it in the city?" Seiji asked in confusion.


    "How can my husband allow my birthday to pass without celebrating it? Are you an idiot? I won''t celebrate it in the city."


    "You''re going somewhere? I don''t think your family will allow that to happen." Arthur voiced out.


    "I''m the boss at home." Cayenne replied shamelessly and proudly. "They would agree to my whims as long as I am safe. I''m going out of the country."


    "Why don''t we celebrate your birthday twice?" Stefan asked his wife but Cayenne frowned. "Money isn''t an issue."


    "Did I say money is an issue?"


    "Then, why not?"


    "Because you will be too tired preparing for it. You have enough in your mind already. Let''s just celebrate it once." Cayenne smiled and even caressed her husband''s face in public. "You have to listen to me, okay?"


    "Okay." Stefan agreed but he had something different in his mind.


    After a half day of spending time together, Marian bid farewell to her friends. She needed toe home before seven in the evening. Cayenne and Stefan needed to make a trip back to City A as well which would take them several hours.


    Seiji and Arthur went back to their respective hotels to rest the night away. Although one of them was bound to be sleepless. At first, Arthur was still doubting himself if he really moved on from Cayenne but after today''s gathering, he was more than 100% sure that he already let go of his feelings for her.


    Around 9:00 in the evening, Cayenne and Stefan arrived home. Unexpectedly, her family wasn''t in the living room. Usually, they''d be up around this time of the night. She didn''t think it was a big deal and just continued walking upstairs with Stefan.


    Cayenne thought that her husband would be a shameless wolf as soon as they''re home but she was mistaken. Stefan didn''t do anything. The both of them took a shower together and even if he had a boney, he didn''t ask Cayenne to help him get some relief. He just endured and calmed himself down with a cold shower.


    "I''ll be at the study room. I needed to finish some things before tomorrow." Stefan stated as he rubbed his hair with the towel. He didn''t even ask if she''d like to apany him.


    "Do you mind if Ie and stay with you?"


    "Not really but I''d be happy if you can take a rest instead. After all, you did so many things this afternoon."


    "Are you angry that I didn''t get to spend my Friday afternoon with you?"


    "Nope. Why would I be? Compared to this one afternoon and the many afternoons in the future, I don''t really feel anything as close to jealousy."


    Cayenne looked at him for a while and after making sure that he was really okay, she stood on her toes and kissed him quick. "Good night, then. Do your work faster ande back to me, okay?"


    "Hn. I''ll be back as soon as I can." Stefan kissed her nose, picked up his phone and left the room without looking back. He went to the study room like he said he would. He looked left and right to make sure that no one was around the corner before closing the door.


    "What''s taking you so long?"


    "We thought you''ve forgotten our n."


    "Have a seat."


    Stefan saw Luiz and Kyle sitting on the couch while Erwin stood at the window, feeling the cool night breeze touching his face.


    "Sorry. I couldn''t think of other things to avoid your sister." Stefan sat on the couch and faced her brothers-inw. "She said that she didn''t want to have two separate celebration because she thought I''d be tired."


    "Well, you have us. So, it''s okay to celebrate it twice. We will help you whatever ns you have in mind." Luiz responded and started to get serious. "So, what day do you want the celebration to fall? I need to make time for my work as well."


    "We can have a party on the day itself since we will be leaving the country the day after that. Also, don''t tell her that I am involve in this n. I will act surprise on her birthday, too."


    The four men, talked about throwing a birthday party for Cayenne without her knowing anything. When they weren''t satisfied with their ns, they even called David in the middle of the night to ask for his opinion. However, when they heard the muffled moans and groans, Luiz ended the call without any hesitation.


    "David has a fun night life. Let''s ignore him for now." Luiz was beet red when he spoke but after few minutes he was back to normal. They discussed the party for over an hour, not worried about the time since it would be weekend the next day.


    When Stefan came back to their bedroom, he found Cayenne wide awake, watching a movie on herptop. "Why didn''t you go to sleep yet?"


    "I can''t. Are you done with your work?"


    "Hn."


    "Then, let''s go to bed. The movie wasn''t really that interesting but it helps me." She closed herptop, put it on top of her drawer before sliding under the nket. She looked really sleepy but she still tried her best to wait for him. It really pained him to see her like this.


    ''I won''t do this again.''

 Chapter 577 - GOD GAVE ME YOU

    <h4>Chapter 577 - GOD GAVE ME YOU</h4>


    NOTE: Song used ¨C God Gave Me You by Bryan White


    The next day, Cayenne went to Justin''s home to check on the children and the elderly. Since Marian wanted to see the children that Cayenne helped, she also came along with Victoria following her every move. They also bought some clothes and toys for the children, letting them live like how children supposed to live.


    "I''m d that you brought me here." Marianmented while looking at the children writing something on their papers. Justin was in front of them, teaching the little children some words. "Also, I''m not trying to be negative or something but, the elderly will pass away someday whether we like it or not. What are your ns?"


    "I discussed this with Justin as well as with their grannies. If they pass away, they will be sent to an orphanage that Jillyanna is handling. It is to make sure that they will be taken cared of properly and that they will have good chances in getting into a good foster family."


    "That sounds like a good n." Marianmented softly while watching the kids.


    Stefan came with Cayenne to make sure that she''ll arrive safely but he didn''te to the house. He was afraid that the kids will be intimidated by his presence. He stayed inside the car, doing his work and even had online meeting with clients. No matter where he was, as long as he can do his work, he will do it.


    On Sunday, she stayed at home and spent time with her family. They went to the mall in order to buy some stuffs that they needed at home and also watched a movie in the afternoon. She didn''t get to spend time with Marian but she was able to see Rissy and her recovery progress.


    She''s not fully recovered yet but Dr. Nelson said that she was slowly getting back on her feet. And seeing Rissy now in front of her, Cayenne was happy that she made the right choice. If she sent Oliver Nelson to jail, she''d definitely miss the great opportunity to help someone. Thankfully, she didn''t.


    "It''s nice to see you doing good." Cayenne stated and hugged the woman. "I''m d I chose the right doctor."


    "Thank you for keeping me in your mind."


    "Nah. Don''t mention it. You helped my brother so much in the past. It''s time for me to do the same thing."


    "By the way, would you like to drop by at home? We will have a farewell party for Chris. He will go back to the military tomorrow and he''s not sure when he''de back again. Militaries are busy all-year round."


    "I''m sorry." Chris timely stated and pulled Rissy a little closer to him. "I''ll make it up to you when I get back, okay?"


    "I know. I know." Rissy answered before turning back to Cayenne. "You can bring Luiz as well. I haven''t seen him in person for a while now."


    "Sure. I''ll do that."


    They parted their ways and went to do what they wanted to do. In Cayenne''s mind, the couple was most-likely going to the grocery store to buy things that they needed for the party.


    In the evening, Cayenne and Stefan arrived with Luiz following behind them. They handed the cake and wine that they brought and went to the living room to sit while Rissy''s parents arranged the dishes on the dining table. Ever since the ident, Chris frequented their home to see her and check on her progress. As time went by, the Chan family decided to let him live in their house to avoid him going back and forth to his apartment and their home. Even though he wasn''t married to their daughter yet, the couple already treated him like their own son.


    "Yen, I have a gift for you by the way. You''ll turn 24 in few days but I won''t be here to celebrate it with you. I hope you won''t mind this little gift." Chris handed Cayenne a small box with a red ribbon on top of it.


    When she opened the box, what Cayenne saw were two hair clips. One has a heart shaped design and the other was a flower shaped design. Even if she didn''t turn to look at the bottom, Cayenne knew what was the catch for these clips.


    "Am I that worrisome that you''d have to give me this kind of gift? Actually, for my birthday, I''m expecting half of my gifts to have trackers on them."


    Her statement made everyoneugh because that was a huge possibility to happen. It''s not because she''s worrisome but it was because Stefan couldn''t stop to worry about her.


    "Put them on so I can activate them." Chris mentioned and Cayenne did. She asked Stefan to out the hairclips on and Stefan lent her phone to Chris. He downloaded an app that Tristan made specifically for tracking using those clips, activated the configuration and finally returned the phone to Cayenne.


    "Do I have to wear the two of them at the same time?"


    "You can wear one at a time. The tracking won''t make a change."


    "O-okay. I won''t bother asking how you did this. It will only make my head hurts. Thank you for this, Chris."


    "You''re wee. I hope this helps a certain someone to feel at ease."


    "We can only hope for that." Cayenne retorted.


    "Why do I feel that you are badmouthing me?"


    Hearing this, Luiz covered his mouth and stifled aughter. Sometimes, he really felt bad for his brother-inw.


    The farewell party wasn''t really something grand. It was just a time for them to get together and spend time a little. They chatted for a little while, talked about the future and Chris even reminded Stefan to hold his wedding soon. Stefan promised that he would but he didn''t borate his n. Luiz only looked at him while Cayenne didn''t say anything about it. When it was time for dessert, Chris offered them choices of ice cream and cake. Rissy chose ice cream.


    Aside from Rissy''s father, no one else has an idea of what was about to happen ¨C not even her mother. After putting the ice cream and slices of cake on the table, Chris sat down beside Rissy. He talked to Stefan and then talked to Rissy''s father as well. They were just speaking normally but when Rissy finished eating half of her ice cream, Chris left to get something.


    ''She''s almost done eating her ice cream.'' Rissy''s father messaged Chris who was outside the house and was holding a bouquet of flowers. ''I''ll take a video so that you would know when you can get inside.''


    ''Okay.'' Chris replied and waited for the video call. Rissy had no idea that her father was taking a video of her.


    "Dad, stop ying with your phone. We''re having dinner."


    "Sorry, I''m taking selfies." Her father stated and pretended to scroll on his phone while aiming the camera at her. "By the way, where did Chris go?"


    "He said he''s getting something. I''m not really sure what it is."


    Rissy''s mother was sitting beside her husband and when she saw that her was taking a video with Chris on the other side, she frowned. "Why are you ¨C " She was about to question him but her husband winked at him. Although she has no idea what it was all about, she still kept quiet about. "Never mind." She said.


    Cayenne and Stefan were also eating their dessert but few secondster, Rissy''s confused look appeared in front of them. In her hand, there was a diamond ring coated with strawberry ice cream.


    They all looked at each other and smiled. There''s no need to say anything. They could already guess what it was for. And then, Chris appeared with a bouquet of flowers with a small music box in his other hand.


    ***For all the times I felt cheated, Iined


    You know how I love toin


    For all the wrongs I repeated, though I was to me


    I still cursed that rain


    I didn''t have a prayer, didn''t have a clue


    Then out of the blue


    God gave me you to show me what''s real


    There''s more to life with just how I feel


    And all that I''m worth is right before my eyes


    And all that I live for though I didn''t know why


    Now I do, ''cause God gave me you***


    The song wasn''t even done yet but Rissy was already sobbing on her seat. Who wouldn''t? She went through so much and grew up belittling herself. When she thought that no one woulde to like her, he appeared in her life. When she thought he''d leave her because she''s filthy and tainted, he stayed. She was so insecure but Chris made her feel that she didn''t have to feel that way. He made her feel loved and valued.


    Not just Rissy but Cayenne was also crying on her seat. She was so happy for both of them.


    ''Women are really made of water..'' Luiz thought while pulling several tissue papers and handed them to his brother-inw to wipe his sister''s face.

 Chapter 578 - CAYENNES BIRTHDAY I

    <h4>Chapter 578 - CAYENNE''S BIRTHDAY I</h4>


    Cayenne thought she was just thinking too much and that everything was just her imagination because she was so concerned for Rissy''s welfare. She checked on Chris'' social media ount and found that what happenedst night was true. Hundreds of congrattory messages were left below the pictures of their intertwined fingers.


    Some people were asking them when the wedding will be and some were asking if Rissy was doing better. There were so many people who were happy for them especially after knowing what hellish ident Rissy went through. On thement section, Cayenne found that most of the people who expressed their well-wishes first were Rissy''s former students.


    The reason why they were able to congratte them first was because of Luiz. Before the pictures were posted, he already sent a bunch of information and photos in their group chat. The students were just waiting for the official news in either ount ¨C from their teacher or from their teacher''s boyfriend ¨C now fianc¨¦.


    "Are you done reading the news? Come and take a shower now. You will bete for your ss."


    "Give me a sec." Cayenne got off the bed, arranged the bedsheet and nket before running to the shower room.


    "I have prepared your clothes. I''ll downstairs to prepare breakfast for you."


    Cayenne''s voice was muffled from the shower room but Stefan was still able to get her reply clearly. "Thanks, love." That''s what she said.


    And once again, her life went on like how it should be. Stefan apanying her to school; sometimes waiting for her right outside her ssroom and sometimes inside his car. During her vacant time, she''d call Marian and ask how she was doing.


    While she was busy doing her own things, Stefan was also busymunicating with Luiz and the event organizer. He didn''t want any problem to ur during her birthday. She didn''t even know that Stefan already asked the school for two days leave of absence. Thinking it was still about her health, the faculty agreed and reminded Stefan to take care of his wife. They didn''t know that he asked for leave because he was taking her for a vacation.


    On Wednesday night, Noah and Faith received a message from Stefan, telling them toe tomorrow for Cayenne''s birthday. The two of them knew that Cayenne''s birthday wasing but they didn''t expect to receive the message from Stefan. Nheless, the two of them promised that they''de at the mentioned time.


    Cayenne really thought that she won''t be having a birthday party because she was thinking that she''d celebrate it overseas with her friend. Without her knowledge, Stefan was already inviting people toe over. He invited his maternal rtives but they only promise toe once the Dumrique family leaves. He also invited Cayenne''s biological father, Reuben, along with his wife, Ingrid. Of course, the Madrid and Madrigal family wouldn''t be missing from the list of guests.


    When Thursday came, she woke up in groggy state while feeling the other side of the bed with her hand. She felt it cold and suddenly opened her eyes. "Is this guy getting back at me?" She asked herself while closing her eyes again. Stefan was no longer there on their bed. "He must be getting back at me after what I did in the past. Hmp! You''re sleeping outside our room tonight." She noted to herself, as if she was sleep talking.


    The door softly creaked and she could hear the faint footfalls on the floor. "It''s my birthday today but you chose to get out of the bed while I''m asleep." She mumbled without looking at her husband. She heard a soft thud on the bedside drawer which made her peered at him. "What are you doing?"


    "I woke up early to cook longevity noodles for you."


    "Really?" Cayenne instantly sat on the bed and shifted her position to look at him. "Morning hug." She said, opening her arms to him. "And kisses."


    "Oh? You''re offering yourself to me?" Stefan teased while hugging his wife happily.


    "Just this once because you make a longevity noodles for my birthday."


    "Will I get the same treatment if I make noodles even if it''s not your birthday?"


    "No, you won''t. Stop dreaming."


    "As expected." Stefan''s retort was apanied with faint chuckles. "Happy birthday my dear wife. I wish for us to stay blessed and happy for more years toe in your life. I will continue to do my best to keep you and our family safe."


    "And give me children."


    "Ah? I''ll make that wish once you turn twenty-five."


    "Hmp! I can''t really trip you up." After hugging for quiet sometime, Cayenne ate the noodles slowly as she could without cutting it. As soon as she was done, she went to the bathroom to take a shower, thinking that she''d be going to the university.


    "You won''t be going to school today. I asked your teachers for leave and they agreed. We will be going to the mall again because we will have to buy some things for our trip overseas."


    "Can''t we buy them abroad?"


    "They''d be quite expensive there."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him and snorted. "Really? You are telling me this reason now? Why didn''t you think about the prices when we buy matching stuff?"


    "Money is out of the question for those things." Stefan replied immediately which made Cayenne smile in helplessness.


    "Fine. Let''s do whatever you want."


    When she opened her phone, she received birthday messages from friends and acquaintances. When they came out of their bedroom, the helpers as well as the guards greeted Cayenne for her birthday. Jonas greeted her, too. As for Luiz and Kyle, none of them greeted her a happy birthday early in the morning. Luiz greeted her around noon and Kyle greeted her in the afternoon. She thought that they were too busy to remember her birthday so, she didn''t bother herself with it.


    "Do we need to buy so much stuff?" Cayenne asked Stefan while roaming inside the mall. They''ve been checking store after store and still didn''t find the thing that he wanted to get.


    "Let''s take a look a bit more. Also, Kyle and Luiz sent some things that they wanted me to buy."


    "Why didn''t they send the list to me?"


    "Because they knew that you wouldn''t buy it for them. You''d think it''s a waste of money. Let me spoil my brothers-inw while we have no kids."


    Cayenne knew that he was right. She would most-likely scold her brothers for asking her to buy things that she thinks were too expensive. Unlike her who thinks too much before buying an item, her brothers prefer Stefan even more because he would just buy whatever those things were as long as he got money to buy them.


    In truth, Kyle and Luiz didn''t send him anything. Stefan was just using this random excuse to spend more time inside the mall. "Let''s take a rest first." Stefan told Cayenne while looking around to find a caf¨¦ where they can rx for the time being.


    Cayenne looked at him but she didn''t say anything. Somehow, she got the feeling that he was lying to her about something but she couldn''t tell what it was.. "You better not be up to something strange or I will never let you inside my room."

 Chapter 579 - CAYENNES BIRTHDAY II

    <h4>Chapter 579 - CAYENNE''S BIRTHDAY II</h4>


    They stroll inside the mall for a very long time but when it was three in the afternoon, Cayenne couldn''t take it anymore. Her legs were tired from walking and she felt that they didn''t really have any goal and was just wasting their time. "I''m not walking anymore. If you want to go somewhere, go there by yourself. I''m tired."


    "Alright. Let''s go back home."


    Cayenne just looked at her husband, closed her eyes to calm herself or else, she might hit him on the face. "You know what, I''ve got a bad feeling about this whole shopping thingy."


    "What''s so bad about shopping? Why won''t you shop when we have the money to pay for things we like?"


    "And didn''t I tell you that we shouldn''t waste money for things that we don''t really need? You don''t know what will happen in the future. Nothing is permanent in this world. Today, we might have money and can buy anything we like. But what if something bad happens? What if we lose all our money? What if ¨C"


    "O-okay. Okay. Stop scolding me now. This won''t happen every day anyway. Just let us do this once in a while. Can''t I spoil my wife? I work so hard for you and yet you are scolding me."


    Cayenne was dumbstruck with his words and couldn''t find anything to refute. ''He''s right.'' Cayenne thought and face-palmed herself. ''Why didn''t I think of this point? I''m so stupid. Tsk! What should I do now?''


    "What are you thinking?" Stefan asked and tugged her hand to bring her back to earth. "Are you scolding yourself after scolding me?"


    "Keep quiet. I''m thinking of something."


    "Didn''t you say that you don''t want to continue shopping? Let''s go home now. We still need to prepare for our trip tomorrow."


    "Hubby¡­I''m sorry for saying so much earlier."


    "What''s there to apologize? Your words make sense and I know that you are thinking far ahead for our future. There''s no need to say sorry."


    "Then, shall we have a massage first before going home?"


    "I don''t mind. Let''s go. I know a best massage ce here."


    Easy as ABC. The arguments they have, the ideas that they don''t agree with ¨C both of them would always try to cater to the other. A rtionship won''t work with only one person continuously giving effort and understanding the other. It should be both parties. And just like that, Cayennepletely threw the doubts she had in mind and just indulged herself with the rxing spa.


    "Big bro says that they will be dyed for a little while." Luiz told everyone while they continued to help the organizers to make the party possible. He already asked for a half day leave from the university together with risse who came along with him.


    "I think they argued over something." Kyle muttered. He also skipped the afternoon ss with his girlfriend, Kath.


    "Well, of all excused, brother-inw had to say they''re going shopping. Yen hates wasting money."


    "Right." Kyle agreed instantly. "Anyway, let''s get this done because the guests areing already."


    They continued working, cing flowers here and there. Helping the catering staff to fold the table napkin, putting chair covers and so on. They didn''t dawdle unlike other customers who leave everything to the organizers. The Ardolf brothers and other people in their home liked to help because Cayenne would always tell them to help when needed.


    Erwin was busy putting on the make-shift stage that he built with Jonas while Lucian and her children designed the background. Everyone was really busy working but when the guests starteding one after another, Kath and risse had to stop helping them with the arrangement in order to entertain the guests in the living room.


    "Hi everyone." Riley greeted the other people when she arrived with Jade. She just picked the little girl from school and changed her clothes inside the car beforeing over. She''s always jolly whenever she visits people''s home. She didn''t like the atmosphere to be gloomy. "Is Yen not home yet?"


    "Not yet. Luiz said that his brother-inw brought sis Yen to shop." risse answered softly to the question.


    "I see. Then, we''ll stay in the living room first and wait for the others toe."


    One after another, the guests started pouring in when it was five in the afternoon since Stefan informed everyone that it will be an early dinner because they still have to catch their flight the next day.


    Reuben and Ingrid didn''t miss this opportunity and even prepared avish gift for Cayenne but that will be a surprise for Cayeer on. Magnus and Ferdinand came so the Sugo family didn''te. No matter how much Stefan wanted for the two family toe at the same time, it would be impossible for the Sugo family topromise. They hated the Dumrique family so much after what happened to his mother. It''s already a miracle that he forgave his father and grandfather because of Cayenne. If Cayenne didn''te in his life, he''d probably die in the future still carrying the hatred of the past.


    As thank you for helping Rissy and Chris, Stefan invited Dr. Nelson as well but the doctor refused the invitation because he was still ashamed of what happened during the kidnapping incident. Stefan didn''t press him on this matter.


    As for David, he was too embarrassed to show up to this birthday party. He didn''tmit any mistake to Cayenne or anyone in her family and he didn''t make any mistake in his job as a manager as well. The only mistake he did was to answer a call from Luiz while making out. He didn''t really notice it was a call from Luiz because he felt dizzy and thought his brain was messed up. He only realized this greatest embarrassment when morning came and he checked his call history. He really answered the call and it onlysted for almost ten seconds.


    "I''m not going there. I swear." David told Luiz over the phone.


    "Oh? You know how to feel embarrassed?"


    "Shut up! I''m not a thick-faced person. I''m not shameless like your brother-inw."


    Luizughed so hard upon hearing this because it was really true. No one can beat his brother-inw from being shameless but he''s only like that towards Cayenne, though. Luiz took a deep breath and sighed. "Don''t worry. Only my brother and brother-inw heard you. No one else. Juste or my sister would wonder why you''re not here and she knows you''re in the city. Don''t bother making excuses. I''ll go and check on the guests now. Come over as soon as you can."


    The call ended and David slumped on his bed where Kai was still lying on. Seeing the nonchnt look on his boyfriend''s face, he kicked his leg and threw a pillow on his face. "It''s your fault. I told you to stop but you didn''t."


    "How can I? And besides, you enjoyed it and ¨C "


    "Shut up." David threw another pillow and stood up from the bed. "I''m going to the party. Are youing with me?"


    "Wow! You are getting bolder now."


    "It''s not like they don''t know about us. Duh!"


    Kai chuckled and got off the bed as well. ''Why didn''t I find you sooner?'' Kai asked himself while watching David walk to the bathroom. He had suffered so much stress from his previous rtionship and it was so toxic to the point that his family got affected. Kath was even more furious than he was every time she heard news of his boyfriend cheating on him. ''Well, it doesn''t matter now. Things must have happened for me to learn my lesson.''


    Cayenne''s birthday was made extra special because Stefan didn''t just invite the people close to their family, he also invited those people who were thoughtful towards Cayenne. Celine, Mona, Jessie, Manager Dana as well as Manager Kim from Clover Hotel were invited as well. Of course, he didn''t forget to invite Ali and Luna. If these two weren''t invited, Cayenne would probably throw a tantrum.


    Even if Stefan hated him. Even if he didn''t want this person toe, for the sake of friendship disy in front of Marian he invited Arthur. The purpose was to pretend everything''s fine in front of Marian because of this woman be stressed out, Cayenne would be stressed out as well and Stefan didn''t want his wife to be stressed.


    ''We areing home. We''ll be there in few minutes.'' Stefan told Kyle throw a text message while Cayenne slept beside him. She felt really tired from walking inside the mall and because they just took a rxing spa, she fell asleep as soon as she leaned her head on his shoulder.


    "Wifey." Stefan called out Cayenne''s name while tickling her face with her hair.


    "Are we home?"


    "Almost. Be there around 2 or 3 minutes."


    "Did you tell everyone toe home early tonight? Even if we cannot have a party, we can still have a little celebration with the whole family."


    "Hn."


    "Did you buy ice cream?"


    "Hn."


    "Okay. Wake me up again when we get home." Cayenne leaned back on his shoulder and tried to sleep once again but she caught sight of an unfamiliar car outside their car. "Someone hase to visit us. She rubbed her eyes to clear her vision and looked outside the window. "Why are there so many cars outside?"


    "How would I know? We''ve been together the whole day. Maybe Jill and Travis came to visit you. They know of your birthday after all."


    "Right." Cayenne agreed and gave onest look at the cars outside. She wanted to count them but they already entered her property and the gate was closed already. Even so, she still thought something was amiss. "No way!" Cayenne eximed and with her eyes wide like saucers. "Tell me you didn''t do anything."


    "I didn''t."


    "Liar. You obviously did something."


    "Well, you asked me to say those words." Stefan teased and grinned. "Let''s go." He reached out his hand to her and Cayenne took with hers. "Your father said he''d being today."


    "Who else?"


    "I forgot the others." Stefan outrageously denied his involvement, pretending he didn''t know who the guests were.


    As soon as he opened the door to their living room, Jade ran towards her with her hair bouncing happily just like her. "Auntie Yen, happy birthday!"

 Chapter 580 - CAYENNES BIRTHDAY III

    <h4>Chapter 580 - CAYENNE''S BIRTHDAY III</h4>


    Cayenne stood still for a moment and when Jade tugged her fingers, she looked towards Stefan and cried. "I knew it! I knew that you were up to something when you brought me to the mall."


    "Eh?" Jade looked at Cayenne in confusion and realized, ''Ah! Must be tears of joy.'' Jade smiled sweetly as well.


    "We''ll settle our scoreter." Cayenne told Stefan and looked back to the little girl in front of her. "Thank you so much foring Jade."


    "Of course. I wouldn''t miss to celebrate your birthday. Let''s go to the backyard? They''re all waiting for you."


    "Can I go change my clothes first?"


    "What''s wrong with your clothes? You look pretty in that clothes."


    "I''ve been out for a day. I don''t think it''s appropriate."


    "O-okay. Then, go and change." With Jade''s signal, Cayenne ran upstairs to change her clothes. Stefan just followed her with a smile on his face and rubbed Jade''s head when he passed by her.


    Cayenne''s backyard has a huge expanse ofnd that still belonged to her property. They chose the area near the mango orchard since it was the ce with less nts and more space for the event. The guests were chatting, drinking and some were dancing to the faint beat of the music. They were all waiting for Cayenne and Stefan.


    As soon as Cayenne got out of their room and went to the living room, Jade handed her a handkerchief.? "Brother Luiz asked me to blindfold you with this handkerchief."


    "Oh." Cayenne took the handkerchief and handed it to Stefan. "Do I have to?"


    "Just cooperate with their surprise." Stefan answered and took the item from he. He tied it around her head, not so tight and not so loose, just enough to make sure that she won''t see a thing. "Are you ready?"


    "Yeah." Cayenne felt her husband held her left hand and Jade took the right. "You better make sure that I won''t trip and embarrass myself."


    "Uncle and I will keep you safe." Jade answered and the three of them slowly walked to the backyard of her house.


    Luiz immediately lowered the volume of the sound system and motioned everyone to keep quiet for a while. They all stood there, watching Cayenne walk blindly with Stefan and Jade guiding her. Sometimes, she''d scold Stefan when she''d trip on something ever so lightly. She''s really afraid to fall and embarrass herself in front of the people whom she could barely guess.


    "Give me a sec." Stefan stepped behind her and untied the handkerchief around her head. At first, her vision was blurry. She rubbed her eyes for several seconds and looked ahead of her.


    "Happy birthday Yen!"


    Cayenne''s face lit up and she smiled at everyone who came to celebrate her birthday. It turned out that, while she has a different n for her birthday, her brother along with Stefan already made n for her special day as well.


    "Even if you say that you weren''t involved in this surprise, I wouldn''t believe it." Cayenne whispered to her husband while looking at the people in front of her. "Who else could invite these number of people. I''m pretty sure my brothers couldn''t."


    "Don''t belittle your brothers."? Stefan whispered back.


    "Are you just going to keep whispering over there?" Kyle questioned using the microphone he had been holding since earlier. Cayenne just smiled and gave Stefan a little pinch on his waist before she continued to walk and talked with everyone.


    "Happy birthday, sweetheart." Reuben greeted and handed Cayenne his small gift. It was just a small box but it was equivalent to a big item.


    "Thank you, dad."


    "Happy birthday, Yen." Luna greeted and following her were her colleagues when she still worked in Clover Hotel.


    Manager Dan was also present so Cayenne took this opportunity to thank the man who brought Cayenne the wonderful gift she has presently. "It was your careless action that brought me here, Manager Dan. And although it was careless, it brought me so much happiness. Thank you for giving me that task over a year ago."


    "Your wee. I''m d that things turned out well. Happy birthday." Manager Dan replied and also gave Cayenne his gift.


    "Huh? What task?" Manager Kim asked in wonder.


    "Right. What is this secret between you two?" Luna added with a pout but no matter how much they try to ask the manager, he wouldn''t say anything.


    One after another, people greeted Cayenne and handed their gifts. There were so many of them that the organizer had to get an extra table just for the gifts. They sang her a happy birthday and after she made a wish and blew the candle, everyone finally started eating.


    While everyone was having dinner, Daisy and Dalia went up stage to give their well-wishes for Cayenne. The twodies looked really pretty with their dress. It was the first time that they attended such grand event and they were nervous but Luiz told them to rx and just be themselves in front of everyone.


    Unlike other rich people wherein their servants can''t attend this kind of celebration, Cayenne''s family didn''t impose the same rule to their helpers. Whenever there''s an asion, they can join the event and just do their taskster on.


    "Ms. Yen is a very sweet and caring person. She has a big heart for poor people and she does her best to understand everyone in her household. She treats us like an extension of her family and we are so happy that we''ve met her along with sir Stefan. This day marks your 24th year in this world and we wish that you will have more birthdays toe. May you live hundreds of years more. Happy birthday, Ms. Yen."


    "Thank you,dies. I''m happy that our paths have crossed, too." Cayenne expressed happily and everyone gave them a round of apuse.


    Next was Justin but he was too shy and nervous in front of everyone so, he gave the letters to Cayenne. It wasn''t just a letter from him but letters from the children back in his home as well. There were drawing and paintings and some scribbles that wishes her good health and happy life.


    Jade also gave her short speech and after her, Luiz and Kyle did as well. To her surprise, Ferdinand, Stefan''s grandpa also came in front of them to give his well-wishes and for some reason, Cayenne had a feeling what the message would be.


    "Having Cayenne as my granddaughter-inw is one of the greatest things that I have received in life. She''s pretty much the core of the family that kept us all intact. She''s practically an angel to us. Without her, I would probably die with my grandson still hating me and his father. Without her, perhaps, Stefan would still be fooling around outside. But because she came, our lives have been changed. I am so grateful to you, youngdy. I wish you good health and longer life than I. Also, I heard that you''re going to Turkey tomorrow. I hope you will bring us good news when you get back. My hands are really itching to hold my great grandson or great granddaughter. That''s all. Happy birthday Yenyen."


    Cayenne smiled sheepishly but she still couldn''t stop herself from chuckling at the end of the message. She knew it. She knew that Stefan''s grandpa would ask her to have a baby and she was happy with the request. The problem was¡­Cayenne looked towards her husband beside her who only pped his hands without giving ament.


    ''Sigh. He won''t agree no matter what. I can''t do anything about it.'' Cayenne thought and just continued smiling.


    One after another, the guests gave their well-wishes speech and those that did not, they just left a card on their gifts to Cayenne. And because Riley was there, she was able to make things a lot lovelier than it already was. She led everyone to y a game which revolves around Cayenne with prizes. The prizes even came from her own pocket.


    The bodyguards couldn''t escape her ws as well. She asked them to give a presentation for their mistress. The guests wereughing at her humor, putting the guards on the spotlight.


    "Come on. You should do something for your young mistress." Riley urged them with an evil smile on her lips. She really wanted to have some fun and it would be refreshing to see the bodyguards making a performance.


    "Can we have a representative instead? Ms. Riley, not all of us are talented but some can definitely perform something." One of the bodyguards tried to make a bargain and since she didn''t want to really make it difficult for them, she agreed.


    Surprisingly, the bodyguards showcased their talents that struck the guests. They performed an acape without even practicing. Cayenne''s jaw dropped to the ground when she heard them and Riley was even more surprised. She was already expecting them to be dancing or maybe sing a song but she didn''t expect them to do an acape.


    "Why didn''t I know that we have very talented bodyguards?" Cayenne asked Stefan who was also watching the performance.


    "I didn''t know either. I didn''t look into their talents when I hired them."


    While everyone was having fun, another car pulled to the side of the gate where the other vehicles were parked. A woman stepped out of the expensive car and looked at the house in front of her. "Overprotective.." She muttered while removing her shades.

 Chapter 581 - CAYENNES BIRTHDAY IV

    <h4>Chapter 581 - CAYENNE''S BIRTHDAY IV</h4>


    "Good evening, ma''am." The guard greeted politely at thedy who just arrived. He''s one of the new guards that Stefan employed so, he wasn''t very familiar with all the people that were acquainted to the family. "Can I have a government ID from you? It''s a policy in this household before you enter."


    "Oh?" She raised her eyebrow at the guard but, seeing the additional high gate like a Great Wall of China, protecting what''s within the territory, she calmed herself down. She ced her things on the hood of her car and pulled an ID for her wallet. She just handed it to the guard and the man was looking at it, preparing himself to call Stefan.


    Martin, one of the trusted bodyguards, was leaving the property in order to pick up the Sugo family when he saw thedy at the gate. "Eh? Ms. Sabrina? Is that you?" He asked as soon as he unwind the window of his car. "Why aren''t ¨C Oh! Ismael, you don''t have to check on her. She''s sir Stefan''s childhood friend."


    "Thanks, Martin."


    "You''re wee, Ms. Sabrina. I''ll go ahead now. Enjoy your visit." He gave her a short salute and drove the car out of the vicinity.


    The new guard handed the ID card back to Sabrina and apologized to her as well. "I didn''t really know that you are acquainted to the people here. My apology."


    "It''s fine. It''s good to know that you are doing your job properly." She returned the card back to her wallet and picked up the things she brought before stepping inside the property. She knew the ce like how she knew the back of her hand since she stayed there for almost a week in the past. Erwin gave her a tour of the property as well so, she didn''t need anyone''s help to find her way.


    Getting inside the house, she found Daisy in the living room talking to someone over the phone. She looked angry but she her voice wasn''t really that harsh. Seeing Sabrina walking inside, her eyes widened in surprise and she smiled but because she was talking to someone, she covered the mouthpiece of her phone and told Sabrina to go to the backyard.


    She didn''t tell anyone she''d being over. Erwin had no idea that she''d be visiting and Stefan didn''t receive confirmation from her if she''d be attending the party as well. In Stefan''s part, it was just out of respect since Sabrina and Cayenne became friends and he invited her just for the sake of their connection. He didn''t really know that she''d arrive.


    In fact, Sabrina didn''te because of Stefan''s invitation. She came for Erwin. She told him she''d be visiting City A next month but when she received the message from Stefan, she changed her mind. She decided to give him a surprise.


    "Sabrina?" It was Kyle who saw her first and before he realized what he was doing, he already looked around to find Erwin. "Have a seat."


    "Can I see your sister first?"


    "Ah? Of course. Let me bring you to her." Kyle led her to the center table where his family upied. Stefan had her back to Sabrina so when Cayenne''s eyes widened from shock, he was so startled, thinking that someone scared her. "Happy birthday." Sabrina greeted and handed her gift to Cayenne. "I hope you don''t mind meing over."


    Stefan frowned but still gestured for her to sit on the vacant chair around their table. "This isn''t really your purpose." He said which made Sabrina re at him.


    "Can you not say it? It''s your wife''s birthday. At least, pretend that you don''t really know my agenda."


    "There''s no need to hide it." Cayenne stated while pinching her husband''s thigh. "Don''t embarrass her." she whispered to him but Sabrina wasn''t really that bothered that Stefan exposed her. "Does Erwin know that you areing tonight?"


    "Nope. He has no idea. I''m nning to give him a surprise."


    "That''s great. Why don''t we put you in a huge box and present you to him?" Stefan suggested for fun but unexpectedly, they actually agreed to him.


    "That''s a great idea!" Cayenne and Sabrina eximed in unison which gave Stefan a fright.


    ''Girls, they really have a unique taste. I was just joking and they really took it seriously.''


    Without leaving room for discussion, Cayenne asked someone to get a huge box from their storage room. While waiting she introduced Sabrina to the other important guests, letting her get acquainted to some of them.


    "Where did Erwin go?" Sabrina asked as they walked back to their table after chatting with Jillyanna and her family.


    "He said that he''d go back to his room to check on something." Cayenne answered, getting a ss of juice from the food and beverage area, and handed it to Sabrina before the continued to walk to their table.


    "He must have gone back to y a game. He didn''t know that I''d be here so he must be thinking that we could y for a while."


    "That''s probably the reason."


    Not long after, one of the guards came back with a huge cardboard box. It was actually the box of the refrigerator that they bought long ago. They didn''t have the time to wrap it up to make it look fancy and just asked Sabrina to stand in the middle while they put the huge box over her and tied it with a red ribbon.


    "What are they doing?" Manager Dan asked in whisper while they watched Cayenne poke little holes on the box to let some air flow into it.


    "They''re probably pranking someone." Celinemented while watching the fun as well.


    Cayenne said something to the guard and the guard left in a hurry. Then, Luiz went to the stage and picked the microphone to start their surprise show.


    "Sis, what do you think are the gifts that you receive tonight?"


    "I''m not sure but I could say that most of them would probably be electronic devices." Cayenne replied while ncing at the pile of gifts on the table. There were so many of them and she couldn''t think of what those gifts could be.


    "How about you open some of the gifts and guess what''s inside?"


    "O-okay." Cayenne walked to the pile of gifts and picked a small box. "It''s from my Dad. Uhm¡­from my biological dad." Cayenne stated while opening the small box. "I think it''s a jewelry. A watch or a bracelet, I guess."


    Reuben who was sitting not far from his daughter just smiled sheepishly. Ingrid didn''t say anything and just grinned at the words that Cayenne said.


    "Whoa!"


    "Wow!"


    "Her father is really making it up to her."

 Chapter 582 - CAYENNES BIRTHDAY V

    <h4>Chapter 582 - CAYENNE''S BIRTHDAY V</h4>


    Whispers from the crowd erupted in seconds right after Cayenne opened the small box. It was a car key. She didn''t really mean to brag the gifts that she received but her brothers and the organizers set up a lot of cameras to record the party and the cameras were connected to a projector as well.


    When they decided to open gifts, one of the cameras were pointing at her and when she opened the gift, everyone saw what it was. The logo on the car key was from Porsche. It didn''t matter what model the car would be but it''s bound to be expensive.


    "I¡­uh¡­" Cayenne gulped at the sight of the gift and looked around to find her father. When she spotted him, she didn''t know what to say. "I¡­thank you? I mean¡­well, I''m so happy to receive this gift from you but dad, I don''t know how to drive. It will take me months before I can use your gift."


    "That''s fine. You can take your time. The car is not hurrying you." Reuben responded.


    "Oh. Okay." Cayenne put the car key inside the box again and ced it on another table to make sure she won''t lose it. "Thank you, dad." She said once again and picked another gift.


    "It''s too bad that Auntie Emerald is no longer here." Lunamented while watching Cayenne and her father interact. "I''m not really against her father but it''s just a sad thing that Yen''s mother passed away so early."


    "I''m sure she''s happy now. Living while watching her daughter suffer, that must have tormented her. Now, although she''s gone, she made sure that Cayenne finds her happiness before she left. I''m sure she didn''t have any regret." Ali, Luna''s boyfriend, replied tofort his girlfriend.


    In front, Cayenne picked a gift which was from Kyle and Kath. "I don''t have any idea of what item could be thisrge and heavy." Cayennemented while she unwrapped the ribbon. When she opened it, her eyes automatically looked at her husband who was also looking at her. "You know what, someone would be happier than me with these gifts."


    Gifts. That''s right. In one box, Kath and Kyle put lots of things that were all matching. When Stefan saw it, his eyes lit up. There was a matching bathrobe with Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique embroidered on it, a matching tumbler, a matching jacket, a matching scarf and a whole lot more of matching items.


    "You know me so well." Stefan told Kyle and Kath with a huge smile on his face but his smile disappeared when Cayenne spoke again.


    "Since we have so many matching items ¨C I think this equivalent to a year ¨C hon, let''s stop buying matching things for a while."


    "No way!" Stefan refuted instantly which made everyoneugh. "You can''t do this to me. It''s them who bought it, not me. And it''s their gift to you not to me. You''re being unfair."


    "Stefan is really obsessed with matching items." Luna muttered.


    "The boss is actually cute." Jessie said but then, she remembered her current suitor which gave her a headache. ''I still can''t process the possibility of making my boss into my nephew.'' She thought to herself and rubbed her temple in silence.


    "I didn''t know he''s got this side of him." Jillyanna stated.


    "So childish." Travis mumbled in helplessness.


    "I was just kidding." Cayenne told her husband and told him to sit back once again.


    On the other hand, Luiz heard from the guard that Erwin was already making his way to the venue. He soon changed his words and told Cayenne to open the biggest gift. "Sis, you already picked the smallest box. Why don''t you open the biggest box?"


    "Give me a moment." Cayenne walked towards Sabrina-in-a-box and waited until she could see Erwin''s figure. As soon as he arrived back at the venue Cayenne pretended to read the letter on the box. "Wait. This gift isn''t for me."


    "Not for you?" Luiz frowned, pretending he was also surprised with this change. "Well, we already have a refrigerator so I think it''s not really meant for you. What does it say?"


    "To the man who loves Little Red Riding Hood." Cayenne answered and looked to the crowd. "Who likes Little Red Riding Hood here?"


    "Oh! I think Erwin likes it. I remember that when we had our family tripst time, brother searched for little red riding hood items in order to bring it as souvenir for Erwin."


    "Is that so?" Cayenne pretended to look around and ''finally spotted'' Erwin at the back with the other bodyguards. "Erwin,e over her. I think this is for you."


    "Go open it." One of the guards pushed Erwin to the front. They knew what was going on except for Erwin who went to his room.


    "Come on. It''s okay even if it''s my birthday." Cayenne added, beckoning him with her fingers toe in front.


    "Sorry about this." He said while looking at the huge box. "I don''t remember any package addressed for me, though."


    "Just open it." Shein yelled from the crowd to see what the man''s reaction.


    "Is it fine? I mean¡­I don''t want to interrupt the party."


    "It''s okay. Go ahead and open it." Luiz urged him, too.


    Cayenne picked up the car key that her father gifted her before going back to her seat. She didn''t want to risk losing such small item with great value. As for the box containing Kyle and Kath''s gifts, Stefan had long secured it already. He was more delighted than Cayenne as if he was the one who received the items.


    Meanwhile, Erwin was untying the red ribbon when he identally knocked it and it swayed to the side which gave him the impression that it was a very light item despite the size. He walked around it and found the print of the refrigerator at the back. ''Wait. Isn''t this the ref that we have inside the house?'' he asked himself while looking at it up and down.


    Inside the box, Sabrina was feeling so nervous and excited at the same time. It''s been several months since theyst saw each other and she really, really missed him.


    "Are you guys pranking me?" Erwin asked without opening the gift. The ribbon was already untied but there was still a masking tape that covered the top of the box. "This is the box of the ref we have inside the house."


    "Is that so? I don''t remember." Cayenne replied almost instantly. "But if that is the box, why is that here?"


    "I don''t know." Erwin answered while still contemting if he should open it in front of them. He''s really worried that he was being pranked by everyone.


    "My god! What''s taking you so long to open this stupid box?!" Sabrina yelled in question while knocking the box of and got herself out of it. "Why the hell would we prank you? Tsk!" She fixed her hair and her clothes while speaking but Erwin was standing shocked-silly in front of her ¨C unable to utter a single word.


    It felt like the world had gone silent and Erwin could only see Sabrina in front of him and no one else. He blinked his eyes several times, watching his girlfriend speak of so many things that he couldn''t seem to process.


    "Hey!" Sabrina flicked his forehead which brought him back to reality.? The other bodyguards wereughing and some were pping their hands for their unexpected reunion. Cayenne and Stefan were smiling at them, too.


    "God! This is real! My forehead hurts!"


    "Goodness. How did I fall in love with you?" Sabrina questioned as she threw herself at him. "I miss you. I miss you so much."


    "Me, too." Erwin whispered and wrapped his hands around her waist, hugging her tightly. "I really, really miss you. How did you get here? Why didn''t you tell me you''reing over?"


    As they reunited, they guests were also giving them a round of apuse. "Such a grand reunion." Manager Kimmented while she pped her hands for the couple.


    "Who is that man? I have never seen him before but he seemed really close to Cayenne and the boss." Manager Dan questioned Luna. Among them, Luna was the one closest to Cayenne. However, they had no idea that among them, someone was also getting closer to Cayenne and Stefan''s family.


    Luna tried to recall the information she knew and told her colleagues. "Erwin is one of the trusted bodyguards of Yen''s dad. When she broke up with Stefan in March, she moved her and her father sent Erwin to guard her. He was like a butler to her. And then, he met Sabrina and they fell in love with each other. To raise his status in order to match each other, Stefan assigned him to be the Chief Supervisor of the security team of hispany."


    "And what about that Sabrina? What do you know of her?" Celine asked, also intrigued with the story.


    "Yen told me that Sabrina is Stefan''s childhood friend. They grew up together before Stefan ran away from home and before Sabrina went to Italy."


    "Oh?! She came from Italy?"


    "Yeah. Her family moved there due to business reason. And she only came back to visit City Ast time. That''s the only thing that I know."


    "Wow! She really crossed the ocean to shorten the distance and meet him."


    "He''s very lucky to have her."


    They gossiped in whisper while having fruits and desserts on their table. They didn''t really mean it in a bad way. They just wanted to know what kind of people did Cayenne meet after knowing Stefan.


    As they talked, another group of guests came. They were from the Sugo family that Cayenne waited so much. Everyone looked at the newers and for the first time in years, the Dumrique family and the Sugo family met. Jessie raised her head to look as well and her eyes met Stanley''s.


    ''Oh no! No! I have to run.''

 Chapter 583 - CAYENNES BIRTHDAY VI

    <h4>Chapter 583 - CAYENNE''S BIRTHDAY VI</h4>


    Magnus and Ferdinand looked at the Sugo family with guilt crossing their faces while the other party looked at them with hatred. Cayenne didn''t really expect that the two family would meet at this point because the Sugo family always avoided the Dumrique family.


    "Granny. Grandpa." Cayenne greeted Jose and Cory happily when she approached them. "I''m so d that you guys came." She hugged them first before letting go and gave Stanley and Dom a perfunctory hug as well. It didn''t escape from her observation that Stanley had been looking to a certain table far from his right side. "Uncle, you will scare my friend like that." Cayenne whispered which pulled Stanley back.


    "Am I that scary?" Stanley asked while touching his chin to see if he removed his stubbles really well. "I think I shaved my face cleanly."


    Cayenne giggled and pulled them to another table which have been vacant since the beginning of the party. "That''s not what I mean. Anyway, let''s chat while you guys eat."


    "That sounds good." Stanley nodded his head in agreement. "Happy birthday by the way. And this is our gift for you." He handed the gift bag to Cayenne and took a seat next to his son.


    "Thank you so much. You didn''t really have to bother with gifts. I''m already happy that you guys came."


    "Of course, we''lle. We won''t miss your special day just because of certain people." Cory replied, not hiding the hatred in her voice at all.


    Cayenne just smiled faintly while Stefan remained silent. He didn''t stand on either side of the family right now. He was only worried for Cayenne and Cayenne alone. He can''t do anything of what happened to the past and he can''t really diffuse the hatred from his maternal family.


    Since the Sugo family came, Ferdinand and Magnus became silent. They didn''t talk much with their close business partners, worried that their voices would irk a certain old couple.


    "Is it just me or does the new guests hate sir Stefan''s family?" Manager Dan whispered to his colleagues.


    "It''s just your imagination." Manager Kim retorted before stuffing some some slices of fruits in her mouth.


    "Actually, it''s not just an imaginary notion." Jessie replied. "They''re the Sugo family. They''re the maternal family of the boss. You should know by now about what happened to her biological mother and why he hated his father and grandpa before. Although he reconciled with his paternal family, both sides of his family aren''t. In fact, this is the first time that they''vee face to face after 28 years." Jessie told Manager Dan and Manager Kim. She wasn''t really bothered that the others were listening since this matter wasn''t really a secret. Only that, some people didn''t really pay attention to this kind of information.


    "Wait¡­howe you know so much?"


    "I just read it somewhere. Also, I think I''ll go home now. I need to look after my fatherter."


    At the Sugo family''s table, Dominic stood up. "I''ll get some food first." He broke the momentary silence and walked to the food area. While walking, he didn''t let go of the chance to look around. From his father''s restless and bashful face, he knew that the woman that his father fancied should be around.


    "Are you looking for your future stepmother?"


    "Oie! Luiz. Don''t startle me like that." Dominic eximed as he clutched his chest. "I just want to see her in person. I won''t be against it but I want to have a feel of what kind of person she is."


    "My sister said that she''s a good person. She''s really kind-hearted but she may not be your stepmother soon."


    "Why?"


    "I heard that her father who worked in a hospital got into an ident. He''s still undera so¡­well, it''s just my hunch. If she likes your dad, nothing would be able to stop them."


    "Exactly." Luiz replied with firm conviction. "So, where is she right now? My father never showed me her picture but I know she''s here."


    "She''s leaving."


    "Huh?"


    "Right now. She''s leaving and your father is chasing after her. Anyway, I''ll let you see her pictures. Give me a sec."


    On a different table, Marian and Veronica was watching silently and from time to time, when people approached their table and conversed with them, she''d also say some words. However, something really bugged her. Seiji is a well-known businessman and he has a lot of connections but right now, he didn''t even approach anyone. He was just sitting there beside her. Another thing was, she remembered Arthur to be so close to Cayenne''s brothers but now, he didn''t even dare talk to them. She felt that something was wrong with them.


    "Look, I can understand that Seiji might be feeling awkward after the kidnapping incident so, he''s not so worked up as to talk to other people. But Arthur, you used to be so close to Cayenne''s brothers. Why are you not talking to them ever since we arrived here? I didn''t see you greet them. Is there something that I know nothing about?"


    Arthur looked towards Seiji and then looked towards Cayenne and the other guests. "It''s not something like that." Arthur tired to deny Marian''s doubts. "I just feel a little shy. Before, I am the one who''s rich and now, my family already belongs to the average ss. I feel embarrassed associating myself with her."


    "Is that so? Then, why do I feel that¡­" she leaned closer and stole a nce at Jade. "¡­that little girl looks at you with so much hatred."


    "That is just your imagination."


    "I''m not. Look at her." Marian urged him but Arthur didn''t want to. "Just steal a nce and you would know I am not imagining things. Or have you offended that little girl without knowing?"


    "I don''t really know."


    Marian dismissed her doubts and just smiled towards Jade who kept looking at Arthur with hatred. When she smiled, Jade smiled back at her. ''This guy, he must have offended this little girl without knowing..'' Among all the guests, Marian was probably the only one who had no idea of what Arthur did in the past ¨C that he threatened Stefan and almost kidnapped Cayenne.

 Chapter 584 - CAPPADOCIA I

    <h4>Chapter 584 - CAPPADOCIA I</h4>


    Cayenne''s birthday continued until 9:00 in the evening and since they needed to leave early the next day, they decided to let Marian stay in one of the guest rooms while Veronica was sent back to City D with the guards. She needed to pack up some of their things and get their passports as well for tomorrow''s trip.


    ''I''ve seen the other guestsing out. Why isn''t she leaving?''


    Cayenne heard the message notification of Stefan''s phone and she looked at it only to find John''s message. Cayenne didn''t know when her husband exchanged phone number with the man and she wasn''t interested in it. She just wanted to help her friend get the closure that she needed. She didn''t want her to leave this world with regret.


    "Hon, you should reply to his message." Cayenne said as she picked the phone and gave it to Stefan. "He''s waiting outside. He''s probably checking on Marian to see her safe and sound.


    "I still have some things to do. Can you reply his message for me?"


    "Uh. Sure." Cayenne retracted her hand and opened the message to reply it, telling John that Marian won''t being home tonight because of their trip tomorrow.


    ''Okay. I understand. Thank you for letting me know.''


    She thought it was the end of the message and returned the phone to Stefan. However, when Stefan received it, another notification popped up and it was from John still.


    Stefan typed his reply quickly before putting the phone on his desk. "I''m almost done here. Why don''t you and take a shower first so we can sleep soon?"


    "Alright." Cayenne left the study room and went to check on Marian in the guest room. She was still not sleeping yet, still waiting for Veronica toe back. "How about you get some sleep while waiting? I''m sure that she''ll be back soon since it''s not traffic at this time of the night. Also, it''s detrimental to your health if you stay awakete at night."


    Marian looked at Cayenne and smiled faintly before looking down on her hand which was holding her wig. "How did your husband make my parents agree to this trip?"


    "I don''t know." Cayenne answered as she stepped inside the room. "Stefan has his own way of doing things and for some reason, things always go his way except for my safety and such. I always involve myself in troublesome things."


    Marian didn''t say anything and clenched her hand tightly. "Yen, help me do the things I want to do, will you? Since I have a little bit of time left, I want to do a lot of fun things with you."


    "Sure. I don''t really mind. Sem-break will start soon and we can use that vacation time to do whatever you wanted to do. I promise you." Cayenne reached out her hand and gently squeezed her best friend''s hand. "Get some good sleep now. You look a little pale already."


    "Hn. I''ll do that."


    At four in the morning the next day, Cayenne was already wide awake along with her husband. Stefan had prepared everything already so they really didn''t need to do anything else aside from dressing up and checking their important belongings. In the guest room, Marian was already awake and wasbing her wig to make sure that they''d look a little natural on her. Veronica arrived in the middle of the nightst night but she was so excited for the trip that she didn''t get to sleep. Nheless, she didn''t feel tired and was even more enthusiastic than ever.


    Lucia woke up early as well with her daughters to prepare a healthy meal for everyone. It''s better to eat early breakfast at home than eating expensive food at the airportter on.


    Since they''re going to turkey, Stefan decided to bring a couple of bodyguards as well, those with passport and visa. He wasn''t really that worried since Turkey is pretty safe to travel. There''s no need to put their guard up all the time there.


    Luiz and Kyle were also wide awake, waiting for them in the living room. They wanted to send them off at the airport.


    Meanwhile, John was also packing his things when he received the message from Stefan that they''re already on the way to the airport. Last night, when he asked about the trip, Stefan told him that they''d be going to Cappadocia, Turkey. He also included the time of their flight and the hotel. Without waiting for more exnation, John went home, booked the same flight as them and booked the same hotel. He didn''t have much time to be with Marian and as much as he could, he wanted to be there for her.


    At nine in the morning, he was already at the boarding gate, waiting for the flight. Cayenne and her group also arrived not long after and they even sat very close to each other. If he wasn''t reading a newspaper to cover his face, Marian would be able to spot him from the crowd.


    The travel to Cappadocia takes 18 hours of time so, they were still able to catch some sleep on the ne. When they arrived to their hotel it was already 10:00 AM the next day. Cayenne was a little tired from the travel plus, she felt dizzy from the jetg. However, when she saw the view outside their hotel room, every negative feeling she has left her body in an instant. It was so breathtakingly beautiful that she couldn''t keep her eyes away from it.


    Earlier, she was too tired to pay attention to her surrounding but now, she just wanted to go out and observe the ce for a long time.


    "Let''s grab and early lunch and take a rest for a while. We have a long time to explore this ce and enjoy it." Stefan told her and dragged her away from the window. Cayenne wanted toin from being disturbed but she also realized that what her husband said was actually right.


    Marian was the same as Cayenne. She held her phone in hand and took pictures several times, just couldn''t get enough of one photo tomemorate her stay in this ce. When she heard the knocks on the door, she could only sigh and put down her phone to open it.


    "Let''s get an early lunch, rest and enjoy the ceter." Cayenne said without pausing at all. "You can unpackter. Let''s savor the moment."


    The ce that Stefan booked was called Cappadocia Cave Resort and Spa. It''s a luxury hotel built right into the mountain. It offers a panoramic view of the Cappadociandscape. Their exclusive spa area offers all kinds of treatments, from steam baths to an experience shower with sound and light effects to that amazing four-handed massage-in sum, everything spa fans could want. The massage for couples with your choice of music is both romantic and a highlight of any honeymoon. Beautiful is just an understatement to describe the ce but as Cayenne walked around, she couldn''t think of any other word.


    "I feel so out of ce." Cayennemented when they took a seat around one of the vacant tables in the restaurant. "You should have informed me that we''re going to this kind of ce. I could have prepared my mind and heart."


    "If I told you, you won''t be able to get some sleep." Stefan answered. "Just keep it out of your mind for now. You''ll get your chance to enjoy this ceter."


    "Hn."


    Not long after, John arrived and sat three tables away from them. He was sitting with his back facing them. Even if he couldn''t face her, it was enough to hear her voice for now.


    Stefan nced at the man and didn''t say anything. Cayenne didn''t have to look, just from her peripheral alone and she could tell how lonely the man was.


    ''Am I doing the right, thing?'' Cayenne questioned herself mentally.

 Chapter 585 - CAPPADOCIA II

    <h4>Chapter 585 - CAPPADOCIA II</h4>


    They were having a very sumptuous lunch at the restaurant and instead of hurrying herself to finish her meal and rest, Cayenne savored the taste of the food that they ordered. If possible, she wanted to stop time right there and enjoy her meal for hours. At the same, it wouldn''t be good if the food turns cold so, they really have to finish all of it soon.


    "I never thought I''d experience thisvish lifestyle in my life. Thank you so much for bringing me here." Veronica mentioned while taking pictures of her food and the interior of the restaurant. "I won''t bother think of the price for the whole duration of our stay because I know I wouldn''t be able toe up with that amount of money in my life."


    "I can totally rte to you." Cayenne responded. "I''ll turn a blind eye to the total amount of bill which will be deducted to his cardter on."


    "Stop talking about the amount of money." Marian stated. "Just think of the moment and the experience you get in return. Why are you so worried when you''re not the one paying for it? Your husband didn''t even say anything."


    "Absolutely right." Stefan expressed his agreement. "I didn''t mention anything so don''t talk about it." He said while cing more food on Cayenne''s te. Her food was already forming a little mountain. "Eat more."


    "Are you raising a pig?"


    "Yes. You are my pig. My cute little pig with no fats."


    "Hmp!" she started eating with her plump cheeks, looking like a cute little hamster that Stefan used to call her whenever she eats desserts before.


    After their lunch, they went back to their rooms, telling each other that they needed to rest and adjust their body to the time zone. Among the four of them, when they reached their rooms, only Marian took a rest as soon as they got back. She knew that she needed to store up some energy because of her frail condition. She didn''t want to drag others just because she''s a patient.


    Veronica took pictures in every ce that her eyes couldy. At the same time, she''d check on Marian from time to time, making sure that she was sleepingfortably without having cold sweats.


    Because of her illness, Marian sweats a lot and sometimes, she''d catch a fever out of nowhere. She''ll have bruised skin everywhere and sometimes, she''d even bleed. If she didn''t put lip gloss on her lips, one would know that she''s really pale. Veronica''s job was to make sure that Marian was constantly monitored in order for them to know if they needed immediate medical help.


    Meanwhile, in the next room where Cayenne and Stefan stayed, the couple was staring at each other. Stefan was urging his wife to sleep for at least three hours and Cayenne really wanted to try getting some sleep but her mind would wander off to the beautiful ce and she couldn''t sleep. She had been taking pictures of the ce, took selfie of herself and with Stefan, and also took pictures of him secretly. She did nothing but take pictures here and there.


    Now, the two of them yed a staring game of who will give in first. "Maybe I''d be sleepyter if take a walk outside and tire myself out. What do you think?" Cayenne asked, her eyes hopeful and was anticipating for him to agree.


    Instead, Stefan leaned closer and whispered on her ear. "I think I know a better way to tire you out. Do you want to try it?" He bit her earlobe a little which made Cayenne back away from him. "Hmm? What do you think?"


    "I think I''ll get some sleep. I feel tired all of a sudden." Cayenne scampered away and got on the bed to take a rest. She even closed her eyes tightly.


    Stefan chuckled at her response and went to bed as well. He gently rubbed her hair and massaged her scalp, making Cayenne fell asleep not long after.


    Stefan was the first ce to wake up around 3:30 in the afternoon. When he looked at the woman in his arms, the corner of his lips was pulled to a smile. ''Not sleepy, huh? Now you''re sleeping so peacefully.'' He kissed the tip of her nose before removing his arms away from her, slowly as best as he could. Cayenne stirred for a moment but she didn''t wake up.


    Stefan took a shower, chose his clothes and also prepared Cayenne''s change of clothes based on his outfit. No matter when and where, he''d always like to wear matching outfit with his wife.


    ''We''ll be going outsideter. I''m nning to tour them around and probably have dinner outside.'' Stefan sent this message to John, not really if the man was awake at the moment to read the message.


    Half an hourter, when Cayenne woke up, John also sent a message to Stefan. Thankfully, they didn''t leave yet. He sent the details to the man before preparing a warm bath for his wife.


    "Why didn''t you wake me up?" Cayenne mumbled while pulling out the bathrobe from the wardrobe. "I slept so much all the way ''til 4:00"


    "It''s fine. There''s no need to be worried. We still have time to enjoy the scenery."


    "Did you inform Mariana and Veronica?"


    "Hn. I sent them a message already."


    Cayenne didn''t say anything anymore and just soaked in the warm bath prepared for her.


    When they''re all set to go, Stefan sent a message to John, telling him that they''re leaving already. Apparently, the man was already at the lobby of the hotel entrance, waiting for them to pass by.


    Marian still had no idea about this but it didn''t take long for her to notice this anomaly. As they walked outside, enjoying the scenery, she felt that someone''s been eyeing her. Whenever she looked back, all she could see were the bodyguards who were following them.


    ''Weird.'' Marian thought and just walked along side Cayenne. From time to time, they''d make a stop, take pictures as a group, have selfies and pictures by pair. And since it was to make a dreame true for Cayenne and Marian, Stefan made sure to take lost of photos with the two of them.


    As they continued their tour, they arrived in an antique shop. They went inside to take a look and perhaps buy something that they''d be interested. At this point, Marian was really sure that someone has been following them. When no one was watching, she hid behind some shelves and observed the people''s reaction. Veronica was looking around to find her mistress as for Cayenne and Stefan, they were rxed because the bodyguards were the door.


    At the same time, one guy was also looking around as if in panic. He was wearing a ck cap, a face mask and a dark eyess. Even though it was getting darker outside, he didn''t remove his shades.


    ''Why didn''t the bodyguard deal with this person?'' She thought while observing the man. She was bing intrigued buy she didn''t make a move. She just hid there, watching him like an eagle watching his prey.


    All of a sudden, the man approached Cayenne and Stefan. He removed his mask and shades. He seems agitated as he looked around the ce. Then and there, she caught sight of his face. She instantly covered her mouth from shock as her eyes go wide. "Why is he here? What is he doing here? How did he know Cayenne and Stefan?" She put things two and two together and realization hits her. "They didn''t invite him toe as well, right?"


    She decided to hide for a while and observe more but Veronica suddenly appeared behind her and poked her back. "Young miss, why ¨C"


    "Jesus!"


    "What? I just want to ask why are you hiding."


    "I''m not hiding. I''m looking for something interesting." Marian replied and grabbed an old-looking heart-shaped padlock from the shelf. "I''m interested with this." She said and grabbed Veronica''s arm. "Let''s go over there and check for more items."


    She didn''t notice that next to the old-looking heart was an old-looking key. When she left to find something else with Veronica, John also arrived at the shelf with Cayenne and Stefan. He looked at the key with great interest and picked it up. "I''ll have her keep this key to my heart."


    "That''s if she''ll ept it.." Cayenne retorted with a smirk.

 Chapter 586 - CAPPADOCIA III

    <h4>Chapter 586 - CAPPADOCIA III</h4>


    Marian went to the counter first with Victoria. They were both holding little items that they like from the shop and was prepared to check out. Marian was really keen on buying the heart-shaped lock with a very intricate design. There were many heart-shaped locks in the world but Marian felt that the item she got this time was special.


    "I''d like to have these." She said while she put her items on the countertop. Veronica also ced the items she got which included the vintage mirror that was said to be previously owned by a princess. Whether this was true or not, she didn''t mind. She just wanted to have the mirror to herself because it looked beautiful.


    The old man, who was sitting on a rocking chair at the back of the counter, pressed some button under the table and momentster, a middle-ageddy arrived from who-know-where.


    "Are these all your items?" she asked Marian and Veronica while looking over at the things on the table.


    "That''s for both of us. Our friends probably picked some things as well." Marian answered.


    "Alright." Thedy started scanning the code of the items until she saw the heart-shaped lock on the table. Her hand paused mid-air for a sec and she looked at Marian and Veronica with a frown. "Didn''t you have the key to this lock?"


    "They key? What key? I didn''t know that there was a key."


    Thedy''s frown went even deeper and she looked really bothered. "This should have a key. We''ve been told that anyone who owns the key and the lock will have a lifetime of happiness and that if they die, they will meet again in the next life."


    "I don''t believe in such thing." Marian replied. "I just wanted this for collection or something. I don''t need anyone to ¨C "


    "Is this the key?" The interruption was so sudden but it wasn''t what stopped Marian from speaking. She stopped talking because she just came face to face with her ex-boyfriend. Right now, he wasn''t even wearing the mask, the sses or his cap. He fully exposed himself in front of her. "I really wish this is the key."


    The middle-ageddy picked up the key and opened the lock right in front of them. "Yes, this is it! Such fate! Such destiny. You must be destined for each other." She said happily but her voice slowly fades when she noticed Marian''s expression ¨C unhappy. "Do you still want to get the lock?" she asked.


    "No. I don''t like it anymore. You can give it to him if he likes it. I''ll pay for the others."


    "O-okay."


    John wanted to speak to Marian while the cashier packed up the items but he felt a little hesitant when he found Veronica ring at him. Veronica''s re was something he can ignore but Marian didn''t even spare him a nce. She looked angry, even.


    Cayenne and Stefan also arrived with few things in hand. Cayenne spoke to Marian as if nothing happens and sessfully diverted thetter''s attention.


    "It''s rare to meet someone from the same city here. Let''s have dinner together." Stefan suggested and since it was him who will pay for their food, Marian just let him be. When they finished shopping and went to have dinner in the nearest restaurant, John was apanying them openly. He was no longer stalking them.


    "You told him about this trip, didn''t you?" Marian whispered to Cayenne while waiting for their food.


    "I did. I''m really sorry." Cayenne whispered in apology. "I know that you''re having a hard time after I have read your letters but I also realized that before it''s toote, before you regret everything ¨C it would be better if both of you will have closure. If you can no longer love him, isn''t it better if you tell him the words. Isn''t it better if you let him know of your decision. Based on your letter and based on what I have observed, I can see that he hasn''t given up his feelings for you. There must be some kind of misunderstanding." Cayenne whispered, trying her best to exin her side while giving Marian the choice of the next course.


    When their food arrived, Marian ate quietly. She''d answer if she''s asked but she no longer initiates any subject for conversation. She often fixed the cor of her blouse as well ¨C afraid that John would find something beneath her clothes.


    From the beginning ''til the end, Marian didn''t look at the man that she missed the most. She didn''t say a single word to him.


    On their way back to the resort, they stopped several times to take pictures of the night view as well. Cayenne and Stefan had lots of photos together and Stefan uploaded it on his ount while Cayenne uploaded random pictures of them; including Veronica and Marian. John didn''t take pictures with them but he was silently stealing pictures of Marian.


    They all went back to the resort around nine in the evening. Cayenne still wanted to enjoy the scenery but Stefan had nned for their next day to be enjoyable and packed with adventure. In the end, she could only agree to rest the night away.


    It wasn''t the same for the people in the other room, though. Veronica was watching Marian with worry reflecting her face while thetter was looking outside their floor-to-ceiling window, lost in thought of what she should do.


    She did say that she will no longer love him in her letters but over the years, she wasn''t still able to move on. She still continued to hang on to her feelings while continuously avoiding him. Marian took a deep breath for the nth time and sighed once again.


    "Stop thinking too much. Let''s rest for tonight because we will do lots of things tomorrow ording to Ms. Yen. If you want to talk to him, I won''t stop you." Veronica stated while arranging the bed where they''ll sleep. "I just hope that you won''t regret anything."


    "I''m sorry for worrying you."


    "No big deal. Come here and let''s sleep."


    On the other hand, John received the itinerary that Stefan prepared for the next day. To spend more time with Marian and possibly get a chance to talk to her, John relied on Stefan for information. He needed to match his activities with their to never miss a chance again.


    "Tomorrow, I''ll make sure to get some words out of her. Even if it''s a single ''hi'' or an angry ''back off'', I wouldn''t mind." John told himself.. He has prepared himself for the worst already but none of them prepared for her illness to get worse.

 Chapter 587 - CAPPADOCIA IV

    <h4>Chapter 587 - CAPPADOCIA IV</h4>


    The next morning, Cayenne woke up early due to so much excitement coursing her petite figure. Well, she''s not really small butpared to her husband, she''d really appear cute beside him. She picked up a small back pack and ced small items that she''d be needing for the whole day, making sure to be quiet as much as she could while Stefan continued to sleep on the bed.


    Stefan stirred in his sleep and touched the cold and empty space next to him. He slowly got up from the bed and found his wife stuffing things inside her little back pack. "Morning, love." He said. He yawned from the sleepiness he felt while watching Cayenne.


    "Morning, hon!" Cayenne replied enthusiastically, very opposite to her sluggish husband. "I''m so excited for today''s activities that you have nned. How about you? Oh! By the way, I called for breakfast to be served here. Do you want to shower first? I''ll just have to finish these stuffs and bathter. Or we can bath together if you can wait."


    "I''ll wait." Stefan answered the moment Cayenne stopped her rumbling. "Is there anything that I can help?"


    "Thanks, but I can handle this myself."


    She continued to do her task and he continued to watch her in silence. The room was very quiet but it was warm and sweet.


    In the other room, Marian was lying down with her arms wide open. She was trying to calm herself, trying her best to regte her breathing. She felt so tired and her breathing wasing short and quick. She felt so much pain in her arms but she didn''t say a word or let out a moan of pain.


    "Let me call a doctor for you, okay. I''ll be right back. I''ll just ask some help from the hotel staff." Veronica stated, wiping the sweat on Marian''s forehead. "Young miss, I''ll get back as soon as I can."


    "No. Don''t." Marian replied between her short breathing. "I¡­I will¡­be fine¡­"


    "But this has been going on for an hour. I don''t think ¨C "


    "Shh. Don''t fuss around. I''ll be okay." Marian only smiled at her personal maid. "This isn''t¡­the first¡­time. Don''t¡­don''t panic." She said.


    Veronica nodded her head and cried silently as she continued to wipe Marian''s face. She noticed that there was another bruise on Marian''s left arm which shows how serious her illness was.


    Another hour has passed and Marian was starting to feel better. This happened a lot of times so, she was already getting the hang of her illness and knew what she should do instead of panicking.


    "I ordered food for us." Veronica told her upon opening the door of their room to receive the breakfast. "I have informed Ms. Yen that you just woke up and still needs to prepare a little."


    "Thank you. Also, please don''t tell them of what happened earlier. I''ll get myself checked as soon as we get back home so, just keep it a secret for now, will you?"


    "Hn." Veronica answered reluctantly.


    The two of them had their breakfast together and right after that, they prepared some of stuff for the day''s activities. John didn''t really prepare that much since most likely, he will only chaperone them, just to spend time with Marian.


    Around nine in the morning, their group gathered at the lobby of the hotel and not to Marian''s surprise, John was also there. She looked towards Cayenne and didn''t say anything. She knew that her best friend just wanted her to have a peace of mind before her time''s over.


    "Let''s go." Stefan gestured everyone to follow him as if he was a local tourist guide for the group. They went to the parking area where many bicycles await them. "Do you guys know how to ride a bike?"


    "I don''t." Veronica answered almost instantly, worry reflecting on her face while she was looking at the rows of bicycles.


    Stefan looked to one of his bodyguards and pointed at Morris. "Morris, please take the two-seater bicycle and drive it for Veronica. In that way, she can still enjoy the view without any worry."


    "You don''t ¨C "


    "Okay, sir." Morris answered which stopped Veronica from saying the rest of her words.


    "I''m sorry for imposing on you."


    "It''s fine ma''am. Either way, we will also be taking the bike with all of you." Morris answered.


    Veronica''s issue was settled just like that. Cayenne and Stefan took one of the two-seater bikes as well while John and Marian took one each.


    "Just follow me." Stefan mentioned and started pedaling his bike to leave the hotel. He rented those bikes just to let themselves indulge in the experience of touring the Cappadocia valleys and tourist spots using a bicycle.


    Marian knew how to ride a bicyle from a young age and she didn''t have any problem doing it even with her illness. She turned on her phone and ced it on a video mode before attaching it to the phone holder in the middle of the handle bars. She could take videos without any problem.


    John followed Marian closely but he didn''t say anything. He just observed her silently.


    While these two had their silent war, Cayenne and Stefan were enjoying themselves very much. From time to time, Stefan would stop and take pictures of his wife. He never gets tired of taking her pictures.


    "Can I ride the bicycle with Marian for the rest of the way?"


    "Sure. I don''t mind. Just make sure to follow me closely."


    "Yay. Thanks, love." Cayenne gave Stefan a quick kiss and went to Marian. "Let''s ride the bike together. I''ll drive it for you. Also, let''s exchange it with the one my husband is using."


    "Is that okay?" Marian asked, not wanting to disturb the quality time of the couple.


    "It''s fine. C''mon."


    Stefan gave Cayenne the two-seater bike and he took the one that Marian used. "Be careful when you drive. Pay attention to the road in front of you."


    "Yes, sir."


    They continued their trip to the ce where Stefan wanted them to go. It wasn''t really far and with the scenery around you, you wouldn''t mind either if it was far.


    Stefan took pictures and short videos of his wife with her best friend. The two wereughing about something that only the two of them knew.


    "Why haven''t you said a single thing to her?" Stefan questioned John while they rested for a little while. The girls were taking lots of pictures while the guards look after them.


    "I wanted to say something but I always felt a clog on my throat whenever I try to say a word."


    "That''s your guilt." Stefan replied. He looked at his wife from the distance and smiled at her when their eyes met. "I made a mistake as well. We were even at the point of having a divorce." Stefan added. "I hurt her so bad because of my selfishness but then, I realized that I can no longer live my life without her. I threw my pride away and went to look for her. And here we are now. I know you are trying your best to approach her but you need to say a word, too.. If you won''t, you might regret everythingter."

 Chapter 588 - CAPPADOCIA V

    <h4>Chapter 588 - CAPPADOCIA V</h4>


    The distance wasn''t far but because they stopped several times to take pictures and videos, it took them almost an hour to arrive at the ce where Stefan brought them.


    It was a vast field with hills, stone structures and several establishments. And not just that, there were so many people in this ce and so many hot air balloons, too. They were so colorful that Cayenne''s eyes lit up as soon as sheid her eyes on them. Not just her, everyone was equally surprised and mesmerized just like her.


    There were some balloons flying on air already while the others were still on the ground waiting for their passengers.


    "Oh my god! This is really happening! I''m not just dreaming it anymore." She said and tightened her hold on Stefan''s hands. "Thank you so much."


    "You''re wee. If your best friend didn''t mention it on herter, you wouldn''t tell me about this will you?"


    "Well, I''ve been busy in the past and I have forgotten some of the things that I wanted to do. In fact, I have also forgotten that I once dreamed of being here."


    "Then, make most of your time and share the experience to your fans."


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    Stefan leaned closer to her ear and whispered. "You are pretending to have lost your memories, right? Your fans have been wishing you well and wanted you to recover soon. They''ve been leavingments on your vlogs and they wanted to see how you are now. Isn''t it better to show them your current situation?"


    "But I didn''t take videos of the whole thing."


    "You didn''t but I did." Stefan winked at her and grinned. "I''m so reliable, ain''t I? You''ll have to reward meter."


    "Hmp! You are just after the reward."


    As they talked to each other, a man approached them and showed Stefan his identity card. "Are you Mr. Dumrique?" The man asked.


    "Yes, I am."


    "Nice to finally meet you sir. I am Alberto and I will be facilitating your ride today."


    "I''ll leave ourselves to your care. Thank you."


    "Come this way." Alberto led them to the hot air balloon that his team had been preparing. It has an ocean blue color with theirpany name and logo printed on it.


    Cayenne was trembling with excitement and since she "lost" her memories and has "forgotten" her vlogging experience, she didn''t say much in her videos and just allowed her husband to take much as he can. Kyle, Erwin and Tristan can edit the details in the next few days.


    "We''re finally getting into one of these beautiful things." Marianmented. "I am so excited."


    "Me, too." Veronica replied. "I''ll never forget this experience and will tell my grandchildren in the future of what I have seen here."


    "You are thinking way ahead."


    "It''s not really an issue."


    One after another, everyone went inside the box carrier and Alberto started putting on fires to lift the balloon from the ground, little by little, they went up on air until they realized they were already kilometers above the ground.


    "Oh my gosh! We''re flying. We are really flying on this hot air balloon!" Veronica stated enthusiastically while taking pictures and videos of herself and thendscape.


    "This is so much better than I could have ever imagine having all these other balloons flying with us. It''s beautiful." Johnmented as he watched the other balloons flying around them.


    "I know. And thesendscapes and the balloons¡­gosh¡­they''re the most incredible things I have ever seen." Marian answered without thinking much of who she was talking to. She was too mesmerized to pay attention to the people beside her.


    "It feels like we''re on a different with this beautiful scenery."


    "And look at that. You can see the beautiful buildings and beautiful stone structures."


    "We''re so close to the sky."


    Hearing their conversation, Cayenne spun around to see them and Veronica did the same thing. They looked at the two people talking like normal friends even though they have been giving each other a cold shoulder.


    Stefan pulled his wife closer to him and whispered. "Just let them be."


    "Hn." Cayenne smiled and looked at the surroundings once again.


    The rock formations were incredible and you can see how much the people preserve as much natural resources as they could. Most of the building were carved out from the rocks and there were many hotels carved directly in the mountain or in a huge stone. Their architectural designs were just amazing as one could see.


    "I''m so d that we''re able toe to this beautiful ce together." Cayenne told Marian.


    "Thanks to your husband. One of our dreams hase true."


    "Right. I never thought he''d prepare this much in a short time."


    "If it''s for you, he will do anything."


    "That''s what everyone says."


    "Lucky you."


    They talked, took pictures together and appreciated the beautiful ce just like everyone else. And just like all the other good times, this happy moment muste to an end.


    After an hour and ten minutes, theynded back on the ground with memories kept in their heart.


    "Thank you so much for that wonderful ride Alberto." Stefan told the man.


    "You''re wee. I''m d that your wife enjoyed the ride."


    "She loves it so much." Stefan smiled as he watched Cayenne talk cheerfully with her best friend. "Anyway, we''ll get going now. Have a wonderful day."


    "Likewise."


    Stefan left and walked to Cayenne''s side to catch hold of her hand. "We justnded on time for lunch. Let''s go and replenish our energy."


    John automatically became part of their group and Marian didn''t say anything about it. They just had a wonderful conversation earlier but now, they''re back to ying mutes. However, it wasn''t all that bad. Right now, both of them were walking side by side.


    During lunch, Marian didn''t react negatively when John ced some food on her te. She even ate them happily, giving few words of how delicious it tastes. The rest of the group just acted like nothing has changed.


    After lunch, Stefan led their group to Goreme Open Air Museum. They have seen this ce earlier from above the ground but they have not seen what''s really inside the stone structures. Now, it''s time for them to find out.


    Unlike other museums with tall and huge building structures, Goreme waspletely different. It was a wide expanse ofnd which was covered with rock formations and rooms carved in rocks. You will have to get into tunnels and climbed stairs to see the beauty that people have carved into the rocks. As you climbed higher, you will be able to see the breathtaking valleys and the mountain ranges.


    They spent an hour and half, looking around the Goreme Open Air Museum and if Stefan didn''t say that there''s one more thing they''d have to do, Cayenne would probably stay there wait for the sun to set.

 Chapter 589 - THE HAPPY MOMENTS END

    <h4>Chapter 589 - THE HAPPY MOMENTS END</h4>


    Instead of touring the ce using cars, they toured the ce using bicycles and sometimes on foot. And they felt that it was better. Their next destination was a ranch. It was to rent a horse for the sunset horseback riding.


    The staff kept their bikes on a shed and led everyone to the main building where the stable could be found. It was a huge ce and you can see different kinds of horses in different colors and sizes. Cayenne had experienced a horseback riding with Stefan before.


    She would never forget that first time because it was also the day that she became his official girlfriend. Thinking back to this moment, a blush crept on her face which made Stefan wonder what she was thinking about.


    "Let''s ride separately on the way to the ce that you want us to go and let''s ride together on our way back. How''s that?" Cayenne suggested to her husband.


    "And why don''t you want to be with me on the way to the spot?"


    "Because I want to experience doing it alone."


    "Really?"


    "Hn."


    "No other reason?"


    "What other reason could there be? Stop thinking of nonsense thing." Cayenne pushed her husband away from her. "Stay close to me, though."


    "Aye! Aye! Captain."


    Just like with the bike, John and Marian chose their horse separately. This time, they have progressed to the step of talking to each other once again. Although, their conversation was a little stiffpared to when they talked on the hot air balloon. Nheless, no one disturbed them.


    The ce wasn''t very far and when they reached the ce, there was a car waiting for them. The back of the car was converted to a food stall. It wasn''t really a full course meal, just some snacks, fruits and some drinks that they could eat while watching the sun on the west. The sky was turning dark with streaks of red-orange, pinkish and purplish sunrays. The shadows of the rock formations were slowly looming over them and the scene was just so beautiful that they all wished for the time to stop.


    But time don''t stop. It will continue to move forward just like our life. Whether you like it or not, you will have to take a step, to rest and rise for a new day.


    After the horseback riding, everyone returned to the ranch and rested for few minutes while Stefan rented a car for them to use back to their resort. He didn''t want to tire everyone even more by biking back to the resort. They''d probably copse if he does that especially that Marian''s fragile and ill.


    When they arrived back at the hotel, they had dinner altogether, talking about their experience for the whole day and the things that they''ll miss in this ce. If possible, Cayenne wanted to visit more ces in Turkey but their vacation has ended and they needed to go back home the next day.


    In fact, everyone had the same thought except for Stefan. They thought that they''d be going back home the next day. However, when they received their flight information after Stefan booked it, it wasn''t showing them the name of their country. It was a flight to ?l¨¹deniz.


    They knew that this ce is still part of Turkey and they had no idea why they''re going there. Not just them, even John received a free flight to ?l¨¹deniz from Stefan. On the other hand, the only person who has no idea of this information was the person sitting on the bed beside the man who booked it.


    Cayenne was just cuddling her husband, not saying anything any thing as she thought of their trip back home. Of course, she''s missing her family but at the same time, she wanted to make more beautiful memories with her husband and her best friend.


    ''It''s really a sad thing that everything will end tomorrow.'' She thought while Stefan just caressed her hair, not letting her know about the changes either.


    It was not until they arrived at the airport that Cayenne found out of their next destination. She was really happy about it and was even searching for beautiful spots in ?l¨¹deniz.


    This whole ce was surrounded by lush forests and on the coastline, you will find one of the most famous beaches in all of Turkey. The deep bluegoon was something that Cayenne wouldn''t miss for sure and Stefan already made arrangement for them to visit this ce.


    Although, they wouldn''t be staying for long in this ce, Cayenne didn''t mind at all. She just wanted to relish the moment that she was able to visit this ce.


    When they arrived to their next destination, Cayenne didn''t care about her jetg. She just wanted to make most of her time while she''s at it. With Marian and Veronica, they toured the ce like there''s no tomorrow. The hotel that Stefan booked for them to stay was just a walking distance to the beach and there were so many stalls and stores around the area that one could look to see if there''s anything they''d like to buy.


    Cayenne was so full of energy, leading everyone to different ces that she thinks were interesting. As they continued to walk, they finally arrived at the beach and found so many people at the area. There were some people paragliding over the ce and others were boarding pirate ships which were named after the Pirates of the Caribbean characters.


    "Let''s have some lunch first." Stefan told them and pulled his wife to his side and walked to the nearest restaurant. "We can take a swimter."


    "I love that n." Cayenne replied to him.


    "That''s make it two rewards for me. I''ll ask them from you once we arrive home."


    Because they were all excited to take a dip at the beach, they quickly finished their food and continued to have fun at the beach. They yed some games and water sports, enjoying the moment of their life which will onlyst for a day. They bought lots of souvenirs for their friends and family who didn''te with them.


    Cayenne was no longer sulking and even when they have to leave the next day, she wasn''t really bothered by it. She was already satisfied with all the entertainment she had in the past few days.


    With all the happy moments she had, Cayenne went back home along with her husband and everyone else.


    When they arrived at the airport, the other bodyguards were there to pick them up. Cayenne wanted to send someone to apany Marian and Veronica back to their house but John volunteered so, she didn''t push her idea.


    Marian wasn''t really against the idea and even if she had, she didn''t have the energy to spare in order to voice out her opinion. She was too tired to speak and she had to focus herself in calming herself or else, she''d cry in pain in front of them. Her back has been hurting two hours after they lift off from Turkey but she didn''t say anything.


    She was sweating a little bit but she only med her stuffy clothes for it which made a sense to everyone and they didn''t think too much about it. Only Veronica knew what was really going on but she didn''t say a word because of her promise. The moment they parted their ways and when Cayenne''s no longer in sight, Marian copsed on the ground.. Her nose was bleeding and there were some blooding out of her mouth as well.

 Chapter 590 - IM TIRED

    <h4>Chapter 590 - I''M TIRED</h4>


    The doctor came out of the emergency room with a darkness shrouding his face. He didn''t have to say the words because they knew exactly how it would be.


    "i¡­This can''t be." Mrs. Wyatt broke down and cried on the floor. Her tears kept falling down her face but Veronica only looked at her in disdain.


    "I''ll get inside to see her." Veronica said without wasting her time watching the drama unfold outside the room. Marian was actually awake and she was looking outside the window of her hospital room. "Your mother can be a good actress."


    "I know." Marian answered with a faint smile. "But maybe, she''s really sad for me?"


    "Oh? She is? I don''t see such emotion in her eyes. If I know, she''d only sad for wasting so much time on you. Let''s admit it. Ever since you were sent to that lonely residence, how many times did they visit you? Once? Twice?"


    "Alright. You don''t have to get angry for my sake. My parents are busy."


    "Whatever. Also, is John still outside?"


    "Yeah. He''s probably being dissed by your parents."


    "Call him in quick!"


    Veronica couldn''t really disobey her this time, afraid to worsen her health condition thus, she called John toe inside. She didn''t even bother talking to Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt. "Juste in." She told John without any additional words.


    John came inside, looked at Marian in her eyes and smiled faintly. "How are you feeling?"


    "I''m good. I was a little tired from the journey and had a rpse."


    "Is that so." He didn''t believe her but he didn''t want to make things difficult for her either. "Do you mind if I''lle and visit you here in the next few days?"


    "I don''t mind but I will leave this ce tomorrow. I don''t like being confine in a hospital. Besides, this won''t really help me. It will only waste my parents'' money."


    "Then, can I visit your home?"


    "Sure. That''s alright."


    None of them talked about their personal matter, just conversing like normal friends and this put Marian at ease. When her parents came inside her room, John left to avoid being in the same room as them. Veronica also left to send him out, reminding him of some things he needed to pay attention to when visiting Marian and making sure that he''d keep the news from Cayenne and Stefan.


    Cayenne still had no idea of what has happened. She continued her normal life and also called Marian from time to time. Thetter told her that she''s doing fine and she sounded fine so, Cayenne wasn''t suspicious at all.


    Four dayster, Marian fainted once again. Sometimes, she''d confuse someone for another person and sometimes, she couldn''t recognize the ce she was in. This bothered her parents so much and Veronica had been crying. Ever since she knew that her young mistress has leukemia, she had been searching articles rted to this illness and she knew that the things that Marian was experienced were all symptoms of the end stage of leukemia.


    Every time they''d bring her to the doctor, the doctor woulde out with a sorry figure. They''d sigh helplessly and tell them to prepare for the bad news.


    "Hi. I have cakes for you." John stated as soon as he came in with small boxes of pastries. He couldn''t remember how many times he had visited her but he did it every day. "Do you want to have a taste?"


    "Are they from your shop?"


    "Yup. I made them myself today."


    "Really? Come and sit here." She gestured for her to sit on the bed space next to her. "Let''s eat them together. It would taste better if you share it with friends."


    "Hn." He gave Veronica a pair of stic spoon and fork, another pair for Marian and another pair for himself. "Just choose whatever you like to try."


    "I''ll have the rainbow cake."


    The three of them ate as if things were normal ¨C Veronica''s eyes were red-rimmed though from crying overnight. John didn''t say anything unusual but every day, he''d hold onto the ring tightly, as if it could give him strength to face her without breaking down in front of her.


    Cayenne''s vlog came out one week after they came back from Turkey. Many of her fans were happy to see her again and even though she didn''t speak much in her video, they could see that she was really enjoying their trip. Another thing that exploded was the fact that many people knew of Marian. Cayenne thought that her best friend was living a low-key life but she didn''t expect to have many people discuss of her illness and family issue on thement section.


    "I didn''t expect to see the heiress of the Wyatt Group to be with Mrs. Dumrique."


    "I heard Marian Wyatt is ill."


    "She''s ill and she still went out to have fun."


    "I hope she''ll get better soon. The heiress of Wyatt group is a very nicedy."


    "Her parents are mean. I bet she get her illness as punishment for her parents."


    Cayenne have read some of thements and couldn''t stop herself from fuming in anger. There werements that made her happy but there so many of them that made her angry, too. If Stefan wasn''t calming her down, she has probably thrown her cellphone already.


    "Let''s see her tomorrow, okay? I want to see her tomorrow."


    "But your final exam is approaching." Stefan responded to her.


    "But I cannot stop worrying. I can''t focus myself for study session."


    "Let''s just call her, shall we? As long as you know that she''s fine, you can focus back to your study time, right?"


    "Fine. Fine. Let''s call them." Cayenne dialed Veronica''s number which was the same contact that Marian kept. Marian didn''t have her own phone because she had been avoiding direct contact with the source of radiation energy. Nheless, Veronica kept one for emergency.


    The phone rang several times but no one answered it. Veronica was busy wiping Marian''s cold sweat and the blooding out of her nose. Her health was getting worse day by day. She''s been breathing slowly with long pauses which sometimes made Veronica think of the worst.


    Even during this time of her life, Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt still continued to do their work. They would only show up whenever they want and act as if they were sorry and regretful.


    "I''m tired." Marian whispered and smiled faintly with tears falling on the side of her face.. "I''m really tired."

 Chapter 591 - ITS TOO LATE NOW

    <h4>Chapter 591 - IT''S TOO LATE NOW</h4>


    "Miss Marian, don''t leave me yet." Veronica cried while holding onto Marian''s hand. "Young mistress, I''ll call miss Cayenne, okay? I''ll let her know of your current situation. She will be devastated if you won''t tell her the truth."


    "No, you can''t." Marian gripped Veronica''s hand tightly to stop her. "She will have her final exam soon. We cannot afford to distract her from the examination. I''d feel bad if she fails."


    "What about John? He''s been visiting you here but none of you really talked and settle your past. Are you just leaving without saying anything to him?"


    "He''ll understand."


    "No, he won''t."


    Veronica knew she was being selfish but she didn''t really want Marian to die yet. She''s still young and could aplish a lot of things but her illness robbed her off of her bright future.


    Outside the hospital room, John was standing with a bouquet of pink carnations. It was Marian''s favorite flower and it was also his message to her. He took several deep breaths before knocking on the door to get inside the room.


    Veronica picked up the blood-stained tissues as quick as she could and threw them to the bathroom. They knew that John already had a faint idea of Marian''s current health status but they still acted as if she was fine.


    "Flowers for you."


    "Thanks." She epted it and handed it over to Veronica who just came out of the bathroom. "Get me a flower vase for these."


    "I thought you''d be able to get out of the hospital again."


    "I thought so but the doctor said I need constant monitoring." Marian spoke without looking at the man in front of her. "How about your business? You kepting here and neglected your work. You don''t really have toe here everyday."


    "I want toe and see you."


    "Oh."


    The room sank into a deafening silence after her perfunctory reply. She couldn''t find the words she wanted to say and John was worried if it was appropriate for him to say something about his feelings in her current situation.


    "I''ll go out for a bit." Veronica stated which broke the silence in the room. "Please call me if you need something."


    "O-okay." Marian answered in which John just nodded. As soon as Veronica left and closed the door, she raised her head to look at the man in front of her, only to find that he was looking at her as well. "Uh¡­uhm¡­if you don''t have anything else to say¡­you can actually go home or go back to work."


    "Do you really want me to leave?"


    "Y-yeah."


    "Really?"


    "Hn."


    "Why?"


    "Ha? What do you mean why? Isn''t it the normal thing to do?"


    John didn''t look away from her. Ever since he came inside, he has been looking at her. She looked pale with patches of bruises on her arms. Her legs have bruises, too but it wasn''t exposed because she''s covering them with the nket. John stood up and walked to the other side where the boxes of tissuesy. Without saying anything, he lifted her chin and wiped the blood off of her face.


    "I''m dying." Marian muttered while watching him wipe the blood from her face.


    "I know and I have no way to stop it. And I won''t say you''re not because that would be lying to you and giving you false hope."


    Marian chuckled at his response. "You''re so annoying. Do you know that patients love to her lies instead of the truth?"


    "But I promised I''d never lie to you again even if it hurts."


    She held his hand and took the tissues from him. "I''ll do it myself. It will take a long time for the bleeding to stop and you''ll get tired."


    "I won''t."


    "Whatever. Just give them to me."


    John took the tissues back and put them away from her. "I''ll do it."


    She stopped moving and just let him do what he wants. Memories of them together since high school shed across her mind and she couldn''t stop herself from smiling. "Hey, John."


    "Mm?"


    "I''m giving you something." She moved a little away from him and picked a small box from the bedside drawer. "I''m giving it back to you." It was none other than the ring that he gave her several years ago. "Well, we can no longer keep our promise so, I don''t want to keep holding that. Also, you still have a long way to go. You should enjoy yourself and find someone better than me."


    "I don''t want to take this back." He ced it back in her hand and stood up. "I don''t want you to return that ring."


    "Why not? It''s yours to begin with."


    "But I still want to keep my promise."


    "Huh? Are you an idiot? Why would you do that? I''m a dying person. Don''t be stupid."


    "So, what? What if I''m stupid? Who cares?" John clenched his hands into fists while looking at her. "Marian, I''ve regretted the times that I didn''t spend with you. I regretted the moments that you tried to talk to me but I ignored you. I regretted not stopping you when you left my dorm. I don''t want to regret not being with you for the rest of my life."


    Marian was silent for a while. She just looked at him with an expressionless face. It was hard to discern what she really felt as he said those words. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to give you a hard time during those times. In fact, I also regretted showing in your life again. I could''ve left after knowing that you''re studying there and had a girlfriend. I could''ve just moved on with my life without you. And I regretted that I didn''t do it. John, what you are feeling must be guilt. It''s not love. And ¨C "


    "You can''t decide my emotions for me." He stated which cut her off from saying the rest of her words. "I''ve never once forgotten you. I tried. I thought that what I felt for you was just a puppy love which will go away in the passage of time. But it didn''t. I kept remembering you. I ¨C"


    "It''s really toote to say it now." She told him and smiled. "I don''t really mind that you found someone else and I won''t mind if you will find someone in the future. What we had will forever stay in my memory and I will treasure them. However, things muste to an end. You have a bright future ahead of you and I don''t want to ruin it. So, please ept this ring once again and leave. Let''s pretend that we''ve never met in our life."


    "No, I don''t want to." John kneeled on the floor and held her hand tightly. "Please don''t do this to me. I don''t want to lose you again. I can make it up for the rest of my life. Just don''t send me away this time. Please I''m begging you."


    Marian pulled her hand from him and turned away.. "I want to sleep."

 Chapter 592 - END STAGE

    <h4>Chapter 592 - END STAGE</h4>


    On the other hand, Veronica called back Cayenne and told her that Marian was alright and was currently resting. She didn''t inform her that Marian''s health was deteriorating because of the uing final exam.


    "After the exam, we''ll visit her." Stefan told Cayenne to reassure her. "I''m pretty sure that Veronica won''t neglect her."


    "I know. I''m just a bit worried because she looked really pale when we left and thest time I called her, she was bleeding although, she told me that it''s normal for patients with leukemia."


    "Don''t worry. Just focus on your exam and I''ll check on her for you."


    To make sure that Cayenne won''t fail, Stefan even allowed her to have group study sessions with Noah and Faith. Of course, he was there the whole time, doing his work and would only leave if he''s going to have a conference meeting with clients or with shareholders. Talk about possessive and overprotective? Stefan would be number one on the list.


    Meanwhile, John kept visiting Marian in the hospital. Normally, she''d be staying at home after getting checked but because her health was getting worse, her parents insisted that she stay in the hospital, acting as if they really cared for her.


    There were times that they crossed path with John and instead of belittling him like how they used to, they''d only look at him with guilty expression. They''d never say a word but Veronica knew why only Marian had no idea of what she missed in the past.


    It''s been three days since they talked emotionally of their past and their rtionship, and after all that, Marian pretended nothing happened.


    "I brought you white bean chicken soup and banana-apple shake. I made them myself." John stated while cing the food containers on the table.


    "Thank you. Did you meet my parents outside? Did they say something to you?"


    "I did see them but we didn''t talk."


    "I see. As much as possible, just avoid them."


    John nodded his head and sat on the chair next to her bed. "It''s almost lunch. Do you want to eat first and have a ¨C "


    "I''ll eatter. I''m really sleepy and I feel so tired."


    "Are you making excuses not to see me?"


    "Of course, not. I just really feel a little bit sluggish. I don''t get so much sleep at night so I try to get as much sleep during day time."


    John didn''t think too much about it and just sat on the chair, watching her as she drifted off to sleep. After half an hour, reassured that she''s asleep, he pulled out a small box from his pocket and picked the ring inside it.


    "What are you doing?" Veronica asked in whisper when she saw what John has in hand.


    "I''m marrying her." he answered with a faint smile. "I''ll marry no one but her." he slid off the ring on her ring finger and kissed her hand. "I will only love you for the rest of my life even if you don''t want it."


    Veronica sighed and just looked outside the window. She didn''t know what it''s like to fall in love because she has never experienced that but she knew that the one Marian and John have was a painful first love.


    "Young mistress didn''t know about the thing you promised to her parents." Veronica mentioned softly, making sure that John can hear her without waking up Marian who was sleeping. "All this time, she thought that you have forgotten but in fact, you were not allowed to approach her without any results. Sir John, is it worth it? You worked so hard in order to obtain her but in the end, you will still lose her. You lost so much time in the past and you will lose more time in the future."


    "I have regretted a lot of things but I believe that things happened for a reason. I was just a poor man. If I forced my way to be with her andter on she fell ill, she''d only die earlier with me. I don''t have money to lengthen her life."


    "Now, that you have money, can you lengthen her life?" John was dumbfounded at her question. He couldn''t find any words to refute her. "I won''t me you for what you chose and I''m sure that young mistress won''t me you either. Let''s just me it to fate. Isn''t it better to me everything to fate?"


    John remained silent. He didn''t know if what he did was right or wrong but he knew that he regretted everything.


    When Marian woke up around 3:00 in the afternoon, John was no longer there. Veronica told her that he left to deal with some works. It was when she reached for the food on the table that she noticed the ring on her ring finger. She blinked several times, looking at the diamond ring she was wearing.


    "Did he¡­did he put this on me?"


    "Do you think I would?" Veronica retorted and rolled her eyes. "We''ve been pushing him but he kepting back and clings to you."


    "He''ll get tired soon." Marian replied and removed the ring from her hand. She ced it inside the small box together with the promise ring that he gave her years ago. "There''s no point clinging to a dead person."


    "But you''re not dead yet."


    "There''s not much difference." She was very nonchnt to her condition because she has epted the cruel truth of her illness.


    That afternoon, Seiji also visited her to check how she was. He really took some time off from work but he never expected to be mistaken for someone else.


    "Arthur, have you given up on En-En already?"


    "Arthur? I''m not Arthur. It''s me Seiji."


    "Oh. Seiji? My mistake. Anyway, you''re the same with Arthur. Have you given up on her?"


    "I gave up on her a long time ago."


    "Yeah, you should. I heard that she''s got a boyfriend already."


    Seiji and Veronica looked at each other. They weren''t expecting this and they couldn''t speak for a while from the shock. "Cayenne''s married already."


    "She is? Why didn''t she tell me?"


    "Well, they just registered their marriage but the wedding hasn''t yet toe."


    "Oh."


    Veronica couldn''t take it anymore and ran out of the room. Things were progressing so fast. Marian was confusing time and people from one another. Her memories were messed up and Veronica knew that this is one of the symptoms for the final stage of Marian''s illness.


    Seiji kep the smile on his face, acting like nothings wrong but when Marian said she''d go back to sleep, he had the urge to stop her. He was afraid that she''d never wake up again.

 Chapter 593 - SHES FORGETFUL

    <h4>Chapter 593 - SHE''S FORGETFUL</h4>


    The next day, John visited again but Marian was asleep. He found that the ring was taken off so, he looked for it inside the drawer and once found, he put it on her ring finger once again.


    "Her illness is getting worse. You have to prepare yourself because any moment, she''d be gone." Veronica told John while looking outside the window. "I''ll go outside to give you space." She just couldn''t bare to watch the two of them being slowly separated by time and death.


    Two hourster, Marian woke up and found John sleeping with his head leaning on the side of her bed. She saw the diamond ring on her finger again. "Why do you keep putting this ring on me when I''m asleep?" She asked but John was too tired to wake up from her mumbles.


    Not long after, Veronica came inside and woke John from his sleep because Marian''s parents came. "Stop dozing off. Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt are here." She whispered and poked his shoulders several times.


    Marian looked at the door and found her parents standing there before shifting her gaze to the man who was still yawning and dazed from sleep.


    "We didn''t sleep together." She said while shaking her head from left to right. "He just visited me to give me some food."


    "Okay. We understand."


    "You do? Really?" Marian smiled but her sweet smile turned creepy when blood oozed out from her mouth. "I think something''s wrong with my body. I kept vomiting bloodtely and sometimes they''de out of my nose." Her innocent remark made Veronica cry once again. She''s been forgetting that she''s actually ill and that made it so difficult for them to exin to her.


    "Sweetheart, I''m really sorry. I''m sorry. Mom is very sorry." Mrs. Wyatt walked towards Marian and hugged her daughter. "I truly regretted everything I have done but I cannot turn back the time and change it. I wish I could."


    Veronica rolled her eyes and left the room. "Hypocrite." She mumbled as she went out of the room. Even though the couple was the one who paid her sry, she never hides her dislike against them. She hated how fake they were towards other people and to their one and only child. She really wanted to tear off their masks and let people see how hypocrite this couple was.


    John didn''t stay inside the room either. He didn''t like being in the same space as them.


    "They have never change." Hemented when he came out of the room. "I thought they''d change with Marian''s current situation."


    "Leopards don''t change their spots." Veronica answered with obvious distaste. "Once she left, I''ll also move out of their house."


    "Do you have a ce to stay? If you want, you can work in my shop."


    "No, but thanks. Actually, my family''s living condition has improved and my brother has asked me toe home and stop working. But if there''s a need, will you still allow me to work in your caf¨¦ in the future?"


    "Sure. The caf¨¦ will always have a space for you."


    "Thank you, sir John."


    "It''s the least I can do for you for all your hard work in taking care of her."


    Another four days have passed and finally, the exam was done. Cayenne didn''t bother thinking if she passed or fail in any subjects. Her mind was fully upied with visiting Marian in her residence. She was all ready to go and visit her but Stefan told her that Marian was actually in the hospital.


    "Since when?"


    "Since we came back from Turkey."


    "And why didn''t you tell me?!"


    "Marian didn''t want me to tell you. She didn''t want to be your burden and make you fail the exam."


    "Is¡­is her health¡­is she getting better?"


    "It''s getting worse."


    Cayenne bit her lower lip to stop herself from crying. It''s not long ago that she reunited with her best friend but it seems to her that fate was trying to pull them apart again.


    "Let''s go and see her in the hospital, then." Cayenne muttered and left. She was still a bit disoriented with the news that she hailed a taxi instead of getting to their own car.


    Stefan pulled her close and hugged her, rubbing her back to calm her down a little. "We''ll see her. You will be able to spend time with her."


    It would have been better if that was the case but when Cayenne and Stefan arrived, Marian only looked at them with confused expression.


    "Veronica, are they your friends?"


    Cayenne gasped sharply when she heard this question and the tears that she had been stopping since earlier had burst out like a dam. "I''m Cayenne. You call me En-en. Have you forgotten me?"


    "Oh? You''re one of my friends? Lately, I''ve been very forgetful and the doctor said it''s because of my illness. I''m sorry if it offended you."


    "No, it''s okay." Cayenne wiped her tears away and approached Marian. "I''m d to see you. Have you been eating properly these days?"


    "Hn. John would bring lots of soup every day and fruit shakes, too. I cannot eat solid food because my throat hurts and I have lots of mouth sores."


    "That''s good to know. I can see that he''s treating you better."


    "Of course. He even gave me this ring." Marian showed Cayenne the diamond ring and bragged it in front of her. "I can''t believe that my parents didn''t get angry when they saw the ring. It felt so weird." Cayenne couldn''t stop herself from crying again. Marian waited for so long to receive this ring but she only got it when she has little time left. "It''s very beautiful. Also, you muste on Saturday morning. John told me that we should get married even if I''m ill."


    "Okay. I''lle and witness your wedding."


    "Why are you crying? I''m not going to die yet. I still want to get married."


    "These are tears of joy." Cayenne lied. Veronica on the other hand was crying once again.. Every single day, she''s been crying when she sees how Marian tried to live her life that death was trying to take away from her.

 Chapter 594 - IN ANOTHER LIFE

    Song used: The One That Got Away by Katy Perry


    Saturday came and Cayenne woke up before Stefan. She didn''t wait for her him to wake up and started preparing to leave the house. She even chose the matching outfit that they should wear. After that she went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Instead of going to Justin''s home, she cancelled her appointment with the children because she''s nning to visit Marian and witness her wedding.


    Meanwhile, John arrived with the priest that he arranged to conduct their wedding. Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt didn''t argue with him on this matter anymore. They kept apologizing to him but John didn''t listen to them. His attention was fully given to his future wife. He has no time for anyone else.


    "Babe, I''m sorry. I''m sorry if I can''t give you a grand wedding. I''m just a poor man whom you fall in love with."


    "I''m not marrying you for money." Marian retorted with a pout. "Who cares if you are poor? I will just raise you for the rest of my life."


    "Hn. I''ll be living off of you. So, don''t forget our vows today." John held Marian''s hand and kissed it again and again. "I won''t forget you for the rest of my life."


    The priest moved to the other side of the hospital bed and smiled towards Marian. It was a smile of encouragement. "Good morning, everyone. We are here today to witness the union of these two souls ¡­" The priest continued speaking while Marian''s strength started slipping away from her body.


    In her mind she could see the wonderful church of Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Therese, decorated with lots of pink carnations and roses. She could see her best friend walking down the aisle ahead of her. She could see Seiji and Arthur. She found her mom and dad, holding each of her hand as they walked her down the aisle. She could see John, the man that she only loved in her life.


    Marian closed her eyes and lived in the moment. The voice of the priest was fading to the background and she could no longer hear him.


    "John Legaspi, do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love her, to honor her, tofort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"


    "Yes, I do." John answered without the slightest hesitation and doubt in himself.


    The priest turned to Marian and asked the same question, "Marian Wyatt, do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, to honor him, tofort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"


    The room sank into silence. Marian''s slow breathing kept them on edge. Whenever she paused for a long time, it felt like she robbed them off of oxygen to breath.


    "Marian Wyatt, do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, to honor him, tofort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?" the priest asked once again.


    As if a veil was lifted off of her face, Marian opened her eyes and saw John kneeling beside her hospital bed. Her parents were looking at her at the foot of the bed while Veronica kept crying at the window.


    There was no music, no flowers, no church and entourage. The wedding she was seeing in mind wasn''t the same wedding she''s having in reality. It''s not that she wasn''t satisfied. In fact, she was very happy to get married to the man that she loved. But she didn''t want to be selfish, she didn''t want to tie someone to her who''s dying.


    Tears fell on the side of her face as she held onto John''s hands. Her parched lips and pale face made her look so fragile and sickly. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I know how much you love me and I am so thankful for that. I will forever remember it and carry it with me until myst breath. John, I never regretted meeting you. I am so thankful that I became part of your life. And thank you. Thank you for thinking about me. Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for taking care of me. I just couldn''t thank you enough. At the same time ¨C "


    "No, please. Please, don''t refuse me." John cried, kissing her hand again and again.


    "John listen to me. I''m not the right woman for you. You still have a long life to live. Please live on and be happy. Please find someone else who can fill the void in your heart. You don''t have to feel sorry for me. You don''t have to feel guilty. I will be fine. I will wait for you in the next life. If there''s a next life, let''s fight all odds to be together. Don''t bother with status and money. I will wait for you."


    "Marian, please. I can''t do what you''re asking me. Just say ''yes''. Just say ''I do'' and everything will be over. In this life, I will not marry anyone but you. Just please give me this chance. In this life, in the next, and the next life after next, I will only love you."


    Cayenne and Stefan were running to the hospital room and this was the scene they found. It was heartbreaking. It was devastating. Even if they were just onlookers, they could feel the pain that the two lovers were going through.


    "John, I love you."


    "So, "Marian Wyatt, do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, to honor him, tofort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"


    Marian smiled and tried to raise her hand to touch John''s face but it only stopped halfway before she had gone limp and her hand fell on the side of the bed.


    Two words. She only needed to say those two words and the ceremony can bepleted in a short time but she didn''t. If it was few years back, those words would have been her happiness. But at thest moment, she chose to be selfless and gave him freedom.

 Chapter 595 - GETTING AN EARFUL

    John cried in silence and even the priest had tears in her eyes. The doctors who were watching outside the room couldn''t stop crying as well.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry."? Mrs. Wyatt kept apologizing but John wasn''t listening to her. It''s toote to say sorry. It''s toote to start over. He was toote to marry her.


    Cayenne sent Seiji and Arthur the news of Marian''s death. Her tears kept falling on her face as sheposed the message and no matter how much she tried to wipe them off, new ones woulde out and fall on the floor.


    Marian''s funeral was held extravagantly which earned scorn and gossips from many people. When their daughter was alive, they were very strict to her and she was very guarded. She even had to lie about her identity, telling people that she''s not rted to the businessman and woman, just to make sure that she won''t implicate them if she makes any mistake.


    Although she was very kind and was also smart, many people tend to hate her because of her parents. In the end, she suffered the most even though she didn''t do anything wrong.


    Even during the funeral, even though John was allowed to be there, he didn''t speak to anyone except for Cayenne, Stefan and Veronica. He didn''t know much about Seiji and Arthur so, he kept a little distance from them.


    Many people offered their condolences as well and some of their former ssmates who were in the country also visited to pay respect. Even if they weren''t close, she was still an acquaintance to most of them.


    Four dayster, Cayenne and Stefan came home from the funeral and Luiz caught a glimpse of his sister''s side profile. "Yen, has been crying since her best friend passed away."


    "We can''t really do anything about it. They just reunited and this happens." Kyle replied to his brother while the two of them peeled some vegetables to be used for dinner. Since it was school break, they gave Lucia and her daughters some off time from work. Instead of letting them work, the family of three can go out and have fun of their own. Therefore, they were left to deal with their own meals.


    It wasn''t a problem to them though. They knew how to cook and they can survive without a chef at home.


    "I''ll send this to Yen''s room." Kyle stated with sliced cucumbers on a small bowl.


    "Bring her some water, too. She needs to keep herself hydrated."


    The funeral was only held for a week and after that, Marian was properly buried in City D''s Sudlon Cemetery. After the burial, Veronica went home back to the mansion and packed her remaining things. Mrs. Wyatt asked the butler of their family to inspection the luggage and after making sure that Veronica didn''t take anything from them, she allowed her to go.


    Veronica didn''t take it to heart. She knew what kind of people was the couple.


    John was still mourning and couldn''t bring himself to work again. But it wasn''t a problem since he has a very capable pastry chef and manager. They also understood her circumstances and didn''t bother him with the store matters.


    On the other hand, Stefan also thought that his wife would be able to move on from the pain but he was wrong. Cayenne was refusing to eat with everyone. She didn''t like talking to anyone but him. Sometimes, even when it was Jillyanna who calls her, she would still refuse to speak. In one year, she lost two important people in her life. Her mother died due to an illness and Marian died for the same reason.


    Soon the school break was over and the second semester of the year was staring. Even still, Cayenne didn''t even enroll herself and left all the work to her husband. Stefan arranged for someone to process everything for his wife, not knowing what else he could do to cheer her up.


    "Is she still mourning? It''s been two weeks after the burial. The second semester will start on Monday. Is she going to school like that?" Luiz asked Kyle while they ate lunch together. Like usual, Stefan came down to bring food upstairs instead. Seeing how busy his brother-inw was in the past few days, Luiz couldn''t take it anymore and stood up from his seat. "Big bro, can I bring the food to her upstairs?"


    "Why? I can do It myself."


    "I just wanted to say something to her."


    "No, you will scold her."


    "Because you won''t." Luiz retorted. "You spoil her so much which is why she''s being like that. It''s not that I hate you spoiling her but there should be a limit to how much you can do it. Just leave it to me, okay?"


    "I don''t really mind- "


    "Well, I mind. I don''t like seeing my sister like that." Luiz left his unfinished food and took the tray of food from Stefan. "Just wait outside the door and do note inside until I get myself out."


    "O-okay. Just don''t go overboard. You sister is fragile. I don''t want to break her heart again."


    "Leave it to me." Luiz walked upstairs under the worried gazes of everyone. Stefan really kept his promise and waited outside. As for Kyle, he just looked at his brother for few seconds before continuing to eat his food.


    "Aren''t you worried for your sister and brother?" Jonas asked his eldest son who seemed calm in front of him.


    "Don''t worry. Luiz is very good in talking sense with Yen and Yen always feel guilty when Luiz is worried because of her."


    "Oh. I see."


    Luiz didn''t bother knocking on the door because Stefan opened it for him. "Sis, I''ming in." Luiz stated and brought the tray of food to the bedside drawer. "How long are you nning to sulk and mourn?" Cayenne didn''t answer. "It''s okay to feel sad. It''s okay to feel depressed for losing someone but you should know that it was something you have no control of. Stop making other people worry about you." Thest statement made Cayenne flinch from her daze and she looked at her brother.


    "Luiz. I ¨C"


    "Yes, Marian is your best friend. You are sorry that she passed away without achieving her dreams, without getting the chance to marry the person that she loves. But is that your fault? Do you have to stress yourself over something you have no control of? Do you think she''d be happy if she gets to see you like this? sses will resume in few days; have you enrolled yourself? Did you spare some time to think of your future? Have you ever thought how much worry you brought to us? To your husband? You can''t sulk here forever. It''s not just me or Kyle. Dad is worried. Sir Reuben and Ms. Ingrid were worried for you."


    Cayenne cried while listening to her brother talk everything he has in mind. She couldn''t deny it because all of them were true. "I''m sorry for causing you guys to worry."


    "Don''t apologize to me. Apologize to your husband. You don''t know this but there''s a problem in one of hispanies yet he had to neglect it because he''s thinking of your welfare instead of his business. Please be mindful of how much your husband has to sacrifice."


    Cayenne burst into tears and just cried everything she''s been keeping within her. She didn''t care if she looked horrible in front of her brother right now. She just wanted to release all the stuffy and negative emotions she was feeling.


    "Sshh. It''s alright now." Luiz hugged his sister and rubbed her back to calm her. "It''s fine. Mom''s death wasn''t your fault. Marian''s death wasn''t your fault. I know that you get to spend so little time with them but I am also sure that none of them med you. In fact, they''re happy. Don''t punish yourself anymore. Just keep their memories in your heart and take a step to move forward. Moving on doesn''t mean you have to forget them. You can also move on while keeping in mind that they were part of your past."


    Just like that, Cayenne finally let go of everything and fell asleep in exhaustion. All the sleepless nights wereing at her and now, she''s finally giving herself the rest she needed.


    Luiz came out of the room and smiled nervously at his brother-inw. "Big bro, I have done my best and I''m pretty sure that she''d be fine. And if she ever asks where am I, please tell her that I went out to buy something. Don''t let her find me." Luiz left immediately and holed up in his room.


    "Why''s that?" Stefan asked himself but he would only find the answer to this questionter on.

 Chapter 596 - NO PROGRESS

    Cayenne ate her food without waiting for Stefan to coax her. After eating, she took a shower and dress herself up. "Let''s go out and buy some books." She said. It was to distract herself from thinking too much and since it was her who asked to go out, Stefan instantly obliged.


    They went to a bookstore and bought books rted to her ss but she also bought some novels that she can read to pass the time.


    "Uhh¡­do you want to drop by yourpany and do some work before going home? I can help you with some stuff, too." Cayenne said. Although, she''s trying hard to get back to her normal self, Stefan could still see the pain in her eyes.


    "Okay. Let''s go thepany. Elena and Tristan missed you so much and were worried about you, too."


    "I really caused so much trouble, don''t I? Anyway, let''s bring some sweets for snackster."


    "Sure. I have a very good caf¨¦ in mind that you would surely love."


    After buying books, Stefan brought her to Summer Caf¨¦. It was the caf¨¦ that Jillyanna owned and when they arrived there, they were lucky enough to bump into the owner itself.


    "Auntie Yen!" Jade eximed when she saw the couple getting inside the caf¨¦. "It''s nice to see you again."


    "It''s nice to see you, too." Cayenne crouched low and gently pats the little girl''s head. "Sorry for worrying you."


    "I wasn''t really worried because I know you''d get over it. You are strong and with Uncle Stefan looking after you, nothing could go wrong. Mourning is normal. I also fell into depression when my mother and my sister died but I have a new family now who''s helping me get through difficult times."


    "Jade is really a blessing."


    "Auntie Yen, you are a blessing also. You are a blessing to my life, to Uncle Stefan''s life and to your brothers'' life."


    Hearing her words, Cayenne finally smiled genuinely. Jillyanna also approached them and led them to an empty table where they could rest. "I''m d that we got this chance to talk. How are you doing now?"


    "I''m feeling a little bit better after getting an earful from my brother."


    "We are really simr in some cases. Most of the time, it''s Lucian or Cielo scolding me, too. There''s no way Travis could scold me and the twins wouldn''t do it either."


    "Stefan''s the same."


    Stefan raised his eyebrow and reached out his hand to rubbed Cayenne''s head. "Just so you know, it''s the husband''s job to spoil his wife."


    "Men of the same pod." Jillyannamented while shaking her head. "Anyway, what do you guys like to have. It''s on me."


    "Great. I can save money." Stefan replied and this time, it was Cayenne''s turn to roll her eyes. "Do you want to order or shall I order for you?"


    "You can order for us. I''ll stay here and chat with Jill."


    "Alright. I''ll be back soon."


    "It''s okay if you won''te back soon. I won''t steal your wife." Jillyanna retorted and pushed Stefan away.


    Few minutester, Cielo also joined them since she was done with work. Stefan watched his wife chat with her friends. At this moment, he already confirmed that she''s getting better with her emotions.


    They didn''t take long at the caf¨¦, though. After an hour, they left and went to thepany with several sweets to share with the secretaries. It''s been a while since herst visit and she saw many new faces in thepany when she came back this time. But one thing that never change was Tristan and Elena''s situation. The two of them were still on opposite sides of the globe, still fighting like cats and dogs, like oil and water that would never mix with each other.


    "I already told you that the design is better this way." Elena stated with her hands on her hips.


    "No. The color is too bright. There should be something to bnce it. Bnce alright?"


    "Bnce? That''s not needed for a design. It''s a season to be merry. Colors should be bright! Do you think we''re going to celebrate the Halloween? Boss doesn''t like Halloween."


    "What''s the month before December?"


    "November." Elena answered instantly.


    "See? You said it yourself."


    "But ¨C "


    "No buts. Let''s bnce everything. That''s how you should do it. That is why you are still single."


    "What does these things have to do with my love life? And just so you know, you are single, too."


    Tristan looked at Elena and a wide grin escaped from his lips. "Okay. Let''s go for vibrant colors. I have the feeling that I won''t be single for long if I agree with you on this."


    "Your civil status has nothing to do with my choice of colors! Go away!" Elena pushed Tristan away from her even though she was using hisputer.


    When Cayenne and Stefan came, the scene of cat and dog fighting was what greeted her. "When Ist visited your office, they seemed to be in good terms. Why are they fighting now?" Cayenne whispered to her husband while looking at Tristan and Elena.


    "What I heard from Erwin was that Tristan started making things difficult for Elena when he saw her eating with one of the male ountants from the finance department."


    "Oh. He''s jealous?"


    "Probably. I mean, we all knew that he looked at her and treated her differently from other girls."


    "Tsk! Still no progress?"


    "Hn. The same as always."


    Every time Elena raised her head to look at him sharply, Tristan would look away and pretend to be busy with something else. When she''s not looking, he''d be staring at her once again.


    ''Sigh. These fools¡­'' Cayenne could only shake her head as they approached them. "Ahem! Ahem!"


    "Ah! Lady boss!" Elena jumped up and ran out of Tristan''s room. She even intentionally stepped on his foot, making Tristan hiss in pain.


    "Watch where you are going! Your heels hurt so much."


    "I didn''t see you."


    "Are you blind?"


    "I''m not. I just don''t have eyes for you."


    "I won''te to client meetings with you again!"


    Elena halted on her steps and turned around to look at him. "What did you say? You won''t attend client meetings with me? You''re letting me meet those old fogies who might try to harass me andy their hands on me? Have you got no conscience? How could ¨C "


    Tristan raised his hand in front of her in surrender. "Alright. Stop your drama. I got it." He limply went back to his office, letting Elena chat with Cayenne.


    "Don''t bully him." Cayenne whispered to Elena as she pulled the girl to the side. "I have some sweets. You should share this with him."


    "Hmp! He treated me so badly these past few weeks. I don''t even know what I did wrong and he won''t tell me either."


    "I''ll go to my office first." Stefan told Cayenne, giving the two women some time to chat.


    Cayenne pulled Elena to the couch at the lobby and the two of them sat together. "Do you think he likes you and was only doing this to get your attention?"


    Elena grimaced at the thought and couldn''t stop herself from sighing deeply. "He doesn''t like me. Ah! Perhaps he does. But I think he doesn''t like me as myself. He probably likes how I look. I mean¡­wait¡­it confuses me. Let me show you something." Elena pulled out her phone and started searching for Tristan''s sister. Tristan didn''t have official social media ount but his sister does.


    "Who is this girl?"


    "This is Tristan''s one and only sister." Elena answered in whisper, "But this is not the one that I want you to see. It''s¡­.this one¡­this picture." Elena pressed on a picture of Tristan''s sister who was eating with another woman. And what really surprised Cayenne was the resemnce of Elena to the other woman.


    "Who is she?" Cayenne questioned but now, she''s pointing on the woman who looks like the person she was talking to right now. "Is she someone you know?"


    "Nope. She''s someone I could never surpass in my life. That''s Tristan''s fianc¨¦."


    "Ex- fianc¨¦, you mean."


    "Yes. That''s her." Elena zoomed the picture and looked at it together with Cayenne. "We look so simr, don''t we? Now, you''re telling me that Tristan likes me but I think, he only likes me because I look like this woman. He doesn''t like me because of me being me. He probably likes me being someone who resembles histe fianc¨¦."


    "How about you? Do you like him?"


    "My feelings don''t matter. Anyway, I''ll find someone better than him. Lady boss, don''t tell him about what we just talked, okay? Don''t tell sir Stefan, too. He seems really close with Tristan and it would be troublesome if that monkey finds out."


    Cayenne nodded her head in agreement but deep inside something''s telling her that things will be falling into ces soon. They just have to wait for the right time.


    In the meantime, Tristan was also watching the same picture that Elena was watching. She has no idea that Tristan has hacked her phone and can view whatever it was that she was looking at.


    ''So, she has been searching for things and people rted to me.''

 Chapter 597 - IT’S PAYBACK TIME I

    Stefan worked in his office while Cayenne chatted with Elena. From time to time, he''d check on her and see what she was doing. If possible, he didn''t want to take his eyes off of her but he has to.


    ''Knock! Knock! Knock!''


    Tristan came inside while holding a folder with some information about the recent business problem. He thought everything was going well after Travis promised to deal with that old man. Who would''ve thought that he''d drag them along with him to hell? It wasn''t much of a problem to Stefan but he has a lot of employees. If his business getspromised, it will affect his employees and he didn''t like that.


    "Show no mercy to this man and deal with him as soon as possible. Travis was very considerate of me and didn''t get rid of this person for the sake of our friendship. However, this man didn''t learn his lesson." Stefanmented while looking at the money he lost this past few months.


    "He''s considered your uncle, right?" Tristan questioned while formting his n on a bond paper.


    "What kind of uncle will attack his own family? He should have been thankful already that my great-grandfather gave him some shares and assets even though he was considered a bastard. He didn''t have to work hard in order to live frugally but he still chose to attack us."


    "So, do you want to take his life?"


    "Let''s leave that to my grandpa''s and father''s hands. Just destroy everything that he owns. It doesn''t matter how much money we''ll have to spend to destroy him."


    "Isdy boss aware of this thing?"


    "He knows that someone''s harming the business but she has no idea that the person is rted to me."


    "Do you think she''ll be angry?"


    "Nope. Cayenne is kind but she can be heartless sometimes. You don''t have to worry about her opinion, just do whatever I tell you."


    "Okay. I''ll go and start it now." Tristan opened hisptop and contacted Napoleon''s secretary. He dug up a lot of information about this man and why he was working for this devil when he was qualified to work in some decentpanies owned by decent people with integrity. He shouldn''t be suffering under Napoleon. "Let''s start withpany secrets."


    Napoleon was having wine in the living room of his mansion at Royal Garden. He suffered some losses from Travis and Magnus but it didn''t stop him from attacking the business of the people he hated the most. He hated Ferdinand. He hated Magnus. He hated Stefan. He hated them all due to the fact that they were legitimate heirs to the Dumrique''s vast wealth. He hated them because despite having money, he couldn''t use it to help his mom. To be rich, he has to ept the surname and live his life in their territory and in exchange, he can''t see his mother again. He wasn''t allowed to talk to her.


    Leaving home and getting rich, this was the biggest mistake he made in his life. He thought he''d be able to help his mother after getting rich because he''s got the Dumrique''s blood running in his veins. He didn''t expect that the next time he''d see his mother would be during her funeral.


    He hated his decision. He hated his father. He hated Ferdinand for imposing such rule just because he was the current heir. He hated Magnus for having aplete family and now, he included Stefan in his hatred just because he was doing the things that Napoleon couldn''t do in the past.


    These three people were the mirrors of his regrets and seeing them makes him loathe himself even more. As for Cayenne, he didn''t hate her personally but since she''s the current mistress to the Dumrique''s bloodline, she''s bound to get herself hurt.


    "Sir! Sir!" his secretary came running to the living room with a tablet.? "I got a report from thepany''swork security department that someone has hacked ourpany and stolepany information."


    "What?!" Napoleon threw the wine ss on the floor and the red win spilled like a blood.


    The secretary flinched from fear and was cowering while handing the tablet to his employer. "Th-this¡­this is th-the report."


    Napoleon took the tablet and read the information. If you look at the stolen information, it was nothing but a bunch of old documents. He was relieved to see these but one thing caught his eyes that made him stagger on his feet. Those old documents were previously processed and worked by his previous secretaries.


    "S-sir? I ¨C ''


    "Go away! Go away or I will kill you!" Napoleon shouted and threw the tablet as well. "Don''t make me see your face in the next few hours!" His bloodshot eyes were wide and ring the secretary like a maniac killer who was out for a hunt.


    The secretary left in a hurry to hide himself in his room upstairs. Even though Napoleon told him to go away, he was actually restricted to stay in the mansion. In that way, if Napoleon needed him, he can easily call for his secretary and there''s no need to travel.


    The secretary closed the door of his room and leaned his back on it. He was relieved at the same time, he was anxious. He immediately fished out his phone from his pocket and sent a message to Tristan. "Please ensure my and my family''s safety. That''s all I need from you."


    Tristan received the message and smiled. "Don''t worry, your family is safe. We paid Napoleon''s men to be one of us instead while on the other hand, they''ll pretend to be working for your employer. Also, even if they chose to betray us, they will be disposed first before your family is harmed. Just do whatever I say."


    "I got it. Thank you." The secretary deleted the string of messages and Tristan also hacked the secretary''s phone to erase any traces of their conversation.


    Napoleon has no idea that his secretary has long betrayed him. If you threaten someone to work for you, they will never be loyal to you. They''re only working under fear but no devotion. One wrong move and they will be the greatest weapon that an enemy could wield against you.


    "I''ll give you one month. I''ll triple your bonus in December if you can deal with this man cleanly." Stefan told Tristan as he sat up. He''s got money and he''s got people to work for him. He didn''t really need to worry that much.


    The stark difference between Napoleon and Stefan can be seen on how they treat their employees. Stefan knew that his employees are the one''s working for him to earn big and he valued them.. As for Napoleon? It was still even questionable as to where the previous secretaries went.

 Chapter 598 - ITS PAYBACK TIME II

    The ss resumed for the 2nd semester and even though Cayenne was sad with the sudden departure of her best friend, she still tried her best to be cheerful.


    Just like always, Stefan apanied her to Xena University. However, there were little changes now. He no longer waits for her outside her ssroom instead, he goes to a nearby caf¨¦ where he can do some work as he waits for her. Sometimes, he''d wait for her in the car but he would feel a little bit stuffy which makes him go to a caf¨¦ instead.


    Cayenne paid attention to every ss discussion. She was very attentive to activities and whenever she has time, she''d mingle and chat with her ssmates. Last semester, because a lot of things happened which negatively impacted her studies, she barely passed her subjects. Even if Reuben donated a lot of things in school, even if Stefan paid a lot to get her excused, her grades would still depend on how much she can perform in ss. It cannot be bought.


    This semester, Cayenne promised to get back what he lostst time. ''Hopefully, things will go well this semester.'' She thought while writing notes on her notebook.


    During lunch, Stefan will wait for her in the car and they will go somewhere to eat. Cayenne preferred this set uppared to the first semester. She didn''t have to think of those women who will be looking at her husband anymore, giving her a peace of mind.


    In the afternoon, she''d go back to ss and focus her attention to discussion once again.


    This was her new routine every single day.


    As for Stefan, he''s busy with business and more business matter every day since the end of year was approaching. All of his employees from different establishments; whether big or small, they were excited for December as well. They will finally receive their 13th month pay and there''s the year-end ball that they can join as well. It''s the time of the year that they can rx as long as you finish your work early.


    "I''ll be meeting the families of the previous secretaries. I won''t be able to attend client meetings with Elena." Tristan told Travis over the phone.


    "I''ll send bodyguards to her."


    "Thanks."


    Tristan ended the call and put his phone inside his pocket. When he came out of this office, Elena was dozing off on her desk. She''s really being carefree since Stefan works outside now. She''s only left to deal with minor things to handle because Tristan got those major ones. He removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders before giving her head a light kiss.


    "I''lle back soon." He whispered before leaving the floor.


    Elena was left alone on the top-most floor. It''s a lively ce whenever Cayenne''s around and even when she''s not, Elena would still feel happy because there''s Tristan that she can argue with. However, this time, when she woke after half an hour, she felt so lonely with no one to talk to.


    "Alright. Let''s get busy." She told herself and checked her schedule, still unaware of the coat that was draped over her shoulder.


    One of the bodyguards approached her and smiled faintly. "Ms. El, sir Stefan told us that we will be apanying you to client meetings because he sent Tristan to another work. If you are ready to go, we will be waiting for you at the lobby."


    "O-okay. Thanks for letting me know." Elena replied and smiled as well. She arranged her things and the documents that she needed before standing up from her seat. As she did so, Tristan''s coat fell on the floor which made her turned around for a moment. "He''s really sweet, huh." She picked up the coat and looked at it. "Whatever." She folded it as quick as she could and left it on his desk. "Thanks." She said and left.


    On the other hand, Tristan scheduled a meeting to those people rted to the previous secretaries of Napoleon. To make it convenient to them, he suggested to meet them in their homes and they agreed after knowing that he works for Stefan Dumrique.


    They thought that Tristan would be bringing them good news but they have never thought that he''d be breaking them the worst news they''d ever want to hear in their lives.


    "My husband died in a car ident."


    "My father was reassigned to work for another branch in US."


    "My daughter went to Paris for work. Mr. Napoleon said that it''s for a better position that suits her. We''ve been receiving money from her as well.


    "I have been receiving money from my husband. He''s currently in Italy."


    "My father died from a hit-and-run incident. The driver was drunk when he was caught by the police."


    "My wife died after shemitted suicide because she was used of stealingpany funds. She didn''t even exin to me about it and just went her way of ending her life."


    All of these people exined in pain as to how their love ones died or why they had to leave the country. Tristan almost changed his mind and just let these people believe in such news but he felt that he needed to give justice to this people. He needed to give justice to the lives that were lost because of that man''s selfishness and evilness.


    Tristan presented them the evidence and the information he gathered which broke the heart of many people. Their anguished cries and resentments brought goosebumps to his arms but he couldn''t do anything about it. It would be better to know the painful truth than live happily in lies.


    "Right now, another person''s being held up because he was threatened with his family. It''s not toote to ask for justice and you don''t have to worry because you will be protected. For now, if you want your love ones to rest in peace, I suggest that you bring this envelope to the police station. Don''t tell them about me because I will work behind the scene to get the justice your family member deserves."


    "Why are you doing this? I mean, you work for Stefan Dumrique, right? Napoleon is a Dumrique, too."


    Tristan stood up from his seat and looked outside the window. "Stefan has a family and he wants to protect them. Napoleon had been attacking these good people for quite a while now and it was only recently did we know the truth of how the previous secretaries disappeared. Stefan loves his employees and he was disheartened after knowing such thing has happened. It didn''t matter if it''s his kin who''s doing these things. Killing is a crime and a criminal should be punished heavily."


    What Tristan said made the people believe in Stefan. They never knew that they''d be receiving help from this man.


    "Thank you for helping us. If there''s a way for us to repay his gratitude, please do let us know."


    "I''ll ry that message to my employer."


    When Tristan finished his task, it was already evening and most of the employees went home already. He was walking back to thepany building when he saw Elena talking happily to the guy from the finance department again.


    "Hey! Tris ¨C " Elena wanted to greet him but Tristan only passed by her without even giving her a nce. Her words halted and her smile disappeared from her lips. ''What''s wrong with that idiot?!'' she questioned angrily to herself. "Whatever." She turned to look at the man beside her and just smiled at him. "Let''s go. I''d love to try that new hotpot restaurant you mentioned."


    Tristan looked back with a frown. Hearing her excited voice while talking to another man irked him so much. "Elena." Tristan called out to her which stopped her from talking any further steps.


    "What?!"


    "Can youe with me for a bit? I''d ¨C "


    "Nah. I''m in a hurry to have dinner. I''ll see you tomorrow." Elena pulled the man from the finance department and the two of them walked towards his car.


    "Girl, is it my imagination or does your assistant secretary hates me?" Britt whispered towards Elena.


    Looking from a far, it looked to Tristan that the guy leaned closer and kissed Elena''s cheeks.. His hands clenched to fists as he turned around and went to get his other things from his office.

 Chapter 599 - LOOKING FOR STEFAN

    "Let''s buy a Christmas tree this weekend." Stefan stated one night while having dinner with their whole family. It''s been a while since they all shared a meal together because of all the things that happened in the past few months. Now, as thing were going back to normal, he has less worries to think every day.


    "Sure. We can buy presents for the children, too." Cayenne responded after chewing her food.


    "Presents." Luiz muttered softly. ''Before, we only exchange presents between ourselves. Who would have thought that we''ll be able to share gifts to other people now?'' Luiz thought to himself. In a span of one year, ever since Cayenne met Stefan, a lot of things happened in their lives ¨C both good and bad. The good ones brought them happiness and the bad ones brought them lessons.


    "Alright. Let''s free up our weekend. If we can''t do everything on Saturday, we can have the next day to continue or task." Stefanmented.


    "I have a work scheduled this Saturday afternoon, though." Luiz replied to his brother-inw. "I don''t want to postpone it. It''s a bigpany and I''m afraid they''d have a bad impression of me."


    "You cane with us on Sunday instead." Cayenne told her brother. "Also¡­"


    As she spoke, Stefan received a message notification from Travis and Lucian. Their message was all about the same person that he never wanted to associate himself with ¨C Napoleon Dumrique.


    "Excuse me for a while. I''ll have to give someone a call." Cayenne looked at him leave his seat but she didn''t stop him from leaving. Since he decided to do it during dinner, it must be something very important. In fact, Stefan had seen thising after receiving the information from Tristan few minutes ago. "Good evening officer Seville." Stefan greeted as he called Lucian first. He''s Jillyanna''s brother-inw.


    "Good evening. I have received an information here rted to one of your rtives."


    "Which rtive?"


    "Napoleon Dumrique. I ran a quick investigation and found that he''s your uncle."


    "What about it? If hemitted a crime, you can handle it ording to thew. I got nothing to do with him."


    Lucian put down the documents he received and sighed. "Last time, it was your step mother and now it''s your uncle. Who''s next?"


    "I have no idea who''d being next. As long as they won''t trifle with me, I won''t bother with them but, if they choose to mess with me or anyone from my family, I''d be the first person to send them in your care."


    "I see. No wonder you are friends with Travis. If I didn''t know better, I''d think you both are brothers. You have simr way of dealing things although, he''s a little bit extreme than you."


    "We''re not blood rted but we are a lot closer like siblings."


    "Anyway, I was just trying to sound you out if there''s anything between you and this person. Since there''s none, we''ll proceed with the investigation."


    "Sure. Let me know of your verdict once it''s over."


    "I will." Lucian ended the call and went back to work. He has read the information and felt an oing headache because of it. Stefan''ste stepmother and now, his uncle, - both were reported to havemitted murder. "This is going to be a lot of work."


    On the other hand, Stefan called Travis. He confirmed everything that Travis knew of and told him of his future ns, too. Just like he said earlier, they''re closer like brothers. Although they don''t show it a lot of times in public, they actually talk and share lots of things in private.


    Since he was still in the middle of having dinner with his family, Stefan didn''t take so much time and bid his farewell. In any case, there will be a lot of opportunities for them to talk in the future. Thus, he went back to the dining room and finished his meal.


    The next morning, the news of Napoleonmitting murder has spread to a lot of people in the business circle. To other people, they only cared about hisst name. They didn''t even really know who he was. To business people, especially those who have coboration with this man, they were all surprised and worried at the same time.


    Shock because they have not expected it knowing this man is a Dumrique. Worry because their businesses will be surely affected. Upon hearing this news, many reporters wanted to get an interview with Stefan. He wanted to know his side of what''s going on with the well-known family.


    "The boss isn''t home. He''s with his wife."


    "Our boss left this morning to send his wife to school."


    "No, our boss isn''t here."


    This were the repliesing from the bodyguards who were stationed at the gate of Cayenne''s property. In the span of two hours, he met a lot of people looking for their boss.


    "Sir Stefan doesn''te to ourpany that often anymore."


    "No, sir Stefan isn''t around."


    "If I may say, he''s probably at his wife''s university."


    Those reporters who went to Stefan''spany received this answer from the employees. They never thought that this rich man, who looked busy because he owns lots of business, was actually an easy-go-lucky guy who prioritizes his wife more than anything else.


    Therefore, all reporters went to Xena University after finding out where Cayenne was currently studying. The caf¨¦ where Stefan stayed at the moment earned a lot as well because when they came, Stefan was having a meeting. It didn''t matter if it was a confidential meeting because no one would get a clue of the content since all he says were ''yes'', ''no'' and ''don''t''. If he wanted to say something else, he''d type it out.


    Since they had to wait, they decided to buy something to drink and eat at the caf¨¦.


    "Why are there to many reportersing here? Are they nning to interview Mr. Dumrique?" one of the waitresses asked while giving her surrounding a look.


    "Haven''t you heard yet? One of his rtivesmitted a crime. They must be here to get some information from him." another waitress answered.


    "Well, it''s good that he''s here again today. Look, we''re fully packed and some of our pastries are sold out."


    "Right. I''d go and ask the chef to make another matcha cake because Ms.. Yen would always buy it after her ss."

 Chapter 600 - DETAINED

    "Mr. Dumrique, can we interview you?"


    "Mr. Dumrique, please give us a piece of your thought about thetest news rted to your uncle."


    "Can we as you few questions?"


    The reporters flocked around Stefan but they couldn''t get closer to him for more than one meter because of the bodyguards. "Is this about Napoleon Dumrique?"


    "Yes, sir." One of the bodyguards answered. "I''ve heard from our men that they''ve been looking for you to get an interview."


    Stefan looked at the reporters and sighed. "You can ce your recorders here on my table and find a seat where you can stay. Don''t get rowdy because we''re in a caf¨¦."


    "Thank you, sir. We''ll be quick."


    Cayenne had no idea what was going on at all. Stefan didn''t tell her about what happened to his uncle and most of all, he didn''t tell her that he caused it. Since she''s in the university, her focus was on her ss. Her ssmates who caught the news didn''t inform her as well, thinking that she might be fully aware of the event after all, it''s the family of her husband. However, their assumptions were wrong.


    "Psst. Yenyen." Noah called out to get Cayenne''s attention.


    "What is it?" she asked, still her eyes were on the professor discussing in front of the ss. "Don''t make so much noise or the professor will notice."


    "Well, I just want to ask if you''re okay."


    "Yes, I''m fine."


    "Oh." Noah blinked his eyes several times but he didn''t pursue the matter. He thought that they have the same thing in mind and Cayenne knew what he was talking about.


    Sadly, they''re not in sync.


    During lunch, Cayenne left the campus ground as usual. She met with Stefan at the caf¨¦ and met a lot of people along the way. Some even stopped and looked at her, as if contemting if they should do or say something to her. The bodyguards were vignt and as soon as they noticed these people looking at Cayenne, they''d block them.


    "Let''s just go. Mr. Dumrique doesn''t like anyone disturbing his wife."


    "He''s very possessive and protective of her."


    "But I wonder why she''s still studying? I thought she''d be a graduate student already since she came from a rich family. Isn''t she the daughter of Mr. Reuben Montefalco?"


    "Are you new in our city? You should make your research tonight just to help you avoid unnecessary problem in the future."


    Cayenne wasn''t really that far from them and she was able to hear their whispering. She wasn''t the least bit bothered about it though. And she has no n of making excuses. If people would research about her, they''d know that all about her dramatic life story.


    She closed her eyes and sighed deeply before getting inside the caf¨¦ where her husband stayed.


    "How''s your ss?" Stefan asked as soon as he saw her.


    "Nothing unusual."


    "I got your favorite matcha cake." He said as he pushed a small box to her. "Where would you like to have lunch today?"


    "I don''t know. Just somewhere close." Cayenne replied softly.


    "You seemed sad. Did something happen?"


    "I don''t know. I just feel that some people were looking at me in a strange way. It felt like something has happened rted to me but I just have no idea about it."


    Stefan looked around and yes, people were looking at them or looking at his wife. "Let''s talk about it inside the car." Stefan said and stood up. He carried her things for her while she carried the small box of matcha cake.


    It''s not until they got inside the car and left the caf¨¦ did Stefan tell her everything. The fleeting expressions on Cayenne''s face made Stefan paused once in a while. "You''re not angry, are you?"


    "I''m not." She responded while looking down on the cake. "Let me eat this first. I think I will calm down after eating this."


    Stefanughed so hard at her response but he still gave Cayenne a disposable spoon that he got from the caf¨¦. "Don''t eat it all or you won''t have an appetiteter."


    "Says who?"


    "O-okay. My glutton hamster can still eat a lotter without any problem."


    Cayenne just pouted and continued to eat. Since her husband exined everything, she was no longer worried. At first, she was bothered by the news because it turned out to be Stefan''s uncle. However, after hearing that he was after their lives and that he had killed a lot of people, Cayenne just threw the worry out of her mind and ignored it.


    In City B''s police station, Lucian and his colleagues were trying to interrogate Napoleon but he wasn''t saying anything. There were many people who filed aint against him but not a single word about it hase out of his mouth. He kept saying that he''d wait for hiswyer.


    "I hope he won''t get away with his crime just because he''s rich." Office Nik said while handing a new folder of information to Lucian.


    "I bet he won''t. Someone''s helping us on this case after all." Lucian answered because it''s known how many connections Lucian have and as his friends and colleague, they were just riding his coattails.


    "Is it Jillyanna''s adoptive brother or is her adoptive sisters?"


    "It''s a friend of her adoptive brother. He''s the number one hacker in the whole world. ording to Shein, this man''s much better than him."


    "Your little sister has a very weird yet talented families. I can''t even imagine howrge their connection to the whole world."


    "Well, that''s life." Lucian replied and went back to work. The files that officer Nik gave to him was all about the uwful activities of the Napoleon''spany. Although Stefan is helping him through Tristan, he cannot really give everything to the man. They had to work as well.


    Lucian went back to the interrogation room and handed sat on the chair across Napoleon. "We have received another information here. I hope you can share to us what you''ve been busy with in the past years."


    "I have nothing to say. No matter what you ask, I won''t say anything. I will wait for mywyer. Even if the whole world is against me, I will win this case." Napoleon answered with a manic look.


    "Suit yourself." Lucian stood up and walked out. He didn''t like wasting his time to suspects like them. Anyway, there are so many solid evidences against him.. No matter what he will do, he can''t get away from thew.

 Chapter 601 - CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

    Since Napoleon was sent to jail, everything under his supervision and management have gone out of control. Many investors pulled out their investments and many employees left. With all the evidences presented to the police, people knew that he won''t be able to escape thew, especially if he''s dealing with officer Lucian Seville. Any crime handled by this officer will be solved immediately and no suspect can get away from him.


    In fact, many people would request for him to handle their cases. An innocent man won''t be wrongfully sent to jail and the guilty won''t be living outside freely. Although this was what people see in him, they didn''t know that he''s got more people behind him. He just couldn''t tell anyone about it.


    In the afternoon, Tristan sent another file and piece of evidences to the police. Lucian arranged everything and because there were many families involved, they decided to have a public court hearing. In this way, everything''s transparent to the citizens.


    "Stefan''s getting crueler now." Jillyannamented when she read the news from her phone. "He''s bing more like you."


    "It''s because he''s got a family to protect." Travis answered. "Aside from that, those people who died deserve justice. Stefan is just being morally upright."


    "Yeah, right." Jillyanna answered before closing her phone.


    The public court hearing was scheduled over the weekend and it was also the day for Cayenne and her family to go shopping. Since it wasn''t anything important for them, they didn''t change their ns.


    They still went out to buy whatever they wanted to buy for Christmas.


    The stores were decorated withnterns, mistletoes, Christmas lights and a whole lot more of things which gives Christmas vibes. It''s a lot colder this time of the year but there were still a lot of people who loves to go out and have fun with their family and friends.


    Cayenne was wearing a long coat with the same style and color as Stefan''s. You can probably guess who chose it. First, they decided to buy a Christmas tree. Cayenne wanted a small Christmas tree so that it won''t take a lot of space at home. Stefan wanted to have a big Christmas tree, something that everyone could see if they visit their home.


    "A small one is cheaper and we won''t use it for the whole year. Let''s save some money and get a small Christmas tree."


    Stefan was shaking his head in disagreement while looking at one of the big Christmas trees being disyed. "Just as you said, Christmas will happen once a year. Why not make it grand? We can have fun with everyone. The price doesn''t really matter."


    "Why don''t we let the salesdy choose it instead?" Kyle suggested. "I will write the word small and big on a paper and let her pick one from it."


    "Deal." Cayenne and Stefan suggested.


    Kyle did write the words on a small paper that he found and asked one of the salesdies to pick one. When she did, it was with the word big. "Congrattions! We''re getting a big Christmas tree."


    Cayenne stomped on her feet and red at her husband. "No matching items for you this month and the next month."


    "Don''t worry brother-inw, Luiz and I will make up for the losses."


    "You guys are no fair." Shemented and left.


    Stefan and Kyle chuckled while watching her disappearing back. Jonas could only sigh and smile at the childish adults he was with. They bought a big white Christmas tree which was 7ft tall and one of the guards brought it back to the car after it was paid and packed. The family continued to buy things like Christmas ball, lights, and other kinds of ornaments that varies from colors and sizes. The first part of their shopping was just for the Christmas decoration at home but they bodyguards have been going back and forth with lots of boxes.


    "Let''s buy Christmas presents for the kids first and for Justin''s grandparents." Cayenne told Stefan while holding a list in her hand.


    "I''ll go buy presents for Lucia and her daughters." Kyle suggested.


    "Then, I''ll go buy present for Erwin and your two other secretaries." Jonas also said, dividing the work to make sure that they''d aplish a lot of things for the whole day.


    They separated their ways and the bodyguards divided their group ordingly as well and apanied their employers. Only Luiz was absent due to work.


    "David, what''s your n for Christmas? Are you going to celebrate it in your home or in Kai''s home?" Luiz asked while David was putting make-up on his face.


    "What makes you think I''d spend it with him and his family?"


    "Well, you''ve been together for quite a while now and almost all people in the entertainment industry know about your rtionship. I doubt it if his parents didn''t know."


    "His parents know but he didn''t officially introduce me to them."


    "Is that so? Are you sad about it?"


    "Nope. That''s normal for people in the same circle as me. Anyway, I can celebrate Christmas in another way."


    "How about youe to our ce? I heard from Yen and brother-inw that they''re organizing a Christmas party for everyone. The bodyguards'' families will be invited, too. Although they weren''t informed about it yet. It would be a lot of fun instead of celebrating it alone or with your butler."


    "Then, I''ll do that. Let''s buy Christmas presents after work? I''ll get something for your familyter."


    "Sure. We might bump into them since they''re out buying lots of things as well."


    "I bet she''s buying lots of things of the children in Justin''s house."


    "Uh huh. That''s the second thing on her lists." The two of themughed together while talking about Christmas and stuff. After the incident wherein, Luiz was dragged down by a woman, he was always given a private dressing room. No one other than David and director can approach him. The bodyguards were guarding outside the room as well. They cannot allow anyone to stain his reputation once again.


    After work, Luiz and David went out to buy Christmas presents. They had to wear face mask in order to hide their identities. Just like what Luiz said, they indeed bumped into his family. They chatted and bought things together but David and Luiz didn''t say anything about the things they bought.


    It wasn''t until seven in the evening did they all stopped and had dinner together. It''s not because Cayenne was hungry or that they didn''t have time, it because the cars they brought were full of so many stuffs already.


    "I hope it''s always Christmas." Stefanmented beside his wife.


    "Why?"


    "Because you will spend my money with no qualms. If it''s not Christmas, you would always hesitate to use my card."


    ''What a huge problem!'' Luiz thought upon hearing the conversation between his sister and his brother-inw. ''Rich people have rich problems.'' He told himself while shaking his head in disbelief. "If it weren''t my sister, you arepletely broke now.." Luiz told Stefan as he passed by him.

 Chapter 602 - THE TRIAL

    On Sunday, Cayenne and Stefan continued to shop for Christmas presents. They bought a lot of things for a lot of people, taking into considerations of what they like and what they need.


    Everytime she looks at the receipts, Cayenne felt like closing her eyes. It was the first time, in her entire life, that she gets to spend almost a million just for Christmas presents.


    Contrary to how she felt, Stefan was rather proud and smug that his wife started spending his money like how he wanted.


    This time, Kyle and Jonas decided to stay at home with Dominique and the guards. They chose to start wrapping the gifts for the children and for the families of their helpers.


    On the other hand, the trial began with Napoleon as the defendant. He thought that he''d be able to escape thew with his money but he never expected things to be so difficult to deal with.


    He wasn''r just against one person but a lot of them.He was facing different crimes with solid evidences against him.


    He even threatened his secretary to be his scapegoat in exchange for the safety of his family.


    At the intiff''s seat, his secretary smirked and handed a recorder to the attorney which was to be evaluated by the judge and the other audio technicians.


    "It''s your choice. You can either say that youmitted those crimes because of your loyalty or you can just let your family die." It was Napoleon''s voice. He sounded calm and casual as if such thing was an everyday urrence of his life.


    "No, thanks. I don''t want to be held in jail for something I haven''t done. Also, I have recorded this conversation. I will never be your scapegoat. You can just rot in hell!"


    Hearing these words from the recording, everyone expected Napoleon to look guilty but he was very calm and nonchnt.


    "This man is a hard nutshell to crack." an officermented while standing at the door.


    "He''s done so many crimes and isn''t guilty of doing so. Only God knows what he could do to punish this man." the other officer answered.


    "I heard it was his nephew who exposed everything."


    "That''s what people say."


    "Do you think the same?"


    "Nah! I don''t want to think over these things. I don''t want to bringplicated matters in my mind."


    As the public trial continues, evidence after evidence wereid out in front of Napoleon. No matter what hiswyer do, the other party has lots of things to counter his im.


    They were all prepared in sending him down to hell, to appease the souls of the dead who perished because of his cruelty.


    After over an hour, Napoleon''swyer pinched the space between his eyebrows. He felt an oing headache and thought that his life would be over if he kept defending this criminal.


    "This isn''t just my battle against anotherwyer, against the public and against the intiffs. This is your battle against them. I am just a sword that you can weild. If you won''t say anything, they will believe that you are guilty." The attorney told Napoleon who remained silent beside him.


    "The evidences are solid. I can see that everyone''s siding them. We no longer need to fight." Napoleon raised his head and there''s a look of confidence in his eyes. "I may lose this battle but they won''t be able to punish me. My life, my fate; I have control over them."


    The judge finally adjourned the trial but this wasn''t the end yet. They will still review everything before they announce the final verdict.


    Napoleon was escorted back to city jail by the police officers that Lucian assigned. As he neared the door, he suddenly stopped walking and looked back to the family of the victims. "Louisa was a fine young woman." He stated which brought Louisa''s parents to look at him. "She tasted great, too."


    "Aaahhhhh! You are a beast! Animal! I hope you rot in hell! I hope you die!" Louisa''s mother screamed in anger and her tears rolled down her face. Her husband was trying to attack Napoleon but the officers were able to stop him.


    "Go die! I hope you die! Your mother must have been a b?tch for you to grow up like one! You motherf*cker!"


    Napoleon looked at him and smiled. "So what? You can yell all you want and throw curses at me. Still, your daughter won''te back to life. I still won this game! Hahahaha" Napoleon left whileughing to his heart''s content.


    As soon as he left the court, people can hear nothing but sobs. This was just the first day of the court trial and even though there wasn''t any verdict yet, they already knew that the victim will get the justice they deserve. Even so, the families of the victims looked really pitiful. Even if they win the case, they could not bring the dead back to life.


    Stefan heard of what happened at the trial from Tristan. He made sure that he''s update with what was going on to make sure that Napoleon can''t escape.


    "Don''t let him get into contact with other people." Stefan reminded Tristan in his reply.


    "Got it. I''ll inform Mr. Seville about your message." Tristan replied and left the court to go back to work.


    Even though everyone was excited for christmas, it didn''t change the fact that they have works to do. They still need toplete their task before the year end vacation that Stefan grants to his employess, well, with the exception of those who work in his hotels, restaurants and resorts. They may not be able to rest altogether but rest assured, they have alloted days wherein they can go for some rxation.


    Cayenne was scrolling on her news feed when she read the information about Napoleon. She looked towards her husband who looked nonchnt about this matter. Seeing that he wasn''t the least bit affected, Cayenne closed the app of her phone and put the gadget away.


    "Let''s continue to buy gifts? I have few more items on my list. I''m sure we''d be able to finish this before sunset."


    "Then, shall we have a date after? I deserve a prize for apanying you, right?" Stefan retorted with his childish smile.


    "Alright.. A date it is."

 Chapter 603 - SPECIAL DAY I

    The next three days, Cayenne was busy with her studies and packing the children''s gifts. Although her family helped her, there were still so many to do with the huge celebration that they will be throwing for everyone. With the limited time she has, she still made certain that she has attention and time for her husband ¨C the jealous man, Stefan.


    It never urred to him that he''d be jealous over the kids and because she was busy packing.


    Just as how their lives continued to move forward, Napoleon''s trial was rolling as well. People condemned him to death and there were so many requests to punish him with death penalty. To some people, death might be the worst punishment but in fact, it''s the easiest for criminals like him.


    "He should be tortured, kept inside cell with no one to speak of and just let him rot." Stefanmented while reading the news on his phone. He was sitting on the couch and Cayenne was sitting on floor, between his legs where she was doing her assignments.


    "Stop talking torture with me around. You are putting ideas in my head and I don''t like the images. I''d have nightmares."


    "I''ll chase your nightmares sweetheart."


    "Then, chase after yourself."


    "Hey!" Cayenneughed at his response as she continued to write.


    Stefan put down his phone on the side and looked at his wife. She''s busy with a lot of things in their daily life but she neverined. She was happy doing them and Stefan was happy supporting her ideas. Whenever it involves money, he''s even happier to receive notifications from his bank. She''s the love of his life. The center of his world. Before, he works hard to prove to his family that he can do better without them, that he can survive this world without them. Now, he works hard for Cayenne. He wants to give her a good life. He wants her to enjoy spending money without having to worry how much money was spent. He wants to be with her for the rest of his life. He wants to wake up every morning with her body pressed close to his. He wants to smell the scent of her, taste her when he wants to and just indulge her.


    "I love you, Ayen." He whispered softly while rubbing his thumb on her nape.


    Cayenne whipped her head and looked at him. "I love you, too." She smiled as she said it and took his hand with hers, cing a kiss on his knuckles which he would usually do to hers. "I love you with every breath in my body."


    Her smiles always brighten his world. Whenever sheughs, the sound would bring ripples from his toes to his head and he felt an overwhelming joy in his heart. He loved hearing herughter.


    "Geez!" Luiz rolled his eyes and stood up to leave the living room. He might be in love but he wasn''t as clingy and as cheesy as these two.


    Cayenne just grinned at her brother before looking back to Stefan. She pressed one more kiss on the center of his palm and went back to answer her assignments. She didn''t say anything anymore but from time to time, she''d hug his legs and rest her head while holding his hand tightly.


    The next day, Cayenne was at school, studying as usual with Stefan waiting for her at the caf¨¦ across the campus. The teacher for their third subject didn''te due to health reasons and because of this, the students got some free time before lunch. Others went to eat with friends a little early while Cayenne, Noah and Faith went to the library.


    Ever since the three of them studied together, they''ve always been together at school. Noah would always pull Faith along with him when he decided to study with Cayenne. It''s always fun and productive to study with her because Cayenne waspetitive. Last semester, they didn''t get to study that much because of all the things that has happened to Cayenne but this time, she made sure to get back on her feet and pull up her grades which barely passedst time.


    "I heard that the final day of the trial is today." Noah told Cayenne in whisper. She knows who he means but Cayenne only shrugged his shoulders.


    "Why are you gossiping this much today?" Faith questioned him while cing three thick books on the table. "Stop talking and study."


    "Yes, ma''am." Noah gave her a wink and brought his attention back to his books. Not long after, he looked up to Cayenne and ced his chin on the heel of palm. "The news about Napoleon is everywhere but it looks to me that you aren''t the least bit bothered about it. Sometimes, when people talk, they''d even associate your husband to him."


    "Who talks bad about my husband?"? Cayenne retorted and there was that fiery gaze in her eyes when she looked at him.


    "No one." Noah answered almost instantly. For the first time, he felt a little intimidated by her. "People say that your husband is far better than his uncle. His only bad reputation was the thing about being a yboy before he married you."


    "Oh." Cayenne answered subtly as she sped her hands together. "I have been silent about it not because I am not affected but because my husband told me not to worry."


    "Both your family of origin areplicated." Faithmented without looking up as she continued to flip through book pages. "I''m amazed that you are doing better amidst all the things that has happened and that is happening."


    "My husband and my brothers are with me. I mean, I have a lot of people who surrounds me with love and care. So, why would I be bothered about these little things. In all honesty, as long as my brothers are doing fine and as long as Stefan is with me, doing okay and healthy, I''d be strong to fight against all odds in life."


    Faith and Noah looked at her in silence. There was this proud look on their faces but they didn''t say a thing.


    In the afternoon, when her ss was over, Cayenne picked up her bag and immediately ran for the exit while bidding farewell to her ssmates. She was in a hurry that they were all worried something bad has happened. She didn''t look back and just kept running to the gate of the campus.


    It was her first time nning for something grand and she didn''t want to mess up ¨C not on this special day.

 Chapter 604 - SPECIAL DAY II

    "Why are you running?" Stefan asked her the moment she got inside his car. He pulled her close, checked her arms, her face and he was about to check her legs when she put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Is someone bothering you?"


    "Nope." Cayenne answered as she fastened her seatbelt. "Can you drive me to the mall? There''s something I need to buy."


    "Okay." Stefan looked at her again before turning on the engine of his car. "Are you sure you are okay?"


    "I am fine." Cayenne stated while pulling her phone from her bag. There were several messages from her brothers and from David that she wasn''t able to read during ss, afraid that the teacher would catch her fiddling with her phone.


    Stefan looked at her from time to time. He was frowning and was thinking of getting her attention because she was wholly focused on her phone. It was the first time that she didn''t care about him. "Why are you ignoring me?" Stefan couldn''t help but ask.


    "I''m doing something important. Very important. Just give me a moment, okay?"


    "Is it something you can''t tell me? I might be able to help."


    "I''m not sure how to let you know about this but once everything''s settled, I''ll inform you, okay?"


    "Who are you chatting with?"


    "Luiz, Kyle and David."


    "Oh." Seeing that she was only chatting with her brothers and David, Stefan didn''t bother her anymore. Although, it really saddened him that she was just ignoring him.


    Cayenne''s fingers fluttered over her phone as she typed her responses to whoever she was chatting with. Sometimes, he''d see her smile. Sometimes, she''d frown. Sometimes, she''d narrow her eyes and there were times that she''d look outside the window to contemte. The changes of her facial expression brought the curiosity in Stefan''s mind. He really wanted to know what she''s doing.


    ''Shall I ask Tristan to check her phone?'' Stefan asked himself while ncing at her. ''No way. She''d be angry if she knows. And she told me that she''d tell me about it once she''s ready.''


    Even when they arrived at the mall, Cayenne still ignored him as if he didn''t exist. If he''d talk to her, she''d response but if he stopped talking, he won''t say a thing either. He wasn''t her priority today.


    "Can you buy me some sweets? I''ll just buy something and get back to you as soon as possible." Cayenne told Stefan as they walked inside the mall.


    "Can''t we get it together?"


    "It would be faster if we split up."


    "I''ll have the bodyguards buy the sweets." Stefan stated. It was obvious that he won''t leave her no matter what she says.


    "That''s a good idea. I forgot about it. I am so used to you buying sweets for me personally." She mentioned which brought Stefan to a halt. "Why are you stopping?"


    "Nothing." For a moment there, Stefan was contemting between buying the sweets for her or just ask the bodyguards to get them. He asked two bodyguards to get sweets for her as he continued to walk beside his wife.


    "What shall I do? He is not leaving me." Cayenne sent her message to the chat group and the three people who received it just couldn''t help but sigh.


    "It''s expected." Luiz told her sister.


    "To tell you the truth, if possible, Stefan might put you inside his pocket just to keep you safe." David added.


    "Why don''t you let the guards get the items for you?" Kyle replied.


    This time, it was Cayenne''s turn to stop walking. She pressed her finger on her temple and closed her eyes to calm herself. "I''m such an idiot." She muttered to herself.


    "Ayen, are you really okay?" Stefan asked in worry. "You''ve been ignoring me and you look tired and stressed to me."


    Cayenne looked at Stefan and smiled. "I just felt like an idiot today." She told him andugh. "Anyway," she looked to one of the guards and handed him a piece of paper. "please go to this store and get something for me. I just have something to buy at the bookstore. Let''s all split up to get things done as early as we could and go home."


    "Hurry up." Stefan told the guard.


    Seeing that things were going as nned, Cayenne finally rxed. She went to the bookstore with Stefan and bought some books rted to her course, even though she didn''t really need them. She just needed to buy a little more time for the preparation to finish.


    At the Clover Company, Tristan and Erwin were going back and forth to the basement and the building''s highest floor while carrying lots of boxes and paper bags of various sizes. Elena didn''t go up and down with them,ining that her legs would be too painful with the heels she was wearing.


    Both men understood and just left her to look after the office along with the two bodyguards while the two of them did their job.


    "Are these from all his business partners?" Erwin asked as he walked to his car.


    "These came from the business partners, employees and special people who he helped without really knowing."


    "Aren''t they worried that the boss would feel bad after all that happened? I mean, this could bring him of that painful memory."


    "I heard from Chris, the previous secretary, that this really happens ¨C like every year. Although, Stefan hates the date, it didn''t stop people from showing that they cared for him and still send him gifts." Erwin answered the inquiry as he ced the boxes to his car. "Also, he''s gotdy boss by his side. I think he''d still be happy despite what this date would bring him."


    The two of them went back to Stefan''s office to get thest batch of the gifts when suddenly, Tristan stopped on his tracks. Erwin followed the man''s line of sight and found Elena talking to Britt, the guy from the finance department.


    "One step behind can make you lose the person forever." Erwin stated and walked past him. "Hi Britt. What brings you here?"


    Britt looked towards Erwin and smiled at him. "I thought we''d be having dinner together but she told me she has ns." Britt answered while pointing his finger towards Elena. "I''d be lonely eating alone."


    "I''ll eat with you next time." Elena answered. "Make sure you go home directly."


    "I know. I know." Britt picked up the key of his car and walked away. "I''ll see you tomorrow. Mwah!"


    "See you, mwah!"


    Tristan almost tripped on his feet when he saw them exchanging flying kisses. The surging waves in his heart grew a lot bigger and he thought of ripping that man''s face and make him suffer from taking Elena''s attention from him. He didn''t like the thought of her being with another man but he couldn''t get himself to confess either.


    "Damn it!"

 Chapter 605 - SPECIAL DAY III

    Cayenne bought as much time as she could, making sure that David and her brothers will have enough time to prepare everything at home. Of course, both their families were helping together to make the day special for Stefan. She wasn''t doing it to make him feel guilty and sad but she wanted him to move forward while at the same time, keeping the utmost respect for his older brother.


    "Wifey." Stefan called for her attention while she was looking for some books to buy.


    "Yes, hon?"


    "I miss you."


    "Huh?" Cayenne raised her head and looked at him. She looked surprise and confused but seeing Stefan''s dejected expression, she couldn''t stop herself from taking a step closer to him. She linked their fingers together and ced both their hands inside her coat pocket. "I love you."


    "Really? Why are you ignoring me, then? Also, you have forgotten something so important."


    "I did? What is it?"


    "We have to visit Alexander and offer some prayers for his soul to rest in peace. It''s his death anniversary."


    "We can do that tomorrow." Cayenne replied and continued to look for book. She picked a lot and had the bodyguards carry them while she strolled inside the bookstore.


    "Excuse me." A teenage girl approached them and peered at Cayenne''s eyes. "You are Cayenne Ardolf-Dumrique, right? You are the vlogger. Can I have your autograph and can I take a picture, too?"


    "Sure." Cayenne held no hesitation and immediately stood close to the little girl, pulling Stefan to stand beside her and one of the bodyguards took the picture for them. The little girl bought some books and asked Cayenne to sign of them.


    "Thank you." The little girl hugged the signed book and smile. "I will continue to support you and your brother. I hope that you will remember your memories, too."


    "Thanks a lot for your support. I''ll ry your message to my brother as well."


    After the teenage girl paid for the book and bid her farewell, many other shoppers did the same thing. In less than ten minutes, the bookstore was already crowded from so many people who wanted to get Cayenne''s signature. Although she stopped uploading videos for a while, many fans of her are waiting for here and many new fans wanted to see more of her videos, specially one with Stefan.


    Cayenne wasn''t the least bit worried with the crowd. She was surrounded by the bodyguards and Stefan was with her all the time. In fact, she was thankful for this interruption. In this way, she was reasonable excuse for taking so much time in the mall.


    One hourter, they finally got out with the help of the mall''s security. Her fans were a little upset but Cayenne promised them that she''d upload a new video on her vlogging ount.


    "Ma''am, I got the thing that you asked me." The bodyguard, who picked up the item she bought, gave her the small shopping bag which contains two small boxes in it. "I checked it and found no problem."


    "Thank you." Cayenne got into Stefan''s car and they finally made their way back to her property.? She didn''t mention anything about the shopping bag and Stefan didn''t ask either. "What shall we bring to your brother tomorrow?"


    "Can you bake an apple pie? He loves apple pie."


    "I can learn. I''ll ask help from Lucia."


    "I''m not sure if dad and grandpa woulde along with us but if they would, let''s have lunch with them. I have something important to discuss with my father."


    "Can''t we get together with them without using business as a reason? I have noticed that you always meet them for business reason. You still haven''t forgiven them for what happened to your mother, do you?"


    "Have you forgiven Old Rule for what he did to your mother?" Cayenne frowned and looked at him but she couldn''t find anything to refute because he was right with his question. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to rub salts on your wound."


    "It''s fine." Cayenne shifted on her seat and looked outside the window. "I have no right to ask you of something that I couldn''t do myself but hon, we''re different. Maybe we were both hurt but your father never wanted to hurt your mother. He was really in love with her. However, that grandfather of mine was different. He meant harm towards my mother and even when she was gone, he wanted to do the same thing to me. He didn''t respect me or my mother at all."


    "I''m sorry. It wasn''t my intention to open old wounds."


    "It''s alright. It''s okay. I don''t really mind. Anyway, just do whatever you want to do and I''ll always be by your side to support you."


    "Really?"


    "Hn." She answered with no qualms but Stefan slowed down and stopped his car on the roadside instead. "Why are we stopping?"


    "I''m just going to do what you just said to me."


    "What did I say?" She looked really confused now which made Stefan want to tease her even more ¨C a payback for being ignored at the mall.


    "I''m just going to do whatever I want to do while you stay by my side and support me." He whispered with his husky andpelling voice. He sounded sexy and for a moment, Cayenne was in a daze while staring on his bare neck in front of her. She shuddered when she felt him licking her earlobe and kissing the side of her neck. Butterflies fluttered their wings in her stomach and she thought her heart was somersaulting in her chest.


    "Stefan."


    "Hn?"


    "Why don''t we do this at home? We''re still on the road and people might see us from the outside."


    "Don''t worry. The windows are tinted and no one would see us."


    "Uhm¡­well, this isn''t what I mean when I told you to do whatever you want. I meant it for your family situation."


    "I know."


    "Then, why are you doing this?"


    "Because I want to do this, too. I love doing this with you." Stefan replied and whatever it was that Cayenne wanted to say, to reason out, she was silenced by his mouth. His kisses were gentle like the first time they kissed each other but few secondster, Cayenne was feeling out of breath already. "You''ve been learning from Jill about self-defense and stuff, why don''t you ask her how to improve your stamina. You are so weak. I just kissed you for more than a minute but you are panting already."


    "Shut up or you won''t get to do this again." Cayenne pushed him away and rolled her eyes at him but Stefan only grinned and moved even closer, trapping her between his body and her seat. "Hon, our house is better than your cramped car."


    "You are right. Maybe I should bring a bigger car next time and we can try doing it inside the car." Stefan ced a kissed on her nose and chin before kissing her mouth and returned back to his seat. "I think it''s a brilliant idea."


    Cayenne didn''t know what to say anymore. She didn''t really starve him on that field but he just couldn''t be satiated.. He''s insatiable when ites to lovemaking.

 Chapter 606 - SPECIAL DAY IV

    As soon as they arrived home, Stefan noticed the bright lightsing from the house. It was quite lively as wellpared to their normal days at home. Just from a nce, he knew that his wife did something for him. She didn''t forget him and she was obviously buying some time for everyone to finish up earlier.


    "Why are you stopping?" Cayenne asked him when he halted in front of her. He was grinning from ear to ear and there was so much love in his eyes, it''s overflowing. "It''s not much but I hope you will like it. I hope you would celebrate your birthday with us for now on."


    Right then and there, without caring of the people who were watching them, Stefan pulled Cayenne close until her body was pressed tightly on hers. His mouth descended, iming her and it wasn''t a gentle one but it was full of desire and passion. She never expected but she didn''t deny him of his right either. She loves his kisses. She could melt into them and she could be soft and pliant as long as it''s him.


    Cayenne returned his kisses with the same intensity of need ¨C feeding fire with more fire until both of them were burning hot she could barely breath. "I¡­I think we should get inside first." She whispered with her forehead pressed on his. "You just had your fill earlier."


    "It''s not enough. I couldn''t just get enough of you." Stefan mumbled and kissed the tip of her nose. "I''ll be getting more tonight." He whispered closed to her ear with his hot breath fanning her cheeks. He intertwined their fingers together and stepped into the porch, and when he opened the double doors, he''s found so many people who actually cared for him.


    "Happy birthday, Stefan!"


    "Happy birthday, sir!"


    "Happy birthday, bro."


    "Happy birthday, uncle!"


    "Happy birthday, son."


    His grandparents from both sides, for the second time, have gathered together to celebrate with them. Last time, it was Cayenne''s birthday that made theme altogether, setting aside the hatred and whatever negative emotions they have for each other. Sabrina even came which wasn''t really unexpected but this time, Stefan didn''t have to worry that she''d do something ridiculous with him. After all, her heart belongs to another person now.


    Travis and Jillyanna, along with their family, were present too. Jade was even beaming at him with the gift she was holding.


    "Happy birthday, uncle. I know you have received the greatest gift in life which is auntie Yen but I still want to give you a gift. I hope you will like it." Jade handed her gift to Stefan and gave him a light kiss on his cheek, making her father jealous. Well, it''s known that Travis was a jealous man when ites to his children and wife but what can he do? Jade was just too sweet and kind.


    "Thank you everyone. I haven''t had the time to celebrate my birthday because of some reason and I thought it would be the same this year. I didn''t expect that my wife would do so much for me."


    "You''ve done a lot of things for me, too." Cayenne returned and kissed the back of his hand. "This is nothingpared to how much you''ve done for me."


    "This means a lot to me." Stefan replied to his wife and she has no doubt with his words. She can see it in his eyes.


    "It''s uncle Stefan''s birthday. Shouldn''t we sing a song?" Jade''s inquisition made everyone smile and agree to her. She started singing the happy birthday song first and everyone else followed.


    The house was decorated with Christmas d¨¦cor since it was already Christmas season but Stefan found that a certain corner has a decoration specially designed for his birthday. There were pictures of him when he was small and there were lots of pictures of him with Cayenne. They brought vivid memories in his mind and he couldn''t stop himself from tearing up.


    His brother''s death was the darkest time of his life and it left a shadow in him. He was insomniac because of his death and it pains him every year, to be specific, on the day of his birthday. He was always reminded of how he died in front of him while he stood there shocked and didn''t know what to do.


    Nheless, his brother''s presence was also the bright light that guided him when he was young. No one else loved him except his brother ¨C Alexander. He was the mother and father in one person; small but very capable. He made sure that Stefan was taken care of; either he did it out of guilt or pure love, Stefan no longer care. To him, his brother will always be his brother even if they''re not blood rted, even if their parents were twisted.


    Stefan wiped his tears with the back of his hand as quick as he could. He didn''t want anyone to see his weak side. He picked up the pictures from the decorated wall and ced them inside a small box that he found from the cab right below the huge television. He was nning to find their family album and paste the pictures there. As he continued to pick the pictures, he found something that made him raise his eyebrow.


    "That''s from Valkyrie." Rileymented when she saw what Stefan was holding. "David was asking for pictures that you might not have and Valkyrie has a lot of them."


    "I didn''t notice that he took picture of me and Ayen before." Stefan replied as he caressed the picture with his thumb. It was taken when he first brought Cayenne out for a date. Coincidentally, Brown and Valkyrie were there as well. In the end, the four of them yed together, just enjoying the time of their lives even though they had their own worries that time. The picture was the taken when Cayenne was shooting the wallet thatter on was given to him. She even embroidered her initials on it and Stefan was still using it. It never urred to him to change his wallet even if he had some expensive wallets in his closet.


    "This is from me." Riley took a picture from the wall and showed it to Stefan. "We didn''t get to spend a lot of time together since we''re all busy but you know I love taking pictures and videos so, I saved a lot of photos and videos of Cayenne and you."


    Stefan received the item and smiled. "You are the only one who would think of taking pictures like this."


    "Why not? Isn''t it sweet. Looking at it, I can''t stop myself from giggling. Shein doesn''t even do that to me. Hmp!"


    "What is it that I''m not doing?" Shein questioned when he heard of his name. He looked at the photo that Stefan was holding and grinned. "I didn''t know you like this kind of set up. I''ll do that next time."


    "You only do that in bed, you idiot!" Riley knocked her boyfriend''s forehead and walked away.


    Stefan looked around and found his wife talking to their guests with Jade sitting on herp. She wasughing happily, talking about things that only girls would understand. Sometimes, he could see Jade frowning her face, probably thinking what the adults were talking about.


    Stefan walked towards them with the picture in hand. "Hon, look at this." Stefan handed her the picture and the moment sheid her eyes on it, she blushed profusely. She was almost as red as a ripe tomato and it brought delight to Stefan heart. He loves teasing her ever since the first night that the two of them slept together.


    "Wh-where¡­where did you get th-this?" She stuttered while looking for a ce to hide it.


    "Riley took it."


    "Oh! Is that the picture that Riley pasted on the wall? I thought you''ve seen it. We''ve seen it." Jillyannamented with a wide grin stered on her face, adding more to Cayenne''s embarrassment.


    "You bully.." Cayenne muttered and just burrowed her face on Jade''s neck, hiding her red face.

 Chapter 607 - SPECIAL DAY V

    Stefan''s birthday wasn''t as grand as Cayenne''s when he surprised her but he was still happy beyondpare. He thought he''d be spending his birthday at the cemetery once again, reliving the moment of when his brother died but, he was mistaken. He got her ¨C the woman who will spend the rest of her life with him.


    The celebration was done with family and close friends only. No media was informed about it and certainly, no business partners included. Stefan didn''t celebrate his birthday for thest 16 years and Cayenne didn''t want his birthday to be a ce for business talks. She wanted that special moment just for him.


    They gave their well-wished to him, greeting him, praying for him and Cayenne to live longer and to have more time with each other. The joyous party was something he missed for several years and he couldn''t thank Cayenne enough for the miracle she brought in his life.


    "Ayen, thank you." Stefan muttered and kissed the top of her head. The two of them were standing at the terrace of their home, watching the brilliant sparkles of stars that glitters the night sky. Stefan was hugging her from the back as she leaned her head on his chest.? "I''m so happy to day."


    "I''m d that you are." Cayenne linked their hands together and wrapped them around her waist, holding him really close to her. "The past can''t be change but we can change our future. I''m not asking you to forget what happened to Alexander but I''m hoping that you live your life to the fullest."


    "With you. I will live my life to the fullest with you." Stefan replied and nuzzled the side of her neck. A shameless idea appeared in his mind and he suddenly nipped her neck which made Cayenne yelp in pain.


    "What are you doing? We still have lots of guests."


    "They won''t see."


    "They will."


    "So, if they won''t, it''s fine?" Cayenne took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. He really knows how to trap her with words and well, she''s willing to be trapped by him. "I''ll take your silence as a yes." Stefan pulled her to a partition which block everyone from seeing them but the distance was more than enough for Stefan to hear if someone''sing out. He held her hands over her head and pressed her lips on her. She lost count the number of times he kissed her today but she loves his kisses so, she neverined at all.


    Stefan let go of her hands, letting them fall to her side and he caught her long hair instead, feeling that long silk of threads bunched in his fist. He was lost in the warm taste of her mouth. He was surrounded by her, the essence of who she was in his life, the miracle, the angel who came to save him when he was in great despair. With her, his life was surrounded with vivid colors of joy and life. They may have gone through a lot of hardships but Cayenne didn''t change at all. She remained the light of his life.


    She wrapped her hands around his neck, returning his kisses without hesitation. There was nothing gentle at all in his kiss. He devoured her, feeling theirbined hunger like a tidal wave. His free hand roamed her body, wanting more of the skin to skin contact, touching her skin ¨C smooth, soft and inviting.


    "Stefan." Cayenne whispered when he stopped kissing her. There was love in her eyes and an equal intensity of desire. She lusted for him and that made him even happier.


    "I think we need to escape." Stefan mumbled while fluttering her face with feather-light kisses. "We have a lot of guests inside."


    Cayenne frowned and was followed with heartyughter. "Didn''t I tell you that a while ago? It''s your fault. You just can''t hold yourself."


    "I was trying." Stefan replied and picked her up. "I was really trying." He reaffirmed which wasn''t convincing at all. Since they couldn''t pass through the living room without anyone seeing them, Stefan brought her to the garage instead. No one will being in for the next hour or two and that made the ce the best spot for love making. "We can try making love in a car now. Let''s find out what the experience would be."


    "Are you serious?"


    "Yeah."


    "Someone mighte."


    "No one wille. Kyle will be using your carter to send Kath and risse home. And your car is parked outside. As for my cars, no one would really use them without my permission."


    "You can''t be serious."


    "Yes, sweetheart." Stefan shut her up with a kiss and there, no moreints from her. He chose his van, one that Luiz uses whenever he goes to work. The interior was spacious and there was a sofa bed inside.


    Her slender arms circled his neck, her soft breasts pressed tightly to his chest until he felt every breath she took, every beat of her heart. He kissed her until neither could breathe, until it wasn''t enough and never would be. He''s not really someone that can be easily satisfied with kisses. Every time he kisses her, he would only crave for more. Her skin beckoned, smooth and heated and so soft he nearly groaned aloud at the simple pleasure of touching her.


    The heavy erection was constant, painful demand and was impossible to disregard. He kissed his way down her throat and to the edge of her blouse. "I hate it when you''re nearing something."


    "I can''t really go anywhere while naked, can I?"


    Both of them smiled and he stroked his palm up her silken, tracing her narrow rib cage, enticing her even as he made her demand. Once more he took possession of her mouth, sinking into the velvet depths, tasting the red wine she drank a while ago ¨C sweet and hot. He removed her clothes one after another, until she was fully exposed in front of him.


    Stefan kissed his way to her chest, drawing the soft flesh into his mouth while his hands skimmed her body, leaving trails of dancing mes that burned her. His erection grew thicker and much harder than it had ever been, a painful need mixing with the dark lust building so fast he could barely control. He looked into her eyes that was matching his desire. Her breasts were rising and falling with her ragged breathing.


    His hands, with a mind of their own, dropped to her thighs and jerked them apart to give him what he desperately needed. Without waiting for another second, his mouth devoured her. She cried out as he licked, a catpping her cream. The pleasure was building like waves gathering into a huge tsunami, a force that could wash away her sanity.


    He used his fingers while his mouth remained on her sensitive button, suckling and flicking so that her moans came in gasping sobs. His fingers explored her, touched her sweet spots, teasing her and stretching her a little bit more. When she was ready, he stood over her, rubbing the tip of his shaft against her entrance. Her channel was burning hot, surrounding that first inch, gripping him tightly which made him stay still and throw his head back, his body shuddering in pleasure.


    He pushed a little more, driving an inch deeper until he was fully inside her.


    "Stefan, it feels different today."


    "I don''t know my sweet. Maybe because we''re inside a car?"


    "And not to mention the car that Luiz often use."


    "Well, I''ll just have to ask someone to clean and disinfect itter on. But now, you have to focus on me." He thrust pulled a little and pushed back more, eliciting a muffled moan from her. Her long hair was everywhere, her breasts rocking with each hard stroke. The sound of their bodiesing together weaved the sensations into a deeper, darker coil.


    Cayenne gasped and was shaking her head from side to side. She wanted him to stop, to give her time but at the same time, she wanted him to go on and on, until all she could think of was him. Wave after wave of orgasms tore through her and washed Stefan inside her. Her inner muscles mped on him like a vise dragging over him and made him release everything in her.


    He was panting and so was she. He copsed on top of her, careful not to put too much weight on her while he cupped her chest. "That was exhrating."


    "For a moment, I thought you were possessed. It really feels different today."


    "But you like it." Stefan teased as he gets off of her. "I''ll think of something for next time."


    "But not in the car again."


    "Why not?"


    "Cars aren''t spacious like our bed. The only one that''sfortable enough is this van and Luiz uses this."


    "Then, shall we get a new van?"


    "You''re impossible." Cayenne retorted with faintughter. "We better go back inside."


    "Cleaning the van and disinfecting it is expensive. So, why don''t we make most of our time now?" Stefan pulled her closer and started kissing her again.. He already rested enough for round two.

 Chapter 608 - PRESENCE OF DANGER

    Cayenne''s gift to Stefan seemed ordinary to other people ¨C a snow globe. What make it special was the house model inside the globe and the name engraved on the porch. It says, ''Stefan''s home''. And the house was Cayenne''s. It was obvious that his home was Cayenne. Although the house would change in the future. He just didn''t inform her about it yet.


    Cayenne was really spent up after his lie for round two. She knew it. She has known it from a long time ago that a single round wouldn''t be enough for her husband. She should have stopped him with all her might. But then, she liked it so, she could also be med partly for her exhaustion.


    When they went back inside, Stefan excused themselves and sent her to their bedroom. He showered her, dried her hair and changed her clothes before putting her to bed. "You can sleep ahead. I''ll get to bed soon." He kissed her goodnight and went downstairs to entertain their guests.


    "Where''s auntie Yen?" Jade asked when she saw Stefaning down alone. "Is she sleeping already? How can she sleep before a kid does?"


    "Well, I did something that tires her out."


    "You are like daddy. Sometimes, he tires mommy out for no reason. Adults are really weird." Jade mumbled and walked away to y with Kath and risse. She was already getting attached to these twodies who will be part of the Ardolf family in the future. Hopefully, because he didn''t want Luiz and Kyle to be hurt since their pain would surely affect Cayenne.


    "I know it''s your birthday but you shouldn''t have worn her out while Jade''s still up. You know the kid loves to y with her." Travismented on the side before taking a sip of his wine.


    "I tried. It just didn''t work."


    Travis smirked but didn''t say anything. Who was he to lecture Stefan when he couldn''t do the same thing as well? He looked towards his wife and Jillyanna felt his gaze on her. She turned to meet his eyes and smiled. That knowing smile that would send butterflies in the pit of his stomach.


    "Excuse me, Stefan." Jackie stood beside him and handed him a sh drive. "I know that this is your birthday and that we should be happy and merry but at the same time, we should always be cautious. I have something here for you that you have to check for yourself."


    "Is this rted to Napoleone?"


    "Yes. He''s currently imprisoned in the Regional City Jail with Vincent monitoring on him. Two days ago, a man visited him. Based on the guards, there wasn''t really wrong with their conversation but it felt off and didn''t make sense at all. I told Vince to ask one of the guards to write down what the conversation was all about. I could hardly understand it but you might get some clues since he''s your uncle."


    "Why didn''t you give this to my father or grandfather?"


    Jackie frowned and looked straight to Stefan''s eyes. "You didn''t really spend time with them, do you?"


    "No, unless Ayen wanted to."


    "You are their direct blood family."


    Stefan pursed his lips and took the sh drive from her. "One''s hatred cannot be changed overnight. Anyway, I''ll take a look at the files."


    Stefan was about to leave but Jackie held his elbow to stop him. "Your grandpa, I''m not sure if he''s keeping it a secret or you just didn''t notice, he''s got little time left. At most, a year or two. Shouldn''t you make it up to him?"


    "Thank you for your concern but I will deal things myself."


    "Fine. I won''t interfere with this matter but I hope you can keep Cayenne safe."


    "Hn. I will do my utmost to keep her safe."


    Travis didn''t say anything and just gave his best friend a pat on his shoulder. Men don''t express emotional words but little gestures were more than enough to express their lengthy messages.


    Around eleven in the evening, the party was finally over and everyone decided to go home and rest. Stefan didn''t go back to their room immediately, making sure that everyone was sent home with bodyguards escorting them. With Napoleone''s connection, he was afraid that someone would suddenly appear out of nowhere and attack the people close to him.


    ''No. Not this time. I''ll make sure that everyone''s safe.'' Stefan told himself and with that in mind, he was nning to ask Travis and Reuben to hire him more bodyguards. They have plenty of connections with the underground worldpared to him. They''ll be able to find more reliable peoplepared to him. That''s something he admitted after Cayenne was kidnapped.


    Cayenne was lying on the bed with her eyes closed. She felt tired and she wanted to sleep but she felt a little restless without Stefan beside her. It felt like she was all alone again, like the time she was kidnapped and left alone most of the time in her room.


    She heard the light creak of the door being opened and her eyes immediately opened to see Stefaning inside. "You are still awake?"


    "You expected me to sleep without you here?"


    "Well, I exhausted you so I thought it would be enough to send you to sleep. Looks like I didn''t work that much."


    Cayenne just rolled her eyes upon hearing him and patted the space beside her. "Stop being delusional and get back here. It''ste already. Did everyone go home already?"


    "Hn. Teacher Chan went home with her students in one car. Apparently, Luiz and her other students wanted to talk to her more."


    "It''s a little sad that Chris isn''t here to celebrate your birthday. He had been with you for quite some time."


    "He sent me a gift, though."


    "He did? That so thoughtful of him. I didn''t know he''d have the time to choose the gift."


    "He bought it over a month ago when he got the chance to loiter around during his mission. Anyway, let''s just talk more tomorrow. You have to sleep now."


    In P country, several miles and oceans apart from City B, a woman was busy with her experiments. She was given the task to create a deadly, colorless and odorless poison without any antidote. In exchange for this small vial of poison was the freedom of the man she loves ¨C Simmon Summer.


    He was currently jailed inside the Regional City Jail and coincidentally, Napoleone was on the cell next to him. When someone visited Napoleon, Simmon happened to be talking with Jillyanna as well, who visited to check on him. It was purely coincidental but the man who visited Simmon owned a huge secretboratory that makes different kinds of drugs, both legal and illegal. He caught sight of Simmon and with just a single nce, he knew that the man was the same person that his student admired for several years. She even kept a photograph of him.


    "I can help you deal with the Dumrique and the Ardolf families. I can include the Montefalco, too. But I have one condition. During your escape, you must bring that man with you." The man whispered while writing nonsense things on a paper. His eyes were looking at Simmon.


    "Deal.." Napoleone agreed without the slightest bit of hesitation.

 Chapter 609 FAILED CONFESSION

    Chapter 609: FAILED CONFESSION


    She tried it several times. Conducting her experiment to a hamster. Hundreds of lives were gone but she hasn''t perfected her poison yet. She needed to finish it as soon as she could free her love.


    The next day, Cayenne and Stefan visited Alexander''s grave. His father was there but his grandfather wasn''t. Even though Alexander wasn''t really his biological son, Magnus treated him as his own. The sin of the parents shouldn''t be med on their children. So, even after knowing what happened, Magnus didn''t hold a grudge against them. At the end of the day, Alexander and Stefan were two innocent people.


    "Good morning, dad." Cayenne greeted Magnus and gave him a hug.


    "Morning Yen."


    Stefan only nodded his head in greeting before cing the flowers they bought on top of Alexander''s grave. He offered him prayers and even talked to him in his mind, hoping that he would continue to guide him and his family despite their origins.


    After that, they had lunch together with Magnus but it was a lunch that made Cayenne felt a little awkward for the two men. They were a son and father pair but they were so silent as if they didn''t know each other. In the end, they finished their meal in less than an hour and went home.


    "What was all that? Cayenne asked Stefan with her hands on her hips, ring down at him while he helped her remove her shoes. "Why were you ignoring your father?


    "Some thoughts just came to me when 1 saw Alexander''s grave. I couldn''t help myself but ignore him to control my temper. I didn''t want to say any harsh words to him."


    "Really?"


    "Really." She narrowed her eyes at him but Stefan kissed the tip of her nose to dispel her anger. "It won''t happen again."


    "Alright." She conceded to him and kissed his chin. "You will be having a meetingter, right? Are you going to thepany?


    "Yes. I have to go there for the meeting and you have toe with me."


    "Hn. I''ll grab some of my books and activity sheets. I''ll answer them there."


    The two of them went up to their room to change their clothes and get the things that they needed. Stefan only grabbed his brief case while Cayenne carried a backpack containing her books, pens and papers. She needed to answer some of her assignments during his meeting to save time. She cannot just wait for him while idling in his office. "Shall I grab some snacks, too?" she asked herself but Stefan already pulled her to the car. "You should have enough cash since you''re not letting me go to the kitchen."


    "I have lots of them, enough to feed thousands of you."


    "I am one and only. Sorry to burst your bubbles." Cayenneughed in response. "I''ll think of something to eat forter."


    "Your brain is full of food."


    "Who said that? My brain is full of you."


    Stefan just chuckled with her response. She really knows how to make him happy with her silly response. He kissed her onest time before starting the engine and left the house with the bodyguards following them.


    Since it was past lunch, Cayenne expected to see Elena and Tristan in the office. She really found them there but the atmosphere was really gloomy. Last time, they were bantering like kids. Now, they were no longer talking to each other. Tristan was standing at the door to his office, watching Elena do her work in silence. He''s been there for over an hour but she never once nced at him. He didn''t lose his patience and kept looking at her.


    "Miss Yen." Elena called out when she noticed them walking inside. She immediately stood up from her seat and bowed at her. "It''s nice to see you here."


    Cayenne walked towards Elena and stole a nce at Tristan. Elena didn''t need to hear the questioning from Cayenne to know the content but she only rolled her eyes in response. Cayenne covered her mouth to stifle herughter knowing that she guessed things right. The two secretaries were in cold war once again.


    "Will you be needed at the meetingter?" Cayenne asked Elena.


    "Yes. I''ll have to attend the meeting with the boss."


    "Tristan cane. You can stay with her." Stefan said knowing that his wife wanted to borrow his secretary again. "Just hand all the documents needed to him."


    "Okay boss." She happilyplied and picked up the necessary documents ording to the agenda of the meeting. Without even looking at him, she handed the documents to Tristan. "Take them with you." Tristan didn''t raise his hands to ept which irked her again. "Boss, he''s not epting the job."


    "Just put it on his table."


    "Okay." Elena got inside Tristan''s office without even getting his permission since the man heard Stefan, too. There''s no way he''d defy the boss'' order. She ced the documents on his table and when she looked at hisputer, she found herself looking at her own social media ount. Seeing her own face on the screen, she remembered his ex - fiance who looked a lot like her. "We''re not rted." Shemented when she passed by him.


    "I didn''t say you are." "Stop checking my pictures. No matter how much youpared me to her, we are not the same." "I wasn''tparing you to anyone." "Right." "You won''t believe me?" "No."


    Seeing them starting to argue again, Stefan just pulled Cayenne by her hand and brought her inside his office. The problem of other couples should be dealt by themselves. He didn''t want to interfere with them unless it will harm Cayenne in some way.


    "You won''t believe me but you will believe that guy from the finance department." "Of course. And can you stop saying that guy from the finance department. He''s got a name. He is -" "I don''t care about his name." Tristan mumbled and stepped into her little office. "I like you."


    Elena raised her head and meet his eyes but instead of surprise or shock, he found defiance in her eyes. "Sorry but I don''t want to be someone''s recement." She picked up her phone and walked past him, going to Stefan''s office to be with Cayenne. "Look for someone else."


    "I cut my hair for you." "Huh?" Tristan didn''t follow her nor stop her but Elena stood in the middle of the lobby with a confused look on her face. "I cut my hair and colored it for you."


    "I never asked you to do so."


    "I know. I promised myself I''d never cut it and change the color because of my deceased fiance. And then, I met you. At first, I saw the resemnce between you two but I know you are different from her. She will never be you and you will never be her. I know that. I told myself that I''d cut my hair and change the color once I''m finally over with my fiance. She''s someone important to me but she''s in the past. And I like you as you are. Not because you are a recement."


    "And you think I''d believe that?" Elena smirked and continued to walk away from him. If she didn''t hear him sleep-talking in his office and spoke his ex - fiance''s name, she''d probably believe his words. But it''s toote now because she already closed her heart to prevent him from getting in and break it.


    Tristan couldn''t understand why she wouldn''t ept him. He was being honest to her. And he could see that she likes him but when he tries to make a move on her, she''d reject him or ignore him. He had no idea what he did wrong.


    "Was I wrong? Did I make some mistakes in reading her expressions before?" Stefan got out of the office and found a dazed Tristan at the lobby. "You made her cry." "Ha? Why would I make her cry? I only told her that I like her." "Are you sure? Why else would she cry in my wife''s arms, though? I can''t believe we''d be confidant instead of us confiding to you." "What did she say?"


    "Some gibberish words about you talking of your fiance while sleeping and whatsoever. She said a lot and I think only a woman could understand her right now. Don''t even bother exining to her because she already shut you in her life as of the moment. Wait for another opportunity."


    "Another opportunity? When would that be? I''ve waited a long time to confess but she rejected me."


    "You cannot really me her. if you were in her shoes and you found her dreaming about some other guy, how would you feel?" Stefan left after asking him this question.


    Rtionship is a very fragile thing if you won''t build it with trust and loyalty. He already experienced the pain of breaking rtionships and the most painful one was with Cayenne when she left him and even tried to divorce him. He''d never want to experience that pain again which was why he was being careful with his rtionship with her..

 Chapter 610

    Chapter 610: THEY BECAME CONFIDANTS


    Tristan worked efficiently during the meeting. He noted everything and made sure that he didn¡¯t miss anything. Stefan knew that Tristan was doing his best despited the rejection he received after confessing his love. Whether he¡¯d pursue this matter or not, it¡¯s up to him now.


    ¡°Mr. Dumrique, since Christmas ising, I know we care about money and profit but, would it be alright if we stop operations during December 24th to 25th and 31st to January 1st? It would be great if we can give the workers some holidays.¡±


    ¡°The hotels are fully booked for the Christmas season all the way ¡¯til second week of January. Our employees will be swamped with worked and we couldn¡¯t give them holiday breaks. I¡¯m worried for them.¡±


    One after another, the managers of different businesses and department raised their concerns and Tristan made different columns of reports and solutions for this.


    ¡°I agree with operations being stopped on the said date. If it was before, I¡¯d prioritize my profit more than anything else but now, my wife will probably kick me out of our bedroom if she knows I¡¯m bullying the employees.¡± Thisment from Stefan made the managersugh.


    ¡°You never bully your employees, though.¡± A managermented.


    ¡°Correct. You always do your best to understand our needs.¡±


    .....


    Hearing theseing from people who worked for him, Stefan was happy. He used to work for Travis at Venus za Industrial Park before and he likes how Travis manages his employees which was why he tried his best to be on par with him when ites to managing businesses and employees.


    Stefan continued to provide solutions which catered best to his employees and at the same time, he won¡¯t lose anything for his business.


    ¡°Meeting adjourned.¡± Stefan said and everyone followed him out. They didn¡¯t see Cayenne around but they knew she has to be somewhere in his office because it¡¯s known to the public already that Stefan never allow his wife to be alone after the kidnapping incident.


    As for Cayenne, she was busy answering her assignments and at the same time while sat in silent beside her. She already stopped crying but she wasn¡¯t saying anything. She felt like crying whenever she tries to open up herself to Cayenne.


    ¡°You were jumping to conclusions, you know.¡± Cayennemented, putting down her pen to face Elena properly. ¡°I did the same thing and almost ruined my marriage with Stefan. Well, our story is different from yours. Even so, you have to listen to him. If you closed off your mind and heart just because of what you heard in his sleep, you will lose the chance of having a lifetime of happiness.¡±


    ¡°But why would you even dream of someone else if you already fell for another person?¡±


    ¡°She was once the person he loved. Who knows? In his dream, he might be letting her go or whatever. Only Tristan knows. If you want to find out what made him say her name that time, why don¡¯t you ask him?¡±


    ¡°No way. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d do that.¡±


    ¡°Elena, I hope you won¡¯t regret anything. Anyway, it¡¯s your decision to make. I just don¡¯t want you to end up like my best friend.¡± Cayenne told Elena the story of Marian and John wherein death separated the two of them. The two regretted so much when she was in her deathbed but they could no longer do anything about it.


    Listening to the story, Elena cried and cried once again. When Stefan entered his office, he found his secretary sobbing in his wife¡¯s arms.


    ¡°You are not done crying? We¡¯re done with the meeting already.¡± Stefanmented which made Elena stopped sobbing but Cayenne was ring at him. ¡°I¡¯m just saying. Anyway, do you guys want to eat something? I¡¯ll ask someone to get some food for us.¡±


    ¡°I want some sweets. My assignment is draining my energy.¡±


    ¡°I...I want...ha? Am I included boss?¡± Elena asked as she wiped her tears making Cayenneugh beside her. ¡°Oh..I¡¯m fine with anything.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm...shall I ask Tristan and you to go and buy it?¡±


    ¡°Go away!¡± Cayenne threw a pencil at him but he dodged it and grinned at her. ¡°Why are you teasing her when she¡¯s crying out her heart? So insensitive.¡±


    ¡°And why do we have to babysit them when we can have the time for ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Is the boss jealous?¡± Elena whispered to Cayenne.


    ¡°That¡¯s how he is.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Stefan left the two of them again and went to find Tristan in his own office. He was looking into Elena¡¯s information and found him staring on her picture again. There was also the guy from the finance department.


    ¡°Is he the guy who recently goes out with Elena?¡± Stefan asked, leaning his hips on the door while watching the man do his personal work.


    ¡°The two of them have been dating recently.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Stefan retorted. ¡°I¡¯m not suppose to disclose this information since this involves the privacy of my employee but just so you know, Britt will never be interested with Elena in a romantic way.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying she¡¯s not attracted enough?¡±


    ¡°Think of another reason, will you?¡±


    ¡°Then, is he bent?¡±


    ¡°Well, go and find out yourself. You are good in that.¡±


    ¡°I did check on him but I didn¡¯t find anything...wait, I think I read something along that line. I just didn¡¯t pay attention to it.¡±


    Stefan advises Tristan while Cayenne stays with Elena. The two of them were working as love counselor for the time being because of these two dishonest and foolish people. For him, he wanted Elena and Tristan to have a harmonious rtionship because it is beneficial to his business. It would be a waste to let Elena go if something goes wrong with the two and they couldn¡¯t maintain professional rtionship. So far, they¡¯re doing fine with their job and Stefan wanted it tost forever.


    ¡°Invite her for dinner. Tell her that you need to talk things out.¡±


    ¡°And what if she says no?¡±


    ¡°Invite her again. Invite her until she says yes.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you did to thedy boss?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Our story is a littleplicated and it started in the wrong direction. Thankfully, we were able to make things right.¡±


    ¡°So, it was true that both of you almost had a divorce?¡±


    ¡°Hn. She signed the papers and left. I didn¡¯t sign them, though. I was at fault back then.¡±


    ¡°So that is why you are so afraid to lose her.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of losing Elena to someone else?¡±


    ¡°I thought about it a lot. I realized that if she didn¡¯t really like me, it would be a huge problem for us if I keep forcing my feelings to her. I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡± Stefan retorted. ¡°Anyway, can you go and buy some sweets for snacks. Thedies inside needed something to replenish their energy.¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t really doing anything that could drain their energy. We were the ones who attended the meeting and worked our brain.¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, my wife is answering her assignment and the woman you like is crying her heart out. They are drained. Just go and buy snacks already.¡± Stefan shoo him away before going back inside the office. This time, Elena was already talking normally with Cayenne but her eyes were swollen as if she was bitten by a bee.


    He worked on his desk, Cayenne worked on her assignments on the coffee table. She actually have her own desk but she likes to sit on the floor and just be at home. Elena was helping her search for some terminology and scientific names of nts.


    ¡°By the way hon, do you have anything nned next Saturday?¡± Cayenne asked when she remembered something she needed to do.


    ¡°I nned to be with you the whole day.¡±


    ¡°I think it won¡¯t interfere with your n, then. I received a message from Jill that they¡¯ll throw a party for the children at the orphanage. She asked me if we can go and I give her a positive response.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. How about taking Justin and the other kids with us? Weren¡¯t you nning to send them to an orphanage in the future? It would be great if they¡¯ll have a view of the ce where they¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask her if that¡¯s possible.¡± Cayenne noted it on her phone¡¯s calendar to make sure that she won¡¯t forget it. She already nned her surprise for the children and she was hoping it would make them happy. Justin already knew the n and Luiz was willing to help as well. He even bought his own gifts for the children which were winter gloves to help them during the cold season.


    Even though Christmas is considered time for sharing and time for love, others were thinking of taking someone¡¯s life. They just wouldn¡¯t ept their punishment even though they knew they did the wrong thing.


    Like Napoleone. He¡¯s just so stubborn and evil that even when imprisoned nothing can stop his revenge.

 Chapter 611

    Chapter 611: EVERYONE¡¯S WORRIED FOR THEM


    The next day, when she went to work, Elena found three stalks of red carnation on her table. She looked around and even checked Tristan¡¯s office but she didn¡¯t find anyone except the guards standing at the lobby and near the elevator.


    ¡°Excuse me, did you guys notice anyone who might have left these flowers on my table?¡± She asked the guards who looked at her and smiled meaningfully. ¡°I won¡¯t really get mad you know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sir Tristan.¡± One of the guards answered. She just said few seconds ago that she won¡¯t get mad but the moment she returned to her seat, she tossed the flowers inside the trash bin. The guards didn¡¯t see what she did so, they thought she kept the flowers.


    Tristan arrived and found her sitting behind her desk. He ced a cup of coffee on her table and smiled at her. ¡°Morning.¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    He found the flowers missing on the table and when he looked under her desk, he saw them inside her trash bin. ¡°You don¡¯t like red carnations?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like all kinds of flowers. They will all wither and rot.¡±


    .....


    Tristan nodded his head and left. She looked at him in confusion but she didn¡¯t bother stopping him. This time, they were left alone in the office again since Stefan was back to being Cayenne¡¯s chaperone at school. Not really staying with her all the time like how he used to do but he¡¯d be staying at the caf¨¦ near her Xena University again.


    ¡°By the way, the boss wanted me to bring some documents to him. Do you want toe with meter? We can grab lunch on our way back.¡± He suggested as if the incident yesterday didn¡¯t happen. She had no idea what he was trying to do but she wasn¡¯t nning to give in to him at all.


    ¡°I have other ns for lunch. You can go there yourself. The boss didn¡¯t ask me to go with you.¡±


    Tristan raised his eyebrow and sent a message to Stefan. Their boss might appear strict to other people but he¡¯s very good with his employees, especially those that he trusted. He told Stefan his concern of having lunch with Elena and the former immediately agreed with his n.


    Half an hourter, Elena received a message from Stefan, telling her to attend the meeting with him before lunch. Which means to say, she has toe with Tristan to the caf¨¦ where he stayed.


    ¡°Got it boss.¡± was her replied to his message even though she didn¡¯t really like toe with the person who broke her heart. using him to be the one who broke her heart was really unfair but to Elena, Tristan really shattered her heart to pieces when he called for his ex- fianc¨¦¡¯s name. It sounded unreasonable but it was enough reason for her to shut off her heart. This was the second time she got her heart broken.


    At ten in the morning, she stood up from her seat and grabbed her suitcase and iPad. She didn¡¯t even talk to Tristan and just left on her own. However, Tristan was paying attention to her. He listened to the faint nking sound of her heels and stood up from his seat as well, grabbing his bag and the documents that Stefan needed for another meeting.


    ¡°Sir Tristan, are you going to the university as well?¡± one of the guards asked when he saw Tristan walking to the elevator. ¡°Ms. Elena is going to the university, too. Can you guys go together? Twopany cars were sent to a carwash, other were used by other employees and some were getting repaired. We only have one avable car.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get a taxi.¡± Elena mumbled as she stepped into the elevator and waited for Tristan toe inside as well. She stayed in one corner while he stood opposite her, putting distance between them.


    Tristan didn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t even try to persuade her and it annoyed her so much.


    ¡°Ms. Elena, it would be good if both of you go there together. It will save us some gas and it will save your money. Also, taxi ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I spend extra money today. Thepany isn¡¯t cheap with gas expenses either. You can go with him if you want.¡± Elena cut off which shut the guard¡¯s mouth. He looked at Tristan and smiled at him faintly, apologizing for his failed attempt to help.


    Elena was about to step out of the elevator when it opened at the ground floor but he pulled Elena and trapped her between his arms and the elevator wall. ¡°You areing with me.¡±


    ¡°YA! What do you think you are doing?! Let me go right now!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kick you.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Elena gritted her teeth and raised her knees but Tristan used his leg to wedge it between her thighs. Her eyes went wide with their position and the door was even opened which allowed other employees to see them. ¡°Don¡¯t make me hate you for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll run away if I let you go.¡±


    ¡°Does that bother you so much? To begin with, you don¡¯t own me. I am not your property so, whether I run away or not, it is my discretion.¡±


    ¡°What should I do to make you believe me?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. No matter what you do, I won¡¯t believe in you.¡±


    The guard stood behind them in silence, not making a single noise that could distract the two people in front of him. He even signaled the other employees to stoping into elevator, giving time for the lovers to quarrel. As soon as the elevator closed, Tristan let her go but still stayed close to her. She pushed him away several times but he didn¡¯t budge at all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do everything for you to believe my words.¡± He stated which made Elena flinch beside him.


    In front of the huge monitors, Erwin smirked and took pictures of Tristan and Elena then, he sent it to Stefan and Cayenne. It wasn¡¯t his intention to be nosy but they just wanted to help Elena who stayed in denial and Tristan who kept getting rejected by the woman he likes.


    In his situation, it was really difficult to connect his feelings with her with all the misunderstandings that happened. Both of them needed time to sit and talk properly.


    Stefan received the message from Erwin and though how they could help. He knew how it felt when someone you love starts avoiding you because he experienced it with Cayenne. He can even see desperation in Tristan¡¯s eyes, hoping that Elena would understand him but she refused.


    ¡®Pea of the same pod.¡¯ He thought to himself when he remembered his painful experience with Cayenne. Elena was very much like her and Tristan was like him, too. ¡®Christmas retreat sounds good. I¡¯ll discuss it with my wifeter.¡¯


    When both his secretaries arrived, they weren¡¯t talking with each other. Elena even sat two seats apart from Tristan and she didn¡¯t spare him a single nce. She sat there, waiting for the meeting to start but the half an hour had passed and Stefan wasn¡¯t opening hisptop for a meeting at all.


    ¡°Boss, when will your meeting start?¡±


    ¡°It should be starting by now but I have not received any conference meeting invitation yet. I wonder if they forgot about the appointment.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be. They¡¯re wasting your time.¡± Elena blurted angrily without knowing that Stefan was lying to her. Everything was just part of his n to help Tristan. ¡°Tristan, you should have made a follow up with the client. You know that time is very important in business meetings. How can you just forget that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind wasting my time here. I¡¯m waiting for my wife so having some meetings canceled isn¡¯t really a problem.¡±


    ¡°You are defending him again, boss.¡±


    ¡°I am not. I am just being honest.¡± He said it with a straight face even though he was lying to her. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait for another fifteen minutes. If there¡¯s no confirmation, I¡¯ll just cancel all cooperation with them.¡±


    Elena red at Tristan again but Tristan only smiled at her. It irked her even more.


    ¡®These two will make me work my brain a lot.¡¯ Stefan told himself while pretending to read some documents. She didn¡¯t know that Stefan was reading the wedding n updates as well as the construction of the house which will be his gift for Cayenne. This time, it¡¯s a house built with all his love and effort.


    The house they stayed in City A was considered house of lies. All there lies started there and it also broke everything they have started. Her house in City B was a gift from his father. It was a shelter of their reconciliation and at the same time, a reminder of their almost ruined marriage.


    Now, he¡¯s finally building a home where they¡¯d share all love and trust between them. No more secrets. No more attempt of divorce because he won¡¯t allow it to happen again. This will be a ce where they will start their own family.


    ¡°You look happy.¡±

 Chapter 612

    Chapter 612: CHAOTIC LUNCH DATE


    Cayenne kissed Stefan on his forehead and nced on the documents he was reading but he slowly slipped it under another document which prevented her from seeing the content of what he was reading. She wasn¡¯t suspicious at all, just thinking that it was another project or contract for thepany.


    He pulled the chair next to him and Cayenne sat there while exining her early arrival without him even asking her. ¡°The teacher for myst subject this morning is absent. So, I decided toe here earlier than expected.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know. I was supposed to have a meeting but up until now, there¡¯s no message from the other party.¡± Cayenne held his hand and kissed the back of it tofort him. She always does this when he¡¯s upset or sad and she thought he was feeling down with what happened. ¡°Honestly, I like youforting me this way.¡± He said in whisper. ¡°But, I was lying about the meeting.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Cayenne pulled away and pped his shoulder. ¡°You dare?!¡±


    ¡°Wait listen. It¡¯s not meant for you.¡± He closed his eyes and red at Tristan who put him in this situation. Seeing his expression, Cayenne looked towards the two secretaries who were still having a cold war. ¡°Do you get it now?¡±


    ¡°You should have informed me in the first ce. I was jumping to conclusions again.¡± Stefan kissed her nose and pinched her face to get back at her. ¡°My mind went nk for a second when you said it was a lie.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for scaring you.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I was.¡±


    Elena felt envious with her boss, seeing them so in love and loyal for their partner, the kind of rtionship that she also wanted. She lowered her gaze and focused on her phone. While ying she, felt someone was intensely staring at her. She ignored it and just yed her phone but after five minutes, she still had this feeling that someone was looking at her.


    Tristan was looking at her but when Elena raised her head to look at him, he lowered his gaze and started flipping the menu on the table. She lowered his head and he looked at her again. She looked up and he avoided her eyes. This went on for several times that Cayenne wanted to smack the two of them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a lunch date with my husband.¡± Cayenne mentioned while picking the box of matcha cake. She likes to have it for dessert. ¡°Ah! I remember. I got this coupon from my ssmate and she said that you can get a discount if you eat there together with someone. You guys should go there.¡± She handed the coupon to Elena who looked at her with wide eyes, clearly asking her to stop what she was doing but Cayenne pretended not to see her. ¡°You guys go thereter. My husband and I will go somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°You can just use this with the boss.¡± Elena mumbled and pushed the coupon back to her.


    ¡°What are you talking about? You are saving money because you wanted to buy something, right?¡±


    Tristan looked at Cayenne, knowing that the woman knows a lot of things rted to Elena. ¡°Thank you,dy boss. We¡¯ll surely use this coupon wisely.¡±


    In the end, both of them were left with no other choice but to use the coupon. It would be a waste to throw it and Cayenne might feel sad if they do that. They both felt they needed to do it for Cayenne¡¯s sake.


    ¡°This is not a date. Just so you know.¡± Elenamented while the two of them walked outside the caf¨¦.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to think it¡¯s a date with you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Cayenne watched the two of them go and sighed. She helped Stefan keep his things and made sure they were filed correctly to make sure he won¡¯t be missing anything. The guard took his briefcase from him and followed them behind. In that way, he can hold Cayenne with his right hand and hold the box of cake with his left.


    ¡°Do you think they will be fine?¡± Cayenne asked, leaning on Stefan¡¯s arm while smiling at the people who greeted them. Some handed her letters and she ced them inside her bag, thanking them for supporting her vlogs even though she didn¡¯t upload that much.


    ¡°They will be fine.¡±


    That¡¯s what the two of them thought. However, when the subject of their concerns arrived at their destination, there was still this cold atmosphere around them. It¡¯s easy to guess that they were fighting. The guard who was responsible for sending them couldn¡¯t stop himself from shaking his head. He also went inside with them but he didn¡¯t sit around the same table with them. He didn¡¯t want to be caught in their warfare.


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Tristan asked while giving her the menu.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have appetite.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? You must eat even if it¡¯s a little amount. Your brain needs energy to function.¡±


    ¡°Can you stop lecturing me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I was just saying.¡±


    The two of them ordered their own preferred dishes and started eating. Among the customers, they were the only ones who were very quiet. If they talk, they would end up in banters. Even the waitresses and other customers looked at them weirdly. The restaurant was known as the lovers¡¯ nest and they gave discounts to couples as well. Some would pretend to be couples just to get discounts of their delicious food. However, looking at Elena and Tristan, other people felt a little bad for them.


    Their manager, as well as the owner of the restaurant, saw the two of them when she walked around. She felt the tense atmosphere and she didn¡¯t like it inside her restaurant. She immediately went back to the kitchen and looked for the heart-shaped moist chocte cake.


    ¡°Give them to that couple over there. Wish them a longsting rtionship.¡± The manager stated and gave the small te to the waitress. ¡°That¡¯s free.¡±


    The waitress didn¡¯t need to be told twice and she immediately walked towards Tristan and Elena with the cake in hand. ¡°Good afternoon. Our manager is pleased to have you here and she¡¯s hoping that you two will have a longsting rtionship. This is a gift from her. It¡¯s free.¡±


    ¡°Wait. No -¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the well-wishes.¡± Tristan stated that stumped Elena speechless. Even the guard, who was eating two tables away from them, stifled hisughter when he saw Elena¡¯s reaction. They were mistaken for a couple when she hated him so much at the moment. Who would be happy to hear that well-wishes? Only Tristan would be.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say we¡¯re not a couple?!¡± She whispered the moment the waitress left. She was seething with anger towards him but she just didn¡¯t have the strength to hit him.


    ¡°They were giving the cake with good intention. Why will you refuse?¡±


    ¡°Because we are not a couple. They were wishing for us to have a longsting rtionship. Isn¡¯t that weird?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so against with the idea? Besides, she didn¡¯t say that we are a couple. Longsting rtionship can be applied to friendship, too.¡±


    ¡®Friends.¡¯ Elena blinked her eyes and nodded her head, leaning back to her chair while taking a sip of her fruit shake. ¡°Right. Friendship.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Elena, I didn¡¯t mean it that way. What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about us being friends.¡±


    ¡°But you know I have no intention of staying in that zone forever.¡± She already refused listening to him and continued to eat her food. She even stuck her fork on the cake and ate a small piece of it. ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Keep talking. The food is really delicious and the cake, too.¡±


    ¡°If you won¡¯t listen to me, I will kiss you in front of all these people.¡± Her spoon stopped midair and this statement finally made her look at him. ¡°You can finally meet my gaze.¡± Tristan stated while keeping his eyes locked on hers. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    ¡°We are talking already.¡±


    ¡°You need to listen to me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a bossy partner.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even trying to boss you around. I just want you to listen to me. Is it so hard to do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She answered without even shifting her gaze. ¡°I have closed my heart and my mind for whatever you wanted to say. There¡¯s no point in listening to you.¡±


    ¡°Why would you even validate my feelings when I¡¯m the one feeling the emotions inside me. You cannot just deny me because of what you heard. I wasn¡¯t even dreaming of her because I wanted to. She just appeared out of nowhere, thanking me for whatever I did in the past. Also, she was part of me. Was. Do you get it. She¡¯s part of my past. I never once looked at you because you look simr to her. You two were prly opposite. There¡¯s no way you could be the same.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Lena, can¡¯t you give us a chance?¡±

 Chapter 613

    Chapter 613: DECISIONS


    Elena hugged her teddy bear while recalling the conversation she had with Tristan during lunch break. It was the first time he called her Lena and it was a name that her friends often call her as well. She thought he probably got it from her friends. She didn¡¯t mind him calling her that but she was still adamant in letting him inside her heart again. Her heart was in constant pain when she saw him in the past, liking him when he was still in love with his ex ¨C fianc¨¦. It took so much effort from her to get him out of her system and now, he was asking to give them a chance.


    She checked her phone and found it was already 8 o¡¯clock in the evening. She was still wide awake even though she wanted to sleep early. She opened her phone and found Cayenne¡¯s number. It would be better if she asks for advice from someone who experienced a lot of things.


    ¡®Ms. Yen, are you still awake?¡¯


    Stefan was busy checking out the wedding n while his wife answered her assignments. She was supposed to answer them earlier but she got busy when she remembered the things she needed for the weekend. She almost forgot her assignments. Stefan took out her phone from her bag and saw Elena¡¯s message.


    ¡°Elena sent you a message.¡± He said without opening it even though he knew the password.


    ¡°Can you read it for me?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s asking if you are awake. I¡¯ll tell her you are answering your assignments.¡±


    .....


    ¡°No. I can use a little break to answer that.¡± She put down her pen and epted the phone from him. She leaned on the couch between his thighs and leaned her head on his knees while dialing Elena¡¯s number.


    ¡°Ms. Yen, am I disturbing you? I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°Not really. I was just reading some books. Do you need my help or something?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just have some questions for you. It¡¯s a little private, though but I really need some advice before I lose my mind.¡±


    ¡°Chill. Just calm down. I¡¯ll be listening to you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯d be d to share some advice from my experience.¡±


    Elena sat up on her bed and leaned on her headboard while looking at the red carnations she picked from her trash bin. That¡¯s right. She picked the flowers she threw earlier. ¡°Tristan and I talked during lunch and our conversation bothers me so much. I don¡¯t want to jump head start in a rtionship that I am not sure of.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really no assurance when you start a rtionship with someone. It depends on you if really want to start something with him.¡±


    ¡°Then, how did you make up your mind to start over again with the boss? I mean, you almost had a divorce with him, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...about that, I don¡¯t really remember much now. When I decided to start over with him, I told myself not to dwell on our past. The first few months of our rtionship was built with lies and secrets. We didn¡¯t fully trust each other that time. So, when one thing was exposed, it crumbled our rtionship. When he knocked on my door again, well, what exactly happened after that?¡±


    ¡°You shut the door for me. I had to use any means just to get close to you again. If it weren¡¯t for Erwin and your brothers, I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯d spend sitting outside the house.¡±


    Cayenne chuckled when she heard his response. ¡°Did you hear that? The beginning of our rtionship wasn¡¯t all that sweet at all. Well, there were sweet moments but there were bad times, too. Ah! I remember. We fought one time and it caused me to have an ulcer because you forgot to feed me.¡±


    ¡°is that counted? We weren¡¯t in a rtionship back then. Don¡¯t remind me of that because I always feel guilty when it crosses my mind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why he makes sure to feed me on time.¡± Cayenne told Elena which made thetterugh on the other side of the line. ¡°The things he missed doing in the past, he tries to make up for it now. My husband isn¡¯t a perfect man. I¡¯m not a perfect wife either. But our imperfections make us whole.¡±


    ¡°What if I say Yes andter on, he¡¯ll break my heart again?¡±


    ¡°I had that question over and over inside my head. But nothing would really happen if you won¡¯t take a step. Aside from that, wouldn¡¯t you regret if you won¡¯t do anything? Since you would regret anyway, why not make a leap of faith and just give your heart to him. If he breaks it again, just remember that you still have your family and friends. They will always have your back. You can always move on. You can love again until you find the right person. Because sometimes, fate will allow us to love the wrong person to learn a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I thought boss is your first love?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another story. Let¡¯s not talk about it because my husband doesn¡¯t like me to mention it. His pride will be hurt.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s expected of the boss.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, if you need more advice, I can always arrange a tea party with all several women from my circle of friends. They can give you good advice as well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Yen. I¡¯m good for now. I¡¯ll think about it really, really hard before I make a free fall of this rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Hn. That¡¯s good to know. I suggest you think about this during the day or you won¡¯t get any sleep tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll do that. Goodnight Ms. Yen. Goodnight boss.¡±


    When the call ended, Cayenne immediately looked for Tristan¡¯s name from her contact list and sent him a message. ¡®Do something to impress her again. Also, if she ever agrees to have rtionship with you, do not, I mean it, DO NOT ever hurt her. I will really pluck your hair one after another if you hurt Elena again.¡¯


    Tristan received the message while decoding the things written on the paper that Jackie gave. The smile on his face bloomed like he won a lottery and he ordered a bunch of red carnations which were made of cloth. In that way, they won¡¯t wither and rot. ¡®Hopefully, she won¡¯t throw them again.¡¯


    As for Elena, she went outside of her home and cut three bunch of daisies before going back to bed. Her mother who saw what she did was confused but she let her be, thinking she might want to ce flowers inside her bedroom. She had no idea that Elena just plucked the petals one by one, counting whether he loves her or not. He said it already but she was still stubborn and silly, thinking a flower could tell her the truth.


    Thankfully, thest petal ended with ¡®he loves me¡¯. If it was the opposite, Tristan would probably hate all daisies in the world.


    The next morning, Elena woke up from the series of knockings on her door. Still groggy, she walked to the door and opened it, only to see her mother¡¯s grin stered on her face.


    ¡°Ma? What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s not time for me to go to work yet.¡±


    ¡°Just so you know Maria Elena, your rm has gone off three times already. Just what you been doingst night for you to wake up thiste? Your friend has been waiting for you downstairs for almost an hour now.¡± Then, her mother grinned once again.


    ¡°Friend? Who woulde to pick me at this hour?¡±


    ¡°He said his name is Tristan.¡±


    ¡°Tris-what?¡¯


    ¡°Tristan.¡±


    ¡°How does he look?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking me that?! Go and shower already. My gosh! You are an adult already. Why are you still acting like love-struck teenager?¡±


    Tristan heard everything and he couldn¡¯t stopughing silently because of her. This was the first time she¡¯d witness the silly side of her. He might not be seeing her face but he could already imagine what she was like from the exchange of words with her mother.


    ¡°She¡¯d probably freak out knowing that I¡¯m here.¡± He stifled hisughter once again while preparing the flowers he bought.

 Chapter 614

    Chapter 614: I JUST WANTED TO BE HONEST WITH YOU


    ¡°Did you have breakfast already? Come and join us.¡± Elena¡¯s mother invited Tristan but he refused. He didn¡¯t want Elena to feel even more bothered with his presence inside her home.


    Surprisingly, she nudged his elbow and red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯d grab breakfast in thepany cafeteria. There won¡¯t be many dishes left during this time. Just eat with us already. Tsk! Why did you evene so early?¡±


    ¡°Ha? So, it¡¯s okay for me toe as long as it¡¯s not too early?¡± Tristan retorted, trapping her using the words she spouted. ¡°Also, I have flowers for you. They won¡¯t wither and rot.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that you cane and I also mentioned I hate flowers.¡± She kept ring at him but her reactions brought happiness in his heart. At least, she¡¯s acting normally around him now. She even epted the flowers. He wondered what Cayenne didst night but, whatever it was, it should be something to be grateful for. ¡°Why are you still standing there?¡±


    ¡°Right. Come here. You must have skipped breakfast just to pick this sleepyhead.¡± Elena¡¯s mother stated while preparing extra utensils for him.


    ¡°I had sandwich before I left my apartment.¡±


    ¡°Nah. Sandwich won¡¯t do you good. You will have lots of work today so you need lots of energy. Do you want coffee? I can make you a cup. Elena loves coffee, too.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Yeah. I noticed that. She likes it with milk.¡±


    ¡°Oh. You are very observant. She didn¡¯t like the strong taste so, she¡¯d put milk in it.¡±


    Elena looked at her mother and Tristan. For some reason, she had a bad feeling about the closeness between the two. She was sure it was their first meeting and her mother should be wary to have a man inside their home, especially someone who has motive to her unica hija.


    ¡°Ma, you are talking a lot today.¡± Elenamented which earned her a fierce re from her mother.


    Looking at them, Tristan finally knew where Elena inherited the deathly re. He wanted tough but since he was in front of her mother, he only smiled at them.


    Thest time he had a sumptuous meal was before he moved out of his home. Twice a month, he¡¯d go back there but most of the time, he stays in his apartment. His mother or sister would visit him sometimes, bringing him food and side dishes that wouldst for at least a week.


    He¡¯s got plenty of money since he has business of his own but he gave half of the share to his sister. He wanted them to live a good and secured life. He may not have lots of enemies like Stefan but, he has a handful of them which was why he didn¡¯t stay with his family most of the time. In fact, if someone investigates him, they won¡¯t get anything helpful in his life. He¡¯s a hacker, he knows a lot of things and it¡¯s easy for him to fake his family information. After what happened to his sister and ex ¨C fianc¨¦, he learned a lot and he won¡¯t let those things happen to his love ones again.


    After having their breakfast, both of them left her home and Elena¡¯s mother took the flowers to her daughter¡¯s room. There, she saw the real red carnations she broughtst night and the petals of white daisies she pickedst night. ¡®Silly.¡¯ She thought.


    ¡°How did you know where I live?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a difficult thing to find.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s invading someone¡¯s privacy.¡±


    ¡°Your mother allowed me to get inside.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of. You seem to know my mother a long time ago. I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t just let some random stranger inside our home.¡±


    ¡°I identally bumped into herst week. She was buying groceries and her bag of groceries fell. I was there and I helped her. I didn¡¯t know she was your mother until this morning. I didn¡¯t even expect for her to recognize me.¡±


    ¡°My mother has a superb memory.¡±


    ¡°By the way, do you have an auntie or uncle?¡±


    ¡°Me? I don¡¯t know anyone from my father¡¯s side. Honestly, I don¡¯t know who my father is. As for my mother, she has a sister but she died two years ago. Her family moved out to another city.¡± Elena answered while looking outside the window. A deep frown appeared on her face when she felt something was wrong with his question. ¡°You are not interrogating me because of your ex ¨C fianc¨¦, right?¡±


    ¡°Do you hate her that much? I cannot really erase her from my life. She was part of my past. Of course, I¡¯m not going to dwell on it and I won¡¯t think about it. I want to look forward with my future. And in my future, I can only see you there and not anyone else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to confess your love again.¡±


    ¡°Well, I know this would sound unbelievable to you and I know you would start doubting my feelings again but I want to be honest to you in everything.¡± Tristan slowed down the speed of his car and stopped it on the roadside. ¡°I think you and my ex, let me emphasize, my EX- fianc¨¦, has a connection. You have seen her pictures, right? You were suspicious of my feelings because of how simr you two are. I just wanted to get things straight, to let you know that I¡¯m seeing you as you and not my ex.¡±


    ¡°How can we be rted? I know how my cousin looked like and take note, my cousin is a boy.¡±


    ¡°And what about your father¡¯s side?¡±


    ¡°My mother never really mentioned my father and I have not seen any pictures of him either. She raised me on her own. Before my grandparents died, they left a huge amount of cash for us. We¡¯re not really rich but we got by just fine.¡±


    ¡°I heard from my ex that her real parents broke up. She had a stepmother but she never knew who her real mother was. Her father didn¡¯t say anything either. I once investigated her birth but I couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with it.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that she¡¯s my sister? I checked on her you know. We are one year apart.¡±


    ¡°Birthdays can be faked. Either your birthday is fake or her birthday is fake.¡±


    Elena looked at him and smiled. It was a sad smile. ¡°I really wish you can just forget her.¡± she whispered to him. ¡°It¡¯s not really easy to win against a dead person.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even doing this for her. I¡¯m doing this for you.¡±


    ¡°But I have no intention of knowing. I don¡¯t want to know why my parents broke up and I don¡¯t want to know that your ex- fianc¨¦ could be my sister. I just don¡¯t want to know anything. I¡¯m happy with my life. I¡¯m contented having a mother who loves me. Knowing the truth will only add up to my heartache. It¡¯s okay if I don¡¯t have a sister. She didn¡¯t know me anyway. It¡¯s okay if I don¡¯t have a father, he already abandoned me. It¡¯s easy to think that way. It won¡¯t bother me either. After all, I grew without knowing any of them.¡± Elena blurted with tears hanging on hershes. The tip of her nose has turned red but she tried her best not to cry in front of him.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. You just wanted to reassure me, right?¡±


    ¡°Hn. I thought it would put you at ease.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t really mind it. I just hope you won¡¯t mention this to my mother. If what you think is right, it will only hurt her if she knows her other daughter died.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. I¡¯ll keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°Can I really trust you to do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t fail you this time.¡±


    Although they went to the office together and spent the whole morning with each other¡¯spany, Tristan still felt something was wrong. Things were getting better earlier but now, she was back to being cold again.


    ¡®Sigh. How long will it take me to gain her trust? I messed up again, didn¡¯t I?¡¯ He thought to himself as he put down his pen on the table. He just finished decoding the letters and numbers written on the paper that Jackie gave to Stefan. All he needed to do was to check what it was all about. If he guessed it correctly, they were just a bunch of forms.

 Chapter 615

    Chapter 615: CHILDREN¡¯S PARTY


    Saturday finally arrived and the kids were very excited with the party that Jillyanna was throwing for all of them. It¡¯s the season of the year that the orphans looked forward to because they go so many things from the Madrid and Madrigal family. Last year, Stefan only donated some money and never really participated in anything. He even told Travis not to disclose the information of the giver. Now, because of Cayenne¡¯s he¡¯s been doing a lot of things that impacted a lot of children¡¯s lives.


    ¡°Are we really going to an orphanage?¡± Chloe asked Justin while putting on her shoes. ¡°Are we leaving grandma and grandpa?¡±


    Justin crouched low to level his eyes with hers and caressed her hair gently. ¡°Grandpa and grandma said that they will be leaving to go somewhere in the future and no one will be able to take care of all us. Ms. Yen said that we can go to the orphanage to learn a lot of things. We can even go to school in the future.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to live there?¡±


    ¡°In the future. It¡¯s not going to happen this time. We will stay with grandpa and grandma for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± Chloe looked sad. Justin may have tried to coat his words, trying his best to cheer her up but Chloe knew what was going to the old people. She had seen a lot of people dying and she knows that their grandpa and grandma will also leave them for eternity. She just didn¡¯t say anything.


    Half an hourter, Luiz and risse arrived apanied with many bodyguards. He was driving the sports car that Cayenne lent to him while threepany vans followed him. It was Stefan¡¯spany vans that Luiz borrowed to bring the gifts and decorative materials to Justin¡¯s home.


    .....


    ¡°Good afternoon, sir Luiz.¡± Justin greeted them as he came out of the house.


    ¡°Are you all ready? My sister¡¯s waiting for you all. The guards will be taking you to the venue.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t youing with us?¡±


    ¡°No. I...uh...we still have something to do.¡± Luiz stated while leading the kids to the vacant van. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, someone will look after your grandparents. Just enjoy the party.¡±


    The kids got inside the van one after another before the bodyguard closed it and bid farewell to Luiz. As soon as they left the house, Luiz breathed a sigh of relief and smiled to the two elderlies who were standing at the door to their home. ¡°Do you mind if wee in?¡±


    ¡°No. Not at all.¡± They opened the door a little wider and Luiz came inside with risse followed by the bodyguards who started taking out the gifts and decorations. Their task was to prepare an exclusive party for the children once they get back from the party at the orphanage. It was an early Christmas gift that Cayenne and her family decided to make.


    At the Xavier¡¯s Orphanage, Jade was surrounded by many kids. They were her friends when she was still at the orphanage. They were always eager to see her and to listen to her story because she didn¡¯t sound bragging and she makes her story and experiences really interesting.


    ¡°You are very lucky to have them as your family, Jade.¡± One of the little children said and gave Jade a gentle pat on her head. ¡°Make sure that you behave properly and don¡¯t cause them trouble.¡±


    ¡°Hn. I will always be good.¡± Jade promised.


    She yed with the other children and herughter can be heard clearly in the room. Watching her roam around happily, Jillyanna couldn¡¯t stop herself from smiling. ¡°My princess has grown.¡±


    ¡°Our princess.¡± Riley corrected her sister. Even though Jade wasn¡¯t rted to them by blood, she was loved by everyone because of her adorable and kind nature. She¡¯s very mature for her age as well and she¡¯s very considerate to others. ¡°I wonder when Cayenne and Stefan have their own child? Mmmm. I wonder.¡±


    ¡°Stop wondering.¡± Cayenned snorted with a roll of her eyes. ¡°Stefan won¡¯t let me. I tricked him a few times but he always finds out. He¡¯s paying attention to my period as well. He¡¯s more knowledgeable about it than me. Can you imagine that? I can¡¯t get pregnant because he said it¡¯s not the time yet.¡±


    ¡°Well, I agree on him.¡± Jillyanna stated. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not one to say this because I got pregnant really early but I wasn¡¯t studying that time. I had stable ie and I was ready for it. Stefan must be worried for your sake. You are still finishing your course and he hasn¡¯t married you with.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re married.¡± Cayenne corried.


    ¡°Yeah. You registered your marriage but you haven¡¯t had your wedding yet.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I can live a life without the wedding.¡± Cayenne was exasperated as she whispered these words. ¡°I don¡¯t need the wedding. I¡¯m okay without it.¡± Riley and Jillyanna looked at him with sympathetic gazes. ¡°What now?¡±


    Riley took a deep breath and pinched Cayenne¡¯s face lightly. ¡°You must be aware how much your husband dotted on you. Do you really think he would skip the wedding?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°There you have it. He wanted to take things step by step. And right now, I bet my whole savings that he wanted you to graduate first.¡±


    Cayenne couldn¡¯t find anything to refute that. She looked back to where the men stayed and pouted towards his husband.


    Somehow, he felt a foreboding when he found his wife pouting at him. It felt like she was talking something really upsetting which involved him.


    ¡°Looking at them, your wife must haveined something about you.¡± Vincentmented when he observed the group of women. He had been focusing his gaze on his girlfriend who was ying with the children so he also noticed the women who was sitting beside Jackie. ¡°I wonder what it was.¡±


    ¡°Hey. Stop with your joke. Don¡¯t jinx me.¡± Stefan replied with a shiver down his spine.


    As they continued to speak, one of the social worker staff came inside and following her were the children at Justin¡¯s home. The children were shy and looked really meek while observing their surrounding and that¡¯s when Jade found them.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± Jade eximed and brought her friends over to meet the new children. ¡°They are auntie Yen¡¯s little friends. They are here to join the party as well.¡±


    ¡°Sis Jade, are we really allowed to y here?¡± the little girl beside Chloe spoke in a soft voice, almost a whisper that they could barely here.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Jade responded cheerfully. ¡°The children here are my friends and the big sisters and the teachers are very kind to us all. We can y today because it¡¯s party time. Come over here.¡± Jade pulled them to the make-shift y ground that Stefan and Travis sponsored for them. It costs them a huge fortune but seeing the smiling faces of the children make the investment really worthy.


    As for the adolescents, most of the boys were at theputer room, ying a game with Shein who was very fond ofputer games as well. Anyone who can beat him in a game will receive a prize for him. They didn¡¯t know what the prize was but they knew that Shein was a generous man. It should be something very useful in their life.


    The girls were helping at the kitchen to finish the preparation. The party has not started yet but the guests just arrived early to watch the children. This year¡¯s Christmas party has a lot of big wigs invited. Travis even made sure to invite couple who didn¡¯t have children in hopes that one or two children will have a new family to call their own. He wanted the children to have a bright future and it will start by having new parents that can take care of them as if they were their own babies.


    Sabrina also visited the city for this event. She came together with Erwin, wanting to help Travis and Jilyanna with their project for great cause.


    There were many children at the orphanage plus the children that came from Justin¡¯s home. So far, there was no problem with teenagers. Even if no one takes them, they are fine with it because they were able to go to school and they even have a part-time job at thepanies that Travis owned. They didn¡¯t feel poorly of themselves. They even thought that they were lucky enough to have been sent to the orphanage instead of getting thrown anywhere.


    All over the world, thousands if not millions of children were thrown away by their parents. Some of them were sent to orphanages, others to church; and worst, some were thrown at the river, garbage dumps and many horrible ces where children wouldn¡¯t be able to survive. Yes, it¡¯s cruel but that¡¯s the truth.


    Around six in the evening, many guests have arrived which really stunned the other children. Some of them knew Jade so when they saw the little girl ying happily with the others, they had a good impression of the ce.


    Half an hourter, the party finally started and they began with a doxology. It was their way of thanking God for giving them so much blessing by sending good people who aid them in crisis and look out for them to make sure they¡¯re getting by just fine. They may be orphans but they felt really loved by so many people.


    Watching them, Jillyanna teared up. With the sacrifice of her mother and father, the orphanage was operating fine. She just felt a little sad when she thought of her parents. They were both great people who were in love with each other but they couldn¡¯t even get the happiness of a lifetime. Their rtionship abruptly stopped when they were just getting fine.


    ¡°Your parents, if there¡¯s another life, I¡¯m sure that God has done his best to bring them back together. They both deserved to be happy.¡± Travismented while pulling his wife in his embrace.


    Cayenne also felt sad for Jillyanna. She learned that Jillyanna¡¯s biological parents had a tragic love story that ended in death. She felt really bad thinking about it. She can only imagine the pain that Jillyanna went through after knowing this from thewyer.


    As soon as the doxology ended, Jillyanna wiped away her tears and tried her best to cheer up. As the daughter of the biggest benefactor, she has to give speech to the children and to the guests. She didn¡¯t want to disappoint anyone. However, because of her mixed emotions, she didn¡¯t talk much in front. She wanted everyone to just enjoy the day.


    ¡°Sis.¡± Shein walked towards her and pulled Jillyanna¡¯s sleeves. ¡°I have a favor.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Shein scratched her head awkwardly before turning his head to look at the kids behind him. ¡°I lost a game.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I promised them a prize.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring my wallet and phone. I don¡¯t have any prize either. I was confident I wouldn¡¯t lose.¡±


    ¡°How did you lose the game anyway? I thought you are very good at it.¡±


    ¡°Well, apparently,¡± Shein looked towards Tristan and glowered at him. ¡°That ssmate of yours taught the boy how to y. You knew I¡¯ve never won anything against that man. So hateful.¡±


    ¡°Hey. It¡¯s not my problem if you don¡¯t have the skill. Why are you ming me?¡± Tristan retorted in defense. ¡°It wasn¡¯t in your condition that a helper isn¡¯t allowed.¡±


    Jillyanna flicked his brother¡¯s forehead which made Shein grimaced in pain but he didn¡¯t say anything toin. ¡°Here¡¯s my card. Go buy a prize for that child.¡±


    ¡°Thanks sis. You are the best.¡± Riley looked back hearing the words and frowned at him. ¡°I mean you are the best sister in the world.¡± Jackie looked at him and this made Shein stomped on his feet childishly. ¡°Fine. You two are the best sister and sister-inw in the whole world. Happy?¡±


    Looking at their interaction, Cayenne couldn¡¯t stop herself fromughing. Shein was just really cute even though he was already 20-years-old. He acted childish when he wanted to get what he wants and it didn¡¯t look awkwarding from him because he looked really young as well. Also, Jillyanna and Jackie spoiled him very much. Plus, there¡¯s Riley who will protect him at all cost. Taking the card from JIllyanna, Shein approached the boy to ask what he wanted for a prize.


    Seeing that everyone¡¯s busy, Tristan walked to Stefan and whispered something to him. There were no changes on his calm fa?ade but there was turbulent emotion swirling in his eyes.


    ¡°I received the analysis of the form. It was a bunch of poisons.¡± This was what Tristan told him.

 Chapter 616

    Chapter 616: HE ENDURED FOR HER


    ¡°Is that really true? Why would they be scribbling notes about poisons?¡± Stefan questioned because it felt weird to him that Napoleone would be talking poisons with someone. ¡°Is he trying to kill me with a poison?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably the reason.¡± Tristan agreed. ¡°Also, I visited Simonst time after learning the fact that he was connected to Jillyanna. He told me that Napoleone is nning to escape. He even said that he¡¯d bring Simon outside as well.¡±


    ¡°Why would he bring Simon out? Is there any rtionship between them?¡±


    ¡°Simon guaranteed that he didn¡¯t know Napoleone and have never ever associated himself with the man. He didn¡¯t mind rotting in jail after what the Summer family has done but Napoleone kept telling him that he should go out because he was innocent.¡±


    This information really bothered Stefan. He felt that something was off with how Napoleone insisted of taking Simon out. There should be something that connected the two of them and that¡¯s what he needed to find out before things get worse. ¡°Find out what connects Simon and Napoleone. Do your best to find it before the year ends. Also, how¡¯s the Rule family¡¯s case? Have you gotten any clue where Cayenne¡¯s uncle and auntie was sent to?¡±


    Regarding that, I also have a new information in hand but I needed to have someone who can investigate it for me. I cannot really go to a ce with a high-end security. I can only deal withputer programs andworks but I cannot really do anything as far as climbing walls and fences.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Chris for help regarding that matter.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send the details to you in five minutes.¡± Tristan left Stefan¡¯s side and disappeared to a ce he only knows. He needed to his work quickly before he forgets it. There¡¯s so much time but there were so many problems as well.


    The party continued and the children presented their performances to the guests. There was a group of little girls who danced to a BLACKPINK song How You Like That and there was a group of little boys who danced to BTS song Fire. They were very energetic and they executed the moves really well. After their performance, they yed games and even the guests were asked to participate. Jade was considered one of the guests and she was very excited in joining the games that was prepared.


    Jade was ying the game called paper dance. It was a game where the yer steps on the newspaper or magazine once the music stops. Every time there¡¯s a yer who loses the game, the paper will be folded in half until it gets really small. Thest person standing will be the winner.


    It was already the 7th round and the paper was getting smaller as the time goes by. Jade was very small and she was very good in bnce because of the training she got from her mother when ites to martial arts and gymnastics. She was very flexible. She even thought she¡¯d win the game.


    ¡°Jade.¡±


    The moment she heard that voice, Jade lost her bnce as she turned her head to look at the source. Behind her mother, Ethan was smiling happily while watching her.


    ¡°Man. You just distracted my daughter.¡± Travismented and pinched Ethan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Sorry, uncle.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s your uncle?¡± Travis pulled his cheek even more but Jillyanna swatted his hand. ¡°Tsk! Stop distracting my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Although he promised that, he was very happy when Jade approached him and pulled him away from her father. He quickly forgot the promise he just made.


    ¡°Looks like your son won¡¯t have an easy way to getting Jade.¡± Cayenne whispered to Tiffany Kroger, Ethan¡¯s mom.


    ¡°They are still young and many things could happen in the future.¡± Tiffany answered with a soft smile on her lips. They camete because her husband still needed to do ast-minute meeting but they¡¯re very d they could make it.


    During the two hours that have passed since the party started, the guests have observed the children. Although one day wasn¡¯t enough to really know them, they can also visit some other time to get to know the children even better. Some of the guests just gave some donations and left. Others were very generous and took two or three children as their schrs, promising to pay for everything they needed toe to school.


    There were few lucky children as well who were being eyes potentially to be adopted by some couples who didn¡¯t have children of their own. One of these children was Chloe. She had no idea about it yet but she¡¯ll soon find this out.


    Luna and Ali couldn¡¯te because of Luna¡¯s grandparent¡¯s health. She wanted to stay with her family as much as they can knowing how much trouble she caused them. They evenpromised her rtionship with Ali just so she coulde home. It didn¡¯t matter to them if she wanted to be with her boyfriend. They just wanted her to go back home.


    Although she didn¡¯te, she sent a lot of gifts for the children. Most of them were school materials and books for the library. It was her way of helping them.


    The partysted until ten in the evening. For the children at the orphanage, they¡¯d have to rest the night away no matter how excited and happy they were. Since they¡¯re children, they needed to get some more sleep for their development. However, it was different for the children at Justin¡¯s home.


    From the orphanage, they already got a lot of gifts and prizes but when they got home, they were struck at the huge change of their small house. There were Christmas lights everywhere and there was a big Christmas tree inside their small living room. Under the Christmas tree were gifts that varied in sizes. There were so many of them that the children had to rub their eyes in disbelief.


    ¡°Did Santae to our house?¡± one of the children asked which made Cayenneugh behind them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in Santa before but I think I do now. He must have stopped and dropped all these.¡± Another child answered as they got closer to the gifts.


    ¡°Hephephep!¡± Their grandparents came out of the small room and stopped the children froming. ¡°Santa dide earlier. We even helped him design the house and bring the gifts here but Santa said you can only open them on Christmas day.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because there will be more surprises for you on Christmas day. If you behave, he will bring more gifts for you. That¡¯s what he said. He even brought cookies and milk for everyone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool.¡±


    The party that the children should have was postponed a little because of some changes in schedule but nheless, it was still on Cayenne¡¯s calendar of activities.


    By the time they all got home, it was almost one in the morning. Cayenne even fell asleep in the car, carried by Stefan who sat at the backseat while one of the bodyguards drive the car for them.


    Even when they got home, he didn¡¯t have the heart to wake her up from her deep slumber. The guard opened the door for him and he stepped out of the car with Cayenne in his arms.


    Kyle was the only one who was awake when they got home, making his dissertation while chatting with his girlfriend. When he saw theme in, he looked worried at his sister.


    ¡°She¡¯s just asleep from exhaustion. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Stefan assured him which made Kyle nodded his head.


    Kath saw everything from the video call and she squealed happily when she caught Stefan¡¯s sweet gesture. ¡°Your brother-inw loves your sister so much, doesn¡¯t he? It looks like his world really revolves around her.¡±


    ¡°He must be afraid of losing her. After all, my sister almost divorced him. Well, she did sign the divorce paper but he didn¡¯t ept it.¡±


    ¡°Seeing how much he dotted on her, it must be your brother-inw who was at fault.¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Kyle didn¡¯t confirm anything, not because he didn¡¯t trust her but because he didn¡¯t want her girlfriend to talk about other people. He was jealous. He wanted to talk about the two of them and not someone else. ¡°Anyway, are you going somewhere with your family on Christmas day?¡±


    ¡°My eldest brother nned on taking us on a trip.¡±


    ¡°Is he bringing David?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure. He hasn¡¯t mentioned him to the family and we never really asked him about their rtionship. Why are you asking?¡±


    ¡°Well, I heard that David will be joining our Christmas party so, I figured they¡¯re not open to each other¡¯s family yet. I kind of understand why but I just felt a little sad for David.¡±


    ¡°My brother must be thinking of something.¡± Kath stated, not wanting to say anything that would put her brother in a bad position. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s getting reallyte now. We both need to sleep as well. Let¡¯s just continue this tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Good night.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡± Kath was about to end the call when a mischievous smile appeared on her lips. ¡°By the way, if you ever dream about me tonight, I want you to remember that I like it rough.¡±


    Kyle wanted to say something but he was stunned at her words and then the call ended. He was really lost in thoughts about it. ¡®My girlfriend is being naughty again.¡¯ He told himself before closing theptop and his notes.


    In the master¡¯s bedroom, Cayenne was lying on the bed while Stefan undressed her clothes one after another until only her underwear was left. ¡°She can sleep without it.¡± He told himself and took thatst small piece away before going to the bathroom. He filled the basin with warm water and took a wash cloth to wipe her body.


    He has done it several times and all the time, he¡¯d be running for a cold shower right after dressing her up. His wife affects him so much even she was sleeping innocently on their bed. A part of his anatomy just didn¡¯t know how to behave.


    ¡°This part of mine is hopeless.¡± Stefan mumbled as he looked his thick and hard shaft in front of him. ¡°Cold shower can no longer help.¡± He said as he stroked himself and released everything in the bathroom. He has to endure because his wife was tired. He has done it twice before it finally calmed down. He sighed and closed his eyes hopelessly.

 Chapter 617

    Chapter 617: ANOTHER CLUE


    ¡°How¡¯s the new poison I asked from you?¡± A man in his early fifties wearing ab coat came inside theboratory. He was roamed around the ce, touching cylinders and sks, picking items here and there while keeping his peripheral vision to the woman who was busy with the experiment.


    ¡°I made several samples already but they are stillcking in requirements.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You wanted me to make something odorless, tasteless and colorless poison. There¡¯s a carbon monoxide that we can use but, it will be troublesome to do that. They will notice it immediately. I mean, why would someone burn such thing at home or somewhere? I am still creating a crystal form of them.¡±


    ¡°And when will it be prepared?¡±


    ¡°Sometime soon.¡±


    ¡°You better hurry or your man will stay longer in jail.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The woman smiled faintly, confident with what she was doing and she knew that she was going to be sessful. However, she was worried. She needed to see her man first before she hands the poison to her leader. If something goes wrong, the me will be shifted to her. She can¡¯t risk her life for something she¡¯s not really directly involved.


    On the other hand, Napoleone was getting more excited as the days went by. His expressions and reactions brought suspicions to Simon especially after he received an exclusive meeting with Tristan. That¡¯s when he found that the bunch of scribbles where actually forms and he knew everything about them.


    He has regretted so many things after what happened to his sister in the past. He didn¡¯t want the same tragic thing to happen to the person who¡¯s close to Jillyanna.


    The next day, Cayenne and Stefan received a wedding invitation. It was Gabriel and Winter¡¯s wedding. ¡°They are finally getting married.¡± Stefanmented when he saw the wedding invitation. He also thought of his own wedding but he couldn¡¯t tell Cayenne about it because it was meant to be a surprise for her.


    ¡°When¡¯s the wedding?¡± Cayenne asked. She has ns on her own but she couldn¡¯t miss this wedding as well especially that Winter and Gabriel were considered close family to Jillyanna and Travis. Receiving an invitation to their wedding felt like a big honor to Cayenne.


    ¡°They are going to hold a Christmas-themed wedding on December 12. That is Sunday and it¡¯s two weeks from now.¡±


    ¡°We should go and buy a wedding present for them.¡± Cayenne replied excitedly.


    Stefan pulled her to sit on hisp and kissed the tip of her nose while hugging her waist happily. ¡°You¡¯ve been very busy the past few days and you still have several days to attend the university before winter break. I already bought the gift in your behalf Mrs. Dumrique.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Dumrique. You saved me a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I need to save as much time as I can so we can have more time together.¡±


    ¡®Geez! What are they up to now?¡¯ Luiz shivered from the sweetness in front of him and decided to do his homework at the gazebo instead. He thought ants were crawling on his legs whenever those two goes all sweet and cuddly in front of him. Compared to them, he felt that his rtionship with risse was the most normal.


    ¡°So, what do you want us to do today? Do you have anything in mind?¡± Cayenne asked as she kissed his chin, nipped on it and bit it lightly. Her actions were a little bit ticklish to Stefan, making him chuckle and groped her butt to tease her. ¡°You don¡¯t like me doing this?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not do it in broad daylight today.¡±


    ¡°But we cannot do itter tonight?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Stefan sounded aggrieved with her response and pinched her butt cheeks again.


    ¡°Hon, did you just forget that I still have ss? You said it yourself. Besides, my ss on Monday starts rather early. So, we cannot do it tonight. I think we haven¡¯t been doing it on Sunday night.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s do it now.¡±


    ¡°Silly.¡± Cayenne kissed his cheeks and got off from him. ¡°Let¡¯s get some massage instead. It will rx both of us.¡±


    ¡°But it won¡¯t rx this.¡± Stefan pointed out with his finger pointing at his bulging pants.


    Cayenne onlyughed at him and throw a pillow on his face. ¡°You do something with that.¡±


    Sunday was spent with the whole family instead. Everyone had been busy with their works, study and other things that they weren¡¯t able to just sit down and rx with everyone else. Because of this Cayenne decided to spend time with everyone. Kath and risse were even invited for lunch. Cayenne wanted everyone to know them a little bit more since they¡¯d be part of the family in the future. That¡¯s what she was hoping for.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± Stefan hugged her from behind while she was cleaning some vegetables with Lucia.


    ¡°Alright, you have to stop now. I¡¯m a little bit busy with the dishes that we are about to cook.¡±


    ¡°And what about me?¡±


    She faced her pouty husband and kissed him several times to console him. ¡°Let¡¯s watch movie together in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Stefan agreed with no hesitation and left. ¡°Let me know if you need help.¡± He said while walking back to the living room.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know sir Stefan can be childish sometimes.¡± Luciamented with a faint smile on her lips. ¡°He didn¡¯t look cold like what everyone said on their posts or news.¡±


    ¡°That man values this home so much.¡±


    ¡°You are wrong on that Ma¡¯am Cayenne.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Sir Stefan doesn¡¯t value this home. He values you more than anyone else and anything else. If it¡¯s something or someone you like, he will like them and do his best to cater to their needs. If it¡¯s something or someone you hate, he¡¯ll do his best to get rid of them. He values you because you are his home.¡±


    Sofia smiled and nodded her head in agreement. ¡°Perhaps you are right. That man likes to spoil me.¡±


    Together with Lucia¡¯s daughter, the four of them cooked and helped each other to make sure that everything will be finished before twelve noon. As for Stefan, he was tasked to entertain the guests, talk to them and y with them, just whatever he could do to make sure that they won¡¯t feel out of ce.


    Reuben came as well. This time, his wife Ingrid didn¡¯te with him due to some health issues. She was brought to a hospitalst week but Cayenne couldn¡¯t even visit to see how the woman was doing because her family has been looking after her. She didn¡¯t like seeing Ingrid¡¯s family. She might not be hating the woman but she hates her parents and grandparents who forced Reuben and Emerald to separate.


    Stefan was talking to Reuben and Stanley about a golf game which will be held next week. Before, he likes to y golf and mess around his father by using some of the women their as her girlfriends or flings. Now, apart from stopping his flirting game, he stopped golf as well. He would never step foot on the ce whose employees talked bad things about his wife.


    In the middle of their conversation, Stefan received a message from Vincent. ¡®Look for Denise Amir. Mr. Summer said that he had a ssmate back in college who is very good in creating poisons. She specialized in that field and she may have an idea of those forms that your secretary decoded.¡¯


    ¡®Is there even a course that specializes in making poisons?¡¯ Stefan questioned himself after reading the message. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ He typed and sent it back to the man. He copied the message and sent it to Tristan. He¡¯s been giving so many works to his secretary now and he felt a little bad doing so.


    Tristan replied an ¡®okay¡¯ hand sign and Stefan knew that he¡¯d be working on that even though it was his day off.


    ¡®I¡¯ll give one week off once everything¡¯s finish. I just need to make sure that Cayenne will be out of harm¡¯s way.¡¯ Stefan thought and was about to put his phone back inside his pocket when he got another two messages. His eyes lit up with the notification and he immediately stood up.


    ¡°Dad, uncle, excuse me for a while. I need to take an important video meeting.¡±


    What else could be so important aside from Cayenne? Of course, the things that can be rted to her; like her safety, her wants, her needs and her wedding. Stefan ran upstairs with so much excitement. The wedding was 70% done and the house was almost finish as well. His surprise was getting closer topletion.

 Chapter 618

    Chapter 618: KINDNESS EXISTS IN THIS WORLD


    Tristan searched for the woman called Denise Amir. He found out that she was actually a ssmate of Simon Summer in three subjects and the two of them have been partnered in some projects and activities. He gathered as much information as he could before leaving his apartment to conduct a field investigation. He needed to visit City C where her family is living.


    City C wasn¡¯t really that far and given it was Sunday, it was less trafficpared to working days. He arrived City C within three hours and thankfully, the residential ce where her family lives was very easy to locate. Based on the location and the size of the house, he could tell that the woman was earning a good amount of money.


    He pressed the doorbell to their home and a little kid about 5-6 years old opened the door and looked at him. ¡°L, L, there¡¯s a handsome man outside.¡± The young girl called while keeping her eyes on him, as if she was observing him like a prey. Tristan smiled faintly at her and the little girl closed the door.


    Not long after, an olderdy came out and the little girl was hiding behind her. ¡°Hello. How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon, ma¡¯am. Is this where Denise lives?¡± Tristan asked using first name basis to establish closeness.


    ¡°She¡¯s currently out of the country for work. And who might you be?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Tris. I am Simon Summer¡¯s friend. They were ssmates back in college. I am not sure if she ever mentioned him.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Summer? I think she mentioned him to us. What is it that you need from her?¡±


    ¡°Simon is currently working on a form and he needed her help since she was his best partner back in college. He lost contact of her and thought she might still be living here.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I see. Unfortunately, she left the city...the country in fact, and worked somewhere else. I think it¡¯s in P country. I just don¡¯t know which ce in particr.¡± Tristan nodded his head and appeared disappointed but he still smiled at the olderdy and the child. ¡°I have her number but we never called her voluntarily because it¡¯s expensive. I am not sure if it could help.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll give it to Simon.¡±


    The olderdy was very careful and she didn¡¯t dare open the gate to a stranger. She typed the number on Tristan¡¯s phone and he bid farewell after getting it. ¡®That child...I wonder if Simon knows.¡¯ Tristan thought but he shoved this information at the back of his mind because his priority was to find Denise.


    When he checked hiswork information earlier, he wasn¡¯t able to find anything rted to her work. In fact, there was no information of her leaving the country either. The result of this initial investigation shows that she¡¯s still in the country. It only meant one thing, Denise left under a fake identity or someone took her out of the country illegally.


    The first thing that Tristan did when he arrived back in his apartment, he ran a location test using the phone number. It was indeed from P country and thest time it was active was three months ago. He located the IP address and found the source from an isted ind.


    This ce was thousands of miles away from the maind and it was said that the ind was inhabited by a tribe who doesn¡¯t wee any visitors. If you step foot on thisnd, they will kill you and feed you to the sharks.


    ¡°How can this be possible?¡± Tristan muttered nervously. He¡¯s a man who¡¯s got great IQ andputer skills but he¡¯s never good in physical exercises andbat. ¡°How am I going to find her from this scary ind? Is there something wrong with my program today. I may have done some mistakes. She can¡¯t be in this ce.¡± For the second time, ever since he worked for Stefan, he received another assignment that he involves stamina and fighting skills. ¡°I¡¯ll have to leave this to Chris again?¡±


    In the end, Tristan called Stefan and informed him of what happened. It was the first time he doubted himself and to prove if he was wrong or right, Shein helped him verify the information but they still ended having the same result.


    ¡°I have a different conclusion to this.¡± Shein told Tristan over the phone. ¡°I am not sure if you thought of this possibility but this can happen.¡±


    ¡°Just say it. Why are you giving a lengthy speech to me?¡±


    ¡°Be thankful that I¡¯m helping you. Hmp!¡±


    ¡°Fine. So, what is it that you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a good possibility that the investigation is right. That woman must be in this ind. The reason why they¡¯re alive in that ce and could even make a call is probably the extinction of the tribe.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t be that horrible, right?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the world enough? People can be very cruel to achieve what they want in life. Since this ce became an ind that normal people avoid, it¡¯s a best ce for you to make illegal things. No one wille to check on the ce because people are afraid of the tribe. So, they killed the whole tribe or perhaps instill fear on them, showing who¡¯s better and powerful in order to use thatnd.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°Duh. Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you. Anyway, there¡¯s nothing wrong to your investigation. How could you doubt yourself? I didn¡¯t even doubt myself even once.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s overconfident dude.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± Shein ended the call and Tristan mulled over the idea that Shein presented. Tristan also thought of this possibility but he just didn¡¯t want to admit it. He wanted to give people the benefit of the doubt that they¡¯re good and kind. Looks like he was fooling himself once again.


    Shein informed Travis and Jillyanna about this matter knowing that these two people cared so much about Cayenne and Stefan. ¡°If it¡¯s really a poison, I think Stefan won¡¯t be the target this time. It should be the people around him and the person who can affect him the most is Cayenne. Security should be tightened around her.¡± Jillyannamented while carrying her son. ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs to change the baby¡¯s diapaer, you take care of this matter and talk to Stefan.¡±


    ¡°Hn. Call me if you need help.¡± Travis reminded his wife before going to his study room. Stefan might not be rted to him by blood but they¡¯ve been through so many ups and downs in life and yet, they still stick to each other. They tried to help as much as they could.


    ¡°Dad.¡± Jade came to the study room with JIllyanna¡¯s phone in hand. ¡°Mommy said that Uncle Eli is going to P country and that Uncle Tristan should make use of this chance. Here¡¯s the message.¡±

 Chapter 619

    Chapter 619: THE DOCTOR AND THE HACKER


    ¡°You are leaving the country tomorrow?¡± Elena asked Tristan when he came over to pick her up again. ¡°When will you being back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure when we¡¯d be able to go back home but it should be afterpleting my assignment. Also, I¡¯d being with Dr. Rivera and some of Chris¡¯s friends.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then, you take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Will you miss me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Her quick response made Tristan feel a little sad but he knew she didn¡¯t really mean it. She¡¯s probably still upset with all the things that happened in the past. It¡¯s already a great start that she allowed him to get closer to him.


    The next day, he met with Eliezer and the two other men that Chris sent over to help them. They looked normal businessmen wearing formal suits but Tristan knew they were more than what they appeared to be.


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care. I hope we¡¯ll have great cooperation.¡± Eliezer stated and shook hands with Tristan.


    ¡°Likewise. I hope we¡¯d get back home safely as fast as we could.¡±


    P country was a group of thousands of inds. It¡¯s near the pacific ocean and it¡¯s neighboring countries like this ce as well. Their people is very weing and hospitable. Since they are very open to trades, they offer varieties of food and other necessities. The country has a wide-range of cultures due to the influence of other countries who invaded them in the past.


    It has the biggest biodiversity in the whole world and many scientists like to explore this ce¡¯snd and water resources. They get to discover so many things from them.


    Although their poption continues to increase over the years, they still have huge pieces of inhabitednds.


    And because it¡¯s an archipgic country, there were inds that people haven¡¯t visited yet or ces that shelter to indigenous people and tribe.


    Some tribes are weing to people but others aren¡¯t.


    When Tristan and Eliezer arrived at P country, the two businessmen changed gears and became tourists whoe along with them instead. They mingled with the natives and tried their best to learn the culture as much as they could. At first, they pretended to be interested but as the time went by, they became genuinely interested of the people and their customs.


    ¡°I¡¯ll establish a meeting with her first. Make a profile that I¡¯m a renowned doctor in the field of pediatrics. I have few achievements but you can exaggerate them for this business sake. Let¡¯s just delete it after meeting her.¡± Eliezer told Tristan, not bothered with the fact that he might be targeted after this project.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my utmost ability to make sure this won¡¯t lead you to more danger.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The four of them didn¡¯t waste more time. While the two became tourists, at the same time observing the ce, Eliezer and Tristan has started their assignment. Eliezer wasn¡¯t really part of this n originally. He was just visiting the country to meet with his patient who moved to this ce. It was just a coincident that Tristan had toe as well.


    Eliezer bought a sim card first from the nearest store and asked the seller to include load as well, a huge amount at that to make sure he won¡¯t need to reload again and again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave a message to her first. Do you think she¡¯s still using this phone number?¡± Eliezer questioned as he typed the message he wanted to convey.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we give it a call directly?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little too straight-forward?¡±


    ¡°You are a doctor. Howe you are not blunt?¡±


    ¡°I deal with children. I always try my best to make things a little eptable to them when it¡¯s worse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why Jillyanna got away because you couldn¡¯t be honest to her.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Eliezer¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden mention of Jillyanna. ¡°How did you know that I like her? Also, it was in the past. Don¡¯t bring it up now.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Jesus! If Travis is here, he¡¯d probably ship me off to another country and ban me froming back home.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s that scary?¡±


    ¡°When ites to his family. You should know that by now.¡±


    ¡°Well, I thought Stefan was scary enough. I didn¡¯t know Travis could be worse.¡±


    ¡°Nah! They¡¯re on par when ites to being ve to their wives.¡±


    From business to gossip, the two of them started to getfortable with each other¡¯s presence in just few hours of being together. In the middle of their conversation, they also decided to just send a message instead of calling Denise Amir.


    While waiting, Eliezer decided to visit his patient first. He¡¯s a pediatrician and Tristan understood that he deals with children but as far as he knew, autistic children have a different doctor who caters to their need. They have different needspared to other normal children so doctors have to be very careful around them and must be sensitive to their emotions.


    Surprisingly, Eliezer was treating an autistic child. She¡¯s already 10 and she¡¯s a genius. That¡¯s the perks of being autistic. You get something special forcking something. As long as they¡¯re taken cared of and given special attention, these children will be great in the future. And that¡¯s what Eliezer believed.


    At first, he didn¡¯t want to take this work because he didn¡¯t know how to handle autistic children. He was afraid that he¡¯d mess up. However, the patient specifically asked for him whenever she visits Senyu Medical Hospital back in City B. Eliezer still didn¡¯t know the reason why she chose him but he decided to give it a shot. He started reading books about autism and talked to professionals in order to help this little patient of his. So far, he¡¯s doing good at it and she¡¯s slowly acting like how normal children do.


    ¡°Are you nning to take a side course rted to autism?¡± Tristan asked by the time Eliezer finished his consultation time with his patient.


    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s a very delicate matter and I¡¯m worried for the children. As of now, I¡¯m doing well because there¡¯s only one of her. In the future, there will be more patients like her and I am afraid of making a mistake. Anything in their childhood development will affect them in the future.¡±


    ¡°You really are a good doctor.¡±


    Eliezer just smiled faintly while looking up at the sky. ¡®A good doctor, a good friend, but not good enough to be her partner.¡¯ He thought when Jillyanna¡¯s face appeared in his mind. He did say that he moved on from his love for her but he was obviously lying to himself.

 Chapter 620

    Chapter 620: WAS IT A MISUNDERSTANDING OR WAS SHE FOOLED?


    Denise walked out of theboratory with a small tinted bottle. Inside this bottle were the sample of her newly-created poison. She was on her way to meet with the leader to hand the poison over but she felt the light vibration of her phone.


    ¡®I¡¯m Dr. Eliezer Rivera. I¡¯m a pediatrician and you can look my information in the inte if you want to know what kind of person I am. Send me a message if it¡¯s okay to meet you.¡¯


    Denise frowned at the message before deleting it and pocketed her phone once again. ¡®Why would a pediatrician contact me? I¡¯m a poison maker. Is he nning to kill his patients? What a weirdo.¡¯


    She continued walking to the head office, feeling the bottle inside her coat pocket while eating the lollipop but her mind was still stuck at the message she received no matter how hard she tried to forget it.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    ¡°Come. Ahh!¡±


    She pushed the door open and found her leader making out with his secretary once again. She didn¡¯t really care about it and she was used to it already.


    .....


    ¡°Here¡¯s the item you want. You can test it on someone to verify.¡±


    The secretary stiffened but continued giving the man a deep throat. She was the fifth secretary and she didn¡¯t know what happened to the other four. She suddenly feel afraid that the man would test the poison on her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure your manes out of that cell. Just continue to do a good job.¡±


    When she left, she looked at the woman kneeling on the floor for onest time before closing the door. ¡®Really young.¡¯ Shemented to herself before going back to her room.


    She pulled out herptop and checked the name Eliezer Rivera. His information were known to the public given that he¡¯s a doctor. What really bothered her was the fact that he¡¯s a pediatrician who¡¯s contacting her.


    She took out her phone and retrieved the deleted message from him.


    ¡®This is not a scam, right? But even if I answer and entertain his concern, it¡¯s not like I can see him. I¡¯d probably get killed if I take a step outside this ce.¡¯


    Denise knew that she could no longer turn back time and refuse her involvement. She knew that death isn¡¯t even enough to offset her crimes. She has done a lot of crimes and she epted the fact that she can¡¯t be forgiven. As to why she wanted Simon toe out of jail, it¡¯s because she needed someone to look after their daughter. Her mother is already old. She has to rest but Denise can no longer leave to see them.


    Lying on her bed, her tears fell as she looked at thetest picture of her daughter that her mother sent her. ¡°If there¡¯s another life, I wish I¡¯d never have this passion with poison. I wish that my daughter will have more caring and kind parents. I wish that my mother will have a great daughter instead of me. I wish that I never met Simon and made that mistake of drugging him. It would be great if I just be a rock.¡±


    Denise didn¡¯t reply to Eliezer¡¯s message and tries to forget it once again.


    The next day, another message came from him.


    ¡°I am a friend of Simon Summer. He wanted me to find you.¡±


    Denise blinked her eyes several times while reading the message. She knew that he was lying. There¡¯s no way that he¡¯s a friend with the man she fancies. She knew all of the people he interacted and the people he treated as friends and family. He never had anyone named Eliezer among those people.


    ¡°Stop contacting me. You got the wrong person. I don¡¯t know anyone named Simon.¡±


    Eliezer received the message and snorted. ¡°She¡¯s denying her connection to him.¡±


    ¡°Let me send her a message.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Tristan took the phone and typed his reply to Denise. ¡°We have a better way to let Simon out as long as you cooperate with us. We know what kind of person you are and if you choose to continue with your n, Simon will hate you. The next victim is a very important sister of his niece.¡±


    Denise stiffened at this response and her hands trembled. ¡°Why are you telling me just now?!¡±


    Tristan raised his eyebrow and gave her a call instead. However, she rejected his call.


    ¡°Do not call me. I can¡¯t take calls from anyone except my boss.¡±


    Tristan hacked her phone and started typing directly using her gadget¡¯s interface while blocking anyone from checking her phone.


    ¡°You are safe from any monitoring now. I¡¯m Tristan. I will prevent anyone from checking your phone so, let us know everything before it¡¯s toote. Just so you know, the man you love will hate you for the rest of his life should something happen to Stefan and Cayenne.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone named Stefan and Cayenne. I was only told to create a poison that could help sir Napoleone escape from his cell.¡±


    ¡°So, they¡¯re going to use the poison in the city jail?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I was told. I didn¡¯t know know it would be used against the people he cared about.¡±


    ¡°Have youpleted the product?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I gave it to my boss already.¡±


    Denise told them everything, hoping she was trusting the right person. She was betting on them. If they turned out to be people who was phishing on her, she can only me it on her unlucky fate.


    ¡°I will try my best to stop my boss. This is my way off repenting for all the crimes I did. In exchange, can you help my mother and daughter? I don¡¯t know if Simon will ept our child but I¡¯d be happy if she¡¯ll have someone who can take care of her and my mother properly. I earned enough for them to live in luxury.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Don¡¯t do anything rush. Monitor your boss and stop him from leaving the country first. Do something in your end to prevent him from sending the poisons. We need to take care of few things in our end. Your daughter is waiting for you toe home.¡±


    Whilemunicating with her, Tristan was also calling Travis and Stefan, rying everything that Denise stated. Who would¡¯ve thought that the misunderstanding would lead them to prevent a huge tragedy from happening?

 Chapter 621

    Chapter 621: HER WAY OF REPENTING


    Travis and Stefan were having their own security meeting, along with Erwin, Top, and the other head of their bodyguards. Shein was there, making sure that theirmunication was properly secured from anyone tapping on theirwork. Vincent was with them as well, especially that the people involved were two inmates from his jurisdiction.


    ¡°Do you believe with what she said?¡± Travis questioned, ying with the pen in his hand. It was rotating between his index fingers and thumb. ¡°She¡¯s probably being held prisoner in exchange of her family¡¯s welfare and a huge amount of money.¡±


    ¡°I agree on that.¡± Erwinmented. ¡°She has a child and a mother. All these years, she raised the child on her own but it wasn¡¯t until this moment that she started looking for Mr. Summer. She probably wanted him to take care of their child if something happens to her.¡±


    ¡°So, there¡¯s a small quantity of the poison she made but her boss said that he¡¯d use it in the prison for Napoleone. It¡¯s obviously a lie.¡±


    Vincent heaved a deep sigh and touched the back of his neck. ¡°Aside from your family, does Napoleone have someone else in life?¡±


    Stefan pondered over this question but he didn¡¯t remember anyone from his memories. ¡°I spent little time with my family because of so many things. I didn¡¯t know much about them and I didn¡¯t bother checking on them either.¡±


    Vincent just nodded his head without making anyment about Stefan¡¯s family circumstances.


    .....


    ¡°Let¡¯s coordinate with the P country¡¯s government. Surely, they knew something.¡± Top suggested to them. ¡°If we coordinate with their government, we will have a free pass with to their inds.¡±


    ¡°I heard that their country¡¯s president is difficult to deal with.¡± Erwin stated in worry.


    ¡°If he¡¯s a person who cares about his people, he should give us some time to speak.¡± Stefan responded to them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s ask Tristan to negotiate for an appointment.¡± Travis added solemnly.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Tristan muttered while listening to the meeting through his headphone. He was doing multiple tasks while Eliezer watches him in awe.


    Cayenne was supposed to go to the university but because of the impending danger and Stefan¡¯s sudden meeting involving their safety, she had to miss another day of her ss.


    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Jade greeted them happily when she arrived from school. It was thest day of ss for the primary students at Trine Elite University. ¡°Auntie Yen, you didn¡¯t go to school today?¡±


    ¡°Me? I had to leave school because something bad happen.¡±


    ¡°Is that why dad and uncle aren¡¯t here now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re having a meeting inside your dad¡¯s study room.¡±


    Jade just nodded her head while taking out something from her bag. ¡°Everything will be fine soon.¡± She took out a box and when she opened it, there were little hair clips inside them. ¡°I made one for everyone. You can get what you like.¡±


    While the boys pondered how to protect their loved ones, Jade was also doing her best to make the women feel at ease.


    Jillyanna didn¡¯t know that she has a cousin. She had no idea that Simon has a daughter with Denise. Well, it¡¯s not unexpected since Simon didn¡¯t know about it either.


    While considering so many things, Travis had to get a DNA test between Simon and Denise¡¯s daughter as well. He didn¡¯t want the man to take up the responsibility just in case it wasn¡¯t really his daughter.


    On top of that, he needed to exin a lot of things to his wife as well.


    Stefan and Travis sighed deeply at the same time which made the other boys smile faintly at them. It¡¯s not easy to protect your woman at all.


    On the other hand, Denise went back to look for her boss. She needed to get the bottle back.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    No one answered.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Her attempts were met with silence.


    ¡°Are you looking for the leader?¡± A man came with a baseball bat in his hand.


    ¡°Yes. I made a mistake with the poison I gave him. Do you know where he is?¡±


    ¡°He should be at the basement.¡± The man answered without making any further inquiry.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll go there myself.¡±


    Denise smiled at him and turned around to leave. She ran as fast as she could to the basement and the moment she pushed the metal door, the rotten and stinky smell of the ce greeted her nostril.


    She vomited on the side because of the sudden assault on her nose.


    ¡°S-sir.¡± She called, wiping off the saliva from the corner of her mouth. She pinched her nose and breathed with her mouth while looking for the man inside. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s something wrong with the bottle I gave you. It¡¯s not the one that should be used in the jail.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Questioned the man who stood in the middle of the room with a naked woman lying on the ground. She wasn¡¯t alone. There were other emaciated people lying on the floor with her. ¡°As I can see, this product you made is great. I tested it on them.¡±


    ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I made sure not to touch any of the food and the drinks.¡±


    Denise blinked her tears from falling and just stood there with feigned helpless expression. ¡°It took me a long time to create those and you only used it on them. It will take me months to create just one bottle of them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You said that there¡¯s another poison that my friend can use, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah?! Yes. Yes, sir. There is. The one that I gave you was supposedly for your n to take over the country. Anyway, I¡¯ll just start with them once again. Here¡¯s the other poison that I created for your friend.¡±


    ¡°Thanks my sweet. Your talent is truly priceless. I¡¯ll give you another bonus for this month.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, sir.¡± Denise bowed her head happily. ¡°Uhh...can I call my mother this month sir? Thest time I called them was three months ago.¡±


    ¡°Sure. And while you¡¯re at it, please ask someone to clean the basement and make them replenish our stock for experiments.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Denise left and asked someone to clean the basement. The moment she got inside her room, she contacted Eliezer and Tristan. She told them the current situation and the chance they needed to grab.

 Chapter 622

    Chapter 622: PRETEND THINGS WERE NORMAL


    Tristan tried his best to get in touch with P country¡¯s president but it was to no avail. Of course, no one would believe them especially that they wereplete strangers who were nning to attack one of the P country¡¯s inds.


    ¡°Denise said that she was able to swap the poison but she didn¡¯t know when the man would go out of the country to use that poison on Cayenne and Stefan. As far she knew, the poison should be used in the city jail to deal with the guards and the officers. She wasn¡¯t sure what to believe now.¡± Eliezer told Tristan at night while they organized their thoughts to deal with the current issue they have.


    To avoid any suspicions, everyone was going through their lives like normal. Despite the danger lurking around them, Cayenne decided toe to school and finish the remaining week before Christmas break. Stefan tightened the security around her, making sure that no one would be able to harm her. On top of that, Jillyanna still continued to let one of her trusted subordinates monitor her. She couldn¡¯t let anything happen to one of her closest friends.


    Meanwhile, Napoleone was getting impatient toe out of his cell. He had been getting in touch with his friend several times in a row, inquiring for any update. After all, he didn¡¯t want to be duped and got all his hope shattered in pieces.


    As the days go by, the temperature got colder. Stefan started choosing coats for Cayenne to wear over her usual clothes for school. And obviously, it was something that matches his coat as well. He¡¯s that obsessed when ites to matching outfits.


    ¡°Bring this along with you. If you need something, don¡¯t hesitate to give me a call. I¡¯ll drop anything to get to you.¡± Stefan stated while passing an extra bag to Cayenne. Although he passed it to her, the guard took it to carry for her. He would only hand it over to her as soon as she gets inside her ssroom.


    ¡°It¡¯s thest day of ss before break. I heard that we won¡¯t be doing a lot today. Let¡¯s go somewhereter after ss.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Hn. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± He kissed his forehead and watched her go. He always felt bad sending her off to school were anything could happen but he also wanted her to finish her degree. It doesn¡¯t really bother him that Cayenne didn¡¯t finish her college degree and he knew that his family wasn¡¯t worried about it either. He just didn¡¯t like to hear some people evaluating Cayenne¡¯s worthpared to him. He didn¡¯t want her to feel less worth if she ever heard those words. He wanted her to be proud of herself.


    Stefan went to the nearby caf¨¦ once again and ordered some drinks for him. Not long after, Elena came to report for work. She has to do so much because Tristan wasn¡¯t around. Fortunately, Stefan wasn¡¯t someone who abuses his employees. Even though there were some client meetings that his secretary needed to attend in his behalf, he didn¡¯t push her to do them. Instead, he scheduled for virtual conferences which will be held every night until Tristan returns. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry. His priority is not making money. He has enough tost them several lifetimes. What he wanted to do the most was to stay with his wife.


