In the next week that followed, the Johnson Construction Company offices were buzzing about with what went round at Leo's birthday party. To those who were invited to the party, there were many stories to tell in their departments, and if they had the time, they would actually go around to others that were anxious enough to hear. It wasn't a surprise that Angel was the main topic of discussion with how beautiful she looked. Moreover, no one could get over the ballroom dance performance. It seemed to be everyone's favorite topic to talk about.
In no time at all, a small rumor happened to spread of Angel and Leo dating. Leo happened to stumble upon it by accident when he walked out of his office. Before turning round a corner, he heard giggling coming from the next hall. As soon as Angel's name was mentioned, he stopped in his tracks. The three women were by the dispenser, and they were talking about how Angel and Leo performed that night.
"Did you see the way he looked at her as they danced?" one of them asked. "There were definitely stars in those eyes of his. Ooh, how romantic."
"I know, right?" the second woman said. "Not only did the two of them look attractive in the way they dressed, they actually looked like a loving couple. I was sort of upset when Leo broke things off with Kim, but he and Angel actually suit each other."
"I won't be surprised after that night if the two of them actually start dating," came the third woman. "They might as well be. Have you noticed how the two of them have been close lately, even before the party? I bet they are trying not to gain attention, but it's no surprise that might be the case."
"I hope they do," said the first. "But what will happen with Eric and Derrick? Don't those two like her as well?"
"They're all great if you ask me," said the second. "This will be tough for her. But after that dance, we all know where her heart lies."
Leo soon interrupted the conversation with his presence, and the three women stopped talking and looked embarrassed being caught talking about one of their bosses as they did. They apologized and soon left the water dispenser and went back to their workstations. Leo couldn't do anything to keep the rumor from spreading. All these rumors just because of one dance? He wondered.
Eric wasn't taking the rumors lightly. During his time at work, he did his best not to lose his cool when he heard a few scoops from his colleagues. He obviously thought they were making fun of him for finding himself in such a love triangle. If only they knew Leo already has eyes for someone else, he thought. Anyway, until Leo let the bomb drop, Eric had to wait patiently and deal with the situation like a grown man would.
Angel had a lot on her hands. Once her name was revealed to everyone on social media—from none other than Sabrina, of course—people couldn't stop talking about her for a week. If I hadn't danced with Leo, none of this would've happened, she thought to herself on Monday morning. Sabrina had sent her a link to a blog post after her name was revealed. Since Leo was a popular figure, anyone associated with him would nonetheless receive the media's undivided attention. All it took was her pretty face and the video of the dance to make all of it happen. Everyone on social media couldn't help but feel that the two of them had been dating in secret, which wasn't the case. Angel had no doubt that, in a way, this news wasn't only affecting her but her sister as well.
Carly rang Angel on Monday after going MIA the whole of Sunday. She explained to her sister that she hadn't had her phone with her as she thought it had gone missing. But lo and behold, Robin had had it in his backpack the entire time and only found it later that evening when he unpacked it. Angel couldn't express how worried she was and was glad that her sister was alright. Carly couldn't help but address what she had been seeing on social media since the party. For once, Angel wished her sister's phone had stayed hidden a little while longer.
"Yeah, I'm not proud of what's going on, believe me," said Angel as she walked up and down in the break room. Lucky for her, the room was empty at the time.
"I bet things would've been a lot more different if Leo and I had openly made the world know that we are dating instead," said Carly.
"I'm really sorry this had to happen, Carly."
"No, I understand. People talk a lot and make assumptions. How is Kim taking it?"
"I haven't heard from her since yesterday." Angel bit her lip, making a mental note to try to check on Kim some time during the week. "I bet she knows all these are just rumors."
"Well, it won't be long until people find out the truth about Leo and me."
Angel became a little puzzled at the statement. "Does this mean you plan to let the world know?"
Carly paused before giving out her answer. "Well, yeah. This secret wasn't going to last forever, Angel," said Carly as she chuckled. "If Leo and I were to take things to the next level, then the rest of the family and everyone else will have to know about us. Of course, they won't know the full story about how we met and fell in love. So we will need to come up with a good story."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Angel rubbed the back of her neck. As much as what Carly said was true, Angel couldn't help but feel if there was more to it. Moreover, the way Carly chuckled earlier made Angel's senses tingle. What is Carly up to now? She wondered.
"Have you talked to Leo about it?" Angel asked.
"No, but I'll put it up to him for sure," said Carly. "I know he'll side with me on this one."
Carly did talk to Leo about it right after finishing her conversation with Angel. To Leo, it all felt so sudden, and it caught him completely off guard. But he understood where Carly was coming from. It isn't easy to read people's assumptions on social media about your sister dating your boyfriend. He agreed with Carly and thought they were better off discussing the issue when she came home. After their conversation, Leo also had a weird assumption that Carly was up to something. Could it be that she's jealous, he wondered. He couldn't be too sure.
In the McDonell mansion, Amanda and Diana were enjoying the whole Angel and Leo dating fiasco. Mrs. McDonell wasn't having any of it, while Mr. McDonell never enjoyed these gossips and stayed as far away from them as possible. If Leo and Angel are dating, then good for them, he thought. However, he was downright sure that they weren't.
One Tuesday morning, Diana, Mrs. McDonell, and Amanda happened to find themselves seated out on the patio, enjoying the warm sun. Diana had been looking through her phone sending out a set of instructions to the person she had left in charge of her massage parlor. She thought of staying at home in need of some downtime. Mrs. McDonell sat next to her, looking through her latest fashion magazine. Amanda, who sat on Diana's other side, was simply enjoying the view of the garden with a cup of coffee in her hand.
"Okay, done," said Diana as soon as she sent her message. "Now I can simply rest."
