Enzo’s house was nothing like what I’d expected it to be. Being such a successful lawyer, I’d expected nothing short of a luxurious penthouse apartment in New York. And rightly so, that was where he lived. His penthouse was on the 46th floor, revealing a magnificent view of the city from the skies. However, the house was rather… empty. It had a huge living room with a gray sofa set without any TV. There were absolutely no paintings hung on the walls, which was strange because after seeing how much he was willing to spend for a painting in that auction, I’d expected him to be a collector. As I ventured further into the house, I saw a lifeless kitchen with the same gray furniture. I couldn’t help but sigh at the state of the house. Despite having such an advantage of natural light and the overlooking city view, the house looked dead to me. There were two rooms in the apartment and another small room for storage, I assumed. Enzo said that his room also had a computer, so he mostly us
The memory was all a blur in my memory, owing to the fact that it all happened long long ago. I wasn’t sure how or why, but as he mentioned the date to me, it all came flooding back. Suddenly everything fell into place in my head, the puzzle solving by itself. Every event of that day was slowly coming back to me, making me remember everything vividly. “You..” I stammered, “You are Enzo.. the one that I..” He smiled, “Yes.” He nodded, “The one that you pulled out of that house of fire.” It was perhaps twenty years ago that it happened. It was when I was still living in an orphanage, before my parents decided to adopt me. Thankfully, I don’t remember much from that phase of my life, one because I was very young and also because it wasn’t necessarily fond memories I held from that place. Like any other foster care, we were all severely neglected, and sometimes even treated ill. To make things worse, I don’t remember having any notable companionship except for one friend, Enzo. He wa
Calvin's POV. My day barely began and I was already having a headache. I sipped onto my coffee mug resting by the table, and realized that it was empty. I had already emptied a cup of black coffee, and yet my head was throbbing. Caffeine cannot fix sleeplessness, of course, I slowly realized. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a full night’s sleep without the worry of my missing wife, my sinking business and an angry father. The only ray of sunshine in my life right now was Becky and her arrival back into my world, but the rest of my world was in such an awry state that I’m barely able to appreciate her presence amidst all of this. Pulling myself away from my thoughts, I tried to focus on the screen in front of me. I was having a meeting soon with the board of directors where I was supposed to present our business plan for the next few months, and I couldn’t think of anything. The truth was that I had no plan. I had no idea how to revive this business after it had already incu
Calvin’s POVA knock came on my door, interrupting my thoughts. “Come in,” I said gruffly. I was not in a mood to entertain any visitors today, so it better be important. It was Austin, my secretary, that revealed himself as the door opened. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at him. The man is always interrupting me in the worst possible moments. “Whatever it is, I’m not in the mood, Austin.” I said, burying my face in my palms. Gently rubbing my temples, I added, “Leave me alone.” “You’re going to want to hear this, Boss.” He persisted. I looked up at him in annoyance, “I told you I don’t want to hear it, whatever it may be!” “But..” He hesitated, “it’s about-”I glared at him, “I said I don’t want to-”“It’s about Cassie.” He blurted in a hurry. I was cut off mid-sentence as I heard his words. Widening my eyes, I said, “What did you say?” “I found out where she is.” He replied, “You asked me to, remember?” A weird sense of relief flooded over me. After she was given bail, I
Cassie’s POV The next morning, I awoke early, despite tossing and turning in my bed for hours together, chasing sleep. By the time I had stepped out of my room, it was past 8 am and Enzo was nowhere to be found. He has already gone to work, I presumed. I had decided to meet Kelly for lunch later today, so until then, I essentially had the entire house for myself. Fixing myself a quick cup of coffee, I settled down by the kitchen counter and lazily ran my eyes over the empty space of the house. The one thing that stood about the house was how bland it was, how lifeless and empty it seemed. It almost felt criminal that Enzo was wasting the enormous potential this house had. This beautiful space needed some upgrading for sure, but it wasn’t my call to make. I mean, I would be living here for a little while, until I got my own space, so it would be terribly rude of me to suggest Enzo try to get some furniture in here. He looks like he can afford it. If it was his busy lifestyle that
The ring of a bell chimed in the air. Before I could get up from the pool of clothes I submerged myself in, Kelly got up from her seat and walked out of the room to get to the door. I could faintly hear her conversation and made out that our lunch was delivered. Pushing all the stuff away from my lap, I got up and headed out the door. After the unfortunate phone call with Calvin, I realized that I was in no mood to head out for lunch. Moreover, I needed her company immediately, so I rang up Kelly and asked her to come home instead. Since she wanted to help me unpack my things, we got to it while I ranted to her till my heart was content. We settled down by the kitchen counter to eat our lunch which was some alfredo chicken pasta. As I took the first bite, Kelly grimaced, “Everyday is a new surprise to me.” “What?” I asked, not sure what she was referring to. Did she not like the food?“About Calvin.” She clarified to my relief. “I mean, why is he being such a hypocrite? Has he alw
