… “What you did then was really careless and would have had your cover blown” …
He could hear the voice of his uncle roar in his head when he knew of his reaction to seeing Michelle. He didn’t want to take the blame since he wasn’t told about her and didn’t know that he had a relationship with that lady.
The only blonde he has a memory of is Myra whom he is seeking revenge. So, this lady is new to him, even though he could feel like they really had a thing before the whole accident happened.
When he had made his uncle sure that he wouldn’t mess up again and reassured him that he is still on his side, he stayed in his room for a few days and also missed some of the days he was to follow Dimitri to the office just to think about the whole thing happening.
Darius had made it clear to him severally that this family is behind what happened but he isn’t as convinced as he was before he came here to live with them. He knew that a person’s character is a cloud of smoke and can’t stay hidden for long.
The Lorenzo’s seem to be a nice and welcoming family, he had gone through some past files and had hired a private agent to dig into their lives and business to see if there is something fishing going on but with the reports that have gotten to him so far, they are contrary to what he was fed.
He still feels like something is missing and he wants to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible. Darius sent him on a mission here but he came for something different and he is slowly getting a hang of it.
Cade is aware of the separate plan Darius has for this family, Darius didn’t tell him about it but he overheard him discussing it with one of his top guards who will execute the plan when the time comes.
He is still at the investigating stage of who really this family is to him and wouldn’t want Darius's plan for revenge to disrupt his so he needs to act fast and by that, he needs information from someone who knows them.
Dimitri wouldn’t really discuss much when their dad is around which was late and he can’t ask the blonde man he knows as Aiden or the brooding cousin, Caleb. Neither can he ask any of their partners, it will give them the wrong message and he doesn’t want anyone finding out about his plan yet.
Then it occurred to him.
“Michelle” he whispered.
He stood to his feet and picked up his phone then scrolled to her contacts, he stared at it for a moment as he tried to calm his nerves.
Michelle was his girlfriend he met online before making that trip to her hometown. he didn’t catch up on what was going on but had to listen carefully to them so as not to slip.
She seems close to the family and might have just what he wants to know.
When he felt like his heart wouldn’t jump out of his chest, he pressed her number to call then placed his phone against his ear as he waits for her to pick up.
After three rings, she picked up.
“Hi Cade” she sounded excited.
“Hey Michelle, how are you today?”
“Better than always, how about you?”
“I am okay… I… do you have anything you’re doing now?” he asked then he heard some shuffling in the background before it stopped.
“Uh, no… you need something?”
“Yes, I need a… uh… do you want to hang out?” he asked, finding it strange to ask.
She chuckled “You sound nervous, you’re okay?” she asked.
“Yes, I am and I am not nervous, I just wanted to ask if you were busy so we can hang out,” he told her and she chuckled again.
“It did sound like you were asking me out for the first time, remember how much of a hard time I gave you when you were still trying to woo me” she mentioned and laughed.
Cade frowned as he didn’t remember what she is talking about but he was sure he nailed it well when he asked and wasn’t wimpy.
“I am very sure that I was good with that. I skillfully nailed it” he said with confidence.
“If you call texting me about your ‘fake aunt’s feeble dog’ who leaps on his front right paws and back left paws then switching to ask me for a virtual date a ‘skillfully nailed wooing’ then suit yourself,” she said.
He frowned at that and was going to argue when she spoke again.
“And why do you sound like you have no memory of all that?” he could hear the difference in her voice.
Feeling like she might have noticed his slip he decides to change the topic quickly.
“Why would I forget, I’ll come to pick you up at your hotel by five?”
She paused for a while before sighing “Sure, I’ll be expecting you”
“Okay, I will be there soon”
“I should be fancy?”
“Casual and comfortable,” he said before bidding her goodbye and disconnecting the call.
He placed his head in his palm and let out a sigh as he tries to get himself back.
“Don’t mess things up Massimo, don’t mess things up” he repeats to himself then stood to his feet to get himself ready to leave.
…
They were walking in a park as the sun began to set quickly, he had come to take her from her hotel minutes ago and told her that he didn’t bring a car, rather he came with a taxi and want them to take a walk to the park where they can spend more time with each other.
She looked reluctant at first but when she saw the same smile she fell in love with on his lips, she followed him.
