Chapter 1392 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

For the next thirty minutes they both spent tgoing through Mia’s plan once again, and after Jeff left, Benne dialed Barry’s line once again.

“Her first assignment should be to dismiss the chef. Tell her she has three days to get it done, and it should be done without unnecessary drama.”

The gwas afoot, and Benne, with his newest pawn in place, was ready to checkmate Henry Rosewood. He would make a lesson out of Henry.

At first he had only wanted to do this for Mia, but after seeing first hand what a rude punk Henry was, and how he had not only disrespected him, but also Harry, Benne was more than delighted to show Henry that the world didn’t revolve around him.

The soft glow of the laptop screen illuminated Cassidy’s face, casting long shadows across his room. A smile played on his lips as he watched a familiar video – the Jonas sibling interview as most blogs had termed it.

He’d seen the video over a hundred times since the interview, yet each time, it held the spower to pull him in. She looked radiant, her eyes sparkling with a nervous excitement as she spoke.

He found himself captivated, not just by her beauty, but by her animated expressions and the timbre of her voice. He loved the way her voice dipped and soared with excitement as she talked about her new family, it all filled him with a warmth that surprised him.

He was so happy that Aaron Jonas had accepted her as his own and made her a part of his family. He was happy that things were going well for Andy.

Her voice however, cas a shocking surprise to him. He never knew she could sing so well, and neither had he known she had dreams of becoming a singer. That revelation had made him realize just how little he knew about her.

He hadn’t realized just how much he had been missing her until he saw her face in the interview the past week. Or maybe he had.

After watching her leave, he had called himself all sorts of names for letting her go just like that instead of doing his best to reach a compromise with her, especially considering how they had spent her last night there together.

Perhaps he could have asked her to stay with him and cand go as she pleased, instead of just letting her go completely.

However, the logical part of him believed that he had done the right thing by letting her go. He had no right to seek a compromise. Not after all he had done.

Suddenly, a small voice shattered the quiet, breaking into his thoughts. “Daddy!” Maribel stood at the doorway, clutching her favorite bunny bear in her hand.

Her gaze locked on the laptop screen, a gasp escaping her lips. “Andy!” she squealed, her tiny hand pointing at the image.

Cassidy’s smile faltered for a brief moment. “Hey, Angel,” he said, quickly minimizing the video as he sat up.

“What are you doing up so late?” He asked, reaching for her, “Did you have a bad dream?” He asked, since he had tucked her in over an hour ago.

“I want to see Andy. Please letsee Andy,” she pleaded, her eyes reverting to the laptop screen as she went closer to her father.

“It’s late, Angel. You need to…”

“Can I see Andy?” Maribel’s lower lip trembled, a telltale sign of a brewing tantrum.

“Not tonight, sweetheart,” Cassidy said gently, forcing a smile as he patted her head.

Maribel’s eyes welled up. “But I miss her!” she cried, throwing herself onto the bed beside him.

“I know you do.” I do too, Cassidy thought to himself.

“Can we go and see her? I want her to brush my hair and sing to me,” Maribel cried, and Cassidy sighed, realizing that he should have just let her watch the video.

Now she didn’t want the video, she wanted to see the real Andy. She had been throwing tantrums a lot more than usual now ever since Andy left.

“We can’t see her now. It’s very late, and Andy’s probably fast asleep already,” Cassidy said placatingly, “but because you’re such a lovely Angel, I will let you see a video of her singing before you go back to sleep,” Cassidy said as he adjusted her on the bed so that they could both watch the end of the interview where Andy was singing.

After watching the short clip, Cassidy turned off his laptop, and to his surprise Maribel broke into a sob.

“What now?” He asked softly as he carried her onto his lap.

“I miss Andy. She promised she would taketo the amusement park,” Maribel said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Now why would Andy do something like that when she knew she wouldn’t do it? Cassidy mused, irritably.

“She can’t do that now, baby,” he said gently, his voice strained. “She’s not here anymore. She lives with a new family now.”

“I want to leave here! I don’t want to stay here anymore. I want to go see all the fun places she toldabout. She left because this place isn’t fun. I don’t like it here.”

Cassidy’s heart ached for his daughter. He understood her longing. Their life on the island, while idyllic in its own way, was limited. There were no amusement parks, no towering buildings, none of the glittering world Maribel glimpsed through the flickering screen of his old laptop.

He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. “But baby,” he said gently, “we have everything we need here. The beach, the boats, the beautiful sunsets. Remember how much fun we have exploring the reef?”

Maribel sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “But it’s always the shere, Daddy.” Her eyes, so like his own, held a yearning that tore at Cassidy’s soul.