    ¡°Sir, this is your schedule for the next two weeks. Shall I forward them to Ms. Yen as well?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll just give her a copy myself.¡± Stefan responded as he reviewed the file that Elena sent. ¡°Oh! Can you get in touch with Ms. Bartolome? If it¡¯s possible, can we reschedule this meeting with her. If it¡¯s fine with her, she can just drop by at the office on Monday. Ayen will be free starting next week so we can go to thepany together.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll inform her manager.¡± Elena noted this on herputer while Stefan went through his schedule.


    ¡°Clear all my schedule on Fridays thru Sundays of the following until second week of January. You can fit them on the weekdays from Mondays to Thursdays.¡±


    ¡°Uhm. They might not be avable during weekdays, sir.¡± Elena replied politely while noting his request. ¡°I¡¯ll check on them first and let you know what their opinions are. Also, sir...¡± Elena looked around first and when no one was watching them, she whispered some words which made Stefan nodded in agreement.


    ¡°You are right on that. She might feel burdened if I adjust so many appointments for her. She doesn¡¯t like that at all.¡± Stefanmented. ¡°Let¡¯s just see how this goes. If we can reschedule some of them, I¡¯d be very happy. If there are some that we can¡¯t, it is fine as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll check on themter. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°I need you to do me a favor.¡± Stefan dered which stunned Elena. She has this feeling that it has something to do with Cayenne, maybe not directly but it should be rted to her.


    ¡°Well, as long as it¡¯s not something illegal.¡±


    ¡°Hey. When have I done something against thew?¡± Elena just shrugged her shoulders which made Liam smile faintly. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you the details this time yet but I¡¯ll send you the informationter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    On the other hand, Cayenne attended some of her sses while thinking what she could possibly doter with Stefan. Although there were professors around, they weren¡¯t really having discussions. They were just chatting casually about their ns for Christmas and New Year.


    ¡°How about you Ms. Ardolf? You would probably be busierpared to everybody here given your husband¡¯s position.¡±


    ¡°Right. I bet you won¡¯t have so much time for yourself. That¡¯smon between wealthy people.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Cayenne¡¯s family is differentpared to those other rich families.¡±


    Opinions after opinions were thrown in the air and she only smiled at it, hoping that they¡¯d stop specting her life. They¡¯re not far from the truth, though.


    ¡°Even before Christmas break, her life was already busy and fully packed with appointments.¡± Noah stated in which Faith agreed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really that much. It¡¯s just a coincidence that everyone has ns and we were invited. We couldn¡¯t refuse since they¡¯re from our close friends and family.¡± Cayenne answered. ¡°Also, I¡¯m not really that different from everyone here. Although I got married to Stefan, we prioritize our family over his money and work. He¡¯s a family ¨C oriented person and he tries his best to make sure that we would be able to spend quality time with our loved ones.¡±


    She rarely speaks about her rtionship to her ssmates and they don¡¯t bother her with it as well. However, when she starts talking, you would see the obvious love in her eyes.


    ¡°Sucks to be single.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s head over heels for him.¡±


    ¡°Where could I find such man? I want to be in love, too.¡±


    Looking at her happy and genuine smile as she spoke to them, everyone felt relieved. They were worried that she¡¯d be detached from them after she got kidnapped and lost her memories. Apparently, they didn¡¯t know that she remembers everything.

 Chapter 623

    Chapter 623: WANTS TO MESS WITH HER


    Travis sent the documents to Stefan and when thetter received it, he immediately sent a message to Vincent to organize things for him.


    ¡°You can count on me.¡± Vincent replied while walking to his office. He may be the youngest warden but he¡¯s not someone you can just push around. He¡¯s decisive and urate in his work and also made sure that everyone follows protocol. Sadly, there are some who just don¡¯t know how to obey and one of those people was Napoleone.


    Back to Xena University, Cayenne just finished her second subject for her afternoon ss and since the 3rd and 4th subject teachers weren¡¯t around, they were dismissed earlier. Thus, her break finally started. She didn¡¯t have to think about waking up early or think about assignments and projects. She could finally rest and focus her time with her family.


    Instead of waiting for her at the caf¨¦, Stefan hase to pick her up right outside the campus. Many students enviously looked towards Cayenne as the guard surrounded her to the waiting car.


    ¡°I¡¯m d your ss ended early.¡± Stefan mentioned while taking her bag for her and ced it at the back seat. When he grabbed the extra bag that he gave earlier in the morning, a frown appeared on his face. ¡°No period today?¡±


    Cayenne tilted her head a little as she looked at him in surprise. ¡°Stop guessing when I¡¯ll have my period. It can be dyed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always had regr period cycle. I never missed it. I¡¯ve always been paying attention to your body. How can I not know something so simple as this?¡±


    .....


    ¡°It can be dyed due to some factors. Don¡¯t worry. It would probablye tonight or tomorrow.¡±


    Seeing how calm she was at this point; Stefan narrowed his gaze and scrutinized his wife¡¯s expression. ¡°You are not pranking me, right?¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that?¡± Cayenne retorted withughter dancing in her eyes.


    ¡°You are asking me that? Really? Shall we recall what you did ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Fine. Sorry about that time but I¡¯m being honest right now.¡±


    ¡°You better be. I just want to make sure everything¡¯s alright for you. Your safety and health are my priorities so bear with me, okay.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m totally okay with you fussing about things like this.¡± Cayenne shifted on her seat and faced him directly with expectant gaze. ¡°However, I¡¯m really hoping this isn¡¯t just about being dyed.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Stefan retorted instantly when he got the hidden meaning of her words. ¡°That can¡¯t possibly be happening any time soon. I always checked the condoms before using them.¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡°Stop scaring me.¡±


    ¡°What so scary about me getting pregnant? Don¡¯t you want a child?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I want a child; children in fact. But not now. You are too young to get pregnant. You are still studying. You haven¡¯t enjoyed your life that much yet. You still have so many things you can do. Aside from that, if we¡¯re not careful about this and we are not prepared, your body and health could be at risk. And it will affect the baby, too. I just ¨C what?¡±


    Cayenne couldn¡¯t stop herself anymore andughed so hard in front of him. Sheughed with tears hanging on hershes while looking at her husband¡¯s face. ¡°You should have seen how anxious you are.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± she apologized but was stillughing at him.


    ¡°You are not really sorry, are you?¡± Stefan retorted with a deep sigh. ¡°You better prepare yourself. I will not let this slide.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you nning to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to make your dreame true. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯d be able to get upter.¡±


    Realizing her mistake, Cayenne pleaded her husband to be lenient but Stefan ignored her until they reached their destination. She didn¡¯t even know where they are because she wasn¡¯t paying attention to the road and her surroundings. She was just trying her best to make him change his mind.


    Unfortunately, or fortunately, she wasn¡¯t really sure if she would consider it her luck but, when the night came and she was about to get punished, she felt a sudden pain on her lower abdomen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try your acting skills with me.¡± Stefanmented while taking off his robe. He just got out from the bath and Cayenne was supposed to take a shower after him. In fact, he nned to shower with her but she refused it with determination. His wife has finally learned to refused him. She has be wise. She knew that when he punishes her, it would take them all night before he gets satisfied.


    ¡°Stefan, where¡¯s that bag you brought earlier?¡±


    The lighting from themp shade wasn¡¯t really bright but when Stefan looked at his wife closely, he confirmed that she wasn¡¯t acting. Panic struck him and he immediately changed to the over protective Stefan. ¡°Give me a sec.¡± He looked for the bag that he brough earlier and took the things he always prepares for her in case she has her period.


    Seeing his panic-stricken face while naked, Cayenne didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at this point. ¡°Can you wear some clothes first?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. You¡¯ve seen this body several times already.¡± He stated unabashedly in front of her. ¡°Here. Use this hotpress while I make some ginger tea for you.¡±


    Taking the hotpress from him, she suppressed the blush on her face while avoiding eye contact with him. ¡°At least put on your bathrobe.¡±


    Seeing herplicated expression, Stefan leaned closer and bit her earlobe. ¡°Are you turned on despite having your period? Shall we try something dirty tonight? I heard it can relieve you from menstrual cramps.¡±


    Hearing his words, Cayenne felt somethinging out of her core. She knew it wasn¡¯t just blood but there¡¯s no way she¡¯d tell him that.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little bit kinky and dirty. I don¡¯t mind getting extra charge for messing up the bedsheets.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± Cayenne ced her hand over his mouth to stop him from talking but he licked her palm instead. She was blushing even more as she removed her hand away from him but Stefan took this opportunity to grab her waist and pull her closer. ¡°Stefan.¡±


    She thought he would really mess with her and do something dirty but Stefan took the hotpress and ced on her lower stomach. ¡°I was just joking.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡± she pushed him immediately and went back to bed with the hotpress in her hand.


    Stefanughed at her reaction as he stood up to make ginger tea for her. ¡°We¡¯re even now.¡±


    ¡°Hmp!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind doing what I said, though.¡± Stefan added with faintughter in his voice. ¡°It will be a messy experience but it can get hot and pleasurable.¡±


    Just imagining it, Cayenne felt her body temperature increase. ¡°We can try it.¡± she mumbled softly, not sure if Stefan heard her or not.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She instantly denied but in truth, Stefan heard the words she said. And he will have the opportunity to use it against her in the future. Just not this time because her sweat-dotted forehead worried him so much.

 Chapter 624

    Chapter 624: TEASING CAYENNE AGAIN AND AGAIN


    Cayenne slept peacefully with Stefan beside her. She wasn¡¯t punishedst night yet; she was still unable to go up and do whatever she wanted to do. Her menstrual cramp wasn¡¯t really that badpared to how she experienced it before but, Stefan asked her to stay in bed the next day. So, she did as she was told.


    ¡°Hubby, aren¡¯t you happy?¡±


    ¡°Happy that you are suffering now?¡±


    Cayenne pouted her lips but hugged him even tighter instead. ¡°What can I do? This is just how my body is. If we can have a bab- ¡±


    ¡°Stop right there.¡± Stefan interrupted knowing where this conversation was heading to. ¡°You are strong. I know you can make it through. I may not know what it¡¯s like to have period cramps but I know you can do this. Having a baby just so you could escape from this isn¡¯t the right solution.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t really give in to me when ites to this topic, huh?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m thinking what¡¯s best for you at the moment. Babies? We can have lots of them in the future. Just give it time.¡±


    .....


    She knew she won¡¯t win him against this matter so, Cayenne just bit his chin which Stefan didn¡¯tin at all. ¡°Come to think of it, this ce looks familiar. I just didn¡¯t get the chance to look properlyst night.¡±


    ¡°It should be familiar to you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been here before?¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡± The way he grinned at her spoke volume of his mischievousness but Cayenne didn¡¯t have any idea what he could be thinking at this moment. The only thing she knew was that he was nning to do something again. She could only hope it¡¯s not something lewd. After all, she found a husband who seems to be in heat all day when they¡¯re together.


    Stefan got up from bed and changed into simple clothes. He went to the bathroom to get a washcloth and soaked it with warm water he got from the shower. When he came back, he wiped Cayenne¡¯s face with it.


    ¡°You are pampering me too much. I can do it myself.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with me pampering my wife? Isn¡¯t that the job of a husband?¡±


    ¡°Most husbands don¡¯t do that?¡±


    ¡°Well, I belong to the group who dotes on their wife. I will always ce your well-being before mine.¡±


    ¡°I hope you apply that in bed, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a different scenario. In bed, I have to make sure that my wife feels good when having ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Okay. Okay. I get it. That¡¯s that. And this is this. I won¡¯t argue with that. Just don¡¯t say the word.¡±


    ¡°What word? Sex? Howe you still get embarrassed with this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not shameless like you.¡± Stefan grinned at her remark and kissed her lips when she wasn¡¯t paying attention to him. ¡°I have not brushed my teeth.¡±


    ¡°I have not done it either.¡±


    The two of them talked and flirted first thing in the morning while Stefan wiped her face. Few minutester, he went downstairs to cook breakfast for both of them and the moment he stepped outside, Cayenne took this chance to observe the ce. Since Stefan said that they¡¯ve visited this ce, she naturally believed her words. There¡¯s no need for him to lie to her.


    ¡°Where could this ce be?¡± she asked herself as she went to the veranda and looked outside the ce and that¡¯s when memories started flooding her brain cells. ¡°No way!¡± She gasped in embarrassment when she recalled what happened the first time that they visited this ce.


    She thought the ce was familiar but wasn¡¯t able to recognize it because she didn¡¯t stay in the same room that she was staying at this moment. When she opened the door to confirm her doubts, the room across nailed what she had in mind. Currently, she was staying with Stefan in the same room that he used over a year ago. The room across his was the bedroom that she used when she first visited the ce.


    It was one of the most embarrassing moments of her life that she wanted to bury in the deepest corner of her mind. ¡°Damn you, Stefan!¡± She yelled from the second floor and not long after, she heard Stefan¡¯sughtering from the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m not going out of this room. No! Never.¡±


    ¡°You have to enjoy the ce.¡± Stefan yelled back from the kitchen andughter followed his words. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be worried about what happened before.¡±


    ¡°It was embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve done more embarrassing things than that. Stop thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°Make me a dessert and I¡¯ll forgive you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Stefan responded as he brought a ss of warm milk for her. ¡°Warm yourself with this first and please go back to bed.¡±


    ¡°My cramp isn¡¯t that painful anymore.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Seeing the smirk on his lips, Cayenne changed her mind and nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed.¡± With the ss of milk, she hurriedly went back to bed and Stefan closed the door for her. ¡®I¡¯m being spoiled again. I¡¯m getting spoiled.¡¯ she looked down on her stomach and thought how he would act if they ever have kids. ¡®Will he be like Travis? That guy is overprotective with his kids. Stefan is simr to him. Geez! Just thinking about it, I think I¡¯m having a headache.¡¯


    However, only time will tell how her pregnancy would change Stefan. He might be simr to Travis at some point but when ites to pampering his wife, he¡¯s probably better than him. No one can really tell who¡¯s better since both of them were ves to their wife.


    While making breakfast, Stefan took this chance to contact Elena. As soon as he returns to the city with Cayenne, he will have to leave for personal matter and the ce was something he didn¡¯t want her to see. After all, it was identical to the ce where distrust between them ruined their rtionship in the past. He could bring her to ces where she can recall her embarrassing moments and tease her about it but he would never bring her to ces where she can remember the pain that he caused her.


    ¡®I should probably tell her about it even if she¡¯s noting with me.¡¯

 Chapter 625

    Chapter 625: RE-CREATING THE MEMORIES I


    When he finished cooking the food for breakfast, he brought them upstairs and they ate the veranda of his room. It was quite rxing for both of them; being away from the city, the noise and the danger lurking around them. Aside from that, they get to enjoy each other¡¯spany without anyone disturbing them.


    In truth, the guards were still around but they made sure not to make any noise unless necessary and that made Cayenne think they weren¡¯t around. How could they leave? Stefan would never risk her life again after what happened to her in the past.


    ¡°By the way, once your cramps subside and you can walk around without that throbbing pain, let¡¯s go for a walk.¡± Stefan mentioned as he ced bacon and egg on her te. ¡°Let¡¯s see if anything had changed from thest time we came here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t go on horse riding.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. We can just look around.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She ate her food leisurely, inhaling the morning air and feeling the cold touch of the wind on her face. ¡°I like the countrysidepared to the city. It¡¯s peaceful here and not polluted.¡±


    .....


    ¡°We can alwayse here.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s visit ces like this more in the future.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t mind. Wherever you go, I¡¯ll always be with you.¡± Cayenne smiled happily at his words but Stefan noticed something. She hasn¡¯t touched her food at all. ¡°You don¡¯t like to eat breakfast? Do you want something else?¡± Instead of answering, she opened her mouth with an ¡®Ah¡¯ sound. His stifledughter escaped from his lips as he sliced the egg for her. ¡°What¡¯s with you now? It worries me that you are doing something you don¡¯t usually do.¡±


    ¡°You told me to act spoiled from time to time. I¡¯m just taking this opportunity now since there¡¯s just the two of us here.¡±


    ¡°I understand now. My wife can only act spoil in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Luiz will probably make silly remarks if he sees me acting like this. I can¡¯t show this side of me to him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. They¡¯ll get used to it. You can be spoiled at home.¡±


    ¡°I might take you up on that offer.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not thick-skinned.¡± Cayenne retorted and opened her mouth to wee the food he was giving her. She slowly chewed her food while taking her fork and feeding him with bacon as well. ¡°I¡¯ll spoil you, too.¡±


    Stefan ate the food she gave and the two of themughed like children acting all silly and naughty. And with that, they ate breakfast with one feeding the other.


    If anyone¡¯s watching them, they¡¯d surely feel jealous or maybe upset to the universe; especially the singles.


    A healthy rtionship can be obtained when lovers know how to be contented and understand their partner. Adding the loyalty and trust to their recipe, love will never fade between them. Communication is very important as well. You have to speak up when you thought of something and learn to listen when someone is talking.


    If you are single, look for someone who cares for their family. Someone responsible and kind. Because these types of people will surely treat you with respect and care. They would never let you and your family suffer.


    If you are in a rtionship, take care of your partner. Look at the good traits that your lover has and make up for the traits that hecks. Nobody is perfect. One can make mistake.


    However, do take note; one mistake can be an ident but if it happens again and again, you have to think twice if that rtionship is healthy for you.


    Stop feeling jealous for someone else¡¯s rtionship. You can have yours. You work on it. We have different life and love stories. The sweetness of other people could have been born from so many trials or from fear of losing them.


    Also, there¡¯s no perfect rtionship. Lovers will fight. Lovers will ignore each other. Lovers will put distance between themselves. Many things can happen. It only depends on you as to how you can work on it. And just because you have a lover doesn¡¯t mean you have to forget about yourself and the people around you. Remember, when things turn bad, you only have yourself to depend on and you will surely need advice from those people around you.


    Just like Stefan and Cayenne, what hecked and missed, she tries her best to make up for it. What Cayenne didn¡¯t have; he provides it for her. They filled the gaps in between to make aplete line that will connect both of them.


    When this couple finished their breakfast, Cayenne took a short warm shower. She can¡¯t bath for too long with her period. Although it was clinically mentioned that taking a bath during menstruation is fine, Cayenne still thinks that it¡¯s not good to stay in the shower for too long.


    When she got out, she saw the clothes that Stefanid on the bed for her to wear. Not only were they familiar, they were exactly the same clothes that she worest year when they visited this vacation house.


    ¡°Are we reliving that moment?¡± Cayenne questioned while picking up the denim shorts. ¡®I haven¡¯t really gotten any bigger.¡¯ She thought because the same short can still fit her.


    ¡°Only the happy moments. I don¡¯t wish to go through the horrible scenes.¡± Stefan replied while walking to the bathroom. ¡°We¡¯ll just celebrate our first year together.¡±


    ¡°By visiting to the ce that we visited before?¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Cayenne looked for her underwear and her pads. Seeing them on Stefan¡¯s bag, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from wondering how he got the confidence to carry them. Other men would always hesitate buying napkins for their girlfriends or wife. She still couldn¡¯t believe how easy it was for him to ept doing this thing.


    ¡®I probably saved the world in myst life for me to have a great man like him this time. I wish I¡¯d also meet him in my next life. I just want to fall in love with him over and over again.¡¯

 Chapter 626

    Chapter 626: RE-CREATING THE MEMORIES II


    When Stefan got out of the shower and saw his wife, he changed his mind. He didn¡¯t want her to wear the same clothes anymore. Last time, she wasn¡¯t his girl yet but he already felt irritated when people eyed her. He took another set of clothes and gave it to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to change to this?¡± Cayenne questioned, befuddled with his actions now that she was all dressed up and ready to go.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to go there with matching outfits. They¡¯ll know you are mine with one look.¡± Stefan countered, grinning happily with his idea.


    Cayenne just made an ¡®oh¡¯ sound and followed his instruction. She could only smile helpless at her husband who ignores the word possessive. You would probably see his name next to that word if you open your dictionaries.


    Just likest year, they visited Rosalia¡¯s Garden. They took pictures together before leaving to see the adventure park where they had horseback riding. This time, instead of riding a horse, they just walked while following the trails. They weren¡¯t in a hurry, just enjoying their quality time with the nature as their witness. From time to time, people riding horses will slow down and greet them, just the basic sign of respect when they see someone on the trail.


    When they reached the peak, they saw someone resting on the same rock where Cayenne satst time. A horse was also tied to a tree, giving the animal some rest.


    ¡°Yo! Do you want to rest here, too?¡± the young woman asked when she saw them.


    .....


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re not very tired.¡±


    ¡°You walked quite some distance.¡± she replied.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been a while since I hiked that much. It feels good.¡±


    ¡°Husband and wife?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Stefan answered the question cheerfully. ¡°Can we borrow your horse for a while? Five minutes should be enough. I can pay you as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m here for the view.¡±


    The woman watched Stefan untie her horse and help Cayenne get on top of it. He pulled the horse to a certain spot and took a picture of her. She thought Cayenne was beautiful and also took a picture of the couple with Stefan aiming his camera to his wife.


    Another thing she noticed was the four people wearing civilian outfits not far from them. When Cayenne and Stefan stopped, those four people stopped as well. They don¡¯t seem to be dangerous but you can never really tell. Even the most innocent-looking children canmit crime.


    Stefan finished taking Cayenne¡¯s pictures and decided to take photos of themselves. He wanted to have selfies with her.


    ¡®Aren¡¯t they sweet?¡¯ The woman thought while taking photos of the couple. There was a sad smile on her face but she was genuinely happy for them.


    ¡°Thank you for allowing us to use your horse.¡± Cayenne said when Stefan went to tie the horse again to a tree.


    ¡°No big deal. Also, I took few shots of you and your husband, do you want to have a copy?¡±


    ¡°Really? Yes, I¡¯d love to.¡±


    ¡°Can I upload them as well?¡±


    ¡°I need to ask my husband for that.¡± Cayenne said while opening her phone to receive the pictures from the woman. She didn¡¯t get her name but they acted rather close for strangers. It wasn¡¯t really bad and Cayenne was fine with it. ¡°What¡¯s your name, by the way?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Elia.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Cayenne and my husband is Stefan.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I think I heard your name from somewhere.¡±


    Cayenne just chuckled and didn¡¯t say anything about herself. She didn¡¯t want the woman to think that she was bragging for being Stefan¡¯s wife. ¡°You are not from the country?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I came here for vacation.¡±


    ¡°I see. I hope you enjoy your stay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m having fun so far.¡±


    ¡°What are youdies talking about?¡± Stefan asked when he approached them. He took a peek on Cayenne¡¯s phone and saw some pictures that he didn¡¯t take. Also, he didn¡¯t use her phone when taking pictures earlier so, he concluded that it was the woman who secretly took them earlier and sent it to his wife. ¡°You have good photography skills.¡± hemented upon seeing the photos.


    ¡°It¡¯s because the subjects look good.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate thepliment.¡± Stefan replied smugly which made Cayenne roll her eyes at him.


    ¡°Her name is Elia. Oh, she¡¯s asking permission if she can upload the pictures on her ount.¡± Cayenne introduced and recounted the conversation to her husband.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t lose anything with just that.¡±


    They talked for quite some time but Elia could no longer keep her thoughts regarding the four people who were watching them. She was worried for the couple who seemed to be followed.


    ¡°I...uh...do you perhaps know those people?¡± Elia asked in whisper, hoping that the four men won¡¯t hear the words she asked. She looked really suspicious of them.


    Stefan looked back and found the guards standing few meters from them. He exined his rtionship with those people which greatly embarrassed Elia but Cayenne onlyughed it off saying it was fine. They didn¡¯t want to put her on a difficult position after mistaking the bodyguards for some dangerous people.


    After few more minutes, Elia bid her farewell and got on her horse to continue her trip. Cayenne and Stefan slowly walked again, pausing from time to time to check the pictures he took, giggling between themselves and kissing when he likes to. Cayenne didn¡¯tin at all and she already lost count of the number of kisses she received from this trip alone.


    When they got back to the resting area of the adventure park, they saw the horse that Elia used earlier but she was no longer around. Obviously, she left right after she finished her trip.


    While resting, Stefan intertwined his fingers with Cayenne while his other hand kept on scrolling his phone. ¡°Hon, do you want something to drink or eat?¡± he asked even though he wasn¡¯t really looking at her.


    ¡°Nope. I want to eat lots of food during dinner so, I won¡¯t eat anything untilter. How about you? Do you want me to get you something?¡±


    ¡°No. Just stay here with me. Also, what do you want for dinner? We can drop by the supermarket to buy more ingredients.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m craving for seafood.¡±


    ¡°Craving?¡± Stefan stopped scrolling with horrified gaze but then he remembered something. ¡°You¡¯re having your period.¡±


    ¡°Am I not allowed to eat seafood just because I¡¯m on my period?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t use the word crave when you have your period. That¡¯s scared me for a moment.¡±


    Cayenne didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at this point. ¡®Just how much do you fear me being pregnant?¡¯ she thought with her heads shaking in disbelief. Since, she knew he was thinking about it for her own good, she just dropped thinking about it. There¡¯s no point when her husband won¡¯t cooperate with the baby making process. ¡®The condom¡¯s fault.¡¯ Cayenne thought, shifting the me to something else instead of her husband.

 Chapter 627

    Chapter 627: SINGLES, BE ENVIOUS...


    That night, Stefan and the guards were busy cooking in the kitchen. Since she wanted to eat seafood, they dropped by the wet market earlier to buy more ingredients. They got shrimps, scallops, lobsters, crabs, squids, fishes and big ms. They also bought some fruits drinks. It¡¯s good to eat lots of food with more people so, they invited the guards and the caretaker of the house who gave some food to them when theyst visited the ce.


    The old couple were as energetic as ever and they apany Cayenne at the living room, ying chess with her. The old man knew how to y it and Cayenne has basic knowledge because her brothers and other men at home like to y it and she got time to watch them on more than one asion.


    The wife of the caretaker was just enjoying the game while watching them. She didn¡¯t know how y chess but Cayenne promised to y scrabble with her after one round of chess.


    While she enjoyed theirpany and while Stefan cooked dinner, people from the city and other parts of the country was fed with dog food.


    Earlier, Stefan was very busy with his phone, asking her questions without even looking at her; and that was because of the photos he tookst year and this year.


    -Last year, I couldn¡¯t show your face to anyone, worried that people will judge you for being with me. I didn¡¯t want them to know you as well, scared that they¡¯d say horrible things about me and you¡¯d choose to leave me. In the end, my worry was useless. Ayen, thank you for staying with me, for choosing me, for trusting me and for being so understanding. I owe it to you that my life isn¡¯t miserable now. I owe it to you that I get to enjoy the familial love which I lost from the very young age. I could no longer imagine my life without you. I don¡¯t even know if I would be able to live without you in my life. I probably saved the whole universe in myst life for me to have you this time. This life and the next, and the next, next, next, I will always love you. Happy 1 year of being with you. Ah! This isn¡¯t the official date of us dating but it was the date when we sit and talked things about ourselves and open up with our feelings. I¡¯ll greet you in our official dating date, registered wedding date and in the future, our church wedding date. Look forward to it.


    P.S. To the singles, be envious. ¨C


    .....


    The media found the pictures and wanted to get showbiz interview with Stefan and Cayenne but when they contacted Elena, they found out that the two people have gone somewhere to spend time together.


    Aside from the media, the post itself gained a lot of reactions from different people. Some were even furious for thest message that Stefan left and all of them were single.


    ¡°Mr. Dumrique is such a show-off! Stop posting your love life!¡±


    ¡°I hope your wife will break up with you!¡±


    ¡°I was so touched at first but when I read thest part, I wanted to smash my phone!¡±


    ¡°I knew it! It was Cayenne! When I saw the picturest time, I already have doubts about the girl. Yen, you traitor! You are dating him back then but you didn¡¯t even tell us.¡±


    Others were wishing them well, praying for their evesting rtionship and for them to be stronger. A lot of the employees saw the post and they could only smile at how silly their boss was. He was already good to his employees when he was single and when he got married, he treated them even better. It was because of Cayenne who used to work hard to provide for her family.


    On the other hand, Arthur who saw the picture felt lost. He knew he has no chance of being with her, not when she was single and not now when she¡¯s already married. Still, he felt so much regret for what he did. If he didn¡¯t force her, if he didn¡¯t act like a bastard he was, he could still probably see her. Marianne was no longer around so, there¡¯s no other reason for them to spend time together again. He was envious of Seiji. Although they were considered loser in the race of conquering her heart, Seiji still had reasons to see her. They¡¯re considered friends. And with thest incident wherein he helped Cayenne and Stefan, he earned their trust and friendship. He wished he could have done the same thing. But then again, we can¡¯t turn back time. There¡¯s no medicine for regret. You¡¯ll just have to swallow it and move on with life.


    Thankfully, he met someone who understood him. He can¡¯t say if he really loves her right now but at least, he knew that he was happy whenever they¡¯re together. She can make him smile and erase his worries.


    Arthur pressed thement section and typed his opinion. It was something he genuinely wish for both of them.


    As for Seiji, well, he already expected a lot of dog fooding from them. He was already used to it.


    ¡°When¡¯s the church wedding? Make sure to invite me. I¡¯d be upset if I can¡¯t see you there.¡± hemented with a yful smile before going back to work.


    ¡°I¡¯m finally hearing the wedding bells.¡± Luna stated but when she saw Ali staring at her and to her phone, she ced the phone down and smile. ¡°I¡¯ll finish this work now. I just took a short break. Also, it¡¯s almost eight, can¡¯t we go home yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault for taking so much break. You have to finish this one because it will be used for the meeting tomorrow. I¡¯ll order something to eat. Just prioritize this.¡±


    ¡°Ali! You don¡¯t love me anymore!¡±


    ¡°Throwing a tantrum won¡¯t work on me.¡± Ali replied and left to get buy something to eat.


    Luna sulked on her chair as she opened the file in front of her. Just seeing the paper full of words made her want to faint. She hates working in a corporate. ¡®Working at the hotel was better.¡¯ She thought with invisible tears.


    Many people have seen the post andmented on it, Jillyanna and Travis didn¡¯t let this opportunity pass to tease the couple, too. Riley left ament on the post as well, followed by Winter and other close people. It was shared by many people as well, letting more single people feel frustrated.

 Chapter 628

    Chapter 628: DENISE HAS DECIDED TO...


    Monday came and fun is over; for now. Stefan has other things to do and he needed to finish them soon in order to erase the risks lurking around them.


    ¡°Are you really sure you¡¯re leaving me here?¡± Cayenne asked when Stefan told her she can¡¯te with him to his appointment.


    ¡°I already monopolize so much of your time with me. You should spend time with our family or they¡¯ll start hating me.¡± Stefan answered calmly while she helped him put on his coat. ¡°Besides, the ce I¡¯ll visit isn¡¯t something good for a woman.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a ce for people with no morals.¡±


    ¡°And why are you going there?¡±


    ¡°Because I have to meet someone who¡¯s very crucial to our safety.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Oh. So, this is about the ongoing threat to us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So, just stay here with everyone else. I think Jade will being over with Ethan.¡±


    ¡°Travis allowed that?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, he¡¯s busy and Jillyanna needed to visit Cielo who just gave birth to a baby boy. She didn¡¯t want to remind Jade of her mother¡¯s death in a hospital. Travis wanted to bring her to thepany but Jade refused because she didn¡¯t want to be exposed topany works. That little girl probably wanted to escape the possibility of being the next CEO.¡±


    ¡°I agree. She¡¯s very smart after all. I heard she wanted to a nurse. I don¡¯t know if that will change in the future.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that. I have to go now. I¡¯ll see youter.¡± He kissed her cheeks and nose before kissing her on the lips to say goodbye. Cayenne just watched him leave at the door and when he was out of sight, she went back inside.


    ¡°That¡¯s first.¡± Kylemented upon seeing his sister.


    ¡°I know. It was really unexpected.¡± Luiz added before biting the apple he got from the kitchen. ¡°You just got home and he¡¯s already out for work. Isn¡¯t he tired?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we have to work hard to help him provide for the family.¡±


    ¡°I already have a work.¡± Luiz retorted as he nced at his wristwatch. ¡°And speaking of, David should be here by now. Where is he?¡±


    Stefan, along with Elena, they went to the address that Tristan gave them and to meet the little girl. On Elena¡¯s hand, was the documents that Travis sent over to Stefan. It was the DNA test result and a huge positive was written on it. Before meeting with Simon, he wanted to see the child and the current guardian which was Denise¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Boss, do you think she will agree for her grandchild to see her father?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure. However, there¡¯s a letter that Denise made which Tristan forwarded to us. He couldn¡¯t understand the letter at all but she said her mother should be able to. I also printed that letter.¡±


    Elena knew how it¡¯s like to be raised without a father. She¡¯s okay with it. She already epted it a long time ago. Her mother was more than enough. Thinking about her own mother, she also wondered how Denise feel all this time. Being away from her daughter, working far away just to earn money even though the father has money to raise the family. Only that, he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Do you think Simon would be happy?¡± Elena whispered the question.


    Simon didn¡¯t know that he has a child with someone. He didn¡¯t even know that he impregnated someone. That¡¯s why, she could understand why the man didn¡¯t visit the child or see her. Opposite to him, Elena¡¯s father knew that his wife was pregnant. He knew that his child has a twin sister and yet, he didn¡¯t even try to look for her. He only acknowledged one daughter and forgot the other one. Thinking about it, she felt a stabbing pain in her chest.


    ¡°...lena? Are you okay? Elena?¡± Stefan questioned while waving his hand in front of her.


    ¡°Ah?! I...yes, I¡¯m fine. I just remembered my own mother who raised me by herself. Somehow, I can rte to the child.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Sorry for reminding you that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, boss. There are a lot of people like me in this world.¡±


    As they continued to talk, they finally reached the ce where Denise¡¯s family live. Elena pressed the doorbell and a little girl poked her head to see who were at the gate. She only looked at them for about five seconds and left. Not long after, an elder came out with the child hiding behind her.


    ¡°Hello. Is this where Denise Amir lives?¡± Elena asked with pleasing smile on her face to put the woman at ease.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m his mother. What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, we¡¯re here to talk to you about the child and Ms. Denise. She also asked us to give you a letter.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The woman opened the gate and let them in. ¡°Come in. Denise never introduced her friends to me. Last time, a man came here mentioning about her job as well.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s probably Tristan.¡¯ Stefan thought to himself as he followed them to the house.


    One guard stayed at the door and the other two were standing at the gate to protect them.


    When they got inside, Elena introduced herself as Stefan¡¯s secretary and Stefan honestly said his name and work. He didn¡¯t want to lie to an old woman, thinking that she deserved the respect of being honest to her.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, it was really a coincidence that we¡¯ve crossed path with your daughter. We don¡¯t know much about her but when she found out that wee from the neighboring cities, she asked if we could deliver this letter to you. She said that we have to wait until you finish reading it. I also have another document to discuss here with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay. I¡¯m d she was able to meet people like you.¡± the woman said, trying her best to calm in front of them. For some reason, she looked tense and worried.


    Stefan handed her the letter first and waited for the woman to finish reading.


    At first the woman smiled tenderly and was even caressing her granddaughter¡¯s head. She continued to read but then the smile was reced with a frown. Her hand stopped caressing the child¡¯s head and she was trembling. She gasped and clutched her chest and not long after, tears started falling on the letter she read.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Elena questioned but the woman continued to cry. She was really helpless what to do. Stefan didn¡¯t know what to do either. He didn¡¯t understand anything written on that paper when he printed it. How could he understand what¡¯s going on in the woman¡¯s mind?


    ¡°Excuse for the intrusion.¡± Stefan stood up and walked to the little girl. ¡°Can you tell me where the kitchen is? Let¡¯s get your grandma a ss of water.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The little girl jumped off the couch and led Stefan to the kitchen. ¡°Is Nana going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she will be fine. What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Monique.¡±


    Stefan smiled at her and rubbed the little girl¡¯s head. ¡°You have a very nice name.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± she replied curtly and smiled faintly. When Stefan pulled back his hand, she took a chair and brought it near the kitchen counter where the dish organizer was ced. ¡°I can get the water myself.¡±


    ¡°I see. You are a good child.¡±


    The little girl didn¡¯t say anything. She took out a ss from the drawer, turned on the faucet and fill the ss with water. She gave it to Stefan and smiled proudly for what she did. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to Nana.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Juste down first.¡±


    Monique got down from the chair and returned it from the spot where she got it. She was dependable for a young age. Stefan returned the ss of water to her and went back to the living room. Her grandmother already calmed down but her tears still continued flowing.


    ¡°Nana, you drink water first.¡±


    Seeing her granddaughter, the old woman cried even more and hugged the child. Monique was confused what¡¯s happening but she let her grandmother hugged her.


    ¡°Sweetie, can you go upstairs and change your clothes? They will bring you somewhereter. Choose something presentable.¡±


    ¡°Okay Nana.¡±


    Monique ced the ss of water on the coffee table and went upstairs. Now only the three adults were left in the living room.


    ¡°Denise won¡¯t being back.¡± Mrs. Amir started. ¡°She did something horrible and was ashamed for it. She could no longer face me or her daughter. She didn¡¯t want her daughter to hate her. So, she wanted the child to at least have a father. She said that you will help her do that.¡± Mrs. Amir didn¡¯t say the details of that ¡®horrible¡¯ things. She wasn¡¯t sure if they knew what Denise did but just in case, she wanted to protect her daughter¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°I see. Tristan must have informed her about it.¡± Elenamented while taking another document. ¡°Mrs. Amir, I don¡¯t know if your daughter mentioned it in her letter but just to make sure, we decided to conduct a DNA test. Due to some circumstances, we needed to do this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I understand.¡± She said but her tears never ceased. Stefan wondered if she was really okay with the truth being unveiled. When she opened the documents, she read it twice and opened the letter. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Simon Summer.¡± She confirmed. ¡°But, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m okay with this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean Mrs. Amir?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s healthy for a child to live with a murderer. When I read the name in her letter, I remembered the case over a year ago. That man is the youngest son of the Summers. That family conducted human experiments. I don¡¯t agree for my little grandchild to live with a psycho.¡±


    Stefan recalled what happened and also sympathized with the woman¡¯s thought. However, it was wrong to use Simon of something he didn¡¯t really do. He never took part of the human experiment. He was on a different department but since he was part of the family and could be considered an aplice for not reporting the matter to thew despite knowing the truth, he should be punished.


    Stefan exined this matter to the woman, reassuring her again and again about the case. He also told her to trust her daughter. ¡°Denise was aware of what happened but she believes that Simon didn¡¯t do anything immoral. And I agree with her. In fact, Simon will be able toe out soon.¡±


    ¡°Still ¨C ¡±


    ¡°With all due respect ma¡¯am. Think of it in your daughter¡¯s perspective. I¡¯m not saying this to make you feel bad but, Monique is very young. She looked like five or six years old to me. You are already old and anything can happen. What will your granddaughter do? Where will she go? At the orphanage? Not anyone will get adopted. She has no one to rely on once you¡¯re gone. Will you allow her to grow up alone?¡±


    Stefan and Elena talked with Mrs. Amir for almost three hours. They asked the little girl to y while they talk and when they finally finished their conversation, Stefan and Elena took Monique out.

 Chapter 629

    Chapter 629: USELESS WORRY


    ¡°Auntie Yen!¡± Jade came in running when she saw Cayenne at the living room. Following behind her was Ethan, Riley and Jenny. ¡°Auntie Yen, I have something for you. I made it with Auntie Riley earlier.¡± Jade immediately opened her bag before she could even sit. She was really excited to show Cayenne her surprise.


    ¡°Hello. Sorry for intrusion.¡± Ethan murmured softly, bowing his head a little to show respect.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m happy to have you here.¡± Cayenne replied to the young man. She already met him several times but it was the first time she¡¯d be having conversation with him this close.


    ¡°Auntie Yen, this is for you.¡± Jade gave her a ss Jar with chocte cookies and another jar with brownies.


    ¡°Wow! Thank you. You really know I love these.¡± Cayenne kissed her on the cheek as her sign of gratitude.


    ¡°How about me?¡± Luiz interrupted from the second floor. He was holding a book while leaning on the railings. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything for me?¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jade questioned with her hands on her hips. She looked like someone who saw her boyfriend in someone else¡¯s home.


    .....


    ¡°Uh. This is our house?¡± Luiz chuckled as he replied to her.


    ¡°I know but you said that you have work today. Why are you not working?¡±


    ¡°Oh! It got rescheduled for some reasons.¡±


    ¡°Too bad. I didn¡¯t bring anything for you because I thought you would be working. Just ask from Auntie Yen.¡± Jade retorted casually, not shy and meek at all. She was used being around them and haspletely put her guard down. She likes Cayenne¡¯s family as well because she could feel that they really care for each other.


    ¡°I wonder where she gets all her energy?¡± Jenny mumbled as she sat on the couch. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her get tired.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if she ever gets tired.¡± Riley added in wonder.


    ¡°She does.¡± Ethan answered to their queries. ¡°She just doesn¡¯t show it all the time but she feels tired, too.¡±


    Since they have arrived, they decided to watch a movie together instead. In that way, they can rx from the long drive. Luiz looked for movies suitable for children and Cayenne asked Lucia to make snacks for them. Finally, Jade and Ethan sessfully distracted her from thinking about Stefan.


    Riley and Jenny became baby sitters for today but they weren¡¯t against it. They didn¡¯t have anything to do at home anyway.


    Jenny¡¯s phone buzzed in the middle of the movie and followed by Riley¡¯s phone. The two of them simultaneously opened their phone and saw the post that their friends sent them. Jenny got the news from her university senior and Riley got it from a friend in entertainment industry. A lot of them sent the same message to her.


    Both of them looked towards Cayenne and saw that she wasn¡¯t bringing her phone. They were about to sigh in relief when Luiz opened his phone and looked at his sister.


    ¡°I can feel you guys looking at me.¡± Cayenne expressed while keeping her eyes on the huge screen in front of her. Then, she turned around and looked at them one after another. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°No. Nothing.¡± Riley replied automatically while waving her hand to dismiss the matter.


    ¡°I just thought you look really beautiful today.¡± Jenny quickly retorted. ¡°Are you pregnant? You are blooming.¡±


    ¡°I just had my period.¡± Cayenne dered which shut them up.


    Luiz wanted tough for their unbelievable excuses but given the situation, he¡¯d rather think logically for his sister. ¡°Sis, did brother-inw tell you where he was going?¡±


    ¡°No, he did not.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any clue? How about you call the secretary? I have her number for emergency purpose.¡±


    ¡°Why do I have to do that? I trust him.¡±


    ¡°Trusting him blindly will only hurt you in the end.¡±


    Jade was listening to their conversation because she could not concentrate on the movie anymore. Ethan heard their statements and it was easy to infer that Stefan has done something which made the three adults uneasy. However, he wasn¡¯t in any position to tell them that.


    Luiz was sitting beside Jade and when he was turning his head to look at his sister, Jade caught sight of the post and pouted.


    ¡°Dad said that Uncle Stefan will be visiting mom¡¯s uncle today. At the same time, he will be dropping by somewhere to see the child. It¡¯s Amir family. The child is mom¡¯s cousin.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about sweetie?¡± Cayenne asked Jade. She couldn¡¯t keep up with the statements of four people already. She felt a headache just thinking of the things they could be talking about.


    ¡°Let me borrow.¡± Jade told Luiz and he gave it to her. ¡°Look at this Auntie Yen.¡± Jade showed the whole post to Cayenne.


    On the post, there was a picture of Stefan holding a little girl¡¯s hand. She was wearing a cap so they weren¡¯t able to see her face. On the other hand, Stefan¡¯s face was clear for everyone else to see as well as Elena. The caption was well-written that anyone would believe the person who wrote it.


    -I¡¯ve always lived in this area but I have never seen the father of that little girl. Thest time I saw her mother was about two years ago. Today, they came back to get her. I just didn¡¯t expect that the father would be Stefan Dumrique. He was so sweet to his wife recently but this time, they¡¯re not together. I heard that they¡¯re always together but now, I can say that it¡¯s all a lie. I feel bad for his wife. I hope she¡¯d be able to see this and that this would make her open her eyes to the reality on how her husband cheated on her. ¨C


    Cayenne raised her eyebrow and looked towards Jade. ¡°Alright. I get it now.¡±


    ¡°Good. So, don¡¯t get too worked up about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Riley looked towards Jade and Cayenne in disbelief. She blinked her eyes several times and checked the post again but when she refreshed it, the post was no longer there. ¡®It was probably deleted by Tristan or by Shein.¡¯ She thought to herself and everyone else thought


    the smmmame wb,lklll;hen they couldn¡¯t see it anymore.


    Unfortunately, many people have taken screenshots of the post and many people gave their bad opinion against Stefan already. Media have dispatched some of their reporters already. And since they knew that Cayenne wasn¡¯t with Stefan, it only means one thing ¨C she¡¯s at home.


    Half an hourter, before they could even finish the movie, someone pressed the doorbell to the theater room. Since the ce was soundproof, you can¡¯t really hear anything from the outside which was the reason for the doorbell. Jenny opened the door and found Lucia standing there with snacks.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am Yen, there are a lot of reporters outside requesting to see you. The guards are dismissing them but they wouldn¡¯t leave.¡± Lucia stated as she ced the snacks on the table at the side.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can answer their questions. Tell them to give me a minute.¡±


    ¡°Okay ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°No. You can¡¯t go out. Stefan will kill us.¡± Luiz told his sister while grabbing the hem of her shirt to stop her from walking out. ¡°Sis, let¡¯s wait for your husband toe back.¡±


    Cayenne smiled at his brother and pried his hand to let go of her shirt. ¡°My husband is busy solving our problem. I should at least do something so little as answering an interview. I promise nothing would happen to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡±


    The two of them was about to go out when Kyle came running from his room. ¡°Sis! What was that? What happened? Kath told me thetest news about brother-inw.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to you along with the reporters.¡± Cayenne said before turning to Riley and the rest of the people inside the theater room. ¡°Just stay here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Riley and everyone else nodded. They knew that the news wasn¡¯t true which made them sighed in relief. ¡°Thank goodness Jade is here.¡±


    Cayenne remembered what Stefan said earlier about Jadeing over. It seems like Travis already anticipated this from happening especially that many people paid attention to their lives. Therefore, he deliberately allowed Jade to listen to his conversation with Jillyanna and allowed her toe over. ¡®What a nice n.¡¯ Cayenne smiled at the silly yet kind gesture.


    When Cayenne came out of the gate, the reporters rushed towards her but the bodyguards immediately formed a tight human shield in front of her. It was their job to keep her safe.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to push or rush.¡± Luiz said with obvious irritation. ¡°My sister is not running away. Put some distance and ask your questions.¡±


    ¡°How about I just exin what I know. Then, you can ask meter if there¡¯s anything else you want to know.¡±


    ¡°That would be the best Mrs. Dumrique.¡± one of the female reporters responded as she readied her recorder and microphone. Some were having live reports and many were waiting for Cayenne¡¯s response. They wanted to know what kind of excuse she would make to keep up her pretense.


    ¡°Actually, my husband went to help Jillyanna. Her sister just delivered a baby and she has to visit her. Travis has to work and babysit at the same time. Therefore, they had to depend on someone they trust. The child is Jill¡¯s cousin. In fact, their daughter came to tell me the news about the child before I could even read the post. She¡¯s currently ying inside the house. At the same time, I couldn¡¯te with Stefan to meet the little girl because I just came back from our trip. I didn¡¯t get much sleep from our mini-honeymoon so, he asked me to rest at home. Ah! If I had known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed him to go past one in the morning. He exhausted me and I didn¡¯t have enough energy to even apany him with this matter.¡±


    The reporters, the people watching across the screen of their TV andputers and those who wanted to see her miserable expression; they were all speechless with her narration. Not only did she exin what Stefan was doing and why she couldn¡¯te but she even took this chance to disy their affection. Another dog food!


    ¡°Any question?¡± Cayenne asked but the reporters couldn¡¯t seem to find anything in response.


    Stefan¡¯s employees who watched the live show wereughing so much they had to bend their body and clutched their stomach. Others who were eating their food spilled their dishes and some choked on her words.


    ¡°There¡¯s none? Well, thank you for listening. Also, please stop trying to get me and my husband to break up. If your rtionships aren¡¯t working and it¡¯s messy, don¡¯t drag us down with you. I trust my husband. He trusts me. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°The madam has expressed her part. Please leave her alone.¡±


    Kyle smirked at the reporters and Luizughed as they escorted their sister back to the house.


    ¡°That was unexpected. I really thought that something has gone wrong. I was worried for her.¡± Faithmented after watching the live report from her phone. Noah also watched her with her.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t really worried and I knew it was misconception of the person whoever posted it. When I saw Stefan during the first moment I visited their home, I knew he¡¯s a man who treasures his wife.¡±


    Meanwhile, Magnus, who received the news and the result of interview from his secretary, burst out in a series ofughter. Thankfully, Ferdinand didn¡¯t know about it. His father would probably faint in anger before hearing the result of the interview.


    Reuben also heard the news but he didn¡¯t even bother feeling the slightest bit of worry. Why waste on something which is impossible to happen? Cheating? That¡¯s something Stefan would never do.

 Chapter 630

    Chapter 630: A PARENT¡¯S LOVE I


    ¡°Miss Yen has learned a lot from you, boss.¡± Elenamented when she watched the interview, well, the deration that Cayenne made in front of the whole nation through the media outlets. ¡°I was really worried that she¡¯d take things negatively. Thankfully, Shein was able to delete the post before it could spread like wildfire.¡±


    ¡°Our rtionship isn¡¯t that easy to break. Even if Jade didn¡¯te, I know she won¡¯t believe the news online.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s that much of a trust between you?¡±


    ¡°We had our fair share of distrust and dishonesty. We once ruined our beautiful partnership. Both of us never wanted the same thing to ever ur again.¡±


    Elena nodded her head, not saying a word about it anymore. After all, she¡¯s someone who hasn¡¯t fully trusted the person she likes. Any moment, her rtionship with Tristan will be ruined if she¡¯s not careful with it ¨C if they¡¯re not careful with it.


    As they continued to speak, changing topics to another, Stefan noticed the little girl clenching and unclenching her hands. She was looking straight in front, as if something interesting was there to be seen. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Stefan asked softly, trying to sound gentle as much as he could.


    ¡°Is my father married to someone?¡± Monique asked which was truly unexpected for a little girl. Most children who will be meeting their parents for the first time after many years wouldn¡¯t be asking this kind of question. They would probably ask why their father left or why he didn¡¯te to see them. Some would even ask the kind of person their parents were. Others would even ask if their parents are rich or poor. At some point, most children will be emotional.


    .....


    Stefan didn¡¯t know what made her ask that question but he felt a little sad for her. Her mother worked so hard, even sold her soul just to make sure she can provide for her family. She¡¯s willing to exchange her life for her daughter¡¯s bright future. But, is that what really matters? From his perspective, as someone who grew without parental love and care, Stefan had this thought that children should be valued. Financial support alone cannot bring happiness to children. They need constant care, love and support of their ideas as well.


    Hearing her question, Stefan pats the little girl¡¯s head and smile. ¡°Your father isn¡¯t married to someone else. Something just happened which is why he cannote to your house at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Does he love me and my mother?¡±


    ¡°How about you ask him that question? I don¡¯t have the right to validate someone¡¯s feelings if they love someone or not. At the same time, is there a parent who does not love his or her child?¡±


    This question made Elena shift on her seat. She turned to face the window and looked outside. She knew that Stefan was only saying those words tofort the child but it made her think about her own parents, her own father whom she never had the chance of meeting.


    ¡®Life is full ofplicated matter. Is there a parent who does not love his child? Yes, of course.¡¯ Elena answered Stefan¡¯s question mentally. ¡®Jean Niko Rule does not love his daughter. He even tried killing her several times. He abducted his own son and daughter-inw, shipped them off to a far ind and locked them up. And boss, your father didn¡¯t fight for your well-being in the past as well. He neglected you to the point that you had to run away from home. My father doesn¡¯t love me as well. He only loves my twin. Marianne wasn¡¯t loved by her parents, too. Even when she was dying, they only cared for their reputation and name. Also...¡¯ in her mind, Elena already made a long list of parents who didn¡¯t love their children.


    Her mental narration continued until they reached the caf¨¦ wherein Vincent and Simon waited for them. Since Simon is meeting a 5-year-old child, Vincent took this into consideration and decided to let them meet somewhere, away from the prison. And they chose the caf¨¦ where they can rx and make it easy for police officers to blend in.


    Stefan held the little girl¡¯s hand and led her inside the caf¨¦. When he looked around, he could see several police officers wearing civilian clothing to monitor this meeting. It¡¯s not because they didn¡¯t trust Simon and feared of his escape. It¡¯s because of the threat to the Madrid and Madrigal family, added with Stefan¡¯s involvement, Simon¡¯s life and the child¡¯s life could be at risk. They needed to ensure their safety.


    Among the police officers, one person stood out the most. It was Jackie. She¡¯s not officially working in a Police Station but she¡¯s been getting experiences as an assistant to officer Nick, Lucian¡¯s colleague and best friend. Today, it¡¯s her assignment to observe the little girl¡¯s behavior and report it to Jillyanna.


    ¡°It¡¯s lively here.¡± Stefanmented as he pulled a chair and lifted Monique to sit on it. He was acting so naturally like he was handling his own kid. ¡°Have you waited for a long time?¡±


    ¡°Not really. We just arrived here.¡± Vincent answered but his eyes were focus on the little girl in front of him. ¡®It feels like I¡¯m watching a girl version of Simon.¡¯ he thought to himself while looking at the child.


    Few meters away from them, Jackie was having a video call with Jillyanna and her camera was aimed at Monique. Just like Vincent, she had this funny thought that she was watching mini-Simon.


    Even if without the DNA test, they would never doubt this fruiting from his seed. They¡¯re almost identical.


    Jillyanna wasn¡¯t really saying anything, just watching the scene through the camera of her sister.


    ¡°You must be my father.¡± Monique calmly stated with her eyes on Simon. She didn¡¯t blink or shifted her eyes away. She looked at him with so much intensity as if she was studying him. Well, she was really studying him. She was trying to read his expressions. ¡°It¡¯s nice seeing you.¡± She bowed her head a little for about three seconds and when she lifted it, she looked back to Stefan. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Not only Simon, everyone else who heard her words was shocked. They haven¡¯t even exchanged some words.

 Chapter 631

    Chapter 631: A PARENT¡¯S LOVE II


    ¡°Why are we leaving so soon?¡± Stefan voiced out the question that everyone has in mind. They were quite surprised with Monique¡¯s actions. They were expecting her to be emotional and be like some other kids who would throw themselves to their father¡¯s arms. Who would have thought that she¡¯d leave immediately?


    Monique looked back to Simon and looked him in the eyes saying, ¡°You are not happy to see me. I¡¯m not taking it against you. Mommy was never happy to have me either. Only Nana cares about me.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Simon reached out his hand but he didn¡¯t dare make skin contact with her. He was worried that he¡¯d make her hate him even more. ¡°I¡¯m just really shock to see someone who¡¯s almost identical to me. I thought you¡¯d take your looks after your mother. Please give me a little bit of time to process all this. I didn¡¯t really know that I have a child with someone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s expected. I never heard my mother mention my father before. She never even told me if he¡¯s alive or dead. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m meeting you all of a sudden now.¡±


    ¡°Just give me a moment.¡± Simon turned to Stefan and sighed deeply. He looked troubled and worried at the same time. And he has thousands of reasons to feel these mixed emotions. ¡°I have no doubt that she is my child. At the same time, you must have done some test to make solid proof.¡±


    ¡°Sir Travis did.¡± Elena answered the question this time and took out the documents which contain the DNA result. ¡°We showed this to her guardian as well. You must have some ideas of why you are meeting the child for the first time in years today.¡±


    Simon nodded his head and epted the documents. He nced at it, saw the result and felt frustrated upon seeing it. He sighed once again. He couldn¡¯t remember the times he sighed ever sinceing to the caf¨¦. As time went by, he felt like he was suffocating. Never in his wildest dream did he ever think of meeting his child after so many years. He couldn¡¯t even remember the time he had sex with Denise. ¡®There¡¯s no point of recalling it. The child has been born and it¡¯s mine. Authentic and almost a duplicate.¡¯


    .....


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Vincent questioned but not really waiting for his response. ¡°If you want, we¡¯ll give you some space to talk. We¡¯ll stay on a different table.¡± He stood up first and Elena followed him right after.


    When Stefan stood up as well, Monique grabbed the hem of his suit to stop him from leaving. ¡°You want me to stay?¡± He asked and she nodded her head as a form of acknowledgment. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to give you some privacy. This is your family matter. I¡¯ll be on another table if you need something.¡± Monique didn¡¯t utter a single word and she didn¡¯t let go of him either. It was obvious that she was bing dependent on him. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be staying here.¡±


    Simon felt a little jealous while watching his own daughter depend on someone else other than him. She should be depending on him, clinging to him, smiling at him and talking to him. But the five years of being separated put a huge gap between them.


    ¡°This sounds a little strange but let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Simon Summer. I don¡¯t know how things happened but I¡¯m your biological father. They also tested us and it came out positive. This is our first meeting but I hope you¡¯ll give me time to process everything.¡±


    ¡°My name is Monique Amir. I hope I¡¯m not making things difficult for you.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. I¡¯m happy that you agree to meet me. I haven¡¯t heard anything from your mom for a long time now. It¡¯s really a surprise to me that I¡¯m meeting my child after five years but I am not regretting anything about it. I¡¯m only regretting the time that I can¡¯t be with you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be with me? You have another family?¡±


    Simon took a deep breath and leaned closer to his daughter, just ignoring Stefan¡¯s presence which puts a little pressure on him. ¡°Something bad happened to my family and for some reason, I cannot appear to the public yet. You are still very young and I don¡¯t want to expose you to negative environment so, I¡¯ll exin these things when you¡¯re a little bit bigger.¡±


    ¡°Then, can you spend time with me even if we¡¯re not in public? You cane to our house. Not many people visit us. It¡¯s not really a public ce.¡±


    Her statement made Simon smile. It appeared to him that she didn¡¯t hate him for being absent in thest five years of her life. However, her next statement broke his heart.


    ¡°You know, mom left me to Nana when I was very small. I¡¯ve seen her a few times but she never really spent time with me. She¡¯s always busy and she doesn¡¯t stay at home either. I speak to her every once in a while through phone call but, my ssmates, they said that their mother stays at home. If a mother doesn¡¯t stay at home it must be because she didn¡¯t love her family. I didn¡¯t want to believe them because Nana said my mother loves me the most. So, why doesn¡¯t she stay with me? She didn¡¯t even tell me about you.¡±


    Stefan shifted his gaze and looked outside the ss window, thinking of Cayenne and the things she could be doing at the moment. He didn¡¯t want to hear Monique¡¯s words anymore. He didn¡¯t want to remember his own childhood when Cayenne¡¯s not with him. He needed her.


    Monique looked calm as she speaks but the tip of her nose was already red and the same goes with her eyes. She was about to cry but she held her tears back, not wanting to breakdown in front of them.


    How can someone exin a parent¡¯s love? A parent has many responsibilities to uphold and many parents sacrifice their happiness for their children. Some parents chose to stay with their family despite being poor. Some chose to leave and work their bones in order to provide their children¡¯s needs. You cannot measure your parent¡¯s love with the idea of staying and leaving home. You have no idea of how much they sacrifice for you to live your life.


    With so many things in his mind, Simon held his daughter¡¯s hand, the very first skin contact he made after seeing her. He knew she can feel his trembling hands from being nervous of this meeting. ¡°If your Nana says your mommy loves you then, that must be true. There¡¯s no reason for her to lie. I haven¡¯t spoken to your mother for several years but, I hear from some friends of mine that she¡¯s working hard. She¡¯s doing her best to provide your basic needs. As for why she didn¡¯t tell you about me, it must be because I am not a good person. She probably felt the need to protect you from having a bad father.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get the part of you being a bad father when you didn¡¯t even have a chance to be one in thest five years.¡± Monique retorted which left Simon speechless. He didn¡¯t expect to hear this responseing from her.


    At the hospital, Jillyanna watched the father-daughter pair and listened to their conversation through video call with Jackie. Although, she couldn¡¯t hear some of the words clearly, she could read the movement of their lips. There seemed to be no tension around the adult and the child but she could feel Monique¡¯s heartache.


    ¡°Seeing this child, it made me realize something. To some children, the absence of a parent in one¡¯s life could mature a kid¡¯s heart and mind. They were supposed to be children, to live ording to their age, to be yful and to explore many things. But because they didn¡¯t have their parents around them, they forced themselves to mature and live.¡±


    ¡°Just like you. Just like me and Riley, like Shein and like Jade. Like the other kids out there. When weck parental support, we tend to do our best and support ourselves.¡± Jackie responded in whisper as she wiped her tears that escaped from her eyes. She felt so sad for Monique. She felt so broken because she¡¯s someone who lost her parents as well.

 Chapter 632

    Chapter 632: CAYENNE IS UPSET?


    ¡°Sorry but I can only see you for few hours today. I¡¯m being monitored and I have to go back soon.¡± Simon told Monique the half truth of his situation. He didn¡¯t want to tell her his current situation and affect her life more. He will exin thingster when she¡¯s grown and can be more understanding of the situation. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll see you again next time. I¡¯ll try my best toe out and stay with you.¡±


    ¡°And with mommy.¡± Monique added fast, hoping she¡¯d be able to live her life with aplete family.


    ¡°Yes, with mommy.¡± Simon affirmed even though he knew it was impossible. It was ironic how he and Denise created a little angel when both of them have been living their lives in darkness, doing things that only demons do and caused people to live miserably. Simon also thought of these things and he still couldn¡¯t believe that God still blessed him with a child, so sweet she could melt his heart.


    ¡°Give me a sec. I¡¯ll ask Vincent something.¡± Stefan stood up and this time, Monique didn¡¯t stop him anymore. She already felt at ease around Simon and her fear of being neglected has already vanished. Stefan didn¡¯t take long with his conversation with Vincent and when he came back, he was smiling faintly towards Monique. ¡°They allow us to spend two more hours with your father. How about eating lunch with him?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Monique didn¡¯t really have anything against the idea of having lunch with her father. In fact, she loved it and she was thankful that Stefan asked for an extension. She didn¡¯t know what really happened but she will wait for her father or mother to exin things to her.


    Across the coffee shop was a restaurant and to make most of the remaining two hours, Stefan decided to have lunch their with them.


    .....


    When they crossed the street, Monique was no longer holding him. She was already holding Simon¡¯s hands and she looked really happy with him.


    Taking this opportunity, Stefan pulled out his phone and called Cayenne but there was no answer from her. The phone kept ringing but no one picked it. ¡®Is she actually upset from the news?¡¯ Stefan questioned because she didn¡¯t send him anything. She didn¡¯t message him either.


    Seeing his expression, Elena immediately send Kyle and Luiz a message. She didn¡¯t know which of them is bringing their phone so, she contacted both of them for reassurance.


    When they¡¯re about to enter the restaurant, Stefan¡¯s eyes lit up and a huge smile appeared on his lips. Obviously, Cayenne called him back. Who else could make smile like a fool?


    ¡°Ask everyone to order whatever they want. I¡¯ll talk with my wife first.¡± Stefan told Elena in a hurried note as he walked to an empty corner where he can speak to her.


    The bodyguards formed a semi-circle around him, keeping one meter between them to make sure that they¡¯d be able to move easily. It¡¯s also to insure that no one will disturb his conversation with his wife.


    ¡°Are you busy with something?¡± Stefan asked as he leaned on the concrete wall behind him. ¡°You didn¡¯t message me at all.¡±


    ¡°Are you sulking in public?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Why are you being childish now? And do you really expect me to message you after allowing someone to spread that rumor earlier?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t really expect someone would make a story out of it.¡±


    Hearing his words and imagining his sulky face, Cayenne chuckled on the other end of the line. ¡°Just kidding.¡± She said while descending the staircase. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really worried. I know you wouldn¡¯t break my trust again.¡±


    ¡°Right. There¡¯s no way I would. I¡¯d rather die than break it. Experiencing it once is more than enough. I wouldn¡¯t want it to happen again.¡±


    ¡°You better be. And mind you, it¡¯s easy to get the divorce papers.¡±


    ¡°You are really upset with the news. Why would you remind me of the divorce papers if you¡¯re not?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I am just refreshing your memory.¡± Cayenne retorted nonchntly and Stefan felt a little apprehensive of what might be waiting for him at home because of her response.


    ¡°Hon, let¡¯s shop in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Why would we go shopping? We have plenty of food and we don¡¯t need anything else at the moment.¡±


    Stefan scratched the tip of his nose, thinking of other things that could help him assuage his wife from being upset. If it was other people, they would really think Cayenne was okay base on her words alone but Stefan has studied her ever since the first night they slept together. He knows every little thing about her from the tiniest gesture to the biggest hurls of emotions. He knows her probably more than how much she knows of herself.


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to shop, I¡¯ll just go on my own.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Just send me a message if you want something. I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±


    ¡°Green mangoes.¡± she mumbled softly and even though he clearly heard her, Stefan pretended to have heard nothing.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡±


    ¡°I want green mangoes.¡± Cayenne repeated audibly. ¡°I want lots of them. Also, go to that Filipino restaurant we atest time and buy two of their special ¡®bagoong¡¯. It¡¯s perfect for green mangoes.¡±


    ¡°I remember that someone special to me was having period cramps not long ago.¡± Stefan countered with faintughter intertwined with his words. She can tell that he was teasing her again.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have you anyway. I¡¯ll let you spoil me for the rest of our life.¡±


    At the end of their conversation, Stefan knew that Cayenne was not longer upset with him. ¡®She probably felt upset not with the issue that surfaced earlier but with the fact that I didn¡¯t really inform her of this whole matter. It¡¯s really my fault. Alright, I¡¯ll just get those green mangoes for her.¡¯ Stefan already made up his mind. Of course, he wont just get those mangoes for her. He¡¯ll buy more of her favorites to make up for stressing her.


    ¡°Heh! Now that I can shop on my own, I¡¯ll buy more of those couple things.¡± Stefan grinned even more with this idea popping in his mind. Even the guards could tell that he was up to no good again.


    ¡®The boss dotes on his wife the most.¡¯


    ¡®He¡¯d probably earn more scolding from thedy boss if he shops of those couple items.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m a man but I really wish I¡¯m a woman right now and the boss¡¯ wife at that. She¡¯s really lucky to have met a man like him.¡¯

 Chapter 633

    Chapter 633: AFFIRMING HIS LOVE FOR HER


    SONG USED: Truly Madly Deeply (by Savage Garden)


    Monique was happy that she was able to meet with her father after five years and she would have been happier if her mother was there as well. However, she learned the hard truth that her mother won¡¯t be able to spend so much time with her because of her work. As for her father, he couldn¡¯t say his real situation at the moment but Monique was willing to wait.


    After having lunch, Stefan sent Monique back to her home and promised to bring her out again next time to meet her father. With this in mind, Stefan also mentioned that other people would probably visit her in the future. He gave her a little background of Jillyanna and Travis since there¡¯s a big possibility that they¡¯d be dropping by in the future.


    ¡°See you next time.¡± Elena waved her hand at the little girl before she followed Stefan inside the car and left. Stefan didn¡¯t have any schedule for the rest of the day which means, she could also take a rest.


    ¡°Thanks for apanying me. You can rest easy for the rest of the day.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, boss. I¡¯ll be sure toe early to the office tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    .....


    Stefan dropped her at the bus station since she nned to go somewhere. He didn¡¯t bother to ask her about her destination since he was sure that Tristan will be keeping an eye on her no matter how far he was from her. Another reason was, he¡¯s too preupied to think about someone else¡¯s business.


    At the back seat, Stefan was scrolling on his phone, making some lists and bookmarks of the things he wanted to buy. It didn¡¯t have to be the exact same thing of what he listed. He just wanted to get some reference and buy those that are avable inside the mall.


    His driver looked at him through the rearview mirror and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from shaking his head in disbelief. Stefan was obviously ecstatic of his n. He was smiling from ear to ear whenever he find something noteworthy and he sometimes appear to be in a daze. He was most-likely thinking of how his wife would look with the items he had in mind or how she would react if she sees them.


    ¡°Sir, can I y a song?¡± the driver asked in which Stefan hummed in response. He connected his phone to the car¡¯s speaker and yed a song that struck a chord in Stefan¡¯s heart. Before he could realize it, he was already singing in whisper to the song.


    ....I¡¯ll be your dream, I¡¯ll be your wish, I¡¯ll be your fantasy


    I¡¯ll be your hope, I¡¯ll be your love, be everything that you need


    I love you more with every breath truly, madly, deeply do


    I will be strong, I will be faithful ¡¯cause I¡¯m counting on


    A new beginnin¡¯


    A reason for livin¡¯


    A deeper meaning, yeah


    I wanna stand with you on a mountain


    I wanna bathe with you in the sea


    I wannay like this forever


    Until the sky falls down on me.....


    As he sang it, his mind was full of Cayenne¡¯s image. He recalled the very first time they met, the time when he scolded her for beingte. It was two years ago. He could still clearly remember the embarrassed look she had when he scolded her. And then a year after that, she became his savior. She was adamant to drink the wine he gave her but she still took it and apanied him when he almost breakdown from so much pain. She was so innocent and defenseless that he took advantage of it. And he remembered the day he left her.


    The memory was very fresh like it happened just moments ago. The image of Cayenne chasing after him, the helpless look on her face and the tears in her eyes, they were his weakness up until now.


    When the song ended, the driver yed another one which stirs a lot of emotions and memories that Stefan was trying to hide. For the very first time, he felt like hitting his driver for choosing the songs he yed.


    In the end, he let him be and just sent Cayenne a message. ¡®I love you, Ayen. I just want you to know that there¡¯s no one else for me but you.¡¯


    Cayenne was sitting on a couch at the living room when she received his message and even though it wasn¡¯t the first time she received a message like this, her heart still made a funny little flip as butterflies fluttered their wings in her stomach.


    She didn¡¯t say anything and no one knew what the message was but just seeing her face, everyone knew who sent it.


    ¡°Boys should be like my dad and uncle Stefan.¡± Jade voiced out while ying monopoly with Luiz, Ethan and Jenny. ¡°They should never do something to hurt their woman.¡±


    ¡°Please tell your uncle Shein about that. I always get up with aching waist in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Riley!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?!¡±


    Riley received several oppositions from the people around her because of her statement which confused Jade a little.


    Jade tilted her head a little and the inquisitive expression on her face told them they¡¯re bound to make up some lies to cover Riley¡¯s carelessness. ¡°Are we supposed to allow Uncle Shein to hurt her waist?¡± Jade questioned and everyone looked at each other except for Ethan whose earlobes had turned red from the mortifying situation. He could only hope that Jade won¡¯t turn to him for an answer. ¡°Eth-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to get some water.¡± Ethan stood up and left in a hurry towards the kitchen. He didn¡¯t want to speak to Jade about it.


    Seeing him flee, Riley covered her mouth andughed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jade asked, even more confused of what¡¯s happening now. It was one of the rare moments wherein she felt lost in the middle of adult conversation.


    They decided to just ignore the question. In any case, Jade would know it in the future. It¡¯s for her to find out and for them to avoid lying.

 Chapter 634

    Chapter 634: SHOPPING LIKE THERE¡¯S NO TOMORROW BECAUSE HIS WIFE ISN¡¯T AROUND


    Stefan happily walked inside the mall. His bodyguards were walking close to him as he explored the ce on his own. He already have a long list on his phone and he knew where exactly to get those things.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start at the department store.¡± Stefan told his bodyguards and they followed him with no questions asked. He checked his notes and found several items that he could get from this area even though he and Cayenne have many of those. He bought two sets of couple hoodies which was a new design to his eyes, a new pair of matching pajamas because they didn¡¯t have a green color of those, a matching apron even though they didn¡¯t cook that much because they have a helper at home, a couple set of Beanie hats with a design ¡®His Queen and Her King¡¯ and several other items.


    Since Stefan was known to many people and he wasn¡¯t really hiding his identity this time, a lot of customer¡¯s identified him and took photos of him, particrly with him holding a lot of items.


    Many saledies noticed him as well but only one of them was braved enough to walk and conversed with Stefan. But she didn¡¯t have any malicious intentions at all. ¡°Good afternoon, sir. I noticed that you are shopping for couple sets, do you mind if I rmend something to you?¡± She asked while eyeing the things that his bodyguards were holding.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little bit intimate and few men have the guts to get in there but if you want, I¡¯ll lead you the way.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Stefan followed him but as they approached a different section of the department store, Stefan looked back at his bodyguards and told them to stop. ¡°I¡¯ll go alone. You can just wait for me here.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The saledy smiled and continued walking towards the ce where they sell the undergarments. One particr shelf showcased the couple set underwear. Stefan, being the shameless wolf he was, he already eyed a few of them and he can already imagine Cayenne¡¯s face while wearing them.


    ¡°My wife will surely kick me out of the room this time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said that only few men have the guts toe in here.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s worth trying.¡± Stefan retorted with an evil grin. ¡°I want this pair of underwear.¡± he said but when the saledy was about to get it, he stopped her. ¡°Wait a sec, do you have a ck color of these?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll get the ck one and this. Please wrap the other into a beautiful gift. I¡¯m giving it to someone else.¡±


    The couple set of underwear was ced inside a box so when he paid it, no one sees what¡¯s inside but, people already have an idea in mind knowing which section he came out with it.


    After paying for the things he bought, the bodyguards took the shopping bags and continued following Stefan to his next stop which was the jewelry stores. They already have so many essories that Cayenne had to wear a different one each day just to make sure that she¡¯d be able to wear all of them. Yet, Stefan was still unsatisfied. He wanted more. He wanted to give her a lot more.


    They walked around for few minutes until he spotted things that he likes. It¡¯s not from an expensive brand but it was still decent. There was a couple set of an engraving photo locket. He sent them two photos and chose two golden lockets which they use to encase the picture. The picture he used on his locket was their wedding registration photo while he used a picture of him and Cayenne which was taken at Carcassonne.


    ¡°Sir, it will take 30 minutes for us to finish engraving the whole set. You cane backter if you are nning to buy something else or you can choose to wait.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle backter.¡±


    He continued buying a lot of matching essories including watches, bracelets, keychains and other little things he could find as long as they were a couple set.


    He wanted to buy her a newptop as well since she used to borrow his but, knowing his wife, if she will only kick him out of the room for buying so many things, for sure, she will not talk to him for few days if he buys her a newptop. She¡¯d think it would be a waste. So, Stefan gave up on the idea.


    By the time he finished shopping, it was almost 4 o¡¯clock in the afternoon. On his way back, he dropped by at the Filipino restaurant that she likes and bought the ¡®bagoong¡¯ that she wants. He also asked his driver to stop at the nearest wet market because he needed to buy green mangoes for her.


    When he came home, Jade was also getting inside the car along with Ethan to go back home.


    ¡°Uncle! You¡¯re home!¡± Jade eximed when she caught sight of him and this made Cayenne look at him, too.


    ¡°Yes, I am. Thank you for staying with her.¡±


    ¡°No biggie.¡± Jade replied and waved her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll be going back home now. I¡¯ll see you next time.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Stefan walked back to the backseat and reach for the giftbox. ¡°Please give this to your parents. It¡¯s just a simple gift. And this is for you and Ethan. And this one is for Raizel.¡±


    ¡°Rai got a gift, too. Yay! Thank you, uncle.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t have favoritism between you two.¡± Ethan also expressed his gratitude but, he didn¡¯t know how to address Stefan and ended up calling him sir. ¡°Call me, Uncle, young man.¡±


    Ethan just bowed his head and nodded but he didn¡¯t say the word ¡®uncle¡¯. He was too shy to start using it.


    After bidding their farewell, they finally left and Stefan was faced with Cayenne¡¯s questioning look.


    ¡°Wifey.¡±


    ¡°My green mangoes.¡± Cayenne replied without batting an eyelid, still pretending to be upset when all she wanted was to throw herself at him and hug him.


    ¡°I have it.¡± Stefan reached for the 2 kilos of green mangoes as well as the ¡®bagoong¡¯ that she likes.


    She finally smiled when she received it and gave him a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Love you.¡±


    ¡°I have something more.¡±


    One after another, the bodyguards took out the shopping bags and brought them outside the masters bedroom. Cayenne wasn¡¯t saying a word, just watching them unloading things from the truck.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t buy all those.¡± Stefan mentioned first before she could say something. ¡°Some were gifts.¡±


    ¡°Which of them were gifts? And who gave them? I¡¯ll give them a call to thank them.¡±


    Stefan¡¯s smile faltered upon hearing herst statement. He didn¡¯t know she¡¯d see through his lies. ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t stop buying them when I saw them. Forgive me, hmm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you but in exchange, you have to buy school requirements of the same worth and donate it to less fortunate students.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Stefan¡¯s answer came in a hurry and he even kissed the tip of her nose. ¡°My wife is the kindest of all.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! It¡¯s because you are being hopeless. Where are you nning to put all these now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± Stefan replied and even winked at her. For now, he¡¯d be cing them inside their full wardrobe but once the new house is done, he¡¯ll be moving their things little by little. ¡®Hopefully, she wouldn¡¯t notice me doing it.¡¯

 Chapter 635

    Chapter 635: ON PAR WITH THEIR SHAMELESSNESS


    Cayenne didn¡¯t fuss over the money her husband spent for these matching items because she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it. That¡¯s how he is and she couldn¡¯t change this hobby that he found. At least, he¡¯s not using his money to gamble or to get drunk somewhere. Cayenne just sighed helplessly before linking their hands together as they went inside their home. ¡°I¡¯ll be cooking dinner tonight. Do you have any request?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll cook? Then, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°But you just came back from work. You¡¯ve been out the whole day.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯d be happy to be your assistant.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then.¡±


    ¡°Let me get something first.¡± Stefan ran upstairs and saw the shopping bags outside their room. He opened the door immediately and brought everything inside while checking them as well. He wanted to use the matching apron that he just bought. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± At once, he ran back downstairs and went directly to the kitchen.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to run, you know. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I was just excited.¡± Stefan expressed while taking out the new apron he bought. ¡°Here. This is yours and mine. We¡¯ll use this whenever we cook.¡±


    ¡°No kidding. You really bought this?¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡± Stefan answered while walking towards his wife. ¡°I¡¯ll help you put this on.¡±


    ¡°Seriously hon, we can cook without matching aprons.¡±


    ¡°Just let me be. It¡¯s cute wearing matching things.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hopeless.¡±


    ¡°But you love me.¡± Stefan dered with faintughter behind her. As soon as he was done, he kissed her neck which caught her off-guard.


    Cayenne gasped at his touch and swiftly turned around to face him. ¡°Stop flirting with me.¡± She said with flushed face. ¡°We¡¯re making dinner.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll stop.¡± Stefan even raised his hands in surrender before putting his own apron. ¡°So, what shall we make for dinner?¡±


    As the two of them busied themselves in the kitchen, Luiz secretly took a picture of them and recorded a short video as well.


    ¡®He was busy with some things earlier but when he came home, he still apanied my sister to cook. He also bought a matching apron. Look, no matter what you do, no one can separate this two.¡¯ He posted the video and picture along this caption which showed how happy Stefan was while washing the vegetables. On the video, he was flirting with his wife as well and it was even captured when he stole a kiss on her cheek.


    ¡°I saw him earlier. He bought so many couple items.¡±


    ¡°I even berated my husband because he didn¡¯t want to buy a matching apron. Look at this couple now! They look so cute together.¡±


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique will stay together! All those jealous people out there, stop trying to break them!¡±


    ¡°Stefan was so cute while choosing the couple items earlier in the mall.¡±


    ¡°I wish I am his wife.¡±


    Comments afterments popped up and thousands of people liked his post in a span of minutes. After all, as a handsome young man in modeling industry, Luiz was slowly getting popr among men and women.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a secret. I hope Mrs. Dumrique can read this just a heads up to one of the things that her husband bought. I was buying a matching underwear for me and my husband and he was there, too. He chose something really erotic.¡±


    At first, Luiz didn¡¯t know about thisment but as time went on, many people have read thements and it was liked by many. A lot of people replied to it as well but the originalmenter didn¡¯t give any details. Herment was pushed little by little until it was sitting on the topment section.


    Luiz pursed his lips and when he looked at his brother, Kyle was also looking at him. ¡°Have you ever tried going to a lingerie section for women?¡±


    ¡°No. Kath would probably felt embarrassed if I do that.¡±


    ¡°Me neither.¡±


    They both looked towards the kitchen and at the same time, they sighed in unison. Not long after, Erwin came home from work and their father also came back from visiting their mother¡¯s grave. The two brothers stopped talking about it but they both sent a message to Stefan, warning him of a possible expulsion from their room.


    On the other hand, Jade came home happily after dropping Ethan off at his house. She was holding the gift for her parents and the gift for her little brother.


    ¡°We¡¯re home. Uncle Stefan gave us some gifts.¡± She handed the small box to her father and the other gift bag to her little brother who has no idea of gifts and stuffs. He was happy when he saw it was a new toy though.


    Jillyanna was also back from the hospital. When she saw the gift that came from Stefan, she took it from her husband and excitedly opened it.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Travis held Jillyanna¡¯s hand and snatched the box from her. ¡°Let me open it first.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be worried about? It¡¯s from Stefan, right?¡± Jillyanna replied and snatched the box back from her husband.


    If Travis didn¡¯t see the post from Luiz and the trendingment that talks about the matching underwear, he would think it was a normal gift. But now?


    ¡°You open it in our room.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡± Jillyanna did as she was told, not wanting to argue with him. However, when she got inside the bedroom and saw the two items lying inside the box, she shouted at the top of her lungs from embarrassment. ¡°Travis, I¡¯m going to kill your best friend!¡±


    But since their room was soundproofed, her shout came out muffled and not a single word can be understood.


    ¡°I think mom was calling you Dad.¡±


    ¡°Nah. I think she¡¯s just happy with the gift.¡±


    In P Country, Tristan received the information from Elena apanied with some pictures as proof. To keep their end of the deal, he sent the information to Denise Amir. She¡¯s crucial to their n while waiting for the response from the P Country¡¯s President¡¯s team.


    As she received the message, she watched the sweet smile of her daughter while looking at her father. Denise was smiling, too but her tears were also falling on the screen of her phone. ¡®Sorry Simon. Sorry Monique. Sorry mom.¡¯ That¡¯s all she said before erasing the pictures from her phone. Seeing them together was enough for her. She knew that Simon won¡¯t abandon their child even if he didn¡¯t love the mother of his daughter. She just knew. After all, she was the man that her heart chose to love.


    ¡°This weekend, someone will go out of the ind to get more people for the poison testing. Find a way to blend with them. I¡¯ll send you the picture of the kidnapperter.¡±

 Chapter 636

    Chapter 636: CAYENNE FOUND OUT


    The days went by and since they were on vacation, Cayenne was able to apany Stefan to work. She helped him in sorting documents as well as gave ideas for some projects that he was working on. They were brainstorming but from time to time, they were also flirting. It was as if their life wasn¡¯t in danger.


    Elena was also left with more work. It was the very first time that she genuinely wished for Tristan to be around. With him, she¡¯ll have fewer work. With him, she¡¯d have someone to talk to even if they mainly exchange stupid banters. With him, she¡¯d have a cup of coffee from a special someone.


    ¡°I want him back.¡± She murmured to herself while typing on herputer. She had no idea that her voice was directly transmitted to Tristan¡¯s earphone from the voice recorder which was taped under her desk.


    ¡°Who is she talking about?¡± Tristan asked himself because she didn¡¯t mention any name. When she messaged him, it was all work-rted text. She never said she missed him or even asked how he was doing. Tristan was deeply bothered by it. ¡®Did she still think that I like my ex? I already exined it to her before I left. Am I really not worthy of her trust?¡¯


    Elena had no idea that there was a recorder under her desk. Even so, she didn¡¯t dare mention Tristan¡¯s name. She¡¯s afraid that someone will hear her and tell Tristan about it, specially that his number was known to almost everyone in thepany. She never thought that Tristan has a different number only meant for the people special to him like family and close friends.


    Cayenne rarely got time for herself and for her family so, she decided to stop streaming online and just check her phone for any important messages. Therefore, she missed Luiz¡¯s post and the hotment below it. To make even with her, Jillyanna didn¡¯t inform her about the gift that Stefan gave to them. So, even after three days have passed, Cayenne had no idea about the matching underwear. She felt she knew what her husband bought so, she didn¡¯t check any of them.


    ¡°Why do I feel that some of your employees were looking weirdly at me?¡± Cayenne questioned in whisper when they went out of thepany for lunch. They invited Elena to dine with them but she politely refused them, not wanting to be fed with so much public disy of attention. She¡¯d only pity her single life.


    .....


    In the end, she ate with the other employees at thepany cafeteria.


    ¡°Sigh, the boss is married now. Sir Chris left and I heard he also have a girlfriend. Sir Tristan...uhm...do you think he¡¯s taken?¡± one of the employees asked Elena when they sat with her around the table. ¡°Where is he by the way? I haven¡¯t seen him these past few days.¡±


    ¡°Sir Stefan sent him overseas for some personal matters.¡± Elena answered, skipping the first question about Tristan having a girlfriend or not.


    ¡°So, do you know if he has a girlfriend?¡± her colleague asked again without really noticing the change of expression on Elena¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I heard that he had a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Had? So, they broke up already. Oh! We have a chance! What about you Elena? Are you still into sir Chris?¡±


    ¡°The man is already taken. I¡¯m not a home wrecker.¡± Elena answered, rifying to them what she felt for Chris. It was known to some of her friends that she liked Chris back then. Of course, other colleagues knew about it, too. And even when Chris knew about it, he pretended that he did not and was treating her like a younger sister. Thinking about it, Elena couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly at the memories. ¡°I am only wishing all the best for Chris and his girlfriend. Actually, she¡¯s his fi¡¤an¡¤c¨¦. They¡¯re nning to get married once he returns back from work.¡±


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s fast. It feels like yesterday when he was still single and now, he¡¯s getting married.¡±


    ¡°Love can¡¯t be measured with time. Sir Stefan and Miss Yen just met not long ago. Look at them now. They¡¯re happy and so in love with each other.¡±


    ¡°I agree with you. In fact, I know someone who also married someone even though they just met over a month ago.¡±


    ¡°Right! Time shouldn¡¯t be used to measure love.¡±


    They continued to talk and Elena just listened to them. She didn¡¯t know that other women were also eyeing Tristan. She could already imagine their judgmental gaze if they knew that Tristan was pursuing her. ¡®Should other people¡¯s opinion really matter?¡¯ She asked herself while taking a sip of her drink.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne couldn¡¯t stop feeling restless from the gaze that people threw at her. It wasn¡¯t a look of disgust or distaste but she felt something wrong with it. She felt so exposed to them without knowing anything.


    ¡°Stop feeling bothered by it. They¡¯re just probably looking weirdly at you because I was shopping too muchst time.¡± Stefanmented while pulling a chair for her to sit. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that people would make a big deal out of it.¡±


    ¡°Were you just really shopping? You didn¡¯t do anything else?¡±


    ¡°No, I did not.¡±


    Cayenne let go of this matter and they started to order their food for lunch. However, she made a mental note to check her social media ount once she¡¯s home. She felt that theizens have found something that she didn¡¯t. And since they were looking at her, for sure, it has something to do with her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back home this afternoon. I don¡¯t like the way the people look at me.¡± Cayenne mumbled while covering half of her face with the menu.


    ¡°Let¡¯s drop by thepany to get some things. I¡¯ll work at home.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    In the afternoon, as soon as they came home, Cayenne opened her phone and logged in to her social media ount. Luiz tagged her and Stefan on a post so, she checked it first since she has not seen it yet. She was still smiling when reading the caption and watching the video and the picture but when she started to read thements, she felt the rush heat on her neck and face.


    She stood up from the couch and went upstairs to look for the newly-shopped items that Stefan bought few days ago. She rummaged through them and found that nothing was wrong with them. She checked them again and again until she saw the small box of underwear.


    With her breath caught in her throat, she opened the box and pulled the two items out. She was so embarrassed she wanted to hide. CAUTION: Choking Hazard- this was written on the front side of the men¡¯s underwear. CAUTION: Slippery when WET ¨C this was on the front side of the women¡¯s underwear. The text was so vulgar that she felt so mortified just reading it. Thankfully, she was in their bedroom and she was also alone since Stefan stayed in the living room to work.


    However, Cayenne didn¡¯t say a word. She didn¡¯t scream or yell like Jillyanna did. She only took a piece of bond paper, a marker and a masking tape before making a note and stered it on the door outside her room. ¡®Hubby, you are not allowed to sleep with me until weekend.¡¯


    Stefan had no idea that he was kicked out of the room, not untilter that afternoon when Luiz came back from work and saw the post outside his sister¡¯s room.


    ¡°Big bro, when did sister find out?¡± Luiz asked Stefan from the second floor.


    ¡°Find out what?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Eh...Ermm...You didn¡¯t know about this?¡± Luiz pointed his finger to the note on the door but the font on the note was too thin for him to read. ¡°Wait a sec.¡± Luiz took the stered paper and brought it to Stefan. As soon as Stefan saw it, his eyes went wide and he was running upstairs. ¡®We already warned him before.¡¯ Luiz thought to himself and chuckled.


    He took a picture of the note that his sister made and posted it on his ount. ¡°My brother-inw got punished.¡± The people didn¡¯t really know what Stefan bought but knowing he was punished for it; it must be something naughty.

 Chapter 637

    Chapter 637: WINTER-GABRIEL UNION


    Cayenne, being the loving wife, she forgave her husband for his naughty behavior but Stefan felt that he wasn¡¯t forgiven at all. Even though they shared the same bed, he was only allowed to touch her but couldn¡¯t go further. He had been waiting for her vacation to spend lots of loving nights with her but he ended up with only touching her.


    ¡°Am I really forgiven?¡± Stefan asked her in the middle of the night while caressing her chest. ¡°Can¡¯t I really go beyond this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are forgiven. And no, you can¡¯t go beyond this.¡±


    ¡°Wifey.¡±


    ¡°Sulking won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I wasn¡¯t nning to make you wear it.¡±


    ¡°Then, what are you nning to do with it? Disy it?¡±


    .....


    ¡°I...uhh...I was nning to give it to someone else?¡±


    ¡°Someone else?!¡±


    ¡°No...I mean...fine...I wanted you to wear it.¡±


    ¡°You shameless beast.¡± Cayenne bit his chin and licked it right after but still, when he wanted to go further, he wasn¡¯t allowed to do it. ¡°We do it bareback with an intention of having a baby or none at all.¡± Stefan stiffened for a moment before showering her face with kisses.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with not doing it.¡±


    Cayenne was left dumbfounded. She thought she¡¯d be able to trap him into making a baby with her but in the end, she was the one left in frustration. ¡°Alright. Be with your hands for the rest of the week.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡± Stefan replied with faintughter. He would never give in to the temptation and identally make a baby with her. He didn¡¯t want her to be pregnant just because she felt responsible to do so. Who cares about sessors or whatnot? He didn¡¯t marry her to be a baby making machine. They¡¯ll have a baby in the right time but not now. Not when she¡¯s still studying and not because his grandfather asked for it.


    They might be keeping it a secret from him but he has Tristan to monitor their gadgets. He monitored his wife, not because he didn¡¯t trust her but because he didn¡¯t trust his father and grandfather. He may have forgiven them but he has not forgotten the sin they havemitted against his mother. It will forever remain a stain in their life.


    He knew that his grandfather was ill and had asked Cayenne to give him a grandchild before he dies but he didn¡¯t want his wife to feel burdened with this request. Why should she suffer for the sake of fulfilling other people¡¯s wishes? Therefore, he would never sumb to her temptation and identally fertilized her egg.


    During the day, the two of them acted normal and continued with their normal routine. During the night, Stefan has to deal with his physiological needs. Cayenne didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid to him. This continued until Saturday came. Stefan finally found a good way to make it back to his wife¡¯s priority list.


    It was Winter and Gabriel¡¯s wedding. The Christmas-themed wedding was attended by many socialites and several people from the military. At the end of the day, it was a wedding between the Second-Lieutenant and the Brigadier General of the country¡¯s military.


    Since Travis treated Winter as his sister and Gabriel was also one of his best friends, he made sure that the two will have the best and memorable day of their life. The theme couldn¡¯t be done inside the church because of the designs so, Travis had asked someone to make a church inside a hotel to cater the design that Winter chose for her wedding.


    There were leafless trees lined up on both sides of the aisle and it was painted with white, making it look like a snow has covered. Instead of a red carpet, they used a white carpet with fake snows littered on it. Every two meters, there were Victorian-styled streetmps painted in white and a soft lighting from the bulb made the ce look even more romantic.


    Walking down the aisle alone would make you feel the love and the essence of Christmas. The wedding reception was also in the same hotel. It was warm inside and the white-red colorbination makes you imagine your own wedding, too. That¡¯s exactly how Cayenne felt when she arrived. She never thought of having her own grand wedding. Registering their marriage was already enough for her. But right now, she stopped for a moment and looked around her.


    ¡°What can you say?¡± Stefan inquired while linking his fingers with hers. ¡°Lovely, isn¡¯t it? Travis and Jillyanna had done their best to prepare this for the groom and bride.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Grabriel¡¯s prosthetic leg operation didn¡¯t go through. I am d they still continued with the wedding despite what happened.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Anderson says that Gabriel might feel the pain on daily basis but knowing Gabriel, he would most-likely keep it from Winter. So, when she heard about it, she asked Gabriel not to go through it. She didn¡¯t care if she has to support him every day.¡±


    Cayenne didn¡¯t say anyment about it. She could only imagine how tiring it would be for both Gabriel and Winter but if it happens to Stefan, she would do anything to support him as well. She would never want him to feel pain every single day just to cate her and make her feel at ease.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Stefan asked as they walked towards Valkyrie and Brown.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± She said while keeping the smile on her face. She continued to observe the ce whenever she gets the chance to look around.


    The flower girls already arrived and one of them was Jade. She was wearing a white dress with a huge red ribbon tied on the side of her waist. She also has a flower crown to match her outfit and a white sandal to go along with the outfit. She looked so adorable. When she saw Cayenne, she waved her little hand at her and smiled but she didn¡¯t approach them because the other flower girls were still talking to her. She was a bright child and people couldn¡¯t stop taking a nce at her.


    The other entourage hase as well and some of them were unfamiliar faces to Cayenne but she still kept her polite smile whenever someone looks at her. When Gabriel arrived, he was sitting on a wheel chair and Hawk was pushing it to the front.


    The guests started looking for a ce to sit and witness the union of another couple who fought adversities just to be together. They have taken a lot of detours and sacrificed a lot only to obtain this happiness for a lifetime.


    Gabriel chose to wear his military uniform and despite losing his leg, the aura he emits still shows how dignified he is. He didn¡¯t have any family, so Major General Calhoun acted as his father for this special ceremony. Winter still got her parents and even though she still didn¡¯t like them, she still allowed them to walk her down the aisle.


    The ceremony was grand. There were several military officers who attended the wedding and many people from upper ss joined as well.


    It was so romantic until the two read their wedding vows. Almost everyone who attended the wedding was dabbing handkerchief on their faces to dry their tears and avoid ruining their make-up. It was the most heart wrenching vows that the guests have ever heard in their life.


    Gabriel was the one who read his vow first. ¡°Today, we are celebrating our union and I¡¯d like to express my gratitude to everyone who came to witness this grand event in our life. To Travis, bro, I can¡¯t thank you enough for all the support you have given me. I know I broke your trust several times but you still chose to forgive me and trust me time and time again. To Uncle Thomas, I don¡¯t know what I have done in my past life to receive your warm wee and eptance in this life. I am so thankful I met you when I desperately needed someone the most. You always got my back despite all the things I have done. And to my future wife, whosest name will be changed few minutes from now, I want to thank your parents for bringing you into this world ¨C into my world. I want to give them my deepest bow of respect but I can only do a little because of my situation right now.¡± he took a deep breath and released it but it was caught in the mic and everyone heard the tremble in his voice. ¡°Winter, I failed you so many times. Long ago, I realized that our status doesn¡¯t match and that people would most-likely judge our rtionship. I wanted to stand next beside you. I wanted you to be proud for having me in your life. I wanted so much to be with you for the rest of our life so I joined the army. I did my best to raise my rank. And then, you got into an ident. Things happened and there was this huge gap which was stretching us apart, pulling us farther from each other no matter how much I tried to get close to you. I used every means to get close to you. I know that I am still not worthy to stand next to you but, let me be selfish this time. I only want you and needed you for the rest of my life. I¡¯ll continue to hang on for you. I¡¯ll do everything I can for you. I can even exchange my life for you. I¡¯ll take care of you as much as I could. I don¡¯t have much but you can have everything I have. Until my veryst breath, I¡¯ll give warmth to your cold name. I still remember the promise we made under the apple tree. I can still hear yourughter in my ears. And now, my dream is being fulfilled. I will be forever loyal to you. I will devout my whole life to you. What else can I say? I...I just really love you, Winter! My Winter Avery!¡±


    Despite the tears falling on their faces, people still pped for him and some even whistled. The children didn¡¯t know why people were crying but Jade kept a poker. She didn¡¯t want to cry like the adults. She wanted to pretend that she didn¡¯t know like the other children. She was trying her best to act like the children around her age.


    Winter also read her vows and tears streamed on the people¡¯s faces once again. By the time the wedding finished, most of the women who attended the wedding were walking towards the bathroom to retouch their make-up. They had to look presentable before going to the reception.


    ¡°Winter and Gabriel got married now. I wonder who would be next?¡± Cielo asked and her eyes were boring into Cayenne but thetter only smiled and continued eating her food. ¡°Don¡¯t just smile at me.¡± Cielomented and rolled her eyes. ¡°When are you guys going to have your wedding?¡±


    ¡°Soon.¡± Stefan answered which made Cayenne turned to look at him.


    ¡°Soon?¡± She inquired with a shock expression on her face. ¡°When¡¯s that? Why didn¡¯t I hear anything about this?¡±


    ¡°Because you will oppose me sweetie.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Riley agreed and was even nodding her head. ¡°When there¡¯s a talk about wedding, you always say ¡®no¡¯. Didn¡¯t you know that wedding is just once in a lifetime event? It¡¯s special. That¡¯s every woman¡¯s dream.¡±


    ¡°Not all woman.¡± Cayenne retorted.


    Even though she said it, she actually imagined herself walking in a field of flowers while wearing her wedding gown. In her daze, Stefan intertwined their fingers and kissed the back of her hand. ¡°You will have your dream wedding as well.¡± Cayenne didn¡¯t react to it. She didn¡¯t know if she heard him right but still, she smiled sweetly at him.

 Chapter 638

    Chapter 638: STIRRING TROUBLE


    Cayenne and Stefan gave their well-wishes and gift to Winter and Gabriel when it was their turn to give a short message. They didn¡¯t take so much time since there were many people who wanted to do the same thing and there were a lot of things to do in the program that hasn¡¯t been done yet.


    When it was the bride¡¯s turn to throw the bouquet, she looked towards Cayenne but Cayenne only shrugged her shoulders. She wasn¡¯t part of the entourage and she has no n of receiving the bouquet as well. She already considered herself married.


    Jackie was one of the bridesmaids but instead of taking part to snatch the bride¡¯s bouquet, she was just happily eating her dessert. She wasn¡¯t interested in getting married at the moment. She wanted to graduate first and find a stable job before she¡¯d propose to Vincent. Yes, she was nning to propose to him not wait for his proposal.


    When Winter threw the bouquet, the others were trying their best to catch it but itnded right into Jackie¡¯s te. She was so surprised that she held it and looked up to the other girls.


    ¡°What now? There¡¯s no way I¡¯d marry before Yenyen and Stefan does.¡±


    The other guestsughed at herment and Cayenne was put under the limelight with Stefan once again. She didn¡¯t really like it when people talk about her wedding or whatever n was ongoing. There¡¯s no n and no wedding! Or at least, that¡¯s what she thought.


    Seeing that his girlfriend got the bouquet without any effort, Vincent tried his best to get the wedding band, he even red at the three military officers who were Gabriel¡¯s groomsmen. They have been checking Jackie since the ceremony and he knew it. He would never let anyone snatch her away from him.


    .....


    Gabriel threw his wedding band and many young men tried to get it. However, it hit Stefan right on his chest. He picked up the wedding band and looked towards Jackie. The crowd erupted in another fit ofughter since it was Stefan who caught it.


    ¡°Alright. It¡¯s inappropriate since I already have a wife.¡± Stefan stood up and handed the wedding band to Vincent. ¡°I wish you sess young man. I¡¯m permitting you to have this girl¡¯s hand. Don¡¯t let anyone snatch her away.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I am the legal guardian. Why are you giving the permit?¡± Jillyannamented in a joking manner which made the guestsugh once again. Stefan only grinned at her and returned to his seat before taking Cayenne¡¯s hand once again.


    ¡°I want to get drunk with you.¡± Stefan whispered and this lit up Cayenne¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Hn. Since when was thest time that we got drunk with just ourpany?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm...The first night that we slept together. That¡¯s over a year ago.¡±


    ¡°Shall wememorate it?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Stefan narrowed his gaze at his wife. It was not long ago that she was abandoning him to deal on his third brother with his hand. Now, she was eagerly agreeing to him. Then, realization hits him. ¡°I think we¡¯ll postpone it for now. We¡¯ll do it next time.¡± Stefan whispered which made Cayenne roll her eyes at him.


    The wedding was only attended by close families and friends. No celebrities or medias were invited to attend this wedding and it was exclusive to the invitees only. Since Riley and Luiz were considered family and a friend, they were exempted from being a celebrity.


    Cayenne received another message from Magnus but she only nced at her phone since Stefan was sitting beside her. She didn¡¯t want to take the risk of him seeing the message from his own father. He would surely get angry over this trivial matter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to some businessmen. Do you want toe with me?¡± Stefan asked her while eyeing some people from the crowd.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here. I don¡¯t like talking to big shots.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯lle back as soon as you I can.¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    When he was not looking at her, Cayenne immediately opened her messaging app and read the text that Magnus sent to Cayenne. He was asking her to drop by and visit the Vi sometimes with Stefan. Cayenne breathed a sigh of relief when she read it. She really thought it was another message pressuring her to get pregnant. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t.


    Stefan also received a message from Tristan. Two messages were updates about their infiltration of the ind as well as the response from the P country¡¯s president while the other was about Magnus contacting Cayenne. He checked the one rted to Magnus first. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t anything about pregnancy. ¡°Hmp! Just you wait. I¡¯ll make sure to visit you and scold you numb.¡± Stefan mumbled before putting his phone away. He will only check business-rted matter at home. It was too risky.


    ¡°Yen.¡± A man called Cayenne¡¯s name and this caught some people¡¯s attention, too.


    Cayenne thought someone just have the same nickname as her but then, she saw a handsome man who was walking towards her with a faint smile on his face. She was a little surprise to see a familiar face but she couldn¡¯t really recall where she met this man before.


    Stefan who was standing with some businessmen excused himself in a hurry and briskly walked back towards his wife. Before the man could reach for Cayenne, Stefan blocked his way and stood in between them. ¡°I heard you calling my wife¡¯s name, if I¡¯m not mistaken. Do you personally know her?¡±


    The man was nodding his head happily and he also reached for Stefan¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you Mr. Dumrique. I am Cayenne¡¯s high school ssmate. I was just happy to see someone familiar here. I heard that she¡¯s your wife already. I really thought she¡¯d end up with Arthur.¡±


    The atmosphere on the table suddenly sank and it was a little gloomy and high with tension. Cayenne pped her forehead for this man¡¯s recklessness in front of her husband. She really didn¡¯t know how she could save him from the jealousy of the wolf beside her.

 Chapter 639

    Chapter 639: FORMER CLASSMATE


    ¡°I remember now.¡± Cayenne spoke to intervene before Stefan could say something to the man. ¡°You are An?¡±


    ¡°Allen.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I was close.¡± Cayenne replied making the man smile at her. ¡°Arthur and I were just really friends. Nothing was brewing between us. My husband here is really my first boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Dang! I even made a bet that you two will get married one day.¡±


    Cayenne didn¡¯t know what to say at this point. She was trying to save him but he was trying his best to fall into ruins. She snaked her hand around Stefan¡¯s arm and leaned closer to him, letting everyone know the affection between them. ¡°So, are you here with someone?¡±


    ¡°Yup. I just returned from Europe and my parents brought me here to know some people. You know I¡¯m not good with socializing.¡±


    ¡°So, how did you make the bet?¡± Stefan butted in, still not forgetting the man¡¯s first statement involving Arthur. If this man continues to be dumb, he would be facing a lot of difficultiester on.


    .....


    Allen looked towards Stefan and he could see that the man was angry. He didn¡¯t really want to make him mad but he didn¡¯t know what else to talk that could bridge him and Cayenne. He just wanted to have someone he can talk to during the asion. He didn¡¯t want to be a loner.


    In the end, he decided to apologize, saving himself before Stefan can deal him a huge damage. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mr. Dumrique. I was overseas and I was busy with work and study. I didn¡¯t have extra time for social media. It was thoughtless of me to think that...you know, they¡¯d be together. I only based my bet with the events in the past. I hope you won¡¯t take this against me.¡±


    ¡°Why would my husband do that?¡± Cayenne smiled sweetly to Stefan before she leaned her head on his chest. ¡°Stefan is a reasonable man and we don¡¯t keep anything between us. We¡¯ve learned our lesson already. He knows the position of Arthur in my life. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d take it against you.¡±


    ¡°I agree. I¡¯ve read so many reports about him, too.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s rather famous despite being not a celebrity.¡± Cayenne added, just going with the flow of her former ssmate¡¯s story. She didn¡¯t know what he was up to but she didn¡¯t want to judge people so quickly as well. ¡°Excuse us for a minute. We¡¯d like to talk to some of our friends before going home.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Allen said and turned around to get a ss of wine from the passing waiter.


    ¡°You are leaving already?¡± Riley asked when she heard Cayenne¡¯s words. She had been listening to the conversation but she didn¡¯t say a single word until now since it was a matter between Cayenne and her former ssmate.


    Stefan also looked towards his wife. The program was just halfway through and they¡¯re leaving already. He was worried that she was feeling ufortable because of her ssmate.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Stefan whispered to her but she only smiled. ¡°Shall we get a room upstairs and rest?¡±


    ¡°How about you? Are you okay? I don¡¯t want you to feel bad because of the things he said.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Stefan was quite surprised at her question and he couldn¡¯t stop herself fromughing. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was a little disgruntled when I heard Arthur¡¯s name but that¡¯s it. Nothing more. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°Shall we stay?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...If we leave now...well, let¡¯s give it another half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Stefan kissed Cayenne¡¯s temple before letting go of her. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to some businessmen first. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    Cayenne watched him leave and she even heard the other men tease Stefan for being so possessive and jealous the moment he joined their circle.


    ¡°So, you guys aren¡¯t leaving yet?¡± Riley questioned once again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leaveter.¡± Cayenne answered. Right after saying this, Allen approached her once again. He was even grinning at her. ¡°What were you trying to do? How can you be so mischievous up until today?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Oh. So, you really remembered.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Shall I tell my husband that you were one of Arthur¡¯s supporters in the past?¡±


    ¡°Tsk! That man. I kept nagging him to court you but he was so slow! Seiji was even better than him. Well, fortunately, none of them ended up with you.¡± Cayenne cocked her eyebrow at him with a questioning gaze. Even Shein looked at him and was curious about his opinion as well. ¡°I have seen Arthur¡¯s mother several times, you know. I guess she was monitoring you and Arthur in the past. I even told him about it but, he didn¡¯t believe me. I thought to myself that you don¡¯t deserve a man who can¡¯t even protect you from his own mother.¡±


    ¡°What about Seiji?¡± Shein asked which startled Cayenne. She had no idea that he was listening to their conversation. She thought he was busy ying with his iPad. ¡°What makes you dislike him?¡±


    Allen took a sip of his drink while trying to recall of the past. Since none of these men ended up with Cayenne, he decided to just run his mouth off and say his opinion of them. ¡°It¡¯s not that I dislike him but to me, Seiji feels a little calcting to me. I can¡¯t read him and he seems like someone with so many secrets.¡±


    ¡°Judgmental, aren¡¯t you?¡± Riley questioned followed by faint chuckles. ¡°If you searched for Seiji Sy now, you would understand why seems calcting and secretive.¡±


    ¡°I did. When I came back from Europe, I searched for them. I don¡¯t have any idea about Arthur. He suddenly vanished although, I can still see his brother from time to time. As for Seiji, I didn¡¯t expect him to be an heir of a huge business.¡±


    ¡°Then, what can you say about my husband?¡±


    Allen shifted his eyes towards Stefan who was busy talking with other businessmen before looking back towards Cayenne. He scratched the tip of his nose awkwardly before putting his drink on the table. ¡°I...uh...I didn¡¯t really expect him to be so wrapped around your hand. His world basically revolves around you. He¡¯s obsessed with you.¡±


    Shein and Riley turned silent while Cayenne has gone red from blushing. She didn¡¯t know what to say after having heard these things right in front of her. She never intended for Stefan to be so obsessed with her.


    Few secondster, Shein¡¯s shoulders were shaking fromughter while Riley covered her mouth to stop herself fromughing. She has to actdy-like because she¡¯s a celebrity and it¡¯s an asion, she cannot justugh so hard in front of everyone.


    When Cayenne looked towards Stefan, she found him looking at her as well. She didn¡¯t know why but she felt really shy upon meeting his gaze. It¡¯s not even their first meeting.


    ¡°Idiot.¡± She muttered as she stood up from her seat and left in a hurry to find the powder room.


    Stefan followed Cayenne five minutester and found her walking back to the reception hall. She¡¯s back to normal already but Stefan didn¡¯t let this matter pass without teasing her.


    ¡°So, what were you guys talking about that made you blush like a teenager who just fell in love?¡±


    ¡°Can we not talk about it?¡±


    ¡°I thought we¡¯re not keeping anything from each other?¡±


    ¡°Hon, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go somewhere with no other people to make it less embarrassing.¡± Cayenne bit her lower lip while he dragged her to a corner away from other people.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the car.¡± She mumbled and when she thought he didn¡¯t hear her, Stefan suddenly changed direction and brought her to the parking area.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made the right choice darling.¡± Stefan whispered with faintughter. His hot breath fanned her ears, sending another rush of heat on her face. She was about to make a retort but when she opened her mouth, Stefan sealed it close with his.


    ¡®Will this be another episode of us making out in a car?¡¯ Cayenne thought to herself while indulging his husband to do what he wants. After all, he had been hungry for several days and even when the food was right in front of him, he couldn¡¯t eat it her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have my fill tonight.¡± Stefan muttered as he pulled her to hisp for better ess.

 Chapter 640

    Chapter 640: RAID


    While the asion continued, in P country, Tristan was meeting three representatives sent by the President. They will be having a video conference along with one of the militarymanders who will be discussing the n to invade the ind.


    The ind was really part of their country¡¯s jurisdiction but because of the natives who lived there ¨C people who don¡¯t ept outsiders, they prevent everyone from visiting this ind. It was for the safety of other people. They didn¡¯t really monitor this ce and because of that, they didn¡¯t know that it was already taken by other people. The natives were even killed from poison testing and other physical abuse.


    ¡°Why should we believe you? Why should I risk my people to get into this ind with no source of monitoring?¡± The President questioned intimidatingly but Tristan didn¡¯t flinch at all. He knew that the President wouldn¡¯t just believe them easily. At the end of the day, they¡¯re foreigners, alien to this country and yet, they¡¯re thick-skinned enough to ask for help.


    ¡°Mr. President,¡± Tristan started as he turned his otherputer to face the camera. ¡°I know someone inside. As we included in our letter, my employer is being harassed and threatened. We have investigated this matter and it led us to your beloved country. In truth, we can manage on our own to infiltrate the ind but we wanted to let you know, a sign of respect and a formal introduction to avoid any problemter on.¡±


    ¡°So, you are saying that the people staying in this ind right now ¨C illegally upying the ce, are your fellow countrymen? Have you ever considered talking to our President about this because this is clearly an invasion?¡±


    ¡°The higher brass of the organization is not from our country. We have no idea which country this person is but we knew he¡¯s not from our country. However, one of the doctors who worked for him, who is keeping in touch with us came from our country. She didn¡¯t know that her work would involve the life of many innocent people. She couldn¡¯t get in touch with anyone outside her family as well because she¡¯s being monitored. If not because of their mistake for crossing with my employer, we wouldn¡¯t be able to get in touch with her.¡±


    ¡°I understand now. Basically, you want to stop this organization from harming your employer, save the woman and at the same time, free the natives?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then,¡¯ the President turned to the General and asked for his opinion. ¡°what can you say about this?¡±


    ¡°Mr. President, about the infiltration...¡±


    Tristan continued to talk with them and spoke of his n as well. He informed them of the current status of the two men who were able toe to the ind as well as the identity of Denise. He talked to the doctor about it and he even suggested that they¡¯d fake her death but Denise refused. No matter what happens, if she dies during the raid or get jailed for killing people, she¡¯ll ept her fate. Her only request was to not publish her name to prevent her daughter from stumbling on it across the inte in the future. She¡¯s willing to take the punishment for all her crimes.


    When Tristan sessfully persuades the President, he sent an email to Stefan about it. He¡¯s been gone for quite some time and he wanted to go home as soon as he can. He missed Elena.


    Denise received notification from Tristan about the operation and she prepared herself to do her part. She went to theboratory and made a new drug that she can use to weaken her boss.


    ¡°Denise?¡± the man came and walked towards her. ¡°I heard that your daughter finally met her father.¡±


    Denise stiffened at his words and slowly turned to face him with a surprise expression on her face. ¡°How can that be? Why would he meet her when I am not around? Did you tell him anything?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Me? What would I tell him? That he has a daughter with you? I thought our agreement was to let him escape.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, how did he know about my daughter?¡±


    The man smiled and pulled a picture of Monique and Simon who were happily chatting inside a caf¨¦. ¡°How would I know? I also wanted to ask you that question?¡±


    ¡°Why...why would you ask me that? How will I know? I couldn¡¯t even go out of this ind.¡± Denise retorted, still keeping her act to stop her boss from getting suspicious of her. She didn¡¯t know that he had someone outside the ind who was monitoring her baby. Which means to say, he knew about Stefan meeting with her child.


    The man looked at the picture once again and ced it on the table in front of her. ¡°Your daughter looks very simr to her father.¡±


    ¡°I can see that.¡± Denise replied with a lovely smile on her face.


    ¡°Sadly, you can¡¯t see them.¡±


    The ind was far from the main city and they could only use a boat to a certain distance to avoid getting spotted. Once they reached that point of navigation, the marines will have to get off the boat and swim the rest of the distance with an oxygen tank.


    Denise drew a map before for them and told them to use the opposite side of the mountain since it has lesser people who monitors the area. They¡¯ll have their advantage as wellpared to facing them head on from the very main dock.


    Just as she said, there weren¡¯t many people. It was awfully quiet but as the soldiers continued to march, they finally heard some noise. Yet, it wasn¡¯t the kind of noise that they were expecting.


    They followed the faint sounds of screams and what greeted them were lifeless bodies littered on the ground. Blood was flowing everywhere and the bodies varied in sizes. They could see lifeless children, old men and women and there were pregnant women as well.


    Not far from them, they could see a lot of people who were running for their lives. The soldiers knew who their targets were because the natives can be easily identified from the foreigners. Without wasting more time, the soldiers started shooting without an ounce of fear and hesitation.


    It was chaotic. Some natives even attacked the soldiers, thinking that they came to kill them as well. When they realized that they were being rescued, they stopped their assaults. They started helping the wounded and killed those men who molested them.


    Three hourster, Tristan received a message from one of the soldiers that Chris lent them. It was a picture of Denise lying on the cold floor with blood pooling underneath her.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Tristan kicked the chair angrily which startled Eliezer. ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°They knew we were after them.¡±


    ¡°Someone was monitoring her baby. The moment Stefan showed up, they already knew what we¡¯re up to. F*ck! F*ck him!¡±


    Even though he was losing hisposure, Tristan still managed to send a message to Stefan.

 Chapter 641

    Chapter 641: DANGER UP AHEAD I


    Stefan and Cayenne decided to leave the party and go home. Since they didn¡¯t excuse themselves properly, Stefan called Winter to tell her about their sudden disappearance. He was even teased about it because he couldn¡¯t just keep his hands off from his wife even for a little while.


    By the time they arrived home, it was already midnight and Cayenne thought she¡¯d be able to take a shower right after getting home. She didn¡¯t expect that there¡¯d be another round inside the shower room.


    ¡°Nggh...Just how...just how hungry are you?¡± She asked between moans with her hands on the wall, supporting herself from the attacks of her husband. If Stefan wasn¡¯t holding her waist, she would have fallen on the cold floor already.


    Stefan leaned on her, pressing his chest on her back as he whispered sweet nothing and retaliation close to her ears. ¡°Who do you think starved me the past few days?¡± he murmured as he thrusted himself behind her. He impaled himself on her, feeling her warmth clinging to him as he pulled her face to him and kissed her lips. ¡°Ayen.¡± He whispered with his eyes closed in ecstasy.


    Cayenne felt that he was close already and when she tightened herself around him, it didn¡¯t take long for him to release everything that he saved up to this day. To her dismay, Stefan had protection on.


    ¡°Tsk! So hateful.¡± She snickered while watching him remove the condom from his length. ¡°Bath me. Dry my hair and tuck me in to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    .....


    By the time they finally settled to sleep, it was already past two in the morning. Stefan remembered that it was the same day of the ind raid. He decided to open his email for any update but if he knew it would only bring him bad news, he wouldn¡¯t do it and just cuddle with his wife to sleep.


    Now that he did, sleep was slowly jogging away from him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± Cayenne asked when she noticed that he was still browsing his phone instead of sleeping with her. ¡°The dawn is breaking. You have to sleep.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an urgent matter that needs my attention. I¡¯ll sleep during the day instead. I¡¯ll just finish this. You go to sleep first.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡±


    Not wanting to disturb his wife, Stefan went to the study room and started messaging Tristan. They needed to deal with this as soon as they can. There¡¯s Simon and the Amir family as well. Just thinking about the impact of her death to the child, Stefan felt an oing headache. He felt so bad for Monique that she has to lose her mother at the very young age.


    Stefan stayed there without minding the time. He nned his next move and thought of solutions for any possible scenarios. He knew that they just attended a grand wedding but still, he decided to tell Travis about what happened. After all, Denise was Monique¡¯s mother, and this little girl will soon be one of their family.


    In the morning, Cayenne woke up with an empty space beside her. She checked her phone and found it was past nine in already. There was also a small note that Stefan left on her drawer, telling her that he left to meet Simon and that he¡¯ll directly go to thepany for an urgent business matter.


    Realizing that she was left alone again, Cayenne couldn¡¯t stop herself but sigh. ¡®I must be in danger again.¡¯ She thought with so much disappointment of herself. She felt that she brings nothing but worry to her husband and her family. When ites to his business empire, Stefan was veryx and has so much time to spare for her. When it¡¯s about her welfare and security, he¡¯d be very busy and would spare no effort just to make sure that she¡¯d live happily. ¡°Am I really worthy of being his wife?¡±


    Cayenne shook her head to dismiss this depressing question before going to the bathroom to shower.


    Meanwhile, Stefan was sitting across Simon and the man looked pale and confused. He couldn¡¯t tell what he was feeling while looking at the image of his daughter¡¯s mother.


    In fact, Simon didn¡¯t know what to feel as well. Even though he worked with Denise in the past for school projects and activities, he wouldn¡¯t consider them close. Most of his memories with her were full of arguments. Their ideologies differ and they would snap at each other for every little thing. He couldn¡¯t imagine how she likes him in the past.


    Right now, all he could think was his daughter¡¯s feeling if she learns the truth. ¡°What are your ns?¡± Simon asked since he could do nothing behind bar. He could only follow their n knowing that Jillyanna will also look into this matter. If there¡¯s anyone he trusts, that¡¯s Jillyanna. And since she trusted Stefan, he will go along with him.


    ¡°Denise died in an ident.¡± Stefan stated. ¡°The details will be released using a fake news.¡± Since she wanted to be a good mother who works hard for her child, Stefan will make it so. That¡¯s the least he can do for someone who tried stopping her boss for causing harm to Cayenne and other people in regional city jail.


    ¡°What about the culprit? Have your men caught him?¡±


    Stefan was just about to answer when he saw Napoleone being escorted by three police officers with a handcuff on his wrists. ¡°Yo! My amazing nephew. I hope your wife is doing well.¡± Napoleone shouted, making sure that Stefan would hear his words before walking away with maniacalughter.


    Stefan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger. He wrapped up his discussion with Simon and left the station in a hurry. He even saw Napoleone outside who was ushered to a patrol car but he didn¡¯t linger around and left.


    Along with his bodyguards, he went to hispany with indescribable face. It was Sunday so there weren¡¯t many people inside the building. Tristan will be back and they needed to talk about their ns. Elena was there as well. Even if she won¡¯t admit it, she was actually waiting for her subordinate toe back as well.


    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Hn. I¡¯ll discuss something with Tristanter on.¡±


    ¡°Will that take long?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure. Why?¡±


    ¡°Well...uh...boss, you have not forgotten the event tonight, right?¡±


    ¡°Event? What event?¡±


    Elena didn¡¯t know whether she should add more stress to him or just keep quiet about it. However, she knew that the event is very important to all employees and the business partners as well. ¡°We will have the year-end party tonight boss.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Stefan pinched the space between his eyebrows and closed his eyes for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Yen is noting with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure if I¡¯d allow her toe with me. I¡¯m worried that something would happen to her. Anyway, I¡¯ll be in my office. Can you bring me a cup of coffee?¡±


    ¡°Right away sir.¡± Elena immediately excused herself and went to the pantry. She took a deep breath and sigh while looking for his cup and spoon. She could clearly tell that Stefan hadn¡¯t sleep sincest night. ¡°Miss Yen must be worried for him.¡±


    And speaking of Cayenne, she was on her way to hispany when she received his message telling her not to go out of the house until hees home to fetch her. Instead of typing her message, Cayenne gave him a call instead. ¡°I¡¯m already outside the house. In fact, I¡¯m bringing you food for lunch. Shall I go back home?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s with you?¡±


    ¡°I have Kyle sitting beside me. Two bodyguards are in the same car as me. There¡¯s another four ahead of us and six are tailing us.¡± Cayenne looked outside the window and saw her own worried expression. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Stefan was overly cautious for her safety and he has many reasons to do so. Just thinking that something bad will happen to her again, his heart felt like it was being ripped apart. He couldn¡¯t just imagine himself living without her. ¡°Ayen, don¡¯t stop anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. In fact, we¡¯re very close to thepany now. I¡¯ll see you soon. Love lots.¡±


    ¡°I love you, my dear wife.¡±


    When Cayenne got off the car and went inside the building, not so far from Stefan¡¯spany, another person parked his car as well. With him, two other men were boarding the vehicle. ¡°Boss, is that the woman?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her. I heard that there¡¯s a year ¨C end party for his employees. I am sure that they will attend it. Find a way to get inside the venue and slip this drug on her food or drinks.¡±


    ¡°Yes boss.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±

 Chapter 642

    Chapter 642: DANGER UP AHEAD II


    ¡°Hi Elena.¡± Cayenne greeted Elena when she saw here out of Stefan¡¯s office. ¡°Is he busy with something?¡±


    ¡°I think not as of the moment but he will be busyter on. I just brought him coffee inside.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thanks for your help.¡±


    ¡°No worries. Excuse me for a while. Boss asked me to do something.¡± Elena left in a hurry and Cayenne stepped inside his office. Not wanting to be caught up in their lover¡¯s world, Kyle decided to stay at the lobby and looked around the ce. It was his first time visiting Stefan¡¯s office and he was really awestruck with how big it was.


    Inside the office, Cayenne ced the paper bag on the coffee table and walked towards her husband who hasn¡¯t gotten any sleep sincest night. ¡°You look horrible. Why don¡¯t you get some sleep for few hours?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep after talking with Tristan.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯reing back today?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Then, you have to eat while waiting for them.¡±


    Instead of standing up to eat the food that she brought, Stefan hugged his wife and pressed the side of his face on her t stomach. ¡°Let me stay like this for a while.¡± he mumbled, leaving Cayenne no other choice but to indulge him for few minutes. ¡°Denise died.¡± Stefan started as Cayenne brushed his hair with her fingers. ¡°She¡¯s Monique¡¯s mother. The person who was responsible for her death escape and he¡¯s after you.¡±


    ¡°Is this rted to Napoleone?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s why you were so worried earlier. Then, have you informed her family?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. We will release a news about this incident in case her mother would seek for information after we¡¯d tell her about it. We can¡¯t afford them to know the truth of her death. The child will be devastated.¡±


    ¡°You will be a great father, you know. You care so much about a child¡¯s emotions.¡±


    Stefan hugged her even tighter and buried his face on her flesh instead. He just wanted to feel her warmth so close to him. ¡°Ayen, I will never be able to live without you.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Right! I know what to do now.¡± Stefan stated which startled her a little. ¡°I¡¯ll eat while I tell you about it.¡± At once, Stefan stood up and walked to the coffee table to get the food that his wife brought for him. While eating, he told Cayenne about his n in order to ensure her safety during the uing events which needed their presence.


    Tristan dropped off Dr. Eliezer at Senyu Medical Hospital first before going to thepany where Stefan and Elena waited for him. Despite having dark circles around his eyes fromck of sleep, Tristan still looked handsome.


    ¡°Lena!¡± He greeted loudly when he saw her at the lobby talking with Kyle about a painting. He was sure that her eyes lit up when she saw him but she suddenly looked annoyed at him. ¡°Uh...aren¡¯t you happy to see me?¡± he asked while walking towards her and gave Kyle a faint smile.


    ¡°I thought I saw a panda talking to me.¡± Elena responded and sighed. ¡°Boss has been waiting for you. Go now so that you can restter.¡±


    Tristan chuckled as he opened his arms wide for her to throw herself in. ¡°Don¡¯t I get a wee-back-hug?¡± Elena shifted her eyes to Kyle who pretended like he didn¡¯t see anything. He was chatting with Kath to lessen the awkwardness that Elena would feel. ¡°Come on. No one¡¯s looking.¡±


    Biting the bullet, she finally gave in and hugged him. She wanted to be honest with her feelings this time. ¡°Wee back.¡±


    ¡°There. It¡¯s not so difficult, right?¡± He hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head and let her go. Even if he wanted to hug her for a little longer, he couldn¡¯t do it because Stefan was still waiting for him. In any case, he will have a lot of time in the future with her. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see the boss first.¡±


    When he left, Elena looked towards Kyle and smiled faintly. ¡°I thought it would be fine to hug him once in a while.¡±


    ¡°I do that with my girlfriend, too.¡±


    ¡°Right. I forgot that you are also taken.¡±


    ¡°Are you guys in an official rtionship now?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. I...I am still thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°I see. I think Tristan is a decent person and I can see that he cares about you. He¡¯s actually a nice guy.¡±


    Since it was just the two of them left at the lobby again, they talked about rtionship and stuffs. Elena might be older than Kyle but Kyle had a longer rtionship than her. She asked her for advice despite the seniority of her age.


    Back in the office, Tristan reported his assignment to Stefan. Although they weren¡¯t able to catch the mastermind, the President of P country promised to cooperate in case those men return. Since Tristan got hold of their identities, he gave the information to the President and it was up to him as to how he would punish these men if ever they¡¯d catch them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s release the news first.¡± Stefan told Tristan who was equally haggard to his employee. Cayenne felt really bad for both of them. ¡°I¡¯ll call her mother once it is released.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check with Shein if he¡¯s done creating those sites that I asked him. We cannot publish the news to verified media sites because they will investigate this matter. I asked him earlier to make sites especially for this.¡±


    Stefan nodded his head while also contacting David for the event at night. He needed someone who can help Cayenne beforeing to the event.


    ¡°Luiz has a shooting at seven in the evening. I cannot leave him alone. How about you bring her to the shooting site? I¡¯ll prepare everything that she¡¯d need.¡± David responded thru a text message. He was busy with work as well.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. We¡¯ll be there at five.¡± Stefan replied.


    With the cooperation of Shein and Tristan, they released the fake news that involved Denise¡¯s death. They used a different name for her because that was the name on her ¡®ID¡¯. If Mrs. Amir would check the identities of the victims, he wouldn¡¯t see her daughter¡¯s name but if she viewed their pictures, she¡¯d be able to see her. That¡¯s because she was using a different identity.


    Stefan contacted Travis first and when he got the confirmation, Stefan contacted Brown. They needed to have someone on standby near the Amir home in case the olddy would copse from shock. This problem isn¡¯t something that he can deal on his own. Thankfully, he got friends who are willing to help him.


    Brown was with Valkyrie and both of them were stationed outside the Amir house. Brown was eating lollipop while leaning on his car, pretending to wait for someone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call Mrs. Amir now.¡± Stefan expressed and dialed the number that he kept on his phone. The phone rang twice but the person who answered it was Monique. ¡°Niknik, where¡¯s your Nana?¡±


    ¡°Nana is currently cooking some snacks for me. Do you need anything from her?¡±


    ¡°Hn. Can you tell her to turn off the stove and answer the call. It¡¯s something important.¡±


    The little girl didn¡¯t answer him but he could her hear voice from the background, calling for her Nana and said the words that Stefan told her earlier. ¡°Hello? Mr. Dumrique?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Amir...I...¡± Stefan took a deep breath and held Cayenne¡¯s hand with his. He felt really nervous to tell this bad news to the olddy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Stefan muttered. ¡°I couldn¡¯t keep my promise ofpleting her family. Denise ¨C she¡¯s gone.¡±


    Stefan didn¡¯t hear any response from the olddy. All he could hear was Monique¡¯s loud screams and sobs.

 Chapter 643

    Chapter 643: DANGER UP AHEAD III


    Monique ran out of the house with tears streaming down her face. The first people she saw was Brown and she didn¡¯t care who he was, she just asked for help and Brown went inside immediately, not dying any seconds longer.


    ¡°Please help my Nana.¡± Monique begged as she followed Brown inside-out of the house. They were currently on the car, traveling to the nearest hospital to send the olddy.


    ¡°She will be fine.¡± Brown said, after all he was a doctor and he knew if thedy would survive or not. And he also performed a CPR.


    Thankfully, Brown and Valkyrie were there after Travis sent them to help Stefan with this problem. They¡¯re people who won¡¯t take advantage of Monique and her Nana.


    Stefan was pacing back and forth inside his office and Cayenne felt like she was going to be dizzy any moment from watching him. She can¡¯t me him, though. Breaking bad news to someone else, especially one that involves death is never easy.


    ¡°They just arrived at the hospital.¡± Tristanmented while keeping track of the events. ¡°Boss, can I take a rest in my office for a little while?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll call you if there¡¯s anything urgent that needs your help.¡±


    .....


    The moment Tristan got out of his office, his eyes immediately looked for Elena and he found her sitting behind her office desk, staring at something on her screen. ¡°Lena.¡± He called out as he walked towards her office. ¡°Are you going to attend the partyter?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, can I take you on a date? I¡¯ll be your escort, too.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Whatever. I don¡¯t have anyone anyway.¡± She was nonchnt about it but deep inside, she was really happy that he invited her. She thought he won¡¯t be attending the party since he hasn¡¯t gotten any sleep after the ind raid.


    Tristan just smiled wickedly at her. He didn¡¯t say anything about the date and just walked away towards his office. ¡°I¡¯ll be resting here in my office. You can call me anytime if you need me for something.¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    Back in the office, Stefan has calmed down a little but not calm enough to make him sleep. He promised that he¡¯d go to sleep after talking to Tristan but here he was, staring into space even when Cayenne was sitting right beside him.


    ¡°Hubby.¡± she whispered as she linked their fingers together, startling him out of his reverie.


    ¡°Is there any problem?¡± He asked her, even though he was the one having some problems. Cayenne just smiled faintly but the worry in her eyes couldn¡¯t escape Stefan¡¯s observation as well. He felt bad for worrying her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Stefan muttered as he put his head on her shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what else I can do to protect you. I¡¯m afraid, Ayen. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯d lose you again. I¡¯m losing my brain just thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯m not going to die so easily, you know. I have learned to be careful. Jill taught me a lot of things.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s the best teacher when ites to that. At the end of the day, she went through a lot just to keep her life. Even to this day, she escaped many attempts on her life. She¡¯s really tough.¡±


    ¡°Trust me. No one will be able to harm. Oh! As long as they won¡¯t bomb me.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t jinx it.¡±


    Cayenne justughed at it but Stefan could only sigh helplessly. She was trying to be optimistic for both of them because he was full of negative thoughts that surrounds her well-being.


    Stefan didn¡¯t intend to sleep at all. He was nning to have a conversation with Erwin regarding the security of thepany, to make sure that no unauthorized person can get into the building. Though, there were exceptions to Cayenne¡¯s family. However, as he continued to rest his head on her shoulder, feeling Cayenne¡¯s fingers caressing his head, Stefan eventually fell asleep.


    Cayenne felt his even breathing and she finally felt at ease. As much as he worries for her well-being, Cayenne was worried for him as well. She just didn¡¯t know how she could make him feel at ease.


    She slowly shifted his head to herp and texted Kyle toe inside so he can help her raise Stefan¡¯s leg to the couch. ¡°He¡¯s finally asleep.¡± Kyle muttered to himself while watching her sister and Stefan. ¡°I¡¯ll be at the lobby. Just send me a message if you need something.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Cayenne responded even though she was still looking fixedly on her husband.


    Stefan told her earlier that they¡¯d be meeting with David around 5 o¡¯clock in the afternoon to prepare for the partyter. She didn¡¯t really want to wake him up but she knew she had to because it was an important event to thank his employees who¡¯ve been helping him in the past years.


    While her husband sleeps, Cayenne kept in touch with Brown. Mrs. Amir was already out of danger and Monique was sent to the Madrigal home instead of going back to her own home alone. At the very least, Denise was able to make one of her wishese true. She may not be around anymore but her sacrifice and her knowledge brought a new family who can love her daughter.


    Cayenne sent Elena a message, telling her to buy food with Kyle so that they could eat as soon as Stefan wakes up. She wanted to outwit the people who are after her life. It¡¯s another knowledge that Jillyanna taught her.


    As the time drew nearer, Napoleone¡¯s men have also prepared themselves. They already knew where the venue would be and they have disguised themselves properly as well. They even followed protocols as if they were one of the staffs. Their mission was very easy. They didn¡¯t need to create a hugemotion but to make sure that they¡¯d be able to take Cayenne¡¯s life. Although if they couldn¡¯t, they also have another alternative.


    At 5 o¡¯clock, Cayenne sent David a message that they¡¯d be a littlete. Thetter wasn¡¯t bothered by it since he can just do Luiz¡¯s make-up and style his dress. He¡¯s able to do much while waiting for them.


    David already chose the attires that Cayenne and Stefan will wear for the party and he already made notes of their hairstyle and make up. In fact, he was very eager to meet them and start his work of art. He¡¯s really a fond of beauties.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    ¡°Come in.¡± David excitedly answered but when the door was opened and he saw the person through the mirror¡¯s reflection, his smile disappeared. ¡°What are you doing here? I still have work.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Kai replied. His voice made Luiz open his eyes a little to confirm his guess and closed it back when he knew who it was. ¡°I want us to go home together.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be done until ten in the evening. I guess. You¡¯ll have to wait.¡±


    ¡°Sure. And do you have any cravings? I¡¯ll go and buy it while waiting.¡±


    David was still upset that Kai didn¡¯t n anything on Christmas for them but he could understand since he has a family that he wanted to spend time with. Unlike Kai who¡¯s epted by his family despite being gay, David wasn¡¯t. His family has long severed their ties with him the day he came out of the closet and told them her sex orientation. Although, he longed for a family, he would never say anything about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± David told Kai before going back to work.


    When Cayenne and Stefan arrived, they met Kai outside of the make-up room. They greeted each other but didn¡¯t really stay to talk for a bit longer. They still needed to go somewhere.


    Luiz wanted to say something but his sister and his brother-inw came inside so, he decided to shut his mouth and just closed his eyes. After he was done with his make-up, he left the room to talk with the other staff as well as the other models who were taking their break. His eldest brother was there as well so he showed him around at the same time. Kyle had a very proud look for his younger brother. He wasn¡¯t envious of him at all. After all, they were given the same opportunity but he stopped since it wasn¡¯t really his passion. He was just happy that Luiz was enjoying his work so far.


    Inside the make-up room, David chose a V-neck silver-sequined Maxi dress for Cayenne with long sleeves and a slit on the side that travels from the hem to her thigh, exposing her white and slender legs. Stefan was looking at his wife the whole time after she came out with the new dress and he didn¡¯t take his eyes off of her even when David was doing her make-up. Seeing his reaction, David knew that he chose the right dress. The only problem was Stefan. He wasn¡¯t sure if Stefan would be able to pull off the kind of suit that he prepared for him.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Stefan muttered with a frown and Cayenne also opened her eyes to look at him on the mirror. ¡°Did you make sure that my suit will match her dress?¡±

 Chapter 644

    Chapter 644: DANGER UP AHEAD IV


    When Cayenne and Stefan left for the party, Luiz couldn¡¯t stop himself from grinning. He even gave David a thumbs up when he went inside the make-up room to change his clothes for the photoshoot.


    ¡°Thank God! I thought he¡¯d look shabby with that suit I chose for him. How can he be so obsessive with matching clothes? Other couples aren¡¯t as obsessed as he is.¡± Davidmented while picking up the clothes for Luiz to change.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Geez! I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d get OCD after getting married to her.¡±


    ¡°Just for couple items.¡±


    The party was held at one of Stefan¡¯s beach resorts. Every year, the year-end party will be held at one of his properties to showcase his hotels and resorts. And it¡¯s free as well since he will shoulder the payment for everything.


    Many people have gathered at thergest function hall and they were enjoying themselves with food and wine, idle gossips and business talks as well as taking pictures here and there.


    .....


    Some businessmen came with their wife, others with their girlfriend and some came with celebrities. People could only hope that these celebrities weren¡¯t kept mistresses. At the end of the day, entertainment industry was known for celebrities who slept their way through sess. Although it¡¯s not everyone who did it, people can¡¯t avoid thinking that way when they see some celebrities. Perhaps, only Riley didn¡¯t have issues like that since she already disclosed the fact that she has a non-showbiz boyfriend.


    Travis attended the party as well without his wife. It was quite surprising for some people since Jillyanna was always present when Travis attended some parties in the past. However, when businessmen started approaching him, they realized that his phone has an hour-long on-going call. They were stunned to see the call and was torn between going and not going to talk to him.


    ¡°Merry Christmas, Mr. Madrigal.¡± a man came and when they looked around, it was Mr. Kroger. ¡°Oh! You haven¡¯t changed at all. You would always have an idle call with your wife when she¡¯s not with you.¡±


    ¡°I just want to make sure that she¡¯s safe along with our children and the rest of the family.¡±


    Hearing these words, the other people finally understood that the call was nothing serious. Travis only kept it going to listen for whatever¡¯s going on at the other end of the line. They finally started chatting with them and exchanged points when ites to businesses. Of course, some of these men also received an invitation for the uing year-end party that Travis will hold for his employees and business parties.


    In fact, December would always be packed with parties here and there.


    When Stefan and Cayenne arrived, everyone turned their head to look at them. It was the first time that Cayenne attends the year-end party with Stefan. Last year, they were supposed toe together but they had a fight resulting to some misunderstandings and Cayenne missing the party.


    Her former colleagues still couldn¡¯t believe to see her standing beside their boss. They could still remember the days when Cayenne worked so hard for her family. She didn¡¯t even mention having a boyfriend and they never noticed the changes between her and their boss as well. Among them, only few people know about it.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± the emcee started which caught everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I wee you all to this grand wedding...ehh..I mean, this year-end party.¡± Everyoneughed along with him as they looked towards Stefan. ¡°My mistake. I thought Mr. Dumrique was going for a wedding as he walked down the aisle with his wife.¡±


    ¡°Soon!¡± Stefan yelled with his wine ss raised up towards the man.


    The crowdughed again while some of them pped their hands.


    ¡°Anyway, this is not really my moment.¡± The emcee continued which earned anotherughter from the crowd. ¡°Let¡¯s all wee our big boss, Mr. Dumrique for his celebratory message.¡±


    ¡°When he said ¡®our big boss¡¯, I thought it was my wife but he suddenly mentioned my name.¡± The crowdughed once again at his statement. They would never be able to fathom how much Stefan adored Cayenne in his life. ¡°Anyway, this year has been the most difficult year for me but...¡± he continued to speak as he scanned the crowd to make sure that the bodyguards were situated around Cayenne. Her safety was the first thing that came to his mind when he stood to go on stage. ¡°Thank you for staying with me through highs and lows. Thank you for all the support. I hope we¡¯ll have more prosperous years. Cheers to all of us! Enjoy yourselves to the fullest.¡±


    Everyone made a toast but Cayenne only raised her ss without any intention of drinking the content. As soon as Stefan got down the stage and walked back to where Cayenne was sitting. People started gathering around them but Cayenne wasn¡¯t really familiar to some of them. Seeing that some of her colleagues were looking at her, she smiled at them and whispered to Stefan.


    ¡°Go and pay attention to your surroundings.¡± he stated as he kissed her temple in front of everyone.


    It felt like nothing change in the surroundings but in truth, the guards shifted in their positions to make sure that Cayenne was well-protected from harm. The moment she left; Stefan pushed her wine ss subtly to make sure that no one will identally drink it. Cayenne didn¡¯t take a single sip either.


    ¡°Wow! Mr. Dumrique, you look really good in that white-silver suit. Not everyone could pull such great look with this kind of attire.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, this suit was chosen to match with your wife¡¯s dress.¡±


    ¡°So, does this mean we¡¯ll have to gift you with some matching items in the future?¡±


    ¡°Oh! If you could, I¡¯d be very happy.¡± Stefan answered which made the others chuckle. He was very open to this new taste of him. Since he could only buy one matching item per month, he¡¯d make people buy it for him. Whether he wants it or not, people will send him gifts. So, it would be better to let them know what could make him happy.


    As the party continues, the danger was getting closer to Cayenne. Napoleone¡¯s men in disguise were roaming around as waiters. They served them food, drinks and other things that the people wanted. They also have food and drinks which were specifically prepared for Cayenne.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Cayenne mumbled when a te of dessert was ced in front of her. She loves sweets and that¡¯s known to almost everyone but it this time, she didn¡¯t dare touch the food in front of her. She was chatting with her ex-colleagues while ignoring the dessert.


    ¡°Yen, if you finally have a baby, I should be one of the godmothers.¡±


    ¡°You mean, godfather.¡± Manager Kim retorted Manager Dan¡¯s statement. ¡°You are a man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a woman in heart and soul.¡± Manager Dan countered with his ever-feminine voice. He¡¯s gay and he¡¯s the reason that Cayenne and Stefan slept together in the first ce.


    ¡°Alright. You guys don¡¯t have to fight about being a godmother or a godfather. I won¡¯t be having a baby soon.¡± Cayenne stated with faintughter in her voice.


    ¡°Really?! The boss didn¡¯t hurry you to give him an heir?¡± Jessie, one of her ex-colleagues, as well as the woman that Uncle Stanley fancies, questioned in surprise. She thought that Stefan would be in a hurry to have an heir especially that Stefan¡¯s grandfather was having some heart problem. Though, she only heard bits and pieces about Ferdinand¡¯s health.


    Cayenne sighed and put her chin on the palm of her hand as she leaned her elbow on the table. ¡°Stefan is different.¡± Cayenne answered. ¡°He¡¯s very mindful about my well-being and he didn¡¯t want me to give birth just to please his family.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of family...¡± Manager Dan poked Cayenne¡¯s shoulder and pointed towards the entrance. ¡°His family is reallyplicated.¡±


    Cayenne turned to look at the entrance and found Stefan¡¯s paternal and maternal familying inside. When she looked in front of her, Jessie was no longer there. ¡°It is indeed aplicated matter. I¡¯ll go and greet them first.¡±


    Cayenne was about to stand when Manager Kim grabbed her hand. ¡°What about your food?¡±


    Cayenne took out her phone and typed something before showing it to her friends. They were all stunned to see the message but they soon calmed themselves and pretended nothing happened. ¡°I¡¯ll try to get back and chat with you guys.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Being thedy boss is sure not easy. You go and meet the guests.¡±


    ¡®Anything that is handed to me, do not touch it. Someone¡¯s after my life. There could be poison in it.¡¯ This was what the message that Cayenne showed them. It may be a waste of food and drinks but she didn¡¯t want to waste her life over these things. Besides, she already ate beforeing to the party.


    There¡¯s no way she¡¯d let herself get poisoned to death.

 Chapter 645

    Chapter 645: WON¡¯T LOSE TO HIM I


    Cayenne approached Stefan and the two of them walked towards his family to greet them. There was a little tension between both sides but when the couple appeared, they were civil and happily greeted everyone.


    ¡°Dad. Grandpa.¡± Cayenne greeted Magnus and Ferdinand first, giving them brief hugs and respectful smiles. ¡°I¡¯m d that you two could make it. I was worried that you¡¯d be so busy to attend the party.¡±


    ¡°I would always make time for you daughter-inw. Of course, I¡¯d grab my dad along as long as long as he can hold out.¡± Magnus responded which made Stefan smile faintly. His father has learned how to get Stefan¡¯s good side now. He was no longer forcing himself to be a good father to Stefan. Instead, he was trying his best to be the best father-inw to Cayenne. Stefan would have been over the moon, if not for the fact that Magnus tried pressuring Cayenne to have a baby.


    Stefan didn¡¯t greet his father or grandfather happily like his wife. He only smiled faintly before turning to his maternal family. Everyone could see that he was closer to thempared to the Dumriques.


    ¡°Mrs. Dumrique is really a kind and patient woman. I can see that she¡¯s trying her best to glue the family together. They are really lucky to have an inw like her. She¡¯s not only a pretty face. If it were someone else, they¡¯d be spending millions of Stefan¡¯s money to m up themselves.¡±


    ¡°I agree. I even heard it from someone that she¡¯s really kind in person. Like, it¡¯s not just for show.¡±


    ¡°Ever since they¡¯ve been together, Mr. Dumrique has been donating millions to orphanages and other foundations as well.¡±


    .....


    As the party continued, people continued to talk about Cayenne as well. She had no idea that she had be food for gossips. Some of them said something good about her while the others talked negatively. She didn¡¯t care though. She¡¯s not living for the opinion of other people. Her husband¡¯s opinion and her family¡¯s opinion are the only things that matter to her. Who gives a damn about strangers? She didn¡¯t even know their names.


    Everything was going well. Cayenne also reminded Stefan¡¯s family to be careful about their food and drinks. In the end, none of them ate anything at the party.


    Seeing that the food and drinks they served weren¡¯t touched at all, the waiters in disguise were annoyed to the bones. They have been observing the family and were cing different food on their table but they didn¡¯t take a single bite. They kept chatting with friends.


    Jessie, not wanting to see Stanley at the party, left the venue and went outside to rx her mind. Her colleagues have no idea that Stefan¡¯s uncle fancies her and although she likes how he treated her, she was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t live up to his expectation. After all, she¡¯s got a huge secret that no one knows of ¨C not even her family.


    At nine in the evening, Luiz came with the bodyguards after the photoshoot. The party willst until ten in the evening and when they arrived, it was already drawing for raffle winners. In fact, Stefan invited Cayenne¡¯s family but Kyle didn¡¯t want to mingle with people in the high society. As for Jonas, he was invited to attend another party and he already give his affirmation. Only Luiz has the time toe and attend the year-end party. It was also a good opportunity for him since he works as a model and there were many businessmen who always look for model to work for them.


    ¡°Tonight, we have a special guest who will present the prizes to those who will win the raffle draws. Actually, he was invited because the boss didn¡¯t want to leave his wife¡¯s side.¡± The crowdughed at Stefan once again but he only chuckled at his employee¡¯s remarks. ¡°Anyway, this young man just recently earned recognition from many women of all ages. Oh! There are men who like him, too. Let¡¯s wee the rising model, Luiz.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surely taking this chance to get a picture of him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the money I spent on my dress; I¡¯ll have him sign on my waist.¡±


    ¡°Heh! Let me take a picture and send this to the group chat. Those who didn¡¯te will be jealous.¡±


    And Luiz has no idea of their ns. All he could hear was the squealing of women and the buzzing whispers among them. As he stood on stage, the emcee looked at him before shifting his gaze to Cayenne.


    ¡°Lady boss, can I bring your brother home tonight? I¡¯m already full just looking at his face. I¡¯d be able to save money from food if I can continue to stare at him like this.¡± he even batted his fakeshes at him which made Luiz chuckle faintly. ¡°Hmp! You are irresistibly cute!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Luiz replied and his voice made the women swoon for him. Sadly, they no longer have a chance because he already fancied someone and no one can change his mind.


    They soon started giving prizes. There were appliances, gadgets, essories, grocery packages, vacation trip to one of his properties, and so on. People even estimated all of the prizes to be around $50,000. But this amount is not even tenth of what Stefan have all in all. He didn¡¯t mind sharing his blessings to them. At the end of the day, his employees are the reason why he was sessful.


    Since they were all busy with the party, no one paid attention to any news of the outside world. It¡¯s a once-a-year party and everyone wanted to enjoy themselves. They indulge themselves with the delicious food and drinks. They took pictures with the celebrities they like and most of them flocked around Luiz. Cayenne and Stefan even received inquiry about him. However, they could only tell them to contact his manager since they¡¯re not the ones who manages his work.


    When the party was about to end, someone approached Stefan and showed something on his phone. Stefan¡¯s face fell and Cayenne also caught a glimpse of the news. He looked around to find Tristan who came earlier with Elena but he was no longer at the party.


    ¡°Give me a sec. I¡¯ll just call Tristan.¡±


    Cayenne was worried that this would affect his reputation.


    Upon seeing their expression, people began to specte and they also opened their phone to search for any news rted to Stefan and Cayenne. At first, some people were able to find the news but not long after, when they tried to scroll down, the page showed an error message. Tristan was able to take down the article in a few seconds after getting Stefan¡¯s call. Unfortunately, many people were able to take screenshots and shared the information to the media. No matter how much Tristan tried deleting them, new ones wille up.


    ¡®Damn it! Just how much money would they want to waste just to ruin his reputation?¡¯ Tristan thought to himself as his fingers flew across his keyboard.


    ¡°Calm down. This won¡¯t affect the boss if we use this properly.¡± Elena stated while logging in her own ount to make her own post. It would appear that she was defending Stefan and Cayenne but so what? That¡¯s her intention anyway.


    -I can¡¯t believe that they attended the party even though someone close to them was in critical condition. The old woman was even left alone without anyone to take care of her. The little girl was also sent home on her own. How heartless! Their kindness is only for show. Mr. And Mrs. Dumrique, stop pretending. Your fake fa?ade has been torn. Not to mention, the old woman is lying down here because her daughter died. I thought you are a family friend. You don¡¯t even show any concern! ¨C


    Attached to this post was a picture of Mrs. Amir lying on a hospital bed with several apparatus connected to her. There was also a picture of Denise¡¯s lying on a pool of blood. Stefan and Cayenne were even tagged together.


    Stefan walked towards the stage to give his closing speech to end the party. As soon as he opened his mouth to talk, his grandmother copsed on the floor. ¡°Granny!¡± Stefan jumped down on the stage, not caring about the people who were watching him. Cayenne also rushed towards Cory¡¯s side with her sandals on her hand.


    ¡°Call the ambnce! Quick!¡± Cayenne shouted since there were medical team on standby outside the resort. It was in preparation should something happen to her. Unexpectedly, the people after her changed target and chose Stefan¡¯s grandma instead.


    Cory was still conscious but she was writhing in agony on the floor.


    ¡°Granny. Can you hear me?¡± Stefan questioned, cradling her head to avoid it bumping on the floor. He can¡¯t have his old grandpa do the job since it would be tiring. Cory nodded her head slightly but as soon as she did it, she lost her consciousness.


    The medical team arrived and started their job. They didn¡¯t dare dy any second in saving the old woman after seeing Stefan¡¯s red eyes. He looked so angry as he clenched his hands into fists.


    ¡°Hon.¡± Cayenne pried open his hand and linked it with hers.


    He didn¡¯t say a word. He only leaned his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. She felt it. She felt the hot drops of tears on her neck.

 Chapter 646

    Chapter 646: WON¡¯T LOSE TO HIM II


    Cayenne and Stefan went to the hospital along with his maternal family. They were all worried. Stefan didn¡¯t even bother bidding farewell to his father and grandfather. Cayenne was also distracted and forgot about them. When she realized this, they were already at the hospital. She could only send them a message, apologizing for leaving so suddenly without saying anything.


    Magnus was very understanding and didn¡¯t say anything negative. He even reminded Cayenne to get some rest as well.


    The news about Stefan neglecting an olderdy and a little kid has spread already and now, people were even saying that it was his bad karma that his grandmother had a heart attack. They were clueless to what had transpired but they were already judging him and Cayenne¡¯s name was only included because she was his wife.


    Some media reporters were already waiting outside of the hospital for them. Before, Stefan paid them to stop spreading rumors about his wife. So now, they have changed tactic to getting information directly from the involved parties instead. They couldn¡¯t get anything from Mrs. Amir since she¡¯s currently ina and they couldn¡¯t get anything from the child because they have no idea where she was. They could only go after Cayenne and Stefan.


    Since Erwin was responsible for the security of thepany, he also kept in mind that he¡¯s partly responsible for the couple¡¯spany. He didn¡¯t allow anyone to approach the couple or disturb the other patients near the emergency area. The light to the emergency room was still bright and it has been half an hour. Dominic even started crying from the fear of losing his grandmother.


    ¡°Yen, how about you take Stefan home and get some rest. I¡¯ll let you know once mother is fine.¡± Stanley stated, ncing at his nephew who looked weary and stressed. ¡°Can you bring dad along with you as well? His body can¡¯t take so much stress. It would be worrisome if something happens to him as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Stefan replied without looking at his uncle. ¡°I¡¯m staying here until grandma gets out of that room.¡±


    .....


    ¡°But Stefan, you ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine uncle. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. Also, I¡¯ll ask some of my men to send grandpa home.¡±


    ¡°If none of you leaves, then I¡¯m not leaving either.¡± Stefan¡¯s grandpa butted in which put a helpless expression on Cayenne¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for my wife toe out of this perilous situation.¡±


    In the end, all of them stayed at home along with the bodyguards. Even Luiz stayed with them despite the fact that he still needs to work the next day.


    The waited for another 30 minutes and when the emergency light was finally turned off, they all stood up to see Cory and the doctor. The doctor came out but instead of seeing relief on his face for saving a life, he looked more worn out and hopeless.


    ¡°Doc, what¡¯s wrong with my grandma?¡± Dominic asked in haste before everyone could speak.


    The doctor took a deep breath as he removed his face mask and looked at them. ¡°We have stabilized Mrs. Sugo¡¯s condition but when she woke up earlier in the middle of our work, she was writhing in pain. She said that her whole body was very painful before she lost consciousness again. I sent a team to check on her bloodposition and they found an unfamiliar substance. If I guessed it correctly, your grandmother was poisoned. I can¡¯t say for sure so, the team is still double checking their work to be certain. As of the moment, I gave your mother a pain reliever but there¡¯s no assurance if it would be effective to her. Also, if you could get the warden of the regional city jail here, we¡¯d be able topare notes of what happened to Mrs. Sugo.¡±


    ¡°What does the warden have anything to do with all this?¡± Stefan question in confusion. It was his grandmother who got poisoned not the person who poisoned someone.


    Before his thoughts go haywire, the doctor rified the matter to him. ¡°A year ago, a simr case happened to the Summer family who was sent to jail. I¡¯m not sure if the poison is the same. I¡¯d have to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask him toe over.¡± Stefan responded and immediately called Vincent. The man was in the middle of work when he received the call. Instead of going home, he decided to drop by the hospital with the files of the Summer family instead.


    Since Cory already got out of the emergency area, Dominic and Jose were sent home to rest. Luiz also went home around 3 o¡¯clock in the morning to catch some sleep or else, David would scold him like a nagging mom. Stanley was staying with his mother at the VIP room while Cayenne and Stefan apanied Vincent to meet with the doctor. They wanted to know about the poison and how to obtain the antidote for it.


    ¡°These are the chemicalpositions in the poison that the Summer family gotst year.¡± Vincent stated as he gave the files to the doctor. ¡°And, can I have a copy of the files you have for Mrs. Sugo. I¡¯d like to show it to someone I know. She has a wide knowledge when ites to poisons and antidotes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll print a copy for you.¡± The doctor responded while makingparisons. ¡°Hmm...this seems to be a different type. I have no doubt of my team but they are missing a differentponent.¡±


    ¡°That could only mean that the poison in Mrs. Sugo¡¯s body is of higher or lower variant to what the Summers had before.¡±


    The doctor frowned at this point and he remembered that there was no antidote to this poison. ¡°Wait, if there¡¯s an antidote, why didn¡¯t you save the Summer family?¡±


    ¡°By the time we got the antidote, they already decided to kill themselves.¡±


    ¡°So, you got an antidote? Why don¡¯t we try it with Mrs. Sugo?¡±


    ¡°My grandma is not a guinea pig for you to experiment.¡± Stefan stated angrily which startled the doctor. ¡°Do not let her take something you are not sure of! I will sue you if something happens to my grandmother because of your carelessness.¡±


    ¡°There you have it.¡± Vincent added. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll take this with me.¡± he grabbed the files and ced it inside his briefcase. ¡°For the meantime, you try to alleviate the patient from the pain.¡± When Vincent left, Cayenne and Stefan followed him outside. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you not to worry but I will try toe up with a solution.¡±


    ¡°Is it Jackie?¡± Stefan asked and Vincent just nodded his head. ¡°I see. Thank you for your assistance.¡±


    ¡°No problem. I have to go now. You guys should take some rest, too.¡±


    By the time Cayenne and Stefan decided to leave the hospital, the dawn was already breaking. The reporters were still waiting for them outside the building and the moment they stepped out, they surrounded them. Thankfully, their bodyguards were quick to circle the couple and secure them from the clutches of the reporters.


    ¡°Mr. Dumrique, what can you say about the rumors on the? Is Mrs. Amir really in critical condition? Is her daughter really dead?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s her granddaughter?¡±


    ¡°Is it also true that your grandmother got admitted to the hospital?¡±


    ¡°I heard that this affects your reputation and your stocks?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Mrs. Dumrique¡¯s opinion about all this? Is she just tolerating you?¡±


    Stefan took a deep breath and looked around to see everyone¡¯s faces. The shes of cameras hurt his eyes but he didn¡¯t even blink from it. He still looked intimidating despite his worn appearance. ¡°First of all, Mrs. Amir is not in critical condition. Second, I know about her daughter¡¯s death outside the country and my team was working to get her body back. Third, her granddaughter is currently living with her rtives. Fourth, stop spouting nonsense about my wife. Now, scram and get lost!¡±


    While people were still torn between what to believe and who¡¯s right or wrong, risse posted something on her ount. ¡°Why are you hounding the couple? First, Mrs. Amir is not even rted to any of them. Stefan went to visit themst time because he was helping Jillyanna and Travis. Second, even though the death of Mrs. Amir¡¯s daughter has nothing to do with him, he¡¯s even helping to get the body back. Third, what¡¯s wrong about attending his ownpany party? He has toe because he needed to thank his employees. He appreciates his employees and he wanted to be with them. What¡¯s wrong with you people?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t really her intention to shift the me to Jillyanna and Travis but she wanted to get the attention of these two people to make them speak.


    Ever since Travis arrived home from the year-end party, he didn¡¯t get a wink of sleep. He was working on his end to deal with the issue as well. When he received a notification that he was tagged on a post, a smile appeared on his lips. He decided to repost what risse made and ced his own caption. ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡±


    It caught the attention of so many people and just like that, theizens were distracted from keeping an eye on Cayenne and Stefan.

 Chapter 647

    Chapter 647: WON¡¯T LOSE TO HIM III


    Christmas should have been the time for people to enjoy and to share their blessings with others. To share, Cayenne and Stefan have done that. Their family members always tried their best to share with others as well. They¡¯re not selfish people. But to enjoy? Cayenne was despondent. Although, there were moments of joy and moments to cheer; there were moments of heartaches and worries as well.


    And watching his wife being quiet while watching the passing scenery outside their car, Stefan felt so bad and guilty. He wanted to see her happy. He didn¡¯t like it when she¡¯s feeling down.


    Cayenne noticed her husband¡¯s reflection on the window and even though she was worried, she decided to face him with a smile. ¡°Everything will be fine.¡± she said, wanting to reassure him even though she needed assurance as well.


    When they arrived home, they tacitly understood that they needed rest. They¡¯ll leave everything to their friends and business partners. Those who chose to trust them will never regret doing so.


    ***


    Early in the morning, the Police Academy opened up its huge gate for students who would arrive early. Some students chose to stay in the dormitory while others decided tomute from their homes outside the campus. And Riley¡¯s twin decided to stay in the dorm. It should be time for vacation but some students would still go to school to do their projects and whatnot before the sses resume. Others wanted to get free use of the gym and the track-and-field. Some were just diligent to continue with their training like Jackie.


    Vincent was holding his cup of coffee while the other cup was ced on his car hood, waiting for the recipient toe and drink it. He¡¯s not a student there but he was very earlypared to some students.


    .....


    ¡°Good morning.¡± Jackie greeted while jogging towards him. She gave him a short hug and a quick kiss on his cheek. ¡°What brings you here so early in the morning?¡±


    ¡°I want to see you.¡± Vincent stated with a huge grin on his face.


    Instead of feeling happy with his response, Jackie raised her eyebrow and elbowed him. ¡°That¡¯s only part of the reason. So, what¡¯s the main point?¡±


    Vincent chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. ¡°Can¡¯t really hide anything from you, huh.¡±


    ¡°Get used to it.¡± Jackie snorted as she picked the cup of coffee from the hood of the car. ¡°So?¡±


    Vincent put down his coffee, walked to the passenger¡¯s seat and pulled out the envelope containing the documents he got from the doctor. ¡°I need your help with this.¡±


    Jackie received them and flipped through the pages to see the information. As she continued to look into it, a frown appeared on her face and it was getting deeper as she flipped the pages. ¡°Hey! Are you messing with me?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Then, why are you showing me these?¡±


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s not about what happened a year ago. It¡¯s about Stefan¡¯s grandma.¡± Vincent responded before she¡¯d get mad at him. He didn¡¯t want to incur the wrath of his girlfriend. ¡°Mrs. Sugo was poisoned with almost the same poison that you use on the Summersst year.¡± Vincent whispered, not wanting other people to hear the second half of his statement.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not the same.¡± Jackie replied when she pointed on a certain part of the documents. ¡°Thisponent isn¡¯t present on the second part of the documents that you gave.¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re slightly different. So, I was hoping that you could help get the antidote?¡±


    Jackie closed the documents and gave it back to him. ¡°I¡¯m thankful for this energy-boost coffee but I can¡¯t help you. I am not good with poisons and antidote.¡±


    ¡°Butst year ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I only used the poison but I didn¡¯t make it. You should visit my sister instead. She probably knows the antidote.¡±


    ¡°Sister? Riley?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s Jill.¡±


    Vincent was stunned upon hearing this from his girlfriend. He knew that Jillyanna was no ordinary woman but he never thought that she was responsible for the death of more than a dozen people.


    ¡°No evidence will lead back to her so, if you are thinking of reinvestigating the case of the Summer family, I can only step out and get ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Who says I¡¯d reinvestigate the case? If I do that and the public hears the news, I¡¯d be receiving the brunt of their anger. I love my position and I worked so hard to get here. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d risk my life for those who experimented on human. And ¨C ¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no evidence. Even if a different squad decided to reinvestigate what happened, they won¡¯t find anything.¡±


    Jackie could only roll her eyes and finish her coffee. ¡®Of course, there¡¯s none. The only evidence left in the scene was my hairclip and you picked it.¡¯


    Vincent returned the documents to the passenger seat before throwing the empty cup on the nearby bin. ¡°I¡¯ll go and visit you sister, then. Are you nning to spend your vacation here?¡±


    ¡°It depends on my mood.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Give me a call if you want to go home. I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡±


    The two of them talked for few more minutes before they parted. Even if he wanted to spend more time with his girlfriend, a life was currently hanging on a thread and he needed to be fast for solution.


    After half an hour of driving, Vincent arrived in front of Jillyanna¡¯s home. He saw Travis watering the flowers with his daughter, Jade and the new additional to their family ¨C Monique.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± He greeted them with a faint smile on his lips. ¡°This is quite a sight. I have never seen you water nts before.¡±


    ¡°Dad does this sometimes when he¡¯s got something in his mind. I am only his assistant today.¡± Jade responded while holding the hose. ¡°Uncle Vince, you look awful.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t get any sleep?¡± Travis questioned with a side nce.


    ¡°No. I was wrapping up my work when Stefan called. By the way, is your wife awake already? I wanted to talk to him about something.¡±


    ¡°She should be at the backyard with Raizel.¡±


    Vincent nodded his head and excused himself to find Jillyanna. Monique only slightly bowed her head towards him and Vincent smiled at her. Just as Stefan said, she was indeed at the back with their son. Raizel was crawling on a huge thick nket while Jillyanna watched him on the side. Before he¡¯d reach the edge of the nket, Jill woulde and get him to start over again.


    ¡°Morning. What brings you here today? Jackie isn¡¯t home.¡± She stated without looking back to see who arrived. From his footsteps, she could already tell who her guests was.


    Vincent wasn¡¯t flustered at her keen observation. He continued walking and crouched low to meet the kid¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m here to show you something and see if there¡¯s anything you can do. Jackie was the one who informed me.¡±


    Jillyanna narrowed her gaze at him but sensing that he has no evil intention, she calmed herself and carried Raizel back inside the house. Vincent was following behind her.


    ¡°Give me a sec.¡±

 Chapter 648

    Chapter 648: WON¡¯T LOSE TO HIM IV


    No one from her family felt like celebrating Christmas anymore. Cory was still at the hospital and danger was still looming over them. No one knew when their enemies would attack them and things weren¡¯t getting any better.


    Cayenne was sitting on her lounge chair at the balcony while waiting for her husband toe back with food. She wanted to cheer herself up but she would still feel gloomy in a matter of seconds. Stefan was also getting worried for her.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Cayenne stood up and walked to the door. When she opened it, she saw Kyle standing with a small bowl of ice cream. ¡°Let¡¯s talk?¡±


    ¡°Kyle...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoulder everything up. It¡¯s not your fault that bad things happen.¡±


    She pouted her lips and received the dessert from his brother. ¡°I¡¯m worrying you guys again.¡± She muttered while opening the door a little wider to let him in. ¡°I just can¡¯t help it.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Your husband feels sad when you are sad.¡±


    ¡°I feel sad when he¡¯s sad as well.¡±


    ¡°But most of the time, it¡¯s you who feels worried over every little thing. I understand that what happenedst night was really bad and worrisome but you have to be strong for your husband.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to. I just didn¡¯t know how to.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you start looking after his grandpa, instead? His wife is currently in the hospital. He needed someone to reassure him. Although Dominic is there, a man isn¡¯t very expressive after all.¡±


    ¡°You are right.¡± Cayenne agreed. If she was talking to Stefan, the conversation would never turn this way. Her husband would only spoil her and would try to shoulder everything so that she won¡¯t have to worry. Cayenne smiled and patted her brother¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that some people don¡¯t spoil me.¡±


    ¡°Geez! Only sir Reuben and brother-inw spoils you.¡± Kyle responded as he stood up from his seat. ¡°If you¡¯re okay now, you shoulde downstairs and help your husband.¡±


    ***


    People already shifted their attention towards Jillyanna and Travis. Sometimes, they¡¯d still talk about Stefan but he was now seen as someone selfless and a reliable friend. Even though Denise Amir wasn¡¯t someone rted to him, he still helped Jillyanna and Travis. Only few people know why he was involving himself with the Amir family.


    Two dayster, Denise¡¯s body finally arrived and Jillyanna helped to hold a funeral service for her. Monique cried a lot when she saw her mother¡¯s body. When her grandma copsed, she didn¡¯t know what caused it. When she arrived at the Madrigal¡¯s home, she was so tired and wary about them. Even though they introduced themselves as rtives, she didn¡¯t feel happy. She was even slightly angry at them.


    She was angry because they weren¡¯t around when her family needed help. When their family needed money, her mother chose to leave and work in a far ce. She couldn¡¯t even spend so much time with her. And then, she heard Jillyanna and Travis talk how to inform her about her mother¡¯s death. She wasn¡¯t eavesdropping. She wanted to get a ss of water when she heard them talking in the kitchen.


    She couldn¡¯t believe them but right now, she was crying her heart out while looking at the coffin.


    ¡°Niknik.¡± Jade called out, crying along with her new-found friend and rtive. She could understand her. She lost her biological mother and sister as well. She felt really sad for Monique. ¡°I know that it¡¯s painful but you have to stay strong. Your grandma still needs you.¡±


    At the word ¡®grandma¡¯, Monique looked towards Jade and cried even more. ¡°My grandma is sick. My mother is dead. My father can¡¯t even visit. I¡¯m alone.¡±


    Jade patted Monique¡¯s back gently, like an adultforting someone. It was really odd to see a little girlforting someone. Most children of her age don¡¯t act like the way she does.


    ¡°Niknik, you are not alone.¡± Jade stated as she wiped her own tears. ¡°You have me and Raizel. You have your grandma in your heart. You have your father in your mind. And for sure, your mother will always look after you from heaven. That¡¯s what my mother does to me. My mother and my sister look after me and brought me to a new family who loves me and cares for me.¡±


    Monique frowned while listening and looked up to see Jade¡¯s face. ¡°Huh? Your mother and your sister?¡±


    ¡°My biological mother and sister. They died on the same day.¡± Jade told Monique her story since both little girls have simr experience.


    Looking at the two little girls, Riley decided to bring them something to eat. Monique hadn¡¯t eaten anything ever since she learned of her mother¡¯s death. Now¡¯s the chance to make her eat while Jade was telling her about herself.


    ¡°Jillyanna and Travis is really lucky to have a little girl like her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s really a good child.¡±


    ¡°I hope she won¡¯t change.¡±


    ¡°Riches can make people change. I can only hope that the couple will raise her with good character.¡±


    Even during the funeral, Jade couldn¡¯t escape being the food for gossip. She didn¡¯t hear them though which was a good thing.


    Stefan and Cayenne also came to pay respect. It was Monique¡¯s first time to meet her in person. Although Jade talked about Cayenne in the past few days, she never got the chance to see her. Now, Jade and her were sitting in between the couple.


    Vincent told Simon about Denise¡¯s death. The man was silent and didn¡¯t say a word. He didn¡¯t hold any romantic feelings for her but he never hated her either. In fact, he admired her intelligence but that¡¯s all there is to it and nothing more.


    ¡°If you want to see her for onest time, I¡¯ll give you permission to go outside for two days. My men will be there to apany you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    Simon was still considered young and strong. He looked calm when he returned to his cell but the moment the guard left, he charged towards Napoleone and punched the man on the face. ¡°I will never allow you to leave this ce!¡± He said through gritted teeth. The calm expression was gone and was reced with hatred. ¡°How dare you kill her?! You took my child¡¯s mother away! I¡¯ll make sure that you rot in here!¡±


    Napoleone was older than Simon but he was also a strong man. Getting hold of Simon¡¯s wrist, he pushed the man off of him and returned the punch. The other inmates yelled to get the attention of the guards who came running back to the cell. They separated the two of them and brought them out. Napoleone was escorted out first. Having his back on him, Simon took this opportunity to kick the man really hard.


    Napoleone grunt in pain and screamed ¡®I¡¯ll kill you when I get back!¡¯


    Sadly, he didn¡¯t get the chance to. Vincent ordered for the two of them to be in separate cell after their wounds were tended.

 Chapter 649

    Chapter 649: GOING THROUGH THINGS LIKE NORMAL


    Even though Jillyanna and Simon weren¡¯t blood rted but knowing he was once her mother¡¯s favorite sibling, Jillyanna decided to pay respect to the only family he has.


    When Denise was buried, Simon came to see her for onest time and once the mass was over, he was brought back to the jail. He still got one public trial to face before they could finally free him. However, thisst trial would be the most difficult of them all because he will be facing the family of the victims.


    Monique was escorted back to the Amir residence after the burial ceremony. She refused to stay with Jillyanna¡¯s family and left with no choice, Travis asked someone to guard her and help her at home.


    Due to the series of bad events, Raizel¡¯s first birthday was celebrated with their family only. They only prepared a simple celebration but since many people remembered this important event, the Madrigal still ended up receiving tons of gifts. After all, who wouldn¡¯t want to be on Travis¡¯ good side?


    In the past few days since the incident of poisoning Stefan¡¯s grandma, Cayenne had been going to Peach Wood Subdivision. And of course, Stefan goes there with her. She would cook breakfast and eat with the Sugo family. Sometimes, she¡¯d ask one of the guards to send some food to Stanley at the hospital. Other times, she¡¯d receive a message from him that she shouldn¡¯t bother doing it. Apparently, Jessie would alsoe over to visit him and Cory.


    Meanwhile, Ferdinand was looking outside the window of his room while holding onto his silver cane for support. He was following the news of Stefan¡¯s grandmother and for some reason he felt envious of her. ¡°She didn¡¯t get to spend so much time with Stefan as he grew up but that youngd cares so much for him. He didn¡¯t even show that much care with me when I had a heart attack. If it weren¡¯t for Yen, he wouldn¡¯t bother to visit me.¡±


    ¡°Dad, stop thinking about it.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Shall I fake my health condition to make hime and stay with us a little longer?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Yen would probablye and he would probably apany you but he definitely won¡¯t spend time with you. He wouldn¡¯t even do that to me when I¡¯m his father.¡±


    ¡°And whose fault do you think it is?¡± Ferdinand questioned angrily, yet there were no changes on his facial expression.


    ¡°How would I know that ra would trick me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your lust! If you didn¡¯t sumb to it! If you were faithful and loyal, this wouldn¡¯t happen!¡± He almost hit Magnus with the silver cane but his son dodged to avoid it which made the old man angrier.


    ¡°Dad, why are you bringing all of this now? I already paid the price for the mistake that I did.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m tired.¡± Ferdinand walked to his bed and sat on it.


    Seeing that his father no longer wanted to talk to him, Magnus was left with no other choice but to leave the room. He wanted to call Stefan and asked him to visit the vi sometimes, to see his grandfather at least. But knowing his son, he could only give up and send a message to Cayenne.


    Cayenne was washing the chopping board while Stefan was cooking their food for lunch. She knew that he was a busy person but he still took some time to take care of his family. She felt sorry for him because she felt inadequate to be his partner but when she starts belittling herself, Stefan would give her reasons why she was his perfect partner.


    Cayenne ced the chopping on the drying tray and wiped her hands dry. She leaned on the counter and watched him cook with a faint smile on her face. Stefan felt her gaze on him but when he looked back, Cayenne was already opening the fridge and was taking out some oranges to make some juice for Jose.


    ¡°Stop pretending. I know you were looking at me earlier.¡± Stefan stated while switching the stove to low heat. ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I look at my husband?¡± Cayenne retorted which caused him to grin.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll let you look at me all you want tonight.¡±


    ¡°Geez! Just focus on your dish.¡± She turned her back on him, hiding the blush which was creeping on her face from her neck. Stefan¡¯s faint chuckle made her blush even more.


    Dominic had to work on her part-time job, and since Cayenne and Stefan were staying with his grandpa, he didn¡¯t worry that much for him. He was more worried with his grandmother. He didn¡¯t know when she¡¯d wake up and he even heard that there¡¯s no cure to the poison which was used on her. Some of his colleagues expressed their sympathies and even prayed for the recovery of his grandmother.


    In the afternoon, when she was finally done with house chores, Cayenne finally sat down beside his husband who was having a video conference with his marketing team. Since it¡¯s holiday season, many of the hotels will be booked in advance and many of the resorts will be used. Stefan wasn¡¯t worried about the guests since his hotels and resorts were fully-booked. The only thing he wanted was to give them the best experience. That¡¯s why he was having a meeting.


    Cayenne opened her phone to see any messages and she got lots of them. There were messages from her friends but the most recent one was from Magnus. Opening the message, Cayenne bit her lower lip and stole a nce at her husband.


    -Dad, we¡¯ll try to visit you tomorrow. I¡¯ll talk to Stefan about thister.- Cayenne typed her reply and was about to send it when Stefan snatched her phone. Since it hade to this, she decided to open it up to him.


    ¡°Grandpa is getting weaker.¡±


    Everyone at the other end of the conference went still and quiet. They heard Cayenne¡¯s soft voice and they could see Stefan¡¯s stern expression. They all have one thought in mind ¨C are we going to witness their first fight?


    Contrary to their expectation, Stefan only sighed and handed the phone back to his wife. ¡°They should stop using you to get me. You don¡¯t have to give him a reply. I¡¯ll give him a call after this meeting.¡±


    ¡°But you won¡¯t argue with him, right?¡± Cayenne mouthed, not wanting other people to hear the words she was saying.


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯ll listen to you and won¡¯t do that. Just give me few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The meeting wasn¡¯t over yet but, the news of Stefan being a ve to his wife and how much he spoils her has spread to his employees once again.

 Chapter 650

    Chapter 650: CURE AND INTRODUCTION


    Two dayster, Stefan received a message from Vincent. The antidote was already sessfully made and was delivered few minutes ago. He was asking Stefan toe to the hospital to get consent to administer the drug.


    They didn¡¯t waste another second. Stefan drove his car personally while Cayenne sat beside him and Jose at the back. The guards were following behind them, all were worried that something has happened to the olddy. Only Cayenne and Stefan knew about the drug. They didn¡¯t dare tell Jose about it because they didn¡¯t want to give him false hope if things won¡¯t work.


    As soon as they reached the hospital, the nurse gave Stefan the papers. He was about to sign it when he realized that his grandfather was there. He turned to his grandpa and showed him the form instead. ¡°Gramps, this is the consent form that you need to sign for the doctor to inject the new drug they discovered for grandma.¡±


    ¡°What about a fingerprint? I don¡¯t know how to sign.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also fine.¡± Stefan smiled faintly and pulled the cap of the pen. Since there was no ink for the thumb mark, they¡¯ll just make do with the pen. Stefan doodled on his grandpa¡¯s thumb until it was wet enough to create a mark. Jose pressed his finger on the sheet and once done, the nurse gave the go signal to the doctor.


    Stanley was sitting on the bench with his hands sped together in prayer. With his body frame, Cayenne didn¡¯t see Jessie sitting beside him. It was only after she approached him to give the man a bottle of water did she find Jessie sitting there.


    ¡°Hi.¡± Jessie greeted weakly with a faint and awkward smile on her face.


    .....


    Cayenne could understand why she¡¯d feel awkward after all, this was the first time that everyone sees them together. Cayenne smiled faintly and nodded her head. ¡°Thank you for staying with uncle.¡±


    ¡°Uh...yeah...sure...you¡¯re wee.¡±


    Cayenne left them alone. She was afraid that Jessie would flee once again if she feels too much pressure from Stanley¡¯s family. Not to mention her boss was Stanley¡¯s nephew.


    Everyone waited silently. They knew that the changes won¡¯t happen in the blink of an eye but they wanted to know if it was effective. Even the doctors and nurses were praying for Cory¡¯s recovery. As people from medical field, it¡¯s their happiness when they see people recovering from an illness. It could be work of science or it could be miracle but as long as the patient survives, there is an inexplicable happiness in their hearts.


    Half an hourter, the doctor went out with a faint smile on his face. ¡°I can say that the drug is working. The patient is no longer writhing in pain. She¡¯s still unconscious but she looks calm and relieved. However, we still need to properly observe her within 24 hours. You can check the patient from time to time as well. If everything goes well, she should wake up in 2 hours.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, doc.¡± Jose bowed his head deeply but the doctor waved his hand in dismissal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. You should thank this young warden. He helped us analyze the poison since his inmates experienced the same thing in the past.¡±


    Vincent just smiled at them. He didn¡¯t want to take the credit but Jillyanna specifically told him not to tell anyone about the medicine. If Stefan believes that it came from Jackie, so be it. The less people knew about the secret organization she leads, the less people be target of her enemies.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave first. I need to settle Simon¡¯s case for his daughter. I¡¯ll have to check on Monique¡¯s grandma as well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Vincent. Send my thanks to Jackie as well.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± Vincent finally left the hospital room and walked to another floor to visit Mrs. Amir.


    During the next 2 hours, waiting for Cory to wake up, Stanley decided to formally introduced Jessie to his family. Jose only nodded his head in approval. His son had been cheated and stayed single for so many years because of them. Stanley has to give up his own happiness to focus on the whole family. Now that Dominic has grown and Stefan hase to help them, he finally found time to find a woman of his own. Just because Stefan hase to help them, Stanley didn¡¯t want to depend on the young man all the time. That¡¯s why he¡¯s working and that¡¯s how he found her.


    Jessie was fidgeting on her seat. She was fiddling with her fingers from so much anxiety. She didn¡¯t want the boss to know that she was leeching off of them. She didn¡¯t want to bebeled as gold digger yet, her heart chose to beat for the man beside her.


    ¡°Jessie ¨C ¡± Stefan called for her name but thetter was so nervous to even wait for the whole sentence from him.


    ¡°Boss?¡± out of nervousness, she stood up from her seat and looked towards Stefan. She was really scared that she¡¯d be insulted.


    Stefan only smiled at her and motioned her to sit down. She did. She sat beside Stanley who held her hand to stop her from trembling. She needed his support since he chose to disclose their rtionship to them.


    Stefan looked at the two linked hands and frowned. Jessie thought Stefan was upset seeing this but the next thing she saw was Stefan walking towards Cayenne and linked their hands as well.


    Cayenne was befuddled with his action but she let him hold her anyway. ¡°Aheem!¡± Stefan coughed to clear his throat. ¡°So...uhm...I was just thinking...hmm...shall I call you auntie once you and uncle gets married?¡±


    Jessie didn¡¯t know how she was able to get home or what really happened. She was silent all the time and the words Stefan spouted still rang in her ears. Stanley had been stealing nces at her but she wasn¡¯t saying anything to her.


    ¡°Being called auntie shocked you that much?¡± She finally looked at him. She slowly lifted her hand and touched his face. Stanley was still smiling but the next second, he was screaming in pain. ¡°Aww! Why did you pinch me?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I wanted to know if this was real or a dream?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you pinch yourself?¡±


    ¡°Why should I? That would hurt me.¡±


    Stanley was at loss. Then both of themughed while looking at each other. They finally conquered one obstacle. Thest one would be Dominic. As for the public who will judge their rtionship, they can all go to hell.

 Chapter 651

    Chapter 651: FREEDOM AND RECOVERY


    Three dayster, on the day that Cory was finally discharged, Simon¡¯s public trial was also held. There were more than a hundred people inside the highest court venue and to manage all of them, the police officers and the jury decided to allow one person from each family to join the trial.


    Simon was sitting on the defendant seat with hiswyer which Travis provided for him. He didn¡¯t want to allow the people to ruin someone¡¯s life when it wasn¡¯t his fault to be a family member of murderers.


    Some people were staring angrily at Simon while other started crying. He could only lower his head helplessly. He might be free from jail but he won¡¯t be free from guilt. He could have saved those people but he chose to stall for time just to find Jillyanna and her research. He thought that by giving the research to his family, they would stop their experiment. And he was mistaken.


    When the judge finally opened the trial and the people confirmed they were all ready, the evidences were finally shown. They will have to examine everything and prove that Simon was not involve in any of the human experiment that his family did.


    This may sound unfair to the victim¡¯s family but this will be unfair to Simon if he¡¯s punished for something he wasn¡¯t involved. In fact, he was already punished for staying in jail in this one whole year. Supposedly, he¡¯d get a parole but the public will certainly question thew if they find out about this. Thus, they could only choose this method to prove he wasn¡¯t guilty.


    As they continued to examine the evidences, the victims¡¯ families started to hate Simon even more and they were angry at the judge and jury as well.


    ¡°Why do we have to go through all this?! That man is a criminal! He allowed my daughter to just die!¡±


    .....


    ¡°They even took those street children who were helpless and powerless! They¡¯re inhuman! Monsters! He deserved to rot in jail!¡±


    ¡°QUITE!¡± The judge stated which silenced everyone. Even so, the tense atmosphere and the hatred of the public couldn¡¯t be extinguished.


    ¡°Excuse me your honor. I just received a notification that there¡¯s a witness who wanted to prove that Mr. Simon Summer, the defendant of this case is innocent.¡±


    ¡°Summon the witness.¡±


    Hearing these words, the people felt even more helpless. They thought that there¡¯s no use putting up a fight against the rich. In some cases, this would be true but in Simon¡¯s case, he deserves his freedom.


    A man escorted by military officers came inside and gave a slight bow to the judge. He made an oath in front of everyone and took a seat for the defense attorney to start questioning him.


    ¡°You said that you are a witness to this whole incident, can you tell us why you never showed upst year?¡±


    The frail-looking man pushed up his sses and looked at everyone with a calm expression. In truth, he wasn¡¯t really the witness who was supposed toe, it should have been Brown but because of the nature of their work as intel and spies, he couldn¡¯t show up to defend Simon. Thus, they decided to get someone to be his stand-in.


    ¡°I thought that, even if he wasn¡¯t really part of the crime, he should still be punished for it.¡±


    Simon looked at the man and sighed.


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Thewyer asked again while the other party smirked against Simon¡¯s disappointed look


    To their dismay, the man took a deep breath and smiled apologetically towards the defendant. ¡°Because it was already toote when he reported the crime. I wanted him to be punished for beingte with his report.¡±


    ¡°But it is not your decision whether he should be punished or not. Now, you said that you wanted to testify for his innocence but all I can see is you pushing my client over the edge.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not really my intention but here,¡± he took off his ne and handed it to thewyer. When everyone had a clear view of the item, they realize it was a sh drive. ¡°This contains all evidences that will prove his innocence. After all, he sacrificed everyone from his family to stop this madness.¡±


    When the sh drive was inserted, shes of screenshots appeared on the screen. The dates of the messages were dating back tost year and there were many videos as well. Most of the messages were conversations between Brown and Simon.


    Meanwhile, Stefan posted a picture on his ount after a week of silence. On the picture, Cayenne was eating fruits with Cory while Stanley and Jose sat on the side. Dominic was M.I.A once again due to his work.


    -Thank you for all the prayers for her fast recovery. My granny is doing better now.-


    Of course, many people were happy upon reading his post but some people weren¡¯t. Napoleone¡¯s men had been paying close attention to every news that would be rted to Stefan and this was something they never expected. They thought that the olddy would be dead for certain.


    ¡°Boss, didn¡¯t that woman say that there¡¯s no antidote to the poison she made? Howe that the olddy is still alive?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?! Ask her corpse if you want answers!¡±


    The man was fuming in anger. He was certain that Denise wasn¡¯t lying to her. Even if she did and she has the antidote, he knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the information on time. ¡®Are they bluffing? Or, is there really a cure to the poison?¡¯


    ¡°Could it be that, there¡¯s someone who knows poison better than Denise?¡± one of the men voiced out which stunned everyone beside him. They never considered that point before but now that he mentioned it, they realized the biggest possibility of his words.


    ¡°Damn it! How will I face Napoleone this time?¡±


    ¡°Uhh...boss, if we couldn¡¯t do something to those people, shouldn¡¯t we do something to those who frequently go out of their homes? I remember that two of their boys are working.¡±


    ¡°Brilliant! Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?!¡±


    The man grinned widely as he started searching for information. Seeing the glint in his eyes, the two hired aplice could only shake their heads.

 Chapter 652

    Chapter 652: COINCIDENCES


    They thought that everything will go ording to their n but Stefan was one step ahead of them. To make sure that his family will be safe, he told Dominic to stop his part-time job for a while. He alsomunicated with his work ce since he owned it as well. Of course, the management didn¡¯t make things difficult. Even if Dominic got in through the back door, they couldn¡¯t deny the fact that he was very efficient and was very diligent with his work as well.


    As for Luiz, since his work was mostly outdoor, Stefan negotiated for Luiz, telling the photography team to do the work in one of his properties. No matter what kind of set up it would be, Stefan wouldpromise for the sake of their safety.


    Cayenne looked at her husband who was eating quietly beside her. They were already having dinner but he was still fiddling with his phone in one hand. He even stopped shoving food in his mouth. She only wanted to feel at ease but with their enemies lurking around, she always felt restless.


    ¡°Hon, how about you finish your food and continue what you are doing after you eat?¡±


    ¡°Give me a sec.¡± Stefan responded without giving her a nce. Everyone was stunned with his attitude. This has never happened before. The screeching sound of the chair beside him pulled his attention back to his wife and he saw Cayenne standing up with her te. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I finished my meal already.¡±


    ¡°But I am not done yet.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    Stefan scratched the back of his head while looking at his food which has turned cold. ¡°I¡¯ll just get somethingter. I really need to finish some work to ensure our safety.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know. You can go upstairs. I¡¯ll bring you something to eat.¡±


    With that, Stefan excused himself and went inside his study room. Cayenne wasn¡¯t saying anything and just prepared something for him to eat.


    ¡°I really thought you would argue.¡± Kylemented while eating his dessert. ¡°It was the first time that he openly skipped his meal in front of you.¡±


    ¡°I know right! I thought Yen would blow up her top!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not like that.¡± Cayenne retorted while making a fruit juice for her husband. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll go up first. You guys should clean the dishes after dinner since Lucia and her daughters are currently having a short vacation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Jonas watched his stepdaughter walk away. He was happy that Cayenne found someone who cares so much for her but he was also sad that Elizabeth could no longer witness this happiness.


    Cayenne found Stefan inside the study room, working his bones again. Seeing him like this always makes her feel guilty.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯ll feed me.¡± Stefanmented as he put down his phone and turned his attention to theputer in front of him.


    ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡±


    To make sure that he won¡¯t skip dinner, Cayenne fed him while he worked. From time to time, she¡¯d make suggestions as well and they talked for more options and other possible solutions. Even though Cayenne has not finished her degree and even though she wasn¡¯t taking business management, their discussion makes her feel that she contributed a little. And Stefan always makes her feel proud of herself.


    ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯re visiting your dad and grandpa.¡±


    ¡°Hn. I have prepared some gifts for them already.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± She eximed in surprise which made Stefan frown. ¡°Please don¡¯t take it in a wrong way. I am just really surprised. It¡¯s the first time that you chose gifts for them on your own.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t choose them. The bodyguards did.¡±


    She made an ¡®oh¡¯ sound but she didn¡¯t believe his words. From his bashful face, it¡¯s obvious that he was the one who bought the gifts.


    Most families reunite during Christmas and New Year. Some don¡¯t. Some longed-for gifts while others longed for love and time.


    Several months have passed since Cayenne was kidnapped and Tristan already managed to track down the mental hospital where her auntie and uncle have been sent. Diana and Artemis have been looking for them but there was no record found on the hospital. It was said that their parents have been transferred not long ago.


    Tristan was even med for the wrong information but he swore to his life that he was correct and Shein also verified it.


    ¡°Sis, are we going to spend Christmas with just the two of us?¡± Artemis asked Diana as they sat on a bench with snow falling slowly around them. ¡°I am so envious with Cayenne.¡±


    ¡°Right. She¡¯s very lucky.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we can really find our parents here? This is a very huge hospital and it was said that they were already transferred.¡±


    ¡°I am putting my trust on Tristan for this information. I am sure that he wouldn¡¯t lie to us after we helped them rescue Cayenne from our grandpa. For now, let¡¯s continue on this act and visit all the rooms of this ce.¡± The siblings put on their coat over their nurse uniform before getting inside the institution. Tristan have helped them forge their information about care giving. It was to help them get inside the hospital and take care of the people.


    As they walked inside, a woman who was getting out to go home, passed by them and paused on her steps. ¡°I thought it was Mrs. Dumrique.¡± she muttered to herself but dismissed the idea after seeing the uniform. ¡®There¡¯s no way that her husband would allow her to work in this ce. Speaking of...¡¯ She pulled out her phone and looked at the pictures of the couple that she took when she was having a vacation. ¡®She resembled one of the patients I saw before.¡¯


    The nurse shook her head hastily and started walking again. She will try to look for information tomorrow. She never really thought about it before. ¡®Shall I ask Mrs. Dumrique if she has a family who was admitted here? Ah! Wouldn¡¯t that offend her? Having a mentally retarded family isn¡¯t really a good thing. Never mind.¡¯

 Chapter 653

    Chapter 653: CLUES


    Ferdinand ordered the butler to prepare a grandiose wee for Cayenne and Stefan. They were supposed to just have a simple family lunch but Stefan surprisingly agreed to staying the night at the vi.


    The butler immediately changed the unused sheets and pillows in Stefan¡¯s room and they prepared lots of food as well ¨C most of it were Cayenne¡¯s favorite.


    Magnus even cancelled all his appointments for this day just to spend time with his son and daughter-inw.


    When the couple arrived half an hour before lunch, Ferdinand personally greeted them at the door despite his frail body. Magnus was right beside him to give him support.


    ¡°Hi grandpa! Hi dad!¡± she both gave them feathery kisses on the cheeks and warm hugs. ¡°Sorry for taking so long.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it.¡± Ferdinand responded with obvious joy on his face.


    Stefan was holding the gifts that he wanted to give but he wasn¡¯t saying a single thing to express his feelings. When Cayenne looked behind her, she frowned. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Do you want them to guess your thoughts?¡±


    .....


    Stefan shrugged his shoulders and sighed at the prompt of his wife. ¡°These are for both of you.¡± Stefan handed them the gifts and walked ahead of them while pulling Cayenne¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Stefan chose them himself.¡± Cayenne told the two men who were still standing at the door with stunned expressions.


    Stefan wasn¡¯t really nning to be chummy and close to his father and grandfather. The pain he went through for so many years couldn¡¯t just vanish and he still hated them. But for Cayenne, he¡¯s willing topromise. He¡¯s willing to spend time with them, to have little fun and share little things. For her, he¡¯s willing to forget his resentment for a little while.


    While they¡¯re having a reunion, across the vast ocean, in the huge mental hospital, Diana was chatting with some colleagues, hinting about secret rooms or VIP patients. Artemis was working with the elderlies with mental problems while also observing the ce that her parents could have been hidden.


    At the same time, at the cafeteria, Elia was looking at the pictures on her phone again.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been staring on your phone every time you are not working. Are you waiting for someone¡¯s message?¡± her co-worker asked with a hint of tease on her words.


    ¡°No. I am not. I have moved on already. I am just trying to recall some faces.¡± Elia responded and showed Cayenne¡¯s picture to her colleague. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this face looks familiar?¡±


    The other nurse looked at the picture and she suddenly rolled her eyes. ¡°I thought you are showing me a handsome guy! Why are you showing me her pictures again?¡±


    ¡°Try to jog your memories and see if you met someone in the past who almost looks like her.¡±


    The nurse couldn¡¯t understand why Elia was asking her to recall someone out of hundreds of patients she handles every year. And she¡¯s been working there for three years. How could she possibly do that? Still, she looked at the picture again and tried to remember the people she took care of in the past.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anyone.¡± The nursemented after almost five minutes. ¡°If I recall someer, I¡¯ll let you know. For now, don¡¯t give me a headache.¡±


    Elia bit her lower lip in frustration but she couldn¡¯t recall where she found someone who looks like Cayenne as well. She was just about to close her phone when someone snatched it from her. ¡°What are you ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s this? Where did you get this photo?¡± the other woman asked who was a head taller than Elia. She looked condescending to her but Elia didn¡¯t care and snatched her phone back.


    ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you contented after snatching my boyfriend so you want to snatch the people I care about?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t snatch them. I just thought that one of the patients I¡¯m taking care of looks like the girl in the picture. Well, I might be mistaken. Bye ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Wait! I don¡¯t care about you snatching my boyfriend anymore but can you tell me about the patient?¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes sparkled and slow smile appeared on her face. ¡°Sure, I will let you know. Want to talk somewhere private?¡±


    Elia excused herself from the worried gaze of her co-worker. Although the institution was huge, the news of her broken rtionship spread to all departments. After all, the way they broke up was unusualpared to other couples. There were no words of breaking up; he just went on and proposed to another woman whom he ims he¡¯s been in love for so many years.


    It shocked everyone. Of course, it would. Elia and her boyfriend were in a rtionship for several years. They¡¯ve been paying close attention to each other and his boyfriend was really sweet to her. It was really a surprise that he¡¯d propose to someone else. And after that day, the man she loves no longer paid attention to her. He never smiles at her. Whenever they met, he¡¯d only stare at her with empty expression.


    Afraid that this would put a toll on her mental health, the director of their department gave Elia a long vacation and that¡¯s how she ended up meeting Stefan and Cayenne.


    The two nurses stopped at the end of a deste hallway where they have the vantage point of view. Elia put some distance between them and showed the picture again. ¡°I¡¯m not really holding a grudge against you anymore. I just want to help my friend. Can you tell me where the patient who looks like her is?¡±


    ¡°Their records in the hospital said that it was transferred.¡±


    ¡°Their?¡±


    ¡°Hers and her husband¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°What are their names?¡±


    Artemis was on her way to get more supplies when she heard soft voices above her. With how much they tried to lower their voice, she realized that they must be talking about some secrets. She didn¡¯t want to eavesdrop on their conversation but she has to get the items. If she goes on the other side, it will take far longer than expected.


    ¡°Rule?¡±


    Artemis¡¯ ears perked up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think my friend has that family name. I¡¯ll ask Yenter to confirm.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Please do. I¡¯ll certainly help you meet them if they¡¯re the right people. I hope they are the right people.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead now. Don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    Elia thought that the woman has good intentions. She thought that there¡¯s no need to be worried for since she already got the man that she wanted. She had no idea that in the woman¡¯s mind, happiness can only be obtained once shepletely erases Elia from this world.

 Chapter 654

    Chapter 654: NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HIS WIFE


    ¡°Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Is everything prepared?¡± Cayenne asked Lucia who just came back from vacation along with her daughters. Although they were helpers, Cayenne included them to join the party and have some fun.


    It¡¯s been three days since she visited the Stefan¡¯s father and grandpa. So far, she could see that her husband was doing his best to amodate the two men even though he felt annoyed with it. In exchange to getting along with them, Magnus and Ferdinand will no longer message Cayenne or in anyway mention about having a baby. When he thinks about it, Stefan nodded to himself since he won against them.


    In the kitchen, Cayenne was checking the food ingredients for tomorrow¡¯s party. She doubled check everything to make sure that they wouldn¡¯t face anyst-minute problem.


    Watching his wife, Stefan pulled out his phone and took a picture of her. He contemted for a while if he should post it but decided otherwise.


    Far away from City B, in the suburb where a huge mansion stood tall and imposing, three men were having a party of their own with lots of booze and women toplete the set. They decided to give Stefan and his family a merry Christmas, to allow them to be happy before they¡¯d make their kill and destroy their happiness.


    ¡°Boss, you are very wise to have thought of this.¡± one of the menmented with his arm slung over a woman¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I just thought about what you said and you had a point.¡±


    .....


    ¡°So, are we just going to have fun tonight?¡± one of the woman asked and purred, kissing the man¡¯s neck and touching his chest to pleasure him a little.


    The man pped the woman¡¯s butt and groped it, making her yelp but smile in the end.


    One of the men has started making out with the prostitutes already. They baited them with huge ie for tonight¡¯s party and given how much they needed money to survive, they agreed happily. All they needed to do was to pleasure these men in any way possible.


    In the past three days, Cayenne haven¡¯t checked her social media ount. Her friends who have personal contact information of her sent her messages through text and sometimes, they¡¯d give her a call. She rarely opened her social media ount unless Stefan posts something or if she posts something on her YT ount.


    Elia had been checking her phone from time to time. She didn¡¯t have Cayenne¡¯s personal info. They only met once during her vacation so she has no other choice but to message her thru her social media ount.


    If Tristan didn¡¯t take down the news of Cayenne¡¯s kidnapping incident, Elia would have known the truth by now.


    ¡°It¡¯s been three days. You still got no reply from your friend. Something must have happened to her.¡± A colleague of hersmented while taking supplies for a patient.


    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx her.¡±


    Elia put away her phone and continued with her work. She was busy typing when she noticed someone standing behind herputer. When she looked up, she saw the new nurse standing there.


    ¡°Oh! Nurse Chin. You startled me. Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Elia asked but her eyes went back to theputer screen.


    ¡°I need to talk to you.¡± Artemis stated with her calm voice. She was currently disguised as a nurse just to infiltrate the institution. Along with her sister, they couldn¡¯t wait for Tristan¡¯s back up toe before starting.


    Elia cocked her head to the side, thinking what they could talk when they¡¯re not really close. ¡°Just give me a sec.¡± Elia closed the information site that she essed and turned theputer off. ¡°I¡¯m free now.¡±


    Artemis pulled Elia to a vacant room and locked the door behind her. This scared Elia a little bit. For some reason, the gentle nurse in front of her looked really scary. ¡°Did I offend you unknowingly?¡± Elia asked in almost a whisper, not wanting to annoy the woman in front of her.


    Artemis looked at the woman in front of her. From the voice, she could tell that she got the right person. ¡°Do you know a woman named Cayenne?¡±


    Elia¡¯s eyes widened and she instantly covered her mouth as if to stop herself from saying ¡®yes¡¯ but with her actions, it was easier to deduce the truth.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I am her cousin.¡± Artemis added. Never in her wildest dream did she ever think that a day woulde for her to use Cayenne as an excuse. It¡¯s not that she hates her but they weren¡¯t close to begin with either.


    ¡°And what do you want from me?¡± Elia questioned. She was still confused why Cayenne¡¯s cousin would approach her. ¡°And, I just know her but we are not close. I don¡¯t even dare think that we are close friends.¡±


    ¡°Then, why are you looking for her auntie?¡±


    Elia tilted her head to the side and frowned. Aside from her, only two people know about her inquiries regarding the patients. And she knew that these two people won¡¯t tell anyone because of their personal interest.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know where you got that news but I am not looking for them. I just thought that Cayenne looked familiar.¡±


    ¡°So, you think that someone in this ce has a little resemnce of her?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I sent Cayenne a message but she didn¡¯t reply. She was probably offended that I asked her something about a possible rtive who stays in a mental institution.¡±


    ¡°No, you are right.¡± Artemis stated. ¡°Do you know where these people could possibly be?¡±


    ¡°How can you prove that you are Cayenne¡¯s cousin?¡±


    Artemis sighed and thought of a way. She didn¡¯t want to expose her disguise yet. ¡®It would be worrisome if this woman turns out to be a traitor.¡¯ Artemis thought to herself while looking at Elia.


    ¡°Give me a sec.¡± Artemis looked around and found the bathroom. ¡°Don¡¯t go away. I¡¯ll let you talk to Cayenne.¡± She mentioned as she walked towards the bathroom. When she got inside, she immediately locked it and pulled out her phone. She didn¡¯t have Cayenne¡¯s number but she has Seiji¡¯s contact from their previous cooperation to rescue Cayenne.


    Seiji was sleeping soundly in C country when he was woken up by a phone call. Still groggy, he picked up the call and ced it on his ears. ¡°Seiji speaking.¡±


    ¡°Sei, can you give me Cayenne¡¯s number?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Artemis raised her eyebrow and looked at her phone screen once again. She confirmed that she got the right number. ¡°Sei, did you pick up the call without looking at the caller? It¡¯s me, Artemis.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Seiji was jolted awake and sat on his bed. He looked at the caller and confirmed it was Artemis. ¡°Why are you even calling me in this ungodly hour? It¡¯s in the middle of the night here, you know.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that but I really need Cayenne¡¯s number. I have to call her now.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t give you her number.¡± Seiji responded with stoic expression. ¡°I can give you Stefan¡¯s contact instead. For sure, they¡¯re together. You can get to her through him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, too.¡±


    Seiji checked the time once again which showed few minutes past 1o¡¯clock in the morning. ¡°What are you up to this time?¡±


    ¡°I just needed some confirmation from her. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t put her in danger.¡±


    ¡°I know you aren¡¯t stupid to do that. Anyway, I¡¯ll send you his contact info. I¡¯ll go back to sleep now.¡± Seiji ended the call and sent Stefan¡¯s information to Artemis. Thinking that she was up to no good again, he sent her another message. ¡°Be careful always. Don¡¯t be stupid and include Cayenne in your scheme. Dress well and eat well.¡±


    Artemis who received the message had her lips pursed in thin line. She didn¡¯t expect that he would still care about her. ¡°Well, we were childhood friends after all.¡± She told herself and contacted Stefan immediately.


    In City B, Cayenne and Stefan were preparing to sleep as well. She just got out of the shower carried by her husband who exhausted her in the bath.


    ¡°When will you be satisfied with one round?¡± she whispered softly.


    Stefan chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. ¡®So adorable.¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡°Not in this life or the next my love.¡± He answered to her question as he put her to the soft couch. ¡°Let me dry your hair.¡±


    ¡°Let me do it. Your phone has been ringing but you are ignoring it.¡± Cayennemented helplessly. When he¡¯s beside her, no matter how important other things are, he will ignore them for her. At some point, she feels guilty for those other people.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to it when I¡¯m done with you.¡±


    ¡°Shall I answer it then?¡±


    ¡°Great suggestion.¡± Stefan grinned and walked to the bedside table for his phone. The number was unknown which made him think twice if he should give it to her. ¡°Let¡¯s answer itter. It¡¯s an unknown caller.¡± He took a screenshot and sent it to Tristan instead.


    ¡°It could be someone important.¡±


    ¡°I have contacts of important people in my phone.¡±


    ¡°So, your father and grandpa belongs to the important ones.¡± She teased him but Stefan¡¯s answer made her roll her eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have their contact numbers saved in my phone. I memorized it though.¡±

 Chapter 655

    Chapter 655: FACTS CONFIRMED


    Before going to bed, Stefan checked his phone and saw the message from Tristan. He raised his eyebrow in displeasure but he kept his mouth shut while calling back the number who disturbed his quality time with Cayenne earlier.


    Across the wide expanse of sea, on another country, Artemis was holding her phone tightly on her side. She has given up. Fifteen minutes have passed since she tried reaching out to Cayenne to no avail. Elia had been knocking on the bathroom door to check on her but she didn¡¯t daree out. She didn¡¯t want to see the incredulous expression on someone¡¯s face thinking that she lied to her.


    ¡°Just give me a moment! I¡¯ll try onest time. She¡¯s probably sleeping. It should be evening in her time zone.¡± She yelled out from the bathroom so Elia could hear her words.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s do it again tomorrow. I can wait.¡± Elia insisted, wanting to go back to work. Their director must be looking for them now. ¡°Also, I have a patient to check on.¡±


    Artemis sighed and shrugged her shoulders from disappointment. She really thought that Cayenne would be able to help her.


    ¡°I...¡± Her phone buzzed and she saw Stefan¡¯s number reflecting on her phone screen. ¡°W-wait a sec...they¡¯re calling back...¡± she told Elia before pressing the answer button.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± The coldness dripping from his voice brought shivers down her spine. For a moment, she forgot her words and just looked at the man¡¯s face on the screen. ¡°You only have one minute to tell me your objective.¡±


    .....


    Artemis snapped back to reality and spoke hurriedly. ¡°I need to talk to Cayenne. She needs to see someone.¡±


    ¡°My wife is sleeping.¡±


    Cayenne, who was mentioned on the call, whipped her head to look at her husband. Her eyes seemed to be asking him why he was lying but he only gave her a finger heart.


    ¡°I want her to see someone but maybe you are familiar with her as well. She¡¯s looking for my parents, too.¡±


    Cayenne¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard the words. Hearing it from the other person, she already had an idea who her husband was talking to ¨C her cousin.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Stefan replied. Cayenne didn¡¯t say a single word. Stefan was still cautious against her cousins which was why he didn¡¯t let her talk on the phone. And she could understand. If his cousins kidnapped him as well, even if those people say that they¡¯ve changed, she would be wary of them for the rest of her life.


    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Stefan said when he saw the other woman on the screen. ¡°You are a nurse?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. How¡¯s your wife doing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s good. She¡¯s currently sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Elia didn¡¯t know what else to say now that Nurse Chin has proven her closeness to Cayenne and Stefan. She darted her eyes here and there when she realized something. ¡°Mr. Dumrique, is your wife rted to the Rule family?¡±


    Hearing the family nameing from her mouth, Stefan¡¯s face darkened and his jaw ticked in annoyance. The nightmare of losing his wife resurfaced in his mind and he felt like punching someone on the face. Nheless, he kept a poker face and replied. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    Elia told Stefan her doubt and apologized to him for being intrusive. She could even feel that Stefan doesn¡¯t like the topic at all yet he remained calm as he spoke. When she finished talking, she returned the phone to Artemis who went back to the bathroom.


    ¡°I have confirmed whatever it is that you wanted to know. Remember, your family has nothing to do with my wife. I hope you won¡¯t bother her again in the future.¡±


    Artemis nodded her head in agreement. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Stefan didn¡¯t bother responding to her and ended the call. Cayenne saw the irritation on his face making her heart ache for him. She pulled him down to the bed and caressed his face to soften his frown.


    ¡°I have troubled you again.¡± She whispered and kissed his cheek. ¡°Sorry for always -¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no trouble. Not to me. I just hate remembering what they did to you.¡±


    Cayenne hugged her husband¡¯s waist and kissed his chin again and again. ¡°It¡¯s in the past. No one can hurt me now. Stop worrying about it.¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    Cayenne smiled happily and it made Stefan¡¯s lips curl into a huge grin as well. His wife really knew his weak spots. She could melt his negative emotions with few words and bright smile from her.


    ¡°I love you, hubby. You are the greatest gift that I have ever received.¡±


    ¡°You are the same to me. I couldn¡¯t even imagine myself without you again, Ayen. I would be devastated if you disappear from my life. I¡¯d die.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t disappear. I promise.¡±


    As they whisper sweet words to each other, Artemis finally established trust with Elia. Since Elia gathered some info, she shared it with Artemis whom she knew as nurse Chin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know someone who can help us. Don¡¯t involve yourself in this matter anymore. It¡¯s too dangerous for you.¡±


    Elia was displeased from being dismissed. After all, she has done her best to obtain this information. She even relied to someone who stole her boyfriend from her.


    ¡°I will see to it no matter what. You can¡¯t just dismiss me however you want!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand! This family, they¡¯re tied to some huge conspiracy! You will put yourself in danger for some strangers!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! I¡¯d rather die than live my life in pain!¡± Elia burst out which stunned Artemis for a second or two. She has heard some rumors here and there about a sweet couple who suddenly separated without closure. It was so strange because the man showed so much hatred against his ex-girlfriend. Whenever they met, he would look at her with so much disgust in his eyes. Artemis heard that the woman was Elia.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Elia apologized quickly. ¡°But, let me help you. I can gather more information from someone.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡±


    Artemis and Elia exchanged phone number to contact each other. Artemis shared the information to her sister as well and both of them nned their next course of action. Since it was confirmed that their parents were still inside the hospital, they contacted Tristan once again.


    Diana knew few things about hacking. So, while waiting for Tristan, she decided to look into the hospital¡¯s saved data once again. It was indeed mention that her parents were transferred somewhere else but the destined ce didn¡¯t even exist.


    So the fact that they were still inside the hospital was proven. However, the room where they previously stayed which was stated on the file has been converted to a storage room. It means, their parents were moved to another location or another room but it wasn¡¯t listed on file.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who grandpa bribed in this ce so we have to be very careful.¡± Diana told her sister while looking for more clues on file. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Tristan if he can ask someone to bring us a private boat or ferry that we can use. We cannot rely on the public transport that goes in and out of this ce.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll let you know if I get more information.¡±


    Time continues to pass by and Elia was currently standing under the waiting shed for the bus to take them to the port. The whole mental institution was situated in an ind which can be essed through boats and ferries. It¡¯s managed by the government but some of the funds came from donations that wealthy people gave since some of their family members stay there. The donations were hush money for people to shut their mouth and keep information private.


    Standing in the cold weather, the snow started pouring once again. Elia rubbed her hands together and blew warm air on them.


    Elia¡¯s phone buzzed and when she saw the message, she pursed her lips without showing any expression on her face.


    The next day, Elia sat on a bench at the back garden. There were few people visiting this part of the hospital because of the cold weather so that makes it a perfect ce to talk.


    ¡°There you are.¡± The woman strutted towards Elia with a fake smile on her face. The other nurses who saw them couldn¡¯t help but frown yet, they didn¡¯t do anything. They only wanted to watch a good show, not get involved themselves in it. ¡°Have you confirmed the details?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re my friend¡¯s family. They¡¯ve been looking for these rtives of theirs. I wanted to help.¡±


    ¡°Did theye from a wealthy family?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. They¡¯ve been into business.¡± Elia didn¡¯t give any specific information and kept her face stoic as she spoke.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s great. Next week, I will be taking a vacation leave from work. Xian and I will be meeting my parents for the New Year. I will let you switch with me to see those people.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Is that all you wanted to say?¡± The woman questioned. She intentionally mentioned about the vacation she¡¯ll take with her boyfriend, hoping to see pain in Elia¡¯s eyes but she failed. Elia was nonchnt. From beginning to end, she only wanted the information about the Rule couple and nothing else. She was unting her rtionship with the man that Elia once loved but the woman was indifferent.


    Elia thought that a simple thank you wasn¡¯t enough and was about to give a slight bow when she was pushed down.


    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± The angry voice registered in Elia¡¯s ears and she was stunned while looking up at the man from the ground.


    Her butt hurts a lot but she didn¡¯t even react to the pain. She slowly got up from the fall and looked at the man in front of her. ¡°Before jumping to conclusions, know your facts first. I didn¡¯t even touch a single strand of her hair.¡±


    ¡°Your presence alone is dangerous to her!¡±


    The woman hid behind the man and smirked. She didn¡¯t expect that the drug would control Xian to this point. She wasughing to herself while watching the pain fleetingly crossed Elia¡¯s face. Even if it was only for a split second, she was still rejoicing for winning against her.


    Elia dusted her uniform and turned around. Her tears fall on her cheeks but she didn¡¯t wiped it off. She didn¡¯t want them to see that she was crying.


    Seeing her lonely disappearing back, Xian felt guilty for some reason. He even took a step to follow her but someone tugged the hem of his uniform and he saw his girlfriend looking at him with tears hanging on hershes. She looked terrified.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me.¡±

 Chapter 656

    Chapter 656: CELEBRATING LOVE AND JOY


    People were merry as they greet their friends and families. They received gifts here and there. The christmas songs were yed in almost every household. It¡¯s the day to rejoice and celebrate.


    However, other people didn¡¯t have the time to be happy and merry like everyone else. Others were working and others just didn¡¯t have the chance to go home.


    Cayenne was busy with all the preparation with the help of everyone. They¡¯re nning to have a st this evening and they have invited a lot of their close friends.


    She was cooking with Lucia and her daughters while Stefan decorated the front yard for the party. They couldn¡¯t use the backyard anymore because of Cayenne¡¯s vegetable garden which has grown bigger thanst time. When she started, she only used a small piece ofnd but since Jonas took over her work to pass his time, the garden became bigger. They have more vegetables now.


    Stefan and Cayenne¡¯s brothers set up the tables and chairs with the help of the bodyguards. Their household employees will be joining with them along with their family which makes Cayenne even happier.


    Seeing that everyone was busy, Stefan took this chance to disappear and went to look for Cayenne in the kitchen. She was currently making desserts forter.


    He wrapped his arms from behind and kissed her cheek to distract her a little. ¡°Do you want to take a break? You¡¯ve been doing so many things for thest three hours without taking breaks.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It doesn¡¯t really tire me.¡±


    Stefan pouted and lightly nipped on Cayenne¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡±


    Seeing his worried expression marring his handsome face, Cayenne sighed and gave up. ¡°I¡¯ll just finish this and we can take a break.¡±


    ¡°Great. I¡¯ll wait for you in our room.¡± Stefan stole a kiss on her nose and walked out of the kitchen. He went upstairs and lighted some scented candles and prepared some aromatic oil. He wanted to pamper her during her break. It nothing big, really. He was just going to give her simple massage to relieve her muscles.


    ***


    It¡¯s Christmas after all. David has made ns already and he was set to go. In therge Victorian house, you could only hear his faint footsteps. The butler was standing at the door, waiting for David to be done with all the things he needed to do.


    ¡°Young master, you won¡¯t be going back home again this time?¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    ¡°The madam has called mest night. She wanted you toe home.¡±


    ¡°My father doesn¡¯t want me to. Stop answering their calls in the future.¡±


    ¡°That is noted, young master.¡±


    David saw his butler gave a respectful bow but he only looked indifferent. He knew that the man, although respectful towards him, was also reporting to his mother.


    He picked up his car key from the coffee table and went out of the huge house. He¡¯s got a huge property but most of the time, he¡¯s alone with his butler. The cleaningdy would onlye twice a week for work and David didn¡¯t like holding parties in his ce. It¡¯s a huge but lonely ce.


    He was about to get inside his car when the gate to his property suddenly opened and he saw Kai¡¯s caring to the yard.


    As far as he knew, this boyfriend of his should be having a vacation with his family. Kai didn¡¯t say it but Kyle identally slipped this information when he talked to Luiz about his girlfriend. David was there but he didn¡¯tment on it. He didn¡¯t confront or ask his boyfriend about it either.


    Kai stepped out of his car and with hurried steps, he walked towards David and pulled him to his embrace. ¡°God, I missed you.¡±


    David blinked his eyes several times to what was happening but he still returned his hugs and buried his face on Kai¡¯s chest, inhaling the man¡¯s scent which he missed for the past few days.


    ¡°I made it. I finally confessed on my own and got their eptance.¡± Kai muttered while raining kisses on David¡¯s face. ¡°They are finally epting our rtionship.¡± He announced happily to the man who was still stunned in front of him.


    David pulled away from the warm embrace when the words finally registered in his brain. ¡°You came out of the closet? To your family? And you didn¡¯t tell me about it? I thought we¡¯re in this together.¡± The pain in his voice couldn¡¯t be hidden at all. He felt disappointed and sad. He always wanted an equal rtionship. He didn¡¯t like it when his partner do something for both of them without telling him. He wanted an openmunication.


    Kai was stunned to see David¡¯s reaction. He thought he was doing the right thing. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to keep this from you but I didn¡¯t you to be on edge and nervous all the time either. I thought I¡¯d talk to my family first. I want them to ept me so that they can ept our rtionship. I don¡¯t want you to be anxious when meeting them.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought that I may not be able to reciprocate this event? My family -¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to.¡± Kai stated to cut his words which he knew would be painful for David to utter. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to reciprocate it. I want this for us. I am more than happy to stand next to you and now, my family is epting us. If your family can¡¯t do the same thing then, let¡¯s rely on us and on my family.¡±


    ¡°Kai...¡±


    ¡°I like you and mind you, this is the first time that I took the initiative to tell my family about my rtionship. They have heard so many things from other people but they never confronted me. I never said anything either but for you, I broke the silence. That¡¯s how much I love you. Can¡¯t you see?¡±


    David pursed his lips and clenched his trembling hands. How could he not see it? He must be blind if he couldn¡¯t. Kai was gentle and kind. He was always considerate and would always ask for his opinion. He was very protective and caring. He has a family who supports him and loves him. David wanted to keep that family for him. He was afraid that Kai¡¯s love would be too big for him to handle. He feared that he wouldn¡¯t be able to give him back the same kind of love that he showed.


    ¡°Kai, I only have me. I have my properties, of course. I have my own work and business. But don¡¯t expect my family to support us. I came out of the closet a long time ago and got kicked out of the house. Since they couldn¡¯t ept me, it obvious that they wouldn¡¯t ept us.¡±


    ¡°I only need you in my life. I¡¯m going to marry you in the future, not your family.¡±


    ¡°Marry?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have marriage taken into consideration when we got together.¡±


    David was stunned once again with this news. He didn¡¯t expect that this man in front of him has thought so far in the future.


    ¡°So, will you meet my family during New Year? They want to formally wee you to the family.¡±


    David nodded his head and threw himself into the man¡¯s embrace once again. He was happy. He didn¡¯t expect that he¡¯d receive this perfect gift for Christmas.


    ¡°I know you have your own ns for Christmas and I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t say anything to you. I actually nned something for us and I wanted to surprise you. Also...¡±


    In the end, David called Luiz to tell him the change of ns. Luiz already expected it and he was happy that Kai was able to do something for this beloved manager of his.


    ¡°I¡¯ll surelye around eleven in the evening.¡± David promised afterpromising with Kai.


    Luiz chuckled upon hearing this. He knew the man wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. There¡¯s no way for Kai to let the man go in this special asion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make promises. You cane tomorrow instead. Make most of your time with Kai because we will be swarmed with work after this holiday.¡±


    ¡°I will definitelye.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I got it.¡±


    Kai has heard everything. Luiz was very considerate and he knew that the young man already expected David to break his promise.


    ¡°Fine. Just this once. I¡¯ll let you sneak out and have a st in someone else¡¯s home for Christmas eve.¡± Kai muttered close to David¡¯s ears and bit his earlobe, bringing blush to the man¡¯s face. ¡°But you will have topensate it on New Year¡¯s eve.¡±


    While others celebrate love and joy, Elia was busy fixing her broken heart. She couldn¡¯t go back home since her vacation leave wasn¡¯t approved. Although she found something else to do, she still felt alone and broken.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too busy with work. If you can¡¯t really handle it, juste back home and stay with us. We¡¯ve got your back.¡±


    Elia broke into tears when she read her mother¡¯s message. They¡¯re not as wealthy as Stefan but her family owned a dental clinic. At least, they don¡¯t go to sleep with empty stomach. She wanted to be a dentist, not a nurse. But with her stupid heart, she followed her boyfriend to be a nurse. And now, he left her.


    One by one, Elia picked up the pictures and many other things that reminds her of the man she loves. She ced them inside a garbage bag and threw them out.


    ¡°It¡¯s Christmas. I¡¯ll do my best to move forward.¡±

 Chapter 657

    Chapter 657: TRICKING HIS FANS


    Around 6pm in the evening, guests have started pouring in and Cayenne became even busier. Of all the people that she invited, she didn¡¯t expect for Reuben and Ingrid toe. She only invited them out of respect but to her surprise, they came with a bunch of gifts.


    ¡°Merry Christmas, sweetheart.¡± Reuben greeted and gave Cayenne a feathery kiss on her cheeks.


    ¡°Merry Christmas, dad. I thought you wouldn¡¯te.¡± she responded and ushered them inside the house first. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me beforehand.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t confirm my presence because the elders at home were fussing about my rtionship with you and...¡± Reuben turned to his wife who seemed to be a lot bigger than thest time they saw each other. When they arrived, Ingrid was quiet and didn¡¯t say anything much. She was just clinging to Reuben as if she was afraid of letting him go. Now that Cayenne paid her attention, she can point something so obvious. ¡°...you will have a baby brother.¡± Reuben told Cayenne happily. Contrary to his jovial mood, Ingrid turned pale and her eyes were darting here and there except Cayenne¡¯s face. She couldn¡¯t seem to look at her.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great news!¡± Stefan interrupted, saving both Cayenne and Ingrid from the awkward atmosphere. ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about three months pregnant.¡± Ingrid answered with a faint smile hanging on her lips. ¡°We didn¡¯t expect this either. I thought I would never get pregnant.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a blessing.¡± Cayenne muttered. ¡°Congrattions. I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s any food that you should avoid but we prepared a lot for tonight. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to find something that would suit your taste.¡±


    .....


    They talked for a little while but since more guests havee, Cayenne left them for a while to greet the others.


    ¡°I¡¯m d she didn¡¯t get angry with my pregnancy.¡± Ingrid mumbled with obvious relief from Cayenne¡¯s reaction. Last time that she didn¡¯t allow herself to get pregnant out of respect to Cayenne¡¯ste mother. So, when she received the result of her pregnancy, she was ted and worried at the same time.


    ¡°I told you, my daughter isn¡¯t that type of person. She¡¯s not unreasonable.¡± Reuben mentioned. His eyes were doting and he was rubbing his wife¡¯s non-existent bulging belly. He didn¡¯t get to do this when Emerald was pregnant of Cayenne. Since God has given him the second chance, he promised to be a good father.


    While Cayenne and Stefan greeted their guests, Luiz was live streaming on his social media ount. Many of his followers requested for him to show them some snips of what¡¯s his Christmas would be like. Currently, he was walking around with his brother filming him.


    ¡°My family agreed to have a Christmas party with our household employees and friends. Yenyen prepared lots of food for us tonight. Let¡¯s see what we have.¡± Luiz walked towards the food and beverage area where dishes from different kinds of meat were disyed. ¡°We also have desserts that varies from what my family likes. Let me tell you something...¡± Luiz leaned closer on the camera while looking left and right, fearing that someone close would hear him. ¡°...guess what...half of these dishes and desserts are Stefan¡¯s favorite. My sister is really bias. She spoils my brother-inw that much. I am kind of jealous now. She only spoils me before but now, her attention is already shifted to someone else.¡±


    His livestream screen was bombarded with so manyments and gifts. Most of thements were praising Cayenne for being a good hosts and others wereughing at Luiz.


    [My husband, you have lost your position in your sister¡¯s heart]


    [Hahaha, you are no longer the man of her life]


    [The husband is more important than the brother now.]


    [If your sister won¡¯t spoil you, I will.]


    [Hubby, I love you more than anyone. Come to me and I¡¯ll spoil you.]


    [Master, I will cook all your favorites if you stay with me.]


    Luiz chuckled at thements which earned him screams from his female fans. ¡°I love you guys. Thank you for cheering me up. If my sister confirms that she no longer loves me, I¡¯ll drown in your warmth.¡±


    Hearing his cheeky reply, Kyle was shaking his head while following his brother to the living room. ¡°Come everyone. I will introduce to you my sister¡¯s father since you are always curious of her life. By the way, my sister will upload another video in her YT ount.¡± He was babbling as he walked and the guests who have seen him with Kyle holding a camera couldn¡¯t stop admiring him. Despite being young, Luiz has be a well-known model domestically. If given a chance to work abroad, with no doubt, Luiz would surely be famous. ¡°This is Uncle Reuben. He¡¯s my sister¡¯s father.¡±


    [I thought it was only a hype when he imed to be Cayenne¡¯s father.]


    [So, it is true that she¡¯s getting along with him. Some people say that they don¡¯t get along and that your sister hates her father.]


    [My husband has a great family. Everyone¡¯s kind and they got along pretty well]


    [Stefan is not kind at all]


    [Master Lu, your brother-inw is actually scary. I don¡¯t agree with other people saying he¡¯s ¡®kind¡¯]


    ¡°My brother-inw is only scary if something happens to Yen¡± Luizmented.


    For privacy, he didn¡¯t say anything about Ingrid being Reuben¡¯s wife. If people want to know, they can search it but he didn¡¯t divulge anything. He only said that she was one of their family friends.


    [Luiz, where is your brother?]


    [Speaking of, I want to see him, too.]


    [Luiz, don¡¯t hide your brother.]


    The mor of his fans fell into deaf ears since Kyle was holding the camera. He pretended that to see the requests of his fans.


    [Luiz, we want to see your brother]


    [Kyle-oppa! Show your face to us. I know you are watching]


    ¡°My brother does not watch my livestream¡± Luiz told them which earned him a barrage of angry and disappointed emojis. ¡°He¡¯s watching me in person instead.¡±


    [I knew it. Your brother is just around the corner]


    [Show us our beloved Kyle.]


    ¡°Are you here for me or for my brother?¡±


    [For your brother]


    Luiz clutched his chest, pretending to be hurt and in pain. ¡°Ouch! You are hurting me!¡± Just in time, Dominic came inside with the Sugo family trailing behind him. His eyes instantly brightened when he saw Luiz. ¡°Bro!¡± Luiz called out and his fans immediately sent out their heart emojis. Kyle shifted the camera in a timely manner and when Dominic appeared on the same frame as Luiz, the livestream was silent for a little while. ¡°Merry Christmas. I got you a gift that you will really like.¡±


    ¡°Really? What could that be? I have bought the things I want already.¡± Dominic responded, oblivious to the thousands of people watching him. ¡°What are you filming? Are you going to upload some videos on Yen¡¯s ount?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m streaming.¡±


    [Holy! Who is this handsome man?]


    [Luiz, is this another brother of yours?]


    [I am all heart for this man.]


    [Are you single?]


    When Dominic looked at the phone closely which was attached to the camera holder, he blushed and covered his mouth. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that first?¡±


    ¡°Oh! They wanted to see my brother.¡± Luiz refuted. His cheeky grin almost gave his fans a heart attack.


    ¡°Kyle? Kyle is ¨C ¡± His frown and confusion reflected on his face as he looked to the man they were all looking for. ¡®He was the man standing behind the camera.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t say it and allowed Luiz to do whatever he wants.


    ¡°Guys, this is Dom. He was my ssmate in high school. He¡¯s my brother-inw¡¯s cousin and we¡¯re close as brothers.¡±


    [You are so cheeky]


    [You tricked us! Well, I don¡¯t mind getting tricked with this handsome face.]


    [He¡¯s also handsome]


    [Please post the gift that Luiz bought for you. We are also curious.]


    [I am not reconciled with this. I need to see Kyle¡¯s face toplete my Christmas]


    [I won¡¯t ask my parents for gifts if I can see Kyle now]


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll show you my brother.¡± Luiz winked at them and walked out of the house after excusing himself from Dominic. He went to the garden where the party was held. A lot of people gathered there and Luiz talked to some of them. They waited and waited but he wasn¡¯t showing Kyle yet.


    [Luiz, don¡¯t trick us please.]


    [Luiz, is it so difficult to grant my wish?]


    Luiz sat on a chair and took the camera from his brother. He took a deep breath and chatted with them for a while. Upon seeing that his brother had called Kath as he expected, he shifted the camera to him, just enough angle to show that he was talking to a woman but not enough to show them Kath¡¯s face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you guys to get hurt.¡±


    And with that, he broke so many hearts in one night. At the same time, his fans were aware that Kyle has a girlfriend because he announced it before. Despite getting their hearts broken, they still supported his rtionship, wishing for it tost for an eternity.


    The time to end his livestream was slowly approaching thus, most of his fans started wishing him Merry Christmas and advance happy New Year since he wouldn¡¯t be streaming during New Year.

 Chapter 658

    Chapter 658: HAPPINESS FROM GIVING


    ¡°Let¡¯s y a game! Since we have so many children here, let¡¯s give the children some time to have fun. This game is called Bring Me. I will ask you guys for something and the first person to bring this item to me will win a prize. Are you all ready?¡± Kyle questioned the children who cheered happily in reply. He¡¯s the master of ceremony for this party since his sister wanted him to get involved.


    Between him and Luiz, Luiz was the most outgoing person. If you ask Kyle to choose between shopping and staying in his room, he would rather stay in his room. If you want him to go shopping, it depends who would be going with him and what they would be shopping for. However, if you ask him to buy groceries, he won¡¯t refuse that. He¡¯s better in buying groceries than Cayenne.


    As the children y, the adults were busy conversing. This time, there were no business partners, no talk about business projects and whatnot. The women were mostly talking about their past times and the things they usually do at home. The men were drinking and chatting about sports.


    Although both Dumrique and Sugo families were present, there was no tension between them. They were all civil for the sake of Cayenne and Stefan. At the same time, they didn¡¯t really cross their paths. They upied the tables of opposing sides.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy.¡± Cayenne told Stefan as the two of them watched the party. ¡°I never thought that I¡¯d be holding this kind of party one day.¡±


    Stefan nosed Cayenne¡¯s temple and inhaled her scent with their fingers intertwined under the table. ¡°It¡¯s because you are kind and generous so God gave you all his blessings.¡± he said. ¡°You deserve all the happiness in the world and I make it my duty to protect that smile on your face. I only want you to be happy, Ayen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been happy when I am with you.¡±


    .....


    Stefan looked around and when he found that no one was watching, he kissed his wife sneakily like a teenage who was afraid of getting caught by his parents. Cayenne giggled at his action but she weed his kiss at the same time. They thought that no one was looking but Magnus happened to turned his head and saw the two of them. He was jealous of their happiness but he could only wallow in deep regrets.


    As the party continued, some of their friends dropped by to send them gifts and others stayed for an hour or half. As for Luna and Ali, they couldn¡¯t travel far with their family party as well. In the end, she could only ask one of the guards to send her gifts to Yen¡¯s family. At the same time, she called them briefly just to see them and greet them as well.


    Around ten in the evening, David called Luiz, telling him that he couldn¡¯te because of some personal reasons. As he spoke, he was ring at his boyfriend who was grinning widely beside him.


    ¡°Sorry. I really thought I¡¯d be able to go.¡± David stated and kicked his boyfriend, venting his frustration for breaking his promise to Luiz.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. As long as you get to enjoy your Christmas, I¡¯d still be happy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to visit you guys when I have time.¡±


    ¡°Sure. You are always wee toe here.¡±


    They talked for a little more time but as soon as the call ended, he pounced on his boyfriend and bit his shoulder. ¡°You are so annoying! I feel so tired and drained.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Kai retorted with unbelieving eyes. ¡°I think I didn¡¯t exhaust you that much. You even have the strength to kick me and pounce of me. Surely, you should have enough strength.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. I can¡¯t even get out of this bed without tripping on my own feet.¡±


    ¡°Let me give you a massage. It would make you feel better.¡±


    ¡°No. It will make me feel something...something...wrong.¡±


    ¡°You are just being horny.¡±


    ¡°You are the one who¡¯s horny.¡±


    They bickered back and forth which ended with David under Kai¡¯s strong body. The two of them spent their Christmas in bed with no one but the moon and stars as their witness.


    On the other hand, the party at Cayenne¡¯s home continued with a st. The children received gifts from Cayenne and the body guards received gifts from Stefan. Lucia and her daughters received gifts from Luiz and Kyle. To add more, Magnus gave them some cash ced inside a small envelope. It was another bonus to them. Even though they were just employees, they received so much morepared to other servants in some households.


    ¡°Boss, thank you so much for being so good to us and for always helping us when our family needed financial help. We are very grateful for all your help and because of that, we decided to pool some money and give you something in return. They¡¯re not much but I hope you will like it.¡±


    They presented a box to Stefan which was wrapped with simple gift wrapper with a card on top. Just seeing the box, a familiar scene shed in Cayenne¡¯s mind and her lips twitched into a helpless smile. She could already tell what¡¯s inside.


    ¡°This is heavy.¡± He stated as he tried to guess what¡¯s inside it. ¡°Thank you for this gift.¡±


    ¡°You are wee, boss. This is the only way we can think of thanking you.¡±


    Stefan and Cayenne received so many gifts but Stefan¡¯s attention were still on the box given by their bodyguards. He knew that some of the gifts were expensive because they came from his business partners and other wealthy acquaintances. He could even guess what¡¯s inside those gifts but the peak of his interest was still on the box.


    They started the countdown for the Christmas eve toe and when the clock finally turned 12MN, fireworks whistled their way to the sky and exploded like flowers blooming in spring. One after another, they colored the dark sky as everyone gazed at them in awe.


    Stefan brought Cayenne¡¯s hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles one by one. ¡°Merry Christmas, my love.¡±


    ¡°Merry Christmas, hon.¡±


    Under the huge and colorful fireworks, the two of them shared a sweet lingering kiss. It didn¡¯t matter if someone was watching or not. Right this moment, they felt that they were the only people in the world and everyone just blurred in the background.


    The party was concluded around two in the morning and their guests left one after another. Cayenne invited Ingrid and Reuben to stay due to the woman¡¯s pregnancy. She didn¡¯t want them to travel that long back to City D. Cory just got out of the hospital and Stefan was worried for his grandma so, they were invited to stay as well.


    Due to some reasons, the Dumrique and Sugo family were asked to stay. They didn¡¯t have that many rooms in Cayenne¡¯s home but they were able to find ways to share bed with others. The theater room was even converted into a bedroom. It was betterpared to them driving back home. In fact, Stefan was only being cautious knowing that his enemies were still lurking outside, waiting for a chance to attack the people he loves.


    When everyone was settled down, the couple went back to their room which was full of gifts. They were littered on the couch, the floor and some were at the foot of their bed. Cayenne took a deep breath in surprise. Whenever she received gifts from families and friends, she only asked Erwin and Martin to bring them inside their bedroom. She didn¡¯t expect that when umted, it would be so much more than her heart can handle.


    ¡°Other gifts can wait for tomorrow but I will open this box first.¡± Stefanmented and carried the box that their bodyguards gave them. It was time to finally see what¡¯s inside it.


    When Stefan saw the things inside, his face brightened and he smiled widely. It looks like he found some gold inside the box or won a lottery worth millions of dors but in truth, all the things inside the box were just simple items. They¡¯re not expensive but they¡¯re something that makes him really happy ¨C the matching items or couple items.


    Seeing his silly smile, Cayenne rolled her eyes in disbelief. She just couldn¡¯t understand why he¡¯s very obsessed with these things.


    With so many things that happened and from receiving so many gifts, Cayenne didn¡¯t realize that she didn¡¯t receive anything from Stefan. However, the next morning when she woke up, she found herself in an unfamiliar bed. She heard the faint sound of waves crashing on the shore and smelled the salty air around her. Stefan¡¯s gift to her was a rxing time that belongs only to both of them.

 Chapter 659

    Chapter 659: [Bonus chapter] ELIA¡¯S HELP


    The sea breeze blew the curtains softly and caressed Cayenne¡¯s face as she stood at the window, overlooking the beautiful view in front of her. A warm embrace engulfed her and she leaned her head on the broad chest that she grew fond of. Her husband¡¯s hug would always be here safe haven.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Stefan questioned in whisper even though he knew the answer to his question. And Cayenne¡¯s response was to be expected.


    ¡°Of course, I like all surprisesing from you but how did you bring me here? I didn¡¯t notice anything at all. I even slept all the way here.¡±


    Stefan ced his chin on her shoulder and nipped her skin for little kisses before he exined everything to her. It turned out that he prepared everything two weeks ago when Cayenne was busy worrying about so many things. While she was upied with other things to even think for herself, he decided to book a ce where she can rx and spend more time with him. If possible, he wanted to monopolize her time to be spent only with him but he knew it¡¯s impossible.


    On the first day of their vacation, Stefan and Cayenne spent their time inside their hotel room. They yed different games and cuddled, watched movies and cuddled, tried different kinds of foods and made love to burn fats. They justzed around in each other¡¯s arm.


    On the second day, they finally left their love nest and explored the ce. Cayenne didn¡¯t ask her husband where they¡¯re at but now that she got the chance to look around the ce and observe, her eyes widened in surprise. Her mouth was gaping, wanting to say something but she didn¡¯t know where to start.


    Seeing her silly expression, Stefan tugged her hand which he had been holding this whole time and smiled at her. ¡°Why are you just standing there?¡± he asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you like the ce? I thought you wanted toe here one day. So, I arranged things to make it happen.¡±


    .....


    ¡°How?¡± she looked confused and surprised at the same time because she never mentioned this ce to Stefan. She didn¡¯t write this ce anywhere in her diary that she hid at the bottom part of her closet either. ¡°I never said anything about this ce.¡±


    ¡°I had a chat with Luiz and Kyle three weeks ago. I don¡¯t know how the topics of our conversation changed but we eventually got to the point where we talked about the dream ces we wanted to be when we were young. They shared theirs and I shared mine. Then, I asked things about you. Luiz recalled that you wanted to visit this ce one day.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have heard so many things about Philippines andst time, we visited Pwan and I love the ce so much. However, it wasn¡¯t the top ce that I really want to visit. I¡¯ve always wanted to visit Cebu because of its diverse culture and history. And, it just so-happen that ntation Bay is in Cebu.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We have ample time to explore the ind. We can visit their tourist spots during our stay here.¡±


    ¡°Really? How long are we staying here?¡±


    ¡°One week. We¡¯ll have to prepare for New Year once we get back and we need to visit my brother and your mom as well.¡±


    Cayenne hopped happily beside her husband when she learned of his n. There was no limit to how much he spoils his wife.


    On the third day, while Cayenne and Stefan woke up early to start their day and prepare to explore Cebu Ind, Elia was also preparing for her first meeting with Cayenne¡¯s rtive. Her schedule was switched in order to cater the demand at work while others left to spend holidays with their families.


    ¡°Remember, you are only tasked to administer their drugs. You are not allowed to talk to them and you are not allowed to stay longer than five minutes.¡± The supervisor reminded Elia and she was listening patiently with a lot of question marks popping in her head. She wanted to ask some questions but she felt that something bad will happen to her if she pays too much attention about the patients.


    ¡°I understood.¡±


    With heavy footsteps and tension hanging on her shoulders, she made her way to the east wing of the hospital. At the entrance, she was checked twice to make sure that she wasn¡¯t bringing anything unnecessary with her. Thankfully, she clipped the picture to her inner shirt which prompted the guards to miss it. She got into the elevator first and pressed the button to 9th floor.


    Upon reaching the floor, she was asked to surrender her ID badge for verification and once it was confirmed that she was scheduled to work there, they gave her the ID and opened the heavy metal door to another room. This time, instead of white bed and white curtains that you can see in hospitals, what greeted Elia¡¯s eyes was a spectrum of colors. The room didn¡¯t look like a hospital room at all. It was like a hotel room.


    ¡°Hello?¡¯ Elia called out but there was no response from her supposed patients. She looked around the ce and found a woman in the mini-kitchen, sitting on the floor with her eyes staring into space in front of her. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Elia. I¡¯ll be taking care of you for the meantime.¡± She stated without getting any response. She ced the tray on the table and prepared the syringe which she needed to inject to her patient.


    When she looked at the woman closely, she found out that she didn¡¯t resemble Cayenne that much. Keeping her straight face, she opened the cap of the syringe and held the woman¡¯s arm who didn¡¯t resist at all. But to her surprise, the woman looked at Elia with helpless gaze and tears hanging hershes.


    ¡°Wh-what happened? Why are you crying?¡± she questioned and scrambled to her feet. She had no idea what went wrong that made the woman cry. She pulled some tissue paper and handed it to the woman who only stared at it. Left with no choice, Elia wiped the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Are you hurt somewhere?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not crazy.¡± The woman said and sobbed. ¡°Why do you keep injecting me those drugs? I am not crazy! I am not! Why are you doing this to me and my husband?¡±


    ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t.¡±


    The woman was stunned and her tears instantly stopped as if time ceased to move. She was really dumbstruck with what Elia said. ¡°You are not joking?¡±


    ¡°Act like you are angry at me. Pull me closer and slip your hand inside my shirt. You¡¯ll see a picture there. I want you to confirm something to me.¡±


    Elia wasn¡¯t sure if she was doing the right thing or not. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was really helping the Cayenne¡¯s rtive orpromising their health. But, she already took the step. She can¡¯t retreat now.


    Elia had no idea that her every move was being watched through the CCTV cameras but that didn¡¯t mean her patients had no idea as well. Taking her knowledge of the camera¡¯s blind spots, Cayenne¡¯s auntie pounced on Elia and slipped her hand inside Elia¡¯s shirt with twisted expression on her face.


    Elia feigned her struggles and with their perfect act, they managed to outwit the guards. When they rushed over to help Elia, the woman already took the picture from her.


    They pulled Elia away from the patient and while they apprehended the restless patient, Elia took this chance to grab the syringe and inject it to the patient¡¯s arm. No one noticed the anomaly she did except for the patient who felt nothing and yed along with her act.


    As for the man, Elia didn¡¯t have any problem with him since he was still asleep. She just pretended to inject something in him when there¡¯s nothing.


    ¡®Tomorrow, I¡¯ll know if I¡¯m doing this right or not. Oh! God forbid me from making a mistake. This is life I¡¯m talking about.¡¯


    And with that, Elia left the hospital room after the harsh scolding she received from the head guard. She had memorized the face of the patients. Now, she can only hope that Nurse Chin would be able to find someone who¡¯s good at facialposite drawing.

 Chapter 660

    Chapter 660: HIS EXCLUSIVE MODEL


    Stefan decided to rent a car for their own use while on vacation instead of having someone drive them around. Now that he wanted to have alone time with his wife, not even a driver can bother him. For him, it¡¯s better if there¡¯s just the two of them on their trip. They can do whatever they wanted to do without worrying about other people¡¯s opinion ¨C not that it matters to him but he didn¡¯t want his wife to feel awkward.


    As of the moment, they¡¯re crossing the Mactan Bridge ¨C one of the famous bridges in the Philippines along with San Juanico Bridge that connects Samar and Leyte.


    Cayenne could feel the vibrations of the ground through the car and it thrilled her at the same time made her feel worry.


    ¡°I feel really nervous now that I see the ce with my own eyes.¡± Shemented as they slowly descend on the ramp which connects the ce to another city. ¡°It¡¯s really amazing. The bridge is shorterpared to other bridges I¡¯ve visited before but it is still amazing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to states sometime and we can cross the Golden Gate. I¡¯m pretty sure you will like it.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m looking forward to that.¡± She excitedly responded and kissed his knuckles several times. It¡¯s a mystery how they didn¡¯t get tired of holding their hands. Wherever they go, Stefan¡¯s hand would naturally seek thefort of his wife¡¯s hand and he wouldn¡¯t let go of her unless he needed to. If it was other couple, they would certainly feel annoyed and think that their partner is too clingy.


    However, being clingy has a different opposite to Stefan. It¡¯s not certain if it¡¯s only for now or forever but Stefan loves it when Cayenne acts clingy and coy in front of him. Nah! He¡¯d even allow her to hold his life in the cusp of her palms.


    .....


    Since it was Christmas break, the highways weren¡¯t that traffic and they were able to reach their destination earlier than expected. Stefan parked the car with the help of some people who lead them the way to the right parking lot and he gave them tips.


    They stretched their legs the moment they got out of the car which have been sore from sitting for too long. Cayenne also checked her handbag to make sure that she got all her little things that she needed. As for Stefan, he only have his camera in his left hand and Cayenne¡¯s hand on the other ¨C that¡¯s that.


    Cayenne looked around and saw some street vendors and her stomach growled on time. Stifling hisughter, Stefan led the way and got her some snacks. They¡¯re rich but they were once poor and lived an ordinary life. So having street food was something normal to them.


    ¡°I want two banana cues and two bottles of water.¡± Stefan stated but it was Cayenne who paid. Obviously, he¡¯s wallet and cards were given to her.


    Other couple has this notion of my money is mine and your money is yours. That¡¯s true for couples who both work. In their case, Cayenne¡¯s money is hers and Stefan¡¯s money is hers. Even if she will refuse it, she will still find his cards and wallet inside her bag. Sometimes, if Stefan has to go out alone, he will bring his wallet and a card which was for emergency purposes. And by emergency, that¡¯s when he sneaks out and buy matching outfits without her knowledge.


    The two of them walked side by side while eating. Stefan¡¯s camera was dangling around his neck as he ate his food.


    ¡°Too sweet.¡± Hemented while opening the water bottle with his teeth.


    ¡°You can let go of me, you know.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± He answered immediately before he could drink his water. ¡°I like it like this.¡±


    Cayenne could only roll her eyes out of helplessness. What else can she do?


    As they walked towards the center of the za where the famous Magen¡¯s Cross can be seen, something caught Stefan¡¯s attention.


    ¡°What is that ce?¡± He mumbled which caught Cayenne¡¯s attention as well. She followed his line of sight and saw the amazing masterpiece which parallels to the beauty of other Ruins that she saw in books.


    ¡°Let me check.¡± She stated and this time, Stefan let go of her hand so she can get her phone from her bag. Before leaving, the staff at ntation Bay lent them a pocket Wi-Fi when Stefan asked for it so that they¡¯ll have inte to use along the way. Unlike other countries, the Philippines didn¡¯t have Wi-Fi that can be essed anywhere. Filipinos depend on their cellwork and the signal also depends on the ce. Not all ces have signal that¡¯s especially for ces in countryside. Since they¡¯re in the heart of the city, they didn¡¯t have to worry for such matter.


    Cayenne took a picture when she searched for the ce and the result amazed her even more. ¡°This is called Compa?¨ªa Mar¨ªtima Building also known as the Mar¨ªtima Ruins ¨C a neossical heritage building built in 1910.¡±


    ¡°Cool. Let me take a picture of you over there.¡± Stefan dered and just like that, he started taking pictures of his wife. She was his muse for his photography skills and she likes every minute that she spent posing for him.


    Stefan guided her where to stand, what to do and all other things just to get the best shots for her. They also took few pictures together with the help of other tourists like them. They might have few pictures together but all of them show how intimate they were.


    ¡°Your wife looks really lovely. You¡¯re a good match.¡± Says the person who took the pictures for them. ¡°She can work as a model, too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Cayenne replied with a soft smile. ¡°But I prefer to model for my husband alone.¡± She added which earned her a nod from the man.


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet. Well, you both enjoy your day.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Stefan replied curtly and received his camera back.


    He looked at the pictures that the man took and a smile appeared on his lips. Cayenne was truly beautiful beside him.


    ¡®Oh! I got an idea for our wedding!¡¯ He told himself and made mental notation with hope that he won¡¯t forget it as well.


    They moved on their way and walked towards the Magen¡¯s Cross which brought them a new learning about the city¡¯s history and culture.


    Just beside the stone kiosk was the Basilica del Santo Ni?o which was the home of the original and oldest religious relic in the Philippines. Every January, the city holds a grand festival which they called Sinulog in honor to the holy child Sto. Ni?o.


    By the time they finished touring the huge church, it was almost lunch time. Cayenne beamed happily at her husband who was looking for some ce to eat.


    ¡°No fancy restaurant today. Let¡¯s go for fast foods.¡± She suggested to give him an easy time. Another reason was that, she was just really hungry and she wanted to eat soon.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll make it up to you once we get home.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to make up for? Food is food to me. Don¡¯t worry about it. We just had street food snacks, remember? There¡¯s no big deal if we have fastfood for lunch.¡±


    Hearing her litany about food, Stefan shakes his head and chuckled. He could never win when she starts to reason with him unless it¡¯s security their talking about.


    In the end, they chose to eat lunch in Chowking -a Chinese-style fastfood which was close to the church.


    After eating, they continued to explore the ce and since Cayenne likes churches that much, they decided to visit the Cathedral next.


    As they explored the ind and enjoyed their time together, someone was very restless.


    Elia was pacing back-and-forth inside the lounge room. She was currently having her break and was also waiting for Artemis toe. She already texted her and was waiting for her but it¡¯s been ten minutes and the woman was still nowhere to be seen.


    The door was pushed open which startled Elia but the woman who came inside wasn¡¯t someone she expected. She pursed her lips and looked outside the window, trying to calm herself.


    ¡°Nurse Elia, I am here in behalf of my sister. She still have something to do so, here I am. Do you mind if we talk somewhere private?¡±

 Chapter 661

    Chapter 661: [Bonus chapter] ABNORMAL FAMILY


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know she has a sister.¡± Eliamented the moment she got inside a vacant room with Diana. ¡°So, both of you are looking for the same people?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re our parents. She told me that you are good friends with Cayenne and Stefan.¡±


    Elia smiled awkwardly and scratched her cheeks with faint smile gracing her lips. ¡°I won¡¯t say we¡¯re close friends. We just happen to know each other and they trusted me about this thing. They didn¡¯t tell me that they¡¯re your parents, though. Anyway, I¡¯m d I can be of little help.¡±


    ¡°As much as I appreciate your help all this time, I am also worried for you. Nurse Elia ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Elia. Just Elia please. We don¡¯t have to be so formal around each other.¡± Eliamented to dispel the tense atmosphere around them. She didn¡¯t want to add more tension to what she already felt.


    ¡°Elia. Alright. Let me be honest with you. Our family isn¡¯t normal ¨C like what you see in your neighborhood. We¡¯re a little ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s because of your wealth, right? I did some research and found some peculiar news surrounding your family.¡±


    .....


    Diana sighed helplessly as she sat on a chair and motioned for Elia to do the same. ¡°I guess you have understood the nature of my family at some point. Since you have some knowledge about it, I¡¯d like you to withdraw your involvement from this matter.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°My sister must have mentioned to you that this matter is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s dangerous about me administering their drugs and taking care of them?¡±


    Diana didn¡¯t know whether tomend her bravery or smack the woman¡¯s face from being foolish. She was thankful ¨C yes, but there¡¯s no way she¡¯d continue to put someone¡¯s life in danger for her selfishness. Diana has changed after Cayenne¡¯s kidnapping incident.


    ¡°Look, Cayenne will me me if something bad happens to you.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to tell her. I am no one important in their life.¡±


    ¡°But you are still important in someone¡¯s life ¨C your parents and rtives. Don¡¯t be selfish.¡±


    Elia only looked at Diana without saying anything. Few secondster, she nodded her head in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll let you deal with everything. I¡¯ll just ry some information to you through text messages. We don¡¯t have to meet again in the future.¡±


    ¡°Right. That¡¯s better. So, tell me about what you see. I am good inposite drawing or I can show you more pictures of my parents to confirm.¡±


    ¡°Second option will save us more time.¡±


    Diana took out her phone and showed Elia some pictures. When she looked at them, a deep frown appeared on her face. ¡°Your parents, uh...they look very different to the people I met. Well, they¡¯re old now and a little emaciated. At the same time, they hold resemnce to these two in the pictures. They don¡¯t look like you, though.¡±


    Diana and Artemis have been disguising themselves so it was natural that Elia would say they looked differentpared to their parents.


    ¡°The man has resemnce with Cayenne if I must make someparison. So, they must be really your parents.¡± Elia added after some time when she sensed that Diana has gone silent beside her. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll try my best to get some samples for you to conduct a DNA test for confirmation. At the same time, if you really believe that they are your parents, you should make preparations to escape.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Just worry about yourself and make sure that no one will find out about this matter. Be careful of the people around you.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I¡¯ll go back to work now. I¡¯ve been away for too long. Some people will start to suspect me.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you for your help.¡±


    The next day, the help they¡¯ve been waiting for has finallye. Chris used his connections to bring several soldiers and mercenaries who can help with the escape n that Diana proposed. Tristan already briefed everyone as to what they should do and Chris was willing to help to repay Cayenne and Stefan for being such a good friend to him and Rissy.


    ¡°I will be applying as a janitor during the operation. I already bribed several people inside the hospital. We only have one chance so make sure to do your job properly.¡± Chris told his colleagues who came along with him to help. As for the mercenaries, they have disguised themselves as well.


    Diana received the confirmation from Tristan making her finally feel a sense of relief. ¡°This is it. We can only hope that everything will go ording to n.¡±


    ¡°We will finally reunite with our parents.¡± Artemis stated emotionally. They have been longing for their parents who were absent most part of their lives and now, with Stefan¡¯s help, they could see them in few days.


    Meanwhile, Elia has gone to do her job once again. This time, she was very cautious when she got inside. To her surprise, the couple was sitting on a couch at the window without making any noise. They didn¡¯t even turn their heads to look at her.


    When she got close, she found out that the two of them were looking at Cayenne¡¯s picture.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the shots now.¡± Elia stated and opened the cap of the syringe. Instead of using the prescribed medicine, Elia has changed it to some painkiller instead.


    ¡°We trust you.¡±


    The woman said and smiled.


    ¡°Get some rest and try to exercise as much as you can. Walking around the room will help. I¡¯ll volunteer to bring your foodter.¡±


    Elia left as soon as she could after getting few strands of the couple¡¯s hair in secret. When she got out, the guard checked her again and let her go after finding that she has nothing on her.


    ¡°I find her really suspicious. Follow her.¡± The head of the guards ordered through their bluetooth earpiece. One of the men left his station and secretly followed Elia. ¡°It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. Remember, we are paid to guard this couple no matter what happens. They¡¯re not allowed to leave this institution even if our employer dies.¡±


    ¡°Boss, what about our sry?¡± Someone asked. It never really ured to them that something will happen to their employer and they haven¡¯t heard anything about the old Rule being caught. Their boss didn¡¯t say anything to them.


    ¡°Someone else will be taking care of that. Just make sure that you are doing your job.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    Right! How could Jean Nikko Rule allow such mistake to happen. Even if he dies, even if he rots in jail, he will do everything to drag everyone to hell with him.


    He won¡¯t let anyone have their happy ending. If he suffers and so will everyone.

 Chapter 662

    Chapter 662: RESIGNATION


    On their fifth day of vacation, Stefan and Cayenne left ntation Bay and traveled south of the ind. They were onto theirst tourist spot on the list which was Oslob.


    This ce is famous for viewing whales. They have seen pictures and videos of the ce and Cayenne was very thrilled to experience it.


    They checked-in to their chosen resort and took few hours of rest after a long travel.


    ¡°I have so many pictures of you.¡± Stefanmented while looking at his camera. ¡°Here. Pick the best three pics that you like and I¡¯ll have it developed.¡±


    ¡°Just three? I want them all.¡± She mumbled which caused her husband to chuckle. With his head on her shoulder, Cayenne chose the pictures that she liked the most.


    Not long after, Cayenne felt that Stefan¡¯s head was lolling on her shoulder. Taking a nce to the man beside her, she found out that he has fallen asleep. He was driving the car for several hours from north to south which took almost 5hrs due to traffic. It was really out of their expectation that traveling south of the ind would take so much time.


    She slowly ced her hand on his head and lifted his head down to herp so he can use it as a pillow. He stirred from his sleep but feeling the warm and soft flesh pillow, he turned to his side and hugged her waist with his face pressed on her tummy.


    .....


    By the time that Stefan woke up, Cayenne has chosen three pictures of them and the sky was streaked with red-orange rays from the sunset. The surrounding was getting darker yet, many people were still roaming outside, enjoying their life and the view that nature has offered them.


    Cayenne noticed that he was wide awake and was staring at her with heated gazed. ¡°How¡¯s your sleep?¡± She asked right after cing a quick kiss on his forehead. She looked at him with her heart on her sleeve just like what he always does to her.


    ¡°I slept really well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know. I ordered some food already and it will be served 30 minutes from now. Would you like to have a night swimming with meter?¡±


    ¡°Great! You¡¯ve offered me something amazing.¡±


    With the time she spent with him, Cayenne already knew that Stefan was thinking. Her face was red from the thing she imagined but she immediately dismissed the idea. He could be joking with her. ¡®Hopefully, he was but...¡¯ Cayenne looked at her husband who was looking at her mischievously and before she could stop herself, she was already pinching his face and squishing them.


    ¡°Ahw! Ahw! Ayen, I didn¡¯t do anything yet. Why are you punishing me?¡± Heined and sulked with his head on herp. It seems like he has no n of getting up at the moment.


    Instead of answering him, she squished his face even more and kissed the tip of his nose at the same time. ¡°My naughty husband is acting innocent. Others might believe it but not me! Hmp! You have taken advantage of me several times already.¡±


    ¡°A husband taking advantage of his wife. Hmm...I don¡¯t think that¡¯s illegal.¡± Stefan retorted which earned him light bite on his nose from his wife. He was having fun teasing her again.


    Meanwhile...


    Chris and some of his men infiltrated the mental hospital and gathered the needed blue print base on the description that Elia has provided them.


    So far, she wasn¡¯t caught in the act and the people who had been tailing her have gained nothing. She stopped meeting with Diana and Artemis but that didn¡¯t mean they stopped theirmunication as well.


    Currently, the Rule sisters along with Chris and his men were having a meeting in one of their meet up ce in the ind. No one knew about it and it was away from the prying eyes of civilians.


    ¡°Based on this information, we¡¯ll have to arrange men in all floors of this wing and attack at the same time. We cannot start from the bottom to top or top to bottom. The enemies will have time to escape or ask for reinforcement. We¡¯ll have to sweep them in one go.¡±


    Diana agreed with the solution but there¡¯s one thing they needed to know. ¡°How will get inside without anyone noticing this abrupt changes?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get inside from the emergency exit. They have not stationed anyone there because of their over confidence. I¡¯ll lead my men to get into position and your job is to secure them at the exit, bring them to the port and get them out of this ind using the yacht. You don¡¯t have to worry about us. We¡¯ll follow right after using another jet.¡±


    ¡°Uhmm...¡± Artemis raised her hand and everyone looked at her. ¡°Elia is important to Cayenne and she¡¯s been helping us. Are we taking her out of this ce as well? If we won¡¯t and the enemy get hold of her, she¡¯d be in grave danger.¡±


    ¡°Have you discussed this matter with her?¡± Chris asked them but the two sisters shook their head. ¡°I¡¯ll inform Cayenne about this and see if she has any ns. If not, we¡¯ll have to let her resign as soon as possible. Immediate resignation should be fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell her about it. It¡¯d be best if we can get Cayenne¡¯s opinion as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. As far as I know, Stefan brought her to some ce for vacation. It highly doubt they¡¯d answer my call. Stefan would be upset if his date gets disturbed.¡±


    Knowing him, they all agreed to what Chris said. Stefan¡¯s world revolved around Cayenne after all.


    THE NEXT day, Elia submitted her resignation letter and when she informed the siblings about it, they were quite surprised. They didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d be doing the same thing that they have in mind.


    ¡°Are you really sure with this decision? Why so sudden? You didn¡¯t resign when your heart got broken so why now?¡± One of her colleagues asked when they learned the news from another superior who also felt bad from Elia¡¯s decision.


    As the person in question, Elia could only smile faintly and exined what she thought was reasonable enough for them.


    ¡°I want to spend more time with my family. I haven¡¯t been home since I went against them for my rtionship. Anyway, I just want to go home and help my family with the business.¡±


    ¡°You are nning to return home? I didn¡¯t know you are so filial.¡±


    Elia turned around upon hearing thisment from a very familiar person. However, instead of getting angry from his insult, she only looked at him before leaving without saying a single word.


    ¡°So rude.¡± He muttered but while watching her leave, he felt something was chipping on his heart. He rubbed his chest for few seconds before turning around as well.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened between the two of you but you don¡¯t have the right to throw insults to the woman who sacrificed so much for you! I can¡¯t believe she fell in love with you. How unlucky!¡±


    With that, the woman left without looking back. He was left there dumbfounded. ¡®Sacrifice for me? Why would she do that?¡¯ He thought to himself but before he could ask more questions, his phone rang and a woman¡¯s angry voice almost tore his ears off. She was so angry at him but unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t feel sorry. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with me?¡¯

 Chapter 663

    Chapter 663: GREETING THE NEW YEAR WITH ¨C


    ¡°Look at that!¡± Cayenne eximed happily when she saw therge spotted shark not far from them. Cebuanomonly called these living creatures ¡®butanding¡¯, arge spotted shark found in warm surface waters and they resembled the whales which feed on nktons. Marine biologists called them whale sharks.


    They became a huge attraction to people and though humans can swim alongside them, they weren¡¯t allowed to touch them and take pictures with shes due to their sensitivity.


    Cayenne was so excited to see them up-close and Stefan couldn¡¯t stop smiling as well. Her happiness was so contagious that he felt nothing else but an overwhelming sense of joy and aplishment. Seeing his wife happy proves that he was doing a great job as a husband.


    He made it his mission to protect her well-being and her happiness and everyone can see that he was so good in that matter.


    ¡°Let me double check your equipment. I don¡¯t want you having a problem underwaterter.¡± Stefanmented which brought her attention back to him.


    ¡°You have checked it for the nth time today. Besides, you¡¯d be staying with me all the time, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t let you go down there by yourself.¡±


    .....


    On the boat, the other tourists couldn¡¯t stop themselves from stealing nces at Stefan and Cayenne. They were envious of their sweetness and others felt like stealing Stefan from Cayenne. Not just them ¨C people started throwing their attention to the couple as they neared the swimming zone for the whale sharks.


    Oblivious to their interests, Stefan went down first and emerged from the water few secondster. Making sure that it was safe for her to go down, he waited for Cayenne to follow him.


    ¡°Look at them! They¡¯re very sweet to each other but you ¨C you disdain showing sweetness in public. What¡¯s wrong with PDA?!¡± One of the tourist questioned her partner in whisper.


    ¡°PDA is only for boyfriend-girlfriend couple. We¡¯ve done that when we¡¯re dating. We should learn to be conservative now.¡± The man responded, quite reasonable for other couple who shares the same ideology as him.


    However, this man would be scolded once againter on when his wife finds out that Cayenne and Stefan are married. But that¡¯s a story for another day.


    Swimming underwater felt so good and refreshing for Cayenne. It¡¯s not like it was her first time swimming in the sea but it always felt magnificent to her. The fishes, the turtles, the whale sharks and other sea creatures that surrounded them made her think of a wonderful sea world. The scene in front of her was just indescribable to her.


    Stefan took a video of her underwater with the sea creatures as well as pictures that he can develop. One of the scuba divers took picture of them, too.


    Even after two hours, Cayenne still marveled at the beauty of the sea. Even when they reached the bay, she still talked about the experience she had. She was just like a child in front of him.


    ¡°Wherever it is that you want to go, I¡¯ll travel it with you.¡± Stefanmented which stunned her from chattering. It was just so sudden which made her blush under his gaze.


    After few seconds, she nodded her head and hum a response.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s my reward for taking you here?¡± Stefan questioned which made her blush even more.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you get itst night?¡±


    ¡°That was my reward for driving you around yesterday. Today, I¡¯ll take my reward for diving with you. How does the bathroom sound?¡±


    ¡°It sounds awful.¡±


    ¡°Kitchen?¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°The jacuzzi?¡±


    ¡°Shameless. So shameless.¡± Cayenne retorted with faint shaking of her head.


    ¡°Jacuzzi it is.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Her eyes widened from the choice but he only winked at her. ¡°Are you serious! That¡¯s outside the house! Someone can see us! I am not an exhibitionist!¡± She whispered while ring daggers at him.


    ¡°Hmmm....kitchen then?¡±


    Cayenne was lost for words with her husband¡¯s teasing. If only he was teasing which he was not. And with that, Cayenne was bound to be his food for dinnerter that day.


    ***


    As time went by, Diana and Artemis were getting more excited to see their parents. They have been preparing for this day and they will soon unite.


    Because of their eagerness to see their parents, Elia was also looking forward to see her family. She had been away since college days and she was even more ashamed when her parents proved to her that the choice she made was wrong.


    It would have been good if she proved them that she was right after she left but things didn¡¯t go her way.


    Although she¡¯s broken, she¡¯s determined to change her life and be worthy of being her parents¡¯ lovely daughter. She wanted to do her best to make them proud of her.


    ¡°Tomorrow night, we willmence with our mission. Most people will be away because of the holiday and some of the employees will be toox to work because of the celebration. We¡¯ll take this chance to infiltrate the private wing.¡± Chris dered which earned him affirmative response. They didn¡¯t have time to meet up anymore. They¡¯ll have to make a fast attack and quick retreat. They can¡¯t afford to dawdle around anymore.


    The weather was harsher than yesterday. It was cold and snowstorm was even reported yet, the me of excitement and anticipation didn¡¯t die down from within the Rule sisters. To hell with snowstorm. Now that they¡¯ve found their parents, no one can stop them from meeting them.


    On the third floor of the hospital, standing near the ss to ceiling window, a man was looking outside with confused expression. The world was white and snow was falling rapidly. It was cold. His heart was cold. For some reason, he felt like he has forgotten something so important. The words his girlfriend said echoed in his head. ¡®No matter what happens to Elia, do note close to her. She¡¯s dangerous. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡¯ He disdained Elia for whatever reason his girlfriend said to him but whenever he watches her leave, his heart ached so much to the point that he wanted to rip his chest open.


    ¡°Sacrifices for me? Elia.¡± His head throbbed in pain and he immediately massaged his temple to ease it. ¡°Why the heck am I thinking of that woman?!¡± He questioned himself angrily, not wanting to have anything to do with her.

 Chapter 664

    Chapter 664: CAYENNE AND STEFAN WERE MISSING


    After spending a week in Cebu Ind and exploring the ce to her heart¡¯s content, Cayenne was no excited to return home and share to her family the beautiful ces that she went to. Although she was enthralled with the beautiful ce, nothing could beat the beauty of her home with her family. She would have prepared her luggage for the return trip already if not for the fact that Stefan was hovering above her while she was lying on the coffee table inside their suite.


    She bit her lower lip to stop herself from moaning but her hands were betraying her as she pulled him even closer to her core where he was licking her folds and drinking the liquid that came out from within. The lewd slurping sounds he made brought another shade of blush on her face but she was too deep in pleasure to even bother with her shyness.


    Stefan suddenly inserted two of his fingers causing Cayenne to shriek from the satisfying pleasure she felt but not long after, she tried meeting his thrust in order to reach the spot that she wanted him to touch. However, Stefan had different ns. He wanted to take things slow this time and enjoy every second of it with her.


    ¡°Stefan...¡± Cayenne called out his name and unconsciously wrapped her legs around his neck. She had her eyes closed in ecstasy and she had forgotten about the flight that they needed to take. She threw all her inhibitions and allowed her husband to do whatever he wants. ¡°Just take me fast and hard. You can be rough with me. Just don¡¯t make me wait.¡±


    ¡°Be patient, honey.¡±


    ¡°Want me to wait or want me to lock you out of our bedroom?¡±


    Her threat seemed to be working because Stefan stood up and pulled her along with him. She thought they¡¯d continue on the bed but Stefan sat on the couch instead and had her straddle him. ¡°Be my cowgirl, then. Take whatever it is that you want.¡±


    .....


    Cayenne didn¡¯t care anymore. She needed him inside her to fill in the craving she wanted to satisfy so much and if he won¡¯t make another step to do it, she¡¯d be d to take the next action herself. She¡¯s doing it with her husband anyway. She can just swallow her shyness and be bold in front of him.


    She arched her back a little and took his length with her warm hands. She felt him shiver with her touch and she smiled in triumph when she noticed it. She pressed the bulbous head onto her gaping entrance but she didn¡¯t insert it immediately. If he can tease her then, why can¡¯t she?


    Stefan was breathing heavily in anticipation. He suddenly tightened her hold on her hipbones, urging her to get down on him but Cayenne refused. She smirked while looking at him mischievously.


    His voice was raspy and low, a music to her ears as she continued to tease him. He said, ¡°Hon, I¡¯m not a criminal. Don¡¯t torture me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a sweet torture, don¡¯t you like it?¡± she whispered as she leaned closer and licked his lower lip. ¡°It¡¯s my game this time.¡±


    Despite wanting to put his shaft in her, Stefan held on to what little control he has to stop himself because he wanted to give her power over him in bed as well.


    Seeing him grit his teeth and bit his lower lip next, Cayenne impaled herself on him which caught Stefan off-guard. She closed her eyes and hugged his head to her chest which was a wrong step. Having offered herself to him, Stefan took this chance to lick and slightly bit her nipple.


    ¡°Wait. Not that ¨C ¡±


    ¡°You offered yourself to me babe.¡± Stefan whispered before licking her throat and kissed it. He was leaving his marks all over her and there was no part of her body that he hasn¡¯t touched.


    ¡°Slowly. Take me slow first.¡±


    Being the loving husband he was, Stefan obliged her request and took her slow. ¡°Shall we do this ¡¯til you pass out? We can reschedule the flight.¡± he teased but Cayenne was so deep in pleasure to even think of answer to his question.


    ***


    It was already pass 8:00 in the evening in City B and Cayenne¡¯s family have prepared everything to greet the new start of the year. Luiz was responsible for the food with the help of Lucia and her daughters. Kyle decorated the garden where they nned to gather and Erwin helped him as well. Jonas was responsible for greeting their guests.


    It was just a family gathering.


    ¡°Have they called you for any update?¡± Jonas asked Luiz who had been ncing at the gate. They called them earlier and was told that they¡¯d arrive around 8:00 but up until now, they haven¡¯t showed up yet. Luiz shook his head as a form of answer to his father¡¯s question. He had been waiting for their update as well.


    Another half an hour has passed and Luiz tried calling them again. This time, the automated response came out which made him frown.


    [The subscriber could not be reached. Please try your callter.]


    He tried calling Stefan and got the same response.


    His frown deepened and it did not escape Kyle¡¯s observation. He walked over to his brother and asked what was wrong. Luiz told him that he couldn¡¯t reach their sister and brother-inw. Worried that something has happened to them, Kyle sent Tristan a message.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine, right?¡± Luiz asked, holding on to the hope that Tristan would call them back soon and inform them of their well-being.


    Not long after, Tristan called them that thest location of Stefan and Cayenne¡¯s phone before it was turned off was thousands of feet above sea level. They were just about a sigh of relief when Tristan added another information. ¡°Thest time they used their- phone based on the logs of activities- was about 2 hours ago. If we deduce their travel time from Cebu Ind back here, they should have arrived at the airport already. However, they have not turned off their phone and the driver said that he has not seen them yet.¡±


    ¡°The ne ¨C ¡± Kyle stuttered with a pale face. He didn¡¯t want to think negatively but he just couldn¡¯t erase the bad premonition he was feeling. ¡°can you check if the ne hasnded? Will you be able to ess to the airportswork?¡±


    ¡°Give a minute. I was in the middle of doing that.¡± Kyle tried to calm himself while listening to the sound of the keyboards from the background. Luiz was sitting next to him with impassive expression on his face. He couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking.


    While the two of them were being secretive, their family have noticed something was odd with them.


    ¡°Did something happen to Yen and Stefan?¡± Magnus asked without the slightest bit of hesitation. He knew that the two brothers cared for their sister so much. Aside from her, he didn¡¯t know anyone who could worry both of them now. It could only mean that his son and daughter-inw were in danger.

 Chapter 665

    Chapter 665: HIJACKED


    It was really unexpected turn of events. Who would have thought that the ne they boarded will be hijacked? Cayenne was taking a video of herself and Stefan while cuddling sweetly when someone grabbed her phone and throw it on the floor. The man stomped on it again and again until it was unrecognizable. On his other hand, a gun was pointing towards Cayenne which stopped her from saying anything. Apparently, he saw that Cayenne caught a side profile of his face when she was taking a video. She didn¡¯t even know what their intention was until she saw the gun he was holding.


    ¡°Give me your phone.¡± He demanded angrily while pointing the gun towards Stefan now. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you are a couple. Who knows what you will do? She could have sent that video to you and I won¡¯t be taking that risk.¡±


    Stefan raised his eyebrow mockingly but gave his phone anyway. It was a better choice than to anger the man and risk his wife dying in his arms. ¡°Here.¡±


    The man turned around and asked everyone for their phone. He didn¡¯t want to take chances of any passenger who might take videos of him and his aplice.


    They took their phone one after another and ced them inside the ck bag that the other man carried. ¡°Put your hands behind your head and face down on your seat. One wrong move and I will shoot you immediately.¡±


    Some passengers were already crying, others were praying and some looked pale due to anxiety. This incident was really nerve-wracking especially that these people were just probably going home to see their loved ones or probably nning to have a new year vacation. At this point, it wasn¡¯t even a guarantee if they couldnd safely.


    ¡°What shall we do now?¡± Cayenne whispered. Her voice was trembling from fear but she remained calm in front of him. She didn¡¯t panic or show them that she was scared.


    .....


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see that they want. They could be doing this for mary gain, personal grievances or maybe due to some political disputes.¡± Stefan retorted while keeping his eyes on her and staying vignt of their surroundings. The man was walking down the aisle and stopped right beside Cayenne.


    Her breathing stopped for a moment when she saw the gun from her peripheral vision. ¡°Give me all your money.¡± The man stated and the woman behind Cayenne¡¯s seat freaked out. Cayenne thought he was pointing the gun at her but she felt guilty and relieved when she realized he was asking the woman behind her.


    The woman stood up and pulled out her bag to get her wallet. She took all of her cash and gave it to the man.


    ¡°Is this everything you have?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. I don¡¯t have any money left.¡± The woman responded as she tried to take a seat while clutching her bag. Seeing this subtle action, the man grabbed the bag and opened it himself. ¡°Please, not that. It¡¯s my birthday gift.¡±


    ¡°Well...¡± the man took all the money he found inside the bag and returned the bag to the young woman. ¡°Goodbye birthday gift.¡± He calmly said and pulled the trigger of his gun.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    The woman was jerked back on her seat with her bag in hand. The man moved away like nothing happened and looked around the passengers. It was a sobbing mess inside the ne and even the stewardess could no longer keep their calm. Any moment, they could be the next victim.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on to you.¡± The man stated and walked to an elderly who looked rich.


    It was at this point that Stefan regretted his decision so much. He booked first ss seats for both of them but Cayenne insisted of traveling withmon people instead of wasting money on an expensive seat that is just the same as normal seats for her. If he didn¡¯t go along with her whims, this wouldn¡¯t have happened to them. But he couldn¡¯t me Cayenne. His wife was never someone who likes to boast money and power. She likes to live normally and do things thatmon people do.


    Stefan could only me the criminals who were trying to hurt them.


    Behind their seat, the woman groaned and slowly opened her eyes but the person next to her covered her mouth which stunned her and winced in pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make any noise.¡± the other woman said in whisper while taking her hand. ¡°Lucky, aren¡¯t you?¡± she muttered while taking some clothes from the woman¡¯s bag. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about the money you lost. You can earn it again but you will never earn back your life if you lost it.¡±


    Stefan noticed that the criminals were far from them so he took a peek at the people sitting behind them. When his eyes met with the other woman who was helping the first victim from losing so much blood, he felt familiarity in her eyes. He just didn¡¯t know where he met her.


    After administering first aid, the woman told the victim to sleep or at least pretend that she was unconscious. Once everything was set, she nodded her head towards Stefan to subtly acknowledge his presence.


    Stefan didn¡¯t say a word and pulled Cayenne closer to him. He had this feeling that everything will be fine when he saw the woman sitting behind them. There was this look in her eyes that tells him those criminals will die.


    ¡°Ayen, everything will be fine. We will get back home soon.¡± Stefan whispered and kissed the top of her head.


    Not long after, the woman raised her hand while keeping her head down. One of the men walked towards her and pointed his gun on her head, she flinched in fear and trembled next to him.


    ¡°I ... go ¨C ¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± The man pressed the nuzzle on her head which turned her pale.


    She instantly shut her eyes in fear and opened her mouth once again. ¡°I want to go to the CR.¡±


    ¡°Stand!¡± The man stated at the same time, he pulled her up with so much force. If she was a child with so small bones, he could have dislocated her bone.


    She walked ahead of him quietly to the bathroom and when she was in between him and the other man, she counted her steps and moved slowly.


    ¡°Walk faster!¡± the man pushed her to move forward which was what she waited the most. She stumbled andnded in the arms of the other criminal and before he could throw curses in the air, his eyes went wide as he looked down on her smiling lips.


    To the other man who was following her, it seems like the woman was flirting with his aplice. Her elbow was jutting out which shows that her hand was on the man¡¯s lower body. He thought she was touching some precious organ right in front of them.


    ¡°Hey! Stop flirti ¨C ¡± The man cut off his statement when he noticed a small trail of blood on his amigo¡¯s lips and it finally dawned on him that the woman wasn¡¯t flirting. She was attacking his friend. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± He said as he pulled someone closest to him and hold him hostage. ¡°Move and I¡¯ll let you see an explosion of brain.¡±


    ¡°Please...help me...don¡¯t let me die.¡± the man stated who seems to be of the same age as Luiz. ¡°I still want to apologize to my parents. Please. I¡¯m begging you.¡±


    The woman stepped away from the man she just killed and raised her hands in the air.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your gun?¡±


    The woman tilted her head to the side as if confused with his question. ¡°I don¡¯t have a gun. I used the one he was holding to kill himself.¡±


    ¡°Liar! I saw you ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Saw me what?¡± she questioned back with obvious mockery. ¡°You saw me walk with nothing in my hand. It wasn¡¯t my fault that I stumbled after you pushed me! I wouldn¡¯t have fallen into that man who was ready to pull the trigger anytime.¡± She saw Stefan standing up from his seat and Cayenne was clutching tightly on his shirt to stop him. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault.¡± The woman continued to distract the man with their conversation.


    ¡°All of you ... ¡°The man whirled around and Stefan sat back on his seat. ¡°Take out all your money and pass them all to me or I will shoot this man and the windows! We can all die together!¡±


    The passengers immediately stood up to get their things and hand him their money. They didn¡¯t want to die like the first passenger who refused to give the money. Well, they thought that she died but she didn¡¯t.


    The man was bing restless with so many people around. He kept moving around with his victim in his arms. His gun was pressed on the man¡¯s head and one wrong step, he could blow his brain away.


    He was wary of the woman who just killed the other criminal so he didn¡¯t dare show his back on her. He had no idea that someone else was observing him.


    As soon as the opportunity showed up, Stefan pounced on the man. He grabbed his hand away from the hostage and the hostage took this chance to bite the wrist of the criminal. Stefan tried his best to subdue the criminal and everyone ducked in fear of getting hit identally. Some were shouting in fear and others have fainted. Not long after, they heard a loud gunshot. Everyone looked towards Stefan who looked petrified and then they looked towards the criminal who was grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to crash!¡±

 Chapter 666

    Chapter 666: OLIVIA REAPPEARS


    Passengers panicked but not Stefan and the woman who just killed someone. The two of them apprehended the man and took the gun from him. Stefan subdued him and bound the man¡¯s arms on his back.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Stefan yelled out for everyone to hear. ¡°Calm down. Everything¡¯s fine.¡± Stefan stated once again when the noise has died down. He opened the overheadpartment and saw the bullet stuck in one of the bags there. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he left the bullet there.


    ¡°You are not getting that away from my bag?¡± an elderly asked when she found him walking away without taking it.


    Stefan turned his head to look at the woman with a faint smile. ¡°Ma¡¯am, that¡¯s conclusive evidence and the police will have to take it themselves. Don¡¯t worry, you will be able to get your things and they won¡¯t implicate you.¡± The woman nodded her head in understanding and went back to her seat.


    Seeing that everyone has calmed down, Stefan walked back to his seat and kicked the tied-up criminal as he passed by him. The man groaned in pain but before few secondster, several other passengers decided to vent up their anger by kicking him and punching him.


    Seeing the man beaten ck and blue, the woman finally stopped them before they could kill him.


    ¡°Wifey.¡± Stefan whispered as soon as he got back to his seat and Cayenne hugged him without saying a single word. Her silent sob was enough to break his heart into pieces. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry for leaving you behind.¡± He kissed the top of head again and again, reassuring her in soft whispers as he rubbed her back tofort her.


    .....


    ¡°I thought something bad will happen to you. I was really scared when you pounced on him. I didn¡¯t want to think about negative things but I was afraid that he¡¯d identally shoot you. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± Cayenne¡¯s words deeply stabbed him on his chest and it was lodged there. It will probably stay there for the rest of their life. Her fears. Her worries. He didn¡¯t want to forget any of them. He wanted to remember them and make sure that he won¡¯t be causing her to feel these emotions again.