Both of them have been walking in silence for the past minutes, hands in their pockets, a few inches away from each other, just letting the quiet sink around them.
Michelle tries to think about the unexpected visit she had prior to Cade’s coming to get her for that hanging out he called her about. She was expecting Cade and didn’t bother to check who knocked when she opened the door to meet a different man standing in front of her door.
She was just glad that he didn’t hurt her like he said when she looked scared to see him. he didn’t seem like a bad person and had no negative energy around him, so she told him to take some steps away if he wants her to hear him out.
The few words he said to her were shocking to her and it kept her wondering about it till Cade came to pick her up. She knew him from nowhere but he came to tell her a piece of information that might affect their entire family and she isn’t sure if she should believe him or not.
It’s not in her traits to believe what a total stranger tells her but this was something that relates to all their family. That was why she felt reluctant to go with Cade when he came for her, all the excitement she felt when she found out about him being alive went down the drain and she doesn’t want to behave in a questioning manner toward him.
They got to a bench and Cade stopped to look at Michelle was still deep in her thoughts as she continues walking without realizing he had stopped. He called out to her but she didn’t respond so he went after her and grabbed her by the arm which took her by surprise.
He let go of her arm when she turned to him and was going to apologize when she spoke.
“Oh, I didn’t know you had already stopped,” she said, trying to sound cheerful.
He frowned when he noticed the drastic change in her aura when he came to see her now and it made him wonder what the issue was. He was really hoping that she doesn’t know anything now, or else this will be more difficult than he planned in his head.
“You’re okay?” he asked and brought her closer to himself by her waist.
She sucks in a deep breath and tried to steady her now wobbly legs as she placed her hand on his shoulders for support, while his hands still held her by the waist.
“Cade…” she whispered.
“Are you okay?” he asked again and she opened her eyes to meet with his really beautiful kind eyes, eyes that gave her hope of his returning after almost six years.
“I… I am…” she stutters and closed her eyes to collect her thoughts then she leaned her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his torso, it took a while for him to place his arms around her.
“I just missed you, I… your return has been a major hope, and prayer for me every single day. I have hoped for your return, prayed, and talked about it to those who cared to listen” she chuckled as she remembered those crazy days “Thankfully, your mum is a great listener” she leaned back to look at him.
“You mean you waited for almost six years, never dated anyone but just hoped for my return even when there was no hope?” he asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face she nods then a tear slipped out of her eyes.
Cade couldn’t explain what was happening to his heart when he saw the tears slip out of her eyes. He was trained never to have any remorse or feelings for anyone, no matter the emotion playing on the person’s face, he can pretend to be emotional but they mustn’t feel real like it feels now.
He could feel like this moment between them had happened but he tried to search his memory for it and couldn’t find anything, no image of her except the blurry playback of a blonde he feels close to.
‘It should be Myra, not her’. He thought to himself but he could remember being close to Myra and there weren’t any of these new feelings he had for this blonde in his arms for Myra.
‘How close were we?’ he wants to ask but couldn’t, that would blow his cover and she wouldn’t believe him. Funny, seeing as he wants her to believe and lean on him.
He wiped the tears from her eyes and kept eye contact with her.
“I looked crazy then” she laughed and he managed a smile “Even Dave advised that it wasn’t good for my health to keep believing in the impossible”
She broke eye contact and let out a sigh before looking back at him and trying to gauge the dam of tears her eyes held.
“I looked so stupid hoping for something that no hope was tied to. When the body we thought to be yours was brought, there was nothing that any doctor could do to give you life. Life couldn’t survive in that body with how damaged it looked but I still believed that you were out there coming back to us” she cried and he cradles her face as he wipes her tears.
Then it hit him, she talked about a body being brought to them instead of his, who could that have been? Who planted someone who is obviously not him and made it seem like it was him? Was it his uncle?
He shook his head at that thought and tried to think of who gave them another body and had him taken to the Devantos. Cade wondered what she meant by that and was going to ask further but her next sentence made him cold to his feet, his eyes widened, chills ran down his spine and he felt frozen to the ground.
“I have waited long, long to be in your arms and be safe but now I don’t think I want that, now that I already found out about what you are here for” she left his arms and took a few steps away from him.
“Tell me, what exactly happened to you, Cade?”