As the elevator took me up the floors, I looked out of the transparent glass. The view of the office didn’t change a bit, it was just like how I saw it the last time, which was almost four months ago. I had come for a small party Calvin threw for his employees, and as his wife, I had to make an appearance. I couldn’t help but remember that night with some bitterness and some fondness. Although Calvin wasn’t the most affectionate husband, he was surprisingly nice to me that entire evening. He took special interest in introducing me to everyone, including his interns and other new employees. For the first time in my life, it felt like he was finally making peace with the fact that I was his wife. It felt as though he didn’t mind my presence beside him or in his life, and that it ignited a small hope within me. It made me wonder if things would finally go back to being normal, if we would finally become a couple that I had always dreamt of. However, that dream of mine was short-lived,
“Cassie, stop!” Calvin’s angry voice came from behind me, but I did not pay any heed to it. Determined to get out of there as soon as possible, I kept walking. I felt a grip on my elbow then, and before I could protest, I was being dragged into a room to my left. As the door shut behind, Calvin pinned me to it and looked down at me menacingly. “Calvin!” I shrieked, trying to get out of his hold, “Let go of me.” “How dare you do this?” He said, tightening his grip on my arms. I looked up at him in astonishment. Was he seriously asking me this question? Is he truly that daft that he thought I would remain a loyal wife to him after everything he’s put me through? As I looked into his eyes in annoyance, I was surprised to find hurt in them. Not anger, but hurt. He looked at me as though I was betraying him, as though I was stabbing him in the back. Either I had to be delusional or he was good at manipulating me, only that would explain why he was looking at me like that.“It’s because
Cassie’s POV My heart refused to calm down until I saw Enzo walking inside. His eyes were red, his face filled with sorrow and regret. Yet, he managed to give me a kind smile. “Hey.” “The baby’s fine.” I muttered. Enzo walked up to me quietly, and sat down on the edge of the bed. Taking my hand into his, he gave it a gentle squeeze, “How are you?” “I’m okay.” I said, “It wasn’t that bad. I think I just got too scared.” “I got your note.” He said, his eyes looking at her entwined hands. “You did?” I said, exhaling, “Well, I meant it. I love you, Enzo.” His eyes found mine then, and then he instantly leaned forward to plant a kiss on my lips. “I was so scared for you.” “Me too.” I said, “I was afraid that I would die without telling you how I really feel. I delayed it for too long, Enzo. I was afraid to admit my own feelings. I guess… I guess I was not ready to accept that there was… that I love you. I guess I was scared that I would lose myself all over again, or worse.. That
Enzo’s POV Life was cruel. Anybody who witnessed my life in the last few months would agree with me on that. I just stepped into a meeting when I got Kelly’s call. She was wailing on the phone, barely holding up to tell me what happened. But I managed to deduce something. Cassie met with an accident. There was a car involved, and she was unconscious at the scene. My brain was paralysed for a moment. I froze in time. It wasn’t until my colleague asked if I was alright that I realized that I wasn’t. I instantly cancelled the meeting and got out of there. On my way down the elevator, the hospital called me. They were examining Cassie, and they won’t know how she is doing for a while. And there was no news about the baby. Every passing second felt like an eternity. I sped past all the signals, breaking every traffic rule as I went to the hospital. As soon as I got there, I headed into the emergency, suspecting that that was where Cassie was. “Mr. De Luca?” said a nurse at the recep
By the time evening rolled around, I couldn’t help but feel content with the day. It felt great to get behind the computer, doing what I truly loved. Once I got done with work, I called Enzo.“Hey,” I said, heading down. “Are you coming to pick me up?” Enzo paused for a second, “Shit, I completely forgot.” He said, “I’m so sorry, Cassie. I got held up at work. Why don’t you wait for a few minutes? I’ll send my driver right away.” “No, don’t worry about it.” I said, “I’ll just take the bus. The studio’s just ten minutes away from here.” “No, no. I’ll send the driver. It’s not going to take long.” “Enzo, it’ll take fifteen minutes at least. I can reach the studio in that time.” I said, “It’s fine. It’s not like I have to walk there. The bus is convenient.” “I’m sorry. I don’t know how I forgot.” “You’re a busy man, it’s fine.” I said, “I’ll see you for dinner?”“Yes, I’ll pick you up from the studio at 8?” “Done. Can’t wait to see you.” With that, I cut the call and got outside
