THE NEXT MORNING
Savanna opened her heavy eyes and the morning sun brighten it up
She looked around the strange room and quickly spranged up
“Where is this?”she questioned herself before moving her eyes to the side.
Her eyes became extremely widen when she saw cadence lying down beside her naked
“What happened, why is he here” she held her head tightly and the memories of last night blurry played in her head.
She can't remember clearly but she knew she had slept with a complete stranger
“What the f**k?” she exclaimed before coming down from the bed. She was only putting on her panties
Her eyes became wider, she quickly site her clothes and put it on within a second. She grabbed her purse and left the compound.
Not long after she left cadence's phone rang from the bedside, it was his grandfather.
Cadence groggily reached for his phone, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Cadence Santiago Neville,why is your ass not here, you brat"Don Eduardo voice boomed through the phone
"Abuelo, I...I'm sorry. I overslept." Cadence replied sleepily
"Overslept?" Don Eduardo's voice boomed through the phone. "You're late for the family breakfast meeting! You know how important it is to be there on time!"
Cadence sat up, trying to shake off the haze of sleep. "I know, Abuelo. I just had a little too much to drink last night and lost track of time."
"A little too much to drink?" his grandfather repeated, disapproval dripping from his voice. "You know better than to indulge in such behavior, Cadence. You have responsibilities to this family."
Cadence sighed, knowing he was in for a lecture. "I know, Abuelo. It won't happen again. I'll be right there."
"See that you are," Don Eduardo said, his tone unyielding. "And Cadence?"
"Yes, Abuelo?"
"Be prepared to explain yourself further when you arrive."
The line went dead, and Cadence knew he was in trouble. He quickly dressed and made his way to the family mansion, wondering what other challenges the day might bring.
THE NEVILLE FAMILY MANSION
As Cadence arrived at the mansion, he could feel the weight of his family's expectations bearing down on him. He knew that his grandfather, Don Eduardo, would not hesitate to express his disapproval of Cadence's actions.
"Cadence, you know better than to miss the family breakfast meeting," Don Eduardo said, his voice stern but controlled. "Your absence is a slap in the face to our family's traditions and values."
Cadence apologized profusely, knowing that his actions had caused his family worry and embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Abuelo. I made a mistake. It won't happen again."
But as he took his seat at the table, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. His family seemed to be hiding something from him, and he couldn't help but wonder what secrets they were keeping.
The tension was palpable, and Cadence knew that he had to tread carefully. He tried to make small talk, but the conversation was stilted and forced., apart from being one of the richest families in the business circle his grandfather was the ruler of the underground world, the biggest mafia clan.
As the meeting dragged on, Cadence's mind wandered back to the stranger from the night before. He couldn't remember her name, but he couldn't forget her piercing green eyes and her mysterious smile. He wondered if he would ever see her again.
But for now, he was stuck in this suffocating world of family obligations and expectations. Since his dad died five years ago and him being the eldest son of the family’most of the family's responsibilities were on him and some of the underworld responsibility too and he knew that he had to find a way to navigate it without losing himself completely.As the meeting dragged on, Cadence's mind wandered back to the stranger from the night before. He couldn't remember her name, but he couldn't forget her piercing green eyes and her mysterious smile. He wondered if he would ever see her again.
Just then, his 8-year-old niece, Sabrina, Daphne's daughter, climbed onto his lap. "Uncle, what's wrong?" she asked, looking up at him with big brown eyes.
Cadence forced a smile. "Nothing,rina. Just a little tired."
Sabrina nodded sympathetically. "You should go to bed earlier, like me!"
Cadence chuckled. "I'll try, kiddo."
Sabrina began to chat excitedly about her day at school, telling Cadence about her friends and her favorite subjects. Cadence listened intently, grateful for the distraction from his thoughts.
As the meeting finally adjourned, Cadence breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the chat, Sabrina. You always know how to brighten up my day."
Sabrina grinned. "That's what nieces are for, Uncle!"
Sabrina,knew a way if cheering people up and lighting the mood, Cadence smiled, feeling a sense of comfort with his family that he hadn't felt in a long time. Maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to navigate this complicated web of family obligations and expectations after all.
HOTEL AZUL LUNA
As I approached the reception desk, I saw my cousin Soarise and friend Dylan waiting for me, concern etched on their faces. They'd come to visit me as soon as they came back. "Sav, we're so sorry," Soarise said, enveloping me in a warm hug.
“where's your room, let's head inside so we can have a proper conversation” Dylan said
Okay, let's go”I said as I led them to my room as soon as we went inside
Dylan said "We can't believe Marcello would do that to you. And Stella,too? That's a stab in the back."
I felt a lump form in my throat as I recounted the events of yesterday. "I can't believe I was so blind. I thought we had a good relationship..."
Soarise's expression turned fierce. "You deserve so much better, Sav. We'll help you get through this. You're not alone."
Dylan added, "And we'll find you a new place to stay. You can't stay in this hotel forever."
I nodded, grateful for their support. "Thanks, guys. Just being here for me means a lot."
As we sat down in the lobby, I couldn't help but think of the stranger from last night.
Our encounter had been a brief escape from my misery,which I regretted but this isn't the time to be swallowing myself in shame. I had to focus on rebuilding my life, and I was lucky to have Soarise and Dylan by my side
Suddenly, Soarise spoke up, Bunny,i think you should come live with us this place isn't gonna be ideal for you."
Dylan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we've got a spare room at our place. You can stay with us until you get back on your feet."
I felt a wave of gratitude toward my cousin and friend. "Oh, guys, I don't know...I don't want to impose."
Soarise smiled. "Sav, you're not imposing. We're family. And besides, we're happy to help. We're in this together, always."
Dylan added, "And it'll be fun! We can be roomies again, just like old times."yes, I and Dylan were roommates in college people got mistaken about our relationship, before soarise came
I couldn't resist their warm offer. "Okay, okay...thank you, guys. That means so much to me."
Soarise hugged me tight. "Anytime, Sav. That's what family is for."
As we hugged, I felt a sense of relief wash over me.
After accepting their offer, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. I quickly packed my luggage, trying to leave the memories of Marcello and Stella behind.
As I zipped up my suitcase, Soarise and Dylan helped me carry my bags out of the hotel room. We walked down to the lobby, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude toward my cousin and friend.
"Thanks, guys," I said, as we stepped out into the bright sunlight. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Soarise smiled and put her arm around me. "You'll never have to find out, Sav. We're in this together, always."
Dylan nodded in agreement, his eyes warm with support. "We're a team, Sav. And we'll get through this together."
As we walked toward their car, I felt a sense of hope for the first time in days. Maybe, just maybe, I could start to heal and move on from the pain of marcello's betrayal.
We loaded my luggage into the trunk, and Soarise turned to me with a smile. "Ready to start fresh, Sav?"
I nodded, feeling a sense of determination wash over me. "Ready."