    They thought everything was fine and that they have sessfully pass the storm but the sudden maniacalughter brought shivers down their spine. The voice came out directly from the speakers which means, the person has ess to the cabin crew.


    Cayenne stiffened in his arms and Stefan closed his eyes to stop himself from cursing. He just finally calmed down his wife and now, he has to start over again because of the bastards who tried to hold them hostage.


    ¡°This is flight PH1017 with more than a hundred passengers. I would love to say that you¡¯ll all get home safely but I don¡¯t want to lie to you guys. Your lives don¡¯t really matter to me and I am not after your money either. Let¡¯s see if the government cares about you, then.¡± The speaker was turned off and the people looked at each other as if they were just hearing things. Unfortunately, everyone has heard the words loud and clear.


    ¡°The crew is being held hostage?¡± Stefan asked the stewardess near them and the woman nodded slowly. She was pale and there were tears hanging on hershes. It was obvious that she was holding onto her control to appear calm despite the fear she felt at the moment.


    The woman, who fought along with Stefan earlier, walked towards the stewardess and whispered something to her. At first, the stewardess was shaking her head in refusal butter on, she finally agreed and stood up from her seat. Her legs were shaking but there was determination in her eyes.


    Now that Cayenne has a good look of the woman who saved them, her eyes went wide. No wonder she found her voice familiar but she didn¡¯t take a good look earlier because she was afraid of moving from her seat. When the woman raised her head, their eyes met and Cayenne gasped in shock.


    ¡°Olivia.¡± she whispered and that¡¯s when Stefan realized where he saw this woman.


    ¡°The woman who abducted you months ago?¡± Stefan asked her to confirm his guess.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Cayenne answered firmly. She could never be mistaken. She spent some time with Olivia when she was abducted and she has noted of her habits and has memorized the sound of her voice. She may have changed her hair and had done some lip and nose job but her eyes ¨C she would forever remember those.


    Stefan did not see Olivia in person when he rescued Cayenne and it was confirmed that she fled the scene when they got there. However, she was once part of the organization that Jillyanna leads and she has information of all her women. When she defected from the group and put Cayenne¡¯s life in danger, Jillyanna gave them the go signal to hunt her. That¡¯s why he found her familiar.


    As for Olivia, she knew the both of them without a doubt.


    She was about to follow the stewardess when Cayenne stopped her. She halted but did not turn around. ¡°Let¡¯s talk after we get out of this situation.¡± She said and continued walking.


    ¡®The audacity!¡¯ Cayenne eximed mentally from Olivia¡¯s response. She can¡¯t believe that the woman who abducted her was acting like nothing has happened between them. ¡®Fine! She saved us so I¡¯ll cross what she did to me.¡¯


    The next moment, Olivia came back but now, she was wearing the uniform of the stewardess. The staff briefed her about some codes and things that she should not do. She can¡¯t expose herself of being fake.


    ¡°HA! HAHAHA!¡±


    Theughter caught everyone¡¯s attention and once again, they felt the chill on their spine. The voice sounded so mean and cold.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear what the government has to say.¡± The man said and not long after, they could hear the shuffling noise from the background. ¡°So, have you called the mayor? He has half an hour to settle this matter before I blow up this ne with everyone inside it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got him on the line. He¡¯s on the way. Please don¡¯t hurt the passengers.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Now that he¡¯s on the line, tell him to do a live broadcast and make him sign the form that will officially allow the dwellers of St. Martin to stay in their homes. If he won¡¯t, I will make him shoulder the lives of these passengers and the crew.¡±


    ¡°Sir, what you are asking is impossible. It¡¯s holiday and no one¡¯s in their offices now.¡±


    ¡°Then, make them. Ask them. Do anything you can. You have 28 minutes left.¡±


    The passengers heard everything and they all paled in fear. Rich or not, everyone will die in the hands of this criminal who¡¯s fighting for the sake of thousands of dwellers.


    Hearing these words, Stefan perked up his ears and tried to remember something. There¡¯s this project in St. Martin which will start next spring because of thend settlement that needed to be finalized. If he guessed it right, the ce that the hijacker talked about is the same ce that he was trying to buy.


    ¡®I thought there¡¯s a proper evacuation for them?¡¯ Stefan questioned himself. ¡®Didn¡¯t the mayor present the solution during thest meeting? I thought his team has started the settlement project for the dwellers?¡¯ Stefan wasn¡¯t sure if he was in the same page as the criminal but he felt a bad premonition of this situation. If what he guessed was true then, the lives of the passengers are also in his palm.


    ¡°Give me a sec.¡± Stefan kissed Cayenne onest time and stood from his seat.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Cayenne asked in rm.


    ¡°I have to discuss something. I think I can help.¡±


    ¡°What if he¡¯ll do something to you?¡±


    ¡°No, he won¡¯t. I can assure you that.¡±


    ¡°Stefan.¡± Cayenne wanted to beg him to stay, to forget about everything and just stay with her. She needed him at this moment. She couldn¡¯t calm her heart at all. ¡°Please...I...¡±


    ¡°I promise I wille back safe and sound. Don¡¯t worry. I have a way.¡±

 Chapter 667

    Chapter 667: [Bonus chapter] A CHOICE TO SAVE


    Luiz paled as soon as he heard the news and the phone dropped on the couch from his grip. His tears were racing down his face and his mind went nk. He was a smart child but at this moment, his brain refused to work from the shock.


    ¡°How can that be?¡± Magnus questioned in whisper. He couldn¡¯t believe it either. The odds of your flight being hijacked are 10 million to 1. And yet, this very little chance has happened to his son and daughter-inw. ¡°What airline is this? How can their security be socking?! If something happens to them, I will make sure that they¡¯d be closing their business and not a chance of getting back to operation again.¡± His anger brought fear in Kyle¡¯s heart for the first time. He knew that businessmen were ruthless since they have to protect their properties, assets and interests. He just didn¡¯t witness it in person before. It was his first time to see Magnus getting angry.


    When he realized that this man was Stefan¡¯s father, he calmed down his heart and tried his best to be logical and rational at this point.


    ¡°Tristan is getting in touched with the airline to get some information. As of the moment, the hijacker is asking for the mayor to sign some form documents.¡± Kyle responded to Magnus. ¡°Tristan will be calling us again for more update. He warned us not to leave the house. There¡¯s more than one threat to us right now.¡±


    Ferdinand sighed deeply and sat on the couch. He clutched his chest from pain which caused Dominic to run to his side. He had forgotten that this old man has caused so much suffering to his auntie and his family.


    ¡°Yen...Yenyen will be fine, right?¡± Luiz asked his brother as he wiped his tears away. ¡°Bro, let¡¯s go to the airport. I want to see them as soon as they arrive. I want to see them safe and sound.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± Kyle replied regretfully. ¡°We have to stay here and wait. We can¡¯t really do anything to help them and I guess, Yen will be grateful if she knows we¡¯re doing safe here.¡±


    .....


    Luiz nodded his head in understanding but he was still adamant with the decision to stay home.


    Few minutester, Tristan called them again...


    ¡°Are you kidding?! Why is he doing that?! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± Kyle eximed upon hearing what Stefan has done. Apparently, the transmission was still on when Stefan got inside the cabin crew. Olivia was about to kill the man when the hijackerughed. With the connection, Tristan has heard everything.


    ***


    ¡°Even if you kill me now, you won¡¯tnd safely. Go ahead! Kill me!¡± He taunted Olivia who was holding him with a sharp knife pressed on his neck. ¡°Did you think I don¡¯t have a second n? We can all go to hell for all I care!¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡± Stefan interrupted them and threw an encouraging look to the pilot who was sweating buckets. ¡°I am Stefan Dumrique. I am not sure if I guessed it right but, are you talking about the new project in St. Martin which will start this spring?¡±


    The man widened his eyes in surprise but soon, it was reced with mockery and hatred. ¡°So, you are one of those people who are forcing hundreds of families to leave their house. Just because it¡¯s a government property doesn¡¯t mean that the government can shoo people whenever they want to. Ha! The officials are all corrupt and only think of fattening their wallets and pockets! They never think of how we¡¯d feel.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry. I didn¡¯t know about the force evacuation. I thought there¡¯s another settlement that the dwellers can temporarily use for relocation.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about what you think and what you don¡¯t know! I want that mayor to sign the documents to stop us from leaving! I don¡¯t care how he¡¯d do it.¡±


    ¡°Can we talk?¡± Stefan approached the man slowly with his hands up in the air. Olivia was still pressing the sharp knife into the man¡¯s throat. She took it from the staff in the small kitchen. ¡°She won¡¯t kill you because I want negotiation.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is it that you want? Freeing the passengers? No way! I need their lives as bargaining chips and that includes you.¡±


    Stefan put down his hands on his side and looked outside the ss window of the aircraft. The altitude was getting low which means that they were about tond. If he won¡¯t be able to solve this within the man¡¯s given time, they would all surely die. He could see that the man was not bluffing with his threat at all. He probably got another card in his sleeves.


    ¡°I am the person who nned to buy thend,¡± Stefan stated which caught the man off guard. ¡°I thought there¡¯s a relocation sight already because the mayor presented it during our meeting. And it¡¯s better to deal with me than the mayor if you want to make sure that the dwellers will have a ce to stay.¡±


    ¡°If you are lying to me. I¡¯ll blow up this ne.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the assurance that you will keep your words?¡±


    Stefan looked at the microphone beside the pilot which was still turned on. ¡°Everyone is listening to our conversation now, including the airline staff. My reputation matters to me and a lot of people can be used to testify to our negotiation.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Free everyone. Don¡¯t sumb to murder. I will think of another way to deal with the project and help the dwellers of St. Martin. If you blow us up, the dwellers will still be forced to leave. Your family will be condemned. You will gain nothing.¡±


    The man nodded his head and this time Olivia finally let go of the knife but he was still holding his arms tightly. ¡°I have ced a bomb in this ne. The detonator is in my pocket.¡± Stefan took the detonator and pressed the red button to stop it. ¡°I don¡¯t care if I go to jail for this but can you really save the families in St. Martin? Also, can this be kept from leaking to the media? I don¡¯t want people to know what I did. It¡¯s enough for me to know that they have a ce to live.¡±


    ¡°I can do that much,¡± Stefan promised as he turned around to leave the cabin. ¡°I have a family and I want to protect them as well. Your purpose is good but you took the wrong step. I hope you can reflect on your crime properly in jail. Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t go back on my words with hundreds of people listening to our conversation.¡±


    ***


    As soon as the nended, police cars and ambnces were waiting for them. Those who needed medical attention were immediately ced on the stretcher and some rational people were interrogated for testimony. When questioned about the dead man, all of the passengers testified that Olivia identally killed the man when she was pushed by the other. No one wanted to put their savior on a hot seat.


    When some of the doctors saw the unconscious Cayenne in Stefan¡¯s arms, they approached him to offer assistance but Stefan shook his head. ¡°She wants to go home. I¡¯ll just ask for someone toe over.¡±


    ¡°Understood Mr. Dumrique. Let us know if there¡¯s anything we can do to help.¡±


    One of the crew assisted Stefan in getting their things since he couldn¡¯t put his wife at the moment. It was the only thing she could do to express her gratitude. Three guards also escorted them to the terminal and they only left when Stefan and Cayenne safely boarded their car.


    ¡°Fortunately, we didn¡¯t miss the time,¡± Stefan muttered when he saw the time on the car¡¯s dashboard. They still have a few minutes before the new year starts.


    Seeing his bodyguards¡¯ faces, he finally allowed the stress and fatigue to take over his body. With his wife in his arms, he also fell asleep on the wide couch.

 Chapter 668

    Chapter 668: TRAUMATIZED


    Luiz cried silently in the arms of his sister when Cayenne and Stefan came home. Who said that men don¡¯t cry? Who said that women are the only creatures made of water? Men cry, too. They may not be as expressive like women do but when something scares the hell out of them, which seldomly happens, they would cry, too.


    As for Luiz, the youngest of the family who received so much love from his mother, brother and sister as he grew up; he treasures his family the most. He was broken when his father was sent to jail but he was too young to understand what really happened. When his mother died, he was devastated. If not because of the people who supported them and helped them ovee the pain, it would probably take him a long time to heal.


    So, when he learned the fact that the ne his sister has boarded was hijacked, it felt like the world has stopped turning for him. He felt cold and his head was buzzing. At first, he didn¡¯t understand what his brother was saying. He couldn¡¯t hear a single thing which was why he suggested for them to leave the house and go to the airport. It took him a really long time to be oriented once again of what was happening.


    He acted calm in front of them, not wanting to add himself to their worries.


    Now that Cayenne has returned home, his emotions overflowed and he threw himself in the warm embrace of his sister. Both of them were shaken from the event and seeing her sobbing brother, Cayenne couldn¡¯t stop herself and cried as well.


    ¡°I was so scared.¡± Cayenne mumbled while hugging Luiz. ¡°I thought I wouldn¡¯t see you again. I thought I would really die.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me again, Yen. I want to go wherever you go.¡± Luiz murmured amidst the seemingly endless tears. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go without me. You can¡¯t leave me.¡±


    .....


    Kyle turned around and sniffed. He was also crying silently while watching his siblings. They¡¯ve been together for so many years. They fought together against poverty. They were hand in hand when it came to taking care of their deceased mother. They stayed strong for each other. So, when Tristan told them the news, he didn¡¯t know what to do. He tried his best to look calm because Luiz has already broken. One of them has to stay rational to think things clearly. If both of them panic, it will be chaotic.


    Not just the siblings but everyone was crying. The Sugo family, Magnus and Ferdinand, even the helpers and the guards ¨C they were all crying from the fear of losing Cayenne and Stefan. These two people have be their lighthouse. They guided them and helped them when they were walking on the wrong path. They pulled them from the abyss and helped them establish a name that they¡¯d be proud of. If they lose them, where will they go?


    Instead of happily greeting the new year, the atmosphere inside their house was solemn. No one had the appetite to eat or light the fireworks. They were all sitting in silence.


    Cayenne was sitting on the couch with Luiz sleeping next to her. His head was on herp which made Stefan feel jealous. It was his spot because his brother-inw seized it. Since he was deeply frightened because of what happened, he chose to forgive him and relent this ce for now. Tomorrow, he will surely have a good talk with him.


    ¡°So, you promised to give up the project?¡± Magnus questioned his son when they finally heard the whole story and the solution that Stefan presented for everyone toe home safe. ¡°It¡¯s a very promising project and you will surely rise in the ranks if you sessfully make it.¡±


    ¡°I know. I will think of another way to deal with this matter. Everyone will surely pay attention to this matter since I have used it as a bargaining chip.¡± Stefan answered without a change in expression. ¡°Anyway, it will be new year in few minutes, are we just really going to sit here? I mean, I know that the event was nerve-wracking but we still should wish a happy New Year and pray that we will be blessed for the uing 365 days.¡±


    Magnus can see that Stefan wanted to distract them from thinking too much so, he decided to follow along his n and responded, ¡°That¡¯s right. The matter has been solved and we can no longer do anything about it except for the promise you made. Let¡¯s hope that we cane up with a solution tomorrow. For now, we all have to eat. We waited for you guys to arrive and then you brought us this scary news. Our energy has been drained.¡±


    Still feeling stressed out, Cayenne requested for a fruit shake instead. Slowly, the tense and gloomy atmosphere was dispersed and Cayenne watched everyone ate happily.


    ¡°Sis Yen.¡± Dominic called out as he walked towards her. He was thinking of a way to help her forget the frightening event few hours ago and the only thing that came to mind was Jessie, his father¡¯s lover. Dominic knew that Jessie was once Cayenne¡¯s colleague so, he took this opportunity to learn more about her and to distract Cayenne from the pessimistic thoughts. ¡°Sis Yen, can I ask you about Jessie?¡±


    ¡°What about her? Did your father introduce her to you already?¡±


    Dominic on the couch next to her while shaking his head. ¡°I saw them one time. They were shopping some clothes and when I approached them, she fled. I mean, she excused herself that she has something to do. It¡¯s obvious that she was afraid of me.¡±


    Cayenne put her fruit shake on the coffee table while thinking of the right words for a response. From what she knew, aside from Dominic, everyone has given their blessings to the couple. Jessie was probably pressured since Dominic was already matured. She was probably overthinking things already.


    ¡°Jessie is really nice. She¡¯s warm-hearted and she¡¯s family oriented as well. I heard that grandpa and grandma like her so much. Stefan also approved of her. I have nothing bad to say either. So, what is it that you want to know? Or, what is really your opinion of her?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure. I have never talked to her for more than a minute. She never visited our home as well. But, I can tell that she cares for my father.¡±


    ¡°So, you approve of her?¡±


    ¡°I have to observe her more. At least for now, she has gained points from me already. Also, sis Yen, I hope you won¡¯t tell my father about this because I do not want him to worry, my mother, she has been looking for us. She learned of my whereabouts and has been visiting me at my work. I don¡¯t know if she knows where I study but I¡¯m pretty sure she knows where we live because I noticed her following me a week ago. I just didn¡¯t tell my grandparents because of their health issues and I didn¡¯t want to ruin my father¡¯s happiness as well. Is there any way that you can block her from entering the subdivision?¡±


    ¡°I have never tried that when we live there but you can ask Stefan. I think we can request that from the security.¡±


    ¡°What if my cousin would tell my father? It will only cause them to worry even more?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Trust me in this.¡± Cayenne looked for her phone to send Stefan a message only to realize that her phone had been stomped to pieces and was nowhere to be found. ¡°Can I trouble you to call for Stefan? I don¡¯t have my phone now.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll call him.¡± Dominic stood up in a hurry and went to the kitchen to get Stefan. He was piling the peeled shrimps on his te with another pile of scallops on another te. ¡°Big bro, Yenyen asked me toe and get you. She has something to say.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Stefan removed the hand cellophane he used and picked up the tes with the shrimps and scallops. ¡°Can you help me bring the fruits?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    As soon as they left, Stanley and Magnus sighed at the same time. ¡°I really hope it won¡¯t cause trauma to her.¡± Magnus stated which caused Kyle to stop eating. ¡°I know that she¡¯s a strong woman but experiencing something like that ¨C it¡¯s still better to look for a psychiatrist to help her before it gets worse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that Stefan has thought of that already.¡± Jonas stated which gained agreement from everyone.


    That wife-ve? Of course, he knew what to do. There¡¯s no way that he¡¯d allow his wife to keep this traumatic event for the rest of their life.


    ***


    ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± Jillyanna eximed when she received a message from an unknown number. If it was a threatening message, she would have asked Shein to trace it but when she read the content, her only thought was to call Cayenne.


    ¡°Mommy, what happened?¡± Jade asked while watching her mom call someone anxiously. ¡°Is someone bothering you again?¡±


    ¡°No, sweetheart. I just needed to confirm something.¡± Jillyanna stated but when she couldn¡¯t reach Cayenne, she decided to call Stefan who was also unreachable. ¡°Why can¡¯t I contact them? Are they still having their honeymoon?¡± she loudly asked while dialing their numbers. After few minutes, she decided to call Luiz to check with them instead and thankfully, he answered. ¡°Luiz, if you get hold of your sister, please tell her that I have something to important to tell her. Tell her to call me back.¡±


    ¡°This is Yen. My phone is broken. What is it that you want to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Yenyen, Napoleone escaped and he is targeting you!¡±

 Chapter 669

    Chapter 669: TRAUMATIZED II


    Hearing the words from Jillyanna coupled with the hijacking that happened not long ago, Cayenne could no longer put her heart to rest. She was worried that any moment from now, something would happen to her. She was wary that someone woulde into their home or decide to bomb her house. She was restless and Stefan could see it on her face.


    His heart ached for her but he didn¡¯t know when the enemies would retaliate to them. All he could do was to prepare and reinforce the security around his family. He was also stressed with these seemingly unending problems. ¡°Sweetheart, let me talk to Jill. I¡¯ll coordinate with them.¡±


    The New Year that she was looking forward to didn¡¯t cheer Cayenne at all. Her mind kept wandering back to the incident earlier and her imagination was going wild with Napoleone getting into the picture. Without saying a word, she handed the phone to Stefan and let him speak with Jillyanna.


    She tried eating the food he brought for her but she felt nauseous. In the end, she just drank the fruit shake that was given to her earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs first.¡± She stated and slowly lifted Luiz¡¯s head and ced a pillow in exchange for herp. ¡°I want to rest. I feel dizzy.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t eat?¡± Stefan questioned while covering the mouthpiece of the phone. ¡°You should at least have something to fill your stomach.¡±


    ¡°I feel like throwing up right now.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll ask Lucia to prepare some easy-to-heat food for youter just in case you¡¯d get hungry. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± He kissed her forehead and without saying a word, Cayenne left to get inside her room.


    Dominic followed her with his gaze and sighed. He thought that was able to distract her but another news came to disturb her mind again. ¡®Rich people have rich problems. Now that she¡¯s married to my cousin, she will have to deal with his enemies, too. That means we¡¯re also in the same shoes as her since we¡¯re family, right?¡¯ Dominic was so busy with his own thoughts that he didn¡¯t notice the changes in Stefan¡¯s expression.


    Inside the master¡¯s room, Cayenne saw the unopened gift boxes that they received during Christmas. She was nning to open them on Christmas day but she didn¡¯t know that her husband has a different n for them. Now, they were still upying a lot of space in their room but she wasn¡¯t in the mood to open them.


    Right after taking a shower, she changed into another set offortable clothes and stayed on the balcony. The sky was dark and starless but her property has many lights installed giving her a bright view of her surroundings. She could see some of the guards roaming around ¨C patrolling the area and checking the biosensors.


    Looking at her, one would think she was deep in thought but in truth, her mind was nk. She was just staring into space with nothing in her mind. She was still shaking as if she was feeling cold but it was her lingering fear that caused her to tremble.


    Stefan got inside their bedroom and found Cayenne right away. His footfalls can be heard clearly but when he approached her, she shrieked loudly and jumped to the side from fear.


    ¡°Ayen! Ayen?¡± Stefan pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. ¡°It¡¯s me. Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to startle you. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I...I...¡± It took her a long time to organize her thoughts and realize where she was. She was quivering but the words she spouted didn¡¯t match how she feels. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She finally uttered and looked into his eyes but Stefan saw something different there. He could see her anxiety and fear.


    ¡°Do you want to sleep? Maybe you¡¯d feel better after some sleep?¡± She nodded her head and he led her back to bed. He wanted to deny it and just go along with her but Stefan was very familiar with the expressions she was showing. She may have done her best to hide it but once you¡¯re traumatized, the symptoms will always show up and he could see them in Cayenne.


    Inside the bathroom, he punched the wall from the helplessness he felt. He promised to keep her safe but time and time again, they were thrown into a danger zone. He was sad for her and he couldn¡¯t stop ming himself.


    ¡®Useless! Unreliable! Idiot!¡¯ Stefan thought and with every word, his punch came along which caused his knuckles to bleed.


    If it was a normal day, Cayenne would surely notice his bleeding hand but when Stefan came out of the shower, he found his wife staring into space once again. Her eyes were nk and she didn¡¯t even turn her head to him. Stefan wiped the tears which were threatening to roll down his face as he got closer to her. She needed him. He needs to be strong for her.


    ¡°Hon,¡± Stefan called out while twirling some strands of her hair with his index finger. ¡°Hon, let¡¯s go somewhere tomorrow? Your family cane with us.¡± He intertwined their fingers and he kissed her knuckles which brought her back to him. ¡°ss is about to start again.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yeah. It¡¯s about to start.¡± Cayenne stated in response and moved closer to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere tomorrow? Travis told me that we can use Hacienda Amore for the time being since his father left the country for vacation. He wants us to stay there while we deal with some issues.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, a friend of mine wille here. Can you stay with him while I attend the conference meeting?¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡± She has no idea that this ¡®friend¡¯ wasn¡¯t just a simple friend but Stefan has no n of telling her the real identity of this person at the moment. ¡°Stefan.¡± She whispered with her eyes closed.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Can you sing me a song?¡±


    ¡°My voice will probably keep you awake. I¡¯ll hum a song for you instead.¡± Gently patting her back and caressing her head, Stefan started humming slowly to help her sleep.


    The sound was very familiar to her and as she continued to listen, the lyrics of the song finallye to mind.


    ¡®Just close your eyes, the sun is going down


    You¡¯ll be alright, no one can hurt you now


    Come morning light, you and I¡¯ll be safe and sound¡¯


    Cayenne sang the song in her mind, apanying the sound he was making as she tightened her hold on him. She was afraid of letting go. She was afraid that he¡¯d be gone the moment she woke up.


    Stefan lost track of time and has fallen asleep with her in his arms but he knew he needed to be mentally prepared for the worse. And just as he expected, he was jolted awake when Cayenne screamed at the top of her lungs in the middle of the night.

 Chapter 670

    Chapter 670: BLOODY NEW YEAR


    Meanwhile, in the mental hospital, the staff were having a small party and also allowed some of the patients to have fun. The patients who were allowed toe were those who weren¡¯t aggressive or violent in order to avoid idents. Elia was busy helping some patients to get food. She was acting all natural since it wasn¡¯t the right time yet. There¡¯s fifteen minutes more before the rescue operation takes ce.


    Seeing that everyone¡¯s busy, she decided to make an excuse to leave the venue. ¡°Nurse Judy, can you please look after the patients here first? I¡¯d like to bring some food to other patients who couldn¡¯te.¡±


    ¡°That is fine with me but you have toe back soon. It¡¯s almost New Year¡¯s Eve.¡± the other nurse responded which Elia nodded in response. She didn¡¯t want to say anything more since she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it anyway.


    She ran out of the venue and jogged down the stairs until she was at the bottom. She checked the time on her wrist watch before grabbing the bag she has hidden under the bushes. She has two minutes left which was more than enough to change her hospital shoes to a pair rubber shoes. She needed something she¡¯sfortable with since she¡¯d be running a lot.


    She checked her phone and saw the message that Diana sent her. [We¡¯re on standby. Waiting for your signal.]


    Smiling, she deleted the messages and straightened up as if nothing happened. She dusted off her uniform and walked towards the kitchen of the hospital. She asked for three side dishes and two small bowls of rice. She felt guilty for using food as part of her tricks but she didn¡¯t know what else to use except this.


    On the third floor, Xian just got off the phone when he saw Elia running down the stairs as if someone was chasing after her. She didn¡¯t even nce at him when he was just standing in the corridor. He didn¡¯t know why but he was irritated when she ignored him.


    .....


    As if he was possessed, he followed her secretly downstairs and saw her changed her shoes. He frowned while watching but he didn¡¯t say or do anything to interrupt her. He wanted to see what she was nning in secret. He followed her to the kitchen and his frown deepened when he saw her bring a tray of food to the opposite wing.


    ¡®Didn¡¯t they prohibit everyone from entering that wing if it¡¯s not part of the schedule? How bold?¡¯ He thought but he followed her anyway.


    ¡°Damn! Who¡¯s that guy tailing her?!¡± Diana asked through her Bluetooth earpiece as she watched Elia using the CCTV cameras. She was responsible for hacking the security system; even though she wasn¡¯t really great, she can still do something as basic as this. And that¡¯s when she saw Xian following Elia secretly. She wanted to warn Elia but she was already on her way and it would bring suspicions if she keeps checking her phone.


    ¡°I heard that he¡¯s Elia¡¯s ex-boyfriend?¡± Artemis responded because she also heard of the gossip between Elia, Xian and the hospital director¡¯s daughter. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s following her but it can¡¯t be good. I heard that he hates her so much and no one knew of the reason. It¡¯s as if he woke up and became another person.¡±


    She continued to cuss the man while watching him from the screen of herptop but soon, when Elia entered the building, he stopped walking and sat on the pavement. He nned to wait there for her.


    Elia had no idea of this problem and just went to carry out her part of the n.


    ¡°Just give it to them and leave as soon as they¡¯re done.¡± The guard stated with his loud voice before opening the door for Elia.


    ¡°Understood.¡± She said with her head down.


    As soon as the door closed, she walked to where the woman sat and Diana used this chance to hack the security system. Elia received a message and she immediately opened the huge ss window. Two soldiers immediately got inside from the rooftop. She was amazed with their efficiency but she wasn¡¯t interested to know how they did it. Right now, all they needed to focus on was their escape n.


    ¡°Please trust them. They¡¯re with your daughter.¡± Elia told the patients and they nodded their head. It was really a wonder to her that this couple was able to hold onto their sanity after all these years. She watched the soldier tie a harness around the man¡¯s waist and they instructed him to jump down and that there were people waiting for them.


    ¡°Hurry. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± the other soldier muttered while starting to tie the other harness around Cayenne¡¯s auntie. ¡°If you are afraid, just close your eyes. Trust me, someone will catch you.¡±


    ¡°Shall I leave the room now?¡± Elia asked them with her heart hammering in her chest. Her hand was starting to sweat from anxiety but she was firm in her belief that she was doing the right thing.


    ¡°Go now. Act natural. We will stay for a while inside the room and if they notice something wrong, we will attack them. If they won¡¯t find anything, we will leave this ce in silence. It¡¯s better than attracting other people.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. I understand.¡± Elia left the food on the table and took the empty tray with her. When the couple finally escaped and the window was closed, Elia signaled the men that she was going out, they looked for the camera¡¯s blind spots and hid there for the time being.


    Elia pressed the button and the door immediately opened for her. She stepped outside with disappointed look on her face. ¡°I left the food on the table. I¡¯ll just get the empty dishes when I administer their dose of medicine.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The guard made way for her and Elia left as if nothing happened. She walked slowly but when she was out of sight, she jogged downstairs which can be heard by the guard. The guard furrowed his brows and that¡¯s when he remembered that Elia was wearing rubber shoes instead of her uniform shoes. He opened the door immediately and looked around the room but he couldn¡¯t find the couple.


    ¡°Code Red! Code Red! The nurse ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Joe! What is it? Joe?¡± No one answered the inquiry anymore since the man named Joe has breathed hisst already. ¡°Damn it! Stop the nurse from leaving!¡±


    Hearing the message through their walkie talkie, the soldier also gave his order. ¡°Save the nurse no matter what it takes. Kill anyone who wille your way.¡±


    Xian was walking back and forth outside the building while waiting for Elia toe out when the guard stationed at the entrance left. Few secondster, a group of ck-clothed men came rushing in and he heard gun shots. His eyes widened from shock and he instantly hide behind the nearest pir.


    ¡°Run!¡± He heard someone shouted and he saw Elia running out of the building with some bloodstains on her pristine white clothes.


    The sound of gunshots continued while she keeps on running away from the building. She was getting closer to him but instead of running straight, she turned left which would lead her to backyard of the storage room.


    ¡°Elia!¡± Xian called out which made her stop on her tracks. Her eyes were wide upon seeing him but when she heard the gunshot again, she ran away without looking back. ¡°Hey! Wait for me!¡±


    ¡°Go away! Leave!¡± She responded without stopping. She was running for her life. She was determined to escape and Diana promise her that a motorboat is waiting for her on the northern dock. ¡°Stop following me!¡±


    ¡°What did you do? Why are they chasing you? Why do you have blood? Hey!¡±


    Annoyed with his questions, Elia changed direction and ran towards him instead. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to run with her. ¡°Ask me questionster but now, please don¡¯t hold me back. Stop questioning me and just run. They might kill you as well if they catch you.¡±


    ¡°How is this rted to me? Are you involved in some ¨C ¡±


    BANG!


    His words got stuck in his throat and he saw blood slowly spreading on her clothes. Elia looked down on her chest as well and saw the blood blossoming like red roses. The rusty smell of blood made her nose twitch and tears fell on her face.


    ¡°I hate you.¡± She mumbled with her knees giving up on her. She fell on the uneven ground and her fresh blood was dripping as she clutched her chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding. ¡°Leave me alone!¡± She shouted and blood came out of her mouth as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me. Lia. Don¡¯t leave me.¡±


    Elia stiffened when she heard the nickname that he used to call her but instead of feeling happy, she felt really regretful. She never wanted to have anything to do with him again.


    ¡°Get away from her!¡± Artemis pushed Xian away and asked one of the men to carry Elia instead. ¡°Don¡¯t speak. Don¡¯t say anything. We¡¯re taking you home. Everyone¡¯s dead. No need to worry. No one can hurt you now.¡± Artemis stated hoping to give the woman some assurance. ¡°You have to fight. Cayenne is waiting for you.¡±


    Elia was looking up into the sky. She could see beautiful fireworks which mark the start of the year and she could hear Xian arguing with Nurse Chin but their voices were fading. She was having a hard time breathing as well. ¡®Sorry, mom. Sorry, dad.¡¯ She wanted to apologize to them a long time ago but she didn¡¯t expect this to happen to her. With tears falling on the side of her face, she finally closed her eyes and allowed darkness to take over.

 Chapter 671

    Chapter 671: [Bonus chapter] HOW TO DEAL WITH HIS WIFE?


    Stefan and Cayenne were nning to visit Alexander and Emerald but with the threat hanging above their head, Stefan decided for the whole family to move out for a while. However, since he needed Cayenne to meet someone, they nned to leave in the afternoon.


    ¡°My friend ising in few minutes but I have to attend a meeting so, I¡¯ll leave him to your care for a while.¡± Stefan stated and kissed his wife¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of packing our thingster so, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything else.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She no longer looked pale but her eyes still showed him the emotions that she was trying to hide. And if he can tell it, he was sure that his friend would be able to do so as well. He left her in the living room and Cayenne started to fidget on her seat. Even though she was inside her own house, she was starting to feel wary and scared.


    To help herself rx, she picked a magazine from the coffee table and read it to pass the time while waiting. At first, she was able to understand what the featured story was but as time passes by, her eyes turned ssy and she was staring into space again.


    When Dr. Simbajon came, he found Cayenne looking daze and nk in the living room. He didn¡¯t want to startle her so; he asked the bodyguard to notify her of his presence instead.


    ¡°Madam?¡± the guard called but Cayenne was unresponsive. ¡°Miss Yen?¡±


    .....


    Cayenne blinked her eyes several times and looked at the person in front of her. It took her few seconds to realize who she was looking at but she pretended to be fine. ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    ¡°Miss Yen, sir Stefan¡¯s friend is here to visit him and sir gave us a go signal already. However, we cannot find him.¡± At his word, Cayenne noticed that a man was standing behind the bodyguard. She immediately stood up and act like a proper host to wee the guest.


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Cayenne Dumrique. Sorry for not noticing you earlier. I was just thinking of some important matter.¡± She stretched her hand and the man took it for a handshake.


    ¡°I can tell it¡¯s important or you wouldn¡¯t be in a daze.¡± he responded without sounding so professional in his field. Stefan has told him not to inform his wife about his profession because he was afraid that it would agitate her. He just wanted to know what he can do to help her. ¡°I¡¯m Brail Simbajon. It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, Cayenne.¡±


    ¡°The pleasure is mine. Have a seat.¡±


    At first nce, Cayenne looked normal and acted normal but for doctors who deals with people who has traumatic experience, every little gesture is important to them. He could see that she was fiddling with her thumb and her eyes were restless.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Stefan? I have informed him that I¡¯ming today but he¡¯s nowhere to be seen.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s having an emergency meeting. He¡¯ll being downstairster.¡± Cayenne answered with a faint smile that doesn¡¯t reach her eyes at all. She was also looking at his things and his hands as if she was expecting something to appear there. ¡°How did you be friends with my husband? I have met almost all his friends in the past year except you, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I just returned home from my study abroad.¡±


    It was true that he studied abroad as well but it wasn¡¯t really a long-term study. It was to learn new treatment for his patients. He just needed to say few words without really lying to her.


    Lucia brought them snacks while they talk and Brail shared his travel experience while studying. He learned from Stefan that Cayenne loves to travel and he was using this fact to get some reaction from her. Whenever he mentions about airne, herplexion turned pale and he could see her trembling hands.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked and Cayenne confirmed that she was. ¡°I see. I was worried because you seem pale to me.¡±


    ¡°Ah? How can that be? I am doing fine.¡± Cayenne reassured him but the next moment, as if she was transported back to the hijacking scenario, she screamed in fear.


    Lucia identally dropped the tray on the floor while walking back to the kitchen and the loud crashing sound caused the traumatic incident to resurface in Cayenne¡¯s mind. This made Cayenne duck and cover her ears in fear. She was screaming and muttering Stefan¡¯s name with her eyes closed.


    This scene shocked everyone who saw what happened and they were all looking at her. Stefan didn¡¯t really want to expose his wife like this to them but he wanted everyone to be careful since Cayenne was still fighting with the trauma she experienced. He wanted them to be mindful of their actions and words whenever she¡¯s around.


    Not even a minuteter, Stefan arrived to her side and hugged her tight. ¡°Ayen, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯re fine. We¡¯re home.¡± he stated while patting her back. ¡°The tray just fell on the floor.¡± In truth, he didn¡¯t really have a conference meeting. He was just observing from the second floor to see what his wife would do. ¡°Sweetheart, look at me.¡± he even lifted her chin and made her look into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Nothing happened to me. We made it back.¡±


    ¡°He killed the woman behind me!¡± Cayenne eximed. She could still hear the sound of the gunshot and she was really sure that the woman who sat beside her had died. If only she looked back and check the woman, she would have known that she was alive.


    Stefan rubbed her arms and kissed the top of her head again and again. ¡°She didn¡¯t die. Someone saved her. Remember Olivia? She was able to stop the bleeding of that woman. If you want, we can visit her.¡±


    During the whole conversation, Dr. Simbajon was observing Cayenne and Stefan. He can confirm that Stefan has fully recovered with the help of his wife. Now that his wife needed help, he can see that only Stefan can help as well. He pulled out his phone and sent Stefan a long message with what he had observe before standing up to leave.


    ¡°You should take good care of your wife. We¡¯ll see each other again in the future. I¡¯ll leave for now so that she can rest.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll bring her to see you next time.¡± Stefan brought Cayenne back to their room and he checked hisptop for any messages. He was sure that Brail would leave some and he was right. The recent message he sent was about Cayenne¡¯s recovery.


    [Let her see that the woman is alive. It will reinforce the positive thoughts she has. It will also reassure her that her imagination is wrong.]


    [Always reassure her with your presence. Don¡¯t just leave her without saying anything. I can see that she was afraid of losing you. You must have done something that risks your life and she saw it.]


    [Don¡¯t travel using airnes yet.]


    [Make sure that she won¡¯t watch or read anything about ne crash and hijacking.]


    [Don¡¯t startle her.]


    [No loud noises for the meantime.]


    [After two weeks, bring her to see me again.]


    Stefan noted all these information before closing hisptop. Last night, she had a nightmare and that scared him silly. He was really worried when she didn¡¯t open her eyes even after shaking her for quite some time. ¡®God! Please help my wife.¡¯


    ***


    In Senyu Medical Hospital, Elia was lying on the bed with so many people looking after her. They were all waiting for her to wake up since they owe her their life. Instead of going back to their home, Diana and Artemis decided to stay in City B since they would be closer to Cayenne. It wasn¡¯t their intention to get close to her but their parents want to see Cayenne and they also promised Elia to see her. They were left with no better choice than this.


    ¡°When will she wake up?¡± Xian asked while looking at the pale face of the woman he loves. Artemis wanted to leave him in the ind but he insisted ofing along. She even kicked him angrily but he clung to her legs, begging her to bring him. It was Diana who finally allowed him toe with them.


    Instead of giving him an answer, Artemis red at him. If her sharp gazes could cut someone, he¡¯d be shredded to pieces for sure.


    When Tristan woke up and received their message regarding the rescue operation and their current situation, he warned them not to contact Cayenne at the moment. He was worried that the situation would stimte her mind even more.


    ¡®Sigh. Why do bad things happen to good people?¡¯ Tristan thought before standing up to change his clothes.


    Confused with the warning from Tristan, Diana and Artemis looked at each other but since it was him who said so, they didn¡¯t dare disobey his words. They¡¯re probably for their own good especially that Stefan clings to his wife almost every second of his life.


    While they were lost in thoughts, the door to Elia¡¯s hospital room was suddenly opened and two middle-aged people came inside. They looked worried when they saw Elia but their expressions changed when they saw Xian beside her.


    ¡°Why is this bastard here?!¡± the man yelled angrily and even attempted to punch Xian. Thankfully, Artemis was quick enough to stop him. ¡°Let go of me! I¡¯ll kill this scoundrel! How dare you show your face?!¡±

 Chapter 672

    Chapter 672: NOT SAFE TO MEET


    In the afternoon, along with his family, Stefan and Cayenne left their home and stayed at Hacienda Amore for the time being. It was the best option he has instead of staying in one of his properties which Napoleone knew. In this way, the man will have more time to look for them while they find a way to deal with him.


    This time Stefan made a promise. He promised to erase anyone who brings trouble to his wife and he¡¯ll start it with Napoleone. He wouldn¡¯t say that he was better than him but at least, he never hurt anyone innocent. All those people who have lost their lives in his hands were those who lost their morals.


    ¡°Just make yourself at home. That house doesn¡¯t really have anything important so, you don¡¯t have to worry that much.¡± Travis told Stefan over the phone when his friend called him to inform him about their arrival. ¡°I have deployed several men to help you with this matter as well. As soon as they have the lead, I¡¯ll leave him to you for you to end this farce.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I greatly appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°By the way, howe you and Cayenne lost your phones at the same time?¡±


    Stefan hesitated for a moment about whether he will tell Travis about it or not. In the end, the matter has passed and it should be fine to inform him of the hijacking incident. There¡¯s nothing that can be done about it anyway.


    Listening to thete news, Travis sighed and rubbed his face helplessly. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He waited for Stefan to finish narrating the story before letting out a shaky breath. ¡°Stefan, I don¡¯t have any idea of the number of enemies you have and I guess, it is just as much as I have. Anyway, please be extra careful when you go somewhere and double your security around your wife. Jill is worried that Napoleone would really follow through with his n.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will make sure that Ayen is safe. Also, she won¡¯t be using her phone until I can assure you that she¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    When the call ended, Stefan returned to his wife¡¯s side who was currently watching an anime using hisptop. His bodyguard bought them a new phone already with a matching phone case but he didn¡¯t give her the phone yet. It would be troublesome if she keeps remembering the phone that the hijacker crushed under his foot.


    ¡°Wifey, what are you watching?¡±


    Cayenne lifted her smiling face and kissed Stefan¡¯s cheek before answering his question with ¡°By the Grace of Gods¡±. She scooted closer to him and even ced theptop between them so that he could watch it as well. ¡°This cute kid is actually a mature man. His soul was transmigrated to this other world by the gods and...¡± She mumbled on and on, letting him know of what has happened from thest three episodes she watched while keeping that lovely smile on her face.


    If Stefan didn¡¯t experience how it¡¯s like having a trauma, he would be thinking that his wife was alright. He listened to the tale she was telling while keeping his gaze on her. Instead of watching the anime, he was watching her every expression, loving the way her eyes brightened whenever she sees the cute protagonist.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you are enjoying that. Once you¡¯re done with it, I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°I can pause it now. If you want to wait until I finish this, we¡¯ll probably have this discussionte in the evening.¡±


    ¡°That long?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I still have several episodes to go and there¡¯s this other anime that I want to watch as well.¡±


    ¡°Then, can you pause it?¡±


    Cayenne pressed the space bar and faced him directly so that he can start with the information he wanted to share. She was sitting on her legs which seemed numbing to him but Cayenne looked ratherfortable with the position. Her encouraging eyes brought a smile to his lips as if he was the one who was going through something and needed some encouragement for strength. ¡°How can you be so gentle and caring when you needed support the most?¡± He blurted out before he could stop his mouth from uttering what was inside his brain. He never meant to say them because he didn¡¯t want his wife to feel insecure about his words. ¡°Wifey, I ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I be gentle and caring towards you? We¡¯re husband and wife so, it¡¯s only natural that we¡¯d support each other.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Stefan replied instantly to disperse the tension he created in the atmosphere. He pulled her up and made her sit on hisp while he thought about how to divulge the information to her without agitating her. Now that she¡¯s going through something, he needed to be extra careful with his words. One wrong move and it could blow up her mind and bring her immense pain which he didn¡¯t want to happen.


    Looking at his worried expression, Cayenne cupped his face and kissed his nose. ¡°Is it a super duper-ultra mega-bad-worse-worst news?¡± Stefan chuckled at her question and he finally felt at ease now that she was trying her best to cheer him up as well. ¡°So, what is it?¡±


    ¡°About the woman...the one whom you think has died...she was discharged earlier. As I have said, the shot wasn¡¯t critical and someone stopped the bleeding. You still remember Olivia, right?¡±


    Stefan said a lot of words but the only thing that registered in her brain was the safety of the woman. The rest has fallen on deaf ears. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you but, I want to see it with my own eyes. Can¡¯t we visit her?¡±


    As one of the most indulgent husbands, how can he refuse her? However, Stefan has a condition that she needed to follow as well. Given the fact that someone was hunting them, he didn¡¯t want her to take the risk of exposing herself outside. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Tristan to contact his family and we¡¯ll have a conference call. I can¡¯t let you leave knowing that ¨C ¡±


    ¡°¡® That¡¯ what?¡±


    ¡°That...that she needed more rest like you. If we visit her, we will have to travel to her home which is quite far. Let¡¯s just check on her through a video call.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡±


    Stefan lied. The real reason he couldn¡¯t bring Cayenne to see the woman face to face is that she wasn¡¯t discharged from the hospital yet. She was physically safe and was recovering well but the impact of the event on her mental health was something that the doctors needed to constantly monitor along with a psychiatrist.

 Chapter 673

    Chapter 673: THINK ONLY ABOUT HER SAFETY


    sses will resume in three days and before that, Stefan finally received confirmation from the victim¡¯s family that they could call in order for Cayenne to see that the woman was really safe and sound. Stefan had asked them to refrain from talking about mental health or anything rted to trauma that might cause his wife to remember unpleasant memories.


    ¡°They¡¯ll call us first to ensure that it was fine on their end,¡± Stefan told Cayenne while she continued to watch the anime she didn¡¯t finish yesterday. She only nodded her head at him and he didn¡¯t say anything more. Since the incident, Stefan almost glued himself to her side and was observing her all the time. Nightmares frequently visit her at night and it breaks his heart to hear her screaming in fear.


    Her family was worried for her but they entrusted her to Stefan because they didn¡¯t know how to help her as well. They didn¡¯t want to make a mistake and make things worse instead.


    Just to ease the burden on Stefan, Kyle was responsible for bringing their meal since Cayenne prefers to eat inside their room and Stefan would always apany her. When he needed to use hisptop for work, Luiz wille around and talk to his sister about his photo shoots. They never left her alone, making sure that her mind is upied with other things rather than having her think of the hijacking incident.


    In the afternoon, during the agreed time, the mother of the victim finally called and Cayenne took over the phone to see the woman. Stefan was sitting beside her, listening to the mother¡¯s exnation why her daughter couldn¡¯t talk to them at the moment.


    ¡°Ever since the operation and because of the medication she needed to take, she¡¯s craving for more sleep. The doctors told us that it¡¯s normal for her since she has to take a lot of painkillers. She¡¯s safe from death¡¯s door and I am really thankful for your husband. He helps us a lot.¡±


    ¡°When will she wake up?¡± Cayenne asked, wanting to get another chance to talk to the victim herself.


    .....


    ¡°In three hours, I guess. However, I need to leave for work and my husband will take my ce to look after our daughter. He didn¡¯t like anyone disturbing her rest so, I don¡¯t think he would agree to make a call.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Cayenne nodded reluctantly in understanding. ¡°I¡¯m d that she¡¯s safe. I just really wanted to know because she was sitting behind me and ... anyway, if there¡¯s anything that we could do, please don¡¯t hesitate to let us know.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, we¡¯re already blessed that our daughter came back to us. We can handle the rest on our own. Thank you so much for your concern.¡±


    Cayenne talked to the woman for another minute and once the call ended, she heaved a sigh of relief. She felt like a thorn has been lifted off of her chest and she could breathe easily now. She was really happy to know that the woman was fine.


    ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± Stefan questioned after a minute of silence. He just wanted to make sure that she was really over it and won¡¯t ask for another call. After all, he has already lied to her about the real status of the victim and he didn¡¯t want to lie to her again.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that she¡¯s safe.¡± she finally uttered with a faint smile gracing her lips. Her caring nature would always make her worry about people but still, it was because of this characteristic that Stefan fell in love with her. He can¡¯t me her for having a kind soul because this was whatplemented his cold nature.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about yourself.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know that something was wrong with her which was why she was stunned to hear that Stefan wanted to talk to her about herself. Her eyebrows almost meet in between when she frowned deeply while looking at him. She couldn¡¯t think of any topic that would involve her at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m also fine.¡± She insisted on thinking that Stefan was worried about her physical health.


    Indeed, he was worried for her but, it was not because of her physical health but her emotions and mental stability. At the same time, he wouldn¡¯t tell her about it. He didn¡¯t want her to think that she has gone crazy because of that unfortunate incident. He wanted to take things slow until she waspletely aware of what was real and what was imagination.


    ¡°I want to talk to you about your ss.¡± Stefan expressed to let her know where this topic will bring them to. ¡°With our current situation, I wanted to safeguard you and keep you by my side but I know that it¡¯s forceful and barbaric. Although, honestly, I really want you to stay at home and study through conference but the decision will still be in your hands. How do you want to arrange your school attendance?¡±


    ¡°How are you nning to do the conference call?¡± Cayenne inquired back to his initial n. Since he raised this concern, surely, he must have thought of a solution already. She didn¡¯t really want to think about money at this point but she has this inkling that he will use his power and money to solve her issue about school attendance.


    Stefan took her hand in his, keeping them warm while wording the solution he has in mind. ¡°I n to ask your teacher to bring theirptop during ss and you will attend using zoom.¡±


    ¡°And how are you nning to make them agree?¡±


    ¡°Your father and I had donated a huge amount to the university. I am pretty sure that they will agree to my request. You may not get a high honor once you graduate but you will still get the grades you deserve for projects and activities minus the attendance since you won¡¯t really being to their ss physically which is unfair for your ssmates.¡±


    ¡°If I insist on going to school, will you agree?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want? I¡¯ll just reinforce the security around you and you are not allowed to leave the campus until Ie to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Great! I just found a way to deal with Napoleone.¡± Cayenne blurted out happily as her brain continued to process the n she has to deal with the man once and for all. ¡°It will be of great help to you.¡±

 Chapter 674

    Chapter 674: WHOSE PLAN WILL OUTWIT WHO?


    Stefan contacted the university administrator and exined the current situation to him that involves the welfare of his wife. With his money as well as the donations that Reuben provided, the head of the school agreed to his request with one condition ¨C they needed to make sure that no innocent students will be involved in this war against Napoleone. If something happens and the students get hurt, Stefan will be held responsible for their lives.


    Of course, Stefan has made his preparations, too. So, when ssed resume, Cayenne wasn¡¯t that worried. At least, that was how she appeared in front of her husband.


    While Napoleone was on the run, Cayenne¡¯s family continued to stay in Hacienda Amore. At the same time, Stefan had this feeling that Napoleone has information of Cayenne¡¯s brothers and to counter his knowledge, Stefan has contacted Leon again, the taxi driver who drives Cayenne around when she was still an employee to his hotel. This time, he was responsible for sending Luiz and Kyle to their respective university.


    ¡°Are you sure this would work?¡± Cayenne asked while picking up her bag and other school materials. ¡°I thought my n was better.¡±


    ¡°Your n was to bait him and no, I won¡¯t agree to that ever.¡± Stefan answered resolutely.


    Few days ago, Cayenne mentioned to him the n that she thought about which uses her as the bait. How could he agree to that? Even if he dies, he will haunt everyone who will hurt his wife. There¡¯s no way. It¡¯s impossible for him to agree to her this time. Thankfully, Cayenne didn¡¯t argue with him.


    ¡°But, do you really believe that he¡¯s after me? I mean, yeah...that¡¯s the biggest possibility but that could be a distraction as well. For all we know, he might have other ns. Like ruining your business or hurting your parents or your maternal rtives. Your grandma just recovered and Napoleone could use them to retaliate against you.¡±


    .....


    ¡°You have a point in that matter. As for my father and grandfather, they have prepared themselves already and they are ready if that man chooses to fight them. As for my maternal rtives, I have asked the guards of the subdivision to be vignt. I also added our own men to check the people who visit the subdivision. They will report anyone who wille suspicious to them so that Tristan could check.¡±


    ¡°Tristan¡¯s work has doubled again.¡± Cayennemented with a sigh. ¡°I hope I can do something to help.¡±


    ¡°If you can rx for me and focus on your studies, it will be of great help to me. I just want you to be happy darling.¡± Stefan caressed her face and look into her eyes. ¡°You matter so much to me and I will be at ease as long as you are fine.¡±


    Cayenne knew that. As much as she cared for her husband, Stefan also feels the same.


    Her ss starts at 8:00 in the morning and when she arrived, she saw some of her ssmates at the gate. Normally, Stefan would have dropped her off in front of the gate but with the current situation, he drove into the campus and parked his car at the designated parking lot.


    Instead of using one of his expensive and high-end cars, Stefan borrowed his bodyguard¡¯s car. It was a blue Honda Civic Type-R that Martin bought from his savings. Since his wife needed to drive their daughter to school, Stefan lent him one of his Mercedes-Benz.


    Stefan outside the car first and looked around while Cayenne was getting her things from the back seat. After making sure that his guard didn¡¯t find anyone suspicious, he opened the door for her and Cayenne stepped out with a faint smile on her face.


    ¡°Call me if somethinges up. Don¡¯t bottle up everything just because you are a man. I don¡¯t mind having a chatty husband.¡± Cayenne stated as she closed the door behind her. ¡°I brought the pen that Shein gave me and I also have the pair of earrings that Jade gifted me. If it can help you rx, you can just monitor me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to do that. Anyway, I will be staying somewhere nearby just in case.¡± Stefan checked his watch and saw that she only has few minutes left before her ss starts. ¡°Go and enjoy your day.¡± He added before cing a gentle kiss on her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching over you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, hon.¡± Cayenne kissed his mouth and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Everything will be fine.¡± She said and rubbed his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching over you as well. Bye.¡±


    He wanted to ask what she meant by that but Cayenne escaped hurriedly after throwing a yful wink at him. One of her bodyguards took her books and other school materials until she was left with her hand bag which made it easier for her to move around.


    With ten burly men surrounding her, Cayenne received the attention of so many students. They knew her already and it was no longer a discovery to them that she was surrounded with so many bodyguards. After all, she¡¯s the wife to one of the richest men in the city. It¡¯s also known that Stefan cares about her so much.


    What they didn¡¯t know was that, aside from these men, Stefan has ced more guards for her inside the campus. They were ced in different fields to avoid suspicions from other people and Cayenne didn¡¯t even know some of them.


    When she was finally out of their sight, Stefan got inside his car and left. The head of the bodyguard following Stefan and Cayenne touched his earpiece and ordered his men to get ready. ¡°Madam is already inside the campus. Get into position and make sure that no stranger gets too close to her. We¡¯ll be leaving with the boss now.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    And Cayenne¡¯s not-so-normal life in school has begun.


    The n was to confuse Napoleone of her schedule. Stefan wanted her to attend her sses alternately. Sometimes, she¡¯ll go to school and some other time, she will stay at home and join the ss via zoom. Sometimes, she¡¯d go in the morning or otherwise, she¡¯d attend in the afternoon. She can¡¯t have a permanent routine as long as Napoleone lurks around them.


    ¡°Yen!¡± Noah called out when he saw Cayenne walking towards their ss with several men surrounding her. They looked so intimidating and they looked even scarier with their dark shades on since you cannot see their expression. You don¡¯t really know if they were looking at you or not. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± Noah stated as he got closer to her.


    He visited Cayenne¡¯s home several times in the past along with Faith and the bodyguards have seen him as well. Therefore, they allowed him to approach Cayenne without any interference.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you, too. Where¡¯s Faith?¡±


    ¡°Professor Yang called for her.¡±


    The two of them went inside the ssroom and the bodyguard who was holding Cayenne¡¯s things also followed them. Her ssmates looked at them but could only sigh at her fortune. After she settled down on her seat, the bodyguard went out and like the rest of the men, he stood outside the ssroom while observing the surroundings with stoic expression.


    ***


    Napoleone was sitting on a worn-out couch while staring at the big wooden board in front of him which takes up almost half the size of the wall. stered on the board were pictures and diagram with some stickers and notes posted on it. It looked messy with lots of scribbles but what was striking on this board was the pictures of Cayenne and Dominic which were pinned using a Swiss knife.


    Cayenne holds the top spot that Stefan values the most and next to that spot was Cayenne¡¯s family which was followed by the Sugo family. Then, there¡¯s Ferdinand and Magnus which was followed by the notes that contained properties and assets. Napoleone studied Stefan for a long time and he knew that he has change.


    If it was two years ago, he¡¯s confident to say that Stefan values his wealth more than anything and anyone else. Now that Cayenne showed up in his life, he knew that the order was reversed.


    At first, he nned taking Luiz or Kyle¡¯s life since they were very important to Cayenne but he realized that the impact wouldn¡¯t be the same. Thus, he decided to go for Cayenne¡¯s life instead. As for Dominic, he was chosen for looking so simr to Stefan. Others may have not noticed it but Dominic was strikingly identical to Stefan when he was a teenager. Of course, not many people paid attention to Stefan during those times because he wasn¡¯t known back then.


    With his detailed n in front of him and the order of execution, Napoleone drank his beer happily. ¡°Since I¡¯m bound to stay in hell, I might as well bring a lot of people along with me. It would be merrier that way.¡± He grinned at his words and stood up from his seat. He didn¡¯t care if he¡¯d use up all his fortune. As long as he deals Stefan a great damage and pain, he will be satisfied.

 Chapter 675

    Chapter 675: FLIRTING WHILE SOMEONE WAS FUMING IN ANGER


    Three dayster, Napoleone angrily threw his ss on the wall. It shattered and the pieces were all over the ce ¨C not that he cared. He was fuming in anger. He asked men to monitor Cayenne¡¯s moves and kill her when the timees. Sadly, they never had the chance to find her.


    They couldn¡¯t get inside the university due to the tight inspection. They didn¡¯t see any of their vehicles as well which means, she didn¡¯t go to school. They had no idea that they were using a different vehicle whening to Xena University. And sometimes, she¡¯d attend her sses through zoom. They outsmarted him and it angered him so much.


    Not only that, his men couldn¡¯t get close to Luiz or Kyle either. Peach Wood subdivision became stricter with its security measure and Dominic was heavily guarded. They didn¡¯t see Stefane in and out of their house in City B or any of hispany. It was like he disappeared with his wife. However, he knew that it was impossible. He was sure that he was just somewhere, hiding from him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll double your pay but you have to make sure that you¡¯d find a way for me to get them! You have one week! No more, no less. I want her head in a silver tter or Dominic¡¯s heart in a bowl. I want them dead! You hear me! Dead! If I find them alive after a week, I will hunt you down myself!¡±


    His hired men only said ¡®yes¡¯ to his order but remained quiet after that. They left in a hurry to carry out their task, hoping that they¡¯d be able to finish it.


    ***


    On the other hand, Cayenne just finished her 2nd subject for her afternoon ss. This time, she attended the ss via zoom. Since she didn¡¯t go to school, Stefan didn¡¯t go to thepany as well. Thomas Madrigal had a study room in his mansion at Hacienda Amore but because Travis lives with Jillyanna in her house, they moved all the important stuff to her house. Travis allowed them to use this room for Cayenne¡¯s ss and Stefan¡¯s work.


    .....


    They can use the house for as long as they want for free. They were only responsible for their own food and security.


    Cayenne has her own table across from Stefan to make sure that they won¡¯t disturb each other¡¯s work. Seeing his serious face with his anti-radiation sses, she raised her hand on the table and ced her chin on her palm, and focused her attention on him. He looked so handsome when working.


    As someone who craves attention from his wife, Stefan knew that she was looking at him and he couldn¡¯t help himself say, ¡°If you keep looking at me, you¡¯ll end up scooping me with your hands because I¡¯ll end up in a puddle.¡±


    She only chuckled at his statement as she sat up straight to stretch her legs. ¡°I have half an hour break before the next ss starts. Do you want me to get something for you?¡± Cayenne asked since she was nning to get some snacks from the kitchen.


    ¡°How about we do something?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t do something naughty and we won¡¯t finish in half an hour. Don¡¯t even think of denying it.¡±


    ¡°You are absolutely right. We need to spend half the night for that alone.¡± Stefan responded with a wink which made her roll her eyes at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some chocte.¡±


    ¡°Perfect! I want sex with M&M on you.¡±


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll surely give you some when I get back.¡±


    She has 30 minutes before her next ss starts and Stefan has a few minutes left before his next meeting with the hotel directors. They were both busy but he made sure to always have time to monitor the wedding n and the construction of their new house. No matter what happens, he wanted to give his wife the best wedding that every girl would wish to have. He wouldn¡¯t settle for less when ites to her.


    So far, she hadn¡¯t found anything rted to it yet and he was hoping that she won¡¯t because this would be his surprise for her.


    Not long after, Cayenne came back with a solo cup of M&M chocte ice cream. She loves sweets but Stefan wasn¡¯t so fond of them so, she decided to share the solo cup with him instead.


    Stefan thought that she would bring her chair next to him or probably sit on his desk while eating, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be so brave and sit on hisp directly. ¡°Hubby, we have to share this ice cream since I cannot eat too much before dinner.¡±


    ¡°Sure. You have to feed me, then. I still have to finish something.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let me know once my break is over. I have to join the next ss.¡±


    With her back facing hisputer, Cayenne has no idea that Stefan will have a meeting in the next 8 minutes. She only thought that he was reviewing documents that Elena sent since that was what she saw before sitting on him.


    ¡°Here.¡± She scooped the ice cream with her spoon and gave it to Stefan. The next scoop was hers and the third scoop was hers again. The ratio was 2:1 with Stefan getting thetter. The only sweet thing that he¡¯ll never get enough of would be his wife. If he can lick her all the time, he would do so.


    ¡°Good afternoon, boss.¡± Elena¡¯s voice came from theputer behind Cayenne and she immediately stiffened when she heard it. ¡°Oh...uhh.. We didn¡¯t know...I¡¯ll end ¨C ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. She¡¯s about to join her ss soon. Just give me a ¨C Nnghh!¡±


    Whatever it was that he wanted to say, they ended up stuck in his throat as he grunted in pain from her bite. Instead of pushing her away like what others normally do, Stefan cradled her head and let her wife vent her embarrassment on him. She bit his shoulder for a few seconds before getting up on her feet.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked instead of her asking him.


    Cayenne sulked as she ate onest scoop of her ice cream before she gave him the rest. ¡°For your shoulder, if you won¡¯t eat it.¡±


    Instead of saying something to agree or disagree ¨C well, mostly to agree with her, Stefan picked up his phone and typed something on his note app. [Sorry, I¡¯m wrong. I¡¯ll let you punish me tonight on one condition.]


    Cayenne raised her eyebrow in question of what the condition would be which he then typed, [A sweet punishment is very wee.}


    In the end, he had to catch an eraser before it hits him squarely on the face. Hisughter echoed inside the study room and the directors heard his heartyughter as well.


    [I am sure that I came here for a meeting. Or was I mistaken? Am I supposed to watch the boss and eat dog food?]


    [They¡¯re only sweet now because they are in the early stage of a rtionship. For sure, he¡¯d get tired of her.]


    [Young people are always full of energy. I¡¯m jealous.]


    Oblivious to the thoughts of the directors, Stefan started the meeting and Cayenne went back to her own table. For sure, the night will be long for themter.

 Chapter 676

    Chapter 676: CATCHING THE ENEMY FIRST


    ¡°Sir, we caught two suspicious people loitering around Xena University. What should we do to them?¡± Martin reported to Stefan through a phone call. It was Friday and Cayenne decided to attend her morning sses personally. Lucky for these bastards, they were able to see her and report the matter to Napoleone, but misfortune befall them before they could make a move against her. Martin who was guarding the university gate was able to notice them and he told the other men to kidnap these two people.


    Right now, these men were inside a ck van instead of Cayenne. At first, Martin wasn¡¯t sure if they were looking for Cayenne but since they were roaming around and they have guns on them, that still made them dangerous to the students and faculties.


    Compared to them who have been trained to protect their master and mistress, these criminals couldn¡¯t even put up a fight. They have big bodies indeed, but they didn¡¯t have the strength to match it. Their arms were twisted to their back and they couldn¡¯t budge at all.


    To protect themselves, Martin didn¡¯t touch these men¡¯s guns but looked for phone or anymunication devices on them.


    ¡°If those men are really after my wife, you know what to do already. If they¡¯re not, dropped them off to Lucian¡¯s feet.¡± Stefan responded coldly and ended the call.


    With this instruction, Martin nodded to his colleagues and they started sorting things out with these men. Of course, he made sure to turn the loud speaker on for these men to hear the cold responseing from Stefan.


    They were thrashing around, trying to loosen the tight grip on them but Stefan¡¯s men were better than these hired goons.


    .....


    From one of the men¡¯s phones, Martin was able to find several contacts which theybeled with random names. It was probably their way of making sure that no one will know of their clients. Sadly, it was no big deal for Tristan. Martin called Tristan using the stalker¡¯s phone and asked thetter to hack the gadget for any traces of Napoleone.


    Vo! It didn¡¯t take five minutes for him to finish the task. Indeed, these men have been exchanging information with Napoleone. They even found the deleted text messages regarding Cayenne¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡°So, you are working for Napoleone. Have you seen him in person? Do you know where he could be hiding now?¡± Martin questioned after they confirmed these men¡¯s identity but these men only grunted in response. ¡°Sorry, I forgot that you can¡¯t speak with those dirty socks in your mouth.¡±


    Martin signaled his colleagues to remove the dirty thing and the man spat out the moment that it was taken off his mouth. ¡°Disgusting!¡±


    ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d give you some refreshments while you are nning to abduct ourdy boss? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Did you really think that we are the only people after her? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± The man retorted mockingly but Martin wasn¡¯t the least bit affected of his words. No matter how much these people taunt him, he was sure that no one will be able to get close to Cayenne again because this time, they are well-prepared.


    ¡°So, where¡¯s Napoleone?¡± Martin asked again as he sat in front of them with a sharp knife in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m not really fond of torture but I might give it a try with you two.¡±


    Instead of answering, these men only looked at him as if Martin was just a yapping insect ¨C insignificant to their eyes. They seem to fail in realizing their situation.


    ¡°Martin, I have a better idea instead of you staining your hands with their blood.¡± Rey, another bodyguard, stated with an evil grin. His smile was a promise of death ¨C a slow torturous death.


    ¡°Alright. We don¡¯t need them anyway. Tristan already sent me Napoleone¡¯s location and I am waiting for the boss¡¯ next instruction. I will leave these men in your care. Just drop me off on the next bus stop so I can go back to the university before the ss ended.¡±


    ¡°Okay. We will let you know once everything¡¯s done.¡±


    After dropping Martin on the next stop, Rey gave the driver an address which was unfamiliar to the rest of the bodyguards. It was a ce that only Rey knew because he had been using this ce since he started working as executioner. This was where he brought all the target who lost their lives in his hands.


    ¡°I remember there¡¯s a pit 50 meters from here. I dug that for myst mission but I failed because someone took the target down before I could do it. I never thought I¡¯d be using that spot for this task.¡± Rey stated calmly and the other men nodded their head. ¡°Just threw them into that hole and bury them alive.¡±


    The other men were stunned with his words because they didn¡¯t expect to bury someone alive. They were used to burying dead people after hours of tortures. This was new to them.


    ¡°Are you sure about it?¡± another guard asked a little hesitantly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we kill them first?¡±


    ¡°Why should we give them that privilege?¡± Rey retorted with no room for discussion. ¡°If you won¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    With Cayenne¡¯s pretty face and sexy body, Rey could already imagine what these people would do to Cayenne if they ever had the chance to get her. Since he vowed to protect his employer, he would never let anyone do them any harm.


    Looking at his expressionless face, the stalkers were terrified. They thought they¡¯d be killed and buried ¨C not buried alive. Thetter was more horrifying since you will be losing your breathe slowly. You will be deprived of oxygen until you will breathe yourst.


    The men started fussing and thrashing once again, pleading for their lives in exchange of Napoleone¡¯s information. ¡°No! Let me go! Stop it! I will tell you about Napoleone! I will bring him to him!¡±


    ¡°Toote.¡± Rey answered and dragged them to the pit where they will be buried.

 Chapter 677

    Chapter 677: GETTING HIS GOOD LUCK CHARM


    ¡°Love, there are some works that needed me to go to the office. Can I leave you here this time? I don¡¯t want you to go when it¡¯s risky out there.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Cayenne retorted instantly which caused Stefan to feel a little guilty for lying to her but he didn¡¯t want her to know what he was up to. It will put her in constant worry and he didn¡¯t want that to happen. ¡°Stefan, we promised to stick together, right?¡±


    ¡°Promise, I¡¯ll be back as soon as I am done. I just can¡¯t postpone this work because this is very important. At the same time, I can¡¯t have Tristan or Elenae over here because someone might be stalking them. I need to keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ll worry about your safety.¡±


    ¡°Hon, I will bring a lot of bodyguards with me. Also, Travis promised to lend me his trusted men.¡±


    Cayenne narrowed her eyes at him as she was trying to figure out what he was thinking. ¡°Stefan, if I find out that you are putting your life in danger because of me, forget about having a baby with me.¡±


    ¡°I think you are the only one who keeps thinking about having a baby with me.¡±


    .....


    ¡°It¡¯s the same.¡±


    Stefan finally chuckled and felt at ease because of his wife¡¯s retort. He pulled her up as if she weighed no more than twenty kilos and made her sit on hisp. This time, she made sure that theputer was off and no one was looking at them.


    Stefan kissed her face and her neck which made her giggle because his stubbles have grown and it was ticklish. Stefan teased her even more and rubbed his face on hers. He caressed her body and left a burning sensation on her which made her want for more.


    She finally took the initiative to capture his lips and kiss him. Their passionate kisses turned to something more until the two of them felt feverish from the high temperature of their body. Since he will be going out to deal with Napoleone, he decided to get a good luck charm from her.


    Stefan stood up and carried her to her desk which was now clean since her ss has ended an hour ago. His kisses traveled down to her chest while he was unbuttoning her clothes. He was very patient with every single one of them because he wanted to take his time.


    Cayenne thought that he¡¯dpletely undress her but Stefan pulled her blouse up to her wrists and tied them to keep her hands from moving.


    ¡°What now? Are we doing something new?¡± She teased him to which he nodded and continued with his game. He kissed her ankle, and her knees and traveled up to kiss her inner thigh. She remembered that the hickey he left therest time hasn¡¯t faded yet and now, there¡¯s another one to add to his prized possession.


    ¡°I can see a wet spot on your underwear,¡± Stefanmented as he moved his mouth up and kissed her t stomach. ¡°What shall we do with it?¡±


    ¡°Take it off?¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll make sure to reward you for your right answer.¡±


    Stefan loves dressing her up and undressing her but this time, after removing her underwear, he found her sexier with her bra and skirt, knowing full well that there¡¯s nothing beneath that lengthy skirt of hers.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to see you dress like this all the time,¡± Stefan muttered as he continued to look at her lying on the desk with a few pieces of clothes.


    ¡°No way. I don¡¯t want to get a stomach ache.¡±


    ¡°Then, how about keeping your upper body warm but make sure not to wear anything under your skirt.¡±


    ¡°You perverted idiot. We¡¯re not the only ones at home.¡±


    Understanding the catch from her words, Stefan smiled and leaned over until her chest was pressed on him. His warm breath was sshing on her face as he moved his face close to her ears. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to get you to dress like this once we have our own home. I¡¯ll make sure to enjoy every moment watching you like this and make love to you whenever we wanted.¡±


    ¡°Whenever you wanted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡®we¡¯ for sure. After all, you won¡¯t be able to deny me.¡±


    Stefan pulled back and changed her position so that she would be lying face first. Her bottom suddenly felt cold when Stefan bunched her skirt on her lower back and yed her slits with his thumb. Not long after, he was sliding his fingers inside her and that made Cayenne a moaning mess on top of her desk.


    ¡°This is hot.¡± Stefan expressed and kissed her back as he positioned himself at her entrance. With one hard stroke, he got inside and hummed happily from his conquest.


    Cayenne closed her eyes and bit her lips from the pleasure. She didn¡¯t know if the study room was soundproof or not which was why she tried her best to keep her moans from spilling.


    ¡°Say my name sweetheart.¡± Stefan whispered like a devil telling her to do something bad.


    Cayenne was shaking her head to keep her mouth shut but when Stefan hits her good spot, she arched her back and a loud ¡°AH¡± escaped her mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, sweetie. Let me hear your voice.¡±


    ¡°Stefan...give me...a ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Give you, what?¡±


    ¡°Give me...ahh...give ¨C


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°More.¡±


    Stefan grinned from what she heard and gave it to her fast and hard. Cayenne couldn¡¯t hold back her voice anymore because her husband knew where to hit her and make her feel good. It was difficult to stay silent in pleasure.


    When Stefan ejacted a string of cum on her back, she gritted her teeth and red at him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Stefan while moving to untie her blouse and free her wrists.


    ¡°Since you have the guts to do this to me. You could have, at least, released it inside.¡± She murmured angrily while looking around for tissues. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d waste it.¡±


    Stefan¡¯sughter echoed inside the study room and he pulled his wife in a tight embrace. He really wanted to pocket her and carry her around wherever he goes. [God, thank you so much for bringing this lovely woman in my life.]


    After attending her sses in school and at home, plus having her husband wreak havoc with her body, Cayenne felt really tired. Her petite body felt sore from the onught of her husband.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a massage before going to work.¡±


    She only hummed a response to him and not long after, she felt him rubbing her waist gently with an aromatic oil that helped her rx. She felt drowsy and no matter how hard she wanted to stay awake, her eyelids were getting heavier.


    And when she woke upter in the evening, Stefan couldn¡¯t be found anywhere.

 Chapter 678

    Chapter 678: HE¡¯S FINALLY DOWN


    ¡°Boss, this is the ce where I have located the signal and the IP address.¡± Tristan expressed while showing Stefan the map where Napoleone was hiding. ¡°Two of our men went ahead and scouted the ce but they couldn¡¯t find any lodging or any house where someone can stay.¡±


    Stefan studied the map and other details which could possibly help them. Since there wasn¡¯t any house where Napoleone can stay surely, there should be a ce where he could hide even if it was not a house.


    ¡°Did they find some abandoned properties? Anything. It can be a warehouse, a house, an unfinished building, a car ¨C anything.¡± Stefan inquired while keeping his eyes on the map. On the northern part of the map, there was a river that separated the ce from another property. To the west was a private-ownednd which has live wires as fences. The east side was a huge piece ofnd that the government-owned in order to build a new hospital.


    The property where the signal appeared wasn¡¯t really a big area but it was enough for someone to hide and make a run to escape. They just needed proper nning.


    ¡°Martin, bring some people and guard the north side of this area. Erwin, help me guard the east. Rey, bring some of our men to the west. Tristan, monitor the highway for me and make sure that no one will leave this area. I¡¯lle and check the whole ce.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?! What if he installed some cameras and he¡¯s monitoring you?¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt it at this point. I have a gut feeling that he has no one by his side now.¡±


    .....


    ¡°And what if you are mistaken? What if something happens to you? What am I going to tell the madam about it?¡± Tristan retorted quickly and at the same time, he tightened his grip on Stefan¡¯s arm to stop him. ¡°How about I go on your behalf?¡±


    ¡°And what am I supposed to tell Elena if something happens to you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Yeah, sure, she¡¯ll be sad but she won¡¯t mourn for me.¡±


    Stefan frowned at his response and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from narrowing his eyes at his secretary. ¡°I thought you two have been doing well.¡±


    ¡°We were. It¡¯s just that, some things aren¡¯t meant for us.¡±


    After arguing back and forth, they both decided to go and check the ce themselves. Stefan was very meticulous when ites to looking for hiding spots. He was very observant of every movement and he kept his eyes and ears sharp for anything suspicious.


    He checked the dpidated house, the abandoned car, and the old-aged barn which was no longer functioning. Tristan has searched for some information regarding this ce and it was said that this was a private-owned ce but there was no decent property that would indicate that someone was residing in this area.


    The two of them continued to walk around with only the moon¡¯s bright light as their guide. Not noticing the protruding metal on the ground, Tristan stepped on it and something on the garage wall has moved.


    They immediately walked over but Stefan noticed a creeping shadow that was moving away from them. ¡°There he is!¡± without giving a second thought, he fired his gun with his aim on the man¡¯s head. Sadly, the night didn¡¯t help him see his target properly.


    ¡°He¡¯s running to the east part. Get prepared!¡± Stefanmanded while chasing after the man.


    Napoleone smiled when hisckey sessfully baited Stefan to chase after him. He immediately got out of his hiding ce and ran to the northern part. Unfortunately, Tristan hadn¡¯t gotten far from the garage and he immediately saw Napoleone.


    ¡°Stefan,e back here! That¡¯s a bait! Our target is heading north.¡±


    Napoleone angrily pulled the trigger of his gun and shoot Tristan on his arm. He was confident in his running skills and since he thought that Stefan hadn¡¯t nned properly, he dashed straight to the north area where he could cross the river and get to the next property.


    There, he met Martin¡¯s men and bullets rained on him. He was quick to take cover behind the abandoned car but not quick enough to evade the three bullets which hit his thigh, abdomen and shoulder.


    ¡°Napoleone, juste out and face me.¡± Stefan calmly mentioned while waiting with his men. ¡°We have surrounded you and there¡¯s no chance for you to escape.¡±


    ¡°Ha! If you think you are wiser than me then, think again! Did you really think I¡¯d go down by myself? Impossible! I¡¯ll make sure to drag someone to hell with me.¡±


    ¡°Nah, uh uh...that won¡¯t do. Satan won¡¯t be happy to see uninvited visitors.¡±


    Napoleone peeked his head to see where Stefan was but a bullet grazed the spot right in front of him. He wasn¡¯t sure if the man missed him or if it was a warning for him toe out.


    ¡°Come on.¡± Stefan taunted in a bored tone. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d be so cowardly.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Napoleone angrily yelled and jumped out from where he was hiding. His gun was aimed to Stefan but when he managed to fire his gun thrice, bullets have made their way to him as well. Holes can be seen on his body from the bullets but no one felt pity while watching him slowly die on the ground.


    ¡°Throw him into the river. His life can¡¯t bepared to those innocent people that he killed. There no need for the police to interfere this time.¡±


    Rey and Martin readilyplied and dragged Napoleone¡¯s body to the river near them. The blood was trailing behind them but it didn¡¯t matter to them. When they have made sure that Napoleone would die from this, Stefan walked back to his car and everyone started leaving the ce ¨C not bothering to clean their mess at all.


    It was already past midnight and Stefan wasn¡¯t home yet. Cayenne was wide awake while sitting on the porch to wait for him. Luiz already asked her toe inside for the nth time but she wouldn¡¯t budge at all. She was feeling distress that Stefan has lied to her again but she didn¡¯t want to me him because it was for their own safety.


    ¡°Lord, please bring him back to me.¡± Cayenne prayed solemnly with her hands sped together in tight prayer.


    However, when he arrived hometer, she mmed the door to his face and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°You are not allowed to sleep with me tonight.¡±

 Chapter 679

    Chapter 679: SHE CAN¡¯T RESIST...HER HUNGER?


    Jonas woke up in the middle of the night and found his throat dry. He went out of his room and found Stefan sitting on the floor outside the master¡¯s bedroom. ¡°You just came home?¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    ¡°Yen had been worried about you since she woke up earlier. She¡¯s probably sulking right now. Just coax her. She will eventually forgive you.¡± Jonas was passing by him when he remembered something. ¡°Have you eaten dinner?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Jonas smiled and nodded his head cunningly. ¡°That makes it easier for you to get her out of the room. Give me a sec.¡±


    Cayenne was sitting on the bed, pouting her lips in displeasure after knowing that Stefan didn¡¯t really go to thepany for work. It was really lucky for her that Elena and Tristan were fighting because the negative emotions affected Elena and made her say Tristan¡¯s whereabouts. It helped Cayenne deduce what her husband was doing.


    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m not going to reconcile with you tonight. You have to reflect on your mistake until tomorrow night. No, it should be until the next day. Ha! You promised that you would not lie again but you did.¡±


    .....


    Although she was saying these words, she also got out of the bed and walked to the door. She wanted to check if he was still there. She nced at herself on the mirror to check her expression and once she was sure that nothing would give her away, she opened the door a little.


    Her jaw dropped to the ground when she didn¡¯t see him there. She was infuriated even more. [He didn¡¯t evenst that long?! Am I not lovable anymore? Is he giving up that soon?] She loudly mmed the door, making sure that wherever he was, he would hear it.


    Luiz and Kyle weren¡¯t able to sleep because they kept their sisterpany earlier while waiting for Stefan. However, now that he¡¯s home, they still couldn¡¯t sleep because they think that a fight will ensue between their brother-inw and their sister.


    Feeling the vibration of the mmed door, Luiz was shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°Shall we check and see if their doing fine? Sister is really hard to please when she gets angry.¡±


    Kyle thought about it for a while but he decided to disagree. ¡°Stefan left for sister¡¯s sake. I think she will understand it. She¡¯s just angry because he lied to her but once she understands the reason, she will eventually forgive him.¡±


    Of course, Stefan heard the loud mming of the door. He only smiled helplessly while making a ss of fruit juice for her. Jonas was heating up the food that he left for both of them. As soon as he was done, he ced them on a tray and gave it to Stefan. ¡°Yen loves food. I ced extra sweets for her.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Pa.¡±


    Stefan carried the tray upstairs and knocked the door lightly to get his wife¡¯s attention. ¡°Wifey, let¡¯s have a midnight meal.¡±


    Cayenne didn¡¯t really hear what Stefan said because of the soundproofing material in the room. His words came out muffled to her. ¡°What do you want?¡± She questioned and red fiercely at him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ¨C ¡± she looked at the food and gulped because she realized she was hungry at the sight of them. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± she replied indignantly even though she really wanted to eat with him.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t eat all of these sizzling pork sisig, grilled chickens, fried squid rings, and your beloved sweets.¡±


    Cayenne pursed her lips, thinking to rebuke his words but her stomach growled loudly which made him chuckle. Even though she didn¡¯t invite him inside their room, Stefan got in and ced the tray of food on the bedside table. ¡°You need energy to lecture me. So, shall we eat?¡±


    ¡°I hate you!¡±


    ¡°Hn. I love you more.¡±


    Right after closing the door, she pounced on him and hugged him tight. ¡°I was so worried ¨C afraid actually. I thought something has happened to you.¡± Her voice trembled and the next thing he felt was the hot tears falling on his skin. ¡°If something happens to you? What should I do? I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡±


    Stefan rubbed his wife¡¯s back and kissed the top of her head. Just as much as he worried for her, Cayenne also felt the same. She was afraid of being left alone just like him. They are very much the same.


    It took him half an hour to coax her and for her to forgive him. After receiving the lecture which happened during meal, Stefan spent the rest of the time reassuring her. The dawn was already breaking when they finished another bout of love-making session. Cayenne used his mistake against him, guilt-tripping him to get him to release inside her but Stefan was cunning. When he was at his peak, he pulled out and poured everything outside.


    This earned him a kick from her but he onlyughed and kissed her face again and again.


    What else can she do? It¡¯s not like she can scoop them up and stuff them inside her. She can only look at it in disappointment.


    ¡°If we make a baby now, it won¡¯t be toote to pair it with Jill¡¯s baby.¡±


    ¡°No way! If we ever have a baby girl, I will never let her marry Raizel.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Travis and Jill would surely raise their children well.¡±


    ¡°Raizel would probably end up like him. No, never.¡±


    Cayenneughed at his crisp refusal with the idea of marrying their daughter to Raizel in the future. Of course, it¡¯s not absolute that they will have a baby girl. At the same time, she was just joking. She promised not to be the type of mother who will force her ideals to her children.


    ¡°Before we talk about having children, how about you help me find a new secretary?¡± Stefan expressed with a sigh. ¡°I might lose Elena because of Tristan.¡±


    ¡°Is their fight really serious this time?¡±


    Stefan sighed deeply and while caressing her face with his thumb. ¡°It must be really serious for her to divulge our whereabouts to you.¡±

 Chapter 680

    Chapter 680: [Bonus chapter] RETURNING BACK TO THEIR NORMAL LIFE


    The next day, Cayenne walked downstairs happily. They can finally go back home to their humble abode and be free of worry because of Napoleone.


    She saw her brothers in the living room, watching a news report which confirms Stefan¡¯s activityst night.


    ¡°The man has been identified as Napoleone Dumrique. He escaped from prisonst week and the police has been hot on his trail to catch him. Unfortunately, this man ran into some people and messed with them. A person against a group, although the police didn¡¯t know who were these people, there is a big possibility that they came from the families of his victims. It is known to us that ...¡± the reporter continued to speak but Cayenne¡¯s interest was no longer with the news. It¡¯s already good enough that Napoleone is gone.


    As for Stefan, she didn¡¯t really know how the police would handle this. Lucian and Vincent surely know his involvement.


    Luiz looked around and found his sister standing behind them. And not just that, he saw something else that prompted him to tease her.


    ¡°Sis, you might want to cover that hickey on your neck.¡±


    Cayenne instantly ced her hand on the side of her neck where Luiz was pointing at. Her face was flushed from embarrassment even though she was only talking to her brothers. ¡°What...what hickey? This is...ah! It¡¯s a mosquito bite!¡±


    .....


    Just in time, Stefan came down and all three pairs of eyes were looking at him.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Mosquito.¡± Luiz greeted which caused Cayenne to knock her brother¡¯s forehead.


    ***


    In the afternoon, before returning back to their home, Cayenne and Stefan dropped by Senyu Medical Hospital to visit Tristan. He wasn¡¯t critically injured but Stefan insisted to have his men send him here. His wound was already stitched together and he had an arm cast to make sure that he won¡¯t move his arm recklessly.


    ¡°Elena didn¡¯t visit you?¡± Cayenne asked when she noticed that he was alone in the hospital room. ¡°I thought she¡¯d at least check up on you.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t know.¡± Tristan answered curtly.


    ¡°Is it serious this time?¡±


    ¡°Which one, my fight with her or my injury?¡±


    ¡°Obviously, your injury is not that life-threatening since you can still joke with me.¡±


    Tristan stood and looked outside the window of his room. He could see other patients taking their routine walk and others were just chatting. ¡°She identally saw me and her father talking at my apartment.¡±


    ¡°And did you exin what happened?¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t give me a chance. She blocked me already. She avoided me in the office like gue.¡±


    Stefan pinched the space between his eyebrows and looked at his wife. He wanted to say that they shouldn¡¯t interfere but he also had this feeling that if his secretaries won¡¯t make up, he will lose one or both of his capable employees. He didn¡¯t like that idea.


    ¡°I have a n and I am sure that she will forgive you.¡±


    Cayenne narrowed her eyes at her husband and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are nning to make him cook and coax Elena like what you didst night?¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t do the first and thest part of what I didst night. He can just coax her.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I want to know what¡¯s the n but leave thest part. I think I have an idea of what it was and I don¡¯t need to know it.¡±


    ¡°Great! Here¡¯s what you should do.¡±


    Since it was Saturday, they couldn¡¯t bring their n into fruition. They needed to wait for Monday toe. To make it seem a lot more serious, Stefan posted a news on theirpany¡¯s online bulletin. It will automatically notify all of his employees even if they didn¡¯t want to check it.


    [All managers, please report directly to me starting Monday. Tristan won¡¯t being to work due to health issues.]


    ¡°Is your assistant secretary alright, sir?¡±


    ¡°Does he need someone to take care of him?¡±


    ¡°Sir, is it alright if we visit him?¡±


    ¡°What happened to sir Tristan?¡±


    ¡°I wish he¡¯s doing fine.¡±


    ¡°@Elle, your boyfriend needs help.¡±


    ¡°The girlfriend would probably stoping to work to take care of him, too.¡±


    ¡°I noticed that they aren¡¯t in good terms. @Elle, if you don¡¯t mind, I can take care of him for you.¡±


    Without reading theirments, Stefan closed the page and focused on his wife who was now sitting beside him. They were on their way home. Unlike him, Tristan paid attention to thements but Elena never replied to thosements that mentioned her name. He felt really disappointed.


    Stefan had been observing Cayenne every day and he noticed that she was improving a lot. She was no longer jumpy to loud sounds and she even started watching action movies on his phone or sometimes on hisptop. Other times, without her knowing, he¡¯d take a video of her and send it to Dr. Simbajon for medical viewpoint of observation.


    Stefan was really happy with her mental health development. He never wanted his wife to be edgy all the time. Thankfully, Cayenne has strong will and great adaptation ability.


    ¡°By the way, I have a surprise for you tomorrow.¡± Stefan stated while reading the message that Artemis sent himst time. She was asking permission to meet with Cayenne because the Rule couple wanted to see her. Truth be told, he didn¡¯t want Cayenne to meet anyone from the Rule family again but since the couple didn¡¯t really do anything to hurt her, he agreed to Artemis.


    Suddenly, something clicked in her mind when he talked about a surprise. She wasn¡¯t sure if it has any connection to what she thought but she remembered him having a call with Artemis few weeks ago.


    ¡°Is this about Elia?¡± Cayenne asked because she recalled that Artemis called due to Elia¡¯s involvement in looking for her rtives. ¡°Is sheing to see us with the Rules?¡±


    She had a smile on her face when she asked these questions but she noticed that Stefan stiffened and has grown pale. Her smile faded and her lips trembled when she spoke. ¡°Something happened to her?¡±

 Chapter 681

    Chapter 681: UNRECONCILED


    Instead of feeling relieved because they were finally free from Napoleone¡¯s sps, Cayenne felt worried for someone else. Elia was just someone she met by chance when she went on vacation with Stefan. It was mere coincidence that she was a nurse in the institution where her rtives got held at.


    Even until they reached their home, she was restless and couldn¡¯t sit still. Because of this, Stefan started to worry again. He didn¡¯t mean to cause this. He thought that she deserves to know the truth and she will eventually know it. He thought it would be better if the news wille from him. And now, he regretted telling her.


    Sensing her husband¡¯s change in emotion, Cayenne turned to look at him and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I just need some time to think. I¡¯ll do some cleaning and get rid of my negative thoughts along with the trash. Can you cook for dinner?¡±


    Stefan was hesitant to leave her alone but he understood that she really needed space with all the things that has been happening. Reluctantly, he nodded his head and walked directly to the kitchen. Lucia was there, checking the ingredients in their fridge.


    After changing her clothes to cotton shorts and t-shirt, Cayenne started cleaning their bedroom first. The gifts that they receivedst Christmas were unopened so she ced all of them on the bed so she can open them after dinner with Stefan. She dusted off her shelves, vacuumed the floor and even scrubbed the toilet bowl. She was so focused in cleaning that she has forgotten the purpose of it. She was supposed to think but she didn¡¯t. She was just happy cleaning their bedroom and the bathroom.


    Not contented yet, she brought the feather duster and the vacuum to the study room and started cleaning again. She sorted her books and school materials, arranged them on top of her study table and she ced some of them inside her drawer.


    When she got to Stefan¡¯s space, she paused and pondered if she should touch the documents. She wasn¡¯t sure if he sorted it already or if he has read them, and she knew how annoying it could be when someone messes up your work. ¡°Let¡¯s leave the documents as is.¡± She dusted off the table and returned the documents to where he ced them and arranged the other items instead.


    .....


    Cayenne was happily cleaning when she noticed some papers under Stefan¡¯s table. She wasn¡¯t a fashion design student but she could tell that Stefan was drawing a dress. The outline was made of rough and bold strokes which really speaks for his personality but there were soft touches here and there that she could see as well. It was a long dress but she couldn¡¯t tell it was a wedding dress. After all, those were Stefan¡¯s initial sketches before he perfected the design he had in mind with the help of the famous designer that he hired.


    ¡°Did he draw this dress for me? Howe I never received a dress with this kind of design?¡± She thought of the things she received from him but this dress wasn¡¯t included. Taking a scotch tape out, she stered the drawing on his table and ced a note. [I¡¯ll draw a suit for you to match this. When will I see this dress?] Satisfied with the note, she continued cleaning while humming to one of BTS songs.


    She had no idea that she won¡¯t see the dress until the day of her wedding.


    ***


    At 7:00 in the evening, Elia was sitting on her hospital bed while looking outside the window of her room. She couldn¡¯t see the starlit sky because of the tall skyscrapers surrounding the hospital building and this fact was added to the gloomy atmosphere in her room. Although she was thankful that she got another chance to live her life, she was also sad and regretful.


    ¡°Lia.¡± Xian called out at the door when he peeked inside and saw her. Elia only looked at him for a few seconds without changing her expression before shifting her gaze back to the view outside the window. ¡°It¡¯s getting colder. Let me close the window.¡± Even after closing the window, she didn¡¯t say a single word to him. ¡°Can we talk?¡±


    Elia snapped back and red. ¡°You are already talking. What else do you need?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Xian was at loss for words. He knew he has little time before her mother gets back from buying some food but, he didn¡¯t know where to begin. His thoughts were messy and he was also afraid. His hands were even shaking on his side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Elia¡¯s gaze turned cold which stunned him and his heart dropped on the cold floor. The hope he wanted to see wasn¡¯t present in her eyes. He could not see an ounce of love from her gaze. She has given up on him.


    ¡°Lia, I am sorry. I can¡¯t remember anything in the ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Well, I remember everything from the moment you have chosen to stand beside her and ignore me! Shall I recall everything to you?¡± Her voice was dripping cold even though she was expressionless in front of him. It would have been better if she looked at him coldly like earlier because he knew she was looking at him. But this time, she lost the light in her eyes. It was as if, she was looking at someone dead.


    To her surprise, Xian got down on his knees. She didn¡¯t expect him to lower himself to this point in front of her. She finally stopped treating him coldly and sighed. ¡°There¡¯s no point kneeling in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Elia, please. I¡¯m begging you. I was tricked. I don¡¯t know how it happened...it¡¯s...I woke up one day and I started hating you. There¡¯s someone in my head, telling me to hate you. My protective instinct would kick in but I suddenly found myself protecting someone else. There werepses in my memories and I can¡¯t exin why I was following that woman.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! Are you ming amnesia for what happened to us?! Let me tell you, you never got into ident. How can you have amnesia when there was no damage in your brain?! I even asked someone to trick you into getting MRI but they didn¡¯t find anything! You better create some believable lies.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not lying!¡± Xian yelled but Elia¡¯s face darkened instantly which calmed him down in regret. ¡°Lia, I¡¯m not lying. I don¡¯t know how to make you believe me but every time she shows up, my attention will be taken by her and someone keeps telling me to hate you. Someone¡¯s telling me that you are hurting my girlfriend no matter how much I think, the person whoes to my mind was her.¡±


    Elia closed her eyes before she¡¯d get the strength to hit him because right now, she really wanted to hit him until he¡¯s crippled. ¡°Xian, what is it that you want from me? If you want us to get back together then, I¡¯m telling you no. You may have forgotten what happened but I remember them.¡± The tears that she had been trying stop from falling were now rolling down her face. The painful memories flooded her brain and she felt her heart being squeezed tightly. ¡°The pain I experienced was real. The hate in your eyes when you looked at me; they were real. The times you pushed me away, you scolded me and cursed me ¨C they were all real. Even if you were tricked, didn¡¯t you ask yourself why people talked about you and me? Did you ever wonder why some people asked you about us? Why didn¡¯t you try looking for answers? You glued yourself to her side instead of finding the truth of the messy rtionship between you, me and that woman. You never tried.¡±


    Xian pursed his lips helplessly. He couldn¡¯t even remember most of the events. How could he know if he ever tried or not? How can he exin everything when he couldn¡¯t understand how things happened? How was he going to prove to her that he was tricked by something that he couldn¡¯t really describe?


    Xian stood up and smiled sadly at her. He wanted to clear everything but he needed to have evidence to prove his im. He knew that she¡¯d only hate him even more if he continued to force himself on her. ¡°I¡¯ll find evidence and unveil the truth. When I get the answer, even if you don¡¯t want us to be together, I hope you can forgive me. We don¡¯t have to be friends by then. I just want to earn your forgiveness after all the things that I did. And even if you won¡¯t forgive me, it¡¯s also fine. I just want you to know that I am not lying.¡±


    Amethyst was standing outside the room, listening to the conversation but when she saw that Xian wasing out, she ran to another direction and hide herself. [Something that would make you obey someone against your will? Does that exist?]

 Chapter 682

    Chapter 682: DON¡¯T NEED YOUR KIND OF FAMILY


    Monday hase around once again and Cayenne agreed to meet her rtives at noon for lunch. She chose the shortest time possible because she didn¡¯t want to spend so much time with them. She hasn¡¯t forgotten the incident of her kidnapping and she will never do. The fact that it almost ruined her rtionship with Stefan would make her keep the event in mind. The ironic thing about it was that her rtive were the one who kidnapped her. Although the Rule couple has nothing to do with it, she would still not associate herself with them. After all, they have not acknowledged her brothers even though Luiz and Kyle are rted to them by blood as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Rule,¡± Cayenne stated when she saw the waitress at the entrance of the restaurant where they nned to meet. Stefan was walking beside her; his thumb was caressing the hand that he was holding. She wasn¡¯t saying it but she was upset with this meeting and he wanted to console her.


    ¡°It will be fine,¡± Stefan whispered softly and smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t let anything bad happen again.¡±


    ¡°I trust you.¡±


    The two of them followed the waitress and they led her to a private booth where the family of four was waiting for them. Cayenne sat down without saying anything and there wasn¡¯t any trace of joy on her face.


    ¡°Sorry for dragging you out here again. I know we talked of cutting ties and going on separate ways but our parents are so stubborn to let things go like that.¡± Artemis stated as soon as Cayenne sat in front of them. She didn¡¯t forget the agreement they had with her but she couldn¡¯t really stop Mr. and Mrs. Rule from seeing Cayenne.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter? Why do you want to see me? I think your daughters have exined everything.¡±


    .....


    The couple looked at Cayenne happily when she arrived but the moment she opened her mouth, their faces fell and they looked really sad.


    Her uncle sighed and shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for what happened to your mother and you. We don¡¯t have any idea since we couldn¡¯t get out of the hospital and there were no gadgets around us as well. If we knew, we would have done our best to help you like what we did to your mother.¡±


    Cayenne only looked at the couple and then at their daughters who kept their mouths shut on the side. ¡°Look, the past is in the past. Mother didn¡¯t say anything about her family because she didn¡¯t want us to look for you and I never did. It was your family who kept chasing us toe back. I don¡¯t care about what happened in the past. As I have said, I already paid for what your daughters did to help me. Amethyst Nile Rule no longer exists. I¡¯m the daughter of Emerald Ardolf and Reuben Montefalco. That¡¯s that. Let¡¯s pretend we don¡¯t know each other. My brothers and I were happy when we didn¡¯t know you and we will continue to be happy.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we really be family?¡± Mrs. Rule asked which Cayenne gave an instant answer.


    ¡°No. The family I know would never put their members in harm¡¯s way. Your so-called family has abducted me and wanted to marry me off for personal interests. I don¡¯t need that kind of family.¡±


    Instead of having lunch to celebrate their reunion, Cayenne never touched the food on the table and the same goes for Stefan. Obviously, they didn¡¯te to have a happy lunch with everyone.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else that I want to say. Just forget about us and live your life ording to how you want it.¡± Cayenne stood up and left the restaurant with Stefan. Since they didn¡¯t have much time before her next ss starts, they just bought some food from a drive-thru and ate on their way to her university.


    ¡°You always encourage me to reconcile with my father and grandpa, but why aren¡¯t you doing the same thing to your maternal rtives?¡±


    ¡°Your mother died because of ra. It was never your father¡¯s or your grandpa¡¯s intention to hurt her. My grandpa tried to kill his daughter and tried to sell me off by marriage. Although Diana and Artemis helped me with my n, they only did it because they didn¡¯t want me in their family. They never saw me as one of them. How can I continue to treat them as a family when they can¡¯t do the same? We¡¯re better off without them.¡±


    Stefan nodded his head in agreement. He even had a hard time forgiving his father and grandpa even though they weren¡¯t directly rted to his mother¡¯s death. How could he expect Cayenne to do the same?


    In the end, the two of them continued with their lives and shoved this meeting to the deepest part of their memories.


    When Luiz saw Amethyst at Trine Elite University, he pretended he didn¡¯t know him. The two of them, although they knew they were cousins, never said a single word ever since the day they first met. Luiz actively engaged with his fans and sometimes, he would spend his time with risse or with Jade and Ethan. He never had a boring time on campus.


    The days continued to pass by and it was among these peaceful days that Cayenne received an invitation. Ali and Luna would finally get engaged with her family¡¯s approval which was what Luna waited for so long. Cayenne was so happy when she read the letter at home and called Luna immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting engaged already and I haven¡¯t received your wedding invitation yet. When will you get married to Stefan?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t talked about it and I¡¯m married to him already. I don¡¯t need a second wedding.¡±


    ¡°No, girl. You have to. Did you forget that something marred your first wedding? You even signed the divorce papers. You have to get married again and live a happy life. I¡¯m sure Stefan would be very happy to do that for you.¡±


    ¡°Nah. We¡¯re happy without the second wedding.¡±


    Luna rolled her eyes on the other side of the phone while someone was cleaning her fingernails. ¡°I thought every girl wants to have a grand wedding since it¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime event. I can¡¯t believe you are not one of those girls.¡±


    Cayenne justughed it off since she didn¡¯t really have anything to retort to that. ¡°Anyway, I just want to congratte you in advance and you better prepare lots of desserts for me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the top on my list.¡±


    ¡°You know me best. Love you.¡±


    Stefan¡¯s ears perked up when Cayenne said thest two words to someone else. If it was a man, he would have turned a jar of vinegar upside-down. Thankfully, it was Luna.


    Cayenne and Luna talked for a very long time since it¡¯s been a while that the two of them talked about their life. Knowing that it would take a long time before they would finish, Stefan went out to get some snacks for her.

 Chapter 683

    Chapter 683: CHOICES


    On the day that Elia finally got discharged, Cayenne visited her and apologized for getting her involved in this mess. She also apologized to her parents even though she didn¡¯t have to. Her attitude made Elia¡¯s parents happy. Cayenne wanted to take them to lunch but something unexpected happened.


    Xian came but he didn¡¯t get the chance to speak because Elia¡¯s father punched him on the face. Cayenne was so shocked and turned speechless. Stefan pulled her behind him to make sure that she won¡¯t get caught in the middle of this argument. On the side, Elia was expressionless. She didn¡¯t even bother stopping her father.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough.¡± Stefanmented after seeing the man has been beaten ck and blue. It¡¯s obvious how repentant this man was because he didn¡¯t even defend himself against the punches. His nose was bleeding and he had several cuts on his lips. After Stefan¡¯s guards separated the two, Xian only looked at Elia who refused to meet his gaze.


    ¡°Lia, I found a lead already. I¡¯ll prove to you that it was never my intention for all of these to happen. I will leave for PH country. They have an ind there which is known for witchcrafts and sorcery. I don¡¯t if what she said is true but I¡¯m willing to take the risk and prove the truth to you. I¡¯ll be back after two weeks.¡±


    Elia didn¡¯t respond to his words. Xian was dejected but at the very least, he was thankful that she didn¡¯t push him away.


    Cayenne watched this event to unfold in front of her but she didn¡¯t ask about it. She was not in the position to intrude someone else¡¯s privacy.


    Stefan asked someone to tend Xian¡¯s wounds and left after helping the man pay for his medical bills. It was the least he can do to help him. As a man, he could rte to him but at the end of the day, the decision will still lie on Elia¡¯s hands just like how Cayenne decided to give him a second chance.


    .....


    Elia and her parents left the hospital without looking back. Since Cayenne has one more subject to attend and Stefan has work to do, they decided to go to hispany. When they arrived, Elena was busy working while Tristan dictated her what to do.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t reconciled up to this moment?¡± Cayenne whispered as they passed by them.


    ¡°No. Elena talks to him about work but nothing more than that. She avoids him during break time as well.¡±


    When she looked at Elena, she found the woman smiling faintly at her. Cayenne smiled back and waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be studying in his office today. Do you have time after two hours?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯lle and find you after my ss.¡±


    Cayenne attended herst ss but her focus wasn¡¯t there. Thankfully, Stefan had set hisptop to record the ss duration for her future reference. If it weren¡¯t because of him, she¡¯d miss important notes again. She was curious about the man she met at the hospital and she was also wondering what she could do to help Elena and Tristan. Cayenne likes to make everyone around her happy because their positive energy will also affect her. Whenever she finds out that someone¡¯s having a bad day, she will also worry for that person. She¡¯s thatpassionate.


    Two hourster, Cayenne and Elena walked to the rooftop where the small botanical garden can be seen. It has a great view of the city and you can have a sense of peace in this ce. Cayenne and Elena sat on one of the benches and the bodyguards stood in different ces to guard them but they also gave them enough distance for privacy.


    From a distance, some of the employees who took their breaks at the rooftop were looking at Cayenne and Elena¡¯s way. Some of the women were envious of Elena¡¯s close rtionship to their boss.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t talked to Tristan?¡± Cayenne questioned while looking into the distance and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to intrude and influence your decision but I just hope that your rtionship with him won¡¯t affect your work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. In fact, I am more efficient with the current situation.¡±


    ¡°So, you wanted this to continue? Until when?¡±


    ¡°Until my mom is fine.¡±


    ¡°Your mom?¡±


    Elena exined the whole event to Cayenne on how she found Tristan and her father and how her mother found the death of her other daughter. Her mother also learned that Tristan was her other daughter¡¯s ex- fianc¨¦e. Seeing the resemnce that Elena has with her twin, her mother refused Elena to have a rtionship with Tristan. She didn¡¯t want her second daughter to be a recement of the other. She didn¡¯t want Elena to suffer a loveless rtionship like hers.


    ¡°Miss Yen, you know what, I once told myself that I¡¯d thread through ice and fire for my love as long as he loves me and my mother approves it. I was really happy when I saw how much she liked Tristan for me. Now, it hase to the point where I have to choose between him and my mother. I don¡¯t know what to do anymore.¡±


    Cayenne also shrugged her shoulders because she was at loss. She can¡¯t just tell him to choose Tristan or choose her mother. She would lose one of the people she loves the most.


    ¡°Have you exined this to your mother?¡±


    ¡°I did but she was firm in her decision. I can¡¯t have them both. Tristan got hurt and I want to take care of him but if I get hometer than half an hour, she will throw my things away and cut ties with me. I don¡¯t want it to happen. So, I decided not tomunicate with Tristan. I don¡¯t want to give him another false hope.¡±


    ¡°And what if he finds someone else? I¡¯m not saying that he won¡¯t wait for you or won¡¯t understand your situation but just in case ¨C ¡±


    ¡°He can.¡± Elena answered with tears streaming down her face. ¡°If that happens, I can only wish for his happiness. What else can I do? I don¡¯t want to lose the only woman who cares for me. She¡¯s the only family I have. Miss Yen, I always wish to have aplete family but I epted the fact that it won¡¯te true no matter how strong I wish for it. I just didn¡¯t expect that it would be my family who would also ruin my happiness. Why does he have to be my sister¡¯s ex- fianc¨¦e? Why did my father show up when we didn¡¯t need him anymore? Why must I fall in love with the man that I can¡¯t have?¡±


    Cayenne pulled Elena and hugged her. Why? Cayenne can¡¯t answer any of those. She didn¡¯t know that this fight between the lovers had a deep reason that she couldn¡¯t fathom at all. What will she advise her; to give up on Tristan and to choose her mother? If that¡¯s the case, how long will it take her to move on? Will she be able to endure seeing him with someone else? Cayenne closed her eyes and erased these thoughts. She didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Do you want to take a break? I¡¯ll ask Stefan to give you some time to think. How about two weeks?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    When Tristan heard that Elena will take some time off from work, he panicked. He didn¡¯t even get the chance to talk to her about their current status and now, she¡¯s leaving. What if she chooses to give up on him? What is he going to do? He didn¡¯t want to lose her and their future. He didn¡¯t want to spend his life with someone else. He needed her.


    Cayenne and Stefan were about to go home when he decided to stop by Tristan¡¯s office. He saw him staring at the blinking red dot which was going farther from thepany¡¯s location. It was Elena¡¯s tracker. Stefan fiddled with his phone and questioned, ¡°Do you think her love for you is enough for her to give up on her mom and choose you?¡±


    Tristan turned his head and found his boss looking at him with his back leaning on the door frame. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to choose between me and her mother. I want her to have both of us who loves her. If she wants me to wait until her mother gives her consent to our rtionship, I can wait. I am just afraid that she¡¯d give up on me.¡±

 Chapter 684

    Chapter 684: [Bonus chapter] BAD NEWS


    One weekter, Cayenne and Stefan received a heartbreaking letter. She was at the campus when she received the information from Lucia that Justin¡¯s grandfather died due to a heart attack. Their ce was far from the city and not many public vehicles could get there. Their neighbors were situated far from them as well, at least 3-5 kilometers away and it would take a few minutes to get help from them.


    Justin¡¯s grandpa didn¡¯t make it to the hospital. When their neighbor helped them bring the old man to the city, he was already gone. It was devastating for the children and for the granny who was left behind. They have grown old together and have cared for the children together. Now, the other has left and it was heartbreaking.


    Cayenne wanted to leave the school to see the children but she has two exams to take in the afternoon. She didn¡¯t want to use her husband to pull strings for her again. He has done so much already and she didn¡¯t want her ssmates to think that she was abusing her connection.


    Knowing how much Cayenne cared for the children, Stefan sent someone to take care of the funeral and everything else. Justin was allowed to take a break from work and go home as well. Since someone needed to take care of the food for the mourners, Stefan asked Lucia to go along with Justin.


    In any case, they can take care of their own food at home if needed.


    As soon as Cayenne finished her exam, she left the university with her bodyguards. Her ssmates were wondering what made her run that fast but they didn¡¯t have the time to ask her because she was gone in a few minutes. Stefan was already waiting for her outside the campus and they left together to visit Justin¡¯s ce.


    ¡°How¡¯re the children doing?¡± she asked him before she could even give him her greeting kiss. Stefan didn¡¯t answer her but pointed his finger at his cheek. Cayenne indulged this sulky bear and kissed him while fastening her seatbelt. ¡°So, have you checked on them?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Yes. Martin went there and helped them already. The children have been crying sincest night. They only calmed down when they saw Justine home.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we should send them to the orphanage now? I mean, none of the children is of legal age and it would be difficult for granny to take care of them all once Justin goes back to work.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it with them once again before the child welfare gets wind of their situation. Also, I will have to leave for St. Martin tomorrow to negotiate with the mayor as well as the residents of the ce that I was nning to develop. I need to keep the end of my bargain. I don¡¯t want those criminals toe after us because I didn¡¯t keep my word.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I will stay at home and attend sses via zoom.¡±


    When they reached Justin¡¯s home, it wasn¡¯t a lively ce anymore. The children had puffy eyes and some were sleeping on the wooden floor with nkets covering them. They didn¡¯t want to leave their grandpa alone. Chloe was sticking to Justin and wherever he goes, she followed him like a tail.


    ¡°Good evening, Miss Yen.¡± Justin greeted them when he saw them. ¡°Have you eaten dinner? If not, you can eat in the kitchen. Auntie Lucia cooked food already.¡±


    Cayenne nodded her head and gently pats the boy¡¯s head. ¡°You are strong Justin. Your grandpa must be very proud of you. His soul will surely rest in peace because he knew you are here.¡±


    Justin had been holding back his tears since he arrived but because of Cayenne¡¯s words, his tears burst out like a dam. He cried so hard and hugged Cayenne.


    Stefan frowned when he saw that this young man was taking advantage of the situation to hug his wife. He wanted to pull him away from Cayenne but before he could do anything, Cayenne flicked his forehead. ¡°Stop thinking nonsense.¡± She whispered but Stefan pouted in disagreement.


    Realizing what he did, Justin pulled away and wiped his tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Yen. I just couldn¡¯t control myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay but you should try your best to calm your little wife behind you.¡±


    Sure enough, Chloe was tearing up behind him. She didn¡¯t like the fact that Justin showed his weak appearance to Cayenne but not to her. She didn¡¯t want him to rely on someone else. Yet, what can she do? She was younger than him and she thought that she wasn¡¯t reliable at all.


    ¡°Chloe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Chloe stated without hearing the rest of his words. She might be very young but she can understand things that adults talk about. Although a lot of people teased her as Justin¡¯s little wife, she also knew that some of them would say otherwise ¨C that Justin would surely find someone he can love one day. ¡°I¡¯ll go and help auntie Lucia to arrange the food.¡±


    Chloe ran away and didn¡¯t look back. She¡¯s young and a lot of things can happen in the future. She didn¡¯t even know if she¡¯d live long to be his match.


    Justin could only shake his head and prioritize the people who came to visit them. He didn¡¯t think much of Chloe¡¯s behavior because she can be a spoiled child sometimes. He led Cayenne and Stefan inside their house and they greeted his granny.


    Cayenne didn¡¯t open up about the orphanage yet because of the current situation but she has to tell the old woman as soon as possible to make sure that the children will be taken care of properly.


    Their neighbors came to pay respect as well even though they were quite far from each other. Some of them were curious about Cayenne and Stefan¡¯s appearance at the funeral since they didn¡¯t know their connection to Justin. However, seeing the grim faces of the bodyguards, no one approached the couple to strike up a conversation.


    The sad news didn¡¯t end there. When Stefan left for St. Martin, he received a resignation email from Elena. He expected her to clear her mind and deal with her problem after the time off that he granted her. He didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d choose to run away from it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want an employee who sends me a resignation through email. Come back to the office and talk to me.¡± Stefan sent the voicemail and closed his eyes. ¡°When will all these problems stoping into our lives? I want to marry her already.¡±


    Tristan, who was driving the car for him, heard what Stefan said. He wanted to console his boss but he didn¡¯t know how. He was also having the same issue and now his girlfriend is trying to run away from him.


    After a few minutes of silence, both of them sighed deeply which surprised the bodyguard who boarded the passenger seat. [Thank God, I¡¯m single.]

 Chapter 685

    Chapter 685: ELENA¡¯S LOVE RIVAL IS BACK


    Stefan talked to the mayor and the representatives of St. Martin¡¯s residents. He wanted to continue his project because the prospects were good and it would bring a lot of profit to his business. However, he didn¡¯t want to ruin people¡¯s lives to the point that they¡¯d cause a national crime. It will only cause him problems and damage his reputation.


    ¡°For those who will be affected by this said project, we will provide temporary housing for everyone until you can recover and stand on your own. We will alsopensate those who will lose their houses for this project.¡± The mayor stated which caused dissatisfaction on the representatives¡¯ faces. It was obvious that the government was using its authority and power again to bully the poor. They didn¡¯t even care that these people were his subjects for the sake of money.


    ¡°Speak freely if you have any questions orints,¡± Stefanmented calmly while sitting on his chair. He felt that the representatives were anxious and worried about something but if they couldn¡¯t resolve this matter, he will be affected in the future. Surely, Cayenne wouldn¡¯t want it to happen as well.


    ¡°If I may,¡± one of the representatives spoke with a raised hand, ¡°I know that we will receivepensation but we can use all that up in a short span of time. We grow up in this ce and have our work here. If we leave, where will we find another job?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you look for work somewhere else? Is that part of my problem, too?¡± The mayor retorted which angered the representative.


    ¡°We are your subjects! You should think about what¡¯s best for us but all you think about is getting money and more money! What about us poor people?! We shouldn¡¯t have voted for you!¡±


    The representatives started throwing things at the mayor but his bodyguards were able to calm them down though, they only stopped them seriously after the mayor got rotten eggs all over him. He was so stinky that Stefan gagged on the side.


    .....


    ¡°...I...I have...wait,¡± Stefan took the handkerchief that Tristan gave him and moved away from the mayor. ¡°I have a proposal.¡± He spoke. ¡°Since there will be a huge project and it will take years to finish it, why don¡¯t you work as construction workers? If you have fears of heights, you can do groundworks, too. Today, I¡¯m here to consult that this proposal must go through. If you agree, I will find ways to help you until you can recover from this forced evacuation.¡±


    ¡°I am not really against working as a construction worker since I didn¡¯t really have any decent jobs. It would be great for a family with lots of men as well. The problem lies with those people who didn¡¯t have any man in their family or they¡¯re too old to make this kind of hardbor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that you have heard a lot of things about me. I care so much for my employees because they help me earn a lot of revenue. So, as the project developer, I will make sure to find ways for everyone. I will ask someone to conduct a survey of the households which will be affected by this project.¡±


    ¡°Can you give us a day? We will talk with the other families and we will give you an answer tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I will leave my assistant¡¯s number to you. Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Well, we should thank you, sir. The mayor didn¡¯t even bother himself to think about us but you are here to help us resolve this matter instead. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here for profit as well but I want to do it without ruining someone else¡¯s life.¡±


    The meeting ended with Stefan being the good man in people¡¯s eyes and the mayor bing the devil. If you think about it, Stefan really ruined their peaceful life by purchasing thend but since it¡¯s government-ownednd, the residents med the mayor for selling it. Also, the mayor failed to recognize their worries but Stefan did and he was able to provide a solution as well. Compared to this short-time problem about the dwellers, Stefan was looking forward to the huge profit that his family will get in theing years.


    [Our children will have a bright future as long as they managed our businesses properly.]


    This thought came naturally to him and he didn¡¯t think something was wrong with him. He never thought of having children before. It was always Cayenne who talks about children this, children that ¨C never Stefan. Yet, at this moment, he was looking into the future of his children managing the businesses that he builds with blood and sweat.


    After the meeting, Stefan told Tristan to drive back to Cayenne¡¯s university instead. He still got a few minutes left before lunch break so, he went to the caf¨¦ where he used to wait for her and bought two slices of matcha cake. She likes it the most among all the other cakes from this caf¨¦.


    Stefan was about to leave when he saw someonee in who looked so much like Elena. At first, he thought it was his secretary but then, he noticed that the woman has a baby bump. It was impossible for Elena to get that huge baby bump when she left with a t stomachst week.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± The woman asked Stefan when she noticed he had been staring at her.


    ¡°Do you have a twin?¡±


    The woman stiffened for a moment but then, she was shaking her head in the next second. ¡°I¡¯m an only daughter.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Stefan nodded his head perfunctorily before turning around to leave. He looked around to find Tristan and he found him talking to someone with his back facing the store. When he looked back at the caf¨¦, the woman was no longer there.


    Stefan pressed his fingers on his temple and rubbed it. Right now, he can already imagine himself having a headache. It¡¯s not really his problem but Tristan and Elena are his trusted subordinate. If something happens to these two, where will he find another capable secretary?


    Stefan felt so annoyed right now but he still kept an expressionless face in front of other people. He didn¡¯t want them to see his emotions right now.


    Thankfully, Cayenne finally came out of the school and brightened his day. She¡¯s the sun and moon and that brightens his world.

 Chapter 686

    Chapter 686: HIS DOUBT WAS CONFIRMED


    As soon as she finished her morning ss, Cayenne left the campus to meet with Stefan. She smiled brightly uponying her eyes on him and she ran into his warm embrace. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You look worried about something.¡± She inquired after giving him a smack on the lips. ¡°I hope it¡¯s not rted to me again.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get inside the car first.¡± He said and led her to their vehicle. Some students looked at them enviously but nobody said anything. No matter what they say, it wouldn¡¯t change anything between Cayenne and Stefan. They would only waste their time on something they couldn¡¯t control. It¡¯s better to shut their mouth and keep their opinions to themselves.


    Once they got inside the car, Cayenne hugged him and leaned her head on him. ¡°So, what¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    Tristan only nced at them through the rearview mirror and finally drove out of the campus premises. He even caught Stefan looking at him.


    ¡°Boss, are you still bothered about her resignation?¡±


    Cayenne frowned upon hearing it and it didn¡¯t take long for her to realize who Tristan was talking about. Aside from Elena, she didn¡¯t know anyone else who can get his attention. ¡°So, why is she resigning?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to her about that. I told her toe and meet me in the office.¡±


    .....


    Tristan didn¡¯t say anything. It¡¯s obvious that he was the reason and he didn¡¯t need them to point that out.


    ¡°Another thing.¡± Stefan looked at Tristan once again and continued, ¡°Are you really sure that your ex-fianc¨¦ died?¡±


    Tristan and Cayenne: ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    They had the same reaction and response at the same time which made Stefan re at his secretary. He didn¡¯t want anyone else to be synchronized with his wife.


    ¡°Stop ring at him.¡± Cayenne pointed out with a helpless smile. ¡°It¡¯s not the right time to get jealous over this trivial matter. Just what do you mean with your question?¡±


    ¡°Tristan, remember that you are driving. Keep your cool together.¡± Stefan reminded him to ensure he won¡¯t identally step on the break and get them in an ident. ¡°I think your ex-fianc¨¦ didn¡¯t die. I saw someone who looked so much like Elena. If she wasn¡¯t pregnant, I would really think it was Elena.¡±


    Tristan gripped the steering wheel to control himself while Cayenne sat there with her mouth gaping in shock. She knew her husband wouldn¡¯t joke with this kind of thing which means, Elena¡¯s sister could really be alive.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Tristan muttered as he slowed down the speed of the car. ¡°I saw her. I even held her body. She really died.¡±


    ¡°Then, you might want to reinvestigate this matter. Because if she¡¯s really alive, she will only worsen the problem you are having right now. You are already in a pinch with Elena, one wrong step and you will lose her. But you have my full support if you still want to pursue her.¡±


    Cayenne was silent in her seat. After spending so much time with Elena and Tristan, knowing they got her back whenever something happens, Cayenne felt so close to both of them already. She knew how much Elena loves Tristan and vice versa but with the reemergence of his ex, would he still feel the same?


    ¡°Wait!¡± Cayenne eximed which caught the attention of the three men inside the car including the bodyguard. ¡°You said that she was pregnant, right? So, she already found someone else.¡±


    ¡°Did you think I¡¯m so fickle to go back to her after all these years? If she¡¯s really alive, I would only ask why she deceived us but I won¡¯t be getting back together with her. I have buried my feelings already and I have moved on.¡±


    Cayenne nodded her head in silence and shrugged her shoulders. She really wanted the two of them to get together but if one of them gives up, she couldn¡¯t really do anything about it.


    [I hope Elena has thought this through.] Cayenne told herself mentally.


    They had their lunch at thepany and right after that, she joined her ss via zoom and Stefan continued with work. Even though they have eliminated the danger that Napoleone brought to them, Stefan continued their current setup for Cayenne¡¯s safety.


    Some of her ssmates think that she gets special treatment because of her set up but when they found out that her attendance points were deducted every time she attends ss via zoom, they finally understood the fairness of the school. Topensate for these points that she lost, she studied really hard to get higher grades during exams. At least, it could stretch her marks a little. She¡¯s not vying to graduate with flying colors, she only wanted to finish her degree.


    Stefan wasn¡¯t really asking her to be at the top of her ss. He only wanted her to do her best so that she won¡¯t have any regret once she graduates. After all, he only told her to go back to school in order to distract her from thinking about having babies.


    ***


    In the evening, Cayenne and Stefan went to Justin¡¯s home again to attend the vigil. Surprisingly, Elena was also present this time. However, Tristan was still in his office, reinvestigating the death of his ex-fianc¨¦.


    Since the Dragon Gang have been exterminated, most of their members were sent to jail, others died during the pursuit. It would be difficult to know who was really involved with the death of his ex-fianc¨¦.


    Tristan rubbed his face in displeasure before he continued to look for clues. Hacking one of the orbiting satellites, he used the photographic scanner to search for people who has the same face as Elena. Several people popped up with a resemnce and three women stood out among them.


    Elena¡¯s information popped up as well as his ex-fianc¨¦¡¯s info which showed the date of her death. Thest one was someone who has the same birthdate as Elena and it showed she was an orphan.


    Feeling something was wrong with this person¡¯s info, Tristan asked for help from Shein to resolve things a lot fasterpared to him doing it alone.


    After 2 hours, Shein submitted the result of his investigation and Tristan added it to what he had discovered as well.


    He didn¡¯t really want to believe that she could deceive the people who loved her so much but with the information in hand, Tristan¡¯s face darkened in anger.


    He grabbed his bag and keys before running towards the elevator. He needed to settle this matter before facing Elena. And to him, it would be better that his pure-hearted lover won¡¯t meet her deceiving sister. He didn¡¯t want her to get tainted.

 Chapter 687

    Chapter 687: MEETING WITH HIS EX


    Tristan stopped in front of a wrought iron gate. The house behind it was of average size but it has a spaciouswn where a yground can be seen. On the slide, he saw a little girl ying with a man, he guessed him to be her husband.


    ¡°Daddy. Daddy. Look outside. Someone¡¯s looking at us.¡±


    The man turned around and both he and Tristan stiffened the moment their eyes met. How could they not? They were considered buddies back in high school but he lost touch with him during college. He didn¡¯t expect him to be the husband of his ¡®deceased¡¯ lover.


    ¡°Sweetie, can you go inside for a while? I¡¯ll just talk to him first.¡±


    ¡°Shall I call the police?¡± The little girl questioned which made the man chuckle. ¡°He¡¯s not a bad guy?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not.¡± The man responded and kissed the little girl¡¯s cheek before ushering her inside the house. When he looked back, Tristan has already schooled his face back to normal and was leaning on his car door ¨C waiting for the man toe over and open the gate for him.


    ¡°Tris.¡± The man muttered with embarrassment reflecting on his face. ¡°I...I ¨C ¡±


    .....


    ¡°Do you mind opening the gate?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sorry.¡± He utched the lock and gestured for Tristan toe inside. The two of them walked toward the yground and sat on the swing which was meant for the children. The silence surrounded them which caused the other man to fidget anxiously.


    Tristan checked his emotions and found he wasn¡¯t hurt at all. He didn¡¯t feel betrayed or jealous. In fact, he was rather calm for someone who was deceived by his ex. And weird it could be but, he was delighted that he didn¡¯t feel these unnecessary emotions.


    ¡°Can I talk to her?¡±


    ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you.¡± The man knelt and sped his hands. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant. I don¡¯t want you to agitate her. I¡¯m sorry. You can punch me, beat me until I¡¯m crippled but I¡¯m begging you to spare her. It¡¯s not her fault. I¡¯m ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to do any of that,¡± Tristan stated but still, his face was devoid of emotions. The man was still suspicious of his intention, nheless, he rxed a little in front of him.


    The man stood up and looked towards the house where he saw his daughter peeking her head outside. Surely, she saw him kneel in front of this man. What else can he do? No matter how think about it, he was at fault for colluding with the Dragon gang and faking her death. It was already a miracle that nobody said anything about them for years.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡±


    Tristan followed him inside the house and found the little girl fuming in anger while looking at him. Seeing her expression, he was reminded of Elena. The little girl looked like Elena when she gets angry. [It¡¯s probably because of their blood rtionship.] He thought as he reached out to pat the little girl¡¯s head.


    In the living room, the woman he wanted to meet was knitting something. Since it was small, he guessed it was for the baby but he didn¡¯t say anything. When she looked up and saw him, her face showed her surprise and there was fear that crossed her eyes for a while.


    ¡°Can you bring Maya inside her room? You should clean her up, too. She reeks of sweat.¡± She said and the gentleness of her voice didn¡¯t change after all these years. She watched her daughter leave with her husband and when they were finally out of sight, she looked at him once again and sighed.


    ¡°So, you have learned the truth.¡±


    Tristan chose to stand in front of her and studied the woman that he once wanted to marry. He thought that Stefan was right when he said that the woman looked so simr to Elena and he thought of the same thing before but now, he could tell that there was a huge difference between them.


    ¡°Can you tell me the reason why you betrayed us?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡±


    ¡°I just want to know.¡±


    ¡°I never loved you.¡±


    This stunned him for a few seconds but instead of feeling wronged, a smile graced his lips. ¡°If it was before, I would probably resent you and chastise you but it¡¯s different now.¡±


    ¡°You found someone else?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She nodded her head and looked down at the small jacket in her hand. ¡°Can you keep my existence a secret? I don¡¯t want them to know. It¡¯s fine that they think I¡¯m dead.¡±


    ¡°Do you know that you have a sister?¡±


    She looked at him once again and nodded her head. With a deep sigh, she put down the jacket and rubbed her baby bump. ¡°I was never meant to marry you. You were supposed to meet my sister. Well, you met her first.¡±


    Tristan¡¯s heart was thumping so hard in his chest that he wanted to gauge it and hold it in his palm. He didn¡¯t expect that he¡¯d discover something else from this meeting. He was ted with this information and his mind was already telling him to go and find Elena. However, he needed to finish this conversation.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He finally asked after a minute of silence. ¡°Haven¡¯t we been together for a very long time?¡±


    ¡°The little girl who yed with you and Celestine at the park was my sister. You had a sketch of her and kept it for a long time. Later on, our paths crossed after we moved to your neighborhood. Celestine brought the sketch to our house and dered that it was me. My father found the sketch and went along with Celestine¡¯s words. Back then, I didn¡¯t know I had a sister and I also thought that maybe, the event of our meeting was just a forgotten memory. I became friends with you and that was it. I just wanted us to be friends.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it was a mistake until I saw her. I saw my sister and my mother. They were so happy together but the moment my father saw them, he pulled me angrily and left. I knew it, then. I knew that I was somehow connected to them. I confirmed it with my father and he told me the truth. Everything was fine. However, you showed promising intelligence and my father knew that you¡¯d make it big one day. So, he decided to engage us. I wanted to refuse but he threatened me. He killed my dog first as a warning that if I won¡¯t follow what he wanted me to do, he¡¯d kill my sister next to make sure that you won¡¯t meet her. I couldn¡¯t find a chance to tell you because of fear. You were so close with my father back then.¡±


    Tristan listened attentively to her and realized how much she suffered because of the mistake that his sister brought into her life. He couldn¡¯t me her at all. She told him how she continued to endure until she met Aaron and fell in love. She didn¡¯t want to miss a lifetime of happiness for something she didn¡¯t truly deserve.


    Having heard the most important part, he smiled at her and patted her head. ¡°You did what you needed to do because you wanted to be happy. It sounds selfish but I am happy that you did. It was very brave of you to take that step which leads us now to a better life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy now. I truly wish that you will also find the person who will make you happy.¡±


    ¡°I have found her.¡±


    After half an hour, Tristan finally decided to leave the ce. He looked at the house once more and when his eyesnded on the balcony on the second floor, he smiled at the man who made Shiara be brave. He remembered that Aaron came from a rich family but now, he was living humbly with her.


    There¡¯s no need to know how much sacrifice he had to make to set Shiara free. He must have spent a lot of money to cooperate with the gang and he was probably kicked out by his family. Tristan wasn¡¯t really sure but he didn¡¯t need to dig deep.

 Chapter 688

    Chapter 688: MOMENT OF TRUTH


    ¡°The subscriber could not be reached please try your callter.¡±


    ¡°The subscriber could not be reached ¨C ¡±


    ¡°The subscriber could ¨C ¡±


    Tristan looked checked the number on the screen and knew that he was dialing the right number but she wasn¡¯t picking up any of his calls. [Did she block my number? Howe she¡¯s not answering my calls? Is she really nning to leave me?] He was getting nervous with his thoughts but he remained impassive while driving his car to her house. He wanted to see her. He needed to talk to her. Earlier, when he traced her location, he found out that she was at home. He had no idea that she intentionally left her phone in her bedroom.


    At Justin¡¯s home, Elena was sitting in front of Cayenne and Stefan. She fiddled with her fingers and looked down on the table like it was the most interesting thing in the world. She couldn¡¯t meet their eyes. She was embarrassed and worried at the same time.


    After a moment of silent, Stefan finally spoke. ¡°Is this your final decision? I don¡¯t really want to let you go because you are very capable and a great asset to my business. However, I cannot keep you as well if your heart is no longer with us.¡±


    Elena nodded her head hesitantly which didn¡¯t escape Stefan¡¯s observation. ¡°Be firm. Is this your final decision? I will grant your resignation right away if this is really what you want.¡±


    .....


    ¡°If I apply again boss, will you not hire me? You said it yourself; I am capable.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are. Sadly, I don¡¯t want to keep someone who can be easily persuaded with emotions. I want professionals.¡±


    ¡°Stefan.¡± Cayenne muttered while hinting him not to be so harsh to Elena. After all, she had been his employee for several years. ¡°Elena, if this is about Tristan, wouldn¡¯t it be better if you talk to him onest time. He truly loves you. It¡¯s not about you being sister with his ex. It¡¯s not about you being simr to her. He loves you for who you are and not someone else. I can¡¯t tell you why I¡¯m so confident about this but if you listen to him, I am sure he will tell your everything.¡±


    ¡°My mother ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Your mother will learn to ept it.¡± Cayenne retorted instantly. ¡°You have to brave and face this adversary with him. If you give up on him, how will he have the will to fight? You must face your mother with him.¡±


    Stefan looked at his wife who sounded like a love counselor. It was really ironic to hear these wordsing from her since she almost gave up on him, too.


    Elena fell silent after hearing these words. She was really ready to give up on him and just be single for the rest of her life. She wanted to choose her mother over him but her heart has been shattered to pieces before she could even do it. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She needed him.


    ¡°Boss, can you give me a day?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he will.¡± Cayenne answered for Stefan which made him shake his head. She¡¯s toopassionate for others. ¡°We will always wait for you.¡±


    Around 9:00 in the evening, Elena went home and to her astonishment, she found Tristan sitting on the hood of his car in front of her home. He was looking up into the sky, watching the stars that littered the vault of heaven. She wanted to run into his arms and stay there but she knew that there was something more important that she needed to do.


    Tristan heard someone¡¯s car stopped not far from him and when he looked around, Elena was getting out of the car. He jumped down from his vehicle and watched her approach him slowly. She didn¡¯t look happy and that was something he expected.


    As soon as she got close to him, Tristan spoke immediately ¨C afraid that he¡¯d miss the chance again. ¡°Can we talk. I need to tell you something really important.¡±


    ¡°I have something to tell you, too. Shall we talk inside?¡±


    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s better If she knows the truth as well.¡±


    Elena was nervous with what she was doing but this is her only chance. If this wouldn¡¯t be resolved, she will have to quit and stop affecting her work.


    The moment they entered her home, they were greeted with her mom¡¯s swollen eyes. Elena panicked and ran towards her mom. Her resolve was starting to get shaken once again and she looked apologetically at Tristan. She wanted to be strong for him but her mother needed her, too.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Elena and Tristan were stunned with what they heard but none of them said anything. They thought it would be better to let her mother vent whatever it was that she was feeling. Elena sat beside her mother and Tristan chose to sit on the couch opposite them.


    ¡°I know that I¡¯m being selfish but, you understood me, right? You know that I was only doing it for your welfare, right?¡±


    Elena held her mother¡¯s hand and smiled faintly. She wanted to agree but she couldn¡¯t. She wanted to fight for her happiness. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry. I know that you are thinking things for me. I know you would always think of my best interest. However ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I know. You don¡¯t have to say it. I agree for you to be with him.¡±


    Tristan¡¯s eyes widened and he straightened is back as he looked at the mother-daughter pair. He thought he was hearing things but Elena rified it with her mother because she thought she was just daydreaming.


    Before she could even voice out her thoughts and defy her mother, her mom already agreed to her. It was really surprising and her happiness was blooming from the bottom of her heart. Her tears pooled in her eyes as she pulled her mother for a hug. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°I really want to share this happiness with you two but, I have something to tell you. I promised to keep this a secret however, it will cause another fight between me and Lena if she learns this from someone else.¡±


    ¡°Is this about my sister again? We talked about ¨C ¡±


    ¡°What sister?¡± Elena¡¯s mother shifted her gaze between her daughter and Tristan and she could tell that the two were keeping something from her. ¡°Tell me the truth or I will kick you both out of this house. You can never set foot in this house ever again.¡±


    Tristan gulped nervously and looked at Elena nervously. What she knew was something different from what he was about to tell them. And it worried him even more.


    ¡°Your sister is not dead.¡± Elena and her mother looked at him like he was someone who has grown some horns. They were both speechless so, he continued to speak before they could start to throw questions at him. He told them how she faked her death to escape her father and the marriage that was arranged for both of them. He also told them that she¡¯s living a happy life now.


    After telling them everything, Elena and her mother were still speechless. He couldn¡¯t tell what thoughts were running in their head but he could tell from their faces that they weren¡¯t thinking of something good.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not letting you know soon.¡±


    ¡°When did you know about this?¡±


    Tristan admitted everything to Elena, afraid that she¡¯d make a big deal out of it and anger her again. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Stefan, I wouldn¡¯t even know that she¡¯s alive. He identally met her earlier. I just investigated it few hours ago and I met her beforeing here.¡±


    ¡°Can you give me a minute to think? I really need to think things through.¡±


    ¡°Are we breaking up?¡±

 Chapter 689

    Chapter 689: WEDDING CARDS


    Weekend, finally came and Justin¡¯s grandpa had to be buried. The children were sobbing once again and some of them were even clinging to the coffin. They didn¡¯t want to let him go.


    Cayenne watched them from the car and she couldn¡¯t help herself but tear up as well. She knew how it feels to lose someone you love and they were so young to lose the person who raised them.


    Only Chloe remained calm. It was probably because Justin was holding her hand.


    Martin was the one who arranged everything for Justin¡¯s family with Stefan¡¯s instruction. They felt responsible for him since he worked for them at home and because Cayenne liked him as a little brother as well. For sure, she¡¯d feel sad and worried for him. And Stefan didn¡¯t want his wife to feel these emotions.


    The burial ceremony was held on the 23rd of January since it was auspicious for this kind of ceremony. Stefan stood beside his wife and held the umbre for her. It was sunny and bright which was a good sign for someone who died because it tells that the person¡¯s soul will rest in peace. However, the sun would affect his wife¡¯s skin. And Stefan was someone who cares so much for his wife.


    After the burial ceremony, some of the people who paid their respect have gone home. Others went back to Justin¡¯s ce and brough them some groceries for the family to use. Cayenne and Stefan also went there. They needed to talk to Justin¡¯s grandmother about the children.


    ¡°How about we ask Eliezer first if he knows a nursing aid.¡± Stefan suggested on their way back to Justin¡¯s ce.


    .....


    ¡°You want to hire one and assign them to Justin¡¯s grandma instead?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think she will feel sad if we take the children away and send them to the orphanage. She will feel alone. It would be better if she has someone who can take care of her and look after the children, too.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me.¡±


    So, when they arrived, they changed their intention from bringing the children to an orphanage, to hiring someone to take care of them.


    ¡°Mr. Dumrique, I am already grateful for all the things that you and your wife have done for us. This is more than enough. You don¡¯t have to worry about us. We will be fine on our own.¡±


    ¡°But ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s worrying you to see that there are a lot of children here and only an old woman to take care of them. But we will be alright. We can really manage here.¡±


    Stefan looked at Cayenne and the two of them sighed. They really wanted to help but they couldn¡¯t do anything since the older woman kept refusing their help.


    In the end, since they couldn¡¯t persuade her, the two of them decided to have a talk with Justin once he resumes with his work. For now, they decided to just go along with her granny.


    Monday came and Cayenne had to attend sses once again. To Stefan¡¯s surprise, Cayenne decided to attend all of her sses in person. She didn¡¯t want to use zoom for this week. He tried to convince her to change her mind but she has already decided and no one can change it.


    ¡°Double the number of bodyguards around her. Make sure that no suspicious person can get close to her. I give permission to Noah and Faith since I have met them and investigated their background but aside from these two, no one ¨C I repeat, no one else should get close to her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°You are making a fuss again.¡± Cayenne stated with a helpless expression.


    ¡°I have to.¡±


    ¡°But you will still have lunch with me, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I will be eating lunch with you.¡±


    The next few days were great for Cayenne and her family. They didn¡¯t have any problem and Stefan¡¯s business was doing great. He started talking to his father as well without her having to remind him. Sometimes, he would even visit his grandpa to make sure that he was doing alright. It shocked many of their servants that he visited the head of the family at the same time, they felt happy for the family they were serving.


    The days went by with no problems knocking on their door. Stefan was really grateful for it because he was able to focus with his wedding preparation. Right now, he had ten samples of invitation cards in front of him. They had different colors and designs which made it hard for him to choose which one was best for Cayenne.


    In the end, he decided to call Luna since she was a woman and knows Cayenne as well. She would surely choose what is best for her best friend.


    Luna was busy finishing her work since she will have a day off tomorrow for her engagement party. She didn¡¯t want to have a pile of works on her table once shees back to thepany. This time, she had to do things on her own because Ali wasn¡¯t with her. He was with the organizers, personally checking the progress for the event tomorrow.


    She was about to stand to get a cup of coffee when she received Stefan¡¯s call. She remembered that Cayenne already got her new phone after the hijacking incident which means, it was really Stefan who was calling her. [How rare!] she thought as she sat down once again and answered the call.


    ¡°What a surprise for my former boss to call me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I wouldn¡¯t do it if not for something so important.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this important thing that made you call me?¡± Instead of answering, Stefan showed her the wedding card samples which made her frown and narrowed her eyes to look at the details. She gestured for Stefan to move the cards nearer to the camera so she could read and when she finally got to read the details, her eyes went wide from excitement. ¡°Oh, my G! Your wedding?!¡±

 Chapter 690

    Chapter 690: [Bonus chapter] A FAIRYTALE?


    The next day, when Luna saw Cayenne who came to attend her engagement party, the former couldn¡¯t stop smiling. She was really happy that Cayenne found a husband like Stefan. However, Cayenne thought Luna was just happy because it was her engagement day. She was really clueless.


    The event was held for family and close friends only. It wasn¡¯t a big event even though Luna came from a rich family. It was simple because Ali and Luna didn¡¯t want it grand. For them, what matters was that her family has finally epted them.


    Luna introduced Cayenne and Stefan to her family and her family gave them a warm wee. After all, they knew that even though Cayenne¡¯s family wasn¡¯t rich, they didn¡¯t hesitate to help Luna and treat her like a real family of theirs. They have a good impression of Cayenne and her brothers. Unfortunately, Luiz couldn¡¯te because of work and Kyle had a research project to do.


    After the oath was exchanged followed by the engagement ring, Luna jumped into Ali¡¯s arms happily. She had been waiting for this day toe. Every day, she prayed that her family wille to ept the man that she chooses to marry. She prayed that they will stop judging him and see his worth and realize that he was the man that God has made for her. And finally, her prayers have been answered.


    In his arms, Luna was smiling but her tears were racing down her face. She was relieved. If her grandmother didn¡¯t have any heartplications, she wouldn¡¯te back home at all. She feared that they will force her to leave Ali and marry someone else. She didn¡¯t expect that they would ept him and even told him to work alongside their granddaughter to learn the ins and outs of their business.


    Watching them, Cayenne¡¯s heart was filled with happiness, too. She was a witness to how much struggle Luna and Ali had to endure because of their situation. She struggled to survive with the little amount of money they have from their work. But she loves him dearly which made her adjust herself to the current situation and adapt to the new environment she was in. Thankfully, she met Cayenne and she helped her be a stronger version of herself without depending on her family¡¯s wealth.


    Luna pulled away from Ali and looked toward her best friend. When their eyes met, she grinned happily which caused Cayenne to smile as well.


    .....


    [This silly woman. I really hope she won¡¯t make a slip of the tongue about the wedding,] Stefan thought while watching the newly engaged couple.


    ***


    In Vegan City, where Elia¡¯s family lives, Artemis went to visit them to see how Elia was doing and to bring her some news as well. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was doing the right thing but she also didn¡¯t want the woman to wallow in pain when she can actually have a lifetime of happiness.


    After hearing Xian¡¯s confession in the hospitalst time, Artemis became intrigued about this kind of drug that could make someone forget a person and only remembers him or her after seeing one¡¯s blood. She investigated this thing and to her surprise, it really exists. The Dragon Gang under her grandpa¡¯s leadership before has even acquired this product. It was really amazing and Artemis wanted to share this discovery with Elia.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise to see you here. Come in.¡± Elia opened the door a little wider for her guest toe inside. The living room was spacious and wherever Artemis looked around, she could see Elia¡¯s pictures. She could tell how precious Elia was to her parents.


    ¡°Are you an only child?¡± Artemis asked because she couldn¡¯t see any other photo aside from the woman in front of her. It feels like their home was an art gallery with her as the only muse.


    Elia looked around before she settled her gaze on Artemis. She was really happy to see her again. ¡°I¡¯m the second child,¡± Elia answered as she sat down and gestured for Artemis to do the same. ¡°However, I¡¯m the only living child. My older brother died when he was 2 years old.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. A lot of people who didn¡¯t know the truth would think I¡¯m an only child because my parents spoil me so much.¡± Artemis nodded in agreement as she handed her house visit gift to Elia. ¡°Thank you foring to visit me, but what brings you here?¡±


    Instead of answering, Artemis asked her a question, ¡°Are your parents here?¡±


    ¡°No. They¡¯re at the clinic. Do you want to talk to them?¡±


    ¡°Ah? No. No. I¡¯m here for you. I just didn¡¯t know if the words I¡¯m about to say would be appropriate for your parents to hear.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Xian was telling you the truth.¡±


    Elia¡¯s face showed a hint of annoyance when she heard the name of the person but she also frowned when a realization suddenly dawned on her. ¡°Which of the things he said was the truth? And how did you know?¡±


    Artemis moved closer and let out a deep breath before she continued. ¡°I heard the things he said in your hospital room. It wasn¡¯t really my intention to hear it but I was curious when he talked about this kind of drug that could make someone forget. I¡¯m not sure if you have heard it on the news and I¡¯m not proud of it; however, my grandfather used to lead a dragon gang. They have ess to all kinds of products and that includes this kind of medicine. The one that your boyfriend took was more advanced than the one that we have. I don¡¯t know how it was produced but an ind in the Philippines could make this kind of drug. It¡¯s not really illegal. It¡¯s a type of drug that is made of sorcery and witchcraft.¡±


    ¡°You believed in those?¡±


    Artemis felt a little embarrassed for saying these things because it sounded ridiculous even to her. Yet, it was existing.


    ¡°I believe in those because I¡¯ve read a lot of cases beforeing here. Apparently, there are people in the Philippines who can make this kind of drug. They call it a potion. Most of the people who can make this thing are found in provinces, away from the city and crowd.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t banned or arrested?¡±


    ¡°No, they are not. Aside from making this kind of potion, these people can also heal someone from other kinds of illness. In the Philippines, they are called albryo or herb doctors. They rely on herbal nts to cure illness and to make this kind of potions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°It is believable. Didn¡¯t this happen to your ex-boyfriend? And we have captured the woman who sold this drug to that nurse and make your boyfriend drink it. She admitted that she got it from someone she knew in the Philippines. She thought there was no harm in trying so, she gave it to the nurse who was also her friend. That nurse likes your boyfriend for a long time. So, she decided to use that kind of potion on him.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a fairytale, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know but in the Philippines, you can find the answer to your doubts. Wait, your boyfriend went there already, right? When is heing back?¡±


    ¡°Tsk! How would I know? I didn¡¯t pay attention to him anymore.¡±


    Elia had no idea that she will begin to regret not believing him starting this day. Xian wasn¡¯t lying but she won¡¯t have the chance to tell him the words she kept in her heart again.


    Note: In the Philippines, albryos exist. They can make love potions, too which is called lumay.

 Chapter 691

    Chapter 691: SIMPLE THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR


    ¡°I think I gained some weight,¡± Cayenne told Stefan one sunny morning. It was Saturday and they were nning to shop for Kyle¡¯s birthday gift. Last year, they weren¡¯t able to celebrate his birthday because she left for Italy with Stefan. This year, Kyle refused to celebrate it again because he was busy with so many school projects since he was a graduating student. Therefore, it was decided that they will just have a family dinner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you did,¡± Stefan answered even though he knew that Cayenne has gained some. It wasn¡¯t because he wanted tofort her but because he wasn¡¯t really bothered with it. No matter the size of his wife, he will love her still.


    ¡°I think I did.¡± Cayenne retorted grumpily. ¡°I weighed myselfst month andpared to my weight this month, it¡¯s obvious that I gained 5 pounds.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not much,¡± Stefanmented but seeing her disappointed expression, he pulled her close and made her sit on hisp. ¡°See? You are not heavy at all. I can do you while standing.¡±


    ¡°Hooligan!¡± She pushed him away and ran to their room. She was blushing from his words and her concern flew right off the window. She haspletely forgotten her worry about weight.


    In the afternoon, Stefan and Cayenne went to the mall to buy some gifts and more groceries for family dinner. Taking this chance, Stefan also looked around to get some ideas for the wedding giveaways. His wedding was slowly approaching and he has yet to finalize everything.


    ¡°What gift shall we give Kyle?¡± Cayenne asked because she wanted something that can be used and not disyed. She was someone who gives gifts that people can really make use of. ¡°He¡¯s got so many shoes already and he¡¯s got clothes. He said he didn¡¯t need a new bag and he does not need gadgets. What else then?¡±


    .....


    ¡°How about a proid camera? He loves to travel with his girlfriend, right? It would be great for them to make memoriesst with photographs.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go with that.¡±


    Followed by their bodyguards, the two of them went to the gadget and home appliances department. A lot of brands can be seen on this floor and they have visited this ce many times already. Cayenne already knew which ce offers better deals with good prices.


    After buying the proid camera, they went to the supermarket and bought a lot of things. Stefan knew that the list on her phone included the names of the snacks that she likes. She justined that she was gaining weight but she was listing a lot of junk foods again.


    He didn¡¯t spoil her shopping fun, though. She can eat all she wants; he will just be responsible for burning those calories and fats that she¡¯d gain.


    ¡°Why are you swiping your card?¡± Stefan questioned when he caught her taking her own card out of her wallet. ¡°Where¡¯s my card?¡±


    ¡°I left it at home.¡±


    ¡°Do you have enough money? I¡¯ll transfer ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Did you forget that thest time I spent my own money wasst year? And you transfer money to me every month. Where will that money go?¡±


    Not only Stefan but even the other customers and cashiers were speechless. When the cashier saw Cayenne¡¯s name on the card, her eyes brightened and she took out her handkerchief and a marker. Without saying anything, she handed them to Cayenne and smiled sheepishly.


    Cayenne knew what the woman wanted to do but because it was crowded, she did it discreetly to make sure that Cayenne and Stefan won¡¯t be swarmed up with people. After receiving her signed handkerchief, she instantly pocketed it and continued with her work. Only a few people noticed what she did but she couldn¡¯t tell who the customer was because of her face mask and baseball cap that covers her face.


    As soon as they finished buying what they needed, they went home and prepared for the simple family gathering for Kyle¡¯s birthday. Kath was also invited toe since she was his girlfriend. She even came early to help with the preparation. This time, instead of buying a cake, Kath and Luiz made one for the celebrant.


    Learning that it was Kyle¡¯s birthday, Reuben sent him a gift through Erwin. Although they weren¡¯t his children, he treated them like one because they were Cayenne¡¯s brothers. Ingrid didn¡¯t have any issue with that either. She even asked Erwin to bring the red packet for her.


    Jillyanna and her family also sent their gifts for him. In the end, even though he wasn¡¯t having a grand celebration, Kyle still received so many gifts from the people that he knew through his sister and brother-inw.


    Magnus and Ferdinand also came.


    The Rule family knew that Kyle was celebrating his birthday but because Cayenne didn¡¯t want them to be part of her family, the Rule family didn¡¯t show up which she was very thankful for. If they came, it will only ruin her mood.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Kyle.¡± Erwin greeted him when he came home with lots of gifts in hand. Although he was a free man and could settle on his own, Stefan insisted that he stay with them until he can save enough money to chase after Sabrina. So, Cayenne¡¯s home was like a home for everyone. It wasn¡¯t something that bothers him. After all, he has something bigger for her. She just didn¡¯t know it yet. ¡°These gifts are for you. Just look at the senders.¡±


    ¡°Thank you and sorry for troubling you to get them.¡±


    ¡°No biggie.¡±


    Cayenne caught a glimpse of one of the boxes and saw Elena¡¯s and Tristan¡¯s names on it. Her lips curled up to a smile knowing that the two have finally made up. She was really worried for them.


    Their family dinnersted until 9:00 in the evening. Kyle sent Kath home and the bodyguards also apanied the others to return to their houses. The celebration wasn¡¯t grandiose but Kyle was very happy to celebrate one with his father again. Before Jonas was sent to jail, they didn¡¯t celebrate any of their birthdays because they don¡¯t have money. When Cayenne got a job and they could celebrate a little, his father was no longer with them. Still, he was thankful for being given another year to live. Their life may not be as great as others but being able to live and the study was more than enough for them to thank God for.


    Simple things are often taken for granted but for Kyle and his family who were once poor, simple things were enough for them to be happy.


    ***


    After sending everyone off, Cayenne and Stefan went up to their room to take a few minutes of rest before taking a shower. Cayenne sat on the rattan chair on the balcony and looked at the moon hanging in the sky.


    Stefan followed behind and snaked his arms around her before cing a kiss on her nape. ¡°Hon, I think we need to exercise.¡±


    Cayenne, having heard of these words, instantly thought of something which made her blush again. ¡°No, not today.¡±


    ¡°Youined that you gained some weight and you ate a lot tonight again. It¡¯s better for you to burn those calories soon.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t be done in an hour if we do that. I need to wake up early tomorrow¡±


    She knows him well and it made him want to tease her this time. Stefan smiled cheekily and pretended confused. ¡°Hon, we will be done in an hour. It¡¯s not like we will spend the rest of the night for exercise. What are you thinking?¡±


    Cayenne felt the increase in temperature on her face and she elbowed him in annoyance. Even if she won¡¯t admit what she thought, Stefan could tell what it was.


    ¡°We will only do some stretches and curl-ups. It can be done in an hour. Unless you wanted another form of exercise?¡±


    Cayenne pped his hands which hugged her from behind and even stepped on his foot. ¡°You are the only one who thinks like that. I am not shameless like you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be ashamed of? I¡¯m doing it with my wife. It¡¯s only natural.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    ¡°So, let¡¯s go and exercise?¡±


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Like I¡¯d believe you.¡±


    Stefanughed at her response and carried her off. Cayenne instantly wrapped her hands around his neck and buried her face in his chest. ¡°You are heavy. We really need a long session to burn these fats.¡±


    ¡°You said I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you need about 3 hours of exercise tonight. Shower or bed?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t even benefit from this.¡±


    ¡°You will be slim again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need this benefit. I want a baby!¡±


    ¡°A baby it is.¡±


    Cayenne blinked her eyes and looked stupefied when he said those words and then she realized she wasn¡¯t even fertile tonight. ¡°I hate you! You will always calcte my cycle.¡±


    Stefan only chuckled as he ced her down on the tile floor of the bathroom. ¡°Wifey, let¡¯s wait until you graduate. I promise we can have children.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still over a year of waiting.¡±


    ¡°I know. In that way, I have ample time to mentally prepare myself.¡±


    ¡°You are not the one who¡¯s going to get pregnant!¡±

 Chapter 692

    Chapter 692: CAYENNE MODELS WITH LUIZ


    One weekter, Luiz came home with some magazine from famous brands. It was part of the wedding preparation that Stefan had for her. Cayenne¡¯s family knew of the wedding n except for the bride-to-be. They pretended to know nothing and act normally around her. If they are actors, they would most likely get the best actor award. They acted so well that she wasn¡¯t suspicious at all.


    ¡°Yen, I have some favor to ask.¡± Luiz stated as soon as he found her sister. ¡°Can you take a look at these magazines?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Luiz scratched the side of his face and smiled. ¡°David wanted me to work with one of these magazines but I don¡¯t know which one to choose.¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking me? I am not good with these things. How about we ask Stefan?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, too.¡±


    Luiz and Cayenne walked upstairs to look for Stefan in the study room and even though he anticipated for this to happen, he looked so calm as if he has no idea what was going on.


    .....


    ¡°Are we disturbing you?¡± Cayenne asked as she approached him.


    ¡°Since when are you a disturbance to me?¡±


    ¡°It can start today.¡±


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t and never will.¡±


    ¡°Then, can you help me and Luiz choose which magazine he should work for?¡±


    Luiz handed the magazines to him and Stefan looked at the names before flipping the pages to see the contents. He did it several times for each of the magazine until his eyesnded on the one that he likes. ¡°This clothing magazine looks good.¡±


    ¡°I was told that I will be endorsing some clothes to be published in this magazine. I won¡¯t be the spokesperson. I will just model the clothes for them.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. You will receive several payments for one shoot. Although each one of them wouldn¡¯t pay you that much, when umted, it is still biggerpared to your regr shoot.¡±


    ¡°There is a problem though.¡± Luiz retorted softly. ¡°The magazine wanted to shoot something with a sibling vibe. Their models wouldn¡¯t fit with me and they seemed tense when they¡¯re around me. They didn¡¯t want to hire a celebrity because it will show up as scripted and it will ruin the theme.¡±


    ¡°That is unfortunate.¡±


    Luiz opened his mouth but he closed it again. He wanted to say something which was what Stefan needed to hear.


    [This guy can be an actor, too.] Stefan thought while waiting for Luiz to speak.


    ¡°I really wanted to do this shoot. I asked Kyle but he couldn¡¯t attend because the schedule for the shoot is weekend and most likely, he will be making projects or thesis. I don¡¯t want to disturb him.¡±


    ¡°Does it have to be a male?¡±


    ¡°Females are also okay. I actually have something in mind but I am not sure if you will approve this.¡±


    ¡°They said that I can also model with my sister.¡±


    Cayenne was wide-eyed from hearing this and soon, her expression turned to embarrassment. ¡°That can¡¯t ¨C ¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me.¡± Cayenne was ck-jawed this time. She wanted to say no because she thought that Stefan would refuse. She didn¡¯t expect him to agree with her brother.


    ¡°You must be kidding me.¡± She retorted while shifting her gaze between her brother and her husband. ¡°I can¡¯t model. I don¡¯t know how to do it.¡±


    ¡°I am pretty sure you can do it. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°Great! I will talk to the director and the photographer about this.¡±


    ¡°Wait. You can¡¯t ¨C :


    ¡°Brother-inw already agreed.¡±


    ¡°Why did you even agree?¡± Cayenne questioned and kicked his leg lightly. ¡°You will embarrass me.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? I would never let anyone do that to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m off. Bye!¡± Luiz escaped quickly to make sure that Cayenne won¡¯t be able to oppose with their trick anymore. He didn¡¯t need to contact the director and the photographer either because Stefan will do that. In fact, only one magazine was real. The other nine were only props that Luiz got from David.


    Because of this sudden work schedule, Cayenne minimized eating sweets and junk foods. She didn¡¯t want to gain more weight than she already has. She also added an hour of workout schedule to her daily routine to make sure that she¡¯s fit during the photoshoot.


    Whenever she felt tired from her workout, she would kick Stefan or sometimes she¡¯d bite his arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that the magazine will be sold out.¡± Stefan mentioned while lying on their bed with her in his arms. ¡°The photoshoot will be tomorrow and to make sure that nothing bad will happen, I asked them to have it done here. They can bring their props if they needed.¡±


    ¡°Alright. In that way, I won¡¯t feel like a fish out of water. I can rx and just be at home.¡±


    ¡°They have a small interview for you and Luiz after the shoot. It won¡¯t take long and I have given my approval to their questions.¡±


    ¡°You looked at the questions?¡±


    ¡°Yup. I wanted to make sure that the questions won¡¯t feel attacking to you. I don¡¯t want the experience to be bad when you are doing this for the first time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to do this again.¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Stefan responded which made her narrow her gaze at him. She felt that he was hiding something from her but she knew that she wouldn¡¯t do that because it will anger her. [So, what¡¯s this suspicious feeling?] Cayenne asked mentally with no one to answer her.


    The next day, Cayenne woke up early to prepare for the shoot. David has arrived earlier than expected and was talking with Luiz about something else. She didn¡¯t know what it was because they shifted their topic when she arrived. It was something she found suspicious as well. She felt like some people were keeping something from her but she didn¡¯t want to confront them because it woulde out rude.


    After having breakfast, their guests have arrived and started taking out their props while they talk to her and Luiz. Stefan was on the second floor, watching everything unfold in the living room. He was filming the shoot for her YT ount just in case she wanted to upload the behind-the-scene footages.


    ¡°You can just do whatever you want with Luiz and we will take care of the shoot. Just befortable and rx around us. You don¡¯t have to feel pressure.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need me to do anything in particr?¡± Cayenne asked the director to make sure that she won¡¯t make mistakes earlier.


    ¡°We will have free shot this morning and, in the afternoon, that¡¯s when we get to have more serious shoots with the clothes that you two will model for.¡± the man answered which helped her ease her nervousness. When she looked up, she saw Stefan looking at her. She waved at him and he threw a flying kiss which made herugh faintly.


    ¡°Is he going to supervise the photo shoot?¡± The director¡¯s assistant whispered while putting down the chair for the old man.


    ¡°He must be here because of his wife.¡± The photographer whispered back as he took out his equipment.


    As how they guessed, Stefan looked after Cayenne like her assistant while he filmed on the side. When she felt hot, he would fan her and dab a cold cloth on her face. When she felt thirsty, he was there to give her a ss of fruit juice.


    ¡°Are they always like this?¡± One of the staff asked Luiz while waiting for the director to give instructions for the next set.


    ¡°This is not even one-tenth of how they usually are.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re that sweet?¡±


    ¡°Yes; to the point that I think I¡¯m having diabetes.¡±


    ¡°Stefan is like a ve to her.¡± A female staffmented while looking at the couple. Her words made others think of the same thing which caused Luiz to raise one of his eyebrows. He didn¡¯t like the sound of it.


    ¡°To others who didn¡¯t have a man like him, they would think my sister is bullying my brother-inw or that he¡¯s like a ve to her. It¡¯s because they didn¡¯t know the fear that he felt when he lost her twice. Besides, it¡¯s not about very. It¡¯s about knowing what your partner needs and providing it. My brother-inw observes my sister every day to know what she likes and what she hates; to see whatforts her and what¡¯s not. He¡¯s not her ve. It¡¯s just that, he loves her so much that he knows her more than she knows herself. You are probably envious of her. After all, Stefan loves her to the point that he knows her menstrual cycle and prepares for her period cramps. Your boyfriends probably don¡¯t know that. I bet they don¡¯t buy your pads or napkins.¡±


    Right after saying these words, Luiz left them and went to his sister and Stefan. He didn¡¯t care if these people will have a bad opinion of him. In any case, he will only work with them once. He won¡¯t work with people who badmouth his family.

 Chapter 693

    Chapter 693: UNBOTHERED CAYENNE


    ¡°Cayenne models for InSTYLE Journal?¡±


    ¡°Just because she married a tycoon doesn¡¯t mean she can be a model, too. Can¡¯t she just stay at home and cook like what wives do?¡±


    ¡°InSTYLE Journal will lose their customers because of this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why she can¡¯t just be a good student and study like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°They said that she¡¯s working with her brother for this magazine.¡±


    ¡°Is she nning to be an actress also?¡±


    ¡°Someone can always open a backdoor for her.¡±


    .....


    Stefan read thesements online just right below the promotion video that InSTYLE Journal uploaded in their ount. He wasn¡¯t against this idea but he was against thements online. He didn¡¯t like thements but he didn¡¯t want them to be deleted as well. He wanted these people to see that they are wrong to judge his wife.


    Tristan walked inside Stefan¡¯s office with some files in hand and that was when he saw the stormy expression on Stefan¡¯s face. ¡°Boss, do you want me to do something with thesements? The madam will be disheartened if she reads them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. They will say more nasty things if they find out that I have asked you to delete theirments,¡±


    ¡°But ¨C ¡±


    ¡°My wife isn¡¯t weak. Besides, I¡¯m not doing this for the people. I am doing this to prepare her for the surprise wedding.¡±


    ¡°Right. I remember the n has included this set-up.¡± Tristan responded while putting down the documents. ¡°But what if the sales won¡¯t be up to standard? Shall we ask the employees to buy one?¡±


    ¡°Heh! You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I am pretty sure that the magazine will be sold out.¡±


    ¡°How sure are you?¡±


    ¡°Thesementers will surely buy the magazine so that they can diss my wife. They are bound to get disappointed, though.¡±


    Tristan could only shake his head at how carefree his boss sounds. However, he was still worried about it. ¡°I have sorted these documents already from the shortest to longest timeline period of project development. There are some small businesses that we can buy out as well. If you need something else, just ring me up.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Just leave them there. I¡¯ll check on themter.¡±


    ¡°No, boss. Later can¡¯t do. You are nning to buy some appliances for the new house, right? You have it scheduled this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Right. I forgot. I¡¯ll check on them now.¡± Thus, he ced his phone down and started doing his work. With his so much work to do, thements fly out of the window and he immersed himself with the proposals in hand.


    Luiz didn¡¯t have the same problem. Since he started modelingst year, he has gotten a lot of supporters and they kept increasing every single day. His social media ount has been verified and he got over 10 million followers. There were many directors who have approached him as well to cast him in movies or drama but he refused them because he didn¡¯t have much time in hand. He needs to study and modeling suits as his part-time job since it does not require a long period of time toplete.


    However, he felt a little irked this time. Although he didn¡¯t get any negativements, his sister did. And he didn¡¯t like it when someone badmouths his sister.


    ¡°Just calm down. They haven¡¯t seen the results which is why they can say these words. Wait until they are proven wrong.¡± risseforted as they studied in the library. It was rare for them to have the same breaktime but instead of going out to date, they prefer to study and get better grades than everyone else.


    ¡°I really want to calm down but I hate these people who judge others without knowing anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s their opinion. Besides, whether you do something good or something bad, people will have something to say. Just let them say what they want. I¡¯m pretty sure that sister Yen is just turning a deaf ear on them.¡±


    ¡°You have a point. I better send her a message just to know she¡¯s doing fine.¡±


    On the other hand, Cayenne was happily chatting with her ssmates. They were thrilled to know that she was modeling with her brothers and they were excited about the results. She didn¡¯t even get the chance to check the hatefulments online. She was just happy that some people she knew were looking forward to see the results of her hard work.


    When she received the message from her brother, she only replied with a gif. It was a cute little rabbit with hearts surrounding it. She can feel the love from her ssmates and from the other students who expressed their supports to her.


    ¡°Yen, you have a vlogging ount, right? Are you going to upload some behind-the-scene footages?¡±


    ¡°Right! You have not uploaded anything for over a month now.¡±


    ¡°You should also upload something that you always do like; a day in my life or something along that line. Many vloggers do that.¡±


    ¡°Yen, when will they release the magazine?¡±


    Cayenne smiled faintly and thought about what they asked her. She remembered that Stefan was filming her during the photoshoot but she wasn¡¯t sure until what point was he able to film. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Stefan was able to film the whole process but I¡¯ll ask him. As for my vlogging content, I want to private with my life as much as I could but if Stefan is willing, I¡¯ll try to upload some video every once in a while. As for the magazine release, they are being printed and they said that it will be avable to the public next week.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait for next week, then.¡±


    ¡°Is it tiring to shoot?¡±


    ¡°Will your brother sign some of the magazines again?¡±


    And just like that, Cayenne finished her morning with no negative things bothering her. What Tristan worried about didn¡¯t happen because Cayenne was surrounded with people who are friendly to her. They might have different reasons for being friendly with her but at least, they are not saying mean things or doing something to degrade her.


    When it was time for lunch, Cayenne left the school to dine with Stefan. It was no longer new to everyone. In fact, it would be shocking if Cayenne eats in their canteen.

 Chapter 694

    Chapter 694: SHE¡¯S ALWAYS IN HIS MIND


    In the afternoon, Stefan met with the interior designer that he hired and visited the new house once again. It was situated on top of a mountain which overlooks the city and gave a great view at night. During day time, you can appreciate the lush vegetation that surrounds it as well as the man-madeke that Stefan had to get a government permit for.


    The whole mountain and the lot that surrounds it was a government property but because it was far from the city and not many people live around it, the government couldn¡¯t think of any project that could benefit their subjects. In the end, they agreed to sell the mountain and the surrounding lot which was almost a 9-kilometer square area. There was a natural spring that was found by one of the construction workers and since the water can be used by many, Stefan coordinated with the government to make an artificialke or dam out of it. It serves as a water reservoir.


    There was no proper road going up the mountain so, Stefan had to ask the engineer to make a road for him. It was a huge work since they had to start from the foot of the mountain which connects to the highway and all the way up to where the house was situated.


    The designer and the engineers really adhere to what Stefan wants. They made use of the trees that surrounds the ce and nted some to rece what they cut.


    The three-story house was made of cement, stones, and woods ¨C whatever they could use from the mountain that he bought. The part of thend that they excavated was also mixed with other materials for another use. All in all, nothing was wasted and the mountain wasn¡¯t greatly damaged because he wanted to retain the beauty of the ce.


    To make sure that they could enjoy the ce, Stefan asked the engineer and the designer to use ss panels for walls and there were thick curtains that they can use for privacy.


    Since Cayenne likes to cook, Stefan had been monitoring the construction of the kitchen; from the design-making which he also inputted some ideas and to the time it was made. The ce was spacious so that she can move around easily. And this time, he was discussing with the interior designer to have a list of the things that he needed for the kitchen.


    .....


    The interior designer gave her iPad to Stefan and showed her theyout of the kitchen with photos of the appliances where they should be ced. ¡°I have visited some stores to check on their appliances and I have three on my list that offer great items at a good price. In case you don¡¯t like them, I also listed the other stores that we can visit.¡±


    ¡°I only have until 5:30. We need to buy the ones that we really needed since we have received so many gifts this past year. I am sure that she would love to have those things here. I will bring those things tomorrow so that we can have people arrange them here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, sir. If we couldn¡¯t buy all the things, you can shop with your wife and just pretend to give the thing to someone else or just pretend that some of your items needed recement. In that way, this ce will have some touch of your wife¡¯s choice as well.¡±


    ¡°Your idea sounds good. Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    With the interior designer, Stefan left the ce and went to the first store that the woman listed. Elena followed them around along with the bodyguards who were responsible for carrying small items. She also looked around to find something that she can give her sister.


    Before, she was so against the idea of meeting the woman who was once Tristan¡¯s fianc¨¦. However, after everything was rified, she felt so guilty and was wanting to meet with her. Tristan refused her idea, though. Shiara was pregnant and he didn¡¯t know what could happen if she meets with Elena. It would be better if she gives birth first and then, they could visit her with Elena¡¯s mother, too.


    ¡°I want a coffee bean grinder but not a coffee machine. Ayen likes to make coffee on her own and I like it better when she makes it for me, too.¡±


    The designer: ????


    ¡°Boss really likes to show off,¡± Elenamented with a smile which made the designerugh faintly as well.


    Since she hasn¡¯t interacted with the couple, she didn¡¯t know the level of sweetness that these two people could make. Nheless, she could already imagine the ants crawling whenever Stefan speaks of his wife. [He really loves her. She¡¯s always in his mind every time he decides on buying something or doing something.]


    Stefan was about to choose a refrigerator when he received a call and upon seeing the facetime requesting from Cayenne, he panicked. He looked around to find a suitable ce to answer her call but there were appliances all around him. She would be suspicious if she notices something.


    The phone continued to ring and Elena noticed it, too.


    ¡°Boss, use the couch over here.¡± She pointed to the couches which were disyed in the store. ¡°You just pay for it after using it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Make sure that no customer will pass behind me.¡± Stefan mentioned as he sat and answered the call.


    ¡°What took you so long to answer? Are you busy with anything? I mean, well, I know you are busy but you always answer my call even during a meeting. So, what are you doing this time? Can Ie over and help?¡±


    Stefan was speechless for a moment while thinking of an excuse. He didn¡¯t want to lie to her and she will also notice it if he was being dishonest. ¡°I...I am not busy. I am outside the office and I didn¡¯t notice your call because it¡¯s noisy here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Where are you? Did you bring the bodyguards with you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re with me. I... well, you know that Tristan and Elena have reconciled, right? So, I went out to buy something for them. Just a token for their hard work.¡±


    Cayenne made an ¡®oh¡¯ sound while nodding her head in understanding but something didn¡¯t sit well with her. Stefan never went out to buy something personally for someone else. ¡°Can Ie over? Our ss ended early and the professor for the next subject isn¡¯t around. I was nning to visit you in the office but I thought you might be somewhere else meeting with people and whatnot. It¡¯s good that you are not. I can choose something for them, too.¡±


    ¡°About that ... I have chosen something for them already. I bought them a couch.¡± Stefan stood up and switch the camera so that she can see the couch that he was sitting on earlier. ¡°It¡¯sfy.¡±


    ¡°That looks good.¡±


    ¡°Then, since you don¡¯t have a ss, let¡¯s go somewhere. It¡¯s been a while since we went out on a date.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Where shall we meet?¡±


    Stefan talked to Cayenne for another five minutes ¨C discussing the ce where they could date again. And when the call ended, he asked one of the bodyguards to pay for the couch that he used and gave it to Elena. Elena could only smile helplessly at her boss. She didn¡¯t even know where to ce the couch in her home.


    ¡°I have to meet my wife and go on a date with her. Let¡¯s end the shopping spree for today. Just give me the list of the things that we need and I¡¯ll check on the gifts that we received so that I can cross some of the items.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The designer responded with a light bow but when she looked up, Stefan was already far from them. ¡°He¡¯s the first customer I met who can drop anything just to meet his wife.¡±


    Elena looked at the steady back of her boss and smiled proudly as she speaks. ¡°His business is at the bottom of his priority list. You can already imagine who sits at the top and who follows her.¡± She was happy to be his employee and has forgotten the fact that she was left to deal with the instructions for the delivery and the payment. Of course, Stefan will reimburse her. He just can¡¯t use his card to pay for the items because Cayenne will be able to see them in his billing statement.


    ¡°They are like love-struck teenagers.¡±

 Chapter 695

    Chapter 695: POTTERY DATE


    Instead of going out to watch a movie like they usually do, Stefan decided to join a pottery ss with his wife. Dating isn¡¯t just about watching a movie or having dinner or going on a long trip. Dating someone is to enjoy your time with that person while discovering more things with him or her. It¡¯s also another way of making sweet memories. As for Stefan, dating Cayenne was to have quality time with her alone, to enjoy every moment with her, and to umte a lot of happy memories that they can tell their children one day.


    Inside the car, Cayenne waited for the bodyguard to return from looking for the Happy Pot gallery. It was a ce where people can learn about pottery while also admiring the antique items that the owner have collected from different ces. This was the ce that Stefan chose for their date and she was thrilled to learn something new as well.


    A few minutester, the bodyguard came back and told Cayenne where the ce was but instead of going out, she waited there for Stefan to arrive. It was still early and the gallery will close at night so she wasn¡¯t that worried.


    As soon as Stefan arrived, he walked to her car and apologized. ¡°Sorry for making you wait.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you should greet me?¡±


    Stefan grinned and opened his arms for her. ¡°I miss you, wifey.¡± He said and hugged her tight plus a kiss on her forehead.


    Cayenne hugged him back and also kissed his chin, a gesture that she likes to do in order to express her love for him. ¡°That¡¯s much better. I miss you, too.¡±


    .....


    ¡°How was your ss today?¡±


    ¡°It was fine. We are given more tasks to do and it¡¯s not something I like but well, I can¡¯t do anything about it. It¡¯s part of being a student. What about you? I wish I could really help with your work.¡±


    ¡°Nah. It¡¯s fine. Whenever there¡¯s something I needed your help with, I will let you know. So far, Elena and Tristan have been doing their best to relieve me from so much work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really d that they¡¯re doing well. I was so afraid that they¡¯d go on separate ways.¡±


    The two of them engaged in a light conversation about their day and the people around them. They looked like a normal couple who were strolling down the streets but not far from them, the bodyguards have been following their pace while keeping a good distance from them. It was to give them some space to have a private conversation. Not that they¡¯re talking about something confidential but they wanted their boss to have some time on their own. The others stayed to guard the cars.


    After a few minutes of walking, they finally arrived in front of the Happy Pot gallery and Stefan slowly opened the ss door to get inside. He gestured for Cayenne to get in first and he followed her right away. The sound of the wind chimes announced their entry and a woman in her apron came out from one of the doors.


    ¡°Good afternoon. How can I help you?¡±


    Cayenne smiled politely and approached the woman who was now standing behind the counter. ¡°I¡¯m with my husband, Stefan Dumrique. I believe he has called earlier to reserve a pottery ss for us.¡±


    ¡°Give me a sec. I¡¯ll just check on it.¡± The woman immediately opened theputer and looked for the reservation under Stefan¡¯s name but she didn¡¯t find it. ¡°Uhh...did you reserve it under your wife¡¯s name sir?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Right. It should be under Cayenne Dumrique.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± She confirmed the reservation, pressed the bell beside herputer and another woman came out from a different door. ¡°This is Mina. She is one of our ceramists here. You will be learning from her.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± greeted the woman named Mina.


    Cayenne and Stefan returned the greeting as well before Mina escorted them to another room where they can learn pottery. Since it was a safe ce and Stefan didn¡¯t sense any danger, the bodyguards just stayed in the lobby to wait for them except for Martin who was asked toe in with them so that he could take a video of Cayenne and Stefan.


    ¡°Can we make anything that we like? For example, a flower vase.¡± Cayenne inquired because she already thought of making one for her flowers.


    ¡°You can make whatever you like, but making a vase is a little difficult for beginners. It also varies with the design and the size of the vase that you want to make.¡±


    Mina started exining the process and the tools that they needed to use. Cayenne was a little bit more interested in it and Stefan was happy that she likes this kind of date. The two of them sat behind their respective potter¡¯s wheels and the woman gave them a small lump of y to start with. It was just for them to practice since both of them didn¡¯t really know how to make things out of y.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a tea cup,¡± Cayenne told Stefan. She was brimming with smiles because of her excitement.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll make a saucer for that.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±


    Mina exined what they should do and while she talked, Cayenne and Stefan started ¡®conning up¡¯ the y. It is the method topress the y and remove air pockets because these will cause the product to easily crack.


    ¡°This feels good. I like how the soil feels under my palms.¡± Cayennemented while she moves her hands topress the lump of y at the same time while adding water to it to easily mold it or stretch it in any shape that she wants.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m doing this right,¡± Stefanmented because the y looks weird for him while Cayenne was doing great.


    Cayenne looked at the thing he was making and couldn¡¯t help herself fromughing. She didn¡¯t know what he did but the y wasn¡¯t forming the way he wanted it to. It should be a saucer but it looked more like a deformed cup to her.


    As they focused on the item that they wanted to make, Cayenne started to forget the time and she wholly devoted herself to making the teacup.


    As soon as she was done with it, she looked at Stefan and grinned. ¡°I want toe back here and make a flower vase next time.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll bring you here again to make the vase.¡±


    Since it will take a long time for their items to dry, Stefan and Cayenne went out to have dinner first. They can just return and get the items after the staff dries it for them. Thankfully, he was able to mend the deformation of his saucer. It looks good enough to pair with the tea cup that Cayenne made.


    ¡°By the way, my ssmates asked if I could upload a vlog about the magazine photoshoot. I remembered that you filmed the photoshootst time. Can I use it to upload a video on my vlogging ount?¡±


    ¡°Erwin and Tristan already edited the video for you. They are just waiting for you to ask.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d like to show it either. So, I just kept a copy just in case.¡±


    Cayenne beamed in happiness and Stefan was once again falling in love with her. He loves to see her smile the most and it¡¯s even more dazzling when she smiled because of him.


    ¡°You really know how to spoil ¨C Ahh!!! Catch her!¡±

 Chapter 696

    Chapter 696: CLEANING THE SOCIETY I


    Cayenne watched in horror as the child jumped from the third floor of a building while some of the bodyguards ran to save her. Stefan pulled Cayenne and closed her eyes, not wanting his wife to see something so gruesome if the child happens to die.


    Fortunately, or probably as she calcted, she fell on a heap of garbage bags, and the sound of bottles breaking and cans bumping caught the attention of many people.


    Stefan looked at the third floor where the child jumped from and he saw two men who poked their heads out to see what has be of the child. They also scanned the crowd and their eyes met with Stefan¡¯s. One of the men was startled and his knees were shaking from fear. He knew they were done for good.


    ¡°Boss -¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. That girl must have died from that fall.¡±


    ¡°Boss -¡±


    ¡°What? Are you afraid that someone saw us? Even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t be able to catch us.¡±


    .....


    The other person wanted to say something but the warning re was enough to shut him down. He didn¡¯t want to cause more trouble and since his boss was sure that nothing could go wrong, he trusted him once again.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Cayenne asked. Her eyes were still covered by Stefan¡¯s hand but she could hear people talking about a child who fell from the third floor of the building. The murmurs around her added to her fear and she started to breathe heavily. She also heard Stefan talking to someone and gave them their current location.


    ¡°The bodyguards are checking on the child,¡± Stefan responded after ending the call and pulled her closer until she pressed the other side of her face on his chest. Stefan covered her exposed ear and it muffled the voices that she was hearing.


    ¡°Stefan. Is ... is she dead?¡±


    ¡°Boss, we need an ambnce. The child is still breathing but she has wounds all over her. She probably fractured herself from that fall and without immediate care, she will die.¡±


    ¡°I did that already.¡±


    Instead of having dinner, Stefan and Cayenne ended up going to the hospital to check on the child. The bodyguard who checked on the third floor of the building found a dead bodies of a man and a woman as well. He called for the police immediately without touching anything. It would be troublesome if he leaves his fingerprints on any surface that he touches.


    The police investigated the case and they found that the child¡¯s father got addicted to gambling and has borrowed a huge amount of money from someone. No one knows who he borrowed from but every day, someone would knock on their doors to get the payment.


    Since the other tenants couldn¡¯t provide sufficient information, the officers were left with no other choice but to wait for the little girl to wake up.


    Half an hourter, the doctor responsible for the child¡¯s recovery hase out of the room with all theb results in hand. He looked devastated and when he approached Cayenne and Stefan, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from sighing heavily.


    Stefan knew that the doctor wouldn¡¯t bring them good news so he looked for an excuse to make her leave for a while. ¡°Ayen, how about you check the child inside? I¡¯ll just stay here and discuss things with the doctor.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The moment she got inside the room, the doctor opened his mouth and told Stefan what the found from the test results.


    ¡°The child is covered with bruises and she has a lot of wounds; old and new. Some of the wounds have scabbed over time and turned into scars while others are still fresh. She has a concussion which can result in many negative things. I just hope that it won¡¯t. At the same time, the child may need a psychologist once she wakes up. This may sound nasty but this child has been raped several times. The heavy trauma she went through will surely affect her development and it is something crucial for a woman¡¯s life. She needs help.¡±


    Even after the doctor left, Stefan was left rooted in the same spot. He felt a burning rage deep inside his heart and he didn¡¯t know what to do to let it out. He clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white but he didn¡¯t show any emotions on his face.


    ¡°Martin, guard the room and make sure that Cayenne is safe. I will just make a phone call.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    Stefan went out of the hospital and made several phone calls to different people. He called Lucian to get the list of wanted criminals since he wasn¡¯t able to see the men¡¯s faces clearly. In case he couldn¡¯t find them from the list, Lucian has someone who can draw the suspect for him. Tristan and Shein were also checking on cases that involves child trafficking and illegal gambling.


    He wasn¡¯t someone who voluntarily checks and ruins these kinds of illegal activities. However, when he gets involved in it or meets someone who got involved in it, he will make sure to destroy them and make them pay for the things they have done. It didn¡¯t matter to him if he makes enemies because of this. He will just wipe them out until no one¡¯s left to take revenge on him.


    ¡°Another problem,¡± Stefan muttered to himself while looking at his phone. They haven¡¯t eaten anything and he was sure that Cayenne won¡¯t have the appetite after what happened. It only added to his headache. He called Lucia instead and asked her to make some porridge for Cayenne. At least, she can get something warm at home to fill her empty stomach.


    ***


    At 11:00 in the evening, Stefan was still wide awake and was looking at the high-resolution images on hisptop. Cayenne just fell asleep beside him after a long staring contest with their ceiling. She also had a hard time sleeping but Stefan reassured her that the child will be alright. He told her about the concussion and the wounds and the possible maltreatment but he didn¡¯t tell her the rest of the information that he got from the doctor. She didn¡¯t need to know it as far as he was concerned. He didn¡¯t want it to add another burden to her mind.


    Stefan clicked next and next, next and next ¨C going through hundreds of criminals in their city alone. He has forgotten to check the appliances that they received from so many people as gifts. He was supposed to do it along with the things that the interior designer sent him.


    It wasn¡¯t until past 1:00 in the morning when Stefan came across a picture of a man who looked like one of the men he saw earlier. Since he only got pictures and names of the criminals, he contacted Tristan to know more about the person instead of contacting Lucian. He believed that his secretary could find more things than the police.


    While waiting for Tristan¡¯s reply, he continued to check on the list.


    ***


    ¡°Boss, I want to tell you something.¡± One of the criminals spoke with his hands trembling in fear. It was his first time apanying his boss in collecting fees and he didn¡¯t expect that the man would kill the people inside. As far as he knew, his boss works for someone else who has the true power to decide on things. His boss was just an underling but he had the guts to do things without even consulting the people in a higher positions.


    ¡°What is it? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m rxing? That child got on my nerves!¡±


    ¡°Boss, is it really fine to keep this matter a secret? What if that child is alive? We didn¡¯t really check on her. She could be alive, you know.¡±


    ¡°Alive? Don¡¯t joke with me. If she¡¯s a cat who has nine lives, she could be alive.¡±


    ¡°Even if she¡¯s not alive, we are not safe either. Someone saw us.¡±


    ¡°That far?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss. Someone saw us. He was looking at us and I am sure that he has contacted the police.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this first?!¡± The man yelled and kicked his subordinate. The other person falls to his knees and he was pressing his stomach which was in pain from the strong kick.


    ¡°I tried to tell ¨C ¡±


    ¡°And you are ming me now!¡± And he gave another kick.


    Every time he tried to exin, his boss would kick him and stomp on him like he was an insect. It wasn¡¯t even his fault that the man didn¡¯t give him the chance to exin earlier. He wanted to say something but he couldn¡¯t!


    ***


    The next morning, Cayenne woke up to the sight of her husband¡¯s dark eye bags. He was checking something on hisptop and she thought he was still working on the ident yesterday. She got up from the bed and at the same time closed hisptop without seeing the content. ¡°It¡¯s not a good morning for both of us but I¡¯m d that you are here beside me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave the house.¡± Stefan retorted as he kissed her cheek.


    ¡°Then, stay. You can get some sleep while I attend my ss in the next room. You can work at home in the afternoon if you want. I¡¯ll just give Tristan or Elena a call to let them know.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°You look really exhausted. Shall we have a light breakfast first before you sleep? I¡¯ll cook.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    Cayenne smiled but it didn¡¯t reach her eyes. She was worried for him. After washing her face, she left in a hurry to make breakfast in the kitchen. Stefan also opened hisptop and saved the work he had andy on the bed to get a little bit of rest.


    However, when Cayenne returned with a tray of food, he was already sleeping deeply while hugging the pillow she used. Her heart ached for him. [I don¡¯t want to dream of anything else. I just want to take care of you.] Cayenne thought as her tears fell on her face. She felt so guilty for not having any idea to help him.

 Chapter 697

    Chapter 697: [Bonus chapter] CLEANING THE SOCIETY II


    In the morning, before she started attending her ss, Cayenne called the bodyguard who was tasked to look after the child in the hospital. Since she has no one to take care of her and pay for her medical bills, Stefan and Cayenne took her as their responsibility since they met her by chance. Sadly, the child was still unconscious.


    Since she attended the ss via zoom, some of her ssmates sent her a message. They were asking her if something has happened for her to suddenly stay at home. After all, she already started going to school and attended her ss in person. She just made a random excuse about Stefan¡¯s worry about her safety. And since everyone knew how overprotective her husband was, they didn¡¯t ask for more details.


    After attending to the first subject, she went out to check on Stefan but he was still asleep. Then, the ss continued.


    She felt bored without her husband but she endured until the ss ended. She checked on him once again but he was still sound asleep.


    Since the food she made had gone cold, she brought them back to the kitchen and ate them. It¡¯s not good to waste food and besides, they aren¡¯t spoiled ¨C just cold.


    At noon, Stefan finally woke up and looked for her. He greeted her with a kiss as if nothing happened yesterday and hugged her for a while until she needed to leave for her afternoon ss. The two of them acted like usual and no one suspected anything.


    When Cayenne was out of sight, Stefan called Tristan and received good news from him. At dawn, when he sent the name and the picture of the criminal, Tristan easily found a lot of information regarding the man in the picture, and using hiswork connections, he gathered more facts about him. Using what they knew, it was easy for Tristan to look for clues and lock on their targeted group.


    .....


    Although Stefan wasn¡¯t able to find the other person who locked eyes with him, he wasn¡¯t that worried because he knew that he will also be caught.


    Tristan already coordinated with the police and sent them the location of the group that runs an illegal gambling den and forces families to sell their daughters to pay off their debt. Tristan wasn¡¯t sure if the criminal that Stefan spotted was with the group that the police will raid but he will also make a close follow-up with Lucian to see how this goes.


    In the afternoon, Stefan started working again in the study room while Cayenne attended her ss and answered quizzes. From time to time, he¡¯d look at her to observe her expression and so far, he couldn¡¯t find any negative traces on her face or in her eyes. She was doing well rtively well even after what she witnessed.


    ¡°Hon,¡± Stefan called out when her ss ended. She has a few minutes of break before another subject starts and it was enough for him to shift her mind to something else. ¡°Let¡¯s go buy some kitchen appliances tomorrow.¡±


    Cayenne turned to look at him with a deep frown. ¡°Why? I mean, we don¡¯t need them.¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s getting married and I thought of giving them something that they can use in the kitchen. Also, some of our things needed recement.¡±


    ¡°I think everything¡¯s fine in the kitchen. I just cooked earlier.¡±


    ¡°Did you notice that thebi steamer is already gone? I checked itst week and it was no longer working. I asked someone to throw it away. We can buy something of the same model.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk again after my ss.¡± Cayenne signaled him to zip his mouth and he only nodded at her with a smile. He even sent a flying kiss in her direction but Cayenne couldn¡¯t do anything that could grab her professor¡¯s attention. She only winked at him when the old woman wasn¡¯t looking her way.


    At night, Cayenne checked on the child once again but there weren¡¯t any changes to her condition. The police weren¡¯t able to find any rtives of her either. They probably didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with a dying child. Aside from that, they might be afraid of the people who are responsible for the death of her parents. Or maybe, they just didn¡¯t care. They could think of many reasons but nobody could tell them the truth.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that no one came forward to get her,¡± Cayenne stated after the call ended. She was sitting on the chair on their balcony while looking at the flowers in the garden. Stefan was leaning on the railings while facing her. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that she has no rtives.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t really force them toe.¡± Stefan retorted softly. ¡°Once she gets better, we can send her to the orphanage. It¡¯s better for her to stay there instead of wandering outside. Someone can take care of her properly and she will have friends as well.¡±


    ¡°You are right. I just hope that she wakes up soon but I am also worried for her once she realizes that her parents are gone.¡±


    ¡°It will be hard for her but if justice is served and she knows it, maybe it will help her a little. We can only hope that she will be strong enough to ept the truth. At the same time, we can ¨C ¡± Stefan¡¯s words were cut off because of the call from Tristan.


    ¡°Just answer it.¡±


    Stefan answered the call right in front of her but he didn¡¯t put it on loudspeaker. She could barely hear anything from what Tristan said but even if she didn¡¯t know, she could tell that it wasn¡¯t something good based on her husband¡¯s expression.


    Stefan looked like someone who wanted to tear someone apart.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Cayenne asked as she pried his fingers open. ¡°Is this about your business, about me, or about the little girl we met?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rted to her. I asked Tristan to look into this matter and he was able to coordinate with the police and raid the gambling den as well as arrest the people that manages this ce. However, the criminals who caused the girl to jump weren¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°Are we caught in the eye of another storm?¡±


    ¡°No, not this time. They were caught off-guard from the raid and even their ring leader has been caught. Few people escaped but because of their resentment, the arrested suspects cooperated with the police so that those who escaped will be caught. I¡¯m sure that those men who caused this to the child will be arrested soon. There¡¯s no need for us to worry.¡±


    ¡°I see. You¡¯ve worked hard. Sorry I wasn¡¯t able to help.¡±


    ¡°Your presence is enough. As long as I know you are well and safe, I am more than happy.¡±


    On the other hand, Lucian and his colleagues were having a headache. They agreed to cooperate with Tristan because he knew this man from Jillyanna¡¯s case over a year ago and because he had worked with him for several times. He just didn¡¯t expect that he would discover something a lot bigger than what they hoped to find. And now, their small prison wasn¡¯t enough to keep all the arrested criminals.


    ¡°Warden, please send someone to escort these criminals to your beloved jail. I¡¯m having a headache from watching them.¡± Lucian expressed this over a telephone call with Vincent.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have someone escort them. Settle their charges and the cases first.¡± Vincent responded while putting on his cap. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to prepare the best cells for them.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡±

 Chapter 698

    Chapter 698: TRAVIS CAME


    ¡°Guys, have you seen the news?¡±


    ¡°Oi! Tell me this isn¡¯t true.¡±


    ¡°Nani kore?¡±


    ¡°Doushita no?¡±


    ¡°Yen! Yen! Are you alright?¡± Noah came running with a question when he saw Cayenne arrive on the campus. ¡°I saw the news about the child.¡±


    Her face instantly crumbled and she looked really annoyed which stopped Noah from getting closer. ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± She thought Stefan prevented the news from leaking. [This must be someone else¡¯s doing.] She told herself as she faced the inquisitive look of the people around her. They weren¡¯t really asking her anything but based on their expressions, she could tell what they were thinking. [I never realized that they pay attention to news reports as well. I thought they only love gossip. Haha]


    ¡°Whoever reported this people, I salute to him.¡±


    .....


    ¡°This must be done by some undercover cops. My uncle from the police often tells me that some of his colleagues are working to gather intelligence about crimes.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I am not sure if you are familiar with Don Julian. Isn¡¯t he the man who often helps people whenever there are natural cmities that strike the city? He donated to many charities as well.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really pay attention to news like charities. I read his name on the news this morning, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s him! I can¡¯t believe that he is part of the group whomits child trafficking by controlling those who are indebted to him!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just him! Apparently, if you can¡¯t pay your debt and you have no one to pay for what you owe them, they will sell your organs to make you pay for it. Councilor Vargas is part of it, too. There is a grand rally against city officials to be reinvestigated right now.¡±


    ¡°Cayenne, what can you say about the news?¡± Faith asked when they finally got to their seats. ¡°I just read it when I arrived here because everyone talks about it. There was also the news of you and your husband saying that you saved a child. You even paid for the medical fees.¡±


    ¡°Regarding that, we just happened to be there and the child¡¯s parents were killed. We couldn¡¯t find her rtives so, Stefan and I decided to shoulder the fees at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Why were you in that neighborhood?¡± Noah inquired curiously. ¡°It¡¯s opposite the direction to his office and your house.¡±


    ¡°We...we...¡±


    ¡°You went on a date.¡± Noah finished what she meant to say because she seemed unable to say it amidst the negative news her ssmates were talking about. ¡°It¡¯s not bad to go out and have a date once in a while. It was also fortunate that you went out because you were able to save a life.¡±


    ¡°Right! You don¡¯t have to feel bad about it.¡± Faith second in motion to rid of Cayenne¡¯s awkwardness. ¡°Sigh. I can¡¯t believe that behind those smiles and polite greetings to the crowd, these people were doing those unscrupulous ways of earning money. No wonder they are so rich.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that they just got caught now.¡±


    Cayenne didn¡¯t say anything about the news. She knew it was Stefan who told Tristan to unveil all these things but since it couldpromise their security, they all decided to keep it a secret. Doing something good didn¡¯t need to be shown to everyone. As long as you know that you are doing something better for the society or for someone to live a good life, as long as it doesn¡¯t go against morality, it¡¯s fine if no one knows it.


    Stefan and Tristan worked hand in hand in unveiling the dirty secrets of those people who got acquainted with the two criminals they were hunting. Every single day that they couldn¡¯t find them, he will overturn the city to shake off these evil people.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Elena got inside his office with two cups of coffee and ced them in front of Stefan and Tristan. ¡°Boss, I have cleared your schedule from 3:30 PM onwards. Also, the interior designer called to tell you that the 2 guest bedrooms have beenpleted. She was wondering if you wanted to buy the items yourself ording to her design or just let her do what she wants.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be staying in those rooms so just let her do what she thinks is good for the rooms.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll tell her right away. Also, will you be visiting the ce after buying the appliances?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll have to make an excuse for that.¡±


    Elena just smiled and left since she has nothing else to say. She went back to work in her office while Tristan remained inside with Stefan. Not long after she seated herself, Travis showed up which almost scared her to death. The man wasn¡¯t making any sound at all.


    ¡°Mr. Madrigal. Is there anything that I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°I just want to chat with your boss.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She retorted and bowed a little. ¡°Give me a sec. I¡¯ll let him know. Do you mind waiting in the conference room?¡±


    ¡°I can stay here. Just tell him to get his butt here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Elena saluted and almost ran off to find her boss because of embarrassment. She felt amanding presence from Travis who felt like she was talking to a high-ranking military official. She even gave him a proper salute which she learned from her 1-yearpulsory ROTC ss during college.


    Stefan had this easy-going vibe around him as long as you don¡¯t cross his bottom line. Whenever he felt happy, he would smile at his employees and sometimes greet them like an ordinary man. He seemed friendly. Contrasting to his personality, Travis was always poker-faced to everyone. Of course, that does not include his family and friends. He could be seen smiling around them but he never smiles at outsiders. To others, he looked scary.


    ¡°Boss!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Where¡¯re your manners? You didn¡¯t knock.¡± Tristan scolded before Stefan could even say anything. He was the boss, alright. And he didn¡¯t even say anything to her.


    ¡°Sorry about that boss, but sir Travis is waiting for you outside.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Hahaha,¡± Stefanughed so hard as he stood up to meet his non-blood-rted brother. He could already tell that he will be scolded again. ¡°I wish Jill is here to save my *ss.¡±

 Chapter 699

    Chapter 699: CHANGES


    Tristan went out of the office and few secondster Travis came in. Elena brought some refreshments for their guest and left in a hurry. She didn¡¯t even wait for Stefan to give her instructions or something. She just wanted to get out of the room as soon as she could.


    ¡°Before you scold me, I¡¯m telling you that I am doing all of these for Ayen.¡±


    Travis made himselffortable on the couch as he gazed at the man in front of him. [He has grown.] ¡°You have be very perceptive, I must say.¡± He crossed his legs and ced his sped hand on top of his knees, sitting regal like a king.


    ¡°You are making me nervous when you behave like that. Did I anger Jill again?¡±


    ¡°Well, you are making enemies here and there. You will be putting Cayenne¡¯s life in danger again. What are you up to?¡±


    Stefan sighed and copied the way Travis sat. ¡°Did you know, Cayenne was almost raped when she was young? When I heard what happened to the child we saved, I trembled in rage. The hatred that I have been keeping suddenly resurfaced and I didn¡¯t know where to vent them. I wanted to make up for that time when I wasn¡¯t able to help her. Although she was saved, I felt regretful that I wasn¡¯t the man who lent her a helping hand.¡±


    ¡°What do you expect? You even scolded her the first day you met her.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Stop reminding me of that day.¡±


    Travis grinned mischievously as he leaned a little and observed Stefan a little closer. ¡°Jill is worried but I think there¡¯s nothing for us to worry anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing things recklessly. Tristan helps me all the time and he¡¯s very efficient with his work. Partnered with Elena, I¡¯m sure nothing would go wrong.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± He looked around the office since it has been a long while that hest visited Stefan¡¯s office and wherever his eyesnded on, he could see Cayenne¡¯s touch. ¡°This ce has changed.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? You mean the pictures, right? I love taking photos and after I got my beautiful muse, I started collecting pictures of her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the picture. I felt that, this ce wasn¡¯t so cold anymore.¡±


    Stefan knew what Travis meant. Although he loves to fool around before and looked cheerful around everyone, only this room and Chris witnessed his moments of weakness. He wondered when this ce started to change. Appearance wise, it was almost the same with how it was few years ago.


    [Ah! It must be during the time she visited me because of my fever.] Stefan thought and smiled to himself which didn¡¯t escape the keen observation of the man before him.


    Travis smirked and didn¡¯t say anything. He couldn¡¯t believe that their fateful encounter with Cayenne two years ago would bring them to where they are now.


    ¡°Anyway, I just hope you could minimize your activities. I understand that you want to vent your emotions but make sure you won¡¯t get yourself caught. Forcing these rats toe out would make the other groups to start their investigation.¡±


    ¡°I know. As soon as those two criminals are found, I will stop. This isn¡¯t my job anyway. I¡¯ll it to the police.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of, Cielo visited us early this morning. She was so annoyed with us because we kept sending criminals on her husband¡¯s way. He spent too much time in the station instead of her and their baby.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why he needs to ept his promotion. In that way, he can just demand his people to work this and work that. He will have flexible time, too.¡±


    ¡°Lucian loves to work instead of bossing around.¡±


    The two of them talked about different things just to pass the time. Since he has good reason for doing what he did, Travis didn¡¯t scold him and even exined this matter to Jill when he arrived back to their mansion. This time, he was reassured that Stefan can handle things on his own. He has matured over the years and he knew it was because of his wife.


    Since it was Friday and Cayenne¡¯s ss ends early, around 4:00 PM, Stefan was already waiting for her at the gate. He wanted to shop with her for their new home using an excuse that someone was getting married. To his delight, she wasn¡¯t suspecting him of anything.


    She apanied him to choose which kitchen appliances have better function with a good price. Since it was supposed to be a gift, they could only buy one. However, Stefan was able to convince her that giving more would save the couple from spending so much money. After all, they are just starting their family and would need a good amount of savings.


    ¡°I am not against the idea but are you sure about this? I will really choose whatever I like and gift it to them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me.¡± Stefan stated and showed her around the store. ¡°I think of giving them a barbecue grill in case they wanted to dine outdoor. Since we are getting abi steamer for home use, we can also get the same model for them.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good.¡±


    ¡°By the way, I think we should get a bigger refrigerator, too.¡±


    Cayenne felt something odd with these gifts he wanted to give because normally, people don¡¯t give refrigerator as a wedding gift. ¡°I¡¯m not meaning to be selfish but, if people find out that you give someone these gifts and then we attend another wedding and gifted them something of smaller value, won¡¯t they feel that we are being biased?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The refrigerator is for our house.¡±


    ¡°Our ref is working fine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Stefan started getting nervous as his wife narrowed her gaze at him. He scratched the back of his head and slung his arm over her shoulder as he pulled her close to him. Then he said, ¡°We have a big family and we all love to eat. We need to have a lot of groceries and our refrigerator couldn¡¯t fit all of the items. I¡¯m not saying we should get them now, but maybe you can choose something that we can use in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oooohhhh....That¡¯s what you mean. I get it now. Sure. Let¡¯s go and check something.¡± Stefan finally sighed in relief but Cayenne¡¯s next question struck him dumb speechless. ¡°Who is getting married by the way?¡±

 Chapter 700

    Chapter 700: ACCOMPLICES


    On their way home, Cayenne fell asleep beside him and Stefan took this chance to think of another excuse to leave the house tonight. He couldn¡¯t do it the next day because it was the weekend and Cayenne will be apanying him. He just escaped from the precipice of her queries and now, he has to make another stupid white lie to her.


    Taking out his phone, Stefan sent Tristan a message. ¡°Send a message to all our employees and business partners. Ask if anyone¡¯s getting married next month. Also, call me around 8:00 in the evening and tell me that there is an emergency regarding our stock value.¡±


    Reading this message from him, Tristan burst outughing. It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess what has happened and he could only shake his head sympathetically.


    When they arrived home, Cayenne changed her clothes and started doing her assignments while waiting for dinner to be served. She didn¡¯t forget to send a message to the bodyguard at the hospital as well but no good news rted to the child came.


    Around dinner time, when Daisy started calling everyone to eat, Stefan received a call from Tristan. Of course, it was the scripted lie he thought just to leave the house.


    ¡°Love, I have to go out. Tristan just called me and there are issues regarding our stock values. I need to figure out what happened and solve it as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t eat dinner with us?¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯ll have dinner when I get back.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯ste and ¨C wait, let me get your coat.¡± Cayenne knew she shouldn¡¯t stop him because it was about the business that he built with blood and sweat. She didn¡¯t want to be selfish by stopping him.


    When she got back, Stefan was stunned because she has changed her clothes as well. ¡°Are you leaving, too?¡±


    ¡°What? I can¡¯t apany you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Her face fell immediately which made him think of a random excuse. ¡°I mean, I have ns for tomorrow but because of this issue, I can¡¯t make ample preparation. Can you stay here and prepare for us instead?¡±


    ¡°You will leave me here? This is unexpected.¡±


    ¡°This is our house. We have guards all over the ce and there¡¯s tight security. You are safe here. I know I can entrust your life to the people here. They are our family.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then.¡± Cayenne handed his coat to him and reached out to caress his face. ¡°If you need anything, just give me a call. I will think of something to help. Don¡¯t handle this on your own.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll try to resolve this before midnight and return to your side. You don¡¯t have to wait for me. I¡¯ll just send you the details of our trip tomorrow and you can pack our stuff. Can I leave that to you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but you can¡¯t tell me not to wait. You know that I will be waiting for you toe home.¡±


    Stefan felt guilty for lying to her but he couldn¡¯t find another way for his n to seed. Ignoring the people around him, he lowered his head and kissed his wife quickly. ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    On the way to their secretly-built mansion, Stefan browsed his phone to look for some ces for rxation. When he remembered the recent events, he thought that Cayenne deserved a break. He wanted to bring her to a quiet ce where they could just rx and enjoy.


    ¡°Going to another country isn¡¯t an option since she has a ss on Monday and thest quarter exam is alsoing soon. I can¡¯t distract her that much.¡±


    His driver looked into the rearview mirror and watched Stefan busily scrolling his phone. ¡°Sir, if I may suggest. There is this ce called Four Seasons Hot Spring on Kaun Ind. It¡¯s close to D City Port and if you leave early, you can get there within three hours. They offer a nice private onsen. Ma¡¯am Cayenne will surely enjoy that ce.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check it.¡± Stefan searched the name of the ce and when he found it, he was amazed at how simr the ce was to the traditional onsens in Japan. The exterior design of the building, the arrangement of the rooms, the furniture ¨C it looked Japanese. ¡°How did you know this ce?¡±


    ¡°My wife and I visited this cest year. This ce is owned by a Japanese couple who wanted to share their culture with other people.¡±


    ¡°This ce looks nice and it is also close.¡± Stefan booked a room while speaking but deep in his heart, he promised to take Cayenne to Japan and explore the country with her. Japan isn¡¯t just about onsen. The country offers more than that and he was excited to visit the ce with Cayenne in the future. For now, he will enjoy this nearby onsen with his wife first.


    After booking, he sent the information to Cayenne.


    Little did he know, Cayenne was talking to Magnus over the phone. Because she was really worried about him, she wanted to find someone who can help and the best person for that was Magnus. In this way, she can bring the father and son even closer.


    ¡°This is probably the business that he solely owned,¡± Magnus stated while checking the news online. If something happened to Stefan¡¯s business, it will surely be a hot topic. However, he couldn¡¯t find a single report about his stocks. ¡°I¡¯ll check on him. I¡¯m pretty sure that he didn¡¯t want you to worry over this matter which was the reason why he didn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, dad. I know that he always prioritizes my best interest but I also want to share his burden. If you find somethingter, please tell me a way to help.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yen. I am your number one supporter. Just give me a sec. I¡¯ll get back to you after talking to him.¡±


    ***


    In his mansion on the mountain, Stefan pulled the phone away from his ears because of his father¡¯s loud yell. After Magnus spoke with Cayenne, he called his son immediately only to find out that he lied to his wife.


    ¡°Exin,¡± Magnus stated after yelling for a long time. ¡°You better have a good excuse.¡±


    ¡°I am preparing for our wedding. I have to leave because I needed to do something.¡±


    ¡°Wed-wedding? When? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this? And since you lie, it means she didn¡¯t know? How could you proceed with this wedding when your bride doesn¡¯t know anything?¡±


    ¡°Technically, we are married. However, our marriage wasn¡¯t known to everyone and it was done in secrecy because of some stuff. Now, I want to give her the best wedding since it can only happen once in a lifetime. I hope you can keep this a secret from her.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°Well, just pretend you know nothing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the hardest part.¡± Magnus retorted instantly. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t tell anyone about this. I¡¯ll just figure something out to calm her. You better get this thing done as soon as you can and go back home. Do not worry her that much.¡±


    So, when Magnus called Cayenne again, he only told her that the matter was resolved already and Stefan was just making follow-ups to reassure the shareholders. He didn¡¯t realize he was sweating coldly from lying to her until he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like surprises. It¡¯s scary when you have to lie about it.¡±

 Chapter 701

    Chapter 701: [Bonus chapter] AN ATTEMPT OF PERSUASION


    Cayenne was taking out one shirt after another to mix and match them ording to her fashion taste. She learned so much from Stefan and Jillyanna when ites to fashion and what they should wear for what asion. At the same time, she preferred to be normal on some days like trips or dates. She wanted to be herself ¨C not someone being restricted by proper dress codes.


    Seeing the items on the bed, she chose the clothes that she wanted to bring and she made sure that her clothes will be matched with his. It would be troublesome if Stefan sulks because of this issue. To others, this could be a trivial matter but to Stefan, a matching outfit means a lot to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s been three hours since he left. I wonder if he¡¯s doing okay. Dad said that the problem has been stabilized but Stefan didn¡¯t even call me. I couldn¡¯t reach Tristan, too.¡±


    Cayenne sat on the bed with Stefan¡¯s shirt in hand. Lifting it up, she buried her face in it and inhaled deeply. She really wished he would just stay beside her.


    Even with the promise of going on a trip with him, she couldn¡¯t feel at ease because of hispany problem. She felt so guilty that she couldn¡¯t be of any help. She didn¡¯t want to be on the receiving end of his love and care. She also wanted to reciprocate it. But time and time again, she felt she hasn¡¯t done anything worthy.


    ¡°Damn these insecurities!¡± She whispered angrily as she crumpled the shirt she was holding.


    ***


    .....


    Stefan finally settled everything in the kitchen of the new house and he made sure that someone would look after the house to clean it while they haven¡¯t moved in yet. The guest rooms were being decorated nicely by the interior designer as well. In a month or less, it will be finallypleted, and by the time of their wedding, they could move into this new home, build their own family and spend their lives here.


    Stefan was excited with these thoughts in mind. He never expected that he¡¯d finally think of having children with her when he kept on refusing her in the past months.


    On his way home, he practiced his facial expression to make sure that he won¡¯t appear cheerful and enthusiastic in front of her. After all, he was supposed to havee home from a stressful business issue.


    Stefan watched Cayenne¡¯s house as they got closer to it and he marveled at how much time has passed with them staying in this ce. He could still remember the first time he visited this ce and begged her toe back to him. He kneeled on her floor, at the bottom of the staircase, hoping that she would forgive him.


    Thinking back to the past, Stefan has never been so thankful for getting sick except for that day when he caught a fever. Cayenne took care of him and even though it was not easy getting back inside her heart, he eventually made it and that¡¯s what brought him to this point.


    The house was a gift from Reuben Montefalco. It was a humble abode for her to mend her broken heart. They may have good memories in this house but Stefan won¡¯t ever forget that it started with lies and heartbreak. Now, he wanted to start anew with her.


    ¡°Soon. Very soon.¡± Stefan muttered as he got out of the car and walked to the house where his wife was waiting for him.


    The light in the living room was still turned on and on the couch in front of therge TV screen, Cayenne was curled up while wearing his big shirt. Her eyes were closed as she fell asleep and she was hugging a small picture frame close to her chest.


    Stefan took the frame first and smiled as he looked into their photo together. It was the one that Valkyrie took during their first date in an amusement park. She was hugging a big teddy and her smile was a little bit awkward back then. Remembering that day, Stefan sighed regretfully. He could still recall that he was trying to make her fall for him that time and then dumped her right after. If he could go back in time, he¡¯d love to appear right in front of him over a year ago and punch his face really hard.


    [Enough with this. I know I can¡¯t change the past but I can still make her happy now and in the future. Let¡¯s focus on that.] Stefan told himself as he put the frame back on its respective spot. Turning off the TV which was a little useless at this point, Stefan turned to his wife and carefully lifted her.


    Sensing his presence, Cayenne wrapped her arms around his neck and moved closer to bury her face in the crook of his neck and shoulder. ¡°Hmm.¡± She purred like a car which brought a smile to Stefan¡¯s lips. If he could, he would just stay like this forever with her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep,¡± Stefan whispered and carried her off to their bedroom. Not able to resist anymore, Stefan kissed the top of her head before he opened the door. She smelled of vani and chocte which was the scent of her soap and it made him want to devour her even more.


    [She smells like this every day and I still couldn¡¯t get enough of her. Shall I use the same soap so I can smell her wherever I go? That sounds perverted.]


    And because she was sleeping deeply, Stefan was forced to take care of himself under the cold shower. Whenever he causes her to be stressed out, his long fingers and big hands will apany him until the job is done just like tonight.


    ¡°Ayen,¡± Stefan whispered in a moan as he gritted his teeth and released his hot white cream on the wall and the floor. His hands felt tired but it wasn¡¯t enough for him. He wanted more. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for tomorrow.¡± He chanted as if it could help him calm the raging monster between his legs.


    The next morning, Cayenne was jolted awake and the first thing she did was to find Stefan because he was not on the bed with her. Though, she was sure that he came homest night.


    Running out of the room with her robe tied carefully, she went to the study room only to find it empty. He wasn¡¯t in the living room either and there was no one in the kitchen.


    ¡°Lucia? Daisy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Yen?¡± Daisy answered from the connecting door of the kitchen to the backyard. ¡°Do you need something?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Stefan?¡±


    ¡°Ah! He¡¯s picking fresh vegetables to cook for you. Also, there¡¯s a mail for you. I left it on the coffee table in the living room.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll check on itter.¡± She didn¡¯t care about the mail because right now, what was important to her was to him in the morning and check that he was doing fine. She promised to wait for him yesterday but then, she fell asleep. Her guilt was tripping her again.


    ¡°Morning, love.¡± Stefan greeted her the moment he saw her step out of the kitchen door to the garden. ¡°Why are you here? Do you need something?¡±


    ¡°I just want to see you.¡±


    Daisy who was watching them on the sideline couldn¡¯t stop herself from blushing. She was already at the age wherein people experience falling in love and dating someone. Of course, she knew that the couple in front of her was just expressing their affection. Still, it was a little too much for who was single at the moment.


    ¡°Sir Stefan, I will bring this basket inside now. Miss Yen, do you want a cup of warm milk?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡± Daisy hurried out and left the couple on their own. She didn¡¯t want to be fed on the ants because of the sweetness from the couple. [They always see each other but they still have the same affection like they are meeting for the first time.]


    Back to Cayenne and Stefan, the two of them stood in the middle of the vegetable garden and none of them noticed that Jonas was still there, hidden behind the tall eggnts. To give them privacy, he left without making any noise.


    ¡°A year ago, you were standing here. You were painting something so beautiful yet the image felt so heart-breaking. I wanted to change those hues of colors on your color palette. I wanted to make it brighter like how you brought the sunshine and rainbow into my life.¡±


    Cayenne narrowed her eyes at him because it was very rare for him to talk about what happenedst year. He always avoided this topic and hated it when someone opens up a subject rted to divorce and a broken marriage. Yet now, he was opening up to her and recalling the painful memories.


    ¡°You sound suspicious. What¡¯s going on with you?¡± Cayenne inquired as she walked on the plot aisle between the tomatoes and cabbages. ¡°It¡¯s very unlike you to open up this thing. You always avoided this topic and we already agreed that we won¡¯t talk about this.¡±


    ¡°Ayen, I know that I was a scumbag. I know that I hurt you. I won¡¯t avoid this matter anymore. I know I caused you so much pain. So, I decided that to bury this matterpletely and start anew, it would be great if we would move out and find a ce for our family.¡±


    ¡°You want to buy another house? Don¡¯t forget that this is a gift from my father. Also, you have a vi in City A. You have a huge mansion in Tuscany. You also have several properties in other countries. And you are telling me that we should buy a new house? What for? We could just choose one of those ces to live. We don¡¯t need to move out.¡±


    ¡°And what if I really want to?¡±


    Cayenne chuckled and knocked his forehead. ¡°Why are you being willful? We will only waste our money. There¡¯s just the two of us. We don¡¯t need another house.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a house from my inheritance. I want a home that I specially designed for you. I want something thates from my hard work and not from someone else. Those other properties, we can sell them off or give them to our children in the future.¡±


    ¡°Children?!¡± Her eyes lit up from this word which was the only thing that registered after everything that he said. ¡°Really? You thought about it already? When are we going to start making one?¡± She looked so eager in front of him which caused Stefan to bend over inughter. ¡°What? Why are youughing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said as he wiped off tears from the corner of his eyes. ¡°You look so adorable when you talk about having children but whenever we make one, you always ask me to stop because it¡¯s too much. You should know that I can get really wild in bed.¡±


    Cayenne blushed and turned around to hide her face. ¡°Huh! As if I asked you that. I don¡¯t recall a moment that I asked you to stop.¡±


    ¡°Heh! You said it yourself.¡± Stefan walked closer and leaned to whisper. ¡°We can start tonight on our trip. I¡¯ll be sure to record your voice and listen to it afterward.¡±


    ¡°Pervert!¡± Cayenne gritted and stomped on his foot. ¡°How could you be so shameless?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for loving me.¡±

 Chapter 702

    Chapter 702: A SMALL PARADISE


    While Stefan was cooking for breakfast, Cayenne checked the mail which was sent for her. It was a medium-sized box but when she lifted it, she was surprised by how light it was. [What could this be?] She went back to the kitchen and before she could say a word, Stefan handed her a cutter.


    ¡°Be careful with that.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± She said and kissed his cheek.


    Stefan nodded in satisfaction at her response. The smug look on his face made Lucia smile faintly. As their helper, she could only pretend to be invisible at times like this.


    Back in the living room, Cayenne opened the box and was greeted with lots of bubble wraps. Without even knowing what was really hidden in those wraps, she was oddly delighted with the stic wrap. She wanted to pop them! [This can wait.] She told herself and continued to unwrap the items. ¡°Oh! This is amazing!¡± Taking the tea cup and the saucer, she ran back to the kitchen and showed Stefan what she got. ¡°Look at these! I didn¡¯t expect they¡¯d turn out this beautiful.¡±


    ¡°You designed it. Of course, they¡¯d be great.¡±


    ¡°You are only saying that because I am your wife.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Hey! You got me wrong. It¡¯s really beautiful. I¡¯ll book another ss with them so we can practice making the vase.¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯ll be looking forward to that.¡± She looked at the tea cup and saucer again, and she was jumping in joy after seeing the results of their hard work. ¡°I¡¯ll use this next time.¡± She said as she started looking for an empty spot in the kitchen cab to store the items. While doing so, she noticed something and a doubtful look appeared on her beautiful face. Her smile disappeared and she started to check each cab, looking for something which seems really important to her.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Stefan asked when he noticed her distress. ¡°Do you need something else?¡±


    ¡°No. Not really. Well, ... is it just me or didn¡¯t I ce the kitchen appliances that we received as gifts in here?¡±


    Stefan knew she¡¯d discover it sooner orter but he couldn¡¯t afford to let her know about the n yet. It¡¯s not the right time to expose her to the truth. ¡°I thought we¡¯d need more space in the kitchen to store our food. So, I asked Martin to bring those items to the storage room. Do you want to use them?¡±


    ¡°Ah? No.¡± Shemented with relief. ¡°I thought I misced them. We received so many gifts and I didn¡¯t know where to put them. It would be bad if I carelessly left them somewhere.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? You are always good at taking care of things.¡±


    Appeased with his words, Cayenne finally rxed and left the kitchen. While he cooked for them, she has to prepare for their trip as well. She went back to their room, took a shower, and changed her clothes. She also prepared a matching set for Stefan to useter.


    Unknowingly, Stefan had called the bodyguard who was tasked to look after the child they saved two days ago. He wanted to make sure that nothing will hinder this trip he will have with his wife. To do that, he checked if the child was doing okay. Although she wasn¡¯t showing any sign of waking up, her vitals have been stabilized and there¡¯s a chance that she¡¯ll wake up soon. This would be great news to Cayenne but he nned to tell her about this during the trip. If he tells her before that, she might dy or worse, cancel their trip. He didn¡¯t want that to happen.


    ¡°Yen, are you going somewhere?¡± Luiz asked when Cayenne came out of her room and called someone to bring the suitcase downstairs. ¡°Can I go on a trip with my high school ssmates, too?¡±


    ¡°Where do you n to go?¡±


    ¡°Marnie is celebrating his birthday today. We wanted to give him a little surprise.¡±


    ¡°Marnie? Isn¡¯t that Dominic¡¯s best friend? It was his family who helped Dom, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s him.¡±


    Cayenne ced her bag on the couch and looked for her wallet. Taking out her money, she gave it to Luiz without any moment of hesitation. ¡°Buy him a good gift and wish him a happy birthday for me.¡±


    ¡°Got it! Thanks, sis.¡±


    Because they grew up together and Cayenne was like a second mother to them, whenever they needed something or when they have to ask for permission; they¡¯ll turn to her for that. If she says no, they just have to agree and stay at home. Though most of the time, Cayenne agrees without asking too much.


    Around ten in the morning, Cayenne and Stefan left the house and headed for Four Season Hot Spring. Stefan checked the calendar app on his phone and counted the days mentally. [Safe.]


    Cayenne was suspicious of her husband¡¯s grin. He appears to be thinking of something naughty again but for the sake of having children, she would wee whatever he had in mind. Blushing at her own thoughts, she looked outside the window to calm herself.


    After several hours of travel, they finally arrived at the ind¡¯s port. Many people were visiting this ce and you could see a lot of souvenir shops lining up for people to choose from. They offer a variety of items and most of them were handmade. Cayenne likes handmade items. It feels close to her heart and home.


    ¡°For now, let¡¯s go and check in. We can buy souvenirs on our way back to the city.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them stood on the side of the road and watched peoplee and go. A few minutester, their carriage arrived. Yes, this ind was different from what they were ustomed to.


    The buildings were made of rocks and limestones and it was the same for normal houses as well. As they traveled continued to travel north, they noticed that the only form of transportation in this ce was a horse carriage. The ce looked historical as if they¡¯ve gone back to the 18th century.


    Cayenne was so amazed at the ce that she forgot to speak. She turned her head from left to right, and right to left. If Stefan could animate her right now, he would draw stars in her eyes. She was really awestruck with how different the ce was. She couldn¡¯t even sit still.


    ¡°Oh, my god! This ce is incredible!¡± Cayenne eximed the moment she stepped out of the carriage. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this kind of ce exists! This is amazing! It feels like we have traveled back to the past!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure that you appreciate our small ce. I hope you will have a great time here.¡± The coachman even bowed his head with his right hand on his waist. He looked like a fine gentleman in an aristocratic family. He didn¡¯t look like a coachman at all.


    ¡°Thank you for your service,¡± Stefan responded and Cayenne expressed her gratitude as well. ¡°Let¡¯s get inside.¡±


    Pulling the suitcase behind him, Stefan and Cayenne walked down the narrow footpath which led them to a high bamboo gate. At the side of the gate, a middle-aged woman was wearing a yukata and bowed to them on their arrival. Stefan and Cayenne did the same thing to greet her.


    ¡°You must be Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We booked a room here.¡±


    ¡°This way, please.¡±


    When the bamboo gate was opened, Cayenne and Stefan stepped into another world. Cayenne thought she was just dreaming but when Stefan held her hand, she knew it wasn¡¯t just a dream. She really traveled to a paradise.


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem,¡± Cayenne said when she noticed thenguage that the woman used when she spoke to another staff. ¡°I am not fluent in speaking theirnguage. I don¡¯t want to get things wrong. It¡¯s disrespectful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Leave it to me. Besides, some of the employees here can speak English like the woman we just met. Everything will be okay.¡±


    With that, the two of them checked in and were guided to their room. Cayenne felt like she was in heaven. She hasn¡¯t visited Japan yet but with this small ce that represents the nation, she could already say that Japan is a beautiful country and she already noted in mind to visit the country next time.


    ¡°Ahhhh! I am so happy!¡± She screamed silently which caused Stefan to smile. Leaning close to her, he whispered something that brought Cayenne to a halt. [I¡¯ll do it. For the baby. Yay! We¡¯ll have a child soon! I can be a mother, too.]

 Chapter 703

    Chapter 703: CAYENNE BROKE HER PROMISE


    Sometimes, whenever they travel, Cayenne would sleep first for about 3-4 hours. Once she wakes up, she¡¯ll prepare to go sightseeing with Stefan. This time, she decided not to waste her time by catching some sleep. She wanted to go around the ce and check out their beautiful spots right away.


    ¡°Are you really sure about this? Are you not tired?¡± Stefan questioned worriedly. He didn¡¯t want her to exhaust herself so much because he brought her there to rx.


    Cayenne puffed up her cheeks and grabbed his arm to wrap it around her waist. Knowing his wife, Stefan could just surrender to his fate. ¡°Hubby, you know that we don¡¯t get to see this kind of ce every day and it would be a waste if we just stay here. If we get to tour the ce now, we will have a lot of time for ourselvester. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t win an argument with you.¡±


    Cayenne just grinned at his sweet talk. Not win an argument? When ites to her safety, he always wins their argument. But Cayenne didn¡¯t say anything that could spoil his fun.


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go out and share this whole ce with everyone!¡± Following behind her, Stefan couldn¡¯t help but smile lovingly while watching her skip her way out. He was so content just knowing she was safe and happy.


    When they were inside the Four Seasons Hot Spring, it was like they really traveled to Japan and when they came out to explore the ind, it felt like they were in another era. The ces gave them different vibes and Cayenne¡¯s excitement didn¡¯t diminish.


    .....


    ¡°Stefan, look at this.¡± Cayenne pointed her finger on a small shrine wherein many people prayed. There was a lush tree growing beside the shrine and on its branches, you can see a lot of bells hanging on it. When the wind blows, the bells produce a faint sound and it was pleasing to the ears. The sound was mellow and even though there were so many of them, the sound wasn¡¯t harsh. They created a perfect blend. ¡°Let¡¯s tie a bell as well.¡± Cayenne stated as she pulled him to the shrine.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    The two of them prayed in the small shrine and bought a bell with some strange writings on the metal. Stefan recognized them as one of the traditional Chinese writings and his smile bloomed when he epted the bell from the shrine maiden. If Cayenne could read them, she will be nagging him to have babies with her again and again.


    Stefan tied the bell on a thick branch to make sure it won¡¯t fall off and Cayenne made a silent wish under the bell.


    ¡°Where are we going next?¡± Stefan asked when she opened her eyes again. ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat first and continue after that.¡±


    ¡°Food it is.¡±


    They looked for a restaurant near them and ate theirte lunch. Now that they got the time to sit down and just chill out, Stefan told Cayenne about the child. She shouldn¡¯t be their responsibility and they both knew that. At the same time, Stefan knew that Cayenne would always feel obliged to help the child since they found her and no one would look after a very young girl.


    ¡°I am d that¡¯s she is now getting better. I hope she wakes up soon. I already talked to Jillyanna about the child and she told me that we can bring her to the orphanage once the doctor permits to discharge her in case no one wants to get the child.¡±


    Stefan nodded his head in understanding. Thankfully, Cayenne has an open mind regarding this matter and she took the initiative to contact the relevant department to help the child. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she will be in good hands if she stays in the orphanage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought as well.¡±


    The two of them continued to chat about some matters while they ate their food. You cannot escape your fear and problems, you just have to face them to make them go away. Right now, Stefan was discussing their problem one after another to make sure that Cayenne won¡¯t feel burdened about these things.


    After lunch, they continued to tour the ce and chat with the locals to know more about the ind. Stefan took pictures here and there as their memento and he shared some in his social media ount, tagging Cayenne on his post to make sure that it would be in her timeline.


    Many people reacted to his post and expressed theirments as well but Stefan already put his phone away to focus his attention on his wife.


    With their intertwined fingers, they walked towards their next spot which was the fish massage.


    Their tour of the ce ended around 7:00 in the evening and Cayenne was exhausted and famished. They ordered their dinner to be delivered in their room and when they got inside, Cayenne went off to rest herself on the floor. She was sprawled like a starfish while staring into the sakura-painted ceiling.


    Stefan sat next to her, snaked his hand under her shirt and ced it on her t stomach. He wondered how miraculous it was for a woman to carry a child with a small stomach.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Cayenne asked softly with her eyes closed. She was really tired. ¡°Do you want to bath or eat first?¡±


    ¡°I want to bath and eat you first.¡±


    Her eyes snapped open and she started blushing again. ¡°Sure!¡± She bravely answered and tried to sit up. Unfortunately, someone knocked on their door. ¡°Uh...I think we have to eat the food first.¡±


    Stefan chuckled at this response as he stood up to open the door. Sure enough, two women stood outside their room while carrying their trays of food. Stefan let them in so that they could ce the food on the table. Right after they finished their task, the two women left and Cayenne started opening the covered dishes.


    ¡°Food is life. Food first.¡±


    They ate their dinner first and talked about the beautiful spots that they visited. When they finished their food, they decided to take a shower and enjoy their hot spring. However, Cayenne¡¯s exhaustion wasn¡¯t something she could just shrug off. She was so tired that she slept after ten minutes in the bath. If she wasn¡¯t leaning on her husband¡¯s chest, she would have drowned already.


    During the day, she was ready to take on his offer and ept whatever he wanted to do with her body. Yet, when the night came, she was sleeping soundly.


    ¡°You are all talk.¡± Stefanmented as he slowly dressed his wife. He poked her face twice and since she wasn¡¯t waking up, he just kissed her goodnight and hugged her to sleep. Remembering the times when he needed to ask permission to hug her and hold her hands; Stefan felt so blessed having her as his wife now. This time, he can enjoy her warmth without needing to ask for permission. ¡°I love you my dear wife.¡±


    The next day, Cayenne woke up to the sight of her husband looking at her. It¡¯s been a while since shest woke up to find him looking at her and she was so happy that he dedicated his time and attention to her.


    ¡°Wifey, are you ready to make up for what you didst night?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Cayenne frowned in confusion while trying to think what she didst night. ¡°I don¡¯t remember doing anything with you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You promised to do it with mest night but you didn¡¯t do anything. You slept on me. That¡¯s not fair. You broke your promise.¡±

 Chapter 704

    Chapter 704: DIDN¡¯T DROWN IN THEIR WORDS


    Back in the city, David received three copies of the magazine from InSTYLE Journal and he immediately left his house to give the two copies to Cayenne and Luiz. Not surprisingly to him, Cayenne was out on a trip with her husband so he only discussed relevant information with Luiz while leaving Cayenne¡¯s copy of magazine in Luiz¡¯s hand.


    Two hourster after the magazine was released, David received many notifications and direct messages from otherpanies. He already expectedpanies to contact him but when he read the content of their message, his eyes almost fell out of its socket.


    ¡°They wanted Cayenne to model for some of their clothes as well? Do they want me to die? InSTYLE Journal had secret agreement with Stefan and everything was nned thoroughly by that wife-doting monster. I never had anything to do with it except for the style and make-up.¡±


    David looked towards Luiz and back to his phone. He wanted to ask if there is a little chance for Stefan to agree but deep in his heart, he knew that the chances will be zero and zero only.


    David sighed and sent Stefan a message about the offers from severalpanies and not five minutester, he received a cold ¡®No¡¯ from him. ¡°As expected.¡± David muttered with faint chuckles.


    Since David contacted him, Stefan opened his social media ount to check for any updates. He found his ount tagged and mentioned in several posts but he didn¡¯t care about them. The update he was looking for was about his wife. He wanted to see if anyone was badmouthing her again after seeing the photos. If you will check your dictionary and look for the word petty, you will see Stefan¡¯s name next to it.


    Cayenne looked around for the next target of her wallet but when she turned back to Stefan, she noticed that he was busy with his phone. ¡°What are you busy with? You keep looking at your phone? Is there any problem?¡± She was worried that something has happened at home or with his business since Stefan would usually handle this on his own to keep her from worrying.


    .....


    Seeing her anxious expression, Stefan decided to tell her the truth as well as the message that David sent him earlier.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± He snorted and showed the message to her. ¡°But I said no to them already.¡±


    ¡°Great! Now I don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± She returned his phone and pulled him to another souvenir shop that she saw. ¡°Let¡¯s get something for your grandma and grandpa. I¡¯m sure they will love these things. What do you think would look best on them?¡±


    Not saying anything, Stefan wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder. He just couldn¡¯t thank God enough for bringing her into his life. She didn¡¯t fuss over his choices for her and she always tries to understand him. And he knew it wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t have her own idea but because she knew when her opinion matter and when it was best for him to decide things. Others might think that Cayenne was inferior to Stefan or that Stefan was inferior to Cayenne but it was never like that. They walk toward their future on equal footing and they always put their family and rtionship with best interest in mind.


    ¡°Thank you for always trusting me.¡± Stefan whispered which made Cayenne smile. ¡°I thought you¡¯d get mad since I didn¡¯t discuss it with you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to discuss with? You know I am not into modelling and we only helped Luiz once. I agreed because I knew it will be a one-time courtesy from you.¡±


    ¡°What if there¡¯s a next time?¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, they must have a good reason for me to agree.¡±


    Of course, there will be a next which was why he needed to ask about it now. After all, this photo shoot was the prelude to what was about toe for their wedding.


    The owner of the store couldn¡¯t stop herself from reliving her memories of early days. Looking at how sweet Stefana and Cayenne was, her mind was sent back to the time when her husband was still alive. He was also sweet and clingy like the man in front of her. Sadly, her husband left the world quite early for his age.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Cayenne called out to the middle-aged woman and showed the items she had in hand. ¡°I¡¯d like to get these items. Also, do you have different styles for these jewelry boxes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do.¡± The woman took Cayenne¡¯s items and ced them inside the basket. ¡°Come this way.¡±


    Cayenne and Stefan have so many jewelries and they didn¡¯t have enough space to store them. Since Cayenne didn¡¯t know about the house that Stefan built for them, he suggested that they get some jewelry boxes. Anyway, they can still use these boxes in their new home.


    Since the magazine has been released, Stefan told Tristan to keep an eye on the sales of the magazine. Once it surpasses 50% of the actual print outs, they will release the video that Stefan took. With the help of Tristan, Erwin and Luiz had an easy time editing the footage.


    ¡°Will Cayenne venture modelling now?¡± Faith asked Noah over dinner when the two went out on a date. They also bought a copy of the magazine that Cayenne and Luiz modeledst week.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Stefan will agree on that and if he will, there must be a good reason for him to do that. It¡¯s not his personality to make his wife work so much and worry about things.¡±


    ¡°You have a point. If Cayenne works as a model, she will have to leave home most of the time and she will have to work with other male models. Stefan would probably blow his top from jealousy.¡±


    ¡°You hit the mark.¡±


    The two of themughed with these thoughts since it was most-likely to happen. With what they learned from Stefan¡¯s personality; he would surely not allow his wife to work with other men without him looking after her.


    Those who said negative things about Cayenne also bought their copy of the magazine to find something they can bash her with. No matter how good the shoot was, people will still have something to say.


    At the end of the day, one can¡¯t please everybody.


    ¡°The pictures have been edited to make her look beautiful.¡±


    ¡°When you have money, you can always have the best editing team to make yourself look good in front of the camera.¡±


    ¡°Her smile is so fake!¡±


    ¡°Did inSTYLE run out of models which made them resort to get this woman?¡±


    ¡°She only got into this magazine because of her brother.¡±


    Many negative voices started popping out in the inte but they were drowned with the voices of those people who supported Cayenne and Luiz. Jealousy can make people hate you for whatever reason they could find but if people like you, they will find good things in you no matter how many ws you have.


    ¡°This magazine edition is about siblings and yful vibe that brothers and sisters should have. If you can¡¯t even tell that, you should just give your magazine to someone else.¡±


    ¡°Some people just can¡¯t stop being jealous over someone¡¯s achievement.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t look beautiful because of the editing team. She¡¯s already beautiful before she even modeled.¡±


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s Cayenne. She won a lot of beauty contests during our high school years. She had been the campus belle for 4 years, too. It¡¯s not a wonder that she works as a model.¡±


    ¡°Luiz and his sister look really good in the magazine. I can see how close they are.¡±


    ¡°You guys should read the article about her, too. I like her answers and she could be an inspiration to many.¡±


    Despite the negativities she received, many people acknowledged her and supported her, too. In the end, those jealous people kept their mouth shut and stopped their verbal harassment. Besides, Cayenne didn¡¯t really care about them.


    In the afternoon, when the magazine sale reached 50%, Tristan uploaded the video to Cayenne¡¯s YT ount. Many people have been waiting for the release of this video because they would see how things were behind the perfect photo shoot.

 Chapter 705

    Chapter 705: HER BLESSINGS POUR


    Three dayster, Cayenne was once again surprised with so many wonderful things. The video which was recently uploaded to her YT ount reached more than 2 million views and it was something that happened for the very first time. Many people left wonderfulments and showed support for the things that she likes to do.


    Since she was someone who didn¡¯t pay attention to the number of views or the number of people who follows her ount, she didn¡¯t know that she reached more than a million followers already. She only checked her ount when she received a package from the website developer ¨C a token of recognition for reaching this milestone.


    Another surprise was the sales of the magazine. For whatever reason, many people bought the magazine that she worked on with Luiz. All of the printed copies were sold out and many stores were flooded with consumers who asked for a reprint since they weren¡¯t able to get one. At first, she thought that it was manipted by Stefan just to make sure that she wouldn¡¯t get hurt by the number of sales. However, she was told by David that there was no insider maniption regarding the sale.


    ¡°I have to think of something,¡± Cayenne told Noah and Faith during their break. Instead of calling Stefan to chat with him, she went to the library with her friends.


    ¡°Think about what? Do you need help?¡± Faith asked while thinking about what could Cayenne¡¯s problem be. She thought she already have everything that one could ask for so it was a surprise to her that Cayenne might want something.


    Cayenne opened her notebook and showed them what she had written so far. ¡°I wanted to thank the people who have supported me all this time. Of course, I have ns for the orphanage and other foundations as well.¡±


    ¡°What about a gathering for your fans and those who supported Luiz? I mean, I think he hasn¡¯t done that yet.¡± Noah suggested which Cayenne listed in her notebook. ¡°Or, you can have some giveaways. You can buy something to give them or give them cash.¡±


    .....


    Faith thought hard about this thing since this will be for the people who have been supporting Cayenne all this time. After about five minutes of silence, she slowly spoke about the thing she had in mind. ¡°How about posting something? Then, you can ask people toment on your post with their wishes. To make sure that it will be fair, you can set a timeframe and then, choose people randomly and make their wishese true. You can ask others to choose people based on thements as well.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great.¡± Noah agreed. ¡°It seems a lot better than what I have thought so far. If you buy things and give them away, those people might not like them or maybe they don¡¯t have any use for them. Giving cash doesn¡¯t feel like anything special either.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I will discuss this with Stefan once I get home. Do you guys want to join me during my thanksgiving event?¡±


    Faith readily nodded her head even though she wasn¡¯t sure if she can go yet. She was just excited to be part of Cayenne¡¯s achievement. ¡°Are you sure? When will that be? I¡¯ll go if I don¡¯t have any scheduled ns for that day.¡±


    ¡°That will be on the 3rd Saturday of this month.¡±


    Since she received so much love from people and gained mary value from it, she wanted to use this to help other people instead. Although she loves money and she likes having them, she would feel better if she shares them. She didn¡¯t need much to live and survive, and Stefan always made sure that they have money as well.


    Bless those people who help others with no qualms. Bless those people who never think of getting anything in return.


    And Cayenne was this kind of person.


    The moment she got home, she told her family about her n. Although she will spend her own money, she wanted the whole family to be involved with the whole nning and execution of her n. She wanted them to be part of anything that she would do for others.


    Taking this opportunity, Stefan agreed and even told her to spend his money if she needed it. Of course, Cayenne wouldn¡¯t do that because she has so much already. What delighted him the most was the time that she¡¯d be taking in these events. She¡¯d be so busy with all the things she needed to do and surely, she wouldn¡¯t have the time to monitor him. This will give him a lot of time in hand to finish the wedding n as well as the house that he wanted to give her.


    Stefan smiled secretly with these thoughts.


    Just as he expected, when Saturday came once again, Cayenne refused to go on a trip with him. After breakfast, she started talking to the organizers of the events, and thinking that she would disturb his work, she left the study room and went to the balcony of their bedroom. There, she discussed the details of the events and the things that she needed to do.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to spend a lot of time with them but I can only go on Saturday since my husband has other ns. There¡¯s an orphanage that I want to visit on other days as well. If it¡¯s okay, we can divide the time into a morning and an afternoon event. We can visit 2 ces on that day?¡±


    ¡°Would that be alright with you? If that¡¯s really fine, you can choose from these foundations since they are quite close to each other. We will inform the ces right away.¡± The lead organizer shared a message on the screen and Cayenne took a picture of it.


    ¡°Let me check with my husband first. Can you give me five minutes?¡± Cayenne consulted since this will be crucial to her safety as well and Stefan would be worried if something happens while she was in these ces.


    The organizers nodded their heads and Cayenne left immediately.


    Stefan knew that Cayenne would being in and out of the study room so he was already prepared to make sure that she won¡¯t find anything suspicious. He already briefed the people he was talking to and the moment he mentioned Cayenne¡¯s name, everyone kept quiet. Stefan clicked on another tab and hid the zoom meeting behind it. By the time she reached his side, she didn¡¯t see and didn¡¯t hear anyone.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to visit two ces on the same day of my thanksgiving event. Which ces do you think could I maximize my time?¡±


    ¡°I think you can go for Theresa¡¯s Angels and Arc Center for Cancer Patients. If it¡¯s not traffic on that day, you can travel between these ces for about half an hour. You can have lunch in the car.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll go for these.¡± She gave him a quick kiss on his forehead and left right away. She was just about to close the door behind her when she retracted her steps and peered inside the room. ¡°Do you have ns in the afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± He said even though he has lots of things to do. He was the man who would always put his wife first before anything else. Even if he has other ns, he can always cancel them and make time for her.


    Doubting his answer, Cayenne snorted and waved her phone at him. ¡°I¡¯ll check your schedule with Elena instead. I think she sent me your appointments for this week already. Anyway, I wanted to bring you somewhereter.¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t have anything nned this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯lle and get youter.¡±


    Knowing his wife, Stefan called Elena before Cayenne could. ¡°Cancel all my appointments this afternoon. Reschedule them for next week.¡±


    Watching him, the people he was having a meeting with could only shake their heads in disbelief. Only his wife can make him change his schedule abruptly.

 Chapter 706

    Chapter 706: [Bonus chapter] PAMPERING HER HUSBAND


    Cayenne called Elena to confirm Stefan¡¯s schedule and with a little threating from her, Elena blurted out that Stefan canceled three appointments to make time for her. She reassured her that they weren¡¯t that important and can be rescheduled for another day.


    ¡°I should really make it a habit to check his schedule every day.¡±


    ¡°Even if you check it, there will be somest-minute changes and I wouldn¡¯t be able to email them to you.¡±


    ¡°Last-minute changes? Like the cancetion earlier?¡±


    Elena just pouted her lips and apologized. She didn¡¯t really mean to lie and expose her boss but she didn¡¯t want Cayenne to hate her either. At the same time, she knew that Cayenne won¡¯t hate Stefan for making time for his wife.


    ¡°Alright. If he does this next time for no reason, tell me immediately. I don¡¯t want him topromise his work for me again and again.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. I¡¯ll make sure to inform you of whatever changes he¡¯ll have with his schedule.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Thanks, Elena.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Miss Yen.¡±


    In the afternoon, Cayenne took Stefan out. Since they couldn¡¯t go on a trip and she will be busy with lots of things the following days, she wanted to take this time to pamper her husband. He always thinks about what¡¯s best for him and makes sure that she gets some time to rx. This time, it was her turn to do the same thing for him. To begin, she asked someone to drive for them, sparing her husband from the task.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Stefan asked while observing the streets outside the window.


    ¡°Taking you out to shop for something that you really want.¡±


    Stefan raised his eyebrow and grinned. ¡°Honey, I don¡¯t have to shop for what I really want. I already have you in my arms.¡± He whispered in a low voice that tickled her heart down to her core.


    Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, she cupped his face and snorted. ¡°I said something. I¡¯m a person, not a thing.¡±


    ¡°Heh! You are blushing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are. Are you that happy with what I said?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Stefan teased her again but Cayenne wouldn¡¯t just admit to it no matter how obvious it was.


    When they arrived at the mall, Cayenne gave Stefan her card. It was her hard-earned money and she wanted to buy him something using her card, not his.


    ¡°Can I really buy anything with this? I can just use my own money, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can buy no matching outfits.¡±


    Stefan¡¯s dazzling smile vanished the moment Cayenne said those words. ¡°What?! But why? I thought I can buy whatever I want.¡± He always wanted to buy a lot of matching outfits with her. One matching item per month wasn¡¯t enough for him. Stefan sulked and pouted his lips pitifully. ¡°Won¡¯t you change your mind?¡±


    ¡°Where are you nning to ce these things? We have so many clothes at home already and we don¡¯t have enough space to put them.¡±


    ¡°We will have a big space to put them in the future.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s buy them once we have that big space you said.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    Cayenne felt suspicious of his actions but since he was always like this when ites to matching items, she just let this matter go. ¡°Alright. I promise. We can buy whatever you want once we have a huge space to store them.¡±


    ¡°Great! I already know what to get today.¡± He intertwined his fingers with hers and left the car to get the thing he had in mind. It was something that both of them can use whenever they get some free time.


    Cayenne just walked beside him and they talked about some things along the way. With the bodyguards around them, no one could approach them and hear what they talked about. Besides, they were wearing face masks that hid their faces.


    ¡°Shall we get some books while we are here? The ce I wanted to go is close to a book store and I wanted to get something to read.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯d love to get something to read, too.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get some books first before we go up to the next floor.¡±


    Cayenne thought that Stefan would get something rted to business management or rted to finance. So, when he followed her to the fiction, she was a little surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be interested in this kind of book.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to know what kind of books you usually read.¡±


    ¡°I just read whatever I think is interesting.¡±


    Stefan took out several books from the shelf and read the summary at the back. Cayenne nced at him from time to time and she noticed that he already separated three books from the rest of the items he got earlier. Reading the titles of the books, Cayenne felt her face heats up. She moved her mask down her face a little, fanned herself with her hand, and took several steps away from him.


    ¡°Are you feeling hot?¡± Stefan asked worriedly. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any fans here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    Reading her reaction, Stefan shifted his gaze between Cayenne and the books he was holding. Wanting to confirm something, he moved closer to her and showed her the books. ¡°What do you think about these items? His Dirty Book, Obsessing Her Body, and Breathless Night. They sound good to me. Their summary seems okay.¡±


    ¡°The content might not be great.¡± Cayenne retorted without looking at him.


    Stefan moved even closer and linked their arms together. He flipped the pages of the book and stopped when he found something interesting. His mischievous grin couldn¡¯t be seen behind his mask and Cayenne had no idea what he was up to until he spoke again ¨C reading the content of the page he found.


    ¡°Her heavy moans echoed inside the room. He kissed her neck, still gliding slowly and easily. Each glide triggered a weaker ripple through her body. She was- ¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡± Cayenne hissed and red at him. ¡°People could hear you.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I guess I¡¯ll read this to you tonight.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not interested in that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll love this book for sure. How about we read this together?¡±


    If she could, she would dig a hole and hide in it. She was so embarrassed because many people were looking at them and some girls were giggling at what Stefan read.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the books now.¡± Cayenne retorted and started walking out.


    ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll share these books with you.¡±


    Cayenne left the store without turning back and waited for Stefan a few meters away from the ce. She felt really awkward around those people who heard what Stefan read. With those few sentences from the book, one could tell the erotic things inside it.


    Since they will be roaming around, Stefan asked the saledy to put wrap the books using paper bags. In that way, no additional people could see what he bought from the bookstore.


    He looked for Cayenne when he got out of the store and found her sitting inside a small caf¨¦ with a cup of coffee. She also got one for him. [My little darling will have a long night tonight.] He thought as he walked towards her.


    After getting the books, Stefan led Cayenne to the next floor which was the gadget and electronics area. They looked around for a bit just in case he¡¯d find something else worth buying. After a few minutes, he decided to go for that item he had in mind.


    ¡°A yStation?¡± Cayenne asked after the salesman left. ¡°That¡¯s a little unexpected.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can use it if we decide to have some game night or just rx at home.¡± Before she could respond, Stefan added, ¡°I can also y with you and punish you with something if you lose a game.¡±


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯m not someone who can lose in a game.¡± Deep in her mind, she was already nning to ask Luiz to teach her whatever game she can y with this gadget. Losing a game to him would mean a long and exhausting night. [Wait. If I lose to him, it means more chances of having a baby. Never mind, then. Losing isn¡¯t that bad.]


    Not knowing what was running in her mind, Stefan was humming a song that Cayenne was very familiar with. It was the first song that she ever sang to him to make him sleep.


    After buying what he likes, Cayenne brought Stefan to an arcade where they can y whatever they want. She allotted an hour for game time and yed to their hearts¡¯ content. Some of the bodyguards yed with them while the others kept an eye out for any danger. After an hour, they collected so many game tickets and exchanged them for a small transformer toy. Stefan thought they¡¯d give it to Luiz but Cayenne kept the toy inside her handbag which looked rather out of ce among her other things.


    Since it was a game that they got from the tickets they yed together, she wanted to keep the toy as memorabilia.


    After the game, Cayenne brought him to the closest spa. She joined him in a ¡®couple massage¡¯ and shared some of her ns with him. She knew that Stefan had been so busy with so many things to take care of and she wanted to help him a little. Although she helps him at night with some extra-curricr activities, she knew that those activities won¡¯t really rx him.


    Stefan enjoyed the massage with her and he was really happy that Cayenne thought of spending time like this with him. Since they will have to wait for about an hour before they can shower, they chatted about the progress of Stanley¡¯s rtionship with Jessie.


    It¡¯s not because they wanted to meddle with his rtionship but because they wanted to know if things were going fine and if they were both happy.


    In the middle of the conversation, Stefan received a message from Luna. The wedding cards have been finalized and were ready to be delivered once he gives his go signal. He checked the details of the card once again to make sure that nothing was wrong with it before telling Luna to go with the n.


    As her best friend, Luna was very excited about the wedding. Stefan shared the wedding n with her so she could have an idea of what will happen. Just remembering the details made her shiver from the happiness she felt for Cayenne. She even started listing the things she should get for the couple.


    After messaging Luna, Stefan kept his phone away and gave his attention back to his wife. His n was sailing smoothly and he even wished for days to quickly pass by. He just wanted to marry her in front of the whole world soon.


    Three hourster, Stefan found himself sitting on a chair with Cayenne standing in front of him. She was holding a small wooden vase with a single stalk of white orchids and another box which was quite heavy when he received it,


    ¡°Why are you giving me flowers?¡±


    ¡°Girls aren¡¯t the only ones who can get flowers. What¡¯s wrong with me giving you flowers? I just want to thank you and tell you how much I appreciate your love and care all this time. I don¡¯t know what else I can do to show my love for you.¡±


    His warm smile escaped his lips as he smelled the white orchids that she gave him. ¡°Is this alive? Can I raise this nt?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, love. I didn¡¯t see thising. I thought this would be a simple dinner.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen the other gift yet.¡±


    Because of her words, Stefan got really curious about what was inside the box. He opened it excitedly and his smile grew wider when he saw it. She always scolds him when he buys matching items for both of them but now, she gifted him a matching temperature control smart mug.


    ¡°These are wonderful. How shall I reward you tonight?¡±


    ¡°Nah. I don¡¯t need your reward tonight. Keep it to yourself. I need to wake up early tomorrow.¡±


    No longer restraining himself, Stefanughed so hard at her response. He was really happy and it made him stand up from his seat to hug her tight. ¡°I love you, Ayen. I love you to the moon and back; to the deepest of my bones and my hottest core.¡±


    ¡°I know and I love you always and forever.¡±


    .....

 Chapter 707

    Chapter 707: LITTLE LIAR


    ¡°Is this real?¡±


    ¡°The date is just over two months from now.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard about this?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice them prepare for something this grand.¡±


    ¡°Contact his secretary now and confirm this invitation. It would be embarrassing if this matter is a prank made by someone.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Stefan send the invitation personally?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with this surprise wedding? His wife didn¡¯t know anything?¡±


    .....


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯d pull this kind of stunt.¡±


    ¡°Stefan nned the wedding on his own? Just how much he loves his wife?¡±


    ¡°Mommy, is the letter really true?¡±


    ¡°Hon, what gift shall we buy for them?¡±


    ¡°Is this the reason why he was always busy?¡±


    ¡°The boss is really getting married? We are finally going to witness their union?¡±


    ¡°I felt sad for Cayenne¡¯s mother because she passed away before she could witness this grand event.¡±


    ¡°Wedding. Honeymoon. Pregnancy. How many kids do you think will they have?¡±


    The invitation cards which Luna sent to many people received different reactions. Some of them were doubting the credibility of the card while others started thinking of gifts and whatnot. Many people were anticipating this event and they were all excited for that day toe.


    What was even more exciting was the part about keeping this matter a secret from Cayenne.


    Jillyanna¡¯s family received their invitation cards as well and they were already thinking of the things that they can give to the couple. Stefan already bought a house and started buying appliances for their new home as well. They didn¡¯t know what hecks at the moment so, they decided to contact him and ask directly what he needed help with.


    Reuben was also thinking of the same thing. He wanted to give his daughter the best gift that he can give but he knew that nothing could surpass whatever Stefan will give her. In the end, he also contacted Stefan to ask what else he needed help with the new house he was building.


    Ferdinand and Magnus already booked a ce for Cayenne and Stefan to spend the second month of their honeymoon. They wanted to book a trip for their entire honeymoon phase but Stefan refused because he wanted to spend their first month in the new house that he built for her.


    People were discussing their wedding already but Cayenne was still in the dark about what was about toe. Stefan could only hope that no one would make a slip of the tongue in front of his wife.


    When Monday came, Faith and Noah, who received their invitation as Cayenne¡¯s close friends in school, were smiling foolishly in front of her. She didn¡¯t know what was so fun early in the morning but since they two came to school together, she thought that something must have happened which made them happy. She never thought it has something to do with her.


    During their second subject, their new professor came. He was the substitute teacher for their pregnant teacher who asked for maternity leave starting today. At first, female students liked him because he was handsome and loved to smile. However, when he called out for Cayenne¡¯s attention, they felt how strict he was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you are a husband to the city¡¯s richest man or a daughter of a business tycoon. I want you to attend the ss every day with your physical presence here. I don¡¯t like to bring myptop during ss when it¡¯s not really needed. You bettere in ss or I¡¯ll mark you as absent.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. Yes, sir.¡± Cayenne answered softly with obvious difort with his treatment. She felt attacked and was unreasonably scolded. She knew that she was receiving special treatment by allowing her to attend ss at home sometimes. However, she never really received points for that, though she wasn¡¯t marked absent either.


    Still, she felt that the approach was wrong. He could have asked her toe to his office after ss and discuss this matter with her.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Cayenne mumbled as she sat back on her chair and started paying attention to the discussion. It was his first day but Cayenne already hated him. Nheless, she still listened to the discussion for her own good.


    As soon as the ss ended, the new professor left and Cayenne slumped in her seat. She felt drained by the man¡¯s presence.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the bad blood?¡± One of the female students asked Cayenne. ¡°It was his first day and he already scolded you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You must have done something wrong unknowingly. How could he look at you with so much hatred if you didn¡¯t do anything wrong?¡±


    ¡°Promise, I can¡¯t recall any ce or any moment in my life that I have seen him. I don¡¯t even know who he was. His name doesn¡¯t ring a bell at all.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not one of your boyfriends back in high school?¡±


    ¡°I have been single until Stefan came into my life.¡±


    Her ssmates were puzzled by the man¡¯s treatment of Cayenne and since she said that she didn¡¯t know him, they believed her because they knew her for quite some time nowpared to their new professor.


    Cayenne didn¡¯t really know what she did to incur his wrath but she pushed this matter out of her mind because she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    During their lunch break, Cayenne left the campus but she felt that someone was eyeing her which sent chills down her spine. The bodyguards also felt something was wrong and started looking around the campus unproductively.


    As soon as she got into Stefan¡¯s car, Cayenne told him what happened in the morning and the treatment she received from the man.


    ¡°I am not sure if I have met him in the past or if I ever did something bad to him. Can you ask Tristan to check his background and the possibility of us crossing paths in the past?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll tell you about him at night.¡±


    In the faculty room, their new professor Brian Dival was sitting while holding a small and a little faded picture. It was a picture of a little who was eating a lollipop while ying with a rusty swing. There was a big patch of gauze on her knees and another band-aid on her forehead. Despite the wounds and small scratches, she still looked beautiful with her bright smile. If cayenne could see the picture now, she would instantly recognize her little self.


    ¡°You little liar. You promised to marry me.¡±

 Chapter 708

    Chapter 708: IGNORE HIM


    Evening came and Stefan went home with the report that Tristan handed before they left thepany earlier. There was nothing suspicious about the man and he didn¡¯t have any bad record as well ¨C not even a traffic vition. Tristan even left the office to conduct a field investigation himself. Unfortunately, the neighborhood where the man lives didn¡¯t know any woman named Cayenne Ardolf.


    ¡°Maybe I am just being paranoid.¡± Cayenne told herself as she read the information that Stefan gave her. ¡°He was probably just annoyed with the special treatment I received.¡±


    ¡°That could be possible.¡± Stefan agreed as he sat down on the floor and set up the yStation. He wanted to y a game with her before dinner. In his mind, no matter who this new professor was, he won¡¯t let him get close to Cayenne.


    Cayenne kept the documents under the coffee table and leaned back on her seat. She felt something familiar when she read the information. She remembered that she stayed close in one of the ces mentioned in the documents.


    ¡°Alice Sacred Heart School.¡± Cayenne mumbled with her eyes close. She wanted to remember the instances that could have linked her to the man. ¡°I don¡¯t really remember. Although I lived close to this private school, I didn¡¯t study there.¡±


    ¡°What school?¡± Stefan inquired after catching some of the words that his wife muttered. ¡°You were saying something about some sacred school.¡±


    His anxious expression mellowed Cayenne¡¯s troubled heart and she pulled him close to her. ¡°I might have crossed paths with that man.¡± Cayenne stated with her head on his shoulder. ¡°I still couldn¡¯t recall when and where exactly and how we met but, before we moved to A City, we lived in a neighborhood close to Alice Sacred Heart School.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Maybe he was a childhood friend.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t remember anyone named Brian in that neighborhood.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, this matter will quickly pass by. This academic year will end soon and you won¡¯t be seeing that man again. Besides, he is just a substitute teacher. The original professor will still return after her maternity leave. Don¡¯t think too much about him. If he wants you to attend his ss, go for it. I¡¯ll just ask Martin to tighten the security around you.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Sorry for causing you trouble again.¡±


    ¡°Since when did you be a trouble?¡± Stefan retorted which made her smile sheepishly. ¡°My wife is no trouble.¡±


    Their night was lovely and they both enjoyed thepany of each other. When Luiz and Kyle came back from school, they joined the couple inside the recreation room. They yed different games until Lucia called them for dinner.


    Tuesday came and Cayenne arrived early to attend her ss. The news about her getting scolded has traveled around the campus and many wondered who has the guts to treat Stefan¡¯s wife like that. Right now, she was no longer bothered with what happened as much as she did yesterday.


    ¡°Good morning, Yen.¡± Faith greeted when she saw Cayenne sitting on her usual seat.


    ¡°Good morning, Faith.¡±


    ¡°Is it just me or do you have more bodyguards today?¡±


    Cayenne looked outside and smiled faintly at her friend. ¡°Stefan got worried when I told him what happened yesterday. Since I will have to stay in the campus for the whole day, he wanted to tighten the security around me.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Faith nodded her head in understanding. She nced outside and saw the intimidating people standing guard to protect their mistress. ¡°Some students are afraid of them.¡± Faithmented out of the blue.


    ¡°They¡¯re very nice.¡± Cayenne retorted which earned a snort from Faith. Of course, she¡¯d say they were nice because she has been spending time with them. But other people didn¡¯t really know them.


    Students started pouring in and Noah arrived just as the professor came. The professor gave them a surprise exam which really surprised most of the students. Unfortunately for the professor, Cayenne wasn¡¯t surprised at all. She always studies whenever she gets some free time and she takes time to review her notes as well. It was the only way she could get good grades despite herck of attendance.


    Thirty minutester, the students exchanged their papers to check their answers and to their amazement, Cayenne got the highest score.


    ¡°So far, Ms. Ardolf has been keeping her spot as the top scorer of the ss. If it weren¡¯t for your attendance, your grades would be great.¡± Their professor expressed in disappointedly. ¡°Anyway, I hope you can keep your attendance until the academic year ends.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best prof.¡±


    Her ssmates looked at her with unspoken jealousy. They knew that she was getting special treatment but even without that, they could tell that Cayenne was really smart. She has both beauty and brain that many women would wish to have.


    Although some of them didn¡¯t get high scores at least, no one failed.


    ¡°I am amazed that you still find time to study amidst your busy schedule.¡± Noahmented while pping his hands. ¡°How do you do that?¡±


    Cayenne shared how she squeezed her time to study while also doing other things. Sometimes, when she has to wait for Stefan, she¡¯d study while waiting. She¡¯d study while waiting for breakfast if Stefan has done taking a shower yet and she¡¯d study a little before going to sleep if Stefan isn¡¯t that horny. She can also study during her ss breaks.


    Since they got good scores, their professor gave them the remaining time to do whatever they wanted to do. Cayenne continued to chat with her friends until they had to leave the ssroom to move to another ce for the second subject.


    For some reason, Cayenne shivered from the chills she felt. The bodyguards were walking around her so, she knew that no danger can get close to her inside the campus. [Just what is this bad premonition?]


    It didn¡¯t take long enough for her to find the answer. Brian Dival, their new professor was already waiting for them inside their ssroom. He smiled when the others greeted him but when he saw Cayenne, his smile vanished and his displeasure showed on his face.


    Cayenne felt the sudden change in his treatment but she ignored him and just walked directly to her seat.


    ¡°I can tell that he hates you.¡± Faith whispered.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s not my husband anyway.¡±


    Faith and Cayenneughed softly at their secret conversation while pretending to look at something else.


    Brian watched Cayenne from the podium and his heart ached so much knowing that her happiness didn¡¯te from him. [How can I move on when I held on to your promise for so long?]

 Chapter 709

    Chapter 709: SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH HIS BRAIN


    ¡°Eyes here.¡± Brian spoke in a loud voice which brought everyone¡¯s attention to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t get the chance to conduct assessment yesterday so today, I want to know what you have learned so far. Please pass these sheets around.¡± He handed the papers to the first student in front of him and soon the paper made its way to the back.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Why now?¡±


    ¡°My braincells will short circuit with all these things.¡±


    While her ssmates fussed around her, Cayenne just read the instructions on the paper. The assessment was divided into three parts. Two of them will be a written exams while thest one was an oral exam with limited time. She was not worried about the written tests. However, she was a little bit bothered with thest one. She thinks that the given time was too short for them to give the scientific name of the nts which he listed. Not just that, during the oral examination, everyone has to pay attention to the previous examinees because they are not allowed to repeat what the previous person said. In short, they need to know all the scientific names of the nts. The number of your correct answer within the time limit will be your score.


    If there was no time limit, Cayenne was confident that she¡¯d get 80% of the items correctly but now, she was a little bit worried.


    ¡°I will give you 30 minutes for the written test. The remaining 45 minutes will be allotted for the oral exam. You may start now.¡±


    .....


    Cayenne started answering without waiting for more words. She scribbled as fast as she could and tried her best to maximize her time. When she didn¡¯t know the answer, she moved to the next item until she reached thest number. Using the remaining time out of the 30 minutes, she re-checked those items that she skipped and spent time recalling the lessons she learned.


    Although it wasn¡¯t a major exam, she felt so exhausted.


    Brian watched everyone to make sure that no one was cheating and his eyesnded on the woman that he missed for a long time. [How could you marry someone else? How can you act like you don¡¯t know me? Why am I toote?] He wanted to ask her these questions but he could not even approach her without her bodyguards.


    In the middle of his wandering thoughts, his phone buzzed and an unfamiliar string of numbers reflected on the screen. ¡°I¡¯ll step out for a moment to answer this call.¡±


    The moment he stepped out, the students started asking their seatmates what was the answer to what question. Even Faith started asking Cayenne and Noah for answers because she missed quite a lot of numbers.


    Outside the ssroom, the bodyguards stood tall and intimidating but Brian passed by them as he answered the call. It was a great surprise to receive a call from this man and he didn¡¯t even know what could have resulted to this suddenmunication.


    ¡°Do you have time to spare this afternoon?¡± Stefan asked after his short self-introduction. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°I can give you one hour of time.¡±


    ¡°Great. We can meet in the caf¨¦ across the university. It will save you from the trouble of driving.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that a great man such as yourself will cater to someone¡¯s worries.¡± Brianmented with a fake smile hanging on his lips. ¡°I take it that she didn¡¯t know about this meet up.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t but she will.¡±


    Ever since their conversationst night, Stefan wasn¡¯t able to get the man out of his mind. He wasn¡¯t suspecting anything but he wanted to know something just in case there was some sort of unspoken rtionship between him and Cayenne in the past. He wanted to make sure that Brian has no leverage he can use against him.


    At the same time, he was confident that Cayenne will never leave him.


    After the call, Brian returned to the ssroom and found the unusual silence of the students. It was suspicious but he didn¡¯t dwell on it. He was once a student. He knew when students cheat.


    Soon, 30 minutes was over and the oral examination started. With her paper and pen, Cayenne crossed out the items that her ssmates took.


    When it was her turn, most of the listed items were taken. If the oral exam was done alphabetically, she should have been the first person to recite in front. Unfortunately, it was done withba randomizer and she camest.


    ¡°As long as you get all of the items correctly, you will have the highest score.¡± Noahmented as he looked at the items on his paper. ¡°I think you are all familiar with these.¡±


    ¡°Right! I¡¯m sure that you will do just fine. Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± Faith added and prayed for Cayenne¡¯s luck.


    At first, Cayenne walked confidently in front of her ssmates but when her eyes met her professor¡¯s, her breathing hitched and she felt confused. Right. Instead of getting nervous, she was confused why the man looked at her as if she was his most important person.


    [If I¡¯m not mistaken, that is how Stefan looks at me. This man is crazy. How could he look at me like that?] But then, Brian¡¯s expression changed and he looked at her with obvious disappointment. [Just what is wrong with his brain? What mistake have I done to receive such treatment?]


    ¡°You have 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Time starts now.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Ardolf, don¡¯t just dawdle there.¡±


    ¡°I...uh...¡±


    ¡°Yen, don¡¯t be nervous. You can do this.¡±


    ¡°Vitex Negundo, Blumea Balsamifera...¡± Cayenne started talking as fast as she could to make up for the lost seconds. Her voice wasn¡¯t loud but when she spoke, everyone looked at her and listened to her. ¡°...Coleus Artropurpureus...¡± she didn¡¯t falter or even paused for a few seconds. She didn¡¯t get any wrong answers as well.


    Ten seconds before the time stopped, Cayenne was utterly dumbfounded in front of everyone because of the man who looked at her as if she was the only person in the world. She didn¡¯t like that expression on someone else.


    Goosebumps appeared on her skin and she stopped talking.


    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± She said and hurried back to her seat. [Darling, there is something wrong with this man¡¯s brain.] If she could talk to Stefan, she would really say these words to him.

 Chapter 710

    Chapter 710: NO TRUST


    Cayenne looked at the message on her phone and was bbergasted that Stefan told her not toe over and pick him up from the office.


    Normally, if he doesn¡¯te to pick her up because of his busy schedule, she would go to his office and apany him until he gets up to leave.


    Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t want her toe this time.


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked no one in particr as she read the message again. ¡°Is he annoyed with my presence already?¡±


    The bodyguards wanted to answer ¡®NO¡¯ but they were not in the position to act chummy with her and interfere with private matters.


    At home, Stefan was pacing back and forth inside their room. The reason why he told her not toe and pick him up from the office was because he was home. He just kept the information from her.


    ¡°This woman.¡± Stefan muttered angrily. ¡°How could she promise herself to someone else? And kids don¡¯t lie. They express their most genuine feelings to other people. It means she genuinely wanted to marry him. Damn it!¡± He cursed and whipped the couch with the leather belt. His jealousy was brimming to the point of spilling in every corner of the room.


    .....


    Around 5:00 in the afternoon, Cayenne arrived and saw Jonas and Luiz in the living room. They were ying chess together and when they looked up, their expression was a bit off. They didn¡¯t look happy to see her.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± She asked. Her heart started beating erratically as she shifted her gaze between her brother and her stepfather. ¡°Am I involved in another incident?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡± Luiz answered. ¡°Just go up and change.¡±


    Well, it was what she wanted to do earlier but now, she thought of staying in the living room and just wait for Stefan.


    ¡°Just go.¡± Jonas added.


    She nodded her head hesitantly and walked upstairs. rm bells were ringing in her head but her feet kept taking one step after the other.


    The moment she pushed the door open, arge hand grabbed her wrist. She knew it was her husband because of the scenting from him. However, before she could greet him happily, he pressed her hands on each side of the bed post and handcuffed her.


    When she realized what just happened, it was already toote.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Cayenne asked in confusion. ¡°Is this another roley that you want to do with me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She mumbled while trying to think what could have urged him to do this. ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m angry.¡±


    Cayenne wanted tough because angry people don¡¯t normally do this. If he said he¡¯s horny and wanted to do some roley with her, she¡¯d believe him without a doubt.


    But angry? With whom? Her? She couldn¡¯t remember doing anything that could anger him.


    ¡°I¡¯m angry.¡± He said once again as if once wasn¡¯t enough for her to hear him.


    ¡°What angered you? Or who angered you?¡±


    ¡°You and that damn Brian.¡±


    Cayenne¡¯s smile vanished and was reced with a cold gaze. She watched him with no emotions in her eyes. She didn¡¯t know what really happened and how her professor¡¯s name became part of this, but she knew that this fight must have something to do with her past.


    ¡°You promised you¡¯d ept me, my past and everything that I am.¡± She uttered softly to avoid cracking her voice from the disappointment she felt right now. ¡°I guess, those were words you mentioned in the spur of a moment?¡±


    ¡°No, they were not. I was sincere and I mean what I said.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Cayenne wanted to stand up, to cup his face and look directly into his eyes but she couldn¡¯t move freely because of the cold metal that kept her tied to the bed.


    Stefan turned her back on her. He was looking down on the floor while thinking back to the conversation he had with Brian.


    ***


    ¡°It looks like she doesn¡¯t remember me.¡± Brian told Stefan when they met at the cafe. ¡°However, I remember her clearly.¡±


    ¡°Are you one of her exes?¡±


    ¡°That many? It seems like you don¡¯t know your wife like how you im to be. Cayenne isn¡¯t that type of person.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you in her life?¡±


    Brian smiled meaningfully and caressed the rim of his cup of coffee. His fingers were long and something that a woman would love to hold. Even Stefan felt envious because he has callused hands.


    After a moment of silence, Brian looked into Stefan¡¯s eyes again and answered, ¡°I am the person she promised to marry. We were engaged since we were kids and she was the one who initiated it. She promised to be mine once we be adults.¡±


    Boom!


    As if he was bombarded with rolling thunders and rain of lightnings, Stefan though he¡¯s gone deaf and heard some nonsensical things.


    ¡°Come again?¡±


    Brian chuckled and lifted his coffee for a drink. He loves the look of frustration on Stefan¡¯ face. ¡°I can repeat the words again and again for you.¡±


    ¡°Never mind.¡± Stefan retorted readily as he stood up from his seat.


    ¡°One more thing.¡± Brian called out which stopped Stefan from leaving. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie. Cayenne may have forgotten about it but if I show her the pieces of evidence that proves our rtionship, I am pretty sure that she¡¯lle back to me.¡±


    ¡°Dream on!¡±


    Without looking back, Stefan left in a hurry. He wanted to confirm this matter with Cayenne but the words that Brian said kept resurfacing in his mind and he was getting angry.


    He knew that the man wasn¡¯t lying. He could tell it from the look of his eyes.


    ***


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you were engaged to someone else.¡± Stefanmented without turning back to look at his wife. ¡°Ayen, I said I would ept everything that you are and including your past but you have to tell me about them.¡±


    ¡°And what if I tell you that I don¡¯t remember being engaged to someone else? Will you believe me?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°Idiot!¡± Cayenne kicked him hard on the back which caused him to slip on the floor. Stefan red at her but Cayenne red back. ¡°So, you are angry because I promised myself to marry someone else when I was a kid?¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your silence as a yes.¡±


    ¡°But ¨C ¡±


    ¡°No buts!¡± Cayenne interrupted in anger. ¡°You still don¡¯t trust me Stefan. You think so little of me. Did you really think I¡¯d leave because someone said I promised to marry them? You should have ¨C ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s myself.¡± Stefan expressed which cut her off. ¡°I don¡¯t trust myself, Ayen. I got jealous. I was jealous when you told me that Arthur was once the person you admired. I got jealous when Brian told me you wanted to marry him. I got jealous so easily. I don¡¯t trust myself. I always ask if I have given you enough or more than that. I always ask what if Ick in some area and it will cause our rtionship to break? What if I do something wrong and you¡¯ll hate me for it? What if Brian is better than me and you¡¯d realize it? What if -¡±


    ¡°There are no what ifs in life Stefan.¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t help it.¡±


    Cayenne sighed and closed her eyes to calm herself. If both of them be hotheaded, nothing will be solved. She needed to be calm and collected.


    ¡°Hubby.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    Stefan raised her head and looked at her. She was grinning from ear to ear when their eyes met. Her beautiful smile lit up his eyes and he realized how foolish he was acting at this moment.


    ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Cayenne asked but he was only staring at her stupidly. ¡°I love you Stefan Dumrique.¡±


    For the first time in a while now, Stefan blushed. He rubbed the back of his neck as he chuckled softly. Then, heughed louder and louder which made Cayenne roll her eyes.


    ¡°Happy now?¡±


    ¡°Very.¡±


    ¡°Then, remove this handcuffs.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Stefan stood up and Cayenne¡¯s eyes trailed down his body until she saw that bulging monster hidden underneath his trousers.


    ¡°I got horny with the sight of you.¡±


    ¡°Shameless pervert!¡±

 Chapter 711

    Chapter 711: TASK: IGNORING BRIAN


    Flowers slowly bloomed under the warm light of the morning sun and Cayenne woke up with Stefan massaging her wrists.


    ¡°Morning love.¡± she greeted but Stefan didn¡¯t respond but continued to rubbed the ointment on her skin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I hurt you.¡±


    The regret in his voice squeezed her heart because she knew how it will affect him from this day forward. She couldn¡¯t really me him that he was easily fooled with someone¡¯s words because no matter how much he tried to have confidence in their rtionship, Stefan was also insecure just like her.


    They were both afraid that someone woulde and ruin their rtionship.


    ¡°Stefan, you have to remember two simple things. First, I love you and always will. Second, trust me no matter what happens as much as I trust you. We are both insecure about so many things and trivial matters might ruin our rtionship but let¡¯s remember to talk it out and be honest with it. If you are afraid that I¡¯d leave you, you must know that I am also afraid that you would do the same thing.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave you.¡± Stefan reiterated to make sure that she¡¯d hear him clearly.


    .....


    ¡°Likewise, honey. No one can make me leave your side.¡±


    The day has just begun but she was still sore from what happenedst. Although they fought the moment she got home, they ended up having a passionate bout of love session. It was really difficult to calm the raging hard on that Stefan had while watching her with handcuffs. In the end, they performed another kinky roley which was witnessed by the moon and stars.


    When you think about it, their issue wasn¡¯t really big and you can just forget about it after a day or two. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t the same for Cayenne. She¡¯ll always remember it and she¡¯ll think of a way to retaliate.


    Cayenne went to school like usual but when she met Brian at the parking space, shepletely ignored him. She yed blind in front of him and passed by as if she was seeing nothing but thin air.


    During her vacant time, along with Faith and Noah, she stopped by the library to return some books that she borrowed. Coincidentally, she met Brian on his way to the faculty office.


    Faith and Noah: ¡°Good morning, sir.¡±


    Cayenne: ¡°Do you think the kids will like these gifts? I want to buy something that they can use for a long time and something that they can enjoy as well. I am not really great in choosing things so...


    Cayenne chatted on and on as if she didn¡¯t see anyone. When she knew she¡¯d bump on him, she looked down on her phone and left everything to her bodyguards who asked everyone to move aside and that includes the professor. She pretended to be busy and since everyone knew that she was doing a lot of things for other people, they never suspected her attitude towards the professor.


    In the afternoon, whether it was mere coincidence or not, she met Brian on her way to the Botanical Garden. As usual, she ignored him.


    ¡°Ms. Ardolf?¡± Brian called out when she was few meters away from him. ¡°Are you avoiding me?¡±


    Cayenne stopped walking and looked back to the person who caused Stefan to be emotionally miserablest night. ¡°Sir? Did you call me for something?¡±


    ¡°ying dumb?¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    Brian wanted to scold her but since she continued to y dumb and act innocent in front of him, he just let her be and surrendered to fate. ¡°I don¡¯t know what has gotten into you or if it was just my imagination but I think you are avoiding me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this about what Stefan and I talked yesterday?¡±


    Looking around her, Cayenne didn¡¯t see any other students and so, she crossed her arms on her chest and breathed heavily. ¡°I don¡¯t know what nonsense did you tell my husband but it¡¯s all in vain. Nothing and no one can separate us. I don¡¯t believe a single thing you said either.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being unfair?¡± Brian retorted as he took several steps forward but was stopped by Cayenne¡¯s bodyguards. ¡°Yenyen, how cruel can you be? All this time, I kept your promise in mind. Just because you have forgotten about it doesn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°Look. You must have mistaken me for someone else. I don¡¯t remember getting acquainted with someone named Brian.¡±


    ¡°And what if I show you the pieces of evidence I have?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point? And what do you want to get from doing all these?¡±


    ¡°I want you back in my life.¡±


    The surroundings turned silent except for the rustles of bushes and leaves. The bodyguards looked at their mistress with side nces. They didn¡¯t expect to witness this kind of event. Cayenne felt like kicking the man in front of her as well.


    ¡°Yenyen, give me one chance.¡±


    ¡°Sorry but I am married and I have no ns of breaking up with him. If I really promised such thing, I¡¯d understand that you will not be able to forgive me. At the same time, I hope you can break yourself from this shackle of the past.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say.¡±


    ¡°Sir Brian, I am not worthy of you. You deserve someone better and I hope you will find that person soon.¡±


    ¡°No. I am not letting you go.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot!¡± Cayenne yelled in annoyance. She already tried her best to be nice to him but he still refused to back down. She really wanted to kick his ass. ¡°Do whatever you want but expect nothing from me. My heart, my body, and my soul belong to my husband alone. You won¡¯t get anything from me.¡±


    Without waiting for his response, Cayenne turned around and continued walking without looking back.


    Brian stood there, watching her back which was moving farther and farther from him. [We¡¯ll have to proceed with the next n.] He thought and called someone over the phone.


    How to measure the strength of your rtionship or bond? It¡¯s through hardships and trials.


    And before Stefan could properly get her hands in marriage and church wedding, they will have to go through a lot of things. Most of them will test their trust and loyalty. And some of them could break their bond slowly.

 Chapter 712

    Chapter 712: TASK 2: GET STEFAN INTO ANOTHER SCANDAL


    Cayenne thought that things will turn for the better since things have been rified between her and Stefan. It was all that matters to her. Her days continued like usual and soon, the time for her thanksgiving event hase. She had been so busy because of this and she was so excited for this to happen as well.


    This event wasn¡¯t just prepared by her. This was the result of a collective effort that many people exerted. Luiz also volunteered toe along with David and risse. He also prepared some gifts for the children and risse wanted to learn something from the people in the center since she would be a doctor in the future.


    Riley, being a friend and an actress, decided to perform something in front of the children. She wanted them to know her and to have hope in life like her. She wanted to inspire them with her story.


    At 9:00 in the morning, Cayenne was ready to leave the house but Stefan was held up with an emergency meeting. She was a little worried that it would take longer.


    ¡°Sis,¡± Luiz called out on his way out. ¡°I¡¯ll go first since David has arrived. We¡¯ll pick risse up on our way there so, let¡¯s just meet at the venue.¡±


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll leave as soon as Stefan finishes his meeting.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he know that you have an activity today?¡±


    .....


    ¡°He knew. It¡¯s an emergency meeting that he needed to deal with.¡±


    Little did she know, this meeting wasn¡¯t something unrted to her. It was something that Stefan had to resolve before this will reach her ears.


    ¡°Find out where this woman is. I don¡¯t care what means you¡¯ll use but you have to deal with her. I don¡¯t want this news to reach Cayenne. Tristan, you have to do everything you can to delete all the circting pictures.¡±


    ¡°I tried,¡± Tristan replied with cold sweats dotting his forehead. ¡°This is the first time that I¡¯m having trouble withwork control. Don¡¯t worry, I already contacted Shein and some of the people I knew. We¡¯ll do our best.¡±


    ¡°Do you have someone in mind who have the guts to do this against you?¡± Ferdinand asked his grandson. ¡°I know we have enemies all over the world but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll do this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t really me anyone else except yourself. It¡¯s your own action that led us to this.¡± Magnusmented with a deep sigh. ¡°And I¡¯m regretful that we were also the catalyst for this thing to ur.¡±


    Stefan rubbed his face as he closed his eyes in anger. He never wanted this thing to appear and he thought he took care of this woman already. She was the only mistake among all the women that he had rtionships. She was someone that he never wanted to meet Cayenne.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell Cayenne about her?¡± Tristan asked when no one spoke. ¡°Ms. Yen is very understanding.¡±


    Stefan was afraid. He has forgotten about this matter and never thought that this woulde to haunt him. ¡°I¡¯ll think about this.¡± Stefan¡¯s face has gone red from anger and shame. He didn¡¯t really know what to do. ¡°I¡¯ll send Cayenne to the venue first.¡±


    Before, Stefan would always walk with confidence and elegant air. This time, his hunched-back shows how serious this news was.


