Chapter 209 - CAYENNE KNEW HER FATHER
Cayenne frowned while listening to the little girl beside him. Sure enough, she was speaking like an adult instead of a seven-year-old child.
"Jade.." Cayenne bit her lower lip, hesitant to ask her question.
"Go on. I'm willing to listen." Jade encourage her. For a young child, encouraging an adult seems funny but it was actually really sweet.
"Do you know anything about my father? Did your parents tell you anything? Is that why you're all good to me?" Instead of answering her question, Jade handed her a photo. "This is -?"
"That is your father."
"Eh? Isn't this the man I saw at the restaurant? Or was I wrong?" Cayenne looked at the picture carefully. "Is this really my father? We don't have any similarities at all?"
"That's because you take your look after your mother. But you have the same eyes and nose as him." Jade responded while pointing her index finger at the picture. "I found this in my Uncle's computer and I remembered that you told me you don't know your father so, I secretly printed this for you."
"Thank you, Jade."
"I wonder why uncle kept this from you."
"They must have a good reason. Aside from that, I told them that I won't look for my father anymore. Seeing his picture and knowing that he is my father is good enough for me."
Although she was elated to know how her father looks like, Cayenne kept this matter from her mother. She promised her that she won't look for him so she will hold on to that promise no matter what happens.
When lunch was ready, Auntie Sisi knocked on Jade's door to get them for lunch. She folded the paper and placed it inside her pocket. She'll dispose it later when no one's watching. She can't let her mother see it.
"So, how is it being the next lady of the whole Dumrique Clan?" Jillyanna teased her during lunch. She didn't get to see her at the party last week so, she planned on teasing her this time. "Last year, you two were still arguing and I could still the coldness from a certain man named Stefan when he scolded you. Who would have thought that in a year, you become the next lady? This is man is very lucky."
"Can you stop bringing my dark past?" Stefan told Jillyanna. "I worked so hard to win her over. What if she will change her mind?"
"Then, it's your fault." Jillyanna mercilessly throw the blame at him. "It was you who scolded her and I am just recalling memories. How's that my fault?"
Cayenne chuckled seeing how childish and shameless Jillyanna can be. She can only show this personality in front of the people that she cares about. "Where are the other people in your family, if you don't mind me asking?" Cayenne questioned after observing that she didn't see the usual number of people.
"They're all busy and won't be back until dinner. Would you like to stay over until after dinner? You can meet Riley later." Jillyanna replied and even tried to persuade her to stay longer.
"The night is scheduled for the husband. How can you snatch her away from me?" Stefan argued back with Jillyanna. "You have to think for your husband's sake, too."
"What does that have to do with me?" Travis asked nonchalantly while feeding his son. "I can spend quality time with my wife whenever we want. We don't follow schedules."
"Hear that, Ayen? They don't follow schedules. Why are we following one?" Stefan retorted but this time, he was asking his wife shamelessly.
Cayenne sliced some pork meat and fed it to Stefan. "Stop spouting nonsense and eat. Say one more thing about it and you will sleep in the living room tonight."
historical
Stefan mimed zipping his lips while chewing his food. This made Jillyanna smile.? 'I hope nothing will change when he finds the truth?' she thought to herself.
After lunch, Jillyanna and Cayenne played with Jade while men talk about business in the study. Travis was still carrying baby Raizel in his arms, not letting his wife get tired at all by carrying him.
They were feeding the koi fishes in the pond when Cayenne brought up the topic of his father. "Miss Jillyanna, I want to ask you something."
Jillyanna's eyebrow rose up when she heard how Cayenne addressed her. "Addressing me like that, this must be something serious."
"A little bit."
"Just call me Jill. Either it's a serious matter or not, just call me Jill. So, what is this all about?"
