Chapter twenty sixAs the resonant knock echoed through their room, Catherine shot Dario a quizzical look, confusion etched into her features. "Expecting someone?" she inquired, her tone laced with curiosity.Dario's solemn shake of the head only deepened Catherine's perplexity as she rose to confront the mysterious visitor. With a hesitant twist of the knob, she swung the door open to reveal Mia, Rosita's personal maid."Mia?" Catherine called out, her brow furrowing with bewilderment. She couldn't recall ever exchanging more than passing pleasantries with the elusive servant, making her early appearance all the more intriguing.With a graceful bow, Mia delivered her enigmatic message, her voice soft yet laden with unspoken secrets. "Ma'am Rosita requests your presence," she intoned, her head bowed in deference."Why?" Catherine probed, her gaze searching for any hint of explanation in Mia's lowered stance."She didn't disclose her intentions, miss," Mia replied, her eyes never meeti
Chapter twenty sevenDario nudged her forward, urging her towards the couple who stood before her, Caitlin's parents. Catherine hesitated, feeling an unfamiliar shyness wash over her as she approached."Hey, Dad," Catherine greeted tentatively, her voice sounding foreign as she waved hesitantly. It felt strange to utter the word "dad," a term she hadn't used since her days in foster care."Aw, come here, sweetheart, don't be shy," her father coaxed, enveloping her in a warm embrace. "I love you, shortcake," he murmured, planting a tender kiss atop her head.Tears threatened to well up as Catherine soaked in the overwhelming flood of emotions. This was what it felt like to be truly loved and cared for—a sensation she had only dreamed of experiencing within the confines of a real family.As her father released her, Catherine turned to face his wife, Helen. Tentatively, she wrapped her arms around Helen, feeling a slight stiffness in return. But amidst the whirlwind of emotions, Catherine
Chapter twenty eight Arriving at the imposing Smoak mansion, Catherine's thoughts swirled with a potent mix of apprehension and uncertainty. Helen's unexpected invitation for her to spend the night with her and Christian only added to the whirlwind of emotions. Despite Rosita's initial reluctance, she relented after some persuasion from Jacob, leaving Catherine to grapple with her own inner turmoil.Her mind still reeling from Ronnie and Lucy's bombshell announcement, Catherine felt as though the ground had shifted beneath her feet, leaving her adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Catherine's thoughts drifted to Theo's cryptic message, his urgent plea for a conversation when she returns weighing heavily on her mind. The memory of his embrace, tinged with a sense of foreboding, lingered like an ominous shadow.Pushing aside the turmoil, Catherine resolved to lose herself in the grandeur of the Smoak mansion. The sight of the sprawling estate, adorned with a majestic fountain and meticulou
Chapter oneHe sighed and sank into his chair. He ran his hand over his face, his jaws clenched, a new headache forming. He knew this was a bad idea, he knew his father would one day decide to make his life miserable but he didn't think it would be this soon. He inhaled and allow himself enjoy five seconds of peace before he decided to call his shitty best friend for advice.Shit! Shit!! He knew this was a big mess.Dario massaged his temples and brought his cell phone to his ear with his free hand. He paused going over what he wanted to do, he was over thinking again, he had to stop. He slowly waited for his friend to pick the call, on the fifth ring just when he decided it was a bad idea Aaron picked the call."Well, well, well if it isn't Dario Simpson." He mocked as his voice came through."Aaron Wellington." Dario rolled his eyes but mimicked his tone."How are you doing and how's business?" Aaron asked.He sighed wishing he could
Chapter two"Did it work, did you find any?" She asked anxiously as Elena walked in.Elena shook her head and she sighed. She needed a job badly, she had checked for online jobs but none was available, her best friend Elena tried to get her a job in the Del monte's coffeehouse where she works but all to no avail."I'm so sorry Diane," Elena was apologetic. "I tried to talk to Fabio but he just bounced me."She flashed her a warm smile. Of cos Elena just likes to be dramatic she knew Elena had done her best even if she hadn't she would still be greatly indebted to her.Three years ago, Elena took her in when she was in her most difficult time. She was four months gone when her so called boyfriend disappeared from home one night, she was so devastated that she looked for a way to get rid of the pregnancy, to rid herself of anything that belonged to him, at that moment she didn't wan
Chapter three He walked into the house tiredly, today he tried looking for a suitable bride for the Simpsons enterprise but all to no avail. All the girls he saw at the bar he went to, no one was suitable, he was sure if he presents any of them to his dad, he would loose the company in a twinkle of an eye. After the death of his fiancee Caitlin, he moved out of the Simpsons mansion since everything there reminds him of her. He also planned to move out of the city but his mom wanted to be close to him, she still treats him like she did five years ago when he lost his fiancee. He looked around the sitting room, it was littered with toys, toy cars, action figures and other stuffs. He clenched his jaw at what he saw, how could Dennis leave all this here. "Daddy!, daddy!!"Dennis called running into the sitting room with a toy gun. He moved away from Dennis quickly, avoiding th
Chapter fourGoing to the Del monte's coffeehouse was his regular morning duty, a place where he goes to escape from the harsh reality of life, funny how a coffeehouse turns into a place of solitude. Today was different, he didn't want to go to the coffeehouse but he kept having this gnawing feeling deep down and then it turned into a sudden craving for cappuccino coffee which was extremely weird considering the fact he didn't like the taste and it not being his regular.He walked into the coffeehouse and took a seat at his regular spot awaiting a waiter or waitress. He stared at his wrist watch, it was five thirty PM.He sighed disappointedly and ran his hands through his face, muttering under his breath"what the hell are you doing here Dario," just as he was about to stand up and leave the coffeehouse a waitress stood in his front."Good evening and welcome to the Del monte's coff
Chapter five Dario closed his eyes and focused on clearing his head, he sat with his brother Ronnie who had come on an unannounced visit to his office. He didn't know why he couldn't get the red hair off his mind, why he offered her a job, why he even considered finding out what the problem was, why he didn't snap at her for insulting and mocking him or for rejecting his offer. His jaw ticked with internal rage, he boiled with a vast amount of anger, why was he thinking about her, he was dishonouring Caitlin memory. "Dario," he heard his brothers voice bring him out of his thought. He looked towards him and raised a brow. "What's wrong?" Ronnie stared at Dario with full concern etched on his face. He wondered why he looked like he wanted to kill someone a minute ago and he also wanted to know how long Dario had actually tuned him out. "It's nothing." He said and swirled his chair