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Chapter Fifty-Five
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2021-04-04 10:57:11Cassandra stepped out of the SUV, happily stretching her cramped limbs. The private airfield was only a few miles from the estate, but she'd already spent most of her day in the sitting position. Now she'd have to endure a plane ride with more of the butt-numbing activity, only this time she'd have extensive legroom. The door to the aircraft was already opened, with its staircase descending towards the pavement. Her feet shuffled in the direction of the car parked in front of them. Even though the other staff members were already headed for the aircraft, she had an assignment: act like a friend, not the help. She decided a friend would wait for Jade.
She stood near the rear of the vehicle, crossing her arms over her chest. The evening air chilled her. Neither Jade nor Miguel had exited the vehicle yet. He was giving the staff time to get settled. She turned when she heard the driver's door open a few moments later. Jade's door was the closest to him, so she was let out fiRelated chapters
Rendezvous Chapter Fifty Six
Jade bent her neck, staring up at the hotel. It was nothing short of modern, located on what was known as Billionaire's Row on 57th Street. Every level of the large tower was made of reflective glass that cast off prismatic gleams from the surrounding city lights. She could barely make out the brightly-lit night sky between the narrow spaces of the surrounding buildings."Welcome to the Park Hyatt, Mr. Santos," The bellman greeted, propping the door open as they neared the entrance. Her feet followed, holding onto Miguel's hand as another uniformed man led them to the elevator, only he was wearing what appeared to be a butler suit. She could feel the stares as they crossed the lobby, everyone wondering what made her so special that she would be the lucky girl on his arm. It made her proud, anxious, and bothered all at once. Once inside the lift, the hotel staff member pressed the button marked PH.That's when she noticed they were on a private elevator, reser
Last Updated : 2021-04-04Rendezvous Chapter Fifty-Seven
The next morning Jade wasn't surprised when she had found herself alone. Miguel always left for work before she woke, and today was no different. She had woken up several times throughout the night to find him clicking away at his keyboard. She unraveled the soft sheet from around her limbs and pushed herself out of bed, the kitchen now being her primary target. Skipping dinner had left her hungrier than usual. Her feet padded across the cold hardwood floor, slowing to take in the view of varying-height rooftops spread out in all directions.As she rounded the corner, her eyes fell onto a thick envelope on the countertop. Her fingers hesitated as she picked it up, examining the contents. Inside she found a stack of cash along with a black Amex card and instantly knew Miguel had left it there for her.Great!Her chest instantly sighed with dread. Jadehad hoped that he would've changed his mind or maybe forget about the idea altogether.
Last Updated : 2021-04-04Rendezvous Chapter Fifty-Eight
It was well into the afternoon when Jade felt her feet dragging along, tired of walking and being stepped on by other tourists. Last-minute holiday shoppers were a whole different level of aggressive. They had stopped at almost every store along the way, starting withArmani, where Jade picked up a silk dress with tulle sleeves, a leather handbag, and a pair of aviator sunglasses. They circled back to East 57th Street, where they continued ontoLouis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Burberry, Chanel, Dior, andFendi.In total, Jade had calculated that she had spent roughly over twenty-thousand dollars, and by the amount of bags on Cassandra's arms, she had a lot to show for it. Although Jade made it a point not to focus on price tags, she also didn't want to buy everything just for the sake of proving a point. The items that had caught her eye were few and far between, but they also were exceedingly expensive. Still, she never blinke
Last Updated : 2021-04-04Rendezvous Chapter Fifty-Nine
Jade lifted her hands, inspecting the wrinkles that had developed on the beds of her fingertips, and then pulled the plug, allowing the dirty bathwater water drain out. The liquid had gone cold. While she was warming herself from the outside-in, Miguel had wandered off, leaving her to unwind from the day. The television was playing at full volume in the other room, and she wondered if he had decided to look at his credit card statement. She hoped not. Placing a dripping foot onto the bathmat, Jade reached for a towel. She wrapped it around herself and then headed for the closet in search of something to wear to bed.Miguel was in the bedroom where she anticipated him to be, going through the items from her bags. "You bought more than I was expecting," he said over his shoulder, holding up a chemise teddy with lace trim. His tone sounded approving. "I don't suppose you'd model this for me, hm?"She smirked, "If you like that, just wait until you see what I picke
Last Updated : 2021-04-04Rendezvous Chapter Sixty
It was Christmas morning when Jade emerged from the bedroom, sleepy-eyed and feet dragging like a child waiting to see what Santa had left her under the tree. "Miguel?" she called out, wondering what all the ruckus was about. Voices had woken her up, and even though they had only been loud whispers, sound traveled easily through the apartment. She tightened the belt on her robe before rounding the corner and then stopped, her jaw slack in astonishment. There was a Christmas tree, not a real one and not very big, but it had white twinkling lights and an assortment of beautiful ribbons, balls, and beads. All the staff members were there as well, standing around the four-foot-high tree, trying to help arrange the decorations that had been messed up during its relocation to their apartment. Miguel was crouched down on the floor, his back turned to her, placing something underneath it.Jade let out a low laugh, recognizing it. "Did you steal this from the lobby downstairs?" Sh