    On their way to pick up risse, David received a call and this person told him the news that Stefan tried to suppress. His jaw dropped from the shock and he instantly turned to Luiz who was sitting beside him. The young man was oblivious to the news which means, he hadn¡¯t had the time to hear this piece of information yet.


    ¡°Contact the people we know and tell them to delete as many posts as they could,¡± David said without borating on what news it was. He didn¡¯t want Luiz to know about it yet. It would be better if Stefan could exin this matter himself. ¡°I¡¯ll ask himter.¡± He said to the person on the other end of the line. They exchanged words for a little bit of time before he ended the call with a solemn expression. [I¡¯m not liking this news.] David thought as he sent someone a message.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Luiz asked the obvious because he knew that David won¡¯t tell him anyway. He was just asking out of courtesy.


    And just as he expected, David waved his hand in dismissal, saying that nothing was wrong.


    David didn¡¯t want Luiz to know about it but for how long? Since he¡¯s a public figure, many people could reach out to him to tell him about the news. They guarded them against getting wind of this news but sooner orter, they will still hear about it.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne and Stefan finally left the house. At first, Cayenne didn¡¯t really mind her husband giving her the silent treatment after he dealt with the emergency meeting and came out of the study room. She thought that a big problem has urred and he must be having a hard time. She didn¡¯t want to disturb him.


    However, as time went by, he still didn¡¯t say anything to her. It went on and on until they reached the next town. She didn¡¯t know what she did wrong but she felt that there was really something wrong between them. He wouldn¡¯t normally do this to her. He would never treat her coldly even if shemits some mistakes.


    ¡°Love?¡±


    Stefan didn¡¯t even flinch when she called his name. He was looking outside the window ever since they left their house.


    ¡°I must have done something wrong again,¡± Cayenne muttered and still received deafening silence from him. ¡°Stefan!¡± She yelled which startled him out of reverie.


    ¡°Ha?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®ha¡¯ me. What¡¯s wrong with you? You have been silent since we left and you didn¡¯t answer me when I talked. If you are worried about something, you don¡¯t have to apany me. Just do your business. You don¡¯t really have to cater to my needs every single time, you know. It feels like I¡¯m forcing you toe along with me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I just couldn¡¯t let go of the issue this time.¡±


    Cayenne took a deep breath to calm herself and reached for Stefan¡¯s hand. To her shock, he avoided her touch. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong. Tell me what I did that warranted me this cold treatment.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I...I...my mind is just really messy this time. I need to think about something.¡±


    ¡°Then, hold my hand and think.¡±


    Stefan finally smiled at her statement and held her hand. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to take this out on you and make you feel bad. I¡¯ll settle this matter soon.¡±


    ¡°Do you need help?¡±


    Thinking things this far, he held her hand with both of his and kissed her knuckles. He needed courage and doing this gave him a little push to take a step. He promised to trust her and she promised that she would do the same. Now would be the right time to put their trust to another test. He could only hope that she¡¯d keep an open mind about this.


    ¡°Ayen, I need your firm trust. I need you to believe me and only me. Something happened earlier and this will surely cause you some difort. I never thought this woulde to haunt me but I didn¡¯t want to hide this matter from you.¡±


    ¡°Is your issue more seriouspared to me promising an engagement to someone else?¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    ¡°Do you think this will affect the event if I know about this?¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    Cayenne smiled faintly and touched his face with her free hand. Since he tried his best to reach out and sincerely asked for her understanding, Cayenne decided to let this matter go for now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to tell me the whole story. I won¡¯t listen to anyone and I won¡¯t let someone sway my feelings for you. I will only believe in your words.¡±


    Stefan hugged her tight and kissed her temple. He couldn¡¯t thank God enough for bringing this beautiful sunshine into his life. As long as she trusts him, Stefan knew that he would be able to solve anything. She was his strength that keeps him moving and thepass that navigates him in the right direction.


    ***


    Ingrid with her baby bump came to the study room and found therge monitors disying some news. The right monitor showed the stock market and analytical report while the left monitor showed the news about Stefan.


    ¡°Is it solved already?¡± Ingrid asked Reuben who was reading a book on the couch. He looked rxed even though his son-inw got into another scandal with another woman.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Ingrid rolled her eyes and left the room with a book about child care. ¡°I felt sorry for Stefan.¡± Ingrid muttered as she walked back to the master¡¯s bedroom. She was disappointed in him when she heard this news but she wasn¡¯t really surprised. After all, Stefan was once known for being a wealthy yboy.


    ¡°Now. How will you solve this matter, Stefan?¡± Ingrid whispered in the wind with worry clouding her eyes.

 Chapter 713

    Chapter 713: A SECRET CAN¡¯T BE KEPT FOREVER


    Their first stop was at Theresa¡¯s Angel, a home for orphans and abandoned elderly people. The ce was managed by a nun who was a firm believer in Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu. She always finds time to talk with the children and the elderly, making sure that they are properly taken care of.


    Many phnthropists offer them help by sending donations and other necessities like clothes, food, and medicines. When Riley joined the entertainment industry, she also took part in a charity event where the said foundation gave all of the proceeds to Theresa¡¯s Angel.


    Riley was no longer new to them and many of the children were excited to see her again.


    Meanwhile, risse just got inside the car with Luiz and David when thetter looked at her with a sharp re. She hadn¡¯t said anything, and she didn¡¯t know what she did to earn this treatment from David but when he raised his phone, she finally understood what was happening.


    David was warning her not to say anything.


    ¡°You are quiet,¡± Luiz told risse, which made her smile faintly.


    ¡°I¡¯m just nervous. I am not really good with kids, but I want to be part of this event since I will be a doctor in the future. This will be good practice for me to socialize with people.¡±


    .....


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Ethan and Jade like you so, I am sure that the children at the orphanage will also like you.¡±


    As they spoke, David kept his mouth shut to the side. His brain was busy thinking of ways to help Stefan deal with the news. He was worried that this would blow up and Cayenne would be greatly affected. They were racing against time since Cayenne likes to browse her social media ount. It was no doubt that people must be tagging her with the news already.


    But don¡¯t underestimate Stefan. His love for his wife knows no bounds. He will do anything, everything just to make sure that their rtionship will not be ruined.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be keeping your phone with me during the event,¡± Stefan said calmly. There¡¯s no need to panic now because Cayenne already gave her word to fully trust him. ¡°No matter what happens, do not listen to anyone else. Only count my words as valid. You know that I won¡¯t do anything to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is that worries you, just keep in mind that I have my trust in you. And solve it as soon as you can.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    As soon as they arrived at the first venue, the director of Theresa¡¯s Angel came out to greet them and there were children who gave them beautiful corsages, too. Looking around, Cayenne spotted her brother and risse. They were talking to the head nurse of the ce.


    ¡°Thank you so much for choosing our home.¡± The nun stated while leading them to the small gym where many children and elderly waited for them. ¡°I was greatly surprised when we received the letter from you and the event organizer. You all are blessings to us.¡±


    Hearing this from the directors, Stefan beamed proudly as he replied, ¡°My wife likes children and since we can¡¯t have one as of the moment, she wants to help the less fortunate.¡±


    Cayenne didn¡¯t miss the happiness in his words and looking at his smug expression, she wanted tough right this moment. He looked so arrogant just because his wife was doing something great.


    As they grew closer to the gym, children¡¯sughter could be heard, and some elderly people were singing a song out of tune. The leading figure in the middle was none other than Riley. She was in the center of a big circle made up of children and the elderly. Others were pping their hands as she performed and some of them were singing along with her even though they weren¡¯t great at singing. They were just enjoying the moment with her.


    ¡°Sis Riley! Sis Riley! Brother Shein is bullying the boys there.¡±


    ¡°He was winning in all of their games and got all their candies.¡±


    ¡°Carlo and Joey are crying because of brother Shein.¡±


    The cacophony of children¡¯s voices was drowned by the untuned singing but Riley suddenly raised her hand and made a zipping gesture of her mouth. Everyone stopped singing and they all watched her walk to a group of boys where a handsome young man was eating a strawberry-vored lollipop. Everyone knew what wasing.


    Riley¡¯s fistnded on Shein¡¯s head.


    ¡°Why are you robbing them off of their candies?! You little sweet tooth. Return it to them.¡±


    ¡°They lost the game. We bet on it with our candies.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have candies to bet.¡±


    ¡°Because I know I¡¯ll win.¡±


    Everyone was at loss for words. Shein¡¯s confidence was on another level.


    ¡°Return it to them or I will return you to the states.¡± With this threat, Shein handed the candies back to the kids and hugged Riley. ¡°Very good. I¡¯ll buy lots of candies for youter.¡±


    ¡°Yay! Thank you. Mwah!¡±


    Watching their interaction, the kids justughed at Shein. Only Riley can do this to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s really fun to watch these two. It¡¯s also amazing that Riley can handle Shein.¡± Cayennemented when they reached the venue.


    The director smiled and her eyes showed her fondness for the quarreling lover. ¡°Riley shared her story with the kids when she first came here. She gave hope to those children who gave up on their life. Her arrival was really on time.¡±


    These innocent children didn¡¯t have to know the darkness that Riley and Shein had hidden from them. It was good enough that despite going through so much in the past, they still kept a little bit of kindness in them.


    ¡°Good morning, everyone!¡± The event organizer greeted them out of the blue which brought everyone¡¯s attention to her. ¡°Today is a great day and we will be joined by great people as well. They have helped many children across the country and now, they havee to share their blessings with us all. Let¡¯s all wee, Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique!¡±


    Cayenne and Stefan walked to the center stage and greeted everyone in front of them. Cayenne was the first to speak and shared her purpose foring there. After her was Stefan who said nothing but praise for his wife and a short thank you message at the very end.


    The children didn¡¯t understand much of what he was saying about his adoration, but they could tell how much he loved her. As for the elderly, Stefan brought them back to their early days when they were still young and full of love toward their special someone.


    There were many children and adults in Theresa¡¯s Angel, and Cayenne didn¡¯t know what the kids would like to have, and it would be unfair for those other kids who willeter to this ce. She wanted to give them something that couldst for a long time and something that everyone could enjoy.


    After a long discussion with Stefan about this, they ended up with the solution of providing a yground for children and a recreational room for the elderly. Since many of the elderly can¡¯t move that much and they get easily tired, it would be best for them to have a ce where they can enjoy themselves as well.


    Holding her bag for her while she was talking to some elders, Stefan felt the vibration of his wife¡¯s phone. Although some couples didn¡¯t like it when their partners use their phones or have ess to their gadgets and ounts, Cayenne and Stefan weren¡¯t the same. They both have ess to their phones and their social media ounts.


    Taking out her phone, he reads the messages that Cayenne received from Faith. She had already arrived with Noah, and they were currently preparing the gifts together with David, the bodyguards, and the staff.


    ¡°I¡¯ll inform my wife about it. We¡¯ll be there in 30 minutes.¡±


    Getting the reply from him, Faith was no longer surprised.


    Luiz prepared something for the children as well. Since they weren¡¯t privileged to study in a school, using the money he received from his work, he bought them a lot of school supplies and reading materials. In that way, they can learn the basics with the help of the elders and the staff.


    To make this day lively and memorable, the children also prepared their production numbers. After them was Riley¡¯s performance which was followed with some games where children got so many prizes of foods, toys and clothes. The elderlies had the time of their lives when they were young so now, they want to give this moment to the children. They were just enjoying themselves on the sideline with free consultation from risse.


    She¡¯s not a registered doctor yet thus; she could only help them with the basics like checking their blood pressure and talking to them about their health problems.


    Around 11:30 in the morning, Cayenne told the director about the surprise and the organizer readily announced that they will go somewhere to check something after receiving the queue from Cayenne.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Yey! I got so many prizes.¡±


    ¡°I want to y with brother Luiz and brother Shein.¡±


    ¡°I heard they have a surprise for all of us.¡±


    ¡°The little doctor is so pretty like sis Riley.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they will give us toys like the other people?¡±


    As they followed the director and their guests, the children chattered among themselves and tried guessing what could be awaiting them based on what the emcee stated. They were all excited.


    Cayenne was happy to see the smiles on the children¡¯s faces. As someone who went through so much when she was young, she didn¡¯t want her children in the future to experience the same thing. However, since she has no children as of the moment, she decided to give some of her time and share her blessing to less fortunate children.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°Is this all for us?¡±


    ¡°Can we really y here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the slides.¡±


    ¡°I want to go first.¡±


    ¡°Children.¡± The emcee called out using her megaphone since the microphone¡¯s wire couldn¡¯t reach the ce they were at. ¡°Before we go and y, let us all see the ces that Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique prepared for us.¡±


    One after another, with the surprise look on the children and the adults, they roamed around and check the surprises. The yground was the first one they found, followed by the recreational room for adults (and kids if they want to), as well as the renovated kitchen for those who wants to learn how to cook.


    The director knew that something was going on with their ce but she wasn¡¯t told what would these things be.


    When the workers made the yground, they whole ce was restricted from everyone except the workers. They even covered the parameter with a huge tarpaulin to make sure that no one will see them. Aside from them, there are those who works on the recreational room and the renovation of the kitchen. As for the materials that Luiz brought for them, they only reorganized the mini library to make room for it.


    The children were so happy when they saw the surprises for them. Even the adults got teary-eyed. They never expected that after getting abandoned, other people wille to show them love and care.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique, thank you so much for all of these things that you prepared for us. I can see the overwhelming happiness in everyone¡¯s eyes and saying thank you is an understatement to what I am really feeling right now. In behalf of everyone, thank you and thank you so much. To little Riley who always finds time toe and make the children smile, to Luiz who gave hope to the children and to the pretty soon-to-be doctor risse, I am so grateful to all of you. I hope that more children will receive your blessings as well. We will continue to pray for your well-being.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, sis Yen!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Big Wolf.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, brother Luiz.¡±


    ¡°Thank you...¡±


    Amidst the chorus of ¡®Thank Yous¡¯, Cayenne burst into a fit ofughter. The words that stuck in her mind was something she referred to Stefan before. She never thought that the children will use it on him as well. ¡°Mr. Big Wolf? Children have discerning eyes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only a big wolf at night.¡± Stefan whispered which caused her to giggle again.


    The event concluded with a lunch banquet for everyone. Although they were supposed to have lunch, some of the children didn¡¯t pay attention to the food. They were busy ying with their new toys and new yground. They couldn¡¯t stay still on their chairs anymore.


    It was really a happy event, but a loud crash stopped everyone from what they were doing. All eyes shifted to the exit door where Luiz stood in disbelief. Around him were shards of broken ss and in front of him was a woman from the organizingmittee.


    ¡°You are lying. My brother-inw would never do that.¡±

 Chapter 714

    Chapter 714: WHAT WILL SHE DO?


    Luiz looked at his sister who also looked at him with what¡¯s-going-on look. He wanted to tell her what he knew but when he looked at Stefan, he was worried. He believed in Stefan. He believed that he won¡¯t hurt his sister again because of how much he loves her. However, he was torn between telling Cayenne and keeping it. He was worried that he will be the reason of their break up again. He didn¡¯t want them to separate again.


    ¡°I...the ss...the ss slipped from my hand.¡± Luiz stated which earned him a sigh of relief from everyone.


    ¡°Be careful.¡± one of the staff stated. ¡°I¡¯ll get a broom and dustpan. Don¡¯t let anyonee near you and don¡¯t go anywhere. We¡¯ll check your shoes just in case some of the shards got stuck on your soles.¡± he added and left to get what he needed.


    The woman in front of Luiz had turned pale when she looked at Stefan. His cold gaze sent chills down her spine and she couldn¡¯t stop shivering. She was afraid of him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what really happened and I just really want to know that everything¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sorry for showing this to you.¡± The woman mumbled in apology.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Luiz said as he waved his hand in dismissal. ¡°Thank you for showing concern but there¡¯s no need to worry about them. Nothing can take them apart. My brother-inw would never do such thing.¡±


    The woman bowed her head and muttered another bout of apology before leaving Luiz alone. The moment she got away, risse approached her boyfriend and held his hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    .....


    ¡°You knew about this news?¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me?¡±


    ¡°Because I know you¡¯d be affected and might do something that you¡¯d regretter on. This is a problem that sis Yen and her husband need to deal with. Let us give them the time to sort things out. I am pretty sure that he will solve this matter soon.¡±


    Luiz looked back at his sister who was now eating her food while chatting with the director. She looked genuinely happy and no cloud of sadness can be seen on her face. Contrary to how she looked, Stefan barely smiled in front of other people. He was obviously worried about something and they knew what that something was.


    After lunch, they left Theresa¡¯s Angel to visit the Arc Center for Cancer patients. Supposedly, it was Cayenne who nned to give them something. She didn¡¯t expect she would receive something in return. It wasn¡¯t just her, everyone who came with her received something. It was potted nt and the one she got was a lemon seedling. Her happiness was brimming and all she could think of was finding a ce to nt it somewhere.


    One hour ago ...


    ¡°Boss, we found the woman already. She said that she didn¡¯t spread any news about you and she would never do such thing.¡± Tristan said over the phone. ¡°She also said that this must be done by one of your enemies because she got a letterst night telling her to leave the country and nevere back.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Sorry boss. I still couldn¡¯t find the person responsible for this. The woman said that she received a bag of cash in front of her door but there was no other note aside from the letter. I already got a copy of the letter but there was nothing special to it. Since she got cash, we couldn¡¯t find any bank traces to check on. Also, there was no CCTV near her previous ce. It¡¯s really hard finding the perpetrator.¡±


    ¡°No matter what happens, find him. I need to deal with this bastard.¡±


    ¡°Did you tell Ms. Yen about this already? You need to inform her about this matter as soon as you can. It will be a big problem if she hears this issue from someone else.¡±


    Stefan was silent for a moment and his gaze was focused on his wife who was talking to one of the staff. They must be chatting about something funny because sheughed beautifully. He loves watching herugh and smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her about this matter tonight. I can¡¯t tell her about this right now because of the events. I don¡¯t want her to be affected by it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry boss, I have already deleted the posts that madam got tagged. I already informed Ms. Jillyanna about this matter to prevent her from contactingdy boss. Riley and Shein promised to keep this matter a secret as well. I have talked to David and he also managed to keep this matter from Luiz.¡±


    A sigh escaped from Stefan¡¯s lips after a long time. He was deeply worried about this matter. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it up to you. I am sure that this isn¡¯t done by those people overseas because they didn¡¯t have much power over me and they didn¡¯t know her either. You can narrow down the people who tried to damage my businesses these past few months. One of them must have gotten hold of this information. Find out who tried to get in touch with that woman.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Tristan ended the call and went back to work once again.


    As for Stefan he could only pray that his wife won¡¯t kill him. She loves children. She talked to him about babies for so many times that he lost count of it and he wants to have children with her, too. He wants her to be the mother of her children.


    He just didn¡¯t expect this issue to resurface at this moment when he¡¯s nning to marry her. He wanted to tie the knot with her once again but people were trying to stop him from doing so.


    How will Cayenne react if she knows that he had a child with someone? Worse, what will she do to him if she knows that he killed the innocent child indirectly?


    Stefan closed his eyes and prayed. He could only pray that she would still forgive him after finding the truthter on.


    At present, Cayenne was observing her husband with side nces. She could tell that the problem wasn¡¯t solved yet because of the worry clouding his eyes. And no matter what it was, he wouldn¡¯t tell her because he knew that she will be affected by it. Cayenne knew that he was more worried for her.


    ¡°Hon?¡±


    Stefan looked at her and found a faint smile on her lips. ¡°No matter what happens, I will be by your side. If you are ready to tell me, you can just do it. I will listen and I won¡¯t react until I have gathered enough facts.¡±


    ¡°Then, what will you do if someone close to you killed a child?¡±

 Chapter 715

    Chapter 715: THE PAST IS HAUNTING HIM


    Cayenne wanted to answer him right away and tell him that she¡¯d hate that person for the rest of her life, but looking at Stefan¡¯s expression, she swallowed her words down her throat and held his hands. ¡°I...I will be lying to you if I¡¯d say...if I¡¯d say I won¡¯t hate that person.¡± She said as she tightened her hold on him. ¡°At the same time, I cannot judge someone without knowing the truth. I need facts. A person wouldn¡¯t kill a child for no reason. Although no reason could offset a crime, I would probably hate that person less if I know the truth.¡±


    ¡°You are so kind, Ayen. You are so kind that it hurts me even more.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean with that? Stop acting strange. Your problem is my problem. You said that we should deal our problems hand in hand.¡±


    ¡°I know. I remember that now. Anyway, this isn¡¯t the right time to talk about the details. I will tell you everything once we get home. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    She promised not to get affected so when they arrived at Arc Center for Cancer Patients, she forced herself to smile. She pushed the issue to the deepest recesses of her brain. She had to y things by ear as she went through the whole event. Except for Stefan, no one was doubting her expression. She looked happy and that was all that matters to them.


    However, Luiz was feelingplicated and every time he sees Stefan, he would be reminded of the news that he read earlier. To give himself a little bit of space and to avoid saying something that he would regretter on, he didn¡¯t join them in visiting the second venue. He made some random excuse and left. Only risse stayed because she wanted to be there in his behalf.


    .....


    There was a different event and surprises for the people at the Arc Center of Cancer Patients. Ny percent of the patients there had undergone chemotherapy and it caused them to loss so much hair. To make them feel happy and appreciated for fighting hard against their illness, with the help of the organizers, Cayenne bought them different kinds of wigs. To make it more special, she asked the organizer to hire several hairdressers. In that way, they can trim and style the wigs ording to the person who will wear it.


    Aside from this, she donated a lot of money to each of them for their medical expenses. Although it wasn¡¯t muchpared to the total expenses of their treatment at the very least, it could lessen up the huge amount.


    ¡°Cayenne is really a blessing to many. I didn¡¯t expect to witness this side of her.¡± Faithmented while watching Cayenne giving out snacks to the staffs.


    ¡°Honestly, I thought she¡¯d be a gold digger.¡± One of the organizers stated in whisper. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m pretty sure that I am not the only person who thought of that. I mean, when I first heard of her as Stefan¡¯s wife, her background was questionable and she wasn¡¯t even known. She was just a normal woman and on top of that, she was his employee. Then, time went by and I heard so many things about her, and I realized that this woman, even though she came from a poor family, she has rich heart.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Noah eximed happily since he was someone whoid his eyes on Cayenne before. He was confident with his choice and he knew that Cayenne was someone worthy to love. ¡°Cayenne is generous and she doesn¡¯t discriminate anyone, but she can be fierce when she felt there¡¯s a need to defend something or someone.¡±


    ¡°You go to the same university, right? How is she as a student?¡±


    ¡°Cayenne is really smart. So far, she has been keeping the top spot ...¡±


    On the side, some of the staffs and organizers were chatting with Noah and Faith about Cayenne. Although they had several misconceptions about her in the past, right now, they all look up to her because of her big heart.


    The event ended with a feast for everyone and Cayenne was happily munching on some sweets that she got. Because of this special asion, Stefan¡¯s problempletely disappeared from her mind. She just focused on making everyone smile and giving them hope in life.


    On the other hand, Stefan received a message from Tristan. They have secured the woman and was currently ced in one of the hotels that Stefan owned. Supposedly, he was going to deal with her on his own and clean this mess without anyone knowing anything. However, now that Cayenne wanted to gather facts and to prevent her from hating him even more, Stefan was left with no other choice but to take the woman into custody and make her say the truth to Cayenne.


    It doesn¡¯t matter if other people will judge him as a devil in disguise as long as Cayenne knows the truth.


    Aroun 8:00 in the evening, once they parted ways from everyone, Stefan¡¯s hands started to sweat from anxiety. He asked her what she would do if someone she knows actually killed a child, but it would be a different matter if the person he was talking about was himself. Cayenne had been looking forward to have children with him and it would be devastating if the person in question was her own husband.


    ¡°Love?¡± Cayenne muttered and linked their fingers together. ¡°Are we not going home tonight?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not. I¡¯m bringing you to meet someone from my past.¡±


    ¡°Is this why you are sweating a lot?¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    ¡°Is she one of my love rivals?¡±


    Stefan pursed his lips not knowing if he should say yes or no. As far as he knew, he never loved that woman even though she had been clinging to him. ¡°A love rivals? I don¡¯t think so.¡± Stefan responded after a long pause. ¡°I was only interested in her for a few weeks but it wasn¡¯t out of love interest. I only used her to provoke someone.¡±


    ¡°And why should I meet her?¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s part of the issue that we are dealing with.¡±


    Realizing the hidden meaning from his words and from his strange actions since this morning, Cayenne widened her eyes and covered her mouth from the shock. The words ¡®kill¡¯ and ¡®child¡¯ kept ringing in her mind and Stefan¡¯s face came up which brought goosebumps in her arms.


    Looking at her expression, Stefan paled while trying to hold her hands. ¡°Ayen.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Don¡¯t tell me...I mean, tell me I¡¯m guessing it wrong. We...we weren¡¯t talking about you earlier, right? It wasn¡¯t you and it wasn¡¯t your child...This...¡±

 Chapter 716

    Chapter 716: [Bonus chapter] SILENT WAR


    Author¡¯s Note: This extra chapter is dedicated to DaoistPgPBwb. Thank you so much for your unending support and for voting with lots of Golden Tickets.


    *


    *


    ¡°He has not resolved this problem yet?¡± Ferdinand asked Magnus over dinner when he learned from his trusted aide that the issue was still brewing and the media heard about it already. ¡°How long will he take? My dear daughter-inw will surely hear about this from the people. A lot of citizens care for her and they will send her a message rted to this. How will he exin it when things blow up? Cayenne will be furious.¡±


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be so pessimistic. Cayenne isn¡¯t like any other woman we know. She always tries her best to understand Stefan. I can assure you that she won¡¯t be throwing her distrust on him.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Ferdinand clicked his tongue and snorted. He was disappointed but wasn¡¯t shock. At the end of the day, they were also part of why this thing happened now. If they didn¡¯t disregard Stefan in the past, if they gave him their attention and care, he wouldn¡¯t be rebellious and y with women everywhere. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything on this matter as of the moment. I will let him handle this by himself. But if I hear that Cayenne cries because of this issue, I will break his leg and deprive him of food.¡±


    ¡°As if you can do that.¡± Magnus retorted with throaty chuckle. ¡°Anyway, I talked to the media already and they gave their words that they won¡¯t pursue this matter as of the moment.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Whatever. They¡¯ll receive letter from thewyers if they do something that would offend Cayenne.¡±


    ¡°And Stefan.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    On the other hand, the topic of their discussion was currently having a silent war. Cayenne was sorting her emotions and refused to say a word because she didn¡¯t want to speak something that would hurt Stefan. She wanted to remain calm and think of this matter properly.


    Beside her, Stefan was holding her hand. In fact, he was ming himself for what he did but there was no turning back in the past and change it. He could only hope that Cayenne won¡¯t leave him. It was all that matters to him ¨C her trust and her choice to stay.


    ¡°Sir, we have arrived already.¡± Their driver said as he pulled the car to a stop in front of Clover Hotel. Of all the hotels that Stefan owned, Tristan chose this ce where Cayenne used to work. For the first time, he wanted to yell at Tristan and deduct his sry for aggravating him even more.


    ¡°Can you drive to the basement instead? I don¡¯t want anyone to know that we are here.¡± Cayenne mumbled when Stefan was about to open the door and step out. ¡°I¡¯d like to keep our stay here as private as we could. Not even the employees can know about this.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. Whatever you say.¡± Stefan responded and stayed put on his seat. He was sweating a lot despite having an air conditioner inside the car. He felt like he was sitting on a hot seat even though Cayenne wasn¡¯t interrogating him.


    ¡°Stefan.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes?¡± His voice trembled as he spoke ¨C a reflection of his anxious heart at the moment. His mind was going haywire and many scenes were ying in his head already, most of them leads to Cayenne leaving him. ¡°Wifey.¡±


    ¡°When we get inside, I¡¯d like to speak to that woman first before you get to talk to her. You are not allowed to say anything.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°No matter what she says, you should not respond to it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Leave the interrogation to me. I need facts. Once I¡¯m done and you need something else from her, you have to talk to her in my presence.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He was like a good student who was listening to his teacher without the slightest disobedience. If this was the only way to keep Cayenne by his side, he would do everything that she¡¯d say. Fortunately, Cayenne was able to keep herposure and remained logical at this point.


    ***


    Manager Kim knew that Tristan upying one of the VIP rooms of the hotel along with Elena, the bodyguards and a woman that she didn¡¯t know. If she was able to read the news before it got deleted, she would have been able to identify the woman inside the room. Since she was the manager, it was her responsibility to make sure that the guests werefortable during their stay. Though, she could tell that they didn¡¯te for some rxation based on their expression and the tensed atmosphere around them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be downstairs, at the lobby. Just call me if you need anything else.¡± Manager Kim expressed before bowing her head a little and excused herself. As soon as she got inside the elevator, Cayenne and Stefan also came out from the other lift.


    ¡°Remember what I just said.¡± Cayenne reminded Stefan before pressing the doorbell to the room where the woman was being held.


    Not long after, the door was opened and Elena smiled faintly at her. As much as she wants to chat with her boss, a pressing matter needs to be dealt with before they could sit around the table and have some fun chitchat.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Cayenne inquired the moment she stepped inside. The room was spacious and the guards were stationed everywhere to make sure that the woman won¡¯t be able to escape. ¡°Are we holding up a criminal?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a criminal!¡± a loud voice came out from the direction of the mini kitchen and when Cayenne turned around, she saw a beautiful woman.


    ¡°I was just asking because a lot of them are guarding you.¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever. So, are you here to witness how they will silence me? I¡¯m innocent. I got caught up into this mess when I am not should be med for anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying anything yet and no one is ming you as of the moment.¡± Cayenne retorted. No matter how she looks at her, she couldn¡¯t find any w. The woman was few inches taller than her, which in her opinion was a perfect height to stand next to Stefan. Her insecurities red up when she realized that the woman has better curves. She has a perfect white skin and her face looked like those models she saw in the magazines ¨C perfect for runways.


    [I have no doubt. Stefan must have liked this kind of figure and pretty face.]


    ¡°Hypocrite.¡±


    Cayenne instantly raised her eyebrow and red at the woman. ¡°I¡¯m not a mirror. Don¡¯t say something against yourself using me.¡±


    Elena snickered at the side upon hearing herdy boss. In fact, she thought that Cayenne would break down and have a fight with Stefan, but she was proven wrong. Yet, she was also happy the way Cayenne is acting now. It was betterpared to seeing her in tears and in pain.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡±


    The woman looked towards Stefan who was standing behind Cayenne, but to her dismay, Stefan just watched her coldly without saying anything. Before Cayenne could even say a word, he already asked for a chair where she could sit. His attention was only meant for his wife and nothing else. He didn¡¯t have any spare time for other people right now.


    ¡°A little heads up, you better be honest with me because I know someone who is really good when ites to digging secrets and digging dead bodies. You know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°How dare you?!¡±

 Chapter 717

    Chapter 717: CAYENNE CAN BE MEAN


    ¡°I¡¯m innocent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for me to decide.¡± Cayenne blurted, taking a seat on the chair that Stefan gave her. ¡°So, tell me the story.¡±


    ¡°Stefan didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    At the mention of her beloved¡¯s name, Cayenne¡¯s fingers twitched in annoyance. ¡°You have no right to mention my husband¡¯s name. That¡¯s Mr. Dumrique for you.¡±


    Leaving her to deal with this woman that caused him so much headache, Stefan sat on the side without uttering a single word.


    The woman looked at him several times but his expression remained stoic which stressed the woman even more.


    ¡°Are you not going to tell her about our affair?¡±


    .....


    Silence.


    Stefan remained silent like what he promised to Cayenne. Although he was partly responsible for what was happening, he would rather defy the gods than defy the order of his wife. She told him to shut his mouth and he¡¯s doing that.


    ¡°Kelly.¡± The way Cayenne spoke her name, brought goosebumps on the woman¡¯s arms. ¡°Your name means war. It suits you.¡±


    Elena covered her mouth to hide her smile when she heard the meanment from Cayenne. She didn¡¯t expect her to provoke the woman as soon as she arrived. It was really a surprise to witness this side of her.


    ¡°Saying such a thing doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± The woman named Kelly responded with a look of defiance as if Cayenne was there to bully her. In fact, the only thing that Cayenne knew was the issue that Stefan was facing and the woman¡¯s name. She has no idea of the entirety of the story yet. ¡°You must be jealous knowing that we shared some passionate time in the past.¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t?¡± Cayenne blurted with faint chuckles that obviously mocks the woman. ¡°A past can¡¯tpare to the present and the future. I don¡¯t need to feel jealous about the little time you had with him.¡±


    When Kelly mentioned about their past, Stefan wanted to strangle her, thinking that Cayenne would surely flip up in anger. Contrary to his expectation, his wife remained calm and she even said that she won¡¯t be jealous with the woman of his past. Somehow, he felt disappointed. He wanted her to feel jealous even if it¡¯s just a little bit. Yet, he was conflicted because he knew that if Cayenne feels jealous, he would suffer from the brunt of her whirlpool of emotions.


    ¡°I had my share of men, too.¡±


    Stefan¡¯s jaw dropped. Elena and the others looked at Cayenne in disbelief before shifting their gaze to their boss. When they felt the sudden chill from Stefan, everyone looked away and pretended not hearing anything even though they heard it Cayenne loud and clear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to the point. I¡¯m getting tired chatting with you. What¡¯s all this issue about a baby?¡±


    Kelly rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue to show her distaste but her opponent wasn¡¯t affected at all. ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the news? It was all written there.¡±


    ¡°And you imed to be innocent.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know who spilled this information. Only me, the hospital and Stefan knew about this.¡±


    ¡°My husband¡¯s name sounds nice, isn¡¯t it? You love to mention him, too.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m innocent in this matter.¡±


    ¡°Aha! You are telling me that the hospital is responsible for this matter? Hubby, which hospital is she talking about?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about the hospital!¡± Kelly yelled in frustration. She couldn¡¯t understand how Cayenne¡¯s brain works and why was she able to find loopholes from her words. ¡°I never said anything about the hospital. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    ¡°You. Said. That. You. Are. Innocent.¡± Cayenne expressed word for word, reassuring the woman that she heard the woman clearly. ¡°And I am sure that my husband wouldn¡¯t do such a thing because it will affect our rtionship. Since only you, the hospital and my husband know about it; and since you didn¡¯t expose it and neither did my husband, doesn¡¯t that mean that the hospital was the one who did it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re impossible.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please. I am just analyzing your words. Why don¡¯t you tell me the truth anyway?¡±


    ¡°Anyone can get that information. Someone might have hacked the hospital¡¯swork and gathered this information. Or Stef- Mr. Dumrique¡± she corrected the name instantly when Cayenne¡¯s mocking expression turned to a cold and sharp re. ¡°Your husband might have made a slip of the tongue and told someone about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°I really ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Look at me.¡± Cayenne ordered strongly thatpels the woman to do what was asked of her. ¡°Look at me and tell me you didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    Kelly tried doing it but whenever she looks at Cayenne, she felt so nervous and she unknowingly shifted her gaze to the people around them. It was right at this moment that she realized the seriousness of this matter. There were so many bodyguards around them that she couldn¡¯t see any chance of escaping.


    ¡°When a person lies, they tend to shift their gaze everywhere except to the person they were lying to.¡±


    ¡°Are you some kind of psychologist?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be one to know a liar. It¡¯s amon knowledge.¡± Cayenne stood up from her seat and approached the woman. ¡°Tell me the story.¡±


    Kelly wanted to y safe and see if she could fool Stefan again but the reality threw her deep into the quagmire that she made herself. She never thought that the Cayenne woulde instead of Stefan alone. The prepared scene she had in mind couldn¡¯t be yed because of Cayenne¡¯s presence. She miscalcted her steps.


    ¡°We had a short affair.¡± Kelly mumbled with her eyes on Stefan but he wasn¡¯t even looking at her. He was busy scrolling on his phone and sometimes he would smile handsomely. Only the few bodyguards who stood next to him knew what he was doing. Even so, they couldn¡¯t understand what was funny when ites to buying desserts.


    ¡°Go on.¡± Cayenne urged her hastily. ¡°You will be freed after I verify the facts from your words.¡±


    ¡°Why are you taking your anger on me? You should be angry at your husband!¡±


    ¡°Why should I do that? Also, I am not really venting my anger on you. I am not even angry yet.¡±


    [If she¡¯s not angry at this point, what is she like if she really gets mad?] Kelly questioned herself internally. She thought that Stefan¡¯s wife was amiable and someone that can be easily manipted. If it was before, when Cayenne was full of insecurities, Kelly might seed in taking her down. Now? That would be impossible because Cayenne got Stefan who always have her back.


    ¡°Mr. Dumrique signed the abortion papers to get rid of our child.¡±

 Chapter 718

    Chapter 718: CAYENNE¡¯S THREAT


    The room sank in a deafening silence. No one shuffled their feet or make a single peep.


    Though she was dumbfounded when Kelly ended her statement, a single nce on her husband and Cayenne could tell that there was more to the story than a single sentence from this woman. Aside from that, the furtive look on Kelly¡¯s eyes told her that she was up to something.


    ¡°You lied again.¡± Cayenne blurted which broke the silence in the room. ¡°I¡¯m a woman and you should know that a woman¡¯s intuition can be scary sometimes. I am not trusting my husband blindly just because he is my husband. I am trusting him because I know what kind of person he is.¡±


    ¡°He really signed the papers!¡±


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t abortion, right?¡±


    ¡°When I say it was abortion ¨C it was abortion. Period. I know my pregnancy better than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°It could be a miscarriage or stillbirth.¡±


    .....


    Stefan¡¯s eyes lit up and a smile formed on his lips. Deep inside his heart, something felt ticklish as if she was caressing him with bird¡¯s feathers. He felt so protected as she fought for his innocence on this issue. He wanted so much to grab her and run to the presidential suite where he used to stay before meeting her. As for the details why, he wanted to be alone with her, you can already guess what he would do with her.


    On the other hand, Kelly gritted her teeth and refused to say anything more. She would rather die than make another statement. It doesn¡¯t matter if Cayenne hates her or if Stefan sends someone to silence her as long as they won¡¯t go after the person that she cares so much about.


    All of this was staged several years ago. She already took advantage of Stefan and things have gone the way that they wanted it. She just didn¡¯t expect that things would blow up this way. At the same time, she really had nothing to do with this current issue. She didn¡¯t speak to anyone else about the incident with Stefan and the baby which he imed was his.


    ¡°Tristan.¡± Cayenne called with outstretched hand.


    Stefan was once again surprised with his wife because he had no idea what she was up to just to deal with this annoying woman of his past. The only positive thing that is happening right now was the fact that Cayenne wasn¡¯t fighting with him but was defending him instead.


    As soon as Cayenne called him, Tristan handed hisptop to her. On the screen was a medical record that Tristan obtained. In fact, he was supposed to hand it to Stefan because he thought the boss woulde alone. Surprisingly, the information ended up in Cayenne¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Boss, is it really fine to let the madam handle this matter?¡± Tristan whispered when he passed by Stefan¡¯s side. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that Kelly would attack Ms. Yen?¡±


    ¡°Let her try it and I¡¯ll cut off her fingers.¡±


    Of course, Kelly would not attack Mrs. Dumrique knowing that she was tightly surrounded with bodyguards. Only a person with death wish would do such a foolish thing.


    Scanning the information that Tristan got, Cayenne¡¯s eyesnded on the bottom part of the document which Stefan signed with his name. Her expression changed drastically and the room suddenly felt cold. Instinctively, Kelly looked up to the woman in front of her and she cowered in fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m a victim of this issue as well! This isn¡¯t fair! This is bullying!¡± she yelled, trying to show that she wasn¡¯t afraid but her shaking voice was more than enough to show the turmoil deep in her heart. Cayenne wasn¡¯t buying her words at all.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Tyrone Miguel?¡±


    Kelly¡¯s eyes widened and Stefan, who remained silent this whole time, abruptly stood up. He didn¡¯t know why that man¡¯s name got involved but he knew that his involvement spells bad news. Something must have happened in the past that he wasn¡¯t aware of.


    ¡°What now?¡± Cayenne finally turned her attention to Stefan. ¡°Do you know this guy?¡±


    Stefan wanted to think twice if the man she mentioned was the same man that he knew but seeing Kelly¡¯s frightened and nervous expression, Stefan could only smirk at the thought of his stupidity in the past. ¡°I know him.¡±


    ¡°He fooled you?¡±


    Stefan let out a throaty chuckle from the harsh wordsing from his wife. Even if he wanted to deny it, the truth would really p him hard.


    ¡°I thought you are smart. Travis even admired you for your wits. Howe you let this woman fool you? Is it because she¡¯s pretty?¡±


    [The madam got insecurities, too.] Everyone thought without changing their expressions as they stood to witness what was happening. Kelly even smirked jubntly upon hearing thest question.


    Cayenne pouted and her plump cheeks made him act ording to his horny instinct. He kissed her hard as if he wanted to instill on her lips that she was the most beautiful woman to him, that she didn¡¯t have to feel any insecurities against any other women. It didn¡¯t matter that there were many people around them.


    ¡°Got the message?¡±


    Cayenne felt the fluttering wings of butterflies in her stomach but to hide her embarrassment, she threw sharp res at him. ¡°Behave yourself. You are not out of this storm yet. I¡¯ll deal with youter.¡±


    He should feel sad with her response but the blush on her face brought a bout of faintughter from him. ¡°Aye! Aye! My life¡¯s captain!¡±


    Kelly was uncertain what to feel at this point. She was annoyed with the couple¡¯s behavior in front of her knowing that she was far from achieving the same thing. She was envious and frightened at the same time. Cayenne might have some insecurities when ites to appearance but when she analyzed things properly, shepletely lost to her.


    ¡°My husband was foolish and loved to y in the past. I heard that you were the only woman he regretted meeting. Knowing him, since you are not a business and not his love interest at that point of your meeting, I am pretty sure that he never really cared anything rted to you.¡±


    Stefan: [My wife knows me the most.]


    Everybody else: [Boss was pretty harsh and cold with his flings.]


    ¡°Before things get really messy and before I read what I have here, I¡¯ll give you a chance to tell me the truth.¡± Cayenne dered while tapping theptop cover. ¡°I am not a bad person but I have friends who can be bad when times needed. One word from me and all the secrets you are protecting will be known to the world. Your choice; the truth to me or me telling the truth to the world. I can ruin his life, too. You¡¯ll see.¡±

 Chapter 719

    Chapter 719: [Bonus chapter] FOOLED HEART


    This extra chapter is dedicated to rosalia_23rd. Thank you much for the gift that you sent.


    Cayenne¡¯s threat finally worked.


    Kelly told her the truth and even asked to spare the man from her wrath. She can finally see him reach his dreams. She didn¡¯t want them to ruin him.


    As for Cayenne, she didn¡¯t know if she should scold this woman for being stupid or pity her for going through so much in the name of love. She even sacrificed herself just to make sure that the man she cares so much for will have a foothold in the business world.


    After hearing the truth, even though it was something he shouldn¡¯t feel, Stefan felt relieved that the baby wasn¡¯t his. It feels like a thorn has been lifted off of his chest and he could finally breathe properly once again. He didn¡¯t even realize that he was holding his breath until he felt his chest hurt.


    Cayenne sat down and gently pat the woman¡¯s head. It was so unexpected that the woman burst into tears. ¡°It must have been hard on you.¡±


    ¡°I really want that child. I wanted to have a child with him. Every day, I always fear that he would know the truth about the baby. I am afraid that he would me me or deny the baby. I am sorry.¡±


    .....


    The fact was, Stefan, got himself into an issue that has really nothing to do with him because of his carelessness and stupidity.


    Kelly and Stefan met when she was already a few weeks pregnant. Tyrone who was her boyfriend at that time told her about the business that he wants with Stefan. He didn¡¯t really tell her that she has to chase Stefan and be his woman. It was her idea. He didn¡¯t even know that she was pregnant at that time because she was busy seducing Stefan. Initially, she nned to get close to him and do some pillow talk.


    When she sessfully baited him, she drugged Stefan and whispered words suggesting sex and the things that lovers do on a night of passion. In reality, nothing really happened between them. Every time that they met, she would do the same thing and Stefan didn¡¯t really suspect it. She never thought that the drugs she obtained would work wonders. Thissted for almost two months. While Stefan had flings everywhere, he would always find time to be with her because he felt responsible for taking her virginity.


    During the times that he spent with Stefan, she stopped seeing Tyrone make sure that her n won¡¯t fail. With all the things that weighed on her mind, she ended up having a miscarriage. She hadn¡¯t had the time to tell Tyrone about their child and yet, the baby died in her womb. In her panic, she told Stefan about the child and told her that she wanted an abortion.


    On the night she confessed about the baby and that she wasn¡¯t prepared for it, she had a fight with Stefan. As someone who grew up being neglected, he didn¡¯t want his child to suffer the same fate. Since Kelly, who will be the mother, didn¡¯t like his child he could do nothing about it. He was left with no other choice. He cannot just get the baby out of her womb and raise it. She has to carry the child for nine months.


    In the end, Stefan signed the abortion papers.


    In fact, only Kelly and the doctor knew that the baby was already dead. What Stefan knew was that he allowed her to have an abortion. And worse, the baby wasn¡¯t even his.


    ¡°How can we prove that Stefan isn¡¯t the father of the child?¡± Elena asked for the most crucial information which everyone forgot to ask.


    ¡°I did a NIPP test before the baby died. I thought I would need it once I solve everything and gets back with my boyfriend. I don¡¯t know why. I was just afraid that if he finds out I was with Mr. Dumrique and I tell him I am pregnant; he might push the child to someone else.¡±


    ¡°Clever,¡± Tristanmented but his expression of pity spoke something else.


    Based on what she said, they could tell that the rtionship was one-sided. The man named Tyrone must have known that his girlfriend would do anything to help him which prompted him to tell her about the business with Stefan. Since Stefan was known for being a yboy, he was certain that the man would take the bait of having an affair with beautiful Kelly Luna. In short, he was just using her.


    And what was even sadder was the fact that Kelly seemed to be aware of this fact. If she wasn¡¯t, why would she need proof of him being the father? It goes to show that the man didn¡¯t love her as much as she does.


    ¡°Why do you still want to protect his reputation when he doesn¡¯t feel genuine love towards you?¡± Stefan questioned after a long period of silence. ¡°You are aware of his impending marriage with the city councilor¡¯s daughter, right? The things you did for him amount to nothing.¡±


    Kelly smiled but it was a smile of misery. You can see in her eyes that she still loves the man but there was also a little regret in the way she looks at Cayenne and Stefan. ¡°He has paid me for all the things that I helped him with. Three years ago, my dad got involved in a traffic ident. He was inatose for four months and because of that, we had to sell most of our properties just to pay for his expensive medical fees. Tyrone came and bought back our properties and paid the hellish amount of medical expenses. The next day, I received the news about his engagement and a letter that told me we should sever our ties. The money that he spent was kind of hush money for me.¡±


    ¡°And you still want to protect him?¡±


    ¡°It was my initiative to seduce Mr. Dumrique. He has nothing to do with this.¡±


    Cayenne rolled her eyes and turned around to leave the woman on her own. She¡¯s not a doctor and she knew that even doctors wouldn¡¯t be able to cure this woman¡¯s stupidity. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°Shall we go to the presidential suite? I have prepared some sweets for you. You can have it aste-night snacks.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Just because I¡¯ll have those sweets doesn¡¯t mean this is over. We still have to settle thingster.¡±


    ¡°Yes, wifey. I got your words loud and clear.¡±


    ¡°Your grin says something else.¡±


    Cayenne and Stefan left the room without looking back as if they didn¡¯t leave someone in a mess. They didn¡¯t even tell her how things will turn out now that they know the truth.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll expose the truth?¡± Kelly asked Elena since they were the only women left in the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I could never guess what was on the madam¡¯s mind. What I¡¯m assured of is that she will clear sir Stefan¡¯s name no matter what.¡±


    Kelly¡¯s tears fell on the cold floor as she recalled the day when she had a miscarriage. She prayed so much on the way to the hospital but the baby still died. Her prayer wasn¡¯t answered.


    Now, she came to ask herself; did the baby give up because it knew already that his father wouldn¡¯t like him or her?

 Chapter 720

    Chapter 720: BREAKING THEM


    As soon as they stepped inside the presidential suite, Stefan pulled Cayenne¡¯s arm and hugged her from behind. He loved watching her strong side; the way she fights for her family and friends, to defend their names and honor, but sometimes, he felt that he wasn¡¯t good enough which caused her problems.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Stefan whispered with his chin on her shoulder. He was nning to give her surprises every weekend before their wedding but issue after issue arose and it was ruining his ns. He really wanted to know who¡¯s causing him trouble and whack that person¡¯s dead or worse bury him alive.


    Cayenne took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. Truth be told, when Stefan told her the current problem he was facing, she was really annoyed, jealous, and angry. It felt like a hand was tightly squeezing her heart. Then, as if lightning struck her, she realized that the issue was something about his past. Though it affected their present, it was still something he did before meeting him.


    Who among us nevermitted grave mistakes? Of course, all of us. No one is perfect after all. Since she married him and promised to ept everything that makes him the man he is today, she decided to get to the bottom of this matter instead of judging him.


    And that was what led them to where they are now.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to apologize for?¡± Cayenne questioned after a minute of silence. ¡°Your past has nothing to do with me. Your rtionship with Kelly happened before I even started working in Clover Hotel. It¡¯s not something that can be called cheating.¡±


    ¡°Even so, I still did ¨C ¡±


    .....


    ¡°Love.¡± Cayenne turned around and cupped his cheeks while looking directly into his eyes. Nothing works better than showing sincerity in her eyes. If eyes are windows to one¡¯s soul, then she wanted him to peek through these windows and see what exactly she was feeling right this moment. She only wanted to bring him love andfort. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be guilty.¡± Cayenne added. ¡°The baby was dead before you even signed the paper and the child wasn¡¯t yours to begin with.¡±


    ¡°I know that now.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Her expression suddenly changed and she pinched his cheeks really hard. ¡°How can you be so stupid as to fall for her tricks back then?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, this might be something you¡¯d get mad about but when she told me that she had a child, I was annoyed that such ident urred but I never wanted to kill that child. I nned to raise it.¡±


    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped since you have soft spots for kids. Also, you should not be med for what happened. Since I know the truth now, let¡¯s just forget about this.¡±


    Stefan was a little surprise that she was willing to forget this matter and pretend it didn¡¯t exist. [This might be for the better. I don¡¯t want her to keep thinking about this issue as well.]


    ¡°Alright. It¡¯s time for snacks.¡±


    ¡°Did you get matcha cake for me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I got your favorite milk tea, too.¡±


    Although Stefan agreed to forget this issue, it was only at the surface. He was keeping tabs of the people involved in this matter and he was thinking of finding the real culprit who exposed this issue. Since Kelly said that he didn¡¯t do it, he believed her. She couldn¡¯t get anything from him by exposing that issue. Surely, her ex-boyfriend wouldn¡¯t do something reckless that would risk his political marriage either. Which means, the person who did it was someone who held some grudges against him.


    [Who could it be? I have so many business rivals and personal enemies that I couldn¡¯t point my fingers among them.]


    ***


    The next morning, news about Cayenne¡¯s events were published in many journals and inte blogs. There were photos of Riley and Luiz, too. It was something that the wife of a business tycoon did so it was also published in a financial magazine with a mention of Stefan¡¯s name.


    At the same time, before this news came out, many people have read the topic about Stefan signing the abortion papers in the past. Some people were even specting that the charity event was done to cover the issue that involved him. Worse, there was a leak about Cayenne signing the divorce papers, too.


    ¡°What divorce bullshits are they talking about?! It was something that happened long ago. Why mention this again?!¡± Luiz yelled angrily and threw his phone on the couch. ¡°These people can¡¯t just find something better to do than make gossips. They are so annoying.¡±


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Jonasmented and handed the phone back to his son. ¡°This won¡¯t ruin your sister¡¯s marriage. Stefan would never allow that to happen. He must have found the cause of this matter already which was why they didn¡¯te homest night. Don¡¯t let this matter affect you. Your sister will be sad if she knows this.¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t help it.¡±


    ¡°Just focus on your workter.¡± Luiz nodded his head and sat on the couch again. His father was right. He can¡¯t do anything about it since the issue didn¡¯t involve him. He will only add to her sister¡¯s worry if he gets affected by this news.


    An hourter, Cayenne and Stefan came home, and found several reporters waiting for them in front of their gate. They moment they spotted Stefan¡¯s car, they surrounded it and held out their microphone to ask him questions even though the car was tightly closed.


    Seeing their persistent look, the driver was distressed ¡°Sir, we cannot move the car any furthers because they¡¯re blocking the way. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯d run them over.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll get down and just answer their questions.¡±


    Cayenne looked at Stefan and saw determination in his eyes. They both agreed to bury this issue but because of the journalists, they have to talk about this matter again. ¡°Will you be alright?¡±


    ¡°Will you?¡± He asked in return.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as long as you feel the same.¡±


    ¡°Then, shall we go out now?¡±


    With his hand outstretched for her to take, Cayenne ced hers and let him lead her out of the car. The bodyguards immediately formed a circle around them and made sure that there was enough space between their boss and the press.


    ¡°Mr. Dumrique, is it true that you asked one of your women to have an abortion?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Dumrique, did you ask your wife to have a charity event to cover your issue?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Dumrique...¡±


    Dumrique this. Dumrique that...Cayenne was annoyed with the buzzing voices of the press but she continued to smile in front of the camera and controlled herself not to shout at them. They already decided to answer their questions but because the crowd was a mess, they didn¡¯t know which of them to answer first or if the press could even hear the answers that they would say.


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Martin, one of the bodyguards, shouted so loudly that it almost broke their eardrums. Stefan even closed Cayenne¡¯s ears. The crowd was silenced instantly. ¡°All of your questions will be answered so please have some decorum. Raise your hands if you have questions and listen carefully to avoid having the same question twice. You have ten minutes. Woman at the back with ck sses.¡±


    The woman who raised her hand immediately prepared her recorder and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the truth behind the issue that your team instantly shutdown which caused people to spread rumors?¡±


    Cayenne¡¯s annoyance vanished when she heard the woman¡¯s question. It was different from the way the others asked as if they already know the truth and was just verifying the matter. This woman was seeking for the truth of the event.


    Stefan scanned the people in front of them and looked at the cameras that they aimed. ¡°I signed it.¡± He answered firmly which caused the crowd to stir and buzz like bees again. However, just one look from Martin and they all shut their mouth. ¡°I never had an affair with that woman. She was a friend to me and she had a boyfriend. The documents I signed weren¡¯t abortion papers but to save her from the miscarriage she had. Her boyfriend wasn¡¯t around and I was the only person close to her at that moment. She loves the father of her child and the child that she carried. She refused to let the baby go even though it was harming her body already. I was left with no choice but to sign the papers even if she will hate me. And that was what happened. When she found the truth, she no longer sees me as friends and we lost contact.¡±


    Cayenne beamed proudly at her husband. Not only did he clear his name but he also did his best not to implicate the woman who tricked him. She wasn¡¯t angry with his choice because she understood her husband best.


    ¡°So, the charity event wasn¡¯t a cover story?¡±


    ¡°Of course, not.¡± Stefan answered almost immediately. ¡°My wife nned it two weeks ago and the news broke out yesterday. How dare you guys think of it as a cover for my issues. I¡¯d never let my wife suffer like this.¡±


    ¡°About the divorce ¨C ¡±


    ¡°No, divorce.¡± Stefan retorted which caused Cayenne tough and got everyone¡¯s attention. Of all the topics they could think of, they really thought of bringing this matter in front of him again.


    ¡°Is there something you want to say on the divorce issue, Mrs. Dumrique?¡±


    Cayenne smiled at them and shifted her gaze back to her husband. If she could see anxiety in his eyes every time there was a talk about divorce before, now all she could see was love and undying trust. ¡°Don¡¯t ever ask about divorce between us.¡± Cayenne expressed as she wrapped her hand around his arm. ¡°There was no divorce and never will. We will stay strong and make you all envious of our love. Ciao!¡±


    The press looked at their watch and sure enough, ten minutes was over. Cayenne and Stefan left them stunned with their bodyguards surrounding them. They could see their side profiles and the sweet smiles on their faces. Cayenne was really making them feel jealous of her rtionship with Stefan.


    [Sigh. Who was this foolish person who tried to break them up anyway?]

 Chapter 721

    Chapter 721: THE PERSON BEHIND THE ISSUES


    Three dayster, Stefan received a message from Reuben, his father-inw, on his way to work. As far as he remembered, he has a good rtionship with this man and he respected him as Cayenne¡¯s biological father. He couldn¡¯t remember a single event that could have hurt this man. He¡¯s also trying his best to do what he had promised ¨C not to hurt Cayenne in any way.


    Now what was rming to him was the favor that this man asked. He was told not to inform Cayenne about their meeting.


    Although he lied to Cayenne about the house and the wedding, he never wanted to lie to her about anything else. He wanted her to know whatever it was that he was doing.


    ¡°Boss, are we not telling Madam about this?¡± Tristan asked when Stefan told him to changene and go for City D. ¡°It¡¯s a long way to visit Mr. Montefalco and we may not make it before lunch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send a message to Cayeer. I don¡¯t know why he wanted to meet me but this must be crucial to my marriage with Cayenne.¡±


    ¡°Can he really change your marriage if he says no?¡±


    ¡°Of course, not.¡± He confidently said with a wide mischevous grin. ¡°Ayen would never let this man influence her decision.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I agree. Madam isn¡¯t someone who gets influenced by others easily.¡±


    As they continued their trip to City A, Cayenne was bugged with another issue. Their school forum, which is viewed publicly by students and teachers, has a new post that has shaken the a lot of students and professors.


    Some of the students were in disbelief, others wereughing in schadenfreud but most of them just ignored this post.


    Since she was someone who married a bigshot, they no longer make a fuss whenever she gets involved in some news.


    There were so many rumors about her that students got tired hearing about her name already. Some just stopped stirring trouble and spread the news because they¡¯d only be pped by the truth and receive warning from Stefan¡¯swyer. Who wants to mess with someone who owns almost half of City A? Not just that, he has different lines of businesses outside of the country. Do you want to get cklisted by all of thosepanies? Only a fool would think so.


    Faith and Noah looked at Cayenne who was reading somements on her YT ount. They were trying gouge her expression and see how she was doing but oftentimes, she¡¯d smile on ament and reply on it.


    She seemed fine.


    ¡°Yenyen?¡± Faith called out after a moment since she wasn¡¯t sure if Cayenne was really doing alright or if she was just good in masking her emotions. As a friend, she wanted to be there when Cayenne is feeling down. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine. What¡¯s there to be worried?¡±


    Noah and Faith looked at each other with questions in their eyes.


    ¡°Did you hear anything about the school forum?¡± Noah asked this time. He got curious if this woman ever paid attention to this kind of stuff.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± They both eximed at the same time. No wonder she wasn¡¯t the least bit worried with the unsettling gazes thrown at her.


    ¡°Well, I paid attention to it before.¡± Cayenne said as she closed her phone and looked at her friends. ¡°Then, things happened and I thought there¡¯s nothing really important there aside from holiday reminders and whatnot. So, I logged out from the forum and asked Stefan to log in for me.¡±


    ¡°You mean, Stefan knows everything that is happening in our school forum?¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡±


    Instead of feeling worried, the two of them burst outughing. They never expected that Stefan¡¯s obsession with Cayenne¡¯s welfare would reach to this point. This attack on Cayenn¡¯s name was like a punch to a cotton, there was no damage at all.


    ¡°We¡¯re worried for nothing.¡± Noah stated with faint chuckles.


    ¡°I got on another rumor, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°They said that you promised to get engaged with professor Brian. Isn¡¯t that funny?¡± Faith added which gained nodding agreement from Noah. ¡°I don¡¯t know what got into that person¡¯s brain to spread this news around campus.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Faith and Noah: ¡°Oh??¡±


    ¡°Uh...it¡¯s true, though.¡±


    Faith and Noah: ¡°What?¡±


    The two of them dropped their jaws from the shock of Cayenne¡¯s confirmation. After all, they all thought that this was just another news. Who would have thought that this was true?


    ¡°You really promised to marry him?¡± Noah inquired, wanting to rify if he was hearing things.


    In the end, Cayenne had to exin the truth of the rumor and the fact that it was Stefan who knew it first before she realized the connection she has with Brian.


    ¡°Did Stefan get mad?¡±


    ¡°He did!¡± Cayenne eximed when she remembered the night he wanted to punish her. ¡°But we worked it out.¡±


    ¡°People are really testing your rtionship before your wedding.¡± Faith retorted which caused Noah to re at her. Realizing what she did, she thought of excuses to make. ¡°Right! You guys are married already.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. You are being funny.¡±


    ¡°Well, most couples are tested before their marriage so, my mind draws the same scenario for you and Stefan.¡±


    ¡°But trials and challenges don¡¯t happen before marriage only. Even after your marriage, you will still go through many things that will test your rtionship. Like me and my husband.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± Noah nodded while taking nces at Faith. They almost ruined Stefan¡¯s wedding surprise.


    The two of them received their wedding invitation already so they knew what Stefan was up to.


    Pushing the rumor to the back of their mind, they attended their sses as if nothing happened. When they met professor Brian around the campus, they greeted him like usual.


    Since Cayenne didn¡¯t pay attention to the rumor and the people who threw strange looks at her, most of the students started to forget about it and continued with their life. It has nothing to do with them, anyway.


    Meanwhile, Stefan and Reuben finally met. The man brought Stefan to his study room and showed the information about Cayenne¡¯s engagement with Brian and his affair with Kelly.


    ¡°I am the person behind the issues.¡±

 Chapter 722

    Chapter 722: CAYENNE¡¯S ANGRY?


    Stefan stood there not knowing what exactly he should say. Last time, he promised to deal with the person who stirred trouble and tried ruining his rtionship with Cayenne.


    Now that he knows, he felt like smacking himself on the head. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t say those words to anyone else but himself.


    ¡°You must have some reasons why you did it.¡± Stefan expressed on his way to the couch. He made himselffortable without waiting for his invitation because he needed to distract himself before losing his mind and hit the man in front of him.


    If he had to be honest, he really wanted to kick Reuben for doing such a thing but since he was Cayenne¡¯s father, he gave the man the benefit of the doubt. If it was anyone else, he would beat the man until beyond recognition and ruin him.


    Reuben stifled hisugher as he sat on another couch opposite his son-inw. ¡°Tell me. You want to beat the crap out of me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Stefan didn¡¯t answer. He was only looking at the documents in front of him.


    ¡°I did it for your own good.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Why do you have to? I have married Ayen already and the uing wedding is something that I want her to remember for the rest of our lives. I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s blessing to do it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Don¡¯t forget that I made this thing possible by giving you another chance.¡±


    ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t, I would still find her and make things work between us.¡±


    ¡°I have no doubt that you would.¡±


    Stefan exhaled sharply and finally raised his head to look Reuben in the eyes. ¡°I understand that you only want to test me for your daughter¡¯s benefit and I am not angry. I just hope that this will be thest time. Cayenne is my life. I don¡¯t want her to worry about anything.¡±


    ¡°So, you won¡¯t tell her about our meeting today? It will worry her if she knows.¡±


    ¡°My wife is reasonable and she will understand what you were trying to do. I have no intention of keeping this matter from her.¡±


    Stefan didn¡¯t stay long and when Ingrid came with their maid to bring some refreshments, Stefan was already on his way to leave the house.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I could not taste your baking this time.¡± Stefan said when he saw the te of pastries. He was sure that it was something homemade. ¡°When you have the time, I¡¯ll ask Cayenne to make cookies with you next time.¡±


    ¡°That will be wonderful.¡± Ingrid responded with a faint smile. ¡°Still, I¡¯d like to apologize for what my husband did.¡±


    ¡°No worries Mrs. Montefalco. I would do the same thing along the line if I have a daughter as well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for understanding, Stefan.¡±


    With a slight nod to her, Stefan turned around and left. As soon as Tristan saw him, he opened the door and Stefan got inside. Not even a second wasted, they left without looking back.


    When Stefan checked his phone, it was already past 12 o¡¯clock yet there was no message from his wife. It worried him that she got mad because he wasn¡¯t at her university. Worse, she didn¡¯t answer when he tried to call her.


    Instead of calling her, Stefan dialed another number. ¡°Where are you? Why is so noisy over there? Where¡¯s your madam?¡±


    ¡°Sir, madam is having lunch with her friends. We¡¯re currently at Naru¡¯s Ramen House. It¡¯s close to the school so many students are here.¡±


    ¡°I see. Can I talk to her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss. Give me a sec.¡± The bodyguard stood up in a hurry and walked toward Cayenne¡¯s table where she was eating her ramen with Noah and Faith. ¡°Madam, Sir Stefan wants to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he call me?¡±


    [I called you sweetie. You just don¡¯t answer it.] Stefan retorted deep in his mind but chose to keep it in his heart instead of voicing it.


    Ignoring the looks that the students threw at her, Cayenne took the bodyguard¡¯s phone and answered it. ¡°Hey, hon? I¡¯m having ramen right now? Are you not busy anymore? Do you want toe over and eat with us?¡±


    ¡°Sorry love. I still have something to do. I can¡¯t be there for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything that I can help? I called Elena earlier but she said that you didn¡¯te to work. You even cancelled your meetings.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter when I get home tonight. Something unexpected happen.¡±


    ¡°Am I in trouble again?¡±


    Stefan chuckled on the other line when he received her response. Even if he will deny it, it seems like all his troubles these past few days was rted to his wife. He never knew that she¡¯d attract troubles now that they¡¯re married.


    ¡°It¡¯s me again, right? Faith and Noah showed me a new post in the school forum. You never said anything about it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really nothing to discuss about it. We already talked before. Do you want to get punished again?¡±


    Thinking of punishment which ended in a passionate sex, Cayenne blushed and covered her face with her free hand. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll forget about it. Don¡¯te and pick me upter. I¡¯ll go to your office and pick you up instead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love that.¡±


    ¡°Why are you calling the bodyguard by the way instead of calling me?¡±


    Lifting the corner of his lips to a helpless smile, Stefan told her the truth about the unreturned calls.


    ¡°Ah?? Hahaha. Sorry. I didn¡¯t hear the sound of my phone. I¡¯ll bring you something to eatter.¡±


    ¡°Heh! Just because I¡¯ll eat whatever you¡¯ll bringter doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll let you off the hook. We¡¯ll talk about this.¡±


    Cayenne turned down the corner of her smouth as she glowered at the familiar statement he gave. She thought she heard it somewhere recently.


    Of course, it was familiar to her. She said the same words when she dealt with Stefan¡¯s recent issue about Kelly.


    ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t take so much of your time. Eat your lunch and send me a message once you get back to school. I want to know you are safe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°By the way, we¡¯ll have dinner with dad and grandpater. Love you. Bye.¡±


    Before she could even voice out herints, Stefan dropped the call as if he knew what she would say to him.


    But even though he ended the call, he received an angry message from his wife. When to know she¡¯s angry when messaging? She¡¯ll write something like:


    WHY DIDN¡¯T YOU TELL ME SOONER?! WE DIDN¡¯T HAVE ENOUGH INGREDIENTS AT HOME AND I WON¡¯T BE HOME TO COOK FOR DINNER!!!!!! I¡¯M LOSING MY BROWNIE POINTS FROM THEM!!!

 Chapter 723

    Chapter 723: A GIFT THAT COULD TAKE HER LIFE


    ¡°Wow!¡± Cayenne blurted out when she saw what was happening in her front yard. There were pic nketsid on the ground and there was a buffet of food on the side that everyone can eat. There were wines and juice, and some hard drinks, too. She even found several of her favorite desserts. Yet, she could not remember anything special that signifies the asion today. She thought they will just have a normal dinner with Stefan¡¯s father and grandpa.


    ¡°What are you still gawking there? Come over here.¡± Magnus called out to them when he spotted Cayenne and Stefan who just got home from the university andpany respectively. ¡°Tonight¡¯s dinner is specially arranged by dad.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa?¡± Cayenne questioned in a whisper to her husband. ¡°Did I miss something? Is there something special about today?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They didn¡¯t say anything to me either.¡±


    ¡°You better be telling the truth. If you are lying and I embarrass myself, you won¡¯t have me for the rest of the month.¡± she threatened which was always effective against Stefan. Since he was someone who adores his wife so much, deducting his quality time with her would upset him so much.


    ¡°I¡¯m being honest. I really have no idea. Let¡¯s go and see what they¡¯re up to.¡± Stefan retorted and approached his father together with Cayenne. ¡°The ce is quite boisterous. Did something good happen?¡±


    ¡°Ah! You guys must have forgotten what is special about today but dad and I have always kept this moment in mind.¡± Magnus pulled Cayenne by her elbow and helped her sit on one of the pic nkets. ¡°You stay here. I¡¯ll just get something.¡±


    .....


    Stefan frowned a little, wondering what his father wanted to do. He said that it was his grandpa¡¯s idea but he couldn¡¯t even find him from the people around them.


    Lucia approached them with a tray of refreshments and handed it to Cayenne. ¡°Ms. Yen, sir Ferdinand said that you will surely be tired from school. He wants you to have this refreshment before the official dinner.¡±


    ¡°Why are they spoiling you today? What about me?¡±


    Cayenne chuckled as she received the milkshake and fruits from Lucia. She had no idea what exactly was going on but since she was being spoiled, she will just let them be and ept this fine treatmenting from them.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair.¡± Stefan sulked and even crossed his arms in front of her. ¡°You got to give me half of what you have. I am tired from work, too. How can they forget me?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Fine. I¡¯ll share them with you.¡±


    Not long after, Magnus came back with Ferdinand and Cayenne¡¯s brothers. Apparently, Stefan¡¯s grandpa was chatting with Luiz and Kyle in the living room while resting before dinner. He was just waiting for Stefan and Cayenne toe home.


    Ferdinand walked directly to Cayenne and sat on the pic nket as well. To her surprise, he gave him a small gift box. ¡°My dearest daughter-inw, this gift is for you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Me? Why am I getting a gift?¡±


    ¡°Because today marks the 365th day of the time when you persuaded Stefan toe and talk to us. As you know, many things happened in the past and our family was in shambles. I never expected that my grandson woulde to us and have a chat and it¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Hahaha.¡± Cayenne felt awkward right this moment. She only did what she thought was right and she didn¡¯t expect anything in return. In fact, she only wished that his family wouldn¡¯te in between her rtionship with Stefan. And yet, she received so much in return. ¡°Grandpa, I...I was...I didn¡¯t really do anything special. Sooner orter, even without my help, Stefan would still talk to you because you are family. There¡¯s really no need to do this for me.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I know this young man won¡¯t. Don¡¯t give him too much credit for what he¡¯s worth. With his stubborn streak, I won¡¯t expect that from him.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Why are you badmouthing me in front of me?¡± Stefan interrupted and red at his grandfather. ¡°I¡¯m here, alright.¡±


    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it true? You only talked to us because of your wife.¡±


    Watching them argue back and forth, everyone could tell from whom Stefan inherited his stubbornness. They acted like children but you could see fondness in their eyes. It was the first time that Cayenne saw this kind of expression on her husband¡¯s face toward his grandfather. Before, he only felt hatred against his paternal family.


    After a few minutes of their banter, Ferdinand and Stefan suddenly shifted their attention back to her. ¡°What is it? Did I do something?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it?¡± Ferdinand urged while eyeing the gift in Cayenne¡¯s hands. ¡°I missed the opportunity to give you this but now, I am sure that I found the right time already.¡±


    ¡°Is this what I think it is?¡± Stefan questioned his grandpa with raised eyebrows. ¡°I thought you¡¯d give it to Julia.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to open it.¡± Cayenne expressed after a moment of silence. Based on their conversation, she could tell that the thing inside the gift box was something very important. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can take this. I am not deserving of this gift.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that without opening it?¡±


    ¡°But ¨C ¡±


    ¡°No buts. That is for you.¡± Ferdinand said which cut her words. ¡°I will be at ease to know that this is in your hand.¡±


    Seeing the expectant gaze on the old man¡¯s face paired with Stefan¡¯s mischievous grin, Cayenne finally opened the gift box which already caught everyone¡¯s eyes. Her hands were shaking from nervousness while praying the item not be so expensive.


    ¡°That¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°What stone is it made of?¡±


    ¡°It will surely look good on Miss Yen.¡±


    ¡°Sis, can I take a picture?¡±


    ¡°Come on and put it on.¡±


    Despite the ruckus around her, Cayenne was speechless at the sight in front of her. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was seeing the real thing or if she was just seeing things. She was even afraid to touch it.


    ¡°Stefan.¡± She muttered without moving her eyes from the jewelry. ¡°Stefan, let¡¯s bring your grandpa to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, you littledy?!¡± The old man eximed and knocked Cayenne¡¯s head. ¡°I am seriously giving this to you. How could you think I¡¯m getting Alzheimer¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°But grandpa...look...look at this.¡±


    ¡°I know what that is.¡±


    ¡°I mean, why are you giving this to me?¡±


    ¡°Because I want you to have it.¡±


    Cayenne didn¡¯t know whether she should thank the man or curse him. The jewelry was so small but it could make people target her for hold up or robbery. Her life will be in danger with this piece item alone.


    When Luiz showed her what he found on the web using the picture, Cayenne almost fainted on the spot.


    The jewelry she received from Ferdinand was none other than the famous fire diamond earrings because it was made from the rarest orange diamonds. Because of its rarity and purity, the value of this pair of earrings was almost $40 million. From the information she read, the item was bought by an unknown buyer. Now, she finally knew who the buyer of these beautiful jewels was.


    ¡°She can wear it to your wedding,¡± Ferdinand whispered to Stefan and earned a mischievous nod from him.

 Chapter 724

    Chapter 724: TRIP TO LONDON I


    One good thing led to another and Cayenne felt like she was on a cloud nine. She didn¡¯t even bother herself with the news that it was her father behind all the issues that troubled her and Stefan these past few days.


    First, she received a gift from Ferdinand which she wanted to refused because of its value. However, when she knew that it was previously owned by Stefan¡¯s grandmother, she finally epted the gift and treated as an heirloom which will be passed down to the next generation. She felt blessed that Ferdinand trusted her to keep such a valuable item.


    Second, she got better grades than everyone else during their final exam. Even if she won¡¯t have excellent remarks because of the previous incidents that caused her to attend sses online, she was still happy because she won¡¯t fail. There was no doubt that she was quick-witted.


    Third, Brian apologized to her for causing her some troubles. And since he wasn¡¯t really the mastermind, Cayenne just let go of the matter. She thought that there was nothing she could gain if she won¡¯t forgive him and it will only stress her out knowing that someone out there was sincerely apologizing to her.


    Fourth, two of Stefan¡¯s amusement parks which were located in PH and J country have received the Golden Tickets Award and he was also awarded with Businessman of the Year.


    Right now, Cayenne and Stefan were flying to London to attend the ceremony which will be held in three days. Travis also received several awards but since Jade¡¯s ss wasn¡¯t over yet and he didn¡¯t want to leave Jillyanna with the children, he just sent Shein and Savannah as his proxy.


    In fact, Stefan knew about the award two weeks ago but he didn¡¯t tell Cayenne about it yet because his n wasn¡¯t fully polished. Things could happen and he didn¡¯t want to ruin his surprise.


    .....


    ¡°Hon?¡± Cayenne mumbled softly with her head on his shoulder.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    There was no response. Stefan thought that Cayenne was still watching the movie in front of her but when he lowered his head to look at her, he found out that she was already sleeping.


    ¡°Sleep talking? What are you dreaming mydy?¡± Stefan asked to the sleeping figure even though she couldn¡¯t answer her. He adjusted her position to make her sleeping posturefortable and asked the stewardess for a nket. Since they booked their flight with first ss seats, Stefan wasn¡¯t worried that Cayenne will be disturbed in her sleep. After all, they got their own bedspace for themselves.


    When they arrived at Heathrow, Cayenne was fully energized after a few hours of sleep. Before, whenever they left the country for a trip, she would always go to sleep the moment they arrived at their destination because of the jeg. Now, she decided to sleep on the ne since she wanted to visit a lot of ces with Stefan while in London.


    ¡°Have you decided which ce to visit first?¡± Stefan asked as they walked to the exit where their service was waiting for them. The organizer of the awarding event would usually send someone to pick their guests but since Cayenne and Stefan came on their own and three days ahead of time, they booked their own room and car to use.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consult youter with my list and tell me which of them should we visit first. We don¡¯t really need to visit all of the ces that I have listed, though.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Can you make time for tomorrow around 4:30 in the afternoon to 7:00 in the evening? I need to meet someone.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± There was no doubt that she would enjoy this trip with her husband.


    When they arrived at their hotel, Cayenne handed her notebook to Stefan since he knows more about Europepared to her. In her mind, Stefan has more knowledge when ites to visiting different countries since he has businesses all over the world. She couldn¡¯t even imagine just how much his worth is. She didn¡¯t want to know even though the information can be searched online. Even if it wasn¡¯t exactly the same amount, the estimation was very close since the survey was done internationally with trusted agencies.


    ¡°Today, let¡¯s visit the Windsor Castle and Legnd. We can buy some toys for the kids at Legnd and send it first to our home.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, we can visit Kew Gardens and Chessington.¡±


    The two of them nned the ces they wanted to visit while making extra time for Stefan¡¯s appointment with someone. Cayenne asked who the person that he would meet the next day but Stefan only smiled and refused to say the name. She trusted him not to make a fool of her so Cayenne pushed this matter to the back of her mind.


    Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire and and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. Millions of people visited this ce every year and this time, Cayenne and Stefan set foot on this ce.


    ¡°Hon,¡± Cayenne called out while looking at their pictures from Stefan¡¯s camera. ¡°I just remembered something while looking at our clothes. Remember the jacket that you bought mest Christmas and the shoes that Luiz gave me, I couldn¡¯t find them anymore. Also, the watch that I gave you wasn¡¯t at home either.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I still saw themst week.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I have been looking for those items. There¡¯s no way I could¡¯ve misced them.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, we didn¡¯t lose them. Maybe you just overlooked them. I¡¯ll ask Luiz to check the room and send us picture of those apparels.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Even though Stefan seemed calm while he conversed with her, he was actually sweating coldly on his back. He didn¡¯t expect that Cayenne would suddenly ask about their clothes and essories. He hasn¡¯t prepared himself to lie to her again.


    [I wish we could skip time.] Stefan thought to himself while mentally noting to ask Luiz for helpter.

 Chapter 725

    Chapter 725: TRIP TO LONDON II


    Cayenne and Stefan visited Legnd right after having theirte lunch and bought so many toys for the kids close to them. Unlike them, Savannah and Shein were busy meeting people for business purposes.


    The next day, after visiting Kew Gardens and having fun at Chessington, they shopped for a change of clothes to look presentable during their meeting with that someone whom Stefan refused to say the name.


    Around 4:00 in the afternoon, the two of them made their way to Hamilton Drive where you can see the newly constructed Georgian townhouses. Cayenne was awestruck with the beautiful houses that they passed by but she still thought that no one can beat the design of Jillyanna¡¯s home after it was expanded by Travis.


    Currently, the house that her father gifted her was nothingpared to these houses that she saw in terms of size but in her heart, that house was the most beautiful and warm.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Stefan stated when he stopped in front of a huge white gate. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait for the guard to confirm our visit. This will be a huge deal for you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Did you bring me here for work?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll knowter on.¡±


    .....


    And thatter came too soon which caught Cayenne in a whirlwind of surprise and pressure. She already met a lot of bigshots but standing in front of these two internationally known people, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from trembling.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± Cayenne whispered to Stefan while poking his waist a little. She just couldn¡¯t believe that he would set her up with these two people.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel pressured in front of us. We¡¯re close friends with Stefan and Travis so, there¡¯s no need to be so formal.¡±


    M Lhuillier, a well-known designer that many people looked up to. She designed clothes for celebrities and royalties for over five years and her striking journey started when she was in highschool. Her teacher discovered that she has talent for designs and asked if she could design a gown for her sister¡¯s wedding. From then on, her journey started and brought her to where she is today.


    ¡°I agree with M.¡± The man said with a bright smile on his lips. He was Thomas Aizenberg. He was known for his beautiful photography and in fact, he was the person who taught Stefan little things when ites to taking pictures. His works received many awards such as Pulitzer Prize for Photography and Moscow International Photography Award. He worked with well-known magazines as well as fashion designers.


    ¡°Even if you say that ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Come now.¡± M interrupted knowing that Cayenne would only make excuses. ¡°You are Stefan¡¯s wife. Don¡¯t think too much about our names. In this house, we are just ordinary people who like to hang out.¡±


    ¡°Right! Stefan said that you love to cook. Shall we set up an outdoor barbecue? It would be great to talk about things over some food.¡± Thomas added and before Cayenne could even say anything, he already grabbed Stefan to go out and make preparations.


    And vo! They¡¯re gone from her sight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the kitchen and get some ingredients. I also have sweets that we can eat.¡±


    ¡°Really? I love sweets.¡±


    ¡°And so I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    The two of them looked at each other andughed. Friendship is beautiful when two beautiful souls met without for the very first time. They might face challenges that could alter their bonds but only time can tell. Right now, Cayenne just wanted to treasure her moments with these people whom she met for the first time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s bring the ingredients outside first. Then, let¡¯s leave it to them and I¡¯ll give you a tour of my ce.¡±


    ¡°Your house is beautiful.¡± Cayenne told M as they walked from the kitchen to the front yard where the boys set up the barbecue grill. ¡°How long have you been staying here. The house looks new.¡±


    ¡°I bought this house about five years ago since I often travel here. When I¡¯m not around, there are helpers who maintained the cleanliness of this house.¡±


    ¡°I see. Stefan didn¡¯t tell me anything beforeing here so I don¡¯t know much about you and Thomas.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Stefan wouldn¡¯t tell you anything unless he¡¯s going to meet that person. Also, it¡¯s better to talk about your friend if that person is also around, right?¡±


    ¡°You are right.¡±


    ¡°By the way, I heard you went to Cebust time. When I heard about it, I was so upset because I was here for work. I could have showed you around the province.¡±


    ¡°You know Cebu as well?¡±


    ¡°I grew up there.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    The two of them hit it off and became good friends since Cayenne was very fond of the ind in the Philippines. M was also proud of her origin and told Cayenne about so many stories from where she grew up.


    In the end, Stefan sulked because Cayenne got to spend more time with M than him. No one could understand how he calctes quality time with her when he always gets more time to spend with his wife than everybody else.


    An hourter, the four of them sat around the table with so many food and drinks. Since it was only once in a while, Cayenne agreed for Stefan to drink booze.


    ¡°My wife is the prettiest.¡± Stefan muttered while looking at Cayenne with heavy-lidded eyes. She wasn¡¯t sure if he was drunk or not because he always says thispliment to her.


    M rolled her eyes and took a sip of her wine. ¡°You are the only married person here. Duh!¡±


    Cayenne shifted her eyes between Thomas and M with a surprise look covering her face. She didn¡¯t expect that.


    ¡°We are sessful when ites to business but we are not sessful enough to find the person we could spend the rest of our lives with.¡± Thomas added with a faint smile. ¡°But I know that she¡¯s somewhere out there.¡±


    ¡°You may have met her already but turned a blind eye.¡± Mmented at his statement.


    For some reason, Cayenne felt something in the air. [It was just my imagination, right?]

 Chapter 726

    Chapter 726: SELFISH MONET


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about business while Stefan is sober,¡± M stated and signaled her helper to go and get her bag in the living room. ¡°I wanted to do this a long time ago but I just couldn¡¯t find the right time to execute my n.¡±


    ¡°You should be thankful that I agree to this.¡± Stefan retorted which caused Thomas to smirk. ¡°Just one time.¡±


    ¡°You agreed without telling me? You should have discussed this with me first.¡± Cayenne hissed softly as she pinched his waist. ¡°What if I can¡¯t do it? You will embarrass me.¡±


    ¡°When did I ever agree to something that could embarrass you?¡± Cayenne thought about it but she couldn¡¯t think of an incident where Stefan embarrassed her except for their moments in bed or the bathroom. ¡°You couldn¡¯t think of anything, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This business is something that you have done in the past.¡± Thomas added. ¡°We¡¯ll be there for you so there¡¯s no need to worry. And of course, Stefan wouldn¡¯t miss this for the world.¡±


    ¡°So, what exactly is it?¡±


    M smiled and reached her hand to receive the bag that her helper brought. From there, she took out a thick folder and showed Cayenne what was inside it. ¡°I designed all of these.¡± Cayenne wanted to say ¡®they¡¯re beautiful, but the next words that came out from M¡¯s mouth made her swallow back thepliment she wanted to say.


    .....


    She thought she was just hearing things. ¡°What did you say again? I might have misheard you.¡±


    ¡°I said I want you to model for me. You and Stefan to be specific, but I only need Stefan for thest piece.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was apprehensive when ites to getting professional models who only model for money. I need someone who can express the feeling of what is like when getting married. I want real emotions that could impact other women out there.¡±


    ¡°Is that really necessary? You are well-known so many people will still look for you to make their gowns.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t design just for anybody. I want stories.¡±


    Cayenne didn¡¯t know what else to say for excuses. First, M was known internationally and many people will surely look forward to her designs. If she fails as a model, it will affect the reputation of the designer, too. Second, Stefan already agreed. She didn¡¯t want to disappoint her husband because he trusted her to do this for his friend. She was excited yet she also felt fear.


    ¡°I know you can do this. You just have to be yourself. You¡¯ll look good in these. We can also think about getting one for our wedding.¡±


    ¡°We are married.¡±


    ¡°I want to give you a real wedding. A grand one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    Hearing her response, Thomas and M looked at their friend. He wanted to make all the best things possible for Cayenne but she was too dumb to even realize his intention. Although they could understand why she was very tight when ites to money, they also felt that she didn¡¯t really have to be so thrifty because Stefan was extremely wealthy.


    ¡°So, do you agree or do you disagree?¡± M asked once again. ¡°Thomas will be the photographer for this wedding.¡±


    ¡°Wedding?¡±


    Stefan red at his friend and Thomas bit the insides of his mouth to stop himself fromughing. It was just a slip of the tongue but it could ruin the entirety of Stefan¡¯s n.


    ¡°Since this will be a photoshoot for wedding gowns, I want it to feel like a real wedding. We will also make a short video that will promote my works.¡±


    ¡°Am I the only person who will wear all of the gowns?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I asked a few friends of mine to model for me as well. You will wear three different designs plus, another gown which is paired with a suit that Stefan will wear at the end.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°So, do you agree?¡±


    All three pairs of eyes were looking at her expectantly, waiting for the ¡®yes¡¯ word toe out of her mouth. ¡°Can I think about it? I¡¯ll give you an answer tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± M smiled happily and pushed the folders to Cayenne. ¡°I will let you have this for you to check the designs. Just return it to me tomorrow before you guys leave.¡±


    ¡°Are we staying here for the night?¡±


    ¡°It works better that way since Stefan looks a little drunk to me.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get drunk tonight! It¡¯s only once in a while!¡± Thomas eximed and poured more wine and booze into their sses.


    Cayenne wasn¡¯t really fond of alcoholic drinks so she only took little sips of her wine. Unlike her, the three friends, who reunited for quite some time, were now drinking as if there was no tomorrow. She wouldn¡¯t doubt that they¡¯d wake up with splitting headaches the next day


    Around 11:00 in the evening, since Stefan can¡¯t drive soberly, M told the helper to show them the guestroom. Thomas whined that he didn¡¯t want the helper to help him because he knew the ce very well. With staggering feet, he made his way upstairs and opened the door that he chose.


    Watching him on the side, M sighed helplessly at her foolish heart. She will surely regret it the next day but right now, all she could think of was to be selfish for once.


    Thomas opened the door to her room andy on the bed as if nothing happened. With his eyes closed, M walked to the bathroom and took out a small bottle from her cab. She nned this for a very long time but she was afraid. Now, for some reason, she felt bolder and wanted to do it to the point of risking their friendship.


    Slowly, she poured the content into her humidifier and let it spread all over the room.


    ***


    The next morning, Thomas woke up groggily while pressing the heel of his palm to his forehead. He knew that they¡¯d have a hangover the next if they drink too much but he just couldn¡¯t stop himself from drinking when he finally reunited with his friends. Sadly, Travis wasn¡¯t around to join them.


    ¡°Huh?¡± He looked around and found that the room he was using looked a little bit more feminine. ¡°Is this M¡¯s room?¡± He panicked at the thought but he noticed that the room barely had her personal belongings. The vanity mirror didn¡¯t have the skincare that women would usually have. The wardrobe didn¡¯t have many clothes either. ¡°Oh! Thank God I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. My back stings a little, though.¡±


    Unbeknownst to him, in another room, M was shoving all her things randomly. Her skincare items were thrown on the floor. Some of her designer bags and clothes were still on the bed. She was moving here and there despite the soreness of her waist and her inner thighs. Unlike other lovers, she didn¡¯t have the time to relish the moment of their passionate night. What they had was pure sex and no love involved.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± She muttered with tears rolling down her face.

 Chapter 727

    Chapter 727: TRIP TO LONDON III


    ¡°Good morning, sir.¡± The helper greeted Thomas when she saw hime into the kitchen. ¡°Miss M and her guests are currently in the patio.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll go thereter. I¡¯ll just get a cup of coffee.¡± He stated and went to the cupboard where his usual mug could be found. He visited this ce several times a year, whenever M was around to the point that he got his favorite cups here. Pouring his cup with ck coffee, Thomas looked outside where the helpers hang theirundry. Something had caught his eyes but he wasn¡¯t sure if he was right. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the bedsheet in the room I usedst night?¡±


    ¡°You got drunk and pukedst night. Miss M told us to wash it immediately.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for causing you trouble.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, sir.¡±


    Thomas just nodded faintly and left with his cup of coffee. His headache was bothering him so much added with the stinging scratch marks on his back. [Where did I get these scratch marks?] Thomas asked himself mentally as he walked to the patio where his friends waited for him. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Morning, Thomas. Here.¡± M handed him a hangover medicine to take before shifting her attention to Cayenne and continued her conversation with her.


    .....


    ¡°I feel awful.¡± Thomasined and leaned his head on M¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Say, did I do something elsest night? I got scratches on my back.¡±


    M stiffened for a moment and Thomas noticed it but she still denied things tly. ¡°You just stumbled here and there. No worries. There was no damage to my properties.¡±


    ¡°Hey! You should be worried about me.¡± Thomas bellowed and bit her shoulder which caused M to whack him on his head.


    ¡°Why should I? I didn¡¯t tell you to get drunk.¡±


    Watching them squabble back and forth, Cayenne could only smile before shifting her attention to Stefan who kept making circles with his finger on her thigh. ¡°What time is the ceremony? Shall we meet with Savannah and Shein and go together?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right! You came to receive the awards. Did you guys bring something to wear already? If you want, I can style you for the ceremony.¡± M suggested which shifted the topic. Thankfully, Thomas didn¡¯t notice anything this time.


    ¡°Great! That will save us the hassle. The ceremony will be at 6:00 in the evening.¡± Stefan responded nonchntly. ¡°Before that, we¡¯ll go meet with Savy and Shein first.¡±


    In the afternoon, as if nothing happened, M started looking for clothes that Stefan and Cayenne can use. Thomas also left to finish some of his work that he didn¡¯t do yesterday. Both of them moved on with their life despite the doubts that they both have.


    The couple also left to meet with Savannah and Shein. They shopped around and bought some souvenirs for the people they care about.


    ¡°I heard that you went to meet with M Lhuillier and Thomas Aizenberg.¡± Savannah stated while picking up some cute bags for Jade. ¡°How are they?¡±


    ¡°They look fine to me. They seemed really close. Have you known them for a long time also?¡±


    ¡°Just about the time that we started to work for Travis. Although, I have heard of their names a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Stefan knew them.¡±


    ¡°Businessmen know almost all of the bigshots in the whole world. Some of them could be rivals and some could be friends.¡±


    ¡°You are right. I was just wondering ... ¡± they continued to chat while buying things and the boys were also following them with their hands full of the chosen items.


    Finally, the ceremony started and the four of them went to attend it. As per his request, Cayenne and Stefan wore a matching outfit for the event. Everyone knew who he was and started making conversations with him and his wife. Since Travis wasn¡¯t around, Stefan felt responsible for Savannah and Shein even though the two of them could properly take care of themselves.


    Stefan received three awards and thanked everyone for supporting his business. His speech was short because he didn¡¯t want to take so much time and be away from Cayenne. Savannah and Shein took turn in receiving the awards for Travis as well.


    Right after the event, the four of them went back to M¡¯s house and had celebratory dinner together.


    ¡°I made sure that the photoshoot will be done after this academic year. Thomas and I will be there along with the team who will work with us. We will just let you know of the final date. I will have a meeting with everyone tomorrow about this.¡± M told Cayenne over dinner to make sure that the woman won¡¯t change her mind.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Jillyanna will be so happy to hear about this.¡± Savannah told Cayenne in whisper. ¡°She even bought a copy of InSTYLE journal because of you and Luiz.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    The women chatted and didn¡¯t pay attention to the men around them anymore. However, Stefan wasn¡¯t really bothered with it because one of Cayenne¡¯s legs was sitting on his thigh under the table. She didn¡¯t do anything neither did he. It was just there for him to hold and know of her presence close to him since they were sitting on the opposite side of the table.


    M wanted to annoy him by separating them across the table but she didn¡¯t know what was happening under the furniture.


    When their dinner ended, her guests finally left and M was left alone to deal with the problem she caused. Going back inside her bedroom, she burst into tears. She remembered what she did and she knew that she couldn¡¯t turn back time no matter how much she regretted doing it.


    Slowly, she picked up her things and brought them back to the master¡¯s bedroom where Thomas sleptst time when he got drunk.


    As long as he wouldn¡¯t realize it and if he did, as long as he pretends nothing happened, she will continue to be his friend.


    ***


    Back in their home, Cayenne frowned with her hands on her hips. She remembered something and she pouted her lips ¨C upset. ¡°You said you¡¯ll show me a picture of those items that I was looking for. Where exactly are they? I can find them myself.¡±


    Stefan scratched the back of his head not knowing what to say right now. Because of his failure to ask Luiz to look for the items, a problem urred because Cayenne remembered them. ¡°I¡¯ll look for them right now. Just go and shower first. I know I¡¯ve seen it somewhere here.¡±


    ¡°Also, the bag that Jillyanna gave me on my birthday; it¡¯s gone.¡±


    [She¡¯ll fry me soon if I can¡¯t show those things to her.]

 Chapter 728

    Chapter 728: DISTRACTING CAYENNE I


    Hearing the sound of the running water, Stefan walked to the balcony and dialed Jillyanna¡¯s number. He needed help to get out of this tricky situation. He didn¡¯t want to lie to her again so he needed distraction and he knew that Jillyanna has that solution.


    ¡°Jill.¡±


    ¡°Why the haste?¡±


    ¡°I need help. I need you to call Yen and ask her out.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...I was thinking of going out to bring the kids for their annual check-up. Let me ask Travis first if he ns to go somewhere after the check-up. Give me a sec.¡± Jillyanna covered the mouthpiece and went to look for Travis who was changing his son¡¯s clothes upstairs. ¡°Hubby, do you have ns after their check-up? Stefan asked if we could ask Cayenne out.¡±


    ¡°What did he do this time?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He must be up to something again. Well, I know he won¡¯t hurt her.¡±


    .....


    Travis let out a throaty chuckle and kissed Raizel¡¯s tummy which caused the child to giggle. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the nearest park with the kids, then. She could y with Jade.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± She resumed her conversation with Stefan and told him about the n.


    ¡°Thanks, Jill. In fifteen minutes, she should be out of the shower. You can call herter and tell her about it. I¡¯ll make some excuses to go and find the missing clothes.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    When the call ended, Jillyanna snickered with Stefan¡¯sst statement. She didn¡¯t know what exactly was happening but it must have something to do with his surprise. [Shall we make ns to distract Cayenne as much as we can before the wedding?]


    ***


    As soon as Cayenne came out, she cocked her head to the side with a questioning look on her face. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What ¡®what¡¯? I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°You look like you wanted to say something to me.¡±


    ¡°I just remembered something.¡±


    Before Cayenne could even change her clothes, Jillyanna¡¯s call came and Stefan left to take a shower. In that way, he wouldn¡¯t seem suspicious to her.


    ***


    Two hourster...


    ¡°Auntie Yen!¡± Jade came out running to meet Cayenne who came with Kyle. ¡°Auntie Yen, where is uncle Stefan? He didn¡¯te with you?¡±


    ¡°He said he will followter because he needed to finish his work. I¡¯m with Kyle instead.¡±


    ¡°Hello, brother Kyle. How have you been? I heard you will graduate this year. Are you going to teach primary school students or high school students?¡±


    Jade started chatting with Kyle knowing that thetter will graduate soon. Having this little girl in a circle wouldn¡¯t make your life boring. She just has this skill in starting up a conversation with anyone she knows. She won¡¯t make you feel left out at all.


    ¡°This is for you by the way. Yen got this when she visited London a few days ago. This one is for Raizel.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thank you, auntie Yen. Thank you, brother Kyle.¡±


    Excitedly, she opened the gift and was awed by the cute pink fuzzy robe with unicorn prints on it. ¡°I love this. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside Raizel¡¯s gift. Auntie Yen, you always bring us gifts whenever youe and visit us.¡±


    ¡°Because you always bring me gifts whenever you go and visit me. Besides, good children deserve gifts and you¡¯ve been very good to all of us.¡± Cayenne retorted and gently pat the girl¡¯s head.


    Not long after, Jillyanna came out followed by Travis who was carrying his son. ¡°How was your trip to London? I heard you got another modeling offer.¡±


    ¡°M wanted me to model for her designs. I wasn¡¯t expecting it at all.¡± Cayenne responded and gave Jill an airy kiss on the cheeks. ¡°I really wished you were there with us.¡±


    ¡°I actually wanted to go there but Travis got sick.¡±


    ¡°Sick? Travis? That¡¯s unheard of. Now I can confirm that he¡¯s not invincible.¡±


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s the first time for this year.¡± Travis joined in the conversation after hearing Cayenne¡¯s remarks. ¡°Also, Stefan got sickst time, too.¡±


    ¡°Mom! Dad! Auntie Yen gave Raizel and me a gift. They¡¯re very cute. Look at this!¡± Jade showed the gifts to her parents before bringing them to her room and Raizel¡¯s respectively. She was even humming as she walked upstairs.


    With that, Stefan finally seeded in distracting his wife from looking for the missing clothes. Since he needed to bring back those clothes, he decided to exchange them with the other items. It¡¯s not really necessary to do this but they didn¡¯t have enough space for more clothes.


    This was the reason why Cayenne kept telling him not to buy more matching stuffs. And of course, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d stop. He likes the way they dress together and wear matching clothes and essories. It also reassures his heart that Cayenne was his.


    Getting a different suitcase, Stefan stuffed more clothes and other things inside it before leaving the house to go to the other home that he built for their future family.


    [Thankfully, she¡¯ll have to go back to the university tomorrow and pass her projects. I will be able to finalize the things that are needed at home.]


    ¡°Hello, sir.¡± His home manager greeted him the moment he saw him arrive. ¡°We found a good breed of horses already and I scheduled a meeting with the owner two days from now. I sent you an email about it.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t checked my email yet but that¡¯s good to know. I¡¯ll talk to Cayenne about this. How about the Japanese-style garden? Is it done?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. We finished theyout of the garden and we nted the flowers that madam likes. All that is left to do is to take care of the nts properly.¡±


    ¡°And the front garden for her tulips?¡±


    ¡°We have already prepared the bed of soil for the nts. We just need the flowers to arrive.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell you when the flowers woulde. That¡¯s it for now. I¡¯ll go aroundter and see what needs to be done. Just coordinate with the interior designer and Elena if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The man bowed his head and left Stefan on his own ord seeing that the man was bringing a suitcase. Stefan didn¡¯t like it when someone else would touch his and Cayenne¡¯s clothes. They even make it a habit to clean their own clothes. However, when they were really pressed with time, they¡¯d bring it to aundry shop that they trusted the most since everyone at home has their own things to do.


    Opening the master¡¯s bedroom, Stefan grinned happily. A few more weeks to go, they¡¯d be able to move to this house and build their own family here.

 Chapter 729

    Chapter 729: DISTRACTING CAYENNE II


    The following day, Cayenne went back to the university to submit her projects and hang out with her friends. This time, Faith and Noah was tasked to distract Cayenne from thinking too much. Stefan wanted her days to be upied with different things in order to keep her mind from wandering somewhere else.


    ¡°Yen.¡± Brian called out her name during his ss and Cayenne stood up immediately. She walked in front and handed in her project since they needed to go one after another for the teacher to check if they are missing anything. ¡°You¡¯re good to go.¡±


    ¡°Can I wait for my friends here. I won¡¯t make any noise.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Cayenne went back to her seat and waited for her friend¡¯s turn. Although she wasn¡¯t making any noise, she was chatting with Stefan through messenger since there was no discussion going on.


    Cayenne: I heard that there¡¯s a newly opened horror house nearby. I¡¯d like to check it with my friends ??.


    Stefan: Don¡¯t you have anything else to do? [He asked even though he would still indulge her with what she wanted despite having another task at hand. And he knew that Faith invited Cayenne to go out because they nned all that.]


    .....


    Cayenne: We won¡¯t take long. Also, Faith and Noah promised toe home with me and check the package that we bought in London??.


    Stefan: Alright. Have fun! ??


    As soon as he agreed, Cayenne wrote something on a piece of paper and showed it to Noah and Faith; My husband agreed.


    Noah and Faith smiled happily at her message, hiding the fact that they knew very well that Stefan would say yes.


    Taking out his phone, Noah sent Stefan a message. ¡°The horror house won¡¯t take so much time. Do you mind if we go to Dale¡¯s caf¨¦?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. She has bodyguards anyway.¡±


    And just like that, Cayenne will have her day fully scheduled until evening came. And there¡¯s no need to question what her evening would be like. Sure enough, Stefan has his ns.


    At noon, Stefan came to have lunch with them but went to work as soon as he finished his meal. Although Cayenne was wondering why he was in a hurry, realizing that he could be busy with work, she didn¡¯t question him anymore. Unlike her, Stefan has many other things to do.


    In the afternoon, they went to try the horror house which was called Asylum. The entrance alone could spook many people already if they aren¡¯t fond of scary things. When they got there, they discovered that many of the university students havee to try it as well. They even found some of their ssmates waiting for their turn.


    ¡°Not many ces would offer this kind of thrill so a lot of people havee here.¡± Noahmented as they walked to the ticketing booth where they¡¯ll pay for their tickets. ¡°Thankfully, two of our subject professors in the afternoon couldn¡¯te.¡±


    ¡°But I preferred if they woulde today and give us a free day tomorrow.¡± Faith expressed since she thought it was a hassle toe to school when there was no formal discussion going on. ¡°I wish I could be like Yen who can take several days off from school.¡±


    ¡°You have to study hard for that because Yen ispensating herck of attendance with high scores.¡± Noah retorted which stumped Faith and earned him a pinch on his arm. ¡°Violence is the key if you couldn¡¯t retort my words, huh.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t understand the professors when they discuss the topic.¡±


    ¡°You still don¡¯t understand it even when I discuss it with you.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t fail!¡±


    ¡°You barely passed.¡±


    Cayenne didn¡¯t know why their topic shifted to ss and their scores but one thing was for sure; Faith and Noah were getting along just fine.


    When it was their turn, Noah walked first followed by Faith and then, Cayenne camest. The moment they passed the threshold to the entrance, a rattling sound came from the coffin in front of them and the dimmp on the side died out. The ce suddenly turned very dark and they heard the lid of the coffin was pushed aside.


    ¡°Wee to our home.¡±


    Faith tightly gripped Noah¡¯s arm and buried her face on his back. ¡°Let¡¯s move forward. I want to end this soon.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the thrill if we¡¯ll end this so soon?¡± Noahmented and took several steps with his hand stretched out in front of him to feel the way. Few secondster, they found a faint light in front of them and followed it. There; they saw a clown holding a balloon. He was standing on the side and they thought he was just a statue.


    ¡°Boo! Hahahaha¡±


    ¡°AAAAAAAAHHHHH!¡± Faith and Cayenne yelled out at the same time and pushed Noah to move forward in haste.


    Whitedies came out crawling from different crooks and crannies. A man with a chainsaw prop came out of nowhere and chased them. There was a doll on a rocking chair and the eerieughter sent chills and goosebumps on them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this anymore.¡± Faith yelled with her eyes closed in fear. ¡°I want to go out now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on our way out.¡± Noah stated while looking back to check the women behind him. ¡°Where¡¯s Yen?¡±


    Faith looked back and Cayenne jumped up from the ground where she squatted. ¡°AAAHHHHHHH Help!¡± Faith screamed which caused Cayenne and Noah tough so hard at her. ¡°I hate both of you. I don¡¯t like you anymore.¡±


    With staggering feet, racing hearts from adrenaline rush, apanied with loud screams and gibberish curses; the three of them finally made it out of the horror house. The three of them looked at each other andughed. Despite the sticky sweats clinging to their skin, the three of them had fun like never before.


    ¡°This is thest time I¡¯m ever getting inside a horror house. There will be no second time.¡± Faith dered while ring at Noah. ¡°I¡¯m sweaty.¡±


    ¡°Likewise. Since you nned this, did you guys bring a change of clothes?¡±


    Noah and Faith looked at each other and shook their heads. ¡°How about you Yen? Oh. Nevermind. I¡¯m sure you do.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Hahaha. Stefan always put a bag of extra clothes in the car for me.¡±


    ¡°No fair!¡±

 Chapter 730

    Chapter 730: [Bonus chapter] DISTRACTING CAYENNE III


    This extra chapter is dedicated to anakaren121288. Thank you so much for your support.


    **


    To thank them for bringing her to a horror house which she really enjoyed, Cayenne brought her friends to the closest clothing store and bought them a change of clothes. After that, they went to have some sweets at Dale¡¯s caf¨¦ before finally making their way to her house.


    ¡°I forgot to bring these earlier.¡± Cayenne expressed while handing them a gift bag. ¡°I got them from myst trip.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Really?! Thank you, Yen.¡± Faith even hugged her to express her gratitude. ¡°I must have saved the world in myst life to be able to meet you in this life.¡±


    ¡°What about me? What did you save in yourst life to meet me in this life?¡± Noah susses out with scrutinizing gaze.


    ¡°The universe.¡±


    .....


    Cayenne couldn¡¯t help butugh at them while shaking her head. There was never a day that the two of them won¡¯t bicker as far as she knew.


    ¡°Martin, can you bring the package here in the living room? I will sort them out with my friends.¡±


    ¡°Is it the one that arrived this morning?¡±


    ¡°Did we receive something else?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Yen. Another package came this afternoon ording to James.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Stefan if he ordered anything online. Anyway, just get the one that we received this morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Martin left immediately and called his colleagues for help since several packages arrived early in the morning. Cayenne also called Stefan to inquire about the other package that came because she didn¡¯t want to open anything which wasn¡¯t hers.


    ¡°That must be the package that M sent. I don¡¯t know what are the contents but she said that you can use them to raise funds.¡± Stefan stated when his wife asked about the package. ¡°She also said that you can call her once you check the content and ask anything if you have questions.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll check itter.¡±


    ¡°Also, she sent us an email about the photoshoot. Let¡¯s talk about it tonight after dinner.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    When the call ended, Cayenne returned to the living room and found the huge boxes there. Martin was already opening them with a sharp cutter while Noah and Faith chatted.


    ¡°Ms. Yen, do you need help with those?¡± Daisy asked the moment she came inside from her school as well.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. I have friends who can help me. Just help your mom with our dinner. Where¡¯s Dalia? Didn¡¯t youe home with her?¡±


    ¡°My sister¡¯s ss needed to perform something to get their clearance signed. We informed sir Kyle about it since he usuallyes homete because of some school matters. He said he¡¯de and pick her up on his way home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Go and change your clothes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Yen.¡± Daisy left to change her clothes and help her mother in the kitchen.


    Cayenne cares for their helpers and their bodyguards so it was no longer new to Faith and Noah since they have visited her home several times already.


    ¡°How are we going to sort them?¡± Noah asked when he saw the content of the boxes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s separate all the clothes and toys. The toys will be divided between boys and girls, and the same goes for the clothes.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to give this to the foundations that we visitedst time?¡±


    ¡°No. I will be giving these to another orphanage. The orphanage isn¡¯t huge and was supported by the local households only. I just heard of this orphanage from one of my fans who left ament in my recent vlog.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t these things expensive? You could have gotten more if you bought these things here.¡± Faithmented while looking at the items in her hands. ¡°Besides, orphans wouldn¡¯t really mind if you give them expensive or cheap things. To them, everything is the same.¡±


    ¡°Actually, these things aren¡¯t really expensive. Though I understand your point that we could give them more, but I was thinking about the quality of the things that I could give them. I wanted something that wouldst long since I wouldn¡¯t be able to give them something all the time.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s also true.¡± Faith agreed unhesitant to her words. ¡°Then, when do you n to give these things? I have a little sister at home and she has a lot of things that she didn¡¯t need anymore. We¡¯ll do some decluttering and bring the ones that won¡¯t be needed to the orphanage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice idea. Shall we tell our ssmates who have siblings, too?¡± Noah added which brought a new idea to Cayenne¡¯s mind. Instead of doing it on her own, why not ask her ssmates to do the same and join her to do this? In that way, many people could help and many people will be helped.


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it with themter in our group chat.¡±


    The three of them continued sorting out the items while chatting about the orphanage that Cayenne discovered through a fan. She told them about the situation, the location, and how the locals tried to help this orphanage for the children to survive day by day.


    Unlike orphanages that can be found in the city with many donations, this orphanage was found in a mountain area. At first, a couple picked up a child on the road and brought the child home. They even posted it online but no one responded to im the baby. Of course, no stupid person would do that after throwing their child. They¡¯d be sued for abandonment.


    The department of children¡¯s welfare responded to this post at that time and helped the child find a foster parent. Later on, this incident happened again and the same department helped. Time after time, this incident kept happening for a few months of interval and soon, the department of children¡¯s welfare was beginning to suspect the nearby vige that it was their own children that they neglected. Being a poor countryside vige, they didn¡¯t want the hassle of being under the limelight with many people beginning to judge them. In the end, they took the responsibility for these abandoned children and made a small home for them. If these vigers knew something about thew, they could have filed a case against the government agency. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t that knowledgeable about thews governing their country.


    Since this became part of their daily life, they no longer mind it.

 Chapter 731

    Chapter 731: THOMAS HAS DOUBTS


    After dinner, Cayenne asked one of the bodyguards to send her friends to their respective homes. With their help, she finally finished sorting the clothes and the toys.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for the other package.¡± Cayenne muttered and went to the storage room. She only nned to take a look for now and deal with it the next day since she only needed to leave for university in the afternoon.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡± Stefan asked even though he had unfinished work himself. ¡°It won¡¯t take long if we do it together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just check what is inside the package. I won¡¯t take long.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take a shower first.¡±


    That night, Cayenne found what M sent her. There was a bunch of stuff inside the package and all of them came from international brand names. ¡®Make use of them to help others.¡¯ Cayenne frown at the small note taped under the cover of the package. As far as she knew, well-known people have their own foundation or sometimes they find a foundation that they want to support and stick on that.


    Not wasting another second, she sent M a message and waited for the woman to respond. However, instead of replying to her message, M called right away.


    .....


    ¡°Do you like them?¡± M asked excitedly. ¡°Some of them came from my friends.¡±


    ¡°Why are you giving them away? Don¡¯t you have your own foundation that might need these?¡±


    ¡°Well, I love designing clothes and going for trips here and there. I love to hang out with friends and shop. Except for these things, I don¡¯t want to do anything else.¡±


    ¡°So, you never joined a fund-raising event?¡±


    ¡°Never. I think it¡¯s boring and I¡¯d rather spend time with my pen and sketchbookpared to that. Whenever I get invitation, I will send someone to go in my behalf and make donation. I¡¯m not really like you and Stefan or Travis.¡±


    ¡°Well, I totally understand. Unlike you, I have so much free time which is why thingse to mind and I decide to act on it rather than wait. Now that I have means to help, I¡¯ll do the best I can to make it possible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really great! Anyway, just let me know once you ran out of clothes to sell. I will ask the people I know to declutter.¡±


    ¡°Thanks M. Can you send me the name of the people who owns these items? I¡¯ll post somethingter in my social media ount.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll send you a messageter. Also, have you discussed the photoshoot schedule with Stefan?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let me know once you are done and if you want to change the schedule. I want to make sure that we¡¯d be able toe up with solution if something happens.¡±


    ¡°Thanks again M.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Yen. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    ¡°Yes. See you.¡±


    When the call ended, Cayenne took a deep breath from the overwhelming emotions. She never thought that M would entrust her something so huge when they just met not long ago. ¡°Many kids will be helped because of her kindness.¡±


    Upstairs, instead of taking a shower, Stefan was held up by Thomas who called him as well. Thetter seemed trouble about something and he kept asking if Stefan had ever dreamed of something that never happened.


    ¡°What nonsense are you asking? Of course, if you dream about it, that means it doesn¡¯t happen yet.¡±


    Thomas scratched his head and thought how to say the things in his mind. He felt like Stefan wasn¡¯t getting the point that he meant. ¡°Look, the dream that I am talking about is not the dream that you wish to have. It¡¯s the dream. The one you get at night. It could be a nightmare, too.¡±


    ¡°So? What¡¯s this dream about?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, what we think during the day wille to haunt us at night, right? Or something that didn¡¯t happen before wille in your dream or maybe it happened before already.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you talking about?¡±


    Thomas poked the inner side of his mouth with his tongue. He wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to say this. ¡°Well, there¡¯s this woman and I wasn¡¯t interested with her romantically. I didn¡¯t even think of having sex with her.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Then, I don¡¯t know. I just...hell! She came into my dream.¡±


    ¡°You never dreamed of her before?¡±


    ¡°No. Yes. I mean, I did. But the dreams I had of her wasn¡¯t really interesting. Just random stuff that normal friends would do.¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡±


    ¡°Stefan!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening bro. I just wanted to make sure that I am getting the right picture.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to picture anything!¡± Thomas exasperatedly said because he felt frustrated right now. He didn¡¯t have anyone else to talk to because Travis didn¡¯t reply to him. If Stefan didn¡¯t reply, he wouldn¡¯t have anyone to chat right now. He couldn¡¯t really tell M about it because it involved her. ¡°If I¡¯m dreaming of doing lewd things with someone, does that mean I like her? That¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°No. Men dream about anyone they wanted to do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not like you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    ¡°So, you are saying that I don¡¯t like her and maybe I am just sexually frustrated?¡±


    ¡°Could be.¡±


    The two of them kept talking about this until Cayenne came inside. Stefan told Thomas that they¡¯d talk about itter because his wife has arrived. In the end, Stefan didn¡¯t know who Thomas meant and thetter didn¡¯t really get the answer to his question.


    Thomas wasn¡¯t sure if Stefan was just fooling him or if he was serious with his answer. [So, I don¡¯t like M and was just using her image out of frustration? That never happened before.} Thomas thought as he put down his phone on the table. Things kepting to his head and he wasn¡¯t sure what was happening to him. [Did something happen that night?] If there¡¯s anyone who can answer his question, that would be M. However, he didn¡¯t have the courage to ask her such nonsense. She might even hate him for thinking such a thing. ¡°Damn it!¡±

 Chapter 732

    Chapter 732: HER OWN FOUNDATION


    Not saying anything, Cayenne pounced on Stefan and rubbed her face on his neck. ¡°Hon.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    Stefan¡¯s throaty chuckle rang out in their room as he lifted her up and carried her to their bed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I just felt so blessed after meeting you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have regrets even when I caused your life to be in danger?¡±


    ¡°I would still have been in danger even if I didn¡¯t meet you. If I didn¡¯t meet you, no one wille to save me time and time again. But because I met you, those dangers pose no threat to me.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m blessed to have you in my life as well. Youplete me, Ayen. The qualities that I don¡¯t have, you possess them.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe. We¡¯re both half of the same whole.¡±


    ¡°Correct. And I thank God for giving you to me.¡±


    ¡°I am so touched right now and I literally mean it.¡± Stefan grinned mischievously at his raging hard on pressing on her. The sincere and pure moment turned hot and passionate because of how horny he was. ¡°How could you be having that right now? We weren¡¯t even talking about anything lewd.¡±


    ¡°Anything about you turns me on anytime of the day. Do you know how hard it is to control myself during meetings when I think of you?¡±


    ¡°Why would you even think of me during your meetings? You have to listen to your subordinates.¡±


    ¡°Elena is always there to note the information for me.¡±


    ¡°Your helpless.¡±


    ¡°So, what are we going to do with this now?¡± He even rubbed his bulging pants on his back. ¡°Wifey, this baby needs help.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Why should I? You¡¯re not even helping me have a baby.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it tonight.¡±


    ¡°You are tricking me again. You do it yourself.¡±


    Even though she refused, Cayenne still ended up getting tricked by his dear husband. The sound of making a baby with him was enticing to her only that, Stefan protected his baby-making tool with the ultra-thin condom that he bought when he visited a pharmacy to get another stock. Usually, he would only buy the normal ones that he used but thinking about how his wife wanted a baby, he decided to ask the saledy if they have anything that¡¯s thinner. And that was how he got it.


    Cayenne felt him release himself inside her. She felt them trickling inside her walls but when Stefan pulled out, she also felt the emptiness inside her. Stefan pulled the condom immediately before Cayenne could see them. ¡°You didn¡¯t use anything?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I feel weird.¡± Cayenne muttered while rubbing her t stomach. ¡°I thought it was there.¡±


    ¡°The fruit of yourbor will show soon.¡±


    Cayenne smiled happily and Stefan felt guilty with what he did. She was always sincere with wanting a baby but he always tricks her to not make it happen yet. [I¡¯ll throw them away tomorrow and let fate takes it course.]


    Three dayster, since they no longer have ss and was just waiting for their grades, Cayenne took this chance to meet with her ssmates who agreed to Noah¡¯s idea about decluttering their homes. Stefan even booked one of his restaurants for his wife¡¯s use.


    ¡°I got more things from my sisterpared to my things. Since I didn¡¯t change much in size, most of my things stay the same over the years.¡± Faithmented when she met Cayenne.


    ¡°I told my friends about this event and they also gathered some of their things that they don¡¯t use anymore. I also got some of my school supplies which I won¡¯t use anymore for this year. I hope they¡¯ll find someone who will use them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have many toys but I have a lot of shoes.¡±


    They chatted about the things they got which could help many people but Noah started to worry about something. ¡°Yenyen, we didn¡¯t think of this before but now that we got so many things, where are we storing them? We still have to sort them out before giving them away, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I discussed this matter with Stefan since his friend sent us a huge package for fund-raising as well. He said that he¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you make your own foundation?¡± One of her ssmates asked which stunned everyone for a while before nodding their head like hens pecking for food.


    ¡°Right. You can have your own foundation and affiliated it with Stefan¡¯s business. In that way, they will know that you are reliable.¡± Agreed by her other ssmate.


    ¡°I never thought of that before.¡± Cayenne responded with a curious expression. ¡°I¡¯ll discuss this matter with my husband. I can¡¯t just decide on my own with this.¡±


    With all that being said, Cayenne thanked everyone who lent their hands to help more people and discussed when they should gather all the things so that she could pick them up. Realizing that their decluttered items could be heavy, Cayenne decided to let the bodyguards pick the items instead.


    With the donations and all the ideasing up, Cayenne got so busy to the point that she never noticed some of their things at home were missing. With M¡¯s package alone, so much time was taken already and she never realized that she was spending less time at Stefan¡¯spany.


    Stefan wasn¡¯t worried about this anymore. They were starting to get used to being separated but mostly, it was because she was only at home. She rarely goes out to meet with people and most of her friends or ssmates would just visit her to help with the items.


    ¡°Hon, we will be going to the orphanage tomorrow, right? What time will we return? I wanted to bring you to a ce.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back around noon or in the afternoon depending on the traffic.¡± Stefan only nodded and Cayenne didn¡¯t say anything either. She was busy double checking the things that they will bring for tomorrow¡¯s event that will take ce on a mountainous vige. She could only hope that things will go well.


    Far from the city, crossing the mountains and seas, a woman was looking into a magazine which showed a photo of Cayenne and Stefan. There was no emotion on her face or in her eyes. However, every day, she would stare at this photo emotionlessly.

 Chapter 733

    Chapter 733: THE VILLAGE I


    Since this was a coborative effort with her ssmates, Cayenne invited those who were free to join her for the donation event. Although there was no ss, some of her ssmates already nned different things so, not many of them coulde.


    The mountainous vige was quite far from where they came from but it was worth the travel because the ce was breathtakingly beautiful. The vast expanse of rice fields which she thought must have supplied the rice of all citizens of the country was green with rice stalks. There were many farming animals, too.


    ¡°It feels like we came to a different world.¡± Faithmented while looking outside the window and taking in the fresh air which was blowing her face. ¡°How did you get in touch with the people here?¡±


    ¡°Remember the fan who left the message? I DM¡¯ed her and ask about the ce as well as the details. Apparently, she was one of the kids who were raised in the said orphanage but she¡¯s currently working as a waitress in one of the restaurants in the city.¡±


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s good that she still thinks of the ce. Is she going to meet us?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t leave her work. The vige chief wille and meet us.¡±


    Stefan was silently driving beside her with his other hand holding Cayenne¡¯s. Since they were in an unfamiliar ce, he kept himself alert for anything. At the same, one of his bodyguards already scouted this ce to see if they should guard themselves from anyone. After all, prevention is better than cure.


    .....


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique,¡± a middle-aged woman greeted them when they parked their cars on the roadside because there was no parking space avable for vehicles. ¡°We are d to have you here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our honor to be acquainted with your benevolent subjects. I believe that Zia exined everything to you already?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she did. Come this way.¡± Without wasting another second, the woman led them to where the orphanage was. ¡°I¡¯m Jojie, the vige chief. Over the years, we have gathered abandoned children here and provide help as much as we could since we could no longer trust the government. So far, they¡¯ve been doing really well even though weck to provide them some of the basic needs.¡±


    ¡°How many children do you have right now?¡± Stefan asked since it has been several years since this vige started taking care of abandoned children.


    ¡°Currently, we have 35 children of all ages. Those who can work have started working for different households by helping the farm or taking care of the animals. Those who are of legal age are now working in the city. Some have gotten married already at the very young age.¡±


    ¡°Does anyone teach them to read and write?¡±


    ¡°Although our vige is small, we have a primary school here and the children were allowed to join the ss. Sometimes, the teachers whoe from the city will give them papers and pen but most of the time, they only borrow from the other children. Those who wanted to continue their studies went to the city to attend high school and work at night.¡±


    Noah knew that there are many less fortunate people in the world, that many children have been abandoned and he thought that those who are in orphanages were taken care of. This situation has proven him wrong.


    After few minutes of walking, they finally reached the ce that the vigers built for the children. The house was made of wood and there were two rooms inside, respectively for boys and girls. There was a small kitchen with bare utensils and there was no other furniture except for the table in the middle of it.


    ¡°Hi.¡± Cayenne¡¯s ssmate greeted the little girl who was peeking from one of the rooms.


    Instead of greeting back, the little girl hid from them.


    The door to the male¡¯s room opened and a little boy came out who probably just woke up because he was walking unsteadily with eyes closed. He didn¡¯t even notice them as he walked to the kitchen and poured a ss of water for himself.


    He was so skinny that Cayenne thought he¡¯d be blown away if there¡¯s a strong gust of wind.


    ¡°Good morning, Ari.¡± Jojie greeted which jolted the child awake and made him turn to look at them. It was only until this moment that he realized there were so many people in their house.


    Looking at them one by one, Ari finally bowed a little and greeted them meekly while still holding the chipped mug.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind their behavior. The kids are always shy when visitorse around.¡±


    ¡°How often do you get visitors here?¡± Faith inquired because she has little doubts in her heart. It¡¯s not because she didn¡¯t want to help but because she didn¡¯t want her help to be wasted.


    In her mind, since this orphanage wasn¡¯t registered as a legit ce for children to stay under any foundation, the vigers might be using them to gain something from the help of other people. She knew that she was being judgmental but she couldn¡¯t help thinking that way after all, why didn¡¯t they bring the children to the legit orphanages in the city where social workers could look after them?


    ¡°We don¡¯t often receive visitors here.¡± Jojie answered Faith. ¡°Usually, visitors woulde around Christmas to donate some toys that they no longer like. Other times, people woulde and donate food to the children.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought of sending the children to the orphanages in the city?¡± one of Cayenne¡¯s ssmates asked.


    ¡°We did but we will need money for travel expenses and going to the city is expensive. Instead of doing that, we would rather by food for them.¡±


    Cayenne could understand why her ssmates asked those questions because she also has the same concern. ¡°Anyway, we came to give the children some of the things we no longer need. I hope this could help them even a little.¡±


    Jojie¡¯s eyes lit up and she smiled brightly at them. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. They will be very happy. I will call the children out of their rooms first.¡±


    Along the way, Stefan had been observing the woman as well as the people they have crossed paths earlier. He noted every little reactioning from them without telling Cayenne anything. Right now, he only wanted her to do what she likes doing.


    ¡°Hon, I¡¯ll just and look around.¡± Stefan said and kissed Cayenne¡¯s forehead before leaving. ¡°Always keep the bodyguards around you.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t go too far ande back soon.¡±

 Chapter 734

    Chapter 734: THE VILLAGE II


    At the back of the house, Stefan called one of the bodyguards¡¯ attentions. The questions that Cayenne¡¯s ssmates asked raised suspicions deep in his heart. At the same time, he didn¡¯t want to affect his wife¡¯s gentle and generous character. He¡¯ll just have to y his part as the best husband in the world.


    ¡°Check this ce once again for me. See if there¡¯s anything suspicious from the vigers like how they treat the children after getting donations from different people.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll do it right away.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best if you do it tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    While Cayenne was busy dealing with the event along with her ssmates, Stefan just watched from the sideline with his phone in hand. He would never miss taking pictures of his wife when a chance is being offered. He won¡¯t exchange such opportunity for the world.


    After the event, Stefan treated everyone to lunch since they help his wife aplish another milestone in her life. He wanted to thank them for being there when she needed help.


    .....


    ¡°You are so generous, Mr. Dumrique.¡±


    Stefan: ¡°No. My wife is the generous one.¡±


    ¡°You always help people whenever they are in need.¡±


    Stefan: ¡°No. My wife is the one who helps everyone.¡±


    ¡°Cayenne is very lucky to have you.¡±


    Stefan: ¡°No. I am the lucky man for having Ayen in my life.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Dumrique dotes on his wife so much.¡±


    Stefan only smiled and kissed Cayenne¡¯s knuckles in front of everyone. There was no need for words. Everyone can see how much he loves her.


    After their lunch, Stefan brought Cayenne to the ce that he wanted her to see the most. It was his surprise for her and he was very excited to see her reaction. As a husband who always thinks of his wife¡¯s well-being, her reaction to everything he does means so much to him.


    ¡°Are we going to your office?¡± Cayenne asked when she saw the streets they were driving through. ¡°You have pending work? Do you need help?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to my office.¡±


    ¡°Then, where are we heading to?¡±


    ¡°To your office.¡±


    Cayenne frowned at his words because she wasn¡¯t sure if he was joking or not. After all, she didn¡¯t have any office; nothing as far as she could remember.


    ¡°What¡¯s with your expression?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an expression of disbelief.¡± She retorted and made snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t have an office. So, stop lying and tell me where we are heading to.¡±


    ¡°I just said it. We are going to your office.¡±


    ¡°But I ¨C wait! You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Cayenne asked with a wide smile forming on her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t have an office unless this is something about what you saidst time.¡¯


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About the office where I can store the things for fundraising events and at the same time organize events. Isn¡¯t this about that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for you to find out.¡±


    ¡°No way! I am sure about this!¡±


    Cayenne was already excited just by thinking of what was in store for her. She really wanted to see what was her office going to be like. Since it was Stefan who chose it, she was already expecting it to have a minimalist tone. Not that she was bothered with it since she likes his taste so much ¨C be it the taste of his body or his taste on things.


    About fifteen minutester, Cayenne saw the building of Stefan¡¯spany and her excitement vanished when she watched him drove to the parking space at the basement. He just said that they were going to her office but they arrived at his building.


    ¡°Why did you make fun of me?¡± Cayenne blurted and kicked his foot angrily. ¡°You burst my bubbles.¡±


    Stefan chuckled as he got out of the car but even when he came to open the door for her, Cayenne refused toe out. ¡°C¡¯mon, hon. I was not lying. I will bring you to your office.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°The office is within this building and there is another one beside the building which you can use for fundraising events.¡± Cayenne was still adamant to believe him but realizing the fact that he always tried to make her happy, she erased the thought of him pranking her. She told herself that Stefan would never do that.


    And she was right!


    Stefan led Cayenne to the 7th floor of the building and made a turn on the east wing. There, she saw Elena and Martin talking about something while Tristan sat on the bench typing something on hisputer ¨C a normal sight for Tristan.


    ¡°Good afternoon, boss. Good afternoon, Ms. Yen.¡± Elena greeted and was followed by Martin.


    ¡°Have you prepared everything?¡± Stefan asked as he walked to the huge double door.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Stefan nodded his head without stopping for a moment and opened one side of the door to let Cayenne inside. ¡°Wee to your office.¡±


    Cayenne was extremely surprised that the ce wasn¡¯t of two colors. It has vibrant colors of green and white with some shade of yellow here and there. The furniture was white with little touches of green. It was cool to the eyes and wasn¡¯t boring. There were some books to relieve her boredom and when she checked them, she found out that they came from her favorite authors.


    Aside from the cozy mini living room, there was another door that led her to a huge wardrobe and there she saw the apparels that M and her ssmates sent. Some of them were ced inside the ss panels while others have been ced inside a big box. It didn¡¯t look like the warehouse that she imagined it would be. It was like a personal collection for her.


    ¡°I love this.¡± Cayenne muttered and hugged her husband who never left her side. ¡°Hubby, I really, really love this.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen the fundraising venue yet.¡±


    ¡°For sure, I will also love it unconditionally. It is the fruit of your love and hard work.¡±


    ¡°So...¡± Stefan leaned closer and gently bit Cayenne¡¯s ears. ¡°do I get a prize tonight?¡±


    ***


    At night, the chief of the vige went to the orphanage and opened the door without even asking the children for permission. Even if they built the ce, they still need to respect the children who live there. Following behind her were some of the people that Cayenne and Stefan met earlier as well.


    ¡°Take it out!¡± She ordered and the children hurriedly took out the things that Cayenne and her ssmates brought earlier.


    ¡°Ari! Where is that bag you got earlier? I saw one of thedies gave you a backpack.¡±


    ¡°But she said it is mine.¡±


    The vige chief pinched the boy¡¯s face angrily and red at him. ¡°We brought you up with ourbor. You have to pay us back for keeping you alive! Do you get me?!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡± The little boy answered with tears hanging on hisshes. Despite the pain he felt, he refused to cry in front of the adults.


    ¡°Good!¡± She finally let go of him with a little push and grabbed the bag that Ari was holding. ¡°Don¡¯t ever try to hide anything from me.¡± And after what she did, the other vigers started taking whatever they like from the donations that the children received during the day. They took most of the clothes as well as the food which were meant for the children.


    Unknown to them, the bodyguard that Stefan asked to investigate the vige had seen this thing unfold in front of him. He was hiding behind the door of the male¡¯s room. Nobody expected that they¡¯d be exposed like this to the world.

 Chapter 735

    Chapter 735: EXPOSED VILLAGERS


    When Zia received a message from Elena regarding the orphanage, she wasn¡¯t surprised at all. She already expected to receive a message from Cayenne¡¯s side and she was happy that she did.


    Right now, she was sitting in front of Tristan with aputer in front of her. There was an open video call but there was no one on the other side of the call yet. However, with the name at the bottom, she knew that she would be talking to Stefan.


    ¡°As long as you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, you don¡¯t have to be worried,¡± Tristan told the young woman who was barely legal. They thought was already of legal age because she was already working but when they asked her basic questions upon her arrival, they found out that she was still 17 years old and was using fake IDs to work.


    ¡°Hi.¡± Zia was startled when Stefan suddenly talked on the other side. ¡°I just finished cooking breakfast for my wife.¡± Zia just smiled faintly without saying anything. ¡°Do you have any idea why you are called today Ms. Zia?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, tell me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here because of what I did to your wife.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Bingo! So, why did you do that?¡±


    Zia fiddled with her thumbs from anxiety as she kept her head low and avoided meeting Stefan¡¯s eyes. She was afraid. ¡°Unlike other people, I know that Mrs. Dumrique genuinely cares for the children. I know she would notice something if it was her. I know she would be able to free those children from the unfairness.¡±


    ¡°You knew about their nasty treatment and probably experienced it as well. Why didn¡¯t you tell my wife? She could have looked for other ways instead of wasting her time there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I just really want to help the children because I don¡¯t have the power to do so.¡±


    Stefan couldpletely understand her and he wasn¡¯t really mad. He just wanted to know if they could still trust this woman onest time. ¡°Since that is the case, why don¡¯t you report them?¡±


    ¡°No one would believe them.¡±


    ¡°If you have a solid piece of evidence, would you do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ***


    Since there were no sses anymore while the teachers finalized their students¡¯ grades, Cayenne had so much free time in hand. She was helping Jonas in her vegetable garden to water the nts as well as pull some weeds even though Stefan told her not to do it.


    After that, she washed theirundry and checked some of their things which made her realize that the missing items fromst time were just in the closet and some of the items presentst time was now gone. She didn¡¯t know what was going on and she knew that no one from their household took them. First, their clothes have always been washed by her or by Stefan separately, and sometimes, they wash their clothes in aundry shop. Their helpers would never get inside the master¡¯s bedroom unless she asked them to. So, she never suspected them. And yet, she didn¡¯t know where they could have gone. Some of their kitchenware were missing, too.


    ¡°This is so weird,¡± Cayenne told herself as she looked for some tea sets and bowls. ¡°I probably misced them.¡±


    Cayenne was doing whatever she can to be productive in the morning when her phone rang incessantly. Seeing Faith¡¯s face on the screen, she answered immediately and listened to what this girl wanted toin this time. To her surprise and disappointment, it was about her misjudgment. She never thought that she would hear such horrible news about the kids. Thankfully, she already thinks about doing this thing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. Those children were already suffering! Did you see their bones sticking sharply to their skin?! It was a horrible sight. I have been so guilty since I arrived home and to hear this news, it angers me to the boiling point!¡±


    ¡°Calm down. Chill. I¡¯ll think about this. I am so d that we didn¡¯t give everything in one go.¡±


    Faith calmed down a little but not five secondster, she burst out in anger once again. Of course, she¡¯d be angry because of what the vigers did and Cayenne could understand that. She didn¡¯t want her friend to stop helping others just because of this one incident.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll bring justice to our effort and make sure that those children will not suffer anymore.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you say so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a message once I have settled everything on my end.¡±


    The inte was blown away by this issue and the government agency responsible for child care was also called out for being irresponsible over the years. If they believed the vigers before, if they didn¡¯t stop caring for these children, these innocent babies wouldn¡¯t be taken advantage of.


    ¡°Cayenne is very kind. That is why many people would take advantage of her kindness.¡±


    ¡°I felt bad for Mrs. Dumrique and her ssmates who came to help.¡±


    ¡°This is the fault of those people in the Department of Child Welfare. They should have responded to this a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°If Cayenne didn¡¯t show off her kindness and generosity, no one would do this to her.¡±


    ¡°Cayenne is not showing off, alright! Being kind is already given to her. If you can¡¯t even help people like her then, shut up!¡±


    ¡°She could always help without publishing it in her post or her vlog.¡±


    ¡°She publishes it because she wanted people to know it wasn¡¯t just her effort. You are just envious of her.¡±


    Words of support, as well as negative voices, have emerged from this issue and it was directed to Cayenne. Being in the eye of this storm, she decided to keep her mouth sealed, lest she¡¯d make things worse. All she wanted to do now was to get those children out of harm¡¯s way and punish those vigers for what they did.


    Tristan and Elena sent Zia to the orphanage first since she was still a minor. If people find out that she was using fake IDs, she would still be taken away and her employer might be punished for taking her in.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our madam will get in touch with you soon. She will find a way for you to work again. For now, just stay here and wait until you turn 18.¡± Elena stated while gently patting the girl¡¯s head. ¡°The people here are good. They take care of children and do not take advantage of them. You can help them a little if you feel indebted.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for everything that you have done.¡±


    ¡°Save your ¡®thank you¡¯ for our madam next time.¡±

 Chapter 736

    Chapter 736: UNTITLED


    At night, Cayenne snuggled warmly with her husband who spoils her a lot. Today, she thought that their trust and care for each other have grown deeper. Stefan still pampers her at the same time, he started to make her face challenges as well. If it was before, he would face the challenges for her. He will be her shield.


    ¡°So, why did you let me see the news? Usually, you would hide this kind of thing from me.¡±


    ¡°But I cannot hide them forever. Honestly, I thought of covering this matter and just letting you continue what you love doing. Then, I realized that you won¡¯t grow from there. As much as I want you to depend on me, I also want you to be stronger.¡±


    ¡°It was really unexpected but I am happy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d. I thought you¡¯d be hurt and disappointed after what happened.¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± She admitted and her voice turned low when she remembered the news. ¡°I can¡¯t really do anything about it now. I just hope that those children will be fine after this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I told Jill about your concern and she already talked to the headmaster of their orphanage. They will be taking the child into their custody.¡±


    .....


    Feeling relieved and happy, Cayenne finally fell asleep in her husband¡¯s arms. She even had a smile on her face as she slept.


    With a new goal in mind, Cayenne spent her days sorting the donations she received as well as organizing fundraising events. Since her office is located in Stefan¡¯spany, he didn¡¯t need to spend a long time traveling just to see her. He even thought of bringing his work to Cayenne¡¯s office and working there with her which his wife refused tantly.


    Cayenne worked day in and day out without noticing anything at all. She was busier than when she was attending her sses. Thinking about the smiles that the kids will show on their faces upon receiving her gifts, she was motivated to do more.


    Her friends donated other things for her to sell and Jill even helped her organize and auction. Since knew a lot of people in the entertainment business, it was easier for her to gather people from wealthy family.


    Her work was the greatest distraction which was advantageous to Stefan. He was able to have a meeting with the wedding organizers without getting busted by his wife. He was able to talk to his house manager and the interior designer with peace of mind.


    ¡°The first batch of the flowers will arrive tomorrow. It was for the garden. Also, you have toe once in a while to train the dogs with the hired trainer. I also asked Elena to schedule aplete house tour for you. It¡¯s 99% done and will bepleted if you say so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow through with the schedule.¡±


    The wedding was a week from now and Stefan was very excited. He didn¡¯t know how this will turn out but he was giving it his all for the happiness of his wife. [I¡¯ll probably get scolded for spending so much money.] He thought and grinned because this was the most expected reaction from her.


    A lot of people knew about this now but they were tight-lipped and he was thankful for that. His only worry was M and Thomas Aizenberg. He felt that something was wrong with these two people. When he calls M while speaking with Thomas, she would say that she¡¯s not avable. If he calls Thomas with M on the line, he would say that he was busy. It was obvious that they were avoiding each other. And he has no idea what happened that caused this rift between them.


    In London, Thomas was lying on his bed with his camera next to him. Some images flooded his mind and he wasn¡¯t sure if this was made by him subconsciously or if this really happened. Added to the fact that M was avoiding him, he felt like he did something wrong to her.


    ¡°Did it happen or not? Happen or not,¡± he muttered again and again without getting close to his conclusion. ¡°Should I just act like normal? If something did happen, isn¡¯t it unfair to her that I¡¯m acting like nothing happened? Ugh. What should I do?¡±


    On the other hand, M was cleaning up her room and packed some of her personal things that she needed for work. Some of them have been moved to her other property which was in Baguio. She likes this ce so much because it felt like a different world to her. Thus, when she decided to build a rest house, she decided to buy a spacious lot from this province and created her safe haven.


    She still got so much work left to do and all of them were custom-designed dresses that needed utmost attention and supervision during production. This will be very hectic and tiring for her but she will find a way to deal with it. The only thing she needed to finalize was the wedding surprise for Cayenne.


    Making sure that nothing will go wrong, she sent Stefan a message. ¡°I will arrive there three days before the surprise for the fitting of the dress. Just tell her whatever excuse you can think of.¡±


    ¡°Are youing with Thomas?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    This cold ¡®No¡¯ told Stefan that something really happened. He really wanted to know because they were his friends but he didn¡¯t want to appear nosy into their lives.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell Ayen about it.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You are looking at this man again.¡± The woman said while wiping the other woman¡¯s face and arms. ¡°Do you like him?¡±


    Every day, she talks to her even though she was not getting any response. Whenever she could find anything rted to Stefan Dumrique, she would buy it and show it to the other woman because her eyes only showed emotion when she sees this man.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    There was no answer. She lost count of how many times she asked this question already but she was met with silence again and again.


    It has been more than 27 years since this woman arrived with Dr. Albert. She was unconscious at that time with so many apparatuses attached to her body. Even though he was spending so much money on her, he didn¡¯t give up. Three years after that, she gained consciousness but she could not talk or move. Until now, she was not making any sound and she could only walk several steps a day with the help of her nurse.


    ¡°Alright. I have cleaned your arms and face already. Let¡¯s go and eat.¡±

 Chapter 737

    Chapter 737: WEDDING DRESSES


    Three dayster, M arrived in City A with her assistant and few hourster, three wedding dresses came via expedited shipping. The gowns were dazzling but two of these were just props for Cayenne. The gown that she will wear was the one that Stefan designed personally.


    Stefan reserved a room for her and her assistant in one of his hotels to make sure that she won¡¯t have a hard time.


    ¡°This is weird, you know.¡± Cayenne voiced out when they met the next day after M¡¯s arrival. She was wearing one of the wedding gowns props while M made adjustments here and there.


    ¡°What¡¯s weird about modeling? You have tried it already.¡±


    ¡°The weird thing is me wearing these dresses. Stefan and I haven¡¯t even done this.¡±


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you tell him you want a wedding? It¡¯s not a bad thing to ask.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. If I do that, he will only throw his riches on that wedding. I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s a bad thing but I don¡¯t want him to waste his money on me.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Dear, spending money for your loved ones isn¡¯t a waste. It¡¯s part of the rtionship. And knowing Stefan, he probably feels like getting an affirmation that he has done his best when he spends a lot for you and your family. After all, he never had anything or anyone he can spend his money on.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it.¡± Cayenne dismissed unnaturally which brought a smile on M¡¯s lips. She didn¡¯t know that she already struck a chord in Cayenne¡¯s heart when they talked about wedding. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to start shooting in two days. When will Thomas arrive?¡±


    M stiffened for a moment she heard his name but was able to recover immediately. Since Cayenne didn¡¯t know anything, she acted normally and told Cayenne what she knew. As far as she knew from the information she got, Thomas has to fly to Vienna today for work and will book another flight after that to get to City A.


    ¡°Are you going to visit Travis and his family?¡± Cayenne asked a few minutester when she remembered that Travis was also M¡¯s friends.


    ¡°He already set an appointment for us to meet. I think it¡¯s on the night of your photoshoot.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s good.¡±


    Cayenne has no idea that it was also night of her big wedding. Of course, they¡¯d set an appointment on that night since they will be meeting on her wedding party.


    One after another, M asked Cayenne to try on the wedding gowns for adjustments until the final work which was her coboration with Stefan¡¯s design. It was an off-shoulder ivory-colored wedding gown which was made of Frenchce, drizzled with thousands of Swarovski crystals, cinched at the waist with a ball skirt thates with a cascading cathedral train at the back. And the tiara that will hold her veil of scalloped tulle andce was made of mother pearl, a crown befitting her image as Stefan¡¯s queen.


    ¡°Why are you so quiet?¡± M asked when Cayenne put on the final wedding gown. Her eyes never left this piece and she has this curious frown on her face. ¡°Do you like this?¡±


    ¡°It looks beautiful. It¡¯s grand. I mean, how many crystals have you put in this so far? This must be very expensive.¡±


    ¡°Not many.¡± M answered without telling Cayenne the exact number. If she does and Cayenne finds out about the weddingter on, Stefan will surely get burned with her scoldings. She didn¡¯t want to talk about the price with Cayenne who¡¯s very tight when ites to money.


    [I think I¡¯ve seen this gown before.] Cayenne thought silently while watching herself in the mirror in front of her. The gown looked dazzling and she didn¡¯t even know where to ce her hands. She was afraid that a crystal will fall off she touches it. [Where have I seen this?]


    ¡°M.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Have you publicized this wedding gown before? Like, did you show your design to the public when you made this?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I did not.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She just couldn¡¯t remember where she saw this gown but she really felt that she had seen this somewhere. Pushing this thought to the back of her mind, she cooperated with M until the fitting was done.


    That night, Cayenne couldn¡¯t sleep because the gown bothered her. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because she really likes it or if it was because the gown was very familiar to her. Seeing those wedding dresses, putting them on, watching herself in the mirror, she felt that she wanted to have a church wedding as well.


    With her tossing and turning beside him, no matter how much she tried to move slowly, Stefan still woke up and found her wide awake in the middle of the night.


    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± he asked as he moved closer and hugged her from the back ¡°What¡¯s keeping you up?¡±


    ¡°The wedding gowns.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Why? You want to have a wedding now? We can do that.¡±


    ¡°It takes a whole lot of nning, time and supervision. It¡¯s tiring.¡±


    ¡°I never got tired.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Cayenne turned around to face him and pinched his nose. ¡°You are still thinking of giving me a grand wedding, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Why not? My Queen deserves that.¡±


    ¡°I like a church wedding.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I want tulips in my bouquet.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°I want...¡±


    Cayenne was just going along with Stefan¡¯s idea of grand wedding without knowing that her wedding was just few days away. She thought it was just passing conversation between them to make her sleep but all those preferences, she¡¯d surely see them on her wedding. After all, Stefan had been studying her likes and dislikes from the moment they lived together. It was all because he wanted to give the best for her.


    Watching her sleeping face Stefan scratched the tip of his nose and let out faint chuckles because of their conversation. He knew that she will scold him if she finds out the total amount of money that he spent so, he thought of using his friends as his shield.


    He already nned which person should ept responsibility for which thing. Luna for wedding invitation. Jill for the church. M for the gown. And so on. He only hopes that Cayenne will just go along with him.

 Chapter 738

    Chapter 738: SECRET PRENUP


    Two dayster.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try go with this wedding gown first.¡± M said and brought Cayenne to the changing room. After putting on the clothes, she came out to get her hair and makeup done. David was there to help Stefan with his look that would match his bride. Kai was also present since he knew which ces would be suitable for prenup.


    ¡°This feels like a prenuptial.¡± Cayenne joked to calm her nerves because she felt like her heart would burst out from her chest. She was just modeling for the wedding gowns but it feels like she was really getting married. ¡°Can you guys send me a copy of the picturester?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Thomas came in with his camera and walked toward M, looking professional and serious. Cayenne even thought that they had an argument because they never joked around like how they did during their trip to London.


    ¡°M, do you think she can get on one of these?¡± Thomas asked while showing the picture of theke with swans and a boat. ¡°I asked the caretaker about the swans and they gave me a go signal. We can do anything with them as long as we don¡¯t hurt them.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    .....


    Thomas showed more pictures to her and M just replied with ¡®good¡¯, ¡®great¡¯ and ¡®alright¡¯. For some reason, it irked Cayenne that these two friends were acting like strangers in front of her.


    Since it wasn¡¯t her character to be nosy, she just watched them and let them do whatever they want. If there¡¯s someone who can help them, it should be Stefan and Travis.


    Once she was done with her hair and makeup, Cayenne went out and found Stefan leaning on his car. All the thoughts inside her head flew out and she stopped on her track. He looked so handsome with his ck outfit which made her fall in love with him all over again. It sounds crazy but it feels like the first time sheid her eyes on him.


    ¡°Handsome?¡±


    Cayenne blinked her eyes several times and looked around her. She didn¡¯t realize that she was gazing at him for a long time and everyone was even looking at them. ¡°You are handsome with clothes on.¡±


    ¡°I am still handsome without these.¡± Stefan retorted and winked at her. ¡°I know you¡¯ll look good in wedding dresses. I should make one for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the epitome of beauty for you.¡±


    The two of them chatted and wereplimenting each other even though they always see each other at home. He knew she was beautiful and she knew he¡¯s handsome. There was no need for words but just for fun, they were boosting each other¡¯s confidence with theirpliments.


    ¡°First picture will be done in theke. Let¡¯s get you guys on the boat.¡± Thomas stated after showing them the picture of the ce that he got earlier.


    Hearing his words, Stefan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You want me to row a boat? I don¡¯t know how to do that. I¡¯d fall into the water.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to row a boat? That¡¯s a first.¡± Thomas retorted which made everyoneugh. ¡°I thought you are Mr. Perfect like everyone said.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not okay. Without my wife, I¡¯m iplete.¡±


    Silence. Silence. Silence. This man never misses his chance to boast his love life.


    With the help of many people, the emotion and the view that Thomas wanted to capture with his camera came to life.


    ¡°Look at her in the eyes.¡± Thomas shouted from thekeside. ¡°Yes, just like that. Make her fall for you again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one falling in love again.¡± Stefan muttered which caused Cayenne to smile beautifully. The timing was so perfect that Thomas wanted to send the picture as an entry to another photography contest.


    They moved from one location to another, taking pictures and videos here and there. Changing clothes, hairstyles and makeup; everything was so tiring for Cayenne because she was wearing high heels. Thankfully, Stefan was always there to rescue her feet by massaging them before and after taking pictures.


    Kai filmed everything using many cameras hidden around the corners when Cayenne and Stefan went inside to change their clothes. He has his own team who helped him set up everything and he was holding his drone to get a great footage from above.


    Since this was pre-nned, even the makeup rooms have hidden cameras. They were able to get Cayenne¡¯sints about weddings and how tiring a model¡¯s work.


    ¡°I wonder how models manage to walk in those high heels for a long period of time. I think I broke my toes.¡±


    ¡°If I eat something now, my stomach won¡¯t rip the dress, right?¡±


    ¡°How much do models eat to keep their figure?¡±


    ¡°Weddings didn¡¯t really need prenup photos, right? I have seen so many without getting those.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, I need to prepare wedding vows? Is it part of the video?¡±


    She has endless questions and M was there to answer all of these. Since she was responsible for Cayenne¡¯s look, she has to endure the chatter from this bride-to-be. She even had to lie about the wedding vow.


    ¡°Since it is just a video, I don¡¯t need to make it long. Also, I can just pretend like I¡¯m saying something.¡±


    ¡°Uhh...Yeah...we can do that, too.¡± M said but she knew that Cayenne will be able toe up with something when the real wedding happens.


    Suddenly, Cayenne stopped talking and she was staring at her face in the mirror. ¡°I think I know where I¡¯ve seen that gown.¡±


    M¡¯s hand stopped midair when she was about to put on Cayenne¡¯s lipstick. She started to worry for Stefan¡¯s surprise. ¡°Which gown?¡±


    ¡°Thest gown. The one that I will wear tomorrow for the finale.¡±


    ¡°You must have seen that in my collection book. Remember, I showed them to youst time when you visited London.¡±


    ¡°No, before that...well, you might be right.¡± [There¡¯s no way it was the same gown as the one that Stefan sketched. His sketch was messy and it didn¡¯t have the veil and tiara.]

 Chapter 739

    Chapter 739: [Bonus chapter] GETTING COLD FEET


    This bonus chapter is dedicated to Carrie_Parks_6168. Thank you so much for the golden tickets.


    :


    *


    On their way home, Cayenne received a message from Luiz stating that he was leaving with his brother and his father to have a men¡¯s night out. She wasn¡¯t the least bit suspicious about it since it was very seldom for the three of them to go out. It was only natural that she would agree to give them space.


    ¡°Elena messaged me that I need to finish the work I left at thepany tomorrow. It was the project for St. Martin. We are already in the final stage and it is crucial.¡±


    ¡°How about the photoshoot?¡±


    ¡°I already told M about it and she said she can adjust my time. I¡¯ll be there for the finale.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Oh. Okay. M told me that I should leave early tomorrow morning. Do you want to grab breakfast with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll cook early tomorrow.¡±


    The next day, the house was very quiet and Cayenne felt a little mncholic. Her brothers and her stepfather were not around. Erwin set out early to pick someone really important which was Sabrina, who came for another week-long vacation. Justin went home yesterday. Daisy and Dalia were busy watering the nts at the back of her house. Lucia was doing theundry. The only noise she could hear was the nking of pans and kitchen utensils which was most likely caused by Stefan.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± Cayenne greeted and hugged him from the back. ¡°My feet still hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a massage before you leave for work. Just sit there. I¡¯m almost done.¡±


    ¡°Stefan.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I feel nervous. I don¡¯t know why but I feel really anxious. You won¡¯t go anywhere else today, right?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Right after my work, I will follow you to City C.¡±


    She ate her breakfast slowly, wanting to spend more time with him before leaving the house but then, she received a message from M that they were on their way to the next site. She was left with no other choice but to hurry.


    Assigning more bodyguards to her, Stefan watched his wife leave the house withplicated emotions. He felt a little guilty for doing this to her at the same time, he was excited that the day he has been waiting for has finally arrived.


    ¡°Lucia? You can leave the house around 9:00 in the morning. Make sure to lock the doors before you leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Stefan went upstairs and took something from the jewelry boxes before leaving.


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited about the wedding. Let¡¯s hurry up and go.¡± Dalia told her sister while watering the vegetables. ¡°I wonder what the gown looks like. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°I also want to see Ms. Yen¡¯s gown.¡±


    While Cayenne sat gracefully in the backseat of Stefan¡¯s white Mercedes Benz convertible, which was rather odd because he never let anyone use this except him, all the people invited to her grand wedding were also preparing.


    Her entourage wasposed of many people close to her and Luna was obviously her maid of honor. Dominic was Stefan¡¯s best man and as expected, Kyle and Luiz were part of the groom¡¯s men. Jade was obviously joining in the fun and Chloe; Justin¡¯s little bride was also part of the flower girls.


    ¡°You and Stefan are birds of the same feather,¡± Jillyannamented while wrapping up their gift box. ¡°You guys love to spend so much money on a one-time event.¡±


    ¡°It is once in a lifetime event. That is why we will spend money to make it the most memorable.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not the most memorable for me.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Nope. The most memorable for me is when you got into an ident. No matter how I try to forget it and tell myself that you are fine and doing well beside me, I still couldn¡¯t forget that day.¡±


    Travis could only hug his wife and apologize to her for what happened. Although it wasn¡¯t his fault, he felt responsible for causing her this endless worry about his safety.


    ¡°Mooooom!¡± Jade came in running with a diaper in hand while still wearing the bathrobe that Cayenne gave herst time. ¡°I need to get changed. I have helped Rai drink his milk already. You have to help me change his diaper.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, honey.¡± Jillyanna took the diaper from her daughter and kissed her little girl¡¯s cheek. ¡°Your dad got the dress already. Ask him to help you with it and do your hair as well. I¡¯ll help you with the light makeupter.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty. Dad ¨C ¡±


    When Cayenne arrived at the venue for the final day of the photoshoot, M was already there waiting for her with the final gown. Cayenne couldn¡¯t understand why but she felt a deep attachment to this gown that M saved forst. She even thought that she¡¯d ask Stefan to make a reservation for this if they really want to have a wedding.


    ¡°After I¡¯m done with you, I¡¯ll have to leave and meet with Stefan to make sure that he matches with your look. You will be in different stations. I already briefed you on what will happen, right? We also watched many wedding videos for your reference.¡±


    ¡°M.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡±


    ¡°Like what? Oh, well I suppose Stefan didn¡¯t tell you about the modeling fee?¡±


    ¡°Ha?¡±


    M told Cayenne about the changes in the payment which was also a lie because there was no payment, to begin with. Cayenne never read the contract because she trusted Stefan to check on it.


    ¡°Is it normal for me to get nervous? I feel like I¡¯m having cold feet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because this is the finale.¡±


    Cayenneughed nervously as she watched herself in the mirror again. Last time, she thought that M needed to make adjustments on this gown as well but surprisingly, it was an exact fit. The way it hugged her body wasfortable as if it was a custom-made gown for her.


    ¡°It feels like I¡¯m going to have my own wedding. Why did you even think about advertising it this way?¡±


    ¡°Uhh...well, I always love wedding gowns since I was young. Whenever someone gets married to my rtives, I would always go with them when choosing their gowns. I thought it was best to showcase my work with wedding videos and ask a married couple to model for me.¡±


    ¡°I have not seen the other models, too.¡±


    ¡°Thomas and I decided to shoot separately since you all came from different ces.¡±


    Cayenne nodded her head in understanding and little by little, she started to rx.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, the bouquet for the bride and bridal car has arrived.¡±


    Cayenne looked at the flowers and she felt her heart thump loudly. The bouquets were made of her favorite flower ¨C tulips. They look really fresh and invigorating.


    ¡°Where did you get those flowers? They look really great.¡±


    ¡°We ordered this from Hond.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Why do we need bridal car?¡±


    ¡°For props. Right, uhm, Tess, can you ask if we can borrow a car to ce that bouquet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Not long after, her assistant came back with a dejected expression. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the cars outside have dark colors. I saw a white car but they said that it is from Sir Stefan.¡±


    Since the wife was there, M turned to her, ¡°Can we use it, Yen?¡±


    ¡°Let me ask Stefan about it. It is my first time seeing someone use the car other than him.¡± She called Stefan right in front of them and after getting his approval, the assistant left in a hurry.


    Two hourster, when she was ready to go, her hands trembled when she saw the bridal car. She turned to M but she was no longer there. ¡°Hey!¡± She called out for everyone¡¯s attention and pointed at herself from head to toe. ¡°I¡¯m dazzling. I have a bridal car and there is a bouquet. Stefan is not here, too. Do you guys know something? This isn¡¯t my real wedding, right?¡±

 Chapter 740

    Chapter 740: MOST AWAITED WEDDING


    This extra chapter is dedicated to Rein_Hart713 and DaoistPgPBwb. Thank you for the gifts that you sent.


    :


    *


    Cayenne didn¡¯t know how exactly she should feel. She was adamant and nervous. At the same time, she was also excited to see Stefan¡¯s reaction once he sees her. There was worry and a little bit of happiness, too. She couldn¡¯t stop her hands from shaking.


    Seeing the familiar streets and the establishments, it registered to her that this city has the cathedral that she likes so much. She even told Stefan that she likes to have her wedding there.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be true.¡± She muttered while looking outside the car. The driver was slowly making his way to the venue and she could see the van of her bodyguards following closely behind them.


    ¡°Martin. Do you know where we are going?¡± Cayenne asked, hoping to get some sort of signal from her driver but Martin scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.


    .....


    ¡°Madam, I was only given the address and I¡¯m just following where the navigator leads us to.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    In the cathedral, most of the visitors have arrived already and they were currently watching the footage that Kai took during Cayenne¡¯s photoshoot. They watched her grumble about modeling and how hard-working those models are. They listened to herin and sometimes they¡¯dugh because they could see how close she was to the truth yet still missed it. They even had to empathize with M who lied just to keep this wedding a secret.


    ¡°Cayenne is on her way,¡± M announced when as soon as she arrived. Thankfully, someone from her team knew that there was a shortcut to getting to the church. She almost couldn¡¯t escape from Cayenne.


    ¡°Did she notice anything?¡±


    ¡°I bet she does.¡± M retorted with a wide grin. ¡°Your wife is smart. She must have sensed something now.¡±


    ¡°Do I look okay? I¡¯m quite nervous.¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t get nervous during their big day? Anyway, I¡¯m going to sit now. I should not be moving around.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible with your job,¡± Stefan replied instantly but something dawned on him that stunned him for a second. ¡°Wait. Are you ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± M left without listening to whatever Stefan wanted to say and it was only when she reached her seat that she regretted leaving Stefan alone. Sitting next to her Jillyanna where she was supposed to sit was Thomas. Her guilt immediately soared and she couldn¡¯t look him in the eyes.


    ¡°M. It¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± Jill greeted her and kissed her cheek. ¡°How have you been? It seems like you¡¯ve lost weight. Are you that stressed with your work?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, yeah.¡±


    ¡°The bride has arrived.¡± Said the organizer and everyone settled on their seats waiting for the ceremony to start. Cayenne¡¯s entourage was all beautiful from the little boys and girls to the bride¡¯s maids and groom¡¯s men. ¡°As soon as she gets out of the car, we will start the ceremony.¡± She was going to and fro between the adults and the children to make sure that they understood what to do as soon as the song starts.


    With a signal from the organizer, the pianist and the violinist started ying their instrument, and the melodious song To a Wild Rose by Edward MacDowell softly echoed in the church. To make sure that Cayenne won¡¯t hear anything of what was happening inside, they made a separate arc inside the church so that they can close the double doors while she stood outside waiting for her queue.


    The first person to walk down the aisle should be Cayenne¡¯s mother but she already died so, it was Stefan¡¯s father who walked first followed by Stefan who excitedly waited for Cayenne as soon as he stood in front of the altar. One after another, the best man followed by the groom¡¯s men and bride¡¯s maids; thene the maid of honor who stole Ali¡¯s heart once more. Supposedly, Luna¡¯s grandparents want them to get married already but Luna refused because she wanted to see Cayenne get married first and be her maid of honor. And, she got her to wish granted.


    Jade, who attended several wedding ceremonies already, helped the other kids who would walk down the aisle as well. She specifically talked to Chloe who looked pale behind her.


    ¡°Do you need water? My dad always brings us a bottle of water.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just feel nervous. I am afraid I will make a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Just follow me. Just take your time and stop wherever I stopter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The cute flower girls finally made their entrance and slowly rained down their flowers on the red carpet. Following behind them was the ring bearer, the bible bearer, and the coin bearer. They stole the hearts of many people with their cuteness especially when they smile at the cameras.


    ¡°Why is the church close?¡± Cayenne asked when she arrived in front of the church. ¡°Did they arrive already?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure why the church is closed. They told me that the next venue will be here.¡± Martin mumbled as he double-checked the address that M gave here. He honestly didn¡¯t have a clue of what was happening but he can already tell that this photoshoot wasn¡¯t just for advertising. It was a real wedding for his boss and madam.


    ¡°Yenyen!¡± Sabrina called and following behind him was Erwin who was holding an umbre. ¡°I heard that you are having a photoshoot here. Is this an exclusive shoot or I can watch it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure about that. I don¡¯t know where M is now. She should be somewhere here.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Yen, it¡¯s a little hot today. Why don¡¯t you share this umbre with Sabrina?¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m actually sweating.¡±


    ¡°I have a handkerchief.¡± Sabrina retorted and dabbed on Cayenne¡¯s face, slowly and carefully as she could to make sure that she won¡¯t ruin the makeup. In fact, she really came out to make sure that Cayenne was doing fine. It was part of her role to repay Stefan¡¯s help in getting approval from her parents regarding her rtionship with Erwin.


    ¡°I remember that the church is open to many visitors. I wonder why they close it today.¡±


    ¡°I thought you will have a photoshoot inside that is why they closed it for exclusive use. Come on. I¡¯ll help you with your skirt. It will be difficult to take this whole bunch of stairs.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, they ced this carpet here or I would get this gown dirty,¡± Cayenne responded without doubting Sabrina¡¯s arrival there. Since she knew how Sabrina loves fashion, she thought her attire today was her normal outfit.


    Finally arriving at the door, Sabrina wiped Cayenne¡¯s sweat on her forehead. ¡°Let me check on the side if there are people we can talk to. I¡¯ll try to find your husband, too.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you, Sabrina.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Sure.¡±


    Just as Sabrina made a turn and vanished from her sight. The double door was pulled open and the view startled Cayenne. She blinked her eyes several times as she looked at the people inside the church. She spotted some familiar faces which added to her embarrassment. She didn¡¯t want them to see her while working as a model.


    ¡°Wait.¡±

 Chapter 741

    Chapter 741: A DREAM COME TRUE


    ¡°Mrs. Dumrique, you just have to follow the other brides on the videos that you watched.¡± The organizer said which confused Cayenne even more. It felt like she was having a dream.


    The beautiful arc in front of her was decorated with tulips. From the starting point of the red carpet to the very end where Stefan was waiting for her; there were tulips everywhere. It was like a magical world where she was walking in a garden of tulips.


    ¡°Give me a sec.¡± She looked around to find Erwin but he was no longer standing behind her. ¡°I need to call my husband.¡± She said because walking down the aisle just to get to where he was would put her in a limelight. She didn¡¯t even know what was real and what was not.


    Her purse was left in the car because she thought he would be there waiting for her to get this job done and she was adamant about turning back.


    She could no longer hold back herself and asked, ¡°Is this real? Am I really having my wedding or is this part of my job?¡±


    ¡°This is your real wedding.¡± The organizer whispered which brought tears to Cayenne¡¯s eyes. She knew that Stefan wanted to give her the best wedding, the once-in-a-lifetime event that she would forever remember even when they¡¯re old and white-haired. She just didn¡¯t expect it would be like this.


    ¡°I just need to walk down this aisle, right?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Yes, you need to.¡±


    ¡°Uhh...what if this is a dream?¡± Cayenne blurted out which earned her faint chuckles from the guests. ¡°I don¡¯t want this dream to end.¡±


    ¡°You are not dreaming Mrs. Dumrique. Right now, your husband is waiting for you at the end of this carpet, in front of the altar where you will say your vows.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even prepare my vow!¡± She eximed disappointedly. Stefan prepared so much but she will ruin it because she wasn¡¯t able to prepare even a single thing. ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Everything will be alright. Trust me. No. Trust your husband.¡±


    Cayenne wiped her tears, still standing at the entrance without moving an inch. She felt that if she moves, everything will vanish and she¡¯ll wake up lying on her bed with no bouquet or red aisle.


    From the side, Reuben appeared and pulled his daughter into a tight hug. ¡°Yen, you are finally getting married. I am so happy for you. I have always been worried that Stefan would do something that would hurt you. Now, I believe that I was worried for nothing. Stefan isn¡¯t like me. He¡¯s a good man. He¡¯s worthy of being your husband.¡±


    ¡°Dad, this isn¡¯t a dream, right? I don¡¯t really know. I still feel confused.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream. This is a reality that you deserve, sweetheart. Now, walk with me and you¡¯ll see the man who values you like the most precious gem.¡±


    Trusting her father and trusting her husband who has the ability to make her dreams possible, Cayenne wrapped her hands around her father¡¯s arm and slowly walked beside him. Among the guests, she was able to identify her colleagues from Clover Hotel. Faith and Noah were invited as well. Her tears were blurring her vision and when she wiped them off to see the people clearly, her eyesnded on Seiji which shocked her beyond reason. She never thought that Stefan would invite this man whom he treated as his rival.


    Moving forward, the scent of fresh tulips reminded her of the day that she had their first out-of-town trip. Christmas was just around the corner when they visited Rosalia¡¯s Garden and enjoyed their moment despite the fight they had the night before that. Memories flooded her mind from the first moment she saw him, to the night that she started her job and got a crisp scolding from him, to the first night they slept together under one roof, and to the times that they had to meet in secret because of their work agreement. She also remembered the first time that she had her heart broken because of him and the time that she signed the divorce papers. She was even kidnapped and almost died at the hands of her grandfather.


    Cayenne could not believe it. After all the things that happened to them, she never thought that she would be walking down this aisle to the altar that she likes so much. She remembered one of their conversations in the past. It was when she was hospitalized due to her ulcer. That time, Stefan promised her a lot of things and she joked about them not being in front of an altar. He said he would bring her there, although it never happened.


    Yet, that silly promise was happening right now.


    ¡°I¡¯m handing my daughter to you. I hope you will take good care of her forever.¡± Reuben told Stefan as he gave Cayenne¡¯s hand to her husband.


    She had seen Stefan in many kinds of attire, formal and not, but right now, he looked exceptional in her eyes. Even when he teased her for being a crybaby, she didn¡¯t blink or look away from him. She was afraid that he would vanish if she takes her eyes off him.


    ¡°Now that you are holding me, there is no going back.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I should say that to you. You are not allowed to retract this wedding.¡±


    ¡°My dear, I prepared so much just for this event to happen. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d change my mind.¡±


    Cayenne finally smiled happily and linked her fingers with Stefan. They walked the remaining distance together and faced the priest who was waiting for them.


    When the priest asked the question that she hated the most, her heart lurched in her throat and she could barely breathe. ¡°Is anyone against the union of these two people? Is anyone against this wedding?¡± It was only after the priest proceeded that she realized she was holding her breath.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for him to announce you as my wife,¡± Stefan whispered while listening to the priest¡¯s words.


    ¡°I have been your wife for almost three years now and will always be, today and in the future.¡±


    ¡°I have not asked for your vows yet. Don¡¯t be so excited.¡± The priestmented which caused everyone tough out of the blue.

 Chapter 742

    Chapter 742: WEDDING VOWS


    Note: The song Cayenne sang does not exist. Hahaha I just made it up.


    The priest presided over the ceremony and when they got into the reading of their vows, Cayenne was at a loss for what she should do. She never prepared anything and surely, a wedding can¡¯t be done without her giving her wedding vow. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Stefan muttered while gently squeezing her hands. ¡°Just say what you truly feel.¡±


    ¡°Today, as we witness the unity of this couple, let us hear their wedding vows for each other.¡±


    To give her time, Stefan signaled the staff to give him the microphone. His smile was so bright, you could light up your whole room with it. It was evident on his face just how happy he was at this moment. ¡°I won¡¯t promise that you will always be happy with me around. I know we¡¯ll face more obstacles that will test our rtionship as husband and wife, but I can promise you that I will always be there along the way. I will stay awake at night to lull our babies to sleep. I will cook your meals when you¡¯re craving. I will show the world whenever you wanted. Basically, I will spoil you rotten.¡±


    ¡°You are spoiling her already before you even get married,¡± Travis shouted from the crowd which made the guestsugh again.


    ¡°As if you don¡¯t do that to your wife.¡± Stefan retorted before going back to say his vow ¡°Ayen, this life and the next, and the next after that, I will love you faithfully. I will give you my greatest love. There¡¯s no one else for me but you. If our time here ends and God asks me about my aplishments, I will give your name. I will thank Him for giving you to me because everything in my life felt right when I met you. You are my joy, my strength, my light but never my weakness. You are His greatest gift to me.¡±


    The adults who knew what happened to Stefan while growing up couldn¡¯t stop themselves from weeping silently. The young boy who was insecure and lonely, the neglected heir of the Dumrique family has grown with the help of his friends and people who cared for him. He may have done something spiteful in his youthful days but ever since Cayenne came into his life, he has changed. He learned forgiveness. He learned about second chances. He has spread his wings strong and wide.


    .....


    ¡°Tisha.¡± Cory, Stefan¡¯s grandmother muttered while looking at his grandson, ¡°I wish you can witness your son like this. I wish you can see how much he has grown.¡±


    Hearing her wishful plea, Stanley could only rub his mother¡¯s back tofort her. Although this was a happy event, they also longed for an important person toe and witness this event. Unfortunately, it would not happen. Or so they thought.


    After Stefan¡¯s vow, the staff moved the microphone to Cayenne. With trembling hands, she took it and took a deep breath. ¡°You see, I wasn¡¯t informed that I¡¯d get married today. Now, I don¡¯t even have a well-written vow.¡± The guests chuckled once again knowing the plight she was in for this surprise wedding. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s this song that I always hummed whenever a big bear asks me for a luby. It¡¯s not exactly a luby and he has never heard of the lyrics before. He never knew that I have always sung him the vow I wanted to say for the longest time now.¡± Counting to three, she closed her eyes before turning to Stefan and opening them again.


    ¡°Enchanted world of love and fairy tales


    These are things that you showed me


    Whenever I fear waking up without you beside me


    Your hugs and whispers brighten my day


    I promise to love you no matter what


    To always do the little things to make you happy


    I promise to make youugh


    Tough together with our family


    Hearing words of fear and insecurities


    Things that you chased away for me


    When somebody asks me what I see in you,


    I say you are the future the one I belong to.


    I promise to love you no matter what


    To always do the little things to make you happy


    I promise I won¡¯t break your heart


    To love you faithfully and eternally.


    Cayenne¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t as beautiful as those singers in Disney¡¯s but she wasn¡¯t tone-deaf. The sound was melodious as she performed her wedding vow in a song. Stefan never expected that on those nights that she hummed this song to sleep, she was singing him a wedding vow. His chest felt full from the love and passion in her eyes. If they weren¡¯t having their wedding, he probably whisked her away already.


    Jillyanna was smiling happily while listening to the song but tears were hanging onto hershes even though she tried to stop them from falling.


    After she sang her song, many guests gave her warm apuse.


    ¡°Stefan, you must never cheat on her! You can never find anyone who will sing you a wedding vow to sleep!¡±


    ¡°You are one lucky man, dude!¡±


    Stefan didn¡¯t have to say the words stuck in his throat. There was no way he would cheat on her. Not even in his wildest nightmare. No!


    After the wedding vow, the two of them exchanged their rings and this time, Cayenne wanted to just faint on the spot. Last time, she received a gift from Ferdinand, an heirloom that should be passed down to the firstdy of their family. It should have been given to Julia if they didn¡¯t have a fallout. Now, it was sitting inside Stefan¡¯s vault. She was so afraid to wear it in public.


    Now, without even telling her the price, Cayenne could tell that it was no cheap ring. Even if she works for five lifetimes, she could not probably buy this ring.


    ¡°I offer you my faith, for as long as we both shall live, to wear upon your hand the symbol of our love and unity,¡± Stefan said after the priest and slipped the ring onto Cayenne¡¯s finger.


    Since Stefan prepared for this wedding long ago, she already expected to find a ring for himself. And there was. She followed what the priest told her to say and slipped the ring on Stefan¡¯s finger.


    ¡°With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been waiting for this,¡± Stefan whispered, bringing a deep blush to Cayenne¡¯s face.


    ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t show your true color,¡± M yelled from the crowd making the other guestsugh again. It wasn¡¯t a boring ceremony at all.


    Even when the wedding ended and they got into the reception, Cayenne still felt like she was walking on cloud nine. She was unable to wrap her head around the idea of her grand wedding that just happened a few minutes ago.


    ¡°I¡¯m probably in heaven.¡± She whispered and closed her eyes next to Stefan.


    ***


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to your room. You need to sleep now.¡± The woman pulled the wheelchair away from the television and pushed it to the room next to the living room. They just finished watching the fairytale-like wedding of Cayenne and Stefan which was a surprise coverage from selected media after they got permission from Stefan.


    She wondered what was going on in her patient¡¯s head. If only she can talk or write, or at least nod or shake her head, she would have known what better things she could do for her.

 Chapter 743

    Chapter 743: WEDDING PARTY


    ¡°Yen!¡± Luna came running and hugged Cayenne tightly. ¡°You are finally married! I am so happy for you. I can marry Ali now that you are done.¡±


    ¡°You could have married him before me, you know.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see you get married first.¡±


    ¡°In the first ce, I married Stefan a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t count. Hmph! It was a secret marriage. I don¡¯t agree with that. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter now. Ahhh! I am just so happy for you. Let me see your ring.¡±


    Cayenne lifted her finger and showed the dazzling ring on her finger which could blind someone. She didn¡¯t really want to know the price of her wedding ring but based on Luna¡¯s expression, her hunch earlier was right.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything about the price. I don¡¯t want to think of anything rted to his expenses. And don¡¯t even think you paid something for this. I know my husband very well.¡±


    .....


    Luna scratched the back of her head awkwardly. She was meant to shoulder the expenses of wedding cards in her name only since she didn¡¯t really pay for them. But surely, Cayenne won¡¯t believe her.


    ¡°Ah! Here¡¯s our gift for you.¡± Luna said and Ali handed Cayenne a box which already gave her an idea of what could be inside it. Someone will be very happy about it. She really wanted to pinch her face again for the nth time just to tell herself she wasn¡¯t dreaming. ¡°We won¡¯t hog your time to ourselves. I will talk to you againter.¡± Luna kissed her cheeks and grinned at Stefan before leaving. That grin alone told Cayenne that she guessed something right.


    ¡°You made the right choice,¡± Stefan whispered as he intertwined their fingers together. ¡°Don¡¯t think about the expenses.¡±


    Cayenne really wanted to whack him in the face.


    Other guests came over to say their congrattory messages as well as hand their gifts to the newly-wed couple. Cayenne didn¡¯t have to guess what was inside those gift boxes and gift bags anymore. The only unexpected gift they received was one from Elena and Tristan. It was a CD.


    Seeing the gift, she immediately pulled Elena to the side. ¡°This is not what I think it is, right?¡±


    ¡°Lady boss, what were you thinking? I wouldn¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    ¡°You little...since when did you learn this kind of thing?¡±


    ¡°What thing?¡± Elena teased making Cayenne pinch her face. ¡°Aw. Aw. Ouchie. Lady boss, you should not turn to violence if you are teased a little. This CD is not like what you think it is. This CD is innocent.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I won¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°I promise. I will never allow Tristan to gift you something like what you think it was.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you thinking?¡± Stefan asked, but Cayenne stepped on his foot under the table. ¡°I won¡¯t ask anymore.¡±


    While they chatted and exchanged sharp res and flirtatious smiles, the emcee finally took over to start the main event. It started with a message from Cayenne and Stefan for all the guests and for the people who made this wedding possible. It was followed by their first dance, apanied by the song I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You duet version by Tina Arena and Marc Anthony.


    As they did so, the people who were able to watch the live coverage of the wedding were curious about Cayenne¡¯s wedding gown and wedding ring. Many of them searched for it online but they were not able to find any information about it.


    Of course, they would not. These were designed by Stefan personally for his wife.


    However, there were some people who worked for GIA and learned about this grand wedding. When they checked some recordings of the wedding, they focused their attention on the wedding ring that Stefan gave to his wife. When their estimation came out, this shocked the people as if they just saw an alien.


    The ring was said to be made of Leside La Rona and the cost was estimated to be a sparkling $50 Million. Some people already guessed that Cayenne¡¯s wedding will be listed as the grandest wedding of the century. It was more expensive than those weddings with some royalties.


    At the same time, Cayenne still had no idea about this.


    After their dance, the party continued and Seiji took this opportunity to give Cayenne and Stefan a toast. He was genuinely happy for them.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect I will receive an invitation.¡±


    ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t want to,¡± Stefan responded coldly which stunned Seiji for a few seconds. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d still be treated as his rival until this moment. ¡°Your face really annoys me whenever I think about what happened -¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Cayenne stated and linked her arms with Stefan. ¡°Nothing happened, right? I was fine when you found me. Don¡¯t think about it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yen is right. Besides, I gave you the best gift already.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that those were mine, to begin with.¡± Stefan retorted but Cayenne suddenly turned quiet. When they both turned to her, she looked like a fierce tigress who was ready to pounce on them and devour them. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I was just reminded of the divorce and the cause of it.¡±


    ¡°Congrats to both of you. Here¡¯s my gift. I¡¯m out of here.¡± Seiji handed the gift and was about to leave when Cayenne held the hem of his suit. ¡°Yen, I apologized for it already.¡±


    ¡°Who said I have something against you? I just want to talk.¡±


    The partysted until evening with games and other entertainments that kept the guests from leaving. There were so many foods and beverages to enjoy; by the way, half of the prepared menu was Cayenne¡¯s favorite. The ce felt enchanting to her with the blending of golden lights and those beautiful tulip flowers. She even thought of bringing some of them at home but Stefan told her that he already prepared some of the potted tulips for her at home. She just didn¡¯t have any idea that the home she¡¯ll be returning to will be different from now on.


    When the time finally arrived for Cayenne to throw her bouquet, her bride¡¯s maids were excited to get it. Luna was even more eager than everyone else since she was nning to get married as well. Kath was also there to grab this chance but risse was a little bit shy to join in on this fun. She was still youngpared to everyone else and she never talked to Luiz about getting married and whatnot. Jackie was also waiting for the bouquet toe her way. However, thest person they expected to get it was the one who received it.


    Jade was happily eating her mango graham float when the bouquet of tulips fell on herp. She even got a smudge of cream on her face when everyone turned to look at her. She looked at their surprised expression and back to the bouquet she was holding. When the realization hit on her, she frowned deeply and looked at her dad.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the wedding band?¡± She asked and Stefan raised it since he hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to throw it in the air. ¡°Give it to me, uncle.¡± She said as she jumped out of her chair. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let you give it away and have someone older than me get that. No, I¡¯m not marrying an old man.¡±


    Interested in what she nned, Stefan gave Jade the wedding band and watched her walk to another table. When they saw who she approached, all their eyes shifted to Travis who was watching his daughter from the get-go. They really wanted tough at his grim expression.


    ¡°Ethan put this on me. I will never let any of these old people marry me. No way!¡±


    Ignoring the fire-spitting resing from Travis, Ethan indulged Jade and put on the wedding band for her.


    ¡°My. My. Don¡¯t worry, Ethan still has a long way to go.¡± Stefan told Travis while patting his shoulder.


    ¡°Laugh all you want. I will be saying those words to you in the future.¡±


    While they had fun, they didn¡¯t notice that M disappeared from the party already. It was not until a certain Mr. Aizenberg looked for her that they realized she was gone.

 Chapter 744

    Chapter 744: HONEYMOON PHASE I


    Around 7:00 in the evening, Stefan and Cayenne told everyone that they were leaving for their honeymoon but those who wants to party and enjoy the reception could stay until midnight. Of course, no one dared to stop them but they all wished the same thing ¨C for the two of them to be three when they get back from their honeymoon.


    ¡°I asked Martin and Erwin to deliver the gifts tomorrow,¡± Stefan said as he drove his car at the maximum speed allowed. He wanted to devour his wife who looked really appetizing today. Well, she always looks appetizing to him. ¡°Guess where we¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°How can I guess? I couldn¡¯t even guess that this is my wedding day. When did you prepare for this? I never noticed anything. Oh, I did notice the gown design but I never thought it was a wedding gown. And don¡¯t even think for one second that you can fool me, that you didn¡¯t pay for all of these.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. You knew?¡±


    ¡°You spent so much again for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for us, for the family. When we have a daughter, you can pass down the wedding gown, your shoes, and other things to her. If we get a baby boy, we can pass down the gown to his future bride.¡±


    Who am I? Where am I? Cayenne felt like she was still stepping on cloud nine. Her husband was finally talking about having children and she could tell he wasn¡¯t joking this time. She could already see the light beyond the dark tunnel. Alright, she was that desperate in having a child. It was not because she wanted to give Ferdinand a grandchild or because Stefan needed an heir to his empire. She was just afraid that as time went by and they get so busy, they¡¯d forget about having a baby. Another thing, people often tell her that it would be difficult to have a baby as women grow older. And she really wanted to have a child. She wants to be a mother.


    .....


    ¡°Earth calling,¡± Stefan mumbled and pinched his wife¡¯s face lightly. ¡°What are you thinking about? You look like you have seen a ghost.¡±


    ¡°You are the ghost.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You really mean it, right? Us having a child?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the purpose of the honeymoon?¡±


    And then it hits her. Honeymoon. This is the phase that Stefan looked forward to. ¡°Just because we¡¯re on a honeymoon doesn¡¯t mean you can do anything you want. No kinky y.¡±


    ¡°Got it, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°You are just saying that right now.¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    For someone who loves to spend so much for her, Cayenne thought that her husband booked a trip to some faraway ce again for their honeymoon. To her surprise, they were traveling back to City A instead of going to the airport. This city holds a special ce in her heart. This was where everything started and ended at some point.


    At first, the streets they traversed were familiar to her but as he continued to drive, she was starting to notice the unfamiliar establishments. From a bustling city, the buildings grew sparse and more trees came to view. He drove to a mountain path that Cayenne never knew existed, and soon, a majestic mansion came into her view.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to the lightning that the house looked splendid but one thing was for sure, it was taking her breath away.


    ¡°Who owns this ce?¡± Cayenne asked as she looked outside the car. Her eyes had been glued to the magnificent abode in front of her and she didn¡¯t even notice that Stefan was watching her all this time. He was etching every expression her face was making in every corner of his heart and mind. ¡°Beautiful is an understatement to describe this ce.¡±


    The Victorian metal fence was high enough to stop intruders from getting inside the ce and detectors were ced in different corners for additional security measures.


    ¡°It¡¯s even more beautiful inside,¡± Stefanmented which pulled her attention back to him. ¡°Let¡¯s get inside first.¡±


    He took out a small remote from his coat pocket and pressed the red button, and the gate in front of them pulled open automatically. The pavement lights also lit up, illuminating their way to the huge fountain. The lights in the garden bloomed like flowers greeting the spring and it made the ce look even brighter.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Cayenne eximed when her eyes caught something. Even if she was in disbelief, she could already tell who owns this ce already. Tulips were nted in rows that meet at the porch and there was a huge me tree in one corner whose red-orange flowers waved at her as the wind breeze caresses them. ¡°This ce...¡± She mumbled while appreciating the view in front of her. ¡°Is this our new home?¡±


    Stefan only grinned as realization dawned on his wife. However, when he turned to look at her, he was shocked. She was crying silently beside him. ¡°I take it that those are tears of joy. If not, I would be really sad.¡±


    ¡°You idiot! When did you find the time to do all these? Why didn¡¯t you tell me anything? I feel bad for letting you do everything on your own.¡±


    Stefan finally parked the car in front of their house and pulled his wife into his warm embrace. ¡°It¡¯s me spoiling you. My Queen should not be bothered with trivial things like these. If you want, you can spoil me tonight.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! You are just horny.¡±


    Stefanughed at her retort and kissed the tip of her nose. Even when she was crying; she was still beautiful to him. ¡°I¡¯m happy that these are tears of joy. I¡¯d be happier if you were crying in bed,¡± Stefan said and leaned closer to whisper, ¡°writhing under me.¡±


    Cayenne wanted to push him away but Stefan was just too strong for her to move. His broad chest which she usually used as her pillow was warm underneath her palm. ¡°We¡¯re outside.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s get inside,¡± Stefan said and moved away immediately. The house tour can wait. All he wanted to do now was just spend his time with her. It¡¯s been quite some time since they spent their quality without anyone else disturbing them. ¡°For some reason, I started to get annoyed with your dress.¡±


    ¡°You designed this, just to remind you.¡±


    ¡°I should have taken into consideration the honeymoon phase.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! Don¡¯t mind it. You can take your time to undress meter.¡±


    ¡°Are you taunting me with this tent right now?¡±


    Seeing the bulging pants, Cayenne couldn¡¯t stop herself fromughing. ¡°It¡¯s your fault, hon. Don¡¯t me me for it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault for looking so gorgeous and sexy right there.¡±


    ¡°How much more if I get naked?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll probably just cover you...with my body.¡±


    ¡°Geez! Stop this dirty talk.¡±


    ¡°You started it.¡±


    ¡°No, I did not.¡±


    If it was before, Stefan would probably just take her right then and there since no one was around them. They have the ce for themselves and they can do anything they wanted. At the same time, no matter how shameless and horny he was toward his wife, he actually wanted to savor this moment and enjoy every second of it with her.


    Their dirty talk continued all the way to the master¡¯s bedroom and when Cayenne opened the door, she was amazed at how big the room was. The apartment room that her family stayed inst time was just the size of their bathroom. They even have their own jacuzzi.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it in the bathroom tonight,¡± Stefan said but she didn¡¯t hear anything because she was still in wonder about how much money he spent just to spoil her this much.

 Chapter 745

    Chapter 745: HONEYMOON PHASE II


    The night was young and it was the best time to burn the extra fats from what they ate during the reception. Stefan wasn¡¯t just excited because this was their first formal honeymoon, but also because of the future that awaits them. He was excited to wake up to her beautiful face and kiss her goodnight before going to sleep. Although this has been his routine for a long time now, he just felt secure since they have finally said their vows in front of the whole world.


    Unzipping her gown from the back, Stefan slowly kissed his way down her back. Supposedly, he wanted to do it in their bathroom but Cayenne refused because she didn¡¯t want to dirty the gown. In the end, he gave in to her thinking that there was no difference whether they¡¯d do it in the bedroom, the bathroom, or anywhere else in the house. It was a night exclusive for them.


    ¡°That tickles,¡± Cayenne giggled when Stefan licked her ears. ¡°Why are you being so gentle tonight? It¡¯s very unusual.¡±


    ¡°I know you like it rough but I want to treasure this moment because tonight is special.¡±


    Cayenne just moaned in response even though she wanted to retort the first part of his statement. She never knew that she liked it rough but sex with Stefan was always hot and passionate. At the same time, someone needs to be logical and calm between them and she has to be that person; because if both of them let their lust for each other take over their reasoning, they¡¯d both wake up sore and exhausted the next day.


    ¡°Ahh...hmm...¡± she moaned softly while covering her mouth with her hands. It was a habit that she got since she lived with her family in the previous house that her father gifted to her. She didn¡¯t want to be so loud.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Stefan whispered and kissed the side of her neck. ¡°We are alone here. No guards and no servants. You can let out your voice however loud you want.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Are you sure? What about the neighbors?¡±


    Stefan chuckled at her helpless inquiry. ¡°Your voice won¡¯t be heard in the next room or outside this room. How could the neighbors hear you?¡±


    ¡°But I ¨C hmm...that feels great...¡±


    With Stefan¡¯s fingers moving in and out of her, he pushed her chin up and kissed her mouth with her back in a beautiful arc. Cayenne felt somethinging out of her but this only turned her husband even more.


    Outside, the vast sky was showered with beautiful meteors and many people were outside their respective homes watching this amazing sight which rarely happens from their location. The silk curtains to their room were slightly opened and through the floor-to-ceiling window, Cayenne saw this wonderful view.


    To Stefan¡¯s surprise, Cayenne pulled him down and kissed him hard on his lips. It was a moment that he wanted tost forever and he stayed there ¨C for a moment until she was satisfied with what she was doing. He has no idea that at that moment, Cayenne wished him to live longer with good health and abundant blessing in life. It was a wishing from the deepest part of her heart.


    Looking directly into his eyes, Cayenne pulled their lips apart and kissed his forehead. ¡°I love you.¡±


    Instead of answering her. Stefan pulled his member out and pushed back in, sending her to the edge of pleasure that made her tremble and curl her toes.


    The next day, Cayenne slept longer than usual and when she woke up, Stefan was already gone. She didn¡¯t panic like how she did in the past when her insecurities kept attacking her weak point. Now, she was just sitting on the bed, naked under the sheets but was not feeling cold at all. In fact, she felt so warm and cozy.


    Looking around the ce, she could only see the massive mirror on the left side of the room but she could not find where the wardrobe was. There was no vanity mirror either. [So, where shall I get my clothes?] she asked herself the moment she got down from the bed and had her hands on her hips. No matter where she looked, there was no sign of hidden doors or something. Left with no other choice, she picked up Stefan¡¯s white shirt on the floor and wore them. [ I don¡¯t even know where to get my panty.]


    The door was suddenly pushed open and Stefan came inside with a food tray. It felt like the first time that he ever cooked for her; the time that their rtionship has nobel. ¡°Good morning!¡± Stefan greeted her when he saw her up and about. ¡°I cooked breakfast for us. I thought you¡¯d stay asleep for a little while more.¡±


    ¡°You must have not done your bestst night,¡± Cayenne responded which earned her a burst of heartyughter from her. She just wanted to tease him since he was always the one who does that in the past.


    ¡°Of course, I did not,¡± he said and grinned mischievously. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to spend all your energy and strength on the first night. After all, we still have 58 days more of our honeymoon time. I already nned which corner to make love to you on what day. I have it scheduled.¡±


    ¡°Why do we have 58 days left? I thought a honeymoon should be done in a month.¡±


    ¡°No way! What can we do in a month?¡±


    For some reason, Cayenne wanted to whack this man¡¯s head in front of him. He was just too shameless in front of her. ¡°She really didn¡¯t know why her heart loves this man so much.¡±


    And since she married a beast in heat, Cayenne let him do whatever he got on schedule with little tricks here and there. She has never forgotten the well-wishes of their friends and family; to be three by the time they show up again in public.


    They did it in their bathroom, in the kitchen, in the living room, outside on the porch, and even inside their huge wardrobe which she only found three dayster. Before that, she only wore the bathroom, and most of the time, she was naked. ¡°If I don¡¯t get pregnant from this, you will sleep outside our bedroom for 1 week.¡±


    ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t change the condoms. I was using the ones you poked holes in.¡±


    ¡°You must have counted my period days again.¡±


    ¡°You are very fertile this time, darling. I bet you will get what you always wished for.¡±


    ¡°Your smile says something else.¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it raw tonight.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Even though he said that Cayenne still felt suspicious of him. She did not expect that he would agree to her whims that easily.


    One weekter, Cayenne was curled up in bed with a sheepish smile. She knew it! Stefan was tricking her! Her period came which means, she didn¡¯t get pregnant from all the kinky things they did. When he came back with a cup of hot ginger tea, she only rolled her eyes at him. She didn¡¯t have the strength to get angry and besides, she also tricked him.


    ¡°Are you really sure you want to get pregnant? You still have one more year to graduate.¡±


    He really wanted to get her pregnant and bare his child but he was worried for her. From what he learned, getting pregnant and carrying that child in your belly would never be easy and he didn¡¯t want her to go through that pain since she was still very young.


    ¡°I give up,¡± Cayenne said regretfully. ¡°I know you are thinking about my welfare and I don¡¯t want you to feel bad about it. Let¡¯s wait for another year. After I graduate and get a job, let¡¯s talk about having children again.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. Besides, if I want to see children, we can always visit the orphanages and practice taking care of babies there.¡±

 Chapter 746

    Chapter 746: MONET CHOSE TO SUFFER ALONE


    Three dayster, Cayenne was sitting on the leather couch inside the huge closet room while watching her husband choose their clothes. She couldn¡¯t get her head around the idea that Stefan was able to pull this kind of surprise for her without her getting any clues. Or maybe there were some clues here and there but she never thought it would be pointing to this surprise. Her wedding felt like a dream and if she didn¡¯t receive the photos as well as the videos which were delivered to them a few days ago, she would never believe that the fairytale-like dream actually happened.


    ¡°This tank top is a lotfier since it is hot outside. You¡¯ll get some tan lines though, but I think you will look sexier in them.¡±


    ¡°Sexier in front of you is troublesome. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯d end up doing something at the stable.¡±


    In response, Stefan winked at her which was already a sign that she should do something. In the end, she paired her tank top with denim shorts which would be difficult for Stefan to pull down. And he snorted at the sight of her choices. Since he won¡¯t be able to make a move on herter, Stefan pulled her back to the couch and made love to her. By the time they finished, it was already dark outside.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to cancel our horseback riding?¡±


    ¡°Cancel our nghkdifj¡± Cayenne said with iprehensible words at the end. She was really looking forward to getting on a horse with him.


    To make it up to her, Stefan called his house manager to bring back the dogs which were still under his care for training. It was a sudden change of ns but the manager felt happy since the dogs will be able to forge a rtionship with their new owner. The earlier, the better.


    .....


    ¡°Are we really keeping them?¡± Cayenne asked happily when she saw the four puppies in front of them. Two of them were Tibetan Mastiffs and the other two were German Shepherds. She was really thrilled at the sight of them. ¡°Did you give them a name already?¡±


    ¡°I want you to give them names.¡±


    ¡°Are they all males?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± the manager said politely, ¡°since you are busy, sir Stefan wanted to make sure that you won¡¯t have any problems when ites to taking care of them. Male dogs are less hasslepared to females, in our opinion.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I don¡¯t really mind whatever the gender is. I¡¯m just so d I have dogs now since we left our first dog under Stefan¡¯s grandparents¡¯ care.¡±


    It was a night full of fun for Cayenne since she finally met the dogs that Stefan wanted to give her. She named them after the seasons of the year ¨C summer, spring, autumn, and winter. Since they were still small, it would be easier for her to establish trust and loyalty between them.


    The next morning, the two of them woke up early to have a morning exercise which includes walking their dogs outside. This time, Cayenne finally got the chance to see the whole property which stumped her speechless. She couldn¡¯t see any side of other people around 2 kilometers in diameter. All her eyes could see was the majestic mansion and the green forestry.


    ¡°Did you buy the whole mountain?¡± Cayenne blurted while keeping her pace with Stefan or probably, it was Stefan who kept his pace with her.


    ¡°I wanted us to have a home where we can have peace of mind and I know you like the view of forest, flowers, andke. I tried putting them together in one ce.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also ake around here?¡±


    Stefan exined to her the discovery of the construction workers which saved him a lot of money. If there was no natural spring in this mountain, he would have sourced some water from the nearest vige and paid a hefty amount of money to make Cayenne¡¯s wishe true. Thankfully, God was on his side.


    Cayenne suddenly turned around and wiped her face. She didn¡¯t want him to think she was a crybaby yet right now; she just couldn¡¯t stop her tears. She felt so grateful for meeting him and she couldn¡¯t think of any way to repay him.


    ¡°If you are that happy, just kiss me. There¡¯s no need to cry over it.¡± Stefanmented while pulling her into his arms. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be able to do this and I couldn¡¯t thank God enough for lending me strength and intelligence to make your wishese true.¡±


    Their morning walk turned dramatic but it was something that strengthened their bond even more. Cayenne and Stefan held two dogs in each hand as they walked side by side and talked about their future. They were just starting their own family and with the support of all those people who cared for them, Stefan has nothing to worry about.


    When they returned to their house, Stefan went to the kitchen and washed his hands before going upstairs to get his phone while Cayenne stayed outside because she wanted to y a little more with the dogs. Stefan thought he won¡¯t have anything to worry about, but there he was, reading a piece of worrying news shared by Thomas Aizenberg, his friend.


    [M Lhuillier, an internationally known fashion designer who recently attended the grand wedding of her friends, Stefan and Cayenne Dumrique, came back with shocking news. The fashion designer and entrepreneur decided to withdraw from the public view because of some issues. It was not stipted what really caused this sudden withdrawal but she said she will continue to work on the pending designs that customers entrusted her.]


    Stefan pinched his nose bridge and sighed heavily. M never said anything during the wedding or even the days before that. She acted normal and he didn¡¯t notice that something was wrong with her. The only thing that changed was her avoidance of Thomas. Thomas was also avoiding her.


    [Did something happen between those two?] Then he remembered something that Thomas asked him. [Did hey his hands on her?!]


    How could Thomas verify that? He was confused if something really happened between him and M; and to know the truth, he needed to ask her. But how can he ask something so shameful to that woman he cared about?


    At the end of the day, Stefan cannot really butt into this issue and all he could do was contact M. Unfortunately, even he was also blocked from contacting her. [Now, what?] Stefan thought but no matter what he did, he could not get in touch with her.


    ¡°You go and find her, or you will regret this for the rest of your life!¡± He told Thomas via voice recording and sent it. His angry voice was what greeted Cayenne when she opened the door and flinched in shock. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to shout.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    Since Cayenne didn¡¯t know what happened, Stefan filled her with the information and hoped that she could help. Since she was a woman, she might feel something that men can¡¯t. He just didn¡¯t want to be like Marian and Cayenne who reunited after a long time and the other was already dying from an illness. He was afraid that M was also suffering from something and just refused to share it with them.


    ¡°Did something happen between her and Thomas?¡± she asked and a deep frown appeared on her face ¡°I thought something was strange between them. During the photoshoot, they only talked about the work they were doing and they maintained a great distance between themselves. During the reception, I never saw them converse with each other.¡±


    ¡°They must have fought.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    While they worry about this issue, M already arrived at her townhouse in Baguio City, Philippines. She looked free and energetic as if she didn¡¯t cause a storm in the fashion world. Her things have been delivered a few days before her arrival and all she needed to do was unpack them. Her assistant was already waiting for her inside the house since she arrived earlier to do some cleaning.


    ¡°Jess?¡±


    ¡°Ms. M. You are finally here. How was your flight? Did you feel nauseous or dizzy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s nothing to worry about. Have you been doing well here?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yes. I made friends with some of our neighbors and they were very hospitable. I learned some of their specialty dishes and I can¡¯t wait for you to try them. Ah! I have to leave to buy groceries. I was supposed to go out this morning but the sun was shining beautifully so, I decided to trim the nts. Will you be alright if I leave now?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Can you buy me strawberries?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    The moment her assistant left; M sat on the carpet and looked outside the window. The tall pines and the cold weather suddenly pulled her to a distant memory and it was something she treasured the most. It was a memory before Stefan came into her life.


    Fifteen years ago.


    Sitting on a bench under the maple tree was M who had her hair done in braided pigtails. She was wearing a brown trench coat, ck jeans, and her favorite ck leather boots which her grandmother gifted her on her 11th birthday. Beside her was the son of her grandparents¡¯ neighbor, Thomas Aizenberg. ¡°You really like drawing these trees,¡± Thomas said as he watched M draw a silhouette of pine trees under the veil of moonlight. ¡°Do you like to live surrounded by these trees?¡±


    She was from the Pearl of the Orient Seas but since it was summer vacation in the Philippines, her parents allowed her to visit her grandparents who live in Tuscany. ¡°Yeah. In the Philippines, I always dreamed of living in Baguio because Cebu City is really hot. One day, I will buy and and build my home there.¡±


    ¡°You can surely do that after you be a famous designer. Hmm. I will do my best to be a famous photographer, too. Then, I will buy a lot next to yours and live there. Or maybe I¡¯ll just live with you.¡±


    ¡°No way! You have to marry me if you do that or my parents will kill you.¡±


    ¡°How much dowry do you think I need to save in order to marry you?¡±


    It was probably just a joke between them because M never knew that she would fall in love with him. The hardest part was the fact that she was different from the women that Thomas likes. She tried to change herself; act and look like those people he fancied. And then, she felt tired. She didn¡¯t want to lose herself because she wanted to be somebody else in order to attract him. Sad to say, she could not give up her love for him. She fell deeper and deeper into this sinkhole of love until she could no longer see the light. She lost her reasons and failed her logical brain. In the end, she suffers.


    ¡°Ms. M?¡± Jess called when she returned home and found M crying silently on the floor. ¡°Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell? Wait. Let me get you a ss of water.¡±

 Chapter 747

    Chapter 747: SELFISH LOVE OR SELFLESS LOVE


    Every single day for a week now, Cayenne and Stefan have been checking their messaging app as well as their emails, hoping that M would reply to their messages. If she does, Tristan will be able to find her using her IP address. Cayenne was adamant about locating her, though.


    ¡°I still have nothing from her,¡± she said while putting away her phone and cuddle with her husband. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving for Singapore tomorrow and we won¡¯t be back until two weekster. I wonder if she¡¯s still in the country, in London or the Philippines.¡±


    ¡°Philippines?¡± Stefan questioned because he never thought of that. ¡°Did she mention that she¡¯d be going back to her home country?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I can¡¯t recall anything like that.¡± She denied it tly even though she was talking to her husband.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than doing nothing. I¡¯ll ask Thomas to look for her in the Philippines.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Cayenne sat up straight and looked into his eyes. ¡°Why is Thomas so keen on finding her? Did you know something that I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything but I can more or less guess what he was up to. Why do you think he wants to find her?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Tch! The hell I care about your idiotic friend.¡± Her mood would really swing easily in a matter of seconds and Stefan could only ept this hard truth ¨C her wife has mood swings every day. ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep. I¡¯m tired from all the things we did, but I really enjoyed it. Who will take care of the dogs while we¡¯re gone starting tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Kyle and Luiz wanted to see the dogs. The manager will be here to guide them.¡±


    ¡°Cool. I wish I can spend time with them, too.¡±


    ¡°After the honeymoon, I will surely give you time to return to your house but you have toe back home at night.¡± Stefan knew that his wife was trying to shift the subject of their conversation to something else and he didn¡¯t probe her about that. If she wants to tell him, she would do it. He just went along with her and pretended not to notice anything.


    She didn¡¯t really want to lie to him. Her guilt was causing her trouble to sleep but she didn¡¯t want to break M¡¯s trust either. She was worried that if she tells her husband, he¡¯ll make a slip of the tongue especially now that he got a clue that M was in the Philippines.


    Because of her guilt, Cayenne wouldn¡¯t sleep and she ended up having dark eyebags the next day.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was raising a panda.¡± Stefan teased while giving her cold teabags for her eyes. ¡°What kept you awakest night? You kept tossing and turning.¡±


    ¡°I felt guilty,¡± she blurted and hit the marble table; it didn¡¯t budge. ¡°I know where M is but she asked me not to tell anyone even if it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°Then, don¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ll be lying to you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just pretend that this conversation did not happen. I won¡¯t ask anything about M and you won¡¯t say anything either. It¡¯s already better that one of us knows where she is and how she¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    With all that being said and done, only Cayenne knew where exactly was M. When Thomas went to the Philippines, her parents weed him but still, he didn¡¯t find anything. The only thing they knew was that she was doing fine somewhere. M didn¡¯t tell them the reason why she was hiding from the public and no matter how hard they try to reach her, they couldn¡¯t get in touch with her unless she initiated the contact.


    Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months. Thomas Aizenberg won three awards using one photo and even then, even when the photo was published apanied by the prizes, he didn¡¯t manage to find her. He thought she would, at least, be interested in the picture if she ever gets to read the news of his victory. Unfortunately, M was like a cold waterfall. Once she sets her mind on something, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to change it like a cold waterfall whose temperature wouldn¡¯t change no matter how hot the weather is.


    It has been three months since M disappeared from the public view and sses already resumed. Now, aside from Cayenne and Stefan, only her clients know how she was doing so far. The only difference was that her clients didn¡¯t know where she was. She only met them during video calls and when the gowns needed fitting, Jess was the one who leave the country to meet with these clients.


    At the same time, although Cayenne and Stefan knew where she was, they didn¡¯t have any idea of her exact situation. They only knew that she was still working somewhere ¨C away from the stressful city. Only Jess, her assistant, knew that M was already fifteen weeks pregnant. Since her stomach still looked small, no one suspected anything. She already estimated the time, once she entered her second trimester, it will also be the time that she finishes all her work. After that, she can dedicate all her time to her baby.


    ¡°Miss M, did you see the photo that sir Thomas submitted? It was a picture of you! I was really shocked when I saw it.¡±


    ¡°What is so shocking about that? He already got my consent to take pictures of me whenever he wanted. I just didn¡¯t know he would submit it.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that sweet?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal for photographers.¡±


    ¡°You have a point.¡± Jess expressed while nodding her head in agreement. ¡°But, wouldn¡¯t that anger the father of your child?¡±


    The strawberry shake that M was slurping got stuck in her throat and she choked on it. She puked some of them and felt nauseous at the thought of her child meeting her father. She didn¡¯t want that. If she got exposed, the crime she did on that night in London would be brought to light. No! That can¡¯t happen.


    ¡°My child¡¯s father doesn¡¯t know about the baby. He didn¡¯t need to know.¡±


    ¡°Ms. M, sorry if I sound nosy and presumptuous, but I really thought that you like sir Thomas. When I heard you got pregnant by someone else, I felt a little sad.¡±


    ¡°Why would you be sad?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know who the father of your child is and, in my opinion, you are a perfect match to sir Thomas. You look so happy when you are with him, too. Was I wrong?¡±


    ¡°That was in the past. I am fine on my own now. I can be happy without him and my child will be fine without knowing him.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?! No. I mean ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Sir Thomas is your baby¡¯s father?¡±

 Chapter 748

    ?748 GREAT NEWS


    One afternoon, when Stefan came home from work, he cleaned their bedroom as well as rearranged the things inside their walk-in closet and the toiletries in the bathroom. He wanted to make sure that his wife has nothing to worry about uponing home from the university. It¡¯s herst year and the most crucial level for her since they would be traveling to different ces and doing a lot of field study.


    Holding the feather duster and well as the soft cleaning towel, Stefan made his way to the bathroom and checked theirundry basket first. Seeing that it was almost full, he brought it downstairs and ced their home clothes inside the washing machine. He preferred to handwash the ones that Cayenne use for school. In that way, he can double-check if it was properly cleaned or not.


    After turning on the washing machine, he went back upstairs to continue cleaning. Their newly-hired chef was currently preparing their food for dinner and she could not stop shaking her head in disbelief and amazement. Even though she has been working for a month now in the Dumrique household, she still could not believe that a man like Stefan existed.


    In the morning, he would wake up early to prepare a nutritious meal for his wife. So, their helper was only responsible for cooking breakfast for the bodyguards and the other helpers staying in the helper¡¯s quarter. Cayenne hates calling them servants. After cooking, he would just wait for his wife to wake up on her own rm and while waiting, he would bring the dogs out for their morning walk. By the time they return, the madam was already wide-awake waiting for them.


    During lunch, the chef had not witnessed this but she heard that oftentimes, it was Stefan who woulde and fetch Cayenne for lunch. Sometimes, when the madam wasn¡¯t busy, she would go and visit Stefan at hispany to join him for lunch.


    It was already known among many businessmen that they should not book an appointment with Stefan during lunch or they will incur his hatred. No one should mess up his schedule dedicated to his wife.


    In the afternoon, he would always stop working at 5 o¡¯clock since he needed to travel back home and he didn¡¯t want to get stuck in heavy traffic. As soon as he arrives and get off the car, he would check the tulips if it was watered. Taking care of Cayenne¡¯s favorite nts was third on the priority list of house chores that helpers should do. Then, he would bring the dogs out for theirter afternoon walk without changing his clothes. During this walk, he would also check the condition of the horse. After about twenty minutes, he would return to feed the dogs and change his clothes. If there are other things that he needed to do like washing their clothes or cleaning the bedroom, he would do it himself. Other than him and Cayenne, no one was allowed to get inside their room and no one tried to get in there either.


    Before going to sleep, Stefan would also prepare the clothes that he and his wife will be using the next day. How did the chef know this? Well, it was because one of the helpers would always receive a call from Stefan to get the clothes from the main house and iron it.


    In short, Stefan was the most responsible and the most hands-on husband she knew.


    .....


    Currently, this hands-on husband was sitting in the living room with a confused look on his face. He was looking at his phone while Summer kept nibbling on his toes.


    ¡°Sir, what fruit shake shall I make for the madam?¡± Ca, the new chef, asked politely while keeping a good distance from the dog. Although she knew the dogs won¡¯t bite her, she was still wary because they looked fierce in front of her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure yet. I still have to sort things out before we decide what she can get. Anyway, can you chill some fruits for her? I¡¯ll just prepare her dessertster.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sir.¡± Ca bowed her head a little and left with a smile on her face. She didn¡¯t really mean to see it but when Stefan flipped his wrist and she happened to see what was on the screen, her heart trembled a little for their happiness.


    When Cayenne got home, she found her husband sitting on the floor carpet with the dogs. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± She announced and kissed Stefan on the lips. She was about to kiss the dogs as well but Stefan stopped her and pushed the dogs away. ¡°Why can¡¯t I kiss my babies?¡±


    ¡°We need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Careful? Of what? I don¡¯t think they have fleas and they have been getting their vination. What¡¯s the matter now?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the bedroom. I have something to ask you.¡±


    Clueless and confused, Cayenne followed them and signaled the dogs to sit before they could follow them, too. She thought they¡¯d be talking in their bedroom, but when she found herself standing in the middle of their huge bathroom, she grinned and stood on her toes to kiss his nose.


    ¡°It¡¯s not lights out, yet. We can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± Stefan retorted with that pretentious look on his face. Cayenne just scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Fine, I nned to do that but not now. I need to know if you have been buying your sanitary pads outside.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?!¡±


    ¡°Your sanitary pads.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard that. I mean, why are you asking me that? Didn¡¯t you buy a lot of stocksst time? Why would I need to get them outside?¡±


    ¡°Well, I am asking because of these,¡± Stefan opened the drawer that contained their toiletries and showed her the packs of sanitary pads ¡°I counted themst time and that was about over a month ago. The numbers are still the same and this month is alreadying to an end. Did you have your period this month? I didn¡¯t notice.¡±


    Processing his words, realizing what they meant, the smile on Cayenne¡¯s face grew wider and wider until she screamed happily and jumped for joy. ¡°You are not kidding me, right? If you are, I will really kick you out and make you sleep at the stables.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m pregnant? No wonder I¡¯ve been so sleepy these past few days. Shall we go and get a test kit? We can buy more for assurance or shall we go to the doctor and get checked? How long do you think ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Ayen.¡± Stefan held her face and prompted her to look at him. ¡°I wanted this to be true. I don¡¯t want to disappoint you either. Instead of getting test kits, let¡¯s go to the hospital tomorrow. Let¡¯s keep this to ourselves first.¡±


    ¡°Ahh! You should have not talked to me about this tonight.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to get a wink of sleep.¡±

 Chapter 749

    749 [Bonus chapter] EXTRAORDINARY CLUES FROM STEFAN


    The next morning, Stefan called the university clinic to ask for a leave of absence on behalf of his wife. The school doctor expressed his concern and worry for Cayenne but Stefan reassured him that it was not something life-threatening.


    Cheska was supposed to have her day off but since Stefan called for her help, she forced her body to get up for work. She also wanted to know if this hospital visit would bring them the good news.


    Around 10:00 in the morning, Cayenne and Stefan arrived, disguised from head to toe to make sure that no one would recognize the. He didn¡¯t realize that by doing such a thing, they attracted more attention from other people. They even crossed paths with Eli but he was in a hurry for work ¨C didn¡¯t have the time to say hi. Not that he recognized them in their disguise.


    A nurse tended to Cayenne¡¯s needs while waiting for Cheska toe over. They didn¡¯t wait for so long because ten minutester, Cheska came gasping for air.


    ¡°Give me a sec! Don¡¯t even retort because I¡¯m supposed to have my day off and I came running here for you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for bothering you,¡± Cayenne responded in a whisper. ¡°We didn¡¯t really mean to disturb your rest.¡±


    ¡°Nah. I was just kidding. It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    The nurse handed the paper works to Cheska which includes the questionnaire about the patient¡¯s preferences. It has sensitive information but they were all professional and there was nothing to be ashamed of.


    Checking the papers, Cheska¡¯s eyes lit up and this did not escape Stefan¡¯s keen observation. ¡°Is it positive?¡±


    .....


    ¡°ording to her answers, yes. Cayenne could be pregnant but we need to make sure. Did you try taking a test at home?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Cayenne said regretfully. ¡°We really wanted to, but we¡¯re worried that it would turn out to be wrong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Cheska signed something for Cayenne and encoded some information on herputer. ¡°You can do the test here in the hospital.¡±


    Three hourster, Stefan and Cayenne were sitting in their car with a dazed look on their faces. Cayenne was holding the test results tightly in her hands because she was afraid she was just dreaming that she lost it. She needed it as proof that she was sober and that she really went to the hospital for a check-up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the vi,¡± Stefan said and the ce he meant was the ce where Magnus and Ferdinand live. ¡°Let¡¯s do something fun. Dad should not be home at this hour. Heh! Let¡¯s give a fright.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that. What if something bad happens?¡±


    ¡°Rx. It¡¯s not good for the baby if you are agitated.¡±


    With Stefan¡¯s careful nning to prank the people they cared about, their prank turned out sessful and he was able to film it from the start until the end. Only Kyle didn¡¯t fall victim to their prank and the reason was because of his girlfriend. When Cayenne and Stefan went for a check-up, Kath also arrived to apany her father for a urinalysis. She happened to recognize the two bodyguards and knew that the couple who alighted the car was Cayenne and Stefan. Seeing that they came out from the OB¡¯s room with a blissful expression, she already guessed what transpired and told Kyle about it.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a boy?¡± Luiz asked his sister excitedly. He even skipped ss because ¡®something¡¯ bad happened at home. He didn¡¯t know that he¡¯d be pranked by his sister and his brother-inw, but since he already skipped, he decided to just ask for a leave of absence.


    The news spread quickly to her friends and families like wildfire in summer. Reuben insisted to hire a nanny for her but Stefan refused because he wanted to take care of his wife personally. He can¡¯t leave her in the hands of other people. It will just add to his worry.


    Luna who heard of this good news also sent her a congrattory message and even told Cayenne to never forget her during her baby¡¯s baptism which wouldn¡¯t happen until 8 monthster. Everyone was just so happy with the nest. Cayenne even posted it on her social media ounts and many people wished her and her baby well.


    Unlike her who can share her happiness with the world, M only had her assistant during her pregnancy; and Jess wasn¡¯t even avable 27/4 because she has work to do as well. Every time she leaves for work, she would always persuades her employer to talk to Thomas but M refused her suggestion time and time again.


    M didn¡¯t want to embarrass herself. Even if it was true, she wouldn¡¯t want people to think she was so desperate to have Thomas that she even orchestrated something to rape him. Women aren¡¯t the only victims of rape. Men could fall victim to this horrible crime as well and at this point, M knew that she did something terrible. She would rather let the world know how selfish she was. Aside from losing the friendship she had with Thomas, there will be a big chance that she will be subjected to the crime shemitted. She didn¡¯t want to go to jail. She wanted to spend time with her child.


    Not even her parents know of her whereabouts.


    Currently, the baby in her womb was already 20 weeks old and she was happy to see how much her stomach have grown. Even though she was going to be a single mother, she wasn¡¯t afraid or worried about people¡¯s judgment. As long as they wouldn¡¯t know her baby¡¯s connection to Thomas Aizenberg, everything will be fine.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you found her?¡± Stefan asked Thomas over the phone when Cayenne was busy changing her clothes. ¡°I already gave you a clue. Think of the ces that she might want to stay.¡±


    ¡°Bro, did you think that the Philippines is like City A? This is a country. You gave me a clue which is the whole country. I already went to Cebu and her parents didn¡¯t know a thing. I even stayed longer, thinking that maybe they were just hiding her from me, but no. M isn¡¯t really here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you another clue. She¡¯s somewhere in Luzon. It¡¯s all up to you now.¡±


    Thomas didn¡¯t know if he should be thankful for the clue or get pissed off for getting another wide scope for his search operation. [Where the hell in Luzon can I find you?] Thomas questioned mentally in frustration when a pamphlet flew into his face which added to his frustration. He was about to crumple the paper when he noticed something in it. It wasn¡¯t an ordinary pamphlet. It was a travel pamphlet that features Baguio City. [Why did I ever forget that?! Damn it! She already gave me clues before. I was just too dumb!]

 Chapter 750

    750 BABY OR WIFE?


    ¡®Ber¡¯ months, thest quarter of the year and it started with September. When the first day of Septemberes, you will start hearing a lot of Christmas songs. It is the season of love and giving. Time quickly passed by that Cayenne felt her life was caught in a whirlwind. Looking back, it has been three years since she started living with Stefan. It all started with a mistake that happened in a hotel and from then on, they were inseparable. Who would have thought that they wouldst until this moment?


    Her prayers have been answered and she couldn¡¯t thank God enough for giving her so many blessings. A lot happened that came in their rtionship but their bond was a lot stronger than any other external forces in the world.


    ¡°Do you want to use this coat or this one?¡± Stefan asked while showing her two different coats which were given to her by Luna and Manager Kim. It gets a lot colder around this time of the year and Stefan wanted to add anotheryer of fabric to keep her warm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go for the peach colored.¡± And as expected, Stefan has a matching coat with whatever she has as well. People have learned that when you gift them something, it has toe in pairs. Stefan will be very happy if that is the case. In all of the things that they owned; you could count on one finger the things that they weren¡¯t matched. ¡°Cheska will probably kick us out the next time she sees us. We are bothering her too much.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s earning from us,¡± Stefan responded and Cayenne could only sigh helplessly.


    She thought that she¡¯d be the freak one after getting pregnant; that she¡¯d be nagging about her diet, the cleanliness of their house, her nutrition, and whatnot. It was the opposite. Cayenne was chill about it while keeping in mind that she should always be careful. Instead, Stefan was always in constant fear that something will happen to her and their baby.


    He monitored her food intake, making sure that she was getting enough nutrients and keeping tabs on the sweets that she eats. Unlike before when she could eat as many sweets as she wants; now she could only eat desserts once a day and that¡¯s during breakfast to get her through the day.


    Not only that, he scheduled her to go for a checkup every Saturday. Just imagine how tiring it was for her to wake up and go to the doctor; she already had this premonition that Cheska will pass her to someone else in the future. However, Cayenne didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him ¡®No¡¯.


    Compared to him, she has it easy even though she was the one carrying the baby. Stefan has to wake up early to personally cook for her and since he didn¡¯t want to entrust her life to someone else, he became her personal driver who sends her to school before going to hispany.


    .....


    During lunch, he has to check the food that his hotel chef prepared for her. He even had to search for healthy food recipes for his pregnant wife and request them for the chef to make.


    At night, he could not even get a night of proper sleep because she kept tossing and turning beside him, and when she woke up to use the bathroom, Stefan would wake up as well. He won¡¯t sleep until she does.


    Yet, she never heard himin ¨C not even once.


    ¡°Hon,¡± Cayenne spoke on their way to Senyu Medical Hospital. ¡°I talked to Jill about pregnancy since she experienced it already and she told me toe over if we have time because she wants to give me something. Do you have something scheduled in the afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Weekend is for you.¡±


    ¡°Right. I forgot.¡± Cayenne expressed and chuckled at his words. ¡°Shall we go somewhere tomorrow? How about getting a foot massage? Oh! You can have a full body.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. I¡¯ll request a home service. I don¡¯t want you to go outside that often. It¡¯s already bad enough that you¡¯d have to go on trips as part of your subject requirement. I can¡¯t bear it if bad happens to you and the child.¡±


    Sometimes, he can be overdramatic. She didn¡¯t hate it though.


    When they arrived at the hospital, they didn¡¯t need to ask which floor or which wing they should go to, they have memorized the way to Cheska¡¯s office already and they can even find it with their eyes closed. That¡¯s how obsessed Stefan was with the health of his wife and their baby.


    ¡°Every time I see your face, I want to say something but before I realized that I have earned so much in my profession because of you. Travis wasn¡¯t even as obsessed as you when Jill got pregnant for the first time.¡±


    ¡°Save your sermon,¡± Stefan told Cheska and sat on the swivel chair next to Cayenne. ¡°No matter what you say, I won¡¯t change my mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I won¡¯t bother doing so. I want to be filthy rich like you.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! You have to work hard if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    Cayenne knew that her checkup schedule was abnormalpared to other pregnant women. In normal pregnancy, as long as there are noplications, women would go for checkups once every four weeks from the first time they learned of their pregnancy until the fetus turned 26 weeks old. Then it would change to once every three weeks; and then once every two weeks until the doctor monitors you forbor, once a week.


    Who goes for checkups every weekend from the time they learned of their pregnancy? Only Cayenne does.


    Three days ago, in Stefan¡¯s office, Elena was writing down the changes to Stefan¡¯s schedule. All those appointments that were scheduled on Saturdays were moved to weekdays and his working days would start at 9:00 AM (right after dropping off his wife at Xena University) with a lunch break that starts at 11:45 AM to 1:00 PM, and work ends at 5:00 PM. No overtime.


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯m not trying to question your authority since Ms. Yen is your wife, but is it necessary to go for a checkup every weekend?¡± Elena inquired, the very brave employee who dared to ask Stefan about his decision. Even Tristan didn¡¯t raise this when they talkedst time.


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this for no reason. I know that most pregnant women won¡¯t do this thing and I understand that. I am just worried for my wife. You know that she had been looking forward to having a baby and now that this blessing hase, I wanted to treasure it and take care of it by taking care of her. I heard that the first three months are very crucial to the development of the baby. Knock on the wood and if, just if something happens to our child, Yen will be devastated. I don¡¯t want to see my wife in tears. I am always afraid of that.¡±


    In short, Stefan was taking care of the child because of his wife. It may sound harsh but his wife matters so much to him. He just hoped that she won¡¯t realize it.


    In another country, far from where Cayenne and Stefan were, Dr. Albert arrived in front of a beautiful bungalow. It wasn¡¯t majestic like the mansion that Stefan felt for Cayenne but the house felt warm and homey. Since he helped during the investigation against the Minato family, he was sentenced to one year in jail and another year of probation period. And now, he has finally returned.


    Opening the door to the house, he found Latticia in the living room watching the recorded wedding footage of Cayenne and Stefan. Her condition has not improved and she looked thin.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Dr. Albert announced but of course, with her paralyzed body, she could not turn round to see him. ¡°Have you been watching him? Do you want to meet him?¡±


    Latticia made an iprehensible sound but Dr. Albert could not understand it. He looked for two different things in the living room and ced them in front of her. ¡°You can move your eyeballs, right? If you want to see him, look at the book in my right hand. If you don¡¯t want to, look at the book in my left hand. So, which is it?¡±

 Chapter 751

    751 LATTICIA¡¯S CHOICE


    ¡°You want us to interview them? Why? I mean, what is so interesting about them?¡±


    The person who spoke was a showbiz host, named Joy. However, right at this moment, her name didn¡¯t live up to her expression and emotion. She wasn¡¯t joyful at all. Normally, she would warmly wee the guests that their headhunter would look for. So far, she never treated anyone coldly, not until this moment. She hates Cayenne. Her hatred for her has gone so deep into her bone marrow and she could not eradicate it so easily.


    ¡°Well, their rtionship is interesting and many people requested for them to appear in our show. The management agreed to this already and they will send the invitation this afternoon to Mr. Dumrique¡¯s office.¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not gonna do the show with them.¡±


    The headhunter, Coleen, blinked her eyes several times in utter surprise. This was the first time that she saw the host giving off a strong reaction against their guests. It was suspicious. ¡°May I know why you are so against them? I mean, I don¡¯t think they have done something wrong to you. You have never met them, right?¡±


    ¡°When I say no, that means no. You can look for someone else to host the show during their guesting. I don¡¯t want to see even a shadow of them.¡±


    Joy left the room and Coleen was standing there with a confused expression. Her head was already formting all the possibilities that could have involved the woman in their guests¡¯ life. As far as she knew, there was nothing. ¡°Is it possible that she likes Mr. Dumrique but got rejected and now, she hates the wife because of that? That¡¯s possible? But how could that be? I don¡¯t remember her meeting the man in my entire life of knowing her.¡±


    Afternoon came and when Stefan returned to his office from having lunch with his wife, Elena told him about the invitation and handed him the formal letter of request. ¡°What is Buzz News?¡± Stefan asked because he was not familiar with it. He never thought of venturing into the entertainment world because he didn¡¯t like theplicated life of the actors and actresses and everyone else involve in it. Thus; it amazes him that Travis was able to handle his business pretty well in City A.


    ¡°Buzz News is a showbiz news that features different stories, from different peopleing from different parts of the country. Sometimes, they¡¯d feature inspiring stories, victorious and tragic stories that pique the interest of many. Currently, their headhunter is interested in the story that you and the madam have.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Cayenne about this,¡± Stefan said and was about to dismiss the topic when he happened to see the conflicted expression on Elena¡¯s face. ¡°Is there anything else that I need to know?¡±


    ¡°Well,...¡± Elena looked around the room to make sure that no one was eavesdropping, she forgot that she was inside the President¡¯s office because of her anxiousness. ¡°Boss, before the letter arrived, we received a call from them about their n and Tristan looked into their show. Apparently, the host of this show hates the madam. Tristan found traces of her social media activities and she¡¯s one of those people who leave negativements on the madam¡¯s posts.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s not ept this. Why would I help someone who has been stepping on my wife¡¯s dignity.¡± Stefan didn¡¯t even hesitate to throw the letter away. How dare they send something to him when their employee was doing something nasty. [Heh! I¡¯ll show them what happens when they go against me.] ¡°Tell them that I refuse.¡±


    Elena nodded her head and left to call the management about Stefan¡¯s decision. As the secretary and Cayenne¡¯s friend, she would never allow anyone to use Cayenne when they could not even monitor their staff. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ms. Barnido. Mr. Dumrique has another appointment on that day.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said he¡¯s free.¡±


    ¡°Yesterday, it was confirmed that he would be free on that day. However, he just arrived in his office today and told me that he has another appointment.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you for trying to help us.¡±


    ¡°No worries. I hope there will be another show that they can work with.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡±


    Elena sighed when the call ended. Tristan looked into the headhunter¡¯s life and they found nothing wrong with her. She worked honestly in the industry and sometimes, many people tried to sabotage her discoveries of new stories. If she wasn¡¯t working with Joy Jimenez for this show, Elena would do her best to help. Sadly, the host was someone they¡¯d never associate with.


    Back inside his office, Stefan smirked as he browsed the entertainment page that allowed him to view the segments of different stations. Buzz news was a segment under TV N and the host was famously known for her travel blog which she updates every Saturday. Stefan noted the time of this segment before looking into Lucky TV, a station under J entertainment which was owned by Diego, Wynwyn, and Travis. After checking the information, he pulled out his phone and called Diego directly.


    ¡°Yo! How¡¯s the life of having a pregnant wife?¡± Diego greeted with familiarity. ¡°Are you nning to venture into our industry?¡±


    ¡°My wealth is more than enough tost us a lifetime. I don¡¯t need another business that would take my time away from my wife.¡±


    ¡°You are bing more and more like Travis. Sometimes, I¡¯m starting to wonder if I¡¯d be like you guys once I get married.¡±


    ¡°Marry Cheska first so that you¡¯d find out.¡±


    ¡°Enough of this chitchat, I¡¯m sure you are not calling just to chat with me. Do you want me to shut down an artist?¡±


    Stefan didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at this statement. Is he that bored to mess with an artist¡¯s life? He didn¡¯t even bother looking into Joy¡¯s life; not that he needed to since Tristan had done his job already. ¡°I want to guest in one of your shows.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You?! Jill and Travis didn¡¯t even do that.¡±


    ¡°I want to make something different.¡±


    ¡°And by appearing on our show?¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong with it?¡±


    Diego took a deep breath and sighed which was audible even through the phone call. ¡°Is there something I should know? Why would you suddenly appear in our show? I just want to make sure that there is no other catch other than a normal appearance.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. I received an invitation from another station but I don¡¯t want to do it.¡±


    ¡°Because?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want my wife to be targeted during the show.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...I sense gossip here. Tell me.¡±


    In the end, these two men who should be working on their businesses were gossiping about the host of a TV station. It was so random that you¡¯d never think they¡¯d be doing something like this. After the call, Diego called the directors of their daytime and nighttime shows to discuss if there was a segment that Cayenne and Stefan could appear.


    Who wouldn¡¯t want this hassle-free offer? The directors thought of their shows but not all of them could make time for the couple. After all, they need to appear in a show that would be suitable for them as guests. They can¡¯t put so much pressure on Cayenne as well because she¡¯s pregnant. If something happens to her, their heads will be served on a silver tter to Stefan.


    ¡°How about my cooking show? Usually, we¡¯d invite chefs to have a cook-off during the show and interview them about their sess stories in life. We can change it for the time being and allow Mr. Dumrique to cook for his wife.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. We can interview them while cooking. Shall we make it live? Do you think it¡¯s better than a recording?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any problem in making it a live coverage but we have to talk to Mr. Dumrique about that.¡±


    Originally, Diego wanted to let the couplee during their Sunday Night show which features sess stories or just gossip with people. Most of the time, their guests were actors and actresses. It won¡¯t really make so much difference if Cayenne and Stefane. The only problem was the time slot. Surely, Stefan would refuse anything that would go beyond his wife¡¯s resting time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll discuss this with him. Anything, else?¡±


    ¡°I have been watching Mrs. Dumrique¡¯s vlog and she has been doing her best to help a lot of people. How about inviting them to our one-minute game and if they win the prize, they can donate it to the foundations of their choice?¡±


    ¡°That is a good idea as well. I¡¯ll add this to the proposal.¡±


    On the other hand, Dr. Albert called Stefan from overseas because he wanted to meet him. He said he was grateful for Stefan¡¯s help in shortening the time of his imprisonment. Since there was nothing wrong with it, Stefan agreed. He has no idea that it wasn¡¯t just Dr. Albert who would be seeing him.


    ¡°I have booked an appointment with your son,¡± Dr. Albert said and bent down to level his eyes with Latticia¡¯s gaze. ¡°Now, I have two books again. If you want him to see you, look at the book in my left hand. If you just want to see him without him knowing anything, look at the book in my right hand.¡±


    Latticia¡¯s tears fell on her face as she looked into the book that will seal her fate for the rest of her life.

 Chapter 752

    752 MONET BEGGED


    ¡°Many people say that the world isn¡¯t so big and that we¡¯d cross paths again. Yet, why can¡¯t I find you when we¡¯re in the same city already?¡±


    Apanying this post was a photo of the drawing that M once drew when she was young. Thomas had to ask his mother to look for this picture that he hid inside a photo albumposed of M and the things she loves doing. It took a long time for her to find this but even though he got it, the person who made it was nowhere to be found.


    Thomas Aizenberg, a well-known photographer expresses his longing for someone but not many people can guess who that person was. Those people, who have seen his award-winning picture of M; were already specting that he was looking for a fashion designer. However, there were some who were opposed to it and said that the two were just friends.


    It was an undeniable fact that they were friends but those who could see the truth in his post were firm believers in his love for the woman who went missing after she withdrew from public view.


    ¡°It¡¯s been over a month and you have not found her?¡± Mrs. Aizenberg, Thomas¡¯ mother,mented on the post of her son. She thought he¡¯d be efficient because he has known the woman for a long time. Who would have thought that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get her even after a month? Realizing that herment will be viewed by people all over the world, she opted to send him a message. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t do anything to her? Why is it that she¡¯s hiding from you? You must have done something bad.¡±


    Seeing his mother¡¯s message, Thomas closed his eyes exasperatedly. He also wanted to know what he did wrong that caused her to cut him off from her life.


    Stefan and Travis saw the post that their friend posted and they could only sigh helplessly. During the first month that M left, Travis wasn¡¯t bothered by it because he also felt that his friend deserves to take a break. Then,ter on, he heard how desperate Thomas was to find her. He asked Shein to find the woman and when they finally figured out where she was staying, M sent him a message ¨C telling him to keep her whereabouts a secret. He analyzed things as they were and came to the conclusion that Thomas must have done something bad for M to do such a thing. He also consulted this to Stefan and they both agreed not to meddle in this issue.


    Jess saw the post and she immediately turned her attention to the woman standing across the table. She was currently mixing the milk form which was suggested for pregnant women to take. It was something that would help the development of the baby and keep the mother boosted with vitamins and minerals. Her stomach has grown bigger but she never said anything despite doing most of the things herself when ites to the baby¡¯s welfare. Jess even felt sad for her, but her employer was just too stubborn.


    ¡°Miss M.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you really sure about your decision? I¡¯m not saying that you are doing the wrong thing but I am just wondering if there¡¯s a chance that you and sir Thomas can be together.¡±


    ¡°No. Let me tell you something.¡± M sat down on the bar stool and cupped the warm ss of milk with both hands. ¡°Thomas and I have been friend way before Travis and Stefan came into our lives. We talked about our ideal man and woman and although his type changed over the years, they were never me.¡±


    ¡°How sure are you?¡±


    ¡°When we were in middle school, he liked those browned-skin women with long legs and curly hair. So, I spent my summer at the beach and made myself look tan as much as I could. I even had my hair curled when I never really wanted to expose them to those chemicals. Then after a year, he said that he liked those chubby girls. Do you know how frustrated I was while I stuffed myself with those junk food just to make myself look a little bit chubbier? I was vomiting and suffered from a food-eating disorder but I did not stop. I wanted to be the kind of woman he likes. I was really happy when I achieved the chubby look that I wanted but he kept teasing me that I was bing a pig.¡±


    ¡°Then, why do you still like him?¡±


    ¡°I liked him. There¡¯s the letter D. It¡¯s in the past and I have no n of going back to those times. I¡¯m happy to where I am now.¡±


    ¡°Then, how is it possible that you have a child with him and he doesn¡¯t even know?¡±


    ¡°It was a one-night of passionate mistake and since the baby is also made of my flesh and blood, I didn¡¯t have the heart to abort him. Anyway, he wouldn¡¯t know about the baby.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Jess retorted in disbelief. ¡°Are you going to hide forever? Right now, sure, he doesn¡¯t know anything. How about in the future? I won¡¯t believe that the child won¡¯t get anything from his/her father. How are you going to exin it, then.¡±


    M feared the future even more. If people find out about the child, no, if Thomas finds out about the existence of his child, he would know what she did. She will bebeled as a rapist.


    ¡°Jess, I¡¯m begging you. Do not tell anyone about me and the baby. You are the only person who knows about what is happening; not even my parents can know. I¡¯d rather die than let them curse the child¡¯s existence.¡±


    ¡°And why would your parents do that?¡±


    ¡°A few years ago, when I told them I like Thomas, they warned me that they won¡¯t ept him as my boyfriend or their son-inw. They¡¯re fine with him as my friend but not more than that. If they know about my child, they might do something to him and my baby.¡± M even tried getting down on her knees but Jess stopped her.


    Jess never expected to hear thising from a very sessful woman. Many people envied her life, saying that she has everything in life that one could ask for. Yet, here she was, begging humbly for the sake of the man that she loves so dearly and the innocent child in her stomach.

 Chapter 753

    753 KNITTED TOYS


    ¡°They refused the invitation? Wow! The nerve! They should have been happy that the management sent them one. Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter to me. In fact, I¡¯m d.¡±


    Hearing her words, Coleen felt a little annoyed at how feeling entitled the host was in front of her. She didn¡¯t know that Joy has this disgusting side of he because she always sees her smiling around everyone and she was really easy to approach.


    ¡°Well, the couple is busy and they have another appointment for that day. God has answered your prayers. Be happy.¡± Coleen expressed and left. She was afraid that she¡¯d say something harsh if she keeps seeing her face right now.


    The management thought that Stefan refused because he has something else to do with his wife, something better than appearing on a TV screen. Unfortunately, the next day, theizens were surprised by the news that Lucky TV¡¯s ¡®Master Chef¡¯ announced.


    [A rich yboy and an ordinary woman, when they met, the world threw so many hardships at them. A power couple that everyone looked up to ¨C Stefan Dumrique and Cayenne Ardolf-Dumrique. ! Be there to watch their full interview on Saturday, October 5.]


    ¡°Is this true?!¡± The president of TV N shouted as he pointed his finger at the tablet screen. ¡°It was confirmed that Stefan has nothing scheduled for this day and look! Look at him! He chose to appear in the opponent show! He even offered himself! Tell me, how the hell did this happen?!¡±


    Coleen flinched from the sharp res being thrown at her by the president as well as the board member who happened to have a meeting when they learned about what Stefan did. She didn¡¯t even have the time to prepare an excuse.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I -¡±


    ¡°Sorry! What can your sorry do?! The couple has been a hot request from many of our viewers for so many months now. Don¡¯t tell me you did not send them proper gifts?¡±


    .....


    ¡°We did.¡± Coleen blurted. Her body was shaking from being used of not doing her job and she could not take it anymore that she was the first person to me when it was not even her fault. ¡°Why would you jump the gun and me me? I sent them gifts. I handed the letter personally to the secretary. I called them, again and again, to make sure that they did not forget anything. If you want to me someone, me the host! I¡¯m done! Every time there is an issue with the guests, you would me me without trying to get to the bottom of the problem. Find interesting stories yourself!¡±


    Coleen was so angry that she could not stop blurting out her deep grievances. She chose this job because she wouldn¡¯t have conflicts with actors or actresses, but it was still the same. Many people sabotaged her work and caused her problems. Instead of looking into it, they would me her instantly. She had enough.


    Coleen walked out of the office and left everyone in silence. The pushover woman that shoulders everyone¡¯s issues and takes the me of others; she fought a great battle and won.


    ¡°She¡¯s not quitting for real, right?¡± The president questioned but the only answer he got was helpless sighs from everyone. ¡°She better not forget that she will pay a hefty sum of money if she breaches the contract.¡±


    ¡°The point is, she shouldn¡¯t take the me for Mr. Dumrique¡¯s change of mind.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She said that it was the host¡¯s fault.¡±


    [The host.] The president closed his eyes when he thought of the culprit. She¡¯s someone that he couldn¡¯t mess with no matter what happens or it will be the end of him. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this now. We can¡¯t do anything even if we get to the bottom of this. It won¡¯t bring Mr. Dumrique to our side.¡±


    On the other hand, Coleen went to thefort room after leaving the meeting and cried her heart out. She didn¡¯t regret saying those things. The only regret she has was the fact that she would lose her job. [Hmph! I¡¯ll find a better ce that will treat me better. I know that I deserve something better because God won¡¯t forsake those who work honestly.]


    Everything that happened was already within Stefan¡¯s calction. He knew that the entertainment industry was a murky ce where everyone worked so hard to rise from the swamp. They all strived to be the firefly that will light up this dark ce.


    He wasn¡¯t nning to join this industry but he was willing to help those people who deserves his help.


    ¡°Boss, here are the pieces of evidence I gathered. I¡¯ve been monitoring them and earlier, the headhunter sent her resignation letter.¡±


    ¡°What about the host?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know why she couldn¡¯t be kicked out from that ce if you check the pieces of evidence I gave you.¡±


    ¡°My wife will kill me if she finds out I¡¯m watching something unholy. Anyway, I¡¯ll take a guess. She knows the president¡¯s secret or she¡¯s that secret that needs to be kept?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    ¡°Oh! What a greedy woman,¡± Stefan pushed thepact disc toward his secretary and sped his hands together. ¡°Keep it for now. There will be a time when we¡¯ll have to use that. Anyway, call Diego and ask if he needs an honest headhunter. I have another work to do.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Guess what was the other work that he needed to do ¨C knitting. He was knitting fabric toys for his unborn child. It was a skill that she learned from Jillyanna when they visited herst time. Instead of buying those rubber toys that could be harmful to his child¡¯s health, he decided to make knitted toys. So far, he has been able to make a strawberry-knitted toy. Currently, he was making an elephant. Well, supposedly, it should look like an elephant but he was having a hard time following the instructions from the booklet he bought. It was soplicated and the trunk of his elephant didn¡¯t look like a trunk. It looked like a dislocated nose.


    Watching him from the monitoring room, Tristan couldn¡¯t help but take a picture of his serious expression. ¡°Miss Yen, why don¡¯t you ask the boss to sell them? They will be sold instantly.¡±


    Cayenne saw the message that Tristan sent and smiled. People say that the first time you meet the person you like, you will feel these butterflies in your stomach. In Cayenne¡¯s case, after so many years that they¡¯ve been together, whenever her husband does something for her or the baby now, she still felt those fluttering wings of butterflies.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need so much money. Little things like these should be done for the family. Let us not rob the other businessmen out there.¡±


    Then saving the picture that he sent, she posted it on her timeline which gathered so many reactions from people.


    ¡°He looked so cold in magazines before but now, sorry Mrs. Dumrique, I¡¯m loving your husband so much ??.¡±


    ¡°He looks so charming with that confused expression while knitting.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Dumrique, are you nning to do another business? Please don¡¯t rob us, little businessmen, ??.¡±


    ¡°This is quite a surprise. I thought only women do this ??.¡±


    ¡°Just how much do you want to spoil your wife?¡±


    ¡°Ahh! His secretary bought these knitting books in our bookstore and I thought it would be a gift for his wife. I didn¡¯t expect he¡¯d be the one using them??.¡±


    Goodess_YNA: The first product of his hard work [knittedstrawberry.jpeg]. Isn¡¯t this cute? ??


    ¡°Now we know where he learned this.¡±


    ¡°My dear goddess, why did you teach the husband instead of the wife?¡±


    Goddess_YNA: [replied to thementer above] I don¡¯t want my husband to have a fallout with his best friend because surely, Stefan will hate me if I let his wife work on this. ??


    Stefan didn¡¯t know that he caused a storm on social media already because he was still fixing the trunk of his knitted elephant.


    Meanwhile, Dr. Albert just boarded the ne after a tight security check since he was once a prisoner. He wasn¡¯t bothered with it, though. He cooperated with them without any argument and the airport staff gratefully gave them a huge discount for the trouble they caused and for his wife who needed medical assistance.


    Since Latticia Sugo was reported dead, the woman beside him could not use that name anymore. Thankfully, with his connections, he was able to get a forged ID for her.


    Latticia¡¯s illness was something unheard of. In most cases, people with facial paralysis won¡¯t be able to move their facial muscles and will have a hard time eating. Sometimes, this was the case with Latticia. However, there were cases where they¡¯d be cured as well after two or three months of therapy and medications, but in some; they¡¯d stay like that for the rest of their life.


    Latticia¡¯s case wasplicated. There were times that she¡¯d have to depend on drips and liquid food which uses an NG tube and at other times, which can be considered a miracle, her palsy heals and she gets to eat soups and porridge. It will onlyst for two or three days in a month before she suffers from this illness again. Dr. Albert sought medical help from many hospitals before but no one was able to help her.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see him soon. Do you hate me for keeping you alive in secret? If you do, once you can talk again, you can vent your frustrations.¡±


    [We have so little time left. There¡¯s no need to brew hatred between us.] Latticia thought because she could not say them.

 Chapter 754

    754 THOMAS FOUND HER


    M, although she was hurting, wanted to cut Thomas off her life, and to do that, she unfollowed him beforeing to Baguio City. That was the reason why he didn¡¯t know that the man has set foot in the city where she was. Jess knew about it but she didn¡¯t say anything to her employer. She didn¡¯t really dislike the choice that M opted for, but she also wants to see what would happen if there is a chance for them to be together. She still had no idea why M was really afraid of seeing Thomas.


    ¡°Jess, I¡¯ll go downtown this afternoon to get some supplies for my drawings. Can you drive for me?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯d like to get more groceries for us. Do you like to eat something? I can get them for you.¡±


    ¡°Donuts.¡±


    ¡°Sweets again.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Just get me one.¡±


    M went to her room to change her clothes and Jess went to the kitchen to check their groceries. Baguio is a lot colder during the Christmas season and it fogs almost every day. They had to schedule their trips wisely to avoid getting into idents because of the thick fog.


    Currently, Thomas was sitting inside a cafe. He was chatting with another tourist that he met while looking for M.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± the woman said while looking at the picture of M that Thomas showed to her ¡°You are desperately looking for her but you are not even lovers. I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s not your sister either.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just wanted to confirm something.¡±


    ¡°Did you know that, if a person purposely hides from you, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to find her?¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s been over five months since she left.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure if the person I know is talking about the same woman that you are looking for. I have this friend who lives a little bit far from here and she said that a famous person moved into their neighborhood. She hasn¡¯t seen her face, though. Ah! Is your friend pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Pre-pregnant? No. No, she¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then it isn¡¯t her.¡±


    The hope that Thomas felt came crashing down on him when the woman said those words to him. He was really looking forward to meeting that person, just by any chance it was M, but how could she be pregnant? It can¡¯t be her.


    ¡°Wait! Isn¡¯t that her?¡±


    Thomas looked outside where the woman was pointing her fingers and sure enough, the woman who came out of the car was M.


    ¡°You said she¡¯s not pregnant.¡±


    He had never experienced having a cold bucket of water poured on him yet, right this instant he felt really cold and shocked. He could not move or even open his mouth to say something because right now, the M he knew was standing 15 meters across the cafe with a big belly. She was pregnant.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to see her?¡±


    The question pulled him back to reality and he felt defeated. All this time, he thought that if he ever meets her again, if he was given a second chance, he would confess to her. He wanted to risk their friendship just for the chance of spending the rest of his life with him.


    [What a joke!] Thomas thought as he stood up and left the cafe. The woman could only look at him with sympathetic eyes. When she was talking to him, she had been observing his expression and his eyes. It was obvious that he loves her but was confused as well. Now, he didn¡¯t have the chance to make that love bloom. As she could see, the woman probably left the industry because she got married and was expecting a child on the way.


    ¡°Can I have another apple pie?¡± She told the waitress and just stayed there. It wasn¡¯t her problem and she didn¡¯t intend to get herself involved.


    M walked slowly beside her assistant and the two of them chatted about the baby¡¯s name. In four months, she¡¯ll give birth to her baby but she hasn¡¯t thought of the name yet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to name him after the father?¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± M shrieked which caused Jess tough at her. ¡°How could you ask that? Do you want me to shout to the world that he¡¯s the father? I¡¯m already getting worried that he would look a lot like him.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯ll be a sissy like you.¡±


    ¡°Who cares? I will love my child no matter his gender. He¡¯s my flesh and blood. I worked so hard just to have him in this life.¡±


    ¡°Worked so hard? What exactly happened? I mean, I don¡¯t the details but how did you guys get the time to make this? It was never in your schedule to meet him alone.¡±


    ¡°M.¡±


    The two women froze. M was trembling and Jess could see that. She really wondered what happened that caused the woman to hide and fear the presence of Thomas Aizenberg.


    Thomas was actually stalking them and some people were already worried about what he was doing. Someone even called the police. Who wouldn¡¯t be bothered when he was following two helpless women with his half-covered face? But when he came out to face the two women, the townfolks who were alert for whatever might happen rxed because they seemed to know each other. Nheless, they paid attention just in case he would do something bad.


    ¡°I finally found you,¡± Thomas said while taking off his mask and slowly approached the woman who had her back on him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you got married. I would have stopped looking if I knew. I thought something bad happened.¡±


    M willed herself not to cry and keep her pretentious act of being a strong woman. So, what if he thinks that way? She¡¯s fine. If he thought she got married, so be it. It¡¯s better than the truth. She would rather lie than let him know of her selfishness.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± M said and turned around. ¡°I can¡¯t show him to the public because of his identity. We had a private wedding and since I love the Philippines, I decided to buy a lot here and designed a house with his help.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he with you? Why are you alone with Jess? And also, you have to wear warm gloves. It¡¯s getting colder at this time of the year.¡± Thomas took M¡¯s hand and gave her the gloves that he was wearing earlier. ¡°Keep yourself warm especially now that you have a baby inside you. I really wish to see the man who took you away from me.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell anyone about your secret.¡± Thomas, for thest time, raised his hand and rubbed the woman¡¯s head. ¡°I wish you happiness.¡± [Even if I can¡¯t be the reason for that.] ¡°Also, I visited your family. It was actually funny because they thought I¡¯d be asking them for your hand in marriage.¡±


    ¡°My parents?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. I can¡¯t believe you even kept this from them. At least tell them you are married so that they won¡¯t expect anything from me.¡±


    ¡°Why would they say that now?¡± M muttered but when she looked up, Thomas already took several steps back away from her. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Now that I see you¡¯re doing well, I can finally rest my heart. I¡¯m going home. Just give me a call if your husband mistreats you. I will give him a punch that would stay in his mind for the rest of his life.¡±


    ¡°Thomas. I ¨C ¡± [Tell him, idiot! Just say it!] She could hear the widening cracks of her heart and when it finally broke into pieces, M only smiled at him. ¡°I am happy to see you as well. I wish you happiness from the bottom of my heart.¡± [I have no regrets even if I won¡¯t be able to see you again.]


    Thomas grinned and nodded his head but when he turned around and put on his mask again, he let herself cry for the first time in a while now. He has forgotten the pain of losing someone since his father died ten years ago. He never thought that losing her in this lifetime would be more painful to him.


    ¡°Why?!¡± Jess shouted angrily because she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Even though she has nothing to do with it, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from bursting into tears. ¡°Why do you have to lie?! Yeah! You wish each other happiness but you are dying deep inside! Why?!¡±


    ¡°Jess, please. I¡¯m begging you.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell him the truth? Miss M, did you really think I wouldn¡¯t know? You have been looking at his picture every night, the one you slipped into your pregnancy book. If you really love him, why won¡¯t you say how exactly you feel?!¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not! Jess, I¡¯m begging you. Please stop this. I¡¯m not the woman he likes. Stop hurting me. I know that for a very long time¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Thomas looked back and his chest tightened when he saw her crying while begging her assistant to stop. ¡°Jess, what do you know?¡±


    ¡°Miss M.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± M walked away and hailed the taxi to stop in front of her.


    ¡°Are you going to escape again? Your cowardice won¡¯t bring you happiness.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than the painful truth,¡± M said without looking back at them. She got into the taxi and was about to close it when Thomas got inside using the other door.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t cause a scene. You will frighten the driver.¡± Thomas said as he removed his face mask and covered his face with his big hands. ¡°M, was she telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Why would she say that you are lying?¡±


    ¡°Because she thought that I like you.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What about the picture she was talking about?¡±


    ¡°It was a photo of us four. Travis and Stefan were also in that picture. I wasn¡¯t looking at you. I was looking at all of you because I was guilty of leaving without saying a word to them.¡±


    ¡°And your husband?¡±


    ¡°He left for work.¡±


    Thomas didn¡¯t know if he should get angry at this moment ormend her for her lying skills. She already have answers for all the questions he threw at her even though they were all false.


    ¡°I like you. I never realized it until you left. I was -¡± M narrowed her eyes at him during his confession. He chose this moment because the car stopped for a second because there was a loaded truck in front of them making a U-turn. ¡°M, please hear me out.¡±


    Instead of listening to him, M pulled Thomas and moved to his side of the car without saying anything. The event was so fast that he wasn¡¯t able to think of his next course of action. In the blink of an eye, M was covering him as her blood continued to drip on him.

 Chapter 755

    755 SECRETS, GUILT AND COMA


    Stefan¡¯s blood ran cold and his grip tightened around the phone. He didn¡¯t even hear what Cayenne was talking about. It was only until his chest hurt that he realized he stopped himself to breathe. No bomb was dropped but there was a ringing sound in his ears.


    ¡°Hon?¡± Cayenne called out but she was met with silence. ¡°Hon? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Silence. ¡°Stefan!¡±


    Stefan jolted back into reality and looked around to check where exactly he was. In front of him, Cayenne was fuming and her cheeks were puffed up which made her look adorable instead of looking fierce. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I got lost in my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°It must be something so worrisome because you didn¡¯t pay attention to me.¡±


    ¡°It is but I can handle it.¡± Stefan said and smiled faintly which didn¡¯t reach his eyes at all and Cayenne knew that he was hiding something. Knowing that Stefan was someone who never wanted her to worry, she didn¡¯t force him to tell her, if he thinks it was better for her not to know anything; she was fine with it.


    But, ¡°if you won¡¯t tell me, I¡¯m fine with it but if you think I should know it, no matter how bad the news is, I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    ¡°Give me two days. I¡¯ll let you know in two days.¡±


    Cayenne nodded her head because she knew that Stefan didn¡¯t mean to keep it a secret. There must be a reason why he needed to sort it out in two days. Though, she couldn¡¯t help wondering what happened. Since there wasn¡¯t anything, she can do to help; she decided to go downstairs and make him some snacks.


    As soon as she left, Stefan called Travis immediately. Thetter already knew the news that involved M and Thomas in Baguio and when Jillyanna heard Stefan¡¯s voice on the other end of the line, she turned on the speaker of her husband¡¯s phone. ¡°Stefan? Can you hear me? Is Yen with you?¡±


    .....


    ¡°No, she went out to get something.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her know. I know that she¡¯s brave but I¡¯m still worried for her especially since she¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    ¡°I promised to tell her the news in two days.¡±


    ¡°Two days? Are you serious? M is in critical condition right now and Cayenne...you know that she would me herself.¡±


    This was what worried Stefan the most. The ident happened because M tried to run away from Thomas again. Thomas came to Baguio because Stefan told him about this clue. Stefan knew about it because Cayenne shared this information with him; not wanting to hide anything in their rtionship. M told Cayenne of her whereabouts because she trusted her. In short, it all boiled down to Cayenne¡¯s betrayal. If she knows about this, she will be devastated. Stefan can¡¯t allow that to happen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to her about this, Jill. I can¡¯t keep this a secret forever. I promised her. No matter how bad the news is, she deserves to know it.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send Brown in two days just in case something happens.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Have you checked on them already? You are the first people I called when I heard about it. I haven¡¯t informed Tristan yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be going there tonight. Travis already informed M¡¯s parents. No matter how much we want to support her decision, we still can¡¯t prevent her parents from knowing what happened.¡±


    ¡°How about aunt Josephine?¡±


    ¡°I told her about what happened and she already booked a flight to the Philippines,¡± Travis answered since he was the one who contacted Thomas¡¯ mother.


    The three of them discussed what they could do to help the two people who were both their friends. Unfortunately, with M¡¯s critical and delicate situation, they could not transport her overseas. The doctors preferred to keep her under monitoring. The only good thing that happened was the doctor¡¯s presence who coincidentally passed by the street where the ident happened. He was even on his way to work. If not for him, they would have died.


    The doctor called the emergency hotline of Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center even before he could get out of his car and the hospital responded immediately.


    The situation was terrible. The driver of the bus that hit the taxi which M and Thomas used died on the spot. After the investigation, it was confirmed that the brakes of the bus malfunctioned which caused the driver to lose control going downhill. The street wasn¡¯t really a steep slope and he could have avoided his death if the taxi wasn¡¯t there in front of him.


    The taxi driver was also confused. If he moved forward, he will hit the big truck in front of him. If he moved back, there was a big chance that the bus will turn them into a sandwich with the wall. In thest minute of confusion, he saw how swiftly the woman moved behind him and protected the other passenger. He was truly shocked seeing how big her stomach was, yet she chose to save the man, and his feet instinctively step on the elerator which he knew could save the three of them ¨C four including the unborn child.


    Although he hit the loaded truck in front of him, the airbag saved his life and he didn¡¯t think of the consequences anymore. He just wanted to check his passengers as soon as he could but moving around jolted him from the unbearable pain. His leg which was stepping on the elerator got stuck between his seat and the broken dashboard.


    True, the bus didn¡¯t hit his taxi. It swerved a little and hit the metalmp post before hitting the wall. Sadly, because of the strong impact, themp post bent and hit the window which M blocked to protect Thomas. The shards of the broken ss didn¡¯t do much damage to her body because she was wearing thick clothes. The huge problem was the dent in the taxi that hit her head directly and the metal case of themp which smashed her shoulder and the base of her neck.


    Then and there, M and the taxi driver lost consciousness. Only Thomas remained conscious while calling M¡¯s name again and again, again and again, despite the amount of blood dripping on his face.


    In the hospital, Thomas was looking through the window ss of the intensive care unit where M was being constantly monitored. He was told that she lost so much blood and needed a transfusion. Then, he was informed that the baby inside her belly was doing fine; very brave of the child to cling to life when its mother was already at death¡¯s door. Once they were sure that they provided her with the best and most immediate care, they moved her to this room for monitoring.


    ¡°When will she wake up?¡± Thomas asked the nurse who came out from the ICU.


    ¡°As of the moment, we could not tell. The test results conducted for her showed that her brain received trauma from the impact of the car dent. Her shoulder and the base of her neck got affected as well which is critical for her movement once she recovered. There was also a blood clot in her head which we were able to remove but in medical terms, she¡¯ll probably have amnesia. We can¡¯t say for sure. In any case, we will inform you as soon as she wakes up.¡±


    ¡°And the baby?¡±


    ¡°So far, the baby is safe. You don¡¯t have to worry about him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jess felt really bad about what happened and she couldn¡¯t even look at M¡¯s pale face. She was so guilty and med herself for causing them this dreadful issue. She thought that, if she didn¡¯t interfere, M wouldn¡¯t have to run away and Thomas wouldn¡¯t have the need to follow her. Their rtionship would have ended then and there. But, there¡¯s no way of changing the past. No matter how much she regrets it, she could not turn back the time and correct the mistake she did.


    Thomas saw the assistant crying on the bench outside the ICU. He could tell what was running on her head and he felt guilty. If he didn¡¯t force her to say something, M would still be alive and her assistant wouldn¡¯t be sitting here with swollen eyes.


    Guilt, regret, and unbearable sadness weighed on them. It wasn¡¯t just them. M¡¯s parents who learned about what happened could only cry in repentance. M¡¯s action was enough proof that they did something wrong; something she wasn¡¯t happy about. If they cared for her, if they trusted her to choose the man that she would love for the rest of her life, she wouldn¡¯t need to hide the fact that she got pregnant. And even if she didn¡¯t tell them who the father was, they already have an idea of who the man was. Yet, Thomas seemed to not know anything about her pregnancy either. As her parents, they felt that theyck attention and care toward their daughter. Now, that she¡¯s in critical condition, she would not be able to hear their plea to live and their apology.


    The next day, Travis and Jillyanna left to visit Thomas and M in Baguio City. Since it was not a trip for vacation, they left their children to Alex and Sky and the two elders felt really happy to take care of their grandchildren.


    Both of them prayed that nothing bad will happen to M. Currently, she was the only one that needs continuous care and monitoring. Her sacrifice kept Thomas from any harm but the man was always wallowing in guilt that he refused to eat if she stays unconscious.


    And worse, when Jillyanna and Travis came, they were greeted with bad news. M was finally dered in aa. Her pupils were not responding to light and she was no longer responding to painful stimuli. Even though she was alive, her brain was functioning at its lowest stage of alertness.


    Thomas broke down at the news and M¡¯s parents could do nothing but tear up in sadness. Their prayers were unanswered. The taxi driver¡¯s family even came to apologize for what happened even though the man was not at fault. And even if they wanted to me the driver of the bus, they don¡¯t have the heart to. The driver died already.


    Back in City A, Cayenne was prohibited to use her phone for a long time because of radiation. She was not allowed to use theputer either for more than 3 hours in one day. Since this rule existed after they learned that she got pregnant, she wasn¡¯t bothered that Stefan shortened the time even more. She was only allowed to use her phone if it was for a very, very important matter; and she can use theputer for projects and research. Most of the time, you can find her reading a book about pregnancy.


    Stefan did all these to prevent her from knowing about what happened to M and Thomas, but as the saying goes ¡®you can¡¯t keep a smoke tightly under wraps¡¯ and that applies to secrets. No matter how much you try to keep it, it wille out one day.


    And that day came rather early for Cayenne to know the truth of the incident. Ca was eating something in the kitchen when Cayenne came to get some fruits. It just so happened that Ca scrolled up and the next post was about M and Thomas. Cayenne thought she was just seeing things when she turned around but something told her to look at it again.


    Grabbing Ca¡¯s phone, she read the news with trembling hands. Her knees were shaking and she dropped to the floor looking pale and frightened.


    ¡°Miss Yen? Miss Yen!¡±

 Chapter 756

    756 PREVENTING HER FROM FEELING GUILTY


    ¡°Thank God,¡± Stefan said when Cayenne came out of the emergency room, half an hour after she was sent in. The nurses were currently pushing the stretcher to transfer her to the VIP room. ¡°I thought I¡¯d lose you and the baby. I was really scared.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Cayenne muttered with tears in her eyes. Realization sank deep into her brain and it also scared her that she did something reckless for their child. ¡°I was just really shocked by the news. I really tried to hold it in but my emotions overpowered my rationality. I¡¯m sorry. I also want to apologize to Ca, is she okay?¡±


    ¡°Ca is fine. She was checked already and although she isn¡¯t injured or wounded, she¡¯d probably get bruises.¡±


    The safety of Cayenne and her baby was thanks to their chef. If she didn¡¯t act quickly, Cayenne would surely lose the baby if she directly fell on the floor. Apparently, when Ca saw that it was Cayenne who grabbed her phone, she stood up from her seat to grab a ss of water for her madam. It was obvious that she¡¯d need it while processing the news in her head. The moment she turned around, Cayenne was already trembling and her knees were shaking. To cushion Cayenne from the fall, Ca slid on the floor and Cayennended on her. Her butt was the one that suffered the most.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Cayenne mumbled once again and Stefan just kissed her forehead to tell her it was fine. ¡°Did you know about the news?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is the one I promised to tell you about tomorrow. I¡¯m sorry I kept it from you.¡±


    ¡°I know why you did it so there is nothing to apologize for, but my guilt...hon, this happened because of me.¡± The fear that Stefan wanted to prevent from consuming her still came when she needed to rest. ¡°If I didn¡¯t tell you, you wouldn¡¯t give Thomas the clue and he wouldn¡¯te to find her. None of this would have happened if I decided to shut up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Stefan said and Cayenne burst into tears because of his confirmation that she was at fault but he wasn¡¯t done talking yet. ¡°It all started with you telling me about M¡¯s hiding ce. Hon, if you didn¡¯t say so, M would continue to suffer alone. Did you read the whole news? M is pregnant for over five months.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah. Something like that was in the news,¡± she responded while allowing Stefan to wipe her tears with his thumb. ¡°Who¡¯s the father?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Thomas,¡± Stefan told her the information that he knew after a thorough investigation from Tristan. M learned of her pregnancy when she was still in London and based on her medical records, she probably got pregnant during the time they visited her. M loves no other man except Thomas and with Thomas asking Stefan about some weird dream he had, it was possible that he was drunk when it happened. No wonder M left without telling him anything.


    When you think about it, the assumptions of many people were unfair. Since they found out about M¡¯s pregnancy because of the news and paired with Thomas who has been posting a lot of things while looking for her, they all thought that it was Thomas who did something wrong which caused M to leave and keep the baby a secret. They would have never thought that it was all M¡¯s n and Thomas knew nothing about it.


    ¡°So, stop thinking that you are at fault. Did you cut the brake of the bus that hit the taxi they were on? You did not. Did you tell the taxi driver to use that street? You did not. Hon, you have nothing to do with it. In fact. You gave her child the chance to have a father. You gave Thomas a chance, to be honest with himself and face reality. You gave them the chance to build their family. It is up to them if they would take it or let the opportunity pass.¡±


    ¡°But ¨C ¡±


    ¡°No, buts. Listen to me,¡± Stefan cupped her face and kissed her nose to distract her. ¡°The only thing you did wrong was to tell me about M. Everything else after that, you have nothing to do with it. I know I can¡¯t stop you from feeling guilty but I hope you can look at the brighter side of the situation. We¡¯ll pray for her safety. I know that God won¡¯t let good people suffer.¡±


    Dr. Albert and Stefan were supposed to see each other the next day, but because of what happened to Cayenne, they moved their schedule, three dayster to give Cayenne enough time to recover. Dr. Albert expressed his concern for Cayenne since he knew that the woman was pregnant but he wasn¡¯t sad that their meeting was canceled. At the very least, they have a few more days to look around the city before meeting Stefan.


    ¡°So, you have heard the information, right?¡± Dr, Albert asked Latticia even though the woman won¡¯t be able to respond to him. ¡°Since we could not meet him until three dayster, do you want to go outside and see how the city has changed over the years?¡±


    Silence.


    He looked around to get two different things for her choices once again since it was the only way tomunicate with her. ¡°I really wish there is a pattern to the time of your miracle healing,¡± he mumbled without really needing anyone to answer it. ¡°Here.¡± he showed her the flower vase and the TV remote. ¡°If you want to go out, look at the flower vase and it was the TV remote otherwise. So, which one?¡±


    Back in Senyu Medical Hospital, Luiz and Kyle came running after hearing what happened to their sister. Kyle even missed his licensure review because of this and Luiz, thankfully, didn¡¯t have a photoshoot.


    ¡°Are you fine now? Really, really fine? How about the baby?¡± Luiz fired his questions incessantly while looking at his sister¡¯s medical board on the side of her bed. He learned to read basic data because of risse, his girlfriend, who aspired to be a doctor one day. ¡°I was really worried.¡±


    ¡°How about I stay with you guys for the time being since I¡¯m only doing reviews? I can help whenever Stefan goes to work.¡± Kyle said without calling Stefan his brother-inw any more. Before they¡¯d call him brother-inw this, brother-inw that, and after some time, they felt it sounded so distant. At the same time, Kyle asked if they could call him by his first name and when Stefan agreed, that was the time they started calling him by his name.


    Stefan wasn¡¯t against the idea and technically, he built those guest¡¯ rooms in their house for this purpose ¨C when someone from their family wants to stay over.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to offer some help as well but I have pending work and I still have to study,¡± Luiz mentioned depressingly. He really wanted to stay with his sister as well.


    In the end, it was Kyle who got the approval of staying over to help his sister during her pregnancy. In this way, Stefan can stop worrying over his wife¡¯s welfare while Kyle is with her.

 Chapter 757

    757 CLEAN FREAK, HORMONES AND LATTICIA


    The next morning, Cayenne was discharged from the hospital and Kyle came over with his suitcase that contains most of her important belongings. Since Cayenne¡¯s new house was built away from the city, it was expensive to go there by taxi. So, he decided to juste along with them to save money.


    Typically, people would think that the majestic house built on top of a mountain in the countryside of City A was Stefan¡¯s and Cayenne¡¯s. Only a few people knew that the house was built by Stefan for Cayenne. The property was named under her and after their honeymoon, she signed the documents of entitlement. She kept telling Stefan that it should be named under both of them but Stefan said that like the house he entrusted to her, he will entrust the rest of his life along with the house.


    What else can she do? Just signed it and be done with it. Stefan¡¯s ways of doting on her were just out of this world and she was tired ofprehending them.


    Kyle visited this house for a few times already and he still couldn¡¯t keep himself from feeling amazed at the structure. If it was close to City B, where they were staying currently ¨C in Cayenne¡¯s house as well, he would probably visit this ce whenever he got the time.


    ¡°So, what are the things I should remember for Cayenne?¡± Kyle asked as soon as they arrived. He wanted to make sure that he won¡¯t mess up since Cayenne was carrying the life of their niece or nephew.


    ¡°Take a rest first,¡± Stefan said while leading his wife upstairs. ¡°You can use whichever room in the west wing. Let¡¯s talk about Ayen¡¯s welfare and some house chores after lunch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really tired. Can I check the dogs instead?¡±


    ¡°Go for it.¡±


    Kyle carried his suitcase excitedly to the first room in the west wing and without arranging them in the closet, he ran outside and yed with the dogs in the backyard, close to the helper¡¯s quarter. Other people kept their dogs inside their homes while others have dog houses outside their homes; just enough for one dog to stay.


    .....


    In Stefan¡¯s case, before Cayenne got pregnant, the dogs were allowed to stay inside the house, and y as much as they could with their toys since they were still small. As they grew bigger, he could not keep them unleashed because they liked to jump onto Cayenne and it was not good for the baby. So, he asked someone to build a huge dog house in the backyard, which was half the size of the helper¡¯s quarter. In the dog house, there were four rooms with their names painted on them, and they were trained to live in those rooms respectively. After a long period, they already learned which room was theirs and they no longer sleep on the ground.


    This huge dog house served as their ypen as well. There were some obstacle courses that they can y with and most of the time when the helpers didn¡¯t have other things to do, they would y with the dogs here. The only thing they were not allowed to do was to take the dogs out of this big house.


    When Kyle came into the dog house, the four dogs jumped out of their rooms and wagged their tails at him. Summer and Autumn were circling around him while barking happily. ¡°Ahh, this is heaven.¡± Kyle moaned happily as he crouched low and hugged the dogs which he couldn¡¯t do in the other house. Jonas didn¡¯t like to keep dogs at home because he was scared it would damage their things.


    The helpers checked who was ying with the dogs and when they saw it was Kyle, they greeted him politely and even invited him to have some fruits.


    An hourter, Kyle stopped ying with the dogs because he wanted to help in the kitchen. One thing that wasmon for the three siblings was their love for cooking. They were used to it since they needed to depend on themselves as they grew up and because they will be the ones who will eat their own cooked dishes, they learned to make them taste even better.


    Stefan, being the clean freak for Cayenne¡¯s welfare, after ying with the dogs, one cannot enter the house through the front door. They¡¯d have to walk through the back door, remove their shoes and ce them inside a stic, step on the sanitary mat and get themselves sprayed with a disinfectant spray machine. Then you can use the elevator beside the storage room which will bring you to the floor where your room was located. In that way, you don¡¯t have to walk into the living room with possible bacteria and viruses which can be harmful to Cayenne and the unborn baby.


    Just how clean freak are you? I bet, no one can topple Stefan¡¯s ce as the top 1 on the list.


    The same goes for the helpers. If they y with the dogs, they¡¯d have to do the same steps since Stefan installed the same sanitary mat and spray machine in their quarter except for the elevator. Once they got themselves disinfected, they can just go inside the quarter and change their clothes before getting out to do whatever chores they needed to do.


    Though it was such a hassle, the helpers and the bodyguards were never tired of following this protocol because they were getting paid better than the other helpers out there. Besides, they¡¯re only doing this whenever they yed with the pets and other animals on the small farm close to the house.


    As soon as he was done taking a bath and changing his clothes, Kyle went to the kitchen and saw that it was another helper who was cooking. Then, he remembered what happened to Ca, the chef, which was caused by his sister. ¡°Is there anything I can help with? I¡¯m not very good at cooking but I can do it.¡±


    ¡°Sir Kyle. I am fine doing it alone. It¡¯s not really much.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s on the menu for today¡¯s lunch?¡± By then, the helper knew that he could do nothing with the insistent brother of his madam. In the end, they work together to prepare lunch, except for Cayenne¡¯s food because Stefan will be preparing it on his own.


    Normally, Stefan would be cooking lunch at 11:00 AM during weekends if both of them were at home. However, it was already a quarter after eleven and he was still in their bedroom, coaxing Cayenne to stop crying.


    [Why? Why is this happening? She wasn¡¯t like this before?] Stefan thought with Cayenne in his arms. Her hups and sobs were breaking his heart and he did not know what to do. The cause of this problem was a withered sunflower. Recently, Cayenne has been reading books about sunflowers and she has been looking into books with sunflowers in them. Thus, he bought her a potted sunflower. In the past few days, it was blooming prettily but now it has withered. Cayenne suddenly cried when she saw it.


    [Hormones. It is her hormones.] Stefan told himself over and over again because he couldn¡¯t find any other reason to me.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get a new sunflower. I¡¯ll buy you one. I also heard that we can use the seedlings of the flower to nt more. Shall we try it?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t like it anymore. It can die however it wants,¡± she angrily mumbled and after some time, she cried once again. ¡°Hubby, I¡¯m hungry. I am so hungry.¡±


    [Her mood swing during ppregnancy is worse than her mood swings during her menstrual period.]


    In Clover Hotel, Dr. Albert went out to buy something for Latticia to eat because solid food was difficult for her to chew. Even though he was staying in Stefan¡¯s hotel, the man had no idea that his mother was also staying in the same ce. After all, she was using a different name and no one really knew how Stefan¡¯s mother look. Even he, the son, didn¡¯t know how his mother look right now.


    On his way back to the hotel, he met Magnus who came out from the hotel¡¯s restaurant with other businessmen. The man looked handsome even at his agepared to Dr. Albert who started having white hair already. When their eyes met, Magnus showed hostility in her eyes but didn¡¯t say anything. He knew that Dr. Albert has served his time in prison already. He can¡¯t do anything to him no matter how angry he was about what happened in the past.


    Dr. Albert passed by him and continued walking to the elevator. Seeing that the man was staying in the hotel, he called Stefan immediately to get rid of him. Sadly, Stefan knew about Dr. Albert¡¯s visit to the city, and Magnus was left defeated by this fact.


    ¡°a..at...ssss...king...you...sss...so...long.¡± (What¡¯s taking you so long?)


    It sounded hoarse and most of the sybles couldn¡¯t be properly said but Dr. Albert heard it clearly. His vision turned blurry and his steps were shaking as he walked towards her. Still sitting in the same position as he left her, but now, she had a faint sheepish smile on her face.


    His tears raced down her face, gathered on his chin, and fell on the floor. His tears were cold but his heart was warm. ¡°You talked, didn¡¯t you? Or was I imagining it again?¡±


    ¡°ter...ink...wooo...ter.¡± (Water. I want to drink water.)


    ¡°Water? You want to drink water?¡±


    Dr. Albert left to get some water as soon as he could and brought it back to her. Latticia was still smiling as if she was having fun looking at him flustered and tearful.


    [Why did I never see this man before? Why did I fall in love with someone who only want me as his second?] She could not help but wonder why he was helping her this much as well. If it was not because of him, she could have died already and she wouldn¡¯t suffer from longing and regret. At the same time, it was also after missing death¡¯s door that she received so much care and unconditional love.


    ¡°I saw Magnus earlier.¡± Dr. Albert confessed since he knew that the woman loved that man even after what happened. ¡°He didn¡¯t know you were here.¡±


    ¡°it...ssnn¡¯t ma...tter..do...not...talk...him¡± (It doesn¡¯t matter. Do not talk about him.) Latticia looked at his hair and pulled her lips slowly into a smile. [He looks older and haggardpared to other people of his age. I¡¯m probably causing him so much trouble.} ¡°er...you...been...th...this...re..yes.¡± (Where have you been these three years?)


    ¡°You are having trouble speaking since you have not done this in a long time. I¡¯ll write down what happened and just read it. Remember, do not react to the extreme because I am doing fine now.¡±


    ¡°o...k..¡±

 Chapter 758

    758 SECRET TO HIS GRAVE I


    38 YEARS AGO...


    ¡°Hey! Nerdy! Who are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°I...ah...I¡¯m...not. I¡¯m not looking at anyone.¡±


    ¡°Tch! Stop lying! I know you are watching Tisha again! What a creep! Stop stalking her!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m...I¡¯m not...¡±


    The scrawny and nerd-looking guy was none other than John Albert. His round eyess was too big for his small face and his ssmates loved to make fun of him. Every single day, you¡¯d see him carrying his big backpack which could make you wonder how he was able to carry it with hisnky stature.


    Which school didn¡¯t have cases of bullying? Teachers may not know about it but bullying exists everywhere. John was around 11 years old but he looked more like an 8-years old. His ssmates, who were a lot bigger than him, liked to shove and push him like he was a ball or something they could y with. He didn¡¯t do anything to retaliate just because he was a transfer student. He was afraid that if he would go against them, the school bullies would ask others toe and beat him up.


    Every afternoon, after his ss ended, he would hide in the toilet room until it gets dark outside. It was his only way to avoid those bullies.


    As a grown man, it was natural that he would find someone attractive and during that time, his heart selfishly chose to like Latticia even though he knew that many people will beat him up if they find out about his affection.


    .....


    He kept it a secret. Or probably not. In one of his notebooks, he sketched Latticia who was chatting with other students, and even wrote her name below it. The sketch was beautiful but he sketched the wrong person. One of his ssmates found out and tore that page of his notebook to show how gross he was. There was nothing wrong with him or his feelings. The only wrong thing was the object of his admiration. That day, he received another painful beating from the people who supported Magnus and Latticia¡¯s rtionship.


    ¡°If I find you looking at her again, I will gouge your eyes and make you eat it. Got it?!¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes. Yes, I got it. I won¡¯t look at her anymore. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± The man shoved him to the urinal and hit his head with the broomstick. It was the day that he would never forget. He was in so much pain and his heart has gone cold. He got bruises everywhere and he could barely see what was in front of him because his eyelids were swollen from the heavy punches he received.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± A woman asked but John didn¡¯t bother himself to look at her or even answer her inquiry. He just walked past her. ¡°Come here. Let me take a look,¡± she said and was about to touch him when he swatted her hand away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get close to me.¡±


    It was Latticia¡¯s first time seeing that boy since she didn¡¯t really pay attention to other male students except for Magnus. She didn¡¯t know he existed.


    The next day, Latticia thought she was just having a weird dream because that boy never showed up again. She even asked her ssmates and other students but they allughed at her, saying that she must have seen a ghost on her way home.


    That incident was long forgotten in her mind and naturally, she moved on from it.


    Unlike her, John was unable to forget her. Even when he moved to another town, away from the bullies and away from her, his mind would still wander back to the times he saw herugh with other students. She looked so carefree when sheughed as if nothing can bother her. Sometimes, he¡¯d see her with a man and his heart would break into pieces but he kept all this matter to himself. He could only keep things deep inside his heart because he didn¡¯t have any friends to share them with.


    Five yearster, his uncle who worked abroad decided to sponsor him through college no matter what course he would like to take. The only condition was to pass that course whatever it takes. If he fails, he will pay his uncle for all the money he spent. If he passes, that would be great for him.


    For a moment, during college, he was able to forget her. He focused himself on his studies because he didn¡¯t want to pay his uncle for all the expenses. He didn¡¯t have that huge amount of money.


    Aside from going to school, John also applied for a swimming ss which he took every weekend when he has nothing else to do. Without realizing it, he grew into a fine young man and many women started checking him out. He didn¡¯t care.


    He learned to mix and match his clothes from his cousin and when he has extra money from his allowance, he would buy good-looking clothes that fit him perfectly. It was also his cousin who brought him to an ophthalmologist to have his eyes checked again and got him a great pair of sses.


    So, even when he was wearing his sses, he looked cool instead of looking nerdy. Yet, he was still not interested in dating. He didn¡¯t like those girls who threw themselves at him.


    ¡°You will graduate soon and will be taking your licensure examination. Are you nning to get a job here or go back to City D?¡±


    ¡°I want to stay here for five more years, uncle. Of course, I¡¯ll get a job here to help you with the expenses. I can¡¯t forever depend on you. After that, maybe I¡¯ll go back to City D.¡±


    It was a typical conversation in his uncle¡¯s household to talk about their ns and the things they like to do. He wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with it and over the years, he learned to calm himself in the presence of his strict, but considerate uncle. He was the only one who truly cares for him when his mother and father broke up.


    ¡°You have a brain. You better use it for the greater good.¡±


    ¡°Yes, uncle.¡± This man wasn¡¯t even directly rted to his father. He was his father¡¯s brother-inw whose wife died a few years ago. Currently, it was the three of them ¨C all male, trying their best to live their life.


    John didn¡¯t know where his uncle got all the money to support two grown men who were both getting into college. He didn¡¯t dare ask him about it, though. He pretended not to care because he was worried that he would discover something that he shouldn¡¯t know.


    The doubts he had were finally answered after he graduate and got his license. That was when he met the Minato family.

 Chapter 759

    759 SECRET TO HIS GRAVE II


    John Albert thought that it was the big break he was waiting for when his uncle introduced him to bing a private doctor that one can call 24/7 whenever they¡¯re needed. The Minato family was well-known in City A and many people testified that this family pays their employees really well.


    Who didn¡¯t want money?


    Since he grew up with the support of his uncle, he knew how difficult it was to make ends meet. Thus, without having any doubts or hesitations, Dr. Albert agreed to work with them.


    The first year that he worked for them, everything was normal. He was given a small apartment unit close to Minato¡¯s residence where he can stay and be on standby just in case someone needed his help. His work wasn¡¯t anything abnormal as far as he was concerned. Most of the time, he treated the patriarch of the family whenever his illness struck him. Fever, cough, cold, and wounds, are justmon illnesses things that one would incur.


    In his second year, he started to notice something. There were times that the Minato family¡¯s bodyguards woulde back wounded from all sorts of weapons. At first, he didn¡¯t mind it. They were the bodyguards of a prestigious family so he thought it was normal that they would get into fights with the family¡¯s nemesis.


