The lingering pain of my real sister’s disappearance had been ripped out of me once again, and that sadness would always be there. But with Kade by my side, I knew I could survive it. Even if my life was shattered again and again, he’d help me pick up the pieces, and we’d fit them back together and make something wonderful. Something beautiful.
He looked at me with a raised brow. “Yes?”
I smiled again. “I love you too.”
28 Kaden
3 months later
I was getting used to waking up with Peyton Cadwell in my arms.
She looked beautiful as she awoke, her eyes fluttering open, those long black lashes unveiling her beautiful brown irises. Such a fucking stunner, just like she had been before all of this went down. I couldn't get enough of my sweet heiress.
"Good morning, sweetheart," I said, and she hid her face in her hands as I looked at her. "Hey, none of that. Let me look at you."
I pried her hands away gently, looking at her stunning features.
"You should never hide from me," I said, my voice raw with emotion. "I'll never get sick of looking at that beautiful face."
"Never?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "Even when I'm ninety-eight and all wrinkled?"
"Especially not then," I told her. "Because I'll still have memories of how pretty you used to—"
I laughed when she smacked me, and she giggled too. “You’re so mean.”
“You know I’m kidding. You’ll always be beautiful. Whether you’re ninety-eight or not. I’ll always love looking at you. Hell, you could get weird plastic surgery to look like a lizard and I’d still think you were the most gorgeous woman on the planet.”
“Good. I was on the fence about getting surgery to look like a reptile, but now you’ve said that, I can go ahead and do it,” she said teasingly.
I pulled her back into my arms, and she nestled against the crook of my shoulder, burrowing her face against me and inhaling my scent.
We'd come a long fucking way since the beginning, and once again, I found myself grateful for the way things had worked out. Peyton had forgiven me for all the shit I did, and with my help in the DeeDee/Andreas debacle (not to mention my help with uncovering Robert Silver’s embezzlement scheme, which he’d turned out to be well and truly guilty of), I was off the hook with her parents as well.
Now there was just one obstacle left to overcome.
My parents.
They still weren't thrilled about my relationship with the heiress of the Mirabella, but I'd told them loud and clear for months now—they either had to come to terms with me dating Peyton, or say goodbye to me forever. On top of that, they needed to clean up their act and stop trying to screw with other hotels they saw as competition, because it was damn childish and pathetic.
Even if it meant losing my trust fund and my status, I was ready to give it all up for Peyton. Of course, I never told her that part. I didn't want to upset her, so I kept the gory details to myself.
Although my parents were initially furious at what they saw as a massive betrayal on my part, they were slowly starting to come to terms with my decision. And finally, after weeks of trying to convince them Peyton wasn't some mythological fire-breathing creature, they'd agreed to have us both over for brunch, so we could convince them we made sense as a couple in person. I was excited, but Peyton seemed nervous, judging by the tense look in her eyes.
"Don't worry about today," I murmured in her ear. "My parents just need a chance to get to know you. And I’m sure they’ll apologize for the shit they did."
"You can't promise that," she said. "And how can you be so sure, anyway? What if they still hate me after they meet me? What if they don’t even feel bad for all their spying bullshit? I mean, they did try to take my family and our hotel down. That doesn’t just go away overnight. They can’t stand my family or the Mirabella.”
"I know. But you're fucking perfect," I replied. "And nobody could hate you, unless they're a two-faced, lying bitch like DeeDee."
Her face crumpled at the mention of DeeDee, but broke into a small smile the next second. I was grateful that she was slowly starting to move past that mess, and so were her parents. The disappearance of their daughter still lay upon them like a heavy cloud, perhaps now even heavier with the fake heiress behind bars awaiting her trial (with Andreas in the same boat). But the Cadwells were strong and resilient, and they were getting on with their lives all the same.
"You have nothing to worry about," I promised her with a light kiss against her forehead. "It's all going to be A-Okay.”
“I guess.”
“We might as well get ready now that we're up."
She gave me a reluctant little nod and slid out of bed, stretching lazily. My eyes followed her movements, falling in love with her more and more with each move she made. I could swear the girl was magic. The way she made me forget all about my relationship insecurities was incredible, and with her, I could finally see a bright, beautiful future ahead of me.
We got ready together, with Peyton teasing me as I shaved and me pulling her panties down around her ankles as she got ready, applying a final coat of demure rose-pink lipstick. She glared at me, then giggled, and I couldn't believe my fucking luck. It was a miracle she'd forgiven me for the things I once kept from her. A miracle what I was willing to do for her. Anything, just to keep her fucking happy, to keep her for myself. Because she was mine, and I intended on keeping it that way forever.
We stepped out of her suite at the Mirabella in a waft of cologne and perfume. Peyton looked stunning in a baby blue tea dress that reached her knees—the perfect length for a lunch with the parents. She wore a suede tan jacket over the top and ballet flats on her feet. She looked fucking delectable in the sweet get-up, and I wasn't sure how I was expected to keep my hands off her when I wanted her this badly.
I drove her to my parents' place, a forty minute drive during which we blasted music and Peyton sang the lyrics to one of her favorite songs at the top of her voice. My little goofball. She wore huge sunglasses that covered up her pretty face, and I kept wanting to yank them off so I could stare at her for a little while longer.