Last Updated : 2021-04-04Rendezvous Chapter Sixty-One
Jade steadied a foot on the side of the boat, clutched the wooden post with one hand, and then maneuvered herself onto the dock with the help of Miguel. Her hair, which she had fought to keep pulled back against the strong wind, was disheveled and tangled from the boat ride. She spat out a strand that had been caught in her mouth and walked to the edge of the pier, studying the scenery. A little way up the shoreline, on the top of a hill covered in the undergrowth of botanical plants and an orchard of fruit trees, there was a white-washed stucco house with a rustic-red, terracotta rooftop. Along the face of the house, she could see a blackened hollow where the front door should've been and several sets of opened shutters that allowed panels of sheer white curtains to escape out into the breeze.Miguel guardedly looked behind him, noticing that she had suddenly stopped and was now squatting on the edge of the pier. He patiently watched as she gripped a sneaker
Last Updated : 2021-04-04Rendezvous Chapter Sixty-Two
Jade crouched on the end of a craggy boulder that was partially buried under the large dune, welcoming the warm and rough texture as she pulled her knees into her chest, resting her chin across her folded arms. Looking out over the water, the sun had begun receding into the horizon, casting a vermilion glow over the rolling swells of the ocean. The calming rhythm of the water that lapped against the shoreline filled her senses, easing the stress-induced tautness of her shoulders.Glancing back at the face of the house, a kaleidoscopic of warm hues saturated the landscape. It looked unbelievable, like one of those places that most people would only ever see while thumbing through a travel brochure. It felt too overwhelming to be at the house right now, to be anywhere near Miguel. Jade had to excuse herself during their earlier conversation, aware that it would be impolite to confront him in front of the D'aguilars. The last thin
Last Updated : 2021-04-04Rendezvous Chapter Sixty-Three
Jade bounced on the balls of her feet as she headed down the stairs, her ponytail swaying with each footfall. "You remembered to bring the sunblock, right?" She questioned Cassandra, who was only steps behind her. The girl quickly rummaged through the bag, second-guessing herself. "Yes, I have it right here," the girl mumbled.The fabric of her dress fluttered in the wind as she stepped into the morning sunlight, pushing a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. It was officially her last day on the island, and she intended to enjoy every second of it.Their getaway hadn't gotten off to a great start. That first night, after they'd gone downstairs for dinner, the power had suddenly gone out, leaving them sitting in the dark. At first, Jade was convinced it was because of the storm. It turned out that the house ran off a diesel generator, and after investigating, it was determined they had run out of fuel. Jacob suspected someone had siphoned it all, "Probably one of
Last Updated : 2021-04-05
Latest chapter
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Nine
Grace is the divine power that inspires virtue in humans and gives us the strength to endure difficult times. Grace Elizabeth Santos was born on June 29th at 3:17 pm. The first time Jade laid eyes on her, she believed her daughter was absolutely perfect in every sense. She never truly understood what love was until she laid her eyes on her daughter and cradled her tiny, pink body in her arms for the first time. It was the most magical moment she'd ever felt. Grace came out screaming, wide-eyed, and confused by the strange cold world, but the moment she heard the sound of her mother's voice, she froze and just blinked, listening for her. "I could lay here forever studying her features and adoring every little movement and noise she makes," Jade whispered as she softly hummed to Grace who was sleeping in her arms.&n
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Eight
"Time keeps slipping away from me," Jade thought to herself, sipping on a cup of morning tea as she gazed out the window. Her drink had already gone cold. Was her memory failing her? How many days had passed? Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset, she tried to count them all, but it was difficult—fuzzy like static on the television. At this point, nothing made sense. One moment it was two in the morning, and she was lying in bed next to Miguel, and the next, she was here, sitting in this chair, having a cup of tea. She didn't know what was real or which memories she could believe.She was losing her mind, just as her mother had.Miguel had to have known that there was something wrong with her, although she attempted to conceal it. There had been no way to explain to him how she ended up in the ocean, drenched from head to toe and nearly frozen to death. She couldn't explain it. She couldn't
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Seven
The following day, Jade had been medically cleared to leave the hospital. After signing a mountain of paperwork and receiving follow-up care instructions, she began getting dressed. The clothes alone brought a comfort she had greatly missed. Miguel had run out earlier that morning to grab her something to change into for the flight home. She couldn't exactly leave there in nothing but a thin hospital gown, and the clothes she had been wearing were now somewhere in an evidence bag. "One pair of black leggings, slippers, and an oversized t-shirt," Miguel beamed as he placed the shopping bag on the hospital bed, proud of himself. Even if there wasn't currently an assistant around to fulfill the task, he was determined to get them both out of that hospital room. After she was officially discharged, a nurse wheeled her down the elevator to