    In his third year, he was asked if he has knowledge about poisons and other harmful materials. Of course, as a doctor, he also studied harmful things like poisons. He knew which poisons could be fatal and which ones could be cured. Still, he didn¡¯t say anything about that. When he agreed to be their doctor, he signed a confidentiality agreement and if he breaches the contract, he¡¯ll be paying them ten times the total amount he had received from them. Where will he get that money? Left with no choice, he did what he was told to do and sealed his mouth.


    In his fourth year, that was when things started going south. On his way back to the apartment, he saw Natsu¡¯s car and thought that the man needed something from him. Why else would he be staying there if he wasn¡¯t looking for him? That was what he genuinely thought. When he approached the car, moans and kissing sounds could be heard which embarrassed him. He never had any experience with this kind of activity and yet, there he was, witnessing it firsthand.


    He decided to ignore it but when he passed by, he didn¡¯t know why ¨C probably out of curiosity about what those people were doing ¨C he looked to the side and it so happen that the window of the car was left open.


    Dr. Albert wanted to curse heaven and hell but his words got stuck in his throat. He could only swallow drily from the shock he received while ra gave him a wink.


    .....


    He didn¡¯t know how he managed it but the next thing he knew, he was already inside his apartment, retching with bloodshot eyes. He was disgusted with them. ¡°F**k! That was incest! Disgusting!¡±


    To make things worse, while he was still moving on from what he saw, ra came knocking on his door. As soon as he opened it, she pushed him inside and kissed him like the maniac she was ¨C tongue and saliva included.


    Compared to the bullying he received when he was young, being kissed forcefully by this nymphomaniac was worse. His first kiss was stolen by her and to think she just did it with her uncle.


    Dr. Albert felt so disgusted that he avoided seeing ra¡¯s face for one month. He knew his standing in the family and he knew that no one would believe him plus ra and Minato threatened him with the lives of his uncle and cousin.


    From then on, ra was no longer bothered by his presence. Even when he was around, she would do things as she pleases including her betrayal of her best friend.


    Dr. Albert¡¯s first taste of hell was the bullying that happened when he was young. He has forgotten the inhumane treatment of those students and it was only when he met ra that he realized those bullies were no match for this woman¡¯s evilness.


    He continued to work for them, helped her with the abortion when she got pregnant with the boyfriend of her best friend and even provided her poison that could affect one¡¯s brain function just because she didn¡¯t want toe second.


    While she was messing with other men, her secret affair with her uncle didn¡¯t stop until she got pregnant again. This time, she didn¡¯t want to abort the child. Dr. Albert didn¡¯t know what made her choose to keep the baby and he wasn¡¯t interested to know either.


    Life continued until she met Magnus Dumrique in a club. She orchestrated everything to make him think something happened to them and a few months after that, she told him she was pregnant.


    Dr. Albert found the man¡¯s name very familiar but he has forgotten where he met him. He keptmunication with ra even after she got married to Magnus and that was how he finally met Latticia again.


    Unfortunately, the day he met her was also the day that she was fighting for her life. He didn¡¯t expect that the woman that ra wanted to kill was the same woman that he loves all those years.


    ra left the crime scene already and they denied her involvement in it. Dr. Albert contemted what he should do when Latticia lost consciousness. After calling an ambnce, he paid the doctor to fake Latticia¡¯s death. He spent a lot just to get her even when the chances of her getting back to life were slim.


    Using an unimed body in the morgue, they cremated her and gave her remains to the Sugo family. Dr. Albert couldn¡¯t think of anything other than taking her away from everyone. He didn¡¯t care about the money he had to spend to get her out of the country or the people he had to pay to keep this matter secret. Dr. Albert only needed her in his life.


    Using the excuse that he needed to go home due to family matters, plus the fact that he got involved with ra¡¯s crime, the Minato family allowed him to leave the country.


    He sessfully took her with him and brought her to another hospital overseas. With his friends from the same field, he was able to treat her to the best he could without anyone knowing that she was alive. He was able to keep this secret for more than 25 years and he has no n to tell anyone the truth. Even when he was sent to jail, he asked someone to take care of her and the station allowed him to call home once a week with the excuse that his wife was ill. Of course, the officers look into this matter and Latticia was indeed ill and she was registered as his wife as well. Nobody doubted him.


    No matter what happens, he ought to bring this secret with him to his death ¨C to his grave. Latticia didn¡¯t need to know about his feelings for her. He didn¡¯t need her to reciprocate his love either. It was his choice to be selfish for the rest of his life because of her.

 Chapter 760

    760 [Bonus chapter] APOLOGIES COULD DO NOTHING


    Back to the present, Stefan could not let go of his wife who suddenly became clingy to him. Truth be told, he likes her acting like this which he knew wouldn¡¯tst forever because it only happens due to hormonal changes. Surely, after this pregnancy, she¡¯d be back to her usual strong and dependent self.


    Carrying her to the living room, when Kyle saw her puffy eyes, he was shaking his head apanied by faint chuckles. There was no need to ask anything because he learned a lot from other people about pregnancy and he knew that women could be a handful at times because of the changes in their hormones. He really salutes the husbands who never gave up on their wives despite the challenges of their pregnancies.


    ¡°Do you want me to help you cook her lunch? It would be faster that way.¡± Kyle suggested. It was half an hour past eleven and Cayenne must have her lunch at twelve. He was running out of time already.


    ¡°Thanks, Kyle. I¡¯d appreciate your help.¡±


    Thus, the two of them worked together to cater to the needs of the woman they both cherished. It was another learning session for Kyle as well since he will be building his own family in the future. The only thing he was sure he wouldn¡¯t get from Stefan was his clean-freak attitude.


    Meanwhile, in Baguio City, a ce where many people visit everywhere because of its breathtaking scenic views and while other tourists enjoy their vacation, Thomas was still in the hospital, holding M¡¯s hand while praying for her recovery. It was Jillyanna who told him to keep talking to her even if she was in aa because she has done it to Travis when he had an ident.


    The doctor also approved of it since there were many cases of patients recovering fromas due to their loved one¡¯s voices. Although most doctors believe in science more than God, it was ironic that they believe in miracles and oftentimes, this happens to people in aa or vegetative state for more than a month or a year.


    And it was already a miracle that the baby in her womb was fine after the heavy blood loss that she had which was risky to her life and the baby. Thomas couldn¡¯t thank God enough for saving M and the child. The fact that her brain still functions, he held onto the belief that God won¡¯t forsake her. He believed that God would help her get through this challenge.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He muttered once again. He said these words for the nth time that he lost count of it but he would never get tired of saying them until she woke up and forgives him. ¡°I remember that I once told you what I like about a woman and I said those because I never wanted to acknowledge my feelings for you. I felt it was wrong to develop affectionate feelings for my best friend and I was afraid that it would ruin our friendship. I mean, how many close friends do you know have grown apart after confessing their feelings to the other? I didn¡¯t want us to be like them. I could not look into the bright side of it where other best friends became great partners for the rest of their lives. M, I regretted it so much. I regretted running away from you, for denying these emotions, for giving you a hard time, and for letting you endure so much on your own. M, pleasee back to me. Please live for me or if not, please live for our baby. M, I really want to be with you. I really want us to be together, not because of the baby binding us but because I couldn¡¯t see my future without you. M...¡±


    .....


    Seeing his lonely figure inside the ICU room, the nurse who watched from the outside could not keep herself from crying. She could not imagine the pain that this man was going through when he could only watch the person he loves suffer. It wasn¡¯t just one person, there was also the unborn baby who still needed so much care, love, and proper nutrition from the mother.


    It wasn¡¯t umon for nurses and doctors to see pregnant women getting into aa state and since they are still considered alive with all the tubes keeping them from dying, the baby would continue to develop inside their wombs but in some instances, babies die due tock of nutrition and other things; while others survive and have disabilities.


    M¡¯s doctor told Thomas about these possibilities already and he didn¡¯t care. What matters to them was their survival.


    M¡¯s work and appointments got canceled because of the ident and many people from the fashion industry expressed their concern and worry to her. And even though she was wealthy and Thomas could also pay for the medical expenses, the other fashion designers still helped them pay her medical bill.


    Right now, they could only pray for her and the baby¡¯s safety and recovery.


    ¡°If we didn¡¯t tell M those words, if we told her the truth, this wouldn¡¯t happen.¡± Mr. Lhuillier, M¡¯s dad, muttered regretfully beside his wife who was praying inside the small chapel of the hospital. The both of them were guilty of saying those mean words to their daughter which led her to keep a secret from them.


    In truth, they really like Thomas Aizenberg. They were just worried that their daughter was feeling some affection for him in the spur of the moment. They thought that it was just due to herck of knowledge when ites to rtionships and they were afraid that the friendship between the two of them would fall apart if she tells Thomas her feelings. Yet now, no matter how much they regret it, it won¡¯t help their daughter toe out of death¡¯s door.


    ¡°Lord God, if you give my daughter the second chance to live, I won¡¯t be selfish anymore. I will let her do whatever that can make her happy and let her love the person that she wants to spend the rest of her life with. I won¡¯t meddle in her life anymore. If she makes a mistake, I will still gratefully wee her to the family. So, please, I beg of you, please give my daughter back to us.¡±


    -Calling for Dr. Mendez. Calling for Dr. Mendez. Patient in ICU bay 23 needs immediate attention. Calling for Dr. Mendez. Patient in ICU bay 23 needs immediate attention. Pleasee in haste.-


    Before the announcement was over, Dr. Mendez was already running in the corridor, as fast as he could to get to ICU bay 23 which was M¡¯s room. The nurses from his team were following closely behind him and they all looked worried.


    In the ICU, Thomas was sobbing silently. During pregnancy, it was normal to have a low level of telets due to hemodilution. However, in M¡¯s case, her telet was abnormally lowpared to other pregnant women and she was having a hemorrhage. It was scary because she was already convulsing.


    ¡°Please. Please, I beg of you. Please save her and our child.¡±

 Chapter 761

    761 IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP


    Thomas was staring into space with that soulless eyes of his. His nose was red and his eyes were swollen from crying so much earlier. Now, even if he wanted to, he has no tears to shed. His heart was tired. He begged, he begged the doctors on his knees. They¡¯re the only ones who can save her but they all have this hopeless expression in their eyes.


    M¡¯s telets were low and she had seizure attacks thrice. The doctors had been doing their best to stabilize her condition when she suddenly suffer from a respiratory failure. Now, they were giving her parents an ultimatum, to choose whether to save the baby through a C-section or just let it die along with the mother. There wasn¡¯t even the option to save her; obviously, they were giving up on her. And the baby, the risk was high if they take him out of her belly. He might not survive.


    ¡°Thomas.¡± Mrs. Lhuillier called for his attention but remained still on his spot. She wasn¡¯t sure if the man has heard her. ¡°Thomas, I know you aren¡¯t responsible for any of this. I know that you also want to see her well, but we need to make a choice.¡±


    ¡°Son, we need you to be strong.¡± Mr. Lhuillier said while giving Thomas a gentle pat. ¡°Our choice may not be the option that you like but this is what I and my wife agreed on. We are willing to put our everything into her life.¡± Thomas finally lifted his head to look at them and for the first time, they saw the light in his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re not giving up on her and the baby. Yes, her condition is unstable and she may leave us at any moment. However, as long as she¡¯s fighting, as long as there¡¯s this little chance for her to live, we will stake our hope on that.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to transport her overseas? There is better equipment abroad.¡±


    ¡°No, Thomas.¡± M¡¯s mother expressed. ¡°I agree with the doctors here. If we keep moving here, she will be at higher risk of really losing her life. Since it hase to this, we called someone toe and help. He¡¯s one of the best doctors in the world, and the hospital agreed for Dr. Johnson toe so that they can learn from him. He¡¯sing tonight.¡±


    Thomas nodded his head. He never thought of doing this. He lost his cool and was thrown into the abyss of despair. Thankfully, M¡¯s parents were able to think rationally.


    When evening came, Dr. Johnson arrived and talked with the doctor assigned to M¡¯s case. They discussed what has been done and what they should do in the next few days.


    At first, when Thomas heard that Dr. Johnson was one of the best doctors in the world, highly paid for his consultation and medical practice; a new hope started to bloom in his heart. This tired organ which was pumping his blood was suddenly full of vigor. He was happy.


    .....


    Then his heart was crushed along with his hope. Apparently, M¡¯s doctors didn¡¯t give up on her. Even though they gave her parents the choices to make, they also wanted to continue looking after her. There was a use that stated, the baby will only be taken out of her belly if she really dies. As long as they manage to save her every time she has seizures and respiratory failure, they would allow the baby to develop continuously inside her stomach. Thomas didn¡¯t know this.


    The fact was, there was really no other way to save her. Even Dr. Johnson frankly admitted this truth to them. He wasn¡¯t God. He can treat people but he can¡¯t bring anyone back to life once they die.


    Right now, M isn¡¯t dead yet but if she continues to be in this state for the next three months, they¡¯d be able to get the baby safely out of her and the chances of her death will be higher.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up on her even if it will take us years, even if I die first. I won¡¯t let her go.¡± Thomas dered and left.


    M¡¯s parents weren¡¯t able to say anything. They felt sorry for him. They regretted what they did in the past but they still couldn¡¯t tell him why M left him even though she loves him so much.


    Dr. Johnson sympathizes with the family but even if he was considered the best, there are things that he couldn¡¯t prevent from happening as well. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Mr. and Mrs. Lhuillier, we still do our best to make sure that her condition is stabilized for the development of her child. After three months, if her condition continues, we¡¯ll talk about her again.¡±


    Three dayster,


    Stefan scheduled a lunch meeting with Dr. Albert. Why he agreed to make it at noon? Obviously, it was because he cane with Cayenne. It was another chance for him to take her out on a ¨C not really a date but something they can enjoy with a change of scenery. He reserved a table at Imperial Blue where Cayenne can have endless choices of seafood that she likes to eat.


    ¡°Dr. Albert? Hm. I never thought you¡¯d agree to see that man again.¡± Cayennemented with her legs swinging under the chair she was sitting in. She was waiting for Stefan to choose her clothes; her lifetime clothes stylist. ¡°Does he have other things to tell you?¡±


    ¡°Not really. He just wanted to thank me for asking the court to give him a light sentence.¡±


    ¡°About three years in jail, is that considered light punishment?¡±


    ¡°For him, that should be fine,¡± he said as he walked to her side while carrying the ck leggings, white turtleneck shirt, and brown down jacket. ¡°These will look good on you. You can pair them with low-heeled boots.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said and kissed his lips which took him by surprise. He was rewarded greatly today. His wife was in a good mood and he even earned a kiss from her. Stefan grinned happily and returned her kiss.


    Meanwhile, Dr. Albert arrived first at the restaurant that Stefan had booked. He talked to one of the waiters and asked if there was an avable table next to the reserved space. Sadly, all of the tables close to Stefan¡¯s reservation were also booked. He could not even understand why that man reserved a table with other customers around when they could just eat privately. If he needs to pay, he could even do it for him.


    He had no idea that it was Cayenne who wanted to eat as ordinary people do. She didn¡¯t like to waste money on private booths when you get the same services asmon folks.


    ¡°Is it possible to exchange one reserved table for a private booth, I can pay for it. I really need another table close to Mr. Dumrique¡¯s reservation because I need to pay close attention to my wife.¡±


    ¡°Is it not possible for her to sit around the same table as you?¡± The waiter asked tentatively, not wanting to offend the man in front of him, especially since he was going to meet Mr. Dumrique.


    ¡°My wife is ill. I mean, she¡¯s suffering from a muscle problem and I need a bigger space for her. If it¡¯s okay with you, can you give a call to your customer in table 7? Ask your customer if it¡¯s possible for them to use a private booth. I¡¯ll really pay for it. I can swipe my card now if you want.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sir. I¡¯ll try to do that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. Thank you.¡±


    Latticia was watching Dr. Albert talk to the waiter and from time to time, he¡¯d turn back to look at her before shifting his attention to the man. Sometimes, she¡¯d find him very familiar, as if she had seen him before, but whenever he looked at her and smiled, he looked really different from the person she once knew. Perhaps it was his resemnce that she remember the boy that got bullied in her school before.


    ¡°I settled it with them.¡± Dr. Albert said when she looked at him with that inquiring expression on her face. ¡°You can sit here with your back facing us and I¡¯ll make sure that Stefan will be sitting behind you. You¡¯d be able to hear his voice clearly.¡±


    ¡°Tt...enk...you...¡±


    ¡°You are always wee. Do you want some fruit shake, I can get them for you. You can¡¯t take solid food yet.¡±


    ¡°I....ooww....¡±


    ¡°You like strawberries, right? I¡¯ll get them for you.¡±


    Dr. Albert walked back to the counter and requested if they could make a strawberry fruit shake for his wife.


    The customers who came earlier and saw how caring he was could not help themselves but admire this man. How many people could do the same thing as him? He was very patient with his wife.


    Unknown to Dr. Albert, one of the customers took a picture of them and posted it on her social media ount. If she was an ordinary person, it would take a long time for this post to go viral. Unfortunately for Dr. Albert, the photo got shared a thousand times because the woman was an actress. She was Riley¡¯s co-actress in her current drama project.


    As people believe, no secrets can be kept forever, even when a person is dead.

 Chapter 762

    762 LATTICIA MEETS STEFAN


    Stefan stepped down from his car and walked to the other side so he could open the door for his wife. Cayenne always told him not to do this because she can manage on her own, but Stefan just wouldn¡¯t listen to her. Serving his wife while doing little things like this could make him happy. He probably developed a masochistic trait without him knowing.


    ¡°Good afternoon, sir.¡± The waiter greeted and led Stefan to his reserved table. Stefan and Cayenne was widely known in the city that they didn¡¯t have to say their name.


    ¡°Thank you, hon.¡± Cayenne said while Stefan removed her coat for her. ¡°Let¡¯s order after five minutes. I¡¯m a bit tired.¡±


    Dr. Albert just smiled as he watched the man dote on his wife. He wanted to do the same thing to the woman he loved for all his life but if he take things this far, she¡¯ll probably feel awkward with him. Not that she can put a fight against him but still, Dr. Albert didn¡¯t think of forcing himself to Latticia. Being with her was more than enough already.


    ¡°This is Dr. John Albert.¡± Stefan introduced the man to Cayenne and Dr. Albert stood up for a shakehand. ¡°This is my wife Cayenne.¡±


    ¡°I heard a lot of things about her. I¡¯ve been following her vlogging ount and I must say, she¡¯s very generous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an innate trait of her,¡± Stefan proudly said with a smug expression. Sitting next to him, Cayenne could only smile as she reached her hand for a handshake with Dr. Albert. ¡°Have you been waiting? Sorry, we took so long.¡±


    ¡°No. Not at all. I came with my wife but she can¡¯t talk due to her illness.¡±


    ¡°Your wife? Where?¡±


    .....


    Dr. Albert moved out of his seat and walked to Latticia¡¯s side. She was crying.


    Cayenne was shocked to see that the woman on a wheelchair behind Stefan was Dr. Albert¡¯s wife. She looked several years older than him, probably because of her illness; she was all skin and bones. At the same time, behind her skinny feature, Cayenne could tell that this woman was once a beautifuldy.


    ¡°Can¡¯t she join our table?¡± Cayenne inquired because she felt bad for leaving the woman alone on another table which was really close to them. She couldn¡¯t see the point why Dr. Albert ced another reservation next to them.


    Dr. Albert wiped Latticia¡¯s tears and smiled at her. He knew that she was happy and was probably wanting to touch her son whom she didn¡¯t see for so many years. ¡°My wife need a bigger space. She¡¯d feel suffocated if the ce around her is too crowded.¡±


    Stefan stood up from his seat as well and walked to face the woman behind him. Now that he sees her, he suddenly felt guilty that he sent Dr. Albert to prison. He could not imagine the trouble that this woman had when her husband could not return home.


    ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m Stefan Dumrique. I apologize for taking your husband¡¯s time in the past few years.¡±


    Since Latticia could not form proper words during this miraculous time, Dr. Albert was the one who spoke to for her. ¡°It was really fine. I had someone look after my wife and I got to call her as well.¡±


    Stefan nodded his head and looked at the woman once again. His heart was thumping like crazy when he looked into her eyes and he thought it was just because he was guilty. He didn¡¯t think of anything that could exin what he was feeling.


    ¡°Is she paralyzed?¡± Cayenne asked because she noticed that the woman could not move her body except for the minimal movements of her face. ¡°How long has she been like this?¡±


    ¡°Decades ago.¡± Dr. Albert answered honestly. ¡°She got involved in a traffic ident and since then, she has suffered so much.¡±


    ¡°A...aah...sss..nnn¡±


    ¡°What is she trying to say?¡± Stefan questioned because the woman was looking at him with outstretched hand and for some unknown reasons, an invisible force was pushing him to hold her hands. He really wanted to hold her.


    ¡°Uhh...¡± Dr. Albert didn¡¯t know what to say. He knew that Latticia was saying but surely, he didn¡¯t have the heart to tell Stefan the truth. He will lose her again if tells Stefan who the woman was. ¡°Sorry about this. My wife...we lost our son on the day of the ident. Sometimes, she¡¯s really quiet and would just stare into space, but there are times when she mistook someone else as our child.¡±


    Stefan finally understood why the woman was acting strange. He thought that she was looking at him because she mistook him as her child.


    Stefan bent down and held the woman¡¯s hand. Dr. Albert was so shock by this gesture and turned to the side to hide away his tears. He was happy for her.


    ¡°I lost my mom when I was young so I grew up without a mother but I always love her even though I was only able to spend two months with her. I am sure that your son also loves you because you continue to think about him for so many years. He¡¯s very lucky to have you as her mother. However, I am not your son. I am just...I am Dr. Albert¡¯s friend.¡±


    [Stefan, it¡¯s me your mom. I missed you so much. I want to hold you in my arms. I want to hug you. I want to see you smile. I want to hear you call me mom. I want to spend more time with you and your wife. I want to hold my grandchild. I want to be there for you all the time. I want to tell you so many stories. I missed so many things about you. I missed you. I missed you.]


    The woman¡¯s tears fell on her emaciated cheek and Stefan wiped it for her. He has no idea how much her mother wanted to talk to him, to hug him and spend more time with him. He just thought it was a mistake on her part that she looked at him like her son.


    ¡°It must have been hard on you.¡± Cayenne expressed while looking at Dr. Albert who bitterly cried silently on the side. ¡°You are such a kind man. No wonder the Minato family could take advantage of you.¡±


    ¡°I am sure that my wife had it harder than me.¡±


    It took them a long time to calm Latticia down and when did, they gave her time to think on her own. They sat around the table and ordered food. Of course, Dr. Albert did not forget to buy something for Latticia as well.


    From time to time, Cayenne and Stefan would talk to Latticia who remained alone next to them. She refused to be on the same table with them.


    Unknown to them, Dr. Albert and Latticia made it to the top 10 famous search of the day. The pictures of them have been shared by hundreds of thousands already and many people expressed their salute and amazement to the man in the picture. Since he wasn¡¯t a celebrity, no one knew who he was and the actress did not ce any name either.


    Soon this picture made its way to Dr. Albert¡¯s cousin who was working overseas as an engineer. He cocked his head to the side, wondering who the woman was because he never heard anything from him. John Albert did not mention anything about getting married or having found the woman he wants to spend his life with.


    Meanwhile, Magnus came across this picture as well because many of his associates talked about this man. When he found it was Dr. Albert, he wanted to shut down the actress who spread the picture of this vile creature. Well, he thought Albert was viel. Anyone who had previous rtionship with the Minato family was vile. The fun part? He didn¡¯t think of himself as one even though he was considered a cheater. He cheated both women and drove them to their death.


    Although he was angry, he could not stop himself from looking at the picture on his phone. The woman¡¯s smile reminded him of Latticia. [I miss her.] Magnus thought before exiting the page and went back to work.


    As someone who was born with silver spoon, admired by many because of his look and riches; Magnus never associated himself with the poor, except for Latticia and her family. He loves her so much that he didn¡¯t mind the difference of their status.


    Because of his aloof attitude toward the people of lower social status, he never knew John Albert in the past. Even when Dr. Albert liked Latticia, Magnus never heard of this man since many of his male friends ¨C the school bullies ¨C would beat any man who feels something for the love of his life. Thus, Magnus could not associate Dr. Albert to any man he met in the past years.


    When their lunch was over, Stefan invited Dr. Albert to take a walk around the ce because his wife was told by Cheska to walk at least 30 minutes in one day. She could achieve it easily if she has a ss but if there wasn¡¯t, she was toozy to do it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this offer.¡±


    Latticia was so excited upon hearing this. She might not be able to talk with Stefan but she was more than happy to spend this little time with her son. Seeing him, holding him after 28 years; she could die happy with no regret. She was already contented because she knew that not everyone could have this chance in their life. It didn¡¯t matter if Stefan doesn¡¯t know she¡¯s alive.

 Chapter 763

    763 FATEFUL ENCOUNTER


    Monday came and Cayenne went back to school since her leave of absence was only approved for one week. She has to resume her study and make sure that she won¡¯t fail. It was herst year and she needed to make a lot of projects and take a lot of exams, and she has to get higher grades than her ssmates to make up for her absences.


    Truth be told, she didn¡¯t have to do this because Stefan could take care of her for the rest of his life. But Stefan, knowing his wife, he insisted to let her finish her degree. He was worried that her insecurities would act up again and caused another bouth of depression. He didn¡¯t want that. Who cares if he spoils her so much? He¡¯s spending his money anyway.


    Even so, with all her ss schedule and foundation works, Cayenne was able to bnce everything with the help of her brother and Stefan. Whenever Kyle didn¡¯t have review sses, he would help her with the foundation; organizing events and live selling schedule. To make it even more productive, the live selling was done by Kath, his girlfriend. This way, he could help his sister and have have a date with his girlfriend. Hitting two birds with one stone as they say.


    With the help of this couple, Cayenne¡¯s bank ount received more and more money since Kath was known by many people as the sister of tha famous director Kai. Her identity was really a blessing in disguise.


    Noah greeted Cayenne as soon as she came inside and even used his arms to guard her from bumping anyone. As a friend, he wanted to help even in the smallest way possible. ¡°Yen, I received some emails from good samaritans about people who needs help. I cannot really investigate them on my own so, I gave them to Tristan. He said he¡¯ll give you the list once he finalized everything,¡± he said after they got to their seats and sat down. Faith was already there waiting for them.


    ¡°I was worried when your husband asked for a leave of absence on your behalf. How are you? Is the baby okay?¡±


    ¡°Sorry for worrying.¡± Cayenne muttered and pinched Faith¡¯s cheek. ¡°But I am okay. I just suffered from mental shock when I heard what happened to my friend.¡±


    ¡°Is this about M Lhuillier?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t know what happened to her and it was only two dayster after her ident that I found the truth. Currently, Stefan has been keeping in touch with M¡¯s parents because Thomas was really having a hard time. We¡¯re nning to visit them this weekend if nothing goes wrong.¡±


    .....


    The three of them chatted while waiting for the rest of their ssmates and the teacher. Today, they¡¯ll have a long test and thankfully, she was able to review with Kyle¡¯s help


    During lunch break, Stefan came to pick her up which was no longer new to the students and they could only look at them with envious gazes. They also wanted a man like him but Stefan was one and only in the whole wide world. They won¡¯t be able to find someone like him.


    In the afternoon, Stefan went to work and entrusted Cayenne to Kyle because he has an important meeting to attend. As much as he wanted to spend more time with his wife, there were still some instances that he needed to be away. If Kyle wasn¡¯t around, he¡¯d never attend the meeting for Cayenne¡¯s sake.


    After ss, Kyle came and pick up his sister along with his girlfriend. Being the only man inside the car, he could only listen to the women¡¯s endless chatter about stuff that he has nothing to do with.


    They talked about having a foot massage one of these days if Cayenne isn¡¯t busy and Kyle thought, it would most likely be a home service. There was no way that Stefan would allow his wife to leave the house for a foot massage.


    In front of them, the vehicle that the bodyguards used came to a halt and Kyle tried to see what was going on. He would never forget the time when his sister got kidnapped and when strange things like this happens, a sudden stop even with the go signal, he couldn¡¯t feel but be worried.


    ¡°Kyle, can you press the #3 button on that electronic dashboard?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Kyle did what he was told to do and soon, a man answered the call. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why are you stopping? We¡¯re already causing traffic.¡±


    ¡°Sir, we didn¡¯t mean to jump but a woman suddenly jumped down from a car ahead of us and we almost ran over her. Rudolf is currently checking on the woman.¡±


    ¡°Was she kidnapped?¡± Cayenne inquired with an impassive expression. If it was before, she¡¯d be getting worried about it and panic.


    ¡°She¡¯s not saying anything, madam.¡±


    ¡°Take her to the closest police station first. I¡¯ll just send Stefan a message that we¡¯d be dy in a bit. I can¡¯t really go without you guys with me. I¡¯d be scolded and you¡¯d lose your job. We¡¯re in this together.¡±


    ¡°We got it, madam. We¡¯ll take her in.¡±


    The honking sounds behind them was ring that Cayenne could already hear them even when she was inside the car. When other cars passed by them, they had their windows open and raised their middle fingers. They were pissed off but Cayenne could do nothing about it. Right now, what was important to her was to offer a little help.


    Ten minutester, Cayenne and Kath was outside the police station, waiting on the car for Kyle. She already sent Stefan a message about what happened and told him not to worry since she was fine, and that he has to trust her with this matter.


    Trust her? Yeah. But she was just actually sitting there for everyone toe back.


    Around her car, the other bodyguards surrounded her and were always in full alert should something happened. They could not allow anyone to hurt their madam anymore.


    ¡°Hey! Hey! Are you filming a movie?¡± One of the passersby asked the bodyguard who had a poker face. He was looking around but could not find any cameras for filming. ¡°What is wrong with you guys? Are you statues? Come and talk to me. I really need someone to talk to.¡±


    ¡°Kiddo. This isn¡¯t a ce for you. If you don¡¯t want me to send you over to that ce, ¡± the bodyguard said while pointing his finger to the police station, ¡°you better leave and go home.¡±


    ¡°No one wants me home,¡± The boy said. Looking at how tall he was, he should be around Justin¡¯s age or younger. Cayenne and Kath could see the boy talking to the bodyguard but they could not hear what he was saying. They could only see the distress on his face. ¡°My parents always fight. I came here to tell the police officers that my father beats my mother daily. Then, I got cold feet. My mother loves my father so much which is why she couldn¡¯t leave him. If he goes to jail, she¡¯ll hate me.¡±


    ¡°Kid, you are young and there are things that only adults can do. Why don¡¯t you try telling the police? If you don¡¯t, your mother will be hurt for the rest of her life.¡±


    ¡°And if she¡¯ll hate me?¡±


    ¡°Why would she hate the person who cares about her the most?¡±


    The boy looked bothered with what the bodyguard said but they could see that he was giving it a thought. After a few seconds, with so much hesitation, he still took the first step and went inside the station. Step after step, his slow walk suddenly turned to a jog, then to a run. He run to the station and told the police what he was concerned about incoherrently.


    The officer was blown away at how fast the boy talked and he could barely understand what he was saying. ¡°Slow down. Slow down. I will listen. Just slow down and tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°Yohan?¡±


    The boy shifted her attention where the voice came from and saw his mother standing there inside the station. She had a cut on her lips and her right eye was red with bruises surrounding it. It was the first time he saw how unsightly her face was because his father used to hit her mother on the arms and legs which could be hidden by a coat and a jean.


    ¡°Yohan? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Ma? Have you finally thought it through? How did you get here? I thought he locked you away again.¡±


    The woman burst into tears from her son¡¯s words and she fell on the floor sobbing. ¡°Yohan. Yohan.¡±


    ¡°Ma, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to endure it for me. I know you don¡¯t want me to be fatherless but I¡¯d rather grow with no father than see you get beaten up every day. You were always hurt because of me.¡±


    With the testimony of the bodyguards as well as the son, the woman finally said the truth to the police officers. Every day, her husband woulde home drunk from work. Then, he would beat up his wife and lock her inside their closet, starving her until their son finds her in the afternoon from school. This happened repeatedly but the woman didn¡¯t say anything because she still hope that their family will be patched up together.


    Then this afternoon, her husband lost his job and vented his anger on her. He put her inside the car trunk and no one knew what he was nning to do. Thankfully, the trunk wasn¡¯t fully closed and she was able to jump out of it.


    That¡¯s what brings her to meet the bodyguards as well as her encounter with her son in the police station.

 Chapter 764

    764 FATEFUL ENCOUNTER II


    Two dayster, Cayenne woke up earlier than Stefan and decided to do some light stretches which Cheska said would be good for her during the delivery of her baby if she wants to be normal. So far, even though Cayenne¡¯s pregnancy was already a little over two months, she didn¡¯t ask Cheska to do an ultrasound of the baby inside her. She didn¡¯t want to know what the gender was yet. She wanted to wait for at least five months before she¡¯d check the baby¡¯s sexuality. Most of the time, when Cheska conducts tests on her, Cayenne would only as if the baby is fine or if there was anything that she should be worried about.


    Right now, she could only exercise her body as lightly as she could.


    Going downstairs, she found a small box on the coffee table in the living room. She knew she didn¡¯t order anything online and knew that Stefan didn¡¯t do it either because she didn¡¯t get any notice about him spending money on something. Yet, the receiver of the item was certainly her.


    ¡°Ca?¡± She called for their chef at home while carrying the box which was a little heavy. ¡°Ca, do you know who sent this gift?¡±


    Ca looked at the box and remembered who sent itst night after Cayenne and Stefan went to bed to rest the night away. ¡°It was a young man, about Justin¡¯s age. He came with two other men and gave this to the security guard. They assured me that the boy meant well and this box was checked by Autumn already. It has nothing dangerous inside it.¡±


    Cayenne didn¡¯t know who the boy was but she remembered that the bodyguards talk to a boy while she was waiting for Kyle outside the police stationst time. When the bodyguards and Kyle came back, they told her that the woman they saved had reunited with her son and realized what she should do best. They didn¡¯t go into detail and Cayenne didn¡¯t dwell on it as well. Who would have thought that she would be receiving a gift from them when could be considered not doing anything?


    Going back to the living room, Cayenne pulled the scissors inside the small drawer of the coffee table, opened the wrapped box and the content surprised her even more. Inside the box were two pairs of slippers from a luxurious brand. The size was hers and Stefan¡¯s.


    ¡°I thought they were poor?¡± Cayenne questioned herself based on what she knew. Kyle didn¡¯t really tell her the whole story but she recalled that he said the woman was beaten up by her husband every day. ¡°Why would he beat her if they were rich?¡±


    When Kyle came downstairs to take the dogs for a walk, he saw his sister in the living room, pondering over something with so much confusion showing on her face. ¡°Good morning, sis.¡± He greeted her and rubbed her head, ¡°What¡¯s gotten you all moody?¡±


    .....


    ¡°This one,¡± Cayenne said while raising the gifts with both hands. ¡°I received them from the boy whose mother you saved the other day. I was wondering where he got the money to buy this.¡±


    ¡°He bought this?¡± Kyle got intrigued, too. ¡°I thought they were poor?¡±


    ¡°I have another problem aside from this?¡±


    ¡°And that it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t help so; I don¡¯t deserve this. However, several bodyguards helped us and there was you as well. How should we divide this gift?¡±


    Kyle didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry at his sister¡¯s silliness. He was really worried that something bad has happened early in the morning.


    Because of this, Cayenne talked to the bodyguards as well as Kyle about the gift she got. In the end, since the size was perfect for her and Stefan, the employees refused to take it and Kyle didn¡¯t want it either. The slippers were meant for her and her husband.


    As soon as Stefan woke up and found his wife doing yoga in the living room, he walked up to her and kissed her lips. ¡°How many minutes have you been doing that?¡±


    ¡°Around quarter an hour? I was supposed to do this earlier but I got distracted because of some gifts. Anyway, my ss today will start at 10 o¡¯clock in the morning.¡±


    Stefan¡¯s attention was shifted to the gifts on the table in front of Cayenne and with just one look, he could tell that the sizes were his and hers. ¡°Who sent these gifts?¡±


    ¡°They are from the family that we helpedst time. He sent thisst night after we went to bed.¡±


    All throughout the day, Cayenne was really bothered about where the boy got the money to spend for that gift he sent. If what the bodyguards said was true, the boy¡¯s family should not be wealthy. Just thinking how much they spent on that gift was already shaking the core of her conscience.


    Even during lunch, Stefan noticed her gloominess and no matter how much he tried to cheer her up, she didn¡¯t genuinely smile at him.


    Around 3:00 in the afternoon, Elena received a call and the man who was a shareholder of Dumrique¡¯s shipping line. He didn¡¯t have prior appointments with Stefan but Magnus told him that Stefan¡¯s schedule will not be so tightly packed in the afternoon since he will be preparing to go home.


    Elena pressed the inte connecting to Stefan¡¯s office and when he answered, she immediately informed him about the call. ¡°Sir, Mr. Doyle wants to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Doyle? Which Doyle?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Isaac Doyle. He¡¯s a senior shareholder from Dumrique¡¯s shipping line.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Just transfer the call to me,¡±


    Surprisingly, Isaac Doyle was the father of Margarette Doyle Pachino, the woman who received a hellish beating from her husband and her son was Joven. The woman fell in love with someone against her father¡¯s demand and order. She eloped with the man after stealing a lot of precious pieces of jewelry from her parents and pawned them. Determined to never let her father decides her fate, she married the man and after a year, they had a child.


    At first, everything was going well. Her husband loved her so much, he got a new job that offers a great sry and they were just starting a blissful life after marriage. It was perfect.


    Three yearster, her husband got addicted to gambling and wasted their money in casinos. He suddenly started drinking and developed a horrible habit after getting drunk. Every time he arrives home, he would beat his wife and vent his anger on her for losing in a gamble, telling her that she was his misfortune.


    It began with a p on his face and more ps the following days. Then, he started punching her arms and kicking her legs, causing her to bruise everywhere. But he was a good husband whenever he won some games. He¡¯d buy them a lot of food and would even buy his son a toy. Seeing her son¡¯s happy smile was the only thing that matters to Margarette at this point.


    The beating only stopped when their son turned 5 years old up until he was 8 years old. She really thought her nightmare was over and that she has woken to the reality that her husband was still good to her. Yet, her hopes were shattered once again.


    When Joven started going to school, his father found the chance to beat his wife once again without their son knowing anything because he was at school. He knew that his wife wouldn¡¯t say anything either. She was a prideful and headstrong woman. She wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to say that she made the wrong decision to choose him over her father¡¯s choice for her. This went on and on, on and on, to the point that she was already limping and was having a hard time standing straight. When Joven asked her what happened, she made excuses just to keep him from knowing anything.


    And that¡¯s until he turned 14. He shouldn¡¯t being home early since it was a weekday and sses were going on. However, he had been feeling anxious the whole day and he could not focus on his ss. The choice he made that day actually saved his mom from death. She was beaten so hard that she was bleeding on her legs and she was even locked inside the wardrobe since morning. She hadn¡¯t eaten anything yet and she was feeling a little dizzy and a little short of oxygen.


    ¡°Mom?¡± Joven called but the house was dead silent. He knew his mother should be home because she never likes going out; it wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t like to go out but because she couldn¡¯t. Her bruises would rm other people if they knew. ¡°Mom?¡± he called once again while walking upstairs to the two-story apartment room. He found little drops of blood on the floor and following it, he was led to his parents¡¯ room. Afraid that something bad has happened, he opened the door without knocking and saw the trail ended at the closet. There he found his mother trembling in fear.


    She was obviously afraid but when he suggested leaving their father, she was so against the idea. She would rather die than leave him. He could not understand what was so good about his father that his mother couldn¡¯t leave him and that irked him so much. To make sure that this won¡¯t happen again, Joven starteding home as early as he could.


    While she was suffering from all of these beatings, her father has been waiting for her to return. He thought that she would give up ande home soon, that she would leave his bastard of a husband ¨C he was wrong! His daughter was the most prideful among his children. Even when she was on the brink of death, she refused to admit she was wrong.


    Then, two dayster, the police officer who received the report filed by Margarette and her son, noticed her middle name and remembered that a wealthy man in the city once said that his daughter was abducted. It was something theyughed at in the past because one week after he said she was abducted, his daughter married her ¡®abductor¡¯. Now, realizing what was happening, her father must have had a gut feeling that this would happen.

 Chapter 765

    765 CAYENNE WANTS TO SHOWER TOGETHER


    ¡°Oh. So, she was from a wealthy family.¡± Cayennemented when she learned from her husband who Margarette was. They were having dinner when Stefan shared the information with her since she was bothered by the gift that they received from her son. ¡°I could understand that she¡¯d endure it for the sake of her son but I could not understand why she would endure it for her pride. Anyway, we¡¯re two different people. She has her own thoughts about certain things.¡±


    ¡°What would you do if it happened to you?¡± Kyle asked which caught Stefan¡¯s attention as well. He told Cayenne something rted to this matter before and he wasn¡¯t sure if she remembered.


    As the object of their interest right now, Cayenne just chewed her food slowly while thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯d leave.¡± She said after swallowing that mouthful of food. ¡°I¡¯ll leave if that happens to me. Stefan and I talked about this already and I am pretty sure he wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡± She looked at her husband and held his hand tightly wanting to make him feel how serious she was this time. ¡°Whatever challengese our way; we¡¯ll deal with them together. I don¡¯t deserve a beating so; you shouldn¡¯t do that to me. I have a value as a person and I know you¡¯d respect me just as how much I respect you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a scumbag.¡± Stefan retorted and pinched her cheek. ¡°I¡¯d rather die than hurt you again ¨C not in a million years toe.¡±


    [Why did I even ask such a question?] Kyle thought as he ate his food and listened to them confess how much they care for each other. [I¡¯d never do this again.]


    After dinner, Stefan and Cayenne took a walk under the starlit sky and the moonlight. They went to the stables and watched the horses for a short while before leaving to check on the other animals; though she was only allowed to watch them from a one-meter distance.


    They have been together for more than three years from the first night that they slept together and even so, simple things like walking together, eating meals together, and other things, as long as they do it together, Cayenne would be so happy about it. For her, the time they spent together was priceless. If they could, she would love to spend all her time with him which was impossible because he has to work and she has to study as well as organize things in the foundation.


    ¡°How¡¯s the foundation going?¡± Stefan asked because he had never meddled with this project of hers. He would only check on things if she asks him for his help.


    ¡°Kyle has been managing it for me together with Kath and my staff. So far, nothing bad has happened and Tristan has been checking on the list of people that Noah has gathered through social media and phone contacts. I should get the result soon.¡±


    .....


    ¡°No wonder Tristan was so busy. It was a good thing that I also have Elena who could help with other things. How about we get you, someone, to work as a secretary as well?¡±


    ¡°Me? My work isn¡¯t that big. I don¡¯t think I need one.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not bothered that you¡¯d ask Tristan for help about some things but look on the bright side, if you have your own assistant, you won¡¯t need to share Tristan with me and you don¡¯t have to wait when he¡¯ll have a free time to consult him on some matters.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my! Have I been snatching his time to go on dates with Elena?¡±


    Stefan chuckled at her thought process because he did not expect he would react this way. ¡°Yeah. You are giving so much work that he has to go on overtime with her.¡±


    ¡°Then, you find someone to work for me.¡±


    ¡°Got it, my Queen. I¡¯ll find someone next week. Let¡¯s depend on Kyle and Kath for now.¡±


    After their evening walk, they went back to the house, to sanitize themselves since they have been close to the animals on the farm; even though they never really touched them, Stefan still insisted that they¡¯d get themselves sprayed with the machine. Using the elevator, they directly went upstairs to change their clothes.


    Normally, due to her pregnancy, Cayenne refused to share a bath with her husband. She never said anything about why and due to hormonal changes, Stefan understood what might have caused this and decided to let her do things on her own. He has no idea that Cayenne just refused to bathe with him because she was insecure about how her body looked. She gained weight and her baby bump was getting bigger.


    ¡°You should go and wash first. You¡¯ll catch a cold if you showerter.¡± Stefan said while getting a towel to wrap himself and put some warm water in the bathtub. ¡°I¡¯ll get inside after you.¡± He poured some liquid into it and bubbles started to appear which Cayenne loves so much. ¡°You can¡¯t stay too long even if you like your bubble bath.¡±


    Cayenne quickly grabbed a part of his shirt to stop him from leaving and when Stefan looked at her, she had her eyes on the tiled floor like it was a very interesting at this moment. ¡°Let¡¯s get in together,¡± she said which stunned Stefan a little. It¡¯s been more than two months since theyst bathed together. He blinked his eyes several times and Cayenne finally let go of his shirt. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡±


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    ¡°You will?¡± She wiped her eyes immediately and it was until then that he realized she cried. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t because you got used to bathing alone.¡±


    ¡°I could never get used to it.¡± Stefan pulled her close and she thought she would get a hug, but Stefan kissed her and with his amazing hands, she didn¡¯t notice how quick he was to undress her. She didn¡¯t even get the chance to feel insecure because Stefan¡¯s warm hands were touching her in many ways that gives her pleasure. It was so nice to be touched by him.


    ¡°Will you shower with me again tomorrow?¡± She asked after pulling away to get a breather.


    ¡°Of course. It was you who started not getting in the shower room with me.¡±


    ¡°Because I gained weight and my stomach looks bloated and I get cranky and just...just so many things keep getting into my head and I didn¡¯t want to bathe with you anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hormones, sweetheart,¡± Stefan whispered and kissed the tip of her nose. ¡°Who cares if you¡¯ve gained weight? Isn¡¯t that the best proof that I am a good cook? And you looking bloated because of your baby bump doesn¡¯t matter to me. It means our baby is growing healthily inside you.¡±


    All that she needed was reassurance and reaffirmation from Stefan to heal the gaping wounds of insecurities in her heart. Most pregnant women need this because of how their body changes along with the baby in their stomachs. They tend to think of how ugly they look with a bloated stomach and how fat they have be. In truth, they are very brave to choose to keep the baby inside them for nine months more or less. They are brave for embarking on the journey of motherhood.


    Stefan understood that many things would change in Cayenne¡¯s physical look and her mental stability. He read so many books about women during their pregnancy stage and after giving birth. He wanted to make sure that he was doing the right thing, to make sure that her pregnancy wouldn¡¯t give her a hard time.


    Finally, after more than two months, Stefan was able to share a bath with his wife. He kept telling her how wonderful it would be to see the baby grow and he wanted to record every moment of it. He wasn¡¯t looking for a boy or a girl, as long as it was made of Cayenne¡¯s flesh and blood with his, that was all that mattered.


    Two dayster, the two of them were sitting on their bed, looking at each other while he was helping her calm her nerves. ¡°Just breathe with me. Look at me and think of nothing else but me. Don¡¯t think too much. Everything is going great ording to Thomas. No matter how low the survival rate is, that is still a chance of survival.¡±


    ¡°Will they me me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Stefan answered resolutely. ¡°Thomas and M¡¯s parents have been wanting to see you, to thank you for letting them know where she was. They would never put the me on you.¡± [They wouldn¡¯t do so unless they wanted their business gone.] Stefan thought without changing his expression in front of his wife. No one matters more to him than his wife.


    Stefan was only kind to Cayenne and the people he considered friends and family. However, if those friends or family members harm his wife, he wouldn¡¯t spare them either. You can mess with him but not his wife. That is his bottom line and it would never change.

 Chapter 766

    766 FAT OR SKINNY


    On their way to the Philippines, Cayenne was trying her best to calm herself. Thest time they visited this country was when she got a long vacation and she enjoyed her trip so much. However, their trip this time wasn¡¯t for sightseeing. They would visit M in Baguio City who was still under strict monitoring due to her condition. Fortunately, the doctors werepetent and they listened to the senior doctor who knew a lot of things. Before taking action, they would discuss her condition thoroughly and tell her parents about it.


    Since Thomas wasn¡¯t married to her, even if he wanted to decide things for her, he could not do it. He could only trust her parents who stayed the whole time with him while he was keeping guard on her. He was looking gaunt from skipping his meals most of the time and it took them a lot of persuasions before he decided to start eating properly.


    When they reached NAIA, someone was waiting for them there to bring them to their booked hotel. Stefan didn¡¯t want to tire his wife with the long travel since it would take them another several hours of trip to reach Baguio City and it would be risky to Cayenne as well since she was pregnant.


    ¡°Did you have any update about her condition? Is she doing well?¡± Cayenne asked when they finally arrived inside their hotel room. She was really tired from the jetg but she wanted to know how M was doing to feel at ease.


    Knowing her, Stefan could not tell her the dire truth of her situation at this moment. If he will, she would not be able to sleep or get some rest from feeling anxious. ¡°She¡¯s doing her best to survive. It is probably her mother¡¯s instinct kicking in. She must be wanting to save her child.¡± He wasn¡¯t lying with his statement but it didn¡¯t answer her second question either.


    She was probably too tired to even think too much and got on the bed without even changing her clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll order some food. Do you have anything you crave?¡±


    ¡°I want beef blo. They must have that here.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    The room that Stefan booked was a king¡¯s suite and it has a spacious room with a kitchen and living room. They could cook if they want to but he knew that they won¡¯t be using this ce that much since they would have to leave the next day.


    .....


    Stefan walked to the living room and dialed the number of the hotel¡¯s restaurant and ordered some food that Cayenne might want to eat as well as the beef blo that she wanted. He was told that it would be served in thirty minutes which prompted him to go back to the bedroom where Cayenne was, wanting to ask her if she was fine with the time. Stefan¡¯s facial expression changed and he looked at her with so much fondness as he spoke to the phone. ¡°You can serve it in three hours.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    As soon as the call ended, he returned the telephone to its receiver stand and returned to Cayenne¡¯s side. He removed her shoes for her and covered her with the nket. The country was hot even when September was about to end, especially in Man, the country¡¯s capital city. Therefore, Stefan adjusted the AirCon to the usual temperature that they had in their bedroom back in their mansion.


    He was also tired but he still had some pending work in thepany and he was worried that if he sleeps beside her right now, he might not wake up when the food arrives. Thus, he ended up calling Tristan to follow up on certain matters while waiting for the food.


    Three hourster, he showered Cayenne¡¯s face with kisses but instead of waking up, she only smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Ticklish.¡± She mumbled, still smiling without opening her eyes to look at him.


    ¡°Hon, you have to eat.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± She moaned but she didn¡¯t move an inch. She was hugging his neck and Stefan had to ce both his hands on the bed to support his body; else, he¡¯d be pressing her belly and that is not good for the baby as per Cheska¡¯s reminder.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get fat,¡± Stefan whispered and Cayenne¡¯s eyes instantly opened with hostility. ¡°Did you have a bad dream?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Cayenne said and she started to tear up. ¡°In my dream, you said I would get fat.¡±


    Stefan kissed her forehead and sighed. He did say that to wake her up because he knew it would be effective but he was feeling guilty now that he sees her upset. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°Again?! What do you mean again? Did you really think I¡¯d get fat?!¡± Cayenne was feeling awful because of what she dreamed and she had no idea that Stefan really said it, but he slipped. ¡°I hate ¨C ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for women to get a little chubby when they get pregnant,¡± he said before she couldplete her statement which he knew already. ¡°I¡¯d say you have gotten fatter if you have gotten fatter, but that doesn¡¯t make you less of a woman, of a mother to our child. Isn¡¯t it better if I tell you the truth? Loving you despite the changes you are going through is all that matters. Do you get me?¡±


    ¡°So, am I really fat?¡± she questioned, unreconciled with this matter no matter how he tried to encourage her about the changes in her body.


    ¡°What was your jean size?¡±


    ¡°25¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    Thinking back, she started wearing leggings and skirts because Cheska told her to refrain from wearing tight jeans and Stefan removed the size tag of her clothes so she didn¡¯t know. Thest time, she checked, her jeans would no longer fit her. ¡°Aahhh! You are so hateful! I only grew a bit.¡±


    ¡°And did I say that I don¡¯t love you anymore?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you making a fuss over your size? Whether you are fat or you are skinny, tall, or short; you are still the woman I love and I choose you to be the woman that I would spend the rest of my life with.¡± [Hormones.] Stefan thought and med it on her hormones again.


    Cayenne grinned happily after hearing his words and she immediately pounced on him and changed their position, letting himy on the bed with her on top of him. ¡°This is safe for the baby,¡± she whispered seductively ¡°wanna do it?¡±


    [I want her to be pregnant all the time. At least on this aspect.]


    Stefan has prepared himself for so many things that happened during her pregnancy but what he didn¡¯t prepare for was her sudden increase in sex drive. Since they got married, he could count the times that Cayenne took the initiative when ites to sex and he was happy when she did all those things for him. However, when she got pregnant, it felt like she became a demoness who came to seduce him and make him go frenzy with her. It was nerve-wracking how eager she has be for this activity. Thankfully, he asked Cheska about this matter before. Before, due to her insecurity, she would ask him to turn off the lights and make sure that it was very dark in their room ¨C not wanting him to see her body. Now, it didn¡¯t matter to her anymore and Stefan liked it.


    Cayenne was about to kiss him when the doorbell to their room rang loudly. Cayenne stiffened and there was that fleeing annoyance crossing her face. ¡°Let them be.¡± She mumbled but the doorbell rang incessantly. She rolled her eyes and moved her body to get off him; to her surprise, Stefan carried her off with his hands on her butt to support her. What else could she do when she wasn¡¯t satisfied yet? She could only wrap her legs around his waist and bury her face in the crook of his neck, kissing him lightly.


    Stefan pressed the answer button on the inte and told the waitress to leave the food outside. After making sure that she was gone, he opened the door and pulled the food cart inside with Cayenne still clinging to him. ¡°The food can wait,¡± he whispered and kissed her lips like a hungry bee that wants to get as much honey as he could from nectar. Pressing Cayenne on the door, they threw away their inhibitions out of the window and enjoyed themselves.


    From the door to the living room, Stefan removed her shirt first and fondled her chest. From the living room to the kitchen, he removed her long skirt and ate her first, leaving hickeys on her inner thighs and her fair ankles. Surely, Cayenne won¡¯t be able to wear shorts anymore. The previous hickeys haven¡¯t faded and he left another batch on her.


    Lastly, they made their way back to the bedroom and had the best time of their life while the food was waiting for them.


    Food: Do you still need me?

 Chapter 767

    767 VISITING MONET


    On their way to Baguio City, Cayenne enjoyed the sceneries they passed by and she could already see the changes that took ce starting with the abundance of treespared to the capital city. The high-rise buildings were getting scarce and she could see some children ying Chinese garter which she used to y as well. It was really a surprise to her that these children yed the same thing that she did.


    ¡°I yed that game when I was young,¡± Cayenne told Stefan while gazing outside the car window. ¡°Can we roll down the windshield? I think it isn¡¯t polluted here anymore.¡±


    The driver looked at Stefan and after getting his go signal with a slight nod, the driver pressed the unlock button and Cayenne was able to roll down the thing that hindered her from feeling that soft and cool breeze of the countryside.


    ¡°What else did you y with when you were small?¡±


    ¡°I yed marbles, rubber bands, and cards; well, my mom didn¡¯t like us to use gadgets so, we never had one until I turned 15 years old. I yed in the park with my brothers. I jumped around without any care in the world. I had fun.¡±


    ¡°I was only able to y outside with Alexander. If he¡¯s not around, I could not go out of the house. There were times that Dad would take us out but he would immediately send us back before raes home.¡±


    ¡°With the differences in how we were raised, I think we¡¯ll be good parents. I am confident in it.¡±


    ¡°You will surely be a great mother,¡± Stefan retorted and kissed her temple. He knew she would be a great mother to their children because of how she was raised. However, he was still adamant about having ¡®children¡¯. He also really wanted to have more children with her; he loved the act of making one but he was worried that Cayenne will have a hard time. [We¡¯ll see how the first one goes.] He told himself while pulling her for a hug.


    After almost five hours of travel, they finally arrived at their booked hotel and Cayenne got down the car at once. She wanted to stretch her legs as soon as she could. She even wobbled when she stood; fortunately, Stefan was there to hold her.


    .....


    ¡°Thank you for sending us here,¡± Cayenne said and slightly bowed her head to the driver who had been very careful all the way to their destination because of her pregnancy. He even reminded her to tell him to stop somewhere, if she needed to urinate.


    Instead of taking a rest after a long trip, Cayenne helped Stefan to arrange their things even though he said he could do it himself. If it was another day, Cayenne would allow him to spoil her but right now, she was restless and she can¡¯t stop thinking negatively. She needed distraction and helping Stefan with the clothes was a perfect task for her.


    ¡°I noticed that whenever we get to our destination, it would always be almost lunch. You always estimate the time perfectly.¡±


    Stefan grinned at her as he put her jacket on a hanger and spoke, ¡°I have to make sure that you are well-fed.¡±


    ¡°Are you raising a pig?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and unborn piglet.¡±


    Cayenne justughed at his remark while keeping up with his work. After putting their clothes in the closet, they went out to get some food because it was already noon. It would have been great if they came for a staycation, sadly, they didn¡¯t have that privilege right now. Cayenne looked around and was really amazed at the ce. She has read a lot of things about Baguio when M told her about this ce. She really wants to explore the ce.


    Looking at her face, Stefan smiled faintly and took out his phone to make a note. He will surely bring her back to this ce when they get the time in the future. It would be great if they could bring their family as well. Probably after she gives birth to their child.


    Stefan has carefully nned everything for Cayenne¡¯s convenience, making sure that she will have a good experience of the ce despite their short stay.


    When they arrived at the restaurant, Stefan let Cayenne order her food first while he watched her. Actually, he was just waiting for someone toe but he could not allow his wife to wait without food like him.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting anything?¡± she asked when she noticed that intense gaze directed at her. ¡°I¡¯m not going to share my food with you.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Piggy.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± She said she won¡¯t but, in the end, Stefan would still be eating some of her foodter.


    Fifteen minutester, Thomas came and Cayenne was so shocked; well, more like she was scared of him at first nce. The man in front of her was so different from the man she met a few months ago. Thomas currently looked like a cavemanpared to the elegant upbringing that he had in the past.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡± Stefan offered and Thomas sat on the chair, still looking gloomy and depressed. ¡°I know you are having a hard time but if M sees you like this, she¡¯d be guilty. Order up.¡±


    Cayenne was still not over with what she was seeing in front of her and she could not move her eyes away from the strange-looking man. ¡°I¡¯ll get jealous if you keep looking at him,¡± Stefan whispered which jolted her back to reality. Earlier, she said she won¡¯t share her food but right now, she felt that Thomas needed food more than she did.


    ¡°If she dies, can I die with her? Maybe we¡¯d go on the next life together and I can properly tell her how I feel.¡±


    Cayenne didn¡¯t need to know why he raised this question. It must have been hard on him. She could not even imagine the pain and despair he was feeling.


    ¡°M is not giving up yet. So, you have to get back on your feet and look after her. She needs you and you need to have the strength and rationality to do so. If you are going to keep being like...like this, you will end up in a hospital bed, too. Who can check on her, then?¡±

 Chapter 768

    768 [Bonus chapter] VISITING MONET II


    Cayenne was perplexed at the turn of events. She was just telling him what he needed to do and now, Thomas was crying silently in front of them. At the same time, since there were only the three of them inside the private room, they just allowed him to let his tears fall. There was nothing wrong with it. We all needed to cry to feel a little better and men are no exception.


    After some time, he wiped his tears with tissues, took a deep breath, and exhaled soundly. ¡°I think I¡¯m okay now. Jill and Travis camest week and they said almost the same thing as you. I heard them but I wasn¡¯t really able to give their words some thought. I was so upied with M¡¯s condition.¡±


    ¡°Feeling frustrated, depressed, and preupied with so many things; that is natural. We won¡¯t take it against you and I am d that we could be of little help. Anyway, you have to eat first. You look like a ghost to me.¡±


    Thomas nodded his head and pressed the button on the table which would signal the waiters to get their order. Observing that hopeful eyes, Stefan held Cayenne¡¯s hands and kissed her knuckles. He was really thankful for having her.


    The three of them ate their lunch and Thomas shared M¡¯s current condition with them. He also discussed his n with them and he was very grateful that they listened to him without saying how idiotic his choice was. For M, he was willing to quit his work and just take care of her. He wanted to prove to her that he is worthy to be his lifetime partner.


    Lunch ended and Thomas brought the couple to the hospital to see M. She was still inside the ICU and she looked so pale with all the tubes connected to her. Cayenne felt sad for the child inside the womb who was trying his best to survive with his mother. [How does he feel?] She mentally asked, thinking how scary it could be for the child if he knows what was happening to his mother.


    Stefan noticed how Cayenne clenched her fist while looking at M through the ss window. She pursed her lips but her eyes held more emotions than her face. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    Cayenne turned to Stefan and sighed deeply. ¡°I felt sad for the child. People say that an unborn child could feel what their mother feels. When M chose to save Thomas, what exactly did she feel? Why did she do it when she knew it would harm her and the child? Or did she even have the time to think such a thing? I just wondered.¡±


    ¡°Stop thinking too much. It will only make you feel restless. Right now, what she needed is our hope and prayer for her to live. M is a strong woman. I know she¡¯ll survive this.¡±


    .....


    ¡°What if she won¡¯t remember Thomas once she wakes up?¡± she whispered because she wasn¡¯t sure if Thomas has considered this probability. ¡°Do you think the doctor told him about this possibility?¡±


    ¡°Most probably,¡± Stefan answered while watching Thomas inside the ICU room, caressing M¡¯s hand while talking about something he only knows. ¡°I hope that won¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better so that they can start over again?¡±


    ¡°And what if she remembers everythingter on?¡±


    Cayenne pouted at his question because she knew it would be another problem if M remembers everything that happenedter on. She would think that Thomas took advantage of her amnesia and had things go his way. It would be disastrous.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Cayenne held Stefan¡¯s hand and looked at him directly in his eyes, ¡°I just realized something. All this time, we jumped to the conclusion already that Thomas was the one at fault. If it was his fault, why didn¡¯t she confront him and talk about the child she is carrying? Why did she run away from him?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying it was her fault?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either,¡± Cayenne muttered and sat on the bench. ¡°I was just wondering about it. Isn¡¯t it the normal route for women who identally get pregnant? They would chase after the man to hold them responsible for what happened. And if they didn¡¯t like that person, they would abort the child ¨C not that I want her to do so. I just couldn¡¯t help but think why she acted so different from other women I knew.¡±


    Her words caused Stefan to think about this matter as well. Since Thomas told him that he might have done something unforgivable to M, added to the fact that she got pregnant, he thought that Thomas got her pregnant irresponsibly. Where have you heard of a man getting raped by a woman? Just thinking about it, Stefan felt goosebumps rising on his skin. [It¡¯s impossible!]


    Inside the ICU, Thomas told M about what he did in the morning and that he met with Cayenne and Stefan during lunch. He talked about how Cayenne got scared of his current look so he decided to cut his hair in the afternoon. [I decided to be the most handsome man in your eyes. It would be devastating if you woke up and get scared of me so; I¡¯ll go outter to get my hair done and I¡¯ll buy some new clothes as well.¡±


    He was chatting with her even though he was not getting any response. The only sound that apanied his endless chatter was the beeping sound of the vital monitor machine. Sometimes, he was afraid that the next time he looked at the machine, the curves will turn into straight lines. He even had nightmares every now and then because of this machine.


    M didn¡¯t know what was happening. She could hear someone talking to her about how his morning went and what he nned to do in the afternoon but no matter how much she tried to open her eyes, to see who the person was, she could not do it. She could not move ¨C not a single limb of her body. She started to panic because of the unknown and this was reflected on the monitor.


    Thomas jumped in fright because of the loud and incessant beeping sounding from the monitor. M¡¯s vitals were rapidly increasing and the doctors came running inside to check what was happening. Her heart rate was increasing when it should not happen anymore.


    ¡°Talk to her.¡± The doctor told Thomas because he had this feeling that the woman was gaining consciousness. She must have heard him say something that triggered the changes. ¡°Calm her.¡±


    Thomas did as he was told since he was no doctor. He could only follow what the professionals say. ¡°M?¡± He called out softly while caressing the side of her face. ¡°M, it¡¯s fine. You are fine. I am here beside you. You just need to sleep and when you are ready to wake up, you can.¡±


    ¡°Heart rate is getting back to normal. Just continue.¡±


    ¡°M, I won the award and it was all thanks to you.¡± His tears were threatening to fall once again but he held back because she needed him. ¡°Love, pleasee back to me. Please don¡¯t leave.¡±


    Cayenne watched what was happening and without her realizing it, she was already crying for M and Thomas. Stefan could only hug her because he could not do anything else. He wanted to hide her away from this horrible scene but he knew she would hate him for it.


    ¡°Please, keep her and the baby safe. Lord, please save them. Please, I¡¯m begging You.¡± she prayed with her hands sped together and her tears racing down her face. ¡°Let them live.¡±

 Chapter 769

    769 BREWING STORM


    ¡°I believe that she¡¯s gaining consciousness but she might not be fully aware of where she was. The chances of her survival are now higher but the risk of her getting amnesia increased as well. In my opinion, her survival matters most than her memory. As long as she lives, there is still a possibility that she¡¯d regain her memories.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s words repeatedly echoed inside Thomas¡¯ head and he was lost in thought. As much as possible, he wanted her to survive with her memories intact, but if God thinks it was too much to ask for, he was fine with her losing her memories.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have faith in them. They are doing their best to save her.¡± Stefan told Thomas while watching Cayenne talk with M¡¯s mother from afar. He wanted to tell him something but he closed his mouth again to keep the matter to himself. He didn¡¯t want to jump to another conclusion. ¡°Take care of yourself always. If you ever need help, you can always call me or my wife.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Stefan.¡±


    Friends didn¡¯t have to be always together to know that they are real. Real friends are those that stay through thick and thin. They weren¡¯t always there but when you needed them, they¡¯de.


    Because of Cayenne¡¯s pregnancy, they bid farewell so that she can take a rest in their hotel room. They could not have dinner together because of what happened to M earlier, so M¡¯s mom promised that they¡¯d have lunch together tomorrow before they leave the country.


    That evening, Cayenne slept hugging Stefan so tight. He could still remember how much he needed her warmth to get through the night in the past. He would always cling to her and it never really urred to him before that she would need him like this. Stefan felt so grateful.


    Since she still needed to attend her ss on Monday, Stefan and Cayenne left immediately after having lunch with Mrs. Lhuillier. Thomas refused to leave this time because he was afraid that something would happen and M would be left all alone there.


    On their way back to A City, they didn¡¯t have time to stop and rest. From Baguio to Man, to NAIA, and back to their city; it was more than 12 hours of travel and they only got the chance to rest on the ne. Cayenne was so exhausted that she slept the whole time she was on the ne. Even when they arrived, she was still snuggling close to her husband.


    .....


    ¡°Sir, we havended already.¡± The stewardess told Stefan through the inte. ¡°Most passengers have left already.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Stefan responded and waited for another five minutes. Not long after, Tristan called to tell him that he has arrived to pick them up. Stefan stood at once with Cayenne in his arms and the stewardess came forward to help him with the suitcases.


    It was only when they got off the ne and she felt the breeze on her face that Cayenne stirred in her sleep. Looking up, she saw her husband¡¯s handsome face. He smiled at her and she smiled back before burying her face in his chest ¡°I love you, hubby.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too. I love you to the moon and back.¡±


    ¡°And the baby?¡±


    ¡°And the baby.¡±


    Tristan saw them from afar and he could not stop himself from shaking his head. He really wondered if there will be a day when the two of them stop feeding dog food to others. He was only spared from it because Elena finally gave him a chance of having a rtionship with her.


    It was already 3 AM when they reached their house and Cayenne has a ss at 8 o¡¯clock in the morning. Stefan didn¡¯t hesitate to call her professors for morning sses and told them that she¡¯d be joining the ss online. Who would refuse him? No one. Anyway, he wasn¡¯t helping her in getting high scores. Her grades would still depend on her.


    Things were going well so far for Cayenne. Her foundation was receiving good feedback from non-government foundations as well as from the local government units that inspects her project. Since this was a private-owned foundation, she didn¡¯t have to worry about things like fraud and whatnot. She was using the money she earned from her vlogging ount as well as from the donation that her friends and other peoplee up with.


    As for the donations, she has a separate ount for that to make sure that they will be ounted for ordingly. With the help of so many people, Cayenne didn¡¯t have a hard time managing it.


    Finally, the day for them to show up as guests in a variety show hase. There were so many people who anticipated their participation in this show and one of them was Joy. Since the couple can¡¯t show up in her show after what she did, she decided to watch them from the opposing TV station. She hated her, in the past and now. She could not understand why it was so easy for her to attract people when she has nothing at all.


    With her face mask, Joy sessfully mingled with the audience and sat with them on the set. The show wasn¡¯t starting yet so she wasn¡¯t able to see Cayenne and her husband. Thinking about her husband, Joy hated Cayenne even more. [She had Arthur then Seiji came. Now, she has Stefan Dumrique. Tsk! Such a slut.]


    Inside the dressing room, Cayenne felt the chills on her spine. She felt a bad premonition but she had no idea of what it would be. She checked her things to make sure everything was fine and double-checked Stefan¡¯s belonging as well. ¡°What were you nning to cook?¡± She asked while checking her bag.


    ¡°Do you have any cravings?¡±


    ¡°I want to eat dumplings.¡±


    ¡°Fried or boiled?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll talk to the hotel supplier to bring some ingredients here.¡±


    While Joy was nning to sabotage this show, the couple was just talking about the food that one would cook while the other ate. Cayenne could only pray that everything will be fine.


    ¡°Hey, I heard that Cayenne¡¯s friend got into an ident recently. Is it really okay that she attends this show? I¡¯m worried that people will think badly of her.¡± Joy told the other audience and it was the trigger that made people think Cayenne was insensitive and unsympathetic. ¡°She should visit her friend instead ofing here.¡± Joy added and the people around her frowned. [Heh! Just you wait. I will destroy you thoroughly.]

 Chapter 770

    770 VARIETY SHOW


    ¡°Good morning, everyone! This is Jennie, and once again, we are on another page of discovering stories.¡± The host greeted in front of the audience and the people who watched her current show. ¡°Today, we have the privilege to interview the popr couple that many of us felt envious of. They have been through a lot of things to the point that they almost had a divorce. So, what is their secret? What makes their rtionship strong and still getting stronger? Our episode this morning is a little bit different because we will be meeting a master chef who only cooks for his wife. Everyone, let us all wee, Stefan and Cayenne Dumrique!¡±


    The audience cheered and some of them waved their banners that showed how much they have prepared to get into this set. Although some of them were paid audiences for the show¡¯s sake, most of them were Cayenne¡¯s genuine supporters of her vlogs and foundation.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± Cayenne smiled and waved her hand while Stefan stood beside her like a mighty king. There was a faint smile, or maybe not, no one could really tell if he was smiling or not. Nheless, he shook hands with the host before sitting on the couch with Cayenne.


    He even looked restless while Cayenne chatted with the host about their attire. In the show, Cayenne wore a white floral maxi dress that didn¡¯t show much of her skin and her baby bump because Stefan wanted to make sure that she¡¯d look good in front of the television.


    While Cayenne and the host talked, Stefan looked around, and finally, his eyes met with one of the staff. He signaled something to him and the audience also noticed this; not just them, the people watching this live show at home or maybe on their phone, also noticed what Stefan did.


    They all wanted to know what he asked.


    ¡°I heard that your husband chooses your clothes every day. Is that really true? Is he the one who chose your clothes for this show as well?¡± Jennie questioned, intrigued at how much this couple cared for each other, especially Stefan who seemed so down to earth when ites to his wife.


    Hearing this questioning from her, Cayenne could only sigh helplessly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that it has spread far and wide, but yes. My husband chooses my clothes for me, not every day but almost. I only get the chance to do it myself if he¡¯s at work and I¡¯m at home.¡±


    ¡°So, both of you havee to a decision not to cling to each other anymore.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I want to.¡± Stefan joined in which earned him a series ofughter from the audience. ¡°I just don¡¯t have a choice but to leave her at home. Cheska, our friend, and her OB, told us that it is not good for her to travel all the time and she does that a lot of time since she has to go to school. I can only let her rest during the weekend. So, there are times that I don¡¯t cling to her anymore.¡±


    ¡°And you hate that?¡±


    ¡°I abhor it.¡±


    For some unknown reason, this made the audience feel a little sad. Unlike Stefan, their partners were okay with them going out on their own; they don¡¯t cling to them as how Stefan does to Cayenne.


    At the same time, lovees in all forms. There are those who like to give each other freedom to do whatever they want, to give them personal space for growth, and those who don¡¯t like to cling but would still check on their well-being. Stefan was just really different from other men.


    ¡°It¡¯s really amazing how you can be so adorable when loving your wife. Most couples in today¡¯s generation, are only sweet and caring during the early stage of their rtionship, they wore matching outfits as you do but at some point, they¡¯d stop doing so. How are you guys able to do it?¡±


    ¡°I guess thates naturally to us,¡± Cayenne answered while Stefan ced a warm nket on herp and just up to her baby bump. She didn¡¯t even know who brought it but she knew it came from their house because of the scent of fabric conditioner. The people who were watching them squealed happily at this gesture and they had hearts in their eyes. Stefan was not difficult to fall in love with. ¡°Stefan and I never had a proper rtionship before we met each other. Of course, people knew that he yed around and on the other hand, I was just somewhere in the city, doing my job without really thinking that we would interact someday. After getting into a rtionship with him, I got to know him better and he¡¯s actually really nice and a gentleman. Whates as a surprise to me is his love for matching items.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my way of telling myself that I am hers and I want to remind her every day that she¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s very possessive,¡± Cayenne added which was no longer a surprise to most people.


    ¡°Listening to your responses up to this point, I can hardly imagine the chances of you guys fighting. Have you ever fought?¡±


    Cayenne and Stefan looked at each other, trying to remember the time that they fought and they were about to deny it when both of them widened their eyes andughed.


    ¡°So, there was a time.¡± The host expressed and it was no longer a question this time. ¡°Can you tell us about it?¡±


    ¡°This is embarrassing,¡± Cayenne muttered and Stefan chuckled at her words. ¡°It was really not a fight, well, we fought several times due to some trivial matters and Stefan was always the bigger person and he treated it like I was just having my mood swings. Anyway, the first time we fought; we were not in a rtionship that time.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Are you thinking the same thing I¡¯m thinking?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are thinking but this should be the first time we fought.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the first time. I don¡¯t want us to talk about it anymore.¡±


    Cayenne grinned but she agreed anyway. ¡°Stefan is always sensitive about the fights we had. Can we not talk about it? Nheless, we fought like other couples do but we are not the type to let the night pass without resolving it. When we were in the early stage of our rtionship, we were different. If you won¡¯t make it up to me, fine. We¡¯re both that kind of person. I was prideful and he was the same. So, we could not resolve our issues.¡±


    ¡°When did it change?¡±


    ¡°Everything changed when she chose to sign the divorce papers and left,¡± Stefan dered coldly. He never really wanted to talk about this part of his life because Cayenne¡¯s cold expression would still scare the hell out of him. ¡°You are the first person to ever ask us about this.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t talk about the divorce?¡± Jennie questioned in surprise. She really thought it would be a walk in the park to talk about divorce since it didn¡¯t really happen between them. She did not expect Stefan hated it.


    Stefan held Cayenne¡¯s hand as if he was getting strength from her as they talk about her divorce with her. ¡°We didn¡¯t fight,¡± he started as he recalled the events that happened on that day. ¡°She needed me that time but I was out of the country for a business trip and I nned to surprise her once I get back. Sad to say, I learned something which made me jump to a conclusion, a bad conclusion. First, Cayenne didn¡¯t cheat on me. Don¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I actually thought it was the case.¡±


    ¡°No, it was about what happened to our family, 18 years ago. Apparently, we were connected already before we know it and the events came haunting us until 2 years ago. The facts have been confirmed and things were rified but before that, I hurt her.¡±


    ¡°Did you say something hurtful to her?¡±


    ¡°It was worse than saying something to her. I ran away. I didn¡¯t face her and our problem. I just got myself drunk and spouted nonsense. Unfortunately, Cayenne was there.¡±


    ¡°She followed you?¡±


    ¡°She did. She followed me to the bar and heard what I said which was ¨C I can¡¯t believe I said those words. I said I would divorce her.¡±


    ¡°But she divorced you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Smart, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    The audienceughed again despite the seriousness of the topic because Cayenne outwitted him. You want to divorce me? Hmph, I¡¯ll divorce you first. Cayenne was not the type to wait for someone to break her apart. Though, she still got her heart broken despite initiating the divorce with him.


    ¡°I regretted it so much. Hearing the word divorce scares me the most. I never wanted to have anything to do with that word anymore.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t speak of this word at home and most people who knew us would not utter this word in his presence as well. Sometimes, when I get mad, I would speak of this word and I¡¯d feel guilty seeing his reaction.¡±


    ¡°Enough of this topic.¡± The host abruptly said which loosened the gloomy atmosphere around them. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for asking a sensitive topic and I apologize; I won¡¯t ever utter that word again. I felt so bad for asking when it was your fans who wanted to know.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t ask that.¡± The fans retorted which caused the host to grin at them. ¡°Jennie is very sly.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, we are on the same boat.¡±


    It was actually true. Cayenne¡¯s fans didn¡¯t ask anything about the divorce when the host told them to write something they wanted to ask. It was Joy who wrote the question several times because she wanted to find something against Cayenne. She heard about their divorce from her connections and she thought it was Cayenne¡¯s fault. Upon hearing the facts from the people involve, Joy was not happy at all. She hated that Cayenne remained pure.


    ¡°So hateful,¡± she muttered and thought that no one heard her.

 Chapter 771

    771 A WRECKED SHOW


    After talking about the divorce, the host shifted the topic to something else to divert everyone¡¯s attention and since the show was about cooking, the progressed to the cooking part while chatting about the couple¡¯s difficulties and how Cayenne became a founder of her own foundation for people in needs.


    ¡°I was poor,¡± Cayenne expressed while watching Stefan wash the vegetables for the dumplings that she requested. ¡°And for some reason, I started receiving more blessings ever since I met him. I could say that I got lucky but my husband would retort that.¡±


    ¡°Right! Luck is something you get for not doing anything, but you worked so hard for all the things that you have achieved. It¡¯s not luck. It¡¯s the fruit of yourbor.¡± Stefan dered even though he was busy with the task at hand. ¡°I think I¡¯m the one who got lucky. I wasn¡¯t doing anything and I found you.¡±


    Watching them at home through the big television, Luiz cringed upon hearing her sister and brother-inw talk about their rtionship. No matter where they go, their sweetness was overflowing to the point that he thought he was getting diabetes. [I didn¡¯t know that there are many masochistic people in the world.] Luiz thought while watching how the couple stuffed the audience with their overloading sweetness.


    Those who got used to this interaction between the couple, they were no longer surprised with the turn of events but those who only heard of them but never really saw them; they were envious of how lucky Cayenne was to meet such a rich and loving man or how lucky Stefan was to meet a woman who didn¡¯t marry him for his money.


    Among these people, Joy was the extreme one. Her jealousy of Cayenne started a long time ago and she was not reconciled even after so many years have passed. She wanted to ruin her. She wanted Stefan to see the real woman he chose to marry.


    ¡°So, while Stefan is cooking for Cayenne, let¡¯s move on to the next part which the audiences love the most.¡±


    ¡°Finally!¡±


    ¡°Cayenne, I love you.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Please make me the godmother of your baby.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh! Stefan, where is your twin?¡±


    Stefan heard the ruckus and chuckled at the question about his twin. Of course, he has no twin. The audience just wanted to express how much they wanted to have a man like him and he was grateful for that. Unfortunately, he only wanted to dedicate his love and time to his wife.


    ¡°Since Stefan is busy, let¡¯s have Cayenne choose someone from the audience.¡±


    ¡°Meeeeee!¡± The audience raised their hands and called out to get Cayenne¡¯s attention.


    Cayenne stood from her seat and walked on the stage while looking at the people in front of her. ¡°Thedy in blue shirt with a ponytail; the one sitting on the right.¡±


    The woman happily stood up and received the microphone from the staff nearby. She felt so lucky for getting this chance to ask Cayenne a question. ¡°Why did you choose to continue studying when you have so much money already?¡±


    ¡°It was Stefan who pushed me to finish my degree. I felt so insecure when people talk about their degrees and profession because I was not able to finish mine. Although you could say it is probably not necessary anymore, studying kind of fills up an empty space in my heart. I don¡¯t feel so little of myself anymore. I feel like I can proudly stand next to him.¡±


    More and more people asked Cayenne and Stefan about their personal and professional lives; and from time to time, they¡¯d joke about it to make sure that Cayenne won¡¯t get so sensitive over some topic. It would be disastrous if something happens to her during their guesting.


    ¡°One more question before we get to taste the dumplings that Stefan is cooking for his wife. Oh, you guys are so lucky today. Stefan rarely cooks for people outside his family members, so savor this moment and etch this in your heart.¡±


    ¡°You will surely love it. He is a good cook.¡± Cayenne stated proudly and she couldn¡¯t wait for the food as well. She wanted to eat it so much.


    ¡°While waiting. let¡¯s have thest question. Cayenne, you choose someone from the audience.¡±


    Cayenne looked at the audience once again but this time, she already knew who she was looking for. Ever since she appeared in the show, she could feel the intenseing from a certain person and Cayenne has a vague familiarity towards this woman as well.


    When their eyes met, Cayenne could imagine the smug look of the woman hidden beneath her face mask but she couldn¡¯t understand why. She wasn¡¯t even sure if they met in the past.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have that woman sitting in the middle with a facemask who¡¯s wearing a beige jacket and ck shorts.¡±


    Joy did not expect to be called out by her and she hated Cayenne even more because of this. Wanting to embarrass her, Joy stood up and waved her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t have any questions to ask.¡±


    Stefan raised his head to look who the woman was but he could not identify her either because of her mask.


    Cayenne wasn¡¯t bothered by the woman¡¯s behavior though. Having nothing to ask was normal in a show. You can¡¯t force someone to say something they don¡¯t want. ¡°I thought you have something to say. Sorry for picking you up.¡±


    ¡°Why are you even here?¡± The woman beside Joy questioned her through gritted teeth. ¡°You are not a real fan.¡±


    ¡°So what? Some of the people here are paid audiences. What difference does that make me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think we didn¡¯t hear you. You came here to embarrass Mrs. Dumrique.¡±


    ¡°What proof do you have? Or, are her fans like you ¨C a braindead idiot who doesn¡¯t know the real face of that woman?¡±


    ¡°Take back what you said!¡± The woman yelled angrily which caught the attention of the staff as well as Cayenne and Stefan. The woman was already standing and was looking at Joy with so much anger to the point she thought she¡¯d burst out in anger. ¡°A jealous woman would never be happy of someone else¡¯s achievement. Fortunately, I¡¯m not that kind of person unlike someone else.¡±


    ¡°How dare you say that to me?!¡±


    ¡°Did I say it was you?¡±


    Soon enough, the staff approached them to stabilize the situation and Cayenne also tried to help. ¡°How about you go outside and talk this out.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Joy yelled which stunned Stefan and he immediately when to Cayenne¡¯s side. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! You wanted me to ask you a question, right? Fine! I¡¯ll ask. How does it feel to have so many grovel at your feet? What is your secret to sessfully get their attention?¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s you.¡± Cayenne calmly said as she faced the woman head on. Just because she¡¯s pregnant doesn¡¯t mean she won¡¯t fight back. She might not harm someone physically but her knowledge could be very lethal against someone who makes her their enemy. ¡°I wonder why I felt an intense maliceing from you. No wonder. How¡¯s life? You seem like you are not happy at all.¡±


    The audience on the set, the people watching the show across their TV and gadgets; they were all intrigued with what was happening. Since this was a live show and the view was skyrocketing, the director did not hesitate to continue filming. As long as Cayenne and Stefan won¡¯t do anything that could harm their reputation, this show might be a stepping stone for Cayenne to gain more supporters. As for the woman who went against Mrs. Dumrique, he didn¡¯t care about her.


    The live show continued and Luiz started to worry for his sister. He could see that she was agitated despite the calm look she was wearing for other people to see. Stefan could even feel the slight trembles of her hands that he was holding. He really wanted to tear of the woman¡¯s mask and scratch her face. He felt like a cat who wanted to swipe his paws against a surface.


    ¡°Several years ago, you were envious of me. You did all the things you can to ruin me, and let¡¯s not forget that you were the one who told Arthur¡¯s mother about me being friends with her son. I never confronted you about that because I believe that things happened for a reason. Then Seiji came. I knew you liked him. I even told him about it but it is not my fault that he doesn¡¯t like you back, right? Now, after so many years, you are still envious of me even though I am married to someone already. Why torture yourself?¡±


    ¡°Stop ying nice and kind, you were never that type of a person. You only knew how to take advantage of someone else.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about yourself? I have never done that, not in the past and not ever. Maybe it was you, Joy Jimenez.¡±


    Murmurs started spreading around them and Joy could hear what others were saying. A rival host of the opposing TV station hase to ruin someone. Surely, her name will be tomorrow¡¯s headline for showbiz news.


    ¡°I was never kind. Yeah, probably. Because my kindness was only shown to those who showed the same thing to me. Kindness is earned, not given.¡±

 Chapter 772 - 772 STEFAN STEPS UP

    772 STEFAN STEPS UP


    Joy was fuming in anger. She did not expect that her identity would be exposed instantly. She never even imagined that Cayenne would remember her. For all the years that they were ssmates, she could count the times that they have interacted and most of the time, it was her who always hated Cayenne. She just hated her very being.


    On the side, Stefan pulled Cayenne behind him and faced the woman who ndered his wife. For a man who spoiled his wife like a queen, seeing someone talking rubbish about her angered him. He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to shout at her and here she was, getting ndered in front of the whole nation. How could he allow this to happen?


    ¡°Ms. Jimenez, I don¡¯t know what grudge you have against my wife, but I cannot allow you to continue doing this. Have some decency. We¡¯re on a show and this is a live broadcast. Whatever you say here will be instantly shown to the world. I have no qualms about you doing this to someone else, but you should know better not to go against my wife.¡±


    If it was someone else, they probably left out of fear already. Maybe she has lost her mind from so much anger because instead of getting afraid for going against one of the powerful men in the city, Joy snickered and crossed her arms. ¡°Do you know her so well in just a span of three years? Let¡¯s not consider the time that you got separated from her as well. Just so you know ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I know my wife more than anyone else. Saying I know her better than how she knows herself is not an understatement. Why should I believe whatever you are saying?¡±


    ¡°Really? Did she tell you about Arthur and ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I have met the man several times in the past. Were you trying to say something about Seiji? We¡¯re not friends but we¡¯re not enemies either. He has helped me and Cayenne a lot of times.¡±


    Cayenne clicked her tongue in disgust at the woman whom she had not seen for several years after graduation. She didn¡¯t see this kind of reunioning to her at all. ¡°You were great in ss. I don¡¯t really understand why you always like to go against me.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a slut!¡±


    .....


    The set sank into a deafening silence and no one could look at Stefan at all. They could feel his terrifying presence inside the room and it felt like looking at him would kill them. Joy smirked when she looked at Cayenne¡¯s dark face but when she shifted her gaze to Stefan, to smile triumphantly; her knees started shaking and she fell back on her seat. Cold sweat started sliding down her back and goosebumps were forming on her skin.


    ¡°What else do you want to say, Ms. Jimenez?¡± Stefan questioned, like a demon who beckoned his subject to answer his question. His low but baritone voice waspelling her to answer but she could not open her mouth to say a word. Her reality slowly sank into her mind and she started tasting fear in her mouth. ¡°Come on. Tell us more. Looks like you have so many things to say.¡±


    The number of viewers started to increase and the director of the show was celebrating backstage. Travis called him earlier to make sure that he handles this matter well but he didn¡¯t say to cut the show off. As a businessman, profits should always be taken into consideration before anything else. Although he was taking advantage of his friends¡¯ issues, he knew that Stefan would be able to do something about it. He was never the type to just sit back and watch his wife being bullied.


    ¡°Uhh...uhm...¡± the host didn¡¯t know what to say at this point. She was worried that Stefan would take this out of her since it was her show but she could not think of a way to help them. The director didn¡¯t cut off the broadcast either which was another thing to worry aboutter on. ¡°Mr. Dumrique, I know that you are aware that this entire show is being broadcasted so, instead of airing this out, do you want to talk about this matter privately?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind either way,¡± Stefan answered nonchntly before walking back to the couch with Cayenne. ¡°I finished cooking already and I think it has cooled a little. Do you want to eat now?¡±


    Cayenne gawked at him in surprise. The atmosphere was so tensed already and yet, he was still thinking about the food he cooked. More likely, he was thinking about his wife who craved for dumplings this time.


    Amidst the tension, Cayenne chuckled and rubbed her cheek on his arm, ¡°I love you,¡± she whispered and Stefan just kissed the top of her head in response.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some to eat. Do you want fruit juice? I can make one real-quick.¡±


    ¡°A ss of water is fine.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Stefan stood up and walked to the mini kitchen where he cooked earlier. On the wooden table, he opened the food cover which nobody noticed earlier and it surprised them that he still had the time to arrange the dish beautifully while his wife was being chastised by an annoying woman a few minutes ago.


    There were fried and boiled dumplings arranged neatly on a te, and he also made some sauce to go along with it. He poured a ss of water for Cayenne and brought everything to her. He acted as if nothing happened and treated the set as his own home. He shifted his attention to the host and spoke, ¡°You can ask the staff to distribute the food. I made lots of them.¡±


    ¡°Uhh..o-okay.¡± The host signaled the staff to quickly move and continue the show, and pretended that nothing happened. ¡°Do you always cook dumplings for Cayenne? Is this her pregnancy craving?¡±


    ¡°She craves different kinds of food every day and it just happened that she likes to have dumplings today.¡±


    ¡°Does Cayenne cook at home?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she does...well, it was before she got pregnant. When I learned that we¡¯re having a baby on the way, I forbid her to do anything in the kitchen. Though, sometimes, she¡¯ll just have her way and make sandwiches which didn¡¯t need so much preparation.¡±


    ¡°Is she good at cooking?¡±


    ¡°Her whole family knows how to cook.¡±


    ¡°I can understand that Cayenne knows how to cook since she grew up in poverty. How about you? You were born with a silver spoon and have all the riches that one could ask for. Why did you learn to cook?¡±


    ¡°You might have heard about this, but yeah, I don¡¯t have a good rtionship with my family. I was often neglected and at some point, I left home. Travis was a good cook and I depended on him a lot of times in the past. I was a freeloader until he had to leave because of his mother¡¯s death. We were living in the same dorm room and he would always stock our cupboards and refrigerator with food and ingredients. All I needed to do was to cook them. Who else could do it aside from me? I have lost count of the number of eggs I wasted just to cook a perfect sunny. Then, I watched cooking shows and videos of how to cook a certain dish.¡±


    ¡°What was the first food that you cooked for each other?¡±


    Stefan grinned upon remembering the first time he saw her cook. Cayenne was singing and dancing to a tune at that time and he would never forget that moment. ¡°She cooked chicken curry and sausage rolls for me while dancing to a song Genius by LSD.¡±


    ¡°She was?!¡± The host eximed in an interrogative tone because she couldn¡¯t tell that Cayenne could dance and sing.


    ¡°Yeah. She looked like she was having fun so I was watching her without saying anything. I would never forget her embarrassed look when she found out I was there the whole time.¡±


    Stefan enjoyed talking about the moments she has with Cayenne while his wife? His wife was busy eating. She was just minding her world while eating the dumplings that Stefan made. Although she seemed to be not paying attention, she was actually listening to them and was also checking on the audience.


    ¡°Do you like the food?¡± She asked the host after some time when she noticed that the woman wasn¡¯t eating that much.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really good, but I¡¯ll tell you a secret.¡± The host leaned closer to Cayenne and whispered ¡°I can¡¯t eat a lot in front of the audience. I have to act demure no matter how hungry I am.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That must have been hard.¡± Cayenne whispered back and the host nodded.


    The talk show continued for 30 minutes and when it ended, Joy stood up to leave immediately. Surprisingly to her, no one stopped her or attacked her ndering Cayenne in front of everyone. The fans who came to support Cayenne and Stefan were just looking at her like she was a pest and some just rolled their eyes in annoyance. She expected worse than this. She thought they¡¯d do something to her.


    The bodyguards who came to apany the couple didn¡¯t make any move as well. They just stood there and watch her leave without moving an inch.


    The fans and the bodyguards didn¡¯t need to do anything because they knew that Stefan would do something on behalf of his wife. They just knew it.


    Just as they expected, when Joy came home, she found a letter on her doorstep. It was a letter from Stefan¡¯swyer.

 Chapter 773 - 773 BOUND TO LOSE THE FIGHT

    773 BOUND TO LOSE THE FIGHT


    Joy was so angry that she tore the letter apart. She could not believe that she was humiliated like that in front of the nation or probably the whole world. She came to ruin Cayenne but the bacsh was something she never imagined woulde at her.


    Many people sarted to scold her in the inte and her show was being boycotted. This wasn¡¯t just a headache that she shall face alone, even the management got affected with what she did.


    ¡°She was my brother¡¯s ssmate in highschool and he said that she was always envious of Cayenne.¡±


    ¡°Her jealousy has never faded.¡±


    ¡°So, she likes someone and that someone likes Cayenne instead of her. How sad.¡±


    ¡°No wonder those men you like never liked you back. You have a poor character.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Stefan and Cayenne were supposed to show up in her show but she refused.¡±


    ¡°Why do you guys like to keep such a nasty woman? You should let her go before she ruins you?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t live up to her name.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I won¡¯t watch her show again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never watch anything that has something to do with TV N.¡±


    ¡°Let her leave the industry!¡±


    ¡°Chase her out!¡±


    Joy was reading thements online and she felt hopeless. She couln¡¯t understand herself why did such a thing and now, she regretted it so much. She was sitting on the floor with all the mess she created around her, including the torn letter from Stefan¡¯swyer.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t do anything to settle this matter.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne got even more subscribers on her vlogging ount after the Master Chef show. Many people supported her foundation and her staff has received a lot of donation. She didn¡¯t like receiving money; as much as they could, she ask people to send out some things they no longer use instead.


    ¡°Did she say anything?¡± Cayenne inquired while typing something on her phone.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What about TV N?¡±


    Stefan told her what happened and themotion that took ce in the meeting room of TV N. The shareholders wanted to kick out the woman as soon as they could but the chairman didn¡¯t like to go down that path. He wanted to give her a chance to redeem herself. Truth be told, he didn¡¯t want his secrets to get exposed. If he chooses to go against her this time, he knew that he would lose his seat the next day. He can¡¯t afford that to happen.


    ¡°After three day, if she won¡¯t face us, I will send another letter from thewyer and let the police officers handle this matter.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we give her another chance?¡±


    Stefan pulled Cayenne and hugged her tight with his hands caressing her back. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough. You already gave her the chance when you decided not to confront her about Arthur and his mother. If you continue to show mercy, she will only take advantage of you.¡±


    In the end, Cayenne allowed Stefan to handle this matter. She would rather do something productive instead of wasting her time and emotion on that woman.


    It¡¯s October already and Stefan¡¯s birthday was just around the corner. She wanted to surprise him with a birthday party but since she was pregnant, she could only rely on the people she considered friends and family.


    While Stefan was busy dealing with Joy Jimenez, his wife was busy nning something for him.


    ¡°One more thing,¡± she stated when she remembered something, ¡°Have you found someone to work as my secretary?¡±


    ¡°I did. Tristan was currently training him to make sure he won¡¯t fail you.¡±


    ¡°He? That¡¯s unusual. I didn¡¯t expect you would get a guy for me.¡±


    ¡°I considered his skills more than anything else. I don¡¯t care whether he is a guy or a girl. As long as you won¡¯t have a hard time, that¡¯s what matters the most.¡±


    ¡°When can he start to work for me?¡±


    ¡°Next week, I guess. I have to brief him about so many things since he will be taking care of you when I am not around.¡±


    Cayenne never expected that she would, one day, have her own secretary or assistant. She was really happy and she was looking forward to how things would work with him around.


    Another day has passed and Joy was still not saying anything about the issue. Many people started to unfollow her social media ounts but there was still no update from her or from the management of TV N. She didn¡¯t even apologize to Cayenne after all the horrible things she did.


    Another letter came to summon her in court but she didn¡¯t respond. She pretended she didn¡¯t hear and see anything about the issue she created, and she even came to work like usual despite the disgusted look on the face of her colleagues. She didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Whoa! The diva is here!¡± Eximed one of the managers who happened to meet her in the hallway on her way to the set of her show. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you have the guts to do such a thing in front of the whole nation. Why didn¡¯t you say anything after that? Don¡¯t tell me you are scared?¡±


    Joy didn¡¯t say a word and just left after rolling her eyes in annoyance. She thought someone was willing to be on her side but she was actually mocked. [Damn it! I will surely tear that woman¡¯s face.] She thought with pure evil intention. She was not someone who hides her hatred at all. To make things worse, when she arrived at the set, she found out that someone else has taken her ce.


    Her anger skyrocketted and she burst out in a fit of anger. ¡°What do you think you are doing?! Did the management tell you to do this?! I¡¯m telling you right now, get rid of that woman inside my changing room or I will get rid of you!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± The director retorted after the shock she received from her sudden outburst. ¡°I am the director of this show. I was the one who rmended you so, I have the right to remove you if I deem you irresponsible. Oh, yes! The management knows and they agreed. They also helped me to find someone else as your recement. Don¡¯t think so full of yourself. You are no extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying! The chairman would never do that!¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself. Ask him about your delusion of being irreceable.¡±


    The staff started to gossip around her and she could hear them whispering about her being a mistress or something like climbing the ranks through pillow talks. Why else would she be so confident that the chairman would back her if she wasn¡¯t his woman?


    Stomping her feet angrily, Joy left the set in embarrassment and took the elevator all the way up to the chairman¡¯s office. She needed to see him in person or else, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get her show back. She can¡¯t allow this to happen.


    The secretary saw here out of the elevator and she was stunned to see her scowling as she walked to the chairman¡¯s office. ¡°Ms. Jimenez, you can¡¯te inside. The chairman is having a meeting with someone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! Let go of me!¡±


    ¡°But ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll break your hand if you won¡¯t.¡± She dered through gritted teeth.


    Afraid that she would really do what she said, the secretary let her go and took a step back. She watched him pushed the door hastily without bothering to knock first. She was really treating the ce like her own bedroom.


    ¡°You are finally here.¡± The person who greeted her wasn¡¯t the chairman but his wife who was the heir to this TV station. ¡°I know about your rtionship with my husband and I just turned a blind eye since I am not capable of giving him a child. However, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯d allow both of you to tarnish the name of thispany which my parents worked so hard for. You should have settled the issue with Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique, perhaps, I would let you go and let you continue your role as his mistress. Sadly, you dragged this matter for so long and thepany¡¯s stock price continued to lower. I can¡¯t let it plummet to dust. Sorry, but you are dismissed. You can still keep my husbandpany if you want. Though, I doubt you¡¯d do that now that he has no money left.¡±


    The way she spoke was slow and taunting, obviously mocking her but Joy couldn¡¯t find a single word to retort. The scandal she wanted to use against the man was useless. His wife was aware of everything she did with that old man from the very start. She never felt so disgusted in her whole life until this very moment. She felt like she was about to throw up.


    [Why did I even go against her?! What got into me that I risked losing my career?]


    She didn¡¯t know how she was able to leave thepany from all the humiliation that she received but when she looked around, she was already sitting on a wooden bench at the park near the TV station.


    Realizing all the things that happened, she couldn¡¯t stop crying and me Cayenne once again. She hated her for being smart, for being pretty and for being so attractive despite being poor. She hated how blessed she was and how she was able to find someone who values her genuinely. She just hated her for being the way she was. Unfortunately, no matter how much she mes her, she wouldn¡¯t win against her ¨C not when Stefan was there to keep her from any harm.

 Chapter 774 - 774 TEMPTING HIS WIFE

    774 TEMPTING HIS WIFE


    On the third day, Stefan¡¯swyer finally came knocking on Joy¡¯s apartment and he was apanied by three police officers. Her neighbors saw what happened and they started taking pictures of her and posted them on the inte. They knew who she was and what she did recently, therefore, she was bound to make another headline after being arrested. If only she faced them voluntarily and apologized to Cayenne and Stefan, probably, none of this would happen.


    The news of her arrest was instantly spread especially since she was a well-known host. For someone who talks with people in her show, praising and supporting them; it was rather surprising that she¡¯d lost her cool and ndered someone in someone else¡¯s show.


    ¡°Just how much do you hate her to risk your life-long career?¡±


    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have gone against Cayenne. That wife-ve Stefan would never allow anyone to bully his wife.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, she received awsuit summons for several days but she didn¡¯t do anything. We¡¯re neighbors and I saw the letters in her mailbox.¡±


    ¡°She should have apologized already.¡±


    ¡°My friend works as a stylist in theirpany and she told me that she got fired from work. That must be the reason why someone else took over her showst episode.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s actually a mistress.¡±


    The person who imed that she was a mistress supported his statement with several videos and photos. He was a blogger that Tristan contacted and paid to spread this information about Joy. It turned out that her sugar daddy wasn¡¯t just a daddy. She has sugar daddies who supported her career. One of the men on the video was the chairman of TV N who suddenly disappeared after her issue exploded like a timebomb. The other four were not mentioned since they didn¡¯t really do anything against Stefan. If those men involved themselves, Stefan would surely ruin them.


    .....


    Proof of her malice against Cayenne was brought to light by many citizens as they took screenshots of her foul and maliciousments in Cayenne¡¯s every post.


    In the end, not only was she sued for defamation and libel but she has to bear the consequence of having a sex scandal with the chairman. She has to pay Cayenne for the damage to reputation as well. One wrong move and she lost both her money and fame.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you apologize? Why won¡¯t you?¡± The Atty. Sherwin Tines asked because, in his whole life of being awyer, this was the first time that he met someone so stubborn even though she was being ruined already. She didn¡¯t want to lower her pride and apologize. Most people who got sued for defamation or libel would pretend to have realized their mistake and apologize for the sake of saving their reputation, but she was not like them.


    ¡°Why should I?¡± She retorted with her hand on her face. Unlike the past few days wherein she was stressed and worried about all other things; this time, she was calm and nonchnt about what she has be. She no longer cares! She wouldn¡¯t win anyway. ¡°I won¡¯t apologize. Fine! I¡¯ll pay for whatever damages in reputation but you won¡¯t be able to make me apologize to her.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself. Here are the liquidated damages.¡± Thewyer handed her the documents that he drafted along with the fines and the summary of damages she caused. ¡°It¡¯s not much.¡±


    Three hourster, in hispany, Stefan listened to hiswyer about what happened as he received the thick envelope with so much money in it. ¡°That woman was very hard to deal with. I asked her to send the money directly to thepany¡¯s bank but she refused. She had to withdraw money over the counter with the police officers tailing her. I can¡¯t believe she never felt embarrassed doing it.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? She didn¡¯t even apologize to my wife. Let her suffer in whatever way she wants to. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°So, my job here is done. I¡¯ll leave now. Give me a call whenever you need me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Atty. Tines.¡±


    ¡°You are wee. I get paid doing menial tasks like this.¡±


    After thewyer left, Stefan sent Cayenne a message, asking if it was alright to call her. He has her ss schedule but there were times when her professors won¡¯te to ss. He was hoping it was the same case for today.


    Cayenne: ¡°I¡¯m doing my report. I¡¯ll call you once I¡¯m done. ??¡±


    Stefan just replied with a salute emoji and went back to work. Many people would say that Stefan has gotten over his clinginess to his wife and coulde to work as normal people do. They had no idea that whenever shees home, he would be hugging her for a long time ¨C just feeling the realness of her existence.


    Sometimes, when his anxiety acts up, he would cling to her wherever she goes in the house. It was like Cayenne has grown a handsome tail.


    Thirty minutester, Cayenne called him and Stefan answered before it could ring the second time. That¡¯s how important her call was. If it was someone else, they¡¯d have to wait for a long time before he would pick up their call.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked while making her way to the faculty office and submitting the report she made. ¡°Did something bad happen?¡±


    ¡°I just miss you.¡±


    Cayenne coughed drily and looked around to make sure that no one was looking at how silly she was looking right now. ¡°I miss you, too. I really want to go home right now or maybe I should just drop by your office to see you.¡±


    ¡°You want to ck off?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°Wow! The good ol¡¯ student wants to ck off without me telling her.¡±


    ¡°You are not telling me but you are the cause of it.¡±


    Stefanughed out loud at her words and honestly, he also wanted her to skip ss. He badly missed her and he wanted to see her as well. ¡°Shall we meet somewhere close to your university?¡±


    ¡°Are you tempting me?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have ss right now, correct? Then that means we have enough time to meet until lunch is over.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me.¡±


    Stefan chuckled as he grabbed his keys and walked out of his office. ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t really the purpose of his call, but things took a different turn and he suddenly got horny and; to think they were just having a normal conversation.

 Chapter 775 - 775 STEFAN WASN’T A BAD STUDENT

    775 STEFAN WASN¡¯T A BAD STUDENT


    ¡°This is probably the purpose of this hotel,¡± Cayennemented while lying her head on Stefan¡¯s chest. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we be like those students who skip sses and do things like this here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a student, sweetheart.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Are you washing your hands and me me alone?¡±


    ¡°Of course, not,¡± Stefan answered at once while caressing her naked back. His feathery touches felt a little ticklish and a little hot which made her hum in pleasure. ¡°I have never skipped my ss in the past. Travis would have probably hung me on the roof beam if I did it.¡±


    ¡°We never talked about it, but how were you as a student?¡±


    ¡°I was only second to Travis all the time. He was always excellent in all the things he did and he never worked on something half-heartedly. I wasn¡¯t jealous of him, though. Despite beingpared to him for several years, I was d that we are friends. He helped me and guided me about certain things to make sure that I won¡¯t walk the wrong path.¡±


    ¡°So, you never tried skipping sses? Not even once? Are you sure? Then, how could you ask your wife to do such a thing?¡±


    Stefan let out a throaty chuckle as he kissed the top of her head and pressed her body even closer to his. He would have stuck her to his body if he has that choice. ¡°I couldn¡¯t afford to skip my ss,¡± Stefan whispered as he remembered the things that he went through after Alexander died. ¡°I wasn¡¯t excellent or rich like Travis. I barely had money from the part-time job I had and sometimes, Travis would lend me his allowance when I needed money for projects and other things. Unlike now, I didn¡¯t have money to bribe my school before, and surely, Travis wouldn¡¯t allow me to do it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an upright man.¡±


    .....


    ¡°That¡¯s before he met Jill. Well, technically, he met her during his childhood days and things happened which caused them to get separated. I wonder if Jill knew how much Travis struggled to find her.¡±


    Cayenne suddenlyughed when their conversation got to this point because she remembered what Jillyanna said to her before. It turned out, Jillyanna was keeping in touch with Travis¡¯ father but the man didn¡¯t tell his son about it. He was able to keep it a secret for more than a decade. He was really good when ites to scamming his son.


    ¡°What else did you do when you were a student?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much.¡± Stefan retorted and smiled helplessly when he recalled a certain event that made him want to throw a punch at his best friend¡¯s face. ¡°Travis didn¡¯t like students who ck off. So, being the top student, even though he was having a high fever, he still attended our sses as if nothing happened. I didn¡¯t notice it at first because he looked nonchnt and he was able to answer the teacher¡¯s questions. It was not until we arrived home that he copsed from sickness.¡±


    ¡°I really wanted to give him a punch for being so stupid but since he was already sick, I gave up on that idea.¡±


    ¡°Your student life was boring¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you bet. Compared to a certain someone here ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Yah! I didn¡¯t even want to skip my ss.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Cayenne pouted and pinched his waist to retaliate, ¡°Just today. You are so annoying! You were the one who told me to skip it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that today.¡±


    ¡°You did.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I said it.¡± Even though he wasn¡¯t really the one who directly said it, he still suggested the idea and went along with her on a whim. ¡°You¡¯re about to graduate and we have a baby on the way. Your grades are doing great. Do you want to work on something rted to your profession?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    ¡°Great? What¡¯s great about that? I¡¯m studying hard but won¡¯t use it.¡±


    ¡°Then, why won¡¯t you use it?¡±


    Cayenne has thought about this matter for a long time already and she thought she¡¯d use her knowledge on something else. She wanted to help in some way and not use it to earn money. ¡°I just want to help others. I was thinking that maybe I could teach the children in the orphanage to make a vegetable garden so that they¡¯ll have a supply of veggies.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t want you to work so hard. I mean, we have a child to take care of and you have the foundation as well as your vlogging ount. I wish you could just enjoy your life with our child.¡± Stefan expressed what he really wanted her to do instead of just forcing her to do something that she might not like. At least, she knew what he likes and his concern for her.


    The two of them talked for a little while more about their future and their past. They both have wishes for each other but it would be up to fate if their wishes wille true or not. They could only hope that things will turn for the better if their wishes won¡¯t be granted.


    After half an hour, they had their lunch and as soon as they finished their meal, Stefan sent Cayenne back to the university. Seeing the fresh set of clothes, Noah grinned at her teasingly which made Cayenne blush in embarrassment. There was no need to say the words. He could tell what they did because he was a man, too, and he¡¯s got a girlfriend. How much more for a married couple like Cayenne and Stefan? It¡¯s only natural to need something at some point in time.


    Since she was reenergized during lunch break, Cayenne was able to attend her sses with no problem. Her focus was on the discussion and she even raised her hand to answer the teacher¡¯s question. Her ssmates were really surprised that she voluntarily raised her hand to participate because most of the time, it was the teacher who would call for her opinion or facts.


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering,¡± one of the female students whispered to her boy best friend, ¡°if you get pregnant, do you be smarter?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The man asked with aplicated expression showing on his face. He seemed like he was looking at something with three horns. His expression was indescribable.


    ¡°I just feel that Cayenne has be smarter and more beautiful. I feel like I want to get pregnant, too.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot. She was smart and beautiful, to begin with. Stop daydreaming!¡±


    ¡°Tsk! I was just wondering. Why are you getting so worked up?¡± she muttered and punched his arm. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have a boyfriend who can impregnate me and I also want to graduate first. I was just curious. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Curiosity kills the cat. Be mindful of your thoughts.¡± He whispered back to her which caused the woman to roll her eyes at him. ¡°Don¡¯t even think I¡¯d let another man approach you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did you say something?¡±


    ¡°I said you are dense.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why, you ask? I have ¨C ¡± the male student stopped talking because the professor¡¯s pen came flying toward him andnded right on his forehead. He didn¡¯t have the heart to continue talking while someone was looking at them like a fierce tigress.


    ¡°Mr. Cali and Ms. Bitor, do you mind sharing what you two are busy talking about? We¡¯re also interested, aren¡¯t we guys?¡±

 Chapter 776 - 776 [Bonus chapter] HER SECRETARY I

    776 [Bonus chapter] HER SECRETARY I


    One weekter, Friday, it was a holiday so she took this chance to visit Stefan at hispany. She also wanted to drop by at the foundation office and the warehouse to follow up on somethings. She already received the list of names from Tristan and she wanted to go through it one after another to make sure that she won¡¯t miss a thing. This would also be the day that she would meet her own secretary and assistant.


    ¡°Good morning, Ms. Yen.¡± Elena greeted when she saw here out of the elevator.


    ¡°Good morning, Elena. Where is Stefan? I didn¡¯t tell him that I¡¯d be here today.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s having a meeting with an overseas manufacturer. He should be done soon. Do you want to wait inside his office? Oh, your secretary went out with Tristan to check the warehouse. They will be back soon.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Can I have a ss of water? I¡¯m thirsty.¡±


    ¡°Right on it. Give me a sec.¡±


    Elena just left Cayenne to get inside Stefan¡¯s room and she went to the mini kitchen to get a ss of water. She was really happy to see Cayenne in the office again. Ever since she got pregnant, she rarely sees her in the office.


    When Elena returned to Stefan¡¯s office, she found Cayenne sleeping soundly on the couch. She blinked her eyes several times to check if she was just seeing thing. Not long ago, she asked for a ss of water and now, she was sleeping. [I¡¯ll just leave the water here.] She told herself and ced the ss of water on the coffee table. She looked around the office to find something she could use to cover thedy boss but she couldn¡¯t find anything. She didn¡¯t want to get inside Stefan¡¯s adjacent room either.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll bet on the fact that he spoils her.¡± She muttered and left to find Stefan in the meeting room. He was busy talking to the person on the other side of the screen, but when he noticed that someone has entered the room, he looked up to see who it was. He knew that Elena and Tristan won¡¯t disturb him if it wasn¡¯t for anything urgent. ¡°Give me a sec Solomon.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± the man said and Stefan stood up to see what Elena wanted from him. Not ten secondter, the man saw Stefan back in front of the camera and his surrounding seemed to shake. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°My wife is here and I need to check on her. Let¡¯s continue to meeting in my office instead. I¡¯d be able to guard her while we discuss something.¡±


    ¡°I could never imagine myself being a wife-ve. Must be very tiring.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I enjoy doing everything for my wife.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you are a masochist.¡±


    ¡°I just discovered it when I met her.¡± Even when he was walking back to his office, the two of them continued to chat and Stefan only lowered his voice when he saw her sleeping on the couch. ¡°I¡¯ll just move her to my room.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, Mr. Wife-ve.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m enjoying every moment being her ve and you won¡¯t understand this feeling because you are single.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up. Just go away already.¡±


    Stefan grinned mischievously and moved away from the camera once again to take care of Cayenne first. He carried her off to the adjacent room and helped her sleep in afortable position without risking the baby. After adjusting the room temperature, he kissed her forehead and went back to work. Nothing beats having his wife close to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s ironic how your father trusted your family business to you when you don¡¯t have a child.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a child to understand business management.¡±


    ¡°But your business focuses on producing items for infants and children ages from 1 to 12, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate my knowledge when ites to children. I am the best uncle that my nieces and nephews have.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I am looking forward to our cooperation. I saw the things you made for Raizel and Jade. I am hoping to get something that wouldn¡¯t harm my child as well. Cayenne will be disheartened if something bad happens to our child.¡±


    ¡°It all boils down to your wife¡¯s emotional welfare.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I love her more than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°They said it would change once you have a child.¡±


    ¡°Not for me.¡±


    Solomon could only shake his head helplessly at this man who devotes his whole being for his wife and wife alone. He was doing everything because he didn¡¯t want her to have problems. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my team to prepare the materials, just let me know the gender of the child and the design that you like. How many weeks is she pregnant now?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s on her 15th week.¡±


    ¡°You should be able to tell the gender already.¡±


    ¡°Ayen said she would only check the gender once she¡¯s at her 24th week. We already have the room so; you can ask someone toe and get the measurement of the ce.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll ask you additional fees to add manpower if there¡¯s a time constraint.¡±


    ¡°No, problem.¡±


    Stefan had no idea that Solomon wouldn¡¯t just have a problem with the time, but he will have issues with the materials as well. The reason? Well, they took their time to do the ultrasound to get the baby¡¯s gender thus; they would be all in for a surprise nine weekster.


    That¡¯s a story forter since they have something else that they needed to do at this moment. She was supposed to do a vlog with the first person on the list that Tristan gave her. In that way, she¡¯d be able to upload another video on her vlogging ount and at the same time, help someone. That¡¯s hitting two birds with one stone and this brilliant idea came from Luiz. He was worried that Cayenne would tire herself with so many things and it would be risky now that she got pregnant. Thankfully, his brain worked quickly and led him to this idea.


    Unfortunately, they¡¯d have to dy the recording because Cayenne was still sleeping. Disturb her and you will face the wrath of her husband.


    Inside the warehouse, the staffs were working with Kyle and they couldn¡¯t help but talk about Cayenne and Stefan¡¯s rtionship. ¡°I want someone who will dote on me, too. Where can I find a man like that?¡±


    ¡°If you stop watching anime and start going out to explore the real world, perhaps, you would find someone who will value you.¡±


    ¡°Why are you bringing my anime into this conversation? They didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the reason why you are single.¡±


    ¡°I love every single one of them.¡±


    ¡°Then, stop thinking of finding a man who will dote on you like sir Stefan. You will only find men on your phone screen.¡±


    When Cayenne¡¯s soon-to-be secretary passed by them, he could only shake his head. He had this kind of conversation with his friend before because he loves to stay inside his room and just yputer games and read manga. When he wanted to have a girlfriend, it was his friend who told him to go out and explore the real world.


    ¡°I wish he¡¯s still alive. He¡¯s probably meant for this other woman who share the same view as him.¡±

 Chapter 777 - 777 HER SECRETARY II

    777 HER SECRETARY II


    When Cayenne woke up, it was almost lunchtime already. You could say that she just went to sleep there.


    Stefan bought something for her to eat already instead of going out to have lunch. For the first time, since there were several of them on the top floor, they decided to use the mini kitchen to have lunch. Kyle was there since he helped his sister with the foundation and the office was basically located in Stefan¡¯spany. Since it was their first time meeting each other, Stefan invited Cayenne¡¯s newly-hired secretary to join them for lunch. Erwin came down from the security room and had lunch with them as well.


    ¡°This is your secretary,¡± Stefan told Cayenne as he formally introduced the man to his wife. ¡°This Jackson Mondejar.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Dumrique. It¡¯s nice meeting you. I hope we¡¯ll be a good team.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Ms. Yen. You sounded so distant when calling me Mrs. Dumrique. I hope for good cooperation with you as well.¡±


    ¡°When shall I start working with you, Ms. Yen?¡±


    ¡°How about today?¡± Kyle suggested when he heard this question. ¡°My sister will be vlogging or more like recording her visit to Mr. Julio Laborada. You can go with her and help her if she needed something.¡±


    ¡°Will I be carrying a camera with me?¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡± It was Stefan who answered him this time. ¡°All her bodyguards are equipped with recording devices so that everything will be recorded from different angles. You just have to be there if she needed water or something.¡±


    .....


    ¡°O-okay. Is it part of my job to edit the video after recording it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our job,¡± Tristan responded while pointing his fingers at Kyle and Erwin. ¡°Sometimes, her brother Luiz would also help. Anyway, you don¡¯t have to worry about the recording and the editing part.¡±


    Jackson nodded his head in understanding and he also wanted to know more of the woman whom he will be working for. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. Please correct me whenever I do something wrong. I¡¯ll take it as my lesson for improvement.¡±


    ***


    At 1:30 in the afternoon, Stefan sent Cayenne off at the lobby even though he really wanted to go with her. Although it was holiday and most people wouldn¡¯t be working, Stefan had scheduled work for today. He had to finish as much work as he could because he has other ns for his whole family before the year ends. All other things were cramped up in October and November so that he¡¯d have one whole month free in December.


    ¡°Take care of yourself always and no matter how small the difort you feel with your stomach, do not hesitate to call me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°No matter how faint or how little the difort, you hear me?¡± Stefan reminded his wife once again as he kissed her cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t forget.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. I got it. I¡¯ll call you no matter how small the problem is.¡± Tipping her toes to increase her height, Cayenne kissed Stefan¡¯s lips and smiled mischievously. ¡°I¡¯m reminded of the day I skipped ss and rendezvous with you in that hotel.¡±


    ¡°You are giving me a hard time.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± She expressed which didn¡¯t look sincere because she was grinning at him. ¡°We¡¯ll leave now. I¡¯ll be sure to get home as soon as I could.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. Have a safe trip.¡±


    Cayenne finally left and Stefan watched his wife stepped inside the car followed by Kyle and another female staff who works in her foundation office. Jackson sat shotgun with the driver and the bodyguards used another three vehicles; one in front and two at the rear.


    Since it will be half an hour travel to get to where Mr. Laborada lives, Cayenne decided to ask her secretary some question in order to get to know him better. After all, she¡¯ll be spending a lot of time with him due to his work. ¡°Before applying as my secretary, what was your work?¡±


    Jackson scratched the back of his head awkwardly when he heard this question because he wasn¡¯t sure if he should tell Cayenne about it. When he talked to Stefan, he didn¡¯t have any qualms in answering his question because they were both men. However, it was different when ites to Cayenne. He didn¡¯t want his employer to have a bad impression of him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer it if you are notfortable with my question. As long as you didn¡¯t do anything illegal that might bring some trouble in the future.¡±


    ¡°No. Not at all. I never did something like that. I...I was just...well, I wasn¡¯t really working anything rted to secretarial work, but I studied it in college. I was a shut in who loves to yputer games and just read novels and manga works.¡±


    ¡°Then, how did you get into this work?¡±


    ¡°My best friend, uhm, he told me to explore the reality of this world, to stop staying in my room alone. When I opened myptop to find a work I can do, someone shared Mr. Dumrique¡¯s post about the vacant position. I just tried it and I got in.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Cayenne wondered why Stefan told him that he trusted in this man¡¯s skill when he didn¡¯t do any work prior to this job. ¡°Did my husband test you during the application? I am just kind of surprise that you got in despite not having any experience in this field. He must have seen something on you.¡±


    ¡°On the day of my job interview, he asked me several questions whichsted for about half an hour.¡±


    [Only my husband would interview someone that long for a job.] Cayenne expressed mentally.


    ¡°After that, there was a booklet which was all rted to you and I have to input as much information I know about you since you will be my employer.¡±


    [Tristan didn¡¯t take this kind of test when he applied for the same work in the past.] She told herself when she recalled the time that Tristan applied as Stefan¡¯s secretary.


    ¡°I almost didn¡¯t past the second exam. Well, I heard that many applicants flunk this part.¡±


    [It¡¯s already a miracle that you were able to pass it. I can¡¯t imagine the time you spent just to learn things about me.]


    ¡°Thest part of the test was an actual secretarial work. He had a meeting with Mr. Guevarra and I had to pretend as his real secretary. At the same time, Ms. Elena was there to supervise me. After the meeting, they evaluated my work and I passed. He told me that among the applicants, I was the only one who remained calm and did the job properly.¡±


    [No wonder you passed. The others must have been tensed the whole time knowing that they¡¯d be working with this big shot in the business world as part of the test.]


    ¡°So, here I am.¡±


    Cayenne pped her hands and gave him a thumbs up. ¡°You are suited to this work, I must say. What Stefan wanted in his employee was the ability to stay calm and to think properly no matter who he¡¯s going to talk to. I promise you that you won¡¯t have a hard time with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care, Ms. Yen.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡±

 Chapter 778 - 778 HER SECRETARY III

    778 HER SECRETARY III


    Jackson Mondejar, a twenty-seven years old man, single and was someone who never fell in love in his life. He was an only child whose parents were busy working overseas to provide the needs of their only child. His mother worked as a caregiver in Australia and his father waspany driver before he died in a traffic ident. Jackson was already 12 years old when his father died.


    Losing his father caused him to withdraw from the world. Though he continued to study, he stopped making friends with other students. His free time was spent reading books, ying games and watching anime. He loved to spend time inside his room and be with the fictional characters that other people have created. His mother was never rmed with his behavior because he seemed normal. He studied and y. He talked when he¡¯s being asked but he was never the type to voluntarily speak his mind. He became an introverted person.


    All these years that changes happened, there was one person who stayed with him despite theirck of conversation. It was Philippe. He lent him different kinds of books; be it manga or novels, and bought him some video game discs. He was always supportive of him.


    His personality remained the same even when they went to different universities but this time, Philippe couldn¡¯t spend so much time with his best friend. His time with him became less and less until it came to the point that Philippe would visit him twice a month.


    In his fourth year, Jackson voluntarily left his room to visit his best friend. He nned to go somewhere with him and thank him for all the things that he did over the years. Then, he was thrown to another abyss of despair.


    Philippe told him that he chose civil engineering in college and Jackson believed in him. He thought that his best friend was busy with his studies knowing how difficult Math was which became the reason why he couldn¡¯t visit him frequently like before.


    Apparently, he was lying. Philippe was diagnosed with gastric cancer since high school and Jackson never knew it. He wasn¡¯t able to pursue his dream course because his family had to spend their money for his treatment. All this time, while he was wallowing in his imaginative world, his best friend in real life was actually suffering.


    Jackson would never forget the day that he visited him in surprise. He looked gaunt and exhausted. His lips were dry and his eyes were deep set, like a skeleton with skin holding up his bones. He couldn¡¯t believe that things turned that way.


    ¡°Why did you keep this matter from me?¡± Jackson asked his best friend that day when he visited him. ¡°Is it because I am not reliable?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Jack, you were in pain, too. You lost your father and besides, this wasn¡¯t your problem to begin with. I just wanted to make sure that I won¡¯t be another painful memory to you.¡±


    ¡°So, you lied.¡±


    ¡°I never lied. I just didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same thing?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re different.¡±


    Jackson wanted to curse in anger but seeing the faint smile on Philippe¡¯s face, he could only sigh and flicked the man¡¯s head. ¡°I was looking forward to find a girlfriend with you and we¡¯d go on double dates. Now, who would want to date a skeleton. You will scare our targets.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Look who¡¯s talking? You have to stop spending time with your virtual girlfriends first before you can date a real one. Explore the city. Explore the world and I am talking about the real earth we¡¯re standing on. Then, maybe, by then, you¡¯d find yourself a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine us going out there to seek for women.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you something else.¡±


    ¡°And that would be?¡±


    Philippe picked up his phone and sent someone a message. Not long after, the window to his room was pushed open and a beautiful woman appeared. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you ufortable anywhere? Do you need me to send you to the hospital? Tell me. I am worried.¡±


    Jackson stood there in shock. [Who the heck is this woman?!] He thought because he couldn¡¯t seem to find the courage to open his mouth this time.


    The woman noticed that someone else was in the room as well and when she met Jackson¡¯s eyes, she blushed from embarrassment. ¡°Who is this?!¡± She whispered through gritted teeth but Jackson was still able to hear her.


    ¡°This is my best friend, Jackson.¡± Philippe introduced before shifting his gaze back to the man in front of him. ¡°I want you to meet my girlfriend, udia.¡±


    ¡°Girl-girlfriend?! You have a girlfriend? Since when?¡±


    ¡°Since high school and dude, she was our school mate.¡±


    ¡°Jackson?! That Jackson who doesn¡¯t talk with anyone else but you? That Jackson?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That Jackson.¡±


    udia could not believe that she was talking to that man whom she often saw with Philippe before. What she remembered was a chubby-looking guy who had a ck wavy hair whose bangs covered his eyes. She could not even imagine how he was able to see his way when his eyes were mostly covered and he had a thick round reading ss as well. Compared to how he looked in the past, the Jackson she was talking to right now has be tall and with less fat. His hair was still a little wavy but they no longer cover his eyes. He looked handsome but her heart was still set on her boyfriend. She wasn¡¯t the type to fall for someone¡¯s handsome look.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you. Philippe often talks about you.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, too.¡± Jackson retorted and reached his hand for a handshake. Unlike udia, even though they were schoolmates in high school, he has no impression of her. He didn¡¯t even know that she existed. ¡°Thank you for taking care of my best friend.¡±


    ¡°Ah? No, big deal. I am his girlfriend and I am happy to take care of him.¡±


    That day, Jackson was surprised in more ways than one but when he came home, he didn¡¯t feel lonely anymore. He decided that he would visit his best friend as often as he could and offer his help if needed. He just wanted to be there for him just like how he stayed when he felt hopeless in this world.

 Chapter 779 - 779 HER SECRETARY IV

    779 HER SECRETARY IV


    Then, the cruelty of fate acted upon his best friend. On the day of his graduation, Philippe died on his way to the hospital. He didn¡¯t need to think twice. He left the venue and went to find him and at this point, a dead body was what greeted him. Philippe¡¯s parents were there as well as his girlfriend who looked like a zombie. Her eye bags were so dark and her eyes were swollen and red. When she spoke, the nasal tone of her voice showed just how much she cried because of the man¡¯s death.


    Jackson who became more cheerful because of Philippe started shutting himself against the world once again. He couldn¡¯t even remember the times that he talked to his mother or joined her during meals. Thissted for a year. On the day of his death anniversary, Jackson received a message from his best friend and he was so scared he thought a ghost hade to haunt him.


    Then, as he read the message, he realized it was set up to be sent to him after a year. It turned out that he asked his girlfriend to set up the time for his messages if something unexpected happens to him. Even when he was suffering, his best friend still thought of him.


    ¨C If you are reading this, I am probably causing you grief once again even though I never wanted to be that person. Jack, I always wanted to see you smile and hear yourughter. I always admire how strong and brave you are to continue moving forward despite the pain and difficulties you were facing. I don¡¯t know if you are spending your time with your virtual girlfriends once again and if you are, I hope you¡¯d stop doing so. I really hope you would learn to mingle with real people. I hope you will meet someone who will value you for who you truly are. Next year, I will be sending you another message. By then, I hope things have changed. ¨C


    On the second anniversary of his death, Jackson did receive another message from his best friend.


    ¨C You are receiving this because things haven¡¯t changed. You are still the same. I am worried for you and your mother. I mean, you¡¯re the only one she has now and if you continue to be the way you are now, she will be sad. I know you are aware of how much your mother wanted to spend time with you but she couldn¡¯t force her way since she felt awkward for acting all close when she left you for six years. Jack, you have to take care of your mother before you lost her, too. ¨C


    The second message was what pulled Jackson back to reality. He realized the things he had been missing ever since he lost his father. He ignored everyone who wanted to show care for him and turned a blind eye to the feelings of others. He didn¡¯t notice his best friend was suffering and most of all, he didn¡¯t notice how much his mother wanted to spend time with him.


    Yes, he was hurting from the loss of his father. He was in excruciating pain. Yet, wasn¡¯t his mother suffering like him? Instead of facing the pain alone, he should have stayed with his mother who needed him as well.


    The second message woke him up from the long sleep he had and he decided to take things seriously this time. He didn¡¯t want to run away anymore.


    .....


    That day, he came out of his room and hugged his mother out of nowhere. It stunned his mother to hear him apologize to her for theck of care all these years. The voice that has grown manly without her noticing it, made her sob silently. She missed her son so much.


    On the same day, Jackson asked his mother if she could apany him to shop and style his hair. He wanted to look prim and proper, instead of looking like a grouchy man. He had dinner with his mother for the first time in a long while and he took this chance to really look at her. She looked olderpared to thest time he paid his attention to her.


    ¡°Ma, do you want to go on vacation this December?¡±


    ¡°Ha? Where to?¡±


    ¡°Anywhere? I¡¯ll find a job and save for it.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. We can go somewhere that you like.¡±


    When they returned home from shopping and having dinner, Jackson opened hisputer but did not y games or watch anime. He really searched for work. Then, he came across the post that Stefan created. It was shared by one of his social media friends, probably a ssmate when he was in college or high school, he couldn¡¯t remember anymore. Anyway, he grabbed this opportunity and prayed to his father and best friend to guide him throughout the way. He wanted this position so much because he knew that the couple wasn¡¯t malicious.


    He needed someone who understands their employee¡¯s needs and not just the profit that their employees bring. The day that he applied for it was also the day that he got epted.


    ***


    Sitting on the passenger seat, Jackson smiled as he looked at the sky outside the car. He didn¡¯t know if his father or his best friend were watching him but he wanted to thank them for taking care of him despite being a handful to them.


    ¡°Ms. Yen, why didn¡¯t we meet when I still got my best friend?¡±


    ¡°Ha? Did you say something?¡± Cayenne inquired because she wasn¡¯t sure if she heard him right.


    ¡°No, nothing. I am just thankful that God gave me the opportunity to meet you.¡± It was a white lie since he didn¡¯t want to expose the truth. He must have forgotten that all of Cayenne¡¯s bodyguards were equipped with recording devices and what he said was obviously recorded.


    She could easily ask for the recording to know what he said. As long as it wasn¡¯t anything bad, Cayenne won¡¯t do anything against him.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± The driver said as he parked the car next to the other vehicle of the bodyguards. ¡°Madam, we can only stop here because the streets ahead are narrow and it would be difficult to maneuver the car. We¡¯ll have to walk the rest of the way.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I haven¡¯t walked for today so we can take this chance.¡±


    ¡°Leave three bodyguards to look after the vehicles,¡± Kyle told the driver and thetter immediately contacted the rest of his colleagues to discuss who will stay behind.


    ¡°This is a safe ce, right?¡± Jackson asked when he noticed that many people were looking at them and they seemed malicious to him. ¡°I have never been to a squatter settlement.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t judge them. We need to be friendly and honest. Leave this matter to me.¡± Kylemented and walked to the closest sundry store with a faint smile on his face. Four men were drinking booze but they don¡¯t look drunk to him. Two women were gossiping and sometimes, they would steal nces at him and the people behind him. ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Kyle greeted politely and bowed his head a little. ¡°We¡¯re from City A and we¡¯re currently looking for Mr. Julio Laborada. Do you happen to know him?¡±


    Suddenly, the men turned alert and they looked at Kyle with menacing eyes. He felt like a smallmb in the middle of huge tigers. ¡°My sister Cayenne learned that Mr. Laborada needs help with his child¡¯s treatment. We wanted to offer some help.¡±


    ¡°In exchange for what? For his kidneys? His heart? His eyes? Which part of him do you want this time?¡±


    NOTE: Jackson Mondejar is a very important character in my next work ¡°My Dumb Doctor, Please Look At Me¡±. Check out my next work and discover how he¡¯s rted to the characters. Come and have a glimpse of Belle¡¯splicated world after Ceres came to upy her body even though she wasn¡¯t dead yet.

 Chapter 780 - 780 PROTECTING CAYENNE’S KINDNESS

    780 PROTECTING CAYENNE¡¯S KINDNESS


    Feeling the tension between Kyle and the other men, Jackson approached them and handed his business card. It was the card that Tristan helped him to personalize.


    ¡°Good afternoon, gentlemen. I¡¯m Jackson Mondejar and I am Mrs. Dumrique¡¯s secretary. She¡¯s over there.¡± Jackson pointed at Cayenne and the men stretched their necks to look at her. ¡°We¡¯re here because one of the good citizens of your ce ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Ms. Yen! Ms. Yen!¡± A girl shouted while running in their direction. ¡°It was me! I contacted your team!¡±


    ¡°Panyang!¡± One of thedies yelled at her and the girl stopped running at once. The middle-aged woman who was chatting with the otherdies approached the girl and pinched her ear angrily. ¡°Why did you do that?! Didn¡¯t you see what happened to them already?! Stop being so willful!¡±


    ¡°Ma! Ms. Yen isn¡¯t like those people. She would never do something horrible because she¡¯s married to one of the most powerful men in the city. She has a reputation at stake!¡±


    Cayenne could no longer take it while watching on the side as the young girl received her punishment. With her bodyguards surrounding her for safety, she approached them and smiled.


    ¡°You are Epifania, right?¡± She asked and the young girl nodded her head. ¡°You¡¯ve done a great job. I am here because you asked help for Mr. Laborada.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. It was me. He needed help for the treatment of his child. They were scammed before and they lost all their possession and his child isn¡¯t cured.¡±


    ¡°Panyang! Shut up!¡± The woman yelled again but Cayenne stepped in this time before the woman hit the child again. ¡°Get out of my way!¡±


    .....


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch our madam or you will find yourself in jail.¡± Her bodyguardmented which stopped the woman from hitting Cayenne. ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened before, but we are here to help. It¡¯s up to you to believe it or not. At least, let our Madam do what she can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± Epifania said and walked to another direction, away from her mother and the other adults. ¡°I apologize in behalf of their poor behavior. They¡¯re just really concerned for Mr. Laborada¡¯s child. Because of the situation in ourmunity, not many people would bravelye to offer some help. When we heard that someone was willing to offer some help in exchange of a hefty sum, we pooled as much money as we could to give. I mean, it is seldom to have someone who woulde to help us in this ce. At first, they sent medications and other things while they schedule her for an operation. Not many of us here have finished a decent degree. So, it took us a long time to realize that we were being fooled. They said that arge amount of money is needed for the operation but we have nothing to offer anymore. Then, they suggested that Mr. Laborada should sell his kidney to earn money. He did. Then, those people suddenly vanished.¡±


    ¡°No wonder they acted that way.¡± Kylemented as they followed the girl. ¡°Do you have any picture of that person who came to help? Maybe we can trace them.¡±


    ¡°I have. I asked my cousin to take a picture of them.¡±


    ¡°You are very smart.¡± Jackson said and patted the girl¡¯s head. ¡°Are you studying?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯m currently in 6th grade.¡±


    Cayenne just followed silently behind while observing the ce that they passed by. It was amon setup for slum dwellers and she felt really bad for these people. There were kids loitering around with no shirts on and with their bloated stomach but skinny bodies, she could tell that they¡¯re malnourished.


    On another side, she could hear the noisy mahjong house. Even though they were having a problem to feed themselves, they would still gamble which most of the time; they¡¯d end up losing.


    Cayenne kept her opinion to herself and just continued walking. Ten minutester, they finally arrived in front of a small house which was made of light materials such as thin wooden boards and tarps. It could easily catch a fire if such an ident would happen.


    Epifania went inside without knocking; well, there¡¯s no point in knocking because the ce didn¡¯t have a door.


    As a sign of respect though, Cayenne and herpany stayed outside and waited for the young girl toe out and get them. Many children were looking at them already and some of them even asked Cayenne for coins.


    ¡°Martin, go and find another sundry store in this area and buy something for the children. Biscuits and juice should be fine. No candies for them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Martin told the kids to follow him and they did. He looked like a mother duck with his ducklings following him in a long line.


    Two minutester after Martin left, Epifania came out with Mr. Laborada. The man invited them inside even though his ce was really small. Inside the shabby house, the bedroom, living room and the kitchen was just in one ce.


    Cayenne teared up as soon as she saw their situation because she oftenined in the past. She questioned God why her job was so difficult, why her mother had to get ill and a lot more of whys. She never thought that somewhere out there, someone else had it worse than her.


    Realizing that this would be recorded, she wiped her tears discreetly and faced the middle-aged man. She introduced herself and her purpose foring over. She also showed him her work as proof to make sure that the man would feel at ease around them. Despite being scammed once, Mr. Julio Laborada still continued to hold on that someone with a good heart wille to help them.


    He showed the stitches that he had after selling his kidney as well as the medical record of his child. ¡°I know that I can¡¯t get my kidney anymore and I might die soon, but ma¡¯am, I want my child to live. I want her to enjoy her life. I don¡¯t want her to stay in bed for the rest of her life.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I cannot say not to worry about anything but I hope that you will not lose hope. Epifania contacted us because she hopes for your child to live as well. In any case, that¡¯s the reason of our visit here. Now, your ce is quite far from the city and it would be time-consuming if we keep going back and forth. How about youe with us to City B to get your child a full-body checkup? We¡¯ll pay for your hospital bill, amodation and meals. You just have to bring your ID and other personal belongings.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that ma¡¯am? I really have nothing else to give you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re serious. My team chose you because they know your child is in need of immediate care.¡±


    After an hour or so, Mr. Laborada finally packed his things as well as his child¡¯s. His daughter was already ten years old but she was shy around people and she rarely talked. The whole time that Cayenne stayed inside their dpidated house, the child spoke for, at most, ten times. She stuttered whenever she talked which Cayenne thought was the reason why the child didn¡¯t like to chat with them.


    On their way back to the city, Cayenne called her husband and told him the progress of her work. She also informed him that she needs a ce for them to stay near Senyu Medical Hospital.


    While talking to her, Stefan wrote something on a small piece or paper and handed it to Tristan. The man immediately checked the ce and called the current mentainance director of the apartment which was owned by Stefan. Most of the tenants there were students and Dominic¡¯s friends stay in this ce as well to save money.


    ¡°Done.¡± Tristan muttered and Stefan told Cayenne about it.


    Sitting on the passenger seat, Jackson was awed at how fast Stefan was to help his wife. She just said she needed an apartment for the father-daughter pair, and not ten minutester, Stefan said it was taken care of.


    From having lunch until this moment, Jackson had been observing Cayenne to see how genuine the woman was. He wanted to know if she was wearing a fake facade in front of her viewers or if what they saw across the screen was the same as the one off-cam.


    [She¡¯s really kind. I will do my best to protect this kindness.] Jackson thought and Cayenne had no idea that she gained a new loyal staff who would do everything to protect her.


    Meanwhile, during the meeting, Tristan received an e-mail which came from an unfamiliar name but the content of the message was so familiar to him. He just couldn¡¯t remember what made him feel like he was having a deja vu.


    -I need help to know more about Jamie and Carina Malvar. Anything that you can find which is rted to them ¨C Ceres.


    Since the meeting was just about the sponsorship of the olympic which will be held in A City, Tristan quickly replied to the sender before exiting the page he opened.


    He was currently attending the meeting with Stefan and he couldn¡¯t continue to ck off so; he promised to send the result in two hours. It wasn¡¯t hard for him to track someone anyway.


    [Jamie Malvar. Carina Malvar. Where have I heard these names?]


    Note: There¡¯s another secret to Tristan¡¯s identity which will be discussed in the next book ¡°My Dumb Doctor, Please Look At Me¡±. Please add it in your library and support it as well.

 Chapter 781 - 781 CAYENNE WAS CAUSING RUCKUS AGAIN

    781 CAYENNE WAS CAUSING RUCKUS AGAIN


    ¡°Who are these women?¡± Elena asked when she found Tristan searching something rted to them. She never heard him mention these women before. Stefan didn¡¯t say anything about them either. ¡°Are they one of those fools who like to bother Ms. Yen?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I just received an e-mail about them and since I took the payment. I might as well look into this. I¡¯m not busy anyway.¡±


    ¡°Are they sisters?¡±


    ¡°They should be.¡± Tristan responded while taking screenshots of the images he found. ¡°It¡¯s odd that they suddenly disappeared without leaving any traces.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone report them missing?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Then, how can you say that they disappeared? Maybe they just went somewhere for vacation.¡±


    Tristan didn¡¯t know why but somehow, in the pit of his stomach, something was telling him that this case wasn¡¯t simple. However, since there was no report of the siblings going missing, he didn¡¯t dwell on this matter anymore. After sending the result of his investigation, he just pushed this information to the back of his mind like those other unimportant events. There¡¯s no need to think about it.


    On their way back to the city, the traffic got heavier and Cayenne fell asleep on the car. Kyle checked the time on his watch and found that it was almost time for Stefan to clock off from work.


    .....


    ¡°Martin, do you know this address?¡± Kyle asked as he showed the text message that came from Stefan on his phone. They were currently stuck in a traffic so it was safe to do this. ¡°Stefan said that we can just go there directly. He¡¯ll be there waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sir. We¡¯ll take a different route after this stop light to avoid the traffic.¡±


    The address that Kyle showed was for the apartment that Mr. Laborada will use along with his daughter. Martin radioed the information to his colleagues to make sure that they were all in the same page. Although they were moving forward like a turtle, they were making stready progress until they were finally out of the crowded area.


    As soon as they arrived in front of the apartment, Stefan opened the door for his wife only to find her still asleep. ¡°How long has she been sleeping?¡±


    ¡°About two hours now. The traffic was almost unbearable. Thankfully, the aircon was working wonder for us.¡± Kyle responded after stepping out of the car. ¡°I can take over her vlog for now to record the rest of the event for today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please do.¡±


    With the help of the apartment director, Kyle showed Mr. Laborada the ce where they will be staying at for the whole duration of his daughter¡¯s treatment. After that, they can go home or find another ce which will be suitable for her to live. Kyle knew that his sister has something else in mind for the single father but he wasn¡¯t sure about it yet.


    Stefan sent one bodyguard to stay and monitor the family of two just to make sure that nothing bad happens. After all, the child was currently in a delicate situation.


    Once everything has been settled, they left the ce to get something to eat but even when they reached the restaurant, Cayenne was still sleeping. She only moved to change position and slept again.


    ¡°You guys can have dinner together. I¡¯ll just bring my wife home. She must be really tired today.¡±


    In the end, it was only Jackson, Kyle, the female staff as well as the bodyguards responsible for Kyle¡¯s safety who stayed behind for dinner.


    The next morning, Jackson came to pick up Cayenne for work which he thought he¡¯d be doing as part of his job. To his surprise, Stefan was the one who drove the car for his wife and he, on the other hand, had to sit on the backseat.


    ¡°I forgot to mention this to you before,¡± Stefanmented as he drove his car out of his property. ¡°Saturday should have been a non-working day, but there will be times that she¡¯d be doing something for other people like today. In the future, we¡¯ll let you know ahead of time if there¡¯s work on Saturday and Sunday. If you don¡¯t get a message from her or from me on Friday night, take it as your rest day.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sir.¡±


    ¡°Also, during weekdays, since she has to go to school, you¡¯ll have to coordinate with Kyle or with me if there¡¯s anything urgent.¡±


    ¡°Noted, sir.¡±


    ¡°Is he my secretary or your secretary?¡± Cayenne blurted out apanied with faintughter. As his employer, she should be saying these things to Jackson but in the end, it was still her husband who arranged everything for her.


    ¡°Well, if you need anything rted to your work, you don¡¯t have to consult it with Tristan or Elena. You can just tell Jackson about it.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s existence in her life was also a blessing to Stefan. Not only will she be working efficiently but, he won¡¯t have to worry that she¡¯s working too much as well. He felt less guilty for taking Kyle¡¯s time for review, too.


    That day, Cayenne brought Mr. Laborada and his daughter to Senyu Medical Hospital. There, she went through different tests to make sure that she will be able to handle her treatment and they talked to a specialist about her illness as well. In this way, Mr. Laborada wouldn¡¯t have to worry about having to sell his organs for his child.


    When this vlogging episode of Cayenne helping Mr. Laborada and his child came out of her ount, many people were amazed at how generous and kind she was. They were awed at how she offered help without thinking twice. She even personally went to his ce even though it looked dangerous no matter which angle you see it. She was really brave to go there.


    At the end of the day, people usually associate slum dwellers to criminals. They would quickly judge them just because of the ce they stayed without really knowing them. They had no idea that in this kind of ce, many people with beautiful hearts exist.


    While she received so many praises from her fans and subscribers, Cayenne couldn¡¯t escape the criticisms of many haters either.


    ¡°Surely, she knew about the situation beforehand but she still came with so many vehicles with her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not brave, alright! She only have the confidence because she knew that her bodyguards will protect her.¡±


    ¡°It was a slum area but she unted her wealth to them.¡±


    ¡°She was all talk about helping. In the end, she just fell asleep and made her brother continue the show.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she help them with the treatment but that¡¯s it. How about after the treatment?¡±


    Many negative voices started pouring in thement section of her vlog and Cayenne was so annoyed at them. She knew she shouldn¡¯t say anything because that might worsen the issue but before she could stop her hands, she already typed her retort and posted it.


    ¡°I¡¯M DOING WHATEVER I CAN TO HELP AND YOU¡¯RE SITTING THERE CRITICIZING ME WHILE DOING NOTHING.¡±


    It was just this paragraph and it shut the mouths of many people. Riley and other actors shared this post in their timelines since they have received criticisms when ites to them helping others as well. Many people say that they were doing it for show. So what? Either it was just for money, fame or show, at least they offered help.


    Cayenne¡¯s fans shared this post as well and mocked those people who said something bad about Cayenne.


    ¡°Cayenne will always be apanied with many bodyguards and vehicles wherever she goes. That¡¯s how her husband spoils her. She wasn¡¯t unting. You are just jealous of her.¡±


    ¡°Cayenne is pregnant. She needs more bodyguards than she already has. You probably never felt the fear of losing a love ones. That is why you can¡¯t understand Stefan¡¯s obsession on his wife¡¯s safety.¡±


    ¡°Just because she wanted to help doesn¡¯t mean she can¡¯t sleep!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Kyle taking over her vlog?¡±


    ¡°Pregnant women tend to crave more sleep, more food, more care, more attention and many more. Asking your mother if that isn¡¯t true.¡±


    Like the slow changing of tides, the negative voices were slowly drowned as more positive voices came in a huge tidal wave. It wasn¡¯t just Cayenne¡¯s fans, many more people who received almost the same criticism spoke for her.


    ¡°Yen created another ruckus today. She¡¯s gaining more and more supporters everytime she uploads something in her ount. Her baby bump is growing like yours, too. I wish you¡¯d wake up soon so we could go and see them. Our babies will surely be best of friends. I wonder what¡¯s their baby¡¯s gender. Oh! I am not thinking of arrange marriage.¡± Thomas just talked and talked with M in front of him. Since he was sitting on her left side while holding her left hand, he didn¡¯t notice the twitching of her right middle finger.


    [It¡¯s this voice again.] M thought as she slowly opened her eyes to find the man who kept talking to her.

 Chapter 782 - 782 SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET

    782 SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET


    At first, M couldn¡¯t recognize the voice because he sounded gruff and nasal-tone. At the same time, she could sense the familiarity whenever he spoke to her. She had tried too many times to wake up so she could find who was disturbing her sleep but no matter what she did, her eyes just wouldn¡¯t open.


    Now was a different thing. She didn¡¯t force herself to wake up nor she wanted to know who the man was. Her body just did what it wanted to do and when she opened her eyes; she regretted doing so.


    [What the hell is he doing here?!] She wanted to shout but she couldn¡¯t find her voice to say these words. Her throat hurts so much when she tried to talk. [Oh, please! God, no. Please don¡¯t do this to me.] Her tears started falling on the side of her face and when Thomas raised his head to look at her, he was shocked.


    It took so long to register in his brain that she was really awake. He thought she was just dreaming of her. ¡°M.¡± He whispered her name but the woman kept crying without saying anything. Realizing that she might be in pain somewhere in her body, she called for the doctor immediately.


    ¡°Can you hear me?¡± M nodded. ¡°Can you see me?¡± She nodded her head once again. ¡°Do you remember who you are?¡± This time, she didn¡¯t say a single word. She didn¡¯t want to say no or say yes to the question. She just wanted to keep quiet for the rest of her life. ¡°Are you in pain?¡± She nodded her head but when she was asked where exactly she felt it, she couldn¡¯t tell them that it was her heart that was hurting. She was afraid.


    ¡°M.¡± Her mother whispered softly when she saw her daughter through the ss window but since she has just woken up, they wanted to conduct another test with her to ensure they weren¡¯t overlooking anything. They even discussed the possibility that she might have amnesia.


    Two hourster, Thomas was sitting on the bench outside the VIP room where M stayed and he couldn¡¯t stop thinking of the expression she made when she woke up. He was certain that it was fear. He saw fear in her eyes while she was crying. The doctor said that her brain was fine but the ident may have caused her psychological problem which leads to her amnesia. The doctor thought it was the case.


    [What exactly did I do that caused you to show me that expression?] He really wanted to talk to her, to find answers to his questions but the doctor told him not to agitate the patient. She might be out of a critical situation but she was still in a delicate condition because of her pregnancy. Her emotions could still risk the child in her stomach.


    Inside her room, Mrs. Lhuillier was peeling an orange for her child. She wasn¡¯t allowed to eat solid food yet but the pulps of this fruit were fine for her to take. Seeing her daughter looking outside the wall with a distant gaze, she felt really guilty for all the things she suffered alone.


    .....


    ¡°M,¡± her mother called softly which she ignored straightforwardly. ¡°M, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know that things would end this way. Your dad and I thought of testing you a little, to see if things would change over the years. We thought ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall anything. I¡¯m tired.¡± It was a lie. She didn¡¯t have amnesia. ¡°Please leave me alone.¡±


    As soon as her mother left, she couldn¡¯t stop her tears from falling. Instead of being condemned for raping someone, M was ready to give up her life. That was what she thought when she protected him. She thought it would absolve her of the sin shemitted if she saved him in exchange for her life. He didn¡¯t need to confirm that the baby¡¯s father was him.


    Yet, God contradicted her. He made her live again to face the harsh judgment that should have happened a few months ago. She didn¡¯t have the courage to face him anymore.


    M curled her body on the bed and sobbed silently. She only wanted to live a happy life with her own family. Then, fate nned to make her happy with her career while being single. However, she pushed her luck and did something which wasn¡¯t destined for her. Now, she has to suffer from it knowing that she would never be happy again.


    Thomas was watching her from the door and seeing her shaking shoulders; he felt like a strong hand was tightly gripping his heart. It was so painful to watch her sob in silence.


    Even though M didn¡¯t like talking to him or showed no recognition of him, Thomas didn¡¯t stop visiting her. He would watch her from the door to make sure that she was eating or sleeping. He was worried that she would be crying again. He wasn¡¯t certain if she remembers him already or if she ever recalled what happened before the ident but that didn¡¯t stop him froming back again and again.


    She already suffered so much because of his negligence. He wouldn¡¯t allow her to suffer again for the same reason.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    M raised her head from the book she was reading and looked at the door. She was very familiar with this knocking pattern that she didn¡¯t have to ask who was outside to know the person. She didn¡¯t tell him toe inside but Thomas opened the door anyway and invited himself inside.


    ¡°Do you mind if I chat with you?¡± M shifted her gaze to the floor and kept her mouth shut. She didn¡¯t want to add something more to her guilty conscience than she already has. ¡°You don¡¯t really have to respond to me. I just hope that you would recall something rted to me if I get the chance to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Tired,¡± M whispered and threw the book at the foot of the bed before lying down to get some sleep. Obviously, she didn¡¯t want to chat with him.


    ¡°Uhm. How about I tell you a story? It can help you sleep.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Thomas smiled faintly. At least, she didn¡¯t shoo him away this time. She had her back facing him to hide her expression and stop him from seeing the tears that escaped her eyes once again. ¡°There was a man who had a girl best friend. They were so close to each other that he took her presence for granted. Since they have always been together, he never realized that he likes more than a friend should and he never tried to evaluate his true feelings because he never had anyone topare them with. The man asked another person what this feeling was, trying to describe it as urately as he could to make the other friend understand him; then he said it was love. All along, the man was in love with his best friend but he realized it toote. When he was still unaware of his feelings, his best friend has liked him for so many years. Now, that he knew what his feelings meant, the woman already gave up on him. He regretted it so much. He only realized that he needed her in his life, that she was the woman he loved to be the mother of his children, and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. M, I don¡¯t want to be like that man. I don¡¯t want to wallow in regret for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Then, who¡¯s the father of your child?¡±


    ¡°I told you before. He¡¯s someone great and ¨C ¡±


    ¡°So, you remember.¡±


    M angrily sat up in bed and red at him sharply. If her res contained daggers, she would have sliced Thomas into bits and pieces already. She hates that he was able to trap her with her own words. ¡°I remember a few things but not rted ¨C ¡±


    ¡°To me, right? Am I the only one you have forgotten, then? Is this the case of selective amnesia? It¡¯s strange. The doctor said that your brain is fine.¡±


    Realizing that she has no way of escaping this time, M took a deep breath as she wiped her tears away. Her anger was still evident on her face but she bravely faced Thomas in front of her. She knew that sooner orter; this topic will be brought up, especially if Thomas would conduct a paternity test between him and the baby.


    ¡°Do you want custody of the child?¡±


    Thomas blinked his eyes several times at this question. He always thought that M was smart, an excellent woman in the field that she chose, but he could never understand why her thought process was like this. ¡°Why are you jumping to that conclusion? Why won¡¯t you consider giving us a chance? Is it really impossible for us to start over and have a family of our own?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. You may be thinking you like me now. It¡¯s probably due to guilt or whatever, but that couldn¡¯t be love.¡±


    ¡°Why are you analyzing my feelings for me?! It¡¯s my emotion. I should ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Because I know you would only feel disgusted toward a rapist! Happy?! You think I¡¯m all innocent and kind and pretty and generous and probably some saint in your eyes, but I am not! This child? This came to fruition because I raped you! Just leave me alone already! I don¡¯t need you to look at me with disgust because I am already feeling it myself! Just go away! Why do you even want to make me say it?¡±

 Chapter 783 - 783 THE TRUTH HIDING BEHIND HER LIES

    783 THE TRUTH HIDING BEHIND HER LIES


    [That is crazy!] Thomas mentally eximed after giving her words two or three seconds to properly sink into his mind. [Alright. I have heard that word a thousand times or probably a million and most of the time, the victims were women. Now, she¡¯s telling me she raped me? Just how much does she hate the idea of us being together to even make this dumbest joke ever?]


    ¡°What now?!¡± M snapped with those res containing sharp daggers. ¡°There. I¡¯ve said it. Have youe to realize what kind of woman I am? Good. Then, leave me alone and don¡¯t show up in front of me anymore. I feel worse when I¡¯m with you!¡±


    ¡°That...I...- ¡±


    ¡°Just go away! Why can¡¯t you just ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought that I may have allowed such a thing to happen?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± She shouted with so much anger that she thought she would explode. ¡°Don¡¯t try to make an excuse for me. If you were really aware of what happened, you would have confronted me about it a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I thought it was a dream,¡± Thomas muttered as he moved closer to her. She wanted him gone? There was no way he¡¯d agree to that. He would cling to her until she changes her mind. He would keep bothering her until she gives them a chance to be together. ¡°I remembered what happened on the night that Cayenne and Stefan visited us. That passionate night is still vivid in my mind but I never thought that it happened for real and no, please don¡¯t think I¡¯m saying this because I am feeling guilty. Perhaps, I am guilty because I let you go and suffer alone but I have no regrets for that night. In fact, I am thankful. It made me realize that I have been taking your presence and love for granted. I realized that I can¡¯t actually live happily without you.¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡± M mumbled with that cold-dripping tone of her voice. ¡°If you¡¯re done, you can go.¡±


    ¡°M, please ¨C ¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m filthy.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he asked because he didn¡¯t really hear what she muttered under her breath.


    M looked at him once again and faintly smiled which struck fear in his heart. He felt that she was going to do something he would regret for the rest of his life. It was a smile that he never wanted to appear on her face. ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°Thomas, you are so kind. Even though you are the victim here, you still chose to find an excuse so that I wouldn¡¯t feel guilty. I just realized now that you always have my back whenever I felt so pressured from school, from work, and from all other things in the world. I have no regrets about that night either but, I cannotpromise this time. Call me stubborn but I have made up my mind.¡± she sped her hands tightly until she could see the red marks on her fingers and continued, ¡°if you really want to start over with me or to erase this guilt I¡¯m feeling, you¡¯ll have to send me to jail.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you crazy?! Why would you ask me to do that? No, I don¡¯t agree with this. What rape are you talking about? Nothing like that happened. It was me who forced you that night. You were drunk! You could have remembered it wrong.¡±


    ¡°That or you won¡¯t see us again. Your choice.¡±


    ¡°But M! Why are you doing this to me?! Is it so difficult to build a family with me?! Just tell me if you don¡¯t like me. You don¡¯t have to make me do something impossible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can say for now. I¡¯m tired of this farce. Leave me alone and think about it. If you can absolve me of my guilt by sending me to jail, I promise we can start over again. Otherwise, I won¡¯t ever stay with you knowing what I have done.¡±


    [God! Why didn¡¯t you erase her memories?!]


    Thomas thought it would have been better if she really lost her memories. They could start over again without the burden of their past. If she ever remembers it in the future then, it would be toote for her to escape because he would do everything to make her stay.


    Unlike now, M was just too stubborn. He could allow her to live her life but he wouldn¡¯t be part of that.


    ¡°After what Jess said, I really hoped that you would still have a little ounce of love for me. I wish that you would ept me in your life again and give me a chance to be your husband and a father to our child. I was so na?ve for thinking such a thing would happen. I failed to realize that in those years that we¡¯ve stayed as friends, I¡¯ve been hurting you unconsciously. M, you are asking me to do something I couldn¡¯t and you know that. You know that I would never put you in harm¡¯s way again. I could understand that you are feeling guilty for that night, but have you ever thought that I am equally guilty for letting you carry the burden alone? When you chose to sacrifice yourself to save me, I held on to the hope that you still love me and that¡¯s why you did that.¡± Suddenly, Thomas stood up and bowed deeply in front of her which caused her to sit upright once again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for hurting you all this time. I¡¯ve done so many things that hurt you and I¡¯m ashamed to say them one by one. And..., and thank you for choosing to carry our child this whole time even though I am only causing you pain. I guess this is the end of our rtionship.¡±


    [Ha? What is he saying?]


    ¡°M, as I¡¯ve said, I cannot do what you asked me. I cannot leave you or send you to jail. I can only end our rtionship now. Starting today, forget about Thomas Aizenberg.¡± Then, he held her hand and pressed a long kiss on the back of it.


    She wanted to shake him away, to pull her hand, but she felt the cold drop of tears on her skin which was ironically burning her. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out and she had to close it again. What happened was perplexing to her and in the blink of an eye, Thomas was gone.


    Then, slowly, his words started to sink into her brain and her tears started pouring. If not for her baby¡¯s faint kick inside her stomach, she would probably cry her heart out for the rest of the day again.


    ¡®Creaaakkkk....creaaaakk...¡¯


    ¡°Uhh...excuse me...¡± With her red swollen eyes, M looked at the door and she saw him standing there. Not understanding why he was there after he severed their rtionship, M could only look at him with her tears threatening to fall again.


    Thomas was holding a basket of fruits and a bouquet of flowers which puzzled her even more. ¡°Stefan told me to bring you fruits and these flowers are from me,¡± he said while putting the basket on the table and handed her the flowers ¡°I am not sure if you will like them. By the way, I am Thomas Aizenberg. It¡¯s nice to finally meet you.¡±


    ¡°Thomas.¡± she mumbled and throw herself at him. She loves him. She still does. She just wanted to deny it because she couldn¡¯t face him anymore.

 Chapter 784 - 784 [Bonus chapter] THOMAS CHOSE TO FORGET

    784 [Bonus chapter] THOMAS CHOSE TO FORGET


    An hourter, Thomas was sitting on the couch with M on hisp who has finally fallen asleep after all that crying and hysteria. He could hear her faint hups and soft mumbles of his name which he didn¡¯t expect she would be saying in her sleep. It brought him happiness and at the same time, it brought him pain and sadness.


    ¡°You won the gamble.¡± Mr. Lhuillier expressed when he opened the door and found his daughter in the arms of her beloved man. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to go through that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, uncle. The doctor already told me of all the possibilities and I prepared myself for it. I just feel a little sad that things have toe to this point.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it anymore. You just have to think of the present and slowly build the future you wanted with her. My wife and I will go out for a bit to buy some dresses for her. Do you need anything?¡±


    ¡°Nothing for now.¡±


    The man closed the door when he left and the room sank into a deafening silence once again. At least, it was afortable silence.


    ¡°Thomas, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. We¡¯re fine. Everything¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said while kissing the top of her head and caressing her back


    ***


    .....


    One hour ago.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. Please, don¡¯t forget me. No, I don¡¯t like this.¡± Thomas only listened to her endless mumbles while she hugged him tight and continued crying. ¡°Thomas, I still love you. Why did you have to give up so easily?¡±


    ¡°Who said I gave up?¡±


    ¡°Ha?¡± M pulled away from him and looked at him with a confused expression which turned rather a little silly-looking because of her puffy eyes, ¡°You just severed your ties with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that Thomas Aizenberg. It was the past Thomas you know. Now, I¡¯m Thomas who wants to get to know you again.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯re not friends anymore?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want us to be just friends. I want more than that. I want to be your husband, the father of your child, your best friend, your confidant ¨C your everything; I want to be your everything.¡±


    ¡°But I did something horrible.¡±


    ¡°You did that to the past Thomas. He doesn¡¯t exist anymore.¡±


    ¡°What about our memories?¡±


    ¡°You left me with no choice.¡±


    Her tears started falling again and there was this look of disbelief on her face. She never wanted this to happen. She was just in denial. She didn¡¯t want him to forget the memories they created for almost two decades.


    ¡°The baby will be in distress if you keep crying.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you?! Return Thomas to me. I don¡¯t like you. I want my Thomas back!¡±


    [My Thomas. How long have I been waiting for her to say this?] ¡°He won¡¯t being back. Isn¡¯t it better this way?¡±


    ¡°No! It is not okay. I want him back! I promise I won¡¯t be unreasonable. Just give him back to me. I don¡¯t want someone who forgets everything rted to me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? If you want him back, you can¡¯t demand him to leave again. You cannot ask him to do something that would both hurt you. If you really love me, just tell me honestly.¡±


    ¡°I do. I really do. I still love you. So, don¡¯t go away. Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know me.¡± she pleaded that brought Thomas to give up acting.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Thomas pulled her up and carried her off to the nearest couch and let her sit on hisp. ¡°It was hard for me as well. I don¡¯t know how else I could start with you so, I thought I¡¯ll just forget everything and start over with a clean te which is really impossible. I just really wanted to know how you feel.¡±


    M closed her eyes while listening to his heartbeat. It was the same heartbeat that she heard on the night that she took advantage of him. ¡°I lost my mind, didn¡¯t I?¡± she questioned while her tears kept falling on her face.


    He wiped her tears away with his thumb as he spoke to her. ¡°Hormones, sweetheart. Those are your hormones acting negatively.¡±


    ¡°My hormones are still part of me.¡±


    ¡°I know, but that doesn¡¯t mean you honestly thought of leaving me, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go. No.¡±


    If it was someone else, they would have given up this fight and left already. It was so messy that you would have difficulty solving it, but not Thomas. He only wished for one thing and that was to start over again with her. He was willing to do anything to achieve it because he knew he would regret it if he gives up this battle.


    Aside from that, the doctor already told him that there would be a high chance that she would deny his presence because of the trauma and fear she felt. He knew that. He knew something was wrong when she decided to leave after finding out she was pregnant instead of confronting him. Putting two and two together, he came to the conclusion that the night they had sex, it was M¡¯s initiative. Who in their right mind would make the person they love suffer? Thus, he made a gamble. He gambled with her love and her honesty on the line.


    ¡°Are we just going to forget the fact that ¨C ¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t happen.¡± Thomas retorted which cut the remaining words of her sentence. ¡°We were both drunk. Things happened and you remembered it wrong.¡±


    ¡°How could that be? I clearly ¡­¡±


    ¡°You are mixing things up. It¡¯s probably because of the ident and maybe you thought of doing it but that never happened.¡± This was something he learned online. When people believe in a lie again and again, if you keep pushing it on them, they would start to believe it was the truth. Thomas already decided that he would lie to her about this no matter what happened. It was probably a wrong move but who doesn¡¯t lie to save someone? He will do everything to make her forget the rape incident.


    ¡°And the baby?¡±:


    ¡°We created him with a sound mind.¡±


    ¡°Did we?¡±


    ¡°We did,¡± Thomas answered firmly. ¡°If you want, we can talk to Dr. Oliver. Cayenne knew him and she said that he¡¯s very good in his field. He can tell you the truth.¡± This was also part of his n. He knew that M will always be haunted by this issue and it will affect their life together. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to live her life to the fullest and if he needed to be the bad guy to achieve it, he will do it without any hesitation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sleepy,¡± M whispered and buried her face in his chest. Hearing his loud heartbeat calmed her and made her feel at ease. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I¡¯ll be here.¡±


    What else can you do for the sake of your loved ones? What is right and what is wrong when you decide things with them in mind? How far can you go to keep them at your side? As for Thomas, he will do anything, everything just to keep her for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 785 - 785 NOT IN THE THEATER ROOM

    785 NOT IN THE THEATER ROOM


    Cayenne heard the news from Thomas regarding M¡¯s recovery and she was so happy that she decided to bake a cake for celebration. Well, that was the initial n. However, Stefan was worried for her safety so, she ended up watching him make the cake while she waited for her turn to do the decoration. Sometimes, she felt really bored with her life.


    ¡°How do you n to give this to her?¡± Stefan asked while putting the molded cake doughs inside the oven. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are going to eat ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Hep! Hep! Shh. I am not going to eat all of that. I know I could be a glutton sometimes ¨C ¡±


    ¡°All the time love. You don¡¯t have to feel shy about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m equivalent to our entire family. Nevermind that. Why are you including that in our conversation?!¡±


    Stefanughed out loud at her annoyed expression which caused her to feel even more annoyed at him. Yet, she also felt helpless because she didn¡¯t want to do anything to retaliate.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll stop teasing you. So, who will eat these cakes that you want me to make?¡±


    .....


    ¡°The whole family except me. Uhh...well, I¡¯ll probably have a little bite. Just a little.¡± She even emphasized it with her fingers, making a small gesture which was of course, impossible to follow because Stefan knew her the most. That little bite she said will be a whole slice of cake and it won¡¯t be a small slice, mind you.


    Nheless, Cayenne was excited to see M again. She had been praying for her fast recovery and thankfully, her prayers were answered.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be meeting with Dr. Oliver before us. I think it has something to do with M¡¯s current mindset.¡± Stefan mentioned as he walked toward his wife after removing his apron. Baking the cake will take some time so, Stefan decided to flirt with his wife while waiting. ¡°I hope she¡¯ll face the truth and ept her reality.¡±


    ¡°M is a strong woman. I am sure she¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Women can be unreasonable sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Have I ever been unreasonable to you?¡± [Say Yes and you will be sleeping outside.] Stefan thought to himself but he only grinned in front of her. ¡°Silence means Yes, you know.¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking if there was ever a time that you were unreasonable. Don¡¯t be so quick to make a conclusion.¡±


    ¡°So?? Have I been or Have I not?¡±


    ¡°Of course, not.¡± Stefan answered but he earned an eye-roll and a pinch on the waist from her instead. ¡°Fine. You were. Sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Whose fault is that?¡±


    ¡°Mine.¡± Stefan answered instantaneously. Who would say it was her fault? Surely, it won¡¯t be him. ¡°You are doing it again.¡± He said when Cayenne pushed his shirt up and snaked her head inside. ¡°Shall we get a superrge shirt so I can put you inside with me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea.¡± Cayenne mumbled after she sessfully got underneath his shirt. It looked like Stefan had grown to heads. ¡°It¡¯s suffocating. You got to order a superrge shirt now.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    This was a new act that Cayenne liked doing with him. She would just suddenly pull up his shirt and snaked her way underneath until the shirt was too tight for both of them. Yet, she was happy doing it.


    Right then and there, Stefan picked up his phone on the table and looked forrge shirts online. He needed something that both of them could fit. He wasn¡¯t even sure if such clothes exist.


    ¡°I love you.¡± Cayenne said out of nowhere and grinned.


    ¡°What is it that you want?¡±


    ¡°I just want to say it.¡±


    ¡°I know and I love you, too. So, what do you want to do after baking?¡±


    ¡°y with the dogs. I haven¡¯t been able to y with them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the vet toe over and I¡¯ll ask Martin to take them to a pet parlor first. You can y once they¡¯re clean and vinated again.¡±


    ¡°Do we have to do this every time I y with them?¡±


    ¡°Better safe than sorry, sweetheart.¡±


    Cayenne couldn¡¯t really argue with him when ites to her safety. She learned it the hard way that whenever she argued with him, a lot of bad things will happen and most of them were about her safety. Stefan would neverpromised her well-being again.


    ¡°Fine. I will wait. Then, do you want to do it?¡±


    Stefan¡¯s eyes lit up and he haspletely forgotten that they were baking. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°The theater room.¡±


    ¡°That is so brave of you, but no darling. Not now.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Cayenne waspletely puzzled why he refused her when it was always him who loved doing it. ¡°Are you tired of me already?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so dramatic.¡±


    Cayenne stiffened when she heard that voice and she finally realized why Stefan said ¡®no¡¯ to her. If he forgot that they were baking then, Cayenne has forgotten the fact that her brothers were staying over. Kyle has been staying for over two weeks already and Luiz just came yesterday because he has a long weekend. She thought they weren¡¯t around.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t flirt in your kitchen. Many people wille and go.¡± Luizmented because he felt like he was watching something SPG right in front of him.


    ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re not flirting.¡± Cayenne denied at once which didn¡¯t seem believable in her brother¡¯s eyes. After all, she was right inside Stefan¡¯s shirt.


    Luiz nodded his head even though he was obviously not convinced by her words. ¡°Do you want me to get you a get-along shirt? What you¡¯re doing right now looks ufortable.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a shirt that would separate me from him.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have it customize.¡±


    Stefan¡¯s ears perked up upon hearing these words and he excitedly asked Luiz about it. ¡°Do you know where we can get that? I¡¯ll pay double the price if we can have one today?¡± If he was a dog, he was probably wagging his tail already.


    Luiz didn¡¯t know what to say at all. The couple in front of him was no ordinary people when ites to their rtionship. He wondered if it was because Stefan was rich so he was spoiling his wife so much or was it because they just love each other? Aside from the two of them, he knew a lot of rich couples but they don¡¯t spoil their partners like how Stefan spoils Cayenne.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter if I can get hold of the marketing director of one of the clothes I¡¯m modeling. I¡¯m out of here.¡± Luiz expressed and left after getting a small cup of ice cream. ¡°Also, don¡¯t do anything inside the theater room. We¡¯re watching a movie.¡±


    Cayenne¡¯s face turned red right away from embarrassment and she buried her face in her husband¡¯s chest. She felt like she was burning from what her brother said. She didn¡¯t need to ask to know that he heard what she told Stefan earlier. Of all the people around them, it has to be Luiz who came upon them while they were flirting.


    ¡°This is embarrassing.¡± She screamed softly while pinching his waist. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me he was here?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice at first.¡±


    ¡°No flirting anymore. I¡¯m going back inside our room.¡±


    ¡°What about the cakes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back to decorate them. Hmph!¡± She pulled herself out from his shirt and kissed his cheek before leaving. ¡°I¡¯m upset.¡±


    ¡°Because we couldn¡¯t do it in the theater room?¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh! Don¡¯t talk to me about it anymore!¡± She shouted and walked briskly back to their bedroom on the second floor.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Stefan yelled back with faint traces ofughter which caused Cayenne to pout.


    One hourter, Luiz knocked on her door and showed her the information about the shirt that she wanted. She wasn¡¯t really fond of shopping for clothes like Stefan. If they were still useful, she would use them whenever she wanted to. Stefan on the other hand; he likes to buy matching outfits or anything that matches for him and for her. They were already having some issues with their walk-in closet because there was no avable space anymore and they still have more things. She has no idea where to ce them. Though Stefan nned to make another closet adjacent to their room so that they¡¯ll have more space.


    He would rather build a new room for their belongings instead of stopping his habit to buy whatever his eyesid on.


    ¡°If you are willing to model for the clothes along with brother-inw, they will give you one shirt for each design.¡± Luiz expressed while Cayenne scrolled down the information. ¡°They¡¯re not a bigpany but they produce products with good quality.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm... Tell Stefan about this. I cannot decide on this with the baby in my tummy. If he says this is something I can do safely then, we¡¯ll go with it.¡±


    ¡°They also makes clothes for babies. Oh! You can have a family matching outfits in the future! I¡¯ll talk to him about this.¡±


    Luiz took his phone from his sister and jogged downstairs to find Stefan. He already got the idea on how he can persuade him this time.


    [A family matching outfit. Wait. I never saw him buy something for their baby. Will he even like it once he realize that he will have a rival when ites to my sister¡¯s time, love and attention?]

 Chapter 786 - 786 SWEETNESS OVERLOAD

    786 SWEETNESS OVERLOAD


    ¡°Do you want to model for that product?¡± Stefan asked during their afternoon tea time. He already talked to the marketing director that Luiz was working with and he liked the proposal. You can say that the part he liked the most was getting one item per design and he counted more than a dozen from the pictures. He was looking forward to it. The only thing he needed was confirmation from Cayenne. ¡°Do you think you can handle it? I don¡¯t think it would be a problem to your pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to participate as well. I¡¯m excited for the clothes.¡±


    Stefan already had an inkling that she would agree but hearing the wordsing from her really made him happy.


    At the same time, he thought about the other part of the proposal. The marketing director asked him if they could model with their kids in the future. It has something to do with their future and although he likes to model with Cayenne, he wasn¡¯t sure if he would enjoy it with the baby. He felt like the child would take his wife away.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± She inquired when Stefan suddenly turned silent. ¡°Are you having business issues again?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just thinking that you will be so busy in the future and you won¡¯t probably have time with me anymore.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Cayenne snorted and flicked his forehead. ¡°How could you think that way? I will always find time to spend with you. Don¡¯t even think for one second that our quality time will be taken away.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    ¡°Hn. I promise.¡±


    .....


    Stefan was always afraid that Cayenne will be taken away from him and it caused him to be extra careful and vignt. He didn¡¯t want to have any regrets again.


    About half an hourter, Ca, their chef who already returned for work, called them to decorate the cake as per Cayenne¡¯s instruction.


    All ingredients were already prepared in advance so Cayenne wasn¡¯t the least bit worried that she might miss something. Aside from that Stefan was there to help her do the cutting of fruits and other things that would prompt her to use knife.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have chocte and strawberry cake.¡± She told him and Stefan nodded before getting the strawberries to slice them. ¡°Shall we have mango graham cake as well? Dad likes them the most.¡±


    ¡°Go for it.¡±


    The two of them decided to focus on decorating the cake in front of them and Luiz who came upon them again secretly took a photo of the couple.


    -They always feed us with overloading sweetness.-


    Watching the couple from the photo, one could tell how much Stefan love his wife. He was watching her like she was the only living person in the world while she was slowly arranging the strawberries on top of the icing.


    ¡°Overloading sweetness from the couple and from the cake.¡±


    ¡°On and off cam; this couple always melt my heart.¡±


    ¡°I wish my boyfriend would look at me with the same intensity.¡±


    ¡°Does Cayenne know that her husband looks at her that way?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Yen, how to be you?¡±


    Different positive opinions overwhelmed the negative ones to the point that those haters stopped saying anything. No matter what they say, Cayenne¡¯s fans were just hard to intimidate and manipte like before. They no longer believe in other people except from the couple and their close friends and rtives.


    Seeing the reactions of many people, Luiz smiled and slipped his phone inside his pocket. Cayenne and Stefan were the kind of couple that he and risse wanted to be, except the spoiling part. risse wasn¡¯t the type that can be spoiled with riches because she was wealthy to begin with.


    As for the couple; they have no idea that they became a hot topic once again. They never cease to make people fall in love with their rtionship; something that many was jealous of as well.


    That evening, Stefan and Cayenne invited their family to join them for dinner which was the first time after they moved to their new house. Well, some of their family members would visit them once in a while but this was the first time that they really sat around the table together and chat about various things. It was so lively.


    Since it was a celebration for M¡¯s recovery, Cayenne called Thomas to see M. Thankfully, the woman was still awake and even though her eyes were still swollen from crying so hard, she looked genuinely happy when she saw Cayenne this time.


    ¡°Thank you so much for praying so hard. I can¡¯t wait to see you. I was really excited when you announced that you are also pregnant.¡± M mentioned during their call while Thomas was peeling apple beside her.


    ¡°When will you be discharged? I want to see you as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be discharged next month but I cannot travel back to your country because of my situation. The doctor told me that I can probably go out of the country after giving birth.¡±


    ¡°That long?!¡± Cayenne eximed in disbelief. ¡°Will you be staying in Baguio for the whole duration until yourbor or are you going back to Cebu?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay in Baguio with Jess and Thomas.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so d that you guys are fine now. I¡¯ve been so worried. Anyway, if you encounter any problem, let us know. We will think of a way to help as much as we could.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Yen. Your support and prayers are more than enough.¡±


    The two of them talked for a little bit more about kids and their preparation for them which brought Cayenne to a realization that they didn¡¯t prepare anything for their child yet.


    [I should check the nursery room tomorrow.] She thought since she had no idea that Stefan has ns for their child already which will be a little problematic because of a single step that they overlooked.


    After the call ended, Cayenne rubbed her face on Stefan¡¯s arm like a cat purring under her owner¡¯s touch.


    ¡°Flirting again.¡± Luiz mumbled which caused everyone tough.

 Chapter 787 - 787 TO BELONG IN EVERY ’RIGHT NOW’ OF YOUR LIFE

    787 TO BELONG IN EVERY ¡®RIGHT NOW¡¯ OF YOUR LIFE


    October 15


    Cayenne hated this day the most among the 365 days in one year. She always remember the time that she first misunderstood Stefan which started putting a gap between their rtionship. Of course, the issue has been fixed but this day was just so hateful that she wanted to skip it.


    ¡°You¡¯re sulking.¡± Stefanmented when he found her in the balcony of their room, staring at the first tulips that he gave her. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get up.¡± She muttered and even lied down on the bench she was sitting. ¡°I just want to stay in bed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure. Let¡¯s stay in bed.¡± Stefan indulged and carried her off to the bedroom. As soon as he put Cayenne down, she pulled his hands and he stumbled on the bed. He didn¡¯t even recover yet when he saw her sitting on the mattress watching him.


    ¡°What is it this time?¡± He inquired since she looked really dejected while watching him.


    ¡°I want to get on under your shirt.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll go get that shirt first.¡± Stefan responded and even rubbed her head to calm her down. Looking at her expression, he knew that her emotions were going haywire.


    He stood up and went to get their get-along shirt and when he came out, he was wearing it already. It was reallyrgepared to his ordinary shirts but wearing it made him feel happy as well. This shirt was a gift from the marketing director of thepany that they will model for in three weeks. Stefan expressed that his wife wanted such a shirt for their daily use and the director gave them three shirts as initial gift.


    .....


    Originally, the get-along shirt was two different t-shirt beingbined into one, which means, there was a borderline that separates the couple. However, Cayenne didn¡¯t like it. She wants a superrge shirt with no borderline that would separate her from him.


    The director had to call someone from the production team to customize the three pairs as soon as they could so that they can send it to Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique.


    The moment sheid her eyes on him, Cayenne¡¯s face brightened and she opened her arms wide open to wee her husband for a hug.


    At once, Stefan went back to bed to spoil his clingy wife this time. It wasn¡¯t every day that Cayenne acts spoil and clingy so when she does, Stefan would indulge her in every thing that she sets her heart on.


    Cayenne immediately undressed her maternity dress and snaked into therge shirt that Stefan was using. Her back on his chest; the warmthing from himforted her so much she moaned happily.


    ¡°I can go back to sleep like this.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Just go back to sleep. I¡¯ll just send Kyle a message.¡±


    ¡°Yay! Thanks, love.¡±


    Since they were using one shirt at the same time, when Cayenne decided to go back to sleep, Stefan had to do the same. He cuddled her to sleep while she pressed her face onto his chest to listen to his heartbeat.


    Stefan hugged his wife and caressed her baby bump while making a silent prayer for the baby to be fine all the time and spare Cayenne from any worries.


    ¡°Nursery room.¡± Cayenne muttered and Stefan thought she was still awake.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    And no answer. Apparently, she was just sleep talking about her concern. Realizing her worry, Stefan decided to tell her the n he had in mind once she wakes up to put her heart and mind at ease.


    On the other hand, M was finally allowed by the doctor to walk around the hospital. However, she wasn¡¯t allowed to overexert herself for the sake of her baby. Therefore, she was only allowed to walk at maximum three hours every day. She was told to take plenty of rest.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get tired of seeing the same view every day.¡± Mmented while walking slowly with Thomas assisting her by holding his arm and supporting her waist with his other hand. ¡°You will surely love the house that I bought.¡±


    ¡°Are you really nning to live in that house for the rest of your life?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s fine if you won¡¯t like it. You can go back to Tuscany whenever you want to ande back whenever you felt like it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d leave your side again.¡±


    M took a deep breathe to let the cool air wash away the negativities she was feeling and sighed deeply to let go of them. ¡°I don¡¯t want a forceful rtionship, Thomas,¡± she uttered which stunned Thomas a little. ¡°I want you to stay with me because you like to or you want to. I don¡¯t want you to stay just because you felt obligated to stay over with me. I¡¯ll be fine on my own.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s what I¡¯m most afraid of,¡± he retorted which confused M a little. ¡°You are one strong woman. You are smart and capable. You are independent. I am afraid that if you get used to being alone, to having that independence; you might not need me anymore. As much as possible, I want you to depend on me.¡±


    ¡°But won¡¯t that annoy you in the long run?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯d rather have you depend on me than with someone else.¡±


    M was still unsure if she was really doing the right thing but she was 101% sure that she wanted him to stay. She was also afraid that if he really leaves, there won¡¯t be a second chance for her to get a hold of him.


    Both of them still have fears deep within their heart, but they chose to take a step into this battle against all adversities that wille at their way.


    ¡°Thomas, this time, I will give you all of me. I will gamble on this second chance, but if in any case it won¡¯t work. I hope you won¡¯t ask for a third.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t need a third. I only need this moment, the present of your life and the future it holds. I only want to belong in every ¡®right now¡¯ of your life.¡±

 Chapter 788 - 788 STANLEY’S WORRY I

    788 STANLEY¡¯S WORRY I


    Cayenne felt that she was less productive during this day of the year but she never told Stefan about this. She didn¡¯t want him to think that she was being petty over a such simple matter.


    From morning, she only walked the dog with her husband and by the time they came back, she started feeling dejected all of a sudden. Instead of feeling a little active from the short walk, she didn¡¯t want to get up and do something at all.


    At 9:00 AM, she went back to sleep and Stefan had to stay with her for the whole duration. He wasn¡¯t really sleepy so, while she was beside him sound asleep, he was sending messages to Jackson. He needed to know if his wife has anything important scheduled for the day.


    Kyle was currently attending his ss review for the uing licensure examination in March. Although he often helps his sister with the foundation, he also made sure that he has time to review his notes. Now that Jackson hase to aide Cayenne, he has more time for self-study.


    ¡°Sir, Ms. Yen has nothing scheduled for today. She said she didn¡¯t like working during this day of the year but I mighte in the afternoon if there is anything urgent that needs her signature. If there¡¯s none, I willmunicate through text or email.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jackson. I¡¯m d that you are there to help. Tell me if somethinges up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Their chat conversation ended there and Stefan moved on to another person ¨C Elena. He already told Tristan to coordinate with the team that Solomon would send over to take the measurement of the room as well as make an estimate of the items that they will be making. Thus, Elena was left to deal with some business matters.


    ¡°I forwarded you the information for Cayenne¡¯s new modeling work. I sent some pictures of us using the product at home as well. You can talk to the marketing director for the follow-up. As for the part about the baby¡¯s participation in the future, tell him that I couldn¡¯t guarantee it. Cayenne loves children so much so, I don¡¯t think she would allow our child to do something like this.¡±


    .....


    ¡°So, the uses in the contract are final?¡± Elena replied to make sure that she won¡¯t overlook anything.


    ¡°Yes, I have no issues with their offer. Their modeling fee isn¡¯t really a problem. Just tell them to make sure they can ensure Cayenne¡¯s safety.¡±


    ¡°Noted, boss.¡±


    After talking to Elena, Stefan contacted a few other people for different reasons. He was so busy even though he was apanying his wife to sleep. He wasn¡¯t sleeping at all.


    At noon, Cayenne¡¯s hunger woke her up and the two of them walked down to the kitchen so that they can get some food to eat.


    Ca chuckled when she saw the couple like conjoined twins.


    Even after they ate their lunch, Cayenne and Stefan were still joined in the hips with the shirt. This went on until Stanley arrived to visit them at around 2 o¡¯clock. It was unusual for him toe over on his own which means that something bad happened.


    Cayenne had to let her husband go reluctantly because they needed to face their guest properly, especially since it was his uncle who didn¡¯t seem fond of overloading sweetness this time. She put on her maternity clothes which annoyed her and Stefan could only calm her by promising that they will get under the same shirt after dinner.


    ¡°You can stay here while I talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Shall I ask Jessie if something happened between her and your uncle?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm...let¡¯s not do that. If Jessie is still concern about my uncle, she will most likely contact us about him. Let¡¯s just wait.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Be sure to let me know if there¡¯s anything that I can help.¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡± Stefan kissed her forehead and left the room to find his uncle who disappeared from the living room. After asking the security guards, he found out that the man was at the dog house.


    Jonas was ying with the dogs but you could tell from his faint smile that he wasn¡¯t genuinely giving them his attention. His mind was somewhere else.


    ¡°Uncle.¡± Stanley stopped his hands from rubbing the dog¡¯s mane for two or three seconds before continuing again. ¡°Did you have a fight with someone?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t Ie and visit you?¡±


    Stefan sighed with this weak reasoning as he walked and sat beside the older man. Spring came running toward him and Autumn followed suit which brought a faintughter from Stefan.


    ¡°Easy there buddies.¡± He mumbled but his hands automatically hugged therge dogs while he kept his eyes on his uncle. ¡°So, what exactly happened that made you visit us all of a sudden?¡±


    Stanley stayed silent for about five minutes; probably thinking how he can start telling his worries to his nephew. ¡°Her father doesn¡¯t like me.¡± Stanley finally said after a long silence. ¡°We¡¯ve been together for almost a year and I never asked her to introduce me to her parents. I wanted her to take her time until she¡¯s ready to announce our rtionship to her family. Yesterday, her cousin saw us together and it would have been fine if we were just chatting or probably walking together. Of all things, she saw us kissing when I dropped her off three streets away from her home.¡±


    ¡°Did she talk to you about it?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet. Actually, she didn¡¯te to work today. When I called her, it was her cousin who answered the phone. She told me that Jessie is grounded. She wasn¡¯t allowed to leave the house even if it was for work.¡±


    ¡°Was it her father who told you he doesn¡¯t like you or was it her cousin?¡±


    ¡°It was her cousin.¡±


    When Stefan knew that Jessie and his uncle has a thing for each other, he investigated his employee to help his uncle. After all, Stanley went through a failed marriage already. He didn¡¯t want him to get hurt again. He knew sooner orter, his uncle would face a huge problem in his rtionship because of their age gap.


    ¡°Uncle, do you want to give them a visit?¡±

 Chapter 789 - 789 STANLEY’S WORRY II

    789 STANLEY¡¯S WORRY II


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t talked to her about it. What if she¡¯ll get angry?¡±


    Stefan ced his hand on his uncle¡¯s shoulder and looked into his eyes directly. Some countries consider it rude when you look at them eye to eye, but not in City A.


    ¡°Uncle, listen to me. You should be able to understand Jessie¡¯s father. She¡¯s his only daughter and he wants her to be happy. If you have a daughter and suddenly you find out that her boyfriend was as old as you, wouldn¡¯t you feel bothered by it? What you needed to know now is to show them your determination. You have to prove to them that you are serious about your rtionship with her.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s bying to her ce unannounced?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Stefan, I don¡¯t have anything to be proud of. I even have a record of a failed marriage. I don¡¯t think -¡±


    ¡°Then, are you giving up?¡±


    ¡°Of course, not.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, uncle. You have us. Just be confident to face them.¡±


    .....


    Stanley was still adamant about it but he chose to believe in his nephew¡¯s words. He has a good rtionship with Cayenne and her family even after the bad start and it is something that he could get strength. Their rtionship was inspirational to many couples and even those who were still looking for their partners.


    ¡°When are we visiting them?¡±


    Stefan grinned and that was enough for Stanley to know that he¡¯ll be fine. ¡°I¡¯ll make arrangements. Give me a sec. Oh! You should go home and wear something casual. We will be visiting to make a good impression but looking so formal would make it look like you areing to negotiate them. We¡¯re noting to intimidate. We¡¯reing to win them over.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ask Dominic to help me.¡±


    ¡°Dom has no work today?¡±


    ¡°No. The manager gave him time off. I originally nned to talk to him about this but I felt that he¡¯s too young to understand the world of adults.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate youing to consult me because that makes me feel that I¡¯m reliable. At the same time, you should not underestimate your son. He¡¯s mature enough to understand this kind of things. He¡¯ll be a good confidant to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    Thereafter, Stanley went back home to Peach Wood Subdivision to change his clothes. It would have been quicker if he just bought some clothes to change into in the mall but, he didn¡¯t want to waste his money on mundane things. He¡¯s not like Stefan with overflowing riches. Even if he was his nephew, he never really thought of Stefan¡¯s money as his. He was already more than happy that Stefan helps them with their daily expenses, medication Maintainance, and Dominic¡¯s tuition fees. The money he earned from his work was just for his savings and things he likes to buy. He has more to spend on his date with Jessie.


    When he reached home, Dominic was already prepared to help after getting a message from Stefan.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne was choosing clothes for her and Stefan since her husband was busy making calls. Seeing how busy he was, Cayenne decided to tease him a little. She chose a white slim-fit dress despite her growing baby bump and put on a ck trench coat to keep her warm. She wanted to put on her ck leggings but she wasn¡¯t allowed to bend over so, she waited for Stefan to finish his call and ask him for help.


    As for Stefan, Cayenne picked a ck shirt, white shorts, and a ck coat which would seem matching except for the shirt and her dress.


    After thest call, Stefan crouched down without waiting for her words and helped Cayenne put on his leggings. ¡°You can pair it with your low-heeled boots. It will keep you warm.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± she said and grabbed the boots from their shoe closet while Stefan started changing his clothes. She thought he was done by the time she finished choosing her boots but when she looked back, Stefan was standing half-naked with the shirt in hand. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°I noticed that earlier, you put on a ck dress under that coat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then, why are you giving me this white shirt?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? It has the same design.¡±


    ¡°Not the same color. You were messing with me.¡± Stefan expressed and returned the shirt to get the other one with the same design but ck.


    Cayenneughed when he pouted from her prank. ¡°My bad. I want to tease you a little.¡±


    ¡°Tease me in another way.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Fine. I won¡¯t do this again. Will you forgive me?¡±


    ¡°I will if you kiss me ten times.¡±


    ¡°I could do this forever, you know.¡±


    And the kiss escted to something hotter which burned both of them. If Stefan didn¡¯t undress her shirt, she probably wouldn¡¯t return to her senses and remembered what they were supposed to be doing.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait until evening,¡± Cayennemented as she pushed her husband away. Her face was flushed and her red lips were wet from the recent passionate kisses with him.


    ¡°I won¡¯t sleep without iming it.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but I guess I have to change my underwear.¡±


    Stefan realized what she meant and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from teasing her. Now she finally knew how it feels like when someone hangs your appetite.


    One hourter, the two of them finally arrived in front of Jessie¡¯s home but no one stepped out of the car yet because Stanley hasn¡¯t arrived.


    Cayenne could see through the window that many people have gathered already while looking in their direction. Some were whispering, wondering who came in their ce in a parade of expensive vehicles. Not long after, Stanley and Dominic came. The father and son duo had an opposite expressions on their faces. One was tense and anxious while the other was calm.


    Stefan stepped out of the car and helped Cayenne out, making sure to cover her head to avoid bumping into the car frame.


    Thedies in the neighborhood were awed at this handsome man and when they saw Cayenne¡¯s face, they couldn¡¯t stop their girly hearts from beating rapidly.


    However, the stoic faces of the bodyguards stopped them from approaching their idol.


    Stanley and Dominic waited for the couple in front of Jessie¡¯s house but before they even got there, Jessie came out of the house with a panic-stricken face.


    ¡°Why are you here?!¡±

 Chapter 790 - 790 STANLEY’S WORRY III

    790 STANLEY¡¯S WORRY III


    Cayenne was not surprised to hear that those were the words that came out of Jessie¡¯s mouth the moment she saw them. She wasn¡¯t prepared for Stanley to face her parents and seeing him standing right in front of their house, she was afraid. Cayenne even started to doubt Jessie¡¯s feelings for Stanley but when she remembered that she also had the same difficulty 3 years ago, she dispelled her thoughts.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be here. My father will kill you,¡± she expressed worriedly while looking back to the house behind her. It was obvious that she feared someone from her family would see Stanley right now. ¡°Please, leave. I¡¯ll talk to you when I get back to work. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll allow me to go back.¡±


    ¡°And then what? Are we going to hide forever? I don¡¯t want this kind of rtionship. You know that ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± Jessie muttered while holding Stanley¡¯s hands through the metal gate. ¡°I¡¯m begging you. Just leave for now.¡±


    ¡°Running away won¡¯t solve anything.¡± Stefanmented and stood beside his uncle. ¡°If you continue to hide him, your father will continue to doubt my uncle. I have nothing against your rtionship but I don¡¯t like it when people keep hurting my family. You have to choose. You can either introduce him to your family or end your rtionship right here, right now.¡±


    ¡°Stefan.¡± Cayenne mumbled and pulled Stefan closer to her. ¡°That¡¯s a little bit harsh.¡±


    ¡°She needs to make a choice, love. She can¡¯t continue to run away from this issue forever.¡±


    They could see that Jessie was stopping her tears from falling and her hands that held Stanley were shaking. This would be a hard choice to make.


    ¡°Jessie!¡±


    .....


    Stanley looked up and saw a fierce-looking man at the door of the house behind his girlfriend. If the man was a dragon, he was probably spitting fire in anger right now. His face was red in anger and he was looking at Stanley as if he wanted to chop him.


    ¡°Good afternoon, sir.¡± Stanley greeted while holding Jessie¡¯s hands tightly. It was now or never.


    ¡°Pa. This is Stanley. He is my boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°So, it was real! Have you gone crazy?! Am I that useless that you¡¯d have to make yourself and old man¡¯s pet! For god¡¯s sake, he could be the same age as me!¡±


    ¡°Sir, I beg your pardon. Jessie is not my pet and I am not some old man in an alley. I¡¯m Stanley Sugo. Is it possible if we could talk this out? I came here to properly talk with you about our rtionship because I respect you as her father.¡±


    The man was about to fire horrendous statements against Stanley once more, but seeing his daughter was about to cry, he took a deep breath and walked back inside.


    Jessie opened the gate at once and Stanley went inside along with Cayenne, his son, and his nephew. The onlookers were curious as well as they gawked at the people who visited their neighbor. They didn¡¯t expect that those rich people will be shouted at upon their arrival. It was really surprising since most of them were justmoners.


    Jessie¡¯s house was just twice the size of the apartment that Cayenne and her family lived before but it was enough for a small family like hers. However, at this moment, it was a little bit crowded because of their guests as well as their rtives who came to witness Jessie¡¯s life changing moment.


    Jessie sat between her father and mother while her brother stood behind the couch along with her two cousins and her uncle and auntie. One of these cousins was the one who told Jessie¡¯s father about her rtionship with Stanley and even without asking, they could tell which one already. Seeing the smirk on the young woman¡¯s face; they already knew that she was up to something bad against Jessie.


    ¡°Once again, I am Stanley Sugo and I am Jessie¡¯s boyfriend. We¡¯ve been together for almost a year.¡±


    ¡°Almost a year huh!¡± Jessie¡¯s father snorted in mockery. ¡°How ironic for you to say that you respect me when you waited for almost a year beforeing to introduce yourself.¡±


    ¡°Pa, it was ¨C ¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to speak,¡± he snapped and Jessie shut up instantly. She was distressed that Stanley has to bear the consequence of her decisions.


    Stanley looked at his girlfriend and smiled tofort her a little from this depressing situation. Knowing that he has the support of his family, he wanted to make Jessie¡¯s rtive to feel that support. ¡°I wanted Jessie to decide when to introduce me to her family and we talked about it that she woulde to tell you on our anniversary, but I guess we no longer need to wait.¡±


    ¡°Yes, pa. We were supposed to tell you about soon.¡±


    ¡°Why wait for that day?¡±


    Jessie wanted to speak again but her father red sharply which made her sealed her mouth at once.


    ¡°Honestly, I have a failed marriage in the past. My wife divorced me because she felt that I was ipetent. At first, I wasn¡¯t the least bit affected of what she said but when I met your daughter, I told myself that I have to work hard for her. I need to make sure that she¡¯s happy. Why do we have to wait? Because I want her to know me better. I want her to decide if I¡¯m ipetent or not, or if I am reliable or worthy of being her partner.¡±


    ¡°You had a wife? Do you have a child? You want my daughter to be a mother of someone else¡¯s child?¡±


    ¡°Uhh...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m his son.¡± Dominic decided to speak up to help his father in achieving his happiness. He also wanted him to have a happy life after all the hardships he went through. ¡°I don¡¯t really need another mother because my father is also a mother to me. You know what I mean. I only want my father to live happily and I have seen him smile more often when he¡¯s with her. Jessie is also a good woman. She had been doing her best to act like a good mother that she should be, but she didn¡¯t really need to do that.¡±


    ¡°Wait, uncle,¡± Jessie¡¯s cousin spoke up and she seemed a little worried with the flow of the conversation. She looked anxious right now. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you will let Jessie get into their family. Didn¡¯t you know that rich people often bully the poor?¡±

 Chapter 791 - 791 STANLEY’S WORRY IV

    791 STANLEY¡¯S WORRY IV


    ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Both Jessie and Cayenne eximed at the same time and both women looked at each other as well in surprise. They didn¡¯t expect to be in sync at this moment.


    ¡°I would like you to refrain from saying such words,¡± Cayenne added after a while because she couldn¡¯t ept the usationing from this woman who was obviously hindering Jessie to be happy. ¡°I could understand that other people sitting on a higher hierarchy would bully people on the lower level but that isn¡¯t the case for everyone. That being said, my family doesn¡¯t tolerate bullying. We would never do something that would ruin our reputation. I have a name to uphold and so is my husband. As part of our family, uncle Stanley and his son would never do something that would affect us as well.¡±


    ¡°Really? Didn¡¯t you bully the host of a show just because she asked you questions during a guesting on the opposingwork?¡± The woman said once again and this prompted Jessie¡¯s mother to ponder on the issue, too. ¡°Auntie even watched that show and since it was live, many people were able to see how you dealt with her.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me?¡± Stefan spoke and annoyance was reflected on his face. Never say anything against his wife or you will face his wrath. He wondered when would people understand his bottom line. ¡°First, why would a host from an opposingworke to a guesting of the other station? Second, why do you think she appeared after she told her team that she won¡¯t do her show if we be her guests? Third, when did we ever bully her? She lost her job because she took things to a personal level and she was doing something illegal. I am sure you have seen it afterward, or maybe you didn¡¯t tell Jessie¡¯s parents about what happened after the show.¡±


    ¡°Also, it seems to me that you are jealous of Jessie. Why would you hinder her from being happy? It is obvious that you were manipting her parents.¡± Dominic added in anger. He couldn¡¯t keep his anger anymore.


    ¡°Stop. Please stop.¡± Jessie said to stop them from saying anything more. She was afraid that Stefan would do something to her cousin after what she said against Cayenne. ¡°Lilia is just worried for me. I can understand that. Please forgive her rudeness.¡±


    Stefan nodded his head but he still said something as a reminder. ¡°No worries. Just make sure that she¡¯ll get her facts next time. I don¡¯t like it when people say something bad about my wife.¡±


    ¡°Stanley.¡± Jessie¡¯s mother spoke as she held her daughter¡¯s hand. ¡°I hope you can understand our concern as parents. Of course, we don¡¯t really have anything personal against you. We were just worried that our daughter was just being used, you know what I mean. After all, she¡¯s our only daughter. I just want to know; do you n on getting married to her?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Stanley answered without even hesitation for a second. ¡°I entered this rtionship with that idea in mind.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Then, will you live close to us? I just want to make sure that she¡¯s properly taken care of.¡±


    ¡°If that makes you feel a lot morefortable, I don¡¯t mind. My son is already big and sooner orter, he will want to live his own life.¡±


    With this shift in conversation, Stanley talked to Jessie¡¯s parents about the wedding but since this was an informal meeting, he promised them another visit with his whole family to ask for Jessie¡¯s hand in marriage. To let them feel at ease, Cayenne showed her work in the foundation and the things that she was doing. Apparently, Jessie¡¯s brother knew a little about Cayenne and Stefan but his sister would often tell him something about the couple; how great they were and how Stefan doted on his wife with all his riches. However, when their cousin found out who Jessie¡¯s boyfriend was, she started her own investigation and said a lot of horrible things while keeping the positive things about the couple.


    Having received the cold treatment from Stanley¡¯s family, Jessie¡¯s cousin left without saying anything. She was pissed off that her n didn¡¯t work. She hated it that Jessie will be a wife of a rich man while she remained single and poor. She didn¡¯t like it that her cousin will have a great life than her.


    So, her jealousy overwhelmed her and made her decide things without thinking about any consequences.


    Jessie¡¯s parents were amazed at Cayenne¡¯s diligence after knowing that she was still studying while also managing the foundation with the help of her secretary and her husband who followed up on things that she couldn¡¯t. It even surprised them more when they found out that she was actually pregnant while doing all these things.


    ¡°I pray that you give birth to a healthy baby.¡± Jessie¡¯s mother expressed while looking at Cayenne. ¡°I think you will have a baby girl because you are blooming with no signs of stress at all.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it goes?¡± Cayenne inquired excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s probably a boy, too. Who knows? I just don¡¯t look stressed because of my husband.¡±


    ¡°You should listen to music most of the time. It is said to help the development of your child¡¯s intelligence, but I think you won¡¯t have a problem in that field since you are smart already.¡±


    Cayenne easily won the heart of Jessie¡¯s mother, maybe because of her mother¡¯s instinct. As for her father, he wasn¡¯t really reconciled yet but he could tell that his daughter¡¯s boyfriend was sincere. He just couldn¡¯t wrap his head around the idea that the man was almost the same age as him.


    ¡°Shall we have dinner together, tonight? We can treat it as a celebration for officially announcing your rtionship.¡± Stefan suggested but Jessie¡¯s family showedplicated expressions on their faces. ¡°It¡¯s my treat. I mean, we won¡¯t really go out because I¡¯m worried about my wife. We can have dinner delivered here.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good.¡± Stanley agreed. ¡°Would that be fine?¡± he asked Jessie¡¯s parents since they were inside their home.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you on your offer, then.¡±

 Chapter 792 - 792 VISITING HIS GRAVE

    792 VISITING HIS GRAVE


    Cayenne and Stefan were happy on their way home. Finally, Stanley didn¡¯t have to hide his rtionship with Jessie. They didn¡¯t have to meet in secret to avoid her parents¡¯ suspicions. It was like a thorn has been lifted off of their chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we missed finishing our love session earlier,¡± Stefan whispered which caused Cayenne to roll her eyes. She would never admit that she was looking forward to it as well.


    When they arrived home, Stefan carried Cayenne off to their bed immediately. He couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Cayenne shrieked from the sudden movement and she automatically wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Very impatient.¡±


    ¡°Hon, I¡¯ve waited for more than five hours already.¡± Stefan retorted as he walked upstairs without even changing his breathing rhythm. He looked like he wasn¡¯t carrying someone at all.


    That night, he took his time to savor the taste of his wife after waiting for several hours. The movement of his hips was slow and every stroke of him would make Cayenne ask for more. She was craving him. She wanted him, needed him like oxygen to breathe.


    By the time they finished, it was past 1:00 AM and Cayenne was sweaty from the slow yet passionate love session they shared. Cayenne was too tired to move but her face showed a blissful expression and that made Stefan smile. He carried her off to the bathroom, gave her a quick shower, dried her hair, and asked her to wait for a few more minutes while he changed the bedsheet. Stefan was so used to this already that he can finish all of this in less than half an hour.


    October 16, a day before Stefan¡¯s birthday. Cayenne asked for a leave of absence to visit Alexander¡¯s grave with Stefan. His death anniversary should be the next day but Cayenne wanted to spend Stefan¡¯s birthday every year to make up for the years that he couldn¡¯t celebrate with his family.


    She already prepared a surprise for him but she decided to prank him a little this time. She wasn¡¯t sure if this would work with his keen observation, but she hoped that it would.


    Around 10:00 AM, Stefan and Cayenne left their home to visit Stefan¡¯s brother¡¯s grave. When they got there, Magnus was already sitting in front of the grave with a bouquet of flowers. Although Alexander wasn¡¯t his child, he treated him like his during the years that he was alive. He would never forget those times even if they weren¡¯t rted by blood. His love for him was genuine.


    .....


    ¡°Good morning, dad.¡± Cayenne greeted him and gave the man an airy kiss on his cheek. ¡°Have you waited for a long time?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I just arrived here as well.¡±


    Stefan nodded at his father and ced the flowers on top of Alexander¡¯s grave. He lit up the candles that they brought and he sped his hands together in prayer. He was wishing for his brother¡¯s peace now that he has gone to the other world. Cayenne was also doing the same thing but she was just standing behind her husband.


    ¡°How do you think Alexander would look if he¡¯s alive?¡± Stefan asked no one in particr but even without their answers, he could tell that the man would surely look after his father. Even when he was young, Alexander looked like Natsu already and they only thought it was because of ra¡¯s bloodlines.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯d be happy to know that he has a brother?¡± Cayenne asked when she remembered that Chris wasing home from military service this Christmas. ¡°It would have been great if they met and care for each other.¡±


    ¡°I think they would agree on so many things. The reason why Chris and I got along so well was because of his simrity to Alex. I even thought that Alex reincarnated to him but given his age, I knew it was impossible. Both of them were reliable.¡±


    ¡°It is really sad to think that he had to pay the price for his mother¡¯s crime. I also felt guilty for not being able to notice anything. I failed to see how evil my wife was until it cost the lives of the people I care about. By the time I realized it, I could no longer save anyone.¡±


    ¡°Stefan is here.¡± Cayenne expressed with obvious confusion on her face,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t save him, you did Yen. You brought him back to us.¡±


    Cayenne felt ttered at his words but she couldn¡¯t find anything to retort. It may not be her intention to bring their family together but because she was a family-oriented woman, she felt that Stefan should reconcile with his family, too.


    On the other hand, in City D, Latticia and Dr. Albert were looking at the pictures on theptop. Instead of going back to Dr. Albert¡¯s home overseas, they decided to buy a small house in City D where Latticia used to live. He wasn¡¯t worried that she would meet people she knew in her early days because they would surely not recognize her. Stefan didn¡¯t even recognize his own mother; how could other people do something he couldn¡¯t?


    ¡°Do you want this design or this?¡± Dr. Albert asked while pointing his finger at different designs of pillowcases. They were currently shopping for matching items to gift Stefan for his birthday the next day. It would be Latticia¡¯s first birthday gift after 29 years of her son¡¯s existence yet she couldn¡¯t even say it was from his own mother. He could only use the new identity as Dr. Albert¡¯s wife.


    ¡°How about the shirt? Oh, no. Not this. I saw them wear this designst time.¡± Dr. Albert changed the pictures and showed it to Latticia again. ¡°How about this design? It would look cute on your son.¡±


    He was happily helping her shop for gifts without asking for anything in return. Dr. Albert¡¯s love for Latticia was hard to identify whether it was selfless or selfish. Only Latticia could decide on this matter but so far, she didn¡¯t regret staying with him.

 Chapter 793 - 793 TWENTY- NINE I

    793 TWENTY- NINE I


    The next day, Stefan woke up happily and showered Cayenne¡¯s face with kisses. Obviously, he was excited because it was his 29th birthday. Who wouldn¡¯t be happy reaching this year of their life? One should be thankful that God gifted them another year with their loved ones.


    Cayenne giggled as she opened her eyes to the handsome sight of her husband. They were currently sharing the same shirt and she hugged her waist a little bit closer, just enough to make sure that her baby bump won¡¯t get squashed between them,


    ¡°Good morning.¡± She greeted him and kissed his chin. ¡°I have an early ss today. Can you send me instead of Kyle?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Stefan answered without thinking too much about the fact that she didn¡¯t greet him with a happy birthday. ¡°Let me up and choose your clothes for today.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll shower while you do that.¡± Cayenne snaked out of the shirt and stood up with just her underwear. She went to the bathroom on her own without saying anything else. Stefan was baffled at her actions but he dismissed whatever idea he has. He thought it was normal for her to forget something but not five secondster, he was upset because she surely remembered the date. The event went to visit Alexander¡¯s grave yesterday to make space for today.


    Cayenne grinned when she reached the bathroom and took a shower. She felt that her prank would be sessful today. She just needed to act well so that he won¡¯t get suspicious of her.


    After bathing, she went to find him in the walk-in closet and sure enough, he was there choosing their clothes again. ¡°I can¡¯t have lunch with youter,¡± Cayennemented while putting on her bra. ¡°We have an exam in the afternoon but I didn¡¯t get the chance to study yesterday. I nned to spend half an hour from my lunch break to study a little. I can¡¯t afford to fail.¡±


    ¡°Hon¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    .....


    Stefan could no longer endure it and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something today?¡±


    Cayenne cocked her head to the side, looking like she was thinking when she was. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I have prepared everything I would need for my sses today. Ah! I forgot to mention, we will be leaving for City C for a seminar.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°In the afternoon?¡±


    Cayenne nodded his head once again but he looked reluctant to agree with her. Dejected, he gave Cayenne the clothes and helped her put on her leggings and shoes again. Right after she finished changing her clothes, he carried her bag and books for her to the living room while she walked slowly beside him. He was silent the whole time.


    Even when he sent Cayenne to school, Stefan didn¡¯t talk much and he seemed like something was in his mind. Still, even if she has ¡®forgotten¡¯ that it was his birthday because of so many things she needed to do, Stefan still made sure that she will be taken care of properly.


    ¡°Make sure to keep an eye on her and the people who would approach her. She can bend to get things on the floor or carry heavy things. Make sure that she gets herself hydrated. Monitor her water bottle all the time. Check her medication in case she forgets to drink them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I understood¡± Martin answered after listening to Stefan¡¯s long list of reminders. He bowed and opened the door a little wider for Cayenne to step down from the car. He picked up her things and handed the books to someone else to make sure that nothing would hinder him from protecting their Queen. Stefan would probably behead them if something bad happens to Cayenne again.


    Upon his arrival in thepany, his employees greeted him with a happy birthday and Stefan only smiled faintly. Obviously, he wasn¡¯t really happy that they were greeting him. They didn¡¯t need to ask what or who the reason could be. Only one person could change his mood and that would be Cayenne. His employees started to wonder what happened on this special day for Stefan to have that sad expression on his face.


    Worse, when he arrived in his office, Elena and Tristan acted as if nothing was special on this day. Elena just greeted him with good morning and went on directly with the summary of his schedule. Tristan was the same. He looked for Stefan to inform him about the update regarding Solomon¡¯s team and after that, he talked about the meeting with another client. None of them greeted him with a happy birthday! They were acting like it was another normal day for him and it disappointed him.


    Before, when he didn¡¯t want to celebrate his birthday, they would always greet him. Now that he was ready to celebrate it, none of the special people were greeting him. His father didn¡¯t even greet him.


    ¡°This day is hateful,¡± Stefan mumbled while opening hisputer to start working. ¡°Did they really forget that it is my birthday today? How could that be possible? Or did they finally give up because I insist on not to celebrate my birthday?¡± Stefan ced his hands on his chin and looked outside the window of his office. ¡°My wife forgot it as well? Could it be she just really forget and would greet me in the afternoon?¡±


    He still held on to the hope that Cayenne would greet him in the afternoon but Cayenne has no n to spoil his party. She would never greet him, not until they arrived in the ce that she wanted him to see. It was a special ce that both of them treasured the most.


    ¡°Did he notice anything?¡± Noah asked Cayenne when she came to school.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but I feel guilty for doing this.¡±


    Noah justughed at her because it was her idea to do this and treat her husband normally on this special day. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You wouldn¡¯t notice the time would go by so quickly if you¡¯re busy. Let¡¯s just do our best at school today and leave everything to Kyle and Jackson. I¡¯m sure they will do their best. Anyway, we¡¯lle to see them in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll message him a happy birthday. I¡¯m having a hard time because of my guilty conscience. Greeting won¡¯t do any harm, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡±

 Chapter 794 - 794 TWENTY-NINE II

    794 TWENTY-NINE II


    In the meeting, Stefan was obviously inattentive but no one said anything about it. They all trusted Tristan to keep the minutes of this meeting for their chairman to reviewter. Still, it didn¡¯t stop the employees to gossip about his mood.


    ¡°Did the chairman fight with his wife?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it his birthday today? Howe they¡¯re fighting?¡±


    ¡°Normally, the madam would post her greeting in her ount but I didn¡¯t find anything today.¡±


    ¡°They must have fought.¡±


    The culprit of making Stefan sad on his birthday was busy answering her exam. She didn¡¯t lie about taking an exam today but she lied about the time. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t have sses in the afternoon today because their professors had to leave for a meeting. They didn¡¯t know what that meeting would be and it didn¡¯t matter to her. What was important was that she didn¡¯t have to be absent again.


    ¡°So, you are not joining your husband for lunch?¡± Faith asked after they took their exam and exchanged their papers. ¡°Won¡¯t he feel sad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone to send him lunch.¡±


    True to her words, Cayenne ordered some dishes that Stefan likes to eat and asked the restaurant to send it to him at 11:30 AM. When Elena received the order which was for her boss, a smile bloomed on her face. [Ms. Yen can¡¯t resist her husband at all.] She thought to herself and brought the food to Stefan.


    .....


    ¡°Boss, Ms. Yen bought you some food for lunch.¡±


    Stefan¡¯s sulking face brightened and he immediately stood up to receive the food ¨C can¡¯t wait for Elena to put it down on the table. ¡°When did thise?¡±


    ¡°Just few minutes ago. This was delivered directly from the restaurant. She probably ordered this while having a ss.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you for receiving the order for me.¡±


    Stefan was happy that Cayenne remembered to buy him his favorite dishes for lunch but it still upsets him that they couldn¡¯t have lunch together when they should be.


    Taking a picture of his food, he uploaded it on his social media ount, hoping that she would remember something special today.


    ¨C I¡¯d rather have my favorite person over my favorite dishes. ¨C


    Luiz saw this post and he couldn¡¯t stop himself fromughing. He was eating with risse while his fans surrounded him when he came across Stefan¡¯s post. Hearing his genuineughter brought smiles to his fans¡¯ faces. No one was better than seeing their idol smile andugh genuinely.


    ¡°Did something good happen?¡± risse asked after chewing her food because she never like to use her phone when eating. Contrary to her, Luiz always turned on his message, call and social media notifications for anything important. She didn¡¯t mind it though.


    Luiz showed her the post from Stefan¡¯s ount and grinned. ¡°You know that it is his birthday today, right? My sister decided to y a prank on him.¡±


    ¡°So, that is why you told me not to greet him.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Around him, his fans have heard what he said and they immediately searched for Stefan¡¯s name. When they saw his post, they couldn¡¯t help but smile as well. The doting husband was being pranked. Of course, even if they knew, they didn¡¯t dare spoil the n since it was Luiz¡¯s sister who nned it.


    Cayenne saw Stefan¡¯s post as well but she didn¡¯t react on it. Manymenters have mentioned her name but she ignored them and followed up with her n. She actually thought of greeting him a happy birthday, at least. However, she changed her mind. He loved teasing her before and whenever she retaliates, he would see through her n and spoil it. Now, she wanted to get back at him. She could only hope that he won¡¯t realize it.


    ¡°Madam, we have arrived.¡± Martin stated when they finally arrived in Clover Hotel. It was the ce where everything started for them. That was as far as she could remember. She has no idea that their fate started way before that.


    ¡°Yenyen!¡± Manager Kim greeted and hugged her when she came inside. ¡°I¡¯m d that you arrive safely. We have prepared all the decorations and the food ingredients. They will start cooking at 4:00 PM as you have instructed. Manager Dan is off from work until tomorrow but he promised he woulde to help. The other managers will be taking over the hotel¡¯s management for today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Thank you so much for your help, Manager Kim. Did you make sure that he won¡¯te for inspection today?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I checked it twice and inspection is scheduled next week.¡±


    ¡°I see. Let¡¯s go upstairs and start.¡±


    Noah and Faith were ustomed to Manager Kim already since they have met her several times through Cayenne and Stefan and they could see that she was really capable as a manager. She cares for her staff as well which was the reason that Cayenne was fond of her.


    ¡°Yenyen, don¡¯t give Stefan a reason to kill me.¡± Noahmented as he pulled her to stop. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat lunch yet.¡±


    ¡°Oopsie! I was so excited I forgot to eat.¡±


    Martin was happy that Noah reminded Cayenne about it because he would have done it in five minutes if Noah didn¡¯t. He always set an rm for Cayenne¡¯s meal and medication to make sure that she wouldn¡¯t miss taking them and it would have rung in five minutes.


    ¡°There are many people inside the restaurant. Let¡¯s have lunch inside the suite.¡±


    ¡°Then, let me take your order first. I¡¯ll have someone send it to your roomter.¡± Manager Kim offered since she was there with them anyway. ¡°Just send me a message once you¡¯re done with your mealter. I¡¯ll help the staff while waiting.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Aren¡¯t we a bother?¡±


    ¡°In the past, today and in the future, you will never be a bother to us. Mona was very excited when she heard that you areing today. She said she wille early for her shift so that she can chat with you.¡±


    ¡°Tell her to message me when she arrives. Ah! No never mind. Stefan has my phone today. You can just tell her toe to the rooftop directly.¡± Then, she shifted her attention to Noah and Faith who was chatting beside her as well. ¡°How about pizza for lunch?¡±


    ¡°Uhh...you will eat pizza with us? It¡¯s unhealthy for you. Stefan will get mad if he knows.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a little. Don¡¯t worry the chef knew what to serve me. He has a ton of recipe list from Stefan.¡±

 Chapter 795 - 795 TWENTY-NINE III

    795 TWENTY-NINE III


    After lunch, Manager Kim went upstairs to get Cayenne and her friends. Together, they went to the rooftop where Stefan¡¯s surprise birthday will be held. The once spacious rooftop has now a huge dome made of fiberss. It was something that Cayenne asked Stefan to build three months ago for the employees who like to have their lunch there. He didn¡¯t know that the true purpose of this dome was for his birthday.


    ¡°This is beautiful.¡± Faithmented when they got to the venue. ¡°Did you really design this ce?¡±


    Cayenne beamed proudly at her friends as she told them the truth. ¡°I talked to Stefan about my initial design and he helped me with some details to make sure that it wouldplement the hotel. An architect helped us finalize the whole design.¡±


    ¡°Madam,¡± Martin called and told Cayenne about Stefan¡¯s gift. ¡°Dr. Albert and his wife sent their gift for Stefan but it was delivered to the mansion.¡±


    ¡°Can you ask someone to bring it here? I¡¯m afraid that Stefan would suddenlye home and find the gift there.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Martin left and sent instructions to one of his colleagues who were stationed at the mansion.


    Cayenne looked around and found the staff waiting for her instructions. They didn¡¯t want to do anything without her permission. ¡°Can you please move this table there?¡± She asked while pointing to the left corner of the dome. ¡°I¡¯d like to have the balloons arching here at the entrance ¡­¡± One after another, Cayenne instructed them and the bodyguards helped as well in carrying heavy things to finish things quicker.


    When David came, he brought in a lot of pictures that Stefan represent the milestones that Stefan has achieved so far. There were photos of him epting an award for his business, a photo of him and Cayenne in their home, during their wedding, with the dogs, ying with their horses, attending events with his wife as well as the photo of Cayenne¡¯s first pregnancy report. It was something that Cayenne provided herself.


    Cayenne already contacted Stefan¡¯s friends and family about this surprise and they cooperated with her without asking questions. All they needed to do was to appear in the venue and celebrate his birthday happily.


    .....


    When they found out that she was pregnant, Cayenne decided on a ck and gold birthday theme. In color symbolism, they signify power, abundance, prosperity, and extravagance. When choosing this colorbination, she prayed that more blessings wille in Stefan¡¯s life and that includes children.


    ¡°Yenyen, how about this size of the balloons for the picture wall?¡± Faith asked since she decided to help as well.


    ¡°That looks fine. Shall tie them with ribbons and attached the pictures instead?¡±


    ¡°Oh! That sound¡¯s great. So, we¡¯ll not paste the picture on the wall anymore?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not. I realize that it will damage the back of the picture if we ce adhesive tape on them. We can just staple them in that way, when he gets the picturester, I can just buy stickers to cover the small holes.¡±


    While she was busy preparing for his birthday, Stefan was busy working in his office. From time to time, he would check his phone, hoping that Cayenne remembers his birthday and sent her birthday greeting. None. Thinking that it was really strange for her to forge it, he decided to check his wife¡¯s location. He wasn¡¯t expecting anything but he was wondering if she has really forgotten it or was nning a surprise for him.


    [Hm? She¡¯s still at Xena University? I thought they were supposed to go somewhere this afternoon.] He thought while checking her location and concluded that the trip was probably canceled. He never doubted that Tristan was hiding Cayenne¡¯s true location. [How could she forget my birthday?]


    Smiling foolishly as if he remembered something, he went to the 5th floor of hispany and checked Cayenne¡¯s foundation office. Jackson was there, working on documentation which will be posted in Cayenne¡¯s official ount. Stefan¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°Ayen asked you to work on this today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. She told me to finish them as soon as possible and post them online.¡±


    ¡°What about after this? Did she ask you to do something else?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡± Jackson pulled out his iPad and checked his schedule in front of Stefan ¨C his fake schedule. ¡°After posting this, I¡¯ll have to visit the charity venue for hydrocephalus patients. Then, she asked me to check Mr. Laborada¡¯s daughter along with the woman who lost her home in a fire.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± Stefan left without turning back. He didn¡¯t know that those things Jackson mentioned were done in the morning. However, there were more things to work on with the woman who lost her home.


    As soon as he disappeared, Jackson pulled out his phone and contacted Kyle. ¡°He really came. Ms. Yen really knows him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how much they knew each other. After posting that documentation, you can leave and go to Clover Hotel first. I will just finish my task here.¡±


    ¡°Got it, sir.¡± Kyle didn¡¯t like being called ¡®Sir Kyle¡¯ if the person wasn¡¯t a student but Jackson told him to get used to it since he will be called that way in the future by many people.


    That is the perk of being a teacher. Wherever you go, whatever the time, when you meet people who know your upation, they would forever call you teacher, ma¡¯am, or sir. At some point, even your rtives would start calling you in the same way that your students do.


    Just right after Kyle put down his phone, Stefan came to the warehouse and found him doing his inventory for the relief goods which will be given to the people who got affected by a huge fire which includes the woman on their list.


    ¡°You should go on a date more frequently. Cayenne has an assistant already. You don¡¯t have to spend so much time here.¡±


    Kyle looked back to face his brother-inw and smiled. ¡°Kathes here often to help as well. We kind of treat our time here as our date. Besides, you are paying her every time shees.¡±


    ¡°Did Cayenne tell you to work today?¡±


    ¡°Well...she didn¡¯t tell me not to help. Why?¡±


    ¡°No-nothing.¡± Stefan checked the goods in front of him and smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you for always helping her.¡±


    ¡°She is my sister. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d just sit and watch when she needed people the most.¡±


    Disheartened, Stefan left the warehouse and went back to his office. Kyle and Jackson were working efficiently and none of them even greeted him. He really thought that Cayenne asked them to prepare something for him but it turned out there was nothing to expect.


    ¡°Maybe she prepared a dinner date?¡±

 Chapter 796 - 796 TWENTY-NINE IV

    796 TWENTY-NINE IV


    The Madrigal family arrived around 6:00 in the evening and Jade excitedly showed Cayenne her own gift ¨C something she didn¡¯t buy with money. It was a pair of phone essories that she created using the 3-D molder that Travis bought for her. She made it under her father¡¯s supervision and she was so proud of it.


    ¡°Stefan will be very happy to receive that. I am sure he will use it.¡± Cayenne said and kissed Jade¡¯s cheek. ¡°Thank you, Jade.¡±


    ¡°Hehe. I am so good at finding one¡¯s favorite.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are.¡±


    Aside from her gift, Travis and Jillyanna prepared something for Stefan as well. They ced it on the gift table before making their way to their table so that they can sit and chat with the other guests.


    ¡°Yenyen!¡± Luna greeted her happily and was even running toward her best friend. You would never think that she was an heiress from the way she acts. Other people would always think of being prim and proper when attending an event but Luna was never that kind of person unless she goes to an event with people whom she wasn¡¯t fond of. ¡°I know it¡¯s your husband¡¯s birthday but, when will you throw a baby shower?¡±


    Cayenne chuckled while returning her best friend¡¯s hug. ¡°Soon. I¡¯ll let you know for sure.¡±


    ¡°Great! I can¡¯t wait to be your baby¡¯s godmother. Also, I have a piece of great news for you!¡± Luna pulled something out from her bag and gave it to Cayenne happily. ¡°I¡¯ll expect you there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my! Is this real? You are finally tying the knot?¡± Luna nodded several times like a hen pecking something on the ground. ¡°Ahh! I am so happy for both of you.¡± She even wanted to jump in happiness, but Luna held her down by putting her hands on her shoulders. Thus, she could only hug Luna once again and pulled Ali for a group hug. ¡°Congrattions to both of you.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Thank you for always having our back.¡± Ali expressed upon remembering the times that Cayenne helped them even though she didn¡¯t have much to offer.


    Luna patted Cayenne¡¯s back and pulled away a little to give her space. ¡°I¡¯ll ce the gift first and chat with Manager Kim. It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw her. You have other guests to entertain as well.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯lle and find youter.¡±


    One after another, the guests started to arrive and some of them were Stefan¡¯s business partners who supported him since Day 1 in the business industry. David prepared a little gimmick for the birthday celebrant and it was arge whiteboard where the guests could write their well-wishes for the celebrant. He nned to take a picture of the messages and develop it as a memento for this special day.


    Meanwhile, Stefan already arrived home two hours earlier. He checked Cayenne¡¯s flowers if they were watered properly and after that, he walked the dogs around and even chatted with them. He didn¡¯t want to sound like a brat for not getting anything today, but he was really upset that even his wife has forgotten it.


    He even thought that maybe she prepared a dinner date for them but she didn¡¯t message him or call him at all. ¡°I know that she¡¯s busy and might not have time to prepare something for me but, she could have sent me a birthday greeting, you know.¡±


    ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± Summer barked as if he understood what his owner was saying.


    ¡°I am not expecting a present or anything, well, yeah, I was. At the same time, even if there was nothing, I would understand as long as she greeted me. That¡¯s the point. She woke up early this morning but she only remembered about taking the exam in the afternoon and nothing else. We even visited Alexander yesterday. I thought she nned to have a day off today so we could celebrate my birthday.¡±


    His dog, Spring, rubbed his body on Stefan¡¯s leg as if he wasforting the man. Winter and Autumn were running around him as well, probably thinking of guarding their owner against the pain he was feeling.


    ¡°Did she take her vitamins today? I hope Martin supervised her properly. She tends to forget even the simplest thing when she¡¯s busy with other things.¡±


    Not far from him, the caretaker of the horses was smiling at Stefan. Almost all of the people in the house knew what Cayenne nned for his husband but they were tight-lipped with this secret and never mentioned this to anyone. None of them greeted him with a happy birthday even when they knew it.


    ¡°Sir, what do you want me to cook for dinner today?¡± Ca asked Stefan when he returned to the house. She only asked him but she didn¡¯t really n to cook anything for Stefan and Cayenne tonight. Their madam already told them that they can cook whatever they like for dinner as long as they get to finish it and not waste anything. Cayenne hates people who waste their food. She was only asking to y her part in the surprise.


    ¡°Ayen was craving for shrimps recently. Do we still have shrimps?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s cook those and we can have that Filipino recipe of beef stew. I think I printed the recipe for that dish. Just find it in the cookbook. Tonight is special so let¡¯s have more dishes to share with everyone. Do you guys like pasta? We can have baked mac and cheese. I think ¨C ¡± Stefan mentioned the food that he likes to have for dinner but he didn¡¯t know that he won¡¯t be eating those. His phone rang and when he saw Cayenne¡¯s name, a smile automatically bloomed on his face. ¡°Give me a sec. You can start checking the ingredients for those dishes I mentioned.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ca turned her back at once and grinned. Stefan was so in love with his wife. Even when he was upset because of her, he still thought of what she liked. She was always in his mind.


    After getting the call from Cayenne, Stefan ran to the kitchen and found Ca taking out the ingredients. ¡°Ca, you can cook those dishes for everyone. You enjoy the night and rest afterward. I¡¯ll be having dinner with my wife.¡±


    And before she could say something about his generosity, Stefan was already gone. He had been waiting for her call for the whole day and now that it hase, he didn¡¯t want to waste even a single second. [Wait! What dress is she wearing?] He thought and called her again to ask about her clothes. He needed to know to match it. Think about his obsession with matching clothes.

 Chapter 797 - 797 TWENTY-NINE V

    797 TWENTY-NINE V


    Stefan came to Clover Hotel excitedly. He was holding the bag that contains Cayenne¡¯s clothes and when the employees saw him, they greeted him happily. Now, he was no longer sulking after finding out that Cayenne prepared a dinner date for him. He said his ¡®thanks¡¯ to the employees before getting inside the elevator. The presidential was still reserved automatically for his use and right now, Cayenne was there waiting for him.


    Outside the room, he saw Martin and three other bodyguards guarding the door. ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    Martin bowed in front of Stefan before he spoke. ¡°They are currently looking after madam¡¯s prepared dinner for you.¡±


    Stefan only made an ¡®oh¡¯ sound before pressing his finger on the biometric reader and when he came inside, he found Cayenne reading a book on the couch. ¡°Hi, love. I thought you have forgotten my birthday,¡± he said as he ced the bag beside her. ¡°I was really upset.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? I was just really busy with school stuff and other things but I have prepared something for your birthday.¡±


    ¡°Are we staying here after dinner?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Are you nning to do something evil?¡±


    ¡°Something evil? Hmm, probably. I think you will enjoy it as well.¡±


    Cayenne justughed at his response because she could tell what was running in his mind already. She wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to do what he nned, though. ¡°What did you have for me?¡± She asked after returning the book under the coffee table.


    .....


    ¡°Check it out.¡±


    Cayenne opened the bag and when she saw the clothes inside, she burst outughing. He was so right on the spot with the clothes he chose. She didn¡¯t even tell him what kind of dinner and where they would have it, it could inside the restaurant or outside but the dress that Stefan brought was something that matches his birthday theme.


    He chose a gold dress for her with an off-shoulder design which exposes his fair and sexy corbone. Even though she was pregnant, when she put it on, she still looked stunning and elegant. ¡°I chose it so we can hide your flipflops.¡± Stefan expressed which made Cayenne smile. Indeed, he brought a pair of transparent flip flops.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone wearing flip flops while having dinner in elegant dress with her husband and it¡¯s me.¡±


    Stefan crossed his arms over his chest and snorted. ¡°Who cares? I¡¯d rather have you safe in my arms. You could slip on the floor or tire your feet from wearing high heels just to match that dress.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind. I don¡¯t like wearing high heels as well. It hurts my feet.¡±


    ¡°I know. Anyway, the dress will cover your flip flops.¡±


    Cayenne just smiled meaningfully which didn¡¯t escape Stefan¡¯s keen observation but he didn¡¯t dwell on that since he would be having dinner with her anyway.


    ¡°Let me do your hair.¡± Stefan said and quickly looked for herb and hair essories. Hebed her hair slowly, making sure that he won¡¯t hurt her scalp as he untangled some of her hair. ¡°I¡¯ll braid your hair.¡±


    ¡°Your call.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Stefan decided to braid her hair from the side of her left ear to the back of her head and ended it mid-length on the other side while leaving the rest of her hair fall to her chest. He remembered it was called cross long hair braid which he found in the inte. He may not be a hairdresser but he¡¯s Cayenne¡¯s personal hairstylist every day. If you get the chance to check his browsing history, you would find how much time he spends to watch different hairstyles for women with long hair.


    He ced trinkets of hair essories on her hair to give it a little extra life and when Cayenne stood up in front of the mirror, she was awed at how much Stefan progressed in making her look beautiful every single day of her life.


    ¡°I love it.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡± She was stunned at his response but it onlysted for a mere second before she leaned over to give him a kiss. ¡°Just put a little make up on your face. It¡¯s not good for your skin to always wear cosmetics.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Half an hourter, both of them finally went out of the room and found that the elevator has been remotely controlled from the security room to wait for them. Stefan got inside and Cayenne handed him a handkerchief. ¡°Put this on first.¡±


    ¡°It feels like I¡¯m a woman getting a surprise from her boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°A man deserves something romantic, too. I didn¡¯t prepare a bouquet, though.¡±


    ¡°Then, you¡¯ve got teddy bear for me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the norm or is just me thinking that way?¡±


    ¡°Just put on your blind fold. We won¡¯t be moving up without you putting that.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Fine.¡±


    Stefan followed her instruction and blindfolded himself with the handkerchief she gave. To make sure that he wasn¡¯t cheating on this surprise, Cayenne searched for a scary picture on her phone and ced it in front of Stefan. Seeing that there was no reaction from him, she giggled and signaled Martin that everything was good.


    The lift finally closed and they slowly go up to the roof top while he was blindfolded. Cayenne was making sure that he wouldn¡¯t trip by counting the steps close to him. She led him to where the entrance was and the guests inside were quiet. Talk about good cooperation.


    The volume of the speakers was turned zero and no one spoke while they watched Stefaning closer to the venue. They were all excited to see his reaction.


    ¡°At the count of three, you can remove your blindfold. One. Two. Three.¡±


    Stefan pulled the handkerchief up and before he could even see the ce properly, the loud birthday songing from the speakers turned him to a statue. He was rooted on the ground from the surprise. Then, he saw the colorbination of his birthday theme and he automatically looked at his wife.


    [Talk about fate. God really made you for me.]

 Chapter 798 - 798 TWENTY-NINE VI

    798 TWENTY-NINE VI


    Cayenne had a proud smile on her face and when Stefan looked at her, the expression on his face softened and he muttered, ¡°How many times do I have to fall in love with you?¡±


    Other people fall in love once with their partner and they continue to love them from that moment onwards. In Stefan¡¯s case, there were moments when he falls in love with his wife again and again. Even when she wasn¡¯t doing anything, when she smiles at him, he felt those fluttering wings of butterflies in his stomach. His heart would beat so fast and he would blush.


    ¡°Happy birthday, darling,¡± Cayenne whispered and kissed him. He, on the other hand, was still staring at her like an awestruck teenager. ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I love you,¡± he answered stupidly and Cayenne burst outughing. It wasn¡¯t the answer she was expecting but she loved it even better.


    ¡°I know you love me the most so I made sure to reciprocate that love.¡±


    Cayenne showed him around and the first thing that Stefan saw was the whiteboard at the entrance of the venue. Many messages were written on it and most of them wished that the couple will be blessed even more instead of wishing for Stefan alone.


    One wish that stood out the most was the one that Jade wrote; I wish that you will have another baby next year, and the year after that, and the next, next year as well as the next, next, next, and many more next. I wish it will be a boy, then a girl, and then a boy, or maybe a twin every year. That many.


    He liked her wish but he didn¡¯t know if he could even fulfill that. He was already with Cayenne¡¯s pregnancy right now.


    Right after checking the messages from everyone, Cayenne led him inside, and there, his birthday guests greeted him once again. From a distance, Jade came running and hugged Stefan¡¯s leg.


    .....


    ¡°Happy birthday, Uncle Stefi. Did you read my message? I wrote it very carefully and beautifully.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve seen it. You have the most beautiful penmanship.¡±


    Jade grinned happily at hispliment even though she knew that he was only saying it to make her feel good about herself. She knew her penmanship wasn¡¯t the most beautiful but it wasn¡¯t ugly either.


    ¡°I made you a gift. Well, it¡¯s a pair because I made one for Auntie Yen, too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jade. I¡¯ll check itter. You enjoy the food. I¡¯m sure that Ayen prepared a lot of sweets tonight. You have the same sweet tooth as her.¡±


    Jade nodded her head and turned around to return to her seat.


    Since he could not really approach each of the guests and thanked them foring, Cayenne decided to bring him to the makeshift stage and handed him a microphone.


    ¡°Good evening, everyone.¡± Stefan greeted but his eyes shifted back to Cayenne who was standing beside him. ¡°I¡¯m really surprised this time.¡±


    ¡°You thought she forgot your birthday, right?¡± Travis teased since he also came across his best friend¡¯s post around lunchtime.


    Stefan chuckled at his words and everyone probably thought the same thing as his friend. Of course, they would. He really thought that Cayenne has forgotten his birthday.


    ¡°Honestly, I was upset,¡± he said and looked at his wife once again. ¡°This morning when she woke up, the first thing she mentioned was about going to school, followed by something rted to her exam and then, a school trip somewhere. She didn¡¯t even greet me!¡±


    ¡°Cayenne resisted that long?¡± Someone asked from the crowd.


    ¡°She did,¡± Stefan answered at once. ¡°I waited for her to greet me. I waited and waited, waited and waited but there was none until I came home. I honestly thought that she might have asked Jackson or Kyle to prepare something. Yet, when I checked them, both of them were busy working. So, when she called me to have a dinner date with her ¨C can you imagine how happy I was?¡±


    The adults chuckled at his words knowing how frustrated he must have been. For someone who doted on his wife and made her his world, it must have been really disappointing to think that she didn¡¯t care about his birthday. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t really the case.


    ¡°I thought we were just having a simple dinner. So, if you ever see her wearing flip-flops under this elegant dress tonight, please don¡¯t make a big deal out of it. I never really thought that there¡¯s a party tonight.¡±


    He knows that most of the guests were just friends and family but he was worried that they would say something to Cayenne if they find her wearing flip-flops at his birthday party.


    ¡°Thank you so much foring everyone. I don¡¯t know what else she has in store for me but I hope you will enjoy this party that my wife has prepared. I¡¯m grateful that you were able to make time for me.¡±


    ¡°Cheers to more years with you!¡± Cayenne expressed and raised her ss of juice for a toast. ¡°Happy birthday, hon.¡±


    ¡°Happy birthday, Stefan,¡± greeted his family and friends.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Boss,¡± cheered his employees.


    ¡°Happy birthday, son.¡± Magnus expressed with his raised wine ss.


    When wealthy people celebrate their birthdays, it was expected that the gifts they would receive will be expensive. Their guests would probably spend more or less one thousand dors for gifts alone.


    However, it was different for Stefan. He didn¡¯t care about the mary value of the gift. He only cares whether it was matching clothes, essories, and other trinkets.


    Ever since he met Cayenne, he cares so much about these things that it has be his obsession. Now, he was excited to open the gifts and see what they have for him and his wife.


    And he will be in for another surprise once he sees the gifting from Dr. Albert and his wife. If she could attend it without getting any attention, she would have done it already.

 Chapter 799 - 799 A FORGOTTEN MEMORY

    799 A FORGOTTEN MEMORY


    Even if it was Stefan¡¯s birthday party, Cayenne made sure that the kids who came with their parents will enjoy the event as well. She invited a clown who can y magic tricks and a game organizer who thinks of games that both adults and kids could enjoy. She didn¡¯t like parties that focuses on chats between businesses and other huge matters that has no rtion to having fun. What was fun chatting aboutpany assets, stock prices, and whatnot? In her opinion, there was none.


    Stefan learned that Luna would be getting married to Ali soon and he sent them his congrattory message. Luna was once his employee and she was a good friend to Cayenne. Learning that she was finally settling down after all the trouble she went through; he was happy for them.


    In the past years since they have known Stefan, M and Thomas never really celebrated his birthday because Stefan hated it and they respected his decision. However, they made sure to give him gifts to remind him that they still care for him. That continued for many years until he met Cayenne. He was able to celebrate his birthday twice and he enjoyed every moment of it.


    Currently, M wasn¡¯t allowed to leave the hospital yet so they could only send him a gift that he will surely like. It was a pair of a canvas bags. Stefan likes to bring stuff for Cayenne that she tends to forget and he has a separate bag for that. Now, it was time to change it. The bag¡¯s print was the same as their phone cases and it was big enough to store extra clothes, an insted tumbler, and other things. When M asked someone to customize it, she already imagined how cute Stefan would be while carrying this bag and with Cayenne walking beside him. Since they couldn¡¯te, they only sent him a video greeting which Cayenne asked from them.


    Most of the dishes that Cayenne asked the chef to prepare were Stefan¡¯s favorites but most of the desserts were hers. Stefan wasn¡¯t really fond of sweets but he would eat a little once in a while to join his wife. He believed that when you¡¯re eating with someone you love, no matter how simple the meal is, it¡¯s delicious and you¡¯ll enjoy every mouthful you eat. At the same time, no matter how delicious the food is, if you are eating alone, the food won¡¯t really taste good. So, don¡¯t be surprised if he would always clings to his wife.


    Around 9:00 in the evening, David suggested that the couple take a picture together to remember this day. Cayenne thought it was a good idea but she wanted all the guests to be part of it. Thus, it was concluded that they would take pictures with Cayenne and Stefan in a group.


    First, it was Stefan¡¯s father and grandfather who took a photo with him and Cayenne. Then, it was followed by his maternal family. Stefan thought; how wonderful it would be if my mom is here? Apparently, since he grew fond of Dr. Albert¡¯s wife, Cayenne invited the couple to attend Stefan¡¯s birthday but Dr. Albert said that they couldn¡¯te because his wife felt a little under the weather. In truth, he talked to Latticia about it and he told her not toe or Magnus might recognize her. She didn¡¯t want her ex-lover to recognize her at all. She was fine with her being dead and buried in his mind and heart.


    Thest to take pictures with the couple was Cayenne¡¯s family. There was no special reason for it. They just wanted to take thest spot.


    It was gettingte in the evening and Stefan was worried that Cayenne was getting tired. Since they both decided to stay the night in the presidential suite, Stefan agreed to continue the party until 10:00 PM. No more, no less.


    .....


    As soon as everyone went home, Cayenne and Stefan returned to the suite and changed their clothes. Even though her feet weren¡¯t really tired, Stefan still massaged them for her. She had been out in the sun for a long time and wasn¡¯t able to take a rest because of the event. It wasn¡¯t good for her to take a shower at this point. He could only wipe her body to make sure that she will be able to sleepfortably.


    No matter how excited he was to see the gifts he received, his wife was still the most important person to him. Other things and other people could wait.


    That evening, although they talked about doing some evil things to each other before the party started, both of them fell asleep almost immediately. Stefan just hugged his wife to sleep without doing anything else.


    That night, he dreamed of his first birthday with Alexander and Magnus. ra didn¡¯t like Stefan, which isn¡¯t really a wonder anymore, and because of that, she never allowed him to celebrate his birthday. She¡¯s got so many excuses to stop Magnus from giving Stefan a party.


    It was his 8th birthday and she has no knowledge of it. She was out with her friends, having tea time and gossip, when Magnus came home to the vi without telling her. That day, he brought a lot of things for a party but no one knew about it because he ced them inside his backpack. For Stefan, it was a huge crime to keep a secret from ra because he will be pped or whipped if she knows it.


    Then, Alexander told him that only the three of them knows about this party. Instead of throwing a birthday celebration out in the open; they decorated Stefan¡¯s room with balloons and posters. Magnus gave their helpers a day off that day and since it was just the three of them, he cooked food for his boys. Ferdinand was ying golf with his friends so he had no idea what was happening in his home.


    Back in the vi, Alexander ordered a birthday cake for Stefan. When it was delivered, he had to ask the security guard to turn off the CCTV camera at the gate for 5 minutes, and he ran as fast as he could to get the item, handed the money and ran back inside the house again while yelling to the driver not to bother with the change.


    That day, his father and brother sang him a happy birthday, something he never heard in the past 7 years of his life. The three of them yed games and whoever won would receive money from his father. Before ra came home, Alexander and Magnus gave Stefan their gift and took a picture with him.


    It was thest happy birthday he ever celebrated with them. The next time was something he never wanted to remember and from then on, everything started falling apart.

 Chapter 800 - 800 [Bonus chapter] A BOX OF HAPPINESS

    800 [Bonus chapter] A BOX OF HAPPINESS


    Cayenne has a ss the next day but she wasn¡¯t worried. She could just join the ss through a zoom meeting, instead of going there. She will not be marked absent but her points will be deducted. It didn¡¯t matter to her. She just needed to get higher scores than everyone else in the ss.


    She had breakfast in the hotel with Stefan and the bodyguards. After their meal, they went home so she could study properly and for Stefan to open the gifts that he has been looking forward to.


    When they arrived home, Stefan saw a big box in the living room and it was wrapped simply with brown paper. There was no message or anything but Martin assured him that it was nothing dangerous. He even asked Autumn to sniff the package.


    ¡°Who sent this?¡± Stefan asked, still not confident to open the package in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Martin. If there¡¯s something dangerous inside and it puts my wife in danger, I will cut you to pieces and feed you to my dogs.¡±


    ¡°I know you would, sir. So, there¡¯s nothing dangerous inside. Just open it.¡±


    Cayenne rolled her eyes while looking at these two buffoons in front of her. ¡°Why won¡¯t you just tell him that these are the giftsing from all of you?¡±


    Stefan¡¯s ears perked up and his doubts were cleared in an instant. They knew that Stefan wouldn¡¯t care about the wrapper so, their helpers decided to wrap the box with brown paper which was probably from the times they bought groceries. Practical.


    Yet, the things inside this simple box were the ones that give Stefan happiness in life. Looking at his wide smile, Cayenne¡¯s nose stung and she had to blink her eyes several times to stop her tears from falling.


    In the past, when she realized that Stefan developed this obsession with gifts, especially matching items, she talked to Dr. Oliver about it because he knew that the man wouldn¡¯t dare tell talk to Stefan on his own initiative. She didn¡¯t want to talk to Dr. Simbajon because she felt awkward talking to him about her husband since both of them knew each other.


    .....


    ¡°Why is Stefan obsessed with gifts and matching items? I don¡¯t want us to have a problem in the future if I tell him not to buy this or buy that. It seems not normal to me. I mean, I understand that most couples like to have matching clothes or something but not to the point that their whole wardrobe will be full of matching things. Isn¡¯t that weird? I just want to make sure that I won¡¯t cause my husband to feel ufortable in the future.¡±


    Dr. Albert was silent on the other end of the line but Cayenne could hear the faint noise of him scribbling something on a paper. He must have ced his phone on his desk and turned the speaker on.


    ¡°Do you have any idea if something has happened in his past? Like maybe, he never received birthday gifts. I think that¡¯s impossible since he¡¯s rich. Or maybe, he wanted to share his gifts with someone in the past but couldn¡¯t do it so, he¡¯s fulfilling these subconscious wishes with you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There are many cases wherein a kid didn¡¯t get what they were supposed to receive as a child. As they grow older, they would try to forget these things but deep in their mind, they have these notions that they needed to do it or get it because they weren¡¯t able to in the past.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I see. Thanks. I think I get it now.¡±


    ¡°No worries. My sister sends my regards to you.¡±


    ¡°Likewise. Take care of your family.¡±


    Now, watching her husband having that blooming smile every single time he receives a gift, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from feeling sad for him. Stefan may not know this but it was probably his inner child that acts up when he receives something.


    His family wascking in this field as he grew up and when Alexander died, he probably felt that there was no need to receive gifts because the person special to him was long gone. He didn¡¯t have anyone he can show his gifts to, or share them with.


    Then, after meeting Cayenne, the thing that he buried in the deepest part of his mind was showing up without him realizing it.


    ¡°Hon, look at these!¡± Stefan eximed as he raised a new pair of mugs. It was The Boss and The Real Boss couple of mugs with their names on them. Obviously, Cayenne was the real boss.


    If you were to receive mugs almost every time there is a special asion, you will start wondering how to use all of them. But not Stefan. So far, they received six pairs of matching mugs including the one from their helpers and they use all of them. He aligned them neatly inside the cupboard for mugs alone and they use one pair of mugs every day. When they use it, he won¡¯t allow anyone to wash it after. It was either him or Cayenne; most of the time was him washing the items because he was afraid that the helpers would break them. How expensive is a pair of mugs again?


    There were matching satin pajamas, passport holders, bathroom slippers, tumblers, customized spoons, and many more. It was a heap of matching items. Then, Stefan¡¯s expression changed when he picked up thest matching items. There were four pairs of matching mittens. Two big ones and two small ones. Obviously, the other two mittens were for their babies in the future.


    He raised it in front of Cayenne but they couldn¡¯t tell whether he was happy or not with this gift. ¡°Babies should have their own style,¡± Stefanmented which made everyone burst outughing.


    Everyone: ?? [Sir, aren¡¯t you subtle in saying you don¡¯t want your children to have matching items with your wife?]

 Chapter 801 - 801 HIS BIRTH SIGN

    801 HIS BIRTH SIGN


    After checking all the gifts that their helpers gave him, Stefan brought some of the items to the kitchen and told Ca to put them inside the sterilizer machine. ¡°Once the machine turns off on its own, send me a message so I can get them out myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Stefan left at once to get the remaining gifts and brought them to the master¡¯s bedroom. Cayenne wasn¡¯t there but when he noticed that hisptop wasn¡¯t on his bedside table, he wasn¡¯t worried at all. She must be inside the study room to attend her ss.


    Grinning from ear to ear, he checked the gifts that he receivedst night for his birthday. So far, the gifts that he received which weren¡¯t matching items were from Travis and his family, except from Jade. The couple gave him two tickets to Dubai which will be in mid-November for a one-week long vacation. Then, Riley and Shein decided to pay for their return tickets while Jackie, Brown, Valkyrie, and Hawk paid for the hotel where they would stay.


    Since he received so much from the people who cared for him and Cayenne, he didn¡¯t wonder why Savannah¡¯s name wasn¡¯t written on the gifts that came from the Madrid and Madrigal family.


    Then, he found Jade¡¯s gift. It was something she made herself using a 3D molder and it really surprised him how the little girl thought so much for him and Cayenne. She gave them phone straps with their birth year signs. Stefan was born in the year of the dragon and Cayenne was born in the year of the rooster. The animal signs were made of silver glitters mixed in a resin liquid and on the chain attached to it, there were silver letters C and S.


    ¡°Cayenne should have mine.¡± Stefan expressed and immediately used the phone essory. Then he changed his mind because he was worried it might fall off identally so, he strapped it on the backpack that he usually used to put Cayenne¡¯s things. ¡°Perfect.¡±


    One after another, whether it was big or small, Stefan unwrapped the gifts excitedly. When Cayenne checked him during her bathroom break, he wasn¡¯t done with all of them yet. Not wanting to disturb his time, she returned to the study room to listen to


    After more than an hour, Stefan finally pulled the huge box from Dr. Albert and his wife. He didn¡¯t know what items they ced inside but he was looking forward to seeing them.


    .....


    There were 4¡Á4 picture puzzles that can be disyed in their room or the living room, matching pillows with their wedding date embroidered on them, matching hoodies, wifey-hubby beanie hats, a custom song lyric nket which has Cayenne¡¯s vow on it since she sang during their surprise wedding, sexy truth or dare y sticks which he needed to check how he can y with his wife, photo coasters with his wedding vow printed on them as well and many more. He lost count of the things that he has been pulling out from the box and each of them warmed his heart so much.


    He continued to check the items until he saw the matching bathrobes and his hands trembled while holding them. Like Jade, these bathrobes have embroidered birthyear of his and Cayenne¡¯s. However, what surprised him was the way the dragon was embroidered.


    His name was embroidered on the bathrobe and the dragon was ced right below it as if it was reaching for his name and at the end of his name, there was a small sunflower ced next to it.


    He wanted to think it was just a coincidence but how was it possible that the embroidered pattern on his baby nket was exactly the same as the bathrobe he was holding now? He would never mistake it for something else. It was really a perfect duplicate.


    Stefan didn¡¯t realize that he was shaking until he stood up from the bed. His knees were weak and he almost fell on the floor. He needed evidence. He needed to find it.


    Running to the study room, he no longer cared if Cayenne was having a ss or not, he just wanted to get back to his family vi as soon as he could.


    ¡°Love, I¡¯m going to get something in the family vi. Just stay here and don¡¯t go out by yourself. I¡¯ll return home as soon as I could.¡±


    Cayenne wanted to say something but right after kissing her forehead, Stefan was gone. She was even doubting if he really came to see her or if she was just dreaming it. At the same time, she could not forget thatplicated expression on his face. It seemed like he wanted to say something but he didn¡¯t know how to start.


    ¡°Ms. Ardolf, is there something bothering you?¡± Her professor asked when he noticed that she was staring into space. ¡°Please let me know if you ever feel ufortable, I¡¯ll excuse you as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°No, prof. I¡¯m good. Thank you for your kind consideration. I just remembered something.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Please focus on the ss.¡±


    Cayenne nodded her head and listened to the discussion once again. Since he said he was going to the family, he could just ask his father if something has happened. She has to wait for the next break, though.


    On the other hand, Stefan didn¡¯t bother to bring bodyguards with him. He sped up to the maximum speed allowed and arrived at the vi in no time. The butler was startled to see him there since it has been a long time since Stefan returned home. Nheless, he was happy that he hase to visit.


    ¡°I need the key to Alexander¡¯s room,¡± Stefan said the moment he got close to the butler and he didn¡¯t even bother to stop.


    ¡°Give me a moment, young master.¡± The butler hurried inside and looked for the key to Alexander¡¯s room.


    It has been ages since they opened this room and even when it was proven that Alexander wasn¡¯t part of the Dumrique family, he strictly prohibited anyone from throwing anything in his room. Alexander was his brother no matter how he came to the world.


    ¡°Stefan, you¡¯re home,¡± Ferdinand stated when he saw his grandsoning up to the second floor. ¡°Where¡¯s your wife?¡±


    ¡°Studying.¡±


    ¡°You should have told us that you¡¯reing over. I could have asked the cook to prepare something for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    Ferdinand frown at this cold treatmenting from his grandson. He thought they have reconciled already but now that Cayenne wasn¡¯t around, he seemed to still hate the Dumrique family.


    Realizing that he might have been really cold to his grandfather, Stefan bowed his head and apologized. ¡°Sorry, grandpa. I just needed to find something. I can¡¯t be bothered with anything right now.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then, I¡¯m leaving to give you space. You can find me in the living room if you need any help.¡±


    Stefan nodded his head and as soon as the butler handed the key to Alexander¡¯s room, he opened the door and saw how time stopped in this ce. Although the ce remained clean, his brother¡¯s things remained on the spot where they should be. It was the same as how hest remembered it.


    ¡°You can leave me alone here,¡± Stefan said and the butler left at once. He sat on the bed and the creaking sound told him how old has it been. He remembered the times that he spent with Alexander in this room; secretly eating sweets when ra forbade him to and the times when Alexander hid him to avoid getting whipped by his stepmother.


    Alexander protected him all the time which was the reason why he couldn¡¯t deny their brotherhood even when he was born from a horrible family, even when ra caused Latticia to die, or so they thought.


    Now, he needed to get something as proof, to show that he wasn¡¯t just making things up and he¡¯ll make sure that Dr. Albert will spill the truth. He even trusted the man again!


    Stefan stood up and walked to Alexander¡¯s closet. He slowly pulled the clothes from the toppartment until nothing remained. On the wooden division, he scratched the scotch tape which was so old it almost blended with the wood. On the thick wood, there was a thinpartment that could only fit one item and that was Stefan¡¯s baby nket. When he arrived at this house, he has this baby nket and Magnus said it was made for him.


    ra didn¡¯t like seeing anything rted to Stefan¡¯s mother so, she burned all his things and this nket was supposed to go along with all his other belongings. How could an infant fight against an adult? He has no idea that it happened. However, Alexander took this from the heap of burning items. He couldn¡¯t give it to Magnus because ra will surely find it. He couldn¡¯t return it to Stefan either because ra often inspects Stefan¡¯s belongings as if he was a thief in his own home. Thus, Alexander kept it away from his mother.


    When Stefan found out what happened, he didn¡¯t bother getting this item from his brother since he was a good keeper of important things. ra would never doubt her son.


    Who would have thought that this thing woulde in handy after 29 years?

 Chapter 802 - 802 DR. ALBERT’S PLEA

    802 DR. ALBERT¡¯S PLEA


    Stefan ran out of the room and out of the house while holding his baby nket. He was so quick that Ferdinand didn¡¯t get the chance to stop him. He was even more curious now to know what exactly made hime back to the house that he hated the most.


    On the road, Stefan couldn¡¯t calm down himself and was afraid that he would get into an ident. Left with no choice, he called Tristan and gave him his current location so that the man could drive for him.


    He didn¡¯t forget to send Cayenne a message of his whereabouts, too.


    ¡°Why is he going to City D? Didn¡¯t he say he was going to get something from the vi? Did something happen?¡± Cayenne called him as she mumbled these words to herself but Stefan didn¡¯t answer her call. She was starting to worry for him, then she thought there must be a reason why he can¡¯t pick up his phone. For someone who spoils his wife, it was rather strange that he was keeping something from her. However, her trust in him was stronger than any piece of metal.


    Staring at her phone, she replied, ¡°Take care of yourself ande home as soon as you can. Our baby and I will be waiting for you.¡±


    The trip to City D wasn¡¯t pleasing for Stefan. His heart couldn¡¯t calm down and whenever he sees the bathrobe and the baby nket with the same embroidered design, he kept getting teary-eyed.


    Tristan was observing him from the mirror and he couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong with the boss. First, he found it surprising that he wasn¡¯t answering Cayenne¡¯s call. Second, he couldn¡¯t fathom why he was being emotional while holding a bathrobe and a baby nket. [I don¡¯t want to jump to any conclusion but, whose baby nket is he holding? Cayenne isn¡¯t due forbor until next year.]


    Tristan just kept his opinion to himself while driving. He didn¡¯t want to pry into Stefan¡¯s life at this time because the man seemed really emotional.


    After four hours, as they grew closer to City D, Stefan¡¯s heart trembled but he wasn¡¯t sure whether it was from excitement or from fear that he might be wrong.


    .....


    There¡¯s a chance that it was really just a mere coincidence and he was afraid that his situation right now might be the case.


    There were so many questions in his mind ¨C questions he didn¡¯t know if he should ask or how to ask them to the two people he was nning to meet.


    Still, after several hours of travel, he found himself standing in front of a log cabin situated in the countryside part of City D.


    It was away from the noisy and polluted environment. A perfect ce for the woman whom he imed to be his wife and who needed peace in life. You could see trees everywhere and flowers on the field. Aside from this log cabin, there was no other house that you can find within one-kilometer radius.


    Taking a deep breath and letting them out, he did this several times until he finally got the courage to knock on the door. The person who opened it was quite shocked to find him there. Nheless, he gestured for Stefan and Tristan toe in. Tristan felt that Stefan came for personal reasons, so he declined the offer and stayed outside. He wasn¡¯t needed for something private.


    Latticia¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw Stefan standing in the living room. It was evident that she was happy and wanted to hold him yet the light in her eyes dimmed when she saw what he was holding. She didn¡¯t expect her secret would be exposed like this. It¡¯s been 29 years. Who would keep a baby nket that long? And a little burnt and creased at that. It didn¡¯t make any sense to her but when she looked into her son¡¯s eyes, she felt guilty.


    ¡°May I know how I can help you this time?¡± Dr. Albert asked as he sat down on the couch next to Latticia and motioned for Stefan to take a seat as well.


    Instead of taking his offer, Stefan stood up and pointed his finger at the woman in front of her. ¡°I want to take a DNA test with her.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Dr. Albert shouted immediately. His strong reaction proved to Stefan that there was another story to her mother¡¯s case.


    ¡°I really want to punch you right now.¡± Stefan expressed helplessly as he sat down and rubbed his face while feeling a littleplicated deep inside.


    ¡°How did you find out?¡± Dr. Albert asked in a tone that seemed he had lost all hope in life. ¡°I never intended you to know. I wanted to keep this matter a secret for the rest of my life. Why must you uncover it?¡±


    ¡°Then what about me?!¡± Stefan retorted angrily. ¡°I grew up without a mom! I grew up iplete! How could you be so selfish?!¡±


    ¡°Then, should I stay silent and let ra deal a finishing blow on her? If she was still alive after being hit by her car, would you believe me if I say that ra won¡¯t stop hunting her? She was out for murder! I had to do something to keep her alive!¡±


    ¡°So you decided to take her away. Away from me, away from dad, away from everyone who loves her.¡±


    ¡°Your dad can¡¯t protect her.¡± Dr. Albert dered that Stefan has no words to refute. ¡°He made her his mistress. If he loves her that much, he could have fought for it. He should have done that instead of believing ra immediately. He should have thought it through. Then, what did he do? He was a selfish ass who didn¡¯t want anyone to step on his ego. Tell me, if I told everyone the truth 29 years ago, would your father protect her? For Pete¡¯s sake, you are his son born from the woman he loves the most! He didn¡¯t even protect you. He let ra trample your life!¡±


    Stefan didn¡¯t know what to say. What Dr. Albert said was the truth. His father wasn¡¯t able to protect the woman he loves. He didn¡¯t protect his son born from her. It was all the painful truth.


    ¡°I love her, Stefan.¡± Dr. Albert expressed which stunned Stefan in his seat. ¡°I love her so much ever since we were in high school. I know I am being selfish but I couldn¡¯t give her up when the opportunity was knocking on my door. Even if she couldn¡¯t return my feelings, it¡¯s fine with me. She¡¯s not obligated to return them. I just want to spend my life taking care of her.¡±


    He was speechless for a moment. He didn¡¯t expect to hear a love confessioning from him after all the intense confrontations they had. It was so out of the blue that he couldn¡¯t find a word to retort. ¡°Have you...have you ever wondered that she might want toe back to me? To my family?¡± Stefan asked after a long moment of silence. He really wanted to get his mother back.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your mother? No matter how I plead, if she chooses to go with you, I can¡¯t do anything about it. At the same time, I want to let you know that she always decides for herself. Here.¡± Dr. Albert gave Stefan a book and a pen. ¡°They¡¯re your props for choices. I¡¯ll go our first.¡±


    Tristan heard some of the information because of their loud voices earlier but when Dr. Albert came out, he pretended to be ying a mobile game. It would be awkward if the man finds out he was eavesdropping.


    Back inside the house, Stefan kneeled on the floor while gazing up at his mother. He finally had the chance to really look at her and he realized they have the same eye color. Her eyebrow was very much like his, too.


    Can¡¯t control his emotions anymore, Stefan burst out crying and buried his face in his mother¡¯s pale hand. He sat on the ground and just cried. He knew. He knew that his mother didn¡¯t intend to go back to him or her family. She could have done it a long time ago if she wanted to.


    ¡°Ma,¡± Stefan muttered with tears streaming down his face. ¡°Ma.¡±


    Latticia cried but no matter how much she wanted to speak, she couldn¡¯t. She wanted to call his name, to roll it on her tongue again and again, and to listen to the sound it makes. Sadly, she didn¡¯t have that opportunity right now.


    ¡°Ma,¡± Stefan called once again. ¡°Are you happy with him?¡± Then, he realized she couldn¡¯t talk which was the reason why Dr. Albert gave him a book and a pen. He raised the two items and gave her the options, Yes for the pen and No for the book. Not surprising to him, she looked at the pen. ¡°Ma, I know that dad failed to protect you but, why didn¡¯t you, at least, ask the doctor to tell me the truth? I could keep the secret for you, too.¡±


    No answer.


    Stefan continued pouring hisints but at the end of the day, he was still happy to know he was right.


    ¡°Ma,¡± Stefan called and kissed the back of her hand. ¡°I am so happy to see you. I have always thought about you ever since I realized I wasn¡¯t ra¡¯s son. I always think of how you look, and what¡¯s your favorite food or favorite flower. I have always imagined how it feels to have a mother. I am so d you are here.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to tell Magnus?¡± Dr. Albert asked who came inside after staying outside for some time. He walked towards Latticia and wiped off the tears from her face. ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 803 - 803 CHOICES TO MAKE I

    803 CHOICES TO MAKE I


    She didn¡¯t receive any reply or even a single call from Stefan after thest message he sent earlier that day and it was already gettingte in the evening. She was worried. She already called Elena if Stefan has anything scheduled in City D because she didn¡¯t see anything rted to that ce on his calendar of activities which she kept a copy of to make sure that she won¡¯t identally disturb him during important meetings, conferences, and other things. She couldn¡¯t contact Tristan either whom Elena said was called out to drive the car for the boss.


    Cayenne was sitting on the swinging rattan chair, gazing into the sparkling stars which were light years away from her while waiting for her husband. She was worried. However, she couldn¡¯t leave the house because she will cause other people to worry as well. She could only pray under the night sky that nothing bad has happened to him. Even the beautiful tulip flowers couldn¡¯t catch her attention at this moment.


    ¡°Yen, aren¡¯t you going to get inside yet?¡± Kyle asked his sister and being the good brother ¨C handed her a thick nket from his room that she could use to shield herself from the cold evening breeze. ¡°He should be fine. He won¡¯t do anything reckless knowing that you are waiting for him here. He¡¯s probably on his way home now.¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t stop worrying. This is the first time that this has happened. I know that he was going somewhere but I don¡¯t know for what reason. Elena didn¡¯t have any idea either and we couldn¡¯t get in touch with Tristan. I just really want to know that he¡¯s doing okay.¡±


    Kyle didn¡¯t know what to say this time. The couple has been living their life with openmunication since thest separation that happened between them. They were both afraid that one negative could break them apart if not heard from each other¡¯s mouths first.


    ¡°Kyle, have you ever thought that all we have now is just a fleeting dream?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Cayenne agreed at once while still keeping her eyes on the stars shining across the vast sky. It makes Kyle wonder if she wasn¡¯t feeling sore from looking at them for so long. ¡°I always fear that when I wake up the next day, everything¡¯s gone; that I am not married, no childing our way, no foundations ¨C nothing.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same,¡± Kyle told his sister and slowly pushed her rattan chair to swing it. ¡°Every night, I pray that I¡¯m not being pranked with all the changes that happened in our lives. Then, the next morning, when I see the same people, the same ce, and whatnot, I thank God for it.¡±


    .....


    The two of them took this chance to talk about their views in life, to share the things that have been bothering them and the goals that they still wanted to achieve. Since she haspany to pass the time, Cayenne didn¡¯t realize how long she has been sitting outside until she heard the sound of the car engineing closer to their ce, and slowly, the huge gate opened and Stefan¡¯s car came into view.


    ¡°Stefan.¡± She muttered and got down off the chair immediately. The anxiety she felt a little over an hour ago, vanished the moment he stepped out of the car and walked toward her. His long strides brought him to her in no time and Cayenne wrapped her arms around him without a sound.


    To see him with swollen eyes, for a man with pride, something serious must have happened to make him cry so hard to the point of getting red-rimmed eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Cayenne whispered softly and gently patted his back. ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Do you want to talk about it over food? I can ask Ca to make something for you really quick.¡± He shook his head again. ¡°I can¡¯t skip a meal and so do you.¡±


    ¡°Sandwich,¡± Stefan murmured and she nodded her head in understanding.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll make it for you instead.¡± She turned to Kyle and smiled faintly, enough for her brother to understand that she can handle everything. ¡°Let¡¯s get inside. You can tell me everything while I¡¯m making something for you.¡±


    Fifteen minutester, Cayenne was sitting on a stool chair beside her husband with an indescribable expression. One thing was for sure, she felt happy with the news but she didn¡¯t know how to name the other emotions swirling like tornadoes wreaking havoc deep inside her.


    Even when Stefan was done eating the sandwiches she made, she was still unable to react. He gave her time to digest the information he just dropped like a bomb and went to the kitchen sink to wash the utensils he used. He could understand why Cayenne was also shocked by the news, after all, they have been together and had known so many things about them. She also believed that his mother really died only to find out that she was actually alive all these years. For 29 years!


    Stefan washed his hands carefully and after wiping it dry, he hugged Cayenne¡¯s waist and pressed his face on her stomach. ¡°Baby, you have a grandma. She may not be able to take care of you but she is really excited to see you.¡±


    ¡°Then, are you going to tell your father?¡± Cayenne asked after a long moment of silence. She didn¡¯t know how to react yet but this question was something crucial that she couldn¡¯t let go of. Since she was alive, she thought that the woman might want her family to know the truth and not just her son.


    Stefan straightened up his back and returned to his seat. ¡°I am not sure,¡± he said with that gloomy expression once again. ¡°She¡¯s happy with Dr. Albert even though she didn¡¯t say she loves the man but she didn¡¯t say she still loves my father either. When I asked her if she wanted me to let her family, I mean our family knows, she didn¡¯t answer and I don¡¯t want to force her. All this time, she was presumed dead and her family has epted that for thest 29 years. They never doubted the report of the police nor the body of the woman whom they buried and visited all these years. Their lives will be turned upside down if they find out that she¡¯s alive. Moreover, she¡¯s not in good condition. Dr. Albert said that she should receive so many emotional stimuli.¡± Stefan sighed and held Cayenne¡¯s hand as if drawing strength from her. ¡°Truth be told, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Can I visit her, then? Maybe I could help since we are both mothers in a sense.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather ask someone to go and fetch them toe here. It would be a long journey going there.¡±


    Cayenne could only smile at his quick response which shows how much he cared for her even though they were talking about his mother. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will help youe to conclusion in her case. Shall we let them stay here?¡±


    ¡°Dad will find out.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Cayenne wanted to flick her forehead but Stefan was very quick in grabbing her other hand to stop her. ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that. Well, let¡¯s think of the next steps once we have the conclusion. For now, let¡¯s just be happy that she¡¯s alive and be thankful that Dr. Albert chose to keep her safe from ra¡¯s wrath. That stepmother of yours, even if she¡¯s dead, I wish she won¡¯t ever rest in peace.¡±


    Stefan was quite surprised by the words that Cayenne uttered because she was never someone who badmouth others. It was really unexpected to hear her curse other people.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of negative things. It will affect our baby.¡±


    That night, Cayenne and Stefan slept peacefully with new hope for tomorrow. They were both excited to see Latticia again but since she has to go to the university, she needed to wait until ss was over to return home and meet her mother-inw.


    In ss, Cayenne pretended to be listening during the discussion but in truth, she was just scribbling questions unrted to her course. She wrote down as many questions as she could and all the possible answers that she could think of. Stefan told her that his mother could only respond by looking at certain things which could be used as choices so, she wanted to do the same thing to talk to her.


    ¡°I wish she would stay,¡± Cayenne muttered while writing down thest question she wanted to ask. ¡°Stefan would be very happy if she would stay. Then, what about his dad?¡± Thinking up to this point, Cayenne couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was love that made Latticia cling to Magnus in the past or if was it love that made Magnus keep Latticia as his mistress. She couldn¡¯t tell. She could only hope that whatever Latticia decides, it will keep everyone happy.

 Chapter 804 - 804 CHOICES TO MAKE II

    804 CHOICES TO MAKE II


    ¡°ss dismissed,¡± the professor announced and started packing his things, and left.


    Cayenne was quick to ce her thing inside her bag and arrange her books on top of the other as soon as she heard that it was ss dismissal. She wanted to leave as soon as she can.


    Martin took Cayenne¡¯s bag and handed the books to another bodyguard to carry. With her in the middle, they walked out of the campus and found Stefan¡¯s car right away.


    ¡°How¡¯s ss today?¡± Stefan inquired and at the same time, fastened her seatbelt.


    ¡°It was the same as usual,¡± she said while cupping his face and kissing him several times before she let go of him. ¡°Anyway, is your mom home now?¡±


    ¡°Mn. They just arrived and Kyle is currently taking care of them.¡±


    This visit was for Cayenne to gouge the truth from his mother¡¯s mouth, to know what she really wanted, and not just because she was being considerate to everyone.


    THREE HOURS LATER; after dinner.


    Cayenne and Latticia were standing on the balcony of the master¡¯s bedroom which was overlooking the view of the beautiful garden. On the balcony, there were potted nts as well and most of them were flowers that Stefan gifted to his wife. Instead of giving bouquets of flowers that were cut off from its stem, the couple made it a habit to give each other a potted flower instead. Something that they can look after and admire in the long run. So far, none of the flowers they have gifted to each other have died yet. They were all striving to live.


    .....


    Latticia was sitting in her wheelchair and Cayenne was sitting on the wooden bench. Both women had thick nkets around them to shield them from the wind.


    ¡°Ma,¡± Cayenne called out softly while keeping her eyes on the distant sky. She always likes to watch the stars and right now, she has a vantage view of the sky once again. ¡°Ma, I am so happy for you and Stefan. Especially my husband. I know how much he struggled every time people mention their mothers. He always wanted to have one.¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°Ma, I won¡¯t force you on anything because I know it must have been hard on you as well. I could not even imagine the pain you felt when you got separated from him. As someone who¡¯s entering motherhood, I also didn¡¯t want my child to be away from me.¡±


    Silence.


    Cayenne decided to move the wheelchair and turned it around so that the woman would be facing her. She needed to do what she ought to do for her husband. No matter what would be his mother¡¯s decision, they already talked about it and nned to support her no matter what.


    ¡°Ma, as your daughter-inw, I am not sure if you acknowledge me or not, but anyway, I only want to make my husband happy. Ma, do you want to stay with us? Or even if you won¡¯t stay with us in this house, would you like to stay in the city so that we coulde and visit you from time to time?¡± Cayenne pulled the pot of tulips as well as the pot of sunflowers that Stefan gave her and ced YES and NO on the two pots respectively. ¡°Ma, these are the choices you have, can you tell me what it is you really feel? I promise I will do my best to fulfill it for the sake of my husband.¡±


    Latticia stared at the pot of sunflower for a long time before shifting her gaze back to Cayenne. Her eyes didn¡¯t even waver when she made the choice.


    ¡°Then, would you like Stefan to tell your parents about your well-being?¡±


    She looked at the sunflower once again.


    ¡°How about telling your brother about it?¡±


    Latticia didn¡¯t look at any of the flowers but chose to stare at Cayenne¡¯s face. This led Cayenne to another question. ¡°You are not sure whether we should tell him about you. Are you worried that he would tell your parents and cause them difort?¡±


    Stefan¡¯s mom shifted her gaze to the tulips.


    One after another, Cayenne asked the questions she wanted to ask and told Latticia a lot of things about Stefan. She wanted the woman to be informed of her son and even though she wasn¡¯t really saying any words, Cayenne could tell that the woman was happy from her the way her eyes sparkled.


    ¡°Ma, since it hase to this point, Stefan and I will do our best to keep this matter a secret. At the same time, we hope that you could stay in the city. It would be easier for us to visit you, help you, talk with you and bring you good news. I am sure that Stefan would want the same thing.¡±


    After half an hour, Stefan came to check on them and found his wife holding his mother¡¯s hand while pressing it on her stomach. It was evident that she wanted the olderdy to feel the life of her unborn grandchild. She wanted her to stay for the baby, at least.


    ¡°Will you stay for your grandchild?¡±


    Latticia finally shifted her gaze to the tulip flowers before shifting it back to Cayenne¡¯s stomach. She was really excited about the life that slowly formed inside her daughter-inw.


    Witnessing this moment, Stefan snapped a picture quickly. This would be one of the proofs that his mother once visited them and felt her grandchild inside Cayenne¡¯s stomach. When the dayes and their child would ask about their grandmother, he has a photo of her that shows she was alive when they were developing inside their mom¡¯s womb.


    Since she decided to stay for the grandchild, Stefan and Cayenne discussed this matter with Dr. Albert. No matter what happened, they couldn¡¯t deny the fact that Latticia wanted to spend her time with this man now. They weren¡¯t sure if it was to repay his kindness but they knew that they didn¡¯t have the right to decide on this thing.


    Thankfully, Dr. Albert agreed.


    Now, for his mother, they have several goals. One, they should tell Stanley about her being alive but they needed to make sure that her parents wouldn¡¯t find out about it because they were already old. She was afraid that they would shock them to death. Second, they needed to find a house close to them where she could stay with the doctor without anyone knowing that she was rted to Stefan at all. Third, they must hide her from Magnus at all costs.


    ¡°How about we make a log cabin near the man-madeke?¡± Cayenne suggested before going to sleep. Even though she still needed to go to Xena University the next day to attend her ss, she couldn¡¯t seem to fall asleep. She was just so happy for Stefan that his mother chose to stay. ¡°You said that she was staying in a log cabin with the doctor while they were in City D. Maybe both of them arefortable in that kind of house. Why don¡¯t we make one for them? If ever someone asks who owns the ce, we can just say that it is our resting ce when we go fishing in theke.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. I¡¯ll ask them tomorrow. For now, you have to go to sleep because you still have ss.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. Fine. Fine. Let¡¯s talk about this tomorrow with them.¡±


    However, when tomorrow came, Cayenne was not able to discuss this matter with Dr. Albert and Latticia. She got upied with the interior room design that Stefan showed her. It was the design of their baby¡¯s room which Solomon¡¯s team has spent so much time measuringst time since Stefan wanted a lot of things for the child. There were several designs that she could choose from depending on the gender of their baby which they will find out in the next few weeks.


    ¡°You are really looking forward to being a dad, huh,¡± Cayennemented while checking the designs. Instead of answering her or giving her a reply, Stefan only smiled. He was afraid she would flip up if he tells her the truth ¨C that she only cared for the baby because he didn¡¯t want her to be worried all the time.


    All in all, he was doing these things for her sake.


    [Am I a bad father in a sense?] Stefan thought to himself at this point. [It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t love our child, I just love their mother even more.]


    As the saying goes, don¡¯t speak of something if you haven¡¯t experienced yet because you don¡¯t know what your future has in store for you. Like Stefan, he has no idea that his children will steal his heart someday. But this would be a story in the future.


    For now, what he needed to solve was how to hide his mother. They just talked that they have to hide the truth from Magnus no matter what but Magnus hase marching because of worry about what happened in thest few days. He was already at the foyer taking off his shoes.

 Chapter 805 - 805 KEEPING SECRETS

    805 KEEPING SECRETS


    ¡°Dad. You¡¯re here.¡± Stefan expressed in a slightly raised tone which made his father frown but not enough to make himment on it. ¡°I am just about to send Ayen to the university.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, dad.¡± Cayenne greeted him and tried her best not to show the anxiousness on her face. ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I did. I forgot that she has a ss today. My bad,¡± he responded but still went inside anyway. ¡°I¡¯m a little bit thirsty. Let me get a ss of water.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Stefan refused which both stunned Cayenne and his father. ¡°I mean, you must be tired from traveling so early in the morning. I¡¯ll get a ss of water for you. You can just sit here.¡±


    ¡°Hm? O-okay. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Stefan walked briskly to the kitchen and told Dr. Albert not to make any loud noises that would attract unwanted attention. He also told his mother the truth that Magnus has arrived without any notice. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to keep his attention. Do not worry. I can probably make hime along with me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Stefan.¡± Dr. Albert said and just continued to eat his meal. Since they decided to stay, Stefan allowed them to use one of the guests¡¯ rooms. He told the helpers that since Dr. Albert lost his medical license and has no decent job because of him, he was hiring him to be their family doctor and agreed that he could bring his wife. It was the best introduction that wouldn¡¯t make anyone suspect anything. And the reason why he was calling him mom? He brushed it away with an excuse that he never had a mother and wanted to treat the woman like his own mom. Perfect. No one was doubting him.


    He kissed his mother¡¯s forehead and bid farewell to send Cayenne to the university and promised to bring Magnus along with him on his way out.


    ¡°Dad, you must have something important to tell me since you came so early.¡± Stefan expressed while picking up Cayenne¡¯s handbag and signaled Martin to carry her books to the car. ¡°How about we talk on the way to Xena University?¡± he added and held his hand out for Cayenne to take.


    .....


    ¡°Nah. There¡¯s no need. I was just really worried that something has happened to you. I heard from Dad that you visited the vi and went inside Alexander¡¯s room. I tried calling youst night but I couldn¡¯t get through.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Stefan rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. ¡°It wasn¡¯t really a big deal. I just dreamed of him and thought of checking his room again. I took some of his things thinking it might bring me peace at home.¡±


    ¡°I thought so. You were very close to him back then. I¡¯m d that you¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry about me. In fact, you should spend more time with grandpa. He seemed lonely when I got there. How about we have lunch together in the vi this Saturday?¡±


    Stefan sessfully shifted the topic to something else and even though his father was kind of surprised by his behavior, the man didn¡¯t say anything. At least, Stefan was showing them some concern.