I rolled my eyes, “Don’t try to deny it, Calvin. I know you’re having a baby with Becky. And you know what? Go ahead. I don’t care. We’re divorced, and let’s not forget that.” He was enraged with my words, “Shut up, Cassie. I’m not having a baby with Becky.” Oh, my God. This man. He was insufferable. How could he lie to me about it after everything? “Yeah, well, then, someone else is. Because I saw her at the hospital the other day when she came for her checkup.” Calvin widened his eyes, sinking back into his chair as though realization just struck him. He grabbed the water bottle and chugged it, his hands shaking. What was happening? Did he really not know that she was pregnant? “Who was she with?” He asked. “Alone.” I said, “Did you not know?” He shook his head and abruptly got up. “I need to go.” “Wait, what about our meeting?” I asked, but he didn’t stop. He stormed out of the room. “Bloody hell.” I muttered to myself. “What was that about?” I instantly dialled Enzo’s nu
A week later, I was standing in front of Clark and Mason Corporation. Despite Enzo’s reluctance to let me work, I signed with them earlier this week. I would be one of their programmers, and if all went well, Professor Clark said there would be bigger roles for me to fulfil. “All the best.” he mumbled as he lowered the window of his carLeaning in, I planted a kiss on his mouth. “Thank you.” “I’ll pick you up in the evening.” he said, “or worst case, I’ll send my driver.” “Okay.” With that said, I walked into the building. It didn’t take me long to find their office, where Melissa, one of my teammates, took me inside. “Hello, Cassandra. I’m so glad to finally see you.” She said, “You can imagine how difficult it was for us after our programmer resigned last month. The entire team has been eagerly waiting for you to join us.” “I can’t wait to meet them either.” I said, “Although, we’re supposed to meet our client today. Isn’t it?” “Yes. He’s already waiting for us.” She said,
A phone call woke me up the next morning. It was eight in the morning, and the person calling me was my professor, Michael Clark. “Switch it off.” Enzo said, pulling my body deeper into his embrace. His voice was thick with unfinished sleep. Sighing, I gently pulled his hand away. “Sorry.” I quickly mumbled before I hurried into the kitchen to take the call. “Mr. Clark. Good morning.” I said. “Good Morning, Cassandra. I hope I haven’t caught you at the wrong time.” “Not at all.” “Right, then I’ll cut to the chase.” He said, “I called you to ask if you’d be interested in working for me?” I frowned, “I’m sorry?” “I heard you’ve resigned from De Luca’s firm. If you are looking for an exciting job, we have an opening for you. If you’re interested, I’ll email you all the details.” “I…” Wow. “Mr. Clark, I’m not sure if… I didn’t really think about-” “It’s alright. I don't need an answer right away. Think it over, I’ll send you an email in the meantime. Just, write back to me in a
I never truly gauged the depth of his emotion. I knew he was an intense person, and whatever he felt, he felt deeply. It was evident in his acts of service. But there, seeing him so weak and fragile made me realize that there was so much to him that I was unaware of. “Fucking hell, Cassie.” He said, letting out a grunt. “I could not forgive myself for it till this day.” I said, “But what could I have done? I had no choice.” “You should have come to me.” He said, “You should have told me. I could have helped you. Heck, I could have hunted your father down and put him in front of you.” I shrugged, “I don’t know, Enzo. I guess I was scared for him and didn't want to take any risk. I was desperate to meet him, and they took advantage of that.” “No shit.” He said, “I’m not going to spare her.” “No, please.” I said, putting my arms around his shoulder. Turning him to face me, I said, “I've had enough with her. I don’t want her anywhere in our lives now.” “She won’t come as far as a
I let out a shaky breath, wondering how I got myself in this situation. Enzo was just coming around, and revealing the truth to him will anger him further. Plus, he was drunk. “Why don’t we go to bed, already? We can talk tomorrow.” I said, and walked to the switchboard to kill the lights, but Enzo caught my hand. He pulled me back to stand before him, fixing me with a stern look on his face, “You’re trying to escape the conversation. You’re hiding something from me.” “I’m not hiding anything.” “And now you’re lying.” He said, getting up. “I knew that there was more to the story than what you were letting on, Cassie. It wasn't like you to randomly leave me like that. Tell me, what was the real reason?”“I told you what the reason was. That is all there is to it.” “I don’t buy it.” He said, “I can see it in your eyes that you didn’t mean it. I can see the regret in your eyes. You’re not proud of how you handled things. Why would you regret things if you truly wanted to do it in t
“You won’t get it,” Enzo said, disappointed all over again. I wanted to say something. Anything. To reassure him that I understood him. That I’m open to his love. But I couldn’t. Something held me back. Maybe it was my own shame, or the fact that it might be too late. His shoulder slumped in defeat. Glancing at the watch, he said, “I better get going.” “Wait.” I said, desperate to make him stop. It didn’t feel right to let him go. Not like this. I needed an excuse to make him stick around for longer. “It’s raining outside.” I said, looking at the window. “There was a storm warning earlier. I think you should wait.” He sighed, “I’m exhausted, Cassie. I haven’t had dinner either. I-” “I’ll cook for you.” I said, “Or if you can’t wait, I have leftovers. I can heat that up for you.” He considered it for a moment. Perhaps the gods were on my side today, that Enzo begrudgingly agreed. I could tell that he was still irritated with me, but it was fine. I knew his anger wouldn’t last v