Zaria 🌹
Me and Cade walked outside, near the water fountain. "Thank you." I said as I relaxed my shoulders and took a moment to properly breathe in the misty air. The air has a slight chill that is soothing.
Lucien sat beside me for dinner. He was talking about random things even though I had no interest in hearing one. Later, he started getting a little too touchy with me. He even whispered in my ear about how he missed my lips on his, and after that very moment, Cade came and rescued me as if he heard what Lucien said.
"What the fuck does he want?" Cade grunt out. His face in pure rage, like he wants to kill Lucien right here and now.
"God knows." I shrugged my shoulders and rested the fingers of my left hand on my forehead as another hand rested on my side hip.
"I'll make him speak." Cade said and made angry steps towards the door inside.
"Wait, no!" I called him out and he turned back. Facing me again he slightly shook his head, telling me to not stop him.
"Cade, you can't just go in there and fight him." I tried to convince him.
"Yeah, that's why I'm going to kill him." He said in a promising tone and I believe that he will do just that. That’s why I need to stop him.
"What about the family? What about Damien? Are you even thinking of what will happen next?"
"Zaria, honestly I don't care. Lucien shouldn't have touched you!" He grits his teeth. "You should tell Damien about the kiss before I make my own decision and slaughter Lucien's throat."
"Okay please calm down. I am planning to tell him. I will tell him soon." I try to convince him, which is true. I'm actually planning to tell Damien before the wedding, which is tomorrow so I'll have to tell him tonight.
“As much as I hate to admit, Lucien is Damien’s family and I don’t want to be the reason of that man’s death no matter how much I hate him.”
"And what about the thing you are hiding from me?" Cade asked.
"What do you mean?" I asked him, wondering what he might be talking about. My mind is saying that he knows I'm lying about the letters but I won’t fall into the open trap and admit it until I know that’s what this is about.
"Do you think I don't know you? You definitely lied that you bought those manuscripts from a flea market. Tell me the truth, Zaria, where did you get those and what have you gotten yourself into?"
There was no point in lying now.
"Okay, I'll tell you but not here. Somewhere where there is less of a chance of someone hearing us. Just outside the main door of the house is not the place." He obviously had been here many times before and knows his way around.
He gestured towards the main entrance gate and we walked outside the villa. This street is just like Beverly hills but this villa is at the very end of the street.
Even the lights on this street look like they are specially designed to be placed here along with the large trees covering the houses of rich people in the back.
It's past dinner time, hence, the street is lonely. Me and Cade walked on the sidewalk, towards where the street goes on. Our villa being at the end of this street, there's nothing but a cliff ahead to the other end of the road.
"So…" hugging myself, I wondered where to start. From the beginning, I decide. "Almost a month ago, I was having my usual alone time on the bridge where I usually go and out of the blue, a car came and a man walked out. I couldn't see his face because he was wearing a hood over his head but he gave me the two boxes of manuscripts and just walked away."
I continue, telling him everything I could remember and even told him that I had seen that car even before they confronted me and how it's the same car which caused Thia’s accident.
He stopped in his place and his eyebrows had formed a V-shape. "Why didn’t you tell me this before?"
"There was so much going on. I was confused and still processing what happened then my dad told me about this marriage, after that Thia got into an accident— more like a plotted murder. Then I agreed to the marriage and hundred other things followed and I was trying to just keep up with everything.” I can’t even mask the exhaustion of these past few weeks.
I'm not getting mad at Cade; I am just worried sick recalling and acknowledging these things again.
"Was it the same guy you stabbed with your car key?" He asked, and I nodded in response, almost cringing.
I am not really proud of stabbing someone even if it was for self-defense but for a moment, Cade looks proud of me.
"Well, just so you know, he is dead now." He informed me.
My heart caught in my throat at the realization that I killed him. My eyes widened in pure terror. Killing is a far-gone topic, I can't even bring myself to hurt someone innocent.
"Damien killed him." Cade reassured me.
Though, it's not good to normalize that my soon-to-be husband is a killer, it helps me to calm down in relief that I haven't murdered someone.
But why would Damien kill him? This question bugs me and I ask just that. "But why did he do that?" Hoping I'm not sounding like I'm enjoying the fact that he killed someone for me.
Obviously, I'm not romanticizing murder but the fact that Damien would care about me enough to do that is kind of thrilling.
"It's just some business we're dealing with one of our enemies." He doesn’t give me details because it’s all confidential. I understand and don’t ask more.
We're standing at a turn on the sidewalk. A young guy emerges from the other side, running, and is shocked after seeing us standing just in front of him.
It is so unexpected for him that he didn't have much time to slow his momentum before he stumbles on his feet and falls on the ground.
The satchel he was holding dropped aside him and because of the impact, an Antiquarian book, more like a codex, falls out.
The pages of it rustled because of the wind and I almost lost my balance when I saw a picture of Thora Kastor among the pages.
I am not hallucinating or this isn't any illusion. This is real. That is Thora's picture right there. It cannot be possible! I am completely shocked to my core and extremely in disbelief.
Too many thoughts are rushing in my brain and my body is not moving even if I'm trying to move.
I didn't even realize when the guy stood on his feet again and picked up his satchel hurriedly. I can't just let him go. I have to stop him in the hope that I could finally get some answers from this guy. He definitely knows something.
"W-wait, wait, that's T-Thora Kastor." The words stumbled on my lips as I pointed my shaking hand at the satchel where he placed the codex back inside.
His hazel eyes looked back at me with terror and shock. His ginger hair and bangs are greasy because of the perspiration on his forehead.
His pants were ripped off at the knees and sleeves of his shirt too as if he was in some kind of fight.
He didn't look any older than 20 and he didn't look like someone who might be living in a place like this.
He periodically looked back from where he came from as if checking for someone coming after him.
He looked back and forth again and again and was contemplating if he should just run or say something to me. He chose the former and ran past me, and took a left turn from another corner.
I didn’t think. I just ran behind him to stop him but when I took the left turn, he was gone. Like, the shadows of the trees devoured him.
I fell on the ground on my knees. My head hurts as if a bomb went off very close. I couldn't stop tears falling down my cheeks.
I feel defeated. Like I just failed myself. I'm tired of asking what the hell is happening. Now, it’s me who has to do something on my own.
Cade rested his hand over my shoulder from behind. For a moment I had forgotten he was with me.
"I want to find out what is happening, Cade. There is definitely something wrong and something that is much more than meets the eye."
Cade offered me his hand to help me stand up. "Whatever it is. We will find it." There is a promise in his eyes.
“Now, come on! Up!” I give a small smile as I took his hand and stood up. He gives me his handkerchief to wipe off the tears. I take it with a thanks.
“Are you ready to go? Damien just texted me ‘where are we?’”
I nod. "Speaking of him, please don't tell Damien about any of this." I requested him.
He takes a beat to long making me anxious, “Please Cade. I know you are partners or brothers or whatever. But please keep it from him.”
After a few seconds he nods and we walk back towards the villa.
Damien and I don't know each other more than Cade and I do. If Damien got to know about this, he'd probably laugh at me. This would become a topic for him to humiliate me for the rest of our lives. I am not ready to give him any ammunition against me than he already has.
Just the thought of confronting him about me and Lucien's kiss is making me anxious and having me question my own existence.
I can't tell him this.