He was torn. A part of him, the selfish part, clung to the life they had built together. He loved the simplicity, the quiet solitude of the island. But another part, the part that ached with love for his daughter, yearned to give her a world of possibilities, a world beyond the horizon.

“I know, Mari,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “But we can’t just leave.”

“You leave all the time. Why can’t you taketoo?” She cried.

“Because it’s not safe out there,” he said softly as he looked down at his daughter, her small frtrembling with suppressed sobs.

He didn’t want to lie to her or promise her something he couldn’t give, so all he could do was hold her close, offering the only comfort he could – his love and his presence.

Soon a heavy silence descended upon them after Maribel had cried herself to sleep. Cassidy felt a familiar conflict gnaw at him. He wanted nothing more than to give Maribel the world, to see the joy that lit up her face in Andy’s presence. But leaving the island meant putting them at a possible risk.

As he gently placed Maribel on the bed and lay down beside her to sleep, different questions echoed in his mind.

Was the life he’d built for them here enough, or could he dare chase a different future for them? One that included Andy?

Would it be okay if he reached out to Andy using Maribel as an excuse? Or should he just do his best to forget all about her and help Maribel forget her too? Was there any hope for them?

Away from there, Aaron stepped off the plane, adjusting his suit jacket and scanning the bustling terminal. He moved with a purposeful stride, his mind focused on the visit ahead.

As he approached the baggage claim, he was surprised to see Celsie and Benne, standing side by side with a smile on their faces.

“Well, well, well,” Aaron said with a warm smile. “What are you two doing here?”

Celsie stepped forward, her eyes twinkling. “We’re here to be your chauffeur and wait on you, of course.”

Aaron chuckled, a deep, knowing laugh. “Candace sent you, didn’t she?”

Celsie nodded, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “She was only worried about you, Aaron. We all were.”

Aaron sighed, shaking his head. “There’s nothing to worry about. It’s just a visit. But I appreciate the concern.”

Benne stepped forward and took Aaron’s backpack from him. “Let us take care of you, Aaron.”

“Alright, alright. Lead the way. Though, I must say, this chauffeur service is a bit extravagant.”

They led him to the car, the three of them exchanging warm pleasantries along the way. Aaron was genuinely happy to see them, their presence a welcdistraction from the weight on his mind.

“You look more beautiful than the last tI saw you, Celsie,” Aaron said, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled at her.

“And you look more handstoo,” Celsie replied with a grin, a playful twinkle in her eyes.

“Don’t I look more handstoo?” Benne asked Aaron.

“I don’t care about how you look,” Aaron said and they all laughed.

As Benne drove them to Sara’s correctional facility, Aaron entertained them with tales of Jamal.

They arrived at the correctional facility an hour later, the imposing structure looming ahead. Aaron’s expression grew more serious the closer they got to the building.

Seeing this, Celsie reached for his hand and squeezed it, making him turn to face her. He smiled at her, “I appreciate you both being here, but I need to do this alone,” he said firmly as Benne parked the car.

Celsie opened her mouth to protest, but Aaron shook his head. “No, Celsie. I’ll be fine. Just wait forin the car. I won’t be long,” Aaron said as he opened his backpack and took out an envelope and a pen.

With a reluctant nod, Celsie agreed, watching as Aaron walked toward the entrance of the facility.

“Don’t worry. He will be fine,” Benne said as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and they settled into the car, waiting for Aaron’s return.

Inside the correctional facility, Aaron was led through a series of checkpoints, his thoughts focused on the impending meeting.

As he sat down waiting for Sara to be brought to him, he took a deep breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead. He was determined to see this through, no matter how difficult it might be.

Aaron’s breath hitched when a frail looking woman in a prison jumpsuit was led in. He couldn’t believe that the woman standing before him was the sSara he had seen months ago.

Gone was the vibrant, fiery Sara he remembered. In her place stood a gaunt woman, her face etched with lines deeper than tcould carve alone. Sickness painted her skin a dull grey, and her eyes, once sparkling with defiance, were shadowed with shame.

As Sara met his gaze, a flicker of recognition sparked, followed by a swift retreat back down at the floor. Shradiated from her like heat waves.

The torrent of questions Aaron had prepared – the “why”s, the “how could you”s – all dissolved on his tongue. The only words that escaped his lips were a hesitant, “Sara? How are you?”

The question, uttered in a voice rough with unshed tears, seemed to crack the dam within her. Sara’s shoulders slumped, and a sob, raw and desperate, erupted from her.

For a heart-wrenching moment, Aaron watched her cry, a war raging within him. Pity warred with the anger that had festered for years, fueled by Candace’s pain.

But as he watched the woman before him crumble, a bitter memory surfaced. The memory of Candace walking into his hospital room the first tthey met.