    Their conversation didn¡¯t evenst ten minutes when Magnus left to go back home. Not taking too much time, Stefan also sent Cayenne to school before she would be markedte for her first subject.


    ¡°You should talk to your mom and Dr. Albert about the cabin that we nned to build for them. You don¡¯t have to do it in my presence anymore because I tend to forget it when I¡¯m facing another thing and we can¡¯t afford to make them wait. Your mom is getting older. She needs a ce where she could properly rest and enjoy her time with us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell herter. I might actually work from home this morning.¡±


    ¡°Just make it the whole day.¡±


    ¡°I have scheduled hotel inspections in the afternoon so, I couldn¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll just talk to them when I get back home in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Oopsie. I forgot the inspections.¡±


    Since the first semester wasing to an end, Cayenne was getting busier with exams, projects, activities, and small trips to the suburbs as well. The foundation was managed by Kyle and Jackson most of the time, and since Cayenne couldn¡¯t do vlogs, for the time being, they decided to just make a documentation report of what her foundation staff has been doing.


    On thest week of October, Kyle and Jackson visited the slum area where a massive fire destroyed a lot of lives and properties. They offered help as much as they could by donating food, water, a first aid kit, shlights to help them at night, nkets, and a little amount of cash that could get them by.


    To help his brother and sister, Luiz took part in this activity and some of his fans volunteered as well.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just make this a documentation vlog since Yen isn¡¯t around?¡± Luiz told Jackson on their way home from giving out the relief goods. ¡°It is actually fine as long as you can upload something to her YT ount. Besides, isn¡¯t it great that despite my sister¡¯s absence, her staff and brothers still continued to help other people?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good but I didn¡¯t take long videos when we get there. I already said this before joining that I am not a good videographer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡± Luiz retorted instantly. ¡°Although you are my sister¡¯s secretary and assistant, you can always ask for help from brother Tristan. He¡¯s very good at getting videos.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. I¡¯ll talk to himter. I think Ms. Yen will be making less and less exposure in the future as her tummy grows.¡±


    ¡°That is likely the possibility. Brother-inw would surely limit her time in doing these things.¡± Kyle added while looking outside the window. ¡°By the way, it will be a littlete in the evening when we get back to the city, especially at this time of the day. Why don¡¯t we go somewhere with the staff and volunteers to have a meal together?¡±


    ¡°Sure! My treat!¡± Luiz expressed since he was able to save a lot of money from his work. ¡°It¡¯s kind of my way of thanking my fans who came to help.¡±


    ¡°Right. You don¡¯t spend a lot using your money from work since you are a schr and Yen still gives you allowance.¡±


    ¡°Hn. She told me to save for my future because marrying to risse¡¯s family wouldn¡¯t be easy.¡±


    [Thankfully, Kath¡¯s family isn¡¯t pressuring me.] Kyle thought while looking at his brother who was grinning stupidly in front of him. [Your hard work will surely pay off.]

 Chapter 806 - 806 [Bonus chapter] MONET GOES HOME

    806 [Bonus chapter] MONET GOES HOME


    On the day that M got discharged from the hospital, the first person she messaged was Cayenne. Even though she didn¡¯t meet her for a very long time, she felt closer to her than anybody else. It was probably because they were both bing mothers and they will be having ¡®first-time¡¯ issues when ites to rearing children. It led her to think that they would be both understanding to each other.


    It was afternoon when Stefan saw that his wife¡¯s phone lit up but when he saw it was a message notification from M, he just handed it to her. If it was from Jackson, he would surely respond to it since he was partly responsible for her foundation.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d that you are finally leaving that ce. It¡¯s not good to stay in a hospital for a long time.¡± Cayenne replied after reading her message. ¡°Make sure you get proper rest. I hope you cane back here soon.¡±


    M smiled after receiving the message from Cayenne. She replied to her once more and kept her phone inside her bag after that. She was told to lessen her use of gadgets as much as possible because of the radiationing from them and her baby was still at risk.


    ¡°Are you sure you are noting back to Cebu?¡± her mother asked while holding her hands tightly. ¡°I really hope you woulde home with us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine here,¡± M said with a faint smile hanging on her lips. ¡°I love this ce and I have always dreamed of staying here because of the pines and the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Then, can we visit you?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Her parents probably thought that she was still angry at them for the decisions they made for her which was the reason why her mother was being cautious right now. Although she felt guilty, M couldn¡¯t erase the fact that what made her be who she is today was her parents. They said a lot of things that hurt her so much in the past that she learned to harden her heart like a rock.


    .....


    Fortunately, Thomas started to melt down her rock-hard heart. If it wasn¡¯t for him, she would surely remain cold to them.


    ¡°Thomas.¡± Mr. Lhuillier called out and ced his hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I entrust my daughter to you. Please take care of her. Whenever you are ready to get married, you can just tell us. We won¡¯t be a hindrance to your rtionship anymore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry uncle, I will not allow her to suffer again.¡±


    M was looking at him when he said these words and she can see in his eyes that he was really sincere. Before she¡¯d get caught staring at him, she looked up into the sky and sent her silent prayer. [Lord, I hope you will help us in this rtionship that we¡¯re starting. Please don¡¯t give me any reason to regret the decisions I made.]


    ***


    Meanwhile, after reading thest replying from M, Cayenne only sent a heart sticker to her before putting her phone away.


    ¡°Breaks over. Let¡¯s resume.¡±


    Cayenne instantly got inside therge shirt that Stefan was wearing and waited for the director to give them instructions. Currently, they were having a photo shoot for the get-along shirts that the couple likes. Normally, if it was just the two of them, Cayenne would be wearing nothing underneath therge shirt with her body pressed on her husband, but right now, she was wearing a white tank top because of the guests. Truth be told, she was irritated that she has to wear anotheryer of clothing instead of using the shirt directly.


    ¡°Mr. Dumrique, can you sit on this chair close to the firece?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Christmas season and we¡¯d like to make use of your firece and just decorate it a little with props. Is it fine?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    The team immediately ced their props and lit the firece even though it was daylight. The weather isn¡¯t very cold during early mornings but around 2 o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the cold breeze would start making you shiver if you aren¡¯t wearing any thick clothes.


    So far, they weren¡¯t having any issues since the photoshoot was mostly done inside Stefan¡¯s home. He would never let his wife suffer in the harsh wind.


    ¡°So, Ms. Yen, since you are sitting on hisp already,¡± a modest way to say instead of straddling him, ¡°I want you to lean your head on his shoulder and close your eyes while Mr. Dumrique is reading a book.¡±


    Cayenne got into position as soon as she could and pretended to be sleeping while Stefan was reading her a story. Their background was the nicely-decorated firece which indicates the Christmas season and even without it, the picture still appeared warm and sweet.


    ¡°I like it,¡± Stefanmented when they show him the photo. Cayenne also nodded her head in happiness when she looked at the picture. She even felt a little embarrassed. ¡°I want copies of all the pictures once you¡¯re done editing them.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Shall we proceed?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    When they finally wrapped up everything, it was almost 7:00 PM. By the time Kyle arrived home, the photography team was already packing their things. Stefan and Cayenne invited them for dinner so, Ca asked assistance from another helper in the kitchen to make a lot of dishes for everyone to enjoy.


    While waiting for the food, they decided to look at the pictures once again. There was a photo of them cuddling together in one jacket while she was watching something on Stefan¡¯sptop and he was sitting behind her with his head on her shoulder to see what the show was as well. There was a picture of her looking sick and she even had a cooling pad on her forehead. She was also on the same shirt as Stefan while he carried her off to the kitchen to get medicine for her to drink.


    As soon as these photos were posted, people were not surprised anymore by the overwhelming sweetness from the couple. They felt like they were fed several spoonfuls of sugar with their poses and other gestures.


    Stefan shared the post of the clothingpany with the caption; ¡®when her hormones strike, I¡¯m always ready for cuddles¡¯.


    Luiz saw the post as well and shared; ¡®@XXclothing, you gave them more ways to torment me¡¯.


    Riley¡¯s interest was also sparked when she saw this post knowing that she has a clingy man at home. ¡°I want one; no. I want all the avable designs. Gotta make my man happy.¡±


    Singles: I¡¯m fine with my regr-size shirt. I don¡¯t need these shirts to hug my pillow to sleep.

 Chapter 807 - 807 TELLING SECRETS

    807 TELLING SECRETS


    Stanley arrived at the mansion around 11:00 in the morning since Stefan and Cayenne invited him for lunch. It worried him so much that he was invited alone since most of the time, the couple would organize a family get-together. On his way, he was already thinking of different possible reasons that made them call him over but even when he arrived, he couldn¡¯t think of anything.


    ¡°Uncle,¡± Cayenne called when she saw him sitting on the couch while reading a book about parenting. It wasn¡¯t new to him but he thought it was interesting to read it again. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯ve arrived safely.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a wreck inside, to be honest with you. I couldn¡¯t think of a reason why you and Stefan ask me toe over.¡±


    Cayenne sat across him and grinned without saying anything. It caused Stanley to feel even more confused.


    ¡°You¡¯re teasing him, huh,¡± Stefanmented when he came inside with Kyle. Both of them just arrived from buying some of the things that his mother and Dr. Albert would need in the cabin.


    ¡°Just a little.¡± She said, still grinning from ear to ear. Though this time, Stanley was already feeling a little relieved because of what his nephew said.


    Stefan kissed his wife on the forehead when he got to her side before turning to his uncle once again. ¡°We¡¯re having lunch somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    When the couple stood up, Stanley followed suit without asking anything despite the curiosity tugging his heart.


    .....


    They walked to the backyard and he saw that some of the bodyguards were pushing a cart with some heavy items on it. Others just carried the cartoons on their shoulder.


    ¡°Are you building something in your little animal farm?¡± He finally asked after a long moment of silence. ¡°Everyone seemed busy.¡±


    ¡°You will find out soon,¡± Stefan said and still continued to walk while holding his wife¡¯s hand. ¡°It will be a little surprise for you.¡±


    ¡°Is it considered little?¡± Cayenne muttered which didn¡¯t escape Stanley¡¯s hearing. If it was little for Stefan and it wasn¡¯t for Cayenne then, he will believe the wife. He knew Cayenne didn¡¯t grow up with the same mindset as Stefan so he decided to bet on her.


    Because of this, his heart which calmed down a little earlier has started to beat in excitement and anxiety once again. He was even rubbing the back of his neck as they moved along.


    They passed by the stables and Cayenne could only reach her hands out and touch the air since she wasn¡¯t allowed to hold them for now. Stefan was worried that it would risk her health and their baby.


    Soon, they got to where the road split into two directions and they traversed the one on the left. As far as Stanley knows, the one on the right should have led them to the man-madeke. He has no idea what awaits them on the other side but from afar, he could see that there was a cabin at the end of the road.


    ¡°Someone lives there? I have not seen that cabin from myst visit.¡±


    ¡°Oh. We just built that not long ago. We had to double the manpower to make sure that it would be done as soon as possible. The one who lives there is very special.¡± Stefan answered without changing his expression. He acted as if what they were about to tell him wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    Cayenne only smiled beside him. Kyle who knew the truth didn¡¯t utter a single word. The issue has nothing to do with him and he has no n to involve himself. He was already happy that Cayenne and Stefan shares the truth with him. He couldn¡¯t ask for more.


    One of the bodyguards who sent the big boxes returned and met them on the way while he was pushing the cart back to the mansion. ¡°Sir, we brought everything already and Ca has started the BBQ as well. They¡¯re just waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Once you¡¯re done. Ask Manuel to remotely control hisputer and let him connect it to his iPad. Bring everyone here so we could have lunch together.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The man left in a hurry without looking back. When they arrive at the cabin, Dr. Albert came out and Stanley was stunned when he saw him.


    He didn¡¯t know that he was the man who helped Stefan in sending the Minato family to hell. However, he knew who he was from his early memories. He might not be one hundred percent sure about it but his gut feeling was telling him that he was right.


    ¡°This is Dr. Albert.¡± Stefan introduced but he noticed that both men were staring at each other. ¡°You probably knew one another in the past.¡±


    ¡°Are you John Albert?¡±


    Dr. Albert wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised when he was asked for his name. They met each other a long, long time ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. I¡¯m not sure if I should be happy that you remember me or not.¡±


    ¡°How could I forget you? Weren¡¯t you the one who always brings medicine to my sister when she wasn¡¯t feeling better? Tsk! I even wished you were the man that she loved.¡±


    Stefan didn¡¯t say a word. Even though he was a Dumrique, he also felt that Dr. Albert was far better than Magnus when ites to treasure his mother.


    ¡°How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Uhh...I guess I can say I¡¯ve been doing good so far.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re living here? Are you working for Stefan? Oh! I remember you¡¯ve always wanted to be a doctor. Are you a doctor now?¡±


    ¡°Kind of. I¡¯m their doctor here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good for you.¡±


    Stanley haven¡¯t noticed anything yet as he continued to chat with Dr. Albert. He was very enthusiastic upon seeing the man that he once knew. It made Cayenne wonder how Stanley would react once he knows that the man has kept his sister for thest 29 years.


    ¡°Pardon our intrusion.¡± Stefan and Cayenne said at the same time and both got inside the cabin at the same time as well. Kyle was following silently behind them. ¡°Ma, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Stanley automatically turned his head to see who Stefan was talking to. He knew he didn¡¯t have a mother after his sister died 29 years ago so, who the heck was he calling ¡®Ma¡¯ all of a sudden?


    ¡°You¡¯re living with someone here?¡± Stanley questioned without taking his eyes away from the cabin. ¡°Stefan is calling someone Ma. Do you know that person?¡±


    Dr. Albert didn¡¯t answer. He didn¡¯t know how to answer while ensuring he won¡¯t get a sound punch from the man in front of him. He couldn¡¯t say that they were friends but Stanley was one of the few people who helped him when he was in need. He wasn¡¯t just a bystander in his life yet, he couldn¡¯t tell him the truth.


    ¡°Sir, lunch is ready. We set it up on the veranda as you suggested.¡± Martin expressed when he got inside from the back entrance. ¡°And everyone¡¯s here already.¡±


    ¡°Great! Let¡¯s eat.¡± Cayenne was the one who responded because she was already salivating from the enticing smell of the grilled squids. ¡°I want a grilled squid.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Stefan said with traces ofughter in his voice. He came out from the mini kitchen and was pushing a woman in a wheelchair. ¡°Ma, I contacted someone who could help you. Dr. Albert talked to them as well regarding the whole situation and they said it isn¡¯t impossible to cure you.¡±


    Dr. Albert knew that. He knew that there was still a possibility to cure Latticia but he gave up on it. He wasn¡¯t rich to begin with and he barely had enough money after paying a lot of people to sessfully bring her out of the country and change her identity to be his wife. Even when he knew that Stefan was rich and would do anything to cure her, he didn¡¯t approach him. He was afraid that he would take his mother back and then, he would be left with nothing.


    [If I looked for him a few years ago, would things be the same right now?] He couldn¡¯t answer. No one could really tell. The circumstances in the past and the present werepletely different.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Stanley asked which pulled Dr. Albert back to reality. He didn¡¯t see the woman¡¯s face properly but her side profile was very much the same as Stefan¡¯s.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get inside.¡± Dr. Albert invited but Stanley stayed rooted on the spot where he stood. He wasn¡¯t moving an inch at all. ¡°I will introduce you to my wife.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Oh, your wife? I...I see.¡±


    From the time Stefan called someone ¡®ma¡¯, his heart was already restless to know the person. Seeing her side profile; his mind was already formting so many questions. Hearing it was Dr. Albert¡¯s wife, he wanted to step back but his feet weren¡¯t moving. He already had a hunch of the surprise that his nephew was nning to throw at him.


    ¡°Uncle,e in.¡±


    Latticia on the other hand has prepared herself for this meeting. She didn¡¯t want to keep running away when she could live happily with them. She got better choices. She got better chances now because her son was willing to keep things together no matter how difficult the situation was. He wanted everyone to be happy. She wanted to make him happy.


    ¡°Ma,¡± Stefan turned the wheelchair to make her face her brother directly and despite the tears threatening to fall from his eyes, he held his ground and introduced her to him. ¡°This is Uncle Stanley. He has been taking care of your whole family.¡±

 Chapter 808 - 808 TELLING SECRETS II

    808 TELLING SECRETS II


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a good joke, Stefan.¡± Stanley reproached but Stefan, instead of saying something, he only smiled at his uncle and it caused the man to fall to his knees. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and eat with Kyle, first. Take your time with this little reunion.¡± Cayenne whispered and left to join the others on the veranda. There was a long table set up there and different kinds of dishes were prepared for this lunch. Still, Cayenne¡¯s eyes were on the grilled squid that Ca grilled along with the others. Some of the bodyguards helped with the barbecue as well.


    ¡°Miss Yen, we prepared these for you.¡± Martin ced a grilled squid and a stuffed grilled squid in front of her and Kyle so that she won¡¯t have a hard time reaching for them. ¡°If you need more, just let us know. We¡¯re ready to make more for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Martin,¡± Kyle responded because Cayenne could not say a word anymore. She already started eating. Don¡¯t underestimate the hunger of a pregnant woman.


    There was a floor-to-ceiling sliding ss door from the living room to the veranda so Stefan could see his wife eating happily with the grilled squid she requested. They had to close the ss door to prevent anyone from hearing the conversation in the living room where Stanley poured out his heart to his sister whom he didn¡¯t see for a very long time.


    From time to time, Cayenne would nce back to the living room and when she sees that Stefan was doing fine, she would continue to eat her food. She didn¡¯t know when the family would end their conversation so, she ate her food slowly to wait for her husband. She really wanted to be there for him but she was afraid that she¡¯d get a little emotional with the reunion which prompted her to distance herself from them.


    Half an hourter, Stefan slides the door open and came out. Following behind him was Latticia in her wheelchair and the one pushing it was now her brother. Dr. Albert was thest toe out with a little wound on his lower lip.


    ¡°Did he get punched?¡± Cayenne whispered to her husband as soon as he seated himself beside her. ¡°That looks painful.¡±


    ¡°He said he deserved a punch or two for what he did,¡± Stefan replied and took one of the sliced squids from her te. ¡°Delicious.¡±


    .....


    ¡°That¡¯s mine!¡± Cayenne pouted and pinched his waist. ¡°Why did you eat that? What¡¯s going to happen to you now?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to me?¡± Stefan was confused by her question and he noticed that everyone was looking at him. ¡°Is there something wrong with the squid?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± Ca answered with a faint helpless smile. ¡°Many people believe that you should not eat the food on your wife¡¯s te.¡±


    ¡°Why? I have always done that before.¡± Then, he remembered that ever since she got pregnant, Cayenne would always warn him not to eat anything from her te. ¡°Is there something wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°You will get to experience what a pregnant woman would,¡± Kyle responded. He didn¡¯t believe in it but he didn¡¯t want to try doing it either. He was worried it woulde true if he does that so he kept it in mind that if ever Kath gets pregnant in the future, he won¡¯t ever eat anything from her te.


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s great!¡± Stefanmented and his face really brightened at the thought of experiencing what his wife would.


    Everyone: Don¡¯t even think it¡¯s a hassle for him. He¡¯s the epitome of going through thick and thin together.


    To see if it would be true, Stefan took another piece of grilled squid from Cayenne¡¯s te. He also peeled some shrimp for her and told her to take a bite before he ate the rest. Even when drinking, he shared the same juice with her.


    On the other hand, Stanley was chatting with Latticia even though she wasn¡¯t responding to any words he said. He just ignored Dr. Albert on the side because he felt like punching the man again but there were so many people around them. He didn¡¯t call her by her real name, though.


    Stefan and Dr. Albert talked to him about it and he agreed that this matter should be kept a secret from Magnus. Even if he was against it at first, he had to do it for the sake of his sister. His only wish was to tell his parents and his son about her but he promised he wouldn¡¯t.


    Their parents were old already and if they tell them the truth, they might send them to the other world due to the shocking news. It was a big no-no.


    Stanley told Latticia as well that he was nning to get married once again and that the whole family has met the woman already. He wanted to introduce Jessie to her but because of the situation, he could only show her a picture of the woman he wanted to marry.


    Everyone was having fun during lunch, except Dr. Albert probably because he suffered from the strong punch. His lower lip stung a bit whenever his food touched it. It was painful to eat.


    After lunch, the helpers and the bodyguards cleaned the area and made sure to return the items to their respective spots. Cayenne hates it when things were just cluttering everywhere.


    ¡°Can I visit her again?¡± Stanley asked reluctantly.


    ¡°Why not? You just have to be careful that Jessie won¡¯t misunderstand this matter. Well, mom would be on my property anyway so, you don¡¯t have to worry about other people seeing you here and Dr. Albert will always be around to apany you.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I still won¡¯t like him.¡± Stanley stubbornly refused with his arms crossed over his chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that he would abduct her and marry her.¡±


    Stefan didn¡¯t say a word. His uncle was right. What Dr. Albert did was considered abduction. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it anymore. If it wasn¡¯t for him, she wouldn¡¯t be alive and I wouldn¡¯t see her.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Fine. I won¡¯t say anything anymore.¡± Stanley muttered and turned around. ¡°I will return to work now.¡±


    ¡°Bye, uncle. Take care of yourself. Send our regards to Jessie as well.¡± Cayenne stated and waved her hand at the man. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± She said and yawned while seeing him off.


    [Hmm...I don¡¯t feel sleepy so, it didn¡¯t work.]

 Chapter 809 - 809 [Bonus chapter] IT WORKS!

    809 [Bonus chapter] IT WORKS!


    The next day, Stefan apanied Cayenne to the university. He was feeling a little dizzy but he didn¡¯t tell her anything about it. Martin was the one driving for them, right now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have sses in the afternoon. You don¡¯t have toe and pick me up for lunch. I¡¯ll go to the office and find you.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be waiting. Let me know if you have any cravings for lunch. I¡¯ll have the chef cook them for you.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    As soon as they reached the campus, Cayenne kissed him goodbye and stepped out of the car. He watched her get inside the gate with Martin and the other bodyguards, and when she was finally out of sight, Stefan sighed and pinched the space between his eyebrows. He felt nauseous.


    Another bodyguard came to take over as his driver and when he saw Stefan with a deep frown, he was worried. ¡°Sir, are we going to the office directly?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s drop by the pharmacy.¡±


    His bodyguard didn¡¯t say anything and just drove the car away from the university. Stefan bought some things in the pharmacy by himself instead of telling his driver to do it. After which, they finally went to the office.


    ¡°Free up my morning and don¡¯t let anyone disturb me,¡± Stefan said the moment he arrived which stunned Elena and Tristan. They didn¡¯t know what happened but he didn¡¯t seem angry or upset. It seemed like he was exhausted.


    .....


    Elena deleted all of his schedules in the morning and Cayenne would have found out about these changes if she checked her phone¡¯s calendar which was synced to Stefan¡¯s schedule that Elena and Tristan manage. Stefan¡¯s calendar was synced to hers to make sure that he won¡¯t miss anything of the things that she would be doing. It was like they exchanged phone calendars.


    Stefan slept in the adjacent room to his office after taking the medicine that he bought. He was hoping that the dizziness will be gone by the time he woke up.


    Three hourster, he was facing himself in the mirror and he looked a little pale. He just vomited the food he had this morning. He washed his face and wiped it dry beforeing out of the bathroom to sleep once again. He felt so sleepy. He even thought that his body was finally giving it to the depravity of sleep in thest several years before he met his wife.


    Around 11:30, he got out of bed to pick up his wife but soon, he remembered that she was going to the office for lunch because she didn¡¯t have sses in the afternoon. He let himself fall on the bed once again. [I really want to sleep.] He thought but got up once again to order food.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have this, and this, and this...¡± Stefan ordered the food directly from the Manger Kim in Clover Hotel and told her to inform the chef that he didn¡¯t want bell peppers on fish escabeche.


    Finally, Cayenne arrived almost at the same time when the food was delivered. The smell of the fish and other dishes almost made her drool and she was rather surprised when she saw the dishes. She didn¡¯t tell Stefan what she likes to eat for lunch but he was able to order something that she would love to have.


    ¡°Where are the bell peppers of this fish escabeche?¡± Cayenne asked when he noticed that the dish didn¡¯t have any of those.


    ¡°I asked them to rece it with something else.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you. If you didn¡¯t, the ingredients will be a waste because I don¡¯t feel like having bell peppers now.¡±


    Stefan just nodded his head in agreement as he started to eat his food as well. He always had a great appetite as a man and it probably has berger because he ate a lot during lunch. They all thought it was normal.


    At night, he told Ca not to use any garlic on their food and the chef thought it was just him being worried about his wife once again. Thus, Ca cooked with no garlic to make sure that the smell of the said spices won¡¯t cause difort to their madam. No oneined anyway.


    The next morning, Stefan went to theundry room and checked the detergent powder as well as the fabric conditioner. He smelled each of them and after almost five minutes, he came out of the room and told another helper not to use the current fabric conditioner on their bedsheets. The helper could only nod her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and buy another fabric conditionerter. Use it whenever you¡¯re washing the bedsheets. Don¡¯t worry about our clothes, I¡¯ll be washing those.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    For breakfast, Stefan cooked scrambled eggs instead of the usual sunnies (sunny-side up) that Cayenne likes. He didn¡¯t make her any juice either; thinking of their acidity alone made him want to throw up.


    Him, being so mindful of what his wife likes and dislikes, didn¡¯t really bug anyone. They were used to up already that no one would say a word. This continued on and on until the second week of November, when Stefan was packing their things for their trip to Dubai, a gift from Jillyanna¡¯s family.


    Cayenne noticed that her husband was very particr about so many things and especially with her food choices, she didn¡¯t seem to crave anything but when she gets to see her meal, he actually prepared those that stayed on her mind for more than five minutes. She was always touched by this simple lovenguage even though she didn¡¯t know how he knew it.


    It appears like he could read his mind.


    ¡°How do you even know that I don¡¯t like that scent?¡± Cayenne asked when Stefan was packing her things and currently, he was choosing the perfume that she should bring with her. ¡°You always seem to know what I like and what I don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a personal choice,¡± Stefan answered honestly.


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t like that scent?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I always like this scent on you whenever we have dinner outside but I don¡¯t like it now.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Hm. When I make your meal, I made it because it¡¯s what I want to eat as well.¡± And he didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with that.


    Cayenne burst outughing at his words. They never realized it, not even her. Stefan was actually experiencing Sympathetic Pregnancy Syndrome and everyone thought it was just him being the normal wife-doting husband.


    ¡°Pregnancy isn¡¯t easy but we will be just fine,¡± shemented and even winked at him. Stefan somehow understood what she meant but he also thinks she meant something else. He just smiled and continued packing but fifteen minutester, he was running out of their walk-in closet to vomit. This time, he finally understood what she meant. [It works.]

 Chapter 810 - 810 GENDER REVEAL I

    810 GENDER REVEAL I


    One monthter.


    The streets were nicely decorated with different Christmas lights. Christmas songs and cheers can be heard everywhere and Cayenne was most excited with the giving part. This time of the year was what she liked the most because she can share more blessings than usual with the orphanages and random street people.


    Yesterday, with the help of everyone, she finished decorating the mansion as well as the cabin where Latticia and Dr. Albert live. This year¡¯s Christmas, she was aiming for a red and gold style. Almost all of the decorations; be it the lights or whatever little trinkets she could find, were either red or gold. Even the Christmas gifts were wrapped in red or gold wrappers.


    Today, Cayenne and Stefan were going to the hospital to know their baby¡¯s gender. Cayenne has been very restless since morning because of her excitement but Stefan, even if he was excited, he couldn¡¯t seem to muster the strength to be cheerful. He wanted to puke! He was so dizzy since early in the morning and he vomited twice already.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Stefan asked after noticing that his wife has been staring at him with a guilty expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. I may look haggard right now but I¡¯m still strong.¡±


    Cayenne nodded her head in silence, not wanting to hurt his pride but when she looked away, a lone tear fell on herp and she hastily wiped her face with the back of her hand. [Please grow up fast ande out quickly.] She prayed in her mind because she felt really guilty considering how he lost weight in just one month.


    When she craves for something, Stefan felt it, too, and would eat the same food as her with an evenrger appetite. However, Cayenne no longer felt morning sicknesspared to him. He was going through worse than she had.


    ¡°This is thest,¡± Cayennemented which stunned Stefan the most. Between them, she was the one who was very eager to have children. Although he wished that this would be thest time, it was still different hearing the same wordsing out of her mouth. She sounded really sad. ¡°I really wish we can have at least two children so that our child won¡¯t grow up alone, but if it would be like this the second time as well then, I¡¯d rather choose to have one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you¡¯d have to think that way because of me. I¡¯m really okay. We can have a dozen more if you want. I heard that this only happens during the first pregnancy so, we won¡¯t really have to go through this again in the future.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Really? Where did you learn that?¡±


    ¡°Uhh...from the older generation?¡±


    ¡°You are just saying this to pacify me.¡±


    ¡°No, not really. Besides, we don¡¯t have any control if God chooses to send us another child in the future. Let¡¯s just pray that he won¡¯t give us a hard time with our second, third, fourth child, and so on.¡±


    Yet, a surprise was thrown at them. As soon as they reached the hospital, Cheska was already waiting for them with a wide grin on her face. You can see that she was looking forward to divulging this surprise to the couple. Every single time that Cayenne had her regr checkup, they won¡¯t do any ultrasound to see the baby¡¯s gender. As long as Cheska says that she was doing great and that her baby was doing great; everything was fine for them. All her records have beenpiled by Cheska because the couple didn¡¯t want to bring them home.


    ¡°Are you both excited?¡±


    ¡°We are. I may look like this due to exhaustion but I¡¯m really excited to know our baby¡¯s gender.¡± Stefanmented because he seemed really not happy when you look at his expression. He just wanted to go back home and sleep again.


    Cheska grinned and nodded her head, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to theb room for the test. This time I won¡¯t be covering the monitor so that both of you could see what I¡¯m seeing.¡±


    ¡°Doc, you said that I¡¯m fine and I trust your judgment and the test. I am just wondering why my belly looks a lot biggerpared to other women of the same weeks as me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell show you why.¡±


    Cayenne already had a gut feeling why that was the case and she was looking forward to having her question answered. Cheska pushed Cayenne¡¯s shirt up to her lower chest and ced ultrasound gel on her belly. It was cold but Cayenne only felt it for a few seconds before her excitement took control of her perceptions. Nothing could beat her eagerness right now.


    ¡°Look at the screen,¡± Cheska mumbled and pushed away the curtain which usually covers Cayenne¡¯s and Stefan¡¯s view of their baby or babies rather. ¡°You¡¯re having triplets! Congrattions!¡±


    Cayenne blinked her eyes twice. She looked at Cheska, to the monitor, back to Cheska, and to her husband. Stefan was so surprised that his eyes went wide and you couldn¡¯t see the exhaustion on his face anymore.


    ¡°Not two but three? Did I hear you correctly?¡±


    ¡°Yup. You¡¯ll have three children! Oh, my god! When I found out about this, I was so happy that I wanted to jump up and down. This is my first time handling triplets.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not seeing it wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± She responded at once and pointed her finger to the three little ones on the screen. ¡°This, this, and this; these are your children. You¡¯re not having one, not two, but three babies! I am so happy for you! Well, I won¡¯t have to worry about how you would raise them anyway. You¡¯ve got money to spoil them.¡±


    Stefan: Yeah


    Cayenne: No!


    The couple looked at each other and Cayenne was clearly ring at her husband. ¡°No spoiling.¡± She reiterated which stunned Stefan because he never thought of spoiling his children either. He only wanted to spoil his wife but his response came out naturally from his mouth.

 Chapter 811 - 811 GENDER REVEAL II

    811 GENDER REVEAL II


    ¡°Now, now. It¡¯s time for the gender reveal.¡± Cheska pointed her finger to the screen once again, ¡°This baby here on the right is a boy. Then, this baby on the left is also a boy. However, this baby in the middle, a little bit on top of the others; I couldn¡¯t see the gender. The baby seemed shy and he or she covered her private part. We can do another test next time to see what¡¯s the gender of your third child. For now, it¡¯s confirmed that you¡¯re having triplets and two of them are boys. I wish thest one would be a girl.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t my sperm amazing?¡± Stefan muttered which made Cayenne burst into a fit ofughter. Of all the things he could say from this experience, he had topliment his sperm for doing the best thing they could ever imagine. ¡°Will we know if they¡¯re identical or fraternal?¡±


    ¡°We can do the test if you want.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. We can just wait for another surprise in the future.¡± Cayenne replied because she wanted to look forward to how her babies would look once she gave birth to them. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe we¡¯re having triplets.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Cheska suddenly turned solemn and looked at them seriously in the eyes. ¡°You have to be extra careful. I know that Stefan is really doing his best to take care of you but things could happen out of your control and it may risk the babies. When you feel pain or any difort, let me know as soon as possible. I cane to your house instead of you guys driving here.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, doc. I¡¯ll be sure to remember that.¡±


    ¡°Also, if you ever give birth to them prematurely, that¡¯s normal. You don¡¯t have to me yourself if that happens.¡±


    ¡°How premature could it be?¡±


    ¡°7 or 8 months, or in between; that¡¯s totally normal. You just have to ensure you¡¯de here when you feel the contractions. It would be painful; you better brace yourself as early as now.¡±


    .....


    Cheska gave them more tips about pregnancy and the risk thates with especially with them having triplets. Between the couple, Stefan was the one who noted everything that the doctor said because his wife was still on cloud nine and won¡¯t probably step down from it for another hour or so.


    On their way out, Cayenne was still holding the picture of their babies which Cheska developed for them. The smile on her face couldn¡¯t seem to disappear. She has veryplicated emotions right now. ¡°I was expecting a twin.¡± She muttered while caressing her stomach. ¡°I felt that there should be more life than one inside me because my stomach looked bigger and Faith also said the same thing. Who would have thought that we would be blessed more?¡±


    Stefan wanted to say something in response but when they came out of the hospital, snow started falling, as if greeting them happily for the three lives that his wife was carrying. Cayenne looked up and raised her hand to catch some of them. She could feel them melting on her palms and the sight gave her warmth. It was like her heart at this moment ¨C it was melting from so much happiness.


    Stefan hugged his wife and kissed the top of her head again and again. ¡°This is our first snow together as a family,¡± he said in a hoarse voice that Cayenne knew full well he was crying, ¡°I love you so much, Ayen. I love you more each day. I¡¯ve been thanking God for sending you to my life but it felt like I¡¯m not thanking him enough. His gift to me is iparable to any treasure in the world.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, I still think that I¡¯m dreaming and every day, you reassured me that this is reality. Hon, I¡¯m d that you didn¡¯t give up on me. Thank you. If it wasn¡¯t for your persistence, I wouldn¡¯t be here standing with you with our children in my tummy. Also, I really wish the third baby is a girl.¡±


    ¡°I want to see a mini-Cayenne, too,¡± Stefan replied and both of them giggled at the thought of it. ¡°Shall we have a gender reveal party? Not really a big one, just with the family and close friends.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what would their reactions be.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it when we get the third baby¡¯s gender.¡±


    ¡°Or how about we won¡¯t take it and make it a surprise after giving birth.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about the room design?¡±


    ¡°Right! I forgot about it. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. They will stay in the same room for the next 2 or 3 years and they could only move to another room at 4. That saves us the hassle.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s choose a neutral design for all three of them.¡±


    For about ten minutes, the two of them enjoyed the first snow together with the three lives inside her womb and after that, they left to visit Alexander¡¯s grave to tell him about their babies and asked him to guide the lives that she was carrying. Then, they visited Emerald and ced the photograph of her ultrasound. She has another copy of it because she told Cheska to develop two photos and it was for this very reason.


    ¡°Ma, I wish you waited for these children toe out and see you. You could¡¯ve been a very great grandmother to them. You raised me and my brothers really well and I know you would be able to help me do the same to my children. Yet, all of this is just wishful thinking.¡±


    ¡°She may not be here anymore but the things she taught you, I am sure you would be able to use them.¡± Stefan expressed tofort her. ¡°Let¡¯s go home for now. It¡¯s getting colder.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Cayenne and Stefan finally left to go back home and to share the news with their family which will be held hastily since they just knew of the result as well. On their way home, Cayenne called an event organizer and asked them for help since she couldn¡¯t do things on her own and Stefan has to rest because he looked really pale. He even puked in the cemetery earlier.

 Chapter 812 - 812 GENDER REVEAL III

    812 GENDER REVEAL III


    Since the organizer was preparing something for their house, Cayenne and Stefan took this chance to visit Latticia and Dr. Albert. His mother could not join the surprise gender reveal party because of his father so they decided to tell her about it.


    ¡°Look at this ma.¡± Stefan handed the photograph of the ultrasound happily despite looking exhausted. ¡°Yen and I are having triplets.¡±


    Even Dr. Albert was surprised upon seeing the result. He also expected that Cayenne would probably have twins because of her bigger tummy but they were blessed with more. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Your house will be full ofughter and crying of these children soon.¡±


    ¡°You bet.¡± Stefan retorted apanied by faint chuckles. He already imagined Cayenne being the strict mother because of the way she was raised and he, on the other hand, would be the good cop among them. [No, she has to be the good cop. I¡¯m the bad one.] Stefan thought and Cayenne had no idea he was thinking that way right beside her at this moment.


    ¡°We¡¯re having two boys and as for the third child, the doctor could not see his or her gender. We¡¯ll keep it a secret untilte then.¡± Cayenne expressed and she could see that Latticia was caressing the photo with her thumb.


    ¡°Con..a..tu...tion.¡± she said with so much difficulty but her facial expression told them she was happy and excited to see the children as well. She was even tearing up.


    At times like this, Latticia couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated because of her situation. She wanted to say more, to do more, but her paralysis was hindering her. Although she was thankful that she was slowly recovering, she still felt it wasn¡¯t enough. Sometimes, she felt afraid that karma would hit her for being so greedy.


    Cayenne and Stefan stayed for over half an hour in the cabin to share the news with Latticia and just to chat with her about her therapy and other trivial matters. After that, they returned to the mansion, and there, Stefan plopped on their bed. He was so tired.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep,¡± he said, and not long after these words came out of his mouth, he was already sound asleep. He was even holding her hand as if to stop her from leaving because he knew that Cayenne won¡¯t be going to sleep.


    .....


    Cayenne could only sigh helplessly. They already warned him not to eat anything from her te and he did to test things. Now, what they wanted to prevent has happened and she could not do anything about it. Older people say that it would only go away after she gives birth.


    ¡°You still have a long way to go. Please don¡¯t hate our children for it.¡± Cayenne muttered while pulling the quilt to his chest. She massaged his feet a little like how he usually does for her while humming the song that she sang on her wedding day. It was an impromptu vow but it was something that she kept in her heart for a very long time and she wanted to live with it. She wanted her words and actions to align.


    At 3:00 in the afternoon, Jackson and Kyle arrived at the mansion together. The former wanted to get Cayenne¡¯s signature on some important documents while Kyle came home early because it was snowing and he wanted to change clothes to go on a date. He didn¡¯t expect to be greeted with boisterousughtering from other people he didn¡¯t know.


    Cayenne knew that she needed to supervise the people outside just in case they would need anything from her and to do that without worrying so much, she turned on Stefan¡¯s phone and hers. She wore her AirPods and used Stefan¡¯s phone to call her number. She left it that way and kissed the tip of his nose before going out of the room.


    ¡°Yen, you got your ultrasound already?¡± Kyle greeted as soon as he saw his sistering out of the bedroom. ¡°Is this a gender reveal party?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you record this? You should also show this to your fans. I am pretty sure that they would love to know your baby.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think of that. Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Although this party was decided in haste, the organizer did their best for this gender reveal, especially since their client was Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique. They didn¡¯t want to embarrass themselves with crappy preparation. They had balloons of sky blue and pink colors since the guests will have to guess what was the gender of the babies. At first, when they received the message from Cayenne, they thought that they will be revealing one baby, but when she told them to make it a little bit more unique because she has three, the event nner and her staff were blown away. The ever-generous and kind Mrs. Cayenne Ardolf-Dumrique received so many blessings in one pregnancy.


    ¡°So, my sister is preparing a gender reveal party for her friends and family since they finally decided to go and get the result of her ultrasound. We¡¯re all excited to know whether we¡¯re getting a niece or a nephew. Oh, many of you were asking why my brother-inw isn¡¯t appearing in my sister¡¯s vlogs recently, right? Last month, it was because he has so much work to do to free up his December and January from any schedule. Now, it¡¯s because he¡¯s having couvade syndrome or what some people call sympathetic pregnancy. And he has it worse than my sister. He¡¯s sleeping right now.¡± Kyle exined while showing the party area which was mainly in the living room because they couldn¡¯t have it outside.


    ¡°What are you doing? Are you recording for Yen?¡± Luiz questioned as soon as hee inside the house. He hasn¡¯t even removed his jacket yet and his beanie hat was covered with snow. He was a ball of energy, though.


    ¡°And here we have Luiz,¡± Kyle mentioned and aimed the camera at his brother.


    ¡°Hello everyone! I have something to say but I¡¯ll do it at the end of the video.¡±


    ¡°Go and change your clothes first,¡± Kylemented and Luiz gave his brother a salute before leaving.


    Soon, more people showed up and some of them were bringing small gifts, others were bringing special delicacies to share with everyone, some brought wine and the winner of them all was Magnus. He brought 3 roasted suckling pigs. When Kyle asked him why he brought so much, he said it was just a lucky number and he just wanted to buy 3 of them for no reason. He would be very surprisedter once Cayenne shows the photograph.

 Chapter 813 - 813 [Bonus chapter] GENDER REVEAL IV

    813 [Bonus chapter] GENDER REVEAL IV


    At 5:00 PM, almost all of the guests have arrived and Cayenne decided to start it after half an hour. It wasn¡¯t because the preparation wasn¡¯t done yet or because she was waiting for the other guests to arrive. She was just waiting for her husband to wake up because he was still sleeping.


    ¡°I¡¯m for team baby boy today,¡± Jillyanna said when Cayenne approached her. ¡°I¡¯m even wearing blue for him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m for the team baby girl. We have so many boys already.¡± Jademented and to support her, she was wearing pink slippers and pink hair essories. What she said earned several agreements from the adults. ¡°I hope it¡¯s a girl so I can share my Barbie dolls with her.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Stefan by the way?¡± Magnus asked when he noticed that Stefan hasn¡¯te out ever since he came two hours ago. ¡°Is he busy with work again?¡±


    ¡°No, dad.¡± Cayenne retorted instantly in defense. ¡°He¡¯s sleeping. He had been feeling nauseous all day and he kept vomiting. I¡¯m feeling guilty for him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡± Travis questioned while holding Raizel in his arms. Even after two years, this man still couldn¡¯t let go of his child. Raizel has turned 2 years old already and he seemed more attached to him than ever. Sometimes, Jill would even post on her ount that she was a little jealous of her son. ¡°You¡¯re probably having a boy if he¡¯s that exhausted.¡±


    [The exhaustion must have doubled, then.] Cayenne thought to herself when she realized that she¡¯s having two little boys in her stomach.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake, love,¡± Stefan mumbled on the phone and Cayenne looked up to the second floor instinctively. Seeing her reaction and the AirPods she was wearing, everyone could tell that she was having a call with her sleeping husband all this time. Fleetingly, Jillyanna saw Travis in Cayenne. Her husband was very much like her in this aspect.


    On the other hand, Jackson who came to get Cayenne¡¯s signature was held up. He wasn¡¯t really in a hurry but he wanted to go home and watch the new episode of the anime that he has been following. He didn¡¯t want to miss it but Cayenne was so busy, he didn¡¯t want to disturb her and she told him to wait already.


    .....


    ¡°Yen wants you to rx and take this chance to rest,¡± Kyle told Jackson since he was no longer holding the camera. Luiz took over the vlog and he was very happy to do so. ¡°You¡¯re always cope-up with work and you don¡¯t like to hang out either.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tiring to go out just to have fun. I can always have fun in my room.¡±


    Kyle has no retort to that. People have different ways of having fun and you can¡¯t just impose your ideals on someone who likes to take things differently. At the same time, he knew he would feel bad if he would just leave the man on his own. ¡°Let¡¯s go over there. Don¡¯t just hide here.¡±


    Not long after, Stefan came out from their bedroom and his eyes scanned the living room already to find where his wife at. As soon as he saw her, his expression mellowed and he walked a little faster to reach her.


    ¡°Good evening, everyone!¡± The organizer greeted them since Cayenne decided that she should host the event as well. She would earn another service fee for hosting so she grabbed the opportunity. Most of the time, they would only n the event but the client will get another host for it. This time, it was her and herpany alone. They earned big time for a single party.


    The host gave her personal message, thanking the couple for choosing her smallpany to prepare this special event that would forever be stamped in their hearts and minds. After that, she approached Magnus, Jonas, and Reuben to give their message to their future grandchild as far as they knew; not grandchildren.


    Jonas: I¡¯m sure you are going to be a lovely mother just like your mom and whateveres out, be it a boy or a girl, I have no qualms about it. I just pray that your child will grow up healthily.


    Reuben: Personally, I hope it¡¯s a boy. Then, Stefan will have a sessor because if it¡¯s a girl, I¡¯m worried that many men wille after her. At the same time, I want to see a mini-Yenyen so, I also hope it¡¯s a baby girl. Good luck Stefan if it¡¯s a baby girl. You will have to ward off a lot of evil beings.


    His statement made othersugh because it was what most fathers feel when they¡¯re having a baby girl. Hearing it, Travis couldn¡¯t agree more. He has been keeping an eye on Ethan already because the little guy was the closest to his daughter.


    Magnus stood up to receive the microphone and he stared at Cayenne¡¯s stomach. ¡°Ever since I heard that Yen is pregnant, I¡¯ve always imagined if the child would be like Stefan or would be like Yen. And I couldn¡¯t make a conclusion up until this moment. Whether you¡¯re having a boy or a girl, or in between, I don¡¯t mind it. I just hope that you won¡¯t keep the child for yourself, especially Stefan. He can be very overprotective. I¡¯m starting to worry if I¡¯ll ever have a chance to hold the baby.¡±


    Stefan only grinned evilly at his father and Magnus could only shake his head.


    As the great-grandfather, Ferdinand also gave his speech. After all, the child will be the heir to their ever-growing empire and he has been waiting for this day toe.


    ¡°Child, I wish you a thousand years to live and I hope that you won¡¯t give your parents a headache. In the many years toe, no matter what the obstacles you¡¯re facing, remember that many people have your back. Don¡¯t shoulder life alone.¡±


    Cory and Jose, Stefan¡¯s maternal grandparents also gave their speech to the unborn child and they were looking forward to seeing the child or children rather ¨C which they didn¡¯t know yet.


    After their speech, the host called for Cayenne¡¯s brothers as well as Stefan¡¯s cousin Dominic. Luiz has long set up the camera to the side and he wasn¡¯t worried about other angles of the video, he can always get them from the bodyguards who were joining them as well.


    ¡°Personally, are you expecting a nephew or a niece?¡±


    Luiz: Niece


    Kyle: Nephew


    Dominic: Niece


    ¡°So, since you will be the child¡¯s direct uncles, you will be responsible for the gender reveal.¡± The three gentlemen were excited and nervous at the same time as they waited for the host¡¯s instructions. ¡°Do you love sweets?¡±


    ¡°Not much,¡± Dominic said and the other two agreed.


    ¡°Only Yen and Jade love sweets,¡± Luiz added which made Cayenne giggle in her seat.


    ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t worry, you will surely love the cupcakes we prepared,¡± one of the staff pushed a cart and there were nine cupcakes on the te. ¡°There are three cupcakes for all of you and don¡¯t worry about the vor, we mixed it to make it fair. Aside from the cream fillings, we slipped something inside that would reveal the gender. Ah! Just a reminder to everyone, we don¡¯t sell these cupcakes. We baked them, especially for this asion. So, please erase the notion that we¡¯re not following sanitary protocol.¡±


    ¡°Can we start eating now?¡± Kyle asked with his restless fingers. He wanted to know the gender soon.


    ¡°You may start eating.¡± The host said and everyone was watching carefully what they would get inside from the cake.


    Even M who joined in on the fun through a video call couldn¡¯t contain her excitement. She was also looking forward to seeing the gender of Cayenne¡¯s baby.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Luiz eximed when he finished eating the cupcake and found a very tiny stic figure of a white angel. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t tell if the baby is a boy or a girl from this. It¡¯s cute, though. Can I keep this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can.¡± The host responded while keeping watch of Kyle and Dominic. There was a meaningful smile on her face but they couldn¡¯t tell what was the reason behind it.


    ¡°Oh! I got it!¡± Dominic said and pulled out a tiny stic figurine of an angel with a sky-blue undergarment. He caught something at the bottom and it made him frown. [Baby A?] He thought and looked at Kyle¡¯s cupcake in hand. ¡°Uhh. So, is this the baby¡¯s gender?¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Kyle mumbled with his hand in the air. ¡°I got something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god! They¡¯re having a baby boy!¡± Luna eximed but then, she looked at Cayenne who was grinning mischievously. ¡°No way.¡±


    Everyone looked at her and she blinked her eyes several times while trying to calm her heart. She may not be the mother but she will be a godmother soon and her heart has been thumping wildly because of her excitement. Realizing what happened, she was jumping in joy.


    ¡°You¡¯re having a twin?!¡±


    Then, the guests shifted their attention to Cayenne and Stefan.


    ¡°So, why did I get a genderless angel?¡± Luiz blurted out and everyone widened their eyes in shock.


    It seemed like realization dawned on them already.


    ¡°Congrattions to Mr. and Mrs. Dumrique! They¡¯re having triplets! However, only two were confirmed to be boys. The one that sir Luiz is holding represents the third child. It could be a girl or it could be a boy as well. Congrats!¡±

 Chapter 814 - 814 HOW TO BE A FATHER? I

    814 HOW TO BE A FATHER? I


    The next day, Cayenne posted the video in her YT ount and her brothers shared it as well. Not just them, those who have social media ounts shared her vlog and not long after, thousands of people were watching it already.


    ¡°Congrattion! ??¡±


    ¡°Triplets?! Aren¡¯t you blessed ??¡±


    ¡°I pray that the third child will be a girl. It would be great if they will also have a princess.¡±


    ¡°No wonder the boss looks exhausted. His wife is carrying two boys. ??¡±


    ¡°Cayenne is blooming so, she must have a girl inside her.¡± Then thisment got Stefan¡¯s attention while he was reading them. His eyebrow instantly rose and a smirk appeared on his face. [Of course she¡¯s blooming. I choose to carry the burden of pregnancy for her. My wife can¡¯t be exhausted because of the children.] Just as he thought of this, he also typed the words and posted it.


    The next few hours, Stefan¡¯s reply was liked by many and thementer who received his reply took a screenshot of his words and posted it.


    ¡°I was only admiring his wife and now the husband is unting his love. Where¡¯s the justice?!¡±


    These earned thousands ofughing emoji from many people across the world and Cayenne was one of them. She didn¡¯t expect that Stefan would reply to thements randomly and even show off his affection for his wife.


    .....


    After that day, Cayenne received so many gifts from her supporters. They sent them directly to her office since her address was never shown in public. Only selected people knew where she and Stefan live along with their bodyguards and helpers but they never tell this to anyone.


    ¡°We¡¯re having this theme for the children¡¯s room.¡± Stefan told Solomon during their video call. ¡°Cayenne wanted a neutral design since there is a high chance that we¡¯d have a baby girl as well.¡±


    ¡°Then, are we going to make three separate cribs for them or just a singlerge cot?¡±


    ¡°One should be fine. It¡¯s a hassle to make three and it will take a lot of space, too.¡±


    Solomon chuckled when he saw his friend¡¯s expression on the other side of the screen. Surely, he wasn¡¯t that enthusiastic in making things for his childrenpared to making things for his wife.


    ¡°You look unhappy even though your prayer has been answered.¡± Solomonmented which made Stefan sigh. ¡°What¡¯s the issue now?¡±


    Stefan took a deep breath and picked up a book that he had been reading in the past few days. It was all about raising a child. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to raise children. Nobody raised me properly so, I don¡¯t know how to be a proper father. What if I mess up? My wife will kill me!¡±


    ¡°So, it all boils down to your wife again.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Stefan answered with no hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stress her out with the children so, I want to help as much as I could in the future.¡±


    ¡°You said it.¡± Solomon retorted and grinned helplessly. ¡°It will happen in the future. Your wife is still 5 months pregnant. You still have a long time to learn. You don¡¯t have to rush things. Also, you are great in taking care of your wife.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be great in taking care of your children. If it eases your mind, you can ask someone who has a child and let them teach you about raising your baby.¡±


    ¡°Travis won¡¯t allow me to practice with Raizel.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be Raizel.¡±


    Stefan thought about it and he suddenly remembered Elena¡¯s sister. He heard her talk with Tristan about her new born niece and she had been visiting them whenever she could along with her mother.


    ¡°I think I have someone in mind. Anyway, regarding the room, you don¡¯t have to allocate more material for my kids. We can make do with the ones you have just make sure that their safety and health won¡¯t bepromised.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you the wholeyout tomorrow morning. Let me know at once if there¡¯s any adjustment that we need to make.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Thanks for your help.¡±


    ¡°No worries. Send my regards to your wife. Bye for now.¡±


    As soon as the call ended, Stefan slumped on his bed. Since he cleared up his December and January for any work, Stefan has more time to spend now with his mother when he was at home or with his wife when shees back from the university.


    He found it more fulfilling to do something for his mom and for his wife instead of just sitting behind his working desk, reading documents and whatnot. He felt more aplished when he was at home with the people he cared about. However, whenever he sees their bills, he will be reminded to work hard for his wife.


    Stefan stared at the ceiling for quite sometime and about ten minutester, he got up and searched for food online and sent them to Ca who was in the kitchen. Most of the time, it was Stefan who would cook for his wife but ever since he got couvade syndrome, Ca got the chance to make something for her boss and madam. She felt proud every time they praise her cooking and she was always looking forward to receive instructions from Stefan.


    If he was any other men, he would have given up on such menial task. After all, he was already suffering because of his wife¡¯s pregnancy. However, it was different for Stefan. His love for his wife soared on another level during her pregnancy. He thought that the difficulty of being pregnant was only during giving birth because he found out that it would be very painful. He would have never thought that carrying a child or children in his wife¡¯s case could be as difficult as giving birth. It has be even harder now that her stomach grew a lot bigger with three babies inside.


    Thinking up to his point, Stefan pulled something from his drawer. It was a diary that he secretly kept from his wife or so he thought. He didn¡¯t know that Cayenne found it already but chose to keep her mouth shut because of the content.


    This diary was a record of Cayenne¡¯s pregnancy and the difficulties that she has been facing. The diary was addressed to their children in the future and you could see how much he cared for her.


    One of the things he wrote was:


    Last night, she was restless and couldn¡¯t sleep properly because of her position. Yet, she didn¡¯tin and just mumbled sweet nothings to the children.


    In the future, you can¡¯t disturb your mom if she¡¯s sleeping. I will throw you out and cut your allowance.


    Another entry was:


    My darling easily gets tired when walking upstairs. Thankfully, we have the elevator to use. However, it¡¯s not always the same. I can see that she¡¯s having a hard time going to school. I feel really bad for her.


    Tsk! When you grow up, you have to study hard. You can¡¯t bezy.


    P.S. I only spoil your mom so I won¡¯t tolerate cutting sses and absences.


    Stefan wrote whatever he likes to write and some of them were funny as well. He likes his children. He likes them more because they were made of Cayenne¡¯s flesh and blood. But, he loves Cayenne the most.


    ***


    Random interview with Stefan:


    Interviewer: What is the moment that you would never ever forget abour your wife?


    Stefan: When she got ulcer. It scared the hell out of me and it made me realize that this woman; I will never do something that would hurt her. Although, I broke the promise, I¡¯m still trying to do my best to make her happy now.


    Interviewer: We can all see that. She¡¯s like the air and water to you. Have you imagined yourself of being a father at this age?


    Stefan: No. I wanted to wait for a few more years so that my wife can do a lot more of the things that she likes doing.


    Interviewer: uhh...so, the children was made identally?


    Stefan: No. I fell to one of my wife¡¯s trap willingly.


    Interviewer: If your wife and your children drown, who would you save?


    Stefan: (looks at Cayenne nervously) My wife knows how to swim...wait, what age would my children be in this scenario?


    Interviewer: 4, 5 or 6


    Stefan: Why would I let them go near the pool? I¡¯m not stupid to make my wife get angry.


    Interviewer : Then 7 or 8


    Stefan: Hmm, they should have learned how to swim at that age. Let¡¯s not air this part but yeah, I¡¯ll save my wife. My children can¡¯t be weak. Again, let¡¯s not air this part. My children will hate me.


    Cayenne could only shake her head helplessly at her love-fool husband while everyone was dumb speechless at his words.


    Other fathers would hesitate to answer the question but Stefan has no qualms telling them the truth. Nheless, fate has something more for him. Something wonderful that would bring color to his life in the future.


    ***

 Chapter 815 - 815 HOW TO BE A FATHER? II

    815 HOW TO BE A FATHER? II


    Cayenne looked at the house in front of her and even without entering the property, she could already hear the bubblyughter of a little girl. Supposedly, Stefan wanted to have a lesson alone but she found out about his n and decided to tug along.


    ¡°Auntie, Lena!¡± The little girl shouted when she caught sight of Elena before thetter could even press the doorbell. ¡°Dad! Auntie Lena is here.¡±


    Not long after, a man who seemed to be of the same age as Tristan came to open the gate for them.


    ¡°Pardon our intrusion,¡± Stefan said while giving the man a house visit present. ¡°And thank you for amodating my request. I really appreciate the help.¡±


    ¡°No, problem. It¡¯s our pleasure to help.¡± The man felt the faint tugging of his shirt and looked down. His daughter was looking at the strangers who came to their ce. ¡°This is my eldest daughter, Maya. Come inside. I¡¯ll introduce you to my wife.¡±


    Cayenne smiled at the little girl and Maya shied away behind her father. She looked so adorable with her head peeking at them. Herrge eyes seemed to resemble Elena¡¯s so they could tell that she got her eyes after her mother.


    One after another, Cayenne and Stefan came inside with Elena following behind them. This time, the little girl wastching onto Elena¡¯s left leg. Stefan¡¯s secretary could barely lift her foot to move.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± Stefan greeted softly when he saw Elena¡¯s sister in the living room with her newborn child. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she sleep inside her crib?¡±


    ¡°Oh, excited to learn, aren¡¯t you?¡± Shiaramented which brought a smile to Cayenne¡¯s face. ¡°Children have different preferences when ites to sleeping as well. I¡¯ll tell you moreter.¡±


    .....


    ¡°What is the gender of your baby? When are you going to give birth?¡± Maya questioned out of the blue and that was when they realized that she had been staring at Cayenne¡¯s bulging tummy.


    Cayenne smiled faintly and touched her baby bump at the same time before giving out her answer to the innocent little girl. ¡°I¡¯m having two boys and the third is not yet confirmed whether it will be a girl or a boy. I will give birth soon.¡±


    ¡°You have three babies inside your tummy? How is that possible? Why did my mom only get one? If that¡¯s the case, I could have asked for three siblings, too.¡±


    Her innocence made the adults burst into a heap ofughter. Who wouldn¡¯t? At the same time, exining the matter of science to a little girl would be very difficult, especially in the case of the reproductive system. ¡°You will understand it soon when you reach the right age,¡± Aaron told his daughter with a helpless smile.


    Since the baby was still sleeping soundly, Aaron decided to give the couple a tour of their humble home. Cayenne and Stefan will be spending two days with them to have hands-on training in taking care of a child. Fortunately, Shiara and Aaron agreed to help them.


    ¡°You can use this room here,¡± Aaron said upon opening the door to the guest room. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people who visit us so this hasn¡¯t been used that much. I hope you don¡¯t mind the size. We don¡¯t really have a huge space.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Stefan responded at once. ¡°We¡¯re already imposing on you. Thank you for preparing this room for us.¡±


    ¡°Alright. If you have any concerns, you can always tell me. That room at the very end is where my wife and I stay. The one on the left is Maya¡¯s room and the one on the right is the nursery. The room next to yours is where Elena usually stays.¡±


    After the tour, Cayenne and Stefan decided to rest for a while. They couldn¡¯t really do anything for now since the baby was sleeping. They needed to wait for the child to wake up and observe how the parents interact.


    ¡°Are you nauseous?¡± Cayenne asked when she noticed that he was pale. ¡°Come here.¡± She patted herp and Stefan instantly moved closer and ced his head on herp while pressing his face on her baby bump. Cayenne ced a small amount of mint oil on her fingers and rubbed them on her husband¡¯s temple. ¡°You should have listened to the elders when they say not to get anything from me.¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t, I would never know that you are going through something like this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with you.¡± Sheined at the same time, she printed a kiss on his forehead. ¡°You are doing so much for me and sometimes, I ask myself if I¡¯m giving you enough or if I¡¯mcking in some area.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you do. You arecking in one area.¡±


    ¡°Then, what should I do? Hon, you have to tell me if I need to do something better. I won¡¯t know if you won¡¯t say a thing.¡±


    Stefan then grinned and sat up on the bed while moving his face closer to hers. She could already feel his warm breath fanning her face. ¡°Wifey, ever since you enter your second trimester, you arecking something very crucial. You stopped doing it for me?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Stefan moved even closer until the tips of their nose touched and he whispered, ¡°You are not taking the initiative anymore. Youck in the field of sex.¡± Seeing her tomato-red face, Stefan couldn¡¯t stop himself fromughing. She hasn¡¯t changed. She was still so easy to tease.


    ¡°I...I...I will do my best.¡± Cayenne mumbled despite feeling like she was about to melt down from her own rising temperature.


    ¡°Yes. Yes. You will have to do your best. I¡¯ll be expecting a lot of your love.¡± Stefan teased and stole a kiss from her, not feeling dizzy anymore after the massage he got from his beloved wife.


    About fifteen minutester, Stefan¡¯s ears perked up at the faint sound of crying. His moment to learn has finallye and he was excited to know more about parenting. He just never noticed it.

 Chapter 816 - 816 SHARING THEIR LOVE FOR CHILDREN

    816 SHARING THEIR LOVE FOR CHILDREN


    ¡°Children cry for different reasons,¡± Shiara exined while feeding the baby with the milk form through a milk bottle. ¡°When babies cry, it could be they¡¯re hungry, they felt difort from their pee or poo or maybe they just wanted attention or they wanted to sleep.¡±


    ¡°How would I know which one they wanted?¡± Stefan questioned. ¡°They don¡¯t talk and they don¡¯t make gestures, either.¡±


    ¡°First, you got to check their diapers. If there was nothing wrong, you could assume that the baby is hungry, considering you haven¡¯t fed them, yet.¡±


    The lecture started with Stefan listening to every word Shiara said. She even taught him how to properly hold the milk bottle to make sure that the baby will be able to drink from itfortably. Cayenne could see his hand shaking while holding it.


    ¡°After feeding the child, you have to carry him or her like this,¡± Aaron was the one who carried the child this time since his wife was the one who carried their daughter earlier. ¡°You have to gently pat her back and wait for her to burp. That is necessary.¡±


    Stefan nodded his head in understanding while watching how the other man did it.


    ¡°In our case, we prefer to walk her around if she has gotten her sleep and food already. Sometimes, we would read her picture books or we allow Maya to sing a song for her ¨C anything that would get her attention. Then, if she starts crying again, we would check her diapers and if there¡¯s nothing wrong, we would consider putting her back to sleep since she just drank the milk.¡±


    Even during their lunch, Shiara and Aaron shared their experience with Cayenne and Stefan. The reason why they chose them for help was that they were living normally and they don¡¯t spoil their child. Cayenne can¡¯t afford to raise her kids as Travis does with Raizel. The man was just toovish.


    In the afternoon, Stefan learned how to carry a babyfortably. He learned the dos and don¡¯ts for kids, especially in avoiding the tendency to spoil them.


    .....


    Cayenne was learning as well even though she was just observing. She has little knowledge of racing a child because of her brothers but she just wanted to refresh her mind. After all, it happened so long ago and her brothers have grown so big now.


    Two dayster, Stefan and Cayenne went home. As soon as they returned, Stefan wrote down the things that he needed to remember for his children. To him, he was doing all these for the sake of his wife. He would never admit that he was just really excited for them toe. At night, when Cayenne was asleep, he was even searching for the best milk form if they ever needed one. Hepared different products and the nutritional facts written on them.


    At the same time, Elena posted some stolen pictures that she took during the two days that Stefan and Cayenne stayed with her sister. Just looking at them made her want to have a child of her own as well.


    -Your children will have the best parents in the world. ¨C


    Apanying this caption were the pictures of Stefan feeding the baby, carrying the baby while reading a picture book, and a picture of Cayenne ying dolls with Maya.


    Her post received many reactions from people. Some were good and some were bad, saying that the couple was pretentious. However, Cayenne and Stefan have no time for their haters anymore. They can feel hate, anger, and whatsoever, but the couple no longer cares.


    Another day has passed, it was Saturday and Cayenne was at the foundation warehouse with her husband. It was early in the morning and he already vomited twice. Still, nothing would beat his determination to be with his wife.


    ¡°Are these all the things?¡± Cayenne asked Jackson when she saw the boxes of things that she ordered him to buy. ¡°Did you include the kit bags?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Yen. Sir Kyle and I did the inventory. We can start packing them whenever you want.¡±


    Cayenne nodded her head and pped her hands thrice. Her staff approached her immediately and she instructed them to stay in different spots, at least one meter from each other. Each staff was responsible for one item being ced inside the bag and thest person was responsible for checking if the bag has all the items before giving it to the bodyguard who will then carry the packages to the van.


    ¡°Kath, can you stay at the end and check the bags if they have all the things? There should be a bottle of baby shampoo, baby body wash, a baby towel, a milk bottle, 2 bibs, a bottle brush, 4 cans of baby milk, and a pack of baby wipes.¡±


    ¡°Got it, sis Yen.¡±


    Since Cayenne and Stefan were expecting their babies toe into the world soon, they wanted to share their happiness with other parents out there by giving them some baby essentials. It wasn¡¯t much but Cayenne was happy to see that she was able to help a little.


    ¡°Is there anything that I can help with?¡± Stefan asked when he noticed that he was the only one who wasn¡¯t doing anything. Even his wife who was carrying three babies in her tummy was busy with so many things.


    ¡°Just stay beside me,¡± Cayenne responded and patted the spot next to her. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere else. Why don¡¯t you watch the videos that Shiara shared?¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Cayenne happily pulled out a kit bag and ced a bottle of shampoo inside it before giving it to the next person who was responsible for the baby¡¯s body wash. Beside her, Stefan was watching a video about parenting. Both were doing the things that make them happy with the help of other people.


    During lunch, the bodyguards arranged some tables and chairs for everyone and not long after, Stanley came along with three hotel staff who works in another hotel that Stefan owns. They brought out different dishes for everyone which were ordered by Stefan. Cayenne didn¡¯t even notice that he already bought food for them.


    ¡°Thanks, hon,¡± Cayenne whispered and gave him a light kiss on his lips.


    Everyone: We¡¯re not eating yet but we got an advance dessert.

 Chapter 817 - 817 [Bonus chapter] MAGNUS VISITS THE CABIN

    817 [Bonus chapter] MAGNUS VISITS THE CABIN


    The ces that Cayenne and Stefan chose to visit this time were called Hawanay Vige and Anduhaw Vige in City B. When Cayenne expressed her willingness to help other parents who recently gave birth to their babies, Tristan readily made a research to know which ce has a bigger rate of newborns. It was after a thorough investigation that they chose this ce.


    The viges were quite some distance from the main city and almost one hundred babies were born this year. Before the new year started, Cayenne wanted to share her blessings with them.


    It was Sunday when they traveled to these viges since they ended up quitetest night from packing the things that they wanted to give. Aside from the baby essentials that they will be giving away, Cayenne and Stefan decided to give some Noche Buena packages for Christmas as well.


    She wasn¡¯t worried about the money she spent anymore. She has her own ie from the videos that she uploaded to her YT ount and if she ever ran out of money, she has the foundation as well. Her foundation was receivingrge donations already from other people and she used the funds to help others as much as she could.


    Going to Hawanay and Anduhaw took three hours of travel but no one said anything since they were all excited about the reward of their hard work. Aside from seeing the people¡¯s smiles, Cayenne¡¯s staff was excited about their Christmas bonus and the vacation thates with it. She already told them that today would be theirst day at work and they cane back on the second Monday of January. Who wouldn¡¯t be happy with a long vacation?


    Meanwhile, Magnus was walking back and forth inside his room with his index finger poking his chin. Something was bugging him.


    On the day of the gender reveal party, he came early and decided to walk around the house to y with the dogs. He noticed that there was a new cabin built near theke and he saw Stanleye out of the ce. As far as he knew, the cabin was built for the stay-in doctor that Stefan hired. He was wondering what happened to Stefan¡¯s uncle that prompted him to consult the family doctor. However, when their eyes met, he saw that fleeting anger cross Stanley¡¯s face.


    Aside from abandoning his sister and neglecting their love child, he couldn¡¯t remember anything else that he offended the man. Although they weren¡¯t on good terms, Stanley¡¯s attitude towards him had mellowed out already because of Cayenne and Stefan. He didn¡¯t expect him to show his hatred again after quite some time.


    After that day, he didn¡¯t bother himself with Stanley¡¯s matter and just focused on himself as well as taking care of his father. Ferdinand was getting frail due to his old age but because of his determination to hold his grandchildren, he was doing his best to follow the doctor¡¯s medication and reminders just to stay alive. Thankfully, fate and time weren¡¯t doing anything to go against his wishes.


    .....


    At the same time, two days after that party, Magnus visited his son¡¯s home once again. For some reason, he wanted to go fishing with him but Stefan forbade him to go near theke. He said that his doctor didn¡¯t like people invading his space unless it was a patient whoes for help. Magnus didn¡¯tin.


    Then, another instance was when he decided to visit the residing doctor because he was curious about him. Although Stefan said he was a family doctor, the people who can consult him were Cayenne¡¯s family and his maternal rtives. Magnus and Ferdinand had to visit Senyu Medical Hospital and consult their doctor there. He has never seen the doctor, not even once.


    Now, it was bugging him why his son didn¡¯t want him to meet the doctor at all. [Shall I go visit the cabin secretly when he¡¯s not around?] Magnus asked himself while pacing back and forth. He really wanted to know why he wasn¡¯t allowed to see the doctor.


    Thinking up to this point, Magnus called Ca if Stefan and Cayenne were home. As a chef who didn¡¯t know anything, she told him the truth that the couple went somewhere to donate some goods. Magnus got the name of the ces and searched their distance from Stefan¡¯s home. Seeing that they would probably take a long time, he didn¡¯t bother changing his clothes and left to visit the mansion.


    Ca was stunned when she saw him there because she didn¡¯t expect the man to visit even though Cayenne and Stefan weren¡¯t home. She thought he needed something but he directly walked to the back of the house and trekked the road to the cabin.


    [Did something happen to him? Is he sick which is why he¡¯s wanted to see the doctor secretly?] Ca has no idea of the secrets around Stefan¡¯s family and she never really cared about it. She only wanted to do her job properly, get praise from her bosses and get her sry.


    Magnus reached the cabin within two minutes and he could hear faint noisesing from the inside. It seemed like the doctor was talking to someone but he couldn¡¯t hear any responses.


    Not wanting to be misunderstood as an eavesdropper, Magnus pressed the doorbell and waited for someone to open the door for him. After all, even if the cabin was built within his son¡¯s property, somebody else owned the house.


    Stefan and Dr. Albert were cautious of this scene toe so he installed a monitoring camera at the door so that Dr. Albert would see his visitor; making sure that he would know if the person who visits him was Magnus or not.


    ¡°Magnus is here.¡± Dr. Albert whispered to Latticia as he pushed the wheelchair back to their bedroom. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and meet him. Just stay here for now and don¡¯te out no matter what happens.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. Be..ca..re..ful...¡±


    Dr. Albert nodded his head at once and locked the door when he came out. Although Latticia could move around a little on her own, he was confident that she wouldn¡¯t be able to utch the lock with her strength.


    The doorbell rang again and Dr. Albert finally opened the door. When Magnus saw him, anger crossed his face and without even waiting for the doctor to invite him inside, heunched a strong punch at the man¡¯s face. ¡°How dare you bewitch my son to take you in?!¡±

 Chapter 818 - 818 NEITHER LOSING NOR WINNING

    818 NEITHER LOSING NOR WINNING


    Dr. Albert stepped back from the impact but still fell on the floor because of the ottoman chair behind him. His butt hurt as well as his jaw but nothing could erase the mirth in his eyes. He felt victorious against Magnus even if he got a punch and another oneing.


    Dr. Albert evaded the second punch and held his opponent¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s be civil Mr. Dumrique. I didn¡¯t bewitch your son. What for?¡±


    ¡°Then, how the hell did you get him to build this cabin for you and make you stay here?! You killed his mother!¡±


    ¡°Wait! Wait! Wait a minute!¡± The doctor stood up and pushed Magnus away from him. ¡°Have you gone senile?! Why are you using me of killing his mother? It was your wife who killed your woman?! I got there and she was gone! It was your selfishness and carelessness that caused her death! I was nothing but a doctor who went to the crime scene!¡±


    Magnus was speechless. The man was right. Just because he was regarded as an aplice, he didn¡¯t really kill Latticia. He only kept the matter a secret from everyone to help his employer escape from getting imprisoned. Magnus staggered when he realized how impertinent he was at the moment.


    ¡°Why are you here anyway? Didn¡¯t your son tell you that you are not supposed toe here?¡±


    ¡°So, this is the reason why,¡± Magnus muttered softly as he turned his back. ¡°Just so you know, even if you are serving my son¡¯s family, I am not forgiving you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your forgiveness and I am not asking for it.¡±


    Magnus didn¡¯t say a word and left without looking back to the cabin. He didn¡¯t see that Latticia was standing at the door of the master¡¯s bedroom. Well, even if he sees her, there was no guarantee that he¡¯d be able to recognize her with her current appearance.


    .....


    ¡°A...a..r..you...o...kay?¡± Latticia asked Dr. Albert while trying her best to lift her hand to touch his face. His lower lip was bleeding. Not long ago, he got the same wound from her brother and now, he received another one from her ex-lover.


    Dr. Albert held her hand, kissed her palm, and pressed it on his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I only allowed him to punch me once.¡±


    ¡°He...he...has...not....ch-changed.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Still the same hot-headed Magnus. Did you want to see him which is why you are standing here?¡±


    ¡°N..no...I...I he..rd....mo...tion...I...wa...s...wo...rried...¡± Latticia sighed in frustration for stuttering so much because of her illness.


    ¡°You heard amotion and you were worried? For me or him?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± She answered with no hesitation. Her clear brown eyes told him that she wasn¡¯t lying just to cate him. ¡°I...wa..n..ted..to..go..my...fe..et..n..ot..mo..ving..¡±


    ¡°Sorry for worrying you.¡± Dr. Albert said and hugged her. ¡°I felt victorious already that you decided to stay with me. I didn¡¯t do anything in retaliation to him. I think there¡¯s no need to do so.¡±


    For him, it didn¡¯t matter if Latticia was only using him as a shield against Magnus. As long as she stays with him, nothing else matters to him. Even if he wouldn¡¯t get the love that he had been seeking all these years because he knew that choosing to stay with him doesn¡¯t mean loving him as well.


    He was already happy that she didn¡¯t leave him after remembering everything.


    [Call me selfish. I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re all I need to continue living.] Dr. Alber thought as his tears fell on the back of her shirt. She didn¡¯t notice.


    In the evening, Cayenne and Stefan came home along with Kyle. It was ratherter because they held a small celebration for the sess of the foundation and it also served as their year-end party. It was the only year-end party that Stefan attended. Even though he didn¡¯t attend the other parties, his employees or staff didn¡¯t feel bad because of the prizes that he bought for the raffle games.


    Cayenne did the same earlier when they returned from giving away the baby essential kits and the Noche Buena packages. By the time they arrived, Luiz and David have prepared something along with the bodyguards who apany them. They enjoyed the party until ten in the evening because Cayenne has to rest from the trip. No oneined because they were still not over with the Christmas bonus that they received along with their 13th month¡¯s pay.


    ¡°Where are we holding the party this year?¡± Cayenne asked her husband when they arrived home and got inside their bedroom. She felt really cold since she had been staying outside for a long time but she was happy with the cause of it.


    ¡°We can have it here. We have more space than the previous home. We can¡¯t have it in the vi because my mother and her family won¡¯t be able to attend it.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s have it here.¡± It will be their first Christmas in their own mansion and Cayenne was looking forward to it. Most likely, only their families woulde since their friends would want to spend it with their family, too. Still, Cayenne expected that some friends wille.


    ¡°I have a bad premonition about the gifts I am receiving this year,¡± Stefanmented as he plopped down on the bed.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°During my birthday, I received matching knitted mittens and two of them were for the children. I have a feeling that more things for the children wille this Christmas.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of. We have to find another mitten for our baby. We only have two pairs. It won¡¯t be right if one of them couldn¡¯t have one.¡±


    ¡°What about me? Are you going to neglect me as well?¡±


    Cayenne pinched his nose andughed at his sulking figure. ¡°Stop being dramatic. I¡¯ll let you shop tomorrow and get whatever you like. Only for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No, not tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I nned to watch a movie with Mom. We¡¯ll be staying here all day long with her.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Cayenne eximed and rummaged through her bag to find her phone. ¡°I remember that Ca sent me a message earlier. We got so busy I forgot. She said that your dad came and visited the cabin. He had a brawl with Dr. Albert.¡±


    Stefan sat upright on the bed and worry instantly covered his face. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on them. I¡¯m sure that they¡¯re still awake because I saw the light was still on.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Come back as soon as possible. Don¡¯t forget your coat; it¡¯s cold outside.¡±

 Chapter 819 - 819 JUSTIN’S LITTLE WIFE

    819 JUSTIN¡¯S LITTLE WIFE


    Dr. Albert exined to Stefan the whole event and soon, thetter softened his expression when he saw that his mother was sleeping peacefully on her bed. ¡°I promised to protect her and nothing would make me change my mind.¡±


    ¡°I know. Thank you for not letting my father find her. I don¡¯t want more trouble in the family.¡± Stefan went out of the room and closed the door behind him. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my wife now. If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know. Also, we¡¯ll have breakfast together at 7:30 AM tomorrow. I know both of you are early birds.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll take her there for a walk as well.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    Stefan finally left the cabin and returned to the mansion. He found that Cayenne was still awake, listening to soft ssical music with her phone pressed on her lower tummy. He removed his coat, took a short half bath, and changed his clothes to a pair of pajamas that match his wife¡¯s.


    ¡°Are they okay?¡± Cayenne asked while putting away her phone. She moved closer to him and hugged his waist but her baby bump still put a little distance between them.


    Stefan nodded and kissed her nose. ¡°Dad didn¡¯t see mom there. I wonder if he could recognize her if he ever sees her; not that I n of letting them meet again. I just don¡¯t want the current peace to be broken.¡±


    ¡°But there is no secret that can be kept forever. Hon, you have to prepare yourself if ever Dad finds out the truth ¨C grandpa and grandma, too.¡±


    Stefan sighed and closed his eyes to focus on her warmth alone. ¡°I¡¯ll worry about it when the timees. For now, I don¡¯t want to think of anything else but you and the children.¡±


    .....


    Cayenne grinned when she heard him say thest word. He may not have realized it but he was being considerate of the children.


    The next morning, Cayenne woke up to the sound of Stefan retching once again. It has be her usual view already in her day-to-day life. ¡°My little cupcakes, you can¡¯t cause trouble to your father in the future. He¡¯s suffering already before you could evene out. I¡¯m already feeling bad.¡±


    ¡°What are you mumbling?¡± Stefan asked aftering out of the bathroom. He looked exhausted even though it was early in the morning.


    ¡°I want the children to bully you more.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t bully you so, they have to do it on behalf of their beloved mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So, you have aplices now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. These children will bully you until I give birth to them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried. I can bully you after giving birth to them.¡±


    ¡°See?!¡±


    Stefan burst outughing and Cayenne smiled as well. He finally looked a little better than earlier. ¡°Do you want to have coffee in the garden? I want to walk around with mom.¡±


    It was just one of their normal days with no work waiting for them or sses for her. They got to spend their day however they wanted without worrying about anything. Or so they thought. It was Christmas and people associate this word with merry. Everyone should be happy this season.


    At the same time, you could not erase the fact that some people out there might be suffering. For example, little Chloe. It was supposedly also a normal day for her. She woke up early, brushed her teeth, ate her breakfast, and washed the tes.


    Justin wasing home and he promised to buy her a new dress and a new batch of school supplies. You could say that among the children, she was his favorite. [Of course, I would be his favorite. I¡¯m going to be his wife in the future.] This would be most likely her answer if she hears people say about the difference in treatment.


    Although Justin gave her special treatment, he was still kind to the other children in his home.


    Perhaps it was because of too much excitement or maybe it was because she was tired; no one really knew why she copsed on the floor. It was Molly who heard the crashing sounding from the kitchen and when she got inside, Chloe was already lying on the floor with her deathly pale face.


    It was so timely that Erwin came to send Justin over with the Christmas gifts that Cayenne and her family gave when the children came running out of the house to call for help. He even almost hit one of the children if it wasn¡¯t for his quick reaction to step on the brake.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Justin asked at once before he could even step out of the car. His worry clouded his face as he ran to the house without even taking his things with him.


    ¡°Chloe copsed! She¡¯s in the kitchen.¡±


    Erwin, being the bigger person who has basic knowledge of first aid, ran inside and told everyone to give him a big space for air cirction. The other children were already crying and Justin stood there in shock. He wanted to save her but he didn¡¯t know how to. He wasn¡¯t taught how to save someone.


    ¡°Justin! Call someone! Call an ambnce!¡±


    Justin was jolted awake by the angry shout and he instantly called the emergency hotline. It was the first contact that Cayenne saved on his phone just in case something happens. He didn¡¯t expect that he would be calling the number for Chloe.


    ¡°She¡¯s breathing. She¡¯s breathing now.¡± Erwin announced after doing a Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. He didn¡¯t realize he was sweating until he slumped on the floor beside the little girl. ¡°We still need to bring her to the hospital to know what caused this.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s granny?¡± Justin asked when he realized that the old woman wasn¡¯t around. The children suddenly turned silent and they avoided his gaze. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? I told you that you have to tell me everything.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Justin. Granny asked us not to say a word. We didn¡¯t want you to keep worrying about us.¡±


    Erwin felt sorry for the kids. They were all orphans who relied on each other but at the same time, they were aware of the fact that Justin shouldn¡¯t feel responsible for them. It was creating a rift between them.


    ¡°Calm down for now. Go and wait for the ambnce toe. I will monitor Chloe from here. Don¡¯t think too much. Everything will be fine. Also, don¡¯t contact Ms. Yen. I¡¯ll inform them about this personally.¡±


    Justin only nodded his head and left. His tears fell on the ground but he didn¡¯t try to wipe his face because they would know he was crying. He already lost their grandpa and most likely, their grandma was also in the hospital. Now, Chloe will be sent as well. He felt helpless.


    [Please don¡¯t take her away.]

 Chapter 820 - 820 STEFAN’S LIMITLESS SHOPPING

    820 STEFAN¡¯S LIMITLESS SHOPPING


    Chloe was sent to Senyu Medical Hospital for an immediate checkup and there, Justin found their grandma as well. She got admitted due to a sudden surge in her high blood pressure. Thankfully, she made it in time to the hospital and received proper treatment. They can¡¯t even tell her that Chloe was also in the same building.


    Justin felt so devastated at the moment. He didn¡¯t know what to do and they didn¡¯t have anyone else to depend on. They were just a bunch of orphans and he was the only one who works for the family.


    Martin wanted to wait for the result but he has other work to do as well. After long deliberation, he decided to leave and talk to Stefan about this matter. ¡°Justin, I¡¯ll go back to Yen¡¯s house first and inform them of what happened. I¡¯ll ask them if we could assign someone to look after the kids in your home. If you get the result, just send a picture to me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He muttered without even looking at the adult in front of him. He was busy thinking of the savings he has and how he should spend them now that two people dear to him were suffering.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Erwin said and gently patted the kid¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Everything will be fine. We will find a way to help.¡±


    Erwin drove back to Justin¡¯s ce first and unloaded the gifts that Cayenne and her family prepared. He also reminded them to take care of themselves and make sure that they won¡¯t fight while the adults were away. So far, they behaved well and he could only hope that it will stay the same once he left.


    Stefan was ying chess with Dr. Albert while his mother was talking with Cayenne about childcare. Even if she only stayed with Stefan for three months of his infant stage, Latticia still remembered the important things that a mother should remember for her children. The only problem was how to properly express her thoughts.


    Her broken statements and stutters frustrate her the most when having conversations. Fortunately, the people around her have extended their patience to listen to her. If it was somebody else, they probably left her already from annoyance.


    Latticia could now walk slowly from the cabin to the mansion without getting tired of doing it. Every morning, Dr. Albert made it a habit to walk her around while holding her hand to make sure she won¡¯t trip and fall. She could move her hands a little but sometimes, she felt it taxing and painful. Dr. Albert didn¡¯t specialize in neurology so, he didn¡¯t have a full grasp of Latticia¡¯s illness. He could only assist her with other things but not the whole treatment.


    .....


    And most importantly, Dr. Albert didn¡¯t have to wait for that miraculous period of Latticia getting the chance to talk. She can talk now whenever she wanted although, although you need patience in trying to understand her words.


    ¡°Mom, you are improving a lot since you came here. You may not know this but Stefan is excited to see you hold our children.¡±


    ¡°Me...too.¡±


    ¡°When that timees, let¡¯s have a family picture ¨C a secret family picture.¡±


    Latticia sighed when she realized the inconvenience she was causing everyone. Her son, her daughter-inw, and her brother have to lie for her as well.


    Cayenne talked about so many things with Latticia and nned a lot of activities that she could do with the children in the future without worrying about getting busted.


    Around 11:30 AM, before having their lunch, Stefan received a message from Erwin containing a photo of someone¡¯s medical record. As soon as he finished reading the whole message, his eyes automatically sought his wife. [She can¡¯t know about this.] He told himself because he was worried that her emotions wouldplicate things. Then, he realized that his wife was actually stronger when ites to this kind of matter now. She learned it the hard way. [I¡¯ll inform herter once things look a little better.]


    ¡°Find someone to look after the children for the time being. Don¡¯t work at thepany for now and just apany Justin. Make sure that his grandma and Chloe are doing okay. Ask the doctor how to proceed on this matter.¡±


    Erwin sent a thumbs up as his reply and immediately talked to the other bodyguards.


    Stefan stared at the photo on his phone and sighed. ¡°Love.¡± Cayenne instantly looked at him with a questioning look. ¡°Dr. Albert and I will check something at the cabin. We¡¯ll be back as soon as we could.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Dr. Albert who didn¡¯t know what Stefan was talking about just agreed after seeing the man¡¯s serious gaze.


    The two of them left through the back door and when they were some distance from the mansion, Stefan showed Dr. Albert the photo of Chloe¡¯s medical record. ¡°I know you are not a heart specialist but, do you have any idea of what might happen to this kid?¡±


    Toe out and talk to him about someone¡¯s child, Dr. Albert couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Whose kid is this?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s an orphan. She¡¯s a dear friend to one of our helpers in the previous house and Cayenne is very fond of her.¡±


    Dr. Albert nodded his head while reading the information directly from Stefan¡¯s phone. ¡°Cardiomyopathy. Hmm. As far as I know, if her condition isn¡¯t that serious, she can take medications, otherwise, she would need to undergo surgery. It¡¯s only stated here that she has this illness. I¡¯m sure that there is more to this paper.¡±


    Stefan nodded his head and took back his phone. ¡°Thanks for checking. I hope you can keep this matter a secret from my wife.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sure.¡±


    The two of them returned to the mansion and it happened that Ca has served the food already. Kyle wasing down from his room while Cayenne helped Latticia walk to the dining area. With the food in front of them, Cayenne didn¡¯t have the time to ask what happened at the cabin anymore ¨C though, nothing really happened there.


    In the afternoon, Kyle joined them in the theater room and they watched two movies in a row. Ca and the other helpers who finished their work joined them as well. Stefan made sure to choose something fun because of his wife. He can¡¯t allow her to watch melodramatic movies.


    The next morning, Stefan asked Cayenne to fulfill her promise; that he can shop for whatever he wanted for a day without any limit. He wanted to use this opportunity to distract her as well before telling her the news of Chloe¡¯s illness. The child may not be rted to them but with Cayenne¡¯s big heart, he knew that she would be greatly affected by it even if she won¡¯t say anything. She was really close to children.


    ¡°Come and check this out,¡± Stefan said and raised the matching beanie hats. ¡°They also have small ones.¡± Cayenne covered her mouth while trying her best to stop grinning from ear to ear. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice that they have this kind of design for children, too.¡± Hemented as he checked the pajamas. Cayenne could only nod her head and agree with his words without telling him anything about the things he bought.


    It was probably the father instinct in him that made him get the things that he never usually bought. He still hadn¡¯t noticed anything as they look around and Cayenne had no n in telling him either. She was waiting to see his expression once realization dawned on him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there,¡± he said with his fingers pointing at the shoes for kids.


    ¡°Look at this.¡±


    ¡°Wifey, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Is this safe for babies?¡±


    ¡°I wonder if I could get something customized?¡±


    ¡°Oooh! This is cute. I wish will have a little princess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure which one should I get. Hon, you choose.¡±


    Cayenne didn¡¯t expect Stefan will have this side of him, too. In most cases, women love to shop and spend money on whatever they like while men work and save money for the family. Note, not all women but most. Seeing Stefan like this, Cayenne didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She lost count of the bank notification she received already.


    During lunch, Stefan chose a quiet ce where he can discuss Chloe¡¯s matter with his wife. He was a little worried but he was determined to tell her the truth instead of getting kicked out of their bedroom for keeping this issue from her.


    ¡°I¡¯m done with shopping,¡± he dered which made Cayenne raise her eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. The money that I might spendter, I want to use it on something else.¡±


    Cayenne was suspicious of his words and she narrowed her eyes at him which caused Stefan to divert his gaze somewhere else. ¡°And what could it be? Why are you looking away?¡±


    ¡°Promise me that you will stay calm.¡±


    ¡°Those words make me anxious. It¡¯s doing the opposite.¡±


    Stefan took out his phone and showed her the conversation he had with Erwinst night. It was his second update after the photo he sent yesterday morning. ¡°Chloe needs treatment or she may need surgery in the long run.¡±

 Chapter 821 - 821 SURGERY

    821 SURGERY


    Once lunch was over, Stefan and Cayenne went to Senyu Medical Hospital to visit Chloe and Justin¡¯s grandmother. When they got there, Justin was staring into space outside Chloe¡¯s room. He was young, a minor, but he felt like he was shouldering the whole world because of what was happening in his life right now.


    ¡°Justin,¡± Cayenne called out but the young man seemed to not hear anything with whatever was going on in his mind. ¡°Justin.¡± She called out his name again and gently tap his shoulder.


    As if electrocuted, Justin jolted back to reality and saw Cayenne standing in front of him. He felt embarrassed for spacing out but he couldn¡¯t say anything aside from calling her, ¡°Ms. Yen.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here outside? Shouldn¡¯t you be with your bride?¡± She teased to ease the tension in him and she was sessful, Justin just blushed and sighed helplessly. ¡°You are wonderful for taking care of her. Can I get inside to see her?¡±


    Justin nodded but also said, ¡°She¡¯s sleeping though.¡±


    Still, Cayenne went inside to take a look at the lovely little girl who was once like a monkey that loves to cling to Justin whenever hees home. Yet, right now, she looked pale and weak. Cayenne did her best to keep her emotions in check.


    ¡°Hon, I¡¯ll go find the doctor. I¡¯ll talk to her about Chloe¡¯s case. I¡¯ll also drop by their grandma to find out what exactly happened. You can stay here with Justin. I¡¯lle and get youter.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. Thanks, hon.¡± Stefan kissed her cheek and left the room. He was still hesitant to leave her but, he knew he needed to give her space with the children.


    Cayenne held Chloe¡¯s hand and the girl stirred in her sleep. She thought she woke her up but Chloe remained sleeping. ¡°Little Chloe,¡± she called out softly and caressed the little girl¡¯s face. ¡°You have to stay strong. Justin will be sad if you are going to leave.¡±


    .....


    Justin didn¡¯t say anything. Of course, he will be sad. Who wouldn¡¯t? They¡¯ve been together for a long time. In fact, he took care of her ever since she was picked up by their grandma and grandpa. You could say that he raised his little wife all this time.


    Cayenne spoke softly beside the bed and promised to help the child as much as she could. She even helped those distant strangers. How much more if the person who needed her help this time was someone dear to her heart? She would surely do anything ¨C everything, just to keep her alive.


    Half an hourter, Stefan came back and told Cayenne the information that he directly gathered from the two different doctors. Justin¡¯s grandmother was already out of danger and can be discharged anytime as long as she pays for her hospitalization. Stefan already told Erwin to take care of that. Although the woman has some savings, it wasn¡¯t enough to pay for her medical bills.


    ¡°Chloe¡¯s case is very serious. She needs to undergo surgery and proceed with medications after to keep her alive. She can¡¯t survive without the surgery.¡±


    ¡°Can they schedule her for the surgery as soon as possible?¡±


    ¡°Of course, they could. However, they needed to talk to her. We have no problem if it¡¯s just about money but if Chloe isn¡¯t ready to have the surgery and the procedure is forced on her, it mightplicate things during the operation.¡±


    Cayenne understood that this was something they couldn¡¯t decide on their own. Chloe needs to give her consent as well.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for her to wake up and exin this matter to her. Maybe she would feel at ease with us telling her the whole situation.¡±


    Stefan nodded his head in agreement. Even if he didn¡¯t want to, he knew that his wife will only be restless if he tells her otherwise. He could only go along with her.


    Since Chloe was sleeping, Cayenne told Justin to go home and get some rest. He looked so exhausted and the dark circles around his eyes told Cayenne that he hasn¡¯t gotten any sleep yet.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stay with her and if we ever need to leave, I¡¯ll ask someone to look after her. You have to rest, too.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Yen, about my sry for the next month -¡±


    ¡°Are you nning to ask me for an advance sry to cover her operation?¡± Justin slowly nodded his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my husband will pay for it. Don¡¯t think too much. Just make sure to do your work properly.¡±


    After more than 24 hours of holding back, Justin finally burst into tears in front of everyone. He was so stressed out with the situation and he didn¡¯t know what else he could do. Having Cayenne and Stefan there with him took away all his anxiety. Without them, he would have to shoulder everything on his own.


    ¡°My. My.¡± Cayenne mumbled and gently pat the young man¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Chloe will wake up if you keep crying. Go home and rest.¡±


    ***


    Two hourster after Justin left, Chloe woke up and found Cayenne sitting on the couch with Stefan¡¯s head on herp as he sleeps beside her. It was really an odd sight since Cayenne was the one who got pregnant.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Cayenne muttered when she noticed that someone was staring at her. ¡°Are you feeling ufortable?¡± Chloe shook her head. ¡°Ah. Are you worried you¡¯d wake my husband?¡± The kid nodded. Cayenne just smiled while caressing her husband¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯m d you are awake now. I asked Justin to go home.¡±


    ¡°I must have worried him again,¡± Chloe mumbled and shifted her gaze to the white ceiling. ¡°Sis Yen, am I dying?¡±


    ¡°No, of course, not,¡± Cayenne responded at once and this caused Stefan to wake up. ¡°Sorry, love. Was I too loud?¡±


    Stefan stared at her face and smiled, ¡°A little. I thought something bad has happened,¡± he said as he sat up straight on the couch. ¡°Are you feeling any difort?¡±


    ¡°No. I was just talking to Chloe.¡±


    Stefan finally looked at the little girl on the bed who also stared back at him. He could see fear in her eyes but she remained stoic in front of them.


    ¡°Do you know what happened to you?¡± Stefan asked this time and Chloe nodded her head. ¡°Good. Now, I¡¯ll exin to you the details and the things that you have to consider.¡±


    Slowly, Stefan and Cayenne exined the graveness of the situation and the consequences if she was left untreated. They also gave her the options of going through surgery or taking medications and the advantages and disadvantages thate with it. So far, Chloe was very understanding but she looked troubled as well.


    ¡°Do you have any questions?¡±


    Chloe fiddled with her thumbs and swallowed drily before she lifted her head to look at them. ¡°Is it going to be expensive? I don¡¯t have money. Can I pay it when I be an adult and get a job?¡±


    ¡°Why are you even thinking that far? Don¡¯t worry about the bill. My husband will take care of that. We only want to hear your choice.¡±


    ¡°If I only take the medication, will I still faint?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There will be times that you would still experience the same difficulty in breathing and fainting.¡±


    ¡°If I go for surgery, how long will I live?¡±


    ¡°If you go for surgery, take your medications properly and have a proper diet, you will live long. You can even get married and have your own family.¡±


    Of all the things that Cayenne and Stefan said, thest statement was probably the best of them all. Chloe¡¯s face brightened and she nodded her head like a hen pecking some grains on the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go for the surgery. I¡¯ll take the medications and follow the doctor¡¯s reminders. I want to live for a very, very long time.¡±


    ¡°Great! We¡¯ll discuss it with the doctor, Justin, and your grandma. We¡¯ll take care of everything else.¡±


    At 5:00 PM, Stefan and Cayenne went home right after reminding Erwin to look after Chloe. Justin¡¯s grandma was discharged from the hospital as well but she chose to stay behind to be there for the little girl.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s my time to rearrange the closet,¡± Stefanmented excitedly while helping the guards to carry the shopping bags upstairs. ¡°We can finally fill the other wardrobe with so many things.¡±


    Cayenne was anxious the whole time but hearing her husband made her grin widely. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s do that.¡± She retorted while taking her bag from him. ¡°I¡¯ll do a live chat with my subscribers today. Just a random live chat.¡±


    ¡°Go for it.¡±


    Cayenne went to the walk-in closet and set up her camera there. Although she said it was going to be a live chat, her real purpose was to record him. She wanted to see his reaction.


    Stefan came inside with so many shopping bags and he was even whistling to a tune that she was very familiar with. It was her wedding vow song.


    ¡°Which one should I open first?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen them already. Just open whatever it is that you want.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s open this,¡± Stefan grabbed the Christmas-themed shopping bag and opened it. ¡°This will look good on you during summer. I¡¯m very certain about it.¡± He grabbed another bag and opened it to get the content but when he pulled the items, a deep frown appeared on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Cayenne asked with an innocent face but deep inside, she really wants tough at him.


    Stefan showed the small items that he pulled out from the shopping bag and started using her, ¡°You said it¡¯s my day today. Why did you include these little things? I was supposed to shop for us alone.¡±

 Chapter 822 - 822 CHRISTMAS EVE I

    822 CHRISTMAS EVE I


    One weekter, 24th of December, Cayenne¡¯s family was preparing a huge Christmas celebration for all those who couldn¡¯t go home to celebrate it with their family. Since Stefan was very meticulous when ites to Cayenne¡¯s safety, he made apromise to let the bodyguards have days off on Christmas and New Year with a little tweak on their schedules. As for the house helpers, those who wanted to stay ¨C can stay and have Christmas with them. For those who wanted to go home, Stefan already told the bodyguards to send them home after giving them their Christmas bonus, 13th-month pay, and their holiday packages.


    ¡°Yen! Can I get risse and let her spend the holiday with us? We thought her dad will be back from working on a project overseas, but he got held up and would be back tentatively on ¨C ¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin,¡± Cayenne told Luiz to cut her brother¡¯s long-winded exnation. ¡°Go and ask Martin toe with you.¡±


    ¡°Great! Thanks, sis. Mwah!¡± Luiz eximed as he ran out of the house to find the bodyguard. At the door, he met Dominic and only gave him a high-five without saying anything. There was no need for words because Dominic could see that his friend was excited to see his girlfriend.


    ¡°Good evening, grandpa. Good evening, grandma,¡± Stefan greeted his grandparents as soon as he saw them.


    This time, only his uncle was missing since he wanted to spend Christmas with his girlfriend¡¯s family. Another reason why he was missing was Latticia. He couldn¡¯t promise himself to behave when she was there. Thus, it was best to avoid his sister, or else, the secret will be exposed.


    Cayenne greeted them as well but with her big belly, the elders told her not to get up and move around so much.


    One after another, their guests came and Kyle entertained them since his sister couldn¡¯t move a lot and his brother-inw was nauseous every once in a while. You can¡¯t depend on them to be a proper host at this time. In any case, there was no need to be formal since this was just a family gathering with some of the helpers around.


    Around 10.00 PM, Dr. Albert and Latticia came out of the cabin and joined everyone. To make sure that no one would recognize her, especially with her resemnce to her son, Stefan, they asked someone from the helpers who knew how to make up. Latticia looked a lot younger than her age and she didn¡¯t look frail as well. She wasn¡¯t even using the wheelchair. Though, her steps werenguid.


    .....


    Magnus saw the doctor once again and his blood boiled in anger. He wanted to give the man another punch. Stefan lightly tapped his father¡¯s shoulder, a signal to calm down since this was a party and he didn¡¯t want trouble with his wife around.


    Latticia walked to the couch where Cayenne was talking to another woman but as she moved closer, her hands trembled and Dr. Albert felt the light tremor since he was holding her. ¡°You have to remain calm. I know you are happy to see your mom but you cannot agitate yourself or let them know about your existence. They¡¯re very old and it would be fatal to their health if they received some shocking news.¡±


    Latticia nodded her head and when her eyes met Cayenne¡¯s, she only smiled faintly. Cayenne¡¯s expression turned mellow when she saw her mother-inw look at Cory. She couldn¡¯t imagine the terrible sadness that Stefan¡¯s mom was going through right now.


    Just think about it, you have been separated for so long and now that you¡¯ve got the chance to see them, you cannot even tell them your identity. You can only long for your loved ones in secret.


    ¡°Good evening, ma.¡± Cayenne greeted which stunned Stefan¡¯s mom. Even Stefan who had been observing the turn of events stiffened from what his wife did. ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll introduce you to Stefan¡¯s grandparents and cousin.¡±


    ¡°Who is this pretty woman?¡± Cory asked with her gaze stuck on Latticia¡¯s face. ¡°Pardon me, Yen but, isn¡¯t your mom dead?¡±


    ¡°Oh! She¡¯s not really my mom.¡± Cayenne exined at once. ¡°She¡¯s Dr. Albert¡¯s wife. Her name is Alice. As you can see, Stefan and I have no mothers now. Since she¡¯s like a mother figure to us, we started calling her Mama.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Jose said with no qualms about it. He didn¡¯t recognize the woman in front of him at all.


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of Yenyen and Stefan,¡± Corymented and gestured for the woman to take a seat.


    Latticia wanted to say something but she was afraid that her voice would betray her emotions. She was really about to cry and had a hard time controlling herself.


    ¡°Ah! She¡¯s a bit shy around strangers.¡± Cayenne spoke in a timely manner when she noticed that Latticia¡¯s eyes turned red. She, then, introduced Dr. Albert to them and this time, he said the words that Latticia wanted to say. Everyone was happy except for the woman who couldn¡¯t say a single word to her parents.


    Stefan felt sad for his mother but he couldn¡¯t do anything more than this. He didn¡¯t know what would happen if he tells his grandparents about their daughter¡¯s existence and with their old age, they might die from the shock. He couldn¡¯t afford to risk their lives.


    Thankfully, Luiz came back with risse, and with his personality, the lively atmosphere turned even more cheerful as he shared jokes with everyone. He even started ying games with the bodyguard and helpers with some prizes at stake. Latticia¡¯s attention was also shifted since Luiz included her in a game.


    ¡°Auntie, you have to do your best so that they won¡¯t guess the words.¡± Luiz cheered which made Latticia smile and the yers frowned.


    ¡°How can we win if you want her to make things difficult?¡± The helpersined but Luiz only grinned. ¡°Sir Luiz, you are being stingy.¡±


    ¡°Hephephep! I am not being stingy. There is a twist to this game. If you can guess the word or the words, you can get the prize but if you won¡¯t, Auntie will get the prize. Good luck!¡±


    Latticia yed charades with the helpers and bodyguards happily. Even though Luiz told her to make it hard, she tried her best to make things easier for the yers to guess. She wasn¡¯t in need of money. She didn¡¯t know what to use them for as well. However, the people who yed games with her have families and they could use the prizes for their spouses or kids.


    Soon, even the elders started watching their game because of the yers¡¯ funny answers and they even heard Latticiaugh because of them. Seeing his mother having fun, Stefan pulled out more cash and handed them to Luiz. ¡°Spice things up a little more. Make her smile andugh.¡±


    ¡°Yay! We have more prizes, everyone!¡± Luiz eximed and raised the bills. ¡°Let¡¯s y more!¡±

 Chapter 823 - 823 CHRISTMAS EVE II

    823 CHRISTMAS EVE II


    Meanwhile, in Justin¡¯s home, two of their neighbors supervised the kids as they waited for Chloe toe home. With Stefan¡¯s help in paying her medical bill, the doctor immediately scheduled her for surgery as soon as Chloe agreed to it. Chloe¡¯s mental health was positive as she looked forward to spending more time with Justin and the other children together with their grandma.


    The operationsted for almost 4 hours but when the doctor came out and brought them the good news, Cayenne hugged her husband with overwhelming happiness. They were able to save another life. She only needed to rest and make sure to take her medications on time. At the same time, the doctor made sure to schedule her discharge on the 24th of December if nothing goes wrong.


    Right now, Chloe was boarding the taxi with her grandmother. Supposedly, a bodyguard would send them home but the olddy refused to take more of the man¡¯s time. She wanted him to go home and spend time with his family as well. Thankfully, there was a taxi nearby. After recording the details of the cab as well as the driver, the bodyguard let them go.


    Justin was cooking something for Christmas Eve and their neighbors were helping him to make things easier. They decorated the house and the kids helped arrange the table and the utensils. They were preparing a simple celebration at the same time; they were all looking forward to this day because Chloe would being home.


    Every time they hear a motor engine, they would run out of the house to see if the little girl hase home but they got disappointed each time because the vehicle didn¡¯t stop at their house.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, guys. Chloe will be home in a while. I know you are excited but you have to be patient.¡± One of the adults said when she saw how dejected the kids look. ¡°By the way, my eldest son hase home from his year-long duty. He has prepared something for you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything else. I just want Chloe toe home,¡± one of the little girlsmented and started crying. ¡°It is scary when someone goes away and will note back anymore like grandpa. I don¡¯t want Chloe to go with grandpa.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Chloe is not going with grandpa. She¡¯s cured already. She will be home in a minute.¡±


    ¡°You said it earlier as well. We waited and waited. Very many minutes passed by already and she is not here yet!¡±


    .....


    The two adults were helpless with the kids. They were fond of their tight bond but they didn¡¯t expect that it could be annoying as well.


    Seeing the mess that the other kids created, causing the adults some stress, Justin walked over to the children and had his hands on his hips. ¡°Go over there and sit.¡± The kids immediately stopped crying and walked to the wooden bench. One after another, they sat quietly while looking at Justin. ¡°Stay there and don¡¯t make any noise. You have to behave or Chloe won¡¯te home. I will throw anyone who will make some noise.¡± The kids nodded their heads and Justin went back to work.


    Although he was putting on a calm fa?ade, Justin was also nervous as the time continued to tick away. He was worried about why they were taking so long when they should have arrived already.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Everyone looked at the source of the voice and they found a handsome man standing there. The kids wanted to say something but when they remembered Justin¡¯s words, they shut their mouths.


    Seeing their reaction and their closed mouth, the handsome manughed awkwardly. ¡°Ah. Uhh. Am I not wee?¡±


    ¡°Oh! You are here. Don¡¯t mind the kids. Justin just gave them a lecture,¡± the adult woman expressed and weed her son inside the house. ¡°Justin is in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Strict as ever.¡± The manmented as he removed his shoes and went inside the house. The kids were looking at him as if they wanted to say something but they remained quiet. ¡°I¡¯m d that they are listening to Justin now.¡±


    The man went to the kitchen and as soon as he saw the youngd, he hugged the kid and gently patted his head. ¡°I heard you are working already. Are you really not nning to take my offer? You can study and find a decent job in the future.¡±


    ¡°You just came back and that is what you are telling me? Go away. I am cooking.¡±


    The man sighed as he ced the things he brought on the table. ¡°I rarely get home because of work. It must be the reason why you don¡¯t want to be like me. However, you have to think how you can provide more for their future if you want to continue staying with them.¡±


    Justin stopped moving his hands from stirring the pasta and looked back at the man who smiled faintly at him. ¡°It¡¯s toote to y the part of being my father now. I don¡¯t need your concern.¡±


    Not long after, Justin heard amotion outside and when he took a peek, he found Chloe surrounded by the other kids. He turned off the stove and ran towards his grandma and the little girl, ignoring the man he left behind in the kitchen.


    ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± Chloe mumbled and hugged Justin. ¡°Thank you for everything.¡±


    Justin just hugged her back and smiled. He can¡¯t leave. He won¡¯t exchange his happiness right now for something so distant like his future. He just wanted to cherish every moment he has with the kids. Everything else can go down the drain. He didn¡¯t care. Working now and workingter after studying was the same for him. Besides, he wasn¡¯t even sure if you would find kind and generous employers like Stefan and Cayenne.


    With Chloe and their grandma home, Justin and the other kids waited for Christmas Eve. When his grandma saw Justin¡¯s father in the kitchen, she only sighed and patted his shoulder. ¡°You can take him once I¡¯m dead.¡±

 Chapter 824 - 824 CHRISTMAS EVE III

    824 CHRISTMAS EVE III


    ¡°Cheers to another Christmas with everyone!¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    The mansion at the top of the hill looks as grandiose and majestic as ever and many people in the city who have a great view of the ce couldn¡¯t help but be awestruck by its elegance. It was none other than Stefan and Cayenne¡¯s home. They even got the permit to have a firework disy and with the bodyguards taking this matter at hand, everyone was out of danger.


    The blooming fireworks in the sky could be seen by so many people but they could only appreciate the view from afar.


    ¡°Mom! Mom! Look at those beautiful fireworks,¡± the little boy asked while pulling his mother¡¯s coat. They were walking home after his mother got off from work at the convenience store when he saw the fireworks disy. ¡°Who lives in that castle?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The woman answered with a faint smile despite the exhaustion in her eyes. ¡°The King and Queen probably live there.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The child made a perfunctory remark and continued walking with his eyes glued to the beautiful view from a distance. He even tripped on a stone because he wasn¡¯t paying attention to where he was going. ¡°I want to live in that beautiful castle, too.¡±


    The woman could only pat her child¡¯s head. She could barely provide for their needs after her husband left. There was no way she could afford her child to live in a castle. ¡°Work for it. Study hard so you could live in a castle in the future.¡±


    ¡°Hm! I will do my best!¡±


    .....


    ***


    On the other hand, Stefan was excited to open the gifts that he got from several people. Ever since he met Cayenne, he was looking forward to receiving more and more gifts on every special asion. Christmas was no exception.


    One after another, the couple gave their gifts to everyone and was happily watching them as their loved ones, helpers and bodyguards opened the gifts meant for them. Latticia got something from Cayenne and Stefan as well. When she opened it, she teared up and had to turn her back from everyone so she could wipe away her tears.


    Since she got separated from her son, she never had anything that could be considered a memento except for the photos from the magazines and newspapers that Dr. Albert¡¯s hired nurse cut for her. This time, she got a gold locket with a photo of Stefan and her in it. Saying she was happy was an understatement. Her emotion was overwhelming and she couldn¡¯t find the word to best fit the description.


    ¡°I¡¯m so...so...hap-py,¡± she muttered which moved the man beside her. Dr. Albert could rte to how she felt; after all, he had been waiting for so long to get her to his side.


    Luiz and Kyle both got limited edition watches from Patek Philippe and it was something that Cayenne had been saving up for her brothers. She got something for Jonas and Reuben as well. One was her biological father and the other was her stepdad but both of them were equal in her heart so she got them something of the same price. In that way, no one would get jealous of the other.


    Dominic got something from Cayenne and Stefan as well. It was something he wanted to have for a long time but he could only get it if proven that he was doing great in school. As promised, since he became one of the top students, Stefan and Cayenne bought him the new PS5.


    ¡°Luiz! You have to drop by once in a while at our house. We can y the game together.¡± Dominic invited and Luiz promised toe if both of them weren¡¯t busy with work.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for Stefan¡¯s gifts!¡± Magnus announced and everyone looked at Stefan who was looking forward to this very moment. However, seeing his father¡¯s dubious smile, he felt that something bad was about to happen this time. ¡°Son, this is for you. You will love it for sure.¡±


    Saying those words with that mischievous grin on his face, even a little kid could tell that he was up to something. Stefan wasn¡¯t going to fall for his father¡¯s trick. ¡°I will hate you again if you are giving something not matching.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Of course, I know that. It is something very shy and matchy-matchy.¡±


    Stefan narrowed his eyes at his father as he unwrapped the gift box that his father handed him. Carefully, he lifted the lid and what he saw brought sparkles to his eyes. There were five matching mug bears and five matching fluffy slip-on slippers with bears printed on them. Without even asking, it was obvious that Magnus already considered his future grandchildren when choosing the gifts.


    ¡°I got to ask someone to print the children¡¯s names on their respective mugs! Hon, look at these.¡± Cayenne only smiled without pointing at him at the change in his behavior. It was best not to say a single word about it at this point. ¡°We should ask someone to embroider their names on these slip-on slippers as well. Hmm. We¡¯d have to wait for at least four years for them to use these slippers.¡±


    Taking this opportunity while he was distracted, the others gave their gifts as well and most of them included gifts for their future young masters of the house. Stefan didn¡¯t notice anything wrong and he was very appreciative of the things he received.


    ¡°In most cases, it was the mother who gets very happy when receiving things like these. I didn¡¯t know that my grandson would be so easy to please,¡± Corymented when she saw Stefan smiling like a child while being surrounded by so many people. ¡°Sometimes, I felt guilty for letting Magnus take him away from us. If we refused, I wonder if we would have been able to protect his young innocent world from his malicious stepmother?¡±


    ¡°Granny, it¡¯s all in the past. You don¡¯t have to dwell on it anymore. We can no longer do anything about it. You just have to live happily from now on because Stefan and I are trying to do our best to do the same thing. I can understand that he¡¯s being hot and cold to the idea of having children but I know that he will love our babies. I already have a feeling that he will be spoiling them. Sigh. Just thinking about it brings me a headache.¡±


    Cory chuckled at Cayenne¡¯s response because she could foretell the same thing. Stefan would surely dote on his kids the most.


    After the party, when everyone went home, Stefan finally realized what just happened and his mouth twitched in annoyance. He let himself go along with the height of the moment and now he was standing in the middle of the gifts that he received. Out of one hundred, ny percent of them surely include children.


    ¡°Am I not going to get gifts just for the two of us anymore?¡±


    Cayenneughed and showed him a video that she took while he unwrapped the gifts. ¡°You were so happy when opening them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not me,¡± he denied quickly and looked away.


    ¡°Not you? Then, where could have my husband possibly gone to? I wanted to give him something.¡±


    ¡°Fine. It¡¯s me. You better delete that.¡±


    ¡°Nah! I will show this to our kids in the future.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that to me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a spank.¡±


    ¡°Not afraid.¡±


    ¡°Wifey.¡±


    Cayenne finally relented and deleted the video but she secretly sent a copy to Tristan and told him to save it for her future use. She didn¡¯t need to say it. Tristan knew that she was nning to tease her husband with it.

 Chapter 825 - 825 THE UNIQUE NAMES

    825 THE UNIQUE NAMES


    Two monthster; it was February and it was called the month of love. Of course, it is in February that we could celebrate Valentine¡¯s Day.


    Cayenne, with her big belly, opted to continue her study via Zoom Meetings. She would only go to the university for major exams. Stefan didn¡¯t want to continue putting her life at risk and it was also Cheska¡¯s advice to stop her from going to the university, but Cayenne refused to stop since she was about to graduate.


    Inside the study room, Stefan was busy dealing with his businesses while at another table, Cayenne studied. From time to time, she would stand up and walk around while holding theptop ¨C probably from feeling sore as she sat for a long period.


    Tomorrow would be Valentine¡¯s Day and Stefan already nned what he would do for a surprise. He wanted to make something special for her and he learned it secretly whenever he goes to his office. He asked everyone to keep it a secret from her and they sure did.


    He just needed to wait until tomorrow.


    ¡°Hon,¡± Cayenne called out while pressing her hand on her back to support her waist. ¡°Shall we get a wheelchair? My waist hurts a lot now that my stomach is getting bigger.¡±


    ¡°Sure! Let me ask Dr. Albert where we could get one. Can you hold on a little longer?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think I can.¡±


    ¡°Give me a sec.¡±


    .....


    Stefan called the doctor who was staying at the cabin and asked where to get a wheelchair. Dr. Albert advised Stefan to get it from Senyu Medical Hospital since it was the biggest hospital close to City B and they knew someone from the hospital as well. It will be easy to get one.


    After his call with the doctor, he called Cheska and told her the same concern, and thankfully, the woman was at the hospital when she answered his call. It didn¡¯t take a long time for her to process everything and billed it to him. ¡°Thanks, a lot.¡±


    Stefan ended the call and walked to where Cayenne sat. He took a peek at herptop and found that her next professor wasn¡¯t around yet. Taking this chance, he squatted on the floor and pressed his face on her bulging tummy. ¡°Hey, kiddos! Stop giving your mom a hard time.¡± Then, he felt a sudden kick. ¡°Did you feel that?! They¡¯re not even born yet and they¡¯re going against me already!¡±


    ¡°You are so dramatic,¡± Cayennemented as she pinched his nose. ¡°It¡¯s natural for babies to kick inside their mom¡¯s womb.¡±


    ¡°No. They kicked right after I reprimanded them. It¡¯s not a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°You are overthinking. You have to be thankful that they have grown. At least, you are not having morning sickness anymore.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Fine.¡± Stefan rubbed her belly and printed three kisses on it. ¡°You shoulde out soon. My darling is feeling tired from carrying you already.¡±


    ¡°Jeez! I don¡¯t know what to do with you.¡±


    Stefan just chuckled and kissed her forehead before going back to work as her professor showed up in the camera view. Cayenne continued to study while keeping a calm expression even though she was feeling a numbing pain in her back.


    Half an hourter, the wheelchair arrived and Cayenne used it immediately since she moved around a lot. Instead of walking here and there, whenever she needed something, she only needs to maneuver the wheelchair to get whatever she needed.


    Stefan preferred her to call for his help but since he was working, she didn¡¯t want to inconvenience him for small little things. Thus, she would rather use the wheelchair than depend on him all the time.


    In the afternoon, Cayenne felt like her body was being pulled apart. The pain was more intense and she was sweating coldly. She knew it wasn¡¯t her due date forbor so she didn¡¯t mind the pain. She thought it was just because of the weight she was carrying all day.


    ¡°Hon, have you ever thought of their names?¡± Stefan asked out of the blue when he remembered that they never talked about their children¡¯s names. ¡°I have thought of something very unique.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Let me write it down,¡± he excitedly said while pulling out a sheet of paper and a pen from his desk drawer. ¡°It¡¯s something that no one ever thought of.¡± As soon as he finished writing, he gave it to his wife and looked at her with so much anticipation.


    ¡°How could you name them like these?!¡±


    ¡°Why not? Xtratos Pierre, Missus Pierre, and Trofos Pierre. Aren¡¯t they cool?¡±


    ¡°Cool your face. Who names their children like this? Your children will hate you for the rest of their lives.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I only need you in my life.¡±


    ¡°How could you say that?!¡±


    Seeing that she was really not happy with his idea, Stefan grinned and stole a kiss on her lips. ¡°Alright. I was just kidding. So, what will be their names?¡±


    ¡°Hm. I have some ideas but I am not sure. I¡¯ll think about it when the timees.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think of more unique names as well.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. You might think of something about theyers of the Earth. After all, you just gave me the unique names of theyers of the atmosphere.¡±


    ¡°I was just joking.¡±


    With Stefan¡¯s distraction, Cayenne has forgotten the pain in her waist but when he stopped chatting with her because her ss resumed, she could feel the terrifying pain even more.


    She was about to call Stefan¡¯s attention when the pain subsided until it was gone. She even thought that she was just imagining things and that the pain was never there to begin with.


    Wondering what she should do if it happens again, Cayenne picked up her phone and messaged Cheska about the pain she felt. She didn¡¯t want to be negligent about it anymore and cause something terrible at the cost of her children. She would rather die than let something bad happen to them.


    From his desk, Stefan wasn¡¯t able to see clearly that Cayenne was looking pale but he felt that something was wrong with her. She was even quieter when she usually participates whenever her professor would ask questions.


    ¡°Hon, shall we go to the hospital?¡± Stefan asked. ¡°Are you feeling any difort?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve been in pain since earlier but I didn¡¯t ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?!¡± Stefan closed hisptop instantly and walked towards her. ¡°Cheska said that for pregnant women carrying triplets, you might give birth before your due date.¡±


    ¡°Did she?¡±


    ¡°How could you forget it? We¡¯re leaving at once.¡±


    ¡°I have ¨C ¡±


    ¡°Stop struggling.¡± Stefan refuted as he pushed the wheelchair out of the study room. If she should be honest, she wanted to say that she has really forgotten this fact about birthing triplets before the due date. She still thought that she was having normal pregnancy like any other woman out there.


    With Stefan standing behind her as they waited for the elevator toe up, Cayenne¡¯s tears fell because she felt so stupid and ignorant.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She mumbled while caressing her tummy.¡±

 Chapter 826 - 826 THE NEW BEGINNING OF THEIR LIVES

    826 THE NEW BEGINNING OF THEIR LIVES


    ¡°Oh, Yen!¡± Dr. Cheska Suarez eximed when she came to the emergency room after an immediate call for her toe over. ¡°I just sent you a message.¡± Then, she saw Stefan standing on the side of her patient¡¯s bed with worry clouding his face. ¡°Let me guess. Before you could even read my reply, someone here panicked and brought you over.¡±


    Stefan who heard what the doctor said could only scratch the side of his face because obviously, he was that ¡®someone¡¯ who panicked upon learning that his wife was in pain. ¡°You know that I always fear that she would get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. I know how overprotective you are.¡± Cheskamented and chuckled seeing that Stefan was looking helpless at this point. ¡°Well, anyway, are you still in pain?¡±


    ¡°Not anymore. I have mentioned it in the text message but I wasn¡¯t able to read your whole reply.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really rming. As I have told you guys before, you will most likely give birth to your children prematurely. It¡¯s nothing to worry about, though. It¡¯s normal for mommies of triplets.¡±


    Cayenne nodded her head in understanding but when she looked back at her husband, he was still not convinced. He was still worried.


    Cheska checked Cayenne once again to see if she was about to give birth and she talked to them about the C-section that the couple opted for ¨C not that they had much of choice. Stefan was against it at first since he didn¡¯t want Cayenne to have a scar, but he remembered that she can always go to a dermatologist to have her scar removed or erased. It was the initial n.


    Ding! A lightbulb suddenly lit up in his mind. Instead of erasing the scar, he told Cayenne that he wanted it to stay for a little while. She agreed without knowing the reason why and she will only find out about it in three- or four yearster. That¡¯s another story forter.


    ¡°Can we wait a little bit more?¡± Cayenne asked hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯m not really in pain now and as you have said, my children are doing fine inside me. Can I feel them inside me for a little while? As soon as I feel difort, you can schedule me for CS right away.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Yen, I understand that you want to feel them a little longer but things could happen and your children might be at risk.¡±


    ¡°Then, monitor them all the time.¡± Stefan retorted which caused Cheska to scowl at him. ¡°You don¡¯t have any appointment aside from us, right? You can stay with us the whole time. Besides, we¡¯re paying the hospital.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about money Stefan. I know you want to spoil your wife no matter what she likes but we¡¯re talking about lives.¡± Sensing that he still wanted to refute, Cheska used the best method. ¡°We have to think of your wife¡¯s safety as well. Her life is also at stake.¡±


    Stefan pouted which made Cayenne smile. Cheska really hit him right off the bat. Stefan was really someone who says ¡®yes¡¯ to whatever Cayenne wants but as soon as itpromises her health and safety, he would change his mind immediately.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Cheska gave up and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you the whole time. I¡¯ll book one of the delivery rooms for you but when I say it¡¯s time, you have to do what I say.¡±


    Stefan agreed and signed on the form that the doctor handed him. Cayenne also signed her name after her husband.


    The sky was covered in darkness outside as the night curtain fell but, inside the delivery room, Stefan was just chatting with his wife along with Dr. Suarez. They talked about child care and the things that they should do for their soon-to-be-born premature babies.


    With technology in this generation, there was an increase in the survival rate of premature babies. Taking care of the mothers was also another way of taking care of the babies inside them. Still, doctors and nurses will monitor the babies constantly to make sure that they don¡¯t have anyplications.


    ¡°I was supposed to give you a surprise,¡± Stefanmented when he remembered the thing that he wanted to do for her. ¡°Now, I can¡¯t even do it since we¡¯re in a hospital.¡±


    ¡°You can still surprise me even if it¡¯s dyed. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll, I learned it for you so, I can always do it whenever we have time together. Oh! I can do it whenever you go on dates.¡±


    Cheska, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at them. Cayenne was about to give birth but they were talking about their future romantic dates whereas she, the doctor, has to set aside her wedding anniversary, birthday, and other special asions because of work. She could only resign to her fate as a doctor.


    The three of them waited and waited while Cheska monitored Cayenne from time to time. They could see through the monitor that Cayenne¡¯s babies were moving about and sometimes they would kick her tummy. Cayenne felt them, too. The thought of carrying them for over 7 months would sometimes make her tear up. She couldn¡¯t describe the intensity of her happiness.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne¡¯s brothers were pacing back and forth in their home while waiting for the good news. They couldn¡¯t fall asleep because of their worry and excitement for their nephews or niece ¨C if the third child turns out to be a girl.


    Luiz has the third stic figurine of the angel during the gender reveal party and he was sping on it tightly as he prayed for the children¡¯s safety, along with the wish that the baby would be a girl.


    Outside the hospital, without knowing it, Magnus and Ferdinand came as well after they learned from one of the bodyguards that Cayenne might give birth soon. Reuben also came not long after. It was quite a sight to see all men waiting for someone to give birth. Not a single woman was there to wait for Cayenne to give birth.


    Of course, Latticia couldn¡¯te because it will be suspicious of Dr. Albert¡¯s wife toe when she wasn¡¯t even a ¡®rtive¡¯.


    At 11:50 PM, two nurses came running to the delivery room to assist Dr. Suarez and both had a smile on their faces as they ran. It wasn¡¯t always every day that they get to assist someone who will give birth to triplets.

 Chapter 827 - 827 VALENTINE BABIES

    827 VALENTINE BABIES


    Note: The song used is ¡°Valentine¡± by Martina McBride


    She wanted to see her children and hear them cry for the first time thus; Cayenne was administered with regional anesthesia to keep her wide awake during the C-section. Cheska checked Cayenne first several times to make sure that the effect of the drugs was working perfectly fine for her.


    ¡°Hon, can you sing me a song?¡± Cayenne muttered while nervously looking at him. Since Stefan was holding her hand, he felt her shaking when Cheska said that they would begin the cesarean operation to get the babies out sessfully. ¡°Any song will do. Just keep me distracted until we get to hear their voices.¡±


    Stefan leaned closer and kissed her white knuckles while keeping his eyes on her. She was his world and it wouldn¡¯t change even if they have children. She would remain the center of his gravity that would keep him grounded all the time. Right now, all Stefan could see was his wife who was beautiful as ever even though she looked a little pale from the anxiety of giving birth.


    ¡°If there were no words


    No way to speak


    I would still hear you


    If there were no tears


    No way to feel inside


    .....


    I¡¯d still feel for you


    And even if the sun refused to shine


    Even if romance ran out of rhyme


    You would still have my heart


    Until the end of time


    You¡¯re all I need, my love, my valentine


    All of my life


    I have been waiting for


    All you give to me


    You¡¯ve opened my eyes


    And shown me how to love unselfishly


    I¡¯ve dreamed of this a thousand times before


    In my dreams, I couldn¡¯t love you more


    I will give you my heart


    Until the end of time


    You¡¯re all I need, my love, my valentine¡±


    Before he could finish the song, the first sound of faint crying made its way to their ears and Stefan jerked his head instantly to see the child. It was a natural movement that he never realized he was doing. He just wanted to see what the child looks like.


    ¡°Oh my! What an honor to greet the first princess.¡± Cheska eximed while the nurses cleaned the baby to wipe away the blood and cut the umbilical cord. It was truly a surprise since they were not able to determine the gender of the third child. Who would have thought that she woulde out first?


    Stefan was also stunned to see the little life wriggling slowly when the nurses wrapped her in a soft cloth. He wanted to hold her, too.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the second child!¡±


    Stefan watched as Cheska took the babies out of Cayenne¡¯s stomach and he has forgotten that he already stopped singing.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the third.¡±


    As soon as the third child was taken out, Cayenne finally heaved a sigh of relief. She was so d that they were born safely though, they will have to be taken to NICU for further monitoring.


    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful,¡± Stefanmented and his smile was reaching his ears. He probably didn¡¯t notice it. ¡°Wifey, the babies look so much like you. They certainly got your nose and your eyes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too early to tell. I think they will look more like you.¡±


    ¡°Oh! And we have a girl!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard it, too. I am so happy.¡±


    ¡°What shall we name her? And the boys? Ah! We really have a princess. I can¡¯t wait to carry her in my arms.¡±


    Cayenne just grinned while listening to his chatter. Not long ago, he imed that he didn¡¯t care about his children and that she will be his sole focus in their family. Looking at him now, it seems like his attention will be taken by someone else.


    ¡°I know!¡± Stefan eximed and excitement was apparent on his face. ¡°Her name will be Jahzara. It means blessed princess and since she¡¯s the only girl, it suits her perfectly. Ayena Jahzara. That¡¯s it! A beloved and blessed princess.¡±


    Seems like she has no say at this point. He already decided what to name their child and honestly, she loves the name as well.


    ¡°And the boys?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...Let me think about it.¡±


    ¡°How about Aziel and Zeki?¡±


    ¡°Great! They will be her sword and shield. Strong and clever. Well- thought.¡±


    Without saying it, Cayenne could already tell that this man who doted on his wife will be doting on his daughter and sons in the future. She could foretell the iing headache she will be facing head-on in the years toe.


    Cayenne only got a few seconds to hold her children before the nurses took them away to bring them to NICU. Stefan didn¡¯t even get the chance to hold them and he pouted on the side from the disappointment.


    After stitching the wound, Cayenne went to sleep. She finally rxed herself now that her children were safe in the hands of the nurses. Stefan wrote down the names of the children forbeling and he was very happy while writing them.


    The eldest turned out to be a daughter. As soon as Luiz heard the news of the baby¡¯s gender, he kissed the angel figurine he was holding.


    Kyle was happy upon hearing that they got a niece and nephews as well. Cayenne¡¯s home will be filled withughter soon.


    Magnus, Ferdinand, and Reuben followed the nurses to see the children as well but they could only watch them through the ss window since the children needed to develop properly and that means, they can¡¯t be contaminated with sicknessing from adults.


    ¡°Dad, the eldest is a girl,¡± Magnusmented beside his father while watching the babies. ¡°Stefan will most likely keep her out of the business world. He wouldn¡¯t want her princess to deal with stressful matters. You know him.¡±


    ¡°Why bother with the eldest if we can have the sons? Also, I don¡¯t care who among them will be the next sessor. I just want them to live happily. I don¡¯t want them to be restricted like what we did to Stefana and Alexander.¡±


    Hearing their conversation, Reuben only smiled. Although it was a bit toote, at least, these old folks beside him have realized their mistakes and didn¡¯t n on continuing those to the new generation.


    [Emerald, look at your grandchildren. You must protect them well like what you did all these years to your kids. I know you would do great as their grandma if only you have the chance.]


    No one knew what Reuben was thinking and nobody really cared. Right now, they were just happy that Cayenne gave birth to her babies safely. The bodyguards have told the others about the safe delivery and soon, news of Cayenne giving birth has spread far and wide.


    ¡°In the end, their children would turn out older than our child,¡± Mmented while reading the text message that Stefan sent to her and Thomas. ¡°I was even thinking of pairing our child with their daughter if they have. Who would have thought that she woulde out first?¡±


    Thomas couldn¡¯t stop himself but chuckled at herments. She didn¡¯t know that she already thought that far ahead of him. It never urred to him to pair their child with Stefan¡¯s babies. He wasn¡¯t fond of arranged marriages.

 Chapter 828 - 828 THEY WANT TO HOLD THEM BUT COULDN’T

    828 THEY WANT TO HOLD THEM BUT COULDN¡¯T


    Two hourster.


    ¡°Yenyen, congrats on giving birth to triplets.¡±


    ¡°Yen, I hope for your children¡¯s well development.¡±


    Faith and Noah visited the hospital as soon as they learned the truth of her sudden absence and both of them were happy for their friend. Cayenne had been wishing to have a child and now, she didn¡¯t get just one ¨C she has three children.


    Since Stefan didn¡¯t want her to get pregnant again even though she wanted to have two or three children, God answered their prayers at once. He gave them three children at once and that would mean Cayenne won¡¯t have to get pregnant again to put Stefan at ease. Nothing more was better than this as an answer to their prayers.


    Not long after, more friends and family members came to visit Cayenne in the hospital and to see the children that she birthed earlier. They were all amazed at how the twins looked different from each other.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my pretty niece? Where?¡± Luiz¡¯s fired-up enthusiasm made him restless as he walked down the corridor to the NICU room where the premature babies stay. His eyes twinkled when he saw them and the thought of being their uncle set off anotheryer of happiness in his heart. ¡°They¡¯re so cute. How long will they stay here?¡± He asked as soon as the nurse came out of the room.


    ¡°Until they¡¯re fully developed, sir.¡±


    ¡°Is my sister going to stay in the hospital while waiting?¡±


    .....


    ¡°She may or she may not. It depends on her doctor and their arrangements.¡±


    Cayenne wanted to share her birthing experience with her fans but Stefan told her to rest and think about it after a week. He didn¡¯t want her to think of work or study, or her fans when she needed to rest and recover. In addition, Cheska reminded him that women tend to have post-partum and Cayenne might not be exempted from that. It would be better that she¡¯s not stressed out with other things and just focus on her recovery. Fortunately, she has people around her who experienced giving birth already and they could be good counselors to her.


    Jillyanna also arrived along with Travis and their children. Jade was most excited to see little Cayenne and the little Stefans so, instead of visiting Cayenne first, she asked one of the bodyguards to walk her to the neonatal care. There she met Luiz whose face was almost glued to the ss window that separated him from his niece and nephews.


    ¡°Your head might break the ss,¡± Jademented and when Luiz turned to look at her, she grinned.


    ¡°You finally came! Come!¡± Luiz carried her off to the bench so she could stand on it and see the children inside the room. He couldn¡¯t carry her anymore since Jade has grown and be a little heavier as well. ¡°Aren¡¯t they beautiful little creatures?¡±


    ¡°The way you said ¡®creatures¡¯ sounded like they¡¯re something else non-human.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I didn¡¯t mean it that way


    Jade giggled and finally turned her attention to the babies. She was awed at how small they were. She shivered at the thought that they could be broken so easily if mishandled.


    Luiz observed Jade¡¯s reactions and smiled faintly. He knew that Jade was supposed to have a baby sister but she died along with her mother, leaving Jade all alone until she got into the orphanage and met Jillyanna. Her fondness for children remained even after so many years.


    Every time the little baby moved, her eyes would light up and her face brightens. She was even clenching her hands several times, probably wanting to hold those little fingers with hers.


    About fifteen minutester, Jade jumped down from the bench and told Luiz that she was going to Cayenne¡¯s room. Luiz nodded Luiz nodded his head and the bodyguard took Jade back to where Cayenne was. However, when she got there, she ran to his father¡¯s side and hugged her baby brother whom Travis was holding.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Travis questioned in a whisper but the other people inside the room still heard him since they paid attention to Jade the moment she came inside. It was very unusual for the cheerful little girl not to greet Cayenne when she visits her.


    ¡°It¡¯s frustrating,¡± Jade mumbled and everyone perked their ears to hear what the little girl has toin to her father. ¡°I wanted to hold them but I can¡¯t. It¡¯s frustrating.¡±


    ¡°Ahh. So, you came back running to hold your brother instead?¡±


    She nodded.


    They didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at this point with Jade being so adorable even when she was frustrated. They never thought she would be that eager to hold the babies. Sadly, Stefan didn¡¯t¡¯ allow anyone toe in contact with the children except for the doctors and nurses. With this protective beast as their father, Jade would have to wait for a little longer to hold the babies physically.


    Seeing that many people were looking forward to meeting her babies, Cayenne was happy to have these people in her life. The future may not be guaranteed but right now, this instant, she could tell that many people cared for her children.


    ¡°Uncle Stefi,¡± Jade called out, still holding her brother¡¯s hand with hers. ¡°What are the names of your babies?¡±


    Stefan¡¯s smile widened and he excitedly told Jade the names that he and Cayenne came up with. ¡°The eldest is Ayena Jahzara, the second is Aziel David and the third is Yun Zeki. ¡±


    ¡°They sound lovely. What do they mean? Their names must have meanings, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I would never name my children carelessly.¡±


    ¡°I remember someone tried naming them after theyers of the atmosphere.¡± Cayenne teased which made everyoneugh. Who would do that? Stefan wasn¡¯t even a scientist or a science enthusiast. How did he evene up with names after those boringyers of the atmosphere?


    Stefan could only scratch the tip of his nose at this moment. He didn¡¯t expect that his wife would use this chance to get back at him. [It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s always a pretty sight when she smiles.]

 Chapter 829 - 829 RUMORS

    829 RUMORS


    During their conversation, Jade¡¯s attention was suddenly caught by someone else, and she let go of her brother to see the person who just passed by outside Cayenne¡¯s room.


    ¡°Nurse Belle!¡± Jade called out and the woman turned around to see the source of that voice calling her. ¡°Nurse Belle, you are finally back to work?¡±


    Belle smiled and bent down to level her eyes with the little girl in front of her. ¡°I am currently working as Dr. Rivera¡¯s assistant. Because of an ident, I cannot go back to my original work.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Rivera? You mean Uncle Eli, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m working for Dr. Eliezer Rivera.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool. I¡¯d be able to see you more often,¡± Jade expressed without realizing the difort that the woman was feeling right at this moment. She was just so happy to see that the nurse was doing fine after all the bad things that had happened to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you around,¡± she checked her wristwatch and smiled apologetically, ¡°Sadly, I must leave. I can¡¯t dilly-dally with my work.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. Take care, Nurse Belle.¡±


    ¡°You do the same little Jade.¡±


    .....


    Jade was stunned upon hearing the nurse call her name. As far as she remembered, her mother told her that the nurse had lost her memories. [Did she recover her memories?] Jade thought to herself while watching the nurse leave.


    After about a minute, she went back inside the hospital room and talked to her parents. Of course, everybody saw their interaction outside but didn¡¯t say anything about it. The nurse was known to many because of her kindness to the children in the hospital. There was nothing wrong with Jade getting attached to her.


    ***


    Born prematurely on February 14, 20xx, many spections spread about Cayenne¡¯s babies. Since no one showed videos or photos of the children which was very unusual for a family that loves to show off their rtionship on social media, people spread the rumors that her children developed abnormalities worse, and someone spread the information that one of her children died.


    Initially, when Luiz saw these rumors on the inte, he wanted to say something to them but David stopped him from doing so. He knew that Stefan and Cayenne wouldn¡¯t want the young man¡¯s work to be affected by it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a rumor. We won¡¯t get anything by rifying it. Don¡¯t stoop low to the level of the person who spread it,¡± Stefanmented a few hours ago when he found out about this matter. Even though he said it, he actually asked Tristan to investigate this matter and get to the bottom of this. Yes, it was just a rumor. However, he won¡¯t tolerate anyone who curses his children to die. They have to take responsibility for the words that came out of their mouths.


    As the doting husband he was, he strictly forbid anyone from talking about this issue whenever his wife was around. He didn¡¯t want her to be stressed even more.


    ¡°Hon, look at her. She¡¯s touching my finger,¡± Cayenne squealed softly with a wide smile on her face. She was holding the tiny baby in her arms for today¡¯s visit.


    It¡¯s been a week since she gave birth to them and Stefan only told her to visit the children twice a day ¨C once in the morning and once in the afternoon. She wasn¡¯t upset with this arrangement, though. She knew that Stefan was doing this for her sake and the children¡¯s. Little as they were, in addition to them being premature, the doctor and nurses told them that developing children would be at high risk of getting sick. Stefan would never allow that to happen.


    ¡°The boys are awake now,¡± Stefan alsomented when he noticed the little movements of his little boys. ¡°They look lovely.¡±


    ¡°Can you hold the princess for me? I¡¯ll try to hold the boys.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡±


    ¡°Holding these little cupcakes is nothing. I¡¯m very strong, you know.¡±


    ¡°I have noment on that,¡± Stefan retorted with faintughter apanying his words. ¡°Come here sweet bean.¡±


    The nurse who constantly monitored the children couldn¡¯t stop feeling envious while watching the couple interact. She has witnessed many couples acting all sweet and clingy but she never felt anything ¨C not until this moment.


    Cayenne held her children one after another for about ten minutes each. When her visiting time was up, she immediately returned them to the nurse who put the children back in their respective incubators.


    Although she spent so little time with them every day, she was happy with every moment she shared with them. In addition, she can watch them from the outside.


    Seeing the smile on her face, Stefan intertwined their fingers together and brought her hand to his lips. There was no need for words. Cayenne knew what he was feeling. The naked emotions in his eyes were more than enough for her to understand her husband.


    The two of them returned to her hospital room and found Tristan sitting on the bench. He was holding a briefcase and a box of Cayenne¡¯s favorite cake. She knew it was for her because Elena wasn¡¯t really fond of matcha cake and she wasn¡¯t in the hospital either. And surely, it wasn¡¯t for her husband since Stefan didn¡¯t like to eat sweets that much.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to see that you are doing well, Ms. Yen. Thepany employees had been looking forward to seeing you and your childrene out to the public.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll surely show them to the world as soon as we get the chance. Anyway, if you¡¯re here for some business matter, I¡¯ll get inside first.¡±


    ¡°Here!¡± Tristan stretched his hand and gave Cayenne the small box of cake. ¡°Lena said that you are now allowed to eat sweets. She asked me to get you this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very sweet of her. Thank you. Send her my regards.¡±


    As soon as Cayenne got inside her room, Stefan closed the door and faced his assistant. Tristan pulled out a stack of documents from his briefcase and handed them to Stefan. ¡°I found out who spread the rumors already. They were just a bunch of unknown bloggers. They most likely wanted to be famous instantly which caused them to stir some trouble on the inte.¡±


    ¡°No one was behind any of them? I am really tired of keeping myself on guard every single day of my life.¡±


    ¡°I checked them twice. There wasn¡¯t really anything suspicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust your words,¡± Stefanmented as he read the information about the people who caused him some trouble. ¡°Punish them as you deem fit for their behavior. I won¡¯t say anything about it.¡±


    Stefan didn¡¯t want to be away from his wife which was the reason why he didn¡¯t deal with these people personally. He just wanted to be a husband to her and a father to their developing children. Nothing else mattered to him at this moment.

 Chapter 830 - 830 SLOWLY RETURNING HER LIFE TO NORMAL

    830 SLOWLY RETURNING HER LIFE TO NORMAL


    Although Cayenne was supposed to rest after giving birth to three children, she refused to do nothing and just sat around while her husband was doing his best to provide for the family at the same time; looking after their children and her.


    Others might have it easy with money and power, but Cayenne didn¡¯t want to abuse Stefan¡¯s connection to other people. She was more than privileged already with all the treatment she was receiving because of him. This time, to prove that she wasn¡¯t fragile like others think she was, she decided to pick up her pace and contacted her professors voluntarily. She knew that Stefan would be pissed off once he found out what she did. However, she also knew that he would understand her as soon as she exined the details to him.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do that,¡± Cayenne said over the phone. ¡°No, I don¡¯t minding to the university for the final exam... Yes, that will do... I understand.¡± As soon as the call ended, she sent a message to Jackson, her assistant, and secretary.


    Stefan went home for a while to get her some change of clothes and other personal items which made it possible for her to decide things on her own. Normally, she would have been discharged from the hospital already since there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with her, but Stefan wanted her to stay longer so that the doctors could look after her should something bad happen to her.


    Thankfully, the VVIP ward was rarely used and there were many vacant rooms avable. Cayenne didn¡¯t have to leave in a hurry for others to use the room after her.


    The first to arrive was Jackson who brought some documents for Cayenne to review. All of them were rted to her charity foundation and it was already filtered by Tristan after some thorough investigation. Jackson also informed her of the charity event that would take ce in two months which was arranged by Kyle several months ago. It wasn¡¯t easy to make it happen since most of the people they wanted to invite were busy and had prior arrangements. Kyle could only wait for these invitees to free up their space for the event. Fortunately, they promised toe if he moves the date to another month or two.


    ¡°Thank you for always helping me, Jackson,¡± Cayenne mumbled and smiled. ¡°If you ever need help, don¡¯t hesitate to let us know. Stefan and I will do our best to help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already grateful for this job, Ms. Yen. You already gave me too much credit for something which I didn¡¯t do alone.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe. You are so humble. Tristan told me that you are very efficient with work and Kyle also testified to that. You don¡¯t have to be so courteous about it. Still, I¡¯m d that you are down to earth. That¡¯s even better.¡±


    .....


    Jackson only smiled while waiting for Cayenne to finish reviewing the documents and take her pick on the people to be prioritized.


    Not long after, Stefan came and faintly nodded his head when Jackson bowed in his direction. ¡°Are you working again?¡± Stefan questioned while pulling the suitcase behind him. ¡°I just left for over an hour, and you are making yourself busy in my absence.¡±


    Cayenne stuck her tongue at him and made face while waving the documents. ¡°I¡¯m being productive while being held captive by your heart.¡±


    Stefan¡¯s heartbeat faltered and he felt his face rising in temperature. ¡°Geez! What are you saying?¡± He couldn¡¯t believe he was easily blushing at her words. ¡°You, cheeky woman,¡± Stefanmented as he kissed her forehead. ¡°So, what are you up to?¡±


    Cayenne scooted over to the other side of the bed to make space for her husband to sit, obviously ignoring the presence of her secretary who decided to go out voluntarily. Jackson didn¡¯t want to witness another overloading sweetness since he just had a dose from Kyle and Kath at the foundation before leaving to see Cayenne in Senyu Medical Hospital.


    Back inside the hospital room, Cayenne exined what she did behind his back. At first, Stefan¡¯s face crumpled, and Cayenne felt really nervous because of his expression. She didn¡¯t want them to fight over something so trivial.


    ¡°So, I will be attending sses through zoom meetings and someone from the faculty will install a camera to monitor me, just to make sure that I am not getting any help during my regr assessments. Then, on the day of the final exam, I will be taking it in the university like everybody else.¡±


    Stefan sighed deeply and pulled her into a hug. ¡°Am I giving you a hard time?¡±


    ¡°No, of course, not,¡± she responded almost instantly, ¡°you are always sweet and responsible, and you look after me and the kids, at the same time you have to follow up with your work and check on everyone to make that they were doing fine. You are doing so much for the family already. I just want to do my part. Besides, once I graduate, I¡¯d be able to spend more time with you and the kids.¡±


    ¡°And the foundation that you worked so hard for,¡± he added knowing that Cayenne won¡¯t ever give up on that. ¡°If this is what you want, I won¡¯t stop you even if I want to. I just hope that you will be honest with me when you can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Likewise. Don¡¯t take things by yourself. Always remember that I am here for you. We¡¯re in this together, right?¡±


    With her expectant gaze and bright smile, Stefan could never say no to her. Thus, he decided to kiss her lips to seal her mouth. In that way, he wouldn¡¯t be able to say a lie to her. Of course, as her husband, as a partner, he wanted them to be equal but there were times when his overprotectiveness woulde out and he might do something on his own without consulting to her first. Therefore, he opted not to make a promise, but he kept it in his heart to do his best not to cause her more things to worry about.


    Thus, after getting Stefan¡¯s support with the arrangements she made, Cayenne finally felt relieved. In addition to checking on their children twice a day, she can now join her ss and graduate in a few months¡¯ time.


    Since she still had something to do, Stefan gave her some space to continue her work. He called Jackson toe inside and discuss whatever needed to be discussed with Cayenne while he sat on the side to order food for Cayenne. Since she wasn¡¯t pregnant now, she could eat whatever she liked, and Stefan didn¡¯t have to feel nauseous and dizzy anymore.


    ¡°Help this woman with her chemotherapy treatment first. Ask if we could document the details. If she wants to hide her identity, that would be fine as well. We can just use a pseudo name for her.¡±


    ¡°Should I transfer her here since this hospital has better facilities?¡±


    ¡°If the doctor rmends that, you can arrange everything after talking to her and her family but if it¡¯s not rmended, she can just have her treatment there.¡±


    Jackson just nodded his head while keeping the document of the first person that Cayenne picked up among all the files. ¡°Should I ask someone to film the process as well? Or are we relying on the bodyguards who wille with me?¡±


    ¡°You ask for her permission first. If she agrees, we can just rely on the bodyguards. I haven¡¯t found anyone who could be very good at taking videos.¡±


    ¡°Shall we make a team for that?¡±


    Cayenne¡¯s eyes lit up after Jackson brought up this idea. She had never thought of this before since she was relying on her brothers and the other people around her. Tristan also handled the investigation well despite the workload that Stefan gave him. The bodyguards were able to get the videos that she needed for her vlogs since they were equipped with micro cameras. Her brothers, along with Erwin and Tristan¡¯s help, were editing her videos as well. It never urred to her that these people had something else to do aside from helping her.


    ¡°You just gave me the most brilliant idea. If we form a team for my vlogging ount, who do we need? I mean, what skills should we look for in people?¡±


    And with this turn of their conversation, Cayenne and Jackson spent more time brainstorming while Stefan listened to them. Though it wasn¡¯t really his responsibility to look for people that Cayenne might need in her team, he still ended up listing those requirements that she talked about with Jackson. Can¡¯t help it. That¡¯s how Stefan was when it came to his wife.


    ¡°Focus on the teenage girl¡¯s chemo first. Then, we¡¯ll hire a team to help us work on the next people that we will choose.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±

 Chapter 831 - 831 FORMING HER TEAM I

    831 FORMING HER TEAM I


    Cayenne¡¯s schedule was starting to get fully upied with Stefan inserting himself whenever he could. Early in the morning, the two of them would walk to the NICU and spend time with their children for about half an hour. After that, she returned to her room to clean herself, get dressed and have breakfast with her husband. Right after breakfast, she would set up her table and join her ssmates for a ss through a zoom meeting.


    A few days ago, someone installed a camera in her room for monitoring purposes and Cayenne can cover it when it wasn¡¯t time for ss. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t something that could record sounds. Else, they¡¯d hear something unnecessary between a husband and wife. Perhaps, the university took that into ount already which was why they asked someone to install an ordinary camera to monitor her.


    Jackson posted something in his ount and tagged Cayenne and Stefan on his post which caused quite a stir on the inte. Many people leftments, shared the post, and even mentioned some other people¡¯s names there. Of course, with Stefan¡¯s reputation of prioritizing his employees over his business, a lot of people would want to work for him or his wife. The problem was that thepetition was fierce.


    Cayenne was looking for a videographer, a video editor, a soul searcher as she called it which was basically just finding the people who needed her help and determining if the person¡¯s im was legit to receive her help, and a makeup artist.


    The post was shared so many times and wasmented on hundreds of times in a second that the server crashed. It was so surprising since Cayenne wasn¡¯t even an international celebrity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Stefan said over the phone when Jackson called Cayenne. Well, he was supposed to talk to Cayenne but she was having a ss so Stefan answered the call for her. ¡°I will let the recruitment department handle the applicants. In any case, Cayenne¡¯s foundation is located in mypany and those people will be essing mypany as well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯ll be there during the hiring process as well.¡±


    ¡°Sure. That would be great.¡±


    Three dayster...


    .....


    The sun wasn¡¯t even showing up yet but a lot of people were lining up in front of Stefan¡¯spany building. They were alling to apply for the position that Cayenne was looking for. They were all excited and happy at the same time since they will be meeting her and there will be a high chance that they would get to spend time with her brothers since they will be working for him.


    Unbeknownst to them, Stefan has other ns. He would not allow people with ulterior motives toe in contact with his wife and their family.


    Around 7:30 A.M., Erwin, Luiz, and Kyle came together, and meet with Kai, who volunteered to help in screening the applicants for Cayenne¡¯s video editor as well as videographer. The four of them decided that they would only hire one person to do these two tasks since it will be easier for the editor to find angles that would make the video look enticing to the audience. Stefan also sent someone from the recruitment department to apany them in the screening. They stayed in a separate rooms to make sure that the selection will be smooth.


    In another room, David and Riley came to help in selecting Cayenne¡¯s makeup artist. Not only were they looking for someone who was skillful with cosmetics but someone who are good at dealing with children. With Cayenne¡¯s attitude toward work and family, there will be a high chance that she will bring her children to work. If her makeup artist was someone who hates children, it will be troublesome once children start crying. Of course, Stefan also asked someone from the recruitment department to apany the two of them.


    In the third room, Jackson was sittingfortably with his crossed legs. He looked stunning with his hair beingbed back with some strands messily hanging on his forehead. His eyesses were clear and there was that cold expression on his face which made him feel tired of wearing. Stefan told him to look strict for this interview. In addition, the one who apanies him was the head of the recruitment department.


    ¡°Shall we start the interview? I already told the other staff to separate the applicants.¡± Sonia Franchesca, hispany for this interview asked. ¡°I already received the qualifications in hiring the soul searcher as the madam called it. To make sure that we¡¯ll have a thorough selection, we also hired psychologists who will be monitoring the whole interview. I informed the others about this already.¡±


    ¡°Is this how it works every time you hire people?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± she said as she sat on the chair next to him. ¡°We¡¯re only doing this on special cases, like hiring someone to work for the Madam.¡±


    Jackson only made an ¡®oh¡¯ sound and nothing else. He didn¡¯t know that he also went through the same process when he applied to be Cayenne¡¯s secretary and assistant. After all, it was an internal procedure.


    The woman pressed the Bluetooth earphone and told the people outside to start letting the applicants in.


    Although it was just an interview for Cayenne to form a small team for her vlogging work, Stefan made sure that everyone will be catered to properly. There were refreshments ready for the applicants, coffee, milk, tea, or whatever drink of their choice. At the same time, he asked some security guards to man the area and make sure that no ident would happen. At the end of the day, it was hispany and his reputation was at stake at this moment as well.


    Those people who applied to be a videographer and editors were told to bring a sample of raw footage of their videos and another sample of the video after it was edited. While Kai and Luiz watch their work, Erwin and Kyle were responsible for interviewing the applicant. On the other hand, the woman from the recruitment department was taking down notes that the psychologist has observed from the applicant.


    In the second room, the applicants for Cayenne¡¯s makeup artist were told to go in groups of five. It was also a way to measure how well they could handle pressure from having other people look at their work. As soon as the applicants came inside, five models came in as well. They were told to do sample makeup on the model but not five minutester, a child came inside and ran toward Riley. Of course, it was a child that they borrowed from the employees to act naughty and willful during the interview.


    The moment the boy came inside, he was shouting and some of the applicants messed up. Others even cursed under their breath.


    ¡°You have five minutes more,¡± Riley said with a faint smile on her lips, as if she was encouraging them but deep inside her heart, she wanted them out of her sight. She grew up under Jillyanna¡¯s tutge ever since she was thirteen and she knew how to read expressions. She hates people who hate children the most. They were her archenemies because along with her twin and Shein, she was abandoned in the streets and saw people looking at them in disgust.


    David stood up and pped his hands thrice. ¡°Time¡¯s up,dies. Thank you for taking the time toe. We will call you after we talk over the result,¡± he said which could be interpreted as ¡®don¡¯t bother continuing, you aren¡¯t hired¡¯.


    The first group went out dejected without even knowing why they weren¡¯t hired. There wasn¡¯t even any sort of interviews.


    The only normal interview that went on was in the third room. Jackson and Sonia were asking the applicants questions before giving them a sheet of paper. There was another question written on the sheet of paper with 20 choices and they can choose 4 answers as the maximum. It was a personality test that will be checked by the psychologistter on. This time, when they said they would call you or send you a text message, they really meant it.

 Chapter 832 - 832 FORMING HER TEAM II

    832 FORMING HER TEAM II


    Even after lunch, no one was hired for the position yet. Erwin and Kyle were disappointed with the work that the applicants submitted to them and worse, others even got angry when their work got low evaluation. They didn¡¯t need those aggressive men who might scare the children. Stefan would probably burn the person alive if the children get affected by those nasty behaviors.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± the man greeted with a light bow of his head. He was tall, about the same height as Stefan and he has tan skin which looked sexy with his lean-muscled body. His eyes were golden brown and he had a strikingly handsome face. Kai even thought that this man was applying for the wrong work. He could obviously make more money in the entertainment industry. ¡°My name is Zaire Dubrinskii.¡±


    They finally looked at his portfolio and found that he was a half-Italian and half-Filipino who recently moved to City A in hopes of finding a job while looking for his father. He wasn¡¯t really hoping to reconcile with the man who left him right after he was born but his mother wanted to know how the man was doing after all these years. He just wanted to know and tell her mother about him.


    He was pondering over this thing when he came across the post that Jackson put in his ount. Grabbing this opportunity was what brought him to this ce.


    ¡°How long have you been taking videos and editing them?¡± Kai asked after recovering his senses. He was still regretful that this man came to be a videographer and editor instead of an actor or a model.


    Zaire counted the time with his hand before looking up to meet the gazes of the people in front of him. ¡°I started taking videos and pictures when I was young. I was hoping that my work would reach someone special and that became my driving force to do better every single day. I studied film and media arts when I got into college and I started taking videos and editing them professionally when I was 20 years old. I actually have a social media page. Would you like to check it as well?¡±


    ¡°That would be great,¡± Luiz answered cheerfully because, from the man¡¯s portfolio, he was expecting something great already.


    Zaire pulled out hisptop, searched for his ount, and showed it to them. ¡°It¡¯s not muchpared to other people but I am happy that everyone likes my work. I actually wanted to continue being a frencer because it gives me more freedom but, society doesn¡¯t allow me to have that chance. I need money to survive if I have to be honest about it.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try working as a model?¡± Kai finally asked the question that he had been holding back. ¡°You have the looks and the temperament. I think you will earn more as a model.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. I am actually afraid of people backstabbing me and it is verymon in the entertainment industry. I am sure sir Luiz had experienced that already.¡± Luiz nodded his head because what Zaire said was true. ¡°I amfortable working behind the camera.¡±


    Erwin nodded his head in understanding and finally turned on his ownptop. ¡°Can you give us a sample edit using the videos I have here? You can create something like a promotional video.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®sir¡¯ me. I am actually younger than you. It feels odd to me. Just call me Erwin.¡±


    Zaire scratched the back of his head as he nods but he didn¡¯t say yes or no to Erwin¡¯s statement. He just pulled out theptop and started editing the videos that Erwin showed him. It was a video of Cayenne ying with the children at the orphanage. It was just a random video that would test the applicant¡¯s skills. So far, only Zaire was able to make it to this part of the interview.


    While he was doing that, Erwin went out to see if there were other applicants waiting outside. Seeing that there were more of them, he told the recruitmentdy to bring Zaire to another room while they continue the interview. In this way, they could save time while checking out if someone out there was better than the man.


    On the other hand, Riley was fuming inside the second room. Some women were terrible with their makeup skills and were very confident in applying. She wasn¡¯t really mad at them but not only did they have terrible skills, they even have terrible attitudes.


    One of them couldn¡¯t differentiate primer from the foundation and others put too much foundation on the model¡¯s face that you could hardly tell their original skin. They were told to make simple makeup that one could use daily for their work or to school but they presented sultry and provocative looks.


    Cayenne won¡¯t even have the chance to look like that because Stefan won¡¯t allow her to. She¡¯s married for god¡¯s sake.


    Aside from that, they were only looking for a makeup artist during Cayenne¡¯s work. If Stefan wants her to look sultry and sexy, he could obviously do it himself. He was rather good at it. Yet, it wasn¡¯t his work to do so, and he has other things to do than making her wife look seductive who distracts him all the time even without makeup on.


    ¡°We have few people left outside,¡± the staff said while looking worried at the models who were exhausted from being tested with different applicants who, not only wasted their makeup but angered one of the interviewers, too. David could only shake his head disappointingly.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we won¡¯t find any gem from the applicants today. I am sure that Stefan would allow us to extend the hiring process for this position. He would neverpromise his wife¡¯s and children¡¯s welfare just to hire someone as soon as we can. Let¡¯s just take our time.¡±


    The staff nodded his head at David¡¯s words beforeing out to call for the next group. Riley was already back to her usual amiable face when the next group came inside and not even a trace of her anger earlier could be seen. At her signal, the child started with his acting as well.


    The little boy pressed his stomach and walked to one of the models and poked her arm with his finger. ¡°Big sis. Big sis. When will you finish your work? I want to go home now. I am hungry. I want to eat!¡±


    ¡°Just give me a few more minutes. We should be done.¡± The model hissed angrily and even red at the little boy. ¡°I told you already that you can¡¯te. You should be thankful that they allowed me to bring you here. Stay there and behave.¡±


    ¡°But mama said you have to take care of me.¡±


    ¡°I am taking care of you,¡± the model retorted angrily, ¡°I¡¯m working, ain¡¯t I?¡±


    The child¡¯s lips trembled and tears started pooling in his eyes. He was about to cry while pressing his hand harder on his stomach. ¡°But I am hungry. The food they brought wasn¡¯t enough. I want more.¡±


    ¡°I told you ¨C ¡±


    ¡°But I am hungry! Why aren¡¯t you understanding?! It¡¯s all work! Work! Work!¡±


    The model red at the child before shifting her gaze to the applicant. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. The interviewers already knew him since we¡¯ve been working together for a long time. My brother can be a very handful at times. They won¡¯t deduct your score just because he¡¯s throwing a tantrum.¡±


    ¡°But miss, pardon me, won¡¯t you at least find some ways for him to stop doing that? Letting your workmates adjust to his tantrum is spoiling him.¡±


    Riley and David snickered and just continued to watch this batch of applicants. They haven¡¯t even started the interview yet but they could tell that none of them really cared for the child. No one even spared him a look of concern. They all showed irritated expressions.


    ¡°Next batch please,¡± Riley said after a few minutes more of observation.

 Chapter 833 - 833 FORMING HER TEAM III

    833 FORMING HER TEAM III


    The applicants looked shocked by her statement and they didn¡¯t even know what went wrong. They felt awfully annoyed with Riley¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°Before you open the door, Azami,e here for a sec,¡± Riley called the little boy who was about three years old but canmunicate well and understand adult instructions already. ¡°I want you to stand behind the models as I give them instruction. Pretend that you are taking something from the makeup and pretend that you are going to eat it. Let¡¯s see if anyone would notice that. We need someone with good observation since Cayenne has children and they might do something naughty with the cosmetics.¡±


    ¡°I got it, sis Riri.¡±


    Riley nodded his head and gave the signal to the staff. People might find it strange for them to find someone who was good at handling children when they were going to be Cayenne¡¯s makeup artist but knowing Stefan and how much he dotes on his family; they were doing this strict screening for the employee¡¯s sake. It would be better if they could hire someone for a long period and not someone that would get fired because of one mistake.


    ¡°Pleasee inside,¡± the staff said and opened the door to let the applicants inside; Azami took this cue to act naughty while no one was observing him. He ¡®sneakily¡¯ took a foundation from the cosmeticsid on the table and slowly backed away with his hands behind him.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± greeted Riley and David.


    ¡°You may take your seat,¡± Riley added and gestured for them to sit on the chairs prepared for the applicants. However, a woman, who looked olderpared to the other applicants, raised her hand to stop Riley from talking. Everyone turned their attention to her and she gulped drily in anxiety. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Uh...Ma¡¯am, whose child is that boy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind him.¡± Riley retorted but her heart was already jumping with happiness. Finally, someone noticed Azami the moment they got inside. Most of the time, the applicants just ignored him. ¡°He¡¯s our model¡¯s brother. You don¡¯t have to worry about him. He¡¯s permitted toe with his sister since no one can look after him.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Uhm...¡±


    ¡°What is it? Just speak.¡±


    ¡°Can I approach him first? I just want to make sure that I won¡¯t be using someone.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± David inquired and he acted furious while looking at the things on the table. ¡°Did he steal something?¡±


    The woman was stunned when David said the word ¡®steal¡¯ since the child might not have the idea of what that word entails. The models even looked at her angrily. ¡°Pardon me, sir. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to use that word against a child. Also, I am not really sure what he took. He might have mistaken something for a toy. Children often do that. They y with whatever they find is interesting.¡±


    ¡°Gosh! What are you spouting there?¡±


    ¡°Tsk! You are being nosy.¡±


    ¡°You are taking so much time, you know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t meddle with them.¡±


    The other applicants were against this woman already and they voiced out their negative opinion in whispers. Unfortunately for them, Riley can lip-read. There was no escape from her keen observation at all.


    The woman wanted to take a seat and just ignore what she saw but her conscience kept tugging her heart. When Riley was about to start the interview, the woman stood up and walked to the little boy who hid behind his ¡®sister¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry little guy but I think I saw you took something from the table earlier. Do you want to y with it?¡± Azami moved even closer to the model and pretended to be scared of the woman. ¡°It¡¯s actually not a toy. Your sister might have forgotten to show you that since she uses it at work. How about you show me that thing and I¡¯ll tell you what that is?¡± Azami finally stretched out his hand and showed the liquid foundation which was already opened.


    ¡°Why did you take that?!¡± The model questioned angrily through gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry my brother didn¡¯t mean it. I swear.¡± Riley and David also stood up to see the thing that Azami handed to the woman. ¡°Miss Summer, I didn¡¯t know. I swear my brother must have mistaken that for a toy. I would never tolerate such behavior. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    David sighed and took the foundation from the woman. ¡°This is very expensive.¡±


    The woman bit her lower lip as she looked at the model who was about to cry already since her brother was being used of stealing. She didn¡¯t mean for all of these to happen.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I was just worried that the child might eat it. I never wanted to use him of stealing. Aside from that, the child didn¡¯t really know what was that for.¡±


    ¡°This interview is over,¡± Riley coldly expressed and returned to her seat. ¡°Others can leave except for you, miss. You need to deal with this mess.¡±


    The woman apologized to the other applicants who didn¡¯t even get the chance for an interview. It wasn¡¯t their fault that something bad has happened but because of her, they missed a great opportunity. Well, it was what they thought. They had no idea that doing nothing was what made them miss this job.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name again?¡± David asked while flipping the bottle of liquid foundation that he took from the woman which Azami used as his prop for acting earlier.


    The woman stood in front of them while stealing nces at the child who was now hugging his sister¡¯s thigh. ¡°My name is Adrianne Corazon. Once again, I apologize for interrupting the job interview. My conscience just wouldn¡¯t allow me to let things be. My negligence could put the child¡¯s life in danger.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Corazon, do you know how much this foundation costs?¡± The woman nodded her head in response to David¡¯s question. ¡°Good. Now, use the remaining foundation for one of the models. I want you to style her up for a hosting event.¡±


    ¡°Me?! You¡¯re not asking me to pay for that?¡±


    ¡°Why would you pay for it? Did you take this away?¡±


    ¡°Uhh. No.¡±


    Rileyughed out loud and this time, Azami also cheered happily and ran to Riley¡¯s side. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll stop teasing you now. In the meantime, you are the only one who passed the preliminary round. So, we already took a peek at your portfolio and where you worked before. We asked someone to verify the information without being so obvious about it. So, the next round is for you to dress up and do our model¡¯s makeup ording to your choice of clothes for hosting.¡±


    Adrianne stood there with a dumb expression on her face. She didn¡¯t expect that while she was fighting her anxiety and worry, she was already making it to the next round. After a few minutes, her eyesnded on the little boy and she sighed in relief. ¡°So, the child was just acting, right? He wasn¡¯t really harmed? He won¡¯t be punished for what he did.¡±


    ¡°No, he wasn¡¯t harmed and won¡¯t be punished for it. However, Ms. Corazon, we just want you to know that your job will be far stricter than this. A child might be harmed at any moment so you have to be very observant if you pass the next test.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

 Chapter 834 - 834 [Bonus chapter] FORMING HER TEAM IV

    834 [Bonus chapter] FORMING HER TEAM IV


    At the end of the day, the interviewers, along with the employees from the recruitment department, felt really tired from the hiring process. If it was any normal job, it wouldn¡¯t take long for them to hire people who could work for Cayenne. Sadly, Stefan wouldn¡¯t settle for less when ites to his wife. He was very strict with people who works for her daily. He wasn¡¯t even that strict when he looked for his own secretary and assistant.


    Luiz rubbed his neck as he got out of the room and stretched his legs for a while as he spoke. ¡°We have two videographers and editors. Tomorrow, we will ask my sister to test them out without telling her the information about the two people. She has to decide it based on their skills.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully we found someone before the day ended. I don¡¯t want to deal with this kind of job hiring anymore.¡± Riley expressed and stomped on her feet. ¡°I am pretty sure I¡¯d be receiving negativements from those we have rejected today. Well, I don¡¯t really care. If they won¡¯t like me, so what? It¡¯s not like they¡¯re the only people in the world.¡±


    ¡°I still have to sort out the results of the personality test that we have conducted earlier. Ahh, I am really tired. Should we go somewhere and eat out together? I think I need to release some stress.¡± Right after Jackson said this, Martin came over to them. It startled him a little to see that Cayenne¡¯s bodyguard came just when heined about the stressful day.


    ¡°Madam wanted to treat you guys to dinner but she can¡¯t leave the hospital so, I will being with you instead to pay the bill.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Luiz cheered and walked ahead of them. ¡°Where should we go?¡±


    With that being said, they all took this offer even though they could all afford to eat in a fancy restaurant with their own money. From time to time, it was also good to save money by getting treats from other people.


    The next day, Cayenne didn¡¯t have a ss and Jackson took this chance to bring Adrianne Corazon or Addie as she preferred to be called that way. So far, she was the first person to be confirmed as part of Cayenne¡¯s team. She will be her makeup artist whenever she needed to attend an event or just visit some people that she would like to help. In that way, Stefan will have more time to spend with the children.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Dumrique.¡± Addie greeted and lightly bowed her head to the young woman in front of her. It was hard to imagine that she just gave birth to triplets with her petite body. ¡°I got hired yesterday as your makeup artist. I¡¯m Adrianne Corazon but I like it better if you can call me Addie. Adrianne sounds like a boy¡¯s name.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Addie. Wee to the team. Though, you are the first member since the others aren¡¯t confirmed yet. Just call me Yen. I heard that I am younger than you. It¡¯s awkward when you¡¯re calling me formally.¡±


    ¡°I got it, Yen. By the way, I just want to rify since I signed a contract with sir Stefan¡¯spany, am I directly employed by you or by him?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are directly employed by me. He just monitored the formality of the hiring process. He wanted to make sure that everything was fine. I am your direct employer but there will be times that he will instruct you on things.¡±


    ¡°I see. I understand it now. I was just curious. That¡¯s all. When should I start working?¡±


    ¡°As of the moment, your colleagues aren¡¯t confirmed yet so, you can just stay at home and rest while waiting. Don¡¯t worry, you are paid for that since you signed the contract already.¡±


    Addie blinked her eyes and gawked at Cayenne for what she said. She didn¡¯t know that someone would pay her for doing nothing. She was already surprised with her monthly sry and now, another surprise came to her.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Yen. I am so grateful for that.¡±


    ¡°No, worries. I¡¯ll be looking forward to working with you.¡±


    The two of them talked for a little while before Addie left to go home and prepare her things for work. She needed to be presentable as Cayenne¡¯s makeup artist. She needed to make sure that she won¡¯t be an embarrassment to her employer.


    Not long after she left, Luiz and Kyle came to visit their sister. They showed her some videos and asked which of them she liked better. Cayenne didn¡¯t think much about it since the videos were about her foundation and the staff who works there for her. It also showed the ces where they work and some of the staff exined what was the purpose of each ce. She just thought it was documentation.


    ¡°I like this better,¡± Cayenne said while pointing to the second file. ¡°I like how he was able to showcase the ces as well as the warehouse while making sure that it didn¡¯t look scripted. Oh, I¡¯m d he included the staff since they work most of the time there. Hmm, shall we use this as a promotional video on the foundation¡¯s page? It would surely attract other people to extend their helping hands through us.¡±


    ¡°Do you really like this?¡± Kyle asked once again to make sure.


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    With that, they finally confirmed which of the videographer would work well with Cayenne. Kyle told Jackson about it and thetter called Zaire to inform about him of his new job. It was quite sad for the other person to fail but they from the first moment they saw Zaire, they already got this feeling that his work will be Cayenne¡¯s choice. His personality was reflected in his videos and they could see how meticulous he was just like Cayenne. They will surely get along while working together.


    Jackson¡¯s only problem now was the soul searcher. The psychologist handed him two documents after screening the results of the personality test several times. He couldn¡¯t decide which one to hire and when he asked Tristan for help in investigating these two people; nothing rming was found.


    ¡°Who should I pick?¡± Jackson asked himself over and over again. he lost count of the number of times he asked himself this question while looking at the files in front of him. He was torn between choosing the guy and the woman who acted like a guy.


    Left with no other choice, he sent a soft copy to Stefan and called him at the same time. He will be signing the contract with these employees anyway so; it was better if he chooses one of them to work for his wife.


    Stefan answered the call and listened to Jackson¡¯s concern while viewing the information about the two applicants. ¡°Why are you being worried over this trivial matter? If you can¡¯t choose anyone from the two then, just hire both of them.¡±


    Jackson was left astounded. Such a simple answer but he never thought of that. He honestly had this idea that Cayenne only needed one person in every position. ¡°Such a dumbass,¡± he told himself while flicking his forehead in annoyance.


    Because of Stefan¡¯s answer, Callum Reeves and Cree Sworza became Cayenne¡¯s ¡®soul searcher¡¯.


    Her vlogging team was finally formed and their encounter with her will surely change their lives.

 Chapter 835 - 835 THE EX-COUPLE MEETS AGAIN

    835 THE EX-COUPLE MEETS AGAIN


    Amidst her tight schedule, Cayenne still managed to study for ss to make sure that she won¡¯t fail. She didn¡¯t want to disappoint her husband and most of all, she didn¡¯t want all his effort to go down the drain. He has been supporting her without anyin and she only needs to do her best for him.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    Cayenne paused from reviewing her notes and looked up to see who visited her. Her face brightened upon seeing Latticia and Dr. Albert standing at the door with a box of sweets for her. They really knew what could make her happy.


    ¡°Mom,e in,¡± she said and gestured for them toe inside and have a seat on the couch close to her. ¡°Stefan just went out to visit the children again. He¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±


    ¡°I...I came...for you,¡± Latticia responded with a smile and slowly gave the snacks to Cayenne. ¡°My son...he¡¯s always...always busy.¡±


    As she received the gift, Cayenne grinned at the woman in front of her. ¡°Stefan wouldn¡¯t admit it but he cares for the children that much. I¡¯m really excited to bring them home.¡±


    Dr. Albert just sat on the side while listening to the two women talk about Stefan and the children. Although, Stefan has forgiven him, he still made sure that he wasn¡¯t acting too close to his family. At least, the man allowed him to stay with Latticia and even kept the truth from Magnus.


    A few minutester, Stefan came back with a silly smile on his face. Obviously, he was having a great time with the children. As soon as he saw his mother, his silly smile vanished and he could only scratched his nape from the awkwardness he felt. He didn¡¯t expect that his mother would see his silly side.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re here,¡± he said to hide his embarrassment. ¡°Do you want to join us for lunch? It¡¯s been a while since thest time we ate together.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Hm. I¡¯d be very happy if we could do that.¡± Cayenne added which made Latticia smile brightly.


    Ever since she reunited with Stefan, she was recovering steadily and the doctor that Stefan hired to look after her was also doing his best to keep up with Latticia¡¯s treatment. Moreover, Dr. Albert was there to monitor her all the time.


    Now, she could already walk a long distance without panting so much and her statements were easier to understand. Everyday, Dr. Albert gives her face muscle therapy to make sure her face won¡¯t be stiff as well.


    So far, everything was going well.


    Out of the blue, without informing Stefan and Cayenne, Magnus came to visit his daughter-inw along with Ferdinand. The two men were stunned to see Dr. Albert there and the hostility between them almost caused a spark in the air.


    Latticia only nced at Magnus without saying anything before looking back at Cayenne. She talked to her as if no one else was there.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯ll have outsiders here.¡± Magnusmented which was an insult to Dr. Albert who remained quite beside Latticia. ¡°Yen, you should not associate yourself with crimin-¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Dad.¡± Stefan expressed coldly which stunned Magnus and Ferdinand. It has been a long time since hest used a cold tone against his father. They hardly remembered thest time he did it. ¡°Whatever you have against Dr. Albert and his wife, say it when Yen isn¡¯t around. I don¡¯t want you to insult my wife¡¯s friends.¡±


    Magnus raised his eyebrows as he looked at Dr. Albert but when he shifted his gaze to Latticia and the woman looked away, his lips twitched and he clenched his hands to fists.


    Cayenne wanted to pacify her visitors but she didn¡¯t know how. She couldn¡¯t ask Stefan¡¯s mom to leave and she couldn¡¯t do the same thing to Stefan¡¯s father as well. She was torn between the ex-couple.


    ¡°Uhh...¡±


    A sudden intrusion made everyone shift their attentions to the door and Jackson who just came shivered from the tension in the room. He could almost see the sparks flying between the people inside.


    ¡°Jackson!¡± Cayenne eximed cheerfully which caused everyone to withdraw their negative emotions. ¡°You¡¯re finally here. Did you bring everyone as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Yen.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Cayenne stood up and pushed her reviewer to the side which Stefan picked to ce them on the table. ¡°Come inside. I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯d be getting a lot of visitors today. Please don¡¯t mind my family.¡±


    One after another, Cayenne¡¯s team followed Jackson inside and lightly bowed to the other people who visited their boss.


    ¡°Oh! Let¡¯s this chance to introduce everyone to my family. You might see them often from now on.¡±


    With their appearance in her room, the atmosphere changed. The tension disappeared as Magnus started talking to Callum and Cree about their soul searching job. He stopped paying attention to Dr. Albert and has quickly forgotten his interest with Latticia.


    Cayenne finally breathed a sigh of relief as she stood next to Stefan while watching Magnus speak with her team. ¡°I¡¯m so d that they arrived just right in time. I was so worried that Dad would start fighting with Dr. Albert.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that they would see each other again here. Thankfully, Dad didn¡¯t notice anything with Mom. It would be troublesome if he finds out the truth.¡±


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s a sad thing that he couldn¡¯t recognize her.¡± Cayenne whispered after stealing a nce at Latticia who was speaking with Dr. Albert about something she has no idea of.


    Stefan didn¡¯t respond to her statement. It might be a sad thing but, with how things turned out, he didn¡¯t know what exactly his parents feel. He wasn¡¯t sure if his mother was sad that Magnus didn¡¯t recognize her. He wasn¡¯t sure either if his father was really unable to recognize the woman in front of her or was just pretending all along. He couldn¡¯t confirm the truth and he didn¡¯t want to do it either.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s not mind them for now. We¡¯ll deal with it when the timees for us to say the truth. For now, let¡¯s focus on you and the children.¡±

 Chapter 836 - 836 GOOD NEWS WITH A LITTLE BAD THING

    836 GOOD NEWS WITH A LITTLE BAD THING


    Three weeks passed and Cayenne was finally having her semi-final exam, an assessment that has to be done before the finals. She was nervous and at the same time confident that she¡¯d be able to get high scores. Stefan and Kyle had been helping her in reviewing her lessons just to make sure that she won¡¯t fail.


    Ever since she gave birth, this was the first time she ever came to school again and it was just to take the exam as promised by the university.


    Many students congratted her for giving birth to triplets and they wished for the children to grow strong and healthy so that they could go home with Cayenne soon. She was really happy to hear their wishes.


    Of course, there were some who hated her and wished ill for her children. However, Cayenne didn¡¯t care about them. She would only wait for bad karma to befall these green-eyed monsters who lurk around her.


    ¡°Alright, raise your pen,¡± the professor said and waited for everybody to do it, ¡°Flip your test papers and start. You have one hour to finish this subject.¡±


    The shuffling of papers and the faint sounds of scribbles could be heard clearly due to the deafening silence in the room. No one spoke or read the questions allowed. They were all focusing on the test paper in front of them.


    [I¡¯m hungry.] Cayenne thought and started opening her chocte box. Aside from the pen which was required of them; they were also allowed to bring candies and choctes during the exam, and Cayenne brought a whole box of dark choctes to keep herself energized and keep her hunger at bay.


    One hourter, she submitted her paper along with the other students before leaving the room and once outside, she stretched her arms.


    Noah approached her immediately with Faith beside him. ¡°How was it? Do you think you get a high score? It¡¯s your only chance to make up for your absences and graduate.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I think it was okay,¡± she answered confidently. ¡°I studied again and again for the exam. Kyle also helped whenever Stefan couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m pretty sure I was able to answer 90% of the questions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good for you. Let¡¯s move on to the next ss.¡±


    At 4:30 PM, as soon as she finished herst exam for the day, Cayenne slumped on her chair and sprawled her arms on her desk. She felt so tired. Her fingers were sore from writing. Worse, she still needed toe the next day for the other subjects. She felt like crying already.


    ¡°Are you going to the hospital after this?¡± Faith asked while packing her things. ¡°Noah and I will drop by the ramen house near the campus. Would you like toe with us for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Stefan will be worried and I am so tired. I just want to sleep right now.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s fine. I understand. Is he picking you up?¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll go ahead first.¡± Faith expressed and gave Cayenne an airy kiss on the cheek. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°You, too.¡±


    ¡°Bye, Yen. See you tomorrow.¡± Noah waved and left with his arms slung on Faith¡¯s shoulder. Seeing them happily chatting as they walked outside, Cayenne felt a little energized. She was happy for her friends.


    Not long after, Stefan came to pick her up and the moment sheid her eyes on him, her energy rocketed off the room. She instantly ran to his arms and hugged him tight to boost her energy even more.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well today. Let¡¯s go back and see the children. They¡¯ll be happy to hear you talk about the test. You canin to them as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll surely do that. I¡¯ll tell them how tiring it is to take an exam.¡±


    Little as they may be; they became their mother¡¯s confidant at an early age.


    The next day, Cayenne kissed her children goodbye and left for the university again. She has to finish another set of examinations for her other subjects.


    On the third day, she only got two subjects left and it ended before lunch break. Therefore, she was able to return to the hospital earlier than expected. Stefan didn¡¯t even know that she would return soon before he could pick her up.


    Time flew so fast, the children already turned 1 month from the time they were born. Fortunately, nothing bad happened to them and they were developing pretty well. There was only a little problem. It was a minuscule matter that others didn¡¯t even think was a problem. However, Stefan who paid attention to the children so much even though he keeps denying this fact; noticed that Zeki was a little different.


    On the day that they were born, he heard their cry as a sign of them being alive. They cried faintly but he heard them clearly. Yet, now that a month has passed already, he only heard his 3rd child cry twice.


    His little princess was the loudest and the most clingy among them. Every time he handed her back to the nurse so she can ce them back in the incubator, she would hold his fingers as if wanting to stop him from giving her to the woman. Aziel would cry sometimes but not as often as the princess. Zeki was the quietest. It was hard to tell if he needed something or if he was ufortable or whatever. It worried him. He even asked the doctor about it but they said it was normal. The child¡¯s test shows nothing was wrong with him as well.


    He wanted to tell Cayenne about his observation but he didn¡¯t want to cause her unnecessary things to worry about. If the doctor said he was fine, he should be fine.


    Another month has passed and finally, Cayenne was going to graduate. She may not receive an award even if she has good grades because of her absences, but she was still happy that the admin and faculty allowed her to get a diploma.


    Aside from that, their children were scheduled to be discharged on their 9th week in the hospital. They can finally bring them home. She couldn¡¯t wait to celebrate this good news, not knowing that they¡¯ll be challenged as parents when it came to their 3rd child, Zeki.

 Chapter 837 - 837 BRINGING THE CHILDREN HOME I

    837 BRINGING THE CHILDREN HOME I


    ¡°Wee home!¡±


    Everyone greeted them as soon as Stefan and Cayenne came home along with their triplets. Their whole family prepared the weing party for the couple and their kids, and just seeing their smiling faces was enough to tell Cayenne and Stefan how much love and care their children were receiving from so many people. Their friends came as well.


    ¡°Can I hold my niece?¡± Luiz asked and it was evident on his face how much he anticipated this moment toe. He was even holding the little figurine of an angel which he got during the gender reveal party. He might be biased towards this little girl but that usually happens among families. That doesn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t love his nephews just because he was excited to hold her.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Stefan hesitated for a moment but Cayenne was ready to hand her little girl to Luiz and she did. What else can he do aside from ring at Luiz? ¡°Did you wash your hands?¡± Stefan asked after a moment of silence. ¡°You know that children are fragile and weak creatures. They¡¯re easy to get ¨C ¡±


    ¡°They know.¡± Cayenne interrupted because she knew that once Stefan started his lecture, it would take long before he¡¯d stop. ¡°They¡¯ve waited for a long time just to hold the kids. Let them have this chance today.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Just this once.¡±


    As soon as Stefan agreed, Magnus took Aziel and Stanley carried Zeki off. For the first time in a while, no one paid attention to Cayenne and Stefan. Everyone was fawning over the kids.


    Stefan was worried, though. Every single time that someone touches his daughter or his sons, his face would crumple and he was ring at the person who touched his kids. Surely, he has forgotten the words he said before they were born.


    Noticing his behavior, Cayenne covered her mouth to stifle herughter. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure everyone knows how to take care of children. Nothing bad will happen to them.¡± Stefan didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Hmm...I remember that someone told me I would always be the number one in his eyes but, he can¡¯t even look away from the children for one second.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Ah? Haa?¡± Stefan instantly shifted his attention to his wife only to find her grinning from ear to ear beside him. ¡°You were teasing me, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, not. I¡¯m extremely upset. Very, very upset that I don¡¯t get the same attention from you as before.¡±


    Stefan pulled his wife for a hug and apologized to her immediately even though he knew that Cayenne was just kidding with him. He still went along with her drama. ¡°I still love you the most. I just care for the children after all the hardships you went through for thest 7 months.¡±


    ¡°It was more like you having trouble with my pregnancy. I wasn¡¯t really having a hard time because you were with me.¡±


    Luiz caught his sister and brother-inw being sweet and lovey-dovey again and he could only sigh helplessly. Having children or no children, the two of them didn¡¯t change at all.


    ¡°Ara, Jaz, Jazi, Hmm, what will be the best nickname for you?¡± Luiz muttered and the little girl smiled sweetly as if understanding the trouble that Luiz was having. ¡°Ara. Do you like it? Ara.¡¯ The little princess smiled brightly even with her eyes closed. She must have liked her nickname.


    Magnus and the others were thinking of Aziel¡¯s nickname as well. They were brainstorming the child¡¯s nickname when Aziel cried loudly and caught Stefan¡¯s attention.


    ¡°What happened? Dad, what did you do?¡±


    Magnus returned the child to Stefan and sighed for being wronged. ¡°How would I know? We were just thinking of the appropriate nickname for him.¡±


    ¡°He probably disliked the name you gave him, right my little Azi.¡± Aziel smiled at his father¡¯s words and when Stefan tried letting his father hold the child again, Aziel would only cry. They could onlyugh at Magnus who felt betrayed by his own grandson.


    ¡°Can I hold him?¡± Sabrina asked nervously since she never tried holding an infant before. This will be her first time doing so and her heart couldn¡¯t stop beating like a drum. ¡°I...I¡¯ll be very careful with him.¡±


    ¡°You have to be extra careful.¡± Stefan reminded her and Sabrina nodded with her trembling hands.


    ¡°Let me help,¡± Erwin said and the two of them looked like real parents who held their firstborn child; though it wasn¡¯t theirs.


    ¡°When are you going to make your own child?¡± Reuben interrogated and Sabrina blushed profusely at the question. Of course, that urred during her conversation with Erwin but both of them were still young and Erwin was still working on getting on her parents¡¯ good side. She can¡¯t just hastily make one without thorough preparation. ¡°Maybe if you give your parents a grandchild, they will approve of Erwin without any hesitation.¡±


    The idea made others grimace but seeing the couple¡¯s tomato-red faces, they couldn¡¯t stop themselves fromughing. ¡°That¡¯s a good suggestion,¡± Magnus added.


    ¡°No, just take your time,¡± Stanley said, contradicting Magnus and Reuben. Soon, a thunderous atmosphere began to surround these three men.


    As the three of them made a ruckus, Zeki was just observing everyone. At some point, Stanley even started getting worried.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he too quiet?¡± Kyle asked when he observed this on Zeki. ¡°He never made a sound since earlier. He just kept looking at the people. Ara and Azi weren¡¯t even looking at us like how he does.¡±


    ¡°Now that you have mentioned it, it feels like he¡¯s seeing through my soul,¡± Dominique added.


    Jade didn¡¯tment. She wanted to hold the child as well but since the adults wanted to go first, she can only wait for them to finish. She was also thinking of the same thing.


    ¡°Wee home.¡± Dr. Albert greeted with Latticia walking beside her. Just hearing his voice was enough for Magnus to change his attitude and when he saw the woman walking beside him, he felt even angrier for whatever reason he could think.


    ¡°I¡¯m d...that you...are safe...home.¡± Latticia added in between dry gulps. She shifted her eyes to the children and her eyes met with Zeki. Her heart lurched to her throat and the child showed emotion for the first time.


    Slowly, his lips pulled to a smile as he looked at his grandmother.


    Not just Stanley, but everyone who saw the child¡¯s reaction was caught by the sudden surprise. All this time, he was silently watching everyone but he smiled as soon as he saw ¡®Alice¡¯ enter.


    ¡°D-do, do you want to hold him?¡± Stanley asked his sister and before Magnus could say something, Stefan held his father by the shoulder to stop him. ¡°He seems to like you.¡±


    Aside from the few people who knew Latticia¡¯s real identity, the others were quite baffled at Zeki¡¯s reaction to the woman. She wasn¡¯t even rted to the child or the parents ¨C that¡¯s what they thought.

 Chapter 838 - ADD

    ADD


    838 BRINGING THE CHILDREN HOME II


    Since it was a weing party, food will never be missing as part of the preparation. Some were eating, others were chatting and their conversation focused on Cayenne¡¯s delivery and recovery. Some decided to hold the children for a bit longer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take this as some sort of practice,¡± Luna said while carefully holding the little girl in her arms. ¡°She felt so soft and squishy. I want to pinch her face.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that if you still want to hold her next time.¡± Cayenne reminded her because Stefan would forbid anyone from getting close to their babies if that happens. ¡°He¡¯s overprotective.¡±


    ¡°I can see that. He¡¯s been obsessed with your protection as well.¡± Cayenne justughed it off since she has no retort to that statement. Luna was just stating some facts. ¡°Will you be taking the children to the venue of your graduation? It will be a long ceremony.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t discussed that with Stefan yet.¡±


    ¡°I bet he won¡¯t.¡±


    In the middle of their conversation, Jade came and held Jahzara¡¯s pinky finger, then she left and went to Aziel just to do the same thing. Looking back at Cayenne and Luna, she grinned mischievously at them. ¡°I am introducing myself to them. From now on, I will be their big sister.¡±


    ¡°My daughter is safe from your boys,¡± Travis told Stefan which shocked Jill who was sitting beside him with Raizel sitting on hisp. She didn¡¯t expect him to say that.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, my boys just came out and your dearest daughter turned 7 already. Are you out of your mind?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Age doesn¡¯t matter when ites to love. Take your uncle and his new girlfriend.¡±


    Stefan was speechless. He never even thought that far ahead for his children¡¯s affair. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let Raizel mark my princess, too? Isn¡¯t it better if she sees him as her big brother from now on?¡±


    ¡°No way. If my Raizel gets attached to your little Ara, even if she treats him like her big brother, something else could develop between them. That¡¯s dangerous. I don¡¯t want our children to be partnered. You will only torture my child if he chases after your girl.¡±


    Everyone: [What kind of conversation is that?]


    Jillyanna didn¡¯t know what to say to these overprotective men at the moment. She didn¡¯t even know why they suddenly talk about such a thing. For god¡¯s sake, the children just turned 2 months old.


    Meanwhile, Zeki refused to let Latticia go. When someone else tried to hold him, his face would start to crumple as if he was about to cry and when they stopped approaching him, he would stare at Latticia¡¯s face.


    Seeing this interaction, Cory couldn¡¯t stop herself but wonder why the child was so attached to ¡®Alice¡¯ when she just came and she has no rtion to anyone here except for being close to Cayenne and Stefan. Aside from that, she didn¡¯t want to admit this but she keeps seeing the resemnce of herte daughter to this woman in front of her.


    After eating, Cory walked toward ¡®Alice¡¯ with Jose following behind her holding a te of fruits. He ced the te on the coffee table and sat next to his wife who chose to sit close to Latticia.


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty, isn¡¯t she?¡± Cory whispered to Zeki and the child slowly shifted his gaze to the other old woman. He looked at Cory before looking back to Latticia and smiled. ¡°Oh? Did you understand me?¡±


    ¡°He seems...to...understand you...ma...ma¡¯am.¡±


    Cayenne and Dr. Albert whipped their heads at the same time and looked at Latticia who surely made an intentional slip of the tongue. Her eyes were red but she refused to cry in front of her mother. It was obvious that she had been wanting to call Cory her mother.


    Dr. Albert immediately came to the rescue and Cayenne also approached the woman to get her little boy. ¡°My wife seems tired. Her doctor said that she can¡¯t be too exhausted.¡±


    ¡°I understand. It seems that Yun likes her so much. I¡¯ll bring him over to the cabin sometime or you cane whenever she feels better.¡±


    ¡°Hn. We¡¯ll do that.¡±


    Cory watched Latticia leave and for some reason, he wanted to stop her. She just couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. ¡°Is Alice going to be alright?¡± Cory asked worriedly. Her heart felt that freaking painful pinprick when she saw her leave hesitantly.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to be fine, granny. She¡¯s a strong woman. I¡¯m pretty sure she will do her best to recover because of the children.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...because she likes children so much. She wasn¡¯t able to hold her own child when he was young so she was very excited when she found out that Stefan and I were expecting triplets. Maybe Zeki felt her excitement, too.¡±


    Her excuse sounded reasonable but Stanley who witnessed everything felt sorry for his parents and his sister. They were so close to each other yet so far.


    Zeki yawned softly and Cayenne excused herself to bring the child upstairs. Luna told her that Jahzara did the same thing and soon, Stefan also took Aziel from Kyle and brought him to their room.


    When Luna went up while holding the little princess, she was also excited to see the children¡¯s nursery room. She wanted to have an idea of what a nursery should look like for her children in the future. Leading them up was Stefan, followed by Cayenne and her. Each of them was holding a child.


    Stefan pressed his finger on the biometrics and the door slowly opened for them to get inside. She was awestruck with what she saw and she thought ¨C ¡®Nah, I¡¯m not having this for my children in the future. I¡¯m not as fucking rich as him¡¯.


    The materials of the cots alone would cost her tens of thousand of dors already. And to think that will only be used for a little over two or three years old. The flooring was doubleyered as well. From the moment you set your foot inside, you will be stepping on an expensive foam that will cushion the children whenever they start crawling or practice walking and falling. The edges of the furniture inside were insted with rubber to keep the children from harm, too.


    Aside from that, to keep the children¡¯s noise from disturbing the other residents inside the house or those who live around them, the room was sound-proofed with one exception. There were sound transmitters everywhere that connects to the master¡¯s bedroom and that would help Stefan from hearing everything that is happening in the room. He asked someone to install cameras in the room as well and the monitor was also inside the master¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°How much did your husband pay for this nursery room alone?¡± Luna whispered her inquiry to Cayenne which thetter responded with an eye-roll.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even ask me. Just thinking about it gives me a headache.¡±


    ¡°And he said he won¡¯t spoil them, huh.¡±

 Chapter 839 - 839 MATCHING OUTFIT IS EXCLUSIVE TO ME AND MY WIFE

    839 MATCHING OUTFIT IS EXCLUSIVE TO ME AND MY WIFE


    Since the children were brought home, every day, Cayenne and Stefan received gifts from different people who wished their children good health and happy life. Luiz also decided to stay over so that he can spend time with his niece and nephews. He refused to let his brother grow closer to the childrenpared to him even though he knew that Kyle was working in the foundation for his sister.


    She might be a mother of three but she never felt any stress from the start of her pregnancy until this moment. People took turns of taking care of her children during the day and when nighttimees, Stefan would never allow her to stay up for the children.


    It has been three days since they brought the children home and instead of going back to work, Stefan bought another desk and ced it inside the master¡¯s bedroom. He works there every day and when the children start crying, he¡¯d be up and running to the next room. She didn¡¯t really know where he got all the strength and energy to keep this kind of routine.


    Like this time...


    Cayenne was preparing her clothes for the graduation ceremony tomorrow and Stefan was having a meeting with the marketing directors. One ear had a piece of earbuds while the other was free to hear the noise that his children would make. Fortunately, they were sleeping at this moment.


    From time to time, he would check the time at the lower corner of hisputer to make sure that he¡¯d be on time to mix the milk form for the children.


    When Cayenne came out and saw him ncing at the time, she picked up her phone and typed a message for him to read. She wanted to help to the best of her ability. [I¡¯ll take care of their milk time. Just focus on the meeting.]


    Stefan wanted to say no but Cayenne had ced her hands on her hips and red at him. Reluctantly, he gave her an ¡®okay¡¯ sign and continued with the meeting.


    Because the children were born prematurely and they weren¡¯t used to Cayenne breastfeeding them in thest two months, it was decided that they would just continue to use milk form which was advised by the doctor. There was just one tiny problem, the three kids have different preferences. So, it would really take time to make their milk alone.


    .....


    Cayenne made her way to the kitchen to get the sterilized milk bottles and started mixing the milk for their children. The children like their milk warm, but Stefan wanted everything safe for the children so the milk will be mixed with boiled water first then, it should be ced in a small bowl of ice water to cool it down until it gets to the preferred temperature.


    ¡°Miss Yen, do you need any help with that?¡± Ca asked when she saw what Cayenne was making.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can just focus on cooking. By the way, Uncle Stanley and Jessie wille over tonight for dinner so prepare more food for us than usual.¡±


    ¡°Got it, miss Yen.¡±


    After cooling off the hot milk, Cayenne brought the milk bottles upstairs. When she opened the door, she found Luiz lying on the foam with a storybook next to him. He was sound asleep with the children. Another advantage of having foam as flooring, it didn¡¯t make any sounds when you walk on it. The children kept sleeping and their uncle was the same.


    Cayenne pulled her phone out of her pocket and secretly took a picture of her brother and children. [Let us spoil your fans a little bit.] She thought and posted the picture on Luiz¡¯s timeline. The fans who saw the picture instantly went crazy and started saving, and sharing it with others. To others, it may sound ridiculous but to the fans, just knowing what their idols were doing and if they were living as normal people do, they would feel a little closer to them.


    ¡°Ehe...hmm...mm..wa...waaahhhhh¡±


    ¡°What, what happened?!¡± Luiz jolted awake and started looking around the moment he heard the loud cry of the little princess and soon enough, Aziel followed suit. ¡°Oh, you guys are hungry. Your mom brought milk already.¡±


    Jahzara looked at her uncle talks but not five seconds after, she cried once again.


    Cayenne gave Luiz the milk form for the little girl and her brother started feeding her. Then, she fed took Aziel out of his cot and fed him. When she looked at her little Zeki, the child only opened his eyes a little and went back to sleep. It has been always like this. He wouldn¡¯t join her siblings during a feeding session. Once Aziel and Jahzara finished drinking, that was the time that he would move restlessly and start sucking his thumb. He wouldn¡¯t even cry for milk. It was really odd and Cayenne noticed it already.


    Stefan who was listening to the sounds while stealing nces at the CCTV monitor, felt relieved when the children stopped crying. He continued with the meeting and let his wife handle everything for today. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t evening.


    The next day, Cayenne woke up earlier than her husband and started walking the dogs outside. She could finally do this thing again after giving birth to her children.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Yen,¡± greeted the stableman to her.


    ¡°Good morning, Toni.¡± Cayenne greeted back to the man who was responsible for taking of the horses as well as the other animals on their property. ¡°Luka¡¯s belly is getting bigger as well. When is she due?¡±


    ¡°Thest week of September or the first week of October.¡±


    ¡°Cool. The children will be able to see that. Anyway, I have to go and walk the dogs. Stefan and the children will wake up soon.¡± Without waiting for her answer, she made a turn and walked-jogged to theke before making her way up to the log cabin where she saw Latticia and Dr. Albert drinking coffee on their balcony. She only said ¡®hi¡¯ and continued with the routine until she made it back to the mansion.


    Coming in through the backdoor, she got herself disinfected for the sake of the children since she had been walking outside with the dogs. Did you think the disinfectant will be taken down after her pregnancy? You guys were wrong. Stefan found another reason to keep the machine on.


    When she got inside the transparent lift, she found her team setting up a small area in the living room for a photoshoot. Today, before going to the university to get her diploma, Cayenne will have a photo shoot with her family first. The ceremony will be held fromte in the afternoon until the evening so, she still got so much time during the day to make this photoshoot happen.


    An hourter...


    ¡°Congrats, Ms. Yen!¡± They said almost at the same time when they saw her walking down the stairs.


    ¡°Right. Congrats, Ms. Yen. It is sad that you won¡¯t get any award despite the grades that you have but it¡¯s okay. You are already sessful without them.¡±


    ¡°The babies are so cute.¡±


    ¡°I have the urge to squish their faces.¡±


    ¡°Is it just me or does the little princess look haughty despite her young age?¡±


    Addie was very fond of children and when she saw the triplets, she wanted to leap and hold them in her arms. Unfortunately, Stefan¡¯s strict expression made her keep her excitement to herself.


    Cayenne was holding Zeki while Stefan held Jahzara and Luiz got Aziel. With Luiz being there, things were a little easier for Stefan, too. With worry clouding over her face, she walked toward Zaire and expressed, ¡°This will be our first family picture so, I¡¯m kind of nervous and worried about the process. Should we have some theme or like ¨C what should we do? I just can¡¯t dress in my graduation toga alone, right?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a matching outfit with the kids?¡± Zaire asked and instantly, the atmosphere in the living room changed. Even Luiz pursed his lips while trying his best to contain hisughter. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Matching outfit is exclusive to me and my wife.¡±

 Chapter 840 - 840 PHOTOSHOOT

    840 PHOTOSHOOT


    Cayenned loved the idea and even though Stefan was against it, he still went along with her reluctantly.


    They changed the children¡¯s clothes to match his and Cayenne¡¯s, and without realizing it, he was already smiling while looking at the kids.


    ¡°You look lovely. Hmm...shall we ask Zaire to take photos of your little cupcakes? Nah, I don¡¯t want others to see your faces.¡±


    Listening to his words, Cayenne could only shake her head. Wasn¡¯t he so against this idea earlier? She knew it! Stefan could be easily beaten by the result even if he didn¡¯t like the thought of it.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s take pictures of your whole family without the toga.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Stefan interrupted which caught everyone off guard. ¡°Uhh, can you take some shots with my wife and children first? I want them to have pictures together without me.¡±


    ¡°And the purpose is?¡±


    Stefan can¡¯t say he was going to ckmail his children with it, can he? Surely, his wife would freak out.


    ¡°I just want to.¡± He said which wasn¡¯t very convincing at all.


    .....


    Seeing the hesitation and the way he looked at the children guiltily, she could already guess what was running inside his mind. In the end, she gave way. ¡°Fine. Fine. Let¡¯s do it ording to your n.¡±


    The first set of photos has a garden theme but wasn¡¯t really done in the garden. Although Stefan would bring the children outside at least four times a week to get some sunlight, today wasn¡¯t the schedule for that. They could only do the photoshoot indoors and make use of props avable inside.


    The children were lying on the carpeted floor with a fake garden backdrop and Cayenne was looking after them with that loving gaze she always gave to Stefan before. Now, he has three rivals.


    ¡°Good. Just look at them like that.¡± Zaire said and started taking pictures. ¡°Then, how about raising Ara in the air for a few seconds? I¡¯ll take the pictures quick so it won¡¯t be tiring.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡± Cayenne did but noticed that the two boys were looking at her. ¡°How about my boys?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll have separate photos with you as well.¡±


    As if understanding his words, Aziel and Zeki didn¡¯t make any noise. They were only staring at their mom and sister.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have Zeki this time. Why don¡¯t you cuddle him? Addie, can you help Miss Yen with the positioning of the child?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Cree, can you help me move the light a little at the back.¡±


    Zaire was like a director as well but his attitude wasn¡¯t overbearing. He was well-mannered and knew how to ask for things politely.


    Aziel camest and Cayenne was holding him in her arms while pretending to read a book.


    The pictures came out nicely and Stefan was happy with all the results. He even told Zaire to send him a copy of everything without editing them.


    They continued with the photo shoot and this time, Stefan was already joining them.


    Every time they change the theme, Cayenne will have a different set of pictures with the kids before Stefan would join them. And thest was a family picture with Cayenne wearing her graduation toga. She also asked Zaire to take one with only her and Stefan. After all, it was all because of her husband¡¯s efforts that she was able to graduate.


    ¡°It¡¯s already 3:30 PM,¡± Luiz reminded them after checking the time. ¡°Sis, you don¡¯t have to change your clothes already, just go on with that.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± Cayenne retorted and ran upstairs while holding Stefan¡¯s hand. ¡°Please look after the children for a moment,¡± she yelled without looking back.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to hurry. We will make it.¡± Stefan said not knowing what his wife was up to. He just followed her to the walk-in closet and that¡¯s when he saw the dress she chose for her inner attire.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a moment of me and you. A matching outfit would be great.¡±


    ¡°Not with the children, right? Just the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    Stefan grinned and immediately changed his clothes. His children have no idea that their father was already treating them as his rivals.


    The graduation ceremony was held at Grand Pierre Auditorium which was the biggest auditorium at Xena University since there were a lot of graduating students at this time. The seat for audience was also full because of the students¡¯ friends and families who came to witness this joyful moment.


    Although it was a moment that she would treasure for the rest of her life, Cayenne came with Luiz and the bodyguards only. At the entrance of the auditorium, she saw Kyle and Kath along with Jonas and Reuben. No one really asked why Stefan wasn¡¯t around. With Stefan¡¯s identity and the children fitting into the picture, there was no way he would put their lives in danger. At least, with a minimum number of people to protect, the bodyguards will be able to focus on their job.


    ¡°Sir Stefan, can we also watch the ceremony here?¡± Cree asked since Stefan was watching it live by paying someone to record the event.


    ¡°Hn. Go ahead. Just make sure you are done cleaning the area. Double-check your items and make sure that no little trinkets are left.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Cayenne went inside the ce and as soon as she stepped in, she stopped on her track and smiled awkwardly. Everyone was looking at her.


    ¡°Yen! Over here! Yen!¡± Faith was waving her hand at Cayenne while jumping up and down. With so many students taller than her, it wasn¡¯t easy to spot her. Noah couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he easily pulled his girlfriend up which caused their ssmates to boo them. ¡°Hmph! If you¡¯re jealous, go and get yourself a man!¡±


    Cayenne finally found them and she made her way to them. Her first impression of Noah might not be good and their first meeting wasn¡¯t something she likes to remember either. However, this man turned out to be someone she could rely on in ss and her work. In addition, Faith was very loyal to her and despite some misunderstanding, she didn¡¯t judge Cayenne. She always asked Cayenne for the truth first. These two were the people she considered her new best friends.


    ¡°Congrats to us!¡± Noah said the moment she arrived at where they stood. ¡°You really made it after all the things you went through.¡±


    ¡°Right! You were even kidnapped and got engaged to someone else!¡± Faith added and shivered at the memory that crossed her mind.


    ¡°Looking back, so many things happened in my life ¨C both good and bad but I am thankful because you were always there for me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what friends are for.¡±


    In life, people woulde and go, and there are some people who will choose to be with you. First meetings could either be bad or good but what matters most are the memories and lessons you got from those people.

 Chapter 841 - 841 MONET CAME

    841 MONET CAME


    Cayenne received her diploma happily, something she didn¡¯t expect she would get. She grew up thinking she needed to work hard for her mother and siblings, to make sure that she would be able to pay for the medical bills and tuition fees. She had nothing but work in mind. It was also because of this mindset that she was able to meet Stefan and her life changed because of him.


    Standing in front of her schoolmates, Cayenne kissed her diploma and waved it to the camera, knowing that her husband would be watching him from home. It wasn¡¯t just her effort that paid off but everyone who helped her.


    If Cayenne¡¯s circumstances were the same as the other students, she would have gotten her award because of her excellent grade. Unfortunately, her absences and sick leave affected her overall performance as a student. However, with her optimistic character, getting the diploma was more than enough for her.


    The next morning, while she was still sleeping soundly after getting back sotest night, people were busy in the living room and in the garden.


    ¡°Sir, I brought the flowers already.¡±


    ¡°Sir, Chef Lawrence and Chef Dike have arrived. Shall I show them the kitchen?¡±


    ¡°I picked up your gift already, sir.¡±


    ¡°The tables and chairs have been arranged in the garden.¡±


    The security guards and the house helpers were busy preparing for the celebration that Stefan wanted to hold for his wife. People wereing over as well and even though they were considered guests, they helped with the things around for the party.


    .....


    Kath and risse were decorating the garden with many balloons and other stuff to make it look bright and lively. Sabrina was also arranging the congrattory gifts for Cayenne on another table. The Madrigals came as well and Jillyanna decided to help with the arrangement of utensils.


    Stefan didn¡¯t hire any event organizer this time because everyone wanted to have a share in making this celebration happen.


    Not long after, his maternal rtives arrived, and Dominic helped the security guards in putting up the tent on the side. Just in case it would, they would have a ce to shelter before getting to the house. Most of the guests were probably rich people but he treats them like how he treats everybody else because of his children. No more favoritism this time.


    On the other hand, Jade was helping him take care of the children. Raizel even joined her as she reads a story to the babies. Though, Travis was there looking after them as well.


    You could say the husbands were better at handling the babies because they wanted to spoil their wives.


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±


    Travis and Stefan instantly turned their heads to the neer and their eyes widened in surprise. At the door, M was holding her gift while Thomas stood beside her with a baby carrier tied around his body. He was carrying their little boy.


    ¡°M! You¡¯re finally back!¡± Stefan hugged her and gently patted her head. ¡°You really worried us.¡±


    Travis also smiled and pinched her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m happy that you escaped the clutches of death and gave birth to a healthy baby boy.¡±


    ¡°Hey! What about me?¡± Thomas interrupted but the two men cruelly ignored him. At the same time, seeing the relief on their faces upon seeing his girlfriend, he was happy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being a jerk,¡± he apologized, and the two cruel men finally shifted their attention to him.


    Travis: ¡°How is it being a father?¡±


    Stefan: ¡°Do you stay up in the evening, too?¡±


    Thomas: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect I would be getting this blessing. Thankfully, I got people who whacked me in the head to make me realize how idiotic I was.¡±


    Seeing the three of them looking after the children, M quickly took a picture of them. ¡°Where¡¯s Yen?¡± She asked when she couldn¡¯t find her.


    ¡°Still sleeping.¡± Stefan responded. ¡°She would wake up any moment now. How about you surprise her?¡±


    ¡°What do I do?¡±


    ¡°How about you dress up as a waitress and give her some sweetster?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to make a costume.¡±


    ¡°I think Cayenne kept that costume. I will look for it.¡±


    ¡°And why would she have that costume?¡± Thomas inquired teasingly. They knew that Cayenne worked in Clover Hotel before but not as a waitress. She also returned her uniform when she worked in a caf¨¦ in the past. So, how?


    ¡°Why do you even want to know? You can ask someone to make one for M.¡±


    Travis stayed quiet at this juncture. He didn¡¯t want to tease Stefan since he had his own kinky games with Jillyanna as well.


    The preparation continued while Cayenne tried to get as much sleep as she could. She wasn¡¯t the least bit bothered by the noise outside because of the best soundproofing in their bedroom. She also knew that Stefan would take care of everything if there was anything that needed her attention or whatnot.


    ¡°Dad,¡± Jade called while keeping her eyes on Zeki. She was really interested in his behavior. ¡°Dad, is it possible for a two-months old baby to understand me?¡±


    ¡°They probably understand us or you with the tone of your voice or your actions. They still don¡¯t understandplex words.¡± Travis answered while caressing Raizel¡¯s head who sat on the thick nket that Stefanid for the kids.


    ¡°Really?¡± Jade frowned and looked closer at Zeki. ¡°Do you like Auntie Alice?¡± Zeki smiled and touched Jade¡¯s face. ¡°How about your daddy? Your mommy? Your uncle Luiz?¡± She got the same reaction from him, so Jade whispered, ¡°how about your grandpa Magnus?¡±


    Zeki¡¯s smile vanished and was reced with a poker face. Jade was shocked with what she discovered. ¡°You know it, too?¡± She said while caressing his face. ¡°I found out the truth without them telling me so, let¡¯s keep it a secret. Adults didn¡¯t want to spread it and babies should follow the adults.¡±


    Travis watched his daughter talk to the young Zeki and he was already worried about the future. He didn¡¯t want the child to be attached to his little princess.


    Thomas, who noticed his friend¡¯s worry, snickered on the side. ¡°Your worry won¡¯t happen. Why are you even thinking that far?¡±


    ¡°Anything could happen under the blue and the night sky.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for having a cute and smart daughter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pray that your son will give you a headache every day.¡±


    ¡°Ya! That¡¯s no fair.¡±

 Chapter 842 POST-GRAD CELEBRATION

    Chapter 842 POST-GRAD CELEBRATION


    Cayenne woke up around 10:00 AM and just in time since everyone was almost done with the preparation.


    The first thing she did was check the monitor inside their children''s room and found that they weren''t there along with Stefan. Knowing that she could always count on him, Cayenne went to the bathroom and took a quick shower. It would be great to start the day with clean and fresh body.


    Stefan instinctively looked upstairs upon hearing through his Bluetooth earpiece the shuffling noise that Cayenne made. Any moment from now, she''d be going out already.


    Stefan stood up and invited everyone to follow him. "Let''s go to the garden. Ayen will being out soon."


    Travis picked up his son and carried him out while holding Jade in his other hand. Thomas and M followed him out with their child as well. As for Stefan, there was no worry with the triplets because a lot of people wanted to hold them. This time, was carrying Zeki who was silent the whole time.


    If they''ve never heard him cry or giggle in the past, they would surely think he was mute.


    As soon as they got outside, Zeki waved his hand happily with a wide smile on his face and he was making giggling sounds again. It was very rare seeing this moment so they all followed the child''s gaze and ended up looking at Latticia or Alice as they knew.


    Stefan handed the baby to his mother with no qualms and Zeki touched the woman''s face happily.


    "He likes you so much, mom. He could probably tell our resemnce," Stefan whispered which brought tears to Latticia''s eyes. "Just let me know if you get tired. You''re still recovering."


    "Hn. Thank you for always giving me time with them."


    Half an hourter, Cayenne came out and heared the buzzing whispers and chatter from the garden. [What could be happening outside? Stefan didn''t say that people will being today, else I wouldn''t have slept for so long.]


    "Yen!"


    "Congrattions!"


    "Auntie Yen, congrats!"


    "We''re so proud of you!"


    "Yen, you''re amazing!"


    Cayenne was stunned as she listened to the cacophony of voicesing from the people she cared about. Looking at them, memories of the past started shing in her mind - those moments when she barely had real friends. Out of three, one died, the other was now putting distance between them, and although Seiji was still considered her friend, they couldn''t hangout anymore like how they used to as students in the past.


    "Thank you," Cayenne said while holding back her tears. "Why didn''t anyone tell me that there''s a party today? I could have woken up early to help."


    "The point is, this is a surprise for you. How could we tell you in advance?" Luiz retorted andughed. "We all put the idea together and made it real."


    "Congrats, my dear daughter. Your mom must be very proud of you now." Reuben said with a ss of juice in hand. He gave Cayenne a brown envelope and smiled faintly. "It''s a token that me and Ingrid chose. I know that your mom would want this for you as well."


    "You didn''t really have to give me anything anymore Dad. I am contented with my life. I''m happy with what I have now."


    "But everyone has something for you. Besides, Ingrid and I talked about this already."


    "I wish I can visit her so I can see my brother, too."


    "You will be able to do that soon. Ingrid and I purchased a new house where we could have some quality time as family without the elders intervening us. I''ll let you know once we could move in."


    "I''m happy for you Dad," Cayenne responded and gave him a hug. Her parents may not have had the happy ending together but they found love and happiness in someone else. For Cayenne, it was more than enough. Reuben shouldn''t be forever tied to the past and Ingrid deserves to be loved as much as she loves Reuben.


    "You can open the giftter."


    "O-okay. I''ll ask my brother to bring this inside for me first."


    On her way to get Kyle for a quick errand, she greeted Jillyanna and her family. Jade was pretty as ever and Travis was as doting as ever to his family. You could always see love in his eyes whenever he wad with them.


    Jessie and Stanley also came to celebrate Cayenne''s graduation and it didn''t escape Magnus'' observation when Stanley approached ''Alice'' to introduce his fianc¨¦. [Why would he introduce someone to Alice who was an outsider? Worst of all, why was Stanley in a good rtionship with Jean Albert. Shouldn''t he get mad at him?] His suspicions grew on another level. Yet he was bothered with the fact that Stefan kept this matter from him if what he''s thinking was true.


    Knowing that he shouldn''t do something reckless that could displease his son and daughter-inw, Magnus just kept quiet while observing ''Alice'' and the people who interacted with her.


    Not long after, amidst the conversation, jokes and games while having lunch together, M and Thomas came out from the helper''s quarter. It was where they hid from Cayenne while waiting for Stefan''s signal.


    "Honestly, I wished to graduate with an award but with all the things that happened to me, I gave up on it already. It was more than enough that they allowed me to graduate."


    "We could''ve paid - "


    "No way!" Cayenne cut off Stefan''s statement. "I would never allow that to happen. Besides, I''m proud with my grades despite all the bad things that happened. I just felt bad for Noah and Faith who had been so good to me."


    Cayenne didn''t say what she felt bad about but Stefan knew what it was. Up until they graduate, Cayenne couldn''t tell Noah and Faith the truth of her not having amnesia.


    As they talked, a dessert was ced on the table in front of her and Cayenne''s mood was lifted instantly.


    "Wow! Thank you so much," she said while picking up the spoon.


    "I''m d to see that you are happy."


    Cayenne''s hand paused midair and she immediately turned around to see the owner of the voice. Her eyes turned read and her nose stung when their eyes met. "M. Is that really you?"


    "Yup, it''s me. I came with Thomas and our baby."


    "I am so d you came," Cayenne hugged M as she let her tears fall on thetter''s sould. She was really happy to see her up and about.


    The celebration turned a little dramatic with their reunion but soon, the atmosphere became full of life once again.


    Though, Stefan excused himself around 1:00 PM so he could put the triplets to sleep.


    The party continued from lunch to dinner and more people came when work was over. Riley and Shein came together. Cayenne''s team also came after clocking off from work.


    Stefan even invited Cheska and Eli but only Cheska came with Diego, her fianc¨¨. Dr. Eliezer Rivera was now busier than ever because he volunteered to take care of his junior who lost her memories in the massive flood incident that happened in Naga City.


    At the same time, Reuben bid farewell since Ingrid was left at home with their child. He wanted to be their for him, something he couldn''t do for Cayenne in the past. This time, he really want to be a good father.


    Seeing him leave, Cayenne felt the urge to see what was her father''s gift. She excused herself for a moment and slipped back to the master''s bedroom. She found the envelope on her bedside table and she immediately opened it to see what was inside. Her eyes widened in surprise and her words got stuck in her throat.


    "Mama would never want me to have this."

 Chapter 843 A DAY IN STEFANS LIFE

    Chapter 843 A DAY IN STEFAN''S LIFE


    Usually, he wakes up at 6:00 AM. He would brush his teeth, wash his face and kiss Cayenne''s sleeping face before going out of the room. This was the normal routine if he wakes up before the children.


    If the children woke up before him, he will have to let Cayenne walk the dog once she wakes upter. Otherwise, like today, he would walk the dog around the property before going back to have his morning coffee.


    "Good morning, sir." Martin greeted when he met Stefan on his way to get the dogs.


    "Good morning, Martin. Cayenne will have another episode of her vlogter. Did she tell you to pick up her guest along with Cree?"


    "Yes, sir. It should be in the afternoon."


    "Good. I''ll count on you."


    Martin nodded his head and Stefan went on his way to the backyard so he could get the dogs.


    ra came out of the staff''s home to see Martin and informed him of their daily pre-breakfast food that would get them by while waiting for ra and the helpers to finish cooking. "I prepared the sandwiches already. You can take turns in getting your coffee and sandwiches."


    "Thank, ra."


    Normally, Stefan would jog to theke and back to the house but this time, he stopped at the stables and yed with the horses instead. He let the dogs run free in the meadow and after quarter an hour, he whistled to call them back.


    Just before 7:00 AM, he returned back to the house, got himself sanitized with the spray machine, and entered his home. He showered as soon as he got back and changed his clothes. He also prepared Cayenne''s clothes for the day.


    After making sure he was all set, he went down to prepare his children''s milk form before going to their room.


    Stefan took a peek of his children and found that Zeki was wide awake while watching his twin brother sleep. He wasn''t making a single sound but when he caught sight of his father, he started kicking and raising his little arms.


    "Zi, you''re awake already?" Stefan whispered as he picked him up. "How was your sleep?" He asked even though the child couldn''t say a word back to him. "I just returned from walking the dog. I''m sure you will like them when you meet them," he continued while walking to therge bed and ced his son there. He removed his diaper, wiped him clean and ced him on another cot with thick nkets on it.


    Some parents probably like to make their children wear a diaper all the time since it would save them the trouble in case the child would poop or pee. However, Stefan wasn''t like that. At least, in the morning, before taking them out, he would let them feel free from the annoying diapers. It doesn''t matter to him if they would poop or pee on him. "Clothes can be washed anytime," hemented this to Luiz one time when Aziel peed on him.


    While waiting for Aziel and Jahzara to wake up, he fed Zeki with his milk form. He talked to him in hush whispers as if they were sharing a secret.


    By the time Cayenne woke up, Stefan also finished feeding the children. Since it was Wednesday and Stefan had to leave for work, Cayenne cooked him a hearty meal for breakfast. Otherwise, if it was weekend, ra would be cooking for them.


    Most of the time, Stefan would leave around 9:00 AM for work and instead of returning home for lunch, Cayenne would only ask one of the bodyguards to bring newly cooked food to Stefan.


    During the time he was gone, Cayenne would be responsible for the children with the help of Latticia and Dr. Albert.


    This was the main reason why Stefan decided to go back to work in the office. He wanted his mother to spend time with Cayenne and her grandchildren.


    Since Cayenne finished her studies already, she has more time for her children, her charity foundation, and her YT vlog.


    Stefan made things even easier for his wife. Instead of her visiting to the location where her next guest lives, Callum and Cree would go the ce with Zaire and do a mini-interview with that person to gather facts and more information. Once it was time for the guest to meet Cayenne, Martin will pick up the guest along with Cree or Callum, whoever was free to apany him. The vlog will be done in the living room of Cayenne''s mansion. It saves her time and won''t get her tired.


    He wasn''t worries about his home security because his house was full of cameras. You will only bring shame to yourself if you would do something wrong in his property.


    During his wife''s film for the vlog, Stefan would also monitor her safety through the cameras in his home. Call him overprotective and obsess, he wouldn''t care. Cayenne loves this side of him anyway.


    In the past, before meeting his wife, Stefan would work overtime almost everyday, except on the days that he likes to piss his father off where he bring different women to hotels after paying them to act with him. After meeting his wife, he would make sure toe home to have dinner with her. Then, he married her and he made it a habit to clock off from work before 5 o''clock. Now, that they have children, at 3:00 PM, Stefan would be leaving the office already. Of course, he would bring some work with him.


    In the evening, after dinner, Stefan would be staying with the children. You would probably think he was reading them a story to sleep, right? Unfortunately, no. On the bed, the children were blinking their eyes at their father, probably confused why he was reading them a financial or other times, an economic magazine.


    Among the three, Zeki was listening to his father''s words, Aziel was flexible enough to bite his own toes, and Jahzara, after 5 minutes, was brave enough to turn her attention away from him. She wasn''t interested.


    Cayenne was standing at the door quietly and she could only massage her temple for her poor kids.


    Once the children fall asleep, it was time for mom and dad to have quality time. Now, it was Stefan who was a little unfortunate in this area. Since Cayenne went through C-section when giving birth, he was afraid that she would get hurt if they would do something strenuous. He wanted to wait for a whole year before doing it with her. For now, he''ll settle with her mouth, hands and chest.

 Chapter 844: A SONG FOR HIS WIFE, NOT FOR THE TRIPLETS

    Note: Song Used is titled "Till I Met You by Kuh Ledesma"


    *


    Seven monthster...


    The triplets just turned nine months old but Stefan alreadypiled two photo albums of them. Of course, Cayenne was also included in most of the pictures.


    There were photos of them crawling, eating, and doing other things, that Stefan found special. Yet, he still treated them as his rivals.


    There was one time when Cayenne woke up in the middle of the night because of the children''s cries. Stefan was quick on his feet and ran out of their room to get to their babies. She knew he''d take care of them but she still decided to follow him after a little while.


    It''s been a while since thest time he sang a song to her and to her surprise, he was really singing for their kids.


    *** I never dreamed


    Cause I always thought that dreaming was for kids


    Just a childish thing


    And I could swear


    Love was just a game that children y


    And no more than a game


    Till I met you


    I never knew what love was


    Till I met you


    This feeling seems to grow more every day


    I love you more each day


    I believe you


    I believe in every word when you say:


    "I love you all the way"


    Now I can swear


    Love is not a game that children y


    So tell me that you''ll stay


    Till I met you


    I never knew what love was


    Till I met you


    This feeling seems to grow more every day


    I love you more each day ***


    Cayenne stood at the door, covering her mouth to stop her voice from leaking. She was so touched by his song and the love she could see from his gaze then, Stefan said something that almost made her slip on the floor.


    "I''m not singing the song for you. Hmph! It''s for your mommy. I only love you because she loves you. I won''t ever forget that we''re rivals."


    Cayenne didn''t know whether tough or cry at her childish husband. He just wouldn''t admit that he loves his kids.


    "Shall I sing something else?" He asked with no answer from them. "Oh. I''ll hum a song that Ayen used to sing me to sleep. No, never mind. It''s exclusively mine."


    Cayenne could only stifle herughter as she went back to their room. She didn''t want to disturb his time with the kids.


    Things have been great so far until...


    "Exin what is happening to me," Magnus angrily mmed the stack of papers on the table in front of Stefan.


    Cayenne didn''t expect this kind of event to happen first thing in the morning. Magnus was fuming in anger but there was a look of embarrassment on his face as well. She wasn''t quite sure what her father-inw was exactly feeling at this moment or maybe he felt both.


    "When did you conduct this?" Stefan questioned in return without really checking the whole content of the document. The first few paragraphs were more than enough to tell him what irked his father. "I believe I said not to bother them."


    "I didn''t bother. I came to find you first, ain''t I?"


    Cayenne stole a nce at the documents and realized that this was a personal matter between Stefan and his father.


    "I''ll go upstairs to check the kids. Please talk and don''t get physical. No shouting either," she reminded them and gave Stefan a kiss on his head before leaving.


    Stefan watched his wife walk away from them while Magnus kept staring outside the house as if he could see Latticia through the bushes and trees. There''s no way!


    "I learned the truth after my wedding though, I have been meeting them way before that," Stefan said nonchntly. "She suffered at the hands of your wife, and up until recently, she couldn''t even talk because of facial paralysis."


    "Did she lose her memories?"


    "No."


    "Then, why is she staying with that bastard?"


    "Because he saved her when your wife wanted to kill her. He had to use another dead body to help her escape death. Something you couldn''t do for her."


    Magnus was stumped for words. He wanted to deny his son''s usation, to refute him but he also knew that Stefan was right.


    "Dad, she''s happy with him. During the time she was gone, presumed dead, weren''t you happy with your wife as well? If you could live a happy life, why can''t she?"


    "I still love her all this time."


    "No, dad. It''s only your ego saying that. You cannot ept that ra bested you, that she was able to hurt my mom without you knowing the truth until a few years ago. It''s guilt, not love."


    Magnus sat there unmoving. For the first time in a while now, he hated his son for judging him. Yet, he couldn''t utter a single word against him. He just couldn''t understand why he would allow his mother to stay with Jean Albert when the man was one of the people who made her suffer so much.


    "Some people would rather keep the truth to make the people they care about live happily. I didn''t tell you because you will only feel remorse toward her. I don''t want you to keep living in regrets dad."


    "Aside from you and Yen, who else knew of her real identity?"


    "Uncle Stan."


    Magnus nodded his head and leaned back on the couch to rest his head. "Is she married to Jean Albert? Is it true that they''re together?"


    "Yes."


    "She loves him?"


    "I can''t answer that. I just knew that she''s rxed and happy when she''s with him."


    Magnus sighed, closed his eyes, and spoke, "I wish I didn''t investigate the truth. Son, I can''t just pretend that I don''t know."


    Stefan didn''t know what to tell his father either. They can''t turn back time and stop his investigation, and surely, it would be difficult to pretend ignorance of the truth with Latticia around as well.


    "I don''t know if talking to her would bring closure to your rtionship," he said and stood up. "Dad, what you and mom had is now in the past,"


    As soon as Stefan turned his back, Magnus broke down and cried silently. He really loved her. In all those times that he was with ra, he had been constantly thinking of his first love.


    Only Magnus knew what were his true feelings for the woman. No one should judge him for it or weigh the value of his emotions for her.


    Stefan felt sad for his father but he would never ever suggest to them to get back together.

 Chapter 845: ANGEL OF DEATH CAME

    Magnus thought about Stefan''s words. He mulled on it over and over again; weighing down the pros and cons of his next action. He wanted to tell her the truth and hear the judgmenting directly from her. It took him a whole night to choose his better option and the next morning, he decided to pay her and Jean Albert a visit.


    Stefan left for work after making sure that his family was fine and that his wife could manage things on her own with the triplets. He also instructed the helpers to be on alert in case Cayenne needed their help.


    The sky looked gloomy with the dark clouds hovering above the city. asional thunder and lightning also appeared in the sky, and it seemed like a downpour was about toe. Stefan looked outside the window and his emotion mirrored the sky. He felt gloomy now that he had to be away from his family once again.


    Even though it will onlyst for less than eight hours, he still felt disgruntled going to work.


    In the cabin, Latticia was standing on the balcony, watching the ripples on the surface of theke. Something was bugging her, and she felt anxious for whatever reason. As far as her medical examination shows, she was recovering just fine and there was no need to worry as long as she follows her therapy regimen with Dr. Albert''s supervision.


    "Are you alright?" Jean Albert asked when he noticed that she was still standing on the balcony even when it was drizzling already. She didn''t seem to feel the cold droplets of rain on her skin. "Come inside or you will catch a cold out here."


    "I''m worried."


    "About what?"


    "I don''t... know." She answered all honesty with confusion showing on her face. "Whenever I think of Stefan, his family, and even his father, I get nervous, and I don''t like this feeling. Is it because of my guilty conscience? Is it because I asked him to keep my identity a secret?"


    "Stefan didn''t just follow your words without thinking about it. He knew what was better for the whole family. You don''t have to think too much about it."


    It was now raining cats and dogs outside. Traffic started to form since some roads got blocked because of floods. People sought shelters in cafes, restaurants, and other establishments to prevent themselves from getting wet. Fortunately, Stefan arrived without any issues.


    Tristan and Elena were waiting for him on the top floor with different agendas at hand. With Stefan shortening his working time in the office, they needed to double-check their work to make sure that they would be efficient with time management.


    Elena approached him first and gave him the summary of his most important schedule for the day. "Today, you have a meeting with the marketing directors of Clover Hotel branches. It will be a conference meeting since some of the branches are located overseas. You have another conference meeting with Mr. Marriotte regarding the amusement parks in J Country. Mr.


    Szar is alsoing to discuss with you the merger of hispany with yours."


    "I have the files for the investigation you required as well," Tristan expressed and handed Stefan a sh drive. "It is just as you suspected. Although they haven''t done anything outrageous, many little things, once umted, would be big."


    "Thank you. We''ll take it one at a time."


    Stefan opened hisputer and inserted the sh drive into the USB port. He read the file and forwarded it to his father and grandpa. They have the right to decide what should be done to his auntie. Even if he was close with his cousin in the past, he couldn''t say the same thing with his auntie. Besides, they did something to Cayenne during the wedding ceremony. He would never forget it.


    He was already being lenient for not making the move against them.


    In the afternoon, as the rain continued to pour, Stefan stood close to his floor-to-ceiling ss window. He was looking outside the building, wondering when the rain would stop since it was almost time for him to go back home.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    The rapid knocking on his office door jolted him back to reality and before he could give his permission, Elena came inside with a horrified expression.


    "What''s the matter?"


    "Sir, your father is dead."


    Stefan wasn''t sure if he was hearing things and wanted to rify the statement she said, but Elena gave him her iPad. Tristan was also standing not far from them. "Is this verified news?"


    Tristan nodded his head hesitantly and Stefan''s ears were ringing as if a bomb had just exploded near him. His hands were shaking and if not for Tristan catching the gadget on time, Elena''s iPad could be broken already.


    "Let''s go to the vi. Now!"


    "But boss, it is raining heavily outside." Tristan retorted in worry. "Miss Yen would be worried if we force ourselves to go back in this weather."


    "My grandpa needs me."


    Tristan wanted to say it was toote to go there because the senior of the Dumrique household was also sent to the hospital after a heart attack, but he didn''t know how to voice it out empathetically.


    Contrary to him, "Sir Stefan, I''m sorry to inform you but your grandpa was also sent to the hospital. He had a heart attack when he learned of your father''s death." Elena expressed while looking apologetically. "Right now, I really hope you would prioritize your safety for Miss Yen''s sake. We can contact the hospital instead. I also asked Tristan to contact the police earlier.


    They should be getting back to us any moment from now."


    Stefan sat on the couch and rubbed his hands on his face. With the heavy rain outside bringing danger to drivers and passengers, Stefan could only wallow in the negative emotions welling up in his heart. Even if he was angry with Magnus after he neglected him, he never wished for the man to die. He even wished that Magnus would ept Latticia''s existence without throwing a fuss over it.


    He just wanted both his parents to live happily.


    "Tell me, he''s not returning anymore like my mother did, right?"

 Chapter 846: THE TRUTH OF HIS DEATH

    Using his connection, he was able to get hold of Lucian and asked about the news regarding Magnus'' death. It was still being investigated if no homicide was involved, but his death was indeed the truth.


    Stefan sat on his chair in a daze. He wanted to leave the office as soon as he could to find his grandpa, only to find out that he was also sent to the hospital. With the heavy downpour which wasn''t showing any signs of stopping soon, he couldn''t go out of the building. Cayenne would be worried for him and as much as possible, he didn''t want her to worry about him.


    "My condolences, sir." Elena expressed this when she got inside Stefan''s office again and handed some documents to him. "Should I cancel your remaining appointments?"


    Stefan didn''tment and continued to stare into space as if he could see through the tiled floor. Understanding the situation, Elena didn''t say anything anymore and just left him alone. Surprisingly, with the news spreading fast, those people who got appointments with him didn''t disturb him either. They must have understood what Stefan was feeling right now with the loss of his father.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne received the information from Luiz which he also heard from David and some other managers. It was quite shocking to many people since no one really showed any hostility towards the Dumrique family for some time now.


    "Is this true?" Cayenne asked her brother with trembling hands holding her phone.


    "Hn. David told me that this had been verified and my brother-inw knew about it not long ago. He must be having a hard time taking this news right now."


    "I''ll give him a call. Thank you for letting me know."


    "Will you be fine on your own there?"


    "I''m not alone. I have the kids with me and the helpers."


    "Alright. Call me if you need something."


    As soon as the call ended, Cayenne called Stefan. His phone rang several times before he picked it up. It was something he never did in the past which told Cayenne how down her husband must be feeling right now.


    "Hon?" she mumbled as soon as he picked up his phone, but Stefan''s response was just a low hum. It broke her heart hearing this lifeless replying from him. She wanted to hug him, but they were far apart. "Hon, the kids and I will be waiting for you toe home."


    After a long moment of silence, Stefan finally spoke, and his words almost made Cayenne cry for him. "Am I a heartless son?" he asked followed by a deep breath. "I couldn''t find it in my heart to cry for him. No matter how much I think about it, I don''t feel the same pain that I felt when you left. I panicked when I heard the news and I even wanted to check on my grandpa.


    However, I wasn''t panicking out of love and care for them. I panicked because if something happens to them and you find out, you would be worried, and I don''t want you to worry. Am I heartless for feeling this way?"


    "Hubby, you are not heartless ¨C never were and never will be. You have the most amazing heart, kind and warm. For now, just keep yourself calm ande home once the rain stops. We''ll talk about this when you get home. We''ll do our best to send your father off peacefully. We''re in this together."


    Around 6:00 PM, the investigation was finally closed, and the result was published immediately since the person involved was one of the wealthy business magnates in the city. His death could affect the economy of the city if not handled properly.


    Stefan''s first thought when his father''s death was confirmed was a homicide. He didn''t want to admit it, but that was the only reason he could think of his father''s death. Thus, when the result came out, he felt a little relieved. He didn''t have to hate anyone for his death. He didn''t have to seek revenge for his death. He didn''t have to me anyone for his death.


    That day, Magnus left Dumrique''s family vi to visit his son''s home. That was the information he told the butler but didn''t want anyone toe with him.


    Instead of taking the usual route to get to Stefan''s home, he decided to take another route because he wanted to buy the best-looking sunflowers which were Latticia''s favorite, and the fruit cake that she loved to eat during their high school days. He wanted to get her something that would remind her of their days together.


    He wasn''t hoping to get back together with her, but at least, he wanted her to remember him.


    He was on his way to Stefan''s home already when the ident happened, not anything influenced by a human''s maniption but nature itself.


    Based on the recorded events by his dashboard camera, lightning struck somewhere, and a huge tree fell on the road. To avoid getting smashed by it, he immediately stepped on his brake, yet the slippery road made him swerve his car and it rotated several times before it bumped into the huge fallen tree.


    The driver''s side of the car was crushed, and the roof was almost ttened. The result of the autopsy showed that Magnus died first due to a sudden nervous breakdown when the lightning struck, and the tree fell. He didn''t die because of the crash.


    His position inside the car showed that he was lifeless already when the car swerved and rotated several times. Upon learning the truth, Stefan thanked God. It sounded weird for him to thank God for his father''s death, but Stefan''s reason for thanking Him was the process of his father''s death.


    He was thankful that Magnus didn''t have to feel any pain before he died.


    The police officers also retrieved the bouquet of sunflowers and the fruit cake which was smashed already when it fell on the car floor and Magnus stepped on it. Still, they felt it was something important and his family ought to know the truth of his agenda that day.


    Stefan felt so lost. He was the only person who knew what were those flowers and cake for. He wasn''t sure if what he said to his father was right or wrong. He even thought that he was the one who pushed him to his death.


    [If I told him not to bother with mom anymore, would he choose to stay out of her life and continue to live now? He wouldn''t have looked for those flowers and cake, and died in this ident, right?]

 Chapter 847: STEFAN IS GETTING PARANOID

    "He''s dead?" Celestine, Stefan''s auntie, asked in surprise over the phone. Then, she startedughing when the news dawned on her. "I can''t believe that fate is siding with us. Now, we''ll have an easy time getting rid of the old man."


    Celestine was the only daughter of Ferdinand Dumrique. She was the sole princess of their empire if not for ra who framed her. All pieces of evidence were pointing at her and with theck of proof to defend herself, she was disowned by her family and was sent to Tuscany.


    Julia, her daughter has one simple role, to befriend Alexander and Stefan because she knew that no matter how poor the family''s treatment of Stefan, the man would still get part of the inheritance once the old man dies, and they could benefit from it if they''re close with the two children.


    Fortunately for them, Alexander died, and ra didn''t have that much power in the family because Magnus was still ''rumored'' to be in love with his ex-girlfriend who died from a car ident. In addition, Julia was a lot closer to Stefan.


    Everything was going well. They could already see the scene of them returning to City A and bing part of the Dumrique family once again. Then, all of a sudden, this view vanished!


    Cayenne came into the picture and Julia didn''t expect that Stefan would be head over heels for her. She thought she could manipte her using Sabrina. However, on the day of her wedding, when she paid someone to mess with Cayenne, Stefan imed the woman to be his wife.


    Not only that, but their rtionship was also severed, and she lost important clients because they feared that Stefan would retaliate against anyone rted to Julia. If not for her husband, she would probably be in the street, begging people for food.


    In anger, Celestine nned her revenge. She nned to get rid of Magnus and followed by Stefan. She already paid people to kill her brother. Andst would be her father who never cared about her. Who would have thought that destiny saved her from wasting so much effort and time? Now, she only had to deal with Stefan and Ferdinand.


    Meanwhile, back in City A, Cayenne waited for Stefan toe home. The rain had already slowed down and she hoped to see him soon. If not for the triplets, she would have left their house to find him already.


    While she was pacing back and forth inside her room, she heard her little girl crying through the connected speaker. She instantly ran to the nursery room and found Jahzara wailing for no reason. She checked her diaper, tried feeding her, and even walked her around, but she didn''t stop crying.


    "Shh. Shh. Daddy''sing home. My little princess, please stop crying now," Cayenne murmured while dancing with the baby in her hand. Zeki and Aziel were just watching her from the crib. "You are very spoiled, aren''t you?


    Your brothers don''t even wail like you."


    Jahzara finally stopped crying as if she understood that her mother justpared her to the boys. She touched her mother''s face and silently cried like an adult who was afraid of letting anyone hear her sobs.


    "Alright. I know it''s not a good time for us with your grandpa gone, but we''ll make it through. We''ll stay strong for your daddy. We''ll stay by his side always."


    In the cabin, Latticia just heard the news from a sh report when she was watching the television. It was so unexpected that she was unable to say anything. She caught a glimpse of the smashed cake and the bouquet of flowers that Magnus bought and even without the reporter telling her who those things were for, she knew it was meant for her.


    "Did he know?" She mumbled with no one to answer her question.


    Dr. Albert was watching her from the kitchen. He couldn''t muster the courage to talk to her now. This whole time that they''ve been together, Latticia would often say that she no longer loved Magnus, but he could tell from her eyes and expression that she still had feeling for the man. She just wouldn''t admit it because of the pain she went through because of him.


    "While you''re hurting because you couldn''t let go of your love for him, I''m also feeling the same for you. Why couldn''t we have a happy ending like those other people?"


    Dr. Albert may have Latticia by his side, but he never really had her heart.


    ***


    As soon as Stefan came home, he looked for Cayenne and hugged her in silence after she ced their little princess back in the crib. There was no need for words between them. She could feel how devastated he was even if he wasn''t crying like others who lost their loved ones. She could understand.


    Stefan hated his father for over two decades. It was only after he married Cayenne that his rtionship with his father got better. They weren''t very close like other parents and children, but they were trying their best to be civil. He never expected that his father would just die like that.


    "Hon," Cayenne whispered while patting his back, "I don''t know how things would go from here on, but I want you to know that I''m always here for you. You have family and friends to lean on. You don''t have to shoulder the burden alone."


    "Yen, I''m confused. I''m really confused and afraid, right now. Dad''s death might be an ident, but I know someone was plotting his death. Grandpa is currently in the hospital after a heart attack, and I am afraid that someone will attack him out of nowhere. What if...what if you will also - "


    Cayenne suddenly pulled away from Stefan and cupped his face to make him look at her. "Hon, nothing bad will happen to me or the children. I''m sure of that."


    "I really hope so. I really do, because wifey, if something happens to you, I''ll forsake the whole world for you."


    "Hon, you''re just stressed because of your dad''s death. Get some rest and we''ll sort this out. How about you take a nap with the children? I''ll just call some people."


    "Don''t go out of the house, will you?"


    "I won''t. I''ll be right outside this room."


    "Promise?"


    "Promise."


    Stefan reluctantly let go of his wife to deal with his father''s death. He was getting even more paranoid about her safety.

 Chapter 848: RETURN OF THE EXILED

    The funeral was held at the Dumrique family vi. Travis helped Stefan with the security by deploying some of his men to guard the house in case someone would sneak inside. Jillyanna even asked her beloved ''sisters'' from the secret organization to act as housemaids of the Dumrique family during the whole funeral service which wouldst for several days.


    "Grandpa," Cayenne muttered when her family arrived. Stefan was holding Aziel and following behind him was Kyle who was holding Zeki in his arms. As for the little princess, Luiz was brought directly to Stefan''s old room because Jahzara was sleeping in his arms.


    "Yenyen, thank you for personally handling his funeral,"


    "That''s only natural, Grandpa. He was my father-inw even when he didn''t have a good rtionship with Stefan. He tried to be good to me and it''s only right that I should do the same."


    Stefan remained silent beside her. She already tried her best tofort him, but she knew that there would always be certain things that only one''s self can solve.


    The Madrigal family came as well along with their inws from both sides. Luna and Ali also arrived with flowers and pastries for the guests even though there wasn''t really any need for them to do that. They just wanted to show support even in the smallest way they could.


    Business partners came, friends and even Cayenne''s staff came to express their condolences. Anyway, she didn''t have many employees.


    Not to Stefan''s surprise, his auntie came as well.


    "Dad," she whispered when she found Ferdinand in front of her brother''s casket. "Dad, I returned home." Ferdinand looked at her with an empty gaze before shifting his attention back to Cayenne. "Dad, why won''t you still forgive me when it was already proven that I never did anything bad to thepany? Why do you still want me to stay in Tuscany?"


    Ferdinand didn''t say anything. It was his son''s funeral, and he didn''t want to make a scene. He could only swallow his anger and keep it tightly sealed from the bottom of his heart for now.


    Celestine clenched her hands seeing how cold her father was to her. [Soon. Very soon. You will grovel on my feet for forgiveness. I will make sure that you will regret abandoning me in that awful ce!]


    Stefan watched his auntie and cousin y their act. If he didn''t know the truth, he would think that they were truly mourning over his father''s death. But now, he could only watch in silence while nning how to take them down.


    "Hon, you must be tired. Why don''t you take a rest with the kids?" Cayenne suggested when she noticed that Stefan was coldly staring at his auntie and cousin. She wasn''t ignorant. She knew her husband more than anyone else and his gaze showed her a promise of vengeance. "I''ll handle everything here."


    "No, I want to stay with you. They might do something bad to you."


    "I''ll keep two or three bodyguards with me all the time. I will be fine. So, just take a rest with our children. I''m sure our daughter would look for you once she wakes up."


    "Got it. I''ll take a short nap upstairs. Be sure to call me if somethinges up."


    "Hn. I''ll do that."


    Kyle followed his brother-inw upstairs and gave Zeki to him. Aziel started sobbing when he was ced on the bed, but Zeki just watched his father silently. Jahzara was peacefully sleeping in the foldable cot that Luiz told the bodyguards to bring. Among the triplets, she was the one who couldn''t sleep on a bed that wasn''t hers.


    "Little one, are you hungry? Just give me a sec. Daddy will mix the form right now." Stefan immediately rummaged through the bag that they brought from home to find the milk form for the kids.


    Aziel stopped crying and when he looked back, he saw Zeki holding his brother''s hand.


    [Zeki is very smart for a child or is it because he is a special case? Nheless, I will love you all the same.}


    Meanwhile, when the Madrigal couple saw Celestine and her daughter, Julia, approach Cayenne, Travis signaled his wife to go and be there for Cayenne.


    "Yen," Jillyanna hurriedly got to Cayenne''s side and held her hand. "I offer my condolences to you and your inws. By the way, where is Stefan?"


    "I told him to take a rest for now. He''s been distraught since he learned about his father''s death."


    While chatting with her, Jillyanna nced at Celestine several times and the woman stayed back and talked to other people who seemed to know her. Not long after, Ferdinand approached Cayenne and asked her to look after the funeral because his doctor reminded him to take plenty of rest for recovery.


    "Rest assured Grandpa, nothing bad will happen here. You can rest upstairs."


    "Don''t worry, Dad. I will be staying here with Cayenne to look after the mourners," Celestine interjected into the conversation even though Ferdinand wasn''t talking to her. In the end, she was ignored right in front of everyone.


    "Hey. Is that woman the exiled daughter?"


    "I didn''t know she was allowed to set foot here in the city again."


    "I was wondering who she was, but when I heard her call the senior of this household dad, I remembered about her. She is Celestine."


    "Oh! I heard about the reason why she was kicked out."


    "But it was rified to be ra''s doing, right?"


    People started to gossip on top of being ignored by her own father. Seeing how warm the people ept Cayenne who was only an inw to the Dumrique family, Celestine got even angrier.


    [Just wait! I will make sure you will beg me to help you in the future! I will not let any outside take over the family property! No!]


    Travis was just observing everything in silence, taking note of Celestine''s reactions no matter how small it was. After all, as someone who recognized Stefan as his brother, Travis won''t let anyone destroy the happiness that his little brother worked so hard to get.

 Chapter 849: CAYENNE WAS HAPPY BECAUSE OF ANOTHER MAN

    The funeralsted for three days since some of the Dumrique business partners overseas wanted toe and be there before Magnus got buried. Cayenne already nned this ahead of time to make sure that everyone will be able to send her father-inw in peace.


    During the three days of the funeral service, Celestine didn''t get a word from her father. It''s either he would speak to Cayenne or Stefan. Sometimes, he would talk to other people, but he never included her. It was obvious that she was an outcast and many people had seen this treatment, too.


    During the burial, a mediapany provided live coverage using a drone to show how grand the ceremony was. His remains were buried in tinum Haven Memorial Park, one of the most expensive cemeteries in the whole country. In fact, it was also known as a millionaire''s row since most buried bodies there were from prominent families or well-known businessmen.


    Stefan didn''t want to expose his children to that kind of ce from a very young age. Thus, Luiz and Kyle stayed back along with Reuben and Ingrid. Of course, the number of bodyguards was doubled because of the triplets.


    After the burial ceremony, people slowly dispersed as they bid farewell to Stefan and Ferdinand. Others didn''t even dare talk to Celestine, afraid that Stefan or Ferdinand would take it against them.


    Celestine finally approached her father again with Julia. No matter how much she tried to harden her heart, she still felt the pain from being tossed aside and ignored. "Dad, until when are you going to ignore me? Am I really invisible to you? Am I, not your daughter? Why are you treating me this way?"


    "Grandpa, why aren''t you taking us back? Mommy was proven innocent of that crime already. Why are you still ignoring us?"


    Ferdinand closed his eyes to suppress the anger he felt toward his daughter. As a father, he was also hurt knowing that his daughter had be so malicious, so evil. He never meant for her to grow up like this.


    "Celestine, I know you were innocent of that embezzlement crime, and I sent you to Italy for another reason. I guess you never listened to me out of disappointment to me as your father or probably your anger was so deep you didn''t hear my words when I asked you to leave."


    "What are you talking about Dad?"


    "It''s up to you to remember it. I don''t have so much time left in this world, but I hope you won''t be toote to remember it."


    Giving them a slight nod, Cayenne pushed the wheelchair that Ferdinand was using and left the cemetery along with her husband and the bodyguards.


    Since Ferdinand would be all alone in the vi now, Stefan and Cayenne decided to let him stay in the mansion with them. At least, he would be able to spend time with his grandchildren and avoid stressing himself with so much worry. Dr. Albert will be there to check on him from time to time as well.


    Two dayster, Cayenne went back to work, though she was only allowed to work at home. Shemunicated with Jackson about the things that they must work on as well as the pending charity events that got canceled because of what happened to Magnus.


    "Miss Yen, I was checking your schedule for this month, and it seemed like you don''t have any appointments for next week. If I can finish my workload before the weekend, can I take three days off next week? I wanted to go somewhere with a special someone."


    "Oh, sure! Looks like you''ve got a girlfriend already, huh."


    "No, Miss Yen, she is not my girlfriend. She''s like a dear sister to me. I have no romantic feelings for her at all."


    "Alright. If that is how you feel. Anyway, as long as you finish your work, I don''t mind you taking some time off."


    "Thank you, Miss Yen. Though, if something urs, please let me know as soon as possible. I don''t really mind."


    After almost two hours of a video meeting with her secretary, Cayenne put down her pen and turned off herptop camera. She stood up to stretch her legs and arms from sitting for a long time because of her work. [Jackson is a lot differentpared to how he was.


    He was like a Pok¨¦mon who went through various stages of evolution.] Thinking about it, Cayenne couldn''t stop smiling at her silly idea ofparison.


    "Wifey, why are you smiling like a silly cat?" Stefan asked when he noticed that she was smiling while stretching her arms.


    "Jackson."


    "Jackson? Jackson Mondejar, your secretary? Why are you smiling because of another - "


    "Hephephep! Don''t even finish those words. You don''t have to be jealous, alright? He didn''t do anything to make me smile, it was more like my imagination of him made me smile."


    "Why were you imagining him?"


    Cayenne felt like smacking her face right now. She just gave herself another problem. "Well, I had a meeting with him earlier, right?" Cayenne started her exnation while walking toward her husband. "I just thought that Jackson had improved so muchpared to the first time that we met him."


    "And what was funny about that?"


    "Ipared him to a Pok¨¦mon."


    "A Pok¨¦mon? Seriously? What kind of Pok¨¦mon?"


    "Nothing in particr. I just thought that he was like a Pok¨¦mon that went through different stages of evolution. From the nerd who got bullied easily, to a man who tried his hardest to live and prove he was doing fine, and to the Jackson right now who''s full of confidence in his work, and someone who starts to hang out with his colleagues now."


    "Hmm, now that you mentioned it, I saw him having lunch with his colleagues a few times. Kyle was there, too."


    "As his employer, I am happy that he is improving."


    "Do you think it''s because of the ident? I mean, he changed a lot after the ident, right?"


    "Well, I don''t mind if the ident changed him to be a better version of himself."


    "But didn''t you find it weird? Until now, I am actually puzzled with what happened." Stefan started thinking about the ident that almost killed Jackson several months ago. Due to Cayenne''s pregnancy, he wasn''t able to pay attention to it personally, but he asked Tristan and Elena to take care of everything.


    He was really shocked when the couple told him that Jackson was alive and was making a fuss because he wanted to leave the hospital and go home. At some point, he feared that it would tarnish his wife''s name since Jackson worked for her.


    [Should I ask Tristan to look into his medical record again? What if there are some risks with his new personality now?]

 Chapter 850: CELESTINES DOUBT

    "Mom, are we going to proceed as nned or not?" Julia asked her mother over dinner. "We''ve suffered so much ever since he sent you out of the country. He never ever once visited us. Don''t tell me you are having second thoughts with all the ns we have prepared for a very long time."


    Celestine looked at her daughter over the rim of her wine ss. What Julia said was true. They had suffered so much, and they nned for this revenge for a very long time. Now that Magnus was out of the picture, it would be easy to get rid of her father and nephew.


    What bothered her was her father''s words. [Celestine, I know you were innocent of that embezzlement crime, and I sent you to Italy for another reason. I guess you never listened to me out of disappointment to me as your father or probably your anger was so deep you didn''t hear my words when I asked you to leave...] "What did he mean?" Celestine muttered without giving her daughter any answers.


    She was confused.


    "Mom?"


    Celestine closed her eyes for a moment before opening them once again and stared at her daughter. "Julia, can we have this conversation some other time? I need to think about our next move. We cannot just act recklessly. You should know that Stefan, even when he wasn''t named the sessor of the Dumrique Conglomerate in the past, he has a lot of connections. Taking him down won''t be easy."


    "I understood," Julia responded to concede. She didn''t want to argue with her mother anymore. At the end of the day, they had no one else to rely on but each other ¨C if they had to exclude Julia''s husband from this mess. "I''m done with my dinner, Mom. I''ll go upstairs to talk with my husband."


    "Go ahead."


    Julia didn''t waste another second. She immediately left her mother in the dining area and went upstairs. Currently, they were renting this home from the suburbs.


    Even without the support from the Dumrique family, Celestine was still considered rich, and paired with her daughter whose husband was the heir of a fashion magazinepany, even if she wouldn''t raise her finger to work, she would still live a happy life.


    They could have stayed in a hotel in the city, but because Stefan held a lot of shares in most hotel and restaurant businesses in the city, she decided to rent a house and make sure that Stefan wouldn''t get a penny from her.


    "Elliot," Celestine called for the mercenary who worked for her as her private driver, investigator, and assistant. The man walked out of nowhere and appeared right behind her. "Can you gather all the information about the projects I have worked on with Emerald Holdings starting 15 years ago?"


    "That might take a while ma''am, but of course, I can do that."


    "Is one month enough for you to sort things out?"


    "That is more than enough ma''am."


    "Good. While you are doing that, let''s put our n on hold, but don''t tell Julia about this yet."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    Celestine waved her hand and the man left without looking back. Elliot was a mercenary she hired for more than five years now. He was the one who helped her n her revenge and slowly took back Emerald Holdings for her. His ideas were brilliant as if he was made for this kind of job ¨C to assist her in everything she liked to do.


    Emerald Holdings was one of the subsidiarypanies that the Dumrique Conglomerate owned. It was where she worked her ass from the bottom of the hierarchy despite being the daughter of Ferdinand Dumrique. She was scorned by many and even her colleagues looked down on her.


    They thought for someone who embezzledpany funds, even working as a janitor was a very lenient punishment. They all wanted her to end up in jail, and she hated her father even more because of this.


    What was worse, when her name got cleared from the case, Ferdinand didn''t look for her to take her back to A City. [Did I really miss something important when I was kicked out of the house? That couldn''t be possible, right? If he was testing me, howe it''s taking so long?]


    Wondering about all of this, Celestine stopped eating and asked the temporary servant she hired to clean up the table. "Please bring me a cup of coffee in my room once you are done cleaning here,"


    "Yes, ma''am."


    ***


    Meanwhile, Stefan was taking care of the children since Cayenne had to leave for a charity auction with Jackson and Kyle. Supposedly, he woulde with her, but Cayenne insisted that he stay at home with the children.


    "Why are you staring into space?" Ferdinand asked his grandson when he found him sitting in the kid''s room while the children crawled on the carpeted floor. "Are you thinking of picking up your wife?"


    "I''m torn between doing that and staying with the kids," Stefan answered and sighed. "If I really leave now to go and pick her up, do you think she will be upset?"


    "You know your wife more than me. What do you think?"


    Stefan sighed once again as he picked up her daughter who was getting closer to the edge of the carpet. He put her down in the middle where her brothers were ying with soft plushies. "I''ll trust the bodyguards this time. If I leave the children here, I will be sleeping in the guest room."


    "It''s a good thing that you know the consequence," Ferdinand responded and pointed her hand to Aziel. "Let me hold my grandson tonight."


    Stefan picked Aziel up and handed him to his grandfather. "Grandpa, what will you do to your daughter? What happened to my father might have been caused by a natural disaster, but we cannot forget the fact that she really attempted to kill him. I won''t forget it, and despite my estranged rtionship with him in the past years, he was still my father.


    I am not the type who sits back while someone''s nning to hurt my family."


    "Stefan, you should not keep any grudge in your heart. It''s true that she nned it but she wasn''t able to - "


    "Then, are we going to wait for her to execute her n?" He questioned with a trace of anger in his voice. The rest of Ferdinand''s words were cut off. "Anyway, she is your daughter, and you have the right to deal with her however you see fit to her betrayal."


    Ferdinand caressed his grandchild''s head and smiled at the littless before gesturing for Stefan to take the child back. "I gave her a chance to redeem herself. If she won''t take this opportunity to take a step back and repent, I''ll let you do whatever you want."


    "You''ve given me your words. I hope you won''t interfere in this matter anymore."

 Chapter 851: [Bonus chapter] TO REWARD THE SULKING HUSBAND

    Cayenne came home around 10:00 PM with her brother Kyle. The first thing she ever did was check the kitchen for any food, and sure enough there was a note for her stered on the refrigerator. She read it mentally instead of saying it out loud.


    [Let''s eat together once you''re back.] Even though she couldn''t see the second floor from the kitchen, she instinctively looked up in the direction of the nursery room.


    Cayenne took the small piece of paper with her and went upstairs.


    Stefan had fallen asleep in the triplet''s room. Jahzara and Zeki were inside the crib while Aziel slept on top of his father''s chest. [Hmm, this little guy is taking over my ce.] She thought and smiled while watching them from the door. Stefan heard the opening of the door and a momentter, he caught a whiff of his wife''s perfume.


    "Wee home," he mumbled and slowly lifted his son with him as he sat up straight on the bed. "Did you just arrive?"


    "Hn. I''ll reheat the food. Come outside once you''ve transferred him to his crib."


    "Okay. I''ll be right there."


    Cayenne went back to the kitchen, washed her hands, and reheated the food that Stefan prepared for her. When attending social events, Cayenne wasn''t allowed to eat anything if it wasn''t made by her husband or someone trusted by her husband. Sometimes, she would get some drink from the waiters passing by, but she wouldn''t really drink it. It was just part of her props.


    At most, she can only bring sliced fruits with her inside a tiny food keeper and hide them in her purse.


    Silently, Stefan snaked his arms around her waist from behind and kissed the back of her ears. "I missed you so much. What took you so long?"


    "I didn''t expect to receive a lot of partnership offers from differentpanies and brands. Did you have a hard time with the kids?"


    "Nope. They were amazing."


    "Then, why are you sulking?"


    "Because I wanted to go and get you," he answered and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "I wanted to leave the house so bad, but the children were with me."


    Cayenne couldn''t stop her chuckles froming out of her mouth after what Stefan said. His helplessness in taking care of the children instead of taking care of his wife made him look even more adorable. She was always his priority above everything and everyone else. She didn''t know if she should be happy about it or if she should pity her children for being only second to their mother.


    Cayenne shifted her position and faced her husband who looked like an abandoned puppy. He cupped his face and kissed his lips with a smile. "I missed you, too. I missed you every second that I was away."


    "Really?"


    "Hn."


    "Then, prove to me how much you missed me."


    Cayenne could only roll her eyes at this man who really knew how to guilt-trip her. She kissed the tip of his nose, his eyes, his cheeks, his lips, and the knuckles of his hands to show her sincerity and how much she missed him. In the end, the kisses turned fiery and more passionate.


    Stefan turned off the countertop burner and carried his wife off to the living room. The sound of their kisses could be heard in the dead silence of the night, and not long after, Cayenne was already panting on top of her husband. She stared directly into her eyes and saw her reflection.


    "We''re not alone at home," she whispered, and it was all that he needed from her before he carried her upstairs ¨C into their room.


    As soon as he closed the door, Cayenne was at the mercy of his hands and mouth. She really wanted to praise her husband for having such skillful hands ¨C skillful enough for her to never realize how and when he was able to remove her clothes.


    "Turn around for me," Stefan whispered, and she did. Cayenne felt the coldness of the wall pressing on her chest at first. Then her husband pulled her a little away from the wall until she was only pressing her hands on it for support.


    Feeling his hard phallus slowly getting inside her, stretching her until she felt so full; Cayenne couldn''t stop her moans anymore. Thankfully, their bedroom was soundproofed.


    From the door to their bedroom, and to their bathroom, Cayenne didn''t know how many times they did it, but she felt so satisfied after several rounds. In the end, the food which should have been their dinner became their super early breakfast around 2:00 AM.


    Stefan felt like he had just fallen asleep next to his wife when the children started crying in the next room. He checked the time it was still five in the morning.


    He got up to check on the kids when Cayenne held his arm to stop him. "Hon, the children are crying. Let me check on them first. I''ll be right back. Just go to sleep. It''s still early."


    Cayenne nodded even though she wasn''t really understanding most of the things that he said.


    Stefan went to the nursery room and checked on the kids one after another. It turned out that Aziel needed a change of diapers and Jahzara cried after waking up because of her brother''s loud wail. As for Zeki, he was just staring at his siblings.


    After changing Aziel''s diaper, he ced him back in the crib and slowly rocked it back and forth to put the babies back to sleep. In silence, Zeki just went back to his slumber while the other two took a little longer.


    Stefan went back to his wife''s arms and enjoyed her warm hug before falling back to sleep. He always felt at ease and secure whenever he could feel her close to him.


    By the time Cayenne woke up around 10:00 AM, Stefan was no longer there. His space in the bed was already cold which means he had gone out for quite some time already. However, she found and white tulip flower on top of the bedside drawer next to her which made her smile.


    She checked her phone for any messages and found a lot of them came from one of her employees ¨C Addie, her makeup artist.


    "Yen, please help me!"


    "Miss Yen, please hide me!"


    Cayenne frowned at these messages while wondering what the woman could have meant. She called her as soon as she could, but no one answered. She tried it again and it was to no avail. Since she could not get hold of her, she decided to contact Tristan right away.


    Tristan was already in his office when Cayenne''s call came, yet before he could say anything, he heard her urgent demand. "Find out where Addie is right now. Send someone to get her as soon as you locate her."


    "Got it."

 Chapter 852: HER MAKE-UP ARTIST WAS IN TROUBLE

    Tristan called Adrianne/Addie as soon as he could. The phone kept ringing, but no one answered him. He asked Cayenne when the message was sent to her, and it turned out that Addie texted her an hour ago.


    Still calling her number, Tristan used Elena''s phone to call three bodyguards to check on the woman in her home. Cayenne didn''t have any scheduled vlog today, so it was expected that her make-up artist was just at home. After all, Addie was someone who didn''t like to go out and she didn''t have many friends as well since she wasn''t from A City.


    Tristan assumed that Addie was home after checking her phone''s location. However, when the bodyguards arrived at her apartment, Addie wasn''t there.


    "Sir, we found Ms. Addie''s phone in the living room," reported one of the bodyguards while looking around inside the apartment. "It seemed like a fight had just happened here. The living room is a mess, but her valuable items are still here. She might have been abducted."


    "Got it. Just stay there. I''ll give you the next instructions once I have found some clues. Don''t touch anything. I will report this matter to Lucian, too."


    "Yes, sir."


    Addie wascent when it came to her safety. She didn''t even have a single CCTV camera inside her house. Tristan had to check the CCTV surrounding the apartmentplex just to find out what happened to Cayenne''s staff.


    "I sent you an address. Go there and ask them if they knew where Addie is." Tristan said and sent his short report to Lucian as well. It would be great to include the authority this time. The more people, the bigger the chance of finding her.


    Meanwhile, Officer Nick, Lucian''s colleague received the information from Tristan. He told Lucian about it and thetter formed a search and investigation team immediately.


    "Last contact was over an hour ago with her employer Cayenne Ardolf Dumrique. She asked for help, but it was not stated what kind of help she needed from her. Cayenne''s staff came to look for her to make sure that she was fine, but her house showed signs of aggression. It seemed like she fought with someone. Based on the footage that we obtained, the person who took her was her ex-husband."


    "Divide the team. Check her ex-husband first. He is the primary suspect."


    At the same time, the three bodyguards arrived in front of Derrick Quijano''s house. One of them pressed the doorbell and a middle¨Cageddy came out to open the gate for them.


    "Yes. How can I help you?" she asked while eyeing them up and down.


    Bodyguard 1: "Excuse us, ma''am. Is this where Derrick Quijano lives?"


    "Yes."


    Bodyguard 2: "Can we talk to him? We just want to ask him questions."


    "I''d love to bring you guys to him, but my boss left this morning."


    Bodyguard 3: "You are not lying, right?"


    "Of course, not. I have no reason to lie. If you want, you can talk to his wife, but you need to be very careful when speaking to her. She just had a miscarriage."


    The three bodyguards looked at each other and came to a tacit understanding.


    Bodyguard 2: "We''lle back another day, ma''am. We don''t want to worsen your madam''s problem."


    They were about to leave already when one of them turned around to ask, "Do you have any idea where he might have gone? We can just look for him."


    "Hmm, I am not sure, but he must have gone to look for his ex-wife. I heard that the miscarriage was caused by his ex-wife."


    Getting this much information from a bbermouth, the three bodyguards didn''t take so much time and left. Not long after they walked away, a police car stopped in front of the house.


    The helper frowned and walked back to the gate to open it again. "How can I help you, officers?"


    "I''m Officer Nick from the North District Police Station. Is this where Derrick Quijano lives? He is under investigation as the prime suspect for Ms. Adrianne Corazon''s disappearance."


    The helper was stunned and was unable to speak for a moment. "You... Weren''t they your colleagues? I... uh... "


    "Which colleagues ma''am? We are the first team that got dispatched here ma''am," Officer Nick responded impatiently. "Now, where is Derrick Quijano?"


    "Officers, my boss left this morning. He hasn''t returned home yet?"


    Nick turned to hisrades and pointed at two random officers. "The two of you will stay here and wait for that man toe. As soon as he gets here, invite him for interrogation."


    "Yes, sir."


    "The rest of you,e with me. We will investigate the case along with Lucian."


    The moment they left, the helper went back to the house and told Derrick''s wife about what happened. Angel Lazarette Quijano was dumbfounded. She didn''t expect that it would be such a big case when her husband just left a few hours ago to deal with his ex-wife.


    While the Police started their investigation and the bodyguards kept looking for her, Addie''s hands were tied on each side of the bedposts. Her mouth was covered with a cloth while she stared at the man that she once loved. Tears were falling on the side of her face as she shivered in the cold.


    She was very familiar with the ce she was at, and she despised herself so much for even remembering the happy moments she had with her ex-husband in this ce.


    "For so many years, I pampered you and loved you, but when I wanted a child, you could never give me one. Adrianne, I thought I made it clear to you when we had our divorce. I only asked for one thing, for you to never show up in front of me again. How could you be so cruel? I understand if you hate me, but why did you have to kill my child? You know how much I wanted to have a son or a daughter.


    How could you?"


    She wanted to say in retort but with the gag, she couldn''t make a single word. Only her tears never ceased from falling.


    "Since you wanted me so much, sure!" Derrick said and moved closer to her, groping her breast really hard that she whimpered in pain. "I''ll give you my body," he whispered and grinned. "You will stay here and be my toy until you could give me a child topensate for the life that you killed. You don''t mind us using our previous love nest for this activity, right?"

 Chapter 853: EVIL SCHEME

    Tristan checked every CCTV footage that he got from the surrounding establishments of the apartmentplex and found the vehicle that Derrick used when he took his ex-wife away.


    They were racing against time with the police officers involved. Tristan wasn''t sure if they would be able to find Addie first before the Police.


    He studied the route that the car took while hacking the cameras along the streets and because this was a serious matter, Shein was already helping him, and they were talking through a Bluetooth earpiece.


    "I found his car traveling north," Shein said. "I''ll mark the street he took, and you can add the ces where you''ve seen it."


    "Thanks," Tristan said while putting his own marks on the same Map that they were viewing. "This ce is a bit remote. Don''t you think so?"


    "I agree. By the way, I sent you something. Check your inbox."


    Tristan opened his inbox as per Shein''s instructions and he saw a detailed map of the possible ces where the car could have gone to. Thest footage that they got showed the car traveling north, but they had no specific idea of its specific destination.


    "Of these ces that I sent to you, have you checked if Derrick owns a property there or if he has rtives in these remote areas?" Shein asked while viewing several footage from the next city just in case the car really arrived there.


    "I just checked, but he has no property in these ces. Not his wife or even Addie."


    "I hacked the camera of the next city as well, but his car didn''t show up there. It only means one thing."


    Tristan didn''t need Shein to tell him the next words. He already knew what to do and he immediately told the three bodyguards to go on separate ways and start looking for Adrianne in the remote areas that he sent them. He also told Officer Nick and Lucian about it.


    Bzzz! Bzzz!


    Tristan checked his phone and found Cayenne''s message, asking him if Adrianne has been found already. "We''re still looking for her," he responded honestly even if it would cause her to worry. It would be more troublesome if he lied to her andter on, something bad actually happened to Adrianne.


    "The security team is at your disposal for now. Look for her. I can feel that something bad has happened to her."


    "Got it, Ms. Yen. I''ll be sure to inform you once we find her. I already asked for help from the authorities, too."


    "That''s good. Keep me posted."


    Lucian dispatched his team to cooperate with the people that Tristan sent and they looked for Adrianne immediately. They checked the ces that Tristan sent them, asking the neighborhood if they noticed Derrick within the area. Unfortunately, none of them recognized him. They didn''t even see the car that he used to abduct his ex-wife.


    "Tristan and Shein were certain that the car should have gone to these remote ces based on the traveling route that they got from the CCTV connected to the traffic lights and other establishments. If the car didn''t arrive in the neighboring city, it''s either he is still within our city''s jurisdiction or he used another car before entering the next city. However, where did his original car go?


    If someone else used it, they should have found it. If he discarded it somewhere to use another vehicle, we should have seen it on our way here. Something doesn''t add up."


    Lucian thought about it again and again. He sent Tristan another message, asking him to check the CCTVs once more and see if Derrick''s car returned to the city.


    "Give me a few minutes. I''ll ask Shein to help me," Tristan said and told Shein of the new request. They both worked quickly and check the possible routes that would bring him back to the city, but there was nothing at all. "Lucian, there are no footages that show the car going back here in the city."


    "Got it. Send me the list of his properties, too."


    "Hn. I''ll sort them out. I''ll send it in a minute."


    The call ended and a few secondster, Lucian received a file from Tristan. It was the list of Derrick''s properties. He asked someone to check into his three houses and monitor them if there was anything suspicious.


    Time ticked by and evening came. There was no positive news of Addie''s whereabouts and Cayenne was getting more worried. She even felt guilty for not helping Addie on time.


    "She will be fine," Stefan muttered and rubbed his wife''s back. "Our people are looking for her already and the Police are doing their best, too. Don''t stress yourself. You rarely get the chance to rest. Don''t overthink."


    Cayenne wanted to remain calm as her husband said, but she just couldn''t. "If shees back unharmed, I will let her deal with her ex-husband the way that she wants. Otherwise, I''d let him taste the endless pain as if he''s living in hell."


    "Did Tristan tell you the possible reasons why she was abducted by her ex-husband?"


    "No. I have not asked him about it, yet."


    "Anyway, it''s alreadyte in the evening. You should get some sleep. I''ll talk to Tristan for a few minutes and help them figure out where Addie could be."


    "Okay. But be quick, okay?"


    "Hn. I''ll be right back. Give me five minutes."


    "I''ll wait. I won''t sleep if you are not here yet."


    Stefan kissed her forehead and left in a hurry to go to the study room. He knew that Tristan would be working overtime because of Addie''s disappearance. Although he wasn''t part of the Police, they needed his help and vice versa. Only by working together would they be able to find her immediately.


    "You sent someone to check his home, right?" Stefan asked his secretary. "Did they get anything from his wife or from the helpers or the neighbors?"


    "Yes. The helper said that Derrick Quijano left to confront his ex-wife for killing his unborn child. Apparently, his wife went out to meet with his ex, and she had a miscarriage. The wife med Addie and that caused the man to abduct her."


    "Investigate the miscarriage thing. Check why his wife wanted to meet Addie and where they met. As far as I have heard from her conversation with Ayen, although she still loves her ex-husband, she promised to never show up in front of him again, to set him free so he could find his happiness. I''m sure she won''t do something that would ruin his life. There must be a big misunderstanding somewhere."


    "I see. I''ll check on them immediately," Tristan said, and all of a sudden, he remembered something. He wasn''t sure if it was because he had watched a lot of dramas with his girlfriend, but he felt that there was an evil scheme going on.


    When Stefan ended the call, Tristan made a series of calls as well. This time, he called several people he knew from different hospitals. All of them were Obgyne.

 Chapter 854: CAYENNES ANGER

    The next morning, as soon as she opened her eyes, she looked for her husband. Seeing the empty space of the bed next to her, she could only smile. When she was pregnant, he threatened their children already, telling them to never give her a hard time. He even said that he won''t love them as much as he loves his wife, yet he could no longer wait for her to wake up.


    The children became his top priority in the morning already, and she had no qualms about it. In fact, she was very happy.


    Although, Stefan''s reason for making them his priority was also his wife. He didn''t want her to tire herself from taking care of the triplets, which was the reason why he made it a habit to wake up before her.


    She brushed her teeth and washed her face before making her way to the nursery room. As expected, Stefan was feeding their babies, and Kyle was there, too.


    "You have no review today?" she asked her brother since he was about to take the licensure examination for teachers very soon. At the same time, she walked to where her husband was and gave him a ''Good morning kiss''.


    "I have scheduled it for this afternoon," Kyle answered while keeping his eyes on Aziel while feeding him with a bottle of milk form. "I heard Addie is missing."


    "Hn. Tristan is cooperating with the Police to find her."


    "I talked to Tristanst night and I think Adrianne got framed by the new wife," Stefan expressed while recalling the information that he got from his secretary. "Unfortunately, they haven''t found her yet. Last night, they stayed close to Derrick''s properties for monitoring, but there was nothing. Derrick didn''t return to any of his propertiesst night."


    Cayenne was quite surprised that the abduction of her make-up artist involved such an evil scheme from the new wife. "Did you ask Tristan to investigate the miscarriage incident, too?"


    "I did. We should get some answers from him soon."


    "I hope she''s okay," Kyle muttered and sighed. Hearing his strong exhale, Aziel stopped sucking on the milk bottle and looked at his uncle. "Hey, young man, did you understand my worry?" Aziel blinked his eyes several times, but after a few seconds, he returned to drinking his milk. "I think you have smart babies," Kylemented while shifting his tender gaze between his niece and nephews.


    Hearing thepliment, Cayenne looked smug as she spoke, "We studied together. They learned a lot during my pregnancy."


    Stefan could only shake his head at her response. Of course, he would never disagree with her when ites to this matter. "Go and take a shower first. I''ll cook breakfast for you," he said after feeding Jahzara and Zeki.


    "I''ll stay here and look after the kids," Kyle volunteered.


    On their way out, Cayenne kissed her children''s forehead. Anyway, she didn''te from the outside of her home. It should be fine. Stefan, the neat freak when ites to their babies, didn''t say anything either.


    Cayenne took a quick shower to freshen up herself and changed intofy clothes since she will be staying at home today. Once she was done grooming herself, she went back to the nursery room to take her children out. Of course, Kyle was there to help her and there was no need for her to carry them since she can just use the strollers and bring them down using the elevator. Stress-free.


    Since Stefan was busy cooking with the helpers, she stayed in the living room with the kids and Kyle. A few minutester, Luiz also arrived. He just finished taking the dogs out for a walk.


    "They''re scheduled for grooming today, right?" Cayenne asked her brother when she saw the dogs. Since the children have grown, Stefan has allowed the pets toe inside their house at least twice a week. Today was their second time this week.


    "Yup. Yup. I''m taking them to the pet shop and vet clinic for a check-up."


    Cayenne hugged the dogs happily and rubbed their fur. "In a few months, you''d be able to y with the kids," Cayenne muttered cheerfully before pulling away from them. Her four seasons-named dogs were sitting on the floor and their forepaws were ced on herp. It was such a treat for her morning.


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!


    Cayenne picked up her vibrating phone and saw Tristan''s message about Adrianne. They still have no idea where she was, but if they had to ignore thew again, they might be able to find her.


    "Is there any way of locating her without spilling anyone''s blood?" Cayenne replied with a frown. She knew that a lot of schemes and illegal things happen in the world and her husband had bribed a lot of people for her sake. She won''t deny that. However, as much as possible, she didn''t want anyone close to her to stain their hands with blood.


    Tristan: "There''s no need to spill any blood. We will just threaten someone to help us locate where Derrick is. I have a gut feeling that Addie is with him."


    Cayenne frowned at the word ''threaten''. "Who are you nning to do that to?"


    "His wife."


    Cayenne''s eyes almost popped out. [Of all people that he wanted to threaten, does it have to be the legal wife?] She thought while typing out her reply. "I don''t agree with that. Why must we threaten his wife? It''s already upsetting that her husband looked for her ex."


    [Ah! I forgot to tell her about it.] Tristan told himself and pped his forehead. Instead of exchanging messages, he decided to call Cayenne directly. It would save them time. [Why didn''t I call her in the first ce? I must be too tired to think rationally.]


    With the information he gathered, he started telling Cayenne the scheme behind Addie''s abduction as well as the main culprit that needs to be punished for it.


    As she continued to listen to him, Cayenne couldn''t stop feeling the hatred and anger that boiled her blood. Before she could stop herself, she let out a string of curses in front of her children that shocked both her brothers and her husband who even heard it from the kitchen.


    "That damn bitch shouldn''t just be threatened! You''ve got to make her live a fucked-up life until she begged for death. Make her suffer! I want her to have a taste of pain, humiliation and so much stress that she''d go crazy! You know what to do right?"


    Kyle and Luiz: ??


    Stefan: ???¡á?


    Tristan on the other hand was looking at his phone. [I dialed the right number, but who the heck answered me?]

 Chapter 855: REVENGE FOR ADDIE I

    Tristan was really shocked when he heard Cayenne curse. He even felt that it was the first time she ever did that. It only showed that she was really angry this time.


    Following her instruction, Tristan told their dispatched men to check on Derrick''s current wife. This time, they no longer cared about the woman''s condition. They learned the truth already and there was no need to show consideration toward her anymore.


    The helper who weed themst time was now shaking like a leaf in front of them. The driver looked pale in fright as well upon seeing the guns that Stefan''s men didn''t bother to hide.


    "This is illegal!" The driverined angrily as they all moved to the living room of the house. "How dare you all - " he swallowed his words back when one of the men pointed his gun at him.