We pulled up in my parents' driveway a little while later, and Peyton's eyes widened in surprise when she saw the property.
I knew it screamed nouveau riche to someone like her, from the ornamental columns at the entrance to the gold gilded iron gates surrounding it. I almost felt embarrassed over my parents' blatant need to display their wealth, but Peyton offered me her hand and an easy smile, and soon, everything but her was forgotten. All that mattered was my parents' reaction, and with an unrivaled beauty on my arm, with a fucking incredible personality too, I had no doubt she'd charm their socks off.
Our housekeeper opened the door once again, smiling brightly when she saw me, and if possible, even brighter when she saw Peyton.
But if Darcy was thrilled by my date, my parents' reaction was much less warm. They greeted her with ambivalent stares, and apart from my mom's quick once-over, they didn't seem too thrilled about having a Cadwell in their house.
We all sat down to a far too decadent brunch, complete with all kinds of tropical fruit, eggs three ways and a stack of pancakes piled precariously high. Darcy poured us glasses of freshly squeezed OJ, and Peyton thanked her before turning her attention to my parents.
"So, Peyton," Mom said. Her voice was stiff, but at least she was making an effort to speak. "I hear things at the Mirabella are a little hectic."
God, starting out with a fucking loaded question. Great job, Mom.
"Things have been pretty crazy," Peyton said with a stoic smile. "But I think we've handled it well. The hotel is full, and the extra publicity has actually done us good."
"Right. So, on the business end of things…." Dad cut in. I groaned and interrupted him before he could continue.
"Dad, can we not go there?" I said. "Please. She's my girlfriend. She's not here to talk business."
"Fine," he replied, rolli
ng his eyes. We sat there in absolutely excruciating silence.
Then I felt Peyton's foot slowly sneaking up my leg. I glanced at her in surprise and she gave me a devilish little look that made me chuckle. Mom shot me a questioning look, and I tried to look serious.
"I am still curious," she finally said, giving me a suspicious glance. "How did you manage to catch that girl out? I thought the DNA sample they took proved she was your sister."
“Mom!” I said. “Stop asking this stuff, please!”
Peyton nudged me. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’ve had to talk about it a lot lately. It’s fine, honestly.”
Mom’s lips turned up in the smallest of smiles. “So how did she do it?” she repeated. “I know I read about it in the paper, but I can’t remember.”
"She stole a sample of Peyton’s DNA from her bathroom," I reminded her.
"Yes." Peyton nodded. "There were also some red flags I should have noticed sooner."
"Like what?"
"Well, they were all small things, really. By themselves they seemed like nothing. But when I added them all up later, once we found out who she was, I realized they were all part of a bigger picture.”
Mom leaned forward. She loved drama and sordid details. “Go on,” she said. “If that’s okay,” she added hurriedly.
Peyton nodded again. “Well, for example, one day we went to have a mani-pedi," she said. "And the nail technician mentioned that her fingernails looked the same as one of her other clients who has a hereditary condition that messed up her nails. And DeeDee acted very strangely then, like she was afraid of me seeing her nails. But I never thought much of it... not until recently, now that I have new information and know who she really is. But if I had realized at the time that DeeDee probably had that condition, I would’ve realized she probably wasn’t related to my family, because none of us have it.”
"Nail-patella syndrome?" Mom asked. She loved medical drama shows, so it was no surprise that she’d heard of it.
"Yes." Peyton nodded. "Apparently it varies in how it presents in different people, but it can make you super flexible, which is why she was double-jointed and always so good at yoga, I guess.” She sighed, then went on. “For the longest time I thought it was a sign of abuse, her nails being so strange. And I guess she kinda manipulated me into thinking that...."
"But it wasn't abuse," I finished when her words trailed off. "She actually has the genetic condition. We found out from the police a while after they arrested her, when they went digging into her old medical records from Kentucky. They dug through everything, actually. We even found out DeeDee had no issues in her foster homes, except for the ones she caused."
"No kind of abuse whatsoever," Peyton added. “She made it all up to sound sympathetic.”
“Jesus,” Dad muttered.
"There was a man with her, no?" Mom asked with raised eyebrows, pouring Hollandaise sauce all over her Eggs Benedict. “Someone who grew up with her and helped come up with the plan?”
"Andreas," Peyton said. "I'm still upset about that. I genuinely thought he was a nice guy."
"So did I," I muttered.
"And what's going on with them now?" Dad asked, his brows drawn together.
"They're both awaiting trial," I said. “It’ll be huge. Trial of the century, if you believe all the gossip bloggers’ hype.”
"It's all like a telenovela," Mom said, her eyes shining.
Jesus Christ, here we go.
"Mom's addicted to soap operas. And reality TV, too." I rolled my eyes, passing Peyton the butter.
"I am not!" Mom said in mock outrage.
"Soap operas are fun," Peyton said with a giggle. "I love 'Abrazame y Perdoname'."
"That's my favorite!" Mom exclaimed. "Did you see the last episode? I couldn't believe my eyes!"