He remembered how ashamed she had been when she told him she had been a stripper. He remembered all she had said about Jamal’s father and all she had had to endure as an orphan. Anger solidified within Aaron, chasing away any lingering sympathy.

“Don’t expect my forgiveness, Sara,” he said, his voice low and devoid of warmth. “Don’t expect compassion. I once fell for this act. But this… this ends now.”

He reached into the envelope and pulled out the divorce papers, a legal severing of the ties that once bound them. He placed the envelope, along with a pen, on the table between them.

“Sign it,” he commanded coldly.

Without a word, Sara reached for the pen and scribbled her signature across the dotted line. As she pushed the papers back across the table, a choked apology escaped her lips.

Without a word, Aaron stood up, the movement stiff with the weight of the years that had passed. There was nothing more to be said. He had done what he cfor, and that was it. He turned and walked out of the waiting room, leaving her and any lingering he had for her behind him.

Once out of the visiting area, Aaron allowed himself to stop. He leaned against the rough surface of the wall, tears blurring his vision. Tears for the shattered love, for the lies and deception, and most of all, for the lost years with Candace.

Taking a deep breath, Aaron brushed off his tears. He straightened his shoulders, a newfound determination in his eyes.

Sara might have broken a part of him, but she wouldn’t steal his future. He was done with this

With a final glance back at the place that held a piece of his past, Aaron turned and walked away. It was tto move on and to finally find the peace that had eluded him for so long.

By the the got to the car where Benne and Celsie were waiting, he had a genuine smile on his face.

“How did it go?” Celsie asked as he got into the car.

“It went,” Aaron said with a grin and both Benne and Celsie laughed in relief.

“Where to? Harry’s place?” Benne asked as he started the car.

“I’d rather go somewhere I can have a drink alone to celebrate my divorce,” Aaron said and Celsie smiled with approval.

“Ready to be hooked up?” Benne joked and Aaron chuckled.

“Unlike you I don’t need to be hooked up and I don’t need a disguise to find a nice lady,” Aaron said and Benne glared at him, while Celsie laughed with him.

As they all settled in silence, Celsie texted Candace, [Nothing to worry about. He is out now, and he looks very fine.]

Exactly six days after Mia left Serenopolis, Jeff’s heart pounded as he approached the imposing gates of Henry Rosewood’s mansion.

Three days had passed since his meeting with Benne, and today, he was finally here, in the lion’s den.

He adjusted his round-rimmed glasses which was perched on the bridge of his nose, that made him look nothing like the Jeff who shared an apartment with Mia.

As he pressed the intebutton, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of apprehension. This was dangerous, but it was a risk worth taking for Mia.

A crisp voice answered the interview, and Jeff introduced himself as the new chef from EliteHouse Inc. Moments later, the heavy iron gates swung open, and Jeff walked up the long, winding driveway, the grandeur of the estate reminded him of the power and control Henry wielded.

Even though his heart was pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs, he put one foot in front of the other until he got to the main door.

Necessity, had a way of trumping fear. He needed to see Mia. He needed to be with her and to make sure she remained okay until Henry was taken care of.

He was glad that Benne’s plan had worked out, and now he was here finally just as he had promised Mia. He couldn’t wait to set his eyes on her again.

He knew that he would probably never get a chance to talk to her, but for now seeing her and preparing her meals was enough for him, Jeff thought as he rang the doorbell.

Inside the house, Diana paced around the bedroom she shared with Henry, clasping and unclasping her hands as different thoughts ran through her mind, putting her in a state of anxiety.

It had been three excruciatingly long days since she had been strong-armed into the blackmail schby an unknown person.

Who was blackmailing her? How did he know something that even Henry didn’t know? How much did he know? Was it even a male or female? What did the person want? Was she at risk of being exposed? Should she just wrap up things quickly and escape before she was exposed and things becmessy?

Just when she had thought her plan was going smoothly, they had thrown a wrench in her plans and now she had no idea what to do.

Every moment felt like a tightrope walk, a constant state of hypervigilance. Today, however, brought a new wrinkle the supposed “new chef,” was due to arrive.

Perhaps she could try to see if he had sbusiness with the blackmailer? She mused and then shook her head.

It didn’t make sense that the blackmailer would have any say regarding who the agency would send to the house. Mr Henderson was a very principled businessman hence all the elite families trusted him when it cto the domestic staff assigned to them.

The doorbell’s chechoed through the mansion interrupting her thoughts. Diana, her heart pounding really fast, smoothed down her blouse and hurried towards the door.

Diana opened the door, her eyes narrowed as she appraised him, suspicion etched on her face. “You’re from EliteHouse Inc.?” she asked, her tone clipped.

“Yes, ma’am,” Jeff replied, keeping his voice steady and polite. “I’m the new chef.”

“And your name?” She asked, stern faced.

