Chapter 50 - FACING HER BROTHERS I

Sunday, Stefan woke up first again. He checked the swollen part of her ankle and found that it wasn't as red and as swollen as yesterday. It looked a little better and she was sleeping peacefully beside him.

'Our situation seemed a little off. I'm not even sure why this feels so good and natural.' Stefan thought to himself while smiling foolishly on his own. He decided to go out without waking her up and started working out for few minutes. Since she came to his life, he missed his workout session several times. It was so comfortable to sleep with her.

Luiz and Kyle were worried for their sister. She left yesterday without answering their question and she didn't even send them a message. The two of them would sneak a look to each other from time to time and they have been lying to their mother several times as well. They were forced to lie in behalf of their sister.

"Do you believe that she's fine and that her boss wasn't extorting her?" Luiz asked in worry. He was whispering to his brother since they couldn't allow their mother to know about what happened. They didn't tell her that they received expensive gifts from Cayenne's boss. Their mother will bombard them with questions.

"Yen's not coming today?" Arthur asked when he visited the hospital and found her missing. "Is she still working?"

"Hn. She witched her schedule to make time for me."

"Shouldn't it happen just once since the day she switched was just for the awarding ceremony?"

"You know my sister, she will always try to work during her day off to make an extra income." Kyle retorted with the most plausible excuse. Arthur believed them and didn't have the slightest doubt. "By the way, Ma, we will help you convince her to stay at home."

"Really? You are not against it?" Their mother questioned back. She honestly thought that her children don't like her because she was difficult to take care of specially with her illness.

"We are not against it. And you are actually right. It's not that we are giving up on you but the doctor told us about your condition. It's just that, Yen won't give up no matter what. She's stubborn just like you." Kyle responded. He has reasons why he wanted their mother to come home. He wanted Cayenne to stop working day and night. He also wanted to spend time with their mother more often than not.

Luiz agreed. He didn't know his elder brother would want to convince their sister but he knew that it was for the best of all them.

Cayenne, on the other hand, had no idea of her family's plan. She was still sleeping soundly while Stefan did the things he wanted to do.

Around nine in the morning, she finally woke up and found him sitting on the couch at the foot of their bed, reading a company report that Chris sent to him.

The moment he turned around to look at her, Cayenne didn't know why but, she felt so embarrassed. Her face was turning red which also frightens Stefan. "Are you okay? You are a little bit reddish. Do you have a fever?"

"I don't. I'm just…I'm just a little embarrassed." She whispered the last words but Stefan still heard it.

"Just get use to this. I will take care of you when needed and you will be taking care of me when you are doing fine. Give and take is what you call it."

"I'm mostly taking so much from you instead of giving something."

"That's fine. Just wait for your turn to give everything to me."

"Here we go again."

"Right. I like the fact that I have poor vocabulary and that I'm not using my words properly." Cayenne was completely helpless in front of him. He was full of mischief, at the same time, gentle towards her. He was confusing her so much but she was afraid to ask why. She didn't want to know the reason behind all these little gestures he was showing to her.

She looked around to find her phone and when she was about to get off the bed, Stefan instantly rose to his feet and picked up her bag from the couch and gave it to her. She fished out her phone to call her brothers when she saw the time plastered across her phone screen.

"It's 9:27 AM? My phone isn't broken, right? This is the real time?"

"Yup. It's almost 9:30 in the morning."

Cayenne's eyes widened and she threw her phone on the bed. "OMG! OMG! OMG! Why didn't you wake me up? They will be more doubtful of me now."

"Aren't we going to talk to them?"

"Now? I mean, my foot still hurts."

"Isn't it the more reason why you should talk to them? You can tell them that you were not able to come back home because you sprained your foot."

"Can I leave the explaining to you? I'm not really good with this. I'm sure you will be able to convince them since you were able to convince me."

"Are you really complimenting me? Why does it sound so sarcastic when it comes from you?"

"It's just your imagination. I'm honestly complimenting you."

"Then, should I call them over?"

"You want to talk with them here?"

"Where else do you want them to go? Do you want to walk and go somewhere while enduring your pain?"

Cayenne was silent for a moment and she was just staring at him. "Do whatever you want."

"Are you sure?"

"Just make sure you won't say anything unnecessary."

"Unnecessary like?"

"Like…like…I don't know. Just make sure that my reputation will be intact in their mind."

"Yes ma'am."

"Don't 'yes ma'am' me. I don't understand why I'm getting into this trouble for you."

"That's because we are meant to meet each other for a good cause. You need money and I can give that to you. I need someone to help me sleep and you are that person to me. We are just fated to be together."

"Fine. Fine. Fate it is. Let's have fate decide what will happen between us after your conversation with my siblings."

Even though she said those words, even though she was confident he can resolve her issue, she was still worried. She was worried of the kind of sister her brothers will make her to be. She didn't want them to think that she's a loose woman, who sold her body and soul for them. Her mother would probably die in anger. Her brothers will be a shame of her.

"Oh god! Please make them understand where I'm coming from." Cayenne mumbled while lying down on her bed. She didn't contact her siblings. She left everything for Stefan to settle. It was him who exposed her anyway. If he didn't send those gifts, she would not be exposed with her own lies.

'Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!'

Time was slowly passing by and lunch was approaching. Stefan invited her siblings over for lunch and to discuss her situation with him. Kyle and Luiz were nervous after getting his message because they had no idea how to face him. They didn't know what kind of man Cayenne's boss was and their sister didn't respond to their messages as well.

If they were afraid, Cayenne has more reason to be afraid as well. She was the one involved with Stefan after all. 

Stefan gave them the address of the house that he and Cayenne stayed and at the same time, he called the taxi driver to come and pick them up at the hospital where they dropped Cayenne last time.

They were lucky enough since Arthur went home after knowing that Cayenne wasn't there. The less people knew about her situation, the better it would be for her. When he thought about it, there were a handful of people who knew about their connection and now, he needed to be careful or more people will know about them.

"Do you want to face them with me? I think it's believable if you are around." Stefan suggested to her.

"I'll come out later. I am so nervous that I'm starting to feel dizzy."

"Don't worry. Your siblings are smart."

"This is not-"

'Ding! Dong!'

The door bell rang and her face paled. "Oh god! I think I'm going to die right this instant!" she mumbled while clutching her chest. "If I have a heart problem. I would have died several times from so much anxiety."

"Just relax, okay? I got this. Wait for at least half an hour before coming out of the room."

"Hn."

Stefan walked out of the room and went down stairs to open the door. Right outside the house were Cayenne's siblings. Each of them looked scary and unfriendly while looking at him.

"Give me back my sister." Kyle ordered him with the least gentle voice. He looked so imposing in front of him.