"Neither could I," Peyton replied. "Jose Fernando was his evil twin all along..."
Dad and I shared surprised looks as they delved into the soap opera, and it made me chuckle. Finally, something to connect them a little. I wasn't going to complain about that.
The conversation flowed more easily after that, and I was surprised when I looked at my watch to see that it was already one o’clock.
"I'm sorry, but we'll have to get going," I said to my parents.
"Already?" Mom said, making me smile with her disappointment. She'd finally found someone as addicted to telenovelas as she was, and she obviously wasn't done discussing it just yet. "Where are you going?"
"Peyton's parents have built a memorial garden for the real Allegra," I said. "They're unveiling it today."
"Oh, I see," Mom said softly, shooting Peyton an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. And….” Her voice trailed off, and she made something akin to a choking sound as her face turned slightly pink. Then she spoke up again. “I’m sorry for what your family went through this year, and I’m sorry if we made it worse with our… um …antics. It won’t happen again.”
My eyes widened. I hadn’t heard my mother apologize for something in years. It wasn’t exactly something that came easily to her.
Dad nodded and grunted, which I took to mean ‘I’m sorry too’.
Peyton’s brows shot up in surprise, but then she smiled. “It’s water under the bridge now, I suppose,” she said. She paused to clear her throat. “And if you like,” she went on, her voice slightly halting and nervous now. "You're more than welcome to come along to the unveiling."
Mom's eyes filled with real warmth, another thing I hadn’t seen in a long time. She got up from her seat and hugged Peyton tightly, surprising the rest of us at the table.
"No, darling," she said. "That's something you should do with your parents, and perhaps Kaden, if you choose for him to be a part of it. But I would like to see you again—soon, too?"
"I’d like that too," Peyton replied, a smile lighting up her face.
We said our goodbyes, then drove back with Peyton gushing about how the brunch had gone. I couldn’t believe how well things had gone either, but I was pretty damn happy about it.
“You know, for two people who were once hell-bent on poaching my family’s business and ruining its reputation, your parents are actually kinda cool,” Peyton said teasingly.
“They have their moments. I just can’t believe they actually apologized.”
“I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m glad they did,” she replied. “Your mom is actually quite lovely. Your dad’s very quiet, though.”
"He's always like that," I said. "Always busy. Always quiet. All business."
"But your mom is a sweetheart. You know, when she’s not plotting and scheming to destroy the Mirabella,” Peyton said with a wry smile. "Do you think she liked me?"
"Yes," I said firmly. "I think we're never going to get rid of her now that she knows you share a Jose Fernando obsession."
She laughed.
After all the nervous tension from earlier, it was the most beautiful sound in the world.
It was a special afternoon.
Even the sun had decided to come out after being in hiding for the past week, shining through the clouds and illuminating the memorial garden in an enchanting light.
The garden stood under an arch covered in light pink roses, and the marble path and bench glittered with their inlaid mosaic stones. It was like something out of a fairytale. The perfect place to find peace, collect your inner thoughts and find the meaning, the answer to every question you might ask yourself. It was truly beautiful, even to my layman's eyes.
"You've done a fantastic job," I told Mr. Cadwell, and he gave me a warm handshake.
"We're so glad you could make it," Mrs. Cadwell said with a bright smile.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I said. I meant it.
In the past few months, they'd really become like a second family. The ease with which they'd accepted me was incredible. They were so kind, forgiving, and understanding, and I felt lucky to have both of them in my life, especially given how much they’d helped me. Soon afte
r the scandal died down, I began my job at the Mirabella in a junior management position—a job Vincent kindly arranged for me. Of course, my parents were appropriately outraged at the time, but after a week of radio silence, they never mentioned it again. I knew they'd ask about my job eventually, and for now, it was still a little thorn in their sides.
But one thing at a time.
Peyton had been busy taking my advice too, and while I worked my way up the ranks, she was working on her website with Bianca’s help. It was set to launch in the new year. I was so goddamn proud of her, of everything she'd achieved and how hard she was working for something she believed in. The drive in her was incredible, and I made sure to tell her I was prouder of her with each day that passed.
But this, the memorial garden, truly felt like the closure everyone needed right now, after the year we’d all had.
I never underestimated the damage DeeDee and Andreas had done to the Cadwells. The hope they'd awoken in Peyton's parents was now crushed, lying at their feet in a tangled mess of lies and deceit. I'd worked hard to cheer up Peyton after it all happened, but the real damage was done to her parents.
Both Francine and Vincent seemed to have aged drastically in the time of Allegra's sudden reappearance, and then, the tragic reveal of the truth. I knew the mystery of their daughter's disappearance still weighed on them heavily (and always had), but the memorial garden felt like a step in the right direction for them to heal. At this point, after everything they’d been through, they’d finally come to accept that they might never know what happened to her, and while that had caused deep scars in the years since her disappearance, they knew they had to go on with their lives and try to live as best they could, knowing that was how she’d want things if she was still around. After all, she was a Cadwell.
So with this garden, it felt like we were burying a past life, and finally starting on our way to a new, better one. One in which we’d always remember the past, but also look forward to the future. That was something none of us had done in quite some time.
Suite Hearts Page 27