“Josh Davies,” Jeff said with a polite smile.

With both arms crossed, and a frown marring her face, she studied him for a moment longer before stepping aside to let him in. “Cin.”

Ignoring the disquiet churning in his stomach, Jeff stepped inside the cool, echoing foyer, his eyes sweeping over the surroundings. The unfamiliar scent of wealth and privilege hung heavy in the air

He could feel Diana’s gaze boring into his back as he walked, and he wondered if she suspected anything.

Diana led him through the labyrinthine corridors, his pulse quickening with each turn.

“Wait here,” she instructed, “I’ll get Mrs Rosewood,” Diana said before walking away, leaving Jeff alone in the living room.

Jeff forced himself to relax, trying hard not to let his gaze dart around the space in search of hidden cameras.

Without knocking, Diana barged into Mia’s room, and she froze, her eyes widening in shock at the sight before her.

Mia, who was in the process of changing her clothes when the door swung open had her back to the door, revealing the hideous scars marring her back.

Knowing that the cameras in the room were likely recording everything, Diana resisted the urge to ask Mia any questions about her scars and quickly composed herself.

“Vanessa,” Diana said, her voice surprisingly calm. “Cdownstairs. The new chef is here.”

Mia turned to look at Diana as she adjusted her dress. In the days since she returned with Henry, she had becused to both Diana and Henry barging into the room, and she really didn’t care.

She had no reason to bother about them walking in however and whenever they wanted, when she knew that there were cameras in her bedroom and she was always being watched.

“A new chef?” she asked, confusion in her voice. “I didn’t know the previous chef was leaving.”

Diana shrugged, avoiding Mia’s gaze. “Something cup, and the agency sent a replacement. Con,” she said, not wanting to answer any questions.

That morning after she received the message from the blackmailer, she had thought about the best way to get rid of the chef and had finally told Henry that she didn’t feel like eating the meals prepared by the present chef anymore. That she wanted him to be changed so she could eat something different for her and their baby.

Henry had surprisingly agreed without question or doubt and had asked her to inform the agency that they needed another chef.

Mia followed Diana downstairs, her mind racing. Was it what she was thinking? Was it possible that Benne and Harry had found a way of getting Jeff in even when she had been unable to do anything to help the situation?

Jeff’s breath hitched in his throat as he watched as Mia enter the room, her posture stiff, her eyes distant.

As they reached the living room, Mia gave Jeff a once over. At first glance she didn’t recognize him. Her heart plummeted with disappointment, but when she perceived his familiar scent, she looked again, more closely, and her heart nearly stopped when she realized he was the one.

His disguise was impeccable. A blonde wig and round-rimmed glasses transformed him into a completely different person. He had also completely shaved off his beards which had been a neat trim for Bryan’s wedding.

Jeff’s heart skipped a beat as his eyes met Mia’s, and he almost smiled when he saw the way her eyes lit up after the flicker of recognition.

He quickly masked it, maintaining his professional demeanor as he looked down politely while Mia observed him.

Diana spoke first, her voice sharp. “Vanessa, this is Mr. Davies, the new chef.”

“Hello, Mrs. Rosewood. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jeff said, his familiar voice flooding Mia with warmth.

Mia nodded, her mind whirling with questions. “Well, welcaboard, Mr. Davies.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Jeff replied smoothly, bowing his head slightly.

“I do hope you won’t cause any problems. The last chef was quite efficient and I hope you will be so too. Focus on your duties and the reason you are here and refrain from doing anything that might be misconstrued wrongly,” Mia said, her voice devoid of emotion.

“I will do my best ma’am. I have a lot at stake so I can’t afford to make any mistakes and lose my job,” Jeff said and Mia nodded with approval.

Diana watched the exchange closely, and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She could see that Mia was trying so hard to act like the tough lady of the house.

Was she doing that because she didn’t want the new chef to know that she didn’t have any authority in the house? Diana mused as she cleared her throat to get both their attentions.

“It will interest you to know that while Mrs Rosewood might be the lady of the house, I am the one you will answer to. Do not giveany reasons to kick you out,” Diana warned, taking charge again, and Jeff nodded.

“I suppose you’d like to see the kitchen and your living area. Cwith me,” Diana said as she led the way, and seeing that Diana had her back to them, Jeff gave Mia a subtle wink before following Diana.

Mia’s lips twitched with a smile, so she pressed her lips together to keep herself from smiling as she watched them go.

She had no idea how Benne and Harry had made this happen, but she will forever be in their debt.

She knew there was no possible way to talk to Jeff and ask him any questions, but his presence here told her that she was not hopeless.

Even though she couldn’t do anything because of Diana, Benne and Harry were handling things, now all they had to do was play their parts perfectly to outwit Henry Rosewood.

—————-The End

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