    "Bring your madam here!"manded the man who led the group.


    "Gather everyone here as well. If any of you dare to call the police, none of you will be able to see the daylight tomorrow," added another man that scared the hell out of the servants. No one dared to make a move. Their lives were far more important than the people they were serving.


    The helper gathered everyone into the living room while someone called for the madam who was resting in her room. Gardener, cook, house cleaner ¨C just everyone who served the Quijano family was called to stay in one ce. When their employer came down, she trembled in fear.


    "Who are you, people? What do you want from us?" she asked without taking another step forward. She didn''t want to get closer to them.


    Stefan''s man 1: "Are you Angel Lazarette Quijano?"


    "Yes, I am. What do you need from me?" Instead of answering her, the leader signaled one of his men to take the woman. "Wait! What are you doing? Let go of me! Stop it!" she wriggled with all her might to get away from the man but her feeble strength was nothingpared to the bulky man who pinned her down to an armchair.


    Her butt hurt a lot when it hit the chair. They even removed the cushion to give her a hard time. Tears were already hanging on hershes but no one paid attention to her. The helpers were too afraid to help her which might anger the intruders of the house.


    Stefan''s Man 2: "Now, where''s your husband?"


    "I don''t know! I''m not gonna tell you anything!"


    Stefan''s man 2: "Really?" He questioned with a scrutinizing gaze that seemed to prate the woman''s soul. "I suggest you think about it twice little girl. If I get mad, I might just kill you, and it would be your loss. I mean, I don''t care if I go to jail for killing you and there''s even a chance that I won''t be imprisoned."


    "Justice will always favor the innocents!"


    Stefan''s menughed at her words as if she said something foolish. The helpers were even more confused because of their behavior. What Angel said wasn''t wrong, but the innocent people she pertained to were surely not herself.


    Stefan''s man 3: "If any of you can tell us where Derrick Quijano is, we will let you go and we will even look for another person whom you can work for. However, if you tell us a lie, you will lose your life."


    No one said anything. Of course, they wouldn''t just randomly say a word that could end their life in a matter of seconds. They don''t even have any idea where their boss went to.


    "Why exactly are you looking for him?" Angel asked after some time when she realized the seriousness of the situation. She knew her husband. He didn''t have any vices that could warrant him having these fearless enemies. He didn''t even know how to gamble. In fact, he was too good to be true that she found him boring.


    Stefan''s men shifted their attention to her when they heard her question. The leader of their group squinted his eyes while studying her expression. "You don''t seem afraid that we''re looking for him. Are you expecting us to kill him?"


    The servants instantly looked at their madam as if she had grown a horn on her head. Although she was hoping it was the case, she couldn''t really expose herself in front of the servants right now. "Don''t put words in my mouth. I don''t want anything bad to happen to my husband."


    Leader: "Well, that might not be the case if you continue to dilly-dally. You just have to tell us where your husband is and confess to your crime."


    "I didn''tmit a crime!"


    Leader: "Are you sure? I''ll show you something and I want you to tell me if I showed something right or wrong. If you lie, my knife will be slicing you like a cake."


    The man pulled a document from the envelope he was holding and read the content to her. "September 3, 20xx. N Department of Health and Human Services. I, Angel Lazarette Quijano, voluntarily authorized Dr. X to perform an induced abortion. I understand that I am - "


    "Stop! Stop it!" Angel screamed angrily while the helpers looked at her with horrified expressions. They didn''t know about this pregnancy of hers. "How dare you? How dare you!"


    Leader: "Why don''t I dare? Now, please tell me whether I showed something real or falsified information."


    "It''s fake! I would never get an abortion! I wasn''t pregnant!"


    "Enk! Enk! Wrong answer," said the leader as he crossed his arms to make an X mark. "It was your first abortion. Look at this," he stated and even moved closer to her to show the documents that she signed. "Isn''t this your signature?


    I have it verified beforeing here."


    The woman wanted to refute his words, but before she could say something, the leader was very quick to slice her thigh and cover her mouth with a cleaning rag that he found somewhere when she screamed. She gagged from the stinky rag and screamed at the top of her lungs even when it was futile.


    Blood was now dripping on the floor from her thigh and it caused the helpers to cuddle together in fear.


    "Let''s proceed. Next!"

 Chapter 856: REVENGE FOR ADDIE II

    For the first lie, she received a deep cut on her thigh.


    The second lie gave her a stab in her arms.


    When she lied for the third time, the leader gave her a remarkable wound on the side of her face which scared her the most.


    In fact, the three lies were just about the three abortions that she had.


    Each time she lied; the helpers looked like they ate some flies. They looked so mortified by her immoral behavior of killing her unborn babies. They haven''t even heard the worst part of the woman''s lies.


    She was sobbing in her seat. Her snot and tears were mixed up and she was aplete mess. Her dress was already drenched in her blood but no one helped her. Even her helpers didn''t want to approach her.


    The leader raised the woman''s chin using the tip of his knife and she trembled at the sight of the sharp steel pressed on her. "Now, are you going to confess to your crimes and tell us where your husband went to or do you still us to continue with our game? I still have a lot of papers here."


    Shaking under the man''s cold gaze, she whispered her answer. "He... he went to find his ex-wife."


    Leader: "Why was he looking for his ex-wife?"


    "Because she killed my child."


    "Enk! Enk! That is another lie!" The leader said and cut her one of her kneecaps, yet before she could scream aloud, he pushed the dirty cleaning cloth into her mouth. She even choked when the cloth was pushed really hard down her throat.


    She felt like dying already.


    "Your answer brings us to the current situation," the leader said and pulled another sheet of paper from the stack of documents that his colleague was holding. "His ex-wife didn''t kill your child. You staged everything to make it look like she killed your baby."


    "I don''t understand the purpose for doing that if that is even true," expressed the gardener who had been working for six years in the Quijano family. "Sir Derrick longed to have a child. I don''t understand why she kept aborting the children and to the point of framing the ex-wife."


    "Good question!" said the leader and he even pped his hands to give the man a round of apuse. "Why do you think she keeps killing her babies? What''s wrong in getting pregnant when her husband could provide for the children?"


    The helpers thought about the question and they suddenly felt a bad premonition. It felt like their madam was stripped naked in front of them and they felt embarrassed for her.


    They would have never thought that an elegant woman like her was actually a slut.


    ***


    Adrianne was lying on the bed without any strength left to fight back. She fainted several times already from exhaustion and hunger.


    From morning until evening, whenever she woke up, Derrick would force her to have sex with him. Even though she didn''t want to, she couldn''t escape. Her hands were tied and he didn''t even give her food to keep her in a weakened state.


    "Derrick, please let me go," she begged with tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were already swollen from crying ever since she arrived in this ce she once called home. "I swear to you, I didn''t kill your child. I would never do that. You know how much I cared for you."


    Hearing her words, the man, who was about to prate her for the nth time today, stopped what he was doing and sat in the space next to her. He blinked his eyes several times while realization dawned on him. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry, Addie."


    But instead of saying something, she just kept crying. She never thought that she would love him so much to the point of choosing to sacrifice herself to keep his pride. Until this moment, she still couldn''t remember why, when, and how having children be his obsession.


    He was never so obsessed with having children.


    He untied the rope and freed her hands from the bind. He opened the wardrobe and found some of her clothes there. These were the items that he gave her during their marriage years and she refused to bring any of them when she left after they divorced.


    He didn''t expect that these clothes will be worn by her again.


    She epted the clothes from him, never had a doubt that they would fit her after so many years that she hadn''t seen them. In fact, she wasparably smaller than the times that she was with him.


    Derrick watched her change into her clothes and seeing the bruises and hickeys all over her body, he felt an immense pain and guilt.


    "Give me a sec. I''ll fix something for you to eat."


    She didn''t ept or refuse. She just watched him leave the room and the moment he stepped out, she cried again. Derrick said he sold the house and even sent her a huge amount of money into her bank ount when they split up. She never thought that he was keeping it all this time. He didn''t even make any changes to it.


    It was the same as thest time she remembered it.


    On the other hand, Derrick was cooking Addie''s favorite food when someone knocked on the door. Turning off the stove, he walked to open the door and see who came to visit them.


    Although he was expecting this to happen, he was still sad that his time with the person he loved the most would be over soon.


    "I''m Officer Jackie Summer. We were tipped that Adrianne Corazon who suddenly vanished after yourst visit to her house, is currently being held captive here. We got a search warrant for this case. I hope you will cooperate with us,"


    Derrick nodded his head and directly led him to the master bedroom. "She''s inside."


    Jackie raised her eyebrow at his response and immediately signaled the other officers to check the room. True to his words, the woman who asked Cayenne for help was sitting on the bed in a fetal position.


    "We''re inviting you to the station for interrogation," Jackie said and Derrick nodded without hesitation.


    Thinking back to the dish he was cooking, Derrick tried to ask for a little bit of time. "Can I have one favor? Can I eat with her for onest time? I promise I didn''t put anything harmful in it."


    On her way out, Addie nced at him and when their eyes met, tears fell on her face. "I missed the man I married. Why did you change?"

 Chapter 857: REVENGE FOR ADDIE III

    When the news of his arrest reached the Quijano family, Derrick''s father almost had a heart attack. He couldn''t believe that his son would do something to his beloved ex-wife. Yes, they were all aware that Derrick still loves his ex-wife even after he divorced her. Yet his pride stopped him from chasing after her.


    His father and brother went to the station to see Derrick and found Mr. Dumrique''s trusted assistant along with Atty. Sandford there. It turned out, the one who filed thewsuit was Cayenne Dumrique. She cared so much for her staff and since Addie''s safety waspromised, despite Derrick''s rtionship with her make-up artist, Cayenne would never forgive him.


    "You disappointed me time and time again," Derrick''s father said with a shake of his head. His son was currently sitting inside a cell while waiting for the whole process to conclude. Although Lucian told them that they could bail Derrick out since there was no formalint from the victim herself at the moment, Derrick''s father didn''t bail him out.


    "He didn''t ask us to bail him out," said the man with a contemptuous expression on his face. "I wouldn''t waste my money on him. I wouldn''t lend him awyer, either."


    The police officers who heard what Mr. Quijano said were quite baffled. Most parents would make a fuss about this kind of matter yet the man didn''t even want to help his son. Derrick didn''t say a single word to his father as well.


    "Bro, if you loved her, why didn''t you look for her? Why did you have to resort to this barbarian way of getting her?" his brother asked and followed by a deep sigh. "You are excellent at managing our business, but you don''t know how to deal with those matters that involve your heart."


    Derrick remained silent. He didn''t want to make excuses or try to defend himself. Spending his time in jail was not even enough punishment for what he did to Adrianne.


    All this time, he wanted to see his ex-wife. He wanted to see how she was doing, but he didn''t want to lower himself to chase her. He wanted her to be the one chasing him. He wanted her to look for him. Yet, Addie was too independent to even look for him.


    So, he waited for an excuse. He waited and waited until the opportunity came. He just couldn''t believe he would lose control of himself and devour her with no consent. He couldn''t even forgive himself for what he did.


    Since he was doing fine, though he wasn''t saying anything, his father and his brother left him alone after leaving him food and a change of clothes. The officers were looking at him and couldn''t express what exactly they were feeling. The situation was ratherplicated.


    Two hourster, Addie called to say her side of the story. For the sake of their past rtionship, Addie withdrew the case that Cayenne filed. However, she asked for a restraining order that would stop Derrick from approaching her within ten meters.


    Cayenne expected this to happen so he asked Tristan to stay outside of the station to wait for Derrick toe out.


    "Mr. Quijano, someone asked me to give you this," Tristan said and handed a thick envelope to the man. He knew who Tristan was, so he already had an idea of who the person he meant was. It could only be the Dumrique couple.


    Derrick epted the envelope and left.


    "You lost the person who cared for you the most," Tristanmented while watching the back of the man who slowly disappeared from his sight. As soon as Derrick was out of sight, Tristan called the dispatched men to leave Derrick''s house.


    As for the helpers who discovered the secrets of thedy of the house, they started packing their things to leave. They knew that if they stay, the woman could easily kill them to keep them silent. She even killed her children. It would be nothing to her if she could kill the helpers for their silence.


    When Derrick arrived home, he saw his wounded wife tied to a chair. Next to her was the family driver who was bound without any clothes. He was almost shocked to death at the man''s sight.


    One after another, the helpers came out with their things and asked for theirst payment. Derrick was really confused. They wouldn''t tell him the reason, instead, they told him to ask his wife.


    He felt a bad premonition by their words and actions.


    Not wanting to make a scene after all that happened to him, he just dismissed everyone and transferred the money to the ounts that they preferred. Most of them were family members of his helpers.


    The moment they left, only the three of them remained.


    "Would you like to exin what happened?" he asked in a hoarse voice without even approaching them. If his helpers could look at his wife in disgust, it meant she did something horrible and they knew it aside from him.


    "Sir, please forgive me. I didn''t mean it. It was Madam who seduced me!"


    Derrick closed his eyes as he tried his best to calm himself. His wife was crying helplessly with a gag that prevented her from making loud noises. She could only shake her head continuously.


    When he opened his eyes again, there was no emotion there. He looked at them as if they weren''t human at all. He didn''t say a word and took out the things that Tristan gave him earlier. He already wanted to confront his wife because of what Addie said when he held her captive. She firmly denied her involvement in his wife''s miscarriage.


    If she wasn''t really the culprit, there was only one possible thing. His wife killed his child and framed Addie for it.


    Seeing them right now, he was already 90% sure of his guess and conjectures.


    Derrick read the first document and found they were hospital reports of his wife''s abortion. He knew that getting these medical records without the patient''s consent was illegal, but at this moment, he didn''t care at all. It turned out his wife didn''t just kill her baby once but a couple of times already.


    The next medical report had his name on it. His eyes went wide as he read through it and tears started falling on his face. All those years, when he was married to Adrianne and med her for being incapable of getting pregnant, she was protecting his pride.


    She told him that she had problems with her uterus which made it difficult for her to get pregnant while in truth, he was the one with the problem.


    He had a very low sperm count in addition to the fact that he rarely had sex with her because of his work. All those years, she was putting up with him because she didn''t want him to feel bad about himself.


    Moving to the next documents, all he saw were pictures of his wifemitting infidelity when he wasn''t around. She messed around with their driver who was nowying on the floor in front of him, naked. Based on the time stamps on the lower right corner of the pictures, she was already cheating on him three years ago.


    Enraged, Derrickughed. Heughed so loud that his wife trembled even more in fear. Hisughter wasn''t out of happiness. It was aughter that promised vengeance, and his eyes were cold as he looked at the two people who cuckolded him for so many years.


    "I''ll forgive you," Derrick told the driver and untied him. "Help me get your madam to the basement," he said and the driver quickly did what was asked of him.


    Angel was squirming in fear. She wanted to get away from them. She was really scared.


    The basement was Derrick''s movie room. He told the driver to ce her on the couch and to take care of her wounds. The driver didn''t dare to dilly-dally. He tried his best to dress Angel''s wounds which she got from the people who intruded on the property a few hours ago.


    "Once you''re done, get her a change of clothes and something to eat."


    The driver ran upstairs to get some clothes for the woman and quickly fix her something to eat. Angel didn''t dare make a single sound. She didn''t know what her husband was thinking now that he brought her to the theater room.


    Not even five minutester, the driver returned with sandwiches and a set of clean clothes.


    "Change her clothes and feed her," Derrick said and the driverplied, still naked. After changing her clothes and feeding her, Derrick asked the driver to move the couches to the walls for a bigger space in the middle. "I said I will forgive you, but there is a condition to it."


    The driver suddenly felt scared, but no words came out of his mouth. His life was in the palm of the man in front of him, and one wrong move could make the man kill him.


    Derrick moved closer to his wife and looked at her from head to toe. "You have a wife and a daughter, right?" Derrick asked and the driver nodded his head. "Great! Now, I will double your sry but you are not allowed to see your wife and daughter ever again."


    "Sir?"


    "Do you really want me to repeat my words?"


    "N-no. No, sir."


    "From now on, you will stay here. You are not allowed to leave this house or I will kill your family. Think about it. In exchange for what you did to me, you will get more money from me, but you cannot see your family. Of course, you can call them and asionally if I permit you to do so."


    "Yes, sir. I got it. I will do anything you''ll ask me to do as long as you forgive me and do not include my family in this matter."


    "That is good. Now, call three of your friends and ask them toe over. After all, I need to double your sry. I need to earn money."


    Realizing what her husband wants to do, Angel started screaming at the top of her lungs. Unfortunately, they were inside the theater room and it has the best soundproofing material. No matter how much she cried for help, no one woulde to her rescue.


    An hourter, three men came to his house and Derrick weed them with a creepy grin on his face. They had an unsettling feeling when they saw his face.


    "Why don''t we meet himter on his way home?" suggested one of the men who just arrived. "I don''t think it''s alright for us toe over when his employers aren''t around."


    "Oh, no worries. I am his boss," Derrick answered and signaled them to have a seat. "I don''t really mind him calling you guys to y. Anyway, I''ll be leaving for work. Just don''t make a mess in my house and you''re all good to go."


    He already gave his instructions to his driver before he left and he knew that the man won''t disobey him again. Derrick picked up his keys and went out of the house, leaving the three people that his driver called over. He went back to the ce he once called home when Addie was still around. Now, it was an empty shell with nothing but the memories that pained him even more.


    Remembering what he did, he could only clutch his chest in pain. He wanted to scream but no voice came out. He wanted to kill himself but felt it wasn''t unfair to his ex-wife. He needed to suffer twice as much as she did. He needed to stay alive to continuously feel the guilt.


    Addie loved him unconditionally. She didn''t p him with the cruel truth because she cared for him. Even when she was being tortured by him, she didn''t throw the me on his wife. He didn''t even hear her curse him for what he did. She only looked at him with so much regret and pain.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I''m sorry," he whispered these words so many times until he fell asleep. Yet, what could his apologies do? He could not even approach her anymore.


    Back at his house where his wife was held captive, the driver instructed his friends what to do. "You could pleasure yourself all you want using her, but you are not allowed to hurt her. Make sure you avoid touching her wounds, too."


    "Are we allowed to release it inside?"


    "Yup. The master of this house permits that. I can just give her a lot of contraceptivester."


    With that, despite losing her voice from screaming to make them stop, the three men used Derrick''s wife as much as they want. She even fainted in the middle which scared the three men, but the driver told them it was alright. The whole thing was recorded. After an hour, the three men left and the driver took over.


    Angel was too tired to even make a fuss now. As soon as he was done, he uploaded the video to the site where Derrick created an ount for himself. To make a fortune while punishing his wife, the driver would put the videos there.


    The next day, Derrick told the driver to look for other people and left the same instruction.


    Before and after she was used, the driver would force her to drink contraceptives.


    "Since you like to cheat on me, I''m giving you the chance to do it every day," Derrick said one time when he visited the ce to get some of his personal things. "Make sure to keep up with your performance. There are still a lot of men who haven''t gotten the taste of you. Enjoy!"

 Chapter 858: SPOILS THE PRINCESS

    "Did anyone inform my parents about what happened?" Addie asked the police officers who apanied her at the hospital for additional security measures. Her parents were quite old already and she was worried that something bad would happen to them should they know about the incident of her abduction.


    "Yes, we did. Your parents are currently staying at the Dumrique family vi. It was because of their timely report and assistance that we managed to find you in a short time."


    "I see," Adrianne nodded her head and looked outside the window of her hospital room. "Thank you for saving me. I''m all good now."


    "Well, if there''s nothing else, we will leave first Ms. Corazon," said the police officer as he ced his notepad back inside his pocket. "Don''t hesitate to give us a call if you ever need help. Rest assured, we wille to save you whenever your husband tries to do something to you."


    The moment they left; her colleagues came inside to check on her.


    "Addie, how are you feeling now?" Zaire asked while pulling a chair so he could sit next to her bed. Callum and Cree did the same. "It scared the hell out of me when Miss Yen told us that you were missing."


    "Right! I can''t believe that a beautiful woman like you would fall for a jerk!" Cree added with her hands clenched tightly. "You should be with me instead."


    "Geez! Stop making moves on her. She already went through hell and you''re adding to her headache. Aside from that, she doesn''t bend your way." Callum retorted and knocked the woman''s forehead.


    Watching them with their usual banter, Adrianne finallyughed. The three of them looked at her and smiled as well. Ever since they started to work together, they grew closer every day. It was mainly because of Cayenne''s work rule. Their sry would increase every year and they get a bonus every month depending on the remuneration that Cayenne gets from her vlogging ount.


    She even made a separate bank ount for this for transparency.


    Therefore, there was no need for them topete with each other. Besides, they have different work.


    "Thank you foring to see me," Addie said while wiping the corner of her eyes.


    "For you my dear, I would travel the oceans and mountains," Cree responded which caused Callum to raise his eyebrow at the glib-tongued woman next to him.


    "You could barely find the hospital if it were not meing to your aid," Callum said that caused Cree to look at him with hostility. "Fine. You are the best."


    "Ignore them," Zairemented and turned to Addie to check her face. "Thankfully, he didn''t hurt your pretty face."


    "If he did, I would never withdraw the case against him. I''m depending on this pretty face for work. I don''t want to scare Miss Yen''s children with my disfigured face if ever."


    "Wait! Why did you withdraw the case, by the way?" Callum asked because it really puzzled them. She could have been killed by her jerk of an ex-husband. "It was your best chance for revenge. You should have allowed Miss Yen to handle this matter and make him rot in jail."


    Addie fiddled with her fingers and sighed. "It''s not that easy, you know. I loved that guy. I don''t know why and when things changed, but I was genuine with him. I cared for him and I spent almost a decade of my life with him. It''s not easy to just forget everything that we''ve been through.


    I let him go for the sake of our past rtionship. I''m sure you would probably do the same thing if you were in my shoes. However, that would be the only chance I could give him."


    The three people didn''tment on her words. What Addie said was true. They could judge the man negatively because that person had nothing to do with them. If they were, indeed, in her shoes, they would most likely forgive him, too.


    Though that depends on the level of their rtionship and the level of mistakes that the man did.


    "Excuse me," one of the guards stationed outside her room knocked on her door. "Madam is calling for you."


    "O-okay. Come inside." The bodyguard came inside and handed his phone to Addie.


    Cayenne called to ask how she was doing and informed her as well that her medical bill was already settled. It''s one of the benefits when working for Cayenne and Stefan.


    "Miss Yen, thank you so much for helping me. I know I shouldn''t have called you since it was my personal problem, but I really don''t know who to call at that time. I really can''t thank you enough."


    "Personal or not, I''m d I was able to help," Cayenne said and she could hear the faint sigh that followed her statement. "I was really worried when I couldn''t contact you anymore. I''m so d that Tristan and the security team were able to find you."


    "Sorry, Miss Yen."


    "No, you don''t have to apologize for that. Anyway, as soon as you get discharged, I will be calling for a meeting with everyone. So, get well soon."


    "Yes, Miss Yen."


    They talked for a few more minutes without mentioning her ex-husband at all, and when the call ended, Addie told her three visitors about the meeting that Cayenne will have in the next few days.


    ***


    "Boss, we are currently in F Country already. To be specific, we are in Mayor Mondragon''s hometown and we''re currently watching a fight that involves one of the candidates," Martin reported and shifted the video camera toward the alley where Niki Sloan fought a group of unknown men.


    "Did he start the fight?" Stefan asked. It was important for him to know if the person likes to provoke someone first or not. If it was the former, he would not hire that person. He didn''t like it when a person provokes others first.


    For a long time now, he lived with a code ¨C not to attack someone first, but when attacked, he would fight with all his might that would make his enemies regret meeting him in this life.


    "I don''t think so," Martin answered as he recalled the situation to Stefan. "We saw hime out from the supermarket with two older people. It seemed like he noticed this group of men that followed him, so he led them to this alley."


    "Alright. Keep an eye on him. Send me a video of his fight as well."


    This time, he told two of his trusted men to check on the candidates that Mayor Mondragon prepared for him to work as bodyguards for his wife and everyone in the family.


    A lot of things happened in his life and added to the fact that Celestine came back to the country, he just got more obsessed with his wife''s protection. He was doing all this for Cayenne.


    ***


    Back at the Dumrique mansion, after calling Martin overseas, Stefan was telling his children a story from one of the books that he found in the study room. It was most likely from Luiz or Kyle since it was the two of them who liked to buy books for the children.


    This time, the story was about the Little Prince written by ?Antoine de Saint-Exup¨¦ry. In Stefan''s opinion, the story wasn''t reall2y something that little children would understand due to theplex emotions and the level of word difficulty that the author incorporated.


    However, contrary to his expectation, the triplets were listening attentively to him.


    Jahzara, who often cried to get her parents'' attention, was watching her father while blinking her beautiful dark brown eyes. She looked so cute while ying with her fingers.


    Aziel had his head lying on his father''sp. Stefan didn''t know when it started but this little guy started to take hisp as a pillow whenever he looks after them. If someone would take him away, he would cry so much that everyone would panic. The only thing that could make him stop was either his father''sp or his mother''s sway dance.


    On the other hand, Zeki was as behaved as always. He was sitting on the bed with several alphabet blocks around him. He listened to his father''s voice when he talked, and piled the blocks when he paused.


    They weren''t even one year old, but Stefan could already tell what his children would be like.


    A few minutester, Cayenne opened the door and the triplets instantly turned their heads to look at her. Zeki threw the block he was holding and crawled immediately to his mother. Aziel also tried to get up so he could crawl to his mother.


    However, nothing could beat up the princess. Seeing that her two brothers would get to their mother before her, she started crying.


    Aziel stopped crawling and looked back. Zeki blinked his eyes and started waving his hand to his sister,


    In the end, Cayenne had to put down the youngest child after giving him a quick kiss on his cheeks. She picked up the little princess and pinched her chubby cheek softly which caused the little girl to giggle.


    "Aren''t we spoiling her too much?" Stefan questioned when he noticed that there seemed to be something wrong with their children.


    "Her name already entails that. Who named her princess anyway? Now, she''s living by her name," Cayenne said and Stefan had no words to refute her. Aside from that, he was the one who named their children. "Her brothers seemed to spoil her, too," Cayenne said while sitting on the bed to lean closer to Aziel who was watching her. She kissed his cheek and the child beamed happily.


    Jahzara finally stopped crying but she was saying something gibberish that none of their parents could understand.


    -----


    Mini Theater


    Zeki crawled as fast as he could toward their mother because he knew he wouldn''t get the chance once his sister starts crying. Aziel was farther from their mom since he was lying on Stefan. By the time he crawled halfway to get to their mother, their sister started crying.


    Zeki: Thankfully, I was fast enough.


    Aziel: I wasn''t even close yet! Stop crying already. I won''t go.


    Aziel stopped crawling but their sister was still bawling her eyes out. Zeki started reaching his hand to his sister so their mother could put him down.


    They watched their mother pick up their beloved sister, and when she does, their only princess stopped crying.


    Zeki: Are you happy now?


    Jahzara: Yes and because of that I will give you both some of my snacks when we get older.


    Though she said it, only the kids understood her. Her gibberishnguage was something alien to their parents.


    Whether Jahzara would really give her snacks to her brothers or not, would be a story for another time.

 Chapter 859: LOST PUPPIES

    Two dayster, Cayenne called for an emergency meeting with all the helpers of their household. Those that couldn''te were told to join the meeting through a video call that Tristan set up for everyone.


    In the living room, some of the helpers were sitting on the couch while the others stood behind their colleagues. Stefan was not around because of work, but he had the utmost trust in his wife. There was no need for him to worry about anything.


    "Today, I''m calling everyone for this meeting because of the recent incident that involved one of you guys. While I''m being protected, I didn''t expect that you will be putting your life in danger out there. I have no worries for the people who stay in the mansion since you rarely leave the house for an errand. However, it is not the same thing as the others.


    Today, we will be re-assigning some tasks to some of the bodyguards. Take note, this is not a demotion or a promotion."


    "Miss Yen, am I one of the people who will be reassigned to someone else?" Collins asked through the video conference since he was currently looking after Luiz who was having a meeting with an international brand designer.


    "Let me check your name first," Cayenne picked up her notebook and looked for his name. "Yes, you are listed here. If you have any concerns regarding this matter, I would be happy if you would raise it now. I know that you are all working for me, but I don''t want any internal conflict with my staff.


    So, if you feel that you have someone you don''t get along with, just let me know so we can sort this out."


    No one said anything. Since they remained silent, Cayenne started with the re-assignment of tasks.


    "Those who are looking after the houses - in Peachwood Subdivision, the house in B City, the family vi as well as the properties overseas; they will not be transferred anywhere. The changes would be the following..." Cayenne started saying the names one by one as well as the following people that they will be serving.


    "At the same time, to make sure that this countermeasure is effective, Stefan suggested that my vlogging staff will be staying in a shared house. My husband already bought a property and it will be your 2responsibility to take care of it."


    "A shared house? Are we going to rent it? It must be expensive," Callummented since Stefan''s taste in a house wasn''t poor.


    "Yes, you will be renting it at a very affordable price. If you don''t want to, that is also fine. The ce is in Peach Wood Subdivision, just next to the house where his grandparents live."


    "Miss Yen, how affordable is your kind of affordable?" Cree asked because the rented room she stayed in was very far from the mansion and it was rather expensive for the small room. Her next choice was to rent an apartment room from Cielo''s Apartment building, but it was already fully upied by university students.


    Cayenne picked up the folder that contained the detail of the house they will be sharing and handed it to Cree. "Everything''s there, but if I missed something, feel free to ask me questions."


    "Miss Yen, can I make a request?" Collins voiced out and everyone turned their attention to him. They want to know what kind of request he has and if Cayenne would grant it. "I''m not requesting this because I don''t get along with Callum, but I''d really appreciate it if you can assign me to Addie."


    Addie raised her head to look at the man when she heard his request. She didn''t expect she would hear her nameing from him. Wondering what the man was up to, she turned her attention to Cayenne to see if she would agree to him.


    Everyone was also looking at her.


    "What? Is there something wrong?" Addie asked but they only smiled at her. "I don''t really know what is going on."


    "Of course, you don''t know," Zaire, Cayenne''s videographer, spoke with a meaningful smile and everyone could tell what it was all about except for the woman involved.


    "Well, I didn''t know you''d be so direct about it," Cayenne expressed and changed Callum''s name to Addie. "Alright, starting today, you will be guarding Addie personally."


    "Hmph! If you won''t guard her properly, I will fight you to death!" Cree threatened the man which caused everyone tough, except for Adrianne who looked really confused about what was happening, and none of them tried to rify things with her.


    "So, Luiz and I will be getting another bodyguard?" Kyle asked when he returned from the kitchen with three water bottles for the triplets.


    "Yes, you will. Martin and Rey left to test the people who will be joining the security team this week. If everything''s fine, there will be six of them. I''ll assign one of them to you and another one to Luiz."


    "I don''t really need a bodyguard," Kyle said while giving the water to his nephews and niece. They were currently inside the cot that the helpers set up in the living for them. "I''m fine with one person. I mean, I will be teaching soon and I might scare the students with my intimidating bodyguard."


    "Stefan won''t allow that," Cayenne retorted.


    Stefan didn''t like it when Cayenne worries for her brothers all the time. So, he decided to hire bodyguards for them.


    "Fine. I''ll agree to that, but I will make my own rules once I start teaching."


    "Suit yourself," Cayenne responded and continued with another agenda. "Another thing, there will be schedules for every errand that you needed to do. I have listed the schedule already and I will be posting it on the kitchen task board for everyone to see. If it is not your day off and you are not scheduled to go somewhere, I expect you to be inside the lodging house.


    If you ever have to leave, don''t forget to inform anyone and you must bring one of the bodyguards toe along with you. I don''t like it when other people use you to threaten me, my husband, or your family. Are we all clear?"


    "Yes, ma''am."


    "Cool. Now, regarding Justin," Cayenne said and everyone shifted their attention to the young man who was sitting next to Kyle. "He''s one of the first helpers that earned my trust. Sad to say, he won''t be working for me anymore."


    They were all shocked. Even Kyle didn''t expect this news at all. After all, it was known how Justin tried his best to protect Cayenne when she was abducted by Jean Nikko Rule, the most-hated grandfather. They were wondering what made the child leave Cayenne''s side.


    "Although it is a sad thing for me to lose someone that I trust, his choice was something he pondered for quite some time. Justin will leave the country to study for his future."


    "Is he going to be your schr Miss Yen?" Ca asked out of curiosity.


    "No, he''s not," Cayenne wanted to tell him that Justin''s father hade to take his son home, but everyone here knew that Justin was abandoned, and saying that the man returned after a long time would surely create a ruckus. She didn''t want the child to hear negative things about his father from other people.


    If Justin wanted to tell them about the reunion with his father, he could have said it to them already, but he never did.


    Only Cayenne and Stefan knew about it.


    Cayenne talked about so many things to make sure that she didn''t miss anything. After she was done with the helpers, she dismissed them and asked her vlogging team to stay. She still needed to further discuss with her team the house that they would be sharing if they agree to it.


    Addie looked at the information in the folder once again before she spoke about what was really on her mind. It wasn''t every day that they''d get to do this, so she would take this opportunity to the fullest. "Miss Yen, I''m worried about something. Is it possible for you to impart some suggestions if you have any?"


    "What is it?"


    "I''d really love to stay with everyone for maximum security, but I have my old parents to take care of. Since you work with a lot of charity foundations, do you know the best home for aged people?"


    "I know! I know!" Callum said with his hands in the air. Realizing what he did, he could only scratch the back of his head while Cree red at him. "Sorry. I didn''t mean to interrupt."


    "It''s fine," Cayenne said followed by a series of faintughter. "I remember that you work for Happy Home of Elderlies or was it something else?"


    "Yes, I worked there for quite a while. It''s really a good ce for the elderlies," Callum answered, but didn''t borate his words that much since it was a ce that he least likely wanted to recall.


    "O-okay. I''ll check on it. While I''m at it, you can decide first if you want to stay in this house."


    "I''m taking this suggestion," Cree stated since she could save more money with this option. She''ll have a bigger room to stay at a very affordable rental price. There was a kitchen, a living room, and a garden where she could exercise or y as well. She''d be a fool to refuse such an offer.


    "I''ll choose this ce, too." Zaire expressed with no hesitation. When he heard about the shared house earlier, he already made up his mind to grab this chance.


    Renting a good ce in the heart of A City wasn''t cheap at all. Plus, he needed money to find the whereabouts of his father. He needed to send money to his mother as well.


    Callum didn''t have to give it another thought. He nodded his head in agreement as he spoke, "I don''t like to freeload at my uncle''s ce anymore, so I''m in."


    [Now that I have observed my team, did I actually pick some lost puppies?] Cayenne thought and started shaking her head at the sudden idea. That was rude to think that her team was lost puppies. However, no matter how much she tried to deny this thought, it was really a fact that the people in her vlogging team were kind of alone in this cruel world.


    Addie was abandoned by her husband and recently, this man even abducted her. Although there was a couple that she recognized as parents, this couple was actually her grandparents. After her mother gave birth to her out of wedlock, she vanished without a word ¨C only leaving a child in front of her parents'' home.


    Zaire came to A City to look for his father, which by the way, was still unknown if the man was dead or alive. He wanted to ask Stefan and Cayenne for help when ites to finding the whereabouts of his father, but he felt awkward since he just started working for them not long ago.


    Callum lost his grandmother three months before he applied to be part of Cayenne''s team. Although his father was still alive, he rarely sent money to him and most of them were taken by his uncle since he was living with them. His mother had another family, and he guessed that his father must have another family as well. He didn''t bother to ask. He was old enough to stand on his own.


    The one with not-so tragic background story was Cree. She was from the Sworza family, known for being influential in J Country, and owned a lot of private schools. The only problem was her gender preference. Her family was known for their religious devotion and they believe in male-female gender only. Unfortunately, Cree grew up with her adoration for women.


    When she came out of the closet, her family kicked her out.


    "I have a great team," Cayennemented that embarrassed her staff. They thought she was making fun of them, but when they looked at her, she was genuinely smiling at them. "I hope that our cooperation wouldst long."


    "Likewise, Miss Yen," Cree responded with a wide smile. "I would never exchange your beautiful smile for someone else. You are the apple of ¨C aw!" She red sharply at Callum once again. "This is why I hate men! They only know brute force!"


    "I''m surely not that type of man," Kylemented before walking back to the kitchen to return the water bottles.


    "My husband is not that kind of man either," Cayenne added which everyone nodded.


    ------


    Mini Theater


    Zeki was ying with the alphabet blocks inside the cot with his siblings. Jahzara was drinking water with Kyle helping her while Aziel waited for his turn.


    Aziel: Why are they taking so long? (Came out gibberish)


    Jahzara pushed her uncle''s hand away and talked in babynguage that only the triplets knew. "Shall I cry again? I''m sure Mommy will stop to take care of us."


    Zeki looked at his siblings in disbelief. "Don''t cry. It would be fine if there are no outsiders looking at us, but there are so many people now. Just so you know, you look ugly when you cry."


    Aziel: That is right. I think you should only cry with our family around. At least, even when you look ugly, they would still say you are pretty."


    For the very first time, Jahzara experienced what it was like to have a broken heart, and the culprits were her brothers.


    At the same time, while watching them, Kyle couldn''t help but wonder. "What are you guys talking about? Zeki only makes gibberish noises when the three of you are together."


    ---

 Chapter 860: GLARED AT THE TRIPLETS

    "Why don''t you check the house today? You can also choose the room that you want to upy," Cayenne told her staff since she didn''t have anything else to say. It was almost lunch and Stefan will being home soon. She wanted to cook something for him.


    Her staff nodded and picked up their things one after another before bidding their farewell.


    "If you have questions when you get there you can send me a message in the group chat," Cayenne said before they could go. "Additionally, please be on standby. I need your help with something."


    "Got it, Miss Yen," Callum answered on behalf of everyone.


    Now that everyone went to do whatever they needed to do, Cayenne was left with Kyle and the kids. The little princess immediately raised her hands and the two boys could only watch her. They would not fight for attention with their sister.


    "My babies are the sweetest," Cayennemented and kissed their cheeks one by one. "You knew Mommy is working so you didn''t misbehave, did you?" Jahzara giggled at her mother''s kisses, but when Cayenne put her back to the cot, she pouted her lips ¨C ready to cry. "Don''t cry, little princess. Mommy will be right back."


    As if understanding her words, Jahzara stopped pouting and tried her best to flip her body and crawl toward her brothers.


    "Your children are smart," Kylemented as he watched them. "By the way, when is Justin leaving?"


    "The day after tomorrow," Cayenne responded while caressing Aziel''s and Zeki''s cheeks. "I''m nning to throw a farewell party for him this evening. It''s going to be a surprise for him."


    "I see. I''ll tell Luiz about it. Go and cook for your husband now. I''ll look after the kids for you," Kyle responded and Cayenne nodded without any hesitations. She instantly went to the kitchen to cook something for Stefan.


    About an hourter, she heard the children''s giggles and her husband''sughter in the living room. She already had a guess of what he was doing and when she looked at them, she found him ying peek-a-boo with their children.


    Stefan felt someone''s intense gaze at him and when he shifted his attention in the kitchen''s direction, he found his wife there. She had a faint smile on her face while wearing a ck apron around her waist.


    [This is home.] S2tefan thought happily. He straightened up his body and walked to his wife ¨C his dearest partner for the rest of his life. "I''m home," he said and wrapped his hands around her waist.


    Cayenne snaked her arms around his neck in response and kissed him. "Wee home, hon."


    In the living room, Kyle wanted to cover the eyes of his niece and nephews to stop them from watching their parents, but he only had two hands and there were three kids. In the end, he could only block them with his whole body.


    "Were you able to settle everything?" Stefan asked his wife while untying the apron for her. "Leave the rest to the helpers. I want to spend time with you."


    "Alright. Give me a sec. I''ll just give them instructions," Cayenne said and without leaving her husband''s side, she told Ca what to do. Once she was done, she pulled her husband to the living room and cuddled with him while telling him what she did in the morning and her ns for the afternoon and evening.


    [I''m not single, but I still feel envious of this couple''s rtionship.] Kyle thought while ying with the kids. [I want to see my girlfriend now.]


    Unfortunately, his girlfriend went to attend her rtive''s wedding. She wanted to invite him, but when he heard that it was an exclusive wedding with few friends invited, Kyle refused in consideration to his girlfriend''s rtives. After all, he wasn''t an official member of the Labrador family yet.


    "Hon, I''m nning to give Justin a farewell party tonight. Can I reserve one of your restaurants?" Cayenne asked for permission. Even if she was the wife of the owner, she didn''t want to do anything without his permission.


    "Where do you want to do it?"


    "Hmm... how about the White Orchid?"


    "Because it''s close to mypany?" Cayenne grinned while nodding her head. In that way, Stefan wouldn''t have to travel far to get to the venue. "Alright. You can call the manager after lunch to make an arrangement with them."


    "Yay! I love you hon. You''re the best."


    "It''s been a while since thest time you uploaded something with the touch of your personal affairs. Why don''t you vlog this farewell party and upload it?"


    As if a lightbulb was lit up, Cayenne''s eyes brightened. What Stefan said was really a great idea. She was about to pick up her phone to tell her team about it, but Stefan held her hands and kissed her knuckles.


    "Talk to them when I leave for work," Stefan muttered which caused Cayenne to feel a little guilty. "I won''t be staying long anyway. I''ll be leaving as soon as I''m done with my lunch."


    "Shall we go on a date?"


    "With just the two of us?" Stefan retorted almost instantly. "Where do you want to go?"


    Cayenne was stunned with his response and excitement. "Are you really nning to leave the children?"


    "We have a lot of helpers. It''s not like - " Stefan noticed the deep frown on his wife''s forehead and it was then that he realized the words he just said. "Well, we can bring them along. Why won''t we go for a pic?"


    "Hn. That sounds good. We can go for a pic."


    In the end, Stefan had topromise because of their children. When Cayenne wasn''t looking at him, he turned his attention to the triplets and red at them.


    Aziel: ??


    Zeki: ??


    Jahzara: ??


    But their father got away with it because their mom was busy thinking about the pic.


    At the same time in Peach Wood Subdivision, Cayenne''s vlogging team finally arrived at the house that Stefan bought. It was right beside the house where the Sugo family lived.


    Seeing their new neighbors, Jose and Cory went outside of their house to wee them.


    "Good afternoon Grandpa and Grandma," Cree greeted them since she was the one who saw them first.


    When they first Stefan''s grandparents, they called them ma''am and sir, but the old couple didn''t like the sound of it. Later on, it was agreed that everyone should just call them grandpa and grandma.


    "I''m so d that you have arrived safely," Cory said with one of the bodyguards pushing her wheelchair. Jose stood next to her. "Are you going to live here from now on?"


    "Yes, Grandma," Callum answered and even slung his arm on Cree''s shoulder. "Miss Yen told us to stay here for security reasons. We will be neighbors from today onwards."


    "Do you want to look at the interior of the house? You cane inside with us," Zaire stated while opening the gate to the house.


    "Nah. My bones are aching," Jose responded with a wave of his hand. "You can go by yourselves and check the ce. After that,e and join us for lunch. I told the helper to cook a lot since you are alling."


    "Yay! Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma," Addie expressed softly before following Zaire to the house.


    "We won''t take long," Callum added and pulled Cree with him to get inside the property.


    The three bodyguards followed them except for Collins who was still finishing his shift at Luiz''s side.


    Zaire opened the door of the house and what greeted them was exactly the image that they saw from the file earlier. The living room was fully furnished with a 72" smart TV, and Wi-Fi was also included. These two things were already a luxury for someone who would be renting the ce.


    "Wow!" eximed Cree who went to the kitchen without anyone of them noticing. They were still relishing the fact that they have a big TV and Wi-Fi. "Look at these, guys!" Cree called out and they all went there including the bodyguards who will be serving them. They needed to familiarize themselves with the ce, too.


    "Are we really renting this ce for that price?" Callum questioned when he saw what surprised Cree in the kitchen ¨C lots of appliances were avable for them. "Won''t they go bankrupt because of us?"


    "Correction, even if the appliances are free, we need to pay for the water and electricity. So, we have to be mindful of our usage," Zairemented to make them face reality.


    "But this is still worth it of the money that we will be paying. My current apartment room is not even half the size of this kitchen but I''m paying a lot of money already, not to mention the water and electricity aren''t included," Cree said since she needed to live on her own without her family''s support anymore. If not for her secret stash, she wouldn''t have any money after she got kicked out.


    "I agree with you on that," Addie said while looking around as well.


    "Now, let''s talk about the room assignment," Callum said that brought everyone''s attention to him. "There are four rooms on the second floor ¨C one for each of us. How are we going to choose?"


    "Why don''t we write the numbers on a piece of paper and roll them," Cree expressed her idea. "We can take turns in getting a paper and whatever was written on it will be our room."


    "Hn. I agree. There are numbers on the door anyway," Zaire said while putting down his bag to get a piece of pen and paper. He always brings them with him in case he gets some ideas. He liked it better to write something on paper instead of typing his ideas on a phone which can be deleted identally.


    He wrote the numbers and told Jeffrey, his personal bodyguard, to hold the papers. One after another they took a piece of paper that Jeffrey was holding and opened it. Seeing their respective numbers, the four of them went to the second floor.


    The bodyguards didn''t go upstairs anymore since there wasn''t anything they can do there. They looked around the ground floor and found one room right below the staircase. When they opened it, they saw the bunkbeds that they could use.


    Along with Cayenne''s team, the bodyguards settled in their new house for the time being.


    ***


    In the mansion that Celestine rented, she was reviewing the information about the projects that she worked on with Emerald Holdings during her stay in Italy. She had no idea that the truth would be so painful for her to bear.


    She gripped the papers she was holding and cried in silence. All this time, while she was bearing grudges against her father and brother, they were secretly helping her.

 Chapter 861: FAREWELL PARTY I

    Around 2:00 PM, when Cayenne was sure that everybody had taken their lunch and was able to rest a little, she sent a message to the family group chat and her vlogging team''s chat. She informed her family about his farewell party for Justin and told her vlogging team to make preparation since this will be uploaded to her YT channel.


    Zaire: Just send me the address of the venue Miss Yen. I''ll go first and install the cameras.


    Addie: Miss Yen, am I going to your house to do your make-up or would you like to do it at the venue?


    Cayenne: We can do it at the venue or maybe just inside the car when I get there.


    Addie: Got it, Miss Yen. I''ll prepare my things right away.


    Callum and Cree just read the messages since they didn''t really know what to say. Their job was to search for people who needs immediate help, but the work this time was for a farewell party.


    Cayenne: Callum? Cree? Why are you not saying anything? What are you guys busying yourself with? ??


    Callum: Miss Yen, I don''t really know what to say. Are we also invited to join the farewell party? ??


    Cree: Right, Miss Yen. Our job is to look for people who need your help. So, I''m a little confused if I should be doing that work now or helping at the party.


    Cayenne: Although this is for the vlog, you will not be soul-searching today. I need your help with the preparation.


    Cree and Callum reacted to Cayenne''s message with a heart and thetter took it as a sign of understanding.


    Now that they knew about it, Cayenne exited the group chat and started looking for clothes that her children could wear. She also prepared casual attire for Stefan that would match her dress since she didn''t want the party to look formal.


    As soon as she finished changing her clothes along with the triplets, she went to the living room with Kyle and Ca helping her carry the kids. This time, she was holding Zeki in her arms. Although the other kids felt jealous, they didn''t make a fuss. It seemed like they already had a feeling that they''d be going out to have fun. So, it didn''t matter who was being carried by their mother.


    Ferdinand also came out of his room with the caregiver following behind him.


    Dr. Albert and Latticia also came. However, it was still unknown to Ferdinand that the woman was actually the person that his son loved the most.


    After making sure that everyone was ready to leave, including the few selected helpers who coulde ¨C not because they were special but because the others still have pending errands to do, Cayenne got inside the car with several bodyguards while her kids stayed on another car with the helpers.


    It was for security purposes.


    Should someone try to attack her, at least, the kids won''t get hurt.


    Meanwhile, at the venue, Cree and Callum were decorating the ce with Dalia and Daisy helping them. These two girls were the first friends that Justin had when he started working for Cayenne and Stefan. He was very close to them already and they even taught him how to read, count and write.


    "Can you check if the letters are straight?" Callum asked Dalia while cing each letter that would spell ''bon voyage''. "Let me know which side should I move."


    "The letter A is a bit too close to the first word. Move it a little lower," Dalia answered while her hands kept pumping the air pump for the balloons. "That''s it. That looks good. Shall we make the balloons into an arc?"


    They were so busy decorating the ce while Zaire installed cameras to capture the moment.


    Cayenne didn''t reserve the whole restaurant since they won''t be fully upying the ce anyway. She only reserved the whole second floor for the farewell party.


    "Miss Yen''s almost here. I''ll go and meet them outside," Addie said and left with her things.


    Meanwhile, Justin and Dominic were exploring the mall with several bodyguards dressed like civilians. Today, Dominic was told to take a leave so he could bring Justin around before the party started. His mission was to buy something that Justin likes. Of course, the bill would be paid by Cayenne.


    "Sir Dom, can I get a bracelet for a girl instead?" Justin asked with his eyes glued on the jewelry store. It wasn''t the expensive store that Stefan frequented to buy things for Cayenne, but the disyed items there were also decent for their prices.


    "Go ahead. Yenyen said you can get up to five items that you need," Dominic said while waiving his card. "You don''t have to worry about the bill. Yenyen will reimburse meter."


    "O-okay." Justin finally felt relieved as they went inside the store. Dominic also looked around to see if he could find something interesting. "Sir Dom, are the stones real here?" Justin whispered while looking at the bracelet that caught his attention. "The prices seemed expensive for a very small stone."


    "The stones are real. Don''t worry about the price," Dominic whispered back. "You won''t really give her something cheap, right?"


    "But she could not even tell the real gem from a fake," Justin retorted but Dominic just grinned.


    "Just get the one that you like. Yenyen won''t really mind."


    Justin looked around, but his eyes still liked the first bracelet that caught his interest. It had Chloe''s birthstone. It was a starlight bracelet design with a small ruby stone in the middle. Seeing the stone reminded him of the little girl who almost died not long ago,


    "I want this," Justin told Dominic and thetter asked the saledy to get the item for them. She wrapped it carefully and handed the gift bag to Dominic after it was paid. "Thank you, Sir Dom. I won''t get anything else after this."


    "But Yenyen said - "


    "I already got something very expensive. I don''t want anything else now."


    "Why don''t you buy something less expensive for yourself?" Justin shook his head in response which left Dominic with no other choice. "If that is the case, can you look around with me? I want to buy something." It was the only way he could think to buy more time before the party starts.


    ***


    Two hourster, Cayenne started her vlog and went inside the restaurant. The other customers were surprised by her sudden appearance, but seeing the bodyguards around her, people could only wave their hands from a distance.


    Following closely behind her were the helpers that carried her triplets. It was the first appearance of the triplets to the public and the people who saw them could not stop their admiration for the three adorable kids.


    "Hi! Hello! Thank you so much for always supporting my vlogs." Cayenne expressed to the other customers who were taking pictures of her from afar. She waved her hands at them and made her way to the second floor of the restaurant for the party.


    Justin''s family was already there. She even invited his father without really telling anyone that he was the father. Jason didn''t say anything either. Even if Cayenne disliked him after he abandoned his child for over a decade, she still tried her best to be civil with him.


    "Miss Yen!" Chloe called out and approached her. "Where''s Justin?"


    "He ising over with Dominic. How are you doing? Are you stuffy or something? Don''t hesitate to let us know if you feel ufortable, okay?"


    "I''m okay, Miss Yen." The little girl answered with a bright smile on her face. "Miss Yen, your daughter looks very much like you."


    "Really?"


    "Hn. She''s very pretty."


    "Ayoo! You really know how to butter up with me," Cayenne responded and pinched the little girl''s face. "Let''s go to your family," Cayenne said and Chloe led her to where Justin''s family sat. "Everyone, this is Justin''s family. They''re not rted by blood, but they''re closer than those other blood rtives out there."


    "Miss Yen, is Jadeing over?" asked one of the kids who like to y with Jillyanna''s daughter.


    Maybe it was because they could feel the genuine kindness thates from Jade, so the kids liked Jade so much.


    "She will be here with her mother," Cayenne answered while taking Aziel from the helper. For some reason, this child of hers was misbehaving. Usually, it was the little princess. "While waiting for Justin toe, do you guys want to y?"


    "Yes, Miss Yen!" responded both the adults and the kids. Who wouldn''t want to? It was already a known fact to their families, friends, and staff that Cayenne and Stefan liked giving big prizes when ying games.


    It was because of their generosity that people continued to support them and never abused their kindness. Aside from that, most of the prizes were sponsored so, they didn''t really spend much when giving prizes away.


    "Let''s have a game that would make the adults and kids team up," Kyle said that excites both the kids and the grown-ups. "I need five adults to join," since Cayenne''s staff were getting higher sries than the helpers, they decided to let the helpers join. Another reason was; they wanted to hold Cayenne''s kids.


    "Let me hold the princess," Cree said, but Callum swatted her hand away.


    "Don''t touch her. You might unknowingly influence her gender interest."


    Cree looked at him in disbelief. "My preference in gender isn''t something that can be passed on. Idiot!"


    While the two of them argued with each other, Addie took Jahzara away already and the helper went to join the game.


    Ferdinand took Zeki from the helper so that the woman could join the game as well. In the end, Cree and Callum weren''t able to hold any of the kids since Cayenne was holding Aziel.


    Outside the restaurant, Julia stopped her car when she noticed the familiar vehicles in the parking area, and with the number of bodyguards around, she could already guess who the important person inside the establishment was. She clicked her tongue in disgust while thinking of an evil n.


    [Go ahead! Enjoy your rich life as much as you can because once we make our move, you''d lose everything you have now.] She expressed mentally while narrowing her gaze at the ce. Then, something suddenly came into her mind. She smirked while picking up her phone to make a few phone calls.


    Even if Stefan would get mad at her for doing something against his wife, as long as she could show to the public how vile Cayenne was, it would be good revenge for her already. After all, she hadn''t forgotten the humiliation she felt during her own wedding when Stefan took Cayenne''s side instead of her ¨C his cousin.

 Chapter 862: FAREWELL PARTY II

    The first game was a charade. There were five groups with one adult and three kids per team. The adults will be given a word based on the category that Cayenne would pick and the kids will be the ones guessing the right answer. One correct answer corresponds to 5 USD and the total money earned will be multiplied by 2 before diving it to the four members.


    "Each team will have 2 minutes to guess as many words as they could. First team, get ready." Kyle said since he was the one who came up with this idea. "Ready. Set. Go!"


    Among the kids, only Chloe didn''t y. She was waiting for Justin toe. She wanted to y with him for onest time.


    After ten minutes, Kyle counted and calcted the points and their equivalent prizes for Cayenne to give. The children were very happy with the money that they received. They could already buy a lot of things with the prizes that they got.


    "Next game is..." Kyle continued with the games since the main lead for this party didn''t arrive yet.


    A few minutester, Jillyanna Madrigal came with her daughter. Seeing that Raizel wasn''t with her, everyone already knew that the kid must have gone to the office with this father. In fact, Travis would invite Jade to visit the office with him as well, but her daughter didn''t like corporate stuff. She likes to y with Shein by cracking passwords instead.


    Luiz also came and since Collins arrived with him, Cayenne instructed him to look after Addie starting from the party.


    Blushing, Collins walked to Addie who was ying with Jahzara by identifying the items around them. "Miss Addie, I''ll be working with you from now on."


    Addie looked around and saw Collins there. "Hi. Thank you for choosing to stay with me. I hope we''d get along really well."


    Collins nodded his head and looked down at his shoes. He just couldn''t directly look at her face.


    Observing them from a distance, Zaire and Callum couldn''t help but smile. After all that happened to her, someone still likes Addie despite everything.


    "Do you think Addie knew that Collins likes her?" Callum asked Zaire while eating dried fruits that he found from one of the cuisine stalls.


    "I don''t think she knows and Collins will have a hard time winning her heart after what she went through,'' Zaire answered before popping the small piece of cake that he got from the desserts area.


    Varieties of food could be seen surrounding the second-floor tables and anyone can get whatever they like. It was an eat-all-you-can restaurant that offers many kinds of cuisine. There was even a stall where you can choose the seafood that you like and ask the chef to cook it for you. You can also make a hotpot if you want.


    Another ten minutester, Dominic finally came with a blindfolded Justin. Thetter was slowly making his way to the second floor while Dominic assisted her.


    "Where are we?" Justin asked since he could hear a lot of people talking around him.


    "Don''t worry. We''re almost there," Dominic responded and stopped at the entrance to the second floor. He loosened the handkerchief that covered Justin''s eyes and showed him the people who waited for his arrival.


    "Surprise!" Everyone said and Chloe was at the forefront of everyone. She was holding a small gift bag for him.


    Justin almost cried in front of everyone. He didn''t expect that he would get to experience this kind of party before leaving. Everything happened because he met Cayenne and Stefan. Looking back to the time when he almost died while protecting Cayenne, Justin teared up. Though, he blinked them away before they could fall.


    "Thank you, Chloe," he said and epted the gift bag from her. He also wanted to give his gift to her right now, but since there were so many people, he decided to do itter. He shifted his attention to Cayenne and bowed his head 90 degrees in respect. "Miss Yen, thank you so much. All the wonderful things happen in my life after I met you and Sir Stefan."


    Cayenne nodded her head and gently pat the kid''s head. "You deserve these blessings because you have been very good. As I''ve said, as long as you remain kind, helpful, and generous, you will receive a lot of blessings."


    p! p! p!


    Everyone turned their attention in the direction of the entrance when they heard the sound of apuse. Most of them were unfamiliar to the visitor, but not Cayenne and Ferdinand.


    "What are you doing here?" Ferdinand asked sternly and it was obviously showing on his face that the woman was not weed to the gathering.


    "Grandpa, did you forget me already? Didn''t we just meet at uncle''s funeral?" Julia retorted shamelessly and even approached Ferdinand to give him a quick hug. "I came here to eat. How would I know that you''d be here, too? But since you''re here, why don''t we just join you? After all, I haven''t been able to spend time with my cousin-inw."


    Cayenne raised her eyebrow when hearing Stefan''s cousin talk. She''d bet her life on the line to the fact that this woman came to mess with her. She knew it! She was certain that Julia had never forgotten the incident during her wedding. Aside from that, Stefan no longer takes her as his cousin after leaving Tuscany.


    "Sis, should I call Stefan?" Luiz whispered with his hand ready to press the call button.


    "No, it''s fine. We should not give her any reason to have the upper hand," Cayenne whispered back and walked toward Ferdinand. "Grandpa, it''s alright. Julia is part of our family and it''s been a long time since she returned home. Let her join us."


    "I knew my cousin-inw would agree," Julia said and even held Cayenne''s hand to express her fake happiness. "Why are you guys having a farewell party? Who''s leaving?"


    "One of my trusted helpers is leaving the country," Cayenne said but did not introduce Justin to the woman. She didn''t want anything bad to happen to the kid just because he was someone that she trusted.


    Julia turned around to look at her friends and beamed happily as if she was a kid who received her first candy. "I told you guys. My cousin-inw is amazing. It''s really a good thing that we bumped into them today."


    "Yeah. I didn''t expect to see Mrs. Dumrique here," said one of the women who came with Julia.


    "Can we take a seat already?" blurted another woman and even sat on the chair next to Kyle. "I was really hungry so we stopped here since this was the closest ce."


    "Wasn''t there any avable table downstairs?" Jade questioned her mother after observing the event. "This whole floor was reserved by Auntie Yen, right?"


    "Yes, she did. Anyway, your Auntie Yen is generous. It''s not a big deal for her to help a few additional hungry people," Jillyanna retorted that made the helpersugh in silence.


    It was obvious that Stefan''s cousin came to mess up Cayenne''s farewell party for Justin. Unfortunately, Cayenne wasn''t a pushover and Jillyanna was also around. Jill was someone who would never allow her family and friends to suffer.


    Her quick remark implied that Julia and her friends were hungry and poor. They even needed to crash Cayenne''s party just to eat something.


    Ashamed of Jillyanna''s response, the woman could only bite her lower lip. She didn''t want to make enemies with Jillyanna Madrigal.


    "Who owned this restaurant, by the way?" expressed another friend of Julia''s. "I thought your cousin is rich. Howe his wife could only afford a ce like this?"


    "Well, she knew nothing about the expensive restaurants in the city," Julia responded and sighed. "I hope you''d pardon her."


    Jillyanna faced the woman sitting next to Kyle and looked into her eyes which spelled trouble. "I wonder why you came into this ce again. Someone said she was so hungry that you got into this restaurant. The tables on the ground floor aren''t even fully upied, yet you came to this floor knowing that someone reserved the whole ce.


    It really makes me wonder the kind of manners your parents taught you."


    "You - " Julia pointed her finger at Jillyanna but someone gripped her hand. "Aw! How dare - "


    "Why won''t I dare?" Travis spoke coldly and pushed the woman away from Cayenne. "Don''t get too close to her. Your nasty character might affect the heir of the Dumrique Empire. Yen, go and sit next to Jill."


    Cayenne didn''t need to be told twice. Carrying her son, she walked toward Jillyanna and sat on the chair next to her. "Your husband is really cool," she whispered to Jill and thetter chuckled.


    "Don''t ever let Stefan hear you say that. Your husband is a jealous freak."


    "Yeah. I know."


    Meanwhile, Travis stood imposingly in front of Julia and her friends, except for the one who sat next to Kyle ¨C Travis had his back on her.


    "Julia, after so many years, your manners remained poor. There''s no improvement at all. Your fake fa?ade still makes me sick. Even if you are a family member, since you are not invited you should note here, or let us say you want to eat in this ce; you could have stayed on the ground floor where vacant seats are avable."


    "Julia, let''s just get out of here," one of her friends said and tugged her arm. "I don''t want to be enemies with the Madrigal and Dumrique families."


    "Juls, this is getting out of hand already. Let''s go."


    Julia yanked her hand from her friend''s grip and red at Travis. "One of these days, I''ll make sure you''d regret doing this to me."


    "Yeah. Sure. Good luck!"


    Before she could leave the ce, Ferdinand spoke. "Julia, is your mother aware that you''re doing this?"


    Julia turned to her grandfather in anger and clenched her fists. "It doesn''t matter if my mother knows or not. The only thing that matters is that you fail as her father and as a grandfather to me!"

 Chapter 863: SCOLDING CAYENNE

    Cayenne can''t be bothered by Julia''s sudden appearance that crashed her farewell party for Justin. She turned to Travis and gave him two thumbs up before continuing the party.


    At the same time, although she told Luiz not to inform Stefan about what happened, others did. In fact, Stefan received a bunch of messages about Julia''s appearance at the party. Some even sent him a video.


    "I''ll bring the rest of the documents home. I can work on them whenever I get some free time," Stefan told Tristan and kept his pen away. "Let''s go to the party now. It''s almost time to clock off from work anyway."


    "Understood," Tristan replied and arranged the documents chronologically based on their deadline dates before putting them inside Stefan''s briefcase.


    "Oh! By the way, before youe to work tomorrow, can you check the identities of the people who came with Julia to the party? I sent you the videos that I received from everyone."


    Tristan nodded his head in understanding. He already knew what to do. [Sigh. People just don''t give up. You can mess with the boss but not his wife. It''s courting death when you provoke the madam.]


    "Are we leaving now?" Elena asked when she saw Stefan and Tristane out of the chairman''s office.


    "Yes, we are," Tristan told his girlfriend and Elena turned off herputer immediately. She already finished her work for the day and was just waiting for Stefan and Tristan. "Don''t forget to bring the gift for Justin."


    "Of course, I won''t," Elena said as she grabbed her coat and the gift bag which she ced under her desk.


    With Stefan and his secretaries in the middle, the bodyguards escorted them out of the building.


    When Stefan arrived at the restaurant, the manager of the restaurant led him directly to the second floor and his eyes automatically locked on the person he had been missing the whole afternoon.


    He walked to her and kissed the top of her head while Aziel waved his little hands to be taken into his father''s arms. "I''m here," he whispered and Cayenne kissed his jaw in response. "You''ve done well today. I''ll take care of the rest," he said and took Aziel from his wife.


    On the other hand, the two other kids were waiting for their father toe to them. Zeki still sat obediently on Ferdinand''sp while Jade yed with him. However, it was different for the little princess. She was twisting to get out of Addie''s hold with her hands stretched out, waving them frantically.


    "Let me bring the child to her father," Collins volunteered so Addie could rest.


    As if the little girl understood his words, she stopped moving and waited for Collins to take her to her father. Collins held her up and carried her to Stefan. "Sir, your little princess is sulking."


    Stefan was already holding Aziel but seeing Jahzara''s expression ¨C the puppy eyes she always used, Stefan sat on a chair and held her with his other hand. Both children were now sitting on hisp, facing each other like two people sizing the other for who was most loved by their father.


    "Why don''t I hold Jahzara for you?" Cayenne offered since Stefan just came from work, and she wanted him to take a rest and chill with everyone.


    "No, it''s fine. You''ve been holding Aziel for a while now. Are your arms, okay? Are they sore? I''ll give you a massage when we get hometer,"


    "I''m alright. I''m not as tired as you," Cayenne replied and kissed his forehead. "Let me know if you need help. I''ll just go and chat with the guests."


    The party continued and Justin received a lot of gifts even though it wasn''t his birthday or even a Christmas day. It varied in size and price, but all of them were special since he won''t be getting gifts from them in the next 10 years.


    Luiz took the microphone that the staff lent them and stood in front of everyone. Even though he wasn''t saying anything yet, everyone turned their attention to him already.


    "Ahem! Ahem!" He scoffed and smiled faintly while ncing at the people in front of him. "Tonight, we have gathered here to spend time with one of the people that my sister trusted so much. It''s been a year since he worked with us and during his time with us, he already experienced so many things, even life-and-death situations with my sister.


    Even so, he didn''t turn his back on us," Luiz expressed before turning his attention to the young man who was sitting next to Chloe. "Justin, you are a wonderful person. You showed us genuinely how to be kind and helpful. You showed us how to appreciate people. I''m thankful that you came into our lives. Now, you have chosen to leave to change your life.


    I hope that by the time youe back to us, you''d be a great person ¨C someone who is capable of protecting his loved ones," Luiz took a small gift bag from his chair and handed it to the young man. "This is for you. It''s not much, but I hope you will remember me ¨C a big brother that you can look for whenever you need help."


    After speaking, Luiz handed the microphone to Kyle. He also gave his speech, but he didn''t make it too long since there were still a lot of people there. "I don''t have any material gift for you, but I have a promise. I promise that I would look after your brothers and sisters until they find the families who would take care of them."


    Justin nodded his head happily. This was something he was worried about. Cayenne already told him in the past that his ''brothers and sisters'' could stay with their ''grandmother'' as long as she lives, but they would all be taken to the orphanage that Jillyanna and Travis sponsored once they no longer have a guardian.


    "I don''t have a lot of money like everyone else, but I do hope I can help you with these personal things," Daisymented and gave Justin a small, but heavy box. "These are all the books I have and I simplified a lot of notes for you. If you ever need help with your ss do not hesitate to contact me. You can always reach me through my social media ount."


    One after another, people gave their gifts to Justin. Some of them gave him material things like shoes and bags. Others gave him gift cards that he could use to buy a lot of things. While the rest gave him cash so he could start his life properly in another country. They had no idea that he will be staying with his father. They thought he''d be going there as a schr.


    Thest person to stand in front was Cayenne. Initially, he wanted to give the microphone to Stefan but her husband was taking care of the children. Earlier, he was holding Aziel and Jahzara. Now, he was taking care of Zeki while the other kids sat inside their foldable crib.


    "Justin, I know it won''t be easy for you to live in another country, but I will trust him to take care of you. You''re not that hard to take care of," Cayenne expressed which served as a warning to Justin''s father. "Ten years; that is quite long. At the same time, I know you''d be able to endure it. Just do your best there and we will do our best to help your family here.


    I don''t know what kind of things you will need there, but as soon as you settle down there, let me know and I will give you a surprise."


    While she was giving her speech, the outside world was already scolding her. People were calling her vile, fake, and whatnot. They were scolding her for pushing Julia and her mother out of the Dumrique family.


    Julia was eating happily in another restaurant that they found. She was enjoying the show of the public against Cayenne. She had the guts to do this because she knew that Stefan won''t be able to do anything to her. If something bad happens, people will suspect him and his wife first.


    [That is just the first sip of the sweet wine that I have prepared for you. Have fun!]

 Chapter 864: STOOP LOW FOR THEIR WIVES

    Upon returning home from the party, Cayenne and Stefan didn''t bring the kids directly to their room. The helpers looked after the triplets while Cayenne and Stefan went to take a quick half bath.


    Unlike their shower time in the past where they could take as much time as they want, having kids now makes them take short baths.


    The first toe out was Stefan. He dried his hair as soon he came out and put on his clothes before going downstairs to take the kids to their room. Of course, he didn''t forget to pick Cayenne''s sleepwear that matches the one he was wearing.


    Stefan removed Zeki''s clothes first and wiped him with a wet tissue before changing him into a fresh set of clothes. He did the same thing with Azeil and Jahzara. By the time Cayenne checked them, he was done changing the kids'' clothes already.


    "Aziel seems really sleepy," Cayennemented when she noticed their second child was drifting off to sleep with his head lying on this father''sp. "Let me carry him while you feed Ayena," Cayenne said and lifted their baby boy.


    "Hn. Sit on the bed. I''ll put some pillows on your back and on yourp to support your arms. It would be tiring to carry him all the time."


    No matter how tired he was, the moment he came home, he would never fail to do his duty as a husband and as a father. He was doing his best to live up to his promise when he married her.


    "Don''t worry about the things that create ruckus online," he said while feeding their little princess. "Just remember that I am always here for you. I''ll solve them in due time. Let them celebrate this small victory for now,"


    "I''m not worried. I don''t want to waste my energy getting bothered by your cousin and auntie. I have work. I have kids. I have people who depend on me. I have you.


    Who are they to get my attention?"


    Stefan grinned at her knowing that his wife had learned how to choose her own battle.


    Meanwhile, Julia arrived home but didn''t find her mother in the living room. It didn''t matter to her. She had dinner with her friends already and she wanted to get some good night''s sleep after what she did to Cayenne. She felt so satisfied.


    She called her husband the moment she got inside her room and informed him about what she did for the day. Her husband wanted to reprimand her, but was worried that she would feel disappointed. In the end, he could only remind her to always be careful and not to go overboard when dealing with Cayenne.


    Unfortunately, revenge was not something Cayenne deserved.


    She has done nothing but goodness and she had a clear conscience.


    The next morning, while Cayenne and Stefan were still sleeping, the Flores family received a piece of bad news. The eldest son of their family who married an actress was caught cheating on her. The actress was enraged and filed a divorce right away.


    For a business family, what the actress did was nothing to their family. She was not a loss to them. After all, their son could still live his life with a new wife.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t just end there.


    "Sir, something happened at the construction site of the Palmera Apartmentplex," said the secretary of Engineer Flores who just ended the call with someone from the site. "Several men are injured after a part of the scaffoldings copsed."


    Engineer Flores could not believe his ears from hearing such a thing. He even had to ask his secretary to repeat what he just said to believe him.


    "Let''s go and check the site immediately! How did it happen? I have always told everyone to carefully check the material as well as the equipment! How could they be so careless?"


    "I''m not really sure myself," answered the secretary while following his boss to the parking lot. "The foreman already called for an ambnce and the injured men were currently being taken to the hospital. Why don''t we check the hospital first to see those people?"


    "You are right. Let''s go and check them first. Their lives are more important. If something bad happens to them, my name ¨C all the hard work I put up all these years will be ruined!"


    It wasn''t even an hour yet when the eldest son of the family got reported to be cheating on his wife; their constructionpany also faced a crisis.


    For constructionpanies, what they cared about the most was their reputation for constructing a building without any mishap. They prided themselves in this aspect. Now, the Flores family was facing bacsh.


    Inside one of the mansions at Hera Subdivision, Caroline Flores was pacing back and forth while biting her fingernails in anxiety. Her mother was sitting on the couch with her hands sped in prayers.


    [How could this happen at the same time? It''s not because of what I did yesterday, right?] Caroline Flores thought while biting her fingernails in worry. Her parents had no idea what she did yesterday and if they would find out, she could already imagine herself living in the streets. [No! That can''t be! I am sure that Mr.


    Madrigal and Mr. Dumrique won''t stoop so low as doing this.]


    Sadly, she got the wrong impression of those men.


    Stefan and Travis would, no doubt, stoop to the lowest level for their families, especially for their wives.


    It wasn''t just the Flores family who was facing some kind of crisis. The Amari family who owned several beauty salons and spas, as well as the Pardillo family who owned thergest technologypany in the city, were suffering from Stefan''s wrath.


    Supposedly, he would deal everything for these three families but Travis told him to leave the Flores family in his hands. He hated it when someone disrespects his wife, and Caroline Flores was someone who talked back to Jillyanna yesterday.


    "I''m certain that Stefan or Travis is behind all of these shits happening in our lives," Caroline expressed within their group chat.


    "Even if you are certain that it was them, do you have proof?" Anya Pardillo retorted which shut Caroline down. "In the first ce, it was our fault that this happens. If we didn''t go there to crash that party, our families won''t be facing these crises!"


    "No! It''s not our fault. We weren''t supposed to go there anyway. It was Julia who told us to go there and crash her cousin-inw''s party. It was her who told us that Stefan won''t retaliate against us," Jessa Amari told her friends in the chat.


    "Excuse me? You could have refused me when I told you about it. You also wanted to mess up the party which was why you went there. Don''t just me me! You have your own brain! Duh!" Julia responded that angered the three women even more.


    Their families were having troubles already and instead of helping, Julia ignored theirints.


    Knowing that Julia would be able to see their messages in the group chat, Caroline sent her two other friends a message. "I''m going to apologize to Mr. Madrigal and Mr. Dumrique. I don''t know which of them is responsible for the problem that my family is facing right now, but I know it has to be one of them."

 Chapter 865: ASKING CAYENNE FOR A FAVOR

    Caroline''s way of apology was unexpected. For a woman who disdains people below her ss, she was willing to let go of her prejudice for her family''s sake. It was not easy to lower her pride for Cayenne, whom she thought was still below her level even if she married Stefan Dumrique.


    10:32 AM: Caroline Vera Flores (Verified)


    "I don''t understand why people kept saying that @CayenneDumrique is rude and horrible. In fact, she is one of the people I know who doesn''t like to distinguish people based on their social status. She is very warm and helpful. I don''t agree with your assumptions or opinions regarding her issue with Julia. I mean, I was there.


    Last night, we went there because @JuliaSarmiento wanted to crash the party, but Cayenne weed us instead. I''m so sorry to Mrs. Dumrique for what happened. We were not aware that it would turn out like this."


    Her post got many reactions from so many people and since Cayenne was mentioned on her post, it notified her. She had no idea why Caroline was helping her since she didn''t pay any attention to other people''s business except hers, her family''s, and friends''.


    Seeing her way of public apology, Jessa Amari and Anya Pardillo followed what she did as well. They posted their positive opinion of Cayenne and said something about Julia''s n to crash the party. They even included the messages that Julia sent them.


    Now that the issue involved three other prominent families, the discussion became heated with varying opinions. Other people were now saying that Stefan bought Julia''s friends to speak ill of the woman. Some peoplemented that Julia was poor after she was betrayed and abandoned. Others say that Cayenne was very unfortunate because she got dragged into the internal conflict of the Dumrique family.


    It was hard to tell who was right or wrong, but one thing was for sure, Stefan won''t let his wife be aggrieved for so long.


    At this moment, Julia was facing her mother in the living room. Celestine was livid at her daughter''s recent conduct. She couldn''t believe that Julia acted without her consent. It was during this time that they needed to be careful but Julia was so stubborn to even listen to her mother.


    "Why did you do that?" Celestine questioned while trying to control her emotions from going haywire. "You knew very well that Stefan is overprotective of that woman. You knew that he would go to any length for her, and you already crossed his bottom line during your wedding. What were you thinking? Do you really want us to perish from this world?"


    "Isn''t blood thicker than water? He even forgave his father for all the things that he did. He is now living with Grandpa even after all the things that happened to them. Why can''t he do the same thing to us?"


    "Do you believe he would forgive us after what you did? Stefan forgave his father and grandfather because those two only did something to hurt him, not his wife. Now, what you did was the exact opposite."


    "Mom, is it just me or are you turning soft? It seemed to me that you are siding with them."


    "No! Of course, not. I am not siding with them, but it doesn''t mean I will let you do whatever you want even though it is wrong."


    Julia clicked her tongue and stood up from her seat. "I''m going back to my room. I''ll talk with my husband."


    "We''re not done talking yet."


    "I have nothing else to say," she said and left without turning back.


    Celestine felt a throbbing headache in her temple. She was already conflicted because of the things she found out and now, her daughter was causing trouble here and there. She still hasn''t figured out the best way to reconcile with her family yet, but she already thought of just giving up. After what Julia did, it would be impossible to reconcile with Stefan.


    Celestine closed her eyes and sighed. [I''m tired.] She thought.


    Back at Cayenne and Stefan''s mansion, the couple was preparing for their pic for the next day. Pic wasn''t really a big deal for other people, but to Stefan, he loved spending time with his wife and now with his children, too. However, since many people wanted his life, he could not risk their safety. Therefore, a security n must be implemented.


    Stefan talked to the bodyguards about their task tomorrow, while Cayenne talked to Ca about the food that they could cook for the next day.


    Their pic destination was a little odd for other people, but it was the ce that Stefan would never forget. Aside from that, tomorrow would be the first time that their children would eat something other than milk. Stefan wanted it to be special.


    It would also be their first time to do something with just the five of them, except for the bodyguards who needed to be there for their safety.


    After an hour, Cayenne went upstairs to bring the children''s milk and not long after, Stefan came to help her. After feeding them, he stayed for a while to y with them before going to his study room to do a little bit of work. Those were the important things that he didn''t manage to finish yesterday.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Cayenne pressed the button on the side of the bed and a border popped up to keep the children from falling. She quickly opened the door and found Ferdinand there with his caregiver. "Come in, Grandpa," she said and opened the door wider to let the man inside.


    Ferdinand went inside and directly went over to his grandchildren. Jahzara was tossing a rubber ball to her twin brother Aziel while Zeki yed with the animal cards. The youngest seemed to be very interested in the pictures on the cards.


    "I can already tell that Zeki would grow up smart," Ferdinandmented and rubbed the child''s head.


    "I hope so," Cayenne said without thinking much about it. Her children were still young and she didn''t want to determine their future right now. Aside from that, she already discussed it with Stefan that their children will always have a voice to make their choices in life.


    "By the way," Ferdinand turned his attention to Cayenne and sat on the chair near the bed. "About the partyst night, can I talk to you about it?"


    "Uh...yeah. Sure. What about it?"


    "To be specific, I want to talk to you about Julia."


    "Grandpa, do you want me to get involved in your family dispute? I mean, yes, I''m married to your grandson, but would it be alright to step into your family matter?"


    "Honestly, I''m hoping you could talk to Stefan about this. I hope you could persuade him not to pursue his cousin and auntie anymore. I owe Celestine a lot. What Julia saidst night was right. I wasn''t a good father to Celestine and I wasn''t a good grandfather to Julia, and even to Stefan. Ick in so many ways, and I don''t have time to deal with all of this."


    "Isn''t it better if you would just forgive her and bring her back?"


    "She''s not the one that should be forgiven, but me. I''m sure you have learned what happened already. Celestine''s hatred has run deep in her veins. She could no longer forgive me. I don''t hope to receive her forgiveness either. I just hope that Stefan would be lenient to them."


    "Why would my husband go after them? Nothing happenedst night."


    "Have you not checked your social media ount today?"


    "No. I have not," Cayenne answered while pulling out her phone. "Did something happen?"


    "A lot happened," Ferdinand responded and waited for Cayenne to check her ount. "I''m sure that Stefan would do something to his cousin for you. I''m hoping that you would stop him."


    "Grandpa, I don''t think it''s right for Stefan to handle this matter alone. Why don''t you invite your daughter and granddaughter back? Why don''t you talk to them? It''s not toote for you to reconcile with them."


    Ferdinand stared into space. He thought that Cayenne would help him persuade Stefan to stop making things difficult for Celestine and Julia. He didn''t expect that she would tell him to reconcile with them instead. "I''ll think about it."


    Cayenne believed that Ferdinand would choose to follow her advice. However, this reconciliation would also depend on Celestine and Julia''s response.


    Unfortunately, things weren''t that simple.


    MINI THEATER


    Jahzara threw the rubber ball to Aziel but it hit his head and bounced to Zeki. Thetter was hit on the back and he turned to look at his siblings.


    Jahzara looked at her brother with tears clinging on hershes. She was ready to cry should Zeki scold her.


    Aziel was also worried even though he didn''t purposely hit his brother.


    Seeing their expression, Zeki didn''t say a word and went back to look at the animal cards.


    Jahzara''s face brightened when her brother ignored her and Aziel also felt relieved. The problem was, Zeki got the ball and they were afraid to get it from him.


    Jahzara thought of crying again, but before she could do it, Zeki spoke in words that only the children understood.


    Zeki: Don''t even bother yourself to cry for their attention. They won''t understand what you want anyway.


    Jahzara: Ki, can I have the ball? You won''t y it anyway.


    Zeki: Get it if you dare.


    Jahzara pouted and crawled to Aziel. She hugged him and cried in silence.


    By the time Ferdinand left and Cayenne returned to her children, she was shocked. She could tell that her little princess was crying but she didn''t cry loudly like she used to. Aziel was also patting his sister''s back with his tiny hands.


    [What happened here? What is this drama?]

 Chapter 866: THE COUPLES DECISION

    Travis heard from Shein that Julia''s friends turned their back on her and exposed the truth to the public. Since they have repented their mistakes for the sake of their families, Travis didn''t pursue his ''punishment'' to the Flores family. He also called Stefan to see if the man chose to do the same thing.


    "You should take care of your family issue soon or it will affect your wife again and again," Travis told Stefan before the call ended. It was a reminder and Stefan knew very well that he should settle it before Julia and Celestine could do something again.


    At night, after having dinner and putting their kids to sleep, Cayenne and Stefan spent their time cuddling in bed. Her head was lying on Stefan''s chest while he showered the top of her head with small kisses. He loved being intimate with her. No matter how small her act of sweetness, it would give him butterflies.


    "Love," Stefan whispered while caressing his wife''s arm. "What troubles you?"


    "Nothing much,"


    "If it''s not troublesome, you wouldn''t forget to eat your ice cream," Stefan retorted that made Cayenneugh. Her husband was really paying attention to her.


    "Actually, it''s not my problem. It''s yours. I''m just wondering how I could help."


    "What problem? I don''t remember having any issues."


    "It''s about Julia and Celestine," Cayenne answered and Stefan sighed heavily. He moved a little to lie on his side and have her head lie on his arms so he could face her. "I''m not really nning to intervene since this is your family matter, but your grandpa is worried."


    "So, Grandpa said something to you," Stefan said which showed he was certain of his words. "I don''t care about his opinion. The only thing that matters to me is your safety. If they would do something that wouldpromise your safety, I''ll make them pay. If they won''t do anything, there''s no harm done."


    "What if you forgive them on your grandpa''s behalf? Wouldn''t it be better if you would just forgive them, so they won''t do anything to harm us because we''re family?"


    "It''s not that easy, hon," Stefan responded and kissed her temple. "It''s not that simple. You already experienced it. Do you want to go through the same thing again? I''m not only concerned about your safety now. We have children.


    They might use our children against us."


    "You certainly have a point, but we should not just judge them, right? We''ve experienced a lot before and after we got married. At the same time, I think we should continue to give people the benefit of the doubt."


    "What do you want me to do?"


    "Why don''t you call and ask them toe home? You can make them stay at your family vi. Addie''s parents returned to their apartment already, right? That house would be empty again."


    "Do you want me to give them the house?"


    "Do you want to keep it?" Cayenne retorted which silenced her husband.


    It was probably because of the painful memories he had with his family. Even though he had fun with Alexander during her childhood, unhappy memories outweighed the happy ones. She believed that Stefan would never live in that ce again.


    "I''ll think about it," Stefan muttered after a moment of silence. "I''ll ask Tristan to contact Celestine. I think she''s more sensible to talk topared to her daughter."


    "Julia is married to a prominent family in Italy, right? Is her husband''s family not worried about her recent conduct? People would certainly connect her to the Sarmiento family."


    "The Sarmiento family spoils the women in their n. You could say that, as long as they won''t interfere with the business or covet a position in it; they could do whatever they want outside. They only need to make sure that they won''tmit a crime."


    "And so far, Julia had been doing her best to remain cautious."


    "So, are you still willing to make me call them back?"


    "Well, we are just going to call them home. During their stay, you can decide what to do with them."


    "Alright. I agree with your n, but tonight..." Stefan suddenly changed position and now, he was hovering right on top of her. He leaned closer and whispered, "We should do something hot and passionate."


    Cayenne''s heart faltered and her face became hot, indeed. "I... we... I mean, we are going somewhere tomorrow, right? Is one round enough?"


    "We won''t be driving tomorrow," Stefan responded which meant one thing ¨C one round is not enough for him. "You can sleep on our way there," he added and kissed her lips, drowning all the protests that she wanted to say.


    Whenever he starts making love to her, she would forget all other things except for him. He would be upying her body, her heart, and all the spaces in her mind. She would be consumed by her husband until he releases everything happily inside her.


    After a round, Cayenne cupped Stefan''s face and kissed his nose. He was still inside her and she could feel him growing. "I thought you''d get tired after dealing with so many things. Where did you get all this energy?"


    "I won''t get exhausted when ites to you," Stefan said and kissed her forehead. "But I guess we should stop after another round. I don''t want to exhaust you."


    "What about you?"


    "I''ll take care of the rest in the shower,"


    Cayenne felt a little guilty, but she knew that asking him to go on would also make her husband feel bad. "I''m sorry. I promise I''ll get back to my endurance exercise so I can keep up with you."


    "I love you," he said out of the blue and showered her face with kisses.


    Cayenne giggled under him and returned his kisses as well. They flirted for a few minutes before Stefan continued moving inside her. By the time he was done, it was past midnight already.


    "Just go to sleep," Stefan whispered and kissed the tip of her nose. "I will wipe you clean. Don''t worry."


    Cayenne groaned her response with her eyes closed. She was really exhausted. Fortunately, she didn''t have to wake up early the next day like when she was still a student. "I love you, hubby," Cayenne murmured which made Stefan smile.


    "I love you more. I love you and the kids."

 Chapter 867: FIRST MEAL

    At 9:30 AM the next day, Cayenne informed her team about their tasks since she won''t be working for the day. Zaire was told to finish editing the video and upload it on the same day. Cree and Callum were told to contact the five people on the list of people that needed immediate help. It was to make advance preparation for her next vlogging episodes.


    Addie was told to help Zaire if he needed assistance.


    At 10:00 AM she took a shower and changed into the clothes that Stefan chose for her. She had no doubt that the clothes fit her. She checked the things inside her bag once again to make sure that she didn''t forget anything important. When she went down, she found the triplets in the living room with their father.


    "You look beautiful," Stefan expressed the moment heid her eyes on her. "You''re always beautiful, but today you are exceptional."


    "You''re exaggerating it again," Cayenne responded with a sigh, but then she grinned afterward. "Are you all set? Shall we go?"


    Stefan nodded and told the bodyguards to start the cars. This time, Cayenne won''t be separated from her kids. They used an ordinary-looking van to avoid getting attention and made sure that the bodyguards would be following them not too far and not too close as well.


    The van that they used was the customized van for Luiz. Instead of chairs, the van had a bed at the back and a mini kitchen where he could heat his food and dine. There was even a small shower room installed. It could be used to camp outside.


    When they arrived at the cemetery where Alexander was buried, it was just a few minutes past 12:00 NN. Alexander''s graveyard was separated from other graves and it was spacious. Of course, they paid quite a lot for it as well, but Stefan didn''t mind. It was the least he could do for his brother.


    He opened the gate to the yard and set up the tables and other things that they needed. Half of the bodyguards helped him while the other half guarded the van where Cayenne and the kids stayed. With the number of hands helping each other, it didn''t take long for Stefan to finish everything.


    Cayenne went out of the car and took Zeki with her. Stefan came to her and ced Aziel and Jahzara inside their strollers. The little princess was pouting with her hands iling up in the air. Instead of taking her out, Stefan just smiled and held her hand. The small fingers were gripping his index finger, but Stefan didn''t pick her up.


    Jahzara let out gibberish noises and Aziel did the same. Listening to their babynguage, Stefan chuckled while pushing Jahzara''s stroller to Alexander''s graveyard. Next to him was the bodyguard responsible for Aziel''s stroller.


    "Just leave him here," Cayenne said and the bodyguard stopped the stroller next to her. Aziel raised his arms immediately and his mother took him out. He looked at his sister and saw that she was still inside the stroller. To everyone''s surprise, he started giggling. "Oh! What makes you so happy?" Cayenne muttered and kissed Aziel''s cheek.


    He giggled even more.


    On the other hand, Jahzara was about to cry. Her two brothers were being doted on by their mother, while she was left out inside the stroller with no one paying attention to her.


    Stefan talked to the guards about their stations and told them to eat their lunch by batch. After making sure that everything was fine, he returned to his wife and his kids.


    "I''ll light the candles and put the flowers first," Stefan told Cayenne and went to Alexander''s tomb. "It''s been a while since thest time we came here."


    "I know you felt bad for what happened to his mother, but I''m sure that Alexander could understand why you have to do it."


    "I hope so. He was the only light in my dark world when I was young. When I lost him, I plunge into the darkness again. If it was not for Travis who pulled me up from the quagmire, I think I would still be the abandoned Stefan."


    "Justice will always prevail no matter how long it will take. Anyway, let''s not talk about it here. I think the conversation will upset your brother even more."


    "You are right. We should tell him about the kids," Stefan responded before making a silent prayer. He also introduced his triplets to Alexander and asked him to watch over them as they grow up.


    Cayenne was busy preparing her children''s first meal as well. She poured the powdered baby cereal made from wheat, milk, and apple, and poured hot water into the bowl. She once posted a question on her social media ount, asking the public what was best to feed the babies for their first meal. A lot of mothers suggested this product to her and when she asked Eli about it, he said it was also good.


    She just hoped the children would like it.


    "I''ll feed the princess and Zeki," Stefan said when he returned to her side and picked up the two small bowls of food. The content was very little, but he knew that it was enough for the children. They might not even finish it.


    Each of the kids has their own bowl and spoon. They have different designs to distinguish which one belongs to whom. Stefan fed Jahzara first and followed with Zeki. He fed them alternately and they seemed to like the food. Unlike other children who push their food out of their mouths using their tongues, Jahzara and Zeki were eating properly.


    However, it was different for Aziel. After feeding him with a small amount, he refused to open his mouth again. No matter how much Cayenne tried, he won''t just eat his food.


    "Did you bring another type of food?" Stefan asked when he noticed that Cayenne was having a hard time with their middle child.


    "I brought the one with banana-something. Let me prepare a small amount and see if he would like it," Cayenne rummaged through the baby''s essential bag and found the baby food with banana vor. She poured the powder into the bowl and mixed it with hot water.


    She scooped a small amount and blew on it to cool the food before feeding it to Aziel. Her child slowly chewed on the food and swallowed it. When Cayenne fed him again, he opened his mouth and ate his food.


    Cayenne''s face brightened and she happily fed her baby.


    "I didn''t know feeding a baby could be this worrisome. Thankfully, I brought another vor of food. I thought he would like it since it has a little bit of apple essence and whatnot. I guess, triplets don''t really have the same tastes,"


    Stefan chuckled and kissed her forehead. "It''s fine. We have a lot of helpers and we already found 2 candidates who would look after the children. We can take turns in taking care of them."


    After feeding the children, Stefan carried Jahzara and a guard came to hold Aziel. Cayenne carried Zeki and they slowly patted and rubbed the children''s back to make them burp.


    This was what they learned from Elena''s sister.


    From a distance, Julia watched the family having fun. Her eyes turned cold thinking back to the time when they got kicked out of the family. She also wanted a warm family, but it was ruined by her own grandfather, uncle, and ra. She hated ra the most, yet Stefan still liked to visit Alexander.


    She didn''t like the fact that she was the only one consumed by hatred while her cousin lives a happy life with his family.


    [We should all be miserable.] Julia thought before going back to her car. She could not rely on her mother anymore. She already felt that Celestine won''t go against her father and nephew again. [I can do it alone.]


    MINI THEATER 1


    Aziel looked at his sister inside the stroller and giggled. "Mom carries me this time."


    Jahzara: "I''ll cry."


    Aziel: "Go ahead and cry. Just so you know, there are so many ghosts in here and they will be attracted by your loud wail."


    Afraid of her brother''s words, Jahzara blinked back her tears and pouted. She also wanted to be carried by their mom or dad.


    MINI THEATER 2


    Cayenne was mixing the food for the babies inside the three small bowls. She seemed really excited. Stefan let them sit on baby chairs and took two small bowls for Jahzara and Zeki. Cayenne would be feeding Aziel alone.


    Jahzara ate first and her two brothers were looking at her, waiting for her reaction.


    Jahzara: "It tastes good."


    Zeki trusted his sister''s words and ate as well. "Yummy."


    Aziel knew that his siblings won''t lie to him, so he epted the food from his mommy happily. He chewed on it. Once. Twice. He wanted to vomit, but his mother was looking at him happily. Left with no other choice, he swallowed the food and never opened his mouth again.


    [It tasted awful! How could they stomach that kind of food?] He thought while staring at his worried mother. He won''t eat again.


    Cayenne mixed another baby food and the smell made him hungry. He ate the small amount that their mother gave him and when he tasted it, he felt like crying in happiness. It washed away the awful taste of the food he just ate earlier.


    Aziel: "This is going to be my favorite."

 Chapter 868: JULIA GOT SLAPPED

    Stefan and Cayenne yed with the kids at the cemetery like it wasn''t a graveyard. Stefan may be a clean freak, but he could make exceptions like visiting his brother''s graveyard for a few hours.


    He yed with the children, letting them crawl on the huge puzzle matsid on the ground. Whenever the children reached his side, he would kiss them on their cheeks, making them giggle cheerfully. Cayenne watched over them and took pictures every single time, to the point that her storage got full.


    [I''ve got to delete some of theseter.] She reminded herself before borrowing her husband''s phone.


    After a few minutes of crawling, Zeki sat on the mat and looked toward his mother. He crawled back to her and raised the crumpled animal cards he was holding.


    "Do you want me to read these to you?" Cayenne asked and Zeki let out some gibberish noises which she took as affirmation. "Come here little guy," she said as he handed the phone back to Stefan and picked her child up. She nestled him on herp and let him lean on her chest so he could see the animal pictures. She tried to straighten the crumpled cards and showed the first animal to her son.


    "This is a tiger. The tiger is thergest living cat species and a member of the genus Panthera. It is most recognizable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside." Zeki nodded his head which made Cayenne smile. She wasn''t sure if her son was understanding what she just said, but he seemed really interested in them. "Next, we have a zebra."


    She would introduce the animal first and give a brief description of it. Every time she showed him another animal card, he would wave his hands cheerfully.


    Stefan took a short video of his wife and son, and he uploaded It on his social media ount, unedited. It immediately caught the attention of theizens and received different reactions from them. However, since he was spending time with his family, he didn''t read thements that people posted right below his post.


    While ying, Cayenne noticed the gathering of dark clouds over them and told her husband about it. "Let''s go home. We''ve yed enough for today. Let''s visit him again when we have time."


    Stefan hummed his answer with no hesitation. He silently bid farewell to his brother and went back to the car with Cayenne and the children.


    A few minutes after they left, it started raining cats and dogs. Stefan told the driver to drive slowly and carefully. It didn''t matter if they would arrive at night or the next day as long as his family was fine.


    Cayenne and Stefan chatted about Julia and Celestine while the kids yed on their own with alphabetical blocks between their parents.


    Perhaps it was the sound of the pitter-patter of the rain; Aziel fell asleep effortlessly. Cayenne moved him up a little to have a pillow and ced a hotdog pillow to separate him from the other children. He was sleeping peacefully as if he wasn''t riding a van.


    The rain continued to pour and Cayenne''s brothers started calling her out of worry. By the time they arrived home, it was almost 8:00 PM yet no one had their dinner yet, except for the helpers and the bodyguards who were told to eat first and make sure they''d be ready to assist should there be a need. They were worried sick for the whole family who left to visit the deceased.


    "Thank God you are home," Kyle expressed and took Aziel who just woke up in the bodyguard''s arms. "The torrential rain got me really worried for all of you."


    "I told you I was fine," Cayenne retorted while flicking Kyle''s forehead. "Stop being a worrywart. Besides, Stefan was with me the whole time. You know how obsessed he is with my safety. Nothing would go wrong when he is with me."


    "It was Luiz who made me overthink," Kyle said and med his younger brother who was in the kitchen setting up the table.


    "I can hear you from here!" Luiz yelled at the top of his lungs. "I only asked ''What could have taken them so long?'' I didn''t know you would be overthinking."


    "You can''t me me," Kyle responded while kissing his nephew''s forehead. "Some people out there are still holding grudges. A lot of things could happen."


    Hearing his statement, Stefan approached Kyle and gently patted his shoulder. "Don''t worry. I will be taking care of that tomorrow."


    Kyle nodded his head knowing that his brother-inw would keep his word. Now that his worry was gone, Stefan and Cayenne decided to take a quick shower first. With Kyle''s supervision, Stefan called out the two helpers who were possible candidates to be the children''s nannies. They were told to clean the triplets and keep them warm.


    They already drank their milk on their way home, so there was no need to feed them again.


    "I''ll leave the kids in your care," Cayenne told her brother and went upstairs to change her clothes.


    "Come back soon to have dinner!" Luiz shouted from the kitchen again.


    Stefan replied ''We will'' and left with his wife.


    Left alone in the kitchen with the helpers and bodyguards around him, Luiz put his hands on his waist and looked at them. "Those who have taken their dinner already, please exchanged your posts with the others so those who haven''t eaten yet would be able to do so." Then, he turned to Ca and instructed her as well. "See to it that they have a proper meal."


    "Yes, sir... I mean... yes, Luiz."


    "Good."


    ***


    "Where have you been?" Celestine questioned her daughter when she came homete at night. She hadn''t seen her the whole day and she was worried that she did something stupid again. "Elliot said that you left early this morning. What are you busying yourself with?"


    Julia was already on her way up to the second floor when her mother came out of the kitchen and questioned her. She rolled her eyes before facing his mother and responded haughtily, "I am old enough to take care of myself. Do I have to ask for your permission every single time I''d like to go out?"


    "Can you me me?" Celestine retorted with her hands crossed over her chest. "I''m your mother. I know very well what kind of woman you are. I am afraid that you are going to do something you would regret."


    "Regret? Ha!" Julia scoffed and went downstairs to face her mother properly. "What kind of regret Mom? Like what you are feeling right now?"


    Celestine frowned and put down her hands on her side, "What are you talking about?"


    "Oh,e on! Are you going to pretend in front of me? Your daughter? I know you''ve gone all soft and guilty of all the things that happened. Why? Tell me why!"


    "Honey, it''s not what you think it is. Well, maybe a little, but can we talk this out? There''s something I need to tell you."


    "Yeah. Sure. I''ll hear you out. I''ll listen to how coward you are, and maybe - "


    Pak!


    Celestine couldn''t take it anymore and pped her daughter. "Don''t. You. Dare. Talk. To.


    Me. Like. That. I am still your mother! And if you think I''m sorry for pping you, well, I''m not. It''s either you listen to me or you go back to Italy and forget I''m your mother.


    You''re big enough to take care of yourself anyway."


    Right after saying her piece, Celestine left Julia in the living room without looking back. Thetter was crying in silence while pressing her hand on her. It was the first time that her mother ever pped her. Never in her wildest dream did she think that she would be hurt this way.


    "I hate you, Mom! I hate you! I hate all of you!"

 Chapter 869: COUNTER MEASURE AGAINST CELESTINE AND JULIA

    The next day, six newly hired bodyguards arrived with Martin and Rey. During the test, among the six of them, Niki topped it all. Since he was the best among the rest, he was assigned to look after Cayenne and the kids, though the kids only came secondary to her safety.


    Niki, although he looked intimidating, he was the kind of person who doesn''t follow someone blindly. He has opinion of his own and he would really speak the words in his mind. Surprisingly, he wasn''t asking about the benefits of working for Cayenne and Stefan like others did in the past.


    He was just mostly concerned of his day off and the restrictions that came with it.


    Then, Cayenne remembered the special identity of this person. Money was irrelevant to him. "If you have other concerns, just let me know. I''m not really busy. It would be great to get rifications now instead of making some mistakes due to ignorance. My husband isn''t very forgiving when ites to safety measures."


    "I don''t have questions for now, but I will certainly ask if there is one in the future," said one of the bodyguards who sat next to Niki.


    "I do have a question unrted to work, though. Maybe you have answers to them, too."


    "What is it?"


    "What is the history of this ce?" Niki asked which bewildered Cayenne. Her first impression of Niki took a drastic change. She never thought that a man like him would be so interested in history.


    Cayenne was unsure what he meant and it was obvious on her face. "Did you mean the history of this mansion? Or this city?"


    "Ah! I mean the city. I heard this was once part of a kingdom."


    Cayenne thought about it and tried to recall the information she learned from her history ss in the past. Thankfully, there were a lot of people present at this moment. They answered Niki''s inquiry without any hesitations because they thought it was just out of curiosity.


    They talked for almost an hour, before Stefan called them for another conference meeting.


    Aside from the arrival of the new bodyguards, today was also Latticia''s birthday which was the reason why a lot of people were gathering in Cayenne''s home. The Sugo family were there to celebrate this day with the only daughter in the family, though they couldn''t tell the truth to Ferdinand since his son just died not long ago. At the same time, Stefan didn''t want to miss his mother''s birthday.


    It was her first birthday that he got to celebrate with her.


    In the kitchen, Jessie and Stanley were cooking food for lunch with the helpers and they made sure to cook a lot of Latticia''s favorite food. It''s been a while since she came back to A City and with her son''s connections and Dr. Albert''s monitoring, she could now move quite a lot and she could talk properly as well.


    However, she would easily exhaust herself, so she was still forbidden to do house chores.


    "Happy birthday, Auntie," Luiz greeted Latticia when he arrived with David. They just dropped by for lunch since he still needed to attend ss in the afternoon. "I got you something. It''s not much, but I hope that you will like it."


    Latticia immediately opened the gift that Luiz gave her and her eyes sparkled in astonishment. It was a ck insted tumbler with sunflower design. It was lovely and given the fact that Latticia loved sunflowers, it was no wonder that she liked the gift so much.


    "Thank you, Luiz. I like it so much."


    "I''m d you do," Luiz said as he sat next to his sister. David also brought his own gift, but he told Latticia to open it once she returns to the cabin. Everyone got curious of what his gift was, but David was tight-lipped and Latticia promised to open itter in the cabin as well.


    "Since this is a family gathering, why don''t we y a little game," Kyle suggested and they all agreed because they love prizes.


    "What kind of game? We can''t be too boisterous for the sake of Mr. Dumrique," Dr. Albert responded in respect to the man who just lost his son. "Let''s y boardgames instead."


    "That should be fine," Cayenne said in agreement.


    So, those who wanted to participate yed the boardgame with simple elimination round so it won''t take so much time. Cayenne was just watching on the side with the kids inside the crib. Most of the participants were helpers and some of the bodyguards who weren''t called by Stefan.


    "Hey," Dominic poked Kyle''s shoulder with his finger and spoke in whisper, "Why do you think the new bodyguard was interested with the city''s history? He even inquired about La Granja when he arrived in the city."


    "How did you know that?"


    "Well, I heard it from Martin and Rey."


    Kyle frowned while pinching his chin as he thought about Dominic''s word. "Maybe he was just...you know... genuinely curious about the city since this is the first time that he set his foot here."


    "He said that he was interested in farming, but he never asked anything about Hacienda Amore that Travis Madrigal owned."


    "Are you suspecting him?"


    "I''m just being cautious. I don''t want his actions to affect my cousin and your sister."


    "Don''t worry. Your dear cousin is someone who can''t be messed with."


    Unknown to them, Cayenne was already standing right behind them and heard a little bit of their conversation. She quickly wrapped her arms around their necks that startled both men.


    "God!" Kyle eximed with his hand on his chest. "Don''t startle me like that."


    "You won''t be startled if you weren''t being secretive over here. What are you guys talking about?" Cayenne inquired and let go of them. "You seemed really interested about Niki."


    "We''re just wondering why he was curious about the history of the city and La Granja," Dominic answered on behalf of Kyle. "We''re not really against him. We''re just worried that he would do some and put you in danger."


    "Don''t think too much about it. My dear husband won''t just bring someone into our home without considering all possibilities."


    "I said the same thing to him," Kyle added and sighed. "Anyway, let''s forget we have this conversation."


    "I agree on that," Cayenne said, so Dominic didn''t pursue this matter anymore.


    ***


    Inside the study room, Stefan was sitting on his swivel chair while some of the bodyguards stood in different locations to maximize their security measure in guarding him, and others were sitting on the couch.


    "My dad died in an ident. However, I already received information that someone was actually nning to kill him. My grandfather was also part of that n. Currently, my grandpa is staying with us in this mansion but that doesn''t mean he is safe. I will be assigning a secondary task to all of you."


    "Are going to guard your father?" asked Rey who was standing near the window.


    "No, you are going to monitor Julia and Celestine. They''re my auntie and cousin," Stefan answered before pressing a file that Tristan sent him. It showed them a map of the entire A City as well as the location of the rented mansion. "Celestine rented a ce and that''s the one highlighted in red. So far, all of her activities were within the city and it was the same for Julia.


    Tomorrow, Tristan will be installing a remote tracker in your device so you would see Julia and Celestine''s movement."


    Niki looked down on the floor and smiled. Stefan was very simr to him in conduct, but unlike him, Stefan made it his priority to protect his loved ones. [Is it the difference in era? Or is it because I wasn''t capable enough which was the reason, I kept losing her?]


    At this moment, they all thought that Niki was listening attentively. They had no idea that he was lost in his own little world.

 Chapter 870: PARTNERS TO ENEMIES

    The birthday party wasn''t grand, but Latticia was very happy to spend it with all the people she loved, and since Stefan was very good to all his employees, Ferdinand didn''t think much about it. He thought it was only natural for his grandson to throw a party for Dr. Albert''s wife. That was what he believed about the party. After all, Cayenne also held a farewell party for Justin not long ago.


    "Happy birthday, Mom," Stefan greeted his mother when he came back and found her sitting in the living room with the other guests. To cover her tracks, Stefan even followed the fake birthdate that Dr. Albert registered for Latticia, so not many people know about this celebration.


    "Thank you, son," Latticia whispered with a smile. "I never thought I''d get to experience this kind of birthday again."


    "I''ll let you experience as many parties as you want in the future. Just try your best to get well."


    "Hn. I trust you''d do that,"


    Lunch was served a few minutes before 12:00 NN and everyone was enjoying the food and drinks that Stanley and Jessie prepared for them. It was a joyous moment. The mansion was filled withughter and cheers. It wasn''t the kind of party where people talk about business and projects. It was just a normal gathering to unwind and be with the whole family.


    After lunch, some people went to y with the dogs, others decided to enjoy the scenery around the mansion while riding a horse, and some of them went to watch a movie in the theater room. There was also a bunch of family members who decided to give Cayenne a break and take care of the kids.


    In the living room, Cayenne was watching thetest vlog that Zaire released for her. It was the farewell party she held for Justin. So far, it already had a half million views, and thousands ofments were left on it. It received a lot of positive thoughts from people across the world and they praised her for not making things difficult for Julia.


    Now, with the video of her vlog as well as the posts of Julia''s friends, saying that it was Julia who crashed the party intentionally, people were badmouthing her. They called her a maniptor and a traitor.


    Cayenne evaluated her feelings regarding this incident. She felt a little guilty, not because she exposed Julia''s horrible character, but because she didn''t feel bad about doing so. She thought she was being less of a human at this point.


    Stefan noticed her distressed sigh since he was just sitting next to her and he peeked at the video she was watching. "Are you worried for Justin? Or are you bothered by Julia''s presence?"


    "Both," Cayenne responded and sighed once more. "I can always find a way to get in touch with the kid, but when will you call your auntie and cousin toe home?"


    "In two days. I''ll ask Tristan to meet with them."


    "O-okay. I''ll just wait for your arrangements. Do I have to visit them as well? I mean, I don''t know if I can patch things up with Julia. She seemed to really hate me."


    "You don''t have to do that. She was the one who made a mistake. Let her apologize to you first. If she can do that and you felt her sincerity, then you can try to get along with her."


    "Got it. I just hope that they would turn for the better after you call them back."


    Stefan held his wife''s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He could understand her worry, but in his heart and mind, nothing was more important than his wife and his kids.


    ***


    The next day, Stefan went to work in the morning but he returned home with his two assistants during lunch break. Instead of going back to thepany, he continued his work inside the study room for the rest of the afternoon while Tristan was busy installing a tracking and mapping device in some of the bodyguards'' phones.


    Those who weren''t present at the moment were told to report their schedule for the next three days so that Tristan could make adjustments for them.


    It was a lot of work, but Stefan paid him extra for it which made him take the task without a singleint. Even if money wasn''t really part of his problems, he would still ept it with open arms.


    He exined how the device works to the bodyguards and told them to always bring it with them wherever they nned to go ¨Cfort room included. If Julia or Celestine''s tracker got close to them within a 100-meter distance, it would release a beeping sound into their Bluetooth earpiece. They would have to watch out for these women and make sure that whoever they were guarding was safe and sound.


    With more than half of his men equipped with this device, Stefan told Tristan to get in touch with Celestine and Julia with onemand and that was to bring them home.


    When Celestine heard about this the next, she was suspicious. Julia was even raising her eyebrow after hearing Tristan''s words. Who would believe that the ever-wife-doting husband would want his enemies to return home? It was more like asking them toe closer so he could monitor them openly.


    Of course, they weren''t idiots who didn''t know anything about his plots.


    However, they have different objectives at this moment and they all want to aplish whatever they had on their list. Julia tried to convince her mother into epting Stefan''s order, although she didn''t really need any kind of convincing because she had been thinking of reaching out to Stefan as well.


    "Is he really allowing us to live at the vi? This isn''t a trap, right?" Celestine asked once more while reading the file that Tristan handed her.


    "If you are still doubting about it ma''am, you can bring an officer or someone you can trust with your safety. You can check the vi for any kind of traps as well," Tristan responded nonchntly while sitting on the couch across from the mother and daughter.


    "There''s no need," Celestine said and waved her hand to dismiss the idea. "Can we move in tomorrow? I still have a lot of things to do and we need to pack up as well."


    "Sure. I will tell the chairman about it. The butler was already informed of your possible arrival, so he would be waiting for you there."


    While they were having this conversation, outside the rented mansion, Rey and Elliot looked at each other in shock. Rey was standing on the porch, waiting for Tristan to finish his business when Elliot came out as ordered by his master. He didn''t expect to see a familiar face there.


    "What are you doing here?" asked both of them at the same time.


    Elliot looked around and found that Rey was all alone. "Are you with that guy inside the house? Are you working for Stefan Dumrique?"


    "And you are working for his auntie?"


    Both of them sighed together when reality hits them in the face. "Look, I won''t take it against you since we''re only taking orders from our masters," Rey stated while rubbing his chin. "However, if I''m ordered to take you down, I will do my best to aplish my task. You know me, Elliot. I hate failure."


    "Of course, I know. I wasn''t your partner for nothing."


    Both men sized each other up when the door opened and Tristan came out. He looked at Rey and Elliot before signaling Rey to leave with him.


    "Don''t mess with my madam and the people she loves. You don''t want me to be your enemy," Rey whispered as he passed by and followed Tristan out.

 Chapter 871: SUSPICIONS

    Julia and Celestine returned to the Dumrique family vi where they used to live before they got kicked out of the house.


    Celestine didn''t have any issues with Stefan''s arrangement when it came to the butler and the helper. In fact, she was grateful to him because the butler was still the same man who took care of them before leaving the country for Italy.


    Though, it was quite different for Julia.


    She thought that the butler and the helpers were Stefan''s spies and she didn''t want them around her. She was afraid that Stefan would use these people to hurt her. She would rather hire her own employees that she could trust.


    Unfortunately, Celestine ignored her idea. The house was not given by Stefan to them. They were only told toe home which only meant that, they weren''t the masters of the house. They were not even the ones paying for them.


    "Julia, I told you that we don''t need to make enemies with them!" Celestine eximed in annoyance to her daughter. "Why can''t you understand my words? I already exined the reason. Before you regret doing something you should not, then I''m telling you to clear your mind from those thoughts. Stefan has done something that your grandpa and uncle couldn''t.


    We should be thankful to him instead of being greedy. Let''s not forget that he gave you the property in Tuscany."


    "Fine! I won''t do anything reckless," Julia said in agreement. "I will follow whatever you have in mind."


    Celestine stared at her daughter for a little while before nodding her head. She was not sure if Julia had given up on taking revenge already or if she was just pretending in front of her, but the good thing was that she could monitor her own daughter to make sure she won''t harm Stefan and his family.


    Even though they weren''t even able to execute half of their ns, they already caused a huge damage and that was something that Celestine felt guilty about.


    Every single night when she closed her eyes, she would see her brother''s faint smile, and she would remember the n that she cooked up for him ¨C to kill him.


    She was already fortunate enough that Magnus died from a natural disaster, if not, she could not even imagine her own doom.


    Three dayster, Cayenne went to her foundation''s headquarters to check on her staff. She already knew thetest events within her foundation since Jackson kept her updated in everything. With Jackson around, she had nothing to worry about.


    Her only problem was looking for someone who can rece Kyle. He passed the licensure examination for teacher not long ago and he wanted to pursue his teaching career. It had been his dream since he was young and Cayenne wouldn''t be someone who would hinder her brother''s dream.


    "I''ll go upstairs to talk to Tristan about something," Cayenne told Jackson before picking up her coat. "Let me know if you encounter any problems. Also, regarding the charity ball that I need to attend two weeks from now, I''ll let Luiz handle that matter for me. He should exin everythingter."


    "Understood, Ms. Yen."


    Cayenne just nodded her head and left right away. Her bodyguards were surrounding her to make sure that she won''t make any contact with anyone.


    Her bodyguards looked intimidating, especially Niki, but whenever Cayenne sees an employee, she would greet them with a smile. Her lovely smile somehow negated the scary aura around her bodyguards.


    When she arrived at her husband''s office, Elena was arguing with Tristan about something. Elena was ring at her boyfriend while thetter scratched the back of his head helplessly.


    "If there''s a problem, try to solve it amicably," Cayenne said when she passed by them. "Is my husband busy?"


    "He''s having a meeting with the department heads for the St. Martin za project," Elena answered and sighed. "Sorry, you''d have to witness us like that."


    "Well, if Stefan is having a meeting, why are you two here?"


    "I came out because he wanted me to get something from his office," Elena began to exin. "I was just about to go back when I heard Tristan ¨C anyway, it would be better if he exins it to you himself. I''ll go back to the meeting now," she said and left immediately just right after stomping on Tristan''s foot.


    Thetter was jumping on one foot because of the pain, but he could do nothing about it since she was his girlfriend.


    "Don''t tell Stefan that I''m here!" Cayenne reminded Elene before she could open the door to the conference room. The beautiful secretary gave her an ''OK'' sign and went it. "So, what made you guys fight?"


    Tristan sighed and shrugged his shoulder. "Come inside my office. I''ll show you something."


    Cayenne followed Tristan to his office, and since he kept a lot of confidential files inside his room, Niki told the bodyguards to stay one meter away from the door.


    Since Niki needed to keep her within his line of sight, Cayenne didn''t bother to close the office. She sat on the swivel chair while Tristan pulled another chair to use. "I contacted Julia and Celestine three days ago, right?


    I noticed something strange with Rey." Cayenne raised her eyebrow instinctively but she remained silent because she didn''t want to judge anyone without getting her facts straight. "He was talking to Celestine''s bodyguard which I found out was also her secretary when she was still working. His name is Elliot. So, when I came back, I secretly investigated them.


    It turned out, Elliot was Rey''s partner before Chris hired him as your guard."


    "Do you think Rey would betray us?" Cayenne asked her main concern after all the things that Tristan told her. "I''m worried."


    "Well, I can''t really say for sure. I can only secretly monitor him for you and see if he would do something that would put you or anyone you love in harm''s way."


    "Thank you, Tristan. I will leave that matter to you, but can you not tell Stefan about this for now? I''d like to talk to him regarding this matter."


    "Sure. I can keep this matter a secret."


    "Great. Now, let me talk to you about my personal request."


    "What is it?"


    Cayenne pulled out a picture from her wallet and handed it to him. "She''s giving me a lot of trouble recently."


    Now it was Tristan''s turn to raise his eyebrow. He never thought that Cayenne would have this kind of problem given that she wasn''t a celebrity. "You didn''t tell sir Stefan about this?"


    "He''s got so much on his te already. I didn''t want to cause him trouble, but I''m nning to tell him about this tonight."


    "I agree. You should do that before he turned into a beast and massacred this woman with awsuit."


    Cayenne smiled faintly before standing up from her seat. "I hope to hear from you soon. Anyway, I''ll go and check the warehouse first. Tell Stefan that I''d being over for lunch."


    "Yes,dy boss!" Tristan said and even gave her a sincere salute. Cayenne chuckled at his response before leaving his office. She needed to do her work as well.


    Not wasting another second, she went down the building to check the foundation warehouse which could be found at the back of Clover Company. She was walking silently in the middle of her group of bodyguards when Niki stopped her.


    "What''s the matter?" Cayenne asked Niki when the man suddenly stopped her from taking another step forward.


    "I saw someone very familiar. To make sure that everything''s fine, I''ll ask someone to look into this matter. We cannot becent."


    Cayenne didn''t doubt his words for even a second. She had no idea who he was looking at, but she knew that Niki was only thinking about her safety, so she didn''t mind his action at all. "You can tell Tristan about itter."

 Chapter 872: TO MAKE PEACE

    Cayenne checked her social media ount again when she arrived at the warehouse and saw the videos that tagged her name. She untagged herself from the posted video and blocked the user from her ount. She knew that she won''t be able to do this all the time and one day, it might really leak out.


    She wasn''t worried about herself because she had Stefan to count on. She was more worried for the other woman who probably wasn''t aware of what was happening. She was just giving her the benefit of the doubt which was the reason why he informed Tristan about it first to gather facts.


    "Miss Yen, we sorted out the school supplies that will be given to X Primary School," said one of her employees who were responsible for organizing this event with Jackson''s help. "Here''s the ledger for this event."


    Cayenne pulled herself together since she had other things to do. She focused on her task at the moment and talked with the staff to make sure that everything would go smoothly. She can''t afford for any mistake to happen since the funds of her charity foundation came from her pocket and the pockets of many other people.


    "That''s on Monday, right?" she asked and the staff nodded. "Don''t worry. I will be there to see this through."


    "Thank you, Ms. Yen. If you need something else, just let me know. I will be in the office to check the rest of my task today."


    "Sure. Just go on with your work. I just check the inventory."


    Cayenne walked around and talked to each of her employees to check on their tasks and if they needed help with anything. Wherever she went, Niki was following her like a tail. She didn''t mind about it though.


    "Madam, you''ve been walking around checking things here and there. Do you want to take a rest for a couple of minutes?" Niki asked since Stefan reminded him to ensure that his wife won''t be overworking herself. "A rest for ten minutes isn''t really a big deal."


    "You are right," Cayenne agreed because she could hear the underlying meaning to his words. Besides, her bodyguards won''t stop her from doing her work unless a certain someone with an overprotective streakmanded them to.


    She sat on the couch and opened her social media ount again. So far, there were no other videos tagged to her.


    She exited the app and opened another website to order food. She rarely visited the warehouse because of her kids and work at home, but whenever she did, she would always treat her employees.


    "I bought something," Cayenne told Niki without looking raising her head. "Asked another bodyguard to receive the order. I''ll reimburse the money to their ount right after. It should be here after thirty minutes."


    Niki nodded and ryed the message to another bodyguard.


    *


    At the Dumrique family vi, Julia was looking at the recipe in front of her. Celestine told her to not make enemies with Stefan and Cayenne again for all the things that happened in the past. Her mother said that everything was just a misunderstanding, so now she was trying to make a cake for Cayenne as her peace offering.


    "Ma''am Julia, do you need help?" asked the cook that Stefan hired. "I can be your assistant."


    "Great! Can you tell me if Cayenne is allergic to anything? I don''t want to put something by ident here and cause me to get another earful from my mother."


    "I don''t think the madam has anything she was allergic to."


    "O-okay. Can you help me bake a cake? I''m not really fond of cooking or baking, but I want to try."


    The woman happily helped Julia to bake a mango graham cake for Cayenne. It wasn''t really Cayenne''s favorite, but she liked this cake if there were a lot of mangoes in it. So, the natural fruit makes it a lot more appetizing to her.


    In the security room, Elliot watched Julia through the CCTV camera. He observed him carefully and listed the items that she put into the cake mixture. He was worried that Julia would stupidly put something harmful into the cake which might cause them to lose their lives. He didn''t want to make enemies with Rey.


    Three hourster, when the dessert was a little bit frozen, Julia was pacing back and forth in the living room. She was mentally reciting the words that she wanted to tell Cayenne. Then, she realized that she didn''t even have her contact number.


    Celestine came down to get some fruits when she saw her daughter walking around restlessly. "What''s bothering you?"


    Her voice startled Julia for a moment and when she saw who it was, she immediately approached her mother. "Mom, you need to help me."


    "About what? What did you do this time? Oh, God! Julia - "


    "Wait! Before you say anything else, just hear me out first," she quickly said to make sure that her mother won''t say another word to scold her. "You said that everything was a mistake and that we should not take it against Stefan and Cayenne anymore. So, I thought of making a peace offering. I made a mango graham cake, but I don''t know where to send them."


    "I know where they live, but you have to call them first and let them know that you will be visiting them."


    "Do you have their contact number?"


    "I have the secretary''s contact number. You can call them to ask Stefan personally for you."


    "Great. Give me the number."


    Celestine felt happy that her daughter hade around to forget everything. She gave Tristan''s number to Julia and not even five secondster, she was already calling the person. "Let me know if you need anything else."


    Meanwhile, Tristan was organizing the information that he gathered regarding the woman that Cayenne wanted to know when he received a call from an unknown number. He instantly typed the number into his personalized search engine and the owner popped up. It was Julia Sarmiento.


    "Miss Julia, what can I do for you?" Tristan questioned her without bothering to hide the fact that he knew her.


    On the other hand, Julia stiffened that Tristan knew her number even though she didn''t remember giving it to him. [None of that matters now.] She thought before expressing her purpose for this call. "I hope you can ask my cousin if I can visit them. I just wanted to give his wife a peace offering."


    "Oh, no worries. However, the chairman is currently having a meeting with an investor, so it might take a while. I''ll get back to you in thirty minutes."


    "Great. I''m looking forward to hearing a positive response."


    Tristan looked at the screen of his phone as soon as the call ended. Stefan was also looking at him with his arms crossed over his chest and a raised eyebrow that almost touched the ceiling of his office. His assistant just lied in front of him. "Was I really talking to your cousin just now? Was she possessed?"


    "She asked if it would be possible for her to visit you and the madam."


    "Did she mention where she nned to visit us?"


    "Nope."


    "Then, twenty minutester, tell her that Cayenne is not at home right now. Whatever peace offering she had, she can send it here in the office."


    "Got it."


    Even if Julia was sincere to make peace with Cayenne after all the things that happened, Stefan wouldn''t take the risk to let the woman meet with his wife. It didn''t matter to him if the said woman was also his cousin.

 Chapter 873: [Bonus chapter] JULIAS VISIT

    Cayenne went home ahead of her husband because of the kids. When she got home, Stefan called her about Julia. She was utterly surprised by the woman''s change in behavior as well. She didn''t expect that Julia would act friendly toward her all of a sudden.


    No wonder her husband became suspicious, too.


    "Let''s give her a month. If she won''t do anything within a month, I will allow her to visit us at home," Cayenne said because she felt that Julia''s true color would show up after visiting them unless she was really genuine this time.


    "I don''t mind, but I will be very strict when ites to your security whenever she visits us."


    Cayenne could only shake her head at his response. She could not do anything about her husband''s obsession with security measures anymore. "By the way, I forgot to mention this earlier, but did Zaire ask Tristan for help regarding his father''s whereabouts?"


    "No, he didn''t. He only asked Tristan to introduce him to a private investigator."


    Cayenne knew that Zaire felt embarrassed to ask Tristan for help, but Cayenne didn''t have any intention to force her employees to confide in her. If they felt that she could help, calling her was all it would take.


    She talked to him for a few more minutes before ending the call since she needed to take a quick shower before looking for her kids.


    As she ascended the stairs, Niki called for her attention. "Madam, I nned to visit La Granja on Sunday. Can I borrow one of your vehicles?"


    "Yeah. Go ahead. Just make sure to log the details on the record book," Cayenne answered with no hesitations. This was another thing that got her curious about her new bodyguard.


    Niki was very interested in La Granja and the Rivera family. She bumped into him a couple of times, asking his colleagues about the things they knew of the farm and its history. He also asked about Isabelle Ignacio whom Cayenne knew as Luiz''s new ''date'' and bodyguard, and she was also Dr. Eliezer Rivera''s girlfriend.


    [Should I warn Eli about Niki?] Cayenne asked herself as she went upstairs. At the same time, she didn''t want to poke a ho''s hive. It might put her or the Rivera family in danger. She could only observe and see what the man was up to.


    On the other hand, Julia was biting the inner side of her cheeks while taking the lift to Stefan''s office. She thought she would be able to see Cayenne and the triplets, but Stefan told her to visit him in the office instead.


    Ding!


    The elevator opened and Julia stepped out. The first person she saw was a woman. She tried to recall the woman''s name, but nothing came to mind at all.


    "Hi. I''m Elena, one of the chairman''s assistants. He''s been waiting for you inside his office."


    [Oh! Elena. I remember now.] Julia thought while following behind the woman.


    Elena knocked on the door and when Stefan gave her permission to enter, she pressed her index finger on the biometric sensor for the door to open, but she didn''t get inside. She wanted to give them time to be alone and say whatever they wanted to say to each other. After all, Julia and Stefan once had a close rtionship.


    Julia went inside and ced the food carrier on the coffee table. "I really hoped to talk with your wife and apologize to her for everything," Julia said as she stood in front of Stefan. "Stefan, I''m sorry to you, too." Stefan watched his cousin without saying a word. He was unsure if she was just acting or not. "The thing that happened during my wedding, I haven''t apologized for that, too.


    I''m really sorry," she said while fiddling with her fingers in anxiety. "When I heard that you came with another woman and neglected Sabrina, I felt annoyed. I liked Sabrina a lot and I thought that you two were a good match. So, I acted on impulse. I''m sorry."


    Her eyes had turned red already from holding back her tears. She didn''t want to cry in front of his cousin at all even when her nose stung in pain.


    "I guess, I had my share of shorings, too," Stefan responded while putting down his pen on the desk. "I should have told you about Cayenne before going to your wedding and we could have avoided that awful episode. Anyway, it is already in the past. Let''s forget it."


    "But I''m not sure yet if your wife would forgive me, too."


    "Ayen is not a vengeful person," Stefan stated which was something he didn''t believe in his heart. [She won''t retaliate if the target was her, but when it was the people around her, Cayenne would never let the culprit go unscathed. She will do everything in her power to make the culprit pay.


    "Do you think I can visit her during working hours? I mean, she has a foundation here, right? She must be very busy."


    "Yes, she is busy, but she rarelyes to the foundation office because most of her work is done at home. She onlyes here to do some inspections."


    Julia nodded her head in understanding. "Alright. I will wait until she''s not busy anymore."


    Stefan just went along with Julia''s words. He was very reluctant to trust her. "What did you bring for her, by the way?"


    "Right! I almost forgot. Do you have a fridge here? I made a cake for her with Leonora''s help," Julia responded and even mentioned the chef''s name to disperse Stefan''s suspicions about the food she made. "Leonora said that it''s delicious, so I hope Cayenne would ept this."


    [She has done her assignment.] Stefan thought with a faint smile on his lips. "My wife loves sweets. I am sure she will be delighted. Give me a sec," then he called Elena toe over so she could get the dessert and ce it inside the refrigerator.


    "Does Cayenne like shopping?"


    "It depends. Ayen only shops when she really needed something but we always make a schedule for it since we''re both busy. Most of the time, the helpers at home and her vlogging team would buy the things for her."


    Julia pouted and sighed. "I wish my husband would allow me to work as well."


    Stefan heard about Julia''s princess-like life from his business partners in Italy. They said that Julia was not allowed to work because her husband didn''t want to see her getting stressed over something, but she was receiving a monthly allowance from him, in addition to the monthly profit she was getting from a small corporation.


    She was living a rich life even when she was not doing anything.


    [I really wish you are genuine this time, Julia. I cannot even imagine what I would do to you if you hurt my wife and my kids.]

 Chapter 874: AZIEL WAS BULLIED

    Since Julia wasn''t able to meet with Cayenne, she didn''t stay longer than intended. She left Stefan''s office while humming a song.


    As soon as she left, Stefan called Leonora to ask about the dessert. Thetter confirmed that she did help Julia in making it and she didn''t see anything else was put into the food.


    "I see. Thank you for keeping an eye on her. I was just worried that she used you which was the reason I called."


    "No worries, sir. I will be your eyes and ears in this mansion," Leonora whispered to make sure that no one would hear her. Stefan helped her family a lot after he hired her to be a chef in the family vi. There was no way in hell that she would ce her loyalty on someone else.


    "I''ll count on you for that," Stefan said before ending the call.


    He continued to work until 5:00 PM and left in a hurry to go home. He almost forgot about the cake if Elena didn''t remind him.


    Coming home after a long day of work, and seeing his family waiting for him, Stefan felt calm and happy. Instead of getting inside through the front door, he went to the back garden and got inside through the door with a disinfectant machine installed.


    In this way, he would be able to hold his kids even without taking a shower yet.


    "I''m home," he said and kissed his wife on the lips. "Did the kids give you a hard time?"


    Cayenne looked at the kids and the triplets stared back at her as if waiting to hear their mother''s response. "No, they didn''t," she said and the kids giggled before going back to their own world. Jahzara was ying with the rabbit flush toy with Aziel while the youngest stacked the shapes into a tower.


    They had been ying on their own while their mother worked on the side. They never caused her problems. "It''s good to know that or I would be writing another entry in my diary about their naughty behavior."


    Jahzara blinked her eyes and held her brother''s hand - worried. Zeki was nonchnt.


    After a few minutes, Stefan picked Zeki up and read a short story to him ¨C the financial crisis of Z Global Telmunication. The other two were not even listening to him. Theypletely ignored their father and their youngest brother.


    "The child won''t even understand that," Cayenne said when she heard the information that Stefan read to their child.


    "How do you know? I''ve got this feeling that Zeki is very smart."


    Cayenne rolled her eyes at Stefan. The kid was not even one year old and he was telling him about the financial crisis of whateverpany it was. "I still remember that we promised we won''t intervene with their choices once they grow up. Zeki might not even like the idea of managing the business."


    "I know and I haven''t forgotten the promise we made. Don''t worry, I won''t ever force him to take thepany if he doesn''t want to do it."


    After reading the financial news to Zeki, Stefan put him down and picked Aziel. Thetter had a shocked expression on his face which caused Stefan to burst into a fit ofughter. He could already tell that his second child hates what he just read to Zeki.


    To tease the kid even more, Stefan picked up his tablet and looked for another news. Aziel started to twist and turn in his arms. Stefan stifled hisughter while watching his son''s face turning grumpy and annoyed. "Alright. Let''s listen to the music. You love listening to the piano, right?"


    Sure enough, when Stefan started ying Mozart''s The Magic Flute, Aziel stopped moving. He looked around to find his father''s tablet which was the source of the sound.


    Cayenne saw her child''s interest in music, but she remained quiet.


    In truth, they could already see the potential of their children even when they weren''t even one year old and it was something that Cayenne was very proud of. At the same time, she knew that people''s interest in something would always change which was the reason that she didn''t want to create a path for the children.


    She wanted them to choose the path that they like and walk on it with them following behind to support them. Even when she wasn''t married yet, she always kept this in her mind that she would not choose the road for her children.


    As the song continued, Jahzara crawled toward Zeki and patted his right leg. He looked at his sister and gave her head a gentle pat as well.


    Cayenne noticed her children''s odd behavior and she took a video of them, wanting to record what the two kids were up to. Zeki pushed away the wooden blocks and other toys near him. As soon as he was done, Jahzara crawled closer and used her brother''s leg as a pillow.


    She slept.


    Cayenne was so stunned by what she saw that she didn''t move away her eyes from them. They were so cute and Zeki was such a reliable brother. He even made space for her since there were a lot of toys around them.


    "I love you, baby," Cayenne said and Zeki looked at her with a faint smile. "I love you so much."


    "Hon, did you forget that I am sitting right next to you?" Stefan blurted which made Aziel look toward his mother. "How could you dere your love for another man when I am right here?"


    Cayenne didn''t know whether tough or cry at her husband''s words. He sounded like she was cheating on him when she was just talking to their son. "I love you, more," Cayenne told him and hearing her answer, Stefan looked at his youngest child with a smug face.


    She felt helpless.


    Cayenne didn''t have any videos to upload into her ount today, but she felt like bragging about her cute children, so she uploaded the short video without editing a single thing.


    In an hour, the video went viral for two different reasons ¨C because of her cute children and because of her childish husband whose nonsense question got recorded, too.


    A lot of peoplemented withughing emoticons because of Stefan.


    She didn''t know his voice was recorded since she directly uploaded it without thinking about anything else.


    *


    MINI THEATER


    Stefan came home from work and kissed Cayenne as soon as he got inside. "Did the kids give you a hard time?" he asked and the triplets went on full alert as they looked at their mother.


    Zeki: "I''m always behaving properly. I guess I don''t have to worry."


    Jahzara: "Mom loves me, so she won''t allow Dad to scold me."


    Aziel: "Did I give her a hard time earlier?"


    Zeki and Jahzara: ??


    Aziel: "Oh, no."


    "No, they didn''t," Cayenne said and the kids giggled before going back to their own world. Jahzara was ying with the rabbit flush toy with Aziel while the youngest stacked the shapes into a tower.


    Jahzara: "You are safe."


    But the next thing their father said caused them another worry. "It''s good to know that or I would be writing another entry in my diary about their naughty behavior."


    Jahzara blinked her eyes and held her brother''s hand - worried. Zeki was nonchnt.


    Zeki: "Don''t give our mother a headache. You know that our father loves her the most."

 Chapter 875: LUIZ CAME WITH A SURPRISE

    The next day, Julia baked a chocte mousse cake for Cayenne, but she could only visit her foundation office because she was working there. It was part of the n to make sure that Julia won''t set foot into their home.


    On the third day, she made mixed-berries fruit tart for her. However, Cayenne was not working in her office or at home. She went to visit the Home for the Aged where Callum worked before. In the end, Julia could only give Stefan the tart that she made for Cayenne.


    On the fourth day, she made a lot of brownies with different fillings. She even shared with Tristan and Elena when she came to bring it to Stefan because Cayenne went to visit her stepfather with the kids.


    In fact, Julia knew the obvious fact that Stefan and Cayenne were testing her. She knew that they would not open up to her that easily after all the bad things that she caused. It was all fine to her. She didn''t take it against them because they got all the reasons to do so.


    On the fifth day, Julia didn''t send anything. Stefan thought that his cousin finally gave up. It turned out she was called to go back home to Italy. It had something to do with her business, so Cayenne and Stefan had peace for a little while.


    It was a lovely Sunday and with some of the bodyguards leaving the mansion to enjoy their day off, Cayennezed in bed with her husband.


    ording to Stefan, the children were several months old already and they should get used to the fact that their mother won''t have a lot of time for them.


    Cayenne having no time for children was actually untrue. The truth was, he was jealous of his children who were able to spend more time with their mother and he could spend time with his wife. It was obvious from the previous video that Cayenne took with the kids.


    Though, he never removed the monitoring system that he got someone to install in the nursery room. He wanted to make sure that the nannies were doing their job properly, and since they got two nannies to look after the kids, he got more time to cuddle with his wife.


    To him, cuddling with his wife was the best thing in the entire world. He felt safe with her. He felt calm and satisfied.


    "Do you have anything nned tonight?" Cayenne muttered with her head on his chest. "I want to hang out with you, but I have to attend an event tomorrow morning."


    "I have nothing nned for today. If you want, we can go fishing by theke. I''m sure Mom would be happy to look after the kids for us. We can have lunch at the cabin with the family."


    "Great!" Cayenne eximed and sat up straight. "I''ll go change my clothes to my sports attire. I''ll go outside and run with the dogs to start my day."


    "Cool. When you get back, I''m pretty much done cooking our breakfast."


    "Yay! Love you, hon," she said and gave his cheek a quick kiss. She happily ran to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. When she came out, Stefan was still on the bed, following her with his gaze. "Why are you looking at me?"


    "Nothing. I just... I went to sleep thinking of you and I saw your beautiful face the moment I opened my eyes. It''s... I... You know how blessed I am to have you, right?


    I just think you are the most incredible gift that I ever received in my life."


    Cayenne didn''t know what to say. She stood in the middle of their room with a red face. She couldn''t help herself from blushing because of his sweet words. Of course, she knew that her husband was the sweetest, but hearing this kind of thing from him would always give her butterflies.


    She grinned foolishly and walked toward him. "Well, you are the reason I always start my day with a smile," she said and even winked at him.


    Stefan chuckled at her retort. "And the kids."


    "Yeah. The kids."


    Both of them looked at each other andughed.


    "Go and wash up. We''ve got to make the most of our time now that we''ve got nothing scheduled today," Cayenne expressed before opening the door to their walk-in closet. "Why don''t we just run ap together and make breakfast together?"


    "Sounds good to me. Give me a sec."


    Instead of Cayenne running with the dogs, it became a couple running with the dogs.


    And instead of Stefan making breakfast alone, it became a couple making breakfast.


    They enjoyed their time together while doing simple things. After breakfast, they watched several vlogs that Cayenne have done so far and thought of something else that they could do next time.


    Thirty minutester, they both went upstairs to take a shower and did a little bit of lovemaking inside the shower room. The nned quick showersted for almost an hour.


    Noticing that the couple was taking a bit longer, one of the nannies decided to make the milk form for the kids.


    Supposedly, Cayenne and Stefan would feed the kids with their milk at 10:00 AM but mixing it and cooling it down would take a little while so, they needed toe down at 9:30 AM.


    Since they weren''ting, the nanny took the initiative to do it. They were nannies for a reason.


    When Cayenne came down and saw that the nannies were feeding the kids already, she was both relieved and embarrassed. She kept ring at her husband when he came down.


    Stefan, shameless as he was, just grinned at her and kissed the top of her head.


    "I''m so d we have nannies," he said and nannies could only smile meaningfully at his words. They were all adults and married. There was no way they weren''t able to understand the underlying meaning of his words.


    As he was teasing his wife about what happened, Luiz came inside cheerfully. "I''ve got a surprise for you, guys!" he said and all attention shifted to him. Even the kids looked toward their uncle who couldn''t seem to stop smiling.


    Cayenne looked at her brother up and down. He wasn''t holding anything, but he kept ncing at the door. "Did you bring someone with you?"


    "Uh-huh. You will be happy to see them."


    They all waited for the person toe inside, but instead of a single person, they saw two people walking hand in hand as they stepped into the mansion.


    "Chris!"

 Chapter 876: A WEDDING

    Cayenne ran toward Rissy and Chris and gave them both a hug. Luiz was right. She was really happy to see them.


    Over a year ago, Rissy went through a traumatic ordeal that caused her to withdraw from the world and everyone else around her. It was the most difficult time for her and her loved ones, especially Chris.


    Then, with the help of a doctor who was ironically part of Cayenne''s abductor, Rissy slowly got back on her feet. She epted her reality and went through several months of therapy. At the same time, Chris proposed to her just so he could take a short vacation with her before going back to work.


    Thest time she saw Rissy was during the children''s homing party. As for Chris, although he never forgot to send his gifts on important asions, they were only able to get in touch with him through a video call.


    "I''m so d you''vee to visit us," Cayenne expressed after hugging them. "When did you return?" she asked Chris since she knew that he was busy working on a mission this past year.


    "I returned to the base yesterday and I came here as soon as I could," Chris answered while following Cayenne to the living room so they could all have a seat. "


    "He was just so excited to see the children," Rissy said which totally exposed her fianc¨¦e.


    "Actually, we have another purpose foring here," Chris stated which made everyone look at him. Rissy was blushing next to him though. "We''re here to give you these," he said and from Rissy''s bag which he was holding, he took out several invitation cards.


    "Really? How did you get the time to n all this?" Stefan asked when he saw what Chris was talking about. It was an invitation card to their wedding. "You should have asked us for help."


    "Well, Riz didn''t want to inconvenience anyone and she liked to be hands-on to our very own wedding. It took a long-time of nning, but we were able to do it through video calls whenever possible."


    "Congrattions!" Cayenne said and gave Rissy another hug. "I am so happy for both of you. Expect us to be there even before the priestes."


    Rissyughed at Cayenne''s exaggerated response, but she knew that Cayenne meant what she just said.


    "Now that I have given the cards, can I see the triplets?" Chris blurted which caused Rissy to sigh. She wasn''t lying about Chris'' initial intention of visiting them. He really wanted to see the children the most.


    Seeing her excited expression, Stefan shook his head helplessly. "They just finished drinking their milk. How about you carry one of them and walk around?"


    "Cool!" Chris responded and went over to the children to pick up one of them. "I heard that you became a clean freak because of the triplets, so I sanitized myself before getting inside your house."


    "Yeah. I can still smell the faint scent of disinfectant alcohol on you," Stefan said with a faint smile. "I suggest that you hold Zeki. He is the most behaved among them. I bet you''d have a hard time with my princess because you are new to her eyes. Aziel won''t be a problem, but he''s picky with positions when being carried."


    "You''re making me doubt having children of my own," Chris whispered while looking at the kids. "Well, I guess raising three of them all together is difficult. You don''t think I''ll have triplets like you, right?"


    "That is one in a thousand chances, so you may or you may not," Stefanmented with a shrug of his shoulders. "Anyway, before you think of having kids, I suggest that you enjoy your life with your wife because your kids will steal her time away from you."


    "Yeah. I''ll take that suggestion seriously. After all, I saw from a video that someone questioned his wife''s love for him because of their kids."


    "That is certainly not me," Stefan denied with a straight face. It was obvious that he was jealous of his own kids, but he won''t just admit to it.


    A few minutester, after serving their guests some refreshments personally, Luiz went over to the kids and yed with Aziel while Stefan picked up the little princess.


    Meanwhile, Rissy and Cayenne chatted about the wedding. Thetter wanted to know what else she could do to help the couple with their wedding. After all, Chris worked for Stefan for a long time and he was also one of the reasons that Stefan seeded in pursuing his now-loving wife ¨C Cayenne.


    They talked about the bachelor''s party, the bridal shower as well as the honeymoon for the couple. Due to Chris'' special rank in the military service, he couldn''t take a long break unless he was on a special mission, so they decided to take a short honeymoon overseas and return home to process some documents and do other things that the couple listed as part of their marriage goals.


    "Give me a sec," Cayenne said and went upstairs to get something that Luna once brought for her. It was not really important because everyone can get it from any bookstore, but it was helpful, so Cayenne kept it.


    While waiting, Rissy went to Chris and held Zeki as well.


    The kids were familiar with her already since Luiz usually calls her to show the kids, but Riz knew that Luiz was just really checking on her well-being. All of her former students would call her whenever they could. She even found out that some of them got married already even though they were still young and she didn''t mind it.


    She still tried her best to offer guidance and sometimes, send them groceries or baby essentials.


    Rissy''s rtionship with her students was very rare among teachers and students nowadays. She was very lucky to have them and her students think the same.


    "This kid lives up to his name. I can tell that he is smart," Rissymented in a whisper. "You are smart, aren''t you?" she whispered again while touching the kid''s nose. Zeki smiled at her which stunned Luiz. The child rarely showed his emotions to someone else, but her smiled happily at Rissy.


    "I wish you''d be my nephews and niece''s teacher in the future. You would be able to teach them a lot," Luizmented which made Rissy smile. "Teacher Chan, are you not going to teach again?"

 Chapter 877: SOMEONES MISSING

    Cayenne and Stefan were nning to spend their day fishing at theke and just spend time with their loved ones. Since Chris and Rizzy came, they were both dragged to join the couple with their day off n.


    Cayenne quickly made some snacks while fishing with Rizzy''s help and Chris went to help Stefan find the fishing equipment.


    They were all busy when Ferdinand came down to get a breather from his room.


    Chris saw the old man when he went inside to get his phone from Rizzy''s bag. He only nodded his head to Ferdinand without saying anything. He still hadn''t forgotten the times when the old man turned Stefan''s life miserable.


    "You saw my grandpa," Stefan muttered while cing some fish baits inside the bucket next to him. "You don''t have to y nice if you don''t want to. You can just ignore him."


    "I did," Chris answered with no hesitations. "Don''t worry about me. I know how to be civil."


    Stefan just grinned and Chris mirrored him. At the end of the day, nothing could erase the fact that Chris was one of the people that Stefan trusted the most with his life.


    About fifteen minutester, with the bodyguards'' assistance, they all went to the cabin where Dr. Albert and Latticia live. Seeing her grandchildren visiting her, Latticia was overwhelmed with joy. She immediately took Zeki from the nanny and held him in her arms.


    "Do you want to look around? It''s your first time to see this ce, right?" Latticia asked the little boy and slowly walked to the balcony with Dr. Albert staying by her side. He had to make sure that she won''t trip, especially since she was holding a baby in her hand. "Look at that beautifulke. Would you believe that your father had it constructed?


    Isn''t he kind?"


    Zeki was just listening to his grandmother''s words and every time she smiled, he would reach out his little hands to touch her face.


    "Have a seat," Dr. Albert said and brought a rattan chair to her and a soft pillow to cushion her back. "You are not as strong as everyone else. You have to spend your stamina wisely if you want to keep holding that baby.


    "I know. I know. Stop nagging me."


    With Zeki nestling in his grandma''s arms, the nannies took care of the other two children while the adults went to go fishing.


    Not long after, some of the helpers came with lots of groceries to cook food for lunch.


    Nothing was special on this day, but Stefan and Cayenne loved to just celebrate and spend time with the family.


    "I called Dom to bring everyone here including my staff," Cayenne told Stefan after she finished setting up her fishing rod. "It''s nice to do things like this once in a while."


    "We can do this again," Stefan responded and gave her a light kiss on her forehead. "Go and do what you want. I will look after your equipment."


    Cayenne cheerfully left her fishing rod to Stefan and went to chat with Rizzy. When they left the mansion, she didn''t forget to bring the magazine that Luna showed her before.


    Rizzy was also interested in the magazine that Cayenne brought since thetter seemed really excited to open it. "Home design?" she inquired when she looked at the first page. "You''re not nning to buy us furniture, are you?"


    "Well, I was nning to if you like, but if you don''t want to, I won''t insist."


    "I really appreciate the thought," Rizzy said with a faint smile on her lips. "But Chris and I promised that we would buy the furniture together."


    "How about the appliances?"


    "I''m not really sure, but since it is a wedding, I think some people would gift us things, right? We will just buy the ones that we won''t get."


    Cayenne pouted and flipped to the next page. She really wanted to do something for the couple and the next page gave her an idea. "Can you let me design your living room, instead? Just the living room."


    "Why would you want to do that?"


    "To remind you that I am part of your life."


    Rizzy was astonished at Cayenne''s response. Others thought that giving gifts was such a hassle so they would sometimes just buy whatever they could find. However, Cayenne wanted to design something that would remind the couple about her. She was really an oddball.


    "Uh... I''ll tell Chris about it first. You should talk to Stefan about your n, too." Rizzy responded after some time. "That won''t be cheap, you know."


    "I know, but I don''t really mind. Stefan would surely support my idea as well. I''ll just have to work hard topensate for it."


    "That''s the point. Stefan would be upset if you work so much because of us."


    "Trust me, darling. He won''t."


    "Did you just call someone else ''darling''?" Stefan blurted out even when he was sitting a few meters from her. "How could you do that?"


    Rizzy chuckled awkwardly after bing the target of Stefan''s jealousy. She didn''t expect that he would get jealous of her. She was a woman! For Pete''s sake! [Oh! He even got jealous of his own children.


    Never mind this childish guy.] Rizzy thought andughed softly.


    Cayenne also rolled her eyes at him. "You, jealous freak, stop listening to our conversation. Focus on catching the fish. We need lots of them."


    "Aye! Aye! Captain!" Stefan said and went back to fishing.


    "I thought everything was just a rumor," Chris muttered beside Stefan. "It seems like you have really be a jealous freak."


    "My wife knows me best, so there''s no need to worry about me being jealous."


    Chris didn''t know what to say at this point. He heard from so many people that a man could be very childish in front of his wife, and today was Chris'' first time watching it in person. He can''t help himself but smile. "I''m so happy for you."


    After half an hour, the four of them showed their buckets to each other and they saw that Cayenne caught a lot. Without saying a single word, they all knew what happened. How could she catch a lot of milkfish and big tpias when she was just chatting with Rizzy most of the time?


    Everyone who knew the truth could only smile helplessly at the wife-doting husband. They saw him put most of his catch into Cayenne''s bucket and pretended like nothing happened. Stefan was probably the only one who thought of doing this to show off his love.


    They could only sigh.


    With all their catch, they went back to the cabin and told the helpers to cook the fish however they wanted. Kyle came with Jonas and they decided to help as well. Jonas was a good cook and so was Kyle. It was time for them to show off their cooking skills.


    When Stanley came with the whole Sugo family, he helped to cook as well.


    In the end, the gathering became a cooking show.


    Amidst theughter and chatter, eating and drinking, Cayenne noticed that someone was missing. She looked around to see if she just missed her among the crowd, but she looked everywhere already and Addie was not really around.


    "Where''s Addie?" Cayenne asked Zaire who was eating with the rest of her staff and Luiz. "I haven''t seen her. Her husband didn''t do anything absurd again, did her?"


    Her staff looked at each other and pondered whether to tell Cayenne the truth or not. Addie told them to not say anything about her current condition.


    "She''s going through something, isn''t she?"


    Callum slowly nodded his head in response. "Sorry, Miss Yen. Addie didn''t want us to tell you because you would be worried again. She just went to the hospital for a checkup. Collins went with her."

 Chapter 878: [Bonus chapter] JULIAS BACK

    At Senyu Medical Hospital, Addie was lying on her bed with an IV drip connected to the back of her hand. Collins, the bodyguard assigned to her, was sitting on a chair next to her bed while reading a romance novel. It was the book that Cree suggested for him to read if he wanted to win Addie''s heart.


    From time to time, he would nce at the sleeping woman in front of him.


    Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.


    Collins felt the vibration sound of his phone inside his pocket, so he went out for a moment to answer the caller. He wasn''t surprised anymore when he saw Cayenne''s name on the screen.


    "Good afternoon, Miss Yen," Collins greeted before stealing another nce from Addie through the small nce window. He knew exactly why Cayenne was calling him.


    "Is she alright?" Cayenne asked without beating around the bush. "What happened to her?"


    "ording to the doctor, she''s going to be fine. I don''t know what exactly happened since she was fine these past few days, but she suddenly caught a fever this morning."


    "Is it really just a fever?"


    "That was the observation of the doctor when I brought her here."


    "O-okay. Let me know once she gets discharged. Tell her to take ample rest, and you take care of yourself, too,"


    "Yes, Miss Yen."


    When the call ended, Cayenne sighed. She felt sad for Addie.


    The woman went through a lot of horrible things because of her love, and thinking about it right now pissed her off. [God forbid me from seeing that scumbag or I might do something unforgivable. I hate him to the deepest marrow of my bones. Why did you even bring that man into Addie''s life if they weren''t meant to be in the first ce?] Cayenne questioned mentally in annoyance.


    Inside the cabin, Stefan noticed that his wife was upset. He could tell from the tiny gestures she made, like clenching her fists.


    Instead of approaching which would alert everyone that she was feeling unhappy, Stefan pulled out his phone and sent her a message instead. [Tell me who upsets you.]


    Cayenne''s phone was vibrating in her hand and when she saw the message notification, she immediately looked back and found her husband looking at her.


    She shrugged her shoulder and went back inside instead of texting him her reply. "I''m fine now," she whispered to him in passing and went directly to Rizzy and Jessie who were ying with the children with the help of the nannies.


    At 2:00 PM, Cayenne went back to the mansion with the nannies since the kids were getting sleepy. Others also went back to watch a movie in the theater room.


    Their gathering ended around 5:00 PM and one after another, their family and friends left the mansion. Cayenne reminded Rizzy about the living room design that she wanted to make for the couple.


    While she watched the couple leave, her phone started ringing, but and the name on the screen surprised her a little.


    Because of Stefan''s friendship with the Madrigal family, and because of Jillyanna''s friendship with Eli, their circle of friends got connected to one another and she ended up having several contact numbers from the Rivera family.


    The one calling her right now was Lilia Rivera. She was Eli''s auntie-inw.


    Wondering what the woman called her for, Cayenne answered the phone.


    "Yen, can you tell me what you know about your bodyguard Niki Sloan?" Lilia asked as soon as Cayenne picked up her call.


    Cayenne had no idea what the request was for, but knowing that the Rivera family was close to Jillyanna, she told Lilia everything she knew about Niki.


    *


    Three weekster, Julia came back and the first ce she visited the moment she stepped into the city was Stefan''spany. She brought a lot of souvenirs for Cayenne and the kids. She knew very well that Stefan would rather see his wife and kids receive gifts instead of getting gifts himself.


    At the same time, she had another purpose foring over and she nned to get it done no matter what happens. In fact, she was overqualified for the position.


    "You want to work as the foundation''s manager? You want to take Kyle''s position?" Stefan asked after hearing his cousin''s thoughts.


    "You make me sound horrible. He is leaving the foundation because of his profession, right? Besides, you guys made a post about it. Am I not allowed to apply?"


    "No. People would think that we are not giving them any chance if you apply. Cayenne wants to help those people in need and with talent. You are not in need of money. You are abundant with it. Why would you want to work for her?


    Aside from that, don''t you have your own business? Why don''t you manage that yourself?"


    Julia crossed her arms and slumped on the couch. "I wanted to live here in the city. My husband and I nned to sell our house in Tuscany. I want to be where my family lives."


    "Then, what does that have to do with the hiring post?"


    "I want to do something as well. I don''t want my husband to do everything and I felt bored when I stayed at home."


    Stefan finally closed hisputer and faces his cousin. He sped his hands together and looked into her eyes. "I cannot open doors for you. Kyle worked for free to help his sister and now that the foundation is stable, Cayenne wants to hire people who needed her help. If you want to do something, why not make your own business in the city?"


    "So, I cannot really apply for that position?"


    "No, you can''t. I''m telling you not to do anything. Applicants will think we''re just hiring for a show because you are there and they would think that you are practically hired because of our rtionship. I don''t want my wife to have a hard time."


    Julia took a deep breath and sighed. She gave up. Now it was proven to her that Stefan got even more stubborn after getting married. "Fine. I won''t apply, but can I visit her and help from time to time, just so I could find something to do when I''m bored."


    "I''ll let her know," Stefan said while thinking of a n to safely refuse Julia''s offer. He can''t risk his wife''s life by letting Julia get close to her. He wasn''t sure yet if his cousin could be trusted. [I''ll pay my dearest auntie a visit tomorrow.] Stefan thought while opening hisptop once again. "If you have nothing else to say, I will continue with my work."


    "Alright. I need to go back home as well. Send my regards to the triplets."


    "Will do."


    Julia came out of the office happily and went over to Elena''s cubicle. "Hi, Elena. I brought some souvenirs from Italy. The red bag is yours and the ck one is for your boyfriend. I hope you will like it. Thank you for always helping cousin.


    Bye!"


    Elena sat on her chair gawking at the woman who just left like the wind. Julia talked so fast and before she could retort, she was already gone. [What is she trying to do? She''s not bribing me, right?]

 Chapter 879: LITTLE THINGS MATTER

    The next day, Cayenne went to her foundation office to facilitate the hiring process. She was in need of two managers and five other staff who could help at the warehouse, so she wanted to oversee everyone''s qualifications.


    At 9:00 AM when Cayenne was having a short break, Stefan dropped by to check on her before leaving thepany to meet with several clients. He also nned to visit Celestine before going back to thepany and having lunch with Cayenne. He had everything scheduled to make sure that he won''t forget anything.


    While he was busy thinking about how to keep his wife safe, Cayenne received another malicious link. Seeing the face of the woman who was almost identical to her, Cayenne wanted to smash her phone.


    "Yenyen?" Kyle called out to his sister and ced his hand on top of her clenched fist. "Are you alright? What''s bothering you?"


    "Some malicious people kept dragging me down with someone. I''m not sure if the other party was innocent in this matter, but I''ve got to settle this as soon as I can before Stefan finds out the truth."


    "Did you ask Tristan to investigate this matter already?"


    "I did and I warned them several times to make them stop. I don''t understand why they''re doing this to me. I mean, they should be aware of Stefan''s temper, right?"


    Cayenne''s words made Kyle think of other possibilities, too. It was indeed a mind-boggling situation knowing that Stefan would not tolerate people who hurt and degrade his wife. "Do you need help to settle this matter? I can go along with you."


    "I''ll have Tristan contact the other woman and see if she received benefits from what is happening."


    "So, what exactly are we dealing with here?" Cayenne opened her phone once again and showed the post to her brother. "Jesus! Yen! Are you sure you don''t have a twin sister?" Kyle blurted out which caught the attention of other staff members.


    Even Jackson looked at them with a raised brow.


    The only one who knew what the siblings were talking about was Niki. He was standing behind Cayenne all the time, so he was able to see messages and whatnot on his phone. It wasn''t like he would tell anyone about it, so Cayenne didn''t mind Niki''s presence at all.


    Cayenne shrugged her shoulder at her brother''s reaction. Tristan and his friends were able to stop the tags from appearing on Stefan''s ount since he rarely went online. I''m afraid that someone around him, unaware of the whole situation, would identally tell him about this matter."


    "Then, I suggest that you tell him now. Your husband would surely blow his top if he learns about this. I mean... God, it''s sickening to see your face on that site."


    "But nothing happened yet. We might be able to solve this on our own before he finds out."


    Kyle held his sister''s shoulder and gave her a gentle shake to wake her up and see the reality in front of her right now. "Sis, you''ve got to trust. You should tell your husband about it so he could prepare himself for the worse. Hearing it from someone else might give him a heart attack."


    "Oh. You are right."


    "Of course, I am. I hope when I get married, I won''t be dumb like you," Kyle added which caused his sister to pout. "Alright. Stop acting cute and do your part. I''ll be here to support you."


    "Why don''t we call him after his meeting? I don''t want him to be distracted."


    "When would that be?"


    "ording to the schedule that Elena sent me, the meeting should be done at 10;30 AM."


    "It''s your choice to make."


    "Cool. 10:30 it is."


    They all resumed their job hiring process and interviewed five people in groups. Cayenne tried her best to forget about her issue while doing the best she could to find the people who were fit to be part of her life mission ¨C to help others.


    Meanwhile, at Golden Pce Restaurant, Stefan was sitting inside a private booth with five different reporters. Unlike those people whose tagged posts got blocked by Tristan and otherwork hackers, the reports in front of him were people who directly called him on the phone.


    They weren''t beating around the bush like those other media reporters but were very direct to the point. They told Stefan their concern and asked if he was willing to meet with them and discuss the findings of their research.


    That was what brought them to this meeting.


    The only woman with them was Elena who was responsible for viewing the links because Stefan didn''t want to pollute his eyes and mind with memories that don''t belong to his wife.


    "Tsk! It was just this one angle. Are people blind?" Elena said when she opened one of the links from the reporter''sptop. While Stefan was not looking at them, she red at the reporters and they understood what she meant by those deadly stares.


    "That was the reason why we are concerned about this matter," one of the reporters said while clicking on other links without ying the video. He also made sure that hisptop was on mute. "These malicious people are using Mrs. Dumrique to make hype for such a thing."


    "That is true," echoed another man. "I asked someone to trace the IP addresses of these people and it turned out that some of them were... uhm, the partners. Let''s just put it that way. So, the partners were making hype using this one angle of the woman''s picture, but she was nowhere close to Mrs. Dumrique."


    "Did you investigate if this woman went through stic surgery and intentionally used my wife''s face?" Stefan asked what concerned him the most.


    "She never went through stic surgery, Mr. Dumrique. We investigated her profiles when she was young and brought it to different well-known dermatologists, and they all testified that this woman had this natural face since she was young."


    "Did she receive any benefits from this matter?" Elena inquired since Stefan turned quiet beside her.


    "Well, ording to what we found, this woman stopped doing p*rn. I mean, this kind of business. The website didn''t have anything new from her for over a year now, and it was just recently that people started using this clickbait."


    Elena turned to Stefan to see if he wanted to know something else. Being the only woman, she felt really ufortable talking about this matter. She knew that it was normal for other people to watch this kind of thing, but it was still different when you talk about it with someone and the subject looked so simr to your boss''s wife.


    It was very awkward on her part.


    "Mr. Dumrique, the woman doesn''t look like your wife. You don''t have to worry. We can even sue those people who tried to smear the madam''s reputation," said another reporter who gained the approval of everyone. "Rest assured that we''ve got your back. Before other vultures take this opportunity to attack, we can strike first and prevent them from saying anything.


    Stefan finally nodded his head and stood up. "Thank you so much for helping me. I will have mywyer cooperate with you and rest assured, you will bepensated for all your time and effort spent. You can have your lunch here. It''s on me, but I will have to leave first for another important matter."


    "Thank you and take good care, Mr. Dumrique," the reporters said and bowed their heads at the same time to the man,


    The moment Stefan stepped out of the booth, the reporters looked at each other and sighed. "We did the right thing," said one of them, and the others nodded in agreement.


    "It''s not a big deal for us, but for a husband who loved his wife more than anyone else and anything else in the world; little things still matter."

 Chapter 880: WENT VIRAL

    Cayenne checked the time on her watch from time to time. She already prepared everything to resolve this matter on her own and Tristan promised toe with her. She didn''t have anything to worry about except her husband.


    As they continued to interview the applicants, the stack of folders in front of Cayenne increased. These were the portfolio of those applicants who had higher chances of getting hired.


    "It seemed to me that the line is getting longer," Jacksonmented when he came back from getting a cup of coffee. He also brought a bottle of water for the rest of the interviewers except for Cayenne who brought her own customized tumbler with her favorite milkshake inside it. Jackson remembered it was matching to the tumbler that Stefan was holding earlier.


    [He was the first CEO I know who brings a cute tumbler to work. It doesn''t match his image.] Jackson thought while controlling his facial expression.


    "We only need a few people but there are so many applicants," Kyle said next to his sister.


    "That''s fine. This is just the first screening," Cayenne said which everyone agreed. "The people who pass this interview will go through another screening. Don''t worry."


    Outside the recruitment room, hundreds of people lined up for the job. Since it was taking a while, Cayenned told one of her staff to prepare chocte bars and ced it outside the room. She thought it might help the applicants get some boost of energy.


    They could also get free coffee, milk, or juice if they wanted to. There were sandwiches as well if one wanted to eat. They could even heat it if they like. Based on her experience as someone who applied to different kinds of jobs, some applicants don''t even have money for food. She wanted to help as much as she could.


    This hospitality for a job interview went viral in a few minutes after one of the applicants posted a video of the long line of people waiting for their turn to get interviewed while others made coffee, ate sandwiches, unwrapped their choctes, and just sat therefortably as if they weren''t looking for work.


    Among all the big shots in the industry, only Cayenne thought of doing such a thing, and to think that she was only managing a charity foundation. It wasn''t even a business where she could get some profit, but she was doing really well.


    SkinWhite123: "Who said that Cayenne has a bad personality? Those who kept bashing her, did you even try to help others like her?"


    Aqualover; "Mrs. Dumrique came from a humble family and she knew how tiring it is to look for a job. That is why she''s doing this. She empathizes with these people."


    Riley_Season (verified): "You always think of others before yourself which is why your husband would only think of you. Hehe. I''m so proud of you Yenyen."


    Denied_his_Ending: "I always thought that she was just using her husband''s fame, but now that I think about it, she did nothing but help others who needed help. I''m a fan of her now."


    Employee 1: "That''s ourdy boss. Those who get hired will be so lucky."


    Employee 2: "Only a woman like our madam deserves our chairman."


    Amidst all this, Cayenne was just doing work. She had no clue that people were talking about her and she got more followers and subscribers on her social media ounts.


    The interview went on, but around 10:20 AM, Cayenne took a short break to call Stefan. The phone kept ringing but her husband didn''t answer her at all. She tried it again and again, but Stefan didn''t pick up her call even once. So, she tried calling Elena who should be with him at the moment.


    "Don''t answer," Stefan said when Elena told him that Cayenne was calling her. "Let her worry for a minute since she kept this matter from me."


    Elena sighed helplessly and ignored the phone call. If Cayenne gets upsetter, she will tattletale him to her boss to her. [I''m not the one who wanted to ignore her, alright?] She thought while feeling a little guilty.


    On the other hand, Cayenne was getting worried. This was the first time that this ever happened to her ¨C Stefan not answering her call. No matter where he was, who he was with, and what he was doing; whenever she calls him, he would answer her or if she was texting him, he would reply to her.


    "Why are they not answering my call?" Cayenne muttered while looking at the numbers on her screen. Left with no other choice, she went out to look for Tristan in his office. She wanted to see with her own eyes where her husband was. "I''ll be right back," she said and left in a hurry.


    She didn''t care about her image at all and just ran as fast as she could to the elevator area.


    Floor 1... Floor ¡­ 3... 4... 5


    Ding!


    Cayenne stood there in surprise. As soon as the elevator opened, Stefan came out and hugged her tightly. She didn''t know what was wrong with him, but she wrapped her arms around his waist and returned the hug.


    "Wifey."


    "Hn?"


    "I''m upset."


    Somehow, Cayenne got a bad feeling about his words. She knew a certain someone who could upset her husband ¨C herself. "Uhh... what did I do this time that upsets you?"


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t know that - "


    "So, you knew that you did something to upset me,"


    Cayenne lost to him. Her guilty conscience loses to him. [There''s something about Rey that I''m keeping from him and the p*rn actress who looked like me. Which of these is he talking about?] Cayenne asked herself while looking at Elena behind Stefan to ask for help.


    Stefan pulled away from his wife and narrowed his gaze at her. "Why are you not answering?"


    "Uh... I knew I ¡­ can we talk somewhere else?" Cayenne said after hesitating for a long time. She needed toe clean to him right now or she would upset him even more.


    Meanwhile, the applicants who were watching on the sideline felt like they were watching a K-drama or a C-drama. They were only missing the popcorn.

 Chapter 881: REYS WARNING

    Since they were on the fifth floor, Cayenne brought Stefan to her office instead. Niki and Elena were standing outside the room while waiting for the couple to finish their discussion.


    To make it up to him for keeping secrets, Cayenne pulled her husband to the couch and cuddled with him. It was the least she could do right now to appease him.


    "Let''s start with the actress," Cayenne said and Stefan raised his eyebrow. Putting her words that way, he could sense that there was something he failed to discover. "You must have heard about her from someone else. I don''t know what they said, but that woman didn''t have to do with all of these sh*ts happening to me."


    "Did you just curse?"


    "Can''t I?"


    "Don''t do that in front of the children," Stefan said and hugged her. "So, you knew about it. Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "I''m worried that you would do something reckless again. I know that you care about me, but I also feel that you should not do everything for me. You have other important things to do, and all I''m doing is cause a mess and let you clean it."


    "Let''s get something straight," Stefan said and cupped her face to make her look at him. "You are the most important person to me in the world. Everything else came second. You are my priority and I promised that in front of the whole world. No matter how small things are, I would handle it."


    "That means not letting me grow," Cayenne retorted which stunned Stefan for a while. "Hon, I know you care for me and I really appreciate that. However, I also want to stand on my own... uhm, fight my own battles and if I can''t win such a fight, I would certainly look for you to help me handle it. At least, you must let me try."


    "So, you wanted to resolve this matter on your own? What were your ns? Let me hear it. Let''s pretend that I didn''t know about it yet."


    Cayenne smiled and held his hands. "First, I nned to meet with the woman. Kyle and Tristan would be there to apany me together with the bodyguards. I heard that she already stopped her work, so if proven that she had no idea about what happened and she didn''t receive any benefits from it, I will let her go."


    "How do you n to determine that?"


    "I have Tristan with me, right?"


    "Then?"


    "After that, I will ask Atty. Sandford to write love letters to those people who kept tagging me on their malicious posts."


    Hearing her words, Stefan couldn''t stop his chuckles froming out. "Love letter, huh? They would be scared silly with your love letter."


    "It''s their fault for tagging me with those things," she said and pounced on him for another hug. "My n was great, right?"


    "Cruel, but great," Stefan said to indulge her. "What about the other thing that you wanted to tell me?"


    "It''s about Rey."


    *


    At the Dumrique family vi, Julia was humming a song while looking for another dessert recipe. She knew that Cayenne would be holding the job interview today, so she nned toe over and bring some sweets to her and her staff. She wanted to show to the public that they were getting along.


    "You seemed very happy," Celestinemented while taking a nce at the recipe book in front of her daughter. "You''ve been making a lot of dessertstely. Did you give all of them to Cayenne?"


    Julia looked at her mother and faintly smiled. "Yes, I did. Though, I only bring things to Stefan''spany then he will bring the food home for her."


    "You''ve never seen her?"


    "I will see her today," Julia said which wasn''t the answer that Celestine was looking for. With Julia''s attention on the book, Celestine looked at the things on the table. "Send my regards to her. Oh! Let me know once you leave the house. I have something I want you to bring for her."


    "Cool."


    After taking a small cup of ice cream, Celestine reluctantly left the kitchen. "Elliot!" she called out and the man showed up right away. "Monitor my daughter properly. I don''t want her to do stupid things to Stefan and his wife," Celestine whispered and the man nodded his head. "Good. I''ll be inside my room.


    Tell me if you find something suspicious."


    Julia was aware that everyone was suspicious of her, but she didn''t care. She only needed to do what she wanted to do. She knew that her n would pay off.


    Back inside the monitoring room, Elliot focused his attention on Julia. He watched every move of hers and noted everything that she put on the desserts she was making.


    A few minutester, his phone rang and he saw an unknown number shing on the screen. "This is Elliot," he said right after answering the call.


    The other person on the line wasughing happily and from the sound of hisughter, Elliot could tell who it was ¨C Rey the madman.


    Rey was someone who would fight to death for the people he cares about. He was someone that everyone from their previous organization avoided at all costs. Few gained his trust and support. Truly, Stefan Dumrique was lucky to have this man on his side.


    "You''re as rigid as ever, Elliot," Reymented after a shortughing moment.


    "You haven''t changed either," Elliot responded emotionlessly. "What do you want from me?"


    "Nothing difficult, actually. I just want to know how far can you go for Celestine."


    Elliot closed her eyes as he took a deep breath to calm himself. "Rey, I''m doing the best I can to stop them from hurting Cayenne and the kids. Don''t do anything to Celestine. She even stopped going out to stay away from everyone."


    "I heard Julia has been approaching my bosstely,"


    "She''s only trying to reconcile with them. I assure you that her every move is deeply recorded in my mind."


    "Oh, you better be. You don''t want me to crack your skull and take out your brain and see if it everything was really recorded, right?"


    Elliot shivered. If there was anyone he trusted and feared at the same time in this world, it was Rey ¨C his previous partner. "You have my word. I''ll stop Julia from getting any silly ideas toward Cayenne and her loved ones."


    "I appreciate your help, Elliot. I know I could count on you," Rey expressed before ending the call.


    [Count my ass.] Elliot thought while trying his best to control himself not to throw his phone on the wall.


    At Peach Wood Subdivision, Rey chuckled while keeping away the pictures he got from Tristan. It really surprised him to know that Elliot wasn''t just Celestine''s employee. He was her lover and the person responsible for killing her legal husband.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Rey instantly locked the drawer where he kept some valuable information before opening the door. Stanley was standing outside the bodyguards'' quarter. "Do you need my help?"


    "Yes, Rey. Can you help me bring the boxes to the car? Dominic hasn''te home yet, but I wanted to finish packing as soon as I could."


    "Sure. I just remembered you are moving to your new house today, right?"


    "Hn. Jessie and I nned to live there starting today. I will be helping her with some of her thingster, too."


    "Good luck to you. You deserve to be happy, man."


    "Thank you."


    Rey went out to help Stanley as if he was not threatening someone just a few minutes ago. When wearing ordinary clothes, he looked like those kind uncles out there who would always offer a helping hand. No traces of cruelty can be seen on his face.

 Chapter 882: UNTITLED

    Before their lunch break, Cayenne went back to the recruitment room to let everyone know that they should take a break. The long line wasn''t that long anymore since most of the applicants finished their interviews and left already.


    "Kyle, can you tell the rest of my employees to meet with us downstairs? We''ll have lunch together with everyone. My husband''s treat," Cayenne said and winked.


    "You''ve got to pay me back tonight," Stefan whispered, but Cayenne only grinned. She had no n to pay him back tonight. He could tell.


    "I''ll go and tell the applicants to go and have lunch as well," Jackson said and stood up to leave the room. In truth, he was just trying to get away from getting stuffed with the couple''s sweetness. "Everyone," Jackson called out while pping his hands to get the applicants'' attention. "The interviewers will take a break for an hour, so we will resume the interview at 1:00 PM.


    You can all go and take your lunch first."


    Applicant 1: "Sir Jackson, can we just stay here if we won''t eat lunch? I''m so full from eating the sandwiches already."


    Applicant 2: "And so am I. I was so nervous I kept eating choctes and drinking coffee. I don''t have space for lunch anymore."


    Jackson chuckled at their responses, but he nodded his head in understanding. "Okay. You may wait here since it''s also very hot outside."


    "Thank you, sir." said the employees who were happy to stay inside because of the freaking hot sun outside.


    [I''d be full if I kept eating those sandwiches, too.] Jackson thought when he recalled eating one of the sandwiches earlier. He wasn''t sure if all the sandwiches were the same, but what he got had cheese, ham, lettuce, cucumber, egg, mayo, and ketchup. It wasvish. [Good thing I didn''t keep eating those or I''d be so stuffed I won''t have any space for an even more extravagant lunch.]


    Although he was earning quite a lot, Jackson still loved free food.


    Cayenne chose a Korean restaurant to have lunch this time. It was an all-you-can-eat restaurant where they could even have ''Samgyeopsal'' on their table. When she went inside with so many people following her, the restaurant manager was shocked.


    "Are you all together?" asked the manager when she saw thenyard that the employees wore. "I suggest you take the second floor," she said.


    "Thank you. That would be great," Cayenne said and followed the manager upstairs. She didn''t expect that the manager would personally look after them.


    "I''d like to share the same table as sir Kyle," said one of the employees when they arrived on the second floor. "It will be hisst day with us, so... you know... I just want to see his handsome face while eating."


    Everyoneughed at the woman''s statement. Cayenne was even shaking her head.


    "Hey! The boys want to be with sir Kyle, too," said another employee and they all erupted inughter once again.


    In the end, the manager told some of the waiters to move the chairs and tables closer so the employees could stay close to Kyle.


    Cayenne was left dumbfounded, but she was happy that the manager was able to find a way immediately. When she looked around to start the headcount, she was even more surprised. It turned out, they upied the whole second floor.


    "Wait! Where''s Elena and Tristan?" Cayenne asked when she didn''t see the two secretaries.


    "They''re on the first floor. They wanted to feel like they''re on a lunch date," said another employee. "I wish I''d find someone to have a lunch date, too."


    "We will pray that for you," Kyle responded and the employee batted her eyshes like those cartoon princesses they saw on TV. Her action made the othersugh.


    They had so much fun together even when the CEO and thedy boss were joining them. There was no invisible wall of their social status and Cayenne was even joking with them.


    "Hold on," one of the female staff said and then she turned to Stefan. "We have heard a lot of rumors about our beloved chairman and his kids, right? Why don''t we ask him about parenting this time?"


    "Don''t ask him," Kyle said which caught everyone''s attention. "You will be stuffed with overloading sweetness for his wife."


    "Uh... we''re talking about his kids," retorted the employee.


    "He takes care of the kids because he didn''t want his wife to get tired," Kyle responded and they all looked toward Stefan who remained silent while feeding his wife. "See? In his eyes, only his wife exists."


    The employees finally nodded their heads and diverted their topic to something else. They talked about Kyle''s new work and the school where he will be teaching. Some of the employees even joked that they will send their younger siblings to where Kyle would be teaching so they could still see him.


    "By the way, Sir Kyle, when will Ms. Kath return home? It''s been a long time since west saw her."


    "She will be back next week, but she will be very busy by then because of her work. I''ll bring her over next time before leaving the office."


    Ten minutes before 1:00 PM, they all decided to finish up and return to their work. Using Stefan''s card, Cayenne paid for everyone''s food before returning to thepany, but Stefan didn''t go upstairs with her.


    "Are you going somewhere?" she asked while standing in the middle of the lobby.


    "I''m going to visit Celestine. I promised you, didn''t I?"


    "Will you be okay?"


    "Of course, I will. As long as you are safe and happy, I will always be okay."


    "You know that''s not what I meant."


    Stefan held his wife''s hands and kissed her knuckles. "Don''t worry. I have Elena with me and I''m bringing some bodyguards, too. For now, I think Celestine won''t do anything yet. I''m sure she would stay low while waiting for an opportunity. At the same time, if what Tristan discovered was really true, I don''t have to worry about the man named Elliot."


    "Alright. I trust you. How did you gain Rey''s loyalty, by the way?"


    Stefan looked left and right, and seeing that no one was standing close to them aside from the bodyguards, he leaned closer and whispered, "I told him he could punish the bad guys and I will cover his ass."

 Chapter 883: STEFANS VISIT

    At the mansion, Julia received a message saying that Stefan would being over to their house. She immediately changed her clothes, put on a mask and a cap, and left the mansion.


    "Where are you going?!" shouted Celestine from the balcony of her room when she noticed her daughter leaving the house without saying a single word to her. "I thought you''d be going to your cousin''spany to visit his wife?"


    "I need to buy something. I''ll be right back."


    Celestine raised her brow, wondering what her daughter was up to when she could have asked the helpers to get whatever she needed. Then, once again, she gave her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she just really wanted to get something of her choice or maybe she just wanted to go out. Celestine could only think of these possibilities while watching her daughter run outside.


    A few minutester, Stefan came with Elena and his bodyguards. The butler greeted him as soon as he came and brought some refreshments for him to eat.


    "Can you get my auntie for me?" Stefan said and the butler obeyed his orders right away. He went upstairs and knocked on Celestine''s room.


    "Madam, the young master wanted to talk to you. He''s in the living room," the butlers said without waiting for Celestine to open the door.


    "I''ll be right there. Just give me a few seconds." Celestine changed her clothes since she didn''t look presentable. She didn''t want her nephew to think that she was poor. A few minutester, she came down to face her nephew with Elliot following closely behind her. "I didn''t expect you''d visit us."


    "My wife told me so," Stefan retorted without batting an eyelid. "I heard that you and Julia nned to stay here for good."


    "Yes. We did talk about that. I''m currently working on some documents to properly sell my properties in Italy and move back here."


    "That sounds like a good n. I''m sure Grandpa would be happy to hear that. I''ll tell him toe and visit you as well."


    Celestine nodded her head in response. "I''d be happy to see him, but I''m not really sure if Dad would be happy to see me. Anyway, I''m already d that you chose to have a bigger heart and ept me and my daughter again."


    "Well, as long as you are all genuine in making it up to us, I won''t deny you from staying here."


    "O-of course. Of course, we are being genuine this time. I really hope that we would be close again. Even if we''re not close, I just hope that we won''t be strangers."


    Stefan didn''t say anything in response. He looked around the house and found that there were more cameras installed around the house than they had thest time he visited the ce.


    Then, his gazended on the man standing behind Celestine. "Is he some sort of a butler? Should I take Wesley back home with me?"


    His words received different reactions from the three involved people. Elliot looked poker face like he usually wore when facing people other than Celestine. On the other hand, the woman felt a little nervous. She had no idea what Stefan knew about Elliot and it worried her that the man will be used against her.


    In contrast, Wesley, the butler, was trying his best to stop himself from smiling. He was delighted that the young master wanted to bring him home, but it was not a guarantee yet since Stefan needed someone to keep an eye on the mother-and-daughter pair.


    Elliot stepped forward and bowed his head in front of Stefan. "Young master of the Dumrique family, I am Elliot Orlov Golubev. I am not a butler but a personal bodyguard."


    "Oh. I see. It was my mistake, then. You seemed like a capable butler to me."


    "Thank you for your high praise," Elliot said and bowed his head once again before stepping back to stand behind Celestine.


    "Alright. Don''t scare my bodyguard," Celestine joked before picking up her phone to check if Julia left her a message. "Why have youe to visit by the way? I''m sure you are not just here to chat with me."


    "I came to get some of Alexander''s things and thought I might just chat with you for a little bit. Where''s Julia by the way?"


    "She said she would buy something. Why don''t you wait for a bit? She was preparing something for Cayenne and her employees."


    "Sorry, but I can''t. I still need to go somewhereter," Stefan said as he stood up and walked upstairs. "I can leave one of my bodyguards for her. He can drive her to the office and help her bring those fancy snacks to my wife."


    "O-okay," Celestine answered without even trying to refuse the offer. She just watched Stefan go to Alexander''s room and retrieve a box before leaving the house.


    A few minutester, Julia returned home with so many strawberries and mangoes. She happily went inside thinking that Stefan was still around since his bodyguard was standing on the porch. "Where''s Stefan?" she asked her mother who was still in the living room.


    "He just left."


    "He left? What is his bodyguard doing outside? Guarding us?"


    "No. Don''t get the wrong idea. He''s waiting for you. Stefan said that the bodyguard will drive you to thepany and help you bring the snacks to Cayenne and her staff."


    Julia raised her eyebrow at this unexpected situation. Nheless, she continued to prepare the snacks that she wanted to give to Cayenne.


    One hourter, Julia asked the bodyguard to bring the insted ice bucket inside his car. With the help of the butler, the family chef, and Elliot, she sessfully brought out all the fruit shakes and ced them inside the ice bucket to keep them cool.


    She also stacked the pies, cookies, and cupcakes in the backseat and sat next to them so she could support them from falling over.


    "Elliot, please tell my mother that I have left. Tell her that I will be dining outside with some friends."


    Elliot nodded in silence before turning around to go back inside. Julia was used to this man''s cold and aloof attitude, so she didn''t mind and just told the bodyguard to drive away.

 Chapter 884: WARY OF JULIA

    Stefan told his wife that Julia would being over to the office with some sweets again. Cayenne could no longer count the times that she received food from Julia and thought that the woman would stop soon. To her surprise, even after several weeks with no words from her, Julia didn''t stop. Instead, she took it to another level.


    She was not just giving food to Cayenne, but she started with Stefan''s secretaries and now, she decided to give some to her staff as well.


    It was causing her a headache.


    Leaving now would make it so obvious that she didn''t want to hang out with Julia. Therefore, she could only stay and y it by ear. She''ll put her life in Niki''s hands since her husband chose him to be her personal bodyguard.


    "Julia ising over," Cayenne told Niki in a whisper. "Keep an eye on her for me."


    "Yes, madam."


    [Speak of the evil and the eviles.] Cayenne thought when Julia came inside with several employees following behind her. They were helping her bring whatever it was that she made for today''s snacks or bribery, probably.


    "Good afternoon, Yen," Julia greeted and gave Cayenne a light kiss on her cheek.


    On the other hand, Kyle who saw the gesture was looking at Julia with slight disgust. Even with his eyes closed, he could tell the woman was fake. It was not long ago that she tried so hard to ruin Cayenne''s reputation and now she was ying the ''good cousin-inw'' in front of everyone.


    "I didn''t know you''d being today," Cayenne muttered with a surprised look on her face. "I didn''t prepare anything for you."


    "No, it''s fine. My cousin probably wanted to surprise you so he didn''t tell you about me. I mean, he visited us earlier."


    "Oh, that''s great. I told him a lot of times to go and check on you guys. Grandpa would be very happy to hear that news. So, what brings you here? Are you going to help me with the interview?"


    If Julia can fake it, Cayenne would y along with her. She learned so much after all the things that happened to her in thest 25 years of her life. People around her taught her about different schemes and recognizing them helped her be smarter and stronger.


    One of the staff gave Julia a chair and she sat next to Cayenne.


    All those who knew about what she did couldn''t stop thinking about her shameless behavior, but none of them said anything.


    "I came here because I made something earlier. I think these would help you and your staff," Julia said, and just at the mention of her present, the employees who came to help distribute the cold fruit shakes to each of the staff and ced the pastries on a separate table so they could get whatever they wanted. "Thank you for helping me," Julia told the employees with a beautiful smile on her lips.


    "You can get some of the snacks, too. Take it as my gift of gratitude."


    "No, ma''am. We''re okay. Thank you for your thoughts," said one of the employees.


    "But I brought a lot," Julia expressed with a little sadness in her voice.


    [What a great actress!] Kyle thought while keeping a calm fa?ade.


    Seeing that both Julia and the employees were put in an awkward situation, Cayenne stepped in. "You guys can ept her reward. It''s not every day that we get to receive Julia''s kindness and she prepared these snacks herself. Just get one and take a little break."


    Since thedy boss spoke for Julia''s sake, the employees picked one fruit shake and one cupcake each. "Thank you for this Miss Julia," expressed one of the employees on behalf of his colleagues and they all bowed their heads to her before exiting.


    "You guys should eat as well," Cayenne told her staff who were waiting for her to say something as well. They didn''t really want to ept Julia''s snacks, but because Cayenne told them to, they had no other choice but to ept them.


    "Sis, aren''t you going somewhere with brother-inw?" Kyle said out of nowhere, hoping that Julia would stop clinging to his sister.


    "I''ll be meeting himter. Anyway, I won''t be leaving yet," Cayenne replied while giving her brother a gentle pat on the shoulder. She knew what he was thinking. "There are few more people left. Let''s get this done so we could all go home early."


    Her staff agreed with her and they all ignored Julia''s presence so they could focus on their work. Unknowingly, while they were busy, they started to crave the snacks that Julia brought and it was only after half an hour that they realized they had been eating the snacks.


    When they realized it, they could only pray in silence that the woman didn''tce the snacks with poison.


    One hourter, Cayenne stretched out before standing up from her chair. Kyle did the same thing as his sister while Jackson picked up the folders of those applicants who passed the initial interview.


    "We''re finally done. What time is it now?" Cayenne asked no one in particr as she checked her watch. "Just a few minutes after 4:00 PM. Let''s all wrap things up and go home. Oh, Jackson, I''ll leave the matter of contacting those applicants in your hands."


    "No worries, Miss Yen. I''ll do it tonight. Do you have anything else for me?"


    "Uhm...nothing more. I''ll send you a message if there is."


    Julia checked her phone for messages and found nothing yet. "Uhh, Yen, are you going on a date with my cousin?"


    Cayenne chuckled at Julia''s question while shaking her head. "No, we''re not. We will just get some furniture and appliances."


    "Can I join you guys? I nned to have dinner with my friends, but I still have a few more hours before the scheduled meeting. I don''t know where to go."


    "Sure. I don''t really mind," Cayenne responded while picking up her bag. Behind her, Niki sent a message to Stefan, telling him that Julia would be apanying them to the mall.


    "What about your brother? Is he going with us, too?" Julia asked. For the first time, she regarded Kyle''s presence as Cayenne''s brother.


    "I am not. I have other things to do," Kyle muttered coldly and hugged his sister. "Be careful, sis," he expressed without bothering to hide his contempt toward Stefan''s cousin this time.


    To make things worse, Julia was just smiling next to Belle. Kyle wanted to tear the woman''s face so much. [Annoying.] Kyle before leaving the office to go home.

 Chapter 885: JULIA WENT SHOPPING WITH THE COUPLE

    Stefan and Cayenne''sst agenda for the day was to buy furniture and appliances for Chris and Rissy''s living room. The couple finally agreed to Cayenne''s way of gifting them, so before they could change their minds, Cayenne told Stefan that they must get it done as soon as possible.


    Since Stefan went to the newly built za for inspection before it would be open to the public, they decided to just meet at Coffee Bay. When they got there, he already finished drinking a cup of ck coffee.


    Cayenne kissed him on the lips and whispered, "I thought your kiss would taste bitter," which caused Stefan to chuckle and bury his head in the crook of her neck and shoulder.


    "I didn''t expect you''d flirt with me in public," he said and lightly bit her shoulder before licking it. Cayenne could only bite her lips to stop herself from moaning.


    "I didn''t flirt with you. You did."


    "I guess, I did," Stefan retorted andughed once again. "Anyway, shall we go now? We don''t have so much time left. I want to go home and y with the kids."


    "Really now?" Cayenne said with a look of disbelief on her face.


    "I''m not lying."


    "Promise?"


    "Well, maybe a little. I''ll y with them for a while then, I''ll y with you until midnight."


    Julia, who was standing right in front of the couple, didn''t know where to ce herself or what she should do at this point. Cayenne and Stefan were flirting openly in public. She had never done such a thing with her husband before nor she nned to do the same thing with him.


    The couple was shameless.


    [Okay. Maybe Cayenne was influenced by Stefan. I''m sure she''s not like this based on the first time I met her.]


    "We can ask Julia for advice if needed," Stefan said which pulled Julia back to reality. "She lived in Italy and their house there got a lot of old yet beautiful pieces. We can take some inspiration from my grandpa''s mansion there, too."


    "I''m not really an expert, but I hope I can help," Julia said in response.


    With the bodyguards surrounding them, the three of them went to the Home D¨¦cor floor of the mall. Turning 360 degrees on this floor, you would see nothing but home appliances, furniture, and little things for decorations.


    This part of the mall wasn''t as crowded as those other floors since it''s not every day that people woulde to buy new kitchenware or appliances, but it still had a decent number of customers which the bodyguards needed to be wary of.


    There were showrooms on this floor as well and one could even copy the showroom that the employees painstakingly prepared for their customers.


    However, Cayenne didn''t want to do that. She wanted to choose the things she wanted to ce in the living room that would help the couple live infort.


    "Do you have photos of the empty living room? It should help us choose things," Julia said and Cayenne fished out her phone to see the pictures that Rissy sent her this morning. "Is the wall painted mint green? I''m not sure if it was because of the light when this was taken, but it seemed to be that the wall is painted mint green."


    "It is. Rissy loves things with a greenish hue, so Chris requested the living room to be painted this way."


    "I think a little bit of golden items would look good," Stefan said when he spotted a golden chandelier. "Rissy and Chris have lots of certificates and medals, we should buy shelves for them with ss doors, too."


    The three of them coborated to find the best things for Chris and Rissy. Julia had no idea that it was for a wedding. She thought that Cayenne was just gifting someone and she didn''t pry on it either.


    At 7:00 PM, they bought almost all of the things that Cayenne had listed on her phone. The rest of the items which they didn''t manage to find, they decided to just order them online while the others could be crafted personally by a carpenter that they knew.


    "Let''s call it a day," Stefan said while waiting for the cashier to finish inputting their order on theputer. "Do you want to grab dinner on the way?"


    "No. I want to eat at home. Luiz just sent me a message that Dad and Auntie Ingrid came over. He''s cooking dinner for us."


    Hearing their conversation, Julia pretended to check her phone as well. "I got to go," she said as she stood up from her seat. "My friends told them they''re on the way. I need to meet with them. Thanks for letting mee along."


    "Thanks for helping us, too," Cayenne said with a faint smile. "I hope we could spend more time like this."


    "But you don''t shop a lot, right?"


    "I don''t but I would whenever I get some time off. I''ll be visiting an orphanage next week. Do you want toe with me and something for them?"


    "Sure. Just ring me up. I''ll go first. You both take care," Julia said and left.


    Now that only the two of them were left, Cayenne and Stefan sighed. Julia seemed really genuine, but there were asional times when she wears a creepy smile as if she was up to something no good again. They just couldn''t put their guard down around her.


    "Don''t worry, hon. I won''t let here into contact with the children until we''re not certain of her changes yet," Stefan told Cayenne when she was still looking down worriedly. "I will never let her hurt you and the children."


    "I know that. I know you would protect us, but sometimes, I really wish that she has changed for good. I don''t want to keep scheming or putting my guard against others."


    "Then, shall we give them the vi?"


    "Are you sure? If it''s just me, I have no qualms about giving that ce to them. I mean, we don''t live there and I don''t think we''d ever live in that ce in the future. You even have properties in Tuscany that we''re not using, too."


    "I''m not sure about selling the mansion in Tuscany yet, but I am now sure I wanted to give the house to Celestine."


    "Do you think Grandpa would be happy to know about our ns?"


    "He told me to deal with them as I see fit as long as I won''t hurt them."


    "They''re lucky to have you, but you''re very unlucky to have them."


    "They don''t matter to me now. Next week, I''ll process everything and hand over the house to them. I''ll be bringing Uncle Wesley and Leonora to help us."

 Chapter 886: CAYENNE MISUNDERSTOOD

    When they returned home, Stefan just tossed his briefcase on the couch and immediately went over to his kids. Unfortunately, they were sleeping. His face fell in disappointment as he watched this sleeping face. She thought that he was just kidding about ying with the kids, but it seemed like he was being serious.


    At the same time, even though he kept saying that the kids only came second to her, Cayenne could that they were equally important to him. He just kept on denying it.


    "We''re home!" Cayenne said to announce their arrival since her husband didn''t have the time to do so. "Where''s Dad and Auntie Ingrid?" she asked Luiz who was busy chatting with his girlfriend.


    "Uncle Reuben is in the kitchen, making simple desserts for you. Auntie Ingrid is in the backyard. She''s probably ying with her son and the dogs."


    Cayenne nodded her head without saying anything and picked up the tossed briefcase which contained a lot of important documents. "Let''s go and shower first," she said while walking upstairs ahead of her husband. "We can stay in the nursery room tonight if you want."


    "Right! We don''t have to go to work tomorrow, so we can stay up all night," Stefan agreed that almost caused Cayenne to slip on the staircase.


    She was sure she said they''d be staying in the nursery room, not to stay up all night.


    When she looked back to look at her husband, he was grinning from ear to ear. "Hon, we will be staying with the kids, and you are wrong about not working tomorrow, by the way."


    "Yeah. We will stay up all night in the nursery room," Stefan responded which shocked Cayenne to the deepest part of her bone marrow. She was well aware that her husband could be very shameless whenever he wanted to, but she didn''t expect he would do it in the nursery room where the kids sleep!


    Watching her reaction, Stefan leaned closer and slung his arm over her shoulders. "Wifey, why are you looking like that? Did I say something wrong?"


    "Something wrong? You didn''t know?" Cayenne questioned exasperatedly. "You just said we will stay up all night in the nursery room. Nur-se-ry room! Seriously?"


    "Can''t we? I mean, they slept quite early tonight, so if they would wake upter, I can y with them until they feel sleepy again, right? We may even stay up all night. Or is that not allowed?"


    Understanding what he meant now, Cayenne''s face flushed and she lightly kicked his leg. "I hate you!" she muttered and ran away.


    "Wa... Huh? Wait! Hon, why are you suddenly getting mad at me? Today is not even your period day. Why are you having mood swings?"


    "Don''t follow me!"


    "Why can''t I?"


    "Just shut up!" Cayenne retorted in annoyance. She can''t believe she fell for his trap and got teased again.


    "Did you think of something else when I said we will stay up all night?"


    "You are so hateful!" Cayenne said through gritted teeth and mmed the door close without letting him in. She threw the briefcase on the bed and went directly to the bathroom so she could hide. She felt so embarrassed for having dirty thoughts.


    Outside their room, Stefan was chuckling as he walked to another room. It has been a while since thest time he teased her and having seen her bashful reaction made him feel like he was over the moon.


    Inside the next room, he walked to the closet and opened it. On the wall, there was a hidden door that would lead him back to the master bedroom. Stefan pressed his finger to the biometric sensor and waited for the door to open. When it did, he walked right through it and ended up on the other side which was their walk-in closet.


    Instead of looking for her, Stefan gave her time to calm down a little to avoid sleeping outside tonight. He first picked their matching pajamas for tonight and left them on the couch before taking a seat next to it. In that way, his wife won''t have any other choice but to approach him.


    Fifteen minutester, Cayenne came out of the shower room and found that Stefan wasn''t inside yet. Although she closed the door earlier, she didn''t lock it and just waited for him to get inside.


    "Hmph! Whatever," she softly mumbled while walking to the closet so she could change her clothes. To her surprise, Stefan was there waiting for her and she noticed that the secret door leading to the closet was also open. "You came inside through the secret door?"


    "Hn. Are you still upset?"


    "Nah. I''m not upset anymore," Cayenne said with a bright smile on her face. Even though her hair was still dripping, she went over to him and sat on hisp. "I''m actually happy that you can be stupid sometimes just like me. It confirms to me that you are human."


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "I didn''t lock the door so you could get inside. I didn''t expect you would use the secret door without even trying to open the other."


    "So, you never really intended to lock me out?"


    "Why would I do that?" she asked with a frown. "Anyway, go and take a shower already," she said and kissed his cheek. "I''ll go downstairs first after changing my clothes."


    *


    "I have never heard your sister and brother-inw fight, not until today. What happened?" risse asked Luiz over the phone. They were having a video call when Cayenne started scolding Stefan earlier.


    "They weren''t fighting. Stefan was just teasing my sister and she got the wrong idea."


    "Will they be, okay?"


    "Yes, they will be fine. You will see."


    About twenty minutester, Cayenne came down with a smile on her face. "Hi, risse. How are you doing? I hope the reporters aren''t disturbing anymore."


    "Oh, yes, they stopped. I''m very grateful for your concern. Thank you for helping us find a solution."


    "No problem. You are like a sister to me already. If anyone bothers you again, don''t hesitate to let us know. Just focus on your studies and visit us when you have time."


    "I promise, I''lle over once I''m done with the crucial research I''m working on."


    Cayenne talked to risse for a few more minutes before bidding farewell to see her father in the kitchen. Not long after, Stefan came down as well and was wearing matching pajamas with his wife. He only waved his hand to risse before going over to the kids again.


    "Yeah, you are right. They''re fine," risse told Luiz with a faint smile. "By the way, we are going to Teacher Chan''s wedding, right? How are we going to act there? Are we going to treat each other as strangers?"

 Chapter 887: [Bonus chapter] REUBENS INVITATION

    Cayenne was close to her father''s legal wife. They had been chatting over the phone and sometimes, they would meet privately for about an hour, just before Ingrid''s family feels rmed and thought she had gone missing.


    Due to several moments like this, Reuben and Ingrid decided to live somewhere else. Away from his wife''s family''s monitoring and interruptions. Now, they can visit Cayenne and she can visit them whenever they wanted to. They didn''t have to be walking on eggshells anymore.


    Cayenne''s baby brother will be turning one year old in one week''s time and their visit today was to invite them personally to attend the party.


    "Dad, I would love to attend the party and be there for my little brother, but Auntie Ingrid''s family will be there, too. We won''t be able to avoid their criticisms and you know that Stefan won''t just idly without retaliating because of me, right?" Cayenne told Reuben her thoughts while trying her best to make him understand that it was not her intention to miss the party.


    "I don''t want to ruin my brother''s birthday. Why don''t we celebrate it ahead of time?"


    "Like a separate celebration?"


    "We can have a small party here," Cayenne suggested hoping that her father would agree.


    "I don''t think it''s going to be small. Our family is big and we have a lot of friends that we could invite as well. It will be a fun birthday," Stefan said when he came to the kitchen and helped the father-and-daughter pair bring the dishes out to the dining room.


    "I don''t think that''s right to let you spend a lot for my son''s birthday," Reuben said, still adamant about Cayenne''s suggestion since it was for his son, not hers. "Can you at leaste one day before the party?"


    "That sounds fine, too," Cayenne said, giving in to her father''s request. "We will be there before his birthdayes."


    Now that they finally came to an agreement, they finally finished setting up the dining table and called others for dinner.


    *


    The next two days, Cayenne and Stefan busied themselves with the living room decoration for Chris and Rissy''s new house. The ce they bought was located in B City, just a fair distance from where Jillyanna lives but very close to where Cayenne previously lived. They also took this chance to visit the Madrigal family and just chat with them casually.


    During these two days, the triplets were taken to Cayenne''s house. It was the house that Reuben gave her on the day that she divorced Stefan.


    The ce was a lot differentpared to the first time she upied it. There were more vegetables and marcotted fruit trees around her house and the air was so fresh and fragrant to her. When Jonas heard that the triplets wereing over, he happily opened the door for them and even showed them the garden from the balcony of his room. He was very proud of his vegetation and fruit trees.


    Once Rissy and Chris move in, they will be considered neighbors, though there was quite some distance between their neighborhoods.


    After putting all the bigger furniture in the living room and arranging them to make the ce look spacious despite therge items, Cayenne and Stefan focused on putting the little pieces together to make the ce even more beautiful.


    Since Rissy was a teacher, Cayenne bought a few books for Rissy to use. They were just reference books in science that mighte in handy in the future. She also got little figurines for her to entuate the living room a little.


    "Are we missing something else?" Stefan asked his wife while looking around the ce to check for any missing items. It was their second day to decorate the house and during these two days, he had seen his wife''s lovely smile as she appreciate the result of her work.


    She was enjoying it a lot.


    "I think we''re all good. We''re only missing the couple," Cayenne responded while wiping her hands with the wet towel Niki gave her.


    "Then, let''s go home. I missed the kids."


    Cayenne smiled while shaking her head from side to side. Her husband growing closer to his kids without him noticing anything. He even missed writing in his diary for three days now. She didn''t mention it to him.


    Since they rarelye to this ce, Cayenne took this chance to stay overnight. The master bedroom where she previously stayed before moving to the mansion was kept clean and the bedsheets even smelled like the ones she was using in the mansion.


    When they came home, Jonas was on his way to the kitchen. "I''ll be cooking tonight since you''vee over," Jonas told Cayenne as he tied the apron around his waist. "Would you like to go and pick the vegetables yourself?"


    "Yes, I''d love to. What do you want me to get?"


    He gave her a list of vegetables, a basket, gloves, and scissors, and Cayenne epted them happily before running off to the backyard.


    Since she was busy helping Jonas, Stefan made a hand puppet and told his children a story about the wolf and the three little pigs.


    The children looked so interested in his expression and hand movement, though he had a little doubt they understood him. Nheless, he continued with his story while the kids listened to him patiently.


    "Rawr! The wolf said. I will eat you! He huffed and he puffed to blow the straw house of the little pig. The little pig was scared. He..."


    In front of him, the nannies were also listening while Luiz took a video of him secretly. They were all enjoying Stefan''s storytelling.


    Usually, mothers stay at home to take care of kids, but our modern society has implemented equal rights between men and women. So, it was no longer a surprise for a father to stay at home while the mother work. However, seeing a father who was passionately telling his kids a story was still something else. It was amazing, especially since he was taking care of three kids at a time.


    Most fathers would have been shouting and yelling at their kids already.


    Thest time he went viral, it was because of his jealousy. Stefan had no idea that he would be the talk of the town again for being such a good father to his kids.

 Chapter 888: CHRIS AND HIS HAPPY PILL

    Cayenne''s schedule became so full with so many things that were about to happen, but she still made sure to have time for her kids and her husband. Her family was her main priority which was why she was doing all these things. He wanted to give her childrenfortable lives.


    Though Stefan could give it to them, she also wanted to share the burden with him and not just wait for him to provide for their needs.


    Today, her schedule was to attend Chris and Rissy''s wedding with her family. It was just a simple military wedding with close friends and families.


    Major General Ian Hawkins was there along with other militarymanders who were close to Chris. Rissy''s students also attended the wedding except for those who went abroad to continue their studies under some special schrship grants,


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    "Ms. Chan, two former students of yours came to see you," said the guard through the inte while standing outside Rissy''s bridal room. "Should I let them in?"


    "Yes, please."


    The door was pushed open and Rissy saw Luiz with risse. The two of them gave her a hug while carefully avoiding her beautiful hairstyle.


    "I''m so d you both made time for me," Rissy said as she shifted her gaze between them. "What brings you guys here? Can''t wait to see the bride? You are more excited than my future husband, huh?"


    Luiz chuckled at her words, happy that Rissy could now joke with them after a long struggle with her mental health after that traumatic incident over a year ago. "Indeed, we can''t wait to see how pretty our teacher is."


    "Alright, stop ttering me. I know that is not the case. Is there something wrong?"


    "Actually, it''s more about me and risse. Teacher Chan, you must have heard about me having another woman, right?" Rissy nodded in response to this question. "The truth is, Belle isn''t my girlfriend and would never be my girlfriend. Everything is just an act, so we came here ahead of time to tell you about this."


    "You were worried that I would step on andmine regarding you two?" The two students nodded. "Don''t worry, I respect your choices. I never really had any intention to confront you two about what happened but I am d that you took this opportunity to tell me the truth."


    "Aside from that, we came here to give you our gift," risse said and handed the gift that she and Luiz bought with their own pocket money. "It''s not much, but we hope you will like it."


    Rissy epted the gift box happily and thanked them. She wanted to open them as soon as she can, but there was still the wedding ceremony she needed to go through before officially bing Mrs. Rissy Hawkins. "Thank you so much. I''ll ask the guard to bring this to the bridal car. This will be the first gift I''ll openter."


    "Nah. That''s not true. Unless you would open the gift on the way to your house," Luiz retorted which made risse frown a little.


    However, upon hearing his words, Rissy realized what Luiz meant. "You are right. The first gift I''d be openingter is the one from your sister and brother-inw."


    "I know. I went there one time to help them. You will be happy to see the oue," Luiz responded with an excited expression on his face. The living room that Cayenne and Stefan decorated was truly beautiful.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    The three of them looked to the door when the guard standing outside spoke. "Ms. Chan, the wedding organizer is here to get you. The wedding will be starting in three minutes. You need to be in position for the ceremony."


    "Got it," Rissy said and stood up.


    At the same time, the door was pushed open and a pretty woman came inside to get Rissy. She helped the bride in holding the gown to make sure she won''t trip on it.


    Luiz and risse also came out and separated their ways before reaching the venue. Luiz was the groom''s best man, and he just came on time to walk down the aisle after his Uncle Chris and stood next to him close to the altar. "Should I start calling her auntie?" Luiz whispered which caused Chris to chuckle faintly.


    He can''t imagine Rissy''s reaction if she hears someone call her auntie when she was still very young.


    "Try and see what she would do to you," Chris responded without taking his eyes off from the main entrance. He knew that behind that double door was his future wife. The only woman he ever loved since he was born into this world.


    The little princess of the Madrigal family caught the eyes of many people once again. This was her third time being a flower girl and whenever she walks down the aisle, all eyes would follow her.


    She had that innocent and beautiful smile that captivates everyone of all ages.


    In fact, some wealthy parents had enrolled their male kids in Trine Elite University after going through harsh tutorials just to make sure that their children get the chance to befriend the only princess of Travis and Jillyanna. Unfortunately, Jade was very good at spotting people with malicious intentions, especially kids who didn''t know how to cover their true emotions.


    She didn''t like talking to idiots, too. In the end, the only kid who caught her interest was Ethan and they became friends for almost three years now.


    Jade scattered the flower petals on the aisle while keeping a bright smile on her face. When she almost reached the end of it and saw Chris, she lifted her skirt a little and made a graceful princess-like bow. "I wish you evesting happiness, Uncle Chris," she said before moving on to find her seat with the guide of the wedding organizer.


    After a few minutes of waiting, the door was finally opened and Chris saw his life standing there. She was so beautiful in his eyes and he willingly let her hold him captive in her heart. He couldn''t take his eyes away from her. He didn''t even want to blink, thinking that if he would, she would vanish like a bubble that pops in the air.


    Seeing his intense gaze, Luiz leaned a little closer and whispered, "Uncle Chris, you should give me a prize for introducing you to this amazing treasure,"


    "Yeah, I will," Chris replied softly while watching Rissy walk down the aisle toward him.

 Chapter 889: Untitled

    Meanwhile, Julia was humming a song while getting ready to leave the house. Today, she nned to just roam around the city and look for the best ces she could purchase. Initially, she wanted to babysit the triplets but Cayenne said she brought the kids to her friend''s wedding, and she wasn''t invited to this wedding even though she was Stefan''s cousin.


    Not that she minded about it, but she was really amazed that Cayenne thought of bringing her kids to a huge ceremony where they could misbehave anytime.


    It was just her misunderstanding though. Cayenne and Stefan did bring their kids to the wedding but they were staying inside the hotel room reserved for them with the nannies and bodyguards looking after them.


    Rey was even there ying with Aziel.


    If anyone would darey their hand on the kids, they would surely never see the daylight tomorrow morning.


    *


    Two hourster, Julia was traveling in the countryside as she noted the ces with a lot for sale. She saved quite a lot from her business and some of the belongings that she sold. It was time for her to use her money on something. She didn''t need a huge ce. It wasn''t like she would live there. She only wanted a ce to stay when she felt bored in the city.


    After checking some of the properties for sale, she called the contact numbers one by one to talk to them and ask about the lot price. Since the properties were in the countryside, it wasn''t very expensivepared to the space in the middle of the capital.


    Once she finished talking to about seven people, she marked three of the contacts which she wanted to meet in person. She hoped she could make a deal with one of them at a lesser price.


    At the same time, Elliot was monitoring Julia''s conversation through a hidden recording device on her seat. When he heard the wordsing out of her mouth, Elliot couldn''t stop wondering why she wanted to buy a small property in the countryside.


    He noted all the locations that she talked about with the people over the phone and kept the list inside his drawer. He had no idea what Julia was up to, but whether she wanted to do something good or not, Elliot wanted to make sure that he kept her on the leash.


    If not, he could lose Celestine and his life.


    *


    Back to the wedding, the ceremony was over and people were currently at the reception for the party. The bride and the groom were both stunning in their own way, and some people were even wondering if Chris could work as a model with his face.


    "I''m so happy that you finally tied the knot," Cayenne said and hugged Rissy. "I owe you a lot for everything that you have done for my brother."


    "And I''m d I was able to guide him because he never forgot to be kind to others as well. You''ve raised your brothers really well."


    Before Cayenne could say something else, the party host called the bride and the groom to go back to their seats to receive the blessing and well-wishes of many people.


    Rissy excused herself for a moment and met with Chris halfway down the red carpet before taking his hand and going to their seats.


    The first person to give a message was Rissy''s father. It was a very heart-touching moment after he confessed how grateful he was for having Chris as his son-inw. Even though Chris didn''t know Rissy that much when the biggest tragedy of her life happened, instead of taking a step back, Chris pushed forward and stayed by her side.


    He never gave up on her even when Rissy gave up on herself already. As a father, he only wished for his daughter to be happy and he saw it in her eyes when Chris came into her life.


    "I never thought that he would ever fall in love," Elena said while sitting beside Cayenne. "In the past, I did everything I could to get his attention, and it was not like he didn''t know about my feelings, but he pretended not to know anything because he knew he couldn''t love me back.


    I really thought he was just a cold-hearted man who knows nothing about love because of what happened to his family."


    "I''d rather not hear you say anything about your feelings for him," Tristanmented with a fake smile on his face. "I feel jealous, too."


    "It was in the past," Elena retorted and kissed his cheek. "I''m happy that he is with someone else now. At least, I know that he can also love, but not to me. It only proves that what he can give was something I found in you."


    "Then, shall we get married, too?"


    "Is it the wedding month now?" Cayenne blurted out because she had received so many wedding invitations from several people that she was close to. Almost half of the events that she needed to attend this month were wedding ceremonies.


    She didn''t know why but it was like the couples she knew felt their love the most in this month and decided to the knot with their partners.


    Not that she minded. In fact, she was happy to know that amidst all the terrible events and obstacles, her friends were able toe through it and keep their rtionships strong. Though, some were not able to do so and broke up.


    [Well, that''s how life is. I just hope they''ll find their happiness, too.] Cayenne thought while thinking about the people she cared about.


    A few minutester, Cayenne received a message from Julia. Thetter was asking about the time the ceremony would end and if she could y with the triplets for a little bit.


    Somehow, Cayenne didn''t feel anything strange from the message. After all, Julia had been trying her best to make it up to her and never said anything malicious even when it was so obvious that she was being avoided.


    Noticing her silence, Stefan pulled his chair closer to her and intertwined their fingers. "What''s the matter, hon?" he asked in a whisper to keep the matter to themselves.


    "Julia asked me when would the ceremony ends and if she could y with the kids for a little bit."


    "So, do you want her toe over to our house?


    "Honestly, I am not confident with her inside our house yet. Can''t we invite her to stay over here in the resort? She could y with the kids here."


    "O-okay. You can decide wherever you wanted her toe. I''ll be with you all the time."


    Aftering to an agreement, Cayenne replied to Julia''s message and invited her to stay in the resort for a couple of days with them. She even told her to bring Celestine as well so they could take this chance as a little reunion.


    Seeing the reply, Julia smiled faintly. [At least, they''re allowing us now to see the children.] She thought to herself while dialing her mother''s number to give her a call.

 Chapter 890: JULIAS INTEREST IN KIDS

    The wedding party continued until 6:00 PM. However, Cayenne excused herself first so she could check the children and the newly-wed couple was fine with it. They knew how much Cayenne loved her kids and they had no n to take so much of her time from her.


    Not long after, Julia and Celestine arrived. They weren''t sure if the wedding party was over or not, so they brought a little gift as respect for the couple since Chris worked for Stefan in the past.


    When Chris received the gift through one of Stefan''s bodyguards, he asked Stefan about it and thetter told him to ask a canine dog to check the box first. Rissy thought that Stefan was just joking, but she had no idea that Chris really did what his friend and previous employer said.


    Inside room 706, Cayenne happily weed Julia and Celestine. The mother-and-daughter pair brought a lot of things for the kids and they also got something for Ferdinand. They weren''t sure if Ferdinand would meet them, but Cayenne could bring the things back home for the old man.


    "Thank you for having us. I really thought you''d never allow us to see the kids after all the things that we did," Celestinemented while holding Cayenne''s hands. "I''m really sorry for being so stupid. You are a daughter, too. I''m sure you''ve understood my pain."


    "I do. That is exactly the reason why I told Stefan to reconcile with you. You''ve been wronged and you have the right to feel disappointed and hurt. Besides, you haven''t done anything grave. It would have been another story if you killed someone dear to us."


    Celestine''s guilty conscience was stabbing her heart. Julia was also observing Cayenne''s expression, checking if the woman knew something and was tripping her mom for information.


    "I''m a shrewd woman, to be honest with you," Celestine expressed and sighed. "At the same time, I''m all bark and no bite. Even if I think of killing someone, I would never do that. I know what''s waiting for me if I cross that line. I may be stupid sometimes, but I''m not stupid enough to get myself imprisoned."


    "I totally understand that. In fact, I also felt that way when I read negativements about me, but I would never hurt anyone for something so trivial as negativements," Cayenne retorted with a faint smile.


    However, deep in their hearts, they knew that wasn''t the case. The three of them knew that Celestine nned to kill her brother and father. She just didn''t get the chance to do it because Magnus died before she could execute her n. As for her n to kill Ferdinand, Cayenne wasn''t sure if the woman already gave up on the idea, and that was what she and Stefan tried to avoid.


    "Where are the kids, by the way?" Julia asked when she noticed that the kids weren''t around with Cayenne.


    "Oh, sorry. The nannies are changing their diapers in the adjacent room. They''ll bring the triplets here once done."


    Julia feigned a look of surprise and worried on her face even though she knew that most wealthy families would hire nannies. "You allow your kids to spend time with your nannies without you looking at them?" she asked, hinting that nannies could do something when she was not around.


    "They''re never left with the nannies alone. My trusted bodyguards will always be around the kids wherever we go. Even at home, my bodyguards will keep an eye on them. Aside from that, our house has a lot of cameras and we could view them no matter where we are."


    "R-really?" Julia responded with a faint smile.


    "Yes! You know my husband. He''s paranoid when ites to our safety. He would do anything just to keep us safe."


    "But you have a huge property, right?" Celestine asked with genuine curiosity. "What if someone would sneak in using a different route or something? Do you need additional security guards? I can hire some and pay them for you."


    "You''re so generous, Auntie Celest," Cayenne said which caused Julia to raise her eyebrow for a moment. "For now, we are not really looking for more security guards. We have a lot of them already."


    "I see. If you need to get more, just let me know. I can pay for some of them for you. It''s not easy to live a peaceful life when you''re wealthy. Many people would be coveting your wealth and they would do anything just to get it."


    Julia didn''t say anything more. She could tell that her mother was genuinely happy for Cayenne and was purely offering her help without thinking of anything in return. She could tell that her mother has turned for the better already.


    "Did you guys bring some swimming clothes, by any chance?" Cayenne inquired to shift the topic. "Stefan booked the room next door for both of you. We could swimter if you like."


    Hearing her words, Julia''s eyes were wide in shock as she asked, "Will you also bring your kids to swim?"


    "No, of course, not."


    "Then, can I just stay with them and y to my heart''s content?"


    Cayenne''s smile almost faltered when she noticed that Julia was very interested in the kids, but she kept her part of the y and nodded her head. "That is not a problem. You can spend time with them."


    Julia beamed happily having Cayenne''s approval to stay with the kids and as soon as the triplets came out, she stood up and approached them.


    With everyone''s attention on the kids, Niki moved closer to Cayenne and whispered, "Please be careful with her madam. I can see different emotions in her eyes. I think this woman is mentally unstable."


    Cayenne nodded her head and muttered, "I''ll check on that information. Tell Jackson to coordinate with Tristan on that matter," which was something not really connected with Niki''s words, but just a pure agreement to his statement about Julia.

 Chapter 891: JULIAS FEAR

    About half an hourter, Luiz and risse arrived to babysit the triplets with the nannies and bodyguards to help them. Luiz wanted to spend more time with his girlfriend but a lot of people were paying attention to them, especially with all the controversy involving him and Isabelle Ignacio.


    In the end, it was Cayenne who thought of a solution for them.


    They could spend more time together while babysitting the kids and risse was very into it. She took this chance to learn how to take care of children. Being the only child in the family, she never experienced what it was like to take care of younger kids, so this opportunity was really a blessing in disguise.


    "You can just order whatever you want from the hotel, I''ll pay for itter," Cayenne told her brother and risse. "I''ll leave the triplets in your care. Should something happen, please don''t hesitate to call me or Stefan."


    "Thanks, sis. Get your wallet prepared," Luiz joked while Cayenne was putting some clothes and a towel in a smaller bag.


    "Madam, can I stay here and look after everyone as well?" Rey asked when he came out of the adjacent room with the baby essentials bag. "I told Martin about this personal request of mine and he said he will take care of the Sugo family."


    "Grandma and Grandpa will be staying with Uncle Stanley today, right?"


    "Yes, they will. Jessie requested them to stay as a sign of blessing from the old couple. They will go back home in two days," Rey answered as he walked to the nanny holding Zeki. "I thought I''d be more helpful here," he added while stealing a nce from Julia and Celestine.


    Knowing his secret, Cayenne agreed that he''d be a great help around the kids. "Alright. I''ll trust you to look after them. You know what to do already."


    "Got it, madam," Rey responded and even gave her a gentlemanly bow.


    "Do you want to go and check your room first?" Cayenne told Celestine and Julia. "Julia can go back here and you cane with me, Auntie. Stefan is waiting for us with other people who decided to stay."


    "O-okay. I don''t mind," Julia said and excitedly picked up her bag. Celestine did the same and went outside while Cayenne led them to their room.


    As soon as they left, Rey returned Zeki to the nanny, and along with the other bodyguards, he immediately ced some micro cameras near the bed, the foldable crib, on the balcony, in the mini kitchen, and another one in the small living room where anyone can rx and chill.


    They suddenly became so busy that risse was worried. "Are the kids in any danger?" she asked Luiz while holding Jahzara in her arms. "Will we be fine?"


    Luiz held risse''s hand and kissed the back of it while reassuring her that they will be okay. "We will be fine. Trust my brother-inw for finding these capable bodyguards."


    However, not even three minutester, Julia returned to the room with some cookies that she personally made. The bodyguards weren''t done setting up everything yet.


    Rey looked at Luiz and thetter understood that the man needed a little help.


    "You are Julia, right?" Luiz asked the woman with a faint smile on his lips. "We''re nning to order some food for dinner. Do you have anything you fancy?"


    "I''m not a picky eater. You can just order anything. I only want to y with the kids," Julia retorted as she ced the cookies on the table. "Do you want some snacks? You can get if you want."


    "Thank you. We appreciate that," Luiz said while walking Julia toward Zeki. "Why don''t you y with Zeki? He''s the most well-behaved among the triplets."


    Instead of feeling relieved that Zeki was a well-behaved kid, Julia felt restless. Every time her eyes met with the child''s, she felt like he was staring right into her soul. It felt like he knew what she was thinking and she didn''t like that kind of look from him.


    "Can I y with the little girl instead?" she asked risse who didn''t mind it at all. "What''s her name? I forgot to ask Cayenne."


    "Oh! This little princess is Jahzara," risse answered while trying to y it cool with Julia. She didn''t want the woman to suspect anything around her.


    "By the way, we haven''t introduced ourselves. I''m Julia, Stefan''s cousin," she said while holding Jahzara in her arms. "Sorry, I can''t give you a handshake. I don''t want to hold the little girl with one hand."


    "No, it''s fine. I''m risse. I''m Luiz''s girlfriend."


    Julia raised her eyebrow for a moment, but she didn''t say a word. Not long ago, she heard about Luiz having a new girlfriend named Isabelle Ignacio. The two of them even attended the annual charity g.


    In fact, Julia wasn''t fond of celebrities or whatnot, but she loved to pay attention to people who will be useful to her in the future, and Luiz was one of these people she''d been keeping her eyes on.


    "Have you been together for a long time? You seemed really close to my cousin and cousin-inw."


    "Luiz and I were ssmates since primary school. We just had our first anniversary as a couple two months ago."


    "I''m sorry, but I''m a little bothered right now. I hope you won''t get me wrong. I just want to hear things directly from you instead of listening to other people talk. So, uh... are you really the girlfriend? Why was he together with Isabelle?"


    Luiz was ying with Aziel not far from the women, so he heard everything they were talking about and he was not liking it that Julia was prying on their privacy. Though, it was something he should have expected after knowing that the woman would being over.


    "There are various reasons why we have to do it," Luiz told Julia before risse could say anything. "I hope you won''t tell anyone about this."


    "Yeah, sure. You are Cayenne''s brother and I don''t want to mess with people that Cayenne loves."


    "I appreciate your kindness."


    Deep in her heart, Julia was a little bit scared. Thest time she visited Cayenne''s office and finally met her, she felt an oppressive auraing from Cayenne''s personal bodyguard. She felt that with one wrong move, the man could very well wring her neck. She saw that man earlier once again, but she was already used to his presence that she just ignored him.


    As long as she won''t do anything wrong with him in the same quarter as her, she should be fine.


    That was what she thought, so she was ted when Cayenne said that she would be leaving the kids with her brother, but will bring Niki with her. That meant no killer within her sight.


    Unfortunately, before she could even celebrate, another dangerous person came.


    Compared to Niki, the other man was not that domineering but when he looked at her earlier and grinned, Julia felt goosebumps erupting all over her body. The man was seriously insane. Even if she won''t do anything wrong, if the man thinks she was doing something wrong, he could kill her. No logic or reason would work on him,


    Right now, Julia was left with no other choice but to pretend she was really happy to be with the kids.

 Chapter 892: JULIAS WAYS TO GET ATTENTION

    "Nanny Seth, can you hold Zeki first? I''ll just wash the makeup off my face," risse said after a few minutes when she noticed that the kids loved to touch her face. Earlier it was Jahzara and now it was Zeki. She was worried for the kids.


    "You can go, Miss risse," said the nanny, and risse ran to the bathroom with her phone immediately.


    She didn''t bring anything with her since she was only supposed to attend a wedding, but fortunately, Cayenne brought a lot of things with her. She called Cayenne to ask if she could use some of the facial wash she brought and thetter agreed.


    risse cleaned her face thoroughly before wiping it dry with a towel.


    When she returned to y with the kids, Jahzara was wriggling in Julia''s arms while trying to reach risse. She was moving a lot and it was getting harder to make her stay still, so Julia could only let go of the little girl.


    Jahzara crawled her way to risse and happily touched the woman''s knee before climbing her way up to sit properly on herp.


    risse giggled as she hugged the little girl and kissed her chubby cheeks several times. "I want to go home and bring you with me. You''re so sweet. Do you recognize me now?"


    Jahzara justughed happily while touching risse''s face ¨C her eyes, her nose, her lips ¨C it was like the little girl was studying the woman who was holding her.


    "The little princess likes you a lot," Reymented while taking a picture of them. "Do you want me to send you the pictures?"


    "Yes, please," risse answered almost instantly. "I''ll send them to Kath. She''d be dying in jealousy."


    "You''re evil," Rey said while shaking his head with a faint smile on his face. "I''ll take more pictures of you and everyone else. I''ll send themter. Why don''t you sit together with Luiz? Let us see if you will look good as parents."


    With Rey''s intervention, Julia was left alone. They even took Zeki from the nanny so they could take more pictures with the triplets. On the other hand, she could only watch them having a good time together.


    "Let me see the pictures," risse said and Rey handed his phone to her. "Zeki is so cute. Look at that pout."


    "He must have wanted you to hold him, too," Luiz responded and looked toward the little guy who was stacking alphabetical blocks again. "He loves someone to read him something, by the way."


    "Then, let me find something to read for them," Julia said in response so she could squeeze some attention as well. "Do they like fairytales?"


    "Jahzara loves them, but Zeki loves everything," Rey said while rummaging through another bag. It was where most of the toys and books were kept whenever they travel somewhere with the kids. "Here," Rey said and handed a book to Julia. It was one of the things that should never be forgotten at home or anywhere else. Wherever the kids go, this book should always be with them.


    It was not even a picture book. "You can read that to them. The three of them love that book."


    "You know so much about them," Juliamented while checking the book that the man gave her.


    "It''s our job to pay attention to every little detail," Rey responded coldly. "If you read that, the kids will pay attention to you."


    "Ayena and the Possessive Prince?" risse questioned when she saw the title of the book. "A love story?"


    Hearing her words, Luiz couldn''t stop himself fromughing so hard. It was not just an ordinary book that you can find in bookstores. It was the only book in the whole wide world. It was a custom-made book about Cayenne and Stefan. It has no ending.


    "You will know why the kids love this story so much," Luiz expressed while waiting for Julia to start reading.


    However, when Julia read the first page of the book, she already wanted to stop. She felt that it was not appropriate to read this book to the kids. Just as she was about to put down the book and find something else, she noticed that the kids were looking at her.


    "No kidding," she mumbled when she saw their utmost interest in the book she was holding. "Who reads this story to the kids?" Julia asked Luiz and Rey since she could not imagine Cayenne reading such a story to her kids.


    "The boss."


    "My brother-inw."


    Luiz and Rey answered at the same time and Julia didn''t doubt their words. Only her cousin had the guts to read such a thing to his kids. "I''ll read something else," Julia muttered and looked for a short fairytale story online.


    *


    MINI THEATER


    Luiz arrived with a beautiful woman to babysit the kids with the help of the nannies and bodyguards. Cayenne reminded them what they can do while preparing to leave the room.


    Not wasting another second, the pretty woman held Jahzara in her arms.


    "Uncle Luiz is with another girl," Jahzara said while touching the woman''s face as if studying her. "Which of his girls do you like the most?"


    "Aris (risse)," Aziel answered instantly.


    "Me, too," Jahzara said before turning her attention to Zeki. "What about K?"


    "The one holding you."


    Aziel and Jahzara couldn''t believe that the youngest would choose someone he just met for the first time. They didn''t even know her name.


    A few minutester, Julia came back who, as far as they knew, was their father''s cousin. They don''t like her though. She asked to hold Jahzara and Luiz''s new woman gave Jahzara to her. Even though she didn''t like what was happening, she could do nothing but behave properly because their parents weren''t around.


    "By the way, we haven''t introduced ourselves. I''m Julia, Stefan''s cousin," said Julia while holding Jahzara in her arms. "Sorry, I can''t give you a handshake. I don''t want to hold the little girl with one hand."


    "No, it''s fine. I''m risse. I''m Luiz''s girlfriend."


    Aziel and Jahzara looked at each other instantly before shifting their gaze to the woman who was now holding Zeki. They felt a little foolish for not recognizing the woman.


    "Well, at least, uncle is not cheating again," Aziel said while tugging Luiz''s watch to pretend he was busy with it.

 Chapter 893: ONLY WAKES UP FOR HIS WIFE

    Cayenne and Stefan were currently enjoying their time in the infinity pool of the resort while Celestine was spending time with her father at the lounge.


    Initially, they nned to join the father-daughter pair, but Cayenne felt that Ferdinand should deal with his daughter first without anyone''s intervention.


    She felt that it was better to give them space as they patch up their rtionship.


    Of course, Stefan would never refuse a lovely opportunity such as this where he could spend more time with his wife.


    "I hope the kids will be adults soon," Stefan muttered while sitting on the side of the pool while Cayenne stood underwater next to him. "I want us to spend more time just like this."


    "If we keep doing this, you will get tired of seeing my face and you will eventually feel that I''m boring and that you would need someone else to spice things up in your life."


    "I feel like throwing up from your words," Stefan said and even acted like he was about to puke. "Why would I do that? That may be true for other men, but not me. Life with you is full of excitement and surprises."


    "Really?"


    "Uh-huh."


    "Like?" Stefan jumped down into the pool, held his wife''s hand, and ced it on his bulging manhood under his shorts. She blinked her eyes several times in disbelief. "Seriously? We''re outside our room. In a public pool."


    "I know," Stefan whispered and kissed her face. "That is why I said life with you is full of excitement."


    "No, hon. We''re not doing that here."


    "Who said I would do it here? I may be shameless but I am not an exhibitionist. Aside from that, I don''t want anyone else to hear your sexy moans. I''ll rip off their ears."


    "So, what are you going to do about that?" Cayenne asked in embarrassment. She still couldn''t believe that he would get hard at this moment. "Will you be okay?"


    "No, I won''t unless you will give me a hand here,"


    "You already got my hand," Cayenne retorted, and realizing what they were doing; they bothughed. "Hon, you''re hopeless."


    "You can''t me me. This little guy only wakes up for my wife," Stefan whispered and chuckled.


    Looking around, Cayenne noticed that there were few people in the pool since it was nighttime already. Most of the guests were at the beach and she thought it would be fine to do a little kinky thing. She just felt really guilty that Stefan had to endure something. She could not enjoy her pool time anymore.


    "Let''s rent that secluded cottage over there," Cayenne suggested before moving away to get her phone from the rattan chair. "It will be quick. Just endure it for a little bit more. I''ll call the manager."


    "Hon, it''s fine. It will be gone soon. I just need to keep myself submerged in this cold pool," Stefan said in worry. He knew that when pushes to shove, Cayenne would do something to help him. "Let''s order some cold drinks instead. It will help me, but I will surely ask you for repaymentter."


    With his assurance, Cayenne put her phone down and returned to the pool. Stefan called for Niki''s attention immediately and asked him to order something they could drink and to bring more ice with him as well.


    Half an hourter, Celestine came while holding her father''s hand to help him walk slowly to the pool area where Cayenne and Stefan spent their time together. "Dad and I have reconciled already and it is all thanks to you both. I can''t thank you enough for giving me this opportunity."


    "Any misunderstanding will be solved if talked in a sincere and peaceful manner. Am I right, love?" Cayenne said while taking a nce at her husband who seemed fine now.


    "That is true," Stefan emotionlessly said in agreement. They were speaking based on their experiences as a couple who misunderstood each other a lot of times in the past. "Everyone deserves a second chance and I wish you all the best, Auntie."


    Cayenne could not see Celestine''s expression very well because of the lights and the shadows, but she felt her sincerity. She could only hope that it was the same thing for Julia.


    "By the way, Dad and I talked about spending more time together after all the years that I have been away," Celestine expressed while keeping a faint and awkward smile on her face. "He agreed toe back home with me. Is it okay with you two?"


    "It''s Grandpa''s decision," Stefan said without a ripple of emotion on his face. "I don''t think there''s anything wrong with that as well."


    "But it''s getting reallyte now," Ferdinand said while looking up into the sky. "I''d like to take a rest in my room first. Tomorrow, we should all have breakfast together."


    "That would be great," Cayenne responded happily. "Goodnight, Grandpa."


    "I''ll go and take a rest as well," Celestine said and left with her father. Not far from them, Elliot was following Celestine with his gaze.


    Watching Elliot from a distance, Stefan and Cayenne could tell that the man genuinely cared for Celestine, and they were both worried for the man and Rey.


    Although they couldn''t be considered the best of friends, they were once each other''s trusted partners. It would be painful to see them be enemies.


    "Hon, have you investigated Elliot? Apart from the information I gave you, is there something else to his identity? I''m not sure if I''m just seeing things but it seemed to me that he loves Celestine."


    Stefan touched his wife''s head and kissed her forehead before answering her. "He is Celestine''s lover. After her family got kicked out, her husband hated her because he thought that Celestine no longer has value to him. Apparently, she was abused since she arrived in Italy, but because she just came there and she had no friends, no one helped her get away from him. That was when she met Elliot.


    Anyway, things happened and now he is her secret lover and protector."


    "Julia doesn''t know about it?"


    "I bet she doesn''t because she only sees Elliot as a bodyguard and Elliot sees her as a nuisance. If Julia would ever do something that would put Celestine''s life in danger, I think that man would, no doubt, dispose of her."

 Chapter 894: CAYENNES MEN ARE SCARY

    At 8:00 PM, tired of ying in the pool, Cayenne and Stefan decided to go back to their room. Then, he remembered that wherever the kids stay, the bodyguards will be there even if they had to crowd the ce. Realizing this fact, instead of getting inside their original room, he opened the door to the adjacent room instead.


    In this way, they can have a little privacy while everyone else stayed with the kids.


    Stefan closed the door with a single kick and pushed Cayenne on it before kissing her lips.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck and responded to his hot kisses while Stefan started untying her bathrobe to feel her skin.


    All of a sudden, they heard a creaking sound and they both returned to their senses. Stefan pressed his wife against his body to cover her from anyone''s sight before looking back to see who it was.


    Nanny Seth didn''t know that the couple returned already and was staying in the adjacent room. She only came to get a change of clothes for Jahzara, but she identally saw something she shouldn''t have.


    "Do you need something?" Stefan asked while tying his wife''s bathrobe again.


    "I need to get a change of clothes for the little princess," Nanny Seth while keeping a poker face. "Is the madam, okay? She seemed unwell."


    Stefan understood what the nanny meant and he was happy that she was aware of how Cayenne felt. He hugged his wife right after tying her bathrobe before replying to the ''concerned'' nanny. "She felt a little dizzy, but she will be fine after a rest."


    "Do you need me to bring something for her?"


    "No, it''s fine. I can take care of her. Please look after the children for us."


    "No problem, sir," Nanny Seth said and left after getting the kids'' clothes. She even locked the door behind her to stop anyone from disturbing the couple.


    With the nanny gone, Cayenne bit her husband''s shoulder so hard that she tasted blood in her mouth and Stefan could only close his eyes to endure the pain. He knew that his wife''s embarrassment right now was something he could not just shrug off.


    "If I knew someone would see us here, I would have done it in the pool with you," Cayenne whispered and licked the wound she inflicted on his shoulder. Feeling her tongue on his wound, Stefan could not stop himself from moaning. "And you even have the nerve to feel good from that."


    "Sorry," Stefan muttered with a shaky breath. "Don''t worry, she didn''t see anything."


    "Unfortunately, my embarrassment weighs more than my sexual hunger right now. So, you have to wait until I''m up for it again."


    Stefan nodded and kissed her head. "I understand. Go and take a shower first. I''ll go to the other room so I could get a change of clothes for you."


    Not to everyone''s surprise, Stefan came out of the adjacent room in a bathrobe. He kissed his kids first before moving away to get a change of clothes for his wife and himself.


    "My dear cousin, where''s Cayenne?" Julia asked when she noticed that Cayenne wasn''t with him.


    "She will be here soon," Stefan responded and after grabbing a few things, he went back to the adjacent room.


    "Since they will be here soon, I guess I should leave now. I''m a bit sleepy already," Julia stated as she stood up from the rubber mat. "Tell them that I have left."


    "Sure," Rey answered on behalf of everyone. If there was one person who wanted her to leave as soon as she could, it would be Rey.


    He could tell that Julia was up to something but with him around, she wasn''t able to do anything at all. Instead of observing the kids to protect them, his eyes never left the woman.


    If it was someone else, they would have thought that he was madly in love with her and not otherwise.


    Julia wanted to sigh in relief the moment she stepped out of the room but her breath was caught in her throat when she saw Niki standing there intimidatingly with his eyes closed.


    She knew he wasn''t sleeping though.


    [Inside there was that man named Rey. Outside there''s this due who probably knows nothing but to kill.] Julia thought to herself before walking away.


    When she reached her and her mother''s room, she looked back to see Niki again, but to her horror, the man was also looking at her.


    Her heart was beating so fast as she faked a smile toward him.


    "Goodnight, Miss Julia," Niki said and she could only nod her head in agreement. Without wasting another second, she opened the door to her room and went inside.


    "What happened to you?" Celestine asked when she saw her daughter. "Did something bad happen?"


    "No, there''s nothing. I just felt that the corridor is kind of scary."


    "Corridor? It''s not like this is your first time in a hotel," Celestine retorted and ignored her babbles. "Go and wash up. You should get some sleep. Tomorrow, we will be having breakfast with everyone, and your grandpa will being home with us."


    "Stefan agreed?"


    "Why wouldn''t he?"


    "Yeah. You are right. There''s no reason for him to keep my grandpa to himself. He already got the inheritance."


    Celestine frowned at her daughter''s words and she could no longer keep herself from ignoring her. "Are you still harboring some interest in the inheritance that Stefan got?"


    "Oh, God! No!" Julia said hysterically which didn''t convince her mother at all. "Mom, I have no interest in the inheritance anymore. I have my own money that couldst me a lifetime. Why would I need to covet something that isn''t mine?"


    "I just wanted to know the truth from you," Celestine mumbled helplessly. "You are my daughter and as a mother, I don''t want you to walk the wrong way," she added while taking Julia''s hands and giving them a gentle squeeze. "It''s already great that we''re able toe to the country.


    A lot of things could happen in the future and I''m sure you will receive more blessings in life because you are a good person."


    "I know, Mom," Julia said and hugged her mother.


    However, reflected on the ss window of their hotel room was Julia''s sinister expression.

 Chapter 895: PRE-BIRTHDAY I

    The next morning, Julia and Celestine joined Cayenne and her family for breakfast. Except for Julia who had to constantly double-check her actions and make sure that she wasn''t doing anything wrong, everyone else was having a great time.


    At 10:00 AM, they went scuba diving to watch the beautiful world of the sea. This time, Cayenne and Stefan didn''t go with the others. Instead, they both stayed back in their hotel room to take care of the children so the nannies could have some time to enjoy the ce for free.


    In the afternoon, Julia and Celestine decided to go back home with Ferdinand.


    As soon as they left, Cayenne felt so peaceful and happy. She didn''t have to be on guard all the time.


    Three dayster, Cayenne dressed up casually along with her husband and her kids. Luiz and Kyle were already waiting for them in the living room, but Jonas didn''te with them since he still felt a little bitter that Reuben was once Emerald''s first love.


    Today was her little brother''s pre-birthday celebration which was only prepared for her family and friends toe. The main celebration would be the next day, but Cayenne wouldn''t be able toe because of Ingrid''s family.


    Nheless, this pre-birthday celebration would still be fun with so many peopleing over to celebrate her brother''s birthday.


    After making sure that they didn''t forget anything, Cayenne left with her family to attend the birthday party.


    All of a sudden, therge mansion turned quiet and the helpers felt a little sad. They love Dumrique couple and the triplets, so having them around was like a happy pill for them as well, especially when they hear the faint giggles of the little kids.


    "We will get used to this," ra told the others as she prepared food for them.


    Everyone could only nod in agreement because there was nothing that they can do about it.


    On their way to Reuben''s new home, Cayenne received a message from Jillyanna. Thetter was asking her if they were on the way to the party which Cayenne answered with a ''Yes, we are. See youter.''


    Since they were traveling during peak hours, they got stuck in heavy traffic for a little while before they finally arrived at Genesis Hignd Subdivision where Reuben and Ingrid bought their new home.


    "Hi, Dad," Cayenne greeted and gave him a hug. "Sorry, we''re taking so long."


    "No, it''s fine. As long as you are here, I am happy," Reuben answered while leading them inside the house. "Just set up the crib or their y area wherever you want. I already told my helper to bring the rubber mats here," Reuben said while pointing his finger to the piled rubber mats on the side. "They''re disinfected," he added when he noticed that Stefan was staring at the mats for a long time.


    "Yen!" Ingrid called out and walked quickly toward her. "I''m so d you''ve arrived."


    "I wouldn''t miss my brother''s birthday for the world," Cayenne retorted which caused Ingrid to beam with so much happiness on her face.


    While Cayenne was chatting with Ingrid and Reuben, Stefan was instructing the bodyguards to set up the y area for the kids. Instead of putting them in the nursery room upstairs, Stefan decided to justy out the y area in the living room. In that way, he would be able to see his children easily.


    "Where''s little Jay?" Luiz asked when he noticed that the celebrant wasn''t with his parents. "I actually got a little something for him."


    "The nanny must still be cleaning him right now," Ingrid answered before whispering ''he pooped'' to them. "Thank you for the gift, Luiz," she added while epting the gift on behalf of her baby.


    "No, it''s nothing," Luiz muttered while thinking about his gift again. It wasn''t anything expensive but he knew that Cayenne''s little brother would be able to use it.


    "I also got something for your child," Kyle said and gave the small box he was holding to Reuben. "It''s not expensive. I hope you don''t mind."


    "Honestly, I don''t really care about material gifts," Reuben responded, giving Kyle a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I am just happy that you all made time to celebrate Jay''s birthday. Materials can be bought but time can''t and you spend timeing here. That''s already the best gift our little boy received."


    As they continued to chat, a familiar car pulled over to the driveway and when it was opened, a little ball of energy came out in a form of a little girl ¨C Jade Madrigal.


    "Auntie Yen!" Jade called out and run toward Cayenne. She was always dazzling like her mother but her energy was something no one canpare to. Cayenne even wondered if Jade ever felt tired in her life. She was always vibrant and cheerful.


    "Thanks foring to celebrate my brother''s birthday," Cayenne said while caressing Jade''s face.


    "I still can''t believe that your children''s uncle is almost the same age as them," Jade retorted which made everyoneugh. Her feedback was really unexpected that no one thought of anything in response.


    Not long after, Jillyanna came inside with Travis and their son.


    "Ara!" Raizel eximed when heid her eyes on the little princess that Niki was holding. "Dad, I found her."


    Stefan''s ears perked up instantly when he heard the wordsing from the little guy''s mouth. Slowly, he turned around to meet the little boy''s gaze and red at him.


    Raizel was stunned for a moment when he saw Stefan''s fierce expression, but his father whispered something to him that calmed him down again.


    "Hi, Uncle Stefan," Raizel greeted and bowed like the fine gentleman his father raised him to be.


    "Don''t call me uncle," Stefan snapped at him.


    "Should I call you Dad?" Raizel responded and the Stefan-volcano erupted unexpectedly.


    "I will not marry my daughter to you!" Stefan yelled and threw a small book at Travis since the father was to me. "Take your son away!"


    Listening to their conversation, everyone couldn''t stopughing. Only Raizel could make Stefan lose his cool. As early as now, they could already tell that the road to Jahzara''s heart won''t be an easy path to take. Anyone who could win her heart and win her father''s approval would be a man of honor.


    That would be another story in the future.

 Chapter 896: PRE-BIRTHDAY II

    Even though it was just a pre-birthday celebration, Reuben and Ingrid put in so much effort for everyone. There were so many foods and drinks to choose from as if it was really the day of the event.


    At first, Cayenne thought that only her family and Jillyanna''s came to this party. However, one after another, more people came who were her father''s business partners and some of Ingrid''s friends.


    It turned out that some of their invited guests couldn''t find time to join the party tomorrow, but they have time today, so Reuben and Ingrid decided to invite them toe over.


    Jay''s first birthday became a two-day celebration.


    Some of the guests were interested in meeting Cayenne for the first time as Reuben''s only daughter. Some of them even thought that she would most likely get a huge share of Reuben''s business as the only daughter. They had no idea that Cayenne had already received such a gift from her father on her wedding day.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t ept such a huge gift knowing that she never contributed to her father''s business and she didn''t want Ingrid''s family to hate her even more once they know about the gift. So, she returned the documents to her father after her honeymoon phase with Stefan.


    After debating for quite some time with her father, the 15% share became 1%, and that was the only time that Cayenne agreed to ept the gift. One percent of revenue every year was already too much for an ordinary woman like her.


    "You have grown into a finedy,"mented one of her father''s business partners. "Stefan is truly deserving of having a wife like you," he added which made Stefan happy. If the man said that she was deserving of Stefan, Cayenne could not even imagine the consequences of his words. Thankfully, he didn''t.


    "My wife is the best," Stefan said and even kissed Cayenne''s temple in front of them. "I wouldn''t be magnanimous if not because of her."


    "Well, I honestly wanted to say that you were magnanimous in the first ce, but I guess your wife just intensified that side of you."


    "You bet. She''s mypass and I always believe that with her guidance, I will be standing in a great ce," Stefan answered causing other women around to feel a little bit envious.


    They also married sessful men, but they weren''t as sweet as him, and it was because they were married out of convenience. They didn''t have the freedom to marry anyone they love like Stefan.


    As they continued to chat, their conversation shifted to many different topics and not long after, Cayenne decided to excuse herself so she could spend time with other women and not involve herself in business talks.


    Cayenne was unfamiliar with most of the guests, so she went over to Jillyanna who was chatting with other women. In that way, she would be able to associate herself with other people and won''t feel out of ce since Jill was there.


    "Good thing that you are here with us," Jillyanna said while pulling Cayenne to sit next to her. "I''d like you to meet Mrs. Santos and Mrs. Nadera, by the way," she said while waving her hands to each woman respectively. "They''re Ingrid''s friends."


    "Auntie Ingrid''s friends?" Cayenne responded with an awkward smile on her face. She was unsure what to do in front of these two women. "Hi. I''m Cayenne. Nice meeting you."


    It was Mrs. Santos who epted Cayenne''s hand first and gave it a gentle shake. "The pleasure is mine. Don''t feel nervous. We won''t eat you."


    "I feel the same," Mrs. Nadera said while taking Cayenne''s hand after Mrs. Santos. "I''m not like those old farts who like making trouble with illegitimate children. Besides, you''re not even considered illegitimate."


    "That is true," Ingrid suddenly said when she heard what they were talking about. "I''ve been telling my grandparents about that fact, but they just won''t understand. Thankfully, other people weren''t as stubborn as them."


    Cayenne didn''t notice that Ingrid was standing behind her if not for her words. In fact, she was worried that Ingrid will be upset because of what the two women said. "I wasn''t really expecting that I would get to know my father in this life, and maybe it was fate''s will to let us meet. At least, the years of misunderstanding have been cleared and he is not living happily with his wife and son.


    That''s all that matters."


    Jillyanna was smiling proudly next to Cayenne and thetter was a little bit confused with her expression.


    In truth, Jillyanna knew that Ingrid''s friends were feigning interest in meeting Cayenne, but in truth, they only wanted to make Cayenne say something bad about her father''s wife so they could make them go against each other.


    Unfortunately, Cayenne didn''t disappoint Jill. The woman was just so good-natured that she didn''t have anything bad to say about Ingrid. She was genuinely happy for her father''s family.


    "Yen loves her brother so much," Ingrid said while taking a nce at her friends in front of her. "She even suggested making this pre-birthday celebration because she has a full schedule tomorrow. It''s also our fault for not telling her soon about the whole n."


    This time, Mrs. Santos and Mrs. Nadera didn''t have anything else to say. If they would make ament about Cayenne not making time for her brother''s birthday tomorrow, their intentions would be so obvious. Aside from that, Ingrid already took the me for not telling Cayenne about the n in advance.


    Making things hard for Cayenne would be seen as them intentionally sowing discord.


    Who knows what would happen to them if they pursue this matter?


    A few minutester, the nanny came down with the celebrant. He was dressed in a white suit specially made for him and he looked so cute in it.


    "Happy birthday, my dearest little brother," Cayenne greeted as soon as sheid her eyes on him. Ingrid even took the child from the nanny and handed him to Cayenne. "You look so handsome today. I got you something really great. I''m sure you will love it," she said while walking to where Niki stood with her bag.


    The man knew that she wanted to get the gift and give it to her little brother, so he gave her bag to her.


    Cayenne rummaged through her bag and took a small gift box. "It''s something that only little guy like you would want to have."


    Hearing her words, everyone, except for her family and Jill''s, got interested in her gift. They all wanted to see what Cayenne got for her little brother.


    She sat on the couch with her little brother sitting on herp before opening the small box for him. When everyone saw the gift, they were astonished.


    Cayenne''s gift was a rare blue jade bangle which was considered very expensive depending on the carat, but Cayenne''s gift didn''t state how much the carat was. She took out the small piece of jewelry and put it on her brother''s left wrist. "I wish you a happy birthday, good health, and a long life."


    Unexpectedly, Jahzara threw a soft rubber ball toward her mother and her little uncle. Everyone saw what she did, but instead of Jay crying because his foot was hit by the soft rubber ball, Jahzara beat him to it.


    She cried so hard and started throwing things. Even when Cayenne wanted to pick her up, she refused and wriggled in her mommy''s arms. It was only when Stefan came to the rescue that the little princess stopped her tantrum.


    *


    MINI THEATER


    "Happy birthday, my dearest little brother," Cayenne greeted cheerfully when Ingrid handed Jay to her.


    Amidst the noisy chatters from many guests, the triplets still heard their mother''s voice and they both turned in her direction.


    They saw another little guy perching in their mother''s arms who looked so happy while Cayenne put on the jade bracelet for him. Their mother was delighted, too. She even kissed the little guy''s cheek after putting the bangle on his wrist.


    "I don''t want to see that child ever again! I''m protesting!" Jahzara told her brothers and threw a soft rubber ball toward her mother and the little boy.


    "Cry!" Aziel told his sister. "If he cries first, Mom will be upset, so you have to cry first."


    Thus, Jahzara cried so hard and started throwing things.


    When Cayenne picked her up, Aziel told her to move around and throw a tantrum. She only stopped when Stefan came to hold her and coax her.


    "She will grow spoiled because of you," Zeki told her older brother while flipping the pages of the veggies and fruits book. "You are teaching her to do bad things."


    Hearing her brother''s words, saying that she was doing something bad, Jahzara started crying again. She didn''t want to be a bad girl, but Zeki said she was.


    In the end, Stefan had to bring her outside the house and roam around the ce just to make her forget about the incident inside.


    "Were you jealous?" Stefan asked his child even though Jahzara couldn''t answer him properly. "Mommy was bad, right? She was holding another baby instead of you. Don''t worry, I will punish Mommy when we get home."


    Cayenne had no idea that she did something wrong. After all, it was perfectly natural for her to hold Jay, her little brother.

 Chapter 897: untitled

    The pre-birthday celebration was a st as if it was really the actual birthday party.


    Copying Cayenne and Stefan''s way of entertainment, they held some games that included the helpers'' participation. There were many prizes, too.


    The partysted until 10:00 PM before the guests started bidding their farewell. Cayenne and her family were thest to leave the ce after reassuring her father that she would visit them again.


    The next day, when it was finally the actual birthday party, Ingrid and Reuben''s family, including their inws, came to celebrate the special day with them.


    Jay was the first grandchild from Ingrid''s side, so it was expected that the celebration would be so grand. Her family even bought a lot of expensive gifts which her son couldn''t use yet.


    They were just throwing money without thinking if the gift would have any practical use for the baby. They weren''t even jewelry or clothes that the child can wear.


    For example, Ingrid''s father bought a piece ofnd, about 2 hectares, for the child. He brought the title of thend with him which had Jay''s name on it.


    Of course, it was appreciated, but Ingrid and Reuben also felt a headache when epting the gift.


    Another gift that gave them a throbbing headache came from Ingrid''s widowed auntie who never married again and never had a child. She bought Jay a small car - exactly the same as hers but just the little version of it.


    Surely, this gift will be of no use to the child until he reached the age of four or five. They could understand that they were happy to wee the first grandchild of their family, but their gifts were too much.


    As the couple continued to wee their guests, Ingrid''s father suddenly spoke and angrily hit his silver cane on the floor.


    "It''s the first birthday of your child and his sister didn''t even show up! What kind of daughter is she?"


    Both Reuben and Ingrid immediately went to his side. They didn''t expect that the old man would look for Cayenne during Jay''s birthday.


    Ingrid rubbed her father''s back and replied softly, "Dad, Cayenne couldn''t make it today because of her tight schedule and - "


    "She can make time for others but not for her brother?! Is that what you are telling me?"


    "What''s wrong with you?" Ingrid couldn''t help but ask. "When Reuben wanted her to visit, you forbade her from showing. Now that she promised not to bother us, you wanted her to show up. Then what?! Are you going to humiliate her? Can you afford to go against Stefan?


    Because I''m telling you right now, that man won''t forgive anyone who will hurt his wife, even if that person is a family. How much more when you do it? I can already imagine us living in the street."


    "How... how dare you talk to me like that?"


    "Because you don''t know how to show respect, Dad! It''s my son''s birthday, but you are showing a fuss about Cayenne''s absence."


    "Don''t say anything more. I know you don''t want to hurt your father," Reuben said while patting his wife''s shoulder. "Anyway, Cayenne came here yesterday and we had a small party together. It was more than enough for us," he added which calmed the old man down.


    However, it was already toote. Themotion that Ingrid''s father caused, someone recorded it and uploaded the video on social media.


    When ites to the social hierarchy, many people pay attention to wealthy families, waiting for them to slip up and make mistakes.


    This time, Cayenne became the main dish for gossip again.


    People were calling her a two-faced woman, a fake, and someone who put others before her family''s well-being.


    In the video, it could be seen that Ingrid''s father was angrily questioning Reuben about Cayenne''s character. The man was yelling about how Cayenne could make time for others but not for her little brother''s first birthday.


    The video was intentionally manipting theizens since the uploader did not include thetter part of the conversation when Reuben said that Cayenne came yesterday.


    Cayenne was scolded harshly for not showing up. Some people were even saying that she was jealous of her own brother for being born rich.


    Even her fans were a bit troubled by this news. It was known to them that Cayenne would always put her family first before anything else, but the news right now said otherwise.


    At the same time, Cayenne was indeed a little bit busy with Julia. The two of them were buying things to bring to the orphanage the next day. She wasn''t paying attention to her phone because she wanted to observe the woman next to her.


    By the time she found out about the news, it already escted a lot to the point that Stefan was posting a letter of attorney, addressing the people who said negative things about his wife without any proof.


    "You don''t have to go that far," Cayenne told Stefan over the phone on her way to the office. "It''s obvious that they''re manipted."


    "Hon, I understand that they could be manipted, but don''t they have brains at all? How could they just blindly follow someone? If I won''t do anything right now, someone will do this againter on. This could at least serve as their warning."


    "But, can you be a little lenient on them?"


    "I''ll try," Stefan said which was obviously a ''NO'' to him. "Just do whatever you want to do. I''ll take care of this matter."


    Knowing that she won''t be able to persuade him, Cayenne switched to another tactic. "Hubby?"


    "Hn?"


    "The video was taken during the birthday party, I''m sure that there''s another story to it. Can you not retaliate against Ingrid''s family before finding the truth?"


    "Okay. That''s the only thing that I can promise you."


    "Hn. I don''t mind. I''m already happy that you always have my back. Thank you."


    Stefan talked to her a little bit more but his mind was already formting a n to make people pay for spouting nonsense against his wife.


    He said it a lot of times, one can go against him and he wouldn''t do anything, but when ites to his wife, it will be impossible to appease him.

 Chapter 898: HIS THOUGHTFUL WIFE

    Even before the party ended, the person, who took the iplete video of Ingrid''s father talking bad about Cayenne, received an official letter of attorney from Stefan''swyer. Tristan even came to the party, not intending to crash it, but the party still turned a little bit sullen when the guests heard the reason for his visit.


    "I''m sorry Mrs. Montefalco, I''m bound by an order. You know my boss," Tristan told Ingrid when he came to their house. "You know that he has no intention of crashing your son''s birthday party, we just need your guests to cooperate as well as your father. If not, you know very well what might happen."


    Ingrid took a deep breath and sighed. She knew that Stefan was a troublesome person to stifle with ¨C as far as his family concerns him. If it was a business issue, it wouldn''t even escte to this level. "Go ahead. You can do whatever you want. I''ll give you thirty minutes."


    "There''s no need for that. Ten minutes would be enough."


    "If you say so," Ingrid retorted and sat on the couch with her son. She didn''t care about the guests anymore. All she cared about was her father who got involved in this matter. "Just tell them the truth of what you said in the video, Dad."


    Tristan immediately recorded the statement of Ingrid''s father about thetest video that one of the guests had uploaded on social media. Along with him, three bodyguards and Stefan''swyer also joined in collecting pieces of evidence to speed up the process.


    "Why am I going to be penalized when I just uploaded the truth of what Ingrid and her father talked about earlier?" retorted Mr. Sayo, the person who uploaded the video. "It was true that he talked negatively about Mrs. Dumrique. Aside from that, it wasn''t my intention to ruin her name."


    "So, what was your purpose for doing such a thing?" Rey asked and with his towering height, he looked even more intimidating as he looked down on the man. "If it wasn''t your intention to ruin her name, whose name were you nning to ruin by spreading the video?


    I thought you are a family friend which was the reason you got invited to attend this party?" Then, he narrowed his eyes at the man as if he discovered something. "Oh, no! Are you, by any chance, a spy? An enemy? Were you trying to befriend the people here so you could find something about them and spread it? Jesus!


    You''re evil!"


    "I''m not!" screamed Mr. Sayo with his red face. "Don''t put words in my mouth! I''m not that kind of person!"


    "Of course, you are not. You''re not even considered a person after the thing that you did. Anyway, we''re done here. It''s obvious that you were manipting the people to ruin the madam''s name. Just wait for your retribution, and I''m telling you, it won''t be sweet."


    Everyone looked at the man as he stood in the middle after Rey left him alone. He became the center of everyone''s attention as they whispered about his evil act. They all heard of Ingrid and her father''s conversation about Cayenne and the former exined, along with her husband, that Cayenne came with her family to celebrate her little brother''s birthday yesterday.


    They all couldn''t believe that someone would take a video of that conversation and even upload it on the inte. If it wasn''t done against Cayenne, then it could only be used against Ingrid''s family. Either way, Mr. Sayo shouldn''t have done it in the first ce.


    The man couldn''t take it anymore and left without saying a single word.


    "Thank you all for your cooperation," Tristan said and even gave a gentleman bow in front of all the guests. "Don''t worry, you''ve got nothing to worry about if you didn''tment on the video that Mr. Sayo uploaded. Sir Reuben, this is the madam''s second birthday gift for her little brother," Tristan added while giving the box that one of the bodyguards brought inside.


    "She was supposed to send it here personally today on her way home, but things happened and our boss didn''t want her to show up anymore. I hope you would still ept her gift."


    "I apologize on behalf of my father," Ingrid said softly. "I already rified this matter to him, but I wasn''t aware that someone took advantage of us using the conversation I had with my father earlier."


    "Our chairman is a fair man," Tristan answered which everybody disagreed in their minds.


    Stefan was never fair when ites to his wife.


    Not long after they gathered the pieces of evidence and gave the gift away, Tristan left the mansion with thewyer and the bodyguards. As soon as he got inside his car, he reported to Stefan the whole event that transpired before and after the video was taken.


    Back at the party, Ingrid''s and Reuben''s family looked at them and to the gift that Ingrid was holding.


    "So, your daughter gave her brother two gifts?" Don Roberto Montefalco asked the obvious. "What''s the other one?"


    "Jay''s wearing the other gift now. It''s the jade bangle," Reuben told his father which stunned everyone.


    Ever since they arrived, including the guests, they already saw the jade bangle that the little celebrant was wearing. They all had one thing in mind ¨C very expensive. They also thought that it was something that the couple bought for their son. They didn''t expect that it was Cayenne Dumrique''s gift.


    "Are you sure?" Ingrid''s father asked to make sure that he wasn''t being yed.


    "You can ask our helpers. We''ve all seen Cayenne put on the bangle to Jay," Ingrid retorted before turning around to bring her son to the y area for the kids. She opened the gift for him and thought it would be another expensive item. The first thing that Ingrid pulled out was a little hoodie. Next were three shirts followed by a pair of shoes, a pajama, andst was a letter.


    It was typewritten with Cayenne''s name signed at the bottom.


    "I wish you a happy birthday, my dear little brother and I hope that we will have the chance to go out together. If you ever need help, I will always be here. I know that your parents would be able to buy these things for you, but I wanted to give you a little something that will remind you of me. I hope you will like them, though you don''t have any choice since you can''t choose them now.


    Anyway, next time, let''s go shopping together. I''ll get you something of your choice. - Love, Yenyen"


    Since Ingrid read the letter aloud, everyone heard Cayenne''s words.


    In truth, it was something that Stefan made up to retaliate against Ingrid''s family. He wanted to show them that his wife was the most thoughtful person.


    [They must be feeling apologetic now.] Stefan thought while tapping his fingers on his knee. He was already on his way to pick up his wife when he received Tristan''s report and he was beaming with a bright smile upon hearing the whole event. This was what he wanted. He wanted them to feel like owing Cayenne something.

 Chapter 899: JULIAS PLAN

    The next day, the news of Cayenne''s generous gift to her little brother was spreading all over the city as well as within the circle of the business world.


    At the same time, Mr. Sayo received his due punishment. Even when he told the media that it was all Stefan''s revenge on behalf of his wife, no one stepped up to side with him. No one wanted to mess with Stefan Dumrique. Perhaps, if it was three years ago when he didn''t meet Cayenne yet, they would probably try to go against him since he wasn''t that very influential yet.


    But now? They''d be stupid to do so.


    Not only did he be the sole and legal heir of the Dumrique Empire, but he was a sworn brother to Travis Madrigal, too. Aside from that, Cayenne had been slowly earning a good reputation from many people because of her kindness and generosity.


    Going against this couple would only earn the enemies a huge bacsh from the public.


    Amidst the incident, only one person remained unbothered ¨C Julia.


    She expressed her concern toward Cayenne, but she wasn''t overly affectionate about it. She even woke up early to meet with Cayenne and Luiz at the orphanage where they would give a lot of school supplies to help the orphans learn basic education. There were many clothes and toys for them, too.


    On top of it all, Cayenne was cooking something for lunch along with her team, Luiz and Julia. Seeing Julia with her cousin-inw, it seemed like the incident where she crashed Justin''s farewell party didn''t exist. They seemed really close to each other, though Luiz was certain that both his sister and Julia were just acting for their own benefit.


    After this event, Julia was often seen with Cayenne and Stefan. She had dinner with them, shop things for Cayenne''s foundation, helped Kyle and Jackson in training the newly hired staff for the foundation, and also went with them to buy gifts for Stanley and Jessie''s wedding.


    If it was in the past, Cayenne would have given in to Julia''s acting. Fortunately, Niki was always there to remind her not to lower her guard around the woman no matter what happens. Stefan wasn''t very trusting of his own cousin either.


    On Jessie and Stanley''s wedding day, Stefan didn''t invite anyone from his father''s side. Even though his mother was alive and kicking, the pain that she went through and the ident that left her bedridden for so many years had been engraved in the hearts of the Sugo family members.


    However, Ferdinand and Celestine bought gifts for the newlywed and told Elliot to send them in person. Julia also bought a gift for the couple, but she only asked one of Cayenne''s bodyguards to bring the gift inside before leaving the venue. She didn''t want to make a scene.


    It took her a lot of time to clear her name and it wasn''t the right time to ruin the good reputation she had been earning thus far.


    All this while, Elliot had been monitoring her. He felt that Julia would be the demise of Celestine if not stopped on time.


    "What''s bothering you?" Celestine asked when she found Elliot sitting on the front porch right aftering back from giving the gifts. "Are you still worried about our rtionship being exposed?"


    "It doesn''t matter to me. I can protect you and I will do so even if it would be at the expense of my life."


    "Elliot, you don''t have to worry about me. As long as I stay away from Stefan and his family, especially his wife, I won''t be in trouble."


    "Then, what about your daughter? Are you sure that she won''t do anything stupid?"


    Celestine stared into space and sighed heavily. She realized a long time ago that after getting kicked out, she wascking as a mother. Julia would most likely rebel against her for not following the revenge n they prepared previously, and it was the reason why she asked Elliot to monitor her own daughter. She just knew Julia very well.


    "Honestly, I don''t want to believe that Julia would turn against me, but I''m not blind Elliot. I noticed some signs and I could tell that she had nned something else."


    "So, what are you nning to do with her?"


    Celestine started shaking her head helplessly. "I don''t know. If I suddenly asked her to go back to Italy, she might do something crazy. Also, it would be difficult for us to monitor her if she stays in Italy. I want to keep her close and keep an eye on her."


    "I suggest that you talk to your nephew about your hunches. In that way, should something happen, you won''t be held ountable for it."


    "You want me to abandon my daughter?"


    "No, of course, not. But going to jail with her as an aplice for whatever crime she is nning or being identally killed by a psycho who cared so much for Cayenne and her family ¨C none of them is a better option."


    Celestine frowned at Elliot''s statement. She had no idea who the psycho that Elliot meant. "Anyway, it''s better for you to genuinely side with Stefan and Cayenne now, and maybe he would be lenient with your daughter''s punishment if she would really do something foolish."


    Meanwhile, the concern of their conversation was happily shopping for some baby clothes in the department store. After buying baby essentials, she paid someone to deliver the items to her secret ce ¨C a house she bought away from the city.


    "Soon. I''ll have you very, very soon," Julia whispered while driving out of the parking lot and going home. When she arrived, Elliot and Celestine were already sitting in the living room, discussing something that only the two of them knew. [How is this man any different than my dad?] Julia asked herself for the nth time since she discovered her mother''s rtionship with Elliot.


    [Indeed, he seems caring, but he''s like Cayenne''s bodyguards, too ¨C cold-blooded and ruthless.]


    "Julia," Celestine called out when she saw her enter the house. "I''m so d that you are home. Stefan said that there will be a family gathering next Saturday. He wanted us toe."


    "Where?"


    "To their mansion."


    Julia raised her eyebrow for a moment when she heard her mother''s words, but when she turned her back, there was a faint smile on her lips.

 Chapter 900: A SPECIAL DAY

    Ever since they arrived from Italy, Celestine could count the number of times she met Cayenne and Stefan with one hand. On the other hand, Julia spent a lot of time with them, trying to win their trust after all the horrible things she did. The only thing she had inmon with her mother was the fact that neither of them had been to the couple''s home.


    Today was the first time they ever set foot into the majestic home of the couple. Seen from a distance, the mansion was like the logo of a famous mass media entertainmentpany. It was like a pce.


    They even went through a tight security check.


    "Do we have to do this?" Julia asked the bodyguard when the man asked her to open her handbag and present her ID. "I''m a Dumrique, too, you know."


    "Ma''am, it has nothing to do with your identity. Everyone would go through the same security check every time they step inside this property ¨C even family members," answered the bodyguard.


    Coincidentally, the Sugo family came, and another bodyguard checked their vehicle and wrote down the names of the people inside the car. They even had to sign on it.


    Julia and Celestine were asked to do the same after she was cleared from the security check. It wasn''t just them; Ferdinand and Elliot were also included.


    "You can now proceed," said the guard and radioed someone that Ferdinand and his family had arrived.


    Elliot drove the car and when they got closer to the mansion, they saw someone waving his hands. Elliot slowed down and opened the window of the car to know what the man was up to. It turned out, he was only directing them to where they should park their car since there will be a lot of visitors this time.


    "Stefan is obsessed with his wife''s safety, so I hope you won''t take the security check against him," Ferdinand spoke before stepping out of the car with the support of his cane. Most of the time, he could walk, but because of his heart disease out of old age, he had to use his wheelchair from time to time as well. |le|mp|yr


    His words gave a different meaning in Julia''s head. She had already heard about Stefan''s love for his wife and the things he would do for her. She even saw an interview with her cousin where he was asked to choose who he should save between his wife and children. His answer was obviously his wife.


    Julia knew that Stefan''s weakness was his wife, but Cayenne''s weakness would be her children. If something happens to her kids, she will break down, and like a domino effect, Stefan will also crumble, and then their business will be affected until they will slowly lose everything.


    "Julia, what are you still standing there for?" Celestine called out to her daughter who stood still at the door to the mansion. "Stop dawdling. You''re blocking the other guests."


    That was the time she realized that the Sugo family was already standing behind her, waiting for her to make way for them. "Sorry," she muttered and stepped inside to follow her mother.


    Cayenne was in the living room ying with her triplets when visitors started arriving one after another.


    Family gathering was a normal urrence in their household, but this time was a little special. In fact, Cayenne nned to hold the next gathering in two weeks because she had other ns to do. However, her husband wanted to brag about Zeki.


    "These are for your kids," Celestine said, and Elliot came forward to hand the gift bags to Cayenne. "I didn''t know what to bring since Stefan provides you with everything. I thought of buying something for the kids instead."


    "Thank you, Auntie," Cayenne said and told one of the nannies to bring the gifts inside the nursery room upstairs. "Give me a sec," she said and went over to the Sugo family. She talked to them and the guards responsible for their safety before turning around to give her attention back to Celestine and Julia. "Sorry about that. I just needed to make sure that Stefan''s grandparents are okay."


    "It''s okay. I don''t mind," Celestine answered while Julia nodded her head in agreement despite the fear she felt when she found the bodyguard that she metst time at the resort was watching her.


    She remembered his name ¨C Rey. She didn''t know why, but there was something in him that was scarier than how she felt when meeting Niki. She moved closer to her mother while keeping a smile on her face. She didn''t want the man to see that she was affected by his presence.


    "Can I y with your kids?" Julia asked when she saw that someone from Stefan''s family was ying with Aziel and Jahzara.


    "Yeah. Go ahead," Cayenne said and with one look toward Niki, thetter knew what she wanted him to do.


    "Where''s Zeki?" Celestine inquired while looking around to find the youngest of the triplets. "And Stefan?"


    "Oh, they will be here soon," Cayenne said without saying what caused the dy. She didn''t want to spoil her husband''s surprise to everyone.


    A few minutester, just as Travis arrived with his family, Stefan came downstairs with Zeki. The youngest child was dressed differentlypared to his siblings. He was dressed like his father who was about to attend apany meeting ¨C too formal.


    "Why are you dressing him like that?" Jillyanna questioned the moment she arrived, and her eyes instinctively moved toward her own son, Raizel. Somehow, she could already tell what was going to happen. "You''re not deciding his path for him, are you?"


    "No, of course, not," Stefan responded and kissed his son''s cheek. "I''m just dressing him like this because today is his special day."


    Everyone was curious about what he said. They all knew the birthdate of the triplets and surely it wasn''t the time for them to celebrate their first birthday yet.


    Instead of saying something, Stefan just grinned which caused Cayenne to start shaking her head helplessly.


    Stefan coughed to clear his throat and pointed his finger to his face. To everyone''s surprise, Zeki spoke, "Da-Da." He pointed his finger at his wife, but Zeki just stared at his mom. As soon as Stefan pointed his finger back to his face, Zeki would say ''Dada'' again.


    Now everyone knew the reason for this unexpected gathering ¨C to celebrate Zeki''s first word, especially since he learned to call his father first instead of his mother.


    MINI THEATER


    It happened on the night of Stanley and Jessie''s wedding. Cayenne and Stefan went home with their kids and knowing that his wife would work the next day, Stefan decided to take care of the kids so Cayenne could take a rest ahead of him.


    He was carrying Zeki to the nursery room while the nannies carried the other kids following him. He was just about to open the door when the little boy in his arms woke up and spoke, "Dada".


    The house instantly sank into a deafening silence. The nannies were even holding their breath for a few seconds as if they just saw a ghost in front of them.


    "Da-Da," Zeki said once again as he touched his father''s face. "Da-Da."


    Stefan could not believe it. The youngest of his triplets just spoke and called him. Not his mother, but him. He was overjoyed with this discovery and instead of going inside the nursery room, he went to the master bedroom to let her wife listen to their baby.


    Cayenne wasn''t just surprised but felt jealous as well. Most of the kids she knew learned to speak "mama" first, but her son learned "Dada" instead. Nheless, seeing the joy on Stefan''s face, even when he kept saying that he loved his wife the most, Cayenne stopped being jealous and just felt happy for him.


    Zeki won him over and she knew that the other kids would do the same as they continued to grow.


    About thirty minutester, when Stefan finally returned to the nursery after talking to his wife about having a family gathering the next day, Jahzara and Aziel talked to Zeki which came out gibberish to the adults.


    Aziel: "I thought we would say mama first."


    Jahzara: "Yes. You didn''t follow the n."


    Zeki was arranging the blocks inside his crib while listening to his siblings talk. They agreed to call their mama first, but he didn''t proceed as nned. "If I said mama first, mom would be more attached to me or us. Then, our dad will be jealous of our presence. Who wants to be his object of jealousy?"


    Aziel and Jahzara looked at each other and knew that in the future, they would be consulting their youngest brother about a lot of things. He was the smartest of them all.

 Chapter 901: CAYENNES INQUIRY

    Two monthster...


    Cayenne noticed something in Niki. Several months ago, when he arrived to serve as her chief bodyguard, he took an interest in the Rivera family. Not long after, he visited La Granja and imed that his family was once close to them. Cayenne was unsure if he was telling the truth or not since Niki was in a special situation.


    She wasn''t even sure which family he was referring to ¨C his real family or the foster family that took care of him.


    A few weeks after he arrived, Isabelle Ignacio caught his attention. At first, Cayenne thought he was just cautious toward her since the woman was pretending to be Luiz''s girlfriend. However, Cayenne saw him spend more time with her on his day off. In fact, during his rest days, he would spend at least three hours with her.


    Cayenne could not take it anymore.


    This time, Niki would be taking his day off once again. He was already preparing to leave the mansion so he could wander around the city or go wherever he wanted to, but Cayenne stopped him for a minute.


    "Do you need something from me, madam?" he asked while walking in her direction.


    He appeared stoic and intimidating, but Cayenne wasn''t bothered by it. In fact, she saw mirth in his eyes. She could even sense her excitement.


    "Can I have a few minutes of your time?"


    "Sure," he answered almost instantly and sat on the couch that Cayenne gestured for him to sit on.


    Cayenne knew that she didn''t have the right to interfere in his private life, but she was worried about her family rtionship with the Riveras and Jillyanna Madrigal. She had to do something before things became irreparable.


    "Niki, have you remembered anything about your life?"


    Niki was stunned for a moment. He never thought that Cayenne would ask him about his life now. Nheless, he answered her honestly. "Yes, I have remembered a lot of things about my life as Yelisei Nikita. Actually, it was the boss who helped me recover some of my memories and someone close to the Nikita family confirmed them."


    "So, uhm... did you sever ties with the Sloan family?"


    "Nope. I severed ties with the Nikita family instead. Yelisei died in an ident and his body was found with DNA matching to me. You know your husband can do such a thing, right?" Cayenne nodded in agreement. "Anyway, I''m officially Niki Sloan now. As long as I stay away from politics or make myself known to the whole wide world, no danger will evere to you."


    "Does that mean you are not friends with the Rivera family now?"


    "Not friends with them? Why do you say so?"


    It was Cayenne''s turn to be surprised now. Niki just said that he severed ties with the Nikita family, but he still wanted to be close to the Riveras. "So, it was the Sloan family who had a history with Dr. Rivera''s ancestry?"


    "Oh," Niki muttered while looking down with a faint smile on his lips. He realized that Cayenne was just beating around the bush with him. He could tell that she was very concerned with his current rtionship with the Rivera family and Isabelle Ignacio. "It was the Sloan family," he said when he looked up to meet her gaze again. "I heard the history of the Orion Kingdom from them."


    Cayenne nodded her head several times without saying a word. Niki continued, "I told them about the job that Mayor Mondragon offered to me, and they were delighted. They told me that Mr. Sloan''s ancestors knew someone from this ce. They told me the story and I thought I''d give them a visit."


    "I see," Cayenne muttered while thinking about how to insert Isabelle Ignacio into their conversation. She didn''t want it to be so abrupt. "Then, you must have seen Dr. Rivera''s girlfriend, right? The one who is working for Luiz."


    "Belle? Yes, I have. She''s a nice woman," Niki answered without overthinking things. He just thought that Cayenne was interested in Belle since her brother''s life was in the woman''s hands. "She''s meticulous when ites to her work, so I can say that you have nothing to worry about when ites to your brother''s safety."


    "What about her rtionship with the doctor? I mean... he won''t take it against us that Cayenne is working for Luiz, right?"


    "No, I don''t think so. Eliezer Rivera is a professional doctor. Just because his girlfriend is pretending to be Luiz''s girlfriend doesn''t mean he would stop helping young master Zeki. He''s very in love with Belle."


    "You seemed to know a lot about them," Cayennemented and chuckled as if she was just kidding. "I wish I could meet Isabelle Ignacio in person."


    "Why don''t you ask Dr. Rivera toe over and let him bring his girlfriend? Or you can ask your brother to bring Belle here as his pretend girlfriend."


    Cayenne observed Niki during their conversation, but she couldn''t tell what the man was thinking. She was also unsure if she was interested in Isabelle Ignacio in a romantic way or if he just wanted to be acquainted with her since she was Eliezer Rivera''s girlfriend.


    "Thanks for telling me," Cayenne said and stood up. "I''ll invite them next time. You can go and enjoy your day off now."


    Niki just bowed his head toward her in response and left with a stride of confidence. Cayenne stood in the living room while following the man with her gaze.


    "I''m not liking that," Stefan expressed when he came down and found his wife watching someone walk away. "I''ll fire him," he said when he got to her side and hugged her.


    "Seriously?"


    "Uh-huh."


    Cayenne blinked her eyes several times, but Stefan didn''t change his expression at all. "Uhmm, why would you fire him?"


    "Because you were looking at him for almost a minute."


    "No, I didn''t even notice I was looking at him until you called me. I was just staring into space while thinking of the fact that you helped him recover his memories and severed his ties with the Nikita family."


    "Oh," Stefan pulled his wife even closer until there was no space between them and kissed her hard. "I forgot to tell you about it," he whispered after letting go of her. "Is it necessary?"


    "Not really. I was just wondering how you did it. By the way, I nned to invite Isabelle Ignacio and Dr. Rivera here. I think it''s about time that we tell him about Zeki. Can we do it tomorrow?"


    And just like that, Cayenne sessfully distracted her husband from entertaining the silly idea of firing her capable bodyguard.

 Chapter 902: [Bonus chapter]A DOCTORS VISIT

    In these past two months, Julia had visited Cayenne and Stefan''s home more than five times and during those times, she was able to explore the whole mansion with different excuses. With so much time in hand, she slowly drew the blueprint of the ce and even included the security cameras and the interval of the guard patrol.


    Unfortunately, even after she finished drawing the blueprint, she couldn''t find a way to intrude into the mansion without alerting the owner. The security check was tight and there were no blind spots in all CCTV camera locations. The interval of the guards on patrol wasn''t fixed as well.


    Julia stared into the drawing she painstakingly made in the past two months. She can''t believe that her hard work was meaningless.


    Knock. Knock. Knock


    She instantly pulled the blueprint and rolled it quickly before stashing it away under her bed. She can''t allow anyone to see the item ¨C not even her own mother.


    After making sure that the blueprint was hidden properly, she rubbed her eyes to pretend that she had woken up from her sleep. She even yawned upon opening the door.


    "Mom," she muttered when she found her mother standing outside her room. "Do you need something from me?"


    "Yes. I just finished finalizing the property sales agreement for all our properties in Italy. In the future, they will be yours. Now, I want us to find our own ce where you can live for the rest of your life with your husband."


    One of Julia''s eyebrows perked up when she heard her mother''s statement and for a moment, she narrowed her eyes in wonder. "You talked with Stefan about this mansion, right? I thought I heard him say that he will be giving this to us."


    Celestine went inside her daughter''s room even without any invitation. She felt that there was no need to ask for permission, "Stefan talked to me about it, but I felt that we should not ept the offer. I mean, the house was given to him, and I want us to have our own home ¨C something we can call ours. I don''t want us to be indebted to him."


    "Is that so? I personally think that we should ept the offer. I mean, Stefan would never ever live in this house again. Most of his memories in this house were horrible and surely, he won''t keep this ce for long."


    Celestine didn''t want to voice out her agreement but at the back of her mind, she knew that Julia wasn''t wrong. "Anyway, let''s find a ce of our own. I don''t care what Stefan nned for this ce. It doesn''t matter to me anymore."


    Julia didn''t argue with her mom again. She didn''t want her to get suspicious and thought that she was still harboring ill intentions toward the couple ¨C not that she can deny that fact though.


    Celestine talked to her for a few more minutes before leaving her room. The moment she left; Julia''s expression changed. She was running out of time. Her husband would being over in a couple of months and she wasn''t done with all the things that she wanted to do.


    *


    The next day, Dr. Eliezer Rivera paid the Dumrique family a visit in the name of Zeki''s checkup. Cayenne and Stefan were worried about their youngest child, so they asked Dr. Rivera to check on Zeki a month after he was born. At first, Dr.


    Rivera suggested bringing the child to the hospital for monthly monitoring and health checkup, but Cayenne didn''t want the public to know that Zeki was a little special.


    After a lot of persuasion and with the signed agreement between the doctor and the parents, Eli finally agreed to just monitor the child and see if there was anything odd about him.


    Today was just one of the usual appointments that Cayenne scheduled for Zeki to be checked by his doctor. However, she reminded the doctor to bring his girlfriend along because she wanted to know her a little as someone who worked for Luiz.