"It's about why you're treating me so kindly. I mean, we were just strangers over a year ago and then you left me a piece of letter. I still have it with me because I treasure it so much. It's the first time that someone cared for me without asking anything in return. And then we met. I was never suspicious at the beginning but, I..I don't really know how to see this..I"
"Go on. I'm willing to listen."
Cayenne burst out laughing instead. "You really are a mother and daughter. Jade told me the exact same thing earlier."
"Well, she takes it from me." Jillyanna responded with a smile. "I guess, you wanted to ask about your father?"
"Hn." She nodded her head. "Did you get close to me because of my father?"
Jillyanna took hold of Cayenne's hand with her right and Jade on the left; and she brought her to the swing where there was a huge mango tree, shielding them from the harmful rays of the sun. "Let's talk here." She placed on the hammock while they sat on the rattan chair under the same mango tree. Cayenne had no idea that it was also a grave yard to Jillyanna's father.
"When I first meet you, I didn't know that we'd be tied up by fate. It was just a mere coincidence that I help you that night. When I touched your hand, I realized that you are just like me, a woman who was trying to live a life, carrying the responsibility for the wellness of the whole family. Travis was fully ware of this. I gave the letter, hoping that one day, when you need help, you can come to me. I guess you won't need it anymore because you have Stefan who loves you so much." She took a deep breath and continued. "We didn't get close to you because of your father. Whether we know your father or not, I will still like you."
"What's his name?"
"Reuben Montefalco."
"Oh. He's rich."
"Hn."
"I see." Cayenne didn't say anything much. "Let's just forget that we have this conversation. And I don't know who's my father is."
"You won't go and find him?"
"No." Cayenne looked up at the mango tree hovering above them and smiled. "He abandoned me and my mother already. Right now, I'm happy with what I have. I don't need him to pay attention to us."
"Okay."
"Don't let Stefan know about him either."
"Hn. It's your family matter. I won't interfere. But then again, if you need help in the future, just come and find me."
Cayenne adjusted her emotion and cheered up. She won't let anything dampen her mood while she's with her idol. She smiled once again and told Jillyanna about her mother's birthday. "It's on the 31sth of this month. I hope you can come with your family. Stefan and I thought about this so much."
"Sure. I won't let this event pass without me attending it."
Soon the depressing atmosphere was gone and it turned to a discussion of what does Cayenne's mother like. Jillyanna likes elders so much and she respects them as long as they're good people. And seeing how Cayenne was raised, her mother must be a very good person.
After almost three hours, Stefan and Cayenne left the Madrigal home and went back to their own house in Peach Wood subdivision. It would be bad if they engaged in a steamy and passionate activity in the apartment where walls have ears. It would be better to do it in their own home where Cayenne wouldn't be bothered with the noise she'd make.
They watched movie to pass the time and after the movie, they played scrabble. Whoever makes a higher score every time a word was placed will have a consequence. In preparation of what's about to happen, Stefan made the rule. In each round, whoever gets a lower school will take off one piece of his clothes.
'Thank goodness I'm wearing a lot these days.' Cayenne thought to herself. She was already eyeing her tiles while thinking of the words that she'd form with it.
First round – Stefan won. Cayenne removed her sweat shirt.
Second round – Stefan won. Cayenne removed her socks.
Third round – Stefan won. Cayenne removed the headband she was wearing but this time, she didn't concede to it. "How come you always win? You must have cheated on me."
"Cheating is the last thing I would do. I will never cheat alright. I'm just lucky and god is helping me fulfill my wish tonight."
"More like the devil's pushing you to commit such act."
"No, sweetheart. If we're not married, I'd think that the devil is pushing me to take advantage of you. But you're my wife; loving you and doing something that can give us pleasure is normal for us."
"Many women say that men always think with their lower body and I guess it's true."
Stefan disregarded the game and leaned closer to his wife and whispered. "I also think it's true. Shall we test to have it proven?"
Cayenne chuckled and just kissed him on his lips. He said it himself, they're husband and wife – they're not doing anything which was against the low.