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Six
Their reunion had been long-awaited, but as Miguel sat diagonally from her in an armchair in the corner of the room, sorting through the emails on his cellphone, she couldn't help but feel like there was a rift between them. She turned the television on to watch the five o'clock news. Lieutenant Davidson had mentioned that he would be giving a statement to the press that evening, and he'd even stopped by to ask her if there was anything she would or wouldn't prefer him to mention. She'd decided to give him her own brief statement to read.The top of the screen read 'LIVE' in big, bold red letters. "Are they really outside right now?" Jade questioned, seeing the camera was angled at the front doors of the hospital. Her room was positioned somewhere in the north wing. She wondered how many people had driven all the way to Pittsburg just to film this.She turned the volume up as
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Five
Lieutenant Lyle Davidson leaned forward in his chair, rubbing over the scruff around his chin. He was heading into his second double shift, and the week had only started. He flipped the page, scanning over the investigative report one last time. It was unfathomable that this woman was good for it. Her demeanor definitely had him fooled. When one of his detectives had first sent over the file to him, he thought, for sure, the boyfriend had something to do with it. Shit, wasn't it always the boyfriend in cases like these? At the time, it had seemed cut and dry. Some arrogant rich guy gets a chick pregnant, and then she suddenly turns up missing? Babies born out of wedlock could bleed a man dry, and money was one hell of a motive. Hell, it wouldn't be the first time he'd had a case like this come across his desk.A smile crossed his face as he snapped the folder shut. Between the physical and forensic evidence collected at the crime scene and Jade Meadows' affidavit, he had
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Four
The sounds of the hospital were unmistakable, and Jade recognized them before she even came to. Machines continuously beeped around her, footsteps paraded in front of the doorway, and an elastic band that was tightly wrapped around her abdomen monitored the baby's heartbeat— swish, swish, swish.She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, glancing around the small room. The walls were painted a flat pale blue, and the miniblinds on the windows let in a beautiful stream of afternoon sunlight. The tables and windowsill were lined with dozens of flowers, cards, balloons, and teddy bears. They'd been pouring in, all sent to her from strangers.The doctors had transferred her from triage to a private suite earlier in the day. From the moment she'd uttered the word 'kidnapped,' it was like she'd set off an alarm throughout the building. It felt like a million p
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Three
Jade was startled awake by a thud. Lying on the tiny bathroom rug, she didn't dare move. She was frozen in fear, not exactly sure what or who was out there. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but it had been the first time in months she'd been without the lock around her ankle. It was so relieving to know that she free from her chains, even if she was stuck in the bathroom. She wondered if Marianna was there. The woman didn't usually come back for several weeks at a time, but Jade thought that perhaps she'd called Eduardo, and when he didn't answer, she'd rushed back.She listened carefully to the surrounding silence, only hearing the vibration of her trembling breath. The house was silent; there was nothing. No footsteps or voices. Just her and the ghost of Eduardo. "Hello?" She finally called out. If it were Marianna, perhaps she would open the door, and then Jade could overpower her.
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Two
Jade already knew that he'd allow her upstairs after Nadia had left. They always fell back into their old routine, and as predicted, after breakfast, he unchained her. It made her feel twenty pounds lighter. She'd nearly forgotten about the scissors wedged against her breast and had to stop herself from reaching up and touching them to make sure they were still there. She glanced back at the mattress as they walked towards the stairs, him in front of her. The scissors hadn't fallen out. She thought about pulling the scissors out right then and there and stabbing him but then decided against it. Knowing her luck, he'd probably fall backward on top of her and she'd die under his weight.That's not why she couldn't do it, though; it was because fear had a way of paralyzing you. She'd been here for months and never screamed out to his family for help, never attempted to escape. Why? Because females tended to l
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-One
Sometimes it was nice to be able to hear what's going on upstairs, and then there were days where Jade would rather shove sharpened pencils through her eardrums than listen to one more second of Nadia's neurotic voice. The lunatic had woken up bright and early that morning and had been raging ever since. Their voices carried through the walls depending on where they were standing, giving Jade little bits of their conversation. She surmised that Nadia doesn't like his cat. "Well, at least it's not me that she's going all schizo on."Their conversation waded in and out like a tide, "I'm not getting rid of her!" Eduardo declared as the keys jangled in the door. "Ahh! Breakfast, at last." Things never seemed to operate smoothly while Nadia was here. Jade liked that he had a routine. It made captivity easier, not having to question what was going to come next constantly.