    Unfortunately, Isabelle Ignacio was unable to apany Dr. Rivera this time.


    "She needed to visit a ce with a friend. It''s a very important trip that she can''t miss," Dr. Rivera told Cayenne after taking a seat on the couch in the living room while Cayenne ced Zeki on herp. "If you need her for something important, I will give you her number. Just contact her whenever you have the time."


    "O-okay. Thank you," Cayenne muttered and didn''t pursue the topic. She didn''t want the doctor to feel ufortable around her because she was poking her nose into something that she shouldn''t bother herself with. "Anyway, let''s talk about my child. Stefan will be here soon after putting the other kids to sleep."


    "No worries," Dr. Rivera said while taking out Zeki''s observation file from his briefcase. "Two months ago, he said his first word which was ''Dada'' and based on scientific study and observation from several groups of babies from different races, babies would usually say those words around 8 months old, but they didn''t really know what it meant.


    However, we could tell that Zeki knows what exactly ''Dada'' means. The problem was that there was no progress in his learning after the first word he ever said, right?"


    Cayenne nodded solemnly. "We were very happy when he called Stefan ''Dada''. Stefan was delighted and even threw a family gathering because of that. Babies should be able to say a few more words as they continue to grow, right?"


    "That is true. Are you sure that he never said anything after that incident?"


    "A thousand percent sure," Cayenne answered and sighed. "Stefan wanted to record every word that the kids say, so he installed recording devices in many locations of this house. To our disappointment, after asking several bodyguards to check the audio recordings, there was nothing."


    Dr. Rivera shifted his attention from Cayenne to Zeki. He stared into the kid''s eyes once again. He had done this so many times already and he was certain that Zeki didn''t have any mental issues. Poking his tongue to the inner side of his cheek, Dr. Rivera thought of something.


    "Would you allow me to bring your child somewhere? Of course, you cane with us."


    "Where are you nning to take him? My husband is obsessed with the children''s safety. I know you''re a doctor, but something might happen, and you will be held responsible for it."


    "Then, how about staying home while I take your son somewhere? I mean, your presence would catch a lot of attention, so I think it''s better if I take your son alone. I only n to bring him to my ce."


    "Can you bring a bodyguard with you, at least?"


    "Sure. Which one would you like me to take?"


    Cayenne pulled out her phone immediately and dialed Niki''s contact number. Thetter took a few seconds before answering her call and when he did, he apologized automatically. It was as if he knew what Cayenne was calling him for. "An important trip?" Cayenne muttered and somehow, she had a bad feeling about this. "Where are you going?"


    Niki answered her question over the phone and since she didn''t put the call on a loudspeaker, there was no way for Dr. Rivera to know his answer.


    "Alright. Since it''s your day off, I won''t force you, but Naga City is quite far from here. I hope you''ll get back here before I leave for work tomorrow."


    In front of her, Cayenne noticed the deep frown on Dr. Rivera''s face, but she didn''t want to know the reason.

 Chapter 903: TAKING ZEKI AWAY I

    Dr. Rivera checked his phone and read his girlfriend''sst text to him, and it was about going to Naga City where she had an identst time. The doctor frowned, but it was only for a second before he calmed himself again. "So, who among your bodyguards wille with me?"


    "I''ll talk to my husband first," Cayenne said while putting down her phone on the coffee table.


    "I can look after your son if you want," Dr. Rivera offered, and Cayenne epted it. He was one of the doctors they trusted the most.


    Without wasting another second, Cayenne picked up her phone again and left to find her husband in the nursery room. She found Stefan singing a luby to their little girl as he swayed from side to side to put her to sleep. Aziel was already inside the crib sleeping soundly.


    He looked at her with a questioning gaze, so she raised her phone and whispered, "I''ll go to the bathroom to minimize the noise," and dialed Tristan''s number right away to inquire about Niki. By the time she reached the bathroom, Tristan also answered her.


    "Miss Yen? Do you need something from me?"


    "Yes. Yes, I need you to help me with something. Can you check where Niki is? Don''t let him know that I am inquiring about the details. Also, could you try to find out who is he with?"


    "No worries, Miss Yen. That''s easy-peasy. I''ll get back to you in about ten minutes. Do you need anything else aside from this?"


    "That''s all I need for now. I will call you again should something elsee up. Bye for now."


    Cayenne ended the call right away and went out of the bathroom to talk to her husband about Dr. Rivera''s suggestion. She knew that the doctor meant well when ites to the welfare of Zeki, and she was really hoping that this time, Zeki would be healed or, at least, get treated.


    "Dr. Rivera is waiting for us in the living room," she told Stefan while watching him ce their daughter inside the crib meant for her.


    Until two weeks ago, the triplets were sharing a crib but now it was impossible to fit the three of them in one crib. Cayenne and Stefan had to buy new ones.


    "What did he tell you?" Stefan inquired about the conversation between the doctor and his wife in a hushed whisper before kissing his daughter''s forehead and leaving the room with his wife. "He told us before that Zeki isn''t autistic. Did he change his mind?"


    "No, it''s not about that. Dr. Rivera still believed in his diagnosis. Zeki isn''t autistic but there is something in him that he wanted to figure out on his own. He said he wanted to take Zeki to his ce and we should not go with them and no recording device either."


    "That''s weird. Why won''t he allow us to send a recording device?" Stefan couldn''t help but wonder as he walked downstairs. A few secondster, he saw Dr. Rivera with Zeki in the living room. The doctor was ying blocks with Zeki and was conversing with him even though Zeki wasn''t saying a single word.


    It really worried them.


    His siblings were catching up to him now. Aziel and Jahzara would speak "Dada" now, but Zeki wasn''t making any progress. They even bragged to other people about how genius and amazing Zeki was.


    "Good day, Dr. Rivera," Stefan greeted the doctor since he came today for a business matter. If this was another day, they would be calling him Eli. "So, my dearest wife told me that you nned to take Zeki to your ce."


    "Hn. That''s what I suggested. I think I have a way to confirm my diagnosis and prove to you that there''s nothing to worry about. I believe Dr. Albert told you the same thing, too."


    What Dr. Rivera said was indeed true. Their family doctor told them that Zeki was not autistic - like they thought he was. Unfortunately, the way their son was acting told them otherwise.


    "I''ll allow you to take him away, but I hope you''ll send him home before four in the afternoon. I trust you as a doctor and as a friend. I hope you won''t do something to break my trust in you," Stefan said, which shocked everyone who heard him.


    Stefan never allowed anyone to take the triplets outside without them supervising the kids. If not both, at least, one of them should be around. This was the very first incident that he was allowing someone to take one of the kids away and someone not from their family, too.


    "So, who among your bodyguards would go with me?"


    "Nash is around since Luiz won''t be working today. I''ll ask someone to get him and apany you. I''ll tell Rey toe over to your ce, too."


    "Great. I''m sure Zeki would enjoy his stay there. My nephew and my girlfriend''s little brother will be there, too."


    Cayenne blinked her eyes several times before smiling in front of the doctor. She didn''t want to think negatively but her brain was telling her something. [Oh, God. I hope Niki isn''t being foolish.] Cayenne thought before looking away to hide her expression. "Since you will be taking Zeki, I will prepare the things that you need to use," she said and went back to the nursery room again.


    "You can take it as a practice to handle your future kids with your lovely girlfriend," Stefan added as he picked Zeki up and ced him on hisp.


    The little boy leaned on his father''s chest right away and looked up to see the face of the most reliable man in the house. Stefan kept chatting with Dr. Rivera while Zeki observed him. He tugged on his father''s shirt, but Stefan still continued talking.


    "Stefan," Dr. Rivera finally said, forgetting the fact that he visited them for an official matter. "Your son needs something from you."


    It was then that Stefan looked down to finally pay attention to Zeki. "What is it?" Zeki didn''t say a word and just stared in front of him while reaching out for something with his little hands. "Do you want this?" Stefan asked while picking one of the sliced fruits on the table which was meant for Dr. Rivera.


    Zeki turned silent and continued to reach for something.


    Stefan felt helpless as he started picking things to show to Zeki. All this while, Dr. Rivera was making observations of the child.


    Meanwhile, in the nursery room, Cayenne received a message from Tristan. Niki really went to Naga City and the person he was with was none other than the person that Cayenne was suspicious of ¨C Isabelle Ignacio, Dr. Rivera''s girlfriend.

 Chapter 904: TAKING ZEKI AWAY II

    Half an hourter, with all the things that Zeki needed put away in one bag, Dr. Rivera took the child away. Nash drove the doctor''s car for him.


    "Will he be fine?" Cayenne asked her husband who was standing next to her, watching their child leave their home for almost a day.


    "We can trust Eli. I am sure he knows exactly what to do," Stefan said and pulled his wife closer. "Let''s get back inside. You have work to do this afternoon, right? Also, you might want to check on Zaire. I heard from Tristan that the man found his father already and the news wasn''t something joyful."


    "Why? He had already expected that his father could be married to someone. Is there something more unbearable than that news?"


    "Just call him. It''s better to hear the information from him."


    Zaire Dubrinskii was Cayenne''s videographer and video editor. He was originally from the Philippines and came to A City to find his father who abandoned him and his father when he was still a baby. It was really a blessing to him that Cayenne epted him to be part of her vlogging team.


    After a few months of working for Cayenne, he finally earned her trust. Stefan also appreciated his hard work and not long after, Stefan offered him to look for Tristan if he needed help in finding his father. At first, he didn''t want to do it because he felt that he was abusing their kindness.


    However, doing things on his own, finding his father was like finding a needle in a haystack. It was so difficult. He needed help. It was then that he epted Stefan''s offer.


    Tristan introduced him to capable private investigators who knew people from the military. In that way, he would be able to get his answers as soon as he could.


    "Zaire, are you okay?" Callum asked while knocking on the door to the man''s room. "Cree and I will be leaving now to get Miss Yen''s next guest. Addie said she would wait for you."


    There was no answer.


    The four of them, along with the bodyguards that Cayenne assigned to them, were staying at Peach Wood Subdivision, right next to the Sugo family.


    They also knew what happened to Zaire that made him lock himself inside his room.


    "Zaire, you can tell Addie if you want her to wait for you or not. I''m leaving now," Callum said and waited for another five seconds. Unfortunately, there was still no responseing from the man.


    "How is he? Did he talk to you?" Addie asked as soon as she saw Callum walking downstairs. "He locked himself sincest night and he hadn''t had his dinnerst night and breakfast today."


    "Let''s give him some time. We know that Zaire is a responsible person. He won''t allow this setback to affect his work," Cree told them as she picked up her bag and walked out of the house. "We''ll meet you at the mansion."


    "Okay. You both take care of yourselves. Don''t stay too far from your guards," Addie said as a reminder."


    Upstairs, in his bedroom, Zaire was standing at the door with a headset. His mother was on the other end of the line ¨C sobbing.


    "I''m sorry, Mom. Honestly, I didn''t want to tell you about this," Zaire said apologetically. His voice was hoarse, and the nasal tone indicated that he also cried. "I thought it would be better if you know nothing."


    "Is it really better that we know the truth?" asked his mother on the line while wiping her tears away. It was already evening in his mother''s country and Zaire knew that his mother was even more vulnerable during this moment, but he wanted to tell her the news as soon as she could. "Zaire, what happened between me, and your father has nothing to do with you.


    I hope you won''t keep a grudge against him."


    "Mom, I wasn''t hurt because he abandoned us. I got so used to the fact that I haven''t had a father since I was a baby. What I hated the most is the fact that he fooled you. I mean, well, I expected it already that he must have married someone else and had built his own family, but mom ¨C God! Your sister stole your husband away from you! No!


    Your husband cheated on you with your sister! That''s what angers me! And you seemed to know about it!"


    Zaire could no longer take it and shouted.


    "I knew that he was cheating on me. I found him and my sister fooling around a couple of times. I thought that maybe they were just so close to each other. I forced myself to go blind with the truth lying in front of me. Then, you came. It turned out, your father never loved me in the first ce.


    He was aiming for my sister by making me his girlfriend. He never wanted you toe into this world and I opposed him."


    "So, he left with your sister, and you told me you have no siblings. My grandparents were angry about this fact, so they never acknowledged her again. You all made me believe that you are an only child."


    "Is it wrong for us to do so?"


    Zaire was speechless. It was his idea to find out where his father was. He even lied to his mother about it. Now, he was paying for his stubbornness.


    "Mom, I''m sorry for stubbornly pursuing this matter. I know I shouldn''t have done this. I wish I could turn back time, but - "


    "Zaire," his mother called out and interrupted his self-me. "I know it would be impossible to forget what you know, but son, we''ve been doing great without him. We will continue to do better without him. Stop thinking about him. You should just think of yourself and find someone you can spend the rest of your life with. Make yourself busy with something and forget him."


    Zaire looked outside the window and sighed heavily. He just reminded his mother of the pain she felt from the betrayal of her husband and her sister. "Mom, do you want toe here? We can go on a trip together. We can show to the world that we are living a great life without his support."


    *


    "We''re here," Nash told Dr. Rivera as he parked the car outside the doctor''s residence. "I''ll help you carry your things. You can just bring the baby inside."


    "Thank you. I appreciate the offer," Dr. Rivera said and stepped out of the car. Before he could even open the door, Andrei beat him to it and swung the door open. He was already at home, waiting for his uncle to arrive. "Is Mom with you?"


    Andrei nodded his head in response.


    Dr. Rivera went inside his house and Nash followed behind him after checking the surroundings of the property. They went to the doctor''s room and found a small crib inside. "Have you been nning to take the child from the start?" Nash asked as he put down Zeki''s things on the bed.


    "Yes, but this crib was just brought here today."


    Not long after Jojie came inside with the kids. They were all excited to spend time with Neon and help the doctor with his social experiment to find out what exactly was wrong with Zeki.


    "I hope the child won''t get hurt with whatever you have in mind. Please know that I will be reporting everything to the madam and the boss," Nash reminded the doctor before walking out of the room to be on guard at the door. "Call me if you ever need help."

 Chapter 905: CHILDRENS TEARS

    While their youngest child was away, Cayenne got herself ready for work. She took a quick shower before Addie and Zaire could get to the mansion. She had already taken notes about Zaire''s situation, so she kept it in mind to make sure that she won''t identally open a sensitive topic.


    "Hon, do you have any cravings? I''ll cook for you before leaving for work," Stefan said when Cayenne came out of the bathroom.


    "Won''t you stay at home today?" Cayenne questioned in return. "Just work at home today, please? You can call Tristan and Elena toe over for lunch."


    "Alright. I''ll give them a call. What do you want for lunch?"


    "I''m craving forsagna," Cayenne answered and chuckled. "It was the first thing that came to mind," she added before giving him a peck on the lips. "I''ll change my clothes now."


    Stefan nodded his head and left his wife to give her time for preparation. He immediately went to the kitchen to makesagna for his wife.


    One hourter, Addie and Zaire came. Thetter acted normally except for the dark sses he was wearing, and Cayenne instantly knew that the man must have had puffy eyes.


    "I''ll set up the cameras first," Zaire said in a nasal tone voice and didn''t wait for Cayenne''s confirmation. It was his job, and he didn''t need to ask permission all the time. He already knew which part of the house was allowed for vlogging and which wasn''t.


    "I''ll help him," Addie said and brought Collins along with her to help Zaire.


    Cayenne just watched them do their work for about a minute before going to the kitchen. There she found her husband setting the dining table with the helpers. Not long after, Tristan came but Elena wasn''t around. The man told her that he agreed with Elena to only allow one person toe while the other would stay to supervise the employees in thepany.


    As soon as the helpers finished setting up the table for lunch, Cayenne called the others to join them. Callum and Cree weren''t around yet, but they already told Cayenne that they were on the way with the next vlogging guest.


    "Lasagna for lunch?" Tristan questioned and chuckled. "Miss Yen, you really have unpredictable cravings," he added while putting some food on his te. "Where are the kids by the way? I don''t see them."


    "They''re inside the nursery room," Stefan answered on behalf of his wife. "The nannies take care of them. They will be brought out after they finished feeding them."


    "Miss Yen, can I just bring some food to Zaire?" Addie asked while sitting next to Tristan. "He said he wasn''t hungry, but I know it''s the opposite. He hadn''t had his dinnerst night and had no breakfast this morning, too. I''m sure he is just embarrassed toe over."


    "Go ahead," Cayenne answered with a faint smile. "Just remind him to take it easy around me. I won''t bite even if he makes a mistake today."


    "Got it."


    Tristan followed Addie with his gaze and sighed. "Miss Yen, did the boss tell you what happened?"


    "Not the whole story, but I got the gist of it."


    Cayenne had no idea what exactly happened to Zaire''s father or the whole story that led to his parent''s separation, but Stefan''s words already indicated how sensitive the matter would be.


    "By the way, I need your help with somethingter," Cayenne told Tristan when she remembered the message she receivedst night. "It''s a very important task."


    "I will always have your back, Miss Yen. Just let me know. Is this about Niki and Miss Ignacio?"


    The moment he mentioned those two names, Cayenne felt a throbbing headache. "Let''s not talk about them. I don''t want to specte things involving them."


    Tristan pouted in response after Cayenne told him to stop talking about Niki and Isabelle Ignacio. He still got something interesting to tell them, but it seemed that Cayenne didn''t want to bother herself about her most capable bodyguard.


    Addie returned to her seat, and they all continued to eat their lunch. Stefan busied himself putting food on his wife''s te while Cayenne busied herself putting food on his te.


    [Why don''t you just put food on your own te and stop this PDA?] Addie thought helplessly while being stuffed with overloading sweetness from the couple.


    During lunch, they talked about different things to divert their attention from Zaire. They didn''t want the man to think that they were minding him so much. And once lunch was over, Cayenne and Addie went to the makeup room so Cayenne could get ready for her vlog while waiting for the guest.


    "Sir! Ma''am!" called the nanny in a hurry as she run downstairs in a panic. "Madam! Sir!"


    "Miss Yen is inside the makeup room," Zaire answered the nanny since he was in the living room. "Sir Stefan is in the study room with Tristan."


    Knowing who to disturb between the couple, the nanny ran back upstairs to look for Stefan in the study room. "Sir Stefan, help."


    Stefan instantly stood up from his seat and ran outside to find the children in the nursery room. He wasn''t even asking the nanny about the issue as he was busy calming his mood to make sure that he won''t affect his children.


    "Sir, we tried to make them stop crying but they just won''t," said the nanny once Stefan was inside the room with them. "The little princess had been crawling around the room in tears. She seemed to be looking for something, but she couldn''t find it."


    Hearing the nanny''s words, Stefan picked up Jahzara first and sat on the bed with her sitting on hisp. The nanny picked up Aziel as well and ced the little boy on his father''sp. Stefan was now holding two kids in his arms.


    Jahzara was still sobbing in her father''s arms, and she was iling to make him let go of her. Aziel wasn''t moving a lotpared to the little girl, but he was wailing.


    "Are you looking for Zeki?" As if understanding his question, both children stopped crying at once and looked at him. "Your brother went for a checkup. He will be back soon. He is currently staying with the doctor."


    Stefan didn''t know what went wrong, but the kids started crying again after he told them where Zeki went. He was confident that the kids were looking for the youngest child, but he didn''t expect that their reaction would be worse.


    "Go and get my phone in the study," Stefan told the nanny and thetter ran outside to get Stefan''s phone immediately. When she returned and handed the phone to him, Stefan dialed Dr. Rivera''s number and requested to make a video call so that the kids would be able to see Zeki.


    [I can''t believe they''d be so smart to even realize that one of them is not around.] Tristan thought while watching the whole scene from outside the door. [Will I have smart kids like them?]

 Chapter 906: RUBBING SALT ON THE WOUND

    Once Zeki was on the phone with Dr. Rivera, the kids stopped crying. They kept touching Stefan''s phone screen, probably thinking that doing so would make them touch their brother in person as well.


    The call continued with the kids just babbling on and on to each other while the adults had no idea what they were all talking about. Watching them, Stefan couldn''t stop himself from feeling proud.


    At least, even as kids, his children already knew how it feels to miss someone.


    He could only hope that their bond would get stronger as time passed by. He hoped that they would grow close like how Cayenne grew with her brothers.


    Half an hourter, Cayenne came out from the makeup room, ready to meet the new guest and make the vlog. However, she didn''t expect to see the kids in the living room with red-rimmed eyes.


    "What happened to them?" Cayenne asked as she walked in haste toward her son and daughter. "How long did they cry to look like this?"


    "They woke up from their sleep and started crying," Stefan answered on behalf of the nannies. He came out of the kitchen with some fruit shakes for the kids. "The nannies thought they needed a change of diapers, but they weren''t. They refused to eat as well. When I checked on them, it turned out that they were throwing a tantrum because Zeki wasn''t around."


    Cayenne felt a little bad for her children. She didn''t think that letting Dr. Rivera have Zeki would affect her children so much. "Did you call Eli?"


    "I did. The callsted for almost half an hour. You don''t have to worry now. The kids are fine, and they will stay in the living room while we work so they could see us."


    Cayenne nodded her head and caressed her children''s faces. "Mommy and Daddy will be working for you guys, so just stay here and chill, okay?"


    Jahzara and Aziel stared at her face and smiled brightly as if they understood what she just said.


    "Miss Yen, can I y with the kidster?"


    "Sure," Cayenne responded without any hesitations. "I''ll just call you whenever we need to do some retouch which rarely happens, by the way."


    As they chatted, Cree and Callum arrived with today''s vlogging guest.


    *


    The Labrador family followed Cree and Callum to the mansion and the scene they saw was something they never thought of ¨C not even in their wildest dreams about wealthy people.


    In the living room, there was a y area for the kids and the nannies were looking after them. Not far from where the kids yed, Stefan was sitting on the carpet,ptop on the coffee table with a lot of documents piled next to him. His secretary was sitting on the couch beside him as well.


    Cayenne was chatting with someone, but she soon came to their side and greeted them. "Hello. I''m Cayenne Ardolf Dumrique. Nice to finally meet you."


    "Hi. Good afternoon, Mrs. Dumrique. I''m Jecil," responded the young woman who was the main guest of the vlog. "This is my mother Terry and my brother Jun with me."


    Cayenne smiled and gave the mother and the brother a handshake, too. "Just call me Miss Yen. We''re not in a business meeting anyway. Come inside."


    Callum and Cree''s job stopped here for the time being. They could now rx while Cayenne took care of her guests.


    [Just how much are they earning to keep a lot of helpers with them while also helping other people in need?] Jun Labrador thought to himself as he followed Cayenne and everyone else to the patio where the vlog would be held.


    "Do you guys have any allergies or something that you don''t like to eat?" Cayenne asked them while gesturing her hand for them to take a seat on the couch prepared for them. "I''ll ask my helpers to prepare some snacks for you to eat after the vlog."


    "We''re good, Miss Yen. We have no allergies, so far," Jecil answered on behalf of her mother and brother.


    "Great," Cayenne muttered and signaled something to Callum, then thetter went to the kitchen with Cree. "So, how''s life so far? Oh! This is not the start of the vlog yet. I just want to get to know you a little more."


    Jecil started telling Cayenne what she was busy with and how she was able to handle her illness all these years. At twelve years old, Jecil was diagnosed with glomerulonephritis. If not treated properly, she might experience kidney failure. Thankfully, Callum and Cree found her message among all the other messages that they sorted from Cayenne''s inbox.


    After talking for about five minutes, Cayenne asked if they were ready to share their story with the world. As soon as she received their permission, Zaire sat in front of his monitor to check the footage.


    Cayenne started with a light conversation to set the mood and make sure that the Labrador family wasfortable talking to her. She asked about Jecil''s education and Jun''s current work after he stopped pursuing his dream to find a job and help their mother in raising Jecil.


    "So, my team mentioned to me that you have never ever met your father since you were born. What was it like for you? I mean, I can rte at some point because I only met my real fatherst year. So, how did you handle yourself when people say that you have no father?"


    "Well, I got used to that fact already," Jecil answered without blinking an eye. "Our neighbors told us that my father left because of another woman and that he''s happily living with another family. I don''t care. I grew up without him and even though we''re having difficulties, I never thought of finding him. I''m contented with my mother and my brother."


    "Do you still want to see him?"


    "No," said the young woman while staring right through the camera lenses as if she was looking at her father who might view this vlog in the next few days. "A man who gets easily swayed by another woman is not worth being my father. I don''t care how other children feel while watching this video, but it''s my opinion regarding my so-called father.


    If you are ever watching this vlog and you know me, I hope we won''t see each other ever again. We''re fine without you. Don''t expect me to forgive you either. I''m not God."


    Cayenne didn''t expect that the conversation would be like this, but she didn''t stop the young woman either. Just as she said, it was her opinion, and she was entitled to express it. At the same time, she wasn''t talking about anyone else, but herself and her father.


    The only thing that bothered Cayenne was the fact that Zaire was sitting right behind the monitor. She immediately changed the topic and focused on Jecil''s illness.

 Chapter 907: RESTLESS JULIA

    "Hi!" Julia greeted the guard when she came to visit her cousin''s family again. "I''m here to visit my niece and nephews. Stefan told me that they''re home."


    "Yes, ma''am," answered the guard while doing a thorough inspection of Julia''s vehicle.


    Julia smiled faintly at the man before driving away to park her car as soon as the guard finished his inspection. Like any other day of her visit, she brought something again for Stefan''s family. She would always make sure that she got some sweets with her for Cayenne.


    The moment she stepped into the house, she saw the kids, but a deep frown immediately appeared on her face. "Where''s Zeki?"


    Stefan looked back and saw his cousin walking toward them with big and quick strides. "Why are you looking for Zeki? Do you need him for something?"


    "No, nothing. I was just a little taken aback that the triplets aren''tplete."


    Stefan nodded his head in understanding without saying another word to his cousin. Julia didn''t bother Stefan either. She just said hello to the kids before following the sound of Cayenne''s voice to locate her.


    Cayenne was almost done with her vlog when Julia came in. Thetter decided to watch the footage next to Zaire while ignoring the stares that she was receiving from the others. She knew that deep in the hearts of many people, there were some who weren''t able to forgive her for hurting Cayenne in the past ¨C not that she cared about it.


    Half an hourter, the vlog was finally wrapped up and Cayenne brought her guests to the front garden where they could have some snacks and just chat about random things which weren''t part of the vlog. It was her way to lessen the tension among her guests and just make them feelfortable around her before they would go back to their own homes.


    She would always give gifts to her guests, too. This time, she got her guests $500 worth of grocery items which was excluded from the help that she will be giving to Jecil for her treatment. The Labrador family was really happy when they received the groceries from Cayenne.


    "I brought something for snacks today as well," Julia said out of nowhere as her form of telling Cayenne that she was present at the moment. "I''ll ask the helpers to help me bring them here."


    Before Cayenne could say anything, Julia already left to get some help from the helpers. Of course, Julia had to be quick to make sure that Cayenne wouldn''t be able to refuse her.


    "Miss Yen, thank you so much for all your help. The payment for the treatment is more than enough already, but you still got us these groceries. You are really an angel sent to us," Jecil voiced out with tears pooling in her eyes. "I never thought that we would meet someone like you in our life."


    "As long as you do good, you will be rewarded. That is the reason why we get this chance to meet each other. It''s because you have been a good daughter and a good sister," Cayenne responded softly while caressing the young girl''s head. "Once you''re better, you can go back to school and make more friends. You can live your life to the fullest."


    During this conversation, Julia came back with the helper. She was holding an eco-bag and inside this bag were different kinds of snacks. There were cookies, cakes, donuts, and homemade bread that she wanted Cayenne to try. To show her kindness to the Labrador family, she gave them a box of each dessert she brought.


    "Thank you so much, ma''am," Jun said while receiving the boxes of pastry.


    "Just call me Miss Julia."


    Naturally, Cayenne just allowed Julia to do whatever she wanted to do. In any case, it was just about giving food and Cayenne was confident that Julia wouldn''t do anything like putting poison on the food because it wasn''t her style.


    Around 4:00 PM, the Labrador family bid their farewell already since they came from a far ce, and it was better to leave early to avoid getting stuck in the traffic.


    Callum and Cree sent them home along with their bodyguards since it was their job to bring the guests to the mansion and return them to their homes safely.


    Zaire and Addie started putting their things away as well, getting ready to leave and go home.


    "Zaire," Cayenne called out when the man was alone on the patio. "I''m sorry for the insensitive words I said earlier. I didn''t mean to open the topic about her father, but I forgot to erase it from my pointers."


    "It''s fine, Miss Yen. The vlog was already arranged before I even heard about my father, and besides, I''m over it now."


    "Really?" Cayenne retorted with a disbelieving expression on her face, but Zaire finally took off his dark sses and smiled at her, so she felt a little convinced somehow. "I didn''t grow up with my father, so I can understand the pain and disappointment, but like what my friends told me, you should focus on the people who care for you and not those who rejected you."


    "Thank you, Miss Yen," Zaire mumbled happily. "Ever since I started working for you, my life has been great. I won''t give up my work for you even if the whole world wants me to."


    "I''m d to know that. It would be a huge blow to my vlogging work if I lose a capable videographer and editor like you."


    *


    Aziel and Jahzara were ying with Julia from time to time. Their auntie woulde to them and chat about the random trivia she knew before, then after two or three minutes, she would leave them to go outside. Not long after, she would return to their side again to y.


    The kids were really bothered by her behavior, but they could not voice out anything aside from the word Dada and the gibberish noises that would follow right after.


    Julia had been asking the nanny where Zeki was, but the nanny said that the child went on a short trip. The nanny didn''t mention who took the child and Julia didn''t want to ask either because she would sound suspicious. She could only check the front yard and the back yard from time to time in order to find some clues about where Zeki went to.


    At 4:30 PM, Dr. Eliezer Rivera arrived along with Nash and Rey. When he stepped out of the car, he was carrying Zeki who had fallen asleep.


    Seeing that it was Dr. Rivera who came, Julia thought that Zeki got sick and an idea suddenly came into her mind.

 Chapter 908: ZEKIS CONDITION

    "My baby," Cayenne muttered as she took Zeki from Dr. Rivera''s arms. "How was he? Did you find anything new?"


    "Yes, I did. I can firmly confirm Zeki''s condition now," Eliezer Rivera said as he sat on the couch next to Tristan. "You seemed busy," hemented when Stefan looked at him. "Do you guys want to talk about it somewhere private?"


    "Let''s go to the study room," Stefan responded and stood up. He told Tristan about the remaining tasks that should be done before the end of the day before taking Zeki from his wife to carry him upstairs. Their children had grown up and even though they weren''t that heavy, he still disliked the idea of his wife carrying them for a long period of time. He didn''t want her to get tired.


    "Julia, can I leave the other kids to you? We will be right back."


    "Sure!" Julia eximed in response almost instantly and went up to the kids. However, her happiness didn''tst long. She found Rey, the bodyguard, walking up to the kids as well and he even started ying with Aziel. The child liked him so much and he was giggling when Rey tickled his neck.


    Julia couldn''t believe that a psycho-looking guy would be close to the children. Her opinion was driven with fear and intimidation that she felt from the man. She always had this thought that Rey would be able to snap her neck in two should she do something bad to the kids.


    Whenever this bodyguard was around, she felt like walking on eggshells. It felt to her that logic and reason wouldn''t work on Rey.


    Stefan went to the study room with his wife and Dr. Rivera while carrying his son in his arms. When he got there, he gently ced his son on the crib. In fact, cribs were littered everywhere in the property and for the triplets since most of the time, the nannies would bring them around to get some fresh air and bath in sunlight.


    "So, what did you find?" Cayenne asked as soon as Stefan sat next to her. "Is anything serious?"


    To start their serious discussion, Dr. Rivera pulled out a ck sh drive from his chest pocket, handed it to Stefan and spoke about his findings. "Zeki is not autistic and I''m certain about that," he said, and a big thorn was finally pulled out of Cayenne''s and Stefan''s chest. "However," and suddenly their breathing hitched. "Zeki is not...uhm, how do we define normal?"


    "S-So, something''s... something is wrong with him?" Cayenne asked hesitantly while gripping her husband''s hand.


    "I don''t think it''s something worrying, but it is something you should pay attention to. You need to guide him and make sure that he is well-informed. You see, Zeki is a genius. I would dare say that. While spending time with him and carefully observing him right in front of me, I noticed a lot of things that other children wouldn''t do but Zeki did."


    "Like what?" Cayenne and Stefan questioned Dr. Rivera at the same time. It was obvious that they were both anxious.


    "Zeki is well aware of the camera inside the nursery room. I could say it because he had been staring at my pre-installed micro camera the moment he got inside my room. Your son''s awareness is highpared to other kids. When he was with me, he would just y with toys and flip the pages of the children''s books that I ced around him. He didn''t make any sound.


    Yet, when he was spending time with the kids, Andrei and Neon told me that Zeki was really amazing. He could identify shapes, letters, numbers, animals, and colors."


    "Are you sure about that?" Stefan spoke in disbelief.


    "Kids don''t lie," was Dr. Rivera''s response. "Anyway, it was just one of the few things that the kids told me after spending time with him. Neon also told me that Zeki has a way of organizing things."


    "Organizing? My son?" Cayenne blurted out in surprise. It was her first time hearing someone say that a child, not even a one-year-old, was organizing things. "How''s that possible?"


    "Since Zeki is very sensitive to adults who might be observing him, I asked the kids to interact with them and tell me what Zeki was doing. It turned out that after ying with the toys and the books, he arranged them by colors. ording to Neon, Zeki looked very happy when he finished sorting out the items around him.


    When Andrei tried putting all the books together onto the bookshelf, your son started crying. Zeki is very young, and I don''t want to make a clinical diagnosis aside from the autism part. I suggest that once he turns one year old, which will happen in the next few months, you should let him undergo an IQ test.


    As for the OCD part, which I don''t want to confirm as of this moment, I suggest that you ask the nannies to observe him instead of putting a lot of cameras in the nursery room. Not just the nannies, I would rmend that you allow him to spend time with other people and let them make some behavioral observations. In that way, you can record the things that would upset him and make him happy.


    For now, your goal is to make sure that he won''t be distressed by other people''s carelessness when spending time with him."


    "I understand your point," Stefan expressed knowing that their child was indeed a little special. They weren''t stressed upon hearing the possibility that their child might have OCD.


    It wasn''t anything contagious and although a lot of medical experts say that such a condition was considered a mental disorder, Stefan believed that their son was really just a genius and someone who might be very organized with his things. At least, he could now tell that among his children, one of them can be trusted in keeping his room clean.


    "We''ll do what you just said," Cayenne added after a moment of silence. "I know this is too much to ask, but would it be fine if you could allow Andrei toe over and y with the kids? It would be great if Neon coulde, too. I''ll also ask Jillyanna to bring Raizel and Jade here."


    "I''m okay with Andrei, but I''ll ask my girlfriend about Neon first. She''s overprotective of him."


    "It doesn''t have to be every weekend. They can visit us whenever they want as long as they don''t have anything else scheduled."


    Meanwhile, Julia was pondering over Cayenne''s question earlier. She was already doubting Zeki''s health and the moment she heard Cayenne''s words, she got this feeling that the couple was hiding something serious about their son. [I should go home soon and do some research.] Julia thought while waving the teddy bear to Jahzara.


    Although she was smiling in front of the child, Rey could tell that Julia''s attention wasn''t really on the little girl. [I should pressure Eliott to tighten his hold on this woman.] Rey told himself as he caressed Aziel''s head and watch him drink his fruit shake.

 Chapter 909: SURPRISE!

    "We''re here!" Luiz said in a loud voice to announce his arrival along with his brother and father. "We''re here to freeload on food again."


    Cayenneughed at her brother''s words the moment he came inside with Kyle and Jonas. Her home was open to her family and friends as long as they would inform her head of time of their arrival. Aside from that, she felt happy whenever their family and friends would visit them.


    "I''ll take my leave now," Julia said as she picked up her bag on the couch. "I''lle and visit you guys again."


    "Why don''t you have dinner with us?" Cayenne asked before the woman could really go. "I''ll be cooking something for dinner tonight."


    "I''d love to stay and eat with your family, but I really have to go home. I still have other things to do."


    Cayenne didn''t pursue the matter of dinner invitation and just watched the woman go. If truth be told, she was still really worried about Julia''s attitude toward them. She wanted so much as to believe the woman ¨C that she had changed for the better, but Niki and Rey, two of her trusted bodyguards, told her that Julia was behaving oddly, and her eyes would sometimes show hostility.


    If she wasn''t hostile to them, then to who?


    "Don''t think too much," Luiz said when he noticed that her sister was looking gloomy. "Time will tell what kind of person Julia is."


    "Hn."


    "Yenyen, I got you something," Kyle said and gave her several gift bags. "Kath returned with her family this morning. She wanted me to give you these. There are names on them."


    "Oh, thank you. I''ll send her a messageter," Cayenne responded as she epted the gifts.


    Dr. Rivera left a few minutes ago just before Cayenne''s family arrived. She wanted him to stay for dinner as well, but the doctor mentioned having dinner with his family and his girlfriend.


    With her heavy heart nagging her guilty conscience, Cayenne pursed her lips and didn''t reveal her suspicions to the doctor. She could be mistaken, and she didn''t want to be the reason of the doctor''s failed rtionship.


    "Yen, what are you cooking for dinner? I''ll help you," Luiz said and walked toward the kitchen. "Where''s Zeki by the way?"


    "I''ll ask Stefan what he likes for dinner, and I''ll cook it. As for my youngest, he is sleeping peacefully upstairs with my husband."


    Kyle and Jonas decided to y with the kids while Cayenne and Luiz cooked in the kitchen along with the helpers. Not long after, Niki returned to the mansion. Since it was his day off, he went directly to the helper''s quarters, avoiding Cayenne''s questions for the time being ¨C not that he knew what wasing to him.


    *


    Julia was happily driving her car back to the vi. She alreadyid out her ns for tonight to prepare for her long fight. She already sacrificed a lot of time for vengeance. She needed to make sure that she would win this battle against Stefan and Cayenne.


    With a faint smile on her lips, she parked her car in the garage and stepped out of it while humming a cheerful song.


    "Good evening, Miss Julia," Leonora greeted when she saw Julia on her way out to get some herbs in the garden.


    "Good evening," Julia replied which surprised the woman.


    Leonora already had a feeling that Julia had changed for the better, but she was not someone who would return a greeting with a wide smile. Most of the time, she would just nod her head.


    Nheless, Leonora went on with her agenda, and Julia continued to walk inside the mansion. There was no one in the living room when she got inside and although she heard some noiseing from the kitchen, she didn''t think too much about it.


    Julia walked upstairs to put her n into action but the moment she opened her door, her eyes went wide open.


    "Surprise!"


    She was surprised, indeed. She didn''t know what to say and her thoughts were aplete mess.


    "Are you not happy to see me?"


    Julia finally snapped out of her messy thoughts, and she opened her arms wide to hug her husband. "Lovey, you''re here. I thought I was just seeing things."


    "I missed you so much, Dovey. I couldn''t wait any longer, so I hastened the business deals I needed to deal with toe here as soon as I can."


    "I missed you, too. I really thought you''de in two months," Julia responded without letting go of him. She didn''t want her husband to see her expression right now. She knew that there was a high chance that her true feelings would show up on her face and it was something she was avoiding. [So, what am I going to do now?] She thought to herself when she remembered her ns.


    Dn, her husband, was someone she truly loved since she was in middle school. He was there for her whenever she needed him, and he never ever raised his voice against her. Whenever they fought, he would talk to her in a soft voice, to make her understand his point. He was very gentle to her.


    Julia was afraid of losing him. She was afraid that he would give up on her once he knew of her wickedness. She needed to be mindful around him.


    "Why didn''t you call me beforehand? I could have picked you up from the airport."


    "I didn''t want to tire you out," Dn answered while putting a little distance between them. "I know that you are trying your best to mend your rtionship with your cousin and his family. I don''t want to be a hindrance to that. In any case, we will be spending more time from now on. Mom and Dad agreed to our n, and they are willing to help us if we ever decide to start a business here."


    "Great!" [Not really.] "We can finally start our life here. I found several ces that you might like. We can build our own house there."


    "I knew you would be thinking ahead of me," her husband stated and kissed her head. "Let''s go and check those ces tomorrow, but before we go there, do you think I could meet your cousin? I want to apologize to him about thest time I saw them. I''m sure you have apologized to him already, but I still want to do my part. It''s great for our family to be harmonious, right?"


    "Absolutely right!" Julia agreed but deep in her heart, she was anxious and worried. For once, she wanted her husband to leave her alone. With him around, her revenge n was next to impossible.

 Chapter 910: SURPRISE CALL

    The next day, Julia and Dn visited Stefan. Julia thought that Cayenne would be working this time as well, but when she inquired, she found out that Stefan''s wife was working at home while looking after the children.


    "Do you want to visit her and the triplets?" Julia asked her husband on their way out of thepany building. They didn''t stay long when visiting Stefan with the excuse that they needed to visit severalnd properties for housing. Of course, Stefan didn''t bother himself to stop them either.


    Dn thought about Julia''s words for a few seconds before shaking his head. "We can visit them some other time. They''re family. I''m sure we''ll have a lot of chances to meet them. Right now, I just want to visit the properties you mentioned so that we can n out our house to build."


    "Alright. Let''s go!"


    Slowly, Julia''s attention and time werepletely filled by Dn. In the morning, she would wake up early to cook for him and sometimes, they would cook together. After they finally bought thend property that Dn liked, the two of them started nning how to build their mansion or what it would look like.


    They started looking for a constructionpany, an interior designer, and even helpers who would be there to help them with their daily needs. They got so busy that they didn''t have time to meet with friends anymore.


    They would leave early to start their day and would only return home when it was time for dinner.  for more


    Even though Ferdinand wasn''t able to spend a lot of time with his grandson-inw, he feltfortable with him. Dn, despite being born and raised in a wealthy family, was humble and respectful. The only w he had was his blind support for his wife.


    Ferdinand could tell because Dn was very simr to Stefan in a lot of ways. The way he looked at his wife and spoke to her; Ferdinand had seen it in Stefan.


    These days, Dn had been taking Julia out to do a lot of things for their future. Ferdinand wasn''t sure if Dn had any idea about the revenge n that his wife was cooking up against Stefan and Cayenne. He hoped that the man was innocent. He hoped that he would stop his wife from taking the wrong path ¨C the path to ruin and destruction.


    In the blink of an eye, one week had passed since Dn''s arrival. With Julia''s absence in their lives, Cayenne was able to do a lot of things without any worries.


    She also started the thing that Dr. Rivera told them to do. In the morning, after the nannies fed the triplets and changed their clothes, she would take them out to bathe under the sun. Half an hourter, she would take them inside and y with them for an hour. She would sing them a song, read a book, and just do things that mothers should do with their babies. She loved spending time with them.


    In the afternoon, right after lunch, Zeki will be spending time with different people for behavioral observation. Sometimes, he would stay at the cabin with his grandmother and Dr. Albert. Other times, he would be spending his afternoon with Jonas, or with Jose and Cory.


    Among the triplets, he was the one who got the chance to travel a lot. He was the only baby with so many bodyguards, too. Cayenne even contacted Leon, the taxi driver that Stefan hired for her in the past when they started their cohabitation. He was the only taxi driver she could trust because she had known him for a long time.


    Whenever Zeki left the mansion to spend time with his grandparents, Leon would be there to pick him up.


    It was safer that way since no one would ever think that Cayenne''s precious son was taking a taxi. They would only see the bodyguards leaving the house in their civilian clothing.


    In this whole week of collecting information, Cayenne gathered a lot of things about her child. She found out from Jonas that Zeki had preferences for TV shows at a very young age. They had no idea how the kid learned it and from whom, but apparently, Zeki knew how to change channels. He would change the channels as much as he wanted until he would find the channel that he likes ¨C animal.


    ording to Latticia and Dr. Albert, Zeki was well-behaved until they identally bumped into the crib and his neatly arranged building blocks toppled. Dr. Albert tried his best to arrange the blocks again, but no matter how hard he tried, Zeki didn''t stop trying. It was only when they gave him an apple-milk shake that he stopped crying.


    Then, he started arranging the blocks again by the color of their edges.


    Cayenne read the information she gathered and noted the things that she should remember and reminded the helpers as well. She didn''t want her son to be distressed because they had no idea of his needs. She needed everyone to be extra careful around him.


    As she continued to read the written behavioral information of her child, her phone started ringing and the ringtone was something she specifically set for someone she didn''t want to talk to. Just seeing the woman''s name made her recall those horrible days.


    Hesitantly, she picked up her phone and stared at it for a little while. It continued to ring for another minute, but she didn''t answer it. A few secondster, it rang again and this time, she picked up the call and even let out a heavy sigh. "This is Cayenne."


    "It''s me Artemis. Can we talk?"


    Cayenne frowned and stared back at her phone once again to check the number. Diana''s name was reflected on the phone screen, but it was Artemis who was speaking to her. Thest thing she remembered about the siblings was their separation. She heard that Artemis didn''t want anything from the Rule inheritance, so Diana got everything after buying off her sister''s share.


    She didn''t expect that the siblings would be together again after a long time.


    "Cayenne, we need your help."

 Chapter 911: TRYING TO CONVINCE DIANA

    After the kidnapping incident, even though Artemis and Diana imed that they meant no harm to her, Cayenne couldn''t find the urge to forgive the siblings. She didn''t even invite them to her wedding. Meeting them was just a short chapter in her life that she wanted to forget. She didn''t want anything to do with them anymore.


    Yet, hearing Artemis'' pleading voice on the other end of the line, her cold heart melted a little. "What kind of help?" she asked.


    "We''re facing bankruptcy. I mean, my sister is facing bankruptcy," Artemis answered in a low voice. "I know I shouldn''t call you about this, but I really have no idea who else to call. I''m ashamed of calling the Sy family, too."


    "And you''re not ashamed of calling me?" Cayenne retorted before her brain could put a stop to her mouth.


    "I''m sorry. I - "


    "So, what do you want me to do?" Cayenne questioned which interrupted Artemis. If she had to be honest, she really wanted to end the call as soon as possible. Unlike Stefan''s rtionship with Julia and Celestine, Cayenne didn''t have any happy memories with the Rule family.


    "Can you stop the bankruptcy?"


    "Me?" Cayenne scoffed as if she heard the biggest joke in her entire life. "You want me to stop the bankruptcy caused by your sister? I''m not God, you know. I''m not a businesswoman either. I have no idea how to stop a bankruptcy."


    Artemis wasn''t disheartened by Cayenne''s reply. She expected it already, but she knew who exactly could help them. "You can ask your husband to help us."


    "And you expect him to help you?"


    "We helped him find you."


    "So, he should be thankful for what you guys did even though you and your family caused the whole kidnapping thing with the intention of gouging my heart from me to rece what was inside your grandfather. Is that what you are saying? That he owed you something?"


    Artemis fell silent.


    Stefan came out of the bathroom and noticed how upset his wife was while talking to someone on the phone. "Who are you talking to?"


    "It''s Arte ¨C," she heard the beeping sound and checked her phone screen. "She ended the call. It was Artemis."


    "Artemis?"


    "Hn. She asked me for help."


    Without telling him what exactly the help was for, Stefan knew. As long as it had something to do with business, he would know everything. "So, what did you say?"


    "I didn''t promise anything. We just started talking, but she suddenly ended the call when you came out of the bathroom."


    Stefan frowned when hearing his wife''s response, but he didn''t dwell on it. "Ignore them," he said while drying his hair with the towel.


    "You know something," Cayenne mumbled with no judgment. She just knew that her husband must have had some knowledge about the issue already. She ced her phone on the bedside table and pulled out the hair dryer to help her husband with his hair. "Is Diana really facing bankruptcy?"


    "Hn. When she took over the remaining business of his grandfather, everything was fine. No one really made a fuss against her when she sat as the new chairman. What Old Rule did was his mistake alone and Diana wasn''t held responsible for anything."


    "Then, what went wrong?"


    "Old Rule''s enemies were asking forpensation ¨C one after another. One problem led to another until she could no longer cover her grandfather''s debts. Even if she sells herpany shares and other properties, they won''t be enough to pay what Old Rule owed to many people. There were lives involved, too."


    "In short, bankruptcy is inevitable for herpany this time."


    "Yes. Unless she finds someone, who can loan her money to cover all the debts she needed to pay."


    "How much would that be?"


    "As far as I know, it would be about $20 million."


    Cayenne was speechless with her jaw dropping on the floor. She knew thatpany owners would usually ow someone, like a bank, to finance their growingpany, but a whopping $25 million was something she could never imagine.


    "Who would lend them that huge amount? That''s insane!"


    Stefanughed at his wife''s response while watching him through the mirror''s reflection. Her expression was fun to watch since she never really involved herself in the business world.


    Although she helped him with some of thepany projects, she had never tried checking the budgets or seeing the projected profit of the project. Aside from that, when she started her charity foundation, she didn''t encounter any problems because Stefan got her back and solved everything for her.


    Stefan continued telling his wife about the current situation that Diana was facing.


    By the time he finished sharing what he knew, Cayenne was done drying his hair, too.


    *


    "Did she agree?" Diana asked her sister when Artemis came to her room to return her phone. "Cayenne is soft-hearted, so - "


    "She is, yeah," Artemis said sarcastically as she put her hands inside her coat pockets. "But Stefan is not."


    "So, she didn''t want to help us?"


    Artemis didn''t know how exactly she should feel toward her sister. She felt like she was talking to the dumbest woman in the world. She couldn''t evenprehend how her sister got the confidence to ask for help from someone they hurt before.


    "Look, why don''t you just give up thepany shares?"


    "No! I''ve had my eyes on it ever since I first started working there. I would not allow all my efforts to be wasted because of that old man!"


    "But you know it''s fruitless. You slowly gain profits, but the debt interest increases rapidly. You better sell everything now to pay what our grandfather owed. I don''t want our children and grandchildren to face debt collectors in the future because you fail to solve this issue."


    "Seriously?"


    "Do I look like I''m joking right now?" Artemis retorted with obvious displeasure on her face.


    Diana closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands. She was distraught, but she definitely wanted to keep thepany. "I can''t. I just can''t let go of it. Artemis, I can''t survive being poor."


    "Cayenne survived it."


    "But she''s different! She''s got Stefan now! She got her vlogging ount. She has people who support her!"


    "Then, let''s start over again. If she can do it, why can''t we? Besides, we have our parents now. They found a rewarding job and I can do part-time work, too. We''ll be fine without thepany and all the other properties."


    Artemis thought she was able to convince her sister, but Diana stubbornly refused, "I don''t want to."

 Chapter 912: DRAGGING CAYENNE DOWN I

    "I heard about what happened," Elena mentioned the next day when Cayenne went to Stefan''s office. "I can''t believe that they got the nerve to ask you for help."


    Remembering the conversation she had with Artemis as well as with her husband right after the call, Cayenne could only sigh as she spoke, "I was quite shocked when I received the call, too."


    "Miss Yen, I know that I am considered an outsider, but I think you should really listen to the boss this time. A leopard won''t change its spots."


    Cayenne reflected on Elena''s words. She knew that Elena meant well. "First, you are not an outsider. Second, I trust my husband and I know that he will not do something that would put me in harm''s way."


    The two of them continued to talk while Stefan attended an important meeting in the conference room with Tristan.


    Meanwhile...


    "What''s the meaning of this?!" Seiji confronted Diana over the phone when he heard from a media reporter that the woman nned to spread another rumor about Cayenne. "Have you lost your mind? Not only will you lose thepany in the blink of an eye, but you will put your whole family in danger! Stupid!"


    "Wow! And you are so smart!" Diana responded sarcastically. "You have no right to judge me, Seiji."


    "Of course, I don''t. I am just trying to let you see the possible consequences of your actions. Besides, I am pretty sure that it wasn''t Cayenne''s decision not to help you. It must have been her husband who decided not to lend you a helping hand."


    "What''s the difference?" Diana blurted and rolled her eyes since Seiji couldn''t see her expression anyway. "You are just being biased again."


    "For once, can you think about your parents and your sister? Stop being selfish! Taking the path that you are walking right now won''t lead you to a happy ending."


    "I don''t care! I''m the one walking on it. What does it have to do with you? Stop scolding me as if you care. You only care about the fact that I am going to spread some rumors about the love of your life."


    Seiji didn''t know what else to say. Diana had a point. He cared about Cayenne''s image but not because he still got feelings for her, but because she was his friend. "I care about Artemis and your parents, too."


    Diana only mumbled "whatever" and ended the call in anger.


    She thought that the man was calling her to offer some help. After all, the Sy family was considered a family friend. Yet, through and through, Seiji only cared for Cayenne.


    With annoyance and disappointment invading her heart, Diana''s tears fell on her face. [Why do I have to carry the burden that my grandfather caused? I never meant to hurt anyone but because of him, I have to suffer.]


    She felt that the world was so unfair. She only wanted to achieve her dreams, but it felt like the whole world was against her. "No! I''ll be damned if I''d lose to this obstacle in life. I must win this battle. I will never allow that fake peacock to be the only victorious person in our family.


    No way! There''s no way!"


    As the source of her hatred, Cayenne felt no remorse with her decision.


    If Diana needed her help and was sincerely asking for it without scheming something behind her back, she would not hesitate to help her, but just as Elena and Stefan said, the woman would not change her attitude that easily. They could tell that she was only taking advantage of Cayenne''s kindness.


    Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.


    Her phone was vibrating on the table and when she picked it up, she saw Kyle''s number reflected on the screen. "Kyle? What''s the matter?" she asked as soon as she answered the call from her brother.


    "Yen, have you seen the news online? Rumors about you being a two-faced woman and someone who ignores her family in need are circting on the inte. I initially wanted to keep this matter from you, but I thought it would be great if you knew what is happening."


    Cayenne wasn''t surprised anymore. She had seen thising when she refused to offer some help. "Don''t worry about me. I''ve encountered a lot of nderous news ever since I became Stefan''s wife. It''s no longer new to me."


    "You knew the perpetrator?"


    "Yes."


    "So, it''s true that they''re facing some financial crisis and you refused to help them?"


    "Hn."


    Kyle nodded his head in understanding while sorting out the documents in front of him. It was his first day at work as a teacher and he heard a nasty rumor about his sister. Talk about a pleasant work surprise. "Diana Rule," Kyle muttered. "I don''t ever want to have anything to do with her."


    "I feel the same. Anyway, Stefan will do everything to keep this woman away from me. She can say whatever she wants and that''s it."


    "Right. Aside from that she did something to you before. We can use it against her."


    Cayenne knew that good karma would favor kind people. No matter what Diana would do and say to her, it would only deepen the grave that she dug herself.


    LifeIsShetty: "Rumors aren''t always baseless. There will always be something truthful about it."


    CrownIsMine: "I have heard of this rumor before. Don''t Cayenne''s enemies have something new? This is kinda old."


    Sunisa: "Mrs. Dumrique is more famouspared to other celebrities. She''s got a lot of haters, too, despite being a normal housewife and a phnthropist."


    Graciousa: "Usually, a rumor from family members holds some truth."


    DarnMagi: "Mrs. Dumrique was kidnapped over a year ago and suffered memory loss. Are you guys suffering memory loss, too? Use your pig brains, please."


    A lot of peoplemented on the social media post that talked about Cayenne''s unwillingness to help a family in crisis. Some were still supporting her while others readily threw dirt on her name. She didn''t care about their negative opinion of her, though.


    "You''re upsetting my husband instead of me," Cayenne mumbled while reading thements online. "Your provocations won''t work on me at all. I experienced a lot worse than this."

 Chapter 913: DRAGGING CAYENNE DOWN II

    "You''re stupid!" Artemis yelled at her sister when she found out what Diana did. "How could you do that?"


    "Right," agreed Mr. Rule, their father. "Cayenne will only hate you through and through. Look at yourself! You know nothing but hate and revenge. She didn''t even do anything to you.


    What''s wrong with your brain? How are you so foolish? No wonder you cannot manage thepany on your own."


    "Hon, that''s enough. Your words are hurting her," Mrs. Rule expressed while throwing a sympathetic look toward her daughter. "Dia, I want to understand you as well, but what you did this time is really wrong. Cayenne is not obliged to help you ¨C us. We owe her our lives and you know that."


    "Of course, you are all correct," Diana responded followed by an emptyughter. "Cayenne is kind. Cayenne is thoughtful. Cayenne is selfless. And I am theplete opposite of her."


    "Because you are!" Artemis pointed out which caused her sister to cry. "Dia, it''s not toote to start over again. We don''t need thatpany to survive! It will only lead us to a cruel death. Just give it up already!"


    "Dia, you can start another business from scratch after paying off the debt that your grandpa left. As soon as you clear it, you won''t have any problem," said Mrs. Rule to convince her daughter to give up thepany as well.


    "I know that you can do better than this sweetheart," Mr. Rule added, hoping that they would change Diana''s mind.


    They can all see it ¨C clinging to the sinkingpany would only make things worse. Diana will be drowned in misery and an endless cycle of debt and interest.


    "I''m tired," she said and left them with no definite answer. Her eyes were cold and there was a promise of vengeance in her expression. They couldn''t really fathom her way of thinking. She was just insane!


    Artemis was left in the living room with her parents. The three of them had a grim look on their faces as they pondered what to do. Artemis had no hold in thepany since she gave up her rights to do so. Their parents didn''t want to manage thepany that Old Rule owned as well. Their lives were now hanging by the thread in the hands of the eldest daughter.


    *


    Evening drew closer as Cayenne started packing up her things to leave her office. She should have been home about an hour ago, but Stefan got ast minute with a very important client, and she didn''t want him to miss it just because he wanted to go home with her.


    "Did Jackson leave already?" she asked Niki who stood at her door. "I wanted to talk to him about something."


    "He just left along with the other employees."


    Cayenne nodded her head in response at the same time, she pulled out her phone to send Jackson a message. "Let''s wait for my husband in the lobby."


    "Madam, why don''t you wait for him in his office?"


    "Dominic would be dropping by with Zeki. I want to see my son as soon as possible."


    Niki didn''t say anything else. He already remembered that today was Dominic''s turn to take care of the youngest master of the household. He thought that the young man had brought the child back to the mansion already since Stefan strictly mentioned that Zeki should be home before 5:00 PM in case someone would take him out.


    Once she was sure that she hadn''t forgotten anything, Cayenne left her office to wait for her son in the lobby. Unfortunately, media reporters were crowding outside thepany like vultures waiting for their prey. It was crystal clear who the reporters were waiting for.


    The moment she appeared in their line of vision, cameras started shing endlessly. She was almost blinded by it. She could only thank her bodyguards in silence for protecting her with their bodies shielding her. The security guards of thepany weren''t idle either. They had been controlling the crowd to make sure that they wouldn''t get inside thepany building ¨C not that they nned to.


    Of course, they knew the consequences of trespassing on Stefan''s territory. They weren''t that dumb.


    "Miss Yen!" Erwin called out her name on his way back inside thepany. "Are you alright? I heard about what happened to your...uhh, family?"


    "Why is that a question?" Cayenne retorted with a faint helpless smile. "I''m fine."


    "That''s good to know. Anyway, I ¨C oh! Boss is here," Erwin said with his eyes looking right behind her. "Miss Yen, I will leave you in your husband''s hands," he said and even wiggled his eyebrows teasingly.


    "Why are you here in the lobby?" Stefan asked while throwing a cold and sharp re toward the reporters. "You could have stayed in my office."


    "I''m waiting for Dominic and Zeki. He said he would be dropping our son here,"


    Stefan frowned upon hearing her words and immediately checked his wristwatch again. "It''s past 5:30 PM already and Zeki isn''t home yet?"


    "Uh, they''re stuck in the traffic," Cayenne answered while avoiding her husband''s eyes.


    Stefan closed his eyes as he controlled his emotions before looking back at his wife who could not meet his gaze because of guilt. "I''ll talk to him about it."


    "Can you not scold him?"


    "I won''t."


    "Then, are we going to answer the reporters or not?" she asked to change the subject of their conversation.


    "Let''s hear them," Stefan said and signaled Niki to stay alert while motioning the security guards to control the crowd.


    "Please call Dominic and tell him to stay inside the car," Cayenne told Tristan who was standing right behind her husband.


    With his calm yet cold demeanor, Stefan stepped out of thepany building with his wife. He was ready to answer the questions that the reporters would throw at them, yet the first thing they heard shocked them to the core. Cayenne even felt goosebumps rising all over her body.


    "Mrs. Dumrique, is it true that you refused to help your cousin which led her tomit suicide?"


    "Mrs. Dumrique, is your hatred so deep that you would push your cousin to her death?"


    "Mr. Dumrique, did you know that your wife..."


    "It was said..."


    "...Diana is dead..."


    "...fault lies in your selfishness..."


    "Her family..."


    "...say you did it as revenge..."


    Cayenne felt like her world was spinning. The voices were so loud, but she was having a hard time understanding most of their statements. Then, she felt someone tugging her and then retched in front of everyone. Someone threw a rotten egg toward her, but Niki guarded her with his body and the egg smashed onto him. It smelled so nasty that everyone started throwing up.


    It was chaotic.


    From a far, she saw Leon''s taxi car. Some of the bodyguards were standing casually outside the taxi to cover the child who was crying in his uncle''s arms while watching his mother getting attacked.


    Holding on to her husband''s arm, Cayenne smiled and fainted.

 Chapter 914: DRAGGING CAYENNE DOWN III

    Two hourster, Cayenne woke up and the first person she saw was the nurse who was checking her monitor. She also noticed that there were people outside her room. She guessed them to be her bodyguards.


    "Where''s my husband?" she asked the nurse with worry as she tried to sit up. "Why am I here? Am I ill?"


    Seeing how she struggled to get up, probably from dizziness, the nurse helped her up and ced a pillow on her back. "Don''t worry Mrs. Dumrique, you are not sick or something. You just fainted due to the severe shock that you received earlier. As for your husband, he didn''t want to disturb your rest so he is taking calls outside. I''ll go and tell him that you are awake now."


    "Yes, please. Thank you for your help."


    The nurse immediately left to inform Stefan that his wife had woken up and not even ten secondster, Stefan came running to her room and hugged her. "You scared me," he whispered next to her ears as he tightened his hold on her.


    "I''m sorry," Cayenne muttered knowing that she really caused his worry this time. "So, did you find out what happened? Is Diana really dead?"


    "It''s not certain. As of this moment, she is still battling with her life. I heard from Seiji that Diana was the perpetrator of the rumor of you not helping her."


    "Seiji? You contacted him?" Cayenne questioned while pushing his husband a little to put some distance between them so they could talk properly.


    "Why not? I think he is the best person to contact when ites to the Rule family. I mean, they had some sort of connection and even though the Old man caused a huge problem to them, he didn''t sever his ties with the siblings. He even mentioned that he sent you a message about Diana''s ns."


    Cayenne still felt a little disoriented as he tried to recall Seiji''s message to her. "He sent me a message? When?"


    "This morning."


    Cayenne couldn''t help but p herself on the forehead when she remembered the message. Seiji did send her a message, telling her to take care of herself and be alert when ites to Diana, but she didn''t expect that Diana would try to kill herself and me her for it.


    "Can you tell me what really happened?"


    Stefan finally pulled a chair and sat next to his wife''s bed. He took her hand and held it in between his while slowly narrating the whole story of Diana''s plotted revenge against her.


    It turned out, after getting scolded by her sister and her parents, Diana went back to her room and busied herself with several things, including the scheduled post about her death which was med on Cayenne.


    Her sister and her parents thought that she was just doing the usual ¨C staying in her room to surf online and badmouth her cousin. However, when it was time for dinner, Artemis called her sister and received no answer. She knocked on her door several times but heard no response from her.


    It was at this point that their mother got worried. They forcefully broke into her room and found her lying in her bathtub with blood all over her. Diana slit her own throat.


    Cayenne didn''t know what to say. She couldn''t believe that the woman would go this far just to seek revenge against her when she never really did something wrong.


    Her encounter with Diana started with Old Rule''s n of using her. Cayenne never took the initiative of looking for them, besides, she never knew them to begin with. Yet, she suffered this kind of injustice.


    "I already talked to some of the reporters regarding what happened, and I am pretty sure they will do the rest of their work to bring the truth to light. You don''t have to worry about it," Stefan told Cayenne after the long narration to make ease her worry. He brought her hand to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss while keeping his eyes on her face. "Hon, you are not to me in all of this.


    It''s not your fault that Diana has a twisted personality."


    "Was I wrong to refuse her?"


    "No," Stefan responded right away. "It was not you who refused her. It was me. Anyway, don''t think about it anymore. Do you want to eat something? I''ll ask Niki to buy us some food," he added to change the subject of their conversation.


    "Can we go home instead? I want to see the children. What time is it now? It must bete already."


    Stefan didn''t think twice and called the doctor immediately. He requested his wife to be discharged and the doctor agreed with no hesitation. There was nothing wrong with Cayenne so there was no need to hinder the patient from leaving the hospital.


    In C country, it was past midnight already and Artemis was still sitting on the bench outside the emergency room with her parents. They were all pale from the fright of seeing Diana in her own pool of blood and about half an hour ago, someone told them about Cayenne''s situation.


    Not only were they worrying for Diana, but now, they had to be wary of Stefan''s retaliation as well. If Diana wasn''t a family, they would have wished her to die already.


    "Artemis, as soon as your sisteres out of the emergency room, no matter what the oue is, you must tell the media about it as well as the truth of this incident. We don''t want Stefan Dumrique and his people toe knocking on our door."


    "Why don''t I do it now?"


    "Wait until your sisteres out. At least, show some respect while she''s battling for her life," Mrs. Rule reprimanded, which caused Artemis to bite her lower lips.


    If this happened two years ago, a lot of people would be calling them to show their concern, but now, only the police officers came for an investigation. Seiji didn''t even call them. He, too, was not bothered by what happened.


    "Let''s force her to give up thepany. It''s either she gives up on it or I''ll sever my ties with this family. She brings nothing but a headache," Artemis expressed and left without looking back. She decided to leave the hospital before she wished for something she would regret in her life.

 Chapter 915: CONNECTIONS

    The news of Diana''s death quickly spread in the business circle and since a lot of people paid attention to Cayenne''s life, thousands, if not millions, had known it already.


    Her friends and families bombarded her with messages, but it was Stefan who replied to them instead. He didn''t want anyone to bother her while she was resting with their kids.


    Among the triplets, Zeki was the one who refused to let go of his mother.


    When they came home about an hour ago, they found him sitting in a crib in the living room. His eyes were red and puffy ¨C clear evidence of his heartbreaking cry.


    ording to the nanny, when Zeki returned home with Dominic, he had been crying and was iling in his uncle''s arms. He only stopped crying when Stefan called to check on the children. However, he refused to eat his meal and just drank the milk prepared by the nanny for him, and no matter how hard they tried, he just wouldn''t go to sleep.


    He only ate when his mother fed him, and he only fell asleep when his mother sang a luby. Even when Stefan wanted his wife to rest, he could do nothing but watch his son getting spoiled by his wife.


    Now, she was sleeping in the nursery room with Jahzara and Aziel inside their respective crib while she was on the bed with the youngest.


    Checking the time, it was past midnight already, yet Stefan was still wide awake as he watched his wife and his kids. [Stefan, you must protect them no matter the cost. You must always keep them safe ¨C physically and mentally.] He told himself as he sat in the space next to Zeki.


    It was his first time sleeping with someone in between him and his wife. Although he could still hold her, he felt the need to restrain himself because of the child next to him.


    The next morning, Cayenne woke up early and found Zeki lying on top of his father. Stefan was securely holding the back of his child''s head and waist while gently patting him. There was a nket over them as well to keep them warm.


    Cayenne furrowed her eyebrows as she continued to shift her eyes between her husband and her youngest child. She thought that Zeki looked like Stefan, but when she looked at him closely andpared him with her husband, she realized that her baby had simr features to her as well, like the eyes and lips.


    "You will melt us with your intense gaze," Stefan mumbled softly which made Cayenne smile.


    She leaned over to him and gave him a quick good morning kiss on the lips. "You look lovely while cuddling with our child, but don''t let the other kids see you. They''ll be jealous."


    "How about you? Are you jealous?"


    Cayenne didn''t know whether tough or cry at his question. Between the two of them, it was already known who would get jealous easily. It was out of the question.


    "Don''t be silly. Anyway, I''ll go back to our room and change my clothes. I''ll go for a morning jog to think of something and when I get back, I''ll cook your breakfast."


    "O-okay. I''ll take care of the kids while you''re at it. Can you make me a cup of coffee before you go?"


    "Sure. I''ll have someone bring it to you," Cayenne said as she got down the bed. She walked over to her husband''s side, gave him and Zeki a kiss before walking toward the other kids and gently touched their faces.


    It was rare for them to sleep this long, so she made sure not to wake them up.


    Around 8:00 AM, after having breakfast with her family, she told Stefan about her n. She knew that her husband was doing his best to keep her reputation intact, but if she won''t do anything to save her face, it would be hard for her husband as well.


    At first, Stefan disagreed with her n, thinking that she would just be putting herself on the front line, waiting for the vulture-like reporters to devour her. It was only after she promised to make use of the PR department of hispany that he agreed to her.


    Although he didn''t expect his wife to ask for help with the PR department, he was happy that she did.


    Stefan contacted Elena immediately and told her to bring Gracielle, head of the PR department, to the mansion. Thetter followed his instructions with no hesitation and brought the PR personnel to meet Cayenne as soon as possible.


    "Hon, I won''t go to the office today. I''ll work here until everything is settled. If you must go out, you must inform me ahead of time so I can leave the house with you," Stefan said after the call ended.


    Cayenne wasn''t surprised by his words anymore. Every time something bad happens, she would already expect her husband to act this way. It would be more surprising for her if Stefan started neglecting her.


    "Alright," Cayenne agreed as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Aside from visiting the two patients at Senyu Medical Hospital, I have no other scheduled event outside," she added with a faint smile. "Let''s leave after lunch."


    On the side, Niki took a picture of Cayenne and Stefan and sent it to Luiz.


    When Luiz received it, he almost choked on the water he had just drank. They were so worried about her when they heard the news, but in the end, he was stuffed with the overloading sweetness of his sister and his brother-inw. [Well, it''s great to see that she is doing fine.] He thought whileposing a message to apany the picture.


    He won''t allow himself to suffer alone. He sent the picture to everyone else who was worried for his sister.


    Trivial matters like ming Cayenne for someone else death were something they shouldn''t worry about. There was no way in hell that Stefan would allow such a thing to tarnish his wife''s name.


    *


    At the Dumrique family vi, Julia was reading the online news on her tablet while her husband peeled some fruits for her. At first, she was happy about the usations she was reading, and she even fed some rumors to it. However, in just a span of one night, the news started to change, and more people started taking Cayenne''s side.


    It irked her.


    Yet, when her husband asked what annoyed her, she lied and said it was about Cayenne''s haters. She immediately switched sides and pretended to be someone who cared for her cousin-inw.


    "You don''t have to worry that much. She''s married to your cousin, and we know how much he dotes on her. He will surely find a way to settle this issue soon," Dn said as he ced the tter of fruits on the coffee table. "I feel like I''ve heard about Diana Rule before."


    Julia''s face paled upon hearing her husband''s words, but then she realized something she could use. "Her family did something horrible and they were reported worldwide. That must be when you heard them."


    "You are probably right," Dn voiced out his agreement but deep in his heart, he felt that it wasn''t the case. He thought his wife had talked to someone named Diana Rule before.

 Chapter 916: CAYENNES UNBOTHERED

    Not even half an hourter, Gracielle arrived together with Elena. Along the way, she made a draft of Cayenne''s response to the possible questions relevant to Diana''s case. She knew that this issue would leave a big impact on Stefan''s business and Cayenne''s foundation, and it was her job to make sure that the effect wouldn''t be negative.


    "Good morning, Miss Yen," Gracielle greeted as soon as she stepped inside the mansion and saw Cayenne sitting on the couch with her little princess sitting on herp.


    Cayenne looked up and saw the beautiful middle-aged woman who had been working for Stefan since the establishment of hispany. She smiled and returned the greeting before calling the nanny to take Jahzara back to the y area where her brothers stayed.


    "Let''s go to the study room," Cayenne said and led the two women upstairs. "Can I check your drafted response before the interview starts?"


    "Of course, Miss Yen," Gracielle responded and handed the folder that she was holding since she came inside. "I made them on the way here."


    "Thank you."


    Before Gracielle could say anything in response, Cayenne had already opened the door to the study room. Stefan was busy working when they came inside, so Cayenne didn''t disturb him and just went on with her n. On the other hand, Elena did her work on the side while waiting for Gracielle to finish her job.


    Cayenne turned on herptop and logged in to her Zoom ID for the online interview. A few minutester, one after another, the reporters came into her meeting room, but she had turned off her microphone and camera, so they didn''t know what she was chatting with Gracielle.


    When it was time for the interview to start, Cayenne turned on her camera and microphone to converse with the reporters. Tristan briefed them ahead of time on the rules during the interview and to make sure that they would get as much information as they could, the reporters tacitly agreed to follow the order.


    They won''t lose anything by following the rules, but they would lose a lot if they won''t.


    Gracielle spoke first to formally start the interview before giving the floor to Cayenne. Meanwhile, although he was busy with his work, Stefan kept his ears open regarding the interview and had been stealing nces at his wife to see how she was doing.


    [So far, she seemed okay.] He told himself while typing something on hisputer. [What should I do to make her feel betterter?]


    He knew that no matter how brave his wife acted in front of everyone, she was still affected by the turn of events. He wanted to cheer her up.


    Amidst his worry for Cayenne, the interview began, and the first question was already troublesome.


    "Are you not aware of the financial crisis that the Rule family was facing despite your husband being involved in the business world?" asked the first reporter while eyeing Cayenne directly through the camera.


    "No," Cayenne answered briefly and honestly. "I had no idea of any issues regarding them."


    The reporter waited for Cayenne to say more, hoping that she would make a long statement and trip on her words, but she knew that her words would be used against her, so she kept her answers short.


    Reporter X: "It was rumored that you never treated them as family which was the reason why you never paid attention to them and refused to help them. Is it true and can you tell us why?"


    "It''s true. Some of you may have forgotten the incident that almost cost me my life and my marriage, but my husband and I haven''t," Cayenne answered which silenced the reporters. "I have never known of the Rule family. I grew up with no recollection of this family. All of a sudden, they came into my life and imed to be my mother''s rtives.


    Through DNA test, it was proven that we are indeed rted by blood. However, they didn''t look for us to start over and recognize us to be part of their family. They were looking for me to take out my heart and use it. Worse, they manipted me and wanted to marry me off to someone else. Now tell me, why would I treat them as my family?"


    Reporter Z: "Then, why are you not going against the Sy family when they worked together to manipte you? Why take it against the Rule family alone when Ms. Diana Rule imed to help you escape from the clutches of your grandfather?"


    "The Sy family didn''t collude with them. While the Rule family tried to brainwash me, Seiji Sy had been telling me about my husband, my brothers and the life I had forgotten. He was there to help me. As for Diana Rule who imed to help me, I have returned the favor already and she knew ¨C her family knew that."


    Reporter D: "So, is it safe to say that you are iming to have nothing to do with your cousin''s suicide?"


    "I''ll bravely say yes, I don''t. It''s her choice, not mine. I have done what she asked me to do ¨C to stay out of her way, her sight, her life. The investigation will prove my innocence."


    Reporter G: "Why are you helping strangers but not your blood-rted cousin?"


    Cayenne knew that this question woulde up, but she was not afraid to answer it. "Strangers gave me money. Their support and love help me earn. Is it wrong for me to help the people who had been helping me?"


    The reporters felt that the interview was boring. They didn''t get anything to use against Cayenne to hype the issue and make more money out of her. She was straight as an arrow when ites to answering the questions and she wasn''t afraid of saying her answers.


    "Then, now that the situation hade to this, would you still refuse to help them? You can treat them as strangers and help them like how you help others," said one of the reporters when it was almost time to end the interview.


    Without a moment of hesitation, Cayenne answered, "No, I won''t. I don''t have the money to help them pay their debt."


    "What about your husband?" retorted the reporter, which made the others smile. "Your husband surely has the means to help them."


    "Will you help the person who kidnaps your wife, husband or your children?" The reporters immediately shut their mouths and erased the smiles off their faces. "If you can''t do it, don''t ask others to do so."

 Chapter 917: CONCERN AND HATRED

    After the interview, the reporters immediately released Cayenne''s response without a hitch. Her fans were delighted to know that she had nothing to do with Diana''s suicide. However, some people were unreconciled with the news.


    Among these people was Julia.


    It was her best chance to see Cayenne''s downfall.


    Unfortunately, her wish didn''te true.


    Some of the reporters tagged Cayenne with their fresh-from-the-oven showbiz news and a lot of people expressed their opinions on this matter by posting theirments.


    SpaceXi: "I knew it! Cayenne is a decent woman."


    XiaoYu: "The nerve of that Diana woman to frame Mrs. Dumrique!"


    Goddess_YNA (Jillyanna Madrigal): "I always like watching people p others with the truth."


    Lululove: "Ahh! Our beloved @Goddess_YNA just posted herment! I will always believe in their wholesome friendship!"


    Reading themotion online, Julia gritted her teeth while keeping a poker face in front of her husband. [Useless!] She thought while browsing on the inte regarding the Rule''s familial dispute.


    And to add to her frustration, Artemis Rule released an official statement regarding her sister as well.


    ArtemisMoonRule: "I''m sorry if it took us a long time to make a statement regarding my sister''s current condition and I am very sorry to Cayenne and her family. We are well aware that my sister caused a huge blow to your reputation, but we were just unable to wrap our heads around the matter. I know that my apology camete, but I''m truly sorry for what my sister did.


    Henceforward, please don''t make unnecessaryments regarding this matter and involve Mrs. Dumrique. She had nothing to do with my sister''s stupidity, and no, my sister isn''t dead. Still, I''d appreciate it if you could send us your prayers for my sister''s recovery so she could receive her punishment."


    "This is nonsense!" Julia blurted out in annoyance, which caught her husband off guard. One second, she was silently reading something and now she was yelling.


    "Is there something wrong? Do you need help?" Dn asked his wife who was very quick to exit the social media page.


    "N-no. No, I''m good. I was just reading something about Cayenne and some people were still saying something bad about her. They''re annoying me."


    "I understand you''re protective of her, but you cannot control people''s opinions. Let them be. In any case, you know the real Cayenne. You know that she''s a kind and generous woman."


    "Y-yeah. You are right," Julia replied with a faint smile on her lips. She even let out a deep sigh as if she felt really sorry for Cayenne. "I hope people would see Cayenne''s greatness."


    "They will," Dn said before returning his attention to hisputer. With his eyes on the electronic device, he didn''t see how his wife changed her expression from concern to hatred.


    ***


    Back at the mansion, Cayenne was ying with her kids in the nursery room. She finally felt relieved now that she was able to express her stand on the issue regarding Diana. She could finally move freely without overthinking things. Aside from that, Stefan will have less burden on his shoulders.


    "Come to mommy," Cayenne said as she beckoned Zeki to move closer to her. The other two kids were busy ying to their heart''s content while the youngest sat in silence and watched his siblings y. "Are you still worried?" Cayenne asked even though she had the notion that her youngest wouldn''t understand what she was saying at the moment. "Mommy is fine so; you don''t have to worry anymore."


    Zeki crawled toward his mother and allowed her to pick him up.


    Not even a minute had passed, and his siblings noticed that he was taking their mother''s attention. Jahzara immediately sulked and started pouting.


    On the other hand, Aziel, who wanted his mother to carry him as well, gave up the idea and allowed his sister to be with their mother instead.


    "You are still young, but you already know how to make people work your way," Cayennemented as she ced Zeki down and picked her little princess. "How are you so spoiled?"


    "Because her brothers love her," Stefan said when he appeared at the door and saw the interaction between the kids. It seemed like the kids could understand each other very well in his opinion. He had no idea how it worked between children of less than a year old, but he could tell that the triplets had some sort of connection between them. "It''s very obvious that Zeki and Aziel are spoiling her."


    "You must have taught them how to spoil a girl," Cayenne responded to her husband with faint chuckles following her words.


    Stefan''sughter rang inside the room as well upon hearing his wife''s statement. He didn''t take it negatively, in fact, he was very happy about it. "They must learn from the best teacher."


    Cayenne could only roll her eyes at the confidence of her husband. "Are you done with your work for today?"


    "Yup. We can leave the house at any time you want."


    "Aside from the hospital visit, I have no other scheduled work. Why don''t we bring the kids somewhere?"


    "Where do you want to go?"


    "Ocean Park? I''m pretty sure they''ll be thrilled with the marine animals."


    As they continued their conversation, Jahzara found herself in her father''s arms. Aziel was picked up and ced on the crib along with Zeki and not long after, they were all watching Cayenne walk around the room to get things here and there and ce them inside the baby essentials bag.


    "Kids, we have no other option but to follow your mother," Stefan whispered to the children as if they were sharing a big secret. "Don''t worry, maybe around five or six years from now, you''ll get the chance to choose the ce you want to go. But I''m pretty sure you will enjoy today''s trip, too."


    Cayenne frowned and walked toward her husband and her children with her hands on her hips. "I hope you''re not conspiring something with your father."


    Seeing her stern expression, Zeki smiled happily. This time, he was sure that his mother was fine.

 Chapter 918: [Bonus chapter] I MUST PROTECT YOU

    Cayenne''s life went on as usual. She would do her vlog and upload at least thrice a week while spending time at the foundation office every once in a while. She visited the people ording to the list that her team prepared and atop all this, she made sure to spend time with her children.


    She brought them out as much as she could and even visited Stefan at work with the kids.


    She never considered herself a celebrity, but because of her work as a social media content creator, and a charity foundation owner, plus the fact that she was Stefan Dumrique''s beloved wife; Cayenne already got used to people taking pictures with her, creating gossip and whatnot.


    Just like that, a few months had passed.


    Christmas was finallying around and everyone was busy decorating their ces; be it their home or their stores ¨C no matter the size of establishments.


    This was something that Cayenne was looking forward to.


    This year, she would be spending Christmas with her children.


    Practically speaking, it was still October, and she should have been excited about her birthday, but she was more excited for Christmas.


    She even scheduled two working days for Christmas decorations alone.


    "Madam, where should I put the Christmas tree?" Niki asked while unboxing the huge box where the detachable Christmas tree was kept. It was the same Christmas tree that she bought with Stefanst year.


    "Let''s assemble that here," she said while guiding her bodyguard to the spot close to the staircase. In that way, it would be easier for them to decorate the upper part of the tree by taking the stairs.


    Niki followed her instructions and started assembling the tall Christmas tree.


    Other bodyguards came with several boxes of decorative materials as well.


    Looking at the boxes, Cayenne wondered if they would finish decorating the mansion in two days.


    Other people, as long as they have the money, would usually pay someone to decorate their homes. However, Cayenne wanted to be hands-on as much as she could, so she decided to do it her way with the assistance of her bodyguards and helpers.


    While she was decorating the Christmas tree, Cayenne remembered something about Niki.


    "Niki, what are your ns for Christmas?" she asked without stopping her movement. "Do you wish to go home and spend time with the Sloan family?"


    "No, I won''t being home. We already agreed that they would be visiting me for Christmas. They can take it as a family vacation, too."


    Cayenne raised her eyebrow instinctively, but she didn''t say anything against him.


    "That''s a great n. By the way, I wanted to organize a party for my friends and staff along with the household employees, do you think it''s appropriate for me to invite Isabelle?"


    Cayenne stole a nce from Niki, and she saw the surprise on his face from her words.


    "It should be time for me to meet Eli''s girlfriend formally as well as the fact that she''s been helping Luiz. I haven''t been able to express my gratitude for her." Cayenne added while guessing what was running in Niki''s mind.


    Ever since Niki was employed by Stefan as her bodyguard, Cayenne noticed that he had been spending more time with Isabelle. She wasn''t sure if it was pure coincidence or something he nned in advance, but wherever Isabelle went to, Niki would be there as well.


    She didn''t want to suspect him, but given her rtionship with Dr. Eliezer Rivera, Cayenne was worried that her employee was making a move on the man''s girlfriend.


    "You shouldmunicate with your brother first," Niki answered after a long silence.


    "How about you go and send her my invitationter?"


    "I''m tasked to stay by your side most of the time unless it''s my day off."


    "Alright. I''ll send you when it''s your day off."


    Niki frowned, but he stayed silent and just nodded his head in agreement.


    He was aware that Cayenne was suspecting his rtionship with Isabelle, but it didn''t matter to him. As long as he could spend time with her as a friend, even when he was hurting when she talked about Eli, Niki wouldn''t care about Cayenne''s suspicion.


    As they busied themselves decorating the mansion, an unexpected visitor came.


    "Yen!"


    Cayenne turned around in surprise and not wasting another second, she put down the Santa us ornament and walked toward her visitor.


    "Sab! I didn''t know you wereing today. My house is aplete mess at the moment," she expressed while giving the woman a hug. "Did you just arrive?"


    "Yup. I decided toe here right after unpacking my things. I''m staying at the Dumrique''s family vi, by the way. Stefan said that he sent you a message about it already."


    "He did?" Cayenne retorted while looking around for her phone. "I don''t know where my phone is. It should be around here somewhere. Anyway..."


    "You guys are decorating for Christmas already? What about your birthday? Do you have any ns?" Sabrina questioned while putting down her bag on the couch. "Where are the kids?"


    Cayenne didn''t know if she should still answer the first three questions, but in the end, she chose to answer thest one. "The kids are upstairs."


    "Sleeping?"


    Cayenne looked toward the wall clock and shook her head. "They''re probably ying right now."


    Sabrina looked around and found that everyone was busy and there were so many things littered on the floor. She couldn''t bring the kids to the living room because it was dusty, and she couldn''t go upstairs because Stefan didn''t like it when people went into the kids'' room without his permission.


    [That''s germ freak!] Sabrina thought and sighed dejectedly as she picked up a decorative material and ced it on the Christmas tree. "I''ll y with the kids once you''re done with the decoration.''


    "It might take a while."


    "It''s okay. I will be staying in the country for quite some time."


    "Really? Erwin must be very happy about that."


    "Oh! I forgot. He has no idea that I am here. Stefan will be bringing himter for a surprise."


    Cayenne just smiled while watching Sabrina''s beautiful and expressive face. She could tell that the woman was head over heels for Erwin. To think that she was jealous of her when she visited Tuscany before. She still couldn''t believe that they had be close friends now.


    *


    "Mom! Why did you agree to let Sabrina stay here?!" Julia asked her mother exasperatedly as she stomped her feet on the floor. "Did you forget that she''s a close friend to Cayenne now?"


    Celestine continued to flip the pages of the magazines as if she didn''t see her daughter throwing a tantrum.


    "Mom! You have to persuade Stefan to make Sabrina leave!"


    "Why?" Celestine asked uninterestingly.


    "What do you mean why?"


    Celestine finally put down the magazine and looked her daughter in the eyes. She knew her very well. Even if Julia would turn into ashes, she would know it was her.


    "Julia, every time something happens that doesn''t go your way, your true color shows up. I know exactly why you don''t want Sabrina here, but this ce is owned by Stefan. He can allow anyone he likes to stay here."


    Julia''s face contorted in anger as she listened to her mother talk. She could tell the underlying meaning in her mother''s words. "I just don''t like Sabrina anymore," she said in surrender and sat on the couch. "How do you expect me to face her every day?"


    "Don''t worry. She won''t be staying here for long, Stefan told me that Sabrina will be here for three days at most."


    Sabrina clicked her tongue in distaste, but she no longer said anything.


    Outside the door of Celestine''s room, Dn was listening to the conversation. Just like Celestine, he knew his wife very well. No matter how nice she acted in front of him, he could tell that she disliked Cayenne.


    [I must protect you. I can''t allow you to be foolish.] Dn thought as he left and returned to the room where he stayed with Julia.

 Chapter 919: HURRY UP AND MARRY ME

    In the afternoon, Cayenne took a break and hadsagna with everyone. They still have a long way to go, but seeing the progress, she couldn''t stop the joy from bursting in her heart. She loved Christmas so much. In the past, although they wouldn''t prepare a lot of food because they had to budget their money properly, they would still give each other Christmas presents.


    Up until this moment, she still got the gifts that her brothers gave her.


    Recalling her Christmas moments, she smiled upon realizing that her mother had the chance to spend this special event with Stefan before she passed away.


    Now, she can celebrate Christmas with a lot of people and with lots of food and drinks. She got to share her blessings with others as well.


    In fact, Cayenne had stopped buying things for herself in thest two months.


    She decided to use her money to buy gifts for the orphans and to buy medicines for people who needed maintenance.


    "I got you something," Sabrina said while rummaging through her bag. Cayenne''s attention was shifted to her as she waited for what Sabrina wanted to show her.


    Sabrina pulled out a business card and a brochure from her bag and handed them to Cayenne. "I''m pretty sure this would be very helpful to you."


    "Chiffon? A snack brand?"


    Sabrina nodded her head. "I knew this brand from a long time ago and I''ve been a fan of their snacks since I was a kid. Every time Ie to this city; I buy a lot of their snacks to stock at home. This is a local brand, but I heard that they are not doing well these days because of some imported products."


    "We love their snacks as well," Cayenne expressed and went to open a hidden pantry area where they stock some of their groceries, especially their snacks.


    Although it was hidden, it was still essible to the helpers and bodyguards.


    "We have a lot of snacks from them," Cayenne said while showing Sabrina her stocks. "You told me that this would be very helpful to me. Are you saying that they want to coborate with me and give me free snacks?"


    Sabrina chuckled faintly upon hearing Cayenne''s direct answer. She wasn''t wrong.


    "Honestly, my friend is the youngest daughter of Chiffon''s owner. She told me about their difficulties, and we talked about some ns to help them recover. One of the options we discussed was to find an endorser. I even volunteered to do it. Unfortunately, I''m not an influencer. My business isn''t rted to food as well."


    "So, you decided to talk to me about it and help your friend."


    "Hn. I know a lot of influencers, but they wouldn''t even spare a single minute to look at the brochure of an unknown brand. I thought you might want to do it, so I came here just in case."


    Cayenne appreciated Sabrina''s honesty and for not impulsively making promises to her.


    "It''s my friend''s business, so I don''t have a say in it. However, I can assure you that she is not a schemer," Sabrina added to convince Cayenne a little.


    "I won''t promise anything, but I will check on it. I''ll give your friend a call once Stefan gives me a go signal."


    "Got it! Thank you for taking your time. At least, you didn''t reject me without checking on it."


    The two of them talked about something else while eating. Once they were done eating their food, they went back to decorating the mansion.


    At 4:00 PM, they finally finished decorating the living room. Cayenne called it a day so everyone could rest and have energy tomorrow to decorate the other parts of the mansion.


    Cayenne invited Sabrina to stay for dinner and since she wanted to cook something for Erwin, she decided to help in the kitchen.


    "Hello, people of the world!" Luiz greeted everyone as soon as he came inside the mansion and saw the helpers with Cayenne. "Wow! You are very early with the decoration," he said with Kyle following behind him.


    "Not as early asst year," Cayenne expressed while looking around to see the result of their hard work today. "Papa won''t be home for dinner?"


    Kyle nodded. "He went out to have a drink with some of his friends."


    "Dalia and Daisy celebrated family day at school. So, we gave Lucia a day off," Luiz added as he sat on the couch and slouched. "I''m very tired today."


    "I still have something to do. I''ll stay in the guest room to finish my work," Kyle said and went upstairs.


    "Since he started working as a teacher, he''s be busier," Luiz said while following his brother with his eyes. Then, he stood up to get some snacks from the kitchen.


    Cayenne was asking someone to clean the living room and set up the kids'' y area when she heard Luiz''s surprise remark from seeing Sabrina. She heard them talk about her visit and about her boyfriend.


    Seeing that she didn''t miss anything, Cayenne went up to take a quick half bath and change clothes before taking the kids out to the living room.


    Aziel was happily clinging on to her as she carried him downstairs, while his siblings were being carried by the nannies.


    By the time Stefan returned, the kids were already ying happily with Cayenne in the y area.


    "Daddy''s home," Stefan announced after going through the disinfection door at the back.


    The kids crawled excitedly toward him and waited for him to arrive at the y area. Seeing their cute faces, Stefan felt that all his exhaustion was blown away. He crouched low next to the border and gave his little darlings each kiss on their faces.


    He didn''t forget to give his wife a kiss on the forehead as well.


    Erwin was also following behind him and smiled when he witnessed this sweet family moment. Deep inside his heart, he wished to have the same familial ties with Sabrina and their future children as well.


    "if you want a family like them, hurry up and marry me already!"

 Chapter 920: WHY WAS DADDY IN A HURRY TONIGHT?

    "I didn''t know you were here. Did you just arrive?" Kyle asked when he came downstairs for dinner. He was surprised to see Sabrina in the kitchen with his family.


    Sabrina grinned happily and told Kyle how she got there and when she arrived. Next to her, Erwin was looking at her with an intense gaze as if she was the only one left in the world. His gaze speaks the words that his mouth couldn''t say at the moment.


    Her surprise was a sess.


    That night, after they had their dinner and everyone left, Cayenne consulted Stefan about the work that Sabrina proposed to her.


    As a friend of a friend, she wanted to help the person. However, she had no idea about the business situation of thepany, and she didn''t want to risk her reputation should a problem arise. It won''t just affect her anymore. Stefan will be dragged down by her, too.


    "I''ll ask Tristan to check on this tomorrow. I''ll have him submit a report to you at 10 AM," he said while putting Jahzara on the bed with her siblings. "Do you want me to draft a contract for you in case you''d take this job?"


    "No, it''s okay. I''ll read everything first and ask youter should I find something I don''t understand."


    "Then, should I prepare myself as a congrattory gift for you?" Stefan whispered as he leaned closer and bit her earlobe. "I''ll surely wrap myself up properly for you."


    "What...what non... nonsense are you talking about?" she retorted with a deep blush on her face. "Don''t flirt with me in front of the kids."


    Stefan looked to their side and saw the triplets watching them while biting their fingers. He frowned and felt like covering them with a nket. "They''ll understand it in the future."


    "Don''t infect them with your shamelessness," Cayenne muttered and kissed his cheek before pushing him away. "Let''s change their clothes now and put them to sleep."


    "Why don''t we let the nannies do their job? Hmm?"


    Cayenne shifted her gaze from her husband to her kids and sighed. "Let''s just change their clothes and have the nanny put them to sleep."


    "Then you help me change my clothester, too."


    "Huh? I thought I''d be undressing you," Cayenne responded with a raised eyebrow and this unexpected retort brought a throaty chuckle from Stefan.


    He loved teasing his wife and most of the time, she wouldn''t get back at him. However, whenever she did, she would catch him off guard and make his heart bloom in happiness.


    Not wasting another second, he immediately took Aziel off the bed and took him to the bathroom so he could clean him before giving him to Cayenne to dress him up. They did it for Zeki and Jahzara, too.


    As soon as they finished, he called for the nannies to take care of the children before dragging his wife to the master bedroom.


    They hadn''t even locked the door yet when he kissed her there was no tomorrow.


    [Did I flip a switch in him or something?] Cayenne thought while on the receiving end.


    One after another, their clothes fell on the floor and before she realized it, she was already on the bed with her husband on top of her.


    "Don''t be so hard on me today. I still have something to do tomorrow," Cayenne whispered as Stefan trailed his kisses down to her throat and chest.


    "Bed, couch, and shower," he whispered while building up the intensity of pleasure for her.


    These were the words that Cayenne heardst from him.


    After that, she no longer knew if he still said something else or not. She couldn''t recall anything after all.


    The next day, Sabrina came once again to help Cayenne with the decoration. Erwin couldn''t just take a time off and leave thepany to others for a date, and Sabrina understood his situation.


    Therefore, to pass her time, she visited Cayenne again.


    "Move this Santa us ornament to the garden," Cayenne instructed with a hoarse voice.


    She even had to clear her throat to sound a little clearer.


    "Just how long did you do itst night to lose your voice that much?" Sabrinamented in a whisper which caused Cayenne to blush.


    "We had karaokest night in the theater room," she lied unabashedly.


    "Karaoke, huh," Sabrina mumbled teasingly. "I wish I could do karaoke with Erwin, too."


    Cayenne didn''t say anything more. She was embarrassed enough by lying to Sabrina with a straight face. She didn''t want to trip on her own lies.


    Since they were done decorating the living room yesterday, today was to decorate the mansion''s exterior. Thus, the kids were allowed to go out of their room and y outside. Cayenne even allowed them to y with the dogs.


    At 10 AM, Tristan called Cayenne and informed her that he had already submitted his report about Chiffon. Knowing that time was of the essence for Chiffon, she immediately ran upstairs to get herptop.


    Seeing that Cayenne was off to get something, Sabrina decided to y with the kids instead. If they weren''t taken outside, she wouldn''t have gotten this chance to cuddle with them.


    ***


    MINI THEATER


    Stefan leaned closer to his wife and whispered sweet nothings. She blushed as he flirted but she pointed out the fact that they were in front of the kids.


    Aziel: "Why is he looking at us?"


    Zeki and Jahzara [while biting their fingernails]: ??


    In haste, Stefan took Aziel to the bathroom and cleaned him. Next were Zeki and Jahzara.


    Aziel: "Why was Daddy in a hurry tonight?"


    Jahzara: "They didn''t even bother putting us to sleep."


    Zeki ignored his siblings and closed his eyes.


    Jahzara: "Zi, you are the smartest among us. You must know why, right?"


    Aziel: "Right! You always have an answer to our question."


    Zeki continued pretending to be asleep. He didn''t want his siblings to know what flirting was! They were too young to know about it! [I wish I was dumb.]

 Chapter 921: BRAND AMBASSADOR

    Cayenne read the information that Tristan sent her regarding Chiffon and so far, she didn''t find any ring issues rted to them. The only worrying thing she found from the report was the fact that thepany had been facing a lot of financial troubles since it was founded.


    Although Chiffon was able to survive these difficulties before, this time around might be different. In the past, people would often rely on word of mouth that their customers would spread. However, today''s generation relies more on the inte, especially things that celebrities endorse.


    Chiffon''s founder was very traditional, and he didn''t like to use celebrities to advertise their products. In the end, more and more imported products were able to gain a foothold in the country, and people liked them better because of the personalities that endorsed them.


    Somehow, Cayenne felt that Chiffon was fortunate enough to fall into the hands of Sabrina''s friend ¨C Meridith Chiangco.


    Unlike her grandfather, she wasn''t so traditional when it came to business. Whenever an opportunity showed up, she would grab it and make use of it to the fullest.


    After reading everything, Cayenne called the contact on the business card that Sabrina gave her yesterday. It was Meridith''s personal calling card.


    Seeing the unknown number on the screen, Meredith didn''t pick up the call immediately. She was wondering who was calling her directly because all of her official business calls should have been handled by her secretary.


    Only family and friends knew of her personal contact information.


    On the third ring, she finally picked up her phone.


    "This is Meridith speaking."


    "Hi. Uh, this is Cayenne Dumrique calling. I''m calling about - "


    "Wait! Wait!"


    Cayenne was astounded at the sounding from the other end of the line. She was sure she heard some ss shattering in the background.


    "Are you alright?" Cayenne asked, a little bothered that she might have called the woman at the wrong time. "I can call back if it''s inconvenient right now."


    "No. No, please hold on," then the call was muted, so Cayenne guessed that the woman was probably asking someone to clean the mess. "I''m back. I''m sorry about that. I identally knocked the mug beside me."


    "Oh, that''s fine. I''m just calling about the job offer. Are you really willing to make me your brand ambassador?" Cayenne continued since she wasn''t sure if the current CEO of Chiffon would want her to be their endorser. After all, it was Sabrina who approached her for this favor.


    At the other end of the line, Meridith wanted to squeal in glee. She never thought that Cayenne Dumrique would personally contact her regarding this matter. It was truly surprising to her.


    "Mrs. Dumrique, I would greatly appreciate it if you would ept our offer. If you don''t mind, can we meet up somewhere so we can talk about the contract and other things?"


    "Sure. I don''t mind," Cayenne said as she looked for a pen and a paper to jot down the time, date, and location of their meeting. As soon as she finished her call, she went back downstairs to continue with her home decoration work.


    Two dayster, with Jackson apanying her, Cayenne met Meridith.


    Cayenne already knew what the woman looked like based on Tristan''s report a few days ago but seeing her in person left Cayenne a different impression.


    "Good morning, Ms. Chiangco. Have you been waiting for so long?"


    "No. Not at all. I just got here, too. I heard from Sabrina that you like sweets, so I made the appointment here. Don''t worry, this caf¨¦ offers great privacy."


    The two of them talked about some trivial matters first before delving into their business. It was a way for them to get to know each other a little bit better given the short time of their meeting.


    "With the n you presented and the benefits that it will bring us, is the endorsement fee really enough?" Meridith asked after discussing the contract with Cayenne.


    "It''s more than enough. I''m not an international actress so you need to pay an exorbitant fee. What matters to me is the 3rd and 4th uses of the contract."


    Meridith smiled with genuine happiness in front of Cayenne as she extended her arm for a handshake. "Rest assured Ms. Yen, we will send you the monthly product gift and donate the stipted list of products to the orphanages that you have provided once you pass the probationary period."


    Cayenne shook the woman''s arm in front of her and returned the smile.


    Once done with the meeting, instead of going back home, Cayenne went to Cloverpany to find her husband. It wasn''t really something she nned ahead of time, but after meeting with Meridith, she suddenly recalled a lot of things that happened in the past, and for some reason, she wanted to hug her husband.


    As soon as she reached the topmost floor, she saw Elena working with a deep frown on her face. She was talking to someone over the phone while typing something on herputer as fast as she could.


    But when she looked up and saw Cayenne, her eyes brightened, and she waved her hand.


    Cayenne just smiled and ced the cake she had brought for Elene and Tristan on the table.


    Of course, she got something for her husband, too.


    Stefan was busy reviewing some documents regarding thetest project that hispany took when the door to his office was pushed open.


    "Hon,"


    Stefan was startled for a moment, yet when he saw his wife''s face, a wide smile appeared on his face. He really thought he was just hallucinating from missing her so much.


    Putting down his pen on his desk, he walked over to her and hugged her for a minute. He just really wanted to breathe in her scent to satisfy himself.


    "How was the meeting?" he asked without letting her go.


    "It was okay. It went ording to my wishes. I just need to pass the probationary period of two months. I don''t really mind."


    "It''s funny how coincidences work," Stefan muttered with a faintughter in his words. "Someone just called Elena regarding an endorsement work for you. It turned out to be from one of thepetitors of Chiffon. They want you so badly. However, you signed with Chiffon already."


    "I bet they just want to be on your good side."


    "I thought so. Besides, we don''t really use their products at home. What''s the point of endorsing something we don''t like?"


    Unknowingly, this other brand that they refused would be a great challenge to Cayenne in the future.

 Chapter 922: STEFAN DEFENDED HER

    The next day, Cayenne put her ns into action. She had already decided to include Noah and Faith on her first endorsement, and of course, she would pay them ording to the talent fees that others get when participating as extras. She wouldn''t just use them to her own benefits.


    "Are you sure you don''t need my help?" Luiz asked upon stumbling on her sister in the living room; setting up the equipment with Zaire and the others.


    "Don''t worry, if I ever need your help, I will give you a call. For now, I''d be very happy if you can subtly advertise the products as snacks while having your photoshoot."


    "Sure. That''s not a problem," Luiz responded with a nod and left his sister to do her work while he looked for his niece and nephews.


    Not long after, Noah and Faith arrived. Today''s live streaming would be a homemade dessert making show using the products from Chiffon.


    Addie put a light make up on Faith''s and Noah''s face to make them look good in front of the camera, else, it would be a problem if people starts bashing Cayenne for standing out while her two friends look ordinary.


    "I''m nervous," Faithmented while Addie ced a foundation on her face.


    "It''s natural. Compared to Cayenne''s vlogs, this will be your first time to really face the camera, right?" Addie questioned to continue their chat and help Faith calm down.


    "Yeah. In her vlogs, I could just act and pretend that the cameras weren''t aimed at me."


    "Are you camera-shy type of person?"


    "Not really. But it makes me feel a little nervous knowing that people will be watching me real time and I could even interact with them."


    "You make a good point, but Cayenne won''t make things hard for you. All you have to do is chat with her while making the dessert and give your opinion regarding sweets that you like. Nothing difficult for you on the camera."


    "Isn''t it awkward for a man to join them in making sweets?" Noah added while watching the two women chat in the make up room.


    "How can that be? There are so many male chefs now. Desserts can be made by men and women." Faith answered, but in truth, she just didn''t want Noah to back out and leave her to do the live stream with Cayenne.


    They must be together in this episode.


    Cayenne had informed her fans about the live stream schedule ahead of time and so far, she had received a lot of positive impact.


    As for the negativements, she didn''t really care about them.


    [It''s almost time. I wonder what kind of dessert would Cayenne make.]


    [I heard that she''s a good cook.]


    [Desserts are so easy to make. There''s nothing to boast in that.]


    [I''m here because I want to see the mansion''s kitchen. I want to know what it is like to cook in the Dumrique mansion.]


    [4 minutes more]


    [I hope this isn''t the kind of dessert where a final product has been made ahead of time.]


    [This is a live stream. I don''t think they would be able to hide such a thing.]


    [Cayenne''s haters would really find ways to upset her. Unfortunately, she won''t be affected by you!]


    [True. Nothing can affect her with Stefan around.]


    [Hey! What are you trying to say? That Cayenne is using her husband as a shield?]


    [Am I wrong? I was just stating facts!]


    [Stefan Dumrique (V): What is wrong with my wife using me as a shield?]


    For a moment, the live stream chatroom was quiet as if a God has just descended on them. It took a whole minute to realize that Stefan was really waiting for his wife to di the live stream like them.


    [The husband says it already! Stop causing some misunderstanding!]


    [Of course, Mr. Dumrique can say whatever he wants to say. That is his wife after all. If he won''t support her, who else would he support?]


    Watching thements, Stefan pursed his lips with a scowl on his face. He looked like someone who wants to rip a soul at the moment.


    Knock!


    Knock!


    Knock!


    Stefan raised his head and saw Gracielle, the head of the PR department.


    "What can I help you with today, sir?" asked the woman as she pushed her sses on the bridge of her nose.


    "I want you to watch my wife''s live stream. Make sure that you take note of anyments that may harm her reputation and if possible, do some PR before things go out if hand."


    "I got it sir."


    "Also," Stefan mumbled that stopped Gracielle from walking out of the room. "I''m allowing everyone to watch the live stream."


    Gracielleughed internally upon hearing her boss'' words. Obviously, he wanted his wife to have a lot of views during her live stream.


    Gracielle immediately returned to her office and sent notifications to all employee regarding Stefan''s request.


    Tristan even went so far as monitoring the employee logs. To make sure that Cayenne won''t suspect anything, the employees were scheduled to watch the live by batch for 10 minutes.


    "Isn''t the CEO worried about what people would say if they find out that he''s asking as to watch the live stream?" asked one of the employees upon receiving the email from the PR Department.


    "I just entered the live room. I don''t think there''s a need for us to watch. Her fans were already waiting for her."


    "True. She already has a lot of views."


    "I also do live streams during my rest days, why don''t I get this number of views?"


    The conversation of the employees were all about Cayenne and her live stream.


    ***


    "Hello, everyone!" Cayenne greeted cheerfully in front of the camera after Zaire gave her the cue.


    "Today, we will be making a simple dessert with my friends. You maybe or maybe not familiar of them, but they have appeared in some of vlogs already. Let''s all wee Faith and Noah!"


    The couple finally entered the frame and the three of them chatted about their favorite dessert.


    "As you guys all know, if you have been following me, I love sweets so much. I have a sweet tooth and in every meal, I can''t go without sweets. In the past, when we couldn''t afford to buy cakes and whatnot, my brothers would make sure to get my small bars of choctes."


    [Now that she mentioned her brothers, I''m missing them so much. It''s been a while since west saw them together.]


    [Kyle is already teaching.]


    [I am so lucky that my younger sister is Teacher Kyle''s student. When I saw his name on my sister''s report card, I was surprised and adamant about. I went to her school with a random excuse and saw him there! Teacher Kyle is so handsome with his teaching uniform]


    [Which school?]


    [Please drop the school''s name!]


    The woman whomented about Kyle being her sister''s teacher was now worried for Kyle. She didn''t want to hide him from everyone who adores him, but she didn''t want to disturb his work and the school as well.


    In the end, she stayed silent and pretended she didn''t see the flying bullets asking for Kyle''s work address.


    Aside from Kyle''s whereabout, some of the audience were fans of Luiz as well. Some of them had followed him from scratch up until now.


    They were loyal to him despite all the issues.


    Others were just so crazy about him.


    [Can we ask Luiz''s management to send out some pictures of Luiz cosying into different profession?]


    [Commenter above, you just got my imagination wild!]


    [We''re watching Mrs. Dumrique''s sweet making session. Let''s hold our horses and keep calm.]


    Cayenne had no idea that the audience were hyped up when she talked about her brothers.


    She just continued with her dessert making show.


    "This dessert can be done by everyone at home. Kids can even do this with their parents supervision. You can treat this as your bonding time," Cayennemented while breaking three medium eggs into the mixing bowl.


    "I am excited for your kids to grow up. I wonder which of them would have sweet tooth like you," Noahmented while pouring four cups of milk into the bowl.


    "I can''t tell exactly who among them likes sweets right now, but I have a feeling that Aziel hates sweets."


    "Do you always make sweets at home?" Faith asked while peeling off the wrapper of the Chiffon caramel butter cupcakes that can be bought in any supermarkets.


    "Maybe twice a week for me. Most of the time the chef will make sweets for me. Sometimes, Stefan would bake something and other times, he will buy something on his way home. But when we are all feelingzy to do anything, I will just be running downstairs to grab these mini cakes."


    [Mrs. Dumrique eats this product, too?]


    [Today, I feel like I''m getting closer to my idol. I never thought she would be eating these snacks from Chiffon, too.]


    [This live stream is actually an endorsement for Chiffon!]


    [There''s no way she would eat a cheap snack like that!]


    [Is she their endorser? I didn''t know about that. Chiffon didn''t release any news, too.]


    People were now specting if Cayenne was doing the live stream to endorse the product or if she was doing it for Chiffon to notice her.


    Either way, this didn''t make some of the audience feel any better.


    [Cayenne is now turning into a schemer!]


    [She''s definitely a cunning woman!]


    [Where else would she learn this? Of course, from her husband!]


    [I don''t understand. Why are you taking her action against her? Artistes have done the same thing!]

 Chapter 923: SHES IN TROUBLE

    "She''s really endorsing this product?" one of the staffs who worked with Luiz for DOIR photoshoot asked David on the site.


    "Yes. I just heard about it, too. She hadn''t epted any endorsement before," David answered while watching the live stream on his phone.


    Luiz was currently doing his photoshoot and was doing well so far. Even if Luiz would need him to do some retouch, David would just keep his phone open to support Cayenne''s live stream.


    "I see. In my opinion, this woman would only endorse the products that she or her family is using," said the DOIR staff.


    David didn''t say anything. He didn''t want to make ament that might be used against Cayenne in the future.


    "I saw Luiz eat this kind of mini cakes before," said another model who just finished her part of the shoot. "He had been eating products from this brand as his snacks for as long as I can remember."


    One after another, when taking their breaks, DOIR staffs and model started watching Cayenne''s live stream. Some of the models leftments as well which boosted the room.


    [LuvMarie (v): I love their triple caramel mini cake. It is always on my list when I do my grocery shopping.]


    [LuvMarie (v) sent you an Audi.)


    [KJ Rowling (v): I was just passing by when I saw this room. You remind me of the snacks I had when I visited A City. Too bad that they don''t have products here abroad.]


    [KJ Rowling (v) sent you a Carousel x 5]


    [HissAsnake sent you a Wine ss x10.]


    [KGarcia (v): Our family snack for over a century.]


    [KGarcia (v) sent you Red Wine.]


    [DavidWang (v) sent you a Bouquet x 25.]


    [The super models and the well-known writer talked!]


    [David Wang is a famous designer and make up artist. I just found out that he became Luiz'' manager! Wow!]


    [I would never have thought that Cayenne''s live stream room will have this many viewers. Even well-known people are watching her!]


    [Ordering it now!]


    [Yey! I have a stock of the mini cake that Cayenne just used. I''m flexing it on my ount.]


    In less than an hour, Cayenne''s live stream views reached more than 20 Million. Even Stefan felt astounded when he saw the numbers.


    It wasn''t because he didn''t believe in her capability but because his wife wasn''t even an artist.


    Some famous celebrities won''t even have this high number of views.


    Not only that, Cayenne received a lot of high valued gifts.


    Seeing that a lot of people were sending his wife a gift, Stefan didn''t want to be outnumbered. He sent the most expensive gift of the tform.


    [StefanDumrique (v) sent you a Super ship x 5]


    Once again the tform went silent.


    They didn''t know what to say.


    For his wife, Stefan spare no effort to spend his money on her.


    It was not until a minute had passed that someone fired a bulletment.


    [Is it just me or is Stefan jealous that his wife is getting so many gifts from others?]


    [I second.]


    [Stefan be like: Yes, you can give her gifts but I am the only one who can give her the most expensive one ??]


    [Alrighty. We''ll not give her the most expensive gift.]


    [Steve_Schwargarian (v) sent you Super ship x 10.]


    [What the heck!]


    [Oh my Steve! Why are you seeking trouble!]


    [Is this the Steve who starred in the Hollywood movie Reborn of the Marvel?]


    [Is she taking a fancy to a married woman?]


    As themotion online took ce, Cayenne felt a little helpless. She had no idea who Steve was and she didn''t like the idea that someone was provoking her husband using her.


    Seeing the gift which was highlighted in the live room, Stefan sent another Super ship. He clicked it ten more times to make sure that he had more gifts to his wife.


    Some fans were very quick to take screen shots of this event and posted it online.


    Not even ten minutester, Cayenne''s name came to the top ranking of daily issues. Her name got linked to Steve Schwargarian, a Hollywood movie actor.


    Gracielle immediately worked on it to make sure that the issue will be deleted but money was unable to help them this time.


    Stefan saw the strong power of humans when working together.


    They just paid for the topic to be taken down from the ranking, but it didn''t take long for Cayenne''s name to appear on the list again.


    He was having a headache just by looking at it.


    Cayenne continued the live stream and pretended nothing has happened. She didn''t want to think of anything that would affect her endorsement. She needed to do her job.


    Faith and Noah tried their best to keep calm as well. In any case, they could check their social mediater and find out what was going on during the live stream.


    After one hour and thirty minutes, they finally finishes baking their dessert and Noah took it off from the steamer.


    It was time for the taste test.


    Instead of eating the dessert on their own, Cayenne sliced it into several parts and gave them to her staff.


    "For someone who likes sweets, this is the best," Cayennemented after chewing the food. "But you guys can adjust the sweetness if you are not into sweets."


    "I like the texture. It is soft and it felt like it''s melting in my mouth," Faith added before putting another small slice in her mouth.


    "I think I prefer the original mini cakes," Noah said before drinking a gulp of water. "This is too sweet for me, but if the sweetness could he adjusted, I will love it, too."


    [I tried buying online but they are out of stock!]


    [Oh! I ced an order online about an hour ago, but I could only get one pack. Thest pack!]


    [The supermarkets were out of stocks as well. I just came home after checking.]


    [I got a few of these snacks from the nearest convenience store so I am more interested in Steve now.]


    On the other hand, Steve Schwargarian was sitting on his couch with a troubled face. He had no idea who Cayenne Dumrique was but the woman in front of him did.


    "I''m sorry," she said with tears pooling in her eyes. She looked so pitiful while hugging the pillow as she sat on the other end of the couch. "I didn''t realize it sooner until I saw your name."

 Chapter 924: CAUSE OF EXPOSURE

    Around 6:00 in the evening, Stefan came home and found his wife sitting on therge bean bag in the living room.


    She was watching the recording of her live stream; reading thements of theizens while trying to gather news of the Hollywood actor.


    She can''t just fight blindly and depend on her husband all the time - even though Stefan would love her to depend on him.


    "Are you okay?" Stefan asked as soon as he got closer to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Are you worried about the Hollywood actor?"


    "Nope. I''m worried about you. You''re not jealous, aren''t you?" Cayenne asked with narrowed eyes. She would know if he would lie to her.


    Unexpectedly...


    "Yes." Stefan admitted readily. "I was. I wanted topete with him in gifting you. Then, I realized, hmph - he''s a nobody. You don''t even know him."


    Cayenne burst outughing at his remark. She was really worried that Stefan would doubt her given his jealous character.


    Learning how much he trusted her, she couldn''t stop herself from stretching out her hand and caressed Stefan''s face.


    Continue your saga on m|v-l''e-NovelBin


    "Thank you for your unconditional love and trust," she said with mixed emotions reflecting in her eyes. "If it were someone else, they''re probably fighting due to their jealousy and doubts, but you never let me down."


    "You''ve had enough hardships. I don''t n to be an additional burden to you."


    Meanwhile, somewhere in Fieldston, NY, Steve was reading the information he gathered about Stefan and Cayenne Dumrique. Although he had earned a lot as an actor and owned an expensive property in NYC, he still gasped when he learned of Stefan Dumrique.


    Against a business monster with properties in many countries around the world, he just couldn''tpare.


    "Is he that powerful?" asked the woman who sat on the chair across him. "I just really like her. You know I''ve met them before during my vacation trip. I just love the wholesomeness of their family. I like her character and you told me to use your ount however I want."


    "You''re not repentant at all?" Steve asked without lifting his eyes to look at her.


    "I am. I am," she said while nodding her head like a hen pecking grains. She raised her hand to swear. "I''d be struck by a lightning if I''m lying!"


    All of a sudden, a loud rumble sounded outside their home.


    She instantly put down her hand and zipped her mouth.


    Steve sighed and closed hisptop as he pinched the space between his eyebrows. "Did you really not do it intentionally?"


    "I promise I didn''t!"


    Then, a lightning struck.


    "Why is the weather so weird today?" She muttered with a guilt-stricken face.


    Steve just looked at her, waiting for her to admit her mistake.


    A long silence enveloped them until she could not take it anymore.


    "Fine! I was aware that it was your ount and I really wanted to gift her something, but I cannot use my ount or my cards!"


    Steve sighed once again as he stood up from his seat and walked toward her. "I have read their information and based on what I found, I could tell that Stefan is a jealous man. There''s a high chance that he won''t tolerate my "admiration" for his wife," he said while gesturing a quotation on the word admiration. "If worsee''s to worst, he might expose us."


    The woman bit her lips in worry. Tears started pooling in her eyes as her hands tremble in fear.


    "Are you going to..." her voice cracked as she tried to gather all her courage to ask the question she had been wanting to ask.


    She felt like something hard was lodged in her throat, making it painful for her and difficult to breath.


    Even the act of swallowing her saliva was to difficult for her.


    "What is it that you want to ask?" Steve asked while tucking her loose strands of hair behind her ear. "You won''t know my answer unless you tell me what it is."


    "If Stefan exposes us, what will you do?"


    Steve frowned with his eyes focused on her face. He could already tell what was on her mind and he felt a pang in his heart.


    Still, he tried to pry her thoughts to figure out his possible course of actions.


    "What do you want me to do?" He questioned as he walked away from her and stood in front of the floor to ceiling ss window. "I have nothing to worry about unlike you. I can give up my fame for you. I can tell the whole world that you are mine. Can you do the same? Can you give up your identity for me?"


    The woman gawked in surprise. She didn''t expect to hear those words from him. She thought that their secret rtionship was all because of his work as an actor. She didn''t think that it would be because of her identity.


    Without further ado, she ran upstairs without saying a word and picked up her phone.


    She opened her photo gallery and stared at the pictures that umted over the years. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, sheposed a bit-lengthy post and attached more than a hundred of pictures which she chose after careful consideration - pictures which she thought would never get the chance to be posted in public.


    Ding!


    Steve heard the notification sound of his phone and picked it up. As soon as he saw the post from the most followed model, his eyes lit up.


    There''s no going back.


    Ding!


    Ding!


    Ding!


    His phone was bombarded with notifications and soon people started calling him for information.


    It was already chaotic when his name got linked to Cayenne.


    This time, the news was like a ferocious tidal wave that drown the people in shock.


    Steve turned off his phone and walked nonchntly to the second floor of their home.


    ***


    Cayenne slept soundly at night even after the chaos that her live stream caused. She wasn''t the least bit bothered about her name tying to the Hollywood actor.


    It didn''t matter to her anymore since her husband had calmed down already.


    The next morning, she searched for her name and was dumbfounded.


    "What the heck?! How could they think of such a story?!"

 Chapter 925: A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED

    Cayenne sat down on her favorite side of the couch and slowly rubbed her temple while trying to calm herself.


    She didn''t want to be like those other celebrities who jumped the gun and responded to online rumors which got them in trouble. She can''t create more trouble than she already has.


    "What are you focusing on?" Stefan asked when he came downstairs with Zeki in his ams who woke up first among the triplets.


    He gave her a sounding kiss on the lips and sat beside her with their son.


    Cayenne gave him her phone directly to show him what she was reading.


    It was a post from a well-known celebrity blogger. A made up story involving Cayenne and the Hollywood actor.


    As stipted on the blog, Cayenne and Steve had a secret rtionship which got exposed due to her live stream.


    Who else wouldpete with her husband in sending expensive gifts if not her lover?


    They even went to a great length of paying the well-known model, who was Steve''s close friend to act as his girlfriend just so they could continue their secret rtionship.


    Along with the long post, were pictures taken on different asions where Cayenne and Steve attended.


    Cayenne who loves to do charity works had attended countless auctions and bazaar for orphans and schrs, of course, would be expected to show in the said asions.


    Being a celebrity, Steve had attended the same kind of events as well.


    It was just so amazing of this blogger that he was able to gather photos of Cayenne and Steve on separate asions, and photo shopped them.


    Of course, reading until the end, many people rolled their eyes at this madness.


    But there were those crack-brained who believed the blogger as well. Most of them were Steve''s teenager fans.


    "You don''t deserve my Steve. Stay out of his life!"


    "What a green-tea b*tch!"


    "No matter how much you do charity works, the putrid smell of your character couldn''t be covered!"


    "If you want to be famous, go and make p*rn! Don''t involve Steve with you!"


    "You already got a great husband, at least be satisfied with one!"


    Suchments were aplenty and Stefan''s jaw clenched as he read them one after another.


    Cayenne silently ced her hand on her husband''s arm and smiled at him. "I''m okay. I''m not the weak Cayenne anymore. Don''t be upset."


    "How can I not be upset? They''re defaming you."


    Cayenne took a deep breath and sighed as she reached out for her phone from him. During this kind of situation, she really did the right choice to keep her emotions in check, because she knew that her husband would be more upsetpared to her.


    "Saying something at this point will only add fuel to the fire, but I have a great idea," Cayenne said and grinned evilly. It was the first time that Stefan saw a scheming expression on her face.


    "That''s right. Learn from the master," he said and even nodded to himself in agreement.


    On the other hand, Steve was unable to give his statement on the matter.


    Last night, he received hundreds of calls, texts and notifications inquiring the credibility of his woman''s post.


    Among them, one message stood out the most.


    [Meet me at Calico''s cafe right now. Do not inform Athalie.]


    Steve pursed his lips and looked upstairs, directing his gaze to the particr closed door on the second floor.


    Only few people know his beloved''s origin and those who knew it spells trouble to him.


    After a moment of hesitation, he went up and told her he''d be buying some food to celebrate.


    He had a feeling that the meeting wouldn''t be a simple meet and greet yet, his current situation was far from his expectation.


    With both hands and feet bound by a thin rope, Steve was lying on the ground - dizzy and weak.


    "I always had a hunch that you were hiding her and I was right," said the man whose face was hidden in the shadow.


    Based on the voice, Steve could tell that the man had a strong persona, around thirty years old, and one who wasn''t afraid of bloodshed.


    The man sucked on his cigarette for onest time before throwing it on the ground and stomp on it.


    He walked toward his prey, and since Steve was dizzy, and the light was hanging over them, he was unable to see the man''s face.


    "You might be an international actor, but you are still nothingpared to me. Athalie is mine and I will never let anyone snatch her from me."


    Hearing thest sentence, Steve had a hunch who the person was.


    Athalie told him a story of her arranged marriage - the one she escaped from several years ago.


    "Who are you?"


    The man smirked and crouched low while tapping on Steve''s face. His aura, sinister and with so much killing intent.


    Steve knew that this man could wring his neck in a second.


    "Who I am is not important to a dead body," said the man as he let out soft chuckles. "Enjoy your stay here."


    There was no torture, no unprecedented violence aside from getting thrown into the dark room with a single hangingmp, yet it was tormenting.


    Steve had no idea how long he was asleep from getting drugged and kidnapped. He could not see his watch either as he was tied.


    He patiently waited for his abductors to leave the room, and when they did, he slowly untied the ropes that bound him.


    Thin ropes were harder to untie, especially one that was tied so tight it almost melted into his flesh.


    As the rope continued to rub his wrist, he hissed and gritted his teeth in pain.


    [I can''t die here.] Steve thought as he ignored the pungent smell of his blood.


    He didn''t know how long it took him to untie the rope but when he did, he sat up and breathed in relief.


    He rested for a while to gain some strength. He still needed to untie the rope around his legs.


    He thought, once he untied himself, he would be able to figure out a way to escape. He had no idea that despair was just waiting for him in the corner.


    ***


    Athalie checked her watch and frowned. It''s been two hours since Steve left to buy food and he hasn''t responded to her messages.


    "He didn''t give me that stupid excuse just to leave me, right?"

 Chapter 926: A CONSPIRACY TO BRING HER DOWN

    Stefan was worried for his wife, but he knew that she could handle it because she said so.


    In fact, despite her name making tidal waves online, receiving violentments from the actor''s fans and having some of her work cancelled, Cayenne lived her life the way she wanted to.


    The only difference this time was that, she made use of the inte traffic to create more hype.


    Who said she can''t take advantage of her disadvantageous situation? Don''t forget she had the best mentor at home.


    She opened her social media t and posted something in response to the blog, something that pissed off her haters even more.


    [A secret rtionship? He''s not worth it.]


    It was a very short statement but it stirred the hatred of many young fans.


    Cayenne watched in glee as more and more people continued to hate her. Some went on to her other social media ounts to bash her, including her YT channel.


    While people spent their energy and time bashing her, she was counting her earnings happily.


    At the same time, Jackson had tried reaching out to Steve''s management team, hoping to get some rifications on the matter.


    Unfortunately, the team couldn''t provide anything.


    How can they give their statement when the man involve was missing?


    The famous model who imed to have rtionship with Steve was also nowhere to be found.


    They just disappeared like bubbles popping in the air.


    On the first day that he went missing, fans were moring for him to respond to the said rumor. The management were trying their best to get a hold of him as well.


    On the second day, fans animosity toward Cayenne increased, saying she was at fault for causing the man to withdraw from the public.


    Of course, Cayenne didn''t let go of this opportunity. She would choose somements online and respond to it, multiplying the wrath of her anti-fans.


    On the third day with no progress, another blog instantly got famous due to its content.


    The issue got moreplicated.


    It pointed out the facts that Steve suddenly went MIA, his management had no idea of his whereabouts either. His friends and families testified that they haven''t received any form ofmunication from him either.


    The agency of the famous model also left a post pertaining to the woman''s cancetion of contract following the rumor online. She also changed the status of her social media ount into private.


    It created another buzz online.


    "Stefan probably disposed them. Of course, he could do anything he wanted with money and power."


    "Are people so bold now that they could abduct someone whenever that person offended them?"


    "Bring Justice To Steve!"


    "Bring Justice To Steve!"


    "Steve is a good man. He never offended anyone except for Stefan and Cayenne."


    "We know how much Mr. Dumrique doted on his wife."


    Cayenne frowned as she continued to read thements online. It was obvious that people were using her husband of kidnapping the actor.


    "These idiots," she whispered and sighed. Seeing that the issue was getting out of hand, she made use of her resources to resolve it.


    "You will all apologize to me!" she posted before turning off the notification so she could get a peace of mind.


    Millions of people hated her; and though their weak voices got drowned, thousands of people still continued to support her, waiting for her to p her haters resoundingly.


    ***


    Steve had no sense of time inside the tightly sealed room. No food, no water and no human interaction. He was left alone and no one came over to check if he was still alive - most likely waiting for a weeks to ensure his death before giving him his deserved visit.


    The only opening he could see was the venttion airway which was impossible to use due to hisrge body. He could only probably fit his head and that''s it. Read thetest on m_v-l''e-NovelBin


    "I just have to hold on," he told himself while staring into space.


    He was hungry.


    He was thirsty.


    Most of all, he missed Athalie.


    At this moment, somewhere in D country, within the towering borders and majestic walls, a magnificent pce stood imposingly with its g waving as the wind blows.


    Therge embroidered coat of arms showed the mighty eagle''s w clutching the lion''s neck. Just seeing this symbol would make other people tremble in fear. It''s was a widely known symbol in D country.


    It was the sign of victory when the current King George ntag, an illegitimate child, took over the throne using his prowess and intelligence two decades ago.


    The world had continued to progress but D country''s belief was still traditional and closed off from other nations. However, no other aristocrats underestimated their country because of their strong bond with the Darian family, one of the most influential family across Europe.


    And the youngest son of the Darian family, Mhalik Darian, was arranged to marry Kassiani Athalie ntag.


    In the middle of the grandiose audience hall, Athalie was kneeling in front of her parents. The King and Queen sat on their throne while her siblings sat on the side, watching the start of her demise.


    About five hours ago, as soon as she cancelled her contract as a model, she went back home, back to the ce that clipped her wings and stole her freedom.


    Yes, Athalie, the famous model who came out as Steve''s girlfriend, the woman who was rumored to have been paid by Cayenne as a scapegoat, was none other than the fifth princess of D country.


    Athalie looked directly at her parents, a taboo - a sign of disrespect, but she didn''t care.


    Only this once. Just this once.


    She wanted them to see how she truly feel.


    "I''m fully aware of my mistake, but even if I''m given second chances, I will make the same choices," she said with defiance.


    "Do you hear yourself, Athalie?" her mother questioned while her father stared at her as if the person kneeling in front of him wasn''t his daughter. "Just because we didn''t drag you back doesn''t mean we''re okay with it. We tolerated your actions but marriage is marriage. You.are.not.allowed.to.marry.anyone.else!"


    Her mother''s tone was resolute and firm, but Athalie wasn''t the least bit affected.


    She raised her chin and meet their gazes as she enunciated each word that made her sisters gasped. "Over my dead body!"


    ***


    Cayenne waited for the investigation results and it took a whole day before Jackson and Shein sent in theirpiled report. She read thru it and her brows arched in surprise.


    "No wonder," she murmured while scrolling down the pages of the report. "So, I wasn''t the one who used them, they''re the one using me."


    "What do you mean?" Stefan asked upon hearing his wife''s words.


    Currently, they''re in the living room of their cozy home - Cayenne with herptop in front of her and Stefan in the y pen with the kids.


    Although the issue had gone haywire, Cayenne still remained calm. The truth was far from everyone''s imagination and she knew that sooner orter, they will be paying her for the damage they caused.


    "There''s really no issue with Steve Schwargarian," Cayenne began to exin. "The one we needed to pay attention is the model Ariel Hope. Her real name is Kassiani Athalie ntag, daughter of the current King of D country. Does the family name rings a bell to you?"


    Stefan''s eyes darkened when he heard the name but still nodded his head in acknowledgement.


    Cayenne continued her exnation, the key points of the issue, along with the possible consequences if they would take action to rify her name.


    They thought that the issue wasplicated enough, yet they had no idea that it was a sole conspiracy web created by single person - someone whose hatred knows no bound.

 Chapter 927: YES, IM PETTY

    Many people think that Cayenne''s world was in chaos, that she was bringing disaster to her family.


    They thought that she was most likely curling in a corner, miserable and worried about the issue that involved her.


    Contrary to their expectation, Cayenne went out with her team to buy gifts for the orphans. Her birthday wasing along with the early Christmas atmosphere.


    With the help of many people, she finished decorating their home with a white-Christmas theme.


    Surrounded by bodyguards, she happily bought some toys and clothes.


    Of course, since she was at the mall, many people would witness her activity. Some took photos of her and posted it on social media.


    Others just wanted to share the fact that they saw her beautiful face.


    Some just wanted to let the public know that Cayenne was doing fine despite their attempt to ruin her.


    But majority of the people who posted ger pictures, imed that she was trying to cover up her issue by using her charity work.


    In the end, no matter what she does, people will always have something to say about her.


    ***


    "My wife has been very tolerant of her haters but I am not like her," Stefanmented while reading a lot of vicious posts andments directed to him and most especially, to his wife. "Trace all those people who viciously attacked her online. Yes, I''m petty and because of that, make sure they would never want to show their faces in public."


    Tristan shivered while looking at Stefan''s expression. He rarely got mad, and whenever he did, it was all because of people hurting his wife.


    Tristan just couldn''t understand why people couldn''t seem to see Stefan''s bottom line.


    In the end, he was tasked to ruin people who wanted to ruin Cayenne.


    Later that day, many people suffered from Stefan''s indirect attack. One was expelled from school for cheating in a national exam. Others were fired from their job because of their illegal activities -stealing money, stealing other works and bullying other employees.


    Their crimes weren''t something that would garner hundreds of thousands of audience but they were enough to affect their lives.


    "Don''t you think it''s weird?" Elena blurted out while bringing a cup of coffee for Stefan. "One after another, Miss Yen''s name got involved in nasty rumor. It felt like someone was guiding the flow of the story while using the coincidences of her involvement."


    "I have the same doubts as you," Grecelle, the head of the PR department said. She was responsible for drafting Cayenne''s responses in every rumor she got involved with. "I may not be a good schemer but I feel that this whole thing is a scheme against the madam."


    Stefan looked at his trusted employees and frowned, not because he was doubtful of their words but because he also had the same idea.


    He already asked Tristan to check those bloggers that kept posting insidious things against his wife, but Tristan gained nothing.


    Those bloggers were purely posting their spections to gain attention from the public. Tristan had sorted out the people that these bloggers met in the past few months but he didn''t find anyone connected to Stefan or Cayenne''s enemies.


    Or, the couple just had too many enemies to mention and trace.


    They also asked Shein for help, but still, nothing relevant was found.


    [Just who exactly is spinning this web to trap my wife?] Stefan thought and sighed. "Let''s get down to work. I''ll speak with my wifeter about your spections. Maybe she has some idea."


    Thought, he highly doubted it.


    If Tristan and Shein couldn''t find anyone, it was impossible for Cayenne to point out who her enemy was.


    ***


    In D country, Athalie had cried her heart out to sleep. Dried tears stained her beautiful face and she murmured Steve''s name several times already.


    Her sister, the 3rd princess, sat on the empty space of therge bed and wiped the tears that were hanging on her eyeshes.


    Athalie stirred but did not open her eyes. She continued to "sleep".


    "Don''t do anything stupid," said the second prince who was standing by the window. His face was hidden in the shadow but his whisper held resolute resolve to keep his sisters safe. "The current situation isn''t advantageous for us. Yes, we can help, but are you willing to make the sacrifice?"


    "But second brother, are you going to watch her fall into that hellish quagmire. We both know what kind of person that Mhalik is. We''ve seen it," retorted the third princess.


    "What we saw was in the past. With no evidence, how can we prove to everyone that Athalie mustn''t get married to that man?"


    The room suddenly fell into a deafening silence before the second prince sighed heavily. "I''ll visit the Darrian family tomorrow and talk about the wedding."


    Athalie clenched her fists in anger while listening to the conversation. Both her siblings agreed that she must not be married to that damn Mhalik but in a split second, decided to pay the man a visit to talk about her marriage.


    She''s about to lose her mind.


    [Wait! They just talked about Mhalik''s crime, right?] Athalie thought with ns forming in her mind.


    ***


    In Cayenne''s home...


    Sabrina was supposed to stay at the Dumrique''s family vi during the few days that she was in A City. However, seeing Julia at home makes her sick and she felt like vomiting.


    She even started to question how they became friends in the past.


    In the end, she decided to stay at Cayenne''s home. She can''t live with Erwin yet, or her parents would forfeit their favorable vote of him. She could only shamelessly crash at the majestic home of the couple.


    Another reason why she chose to stay there instead of going to a hotel was because of the kids.


    Right now, while Cayenne left to buy gifts for the orphans she volunteered to baby sit the triplets.


    "This is how you change the diaper Miss Sab," said the nanny who was changing the little princess'' with a clean diaper.


    "How would I know that it must be changed if they''re not pooping?"


    "It depends on you to be honest. However, here we need to follow Sir Stefan''s rule. When the kids pooped, of course, without question it must be changed. When the kids urinated, their diapers must be changed as well. Some parents will wait for the diaper to get full before changing it, but Sir Stefan didn''t want that. He''s afraid that they''ll get rashes."


    "Stefan is really OA," Sabrina said while rolling her eyes. "Alright, I''ll change Aziel''s diaper. I want to do it on my own."


    Unfortunately, she chose the naughty little guy to learn this motherly task.


    As soon as she removed the wet diaper, Aziel flipped over and crawled away from her. She was unable to wipe his little butt yet.


    She immediately chased after him and carried her back to the bed where she wanted him to lie down.


    The little guy wriggled his tiny legs in Sabrina''s arms, trying to get away from her clutches. Sabrina held him as gentle as she can, but the moment she put him down, he flipped over again and crawled away from her.


    For the next three minutes, she spent her time chasing after the little guy.


    "Miss Sab, do you need help?" asked the nanny who had been watching on the sideline in amusement. "I can hold him for you."


    "No, I''m okay," Sabrina refused stubbornly. "I can do this."


    When she finally caught Aziel for the nth time, she didn''t put him down immediately. She took the extra diaper, the wet wipes and the clean pajama first.


    Aziel kept giggling in her arms while iling his little legs. He just wanted to crawl freely without the hassle feeling of wearing diapers.


    Watching his naughty little brother, Zeki crawled over and held the little guy''s hand.


    For some reason, Aziel stopped moving and turned to look at Sabrina. He stared at her face for a long time before looking away from her.


    Sabrina didn''t know what transpired between the kids but she was happy that Aziel had behave.


    After a few minutes, she finally finished her first ever task as a baby sitter for today.


    "What''s next?" she asked the nanny who knew their job as baby sitter.


    "Next is to feed the kids," said the nanny while picking up Zeki and ced him on the stroller. "Let''s bring them outside first. Sir Stefan said that the kids will be eating with Ma''am Latticia. We''ll have our lunch there as well."


    During lunch time, Sabrina once again faced a difficult task - to feed Aziel.


    For some reason, Sabrina felt that the child was ying with her. As far as she knew, the kids were behaved. She didn''t expect that Aziel would give her a hard time today.


    On the other hand, Erwin wasughing while watching his girlfriend. It was just a passingment when he told Aziel to be naughty around Sabrina when she volunteered to be their babysitter. He didn''t expect the little guy to understand his words.


    "The triplets are really smart," Erwinmented whileughing in schadenfreude as he continued to watch Sabrina''s interaction with the naughty Aziel.

 Chapter 928: TO WAGE WAR

    Since Cayenne was very elusive, plus there were many bodyguards around her when she appeared in public, showbiz reporters were unable to get any scope from her.


    On top of that, she liked posting herments online, so there wasn''t really a need for them to create gossips. Unless they want to earn the wrath of the wife-doting husband, Stefan Dumrique, they could totally make things up.


    Sadly, no one, in their sane mind, wanted to go up against Stefan.


    However, there were some reporters who were wise enough to look for another source of scope. If they could not get anything from Cayenne, they could totally get something from the people close to her.


    The first on the list was Luiz.


    Today, he was attending the Jade Film Festival ceremony as Riley''s partner. Due to the recent rumor involving Cayenne, Shein''s braincells were borrowed by Stefan and he could not make it to attend Riley''s event.


    In return, Luiz has to attend the said event.


    Jade Film Festival was held every 30th of October. It was to recognize the hardwork of many artistes, directors and producers over the year.


    As one of the rising stars, Riley was nominated in three categories and many were expecting her to snatch the Jade ques.


    Reporters flocked outside, waiting for the event toe to closure so they could interview the guests.


    After a few hours of waiting, one after another, the guests of the nights slowly came out. Their fans screamed in happiness while cameras shes endlessly.


    It was almost blinding.


    "I still can''t get used to this type of event," Luizmented as he walked beside Riley. "It''s always -"


    Before he could finish his words, reporters surrounded them immediately, not letting him escape.


    "Luiz, can we ask you a few question?"


    "Luiz, what can you say about the rumor involving your sister?"


    "Luiz, is it -"


    "I''m offended," Riley stated while pressing her hand on her chest as if she was really hurt. "I just won some awards but you''re asking him about the rumors."


    The reporters finally realized their mistake and apologized to her. They then continued with their interview and decided to start with praises andpliments to the award-winning actress.


    Riley justughed it off and went along with them. Once they were done with her, they moved on to their main target - Luiz.


    As a brother, and someone who joined the entertainment industry, Luiz knew that he shouldn''t say too much as it might be used against him or the person he was talking about.


    How much more when he was speaking for his sister.


    "There was no official statement from your sister and brother-inw yet regarding the rumor that your sister got involved with. Is there marriage okay? Is it really just a rumor?" Asked the reporter who stood right in front of Luiz and Riley, just separated with a one person boundary, which was their bodyguard.


    Luiz scoffed at the statement and sighed with a smirk dancing on his lips.


    "First, their bond is one of the strongest bond I know. My sister doesn''t know the actor. Second, the reason why they''re not giving any official statement at this point is because they are gathering evidences."


    Reporter: "In this matter what can you say about those viciousments that nders your sister."


    Luiz shrugged his shoulder upon hearing this question and his expression from confidence turned to sadness. "Of course, it pains my heart knowing that a lot of people out there are insulting my sister. At the same time, I know my sister is strong. Thosements online won''t really affect her. She lives her life by her own rules and not the rules that people set for her."


    The reporters wanted to ask more but Luiz already gave his bow in front of them and the bodyguards ushered him, along with Riley to their waiting car.


    As soon as they got inside, Riley took a selfie with her Jade ques and posted it online with the following caption:


    "I just won two awards out of three, but the reporters are more interested in Yenyenpared to me. Sigh, reporters really love to gossip."


    Her post was flooded withments expressing their happiness for her, encouragement to keep going and advises to just ignore the gossip-mongers.


    "Someone out there must be holding a grudge against Mrs. Dumrique. Imagine, they even went to find her brother just so they could get some scope about her rumor."


    "When I analyze this ongoing issue, I think the real target must be Stefan. I mean, Cayenne was always nonchnt when people attack her, but Stefan always gets affected by it."


    "There was no official statement from Steve''s camp. Cayenne and Stefan chose silence as well. Why do people kept bothering them?"


    "I must say, Cayenne should join entertainment industry as well. Look, her fame is on par with Riley." Thisment gained a lot ofughing reaction and the person even tagged the two women.


    Riley read thement and replied "I think I''ll be riding on her coattails. People love to create news about her and whenever there''s news, there is publicity. I like this idea."


    However, Cayenne did not respond to this.


    She was busy sorting out the gifts that will be sent to the three orphanages the next day.


    ***


    Athalie woke up and stare into the distance. Her family knew she was disheartened with the recent event and most likely, they resented her.


    Well, they were not far off from their guesses.


    Athalie sat in silence on her bed. Her hair disheveled, not the kind of princess that you see on tv or in books. She looked like someone who lost her soul.


    At the same time, amidst the deafening silence, her brain was working rapidly, thinking of ways to get rid of her supposed fiancee and to locate Steve as soon as possible.


    As long as there was no dead body found, she would continue to believe that he was alive.


    And she knew exactly who the culprit was.


    After an hour of deep thinking, she got out of bed and knocked her door.


    The guard standing outside her room opened the door for her and inquired what she needed.


    "I want to eat," she said before closing the door. She heard the "click" sound of the lock from the outside and snorted. "I need lots of energy," she told herself before walking toward her closet to get a change of clothes.


    When the Queen heard that her daughter finally gave in and asked for food, she sighed in relief. She instructed the servant to prepare all of Athalie''s favorite food so she could choose which one she would eat.


    Not suspecting her daughter at all.


    Athalie had visited the manor of the Darian family and she had memorize every corner of the property. However, it was several years ago, on the day she escaped her engagement.


    Surely, there would be changes on the property.


    She looked around to find something she could draw theyout on, but all she found were books and small sizes of illustration boards. She needed something big.


    Then her eyesight fell into therge portrait of herself. She could totally use the back of the portrait. The question was, how could she bring it down.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    "Come in!"


    The guard opened the door and the servant came in with a tray of food - all of the dishes were Athalie''s favorite. After putting her food on the table, Athalie dismissed the servant and asked the guard to call two other people to help her take off her portrait.


    No questions asked. They just followed what their princess requested them to do, but they also reported it to the King and Queen.


    It wasn''t even half an hour after she took off therge portrait yet her mother came in with her hands on her hips.


    "What are you nning this time?" interrogated the Queen which Athalie ignored. "Your second brother painted that for you."


    Athalie stayed silent. She continued to stare on the portrait as if she heard nothing.


    "Your brother will be hurt if you ruin that just because you are mad at me - at your father."


    No answer.


    "Fine! Be rebellious! Rebel all you want, but that won''t change anything."


    No response at all.


    Athalie''s mother finally left in irritation at her daughter''s silence. She thought that Athalie has learned her lesson, it turned out she has not.


    The moment her door was closed, Athalie turned the painting over and started sketching the Darian''s mansion. Her hand was very quick to draw theyout while pausing from time to time whenever she heard someone talked to the guard outside her room.


    She can''t let anyone find out her n.


    "But where can I get aputer to contact the outside world?"


    ****


    "Are you sure you''d like to wage war against them?" Travis asked Stefan when he learned from Shein theplicated situation that Cayenne got involved.


    If it was someone else, Travis won''t even bother to spare a second to think of helping them.


    But they''re talking about Cayenne - his bestfriend''s wife and someone that his beloved wife, Jill, likes as well.


    "Yes. I have Shein and Tristan. Having them on my side is already a great advantage. I know nothing would go wrong with them."


    "Mhalik Darian might be brawns over brains, but his sister has it both. She would know."

 Chapter 929: A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH

    Cayenne enjoyed every bit of her time whenever she visited the orphanages. This time, she brought out the triplets so they could have a change of scenery as well.


    She knew that her children were smart and she wanted them, at the very young age, to know that their blessings should be shared.


    The timid Zeki just looked around him, witnessing the joy on many children''s faces when they received their early gift.


    Jahzara on the other hand was not in the mood. She was crying in fear after seeing the "grim reaper" appear on stage.


    Technically speaking, it wasn''t Christmas yet but Cayenne was giving her early gift in the first week of November because her schedules were getting full and she may not have the time to visit the orphans.


    So, in the end, she celebrated her birthday, halloween and christmas with the kids on the same day.


    But this didn''t mean she has nothing in store for them on Christmas Day. She also nned to give them a little bit of donation so they could celebrate Christmas on their own.


    And since the celebration fell in November this year, there were kids and staff who chose to wear costumes.


    And the one that stood out the most was the grim reaper who was busily scaring the kids.


    Jahzara wailed.


    "Alrighty. Don''t be scared," Stefan whispered while holding his daughter in his arms - rubbing her back to calm her down only for his daughter to hug him even tighter. "I will fight the monster. Don''t be scared. You go to your mom first. I will drive the monster away."


    Cayenne took her daughter from her husband and watched him walk to the grim reaper.


    Stefan said something to the cosyer and thetter nodded his head in agreement. He signaled his wife to let their daughter look at him and started with his act.


    "Look at your Daddy. He is very strong," Cayenne whispered to her daughter whose eyes and nose were read from crying.


    Stefan "punched" the monster. "Kicked him" and "knocked him" on the ground before the monster fled in fright.


    In Jahzara''s eyes, her father was the strongest man in the world. He even fought with the scary monster and drove it away.


    In the years toe, with most of her early memories fading as she grew up, this scene would remain etched in Jahzara''s mind. To her, nothing could beat her father.


    But that''s a story forter.


    Jahzara finally stopped crying and she pped her hands happily after Stefan seeded in his quest. She instantly opened up her arms, waiting for her father to hold her.


    "Clingy," Cayenne whispered as she gave her daughter a sounding smack on the cheeks before giving him back to Stefan.


    As for Aziel, he had the most fun.


    Kyle was holding him as they joined the other kids in their prepared games. His giggles could be heard from time to time as they ran around with the other children.


    In fact, other family members wanted to take Zeki to y as well, but whenever they try to take him out of his stroller, he would loudly grunt and il. Obviously, he didn''t want to be taken out of hisfortable space.


    So they gave up. In any case, he wasn''t giving anyone a hard time.


    "Thank you for always doing so much for the kids," said the orphanage director to Cayenne. "It warms my heart whenever I see their genuine smiles."


    "This is nothing. I am merely returning the kindness that people showed me. This isn''t just me giving things away. This is collected effort from so many people."


    Hearing her response, the director smiled as she nodded her head.


    If it was someone else, they would perfunctorily acknowledge her words, not really giving it much thought.


    But Cayenne was different.


    She didn''t take credit for her actions alone. She always reminded herself that she wouldn''t be able to do this without the people supporting her behind the scenes. She didn''t forget to mention their effort as well.


    ***


    It has been four days since Steve went missing.


    The police forces were already notified and they had shared this information to other stations.


    Since the missing victim was an internationally known actor, many people paid attention to his case and demanded the police to find him as soon as possible.


    It was always expected to begin the search for clues from the victim''s property but they police forces were unable to gather clues that would help them.


    It turned out, Steve hadn''t been to his home in Los Angeles.


    The police decided to widen their search and include his recent work colleagues and staff, hoping that one of them knew something.


    When the police was about to leave, Leve, Steve''s younger brother followed them. He was gripping the hem of his shirt while looking back to the house, as if checking if someone was looking at them. He seemed wary.


    "Do you need anything else?" asked the police officer when he noticed the boy''s actions. "Don''t worry, we''ll find your brother."


    "I know," Leve whispered and looked back again. "I... I have a property. My brother - "


    "Leve!" His mother''s loud voice startled and almost made him slip on the drive way. He was scared. "What are you doing there? Don''t hinder the police officers from their work!"


    "I was just thanking them," Leve responded with a faint smile.


    "Don''t thank them yet. They haven''t found your brother," said the middle-aged woman who looked distraught and confused. She looked hesitant to say something but decided to stay silent anyway. "Get inside once you''re done."


    Leve nodded and shifted his attention to the police officer. He gave the man a firm handshake and whispered something that caused thetter to frown.


    "Please help me look for my brother. I don''t care if he has to quit as an actor. I just want him home."


    The officer gave Leve a gentle pat on his shoulder and sighed. "We will do our best. Thank you for this."


    While the world was busy looking for Steve, Athalie had finished her sketched of the Darian''s property. She also told her parents that he needed to talk to Mhalik.


    She knew that forming rtionship with the Darian family was necessary for their stronghold, but she wanted to look for another way aside from her sacrificial marriage.


    Unfortunately, her parents didn''t agree to her request.


    "I won''t escape this time," Athalie stated and raised her hand to swear. "I just want to speak to him."


    "No means no!" King George angrily yelled that he almost had a heart attack. "Stop being stubborn!"


    Athalie didn''t move. She still kneeled in front of her parents with her raised hand. "I swear to God, if I ever escape, I will be struck by lightning with my body and soul torn to pieces."


    Everyone watched her in horror. It wasn''t because they believed in this kind of swearing statement but because her words carried her honest resolve.


    "Second brother cane along," Athalie added which made the second prince raised his eyebrow with a questioning gaze directed at her.


    He had no idea what she was up to.


    After a moment of silence, the King finally relented to Athalie''s request, granted that the second prince woulde along.


    Athalie bowed her head in response, but a sinister smile had appeared on her lips, hidden from everyone''s view.


    No matter how weak a person is, when cornered he will fight back.


    ***


    Stefan sat on his swivel chair. His grim expression scared his employees who came to give their report. It was their annual meeting before they make final adjustment to end the year.


    "You may take your seat," Stefan said but his expression didn''t change. "This year''s profit has increased to 23%. Compared tost year''s 18%, we''ve gained a lot this year. It is such a happy thing that is worth celebrating," he said and pped his hands.


    [You don''t look happy at all.] Everyone thought while responding to him with a round of apuse.


    "We''re looking forward to our bonuses, sir," said one of the employees which everyone echoed.


    "Of course you should. You all did a great job this year. Let''s keep it up," then Stefan turned to the marketing director. "I want you to check the strategies we used in the past three years and see which one gave us the most sales. I''ll give you a week to do that."


    "Yes, sir."


    "I don''t have anything else for now. Meeting adjourned," Stefan said and waved his hand to dismiss the employees.


    As soon as they left, Tristan handed Stefan theptop he was holding and pointed out to the red spots that he marked. "I''m waiting for your signal," said his handsome and loyal secretary.


    "Not yet. She has not responded to me. If by tomorrow I still don''t hear anything, you may proceed with the n."


    "Got it."


    Stefan thought he had traced the source of his headache. The rumor online indeed involved Steve, but the story had a twist and that twist led him to a deeper conspiracy.


    [Such a headache!] Stefan thought.


    He could actually chose to just ignore it and wait for the truth to surface but since they tarnished Cayenne''s name, it was only right for him to return the favor.


    A tooth for a tooth.

 Chapter 930: A DEEPER SCHEME

    "Hey! What''s the update?!"


    "Bring justice to Steve!"


    "Arrest the criminals! Don''t let money overpower thew!"


    "Justice!"


    "Justice!"


    The L.A police officers didn''t expect that people would start a rally for justice in front of the station. It only proved how known and well-loved the actor was.


    And that meant, they couldn''t just shrug this off like any other cases.


    Millions of people are paying attention to the man''s case.


    Since they were living on the opposite side of the globe, it was already evening in A City and most people were having their dinner.


    It wasn''t any different at the Dumrique household.


    Cayenne was reading the news online and she couldn''t help but sigh when reporters mentioned her name along with Stefan - using them as culprits.


    This case affected Stefan''s business but not enough to topple over his empire.


    Stefan naturally knew of the situation and had already instructed hiswyer to deal with the situation. They still refused to give their statement for now.


    "I didn''t expect that the rumor woulde to this," Cayenne told Stefan before tossing her phone to the side and continued eating. "Anyway, it doesn''t matter. Sooner orter, everyone will eventually know the truth."


    "Aren''t you pissed off?" Sabrina asked while taking out the dessert that she made before the couple came home. She may be the guest and there were helpers, but she didn''t like to stay idle and she liked to show off her cooking and baking skills against the household chef.


    "Of course, I am," Cayenne answered which didn''t really show on her face. "I just don''t entertain the idea anymore. Instead of wasting my time on these idiots, I''d rather do something productive. Besides, I''ve got a lot of pending projects that needs to be done before December."


    "Speaking of, the two of you will coborate on a live stream tomorrow, right?" Stefan questioned while feeding Zeki next to him.


    The other two kids were already sleeping soundly in their room but Zeki had ate dinner since he just woke up from his nap when his parents came home.


    "Actually, it''s a cook off battle against Kyle and Luiz," Cayenne answered with a wide grin on her face. "If it''s me alone, people will just watch to spout nonsense on my live. And since many of my viewers wanted to watch Luiz and Kyle, then, why not?"


    Stay connected via m-v l|e''-NovelBin


    "Your wife really knows how to exploit her resources," Sabrinamented with faintughter in her voice.


    As per work schedule, Luiz posted on his social media ount that he will be appearing on his sister''s live stream the next day.


    His fans immediately left their excitedments and how much they looked forward to watch him.


    Kyle didn''t neglect his assignment either. He posted about the cook off battle against his sister.


    Many reacted with hearts and kisses on their posts, but an equal number of insults were hurled at them as well.


    Then again, whose brothers were they? Who raised them? In the end, they were strong like Cayenne and they ignored the bashing.


    ***


    "Wow! My brothers look stunning!" Cayenne eximed when her brothers came out of their room in a chef uniform. "I''m bothered with my outfit now."


    "Jeez! Stop with thepliment!" Luiz retorted with a bashful expression. He always felt shy when peoplepliment him right on his face, family members weren''t even an exception. "My followers wanted to see me on a chef outfit. I''m just giving in to them."


    "But why am I included?" Kyle expressed while looking at himself on the body length mirror. "I don''t model for anyone but my girlfriend."


    "Aish!" Luiz kicked his brother''s leg in annoyance. "Show off."


    Kath, who came to visit them and watch the cooking battle, blushed upon hearing her boyfriend''s words. She knew that Kyle gave up the modeling opportunity for her, and she felt a little sad for him. However, he always assured her that he made the right decision for the security of their rtionship.


    Who wouldn''t be touched when someon''s willing to sacrifice a huge break for your happiness?


    As the siblings continued to mess around, everyone justughed at their banter while busying themselves with their tasks.


    On the other hand, Stefan received a good news when he woke up. He leisurely went to the bathroom and took a shower, changed his clothes for work and went downstairs to find his wife.


    "Good morning," he greeted his wife and got his morning kiss. "Where are the kids?"


    "ying with the dogs," Cayenne answered without looking at him.


    They all watched him with a side eye and saw him took a deep breath before shrugging off his shoulders.


    The clean freak was having a headache. "When was thest time that we scheduled the dogs for grooming?" Stefan finally asked.


    "Yesterday."


    "And the rabies shot?"


    "Last month."


    "O-okay." Stefan replied but still looked worried for his children. "I''ll go and take a look at them."


    As soon as he left, Cayenneughed so hard. "Did you see his face? He''s always like that whenever the kids y with the animals."


    "But he seemed to be in a good mood. Otherwise, he would have asked the nannies to bring the kids inside and clean them," Kyle said.


    "I think the investigation of Steve''s case is almost over," Cayenne said in retort.


    Apart from the rumor, she couldn''t remember anything else that her husband had paid attention to.


    And she was right.


    ***


    Athalie and her brother arrived at the Darian''s home. The head of the family, Augustine Darian, weed them happily to his home even though he knew what the siblings came for.


    "Where''s Mhalik?" Athalie asked immediately as they walked to the receiving area for the guests. All the while remembering the changes of the mansion.


    If there''s something that Athalie is most proud of, it was her photographic memory.


    "Mhalik is rushing home when I told him that you are visiting," Augustine answered with a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. Nothing matters to him but his self interests. He could sacrifice his children''s happiness to establish a firm foothold to rule the world.


    "It''s been a while that I''ve visited your home. It''s more beautiful than thest time I''ve been here," Athalie said, trying her best to sound enthusiastic while looking around. "When did you have thisrge koi pond?"


    "Oh, this? Mhalik had this built two years ago, saying that you would surely love this ce."


    Athalie''s brother didn''t say anything while listening to the conversation. He knew the truth and he also knew that the truth won''t matter to his sister.


    "Let''s go over there. I''ll give you a tour," Augustine offered.


    [This is what I''ve been waiting for.] Athalie thought and dly epted the invitation.


    Augustine was showing Athalie around when his daughter arrived. "Why are you home early?" Augustine questioned with obvious dislike on his face. "It''s not time to leave thepany yet."


    "I heard that Princess Athalie ising over with the second prince. I thought I should show up to pay respect as her future sister-inw."


    Augustine smirked. "In that case, I will leave the princess in your hand. I will have to personally instruct the servants of their tasks, lest you would make mistakes."


    "I humbly ept the task father."


    Seeing their interaction, Athalie didn''t show any change in expression. She already knew that Cleo and Augustine didn''t have a good rtionship.


    The moment that Augustine left, Cleo''s humble expression changed. "He''s not here."


    "Ha?"


    Both Athalie and the second prince looked confused.


    "I know exactly what you two want. Your boyfriend is not here anymore," she said before leading them to walk away as if they were continuing their tour. "I took him out and sent him to the hospital. I''ll give you the hospital address and the name of the attending doctor. He''s my trusted subordinate."


    "Wait!" Athalie held Cleo''s hand but thetter signaled her to let go. "How did you know about all these?"


    "Stop asking question. Just be grateful that I''m helping you. Pretend that we''re touring the ce."


    "Then, what will happen to you if he finds out?" Athalie asked in worry. She didn''t really know what kind of person Cleo is, and she didn''t want to know either. However, she knee exactly what kind of person Mhalik was, and that was the reason why she was worried for the woman in front of her. "He will kill you," Athalie blurted out.


    "He can''t. I have - "


    "Athalie! Love, did you finally miss me?"


    All three people looked back and saw the smug expression of the man that they hated the most.


    Athalie had a grim expression on her face but when her brother pinched her arm, she quickly wiped it off her face and changed to helplessness.


    "I came to talk about the engagement. I have someone - "


    "Oh c''mon. Didn''t he leave you when you confessed to the world?"


    Athalie clenched her fists while counting sheep in her mind to calm herself. She''s already in hisir. Even if Cleo said that she''s helping, there''s no guarantee that Mhalik would let her go this time.


    [I''ve done what Stefan Dumrique wanted. Whatever is the oue after this, I''m not part of it. And that woman! How dare she implicate us in her scheme! I almost lost half of the things I worked so hard for! Damn her!]

 Chapter 931: Resolve

    Just as expected, Mhalik tried every possible ways to stop Athalie from leaving his home. Unfortunately, the second prince was around which hindered the sess of his n.


    "You''ll end up a spinster if you choose to wait for him. I don''t think he''sing back," Mhalikmented while sitting on a couch with poise, yet the sinister look in his eyes didn''t escape Athalie''s observation.


    "It doesn''t matter, Mhalik. You know, I''m a princess in name only but I have given up my qualification for the throne. There''s nothing for you to gain in this marriage. If anything, you''re missing on a good woman out there."


    "Why look for a good woman when I have the best in front of me?"


    Athalie wanted to roll her eyes in front of her enemy, but she had to fake a smile to ensure she''s not alerting him to take any further threat.


    Just as the saying goes, fake it ''til you make it.


    "I appreciate yourpliment," Athalie answered as she got up from her seat. "Anyway, I just came over to tell you my part of the story. I would appreciate it if you can convince yourself and your father to stop the marriage from happening."


    Mhalik didn''t say anything. He just nodded his head several times, but based on his expression, it wasn''t a nod of agreement.


    Athalie didn''t look back at all when she left the mansion. She hung her head low to keep her expressions hidden from the cameras pointing to her.


    "Let''s visit the capital," she told her brother with no room for agreement. This might be thest time that she''d get to visit her country. At the very least, she''d like to see the ce that she enjoyed touring when she was growing up.


    She visited her favorite pastry shop and bought her favorite dessert. She ate as if she wasn''t worried for Steve. In truth, when she paid for her order, she slipped some note.


    "Here''s your take out," the waitress said and handed the paper bag to Athalie. "Can I get a picture of you?" whispered the woman with anticipation. "I can tell that you are the famous model. I won''t tell anybody."


    "Let''s do it outside, right next to my car. I don''t want to disturb the business."


    The waitress nodded her head happily and agreed. Both of them went out of the pastry shop, took a quick selfie and bid farewell.


    "I hope you''ll find justice for him soon,"mented the waitress in a voice just enough for the two of them to hear. She was one of the people who believed that Steve was killed unjustly.


    Athalie smiled faintly without saying anything and got inside the car. As soon as the car opened, the waitress saw the second prince sitting at the back and her eyes went wide in shock.


    Sadly, before she could recover from the surprise, they had already left.


    "So, what''s their rtionship?" muttered the waitress with an expression from shock to confuse.


    From the time they left home until they returned, Athalie didn''t hear any unwarranted remarks from her brother. He really was there just to apany her. She had no idea what was going on in his mind but to her, as long as he won''t do anything to go against her n, she wouldn''t mind him just being a bystander.


    She immediately went back to her room as soon as she got home while her brother went to seek their parents to make a report.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Athalie hid the paper bag under her bed as soon as she heard the faint foot steps outside her room. She can''t have someone see the content of the package.


    Her sister pushed open the door and smiled at her. "Did you get him to agree with dissolving the agreement?"


    Athalie sighed and recalled to her sister what transpired at the Darian''s home. "I''m tired. Can we talkter. I want to rest."


    "Hn. Okay. I''m sorry for disturbing you."


    Athalie didn''t respond to her sister anymore. She didn''t want to appear in a hurry to shoo her sister away. She even had to put an adamant look on her face, though she didn''t even try to stop her from leaving.


    ***


    "He is ina," Brown told Stefan over the phone after he checked Steve''s condition. "He was beaten, left with no food, water and enough venttion. Though he wasn''t tortured, being confined in a dark ce for several days was enough to break him."


    "But he''ll recover," Stefan said without the slightest bit hesitation. Since Brown didn''t sound conflicted, it means there wasn''t anything he should be worried about. "I''ll leave him in your hands. Let me know if there''s something else you need."


    Brown pocketed his phone when the call ended and signaled for the other doctor toe inside and discuss some important matter with the older man.


    Since Steve couldn''t be admitted to any of the hospitals in D country for fear that Mhalik would find him again and end his life. It took Cleo a lot of nning to get him out of the country for medical assistance. Fortunately for her, Stefan was willing to negotiate despite the fact that they''ve affected his wife''s reputation.


    Thus, Brown came into picture to help Stefan with Shein and Tristan cleaning up traces of the patient''s data from the hospital''s and flight''swork.


    Though it seemed like it was a win-win situation, Cleo still felt that he was losing against the man.


    "I''m going back to the office," Cleo expressed since their visitors had left already. "Call me if you need anything else."


    Augustine didn''t hold his daughter in high regards just because she''s a daughter. In this world with power struggle, he preferred a son over a daughter. So, he doted on Mhalik more than he would to his daughter. In short, he overlooked her efforts and neglected her.


    "Wait!" Mhalik shouted and approached his sister in big strides. "Why did you take him out?!"


    "Then what? Would you like her to smell the rotten stenching from your little yground?" Cleo retorted with a mocking look at her stupid brother. "At least, check your toys if they''re already broken or if they need a little fixin''. Don''t just leave them."


    "You are crueler than I thought," Mhalik said with a wide grin.


    "You don''t know what I''m capable with. If you want to check the body, just ask your men," Cleo said and left.


    Of course, she had already expected Mhalik to find out about her actions. She had calcted her steps including the loyalty of their people.


    When a cruel person takes action, it would instill fear in people''s minds. However, when a smart and cruel person make a move, it would instill a bone-deep fear in many people.


    In the hearts of the servants, a heirarchy was already formed and in silence, they had already chosen to follow Cleo''s arrangement.


    Whatever Mhalik would do, if Cleo won''t say anything, they wouldn''t make a single peep.


    But when Cleo steps in, even Augustine couldn''t do anything.


    The servants knew that sooner orter, the Darian family would either flourish or disappear depending on Cleo''s choices. She had all the cards in her hands.


    "I''ve done everything I could. It''s on you now to clean up the rest," Cleo told Stefan over a voice message.


    ***


    While the other side of the world was in chaos, Cayenne was happily chatting with her brothers and Sabrina during their live stream.


    This time, they were having a cook off battle to make a dish and a dessert.


    Mainly, it was to endorse Chiffon and the new product that Saucy had introduce in the market. Saucy didn''t publicly announce that Cayenne would endorse them, but they would pay her 5% of the total sales after a week of her live stream.


    [I can''t get enough of Luiz!]


    [I thought I''d only see Luiz in chef uni, I didn''t expect I''d see Kyle as well.]


    [I don''t care about the food they''re cooking. I''m already full.]


    [So, they are really friends, huh.]


    For a moment, the live stream went silent after thisment, then it was bombarded with a lot of inquiry.


    [What do you mean by your statement?]


    [Who do you mean? I never heard of the brothers having a fight?]


    [It''s even more impossible for Cayenne to have a fight with her brothers.]


    [You don''t mean Sabrina and Cayenne, right?]


    [??????]


    Addie was watching the live stream on her phone and when she read thements and questions, she raised her head to look at the four people in camera.


    They all seemed natural to her and Sabrina had been staying with the Dumrique family. It was impossible for them to be fighting.


    Kyle and Luiz would certainly get an earful of scolding from Cayenne if they would fight, too.


    "Did I miss anything?" she asked herself in whisper, not daring to ask out loud.

 Chapter 932: COOPERATION

    Addie looked around to find something that she could write with and show it to Cayenne, but after almost ten minutes, she was only able to find a marker and sheets of bondpapers.


    "I''ll inform them to get a white board next time," she told herself while writing her question. Then, she signaled Cayenne to read what she wrote.


    [Did any of you guys fight?]


    Cayenne squinted her eyes and shook her head. "I''m not fighting with anyone."


    "I don''t see the reason to fight with anyone either when I''m freeloading," Sabrinamented and shrugged her shoulders.


    They all looked towards Kyle and Luiz.


    "Nope." They both answered at the same time.


    [A viewermented with: SO, THEY''RE REALLY FRIENDE,HUH. What does this mean?]


    Based on Cayenne and Sabrina''s statement along with Luiz and Kyle''s responses, the viewers knew that someone from Cayenne''s team had pointed the issue that was brewing in the live room.


    They were all waiting for an answer, including the person who was bent on destroying Cayenne''s image. He was like a hawk, waiting for his prey to take the bait.


    Cayenne frowned and pondered over this statement. "I''m not entirely sure what you guys are talking about. If it''s about me and Sabrina, well, we''ve been friends for a long time."


    "I think I know what they meant!" Sabrina eximed and smirked. "Remember, some people knew that I was arranged to marry Stefan even tho it wasn''t agreed by your parents."


    "Oh." Cayenne muttered in response which puzzled the viewers.


    Oh? That''s it? Aren''t they going to watch any conflict? Others would have gotten mad when talking about their past failed rtionship.


    Stefan''s employees who watched the live stream were also itching to know more. Of course, they didn''t have any ns of spreading the gossip themselves but that doesn''t they weren''t interested in their boss'' gossips.


    "Stefan wasn''t close to his parents and the marriage was arranged by his auntie and my parents. Like duh, they thought it was the right choice for him," Sabrina stated with a disgusted look on her face and she even rolled her eyes. "... but we don''t like each other. He''s like a brother to me. Marrying him would be incest.


    Yuck!"


    "Right. If yourment was meant for Sab and me, then, that''s the answer," Cayenne added before taking out her baked dish. "Let''s get back to the food."


    [Your gossip isn''t juicy at all.]


    [Trying to create a wedge between Cayenne and Sabrina was a wrong move.]


    [Bringing up that past wouldn''t affect Cayenne at all. Or did you really think she''d be so petty about it and get mad at Stefan?]


    [I just noticed something. Reporters these days, they''re unable to get anything from Cayenne. I understand that she''s getting used for Steve going MIA, but based on what she has been doing these days, I would choose to believe that she''s innocent.]


    [If it was someone else, they''d be hiding in fear that they''d be drowning in people''s bashing and insults.]


    [I believe in Cayenne.]


    [LuvMarie (v) sent you Carousel x 5]


    [HissASnake sent you Bouquet x 10]


    [Goddess_YNA (v) sent you Audi x 1]


    [The bigshots already expressed their support. They''d be blind if they support a criminal. So, I''m putting all my eggs to Cayenne.]


    [Who wants your eggs?! I''m always with Cayenne.]


    Seeing the turn of events, the man picked up his phone and called someone. "Your n isn''t working. We''re only increasing her poprity."


    The other side of the line was silent for a moment before soft chuckles could be heard. "I''ve got hundreds of ways to use against them. I''m only trying each to see which one would drag them down."


    "Are you an idiot? Why take such roundabout ways to deal with them?"


    "Because it''s fun!"


    "I don''t care about it being fun or not! I want them down! I want them ruined!"


    "Do it yourself, then."


    The man angrily turned off his phone and loosened his tie. It''s been several months since he had a fall out with Stefan and Cayenne. He still remembered the humiliation he felt and he would never rest easy if he could still see them living happily.


    Then he caught sight of the Chiffon product that Cayenne was introducing on her live stream. A smile formed on his lips while he began typing on hisputer.


    ***


    Now that she was all alone in her room, Athalie took out the paper bag she received at the pastry shop. Inside the bag, aside from two small boxes of cookies and a slice of cake, there was another box that contains a phone.


    It was something she asked the waitress in exchange for cash.


    Of course, she knew that the phone wouldn''t be thetest model knowing that she only spoke to a waitress. Still, it was better than nothing.


    She slowly flipped the huge portrait of herself and marked the blueprint with several X''s. They were markings of camera positions within the Darian''s property.


    Then she took a picture of it, saved it in her online drive and contacted one of her trusted friends in the modeling circle.


    An hourter, her friend sent her an email address to reach out.


    "Athalie''s reaching out to me," Shein told Travis and Travis contacted Stefan immediately. "She''s asking me to take down a huge mansion and to end Mhalik''s life."


    "Share the details with Tristan. I''ll decide on it," Stefan answered over the phone with the loud speaker on. "Introduce her to Tristan and delete your records."


    "You don''t have to remind me that," Shein answered with a pout. Reminding him with the basics was like someone reminding a three years old to hold his spoon and fork properly. "I sent over the details. You discuss it with your team."


    Athalie''s request sounded in and simple - destroy the huge mansion and take Mhalik''s life. She''s willing to pay $3M if this request ispleted.


    Initially, she nned to post this request on the dark web but she was worried that Mhalik has also essed to the site and sees her post. She could only contact some people privately.


    "She even sent us a blueprint of the Darian''s property," Tristan said while taking a look at the photo that Athalie sent. "She''s bold."


    "She was deeply hurt. She thought she had gained her freedom when her family ignored her modeling career. Then, all of a sudden, her boyfriend was abducted when they thought of making things official between them. If this happens to me, I would''ve destroyed them already. The difference between me and her was that, she has no other resources and no power."


    "Then, shall we ept the offer? $3M isn''t bad."


    "We''ll implicate Cleopatra," Stefan said and sighed. "Tell her to give you a month since we need to make some preparation."


    "Gotcha!"


    Athalie was pacing back and forth inside her room while waiting for the hacker''s response. She knew that she should have reached out to mercenaries but she was adamant and thought they might be like Mhalik - got brawns over brains. What she needed was someone with a brilliant mind who wouldn''t mess things up and implicate her. So, hacker was the answer.


    Ding.


    Her phone''s notification sounded and she instantly opened the message.


    "A month? That''s kinda long!" sheined but still typed in her response without getting her emotions exposed. "Two weeks. I can only wait for two weeks."


    "Two weeks then."


    Athalie frowned at the quick response this time but since the other party agreed, she no longer minded it.


    On the other hand, Cleopatra received another message from Stefan and she almost choked to death.


    "Is it so easy to resign after all the things that I sacrificed for thispany?! Why don''t you resign then?!"


    She smashed her keyboard with her fist and red fiercely at the message. She really wanted to retaliate. But between her and Stefan, she was at a disadvantage. She didn''t have a wide range of resourcespared to him.


    [I''m offering you the amusement park in J country. You can start anew with him.]


    Cleo had never been so troubled in her life until this issue with Cayenne came. Of all the people that her brother could get involved with, she couldn''t understand why it had to be the Dumrique wolf.


    She wasn''t afraid of going against him but she didn''t see the benefits of doing so. At the same time, going with the flow wouldn''t change anything.


    [Think about it. You can either choose to leave D country and start anew with my offer, or you can stay and take the brunt of my next move.]


    Cleo pressed her temples and massaged it as hard as she could. She knew that there wille a day when she needed to jumped off the boat she was boarding. She just didn''t expect it woulde sooner.


    Sighing to her fate, she typed her one-word response. "Agree." She no longer cared. No one cared for her in the first ce, except for that one person.


    "D country will change," she said and sighed while looking daze.

 Chapter 933: THEYRE RUINED

    Two weekster, the business world was shaken with the news of Darrian''s family''s fall. It was announced that the business family was discovered to be part of a dark organization that deals with illegal trading of firearms, drugs, and human trafficking. On top of that, Mhalik was under investigation for murder and rape. He was reported to be on the run; hiding from the pursuit of thew.


    Amidst the chaos, when the authorities were supposed to seize Darrian''s family mansion for investigation,it blew up. Debris fell with fire still eating the materials away. The once majestic property has be rubbles and ashes.


    The police officers who came to investigate the house were all stunned. They all felt that everything was nned. They felt that they were being led by some unseen forces to discover all the records that they had against the Darian family. After all, for a family who dabbles in illegal trades, they wouldn''t leave traces that would implicate them.


    Though, they also all agreed that no secrets can be kept hidden


    Augustine Darrian, who nned to leave the country using his private jet, was captured before he could escape. One of his men already sold him out. With heavy steps, he could only allow himself to get handcuffed.


    As someone who wanted to seek marriage cooperation with the Darrian family, D country''s monarch received a huge bacsh from its citizens. People were rallying to abolish the monarchy system. Riots here and there happened, and many people were raising arms to go against the monarchy.


    Everywhere was chaos.


    And amidst of it all, the second prince and the youngest princess vanished.


    "Brother, I''m sorry for getting you involved," Athalie apologized with tears falling on her face. "I''m really sorry. I don''t really want us to be separated."


    "You don''t have to apologize to me. I should be the one apologizing to you. I fail you as a brother. I was unable to protect you. I''m a coward. In fact, you just became a means to me to leave this ce.


    You''re braver than I am Athalie. Don''t be sorry."


    Athalie wiped her tears as she looked at her brother and the woman next to him. "Promise me, you''ll take care of each other. If we ever meet again by ident out there, please don''t ignore me."


    "Hn." He gave her onest hug before pushing her away. "Now, go! Don''t ever look back and just go."


    Athalie jumped out of the car and boarded the chopper that her brother arranged for her. She could never go back. She had caused so much damage already. She could only keep her resolve and move forward.


    With the chopper slowly rising in the air, Athalie looked down and watched the car getting smaller in her eyes until there was nothing.


    On the other hand, at the police station, Augustine asked for the whereabouts of his children. He wanted to know if they were captured or not. At least, if they had escaped, there was still hope for them to take revenge on whoever got them into this mess.


    "Your son had escaped. We''re still looking for him. Your daughter hadmitted suicide," said the police officer with a poker face.


    As soon as he heard thest statement, Augustine startedughing like a madman. "Suicide. Really." The officer couldn''t tell what was funny from his statement.


    "Is your daughter''s death aughing matter? How could a father like you act like she''s not your flesh and blood? You''ve caused her death!"


    However, Augustine didn''t say anything. He kept whispering gibberish words that the officer couldn''t decipher at all. He even started thinking that Augustine had gone insane from his family''s downfall.


    Only Augustine knew how he danced in the palm of his daughter. He knew her very well. She wouldn''t give up without fighting. She had been working for the family trade all her life. She knew the ins and outs. There was no way she would just let someone destroy her hard work, unless she destroyed it herself.


    ***


    "I havepleted your n," Cleo messaged Stefan before boarding the ne that thetter had arranged for her to take. "From this day forward, I''m not Cleopatra "Cleo" Isabe Darrian. I''m Lendi Gomera. It''s nice working with you."


    "Likewise," Stefan replied before tossing his phone on the couch. He finally solved thisplicated spider-web like issue involving his wife. "Let''s give our statement tomorrow. Although the issue isn''t as hot as before, it is still necessary to clear your name."


    "Steve has woken up?" Cayenne asked while feeding the triplets.


    "Hm. He woke up three days ago. ording to Brown, there''s nothing to worry about now. The man is willing to make a statement but he''s asking us not to implicate his girlfriend. Based on the most recent update, she should be on her way to him now."


    Cayenne turned to her husband and kissed his cheek. "You''ve worked hard."


    "It''s not even as difficult as starting apany. There''s nothing that I can''t do for you," Stefan said and this time, he pinched her chin and kissed her hard. He only let go of her when he noticed that intense gaze directing at him.


    Aziel was looking at his parents as if wondering what they were doing. As for Zeki, he already turned his attention somewhere else. Jahzara''s eyes were onto the food that Cayenne was holding.


    "I''ll get my rewardter tonight," Stefan said while taking the other bowl of food for Zeki.


    "I didn''t know I should be getting you a reward," Cayenne retorted as if she had no idea what he was talking about.


    ***


    Aziel, staring at his parents started saying some gibberish words. "Why are they always doing that?"


    Zeki, who had turned to the side and was watching his sister trying to reach the food replied with "I didn''t see anything."


    Hearing their conversation, Jahzara looked at her brothers. "What are you guys talking about?"


    "Nothing," answered both siblings. Explore more stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin

 Chapter 934: CLEAR HER NAME

    Just as she alighted off the chopper to board the waiting car that would take her to the hospital where Steve stayed, Athalie received a message from Tristan. For security reason, she only got to see the photo for ten seconds before it got deleted.


    Tristan erased all traces of the picture and sent "missionpleted".


    It was only for a brief moment but Athalie saw Mhalik''s decapitated head on a silver ter. His eyes were staring back at here as if looking directly into the person who caused his death, but Athalie didn''t feel anything.


    Compared to what her boyfriend went through, Mhalik had it easy - she didn''t request for him to get tortured.


    She wasn''t a saint and she wasn''t raised to be one. From a very young age, she saw death by torture hidden behind closed doors. Even so, she never regarded it easy to take one''s life. However, the thought of losing the person who loved her more than anything in this world has awaken the cruelty in her.


    An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.


    That was the only thing she had in mind the moment she figured out Steve''s disappearance.


    "Thank you," Athalie replied and a few secondster, their conversation was deleted along with its history.


    ***


    The next morning, Cayenne posted on her ount that she would be giving her statement regarding the issue involving Steve Scwargarian at 10:00 AM in Turtle Paradise Resort. All media were invited to show up if they have some time avable on their schedule. Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    Of course, even if they weren''t avable, reporters would drop whatever they had nned for this dropped bomb.


    Cayenne''s post was forwarded thousands of times in just a few minutes by her fans and anti-fans. Comments flooded her ount - support and hatred were expressed with great fervor.


    Around nine in the morning, reporters slowly filled the seats in the huge conference hall. It was estimated to hold a capacity of one hundred guests and now, the staff could see that it was half full already. Some of her fans nearby came to show support as well.


    On the other hand, Cayenne was getting ready with her team in the presidential suite. She was wearing a simple ck silk shorts with a white silk tank top draped with a ck suit. She didn''t want to appear too formal in front of everyone this time since she would just be rifying some issue with her husband.


    Stefan was done with his preparation long ago and was just waiting for his wife while ying with the kids.


    "I''m almost done," she said while she sprayed a little bit of her favorite perfume. "We''ll just call them for lunchter once we''re than with the interview."


    "Got it. I have already scheduled the hotel van to pick up everyone before lunch," Stefan answered as he lifted Zeki up and carried him over to watch the view outside the skyrise building.


    Ten minutes before the stipted time, Cayenne and Stefan finally arrived at the venue. Cameras started shing as she made her way to her seat with Stefan following right behind her.


    Along with them was Gracielle - head of PR department, Tristan - Stefan''s secretary, Jackson - Cayenne''s secretary and Atty. Lewis - Stefan''swyer.


    "Wow! Mrs. Dumrique is even more beautiful in person," whispered one of the teenage girls who were sitting in the crowd.


    "And look at Stefan. Look at the way he looks at her," responded another fan, and since she had pointed this out, those who heard her also noticed the intense gaze that Stefan directed at his wife.


    She was all he could see in this conference room.


    In fact, from the moment they came in, his eyes had always been on her.


    At this moment, everyone''s thought echoed in silence.


    [We came for hot news! Not to get diabetes!]


    Stefan had no idea about all these though. He was a natural sugar with no preservatives added.


    "Good morning,dies and gentlemen. We''re all here to listen and discover the truth of the issue involving Mrs. Cayenne Ardolf - Dumrique and the internationally-knowned Hollywood actor Steve Schwargarian. Let''s start with some facts," Gracielle began without further ado.


    She can''t waste a single minute of the couple''s time since they had other ns for today.


    "Let''s go back to the time of Cayenne''s live stream. Steve Schwargarian had sent her expensive gifts and it caused a lot of people to misunderstand. First of all, Cayenne didn''t know the actor. She had only watched some of his movies and that''s it. All she knew of was the man on the screen of their movie room."


    "Then, are you saying that Steve likes Cayenne which prompted him to give those gifts?" asked one of the reporters before Gracielle could continue.


    Everyone wanted to ask this question as well.


    "Nope. Steve didn''t know Cayenne either. It was Steve''s girlfriend who liked Cayenne for a long time. She used his ount to view the live stream, and while enjoying the show, she sent her gifts before realizing that it wasn''t her ount."


    "That is right," Cayenne added. "I have never interacted with him in the past or with his girlfriend. It was only due to this matter that we got to know each other."


    "Here''s the exact statement from Steve''s management," Gracielle said and Tristan immediately connected hisptop to the projector and showed everyone the conversation that Gracielle had with Steve''s manager.


    "So, you''re basically saying that, with this statement, you are not responsible for Steve''s disappearance?" questioned another reporter which made the others nod in agreement to his inquiry.


    Hearing his words, Cayenne''s fans were agitated. They felt like tearing the old woman''s face for saying such a thing. However, they knew that this question will be asked sooner orter, and this moment was important for Cayenne to clear her reputation.


    Cayenne picked up her microphone and without showing a change in expression, she held on to it firmly and answered, "Yes, I''m guilt-free. And we''re just getting there."

 Chapter 935: CAYENNE WONT CHEAT

    As soon as she finished her statement, Steve''s face appeared on the huge TV screen hooked to Tristan''sptop. The man was wearing a hospital gown, and they were able to see the monitors connected to him, yet they could see happiness on his face.


    "Uh...so, he wasn''t abducted but got hospitalized?" muttered one of the reporters who also thought that Steve was silenced by Stefan forever.


    "Is his injury or illness so grave that his management didn''t release any news of this before?" expressed another reporter who came to judge Cayenne and Stefan for their crime.


    "Personally, I think there''s more to this than what they''re showing us..."


    As their buzzing whispers grew louder, Steve started talking on the screen. "Hello. This is Steve Schwargarian. I''m sorry for causing trouble to everyone, and I''m deeply sorry toward Mr. Stefan Dumrique and to his beloved wife, Cayenne Dumrique. I didn''t know that my untimely hospitalization caused them to get involved in a nasty rumor."


    Of course, part of this was false, but only a few people knew the truth and they didn''t have any intention of telling the truth.


    "It''s true that my girlfriend is a fan of Mrs. Dumrique. Before she started vlogging, my girlfriend had been following Mrs. Dumrique''s brother, Luiz. My girlfriend is a model, and she has eyes for those people who would, one day for sure, make it big in the same industry as her. It''s not that I''m entirely ignorant of Mrs.


    Dumrique''s fame, but I don''t pay attention to other women."


    "Excuse me," said one of the reporters with her raised hand, "is this a recorded statement or are we on live? Can we ask questions to Mr. Schwargarian?"


    "Yes, you may. This is a live conference with him," Gracielle answered and the moment she said that all the reporters around started raising their hands. They all have questions that need immediate answers.


    Reporter 1: "Is it true that your girlfriend is the international model Assia Kloss?"


    "Yes," answered Steve without any extra word of exnation.


    Reporter 2: "There are some spections out there that your girlfriend is the missing princess of King George ntag of D Country. Though she''s well-known, there isn''t much information on the inte about her life except for her work. Are you keeping it a secret that she''s the princess?"


    "We''ve been together for as long as I can remember, and I have never heard of her being some country''s princess," he said knowing that Athalie''s life would be in danger should he confirm it in public, and he''s not worried about her family divulging the truth because they care about their reputation than what Athalie likes.


    They would never admit that their country''s princess was working as a model to entertain people of different races and caliber.


    Reporter 3: "May we know what causes your sudden hospitalization?" Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    Finally, someone asked this question.


    Steve had prepared himself for this question as well. "Everyone knows that I''m into skiing. A few weeks ago, after announcing our rtionship to the world, we went to Japan for skiing. I had an ident and had to undergo surgery. I didn''t want my management to tell the world about it, making reporterse over and disturb my post-operation rest.


    I had no idea that I dragged someone else into my mess."


    Reporter 4: "Then what about the mobilization of thew enforcement? The rumor blew up and many people thought you were killed. Why didn''t you tell your family?"


    "I don''t have a hold on people''s imagination," Steve answered which implies that it was not his fault that people were imagining things just from a simple gift giving on a live stream. "Also, I told my parents to never believe any rumors online unless my management contacted them about it.


    However, they had no idea that I went to Japan so, there was no way they could tell any relevant information to the police. Again, I am really sorry for causing such a hugemotion."


    Reporter 5: "Then, I have a question to Mr. And Mrs. Dumrique. Why did you wait until today to make this conference?"


    Hearing this question, Cayenne almost rolled her eyes at them. "We reached out to Mr. Schwargarian''s management to find out what was going on and that they told us about his situation. We didn''t want to make things worse, so we yed it be ear."


    "I knew it! There''s no way Cayenne would cheat on Stefan," eximed one of her fans that made people look toward her. Her voice was so loud that it reached the ears of everyone inside the hall. It was even captured by one of the microphones near her, allowing Steve to hear her outburst.


    Steveughed out loud from her outburst. Cayenne followed suit with Stefan giving the littledy a thumbs up.


    The fan covered her face with her hands in embarrassment while her friends teased her on the side. She didn''t mean for her voice to be loud, but it just so happened that the hall went silent when she spoke, amplifying her words.


    With Steve''s statement, he made it appear that Cayenne had a big heart to endure the usations thrown at her. He diverted everyone''s attention to him, admitting to his ws andpses.


    To top it all, he even donated twoof his watches to Cayenne''s charity, and these watches were worth more than a hundred dors. It shocked everyone around and they all looked at Cayenne with envy. She may not necessarily benefit from the money it would convert into, but being recognized by the actor would bring her more connections in the future.


    "Now that we have rified everything else, I hope you will make it clear to the people who follow your daily news," Gracielle stated while giving everyone a fierce re. "If we find that anyone is falsifying their reports, I''ll have you know that ourwyer is very diligent with his work."


    The conferencested for an hour with reporters asking Cayenne about her future work and the things that she''s busy with. Of course, the reporters who wronged her gave their apologies as well. After all, they didn''t want Stefan to hound them.


    One after another, people left the venue and knowing that she had fans who came to support her, Cayenne didn''t forget to ask the staff to give them some drinks and desserts. It was the least she could do to thank them.

 Chapter 936: THE CRYBABY

    "Aren''t you going to tell her the cause of all this mess? Yes, it was Steve''s girlfriend that initially made the mistake, but it wasn''t them who blew things up. They were victims on this grand scheme, too," Tristan told Stefan on their way to the party venue.


    Stefan paused on his step while keeping his eyes on his wife not far from him. "I''ll tell her before we leave the country. In the meantime, I want her to enjoy this party with her staff."


    Tristan just nodded and followed everyone to the party venue.


    Finally, Steve''s issue that implicated Cayenne has been resolved and many people came over to visit her social media profiles and left an apology statement. Not only that, she gained more than 3 million followers. She was even betterpared to the B-list actors in the country.


    Her friends, staff and everyone who cared for her could now breath in relief.


    It was already past twelve when they finished the conference and there were a lot of people at the venue already. Due to the nned one-month long vacation which wouldmence on the 25th of November, Cayenne decided to throw this early party for her staff and household helpers.


    "I''m envious of you," Cree told Addie over a drink. "I want to travel the world with them as well."


    "Didn''t you say that you are excited to visit your grandparents during this one month of free time?" Callum retorted and he got an elbow jab from the boyish woman next to him.


    Cree ignored him and turned to Addie again. "You will being with Zaire, right?" she questioned with a teasing grin on her face. "You can also take this as personal vacation, you know. I mean, for sure, Miss Yen will not be working all the time. So, you know...you can also go on dates."


    "Huh? What are you saying? Stop teasing us. I''m a divorcee,"


    "So?"


    Addie stole a nce at Zaire who was taking pictures of the triplets not far from them. She could see the happiness in his eyes whenever he captured photos of the kids.


    As if sensing someone looking at him, Zaire turned to her direction.


    But Addie diverted her attention somewhere else. Her ears were tinged with crimson shade.


    Seeing their actions, Cree and Callum could only shake their heads.


    At this time, Cayenne went to the podium with her husband and received the mic from her brother. The master of ceremony this time were Kath and Kyle.


    "Ahem," Cayenne coughed lightly to get everyone''s attention. She smiled sheepishly at them and spoke. "We went through a lot of trouble this year, and I know it''s not even the end of the year yet, but I just want to thank you all for the never-ending support you have provided all this time. Stefan and I won''t be here for Christmas, so I decided to throw this little gathering for us all."


    "I can''t see the small gathering you described, Miss Yen," shouted Rey, one of the bodyguards. This broughtughter to everyone.


    Cayenneughed along them and continued, "Anyway, I just want to take this opportunity to thank you guys. Of course, expect to get your bonuses early this year."


    "Yohooo!!"


    "We''re all waiting for this!"


    "You''re the best, boss!"


    "Boss, bring me with you next time! I''m tired of seeing Callum''s face!"


    "As if I''m happy seeing your face!"


    Callum and Cree started their banter again which everyone was used to already.


    Cayenne finished her speech and Stefan gave only a perfunctory remark of "Let''s all enjoy the party".


    Compared to the usual banquet that Stefan would attend, this party that Cayenne held wasn''t that grand. In fact, she decided for the casual them because she wanted everyone toe. She didn''t want them to feel troubled about getting elegant dresses and suits, or having their hair and make-up done which would cost them a lot.


    This time around, the bodyguards were able to rx a little bit. Since they were part of the party guests, Stefan and Cayenne had asked Travis to lend them some of his men for the time being. Just today, she wanted her people to enjoy life without anything to worry about.


    Aside from the delicious food that they got to order, along with the expensive wine that they rarely get the chance to drink, Kyle and Kath also prepared games for everyone.


    If it was a grand banquet for the elites, Kath and Kyle would never think of these.


    But of course, ordinary people enjoy games with prizes, especially with two big bosses who weren''t stingy at all.


    "I know that you all wanted to enjoy your food and drinks," Kyle said while taking a nce at the crowd beforending his gaze to the triplets who were enjoying the attention that their parents gave to them.


    "...but at the same time, let''s have fun and win exciting prizes," Kath added to his statement. "The first game is to guess, who among you are being described. Of course, I knew that you don''t know some of the people around you,"


    "...and today is the day that you would know a little bit about them. If you think you''re the person being described, you shall not answer it yourself. You can only answer it if it was someone else."


    "The first person to answer will get a prize," Kath added to finish the short mechanics of the games.


    "Don''t make it difficult for us, please." Ca, the household chef,mented.


    "Sir Kyle, do you really want us to get the prizes? How did youe up with this difficult game?" said another staff but Kyle promised them it won''t be difficult. As long as they know some of their colleagues, they''re bound to get at least a single prize.


    "First description: A male who works for Cayenne. He''s diligent and very punctual. He makes sure that Cayenne''s schedule..."


    "I know him! That''s Jackson," answered one of the staff from the foundation team.


    "How did you know it''s him?" Kath asked with a suspicious smile, hinting something at the prettydy who answered before Kyle could finish the description.


    "Well, he''s the only one who manages Miss Yen''s schedule, is he not?"


    "You are right," Kyle acknowledged and gave her a red envelope. "So, everyone, let me introduce to you. Just in case you don''t know him yet, Jackson Mondejar is my sister''s secretary. Next."


    "The next one is...oh, I think all of us knows him," Kath said which gave a lot of hope to the crowd. "He doesn''t like apples and is very grumpy early in the morning. He can sleep even when there''s a sting music at home."


    "I know! I know!" Nanny Jo raised her hands happily. "I know them very well. It''s young master Aziel." Your next journey awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    Kyle approached nanny Jo to hand her the red packet and while he''s at it, he asked, "Nanny Jo, since you imed that you know them very well, I''ll ask you a few more questions."


    "O-okay."


    Kyle: "Who''s the crybaby?"


    Nanny Jo: "Little Princess Jahzara"


    Kyle: "Who''s the mood killer?"


    Nanny Jo: "Little Zeki"


    Kyle: "Who''s the animal lover?"


    Nanny Jo: "Our little princess"


    "Wow! You are incredible, nanny Jo," Kylemented and was about to get back in front, but nanny Jo held the helm of his sleeve.


    "Sir Kyle, won''t I get bonus prize for the questions?"


    Everyoneughed at Kyle upon seeing his troubled expression. "I didn''t see thating," Kylemented but still gave nanny Jo an extra red packet. Then he turned to look at the little princess in Stefan''s arms and sighed. "Baby, your nanny just exposed you of being the crybaby."


    Everyoneughed again while the little girl scanned the room and started spouting gibberish words towards her father.


    "Nanny Jo, our little princess says she''ll get back at you once she learns to speak," Stefan added which earned another bout ofughter from everyone.

 Chapter 937: THE INEVITABLE

    Cayenne''s foundation staff, vlogging team, household helpers and security team had so much fun with all the games and prizes they won.


    The partysted until after six in the evening.


    One after another, her staff bid farewell to Cayenne and her family before leaving the hotel with wide smiles on their faces.


    Jackson also wanted to say his goodbye, but Niki Sloan, Cayenne''s bodyguard, was already standing behind her and Jackson frowned at the sight of him.


    He couldn''t exin. Ever since Niki joined Cayenne''s security team, his radar has been going off loudly in his body system. He could tell he was dangerous, someone very, very dangerouspared to his sworn sister. He always felt that the man was scrutinizing his every move whenever they get to meet at work or somewhere else.


    Aside from that, he felt that this man was interested with his sworn sister as well, or rather, with Belle.


    Belle was Eli''s girlfriend but she has been pretending to be Luiz''s partner for work purposes. However, whenever Belle was around, Niki would always glue his eyes on her.


    Taking a step, Jackson talked to Cayenne. "Miss Yen, I''ll be leaving now. I have emailed your schedule for the next 2 weeks already. Let me know if there are some changed that needs to be done so I could cooperate with some of our partners if needed."


    "Thank you, Jackson. I''ll be sure to inform you."


    "By the way, about the event for Pearl''s Art and Gallery event, I received their invitation today, but you already have a schedule on the same day. Shall I ask sir Luiz and Belle to attend the event in your behalf?" Jackson said and nced at Niki. Just as he expected, there was a fleeting change on the man''s face before it went back to his usual cold expression.


    "That''s fine, too. I''ll talk to Luiz and Belle about it."


    "Okay. I''ll leave it to you," Jackson said and bowed his head before leaving. [I need to talk to Belle about him.]


    ***


    When they arrived home, Stefan pulled her to take a shower with him.


    But knowing she was tired from today''s event; he didn''t do anything more than French kissing her. After a quick shower, they changed their clothes and went to the triplets. The nannies just finished bathing the kids and they were now ying on the bed ¨C well, only Aziel and Jahzara were ying while Zeki listened to the nanny''s random fairy tale story.


    "Hello, little kiddos," Cayenne said and gestured for the nannies to leave. "You can rest early. Stefan and I will take it from here."


    "Thank you, Miss Yen."


    "Thank you, sir."


    The nannies left one after another and Cayenne picked up the little princess first. "You''re unusually behaved today," shemented while tickling her neck. "Did you understand that we were talking about how much you whine for attention?"


    Jahzara spoke gibberish words again which told Cayenne that her daughter was probably expressing his grievances.


    While she was talking to them, Stefan set up the mini yer in the room and yed a ssical music. Aziel instantly turned his attention to the mini yer and his eyes instantly sparkled.


    Stefan picked up the two boys and ced each of them to their cribs as he started narrating a story. Aziel iled his little arms for his Daddy to pick him up again while Zeki just listened to his father''s words.


    Among the three of them, it was always Zeki who would pay attention when someone speaks.


    Half an hourter, the triplets have depleted their energy and fell asleep.


    Stefan waited for 5 minutes more before turning off the music and adjusted the room temperature. Seeing his wife''s blissful expression while looking at the kids, he went to her and kissed her temple. "Shall we sleep here tonight?"


    "Okay," Cayenne answered without any hesitation.


    ***


    The next day, Cayenne woke up early and found Zeki wide awake and was standing with the support of his crib while looking at them. She wondered how long had he been observing them.


    "Are you excited to see your big brothers again?" Cayenne whispered to avoid waking her husband and the other kids. "Do you want to watch the sunrise?"


    Zeki reached out his hands and Cayenne picked him up and gave him little kisses on his face.


    The masters'' bedroom was facing east and the balcony of their room gives the most beautiful view of the garden when the sun greets them, so Cayenne brought her son to the masters'' room.


    Zeki hugged his mother andid his head on her chest, feeling her warmth and listening to her heartbeats.


    Seeing them from the garden, the gardener greeted them while watering the nts. "Good morning, Miss Yen! Good morning, young master!"


    "Good morning," Cayenne greeted back with a faint smile.


    Zeki remained emotionless.


    Slowly, the sun rose and Zeki looked at it in wonder. The way his eyes sparkle while watching the big ball of light made Cayenne smile. She started introducing the Sun to her son based on the information she got from science.


    Not long after, Cayenne heard the sound of crying from the speaker inside the masters'' room which was connected to the children''s room. She could tell it was her daughter.


    "Let''s get back inside," she said and Zeki just leaned his head on her mother''s chest in approval.


    At 9:00 AM, Eli arrived with two kids trailing behind him.


    One was holding a white board with a maic marker while the other was carrying a backpack which was rather big for his size.


    "Good morning, Eli. Where''s Belle?" Cayenne asked when she noticed that it was really just the three of them who came.


    "She had something else to do. Is it okay if I leave them here? I''ll pick them up in the afternoon."


    "Sure. I''d be happy to have them y with my kids," Cayenne answered while bending a little to level her height with the kids. "Hello. It''s nice to meet you. My name is Cayenne. You can call me auntie Yen."


    "Hi, auntie. I''m Neon," Neon said while pulling Andrei close to him. "This is my best friend, Andrei."


    Just as she was about to introduce the triplets to the two boys, Niki came and nced at Neon before turning to Cayenne. "Madam, it''s my day off today. I''ll visit my friend."


    "Speaking of," Cayenne turned to him and looked at Eli, "you must have met before, or have you not?"

 Chapter 938: LEAVE THE CITY

    November 25, 20XX 6:30PM


    "Sis, I only have one request from you," Luiz expressed while holding Cayenne''s shoulders while looking into her eyes. "I don''t care about souvenirs or whatnot, but please make sure to call us once in a while so I can see my nephews and niece."


    "Oh."


    "What ''oh''?" Luiz retorted with a frown. "You''ve got to acknowledge me."


    "Fine. Fine. I was just teasing you." Cayenne rolled her eyes at her brother and even knocked his forehead. "Sigh. It is really heartbreaking that my brothers only care for my children now."


    With his attention on the kids, Luiz didn''t hear what Cayenne was saying. Hepletely ignored her after getting her acknowledgement.


    Cayenne could only smile helplessly. Enjoy new stories from m-v l''e|-NovelBin


    "So, who areing with you guys this time?" Stanley asked his nephew as they go over the marketing proposal that he was working on.


    He was now working at one of Stefan''s hotel as a manager and he was making proposals on how to get more customers. If his proposal gets approved, the higher wouldn''t say anything and would directly implement it.


    After all, Stefan had the best knowledge when ites to managing his business.


    "Zaire, Addie and Jackson would being with us since Cayenne nned to do a travel vlog or two. Nanny Jo is with us. Niki and Rey woulde along as well. Dominic and Kyle will follow on December 15 but they''ll only stay for a week with us."


    Stanley frowned at his response and said, "You are only bringing two bodyguards this time?"


    "I have a security team in Tuscany. We''ll drop by there for a week before leaving for Greece, and then we''ll get to Germany for the rest of the vacation."


    Stanley was about toin regarding the expenses when he realized he was talking to Stefan. He immediately shut his mouth and continued to discuss the proposal instead.


    "Sir, we have ced all of the luggage inside the van already. Do you have further instructions?" Rey questioned while scanning the living room to make sure he didn''t miss anything.


    "If everything''s all good. We can leave in 30 minutes," Stefan answered without lifting his head. "Tell your madam to do onest check to make sure she isn''t forgetting anything."


    "Got it."


    While the time of their departure kept approaching, Latticia pouted as she carried Zeki in her arms. For some reason, although she didn''t want to y favorites, Zeki just felt so close to her heart.


    She felt so sad knowing that they''d be away for a month.


    "I''ll miss you little bundle of joy," Latticia muttered and gave the child little kisses.


    Then, Reuben borrowed him.


    Jahzara and Aziel didn''t escape getting passed around as well. Their family wanted to hug them for onest time.


    "Can I cancel my work for a month?" Luiz told David which got him a knock on his head. "For the first time, I regret having this work. I want to travel with my niece and nephews, too. Why does it have to be Kyle and Dominic, but not me?!"


    "Shut up! You chose this path. Not them," David responded with the harsh truth.


    "I really can''t cancel the rest of my schedules?" Luiz repeated but David ignored him helplessly this time.


    [Who told you to get famous so quickly?] David thought while shaking his head.


    At 6:50 PM, Stefan handed the documents to his uncle and gave a few instructions for Tristan to take on with regards to thepany''s management.


    He can''t afford to take Tristan with him this time especially with the big enterprise that he would leave behind.


    He needed someone he can fully trust to stay and do some important tasks for him.


    When the clock struck 7:00, Stefan stood up and went to Cayenne. "Let''s go."


    Cayenne just nodded her head and walked beside him. They finally bid farewell to the rest of their family members who decided to stay behind, while the others decided to send them off at the airport.


    ***


    At the airport


    8:15 PM


    Jillyanna was walking elegantly with Jade on her left and Travis on her right who was carrying Aziel in his arms.


    Their son was already big enough to walk but in crowded and public ces, Travis still prefer to carry him.


    "It''s your fault that we''ve arrivedte," Jillyanna muttered while throwing deathly res towards her husband.


    "Sorry, love. I just couldn''t stop myself when I saw you dressed so sexy," Travis whispered back and even blew into her ear which made her blush again.


    She really couldn''t fathom how Travis found her sexy when she was all bundle up on a Trench coat.


    Of course, Travis will find her sexy in anything that she''d wear.


    "Yen!" Jillyanna called out when she finally saw her in the crowd.


    "Jill!" Cayenne called out as she stood up and approached her. "I thought you wouldn''t make it."


    "I was worried as well. It was Travis'' fault!"


    Travis could only look at Cayenne apologetically.


    "No big deal. We''re notte yet," Cayenne added so that Jillyanna would stop ming her husband.


    With these big shots standing altogether in the crowded airport, many people took pictures of them and posted it on their social media profiles.


    However, no one dared to approach them.


    Although they didn''t bring a lot of bodyguards this time, the people they brought were so intimidating that people felt like they were facing a hundred elite soldiers.


    "Let''s get to the VIP lounge. It''s too crowded here," Stefan mentioned and everyone followed him. "By the way, why is your little princess so silent this time?" he whispered to Travis when he noticed that Jade seemed distraught while following Jill.


    "You wouldn''t want to know. I''m getting a headache just thinking about it," Travis answered which got him a raised eyebrow from Stefan. "It was Ethan."


    Without him needing to narrate the rest of the story, Stefan guessed what transpired already.


    [I hope my little princess wouldn''t give me the same kind of trouble.] He thought while looking at his daughter whom Addie carried in her arms.


    He had no idea that his little princess would bring him different kinds of troubles that he couldn''t even imagine she would do them.


    That''s a story forter.

 Chapter 939: REUNION

    After several hours of travel, their travel group finally arrived in Tuscany.


    Cayenne was tired from the long flight and she felt like her hips would gave way from sitting for too long. When she stepped out of the van, she almost tripped if not for her husband''s timely assistance.


    "Are you okay?" Stefan asked with his arm wrapped around her waist to keep her close to him.


    "I''m a little bit - "


    "Yenyen!"


    Cayenne''s words were cut off and her face instantly lit up when she saw the women standing at the door to Stefan''s mansion.


    The exhaustion she felt earlier instantly vanished and she ran to them for a hug.


    "I miss you so much!" Luna muttered happily.


    "Likewise," Cayenne responded during their warm hug. "It''s nice to see you, too M."


    "It''s been a while, Yen."


    The threedies chatted and not long after, the Madrigal family arrived as well. Jillyanna joined in their conversation as they get inside the huge property.


    "I thought you''d sell this property. I was thinking of buying this from you," Travis expressed as they followed thedies to the living room.


    "I would have done it if Ayen and I have no fond memories here," Stefan answered while gesturing Niki to take out the strollers for the kids.


    Of course, since M and Luna were there, Thomas and Ali would never be absent.


    He came out from the kitchen with an apron tied on his waist and a spat in his left hand. "Yo! What''s up?"


    Cayenne just waved at him while the two other men approached him and gave him a fist bump.


    Taking a nce at the people around, Cayenne felt teary-eyed. She was just so happy to spend time around them. She had no idea that they''d be reuniting during this vacation.


    Luna had been very busy after she took over her family''s business upon her grandmother''s request. Being the only child, she had no option but to obey. Ali worked with her as well.


    Thest time she saw both of them was during her children''s 100th day celebration.


    It was more or less the same with M and Thomas. M decided to take on few orders to make time for her son while Thomas continued to work as a photographer.


    With their timelines not aligning, they rarely got the chance to get in touch with each other.


    Now, all of them were together.


    While they chatted, the butler led the helpers to bring the luggage upstairs to their assigned room. Then, he toured them around the property so they could familiarize themselves with the other team.


    After all, they would be staying there for a week, and would spend the rest of the month traveling with the whole group.


    "Where''s Kaeden?" Cayenne asked when she noticed that M''s son wasn''t around.


    "It is his nap time, so he''s upstairs with the nanny," M answered with her eyes on the children. "Time passed by so quickly. Our children will be turning 1 year old soon."


    "I''m excited to hear them call me mama or mommy. I wonder who they''ll call first," expressed Cayenne excitedly.


    At the mention of this, Jillyanna and M turned solemn. Even Luna noticed the sudden change on their expressions.


    Hearing their deep sighs, Luna asked hesitantly "Did your kids learn to call your husband first?"


    Both women nodded.


    "I felt so aggrieved," Jillyanna shared and stared at her husband''s back sharply. "It''s his fault. He always brings Raizel with him fearing that I''d get tired taking care of him. In the end, the first word that he learned to speak was ''dada'' and up until now, he calls Travis ''dada''. Not long after, he learned to say "ma" but he rarely calls for me. If he needed something, he calls for his father."


    "In your case, I could understand the reason why Raizel calls for Travis first, especially with all the factors around him as he grow up. My case is different!" M startedining and cursed Thomas mentally. "He spent the most time with me since Thomas works a lot. I was with him day in and day out when I don''t have any work to do. In the end, he still learned to call "papa" first.


    I was so frustrated. Then, he spent time teaching our son to call me "mama", but I''m still unhappy thinking about it."


    In the kitchen, Travis and Thomas felt a sudden chill on their spine. They couldn''t help themselves but shiver.


    [Is the aircon too cold?] Stefan thought upon noticing their subtle actions.


    Back in the living room, Cayenne watched her children. "Well..." she thought about what they said and felt a little apprehensive. "...I have triplets so, one of them must be able to call me first before their father, right?"


    The threedies just looked at her in worry.


    [I''d probably felt bad if the same scenario happens to me, too.] Luna thought to herself before engaging on another topic to divert their attention.


    ***


    Experience more content on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    Mini theater


    Jade felt sad leaving Ethan alone while she traveled with her family in another country. As far as she knew, Ethan had no other friends aside from her.


    His ssmates were older than him because he was an elerated student and most of them could not adjust to his age, so they just leave him alone.


    Jade''s gloomy mood was only lifted when they finally arrived in Tuscany. She liked the ce very much. It looked so serene and beautiful.


    Little by little, her attention was finally diverted as she marveled on the amazing sceneries she saw outside the car.


    Although she felt tired from the long flight, she felt happy when they finally stopped in front of Stefan''s property.


    "This house is really pretty," she expressed to no one in particr.


    "I thought you''d sell this property. I was thinking of buying this from you," Jade heard her father say and her ears perked up.


    "I would have done it if Ayen and I have no fond memories here," Stefan answered and Jade felt a little sad. She wonder if she could buy it in the future.


    [I''ll be sure to ask Uncle about buying this ce. With so many properties, I think he''d be able to let go of this ce. Besides, they won''t stay here all the time. Maybe I should tell Dad as well. Who knows, I can get a discount? Then, I will live here with my husband in the future.]


    Looking around, Jade giggled as she thought of her ideas.

 Chapter 940: THE WORD

    During their one week stay in Tuscany, they only toured the ce for 3 days and the rest of the days were spent at the mansion.


    Most of the time, it was only their helpers who would go out to buy groceries and other daily needs.


    While at it, Cayenne gave Zaire and Addie some time to go on a date as well. Of course, she had to make excuses for both of them to go.


    She felt that they needed a little push for their rtionship to develop.


    She knew that love wasn''t toote for destiny to make things work.


    After a week, their traveling team left Tuscany for Greece.


    And this time, their schedule was full.


    First stop was at Corfu, Greece where they stayed and toured the ce for 3 days. It was Luna''s dream to visit this stunning tourist spot when she came across it in some of the books that she had read in the past. She never thought that she would, one day, visit this ce with her friends.


    Second stop was at Athens which was Cayenne''s choice when Stefan asked her what ce she''d like to visit in Greece. It never urred to her that her chosen ce to visit was among the three beautiful ces she would ever see in her life. They stayed their for 4 days before moving on to their next destination.


    Lastly, Santorini - M and Jill''s favorite ce. They had visited this ce at different times in the past; when they haven''t known each other yet. Now, they wanted to enjoy the ce with their loved ones.


    They only stayed there for 3 days before leaving for Berlin, Germany.


    "Why are the days so quick to pass by?" Jadeined while walking next to her mother on their way to the boarding gate. She hasn''t had enough fun from the Greece tour and now they had to leave for Germany. She didn''t want to go yet.


    "I know you love beautiful ces, but you will surely enjoy Germany as well," responded Jillyanna to her daughter. "There''s also a surprise."


    Jade''s eyes lit up when she heard about the surprise but she didn''t say anything.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne was busy teaching Aziel how to say "mama". While they were in Tuscany, she already started her mission to teach her children to call mama first.


    So far, she wasn''t sessful.


    Jahzara would only giggle when she taught her how to speak.


    Aziel tried responding to her with "mmm" sound.


    Worst, Zeki only stared at her.


    She was really affected with their previous conversation on how Kaeden and Raizel spoke papa and dada first. She wanted the triplets to call her first.


    Stefan didn''t say anything at all.


    After several hours of travel, they finally arrived in Berlin. None of them had property in this ce, so they all went to their booked hotel rooms.


    The first day of their arrival, they all decided to rest and only gathered in the evening for dinner.


    At this time, Niki received an international call which broke his heart. He wanted to leave but he couldn''t. He didn''t dare disobey his employer who helped him in so many ways. He can only steel his heart.


    "Are you okay?" Rey asked his colleague when he noticed the cold auraing from him. It felt like the room temperature dropped below zero. "Do you need a breather?"


    "I''m fine," Niki answered without changing his stoic expression. The people who passed by them shivered in fear upon seeing his face.


    "You''re scaring the other tourists. They might report you for endangering public safety."


    Niki frowned at the statement and ignored the man beside him. He didn''t care about anyone else in the area aside from his scope of protection.


    At night, the hotel staff arranged their dinner on a separate private room to give them privacy. They even got two waiters and a manager on standby should there be something they''d need from the staff.


    While eating, Cayenne had asked Zaire to set up a camera aimed at her and the triplets. She was hoping to capture her children''s first moment of speaking.


    This time, she also made it live.


    It was not announced, so at first, not many people were watching her live stream.


    [Miss Yen, aren''t you on vacation?]


    [I''m happy just seeing the kids. They''re so cute that I want to squish them.]


    [I''m so excited to see them grow up! With their good looks, they will surely be famous in the future.]


    [Are you going to upload a travel guide soon?]


    [What''s the purpose of this live stream? To show off your wealth?]


    [If it''s them, they''re showing off. If it''s your favorite celebrity, they''re not considered show off??!!]


    Cayenne decided to ignore her audience and just focused herself on what was in front of her.


    "Say, mama" Cayenne said and waited for Zeki to respond.


    "You''re not giving up yet?" Stefan questioned with a helpless smile on his face. "You can take your time. It''s not like I''d steal them from you."


    "Hmph! What do you know?!" Cayenne retorted and turned to Jahzara this time. "Say, mama. Ma...ma.."


    [Oh. So, she''s teaching them to speak]


    [I just remember that the triplets will be turning one year old soon. No wonder Cayenne is trying her best to teach them how to speak.]


    [Who do you think the kids will call first? Cayenne or Stefan] Thisment made everyone choose their side between the husband and wife


    [I''m voting for Cayenne. Normally, kids will call their mothers first, right?]


    [???? If that is the case, my sister would be very upset. Her son called his father first.]


    [It depends on the learning factor. Who knows, Stefan might secretly teach his children to call him first when Cayenne is not around.]


    [Luiz_Ardolf (v): What are the chances of the triplets calling me first?]


    [You''re dreaming Luiz]


    [You''re not even the parents ????]


    While theizens were debating who the triplets would call first, a soft voice was recorded on Cayenne''s mic that stunned everyone speechless.


    "Yen."

 Chapter 941: A FRIENDS HAPPINESS

    It was also at this moment that Cayenne turned around to ask Luna a question, so when she heard that soft-spoken voice, her entire body froze.


    All their eyes turned to the little guy who was staring at her mother, probably wondering if he did a great job.


    Cayenne''s live stream also turned silent for a minute before her live room got flooded withments. Not long after, thousands of posts circted online with the short video clip of Zeki saying Yen''s name.


    "Am I supposed to cry or smile?" Cayenne muttered while raining kisses on her child''s face. "You cannot call me by my name. It''s mama for you."


    "That is still worth something," Jillyanna said stealing nces at her husband. "At least, he called you first."


    M: "Let us celebrate Zeki''s first word."


    Stefan: "I''ll definitely keep a copy of a video clip with his first word."


    Travis: "That could be a mistake, you know."


    Everyone turned to Travis and red at him. He was such a mood killer.


    However, after that one time, Zeki didn''t speak again. He didn''t respond to his mother''s urges. Though it disappointed Cayenne, it still didn''t erase the fact that her youngest called her name first. The challenge remained for Jahzara and Aziel.


    A few dayster, Dominic and Kyle arrived.


    Both of them would be staying for a week-long vacation this time.


    After receiving a message from his brother that they had touched down Germany safely, Luiz felt deted. He went over to his social media ount and posted his jealousy which only garnered aughing emojis from his fans.


    Some expresses gratitude that he decided to stay and show them his work, and others suggested that he should have a little vacation of his own.


    [Hmph! I will surely wrap up my work before July next year and I will leave the country with my girlfriend. Just you wait!]


    Although he promised this, he was also praying at the same time. After all, there''s no guaranteed tomorrow.


    ***


    7:30 PM; Dumrique''s family vi


    Ferdinand was sitting on the couch with his eyes on the family altar not far from him. His eyes were moist.


    Josephine. Alexander. Magnus.


    His wife. His grandson. His son.


    These three people left him all alone in this world. Despite the fact that Alexander wasn''t really rted to him by blood, the child made its way to his heart. He loved him like his own.


    Tomorrow would be Stefan''s birthday, but like every other birthday, he wouldn''t be celebrating it with them.


    In the past, they didn''t hold any celebration for him because ra hated him, and the only time that they all agreed to celebrate a little had turned to a mourning day for all of them.


    Last year, he was able to attend his birthday thru Cayenne''s invitation.


    "I''m old. I''m weak. I''ve been diagnosed with a heart disease, but why am I not dying?" Ferdinand whispered with his lips trembling in agony.


    "Dad."


    The tone was hesitant but the voice was oh-so familiar to him. How can he forget?


    "Dad." Celestine called again and sat next to him. "Dad, I''m sorry to bother you. I just came over to check if you are doing fine."


    "Thanks. I''m still alive."


    The sarcastic remark didn''t escape Celestine''s hearing.


    "Dad, I thought we have resolved our misunderstanding. Why are you still hostile to me?"


    "Why do you think?"


    Celestine had no idea at all. Ever since she returned, she had been threading on egg shells and she made sure not to offend anyone rted to Cayenne and Stefan.


    She was well-behaved.


    Seeing that her father wasn''t willing to speak to her, Celestine stood up and left. "I''ll just visit you next time."


    "You don''t have toe over anymore. Just visit my grave in the future."


    Celestine clenched her fists while trying her best not to cry in front of anyone else.


    She knew that at some points, she had be an evil person. She made several wrong decisions in life, but she tried to atone for those mistake she made.


    She thought her father would forgive her this time, since she had made up with Stefan already. In fact, Ferdinand agreed to Stefan that the vi will be given to her.


    They only left the vi this time because Ferdinand was around and she didn''t want to give him a headache.


    Who would have thought that the oue was the same?


    "So, have you talked to grandpa?" Julia asked in anticipation as soon as her mother came out of the gate. However, seeing her expression, she knew the talk wasn''t sessful. "He''s not going to help me?"


    "Your grandpa is frail. He had withdrawn from any business affairs. You know that your cousin is the one managing the empire now. Why don''t you ask him for help?"


    "No, I can''t." Julia refused instantly which earned her a raised eyebrow from her mother. "I mean, I can''t just depend on him. I will try to work things on my own."


    [I can''t ask him for help. He might know some of the things I''ve been doing behind my mother''s back.]


    Celestine didn''t think too much of what her daughter said. She just gestured Elliot to drive the car and returned to the hotel where they stayed for the meantime.


    Celestine may not have any idea of what Julia was doing, but after visiting her father, seeing how he didn''t acknowledge his presence and how Julia refused to ask Stefan for help, she already had a guess.


    She wasn''t stupid.


    The moment Julia got inside her room, Celestine called for Elliot. "Tell me what my good daughter has been doing when I didn''t supervise her."


    ***


    The next day...back in Germany...


    Cayenne made ns for Stefan''s birthday already. This year, it will be a celebration for their small family only.


    "After breakfast, let''s have a family picture. I already brought their onesies that match ours," Cayenne said as she began to tell him their schedule for the day.


    "Whatever it is you want to do today," Stefan muttered while keeping her tightly wrapped in his arms. "If I can, I only want to spend the day with you."


    He was asking the impossible, though. He knew that they couldn''t because their children came with them.


    "Let''s stay in bed for about ten minutes more," he said and buried his face on the crook of her neck.


    Cayenne just indulged him.


    At 8:00 in the morning, they finally went out and ate their breakfast. The children had their fill already with the help of their uncles who just arrived yesterday.


    Like what she said, they took a family photo with the triplets before changing to another set of clothes to hangout.


    They just walked around the ce and took more photos with just the five of them. Of course, the bodyguards were following closely for their safety.


    During lunch, they ate outside and had another family picture together.


    It was only after 2:00 in the afternoon that their team went back to their hotel so that the kids can take their afternoon nap.


    It wasn''t the end of Stefan''s birthday yet.


    "Hon, wait for me in the car. I''ll just grab something from our room. We''ll have our date this afternoon."


    Stefan''s eyes sparkled when he heard that they would be going for a date. Dating his wife was the best gift he could ever have during his birthday.


    He really thought the triplets would be apanying them all day.


    He had no idea what his wife had in store for him and he was very excited.


    "I''ll leave the kids in your hands," he told Kyle and Dominic before going back to the parking lot while humming a song to himself.


    "It''s really easy to make him happy," Dominicmented while shaking his head in disbelief.


    "If it was two year ago, I would have presented my sister to him in arge gift box," Kyle added as they made their way to the room where the triplets stayed.


    Meanwhile, Cayenne was calling someone to make sure that her surprise won''t fail. She can''t afford to fail.


    It was only after ten minutes that she came down with a paper bag in hand. It wasn''t her gift, or partly it was.


    "Let''s go!"


    "Huh? Where to?"


    Cayenne gave him the address and Stefan followed the direction that his phone was giving him, hoping it was urate.


    After two hours of driving, they finally arrived at the ce that she wanted him to see.


    It was indescribable.


    He never thought that such a ce existed in Germany.


    ***


    Mini Theater


    Zeki was staring at his mother after calling her name. He heard so many people calling her that name so he thought he did the right thing.


    Aziel:  Why are you staring in daze?


    Zeki: I made a mistake.


    Aziel and Jahzara: ???


    Zeki just ignored them and continued to ponder what he should do to make it up to his mother.

 Chapter 942: A FRIENDS HAPPINESS II

    Stefan had traveled overseas over a dozen times a year in the past but it was only for business purposes.


    He never had the chance to really take his time and tour the famous spots of a certain country that he had visited.


    Everything changed when Cayenne came into his life. He started seeing things in different angles.


    The ordinary ces that he would most likely overlooked; he would look at them twice.


    The two of them got out of the car and stared into the wide and green teau. In the span of more than ten kilometers, you could see nothing but the verdant nts and trees.


    At the same time, they had great ess to the city view from where they stood.


    He knew that Cayenne would always give her best when ites to important things and events. He just didn''t know she would prepare this much for him.


    In the middle of the teau, there wasrge pic nket with several baskets on it. He could tell that there were food and drinks in it.


    "Who helped you? This ce is kinda far from the city," he said while looking around to spot if there was anyone else with them.


    "I got someone''s help here and there," Cayenne said while pulling him to the pic spot.


    It was cold at this time of the year in Germany. It wasn''t really advisable for anyone to have pic outside but Cayenne came prepared this time.


    One after another, she took out the stuff inside the baskets and ced them on the nket.


    "Put these on," she instructed as she handed him a pair of thick gloves. "I got you a scarf and a beanie, too."


    "Are we matching?"


    Cayenne knew this question would being at her so she grinned and raised the ones for herself. "Of course."


    Stefan put on the items happily while watching his wife take out more things from the basket.


    She even got a thickforter from the basket and a portable heater.


    He was impressed!


    Meanwhile...


    "Is everything ready?" asked the man over his walkie talkie.


    "Yes, sir. Station 1 is all set. Over."


    "Station 2 is all set to go. Over."


    Although Stefan didn''t see anyone in the area, several people were carefully observing them from a distance.


    "We still have about an hour before we''ll take any action. Let''s take a break first. I sent you snacks to pass the time. Copy?"


    "Copy, sir!" answered the others over their small radiomunicator.


    At the same time...back at the hotel...


    "I thought we''d be able to see them from here," M said while putting down her binocrs in disappointment. "We should have gone to the tallest hotel."


    "One of your requirement for this trip is to make sure that we don''t spend on unnecessary things and that the hotel must not be expensive," Thomas retorted with a straight face. "Besides, we won''t be able to see Yen and Stefan from here. You are using an ordinary binocr."


    "Just give it up. Let''s wait for Zaire''s footage," Travis said while helping Raizel peel some of the oranges that he wanted to eat.


    Not long after, Kyle and Dominic came, along with the bodyguards and nannies while bringing the triplets with them.


    "It''s ironic how we''re celebrating his birthday but they''re not here," M said as she returned to her seat.


    Currently, they have booked the roof top for their little private gathering. It was almost 6:00 in the evening and since it was winter, darkness quickly covered the entire sky until only the city lights can be seen.


    Luna took it as her responsibility to check on the triplets and made sure they were properly clothed. She also asked the staff to bring more heating pad for the children.


    ***


    With the city lights reflecting in her eyes, Stefan had kept his eyes on his wife. Everyday, he couldn''t thank God enough for bring her into his life.


    It still made him wonder how he deserved to have a woman like her.


    "I''m going to melt from your gaze," Cayenne said with stifledughter. "Why are you staring at me? Haven''t you seen enough?"


    "No. Not enough. I want to look at your face all the time."


    "That can''t do. You might get tired of seeing my face."


    "Impossible. My heart only beats for you."


    Cayenne blushed at his words and even though the night sky veiled her face, she felt so hot inside. "Stop flirting with me."


    "Oh. We''re not suppose to flirt today?" Stefan retorted with a teasing smile that caused Cayenne to roll his eyes. He couldn''t help but chuckle softly at her response.


    The two of them slowly ate their food and chatted about random things and flirt in between to keep their conversation going. When they had finished their meals, Stefan scooted next to her and they both shared the thickforter while looking at the nightscape in front of them.


    "Yen."


    "Hm?"


    "Thank you," Stefan said and intertwined their fingers while speaking. "You always have your own ways to surprise me and make me feel so loved and cared for. The things Icked in the past, you filled them in. The important things I missed, you made sure to make it up to me. I am just so thankful for having you. I don''t know what else to say.


    Saying thank you isn''t even enough."


    "Then, kiss me."


    A moment of silence surrounded them before her words sank in. Stefan didn''t wait for her to repeat those words or give her the chance to take them back.


    He cupped her face and kissed her lips gently. It was like the first time they ever shared a kiss together.


    "Happy birthday, hon," Cayenne said in between kisses before giving her hand signal.


    A few secondster...boom! boom! boom!


    Huge and colorful fireworks dazzled the night sky. They bloomed like flowers in spring. It was so beautiful that everyone stopped whatever they were doing and looked at the sky.


    "Whoa! Who managed to get the permit for this fireworks disy?" asked one of the citizens asked in passing while staring at the continuous blooming flower in the sky.


    "This is probably one of the things that I like for rich people to do."


    "It''s been five minutes already and it''s not showing any signs of stopping."


    ***


    Back to one hour ago...


    Thomas received a text message from Cayenne regarding the n and she told him to proceed with his.


    Across the hotel where they stayed was another hotel with LCD screens was ying an animation.


    At first, no one paid attention then Luna told M how cute the presentation was which made her watch it as well.


    At first, she didn''t think too much about it. She thought it was just an ad that someone paid for until she noticed something.


    The animation shows how the girl changed herself to please the man. She changed her styles from time to time but the man didn''t notice.


    With her gut feeling churning inside her, she looked toward Thomas. She didn''t want him to see it. She didn''t want him to be reminded of their past.


    Thomas didn''t pay attention to it, though. He was busy ying with his son.


    [Can I pay twice the amount to take this ad down?] She told herself while thinking how to get in touch with the hotel manager.


    A few minutester, Jade smirked and pointed at the animation across them. "That man is stupid!"


    Thomas stiffened upon hearing her response and he instantly looked toward M. [Thank goodness she wasn''t paying attention to Jade.]


    He had no idea that M was busy thinking how to end the ad in silence.


    "Ooohhh," Kyle eximed as he continued to watch now with interest. He had no idea at first, but piecing the little things he knew altogether, he could guess what''s going on now. "The guy actually likes his friend but he couldn''t tell her, so he lied again and again to deny his feelings."


    "If I were the woman, I wouldn''t fall for this man,"mented Dominic who had no clue with what was going on at all.


    Ten minutester, M sighed in relief when she noticed that the animation was a little different from her story.


    In fact, the animation was on Thomas'' perspective so, it wouldn''t show the things that she only knew.


    "I miss her," the man in the animation told himself while ying the videos on his phone. He reyed his videos of her multiple times and scanned his album containing her photos a thousand times since she left his life. He missed her.


    The animation continued and without noticing it, some bystanders who were watching had tears in their eyes.


    M was the same.


    She wiped away her tears and looked into the night sky to stop the overwhelming emotions inside her.


    [Did he think this way when I left as well?]


    But before she could get an answer to that, the voice of the man in the animation changed.

 Chapter 943: A FRIENDS HAPPINESS III

    Note: Song used is "I Will" (Take You Forever) by Christopher Cross


    ***


    *


    *


    M''s eyes widened in shock.


    She would never mistake that voice for anyone else. She had been by his side for more than a decade. There was no way in hell she would mistake it.


    "What''s going on?" she asked and looked back to the man who ignored her; still focusing on their baby. Seeing how nonchnt he was, she could only wrinkle her eyebrows and listen to the animation''s voice.


    Thomas knew that she would surely talk to him once she hears his voice which was the reason why he continued to stay. Now that her attention was back to the animation, he finally slipped away.


    And to keep her attention focused on the animation, Luna and Jillyanna approached her and engaged on a conversation.


    Behind them, several staff came inside in silence while holding posters, flowers and an LED lights. They moved so quickly that in less than five minutes, everything was all set up.


    Thomas sat on a chair behind the staff and started humming a song that matches the animation.


    M''s hear skipped a beat.


    The tune was oh-so familiar to her that she started humming along with it.


    At first, she thought that the song was still from the animation until she heard it from such a close distance.


    --I was a man who always yed around in love


    So quick to take


    But so afraid to give enough


    But now I''ve found the one


    And heaven will only know


    What only my eyes can say and time can''t take away--


    Hearing the first part of the song, M sang the next part with tears in her eyes. This song was a duet - something she told him in passing during their high school days.


    I was a girl who trusted no one with my heart


    And the dreams that young girls dream


    were just vanishing in the dark


    But now I''ve found the one


    And heaven will only know


    What only my eyes can say


    They say ---


    M''s memories brought her back to the 15 year-old version of her. She was watching the football yers having their practice but her eyes was actually focused on a single person on the field. She was listening to her favorite song.


    She yed it so many times at home that her parents have had enough of it, so she can only y it now on her phone while wearing her airpods.


    The yers finally took a break and Thomas walked to her. "Ten minutes more and we''ll go home," he said while wiping his face with the towel that she handed him. "Will you stay over for dinner or will your grandparents arrive before dinner?"


    "Stay over for dinner," M responded while trying her best to keep her emotions in check.


    No one in this world shall know of her feelings for him. She didn''t want to lose him.


    "What are you listening?" Thomas asked but didn''t really wait for her answer as he took the left pair of her airpods and sat next to her to listen to it. "It''s a duet. Who will you sing this with?"


    "No one."


    "Then, what''s the point?"


    "It''s none of your business," she said and rolled her eyes at him, but she didn''t take the airpod back.


    They sat in silence while waiting for the break time to be over.


    Who would have thought that one day, she will sing this song with him?


    --That I will take you forever


    And there will never be anyone else in my heart but you


    And I will take you forever


    And there will never be anyone else but you


    Anyone else but you


    Now my touch belongs to you and I will always be your best friend


    Now my secrets are safe with you and the magic will never end..--


    Read new adventures at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    At this point, Thomas finally showed himself up and walked toward M.


    He was all she could see right now.


    In the past, she often tell her friends that they were exaggerating about how everything blurred in the background until only that person remains in the middle.


    But when she met Thomas, she experienced that feeling. It happened so many times that she got annoyed at herself.


    Then it happened again this time.


    She didn''t even know that more people hade to the rooftop during their duet.


    When the song ended, she was already standing in the middle of the heart-shaped LED lights with rose petals scattered all over it. The set up was, in fact, verymon for people to make their proposals, but the way he executed it along with the preliminary animation, M wasn''t expecting at all.


    "Babi," Thomas spoke using his endearment that he hadn''t used for so many years.


    "Why''d you call me that?!" M eximed and punched him light on the chest. "I''m no longer fat!"


    "Who said I''m calling you that because you''re fat?"


    "Hmph! Don''t fool me."


    "Okay. I admit. I called you that in the past because you were so chubby, but I think it''s time to let you know the real meaning behind it."


    On the side, Travis smirked when he heard what his friend said. The day that Thomas teased M with this endearment, she cried over it at first.


    Thomas was such a bully when she became fat; even though it was his fault because he said he liked someone whose got more flesh than bones.


    So, Travis confronted his friend about it and when he learned the reason, his eyebrow arched instantly.


    "I need an eptable reason," M expressed with her arms crossed over her chest. She was so emotional earlier but now it''s gone because of the stupid endearment she heard.


    Thomas cleared his throat and held her hand while keeping the microphone on the other.


    "Babi. It means, analytical and clever. Of course, that is what I found on google. At the same time, I learned from you that pork is "baboy" in Cebuano where you lived and grew up before moving to France. Then, you became fat so I teased you "babi". In truth, babi is personally taken out from the context of "baby"."


    "Baby? You called me that in high school, though."


    "Yes, I did. Because I have loved you since then."


    Thomas had confessed to her already as soon as she was out of danger after the ident she had a year ago. However, the fragility of their rtionship prevented them to recall some of their precious memories as youth.


    She didn''t tell him how and when she exactly fell in love with him neither did he.


    They started all over again just to keep their rtionship going.


    So, it was only until today that they got to really express their feelings.


    It turned out, he was already in love with her but he didn''t want to admit it.


    Why else would he keep an album of her?


    Why would he remember the things that she only said in passing?


    Both of them were denying their feelings!


    "I won''t say we missed half a lifetime because of being in denial, but I''d rather believe that we''ve been together for half a lifetime and that I want to spend the rest of it with you. Babi, we started off as friends. We misunderstood each other and decided to move on from it even though there was really nothing to move on from. Now, we''re back to square one. Babi, I''m not perfect.


    There maye a time that I will annoy you, upset you or anger you, but I can promise to stay with you no matter what happens. You left me once. I don''t want a second time. So, babi..." Thomas finally knelt down on one knee and took out a small ck box with a heart-shape design on top of it which was all made of real diamonds.


    The box itself was enough for ordinary people to live a few lifetimes with it. So, they were all looking forward to see the engagement ring.


    "Babi, will you marry this stupid man?" Thomas asked but did not open the box yet.


    [Indeed, he is stupid.] Thought the people around them while giving him eye signals to notice his mistake, but he ignored them.


    Looking at him with tears pooling in her eyes again, M thought she would be the stupid one if she would say ''no''. She had dreamed of this so many times in her life!


    "This pretty girl will give you the chance. Yes, I will."


    When Thomas opened the box, there were two rings inside. One was the expensive 18kt white gold ring with a small ruby in the middle surrounded with small diamonds. The second ring was a customized engagement tinum ring with a round-cut diamond in the middle.


    "The ruby is a ring that symbolizes your title as my girlfriend," he stated while putting the ring on her middle finger. "..then tinum ring is you being my fianc¨¦," he added while putting it on her ring finger. "Now that you have agreed to marry me, you can''t take it back."


    M stared at the rings for a whole minute before finally raising her head and looked at him. "I love you," she whispered and...


    boom! boom! boom!


    Fireworks started blooming in the sky.

 Chapter 944: SIMPLE CELEBRATION

    By the time Cayenne and Stefan returned to the hotel, M''s proposal was already over, yet the celebrationsted until midnight.


    Only the nannies and bodyguards left the venue to apany the children to sleep, including Jade - no matter how matter her thinking was.


    "Congrattions," Cayenne expressed and have M a hug. "How was it? Did you like the surprise?"


    "How can I not like it? I''ve been dreaming of this for so many years," M whispered to her while showing the rings she got. "I''m so happy."


    "We''re all so happy for you," Jillyanna also added before raising her ss of champagne for another toast.


    "I thought I would wait for another - wait!..." M narrowed her eyes and turned her attention back to Cayenne. "You just asked me about the surprise."


    Cayenne looked at her with nonchnce and answered, "Yeah, I did."


    "You knew about the surprise?"


    "We all know about the surprise, just like how they knew about my birthday surprise for Stefan."


    "We all pitched in the ideas," Luna said with a smile. "I thought I should give myself a chance to join the entertainment industry. I didn''t know my acting would be great!"


    The four women continued to chat when people starteding over to M.


    And as friends, they all agreed that M should show off her rings to her rtives who flew from France and the Philippines just to witness her engagement.


    They didn''t want to hog her to themselves. So, they gave her some space and allowed others to giver their congrattory messages.


    On the other hand, Stefan was watching others exchange toast with Thomas, yet the smile on his lips, for some reason, it wasn''t for this assion.


    He looked silly.


    "Wipe that smile off your face. You look stupid," Travismented while knocking on the table to get his friend''s attention. "You must have been very happy."


    "Of course, I am. I know I am thirty now, but this is the fourth birthday that makes me so happy. Sometimes, I really wish my brother is here. I want to show him that this time, I have people who celebrates my birthday aside from him."


    "Alexander would be happy."


    ***


    The next day, except for the children, most adults woke upte. Stefan was no exception.


    He drank too muchst night while chatting with the others and before he noticed it, he was starting to get dizzy.


    So, he and Cayenne left the venue first


    Now, he has hangover.


    Holding his head with his hand, he sat up on the bed and looked around to find his wife. She was nowhere to be seen.


    He grabbed his phone from the bedside drawer so he could make a call, but he saw the message that she sent her early in the morning.


    [I''m with the children. I got you hangover soup and a medicine. Take it before looking for me, or you can rest until you feel better.]


    Stefan replied with "I love you" before walking up to the mini kitchen and drank the soup along with the medicine. After that, he went back to bed.


    Unlike him, Cayenne didn''t drink muchst night. She talked more and drank less.


    Just as they nned, their whole vacationst until the 25th of December.


    It was only at this moment when they realized that their women were actually very simple.


    They shared their ideas for this Christmas celebration and they all agreed to rent a small family restaurant nearby and share a meal together.


    Their gifts were very simple as well. You wouldn''t know that they came from a rich family. It was Cayenne''s idea to limit the gift amount to $50.


    It''s not the prize that matters but the thoughts that count.


    Five days ago, before Christmas, Cayenne wrote everyone''s name on each piece of paper before rolling it. Then, she asked each of them to pick a piece of paper except for the children. Whoever''s name was written on the paper they got, they will have to buy a gift for that person worth $50.


    Pretty cheap for someone earning more than a million now.


    Now that they got to celebrate Christmas and exchange their gifts, Cayenne received her gift from Rey - her bodyguard.


    "Miss Yen, if sir Stefan gets jealous, please defend me," Rey said while giving his gift.


    They were all wondering what it would be that would make Stefan jealous, so they all waited for Cayenne to open it.


    When she did, what greeted them were five pairs of socks with small reindeers printed on them. Two pairs for the adults and three pairs for babies.


    Cayenne loved them so much.


    Stefan only crossed his arms over his chest.


    Indeed, he was happy when he saw the matching adult socks but his happinesssted only for a second before it vanished upon seeing the socks for babies.


    Ignoring him, they all continued to exchange their gifts until it was Kyle''s turn. "Brother-inw, here''s my gift for you. I hope you will like it."


    He handed him a small box that they started guessing what item could be so small to fit in the box.


    Stefan opened it in front of everyone''s interesting gaze and when he saw the items inside, he gave Kyle a thumbs up. "I''ll give additional dating allowanceter."


    Not it was Cayenne''s turn to roll her eyes. He was so easy to please.


    Kyle gave him a matching phone charm with his and Cayenne''s initials.


    He immediately put it on his phone.


    It was a stark contrast to his usual cold face to have such a cute item.


    They could only sigh.


    It was a Christmas well spent with family and friends. The kids received gifts from the adults and most of them were toys and clothes.


    At the same time, whenever someone got inside the restaurant to dine with their family, friends or someone special; Travis and Stefan paid for the diners'' bill.


    It wasn''t nned, just something that Cayenne and Jillyanna thought of randomly in the middle of their celebration.


    ***


    Back in A City...


    Celestine didn''t have the mood to celebrate Christmas when he received thepiled report that Elliot got regarding Julia''s activities in the past months.


    If Julia wasn''t her own daughter, she might have asked Elliot to end her life already.


    "Arrange for her to leave the country immediately. Send her somewhere that Stefan doesn''t have connections with," she said while massaging her temple from the stress. "For sure, Stefan would take action against her. After all, they weren''t close to begin with and she had scrossed his bottomline multiple times."


    "You should speak to her about that," Elliot answered while massaging her legs. "She''s very stubborn. You may talk to her husband as well. He is sensible and loves Julia very much. He wouldn''t let anything bad to happen to her."


    Celestine nodded her head in agreement before throwing the report on the table next to her and closed her eyes.


    She didn''t know what else to do.


    She lowered her pride for her. She reached consensus with Stefan for her. She did everything she could for her only daughter.


    And Stefan was very generous to forgive them the first time, but with all the things that Julia did, she knew Stefan won''t let her off unscathed this time.


    While thinking of possible solutions, Celestine didn''t consider Cayenne''s involvement at all. She never connected her in getting Stefan''s forgiveness.


    She didn''t know that, if it weren''t for Cayenne''s decision, Stefan would still be her number one enemy.


    On the other hand, Elliot remembered what Rey told him in the past. He knew Rey. He would do what he said without batting an eyelid.


    If Stefan would really find Julia dangerous for his wife and children, Rey wouldn''t hesitate to dispose her.


    Celestine and Elliot sighed at the same time in worry.


    ***


    Mini Theater


    Zeki learned to speak her mother''s name but he noticed that she seemed unhappy about it.


    His siblings had no idea of his dilemma and he felt that they couldn''t rte to him.


    While everyone was busy for the Christmas dinner, he practiced calling her "mama" but whenever he saw someone approaching he would stop talking.


    Jade asked permission to visit the triplets and when Stefan gave her the go so signal, she went inside and watched the three of them in glee.


    "Say ''sister''" Jade said while caressing their little heads. "To avoid your parents having a fight, you should learn to call me first. Sis. Say, ''sis''."


    She was just making fun of them but then, something unexpected happen and she was left astonished.


    Aziel was staring at her and reached for her fingers. When Jade reached out, a single syble came out of his mouth.


    "Sis"


    Aziel learned to call her first.


    "Sis."


    Not just once but twice.


    Jade blinked her eyes in surprise, then panic started sinking into her.


    Cayenne will be sad.


    She didn''t know he would really call for her.


    Zeki looked at his brother and turned over to the other side to avoid seeing his stupid face. He was already thinking how to find ways to protect his idiotic brother from getting hurt in the future.

 Chapter 945: BACK HOME

    Before the year ends, Cayenne returned to City A with her family and friends. It was time for them to celebrate Christmas with their family members who stayed at home.


    They arrived home in the afternoon of December 24. It was already snowing outside which greatly impacted the white Christmas she envisioned for this year.


    When she opened the door to her home, she wasn''t surprised to find so many people waiting for them; or rather, waiting for the triplets toe home.


    "Wuwu!" Luiz pretended to cry as he took Jahzara from the nanny. "I miss you so much, my little angel," he said and lightly pinched her chin. "Oh, where''s Zeki and Aziel?"


    In response to her brother, Cayenne pointed her finger to the porch. Latticia was holding the smiling Zeki while Reuben was holding Aziel.


    The triplets were born prematurely and when they got discharged from the hospital and came home, they thought that Zeki needed special attention.


    He didn''t make a fuss like his other siblings nor did he smile at them.


    It turned out, he was looking for a favorite person, because the first time he saw Latticia was also the first time he showed his emotions.


    He learned to smile when he felt happy and he would pout otherwise.


    "Zeki really likes Latticia. He must have felt like having a grandmother with her around," Luizmented without knowing how perfectly right he was with his statement.


    "Let him be," Stefan answered with a faint smile. He wasn''t envious of his son''s preferential treatment. He was very happy for his mother, instead.


    "You should go and rest. We''ll take care of the children and everything that needs to be prepared," Cory said and pushed them to go upstairs. "We''ll wake you up for Christmas Eve."


    Cayenne whispered her gratitude and kissed the olddy before going up with her husband.


    ***


    "It''s Christmas and you want me to leave? Are you serious?!" Julia questioned hysterically while pacing back and forth. "Are you going to abandon me for money?"


    Celestine looked at her daughter as if she was growing three horns on her head; so unfamiliar and evil.


    She may not be a perfect mother or a perfect person, but even with her ambitious personality, and even after ruining many people''s lives, she never thought of harming innocent children.


    Julia was different. She would do whatever it takes to achieve her goals even if it means sarcrificing children.


    "Lia, you know exactly why I want you to leave," Celestine stated calmly, hoping to resolve this matter with her daughter. "Stefan won''t help you. He knows what you''re doing."


    "What are you talking about, mom?"


    "Do I have to mention each of them?"


    Julia was stunned for a moment before faint chuckles echoed in the room. "You''re kidding me, right?" But Celestine looked so serious. Soon, herughter faded into silence. "If he knew, he would''ve retaliated already. You know what kind of person he is. He won''t tolerate anyone harming his wife."


    "And that is exactly why I want you to leave. He is not taking action yet, probably because he is busy with his family and other stuff, but that doesn''t mean you will be left unscathed."


    Julia rolled her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest and sat across Celestine. "You are just being paranoid."


    Celestine inhaled deeply and sighed. "Then, tell me why you did it? What is your reason this time?"


    Julia snorted and refused to answer.


    With how her mother reacted this time, she knew that she will no longer stand on her side.


    "If you want me to leave, then fine. I''m leaving tomorrow. Forget that I exist, least, you''ll get implicated."


    "You know that''s - "


    "I don''t want to hear anymore of your excuses. I''m leaving."


    Watching her walk out of the door, Celestine felt a throbbing headache. [This must be my retribution.]


    ***


    At 11:30 PM, Cayenne and Stefan woke up to join their family in celebrating Christmas Eve.


    They were having a feast.


    Some were singing, others were chatting; the rest were either eating or ying games.


    It was indeed a merry Christmas.


    "Where''s uncle Stan?" Cayenne asked when she noticed that he hadn''t seen him since they arrived this afternoon. "Is he and Jessie not celebrating Christmas with us?"


    "They''re celebrating Christmas with his inws. He will visit tomorrow instead," Jose answered with his eyes still on the poker cards. "Yen, do you know how to y this? Help me win this game."


    "I''m sorry grandpa, I don''t know how to y poker. Kyle knows. I''ll have him y for you,"


    "No, that''s not allowed. We can''t have helpers," Ferdinand said while taking a peek on Reuben''s cards.


    "Hey! You''re cheating."


    Cayenne could only shake her head in amusement while watching the old men y their games.


    Then, she started looking around to see if there were other things that she needed to do or adjust.


    Unfortunately, there was none.


    "I''ll go check the triplets," Stefan told her when he didn''t see his children in the living room.


    "If they''re still asleep, just let them be. We''ll have the nannies take turn in taking care of them."


    "Gotcha."


    Cayenne watched him leave then she started scanning her surrounding and she felt like she was in a dream.


    It felt like yesterday, she was still working non-stop to support her family and now, she had be Stefan''s wife - the man that many women had dreamed of marrying.


    She could still clearly recall the night that he proposed to sleep with her. Then, her life was turned upside-down.


    She lost her mother, but she found her father.


    Then, she lost Stefan.


    They broke up; or specifically, she broke up with him which he didn''t agree.


    They started over again, then she was kidnapped.


    Life continued on and on, and now, she has triplets.


    "Yen? Are you alright?"


    Cayenne blinked several times when she noticed Sabrina''s worried look and that was when she noticed the cold tears that fell on her face.


    Instantly, everyone''s attention was shifted to her.


    "I...I''m fine," she said and wiped away her tears. "I''m just so thankful for all the things that I have now. Stefan must have been my lucky star."


    "No. You are my lucky star," Stefan added as he walked toward her. "All the best things in my life happen because of you. I wouldn''t be who I am now if not for your constant love and patience."


    "Are we celebrating Valentine''s Day?" Luiz questioned Dalia in passing while giving his sister and brother-inw a side eye.


    Dalia: ?? "You must have mixed the date. It''s Christmas now."


    Kyle: "I''m seeing hearts and roses flying everywhere."


    Hearing their teasing statements, Cayenne didn''t know whether tough or cry. Her brothers really knew how to cheer her up.


    Not long after, Erwin set-up the timer for the Christmas countdown and they all waited excitedly for the timer to hit zero.


    "10"


    "9"


    "8"


    "7"


    "6"


    "5"


    "4"


    "3"


    "2"


    "1"


    "Merry Christmas Everyone!"


    They all raised their sses containing juice or wine, and made a toast to celebrate their Christmas.


    Along with the nking of their sses, fireworks bloomed in the sky like flowers in spring.


    It astounded many civilians who gazed upon the sky.


    The majestic castle with amazing and colorful fireworks was like a scene from a fairytale movie.


    It was the source of envy for many people.


    Half an hourter, the fireworks disy finally stopped and passersby continued with their life.


    ***


    Mini Theater


    "I''m d that we''re living in this apartment. It''s not the most beautiful but we get to see the most beautiful view everyday," said the child who was standing next to his mother while holding on to the railing bars.


    They upied the fourth floor of the simplest and cheapest apartment building in City A. In the morning they get to see the sunrise from the window to their room. In the afternoon, they get to see the beautiful castle with the red-orange streaks of sunrays.


    When evening came, the majestic castle lights up their garden and they could see its beauty despite the distance.


    He liked it very much.


    "One day, I will build my own castle and make you the Queen. Mama, you don''t have to look for papa. I will study hard and work hard for you. So, don''t be sad anymore."


    The child''s innocence brought warmth in his mother''s heart and she could only lightly squeeze his little hand in agreement.


    "Hn. One day, I will be a Queen and you will bring your princess home and we will live in your castle happily ever after."


    Your next read awaits at m,v -NovelBin


    "Hn!"


    The child nodded happily without knowing how his fate would unfold.

 Chapter 946: ANOTHER YEAR TOGETHER

    A weekter, on New Year''s Day, Cayenne released her travel vlog in Germany which included the little surprise she had for Stefan and Zeki''s first word.


    Many people liked her video, especially those who followed her children''s daily dose of cuteness.


    "One of the triplets finally spoke."


    "I have always had the hunch that Zeki will be the one to speak first."


    "Oh! I watched the live stream where Zeki said his first word. Cayenne''s reaction was hrious!"


    "It wasn''t mama or papa; nor it was mommy or daddy. He called her name directly."


    "Mrs. Dumrique, I will wait for your sons to grow up and get married."


    "Now I know why God kept me single. He''s telling me to wait for the cutie little Zeki."


    "Who do you think the other kids would call first?"


    At this point, everyone  in the Dumrique household was busy with their party. It was New Year so, the celebration was even bigger than Christmas.


    No one paid attention to the vlog after Zaire uploaded it. They left it all to fate.


    On the other hand, Jade had a little secret that she couldn''t share to anyone. On her own, she decided not to visit Cayenne''s home in the next few weeks, hoping that Aziel would start calling for his parents instead of her.


    Nothing beats New Year.


    No matter how busy people were, they would always make it home before evening came.


    Cayenne had ensure that her staff and helpers would get to spend time with their families, too.


    Except for the few folks who didn''t have home toe back to. She had them stay over and celebrate the asion with them.


    "Where''s Stefan?" she asked Luiz when she didn''t find her husband in the living room or in the kitchen.


    "He''s probably upstairs."


    Cayenne didn''t say anything else and just left to find him.


    Just as she opened the door to their room, she was pulled into a warm hug from the back and she felt the warm breath fanning her neck.


    She shivered.


    "Let me hug you for a while," Stefan whispered with his eyes closed. "Did you need something?"


    "Uh...I was looking for you," she said and felt that something was wrong with him. "Are you okay?"


    She wanted to turn around to look at him, but Stefan hugged her tighter and buried his face on her neck.


    "Stop moving."


    His heavy breathing told her that he needed some help so, she started drawing circles in his arms which ignited sparks on his skin.


    He felt so hot and let go of her.


    Cayenne was finally able to turn around but when she saw the state he was in, she was stunned.


    The bulge on his pants was too clear even under the dim light of their room. His face was flushed and his eyes were misty.


    Cayenne slowly raised her hand to touch his face but the moment their skin met; as if a string broke, Stefan held her head and kissed her hard.


    [Is he drunk?] Cayenne thought to herself while responding to his kisses. Although he liked it, she was still worried.


    "Ayen" Stefan whispered her name in between breath and kisses which muddled her train of thoughts. "I''m not drunk, but maybe worse than drunk. Help me a bit."


    Stefan pulled her even closer until they were skin to skin. The warmth of their bodies added me to their burning desire and before she could think what could have happened to him, her clothes were already on the floor.


    Stefan cupped her chest without letting go of her mouth. A thin sliver of saliva dripped on the corner of her and he licked it.


    His kisses traveled down her throat, to the side of her neck and down to the base of her breast.


    Stefan knew his wife''s weak spots. He studied her multiple times and catered to her sexual need and lust.


    Readtest chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    The right hand holding her waist had moved downwards and slipped into her underwear.


    A throaty moan escaped from her sealed mouth and she could only cling on to him for support.


    Stefan fingered her hole and yed her clit with her thumb.


    Every time he kissed the base of her breast and flicked her nipples with his tongue, he felt her clench around him.


    "Hon, I -" Cayenne''s words were cut off by his mouth again and she was getting dizzy from the kisses the attack of his fingers. Her knees were shaking and any moment soon, she would surely fall on his feet.


    Stefan pulled away from her for a moment and when their eyes met, she saw the raw lust and desire he had for her.


    She thought he would stop for a break but he directly lifted her as if she weighed no more than a feather.


    His hands held on to her butt cheeks and she wrapped her arms around his neck for support. She felt his hard length directly under her wetness.


    She didn''t even notice that his pants had been thrown away somewhere.


    "You... ah!" Cayenne wanted to tell him something but Stefan pushed all of him inside her which brought ecstasy to her. "Hhnn..ah..slow down a bit."


    "I''m...I''m trying..."


    Theirboring words and breathing entangled with each other but their actions didn''t stop.


    Stefan walked to their bed with her impaled with his shaft and each step he took, he went in deeper than he already had.


    [Forget it.] Cayenne told herself and enjoyed the moment. There''s no problem with them doing it anyway.


    After weing him for more than three hours, Cayenne felt so exhausted that she couldn''t even move her legs.


    Her whole body was sore as if she did it for the first time.


    On the other hand, Stefan lying on the bed next to her and was looking at her in worry. "I''m sorry. I didn''t know that the wine had something in it."


    "What do you mean? Someone tampered with the drinks?"


    "Not really. Erwin and I had a drink but Sabrina spiked his wine. Instead of drinking it, he swapped it with mine."


    Imagining Sabrina''s desperate move and Erwin''s innocent face, Cayenne burst outughing.


    It was such a stupid idea that she benefited from.


    "Then, what shall we do? We missed the countdown," she expressed as she traced his face with her finger, but instead of answering her, Stefan pulled her closer and pressed their bodies together.


    She felt his hardness on her stomach again.


    "Give me a break."

 Chapter 947: FIRST BIRTHDAY I

    A month and a halfter, the most awaited time of the year for the whole Dumrique family had finally arrived.


    There was no space for Valentine''s Day anymore because on this day, the triplets were celebrating their first birthday.


    Family, friends and even business partners came to bring gifts for the triplets. They needed to schedule their dates on another day.


    Initially, Cayenne nned to celebrate the children''s first birthday at home but Stefan didn''t want too many people to get into their property all at once.


    Hence, they decided to hold the party in one of his hotels.


    She didn''t forget to invite her close friends who worked with her previously in Clover Hotel.


    She also made sure to invite Justin''s family to the party. Until now, they still got close contact with his family even after he left with his father to study overseas.


    Last Christmas, he returned for a short vacation but he had to return immediately as well toplete his school tasks. He has to work hard in order to elerate to the right school level intended for his age.


    But he didn''t forget to bring some snacks for Cayenne and her family. He knew that they didn''tck anything in life but it was the only thing he knew that Cayenne will ept.


    The party started at 3 o''clock in the afternoon.


    Guests started pouring inside the event hall and many children came with their parents as well.


    It was Cayenne''s intention to have more children during the party, so she specifically mentioned it on the invitation cards that were sent.


    Unexpectedly, Belle didn''te, but her brother came along with Andrei and Eli.


    The outside world didn''t know that Belle was only acting as Luiz''s girlfriend but since she has a close rtionship with Eli, and her brother seemed to understand Zeki, she had a good position in their hearts.


    She was already considered friends to them.


    "Where''s your sister?" Cayenne asked Neon when she didn''t see the beautifuldy with them.


    "She''s out of town. She''ll be back next week but she prepared gifts for your babies," Neon answered properly while handing the gifts to Cayenne. "Happy birthday to your babies. The blue gift is from my sister and the red gift is from me and Andrei. We chose it carefully."


    "I appreciate it, you two. Thank you," she epted it happily and gave it to Cree who was assigned to arrange the gifts. Then she shifted her attention to Eli, "Can I have a bit of your time after the party. I want to discuss something with you."


    "Sure. Just approach meter," then Eli gave his gift as well before leading the children to the y area.


    Children yed to their heart''s content while the nannies and bodyguards looked after them.


    Today, they didn''t have to mind the adults. They didn''t have to restrict themselves. They were free!


    On the other hand, the Madrigal family wasingte because a certain little girl was throwing a tantrum for the first time.


    Travis knocked on the door to his daughter''s y room but she refused to open it. "Can you tell Dad what''s going on? Dad will be sad if you are sad."


    "I just don''t want to go anywhere today!" she yelled for her father to hear her outside. "I just want to stay at home and y with Uncle Shein."


    Shein, who heard what the princess said, was stupefied. "I''m not ying with you. I''m going to the party!"


    "Then, I''ll Ethan visit me to y with today!"


    "You can''t have any boys visit you when I''m not around!" Travis yelled back which brought faintughters to the people in the living room.


    They were all prepared to leave except for Jade.


    "Let me speak to her," Jillyanna said and pushed her husband to the side. "You go and bring Raizel to the car first. We''ll be there in a minute."


    "Got it. You go and have a girl talk with her, and tell her I mean it when I said no boys can visit when I''m not around."


    "Yeah. Yeah. I heard you."


    Jillyanna didn''t know what to do with her husband''s overprotective nature. It wasn''t really a bad thing, but she was worried that Jade would misunderstand him as someone controlling. She didn''t want that to happen.


    "Jade, I''ll open the door now."


    Jade didn''t say anything and soon, her mother came into the room. It was Jill''s study room when she was a child and they converted it to Jade''s y room and study area when she came into their life.


    "You know that your Auntie Yen''s babies are turning one year old today, right?" Jade nodded silently in response. "And we have received the invitationst week," Jade nodded again, "and Yen is very dear to me just as Stefan with your father. So, tell me. Tell me why you don''t want to go. I''m listening."


    Jade hesitated to tell her mom the thing that bothered her. Of course, Cayenne and Stefan were family to her already and that goes the same way for their children.


    And she knew how much time Cayenne spent in teaching to call her "mom/mama/mommy", so she knew she would be very disappointed.


    In the end, knowing that she couldn''t lie to her parents, she finally told Jillyanna the truth.


    "Oohh, no wonder you kept asking me if Aziel and Jahzara had learned to call their mommy or daddy first," Jill expressed with a helpless smile on her face. "No worries, Yen is not petty."


    "I know, but she would still be disappointed if she knows."


    After a few minutes of persuasion, Jade finally agreed and went out with her mother.


    Jill signaled them not to ask anything, so they  didn''t do otherwise.


    By the time they arrived, it was already past four in the afternoon.


    Discover more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    Jade walked slowly next to her mother as they made their way to where Cayenne sat with the triplets.


    "Jill!" Cayenne eximed happily when she saw her with the rest of her family. "I''m so happy you came! I was just about to send you a video of Jahzara''s first word. She said ''mama'' first. I was so - "


    "Sis."

 Chapter 948: FIRST BIRTHDAY II

    Cayenne''s words were abruptly cut off by her son''s voice. Her attention was sessfully shifted as she watched her son raised his little hands, kicked his legs on the air and giggled happily towards Jade.


    Yes, towards Jade.


    At first, not many people noticed the odd atmosphere around them, but one after another, the other guests became interested of what was going on.


    "Sis"


    Aziel bbered again which was not by mistake.


    Cayenne was already aware of Jade''s worry since Jillyanna texted her about it just a little while ago.


    However, she thought that it was probably just a mistake - something that her son mumbled carelessly with no meaning.


    But now...


    "How heartless can you be?" Cayenne told her son yfully and lightly bit his chubby arm in retaliation. "You just turned one year old and you already know how to pick beautiful girls. Hmm?!"


    "Sis" came Aziel''s response.


    It didn''t take long for everyone to guess what happened.


    "Oh! So, Aziel called his "sis" first before mom and dad," Reubenmented on the side. "Jade is such a good sister. No wonder our little guy likes her."


    "Jade, I know you are young but you must set as an example to your little brothers and sister," Riley added to ensure that no other meaning will be taken out of context from this situation.


    "Sis" Aziel called out again.


    "Stop calling her," Stefan expressed and red at his son. "How can you skip the process? You have to call your mom first, then your dad. And by any chance, what kind of sis are you viewing her? Shall I talk to Travis and get you through back door?"


    "Hey! What are you talking about?!" Cayenne eximed and knocked his head. "Stop teasing Jade."


    "I''m not teasing her though. I''m serious. Can''t you see it on my face?"


    Indeed, he looked serious and the guests were divided into two factions. Half of the guests believed that he was serious about the arrange marriage he just mentioned, and the other half believed it was just a joke no matter his poker face.


    "Don''t you want me to be your father-inw, Jade?" Stefan asked that raised an eyebrow from Travis.


    Jade''s face was almost dripping blood. She felt so embarrassed with the whole situation and now, Stefan made it worse by asking her such question.


    Aziel is like a brother to her!


    "If you make her cry, you can forget about the hot spring resort that you recently proposed in City D," Travismented upon seeing how distressed his daughter was.


    "I was just kidding," Stefan responded instantly and rubbed Jade''s head. "I don''t want to be inws with my best friend," he said and leaned over to whisper  "..and we know you already like someone else."


    At this point, Jade finally felt relieved but she still felt embarrassed for another reason.


    "Since we''re at this point," Travis stated and borrowed the microphone from the host nearby, "let me announce that I''m not nning to have an arrange marriage for my daughter. Don''t show me such intention in the future."


    "Okay. Alright. That''s enough, you two." Cayenne pulled Stefan and Travis on another table.


    It was her children''s first birthday and she didn''t want any strange stories toe out because of them.


    "Jade, please pardon your uncle Stefan, okay? He can be very childish sometimes," Cayenne said and smiled faintly.


    Jade nodded her head and smiled but when Cayenne turned her attention somewhere else, she mutter, "I understand. Birds of a feather, flocks together."


    Her father can be childish at times, so it was not a surprise that Stefan was the same.


    Thinking of this, she looked towards M and Thomas. She was wondering if Thomas was as childish as the two men as well.


    Sensing her questioning gaze, M chuckled and said, "My husband isn''t childish."


    Jade didn''t say anything else.


    As the event went on, Cayenne and Stefan was dragged by Luiz to a corner where a beautiful woman was sitting. They almost didn''t recognize her after she dressed up properly and put some make up on.


    Almost all of the time, when she visits, she would either wear a pair of jeans and t-shirt or a pair of shorts and hoodie. She was always casual with them.


    "Happy birthday to your children," risse greeted and handed the gifts to Stefan and Cayenne. "Can I hold the childrenter?" She  knew that they consider her family already but she still needed to ask permission because her presence in their life is equal to trouble.


    Cayenne: "Sure, why not? How about we book a room for you and we can visit youter after the party."


    "Thank you and sorry for always causing you trouble."


    Stefan: "Not at all. We''re d that you haven''t given up on Luiz despite yourplicated rtionship."


    "I...I have liked him for so many years. I would never give up because of a stranger''s opinion."


    Hearing her words, Luiz blushed on the side while keeping a certain distance from his girlfriend.


    Because of what happened in the past, he can''t appear in public with her anymore, and even though she looked different today, he can''t stay by her side because people would start wondering about her identity.


    He can''t bring her trouble.


    "Thank you so much foring, risse. I''ll give you the room informationter. I hope you''ll enjoy the party," Cayenne added and gave her a brief hug as she whispered. "My brother loves you so much as well. Please note that he is not hiding you from the world, but protecting you instead."


    "I know and I understand. Working in an entertainment industry isn''t easy."


    And since risse was sharing a table with Cayenne''s friends from Clover Hotel, many people thought that she was her colleague from her previous work.


    Thankfully, Cayenne''s friends always included her in their conversation so she didn''t feel that she was left out.


    Hesitating on his steps, Luiz finally turned around to entertain the other guests especially those that had connections to his work.


    From time to time, he would look back to see how his girlfriend was doing.


    ***


    Mini Theater


    "Sis"


    Aziel called happily while raising his hands and kicking his legs. He was giggling, too - which wasn''t really new since he was always cheerful.


    Seeing how everyone''s attention was shifted to them, Zeki kicked his brother.


    Unfortunately, he was ignored.


    "She''s not your sister! Zara is!" Zeki expressed which came out as gibberish words to the adults.


    "Sis" Aziel called again happily.


    Watching him smiling at Jade while calling for her, Zeki could now confirm that he has a stupid brother.

 Chapter 949: FIRST BIRTHDAY III

    As usual, Cayenne wouldn''t host a party without any games. Given that there were many children came to the party, she made sure that they get to enjoy it and bring home some adorable stuff that they can use daily or disy in their room.


    The first game was a message ry. The first person on the line gets to read the message and pass it to her teammates until it reaches thest person. Thest person would be the one to say it in a loud voice and whichever group said it correctly first would win.


    To everyone''s surprise, Ethan and Jade chose to stay in different groups.


    They even gave a challenging look to each other.


    "Hoho! This is fun," Luizmented with a teasing smile on his lips. He even wiggled his eyebrows at Jade which got him a cute pout. "You can do it, Jade!"


    Jade''s teammates were random kids that the emcee arranged to make it fair for the other little kids. Of course, they also wanted to see a bit ofpetition from the two genius kids that got admitted to Trine Elite University at a very young age.


    "Alright. Let''s start!" The first two kids approached the host and read the message from a piece of paper. They memorized it a few times while waiting for the ''go'' signal and when the timer started, they ran back to the line and began whispering the message.


    Jade waited anxiously at the back.


    On the other hand, Ethan had his hand in his pockets as he stood calmly with eyes focused on the people in front of him.


    "Ethan! Ethan! I got the message," a little girl came to Ethan and leaned over to whisper. He wasn''t very familiar to her but given that he got acquainted with the Dumrique and the Madrigal family, he knew that there will be chances that he would see this little girl in the future.


    He put a little distance between them.


    "I got it," he said even though the little girl wasn''t finished saying the message yet.


    "As expected of a genius. I''m not done yet, but you know the rest, already," responded the little girl with obvious admiration in her eyes.


    Ethan didn''tment on it. He looked towards Jade who was still waiting for her teammate to pass the message. "I''ll win this round." Continue your adventure with m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    Ethan walked up to the host and said the message out loud. His teammates cheered as they won but his eyes were on Jade who seemed a bit down for losing the game.


    "Next!"


    The host assigned the kids on different groups again before starting the next game.


    Out of ten games, Jade won four and Ethan won six. Seeing the four prizes in her hands, she was no longer disappointed.


    She put the prizes inside her bag and went to y with other kids again. She was so full of energy that her nannies were having a hard time matching her pace.


    In the end, Top, Travis'' most trusted bodyguard, looked after her safety.


    When everyone went back to whatever they were doing, Ethan approached Jade who was speaking to Chloe, the youngest child in Justin''s family.


    "Here," he handed all her prizes to her and Jade received it as if it was the most natural thing to do. "Keep them."


    "Hn. I will."


    Ethan thought that everything was going smoothly, but then he felt a dangerous re aimed at him.


    He looked around to see if anyone was watching him. The first person that came to mind was Travis. However, he was busy chatting with another businessman.


    [I must be over thinking.]


    After the game, the emcee gave the guests a few minutes to settle down before moving on to the next program.


    MC: "So, since our kids had their fill of fun with the games and the food, it is now time for the adults showcase their talents."


    "You prepared something for the adults as well?" Stefan asked his wife whose attention was fully upied with the triplets.


    "I did."


    "Well... that''s something," Stefan had no other words to express. He didn''t expect it.


    Cayenne just grinned at him. He had no idea what she nned for the party and as long as she was having fun, Stefan had nothing toin.


    MC: "The first game that we have is pocky-eating contest. We will have five pairs of couples or "who-knows-they''ll-be-couples", you don''t know what lies ahead. Anyway, I have ten sticks of pocky here. Each pair gets two and they have to eat it with their hands tied behind them. Meaning, they can only use their mouth. The first to finish it will win the game."


    "Let me choose the five pairs!" Kyle expressed and even raised his hand to volunteer.


    MC: "Alright. We have sir Kyle to pick the five pairs. Please choose five random papers and read the names written on it."


    "Gotcha!" Kyle said cheerfully and choose five small pieces of papers. "The first one is ..." he slowly unfolded it while all the couples around waited to hear their namese out of his mouth. "Uhh..."


    The emceeughed so hard when he saw the names and gave Kyle a gentle pat on his shoulder.


    What are the chances of picking up his own name?


    MC: "The first pair is Kyle and Kath."


    Kath already expected it when she saw Kyle paused earlier. She didn''t really know whether tough or cry at his bad luck.


    MC: "The fifth pair is Elia and Top."


    Elia''s eyes widened in surprise when she heard her name being called. At first, she thought she was just hearing things but then, the emcee strode towards her and reached out for her hand.


    [Are they trying to matchmake me with someone?] She asked herself with a helpless sigh. Ever since the time she helped Cayenne rescue her uncle and auntie, even when she refused to acknowledge them as her family; she still tried tomunicate with Elia from time to time.


    Xian still tried to get in touch with her, hoping to win her heart again but her heart had gone cold. She didn''t want to fall in love again.


    "I''ll be in your care," she told Top with a faint smile.


    "I apologize in behalf of Miss Yen''s kind of fun," Top responded and bowed. "Rest assured, I won''t take advantage of you."


    "But you can take advantage of him," Luiz teased and the crowd erupted inughter.

 Chapter 950: FIRST BIRTHDAY IV

    The triplets may not understand what was going on or why everyone was having fun, but Cayenne was very happy to see that her guests were having a st.


    Her vlogging ount has be a memory bank for her now. All sorts of videos were uploaded there and that goes without saying includes the party for the triplets.


    MC: I know you guys are having so much fun teasing our participants during the games, but don''tugh too hard, you may be the next person I pick to y the game.


    "Noooooo, don'' wanna," Luiz responded and even made face as if he was really against the idea.


    Well, partially, he wasn''t happy about it because he can''t participate with risse. It was no fun being paired with someone else.


    MC: It''s okay. Miss Yen said you can''t be included for reputation purposes.


    Luiz: ??


    As he was contemting the difficulty of having a love life, others jeered at him. It was really a jab on him.


    MC: Anyway, let''s take a pause from all the games as you are all enjoying your food and drinks. This time, let us all see what gifts do we have for the triplets. Miss Yen and Sir Stefan, can youe over and open some of the gifts?


    "Sure," Cayenne answered excitedly as she pulled her husband to the table of gifts. "Who doesn''t get excited to open gifts? It may not be for me, but I''d like to see what my kids got."


    "Material things aren''t really important. It''s the thought that counts," Stefan added nonchntly but he was really hoping for something.


    "Don''t worry Stefan, we got your back!" Riley yelled in response which got everyoneughing knowingly.


    "Then, let''s open your gifts first," Stefan said and started looking for Riley''s gift but there was a pile of them on the table, he didn''t know where to start looking. "Never mind. Let''s see what we can pick first."


    MC: Let''s start with the small ones.


    "I''m wondering what could fit such small boxes, too" Cayenne said as she picked a small gift box next to her. "This is from my Dad," she muttered and a feeling of deja vu enveloped her.


    She instantly looked up and narrowed her eyes at Reuben who looked away and started feeding his wife. "You''re not giving them a key to a sports car, right?"


    "Of course, not. That could wait until they''re 18," Reuben answered and crossed his arms.


    Cayenne was still adamant to open it.


    "C''mon Yen. Let us all see what Mr. Montefalco got for his grandchildren," David said in anticipation. He wants to see how the familypetes for favoritism with the triplets.


    After a full minute of hesitation, Cayenne finally untied the ribbon and lifted the box cover.


    The anticipation and wariness were gone, and she was left with helplessness.


    Inside the box were two car keys and a yhouse key.


    Before Cayenne could say anything about the gifts, Reuben prattled, "The car keys are for children''s toy cars that they can drive for practice. Rest assured, they''ll be fine. I had someone install a seatbelt for it as well. The yhouse can be transferred by a moving truck. I''ll have someone deliver it. I''m sure the kids will love it."


    "If you say so. Thanks, dad."


    What else can she say? She can''t be ungrateful and choosy. It has happened already.


    "Next, let''s have the gift from grandpa," Stefan said and picked the small box from Ferdinand. "You open it," he added and gave it to his wife.


    Cayenne opened it without further ado and found three jade bracelets inside the box. She remembered seeing it in an auction and thought they were really beautiful, and would suit her children best.


    However, when she heard the starting price of $500,000 USD, she lost interest in it. She didn''t want to spend so much money on three pieces of jewelries, even if they were for her children.


    Who would''ve thought that they would still end up in the hands of her triplets?


    She remembered clearly that these pieces of jade were sold of $1.7 Million USD.


    "The Old Patriarch of the Dumrique household has won," Travismented before taking a sip of his wine.


    "Is that what I think it is?" asked M when she caught a glimpse of the gift.


    "He''s trying his best to mend their rtionship thru the kids - a smart move," Thomas added.


    With gaping mouth, Cayenne thought of buying a safety vault for several gifts that she has including the ones that her children received today.


    "Thank you, grandpa" Stefan expressed and Ferdinand smiled happily. It wad the first time that Stefan thanked him sincerely.


    Later on, this birthday party will be the talk of the town because of the gifts that the kids received, but that is a story forter.


    They continued to open gifts and this time Cayenne picked up the one from David and Kai.


    "Finally, I got something normal," Cayenne stated and pulled out three sets of clothes.


    "I designed them myself," David said which wiped the smile on Cayenne''s face. "Once they''ve grown out of it, you can auction it for a cause. See? I thought of dual purpose."


    "Yeah. Thank you," Cayenne responded and felt that she didn''t want a birthday like this. Her children can''t appreciate the gifts yet. There was no point in giving them expensive stuff. Stay connected via m-v l|e''-NovelBin


    "I promise I didn''t bring anything more than $500," Luna said when she saw her friend''s expression.


    "I got them three shirts on discounts,"  Kath added.


    "I made a painting of the triplets," Jackie stated with a faint smile on her face. She could totally understand Cayenne''s dilemma.


    If you give something valuable to someone who grew up from a poor family, she will be happy but she would also feel a lot of pressure to repay the person with the same value as the gift.


    After opening ten gifts, with seven of them being so expensive that she couldn''t seem to just put it back on the table, worried that they''d be damaged; Cayenne finally had to give a disimer statement for everyone who might watch her video in the next few days.


    It wasn''t her intention to show off.

 Chapter 951: REVENGE I

    The birthday ended with a st despite Cayenne''s dilemma with the gifts.


    The triplets, though they didn''t seem to have any idea of what the celebration was, they also had fun, especially Aziel and Jahzara.


    As for Zeki, people were somehow aware and understanding that he was a little different from other kids.


    He was like an adult that you couldn''t seem to pathom what he''s thinking.


    It was already past eight in the evening when thest guest left.


    ""Let''s all call it a day and rest the night away. I''ll see you all tomorrow," Cayenne told her staff and got into the car without looking back.


    She was so sleepy and she needs energy toplete the rest of the vlog tomorrow.


    "Just take a rest. I''ll wake you up when we get home," Stefan expressed and started gently patting her head.


    Cayenne didn''t think twice and closed her eyes. She needed it.


    ***


    Rocherre: "I thought you''d take revenge. Why are you not taking any actions yet?"


    Vile: "You wait and see. I am better than you."


    Rocherre: "That''s what you said several months ago. You have given them so much leeway and they''re living such a great life while you''re in sewers living a rat life."


    Vile: "You''re no different."


    The person named Rocherre under contacts stopped sending in replies and the icon next to its names states ''offline''.


    The man shoved hisptop away from him and picked up the cup of ck coffee haphazardly. It has gone cold already.


    "Damn it! If I can''t destroy you, I''ll make sure to destroy the people around you," he said in gritted teeth and m his fist on the table.


    His eyes were red from so much anger as he red at the photos stered on the board not far from him.


    He took out his phone and sent someone a message. "There''s  no more waiting. Proceed with n A."


    ***


    The next day, Cayenne continued with the rest of the video that she needed to take before uploading it in the evening.


    She was so busy with a lot of stuff but she always made sure that she still has time for her family and friends.


    Unbeknownst to her, a small stone has been tossed in the water and was creating ripples.


    It wasn''t directed to her or Stefan, but it will inadvertently affect them.


    Meanwhile, Luiz was lying on his bed with an incredulous expression. His phone was right next to his head and you could see David''s contact picture disyed with call details.


    "I know it''s annoying but please don''t give any statement yet. I''m sure this is just another rumor that yourpetitors throw at you. Just let them be," David stated to make prevent Luiz from saying something that could ruin his reputation.


    This was about the news that suddenly resurfaced online. Reporters posted that Luiz had hired someone to be his girlfriend and that he was actually still meeting his ex-girlfriend.


    There were so many spections online regarding this rumor, especially that someone was able to get hold of the guest list of the party yesterday.


    They didn''t see his "girlfriend''s name" but saw his "ex-girlfriend instead."


    "David, you know my bottomline," Luiz responded in a cold tone of voice that shocked his manager.


    It was the first time that he had ever heard Luiz speak that way.


    "I''ll speak with Belle and risse about this matter. Don''t go to any public ces until I tell you so."


    "Okay."


    Although he agreed, Luiz had other ns. As soon as the call ended, he called his sister.


    At this time, Cayenne was feeding the triplets with the banana pur¨¦e that she made. No one had informed her of the problem that Luiz was currently facing.


    "Hi," she greeted and turned speaker on. "Are you at work?"


    "Nope. I don''t have any work in the next few days," Luiz answered honestly but did not state any reason why. Cayenne just thought he was taking a short vacation.


    "Since you''re not busy with anything, do you wanna go fishing at theke? It''s been a while since we did it. It''d be great to rx once in a while with you."


    Your next chapter is on m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    "Sure. It''s weekend tomorrow. We can have our family day tomorrow instead of Sunday."


    "Great! I''ll be waiting for you guys," Cayenne happily responded and chatted with her brother for a little while.


    In the end, Luiz failed to tell his sister about his concern.


    He already had an idea on how to solve the issue; he just called to know how she''d react but he wasn''t able to tell her anything.


    On the other hand, Cayenne stared at her phone when the call ended. She knew that her brothers won''t contact her for nothing, so she decided to give him a phone call instead.


    However, Luiz didn''t answer her calls. Cayenne dialed his number thrice to no avail.


    On the fourth time, just as she was about to press the call button, she received Stefan''s message.


    The content distracted her train of thoughts and though it was a little sad and unfair, she quickly forgot her reason for calling her brothers.


    In the end, Stefan caught her attention and all she could think of was his message.


    "I''ll just finish feeding the children and put them to sleep. I''ll be right there," she replied to his message and asked the nannies help her feed the kids.


    [What could have happened at the foundation office? Why didn''t Jackson inform me?] Cayenne asked herself with an anxious expression.


    She didn''t want anything to happen to the foundation that she worked so hard for to help others.


    She read her husband''s message to her again. [Hon,e to the foundation office as soon as you can. There''s an urgent matter that needs your attention.]


    No matter how much she tried to change her tone to please herself, the statement still sounded negative.


    And since Stefan chose to send her a message, it only means that he''s in a situation that prevents him to make phone calls.


    "Ma...mama..."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!