"You deserve it, dear," said Amanda as she turned to look at her daughter. "You've been working too hard with that massage parlor of yours."
"Well, business has been booming of late and I had to make sure our services to the people are perfect." Diana looked through her phone. "I see the rumors of Leo and Angel are still going around."
Amanda giggled. "I am not a fan of the internet, but ever since Mandy told me of the rumor, I have suddenly started to like my phone."
Mrs. McDonell scoffed as she continued to look through her magazine. "You two know very well that Leo and Angel aren't dating each other," she said. "Why does it have to get you all excited?"
"Because what if it's actually true?" Diana asked as she grinned at Bertha. "Don't forget, Leo did say he was seeing someone. What if Angel happens to be her?"
"It can't be, and you know it." Mrs. McDonell furrowed her eyebrows, still not looking at Diana. "Those two haven't gotten along for a long time, and it was only until recently."
"Maybe, he was dating someone at the time, yes. But now, maybe he has feelings for Angel."
Bertha raised an eyebrow, this time looking at Diana. "We really should stop watching those soap operas."
"Soap opera or not," said Amanda, "those two make a nice couple."
"No, they don't." Mrs. McDonell now looked at Amanda.
"Why are you such a sour puss, sometimes?" Amanda asked. "You know they suit each other. The problem is you're so closed-minded that you think only Kim is good for him. Haven't you ever thought there are better women out there for Leo?"
"No. Leo and Kim are still a match made in heaven."
"In your close-minded head, they are. And I'm starting to see why Leo cancelled on the wedding."
"Come on, Mum," said Diana, cutting in quickly before Bertha said something. "That's all in the past. And clearly, Leo no longer has feelings for Kim."
"You don't know that," said Mrs. McDonell. "I know Leo still cares about her."
"Then you, my dear, are as blind as a bat," said Diana, smirking at Bertha.
Amanda couldn't help but laugh aloud, while Bertha's jaw dropped open. Clearly, she was offended by Diana's words. Amanda continued to laugh, making Bertha feel even more embarrassed.
"How can you say that?" Bertha asked.
"Because the truth hurts, and you know it," Diana answered; this time the smirk on her face had disappeared. "I don't know how many times I'm going to say this, but Leo doesn't love Kim. Moreover, if you knew your son better than you say you do, you would've noticed it even during the party how Leo never gave Kim his full attention. Trying to force things is only going to draw Leo away from you."
Diana wasn't lying there. Since Leo learned of his mother's scheme to make Leo and Kim dance together at his party, Leo had distanced himself from his mother. He would greet her in the morning and in the evening whenever he got back home, and that was it. Even when Bertha would openly engage Leo at the dinner table, Leo would keep things short, and that was it. It concerned Bertha a lot, and she didn't know what to do to try and resolve the issue. It was difficult to bring it up since Leo decided to keep quiet and let things be. Bertha knew she had a lot to make up for, and it wasn't going to be easy.
Carly was due to come back home on Friday, and Angel couldn't wait. With the days that had gone by, a lot had been going through Angel's mind about her sister's well-being. In addition, there's also that one big step she wanted to take: to let people know that she and Leo were dating. Angel didn't know why, but after a long, hard period of contemplating, Angel thought all of this was a bad idea.
Before Carly got home, Angel thought she better discuss this with Leo and see if he was ready to make such a step. If they did let the world know, like Carly said, they needed to have a good cover story.
On Thursday afternoon, Angel had just taken a set of files from Mrs. Lance for review when she happened to be approaching Leo's office. The door flew open, and his secretary walked out first; then Leo followed afterwards. He was giving his secretary a set of instructions by the door, and she gave him a nod before going back to her desk. Leo had closed the door behind him and turned around to find Angel in the hall. Angel also stopped in her tracks as the two of them shared a look.
"Afternoon," Angel greeted.
"Good afternoon," said Leo. He was finding this very awkward.
The two of them have been trying to avoid each other since the rumor started. But for some reason, they would always find each other either in the same room or working on similar assignments. They tried to work as professionally as possible, but they would much rather avoid each other in the workplace altogether.
Before Leo could continue on his way, Angel stopped him by drawing up her hand.
"Wait, Leo," she said. "There's something I want you and I to discuss."
Leo raised his eyebrows. "Can't it wait till we get home?" he asked.
Angel shook her head, and she looked behind Leo to see if his secretary was looking at them. Luckily enough, the secretary seemed too occupied to care as she was on a phone call.
"We need to find somewhere to talk," said Angel. "And I'm afraid if we talk here, people will start to get excited."
Leo rolled his eyes. "I pretty much care less about what they think nowadays." He looked up at the ceiling. "I haven't had lunch and I know it's way past the time, so would you mind escorting me to a café lounge downstairs? I feel it will be a good place to talk."
"Um, yeah, sure," said Angel.
Leo walked past Angel, leading the way, and Angel followed him. As if some divine intervention had just occurred, no one moved about in the hallway. Leo avoided the main area, and the two found themselves in the reception. There was no one there as it looked like the receptionist had also stepped out. As they walked out of the company space and towards the elevator, Angel couldn't help but address the issue.
"Haven't you noticed that there was no one walking around in the hall?" Angel asked, looking at Leo.
Leo looked at the elevator, waiting for it to open. "It's the middle of the afternoon, and people are obviously trying to finish up on their work, or they are lazing around in their cubicles after a heavy lunch."
The doors to the elevator drew open, and they both entered the elevator. Leo pressed the button to the second floor of the building. Angel had always known there was a small café in the building but had never gone there. She bet Leo didn't have the time to go too far away from the office and decided to go to the café instead.
"We can start out our conversation in here," said Leo as he turned to look at Angel. "What do you want to talk about?"
Angel looked at Leo and realized that it was just the two of them in the elevator. She soon started to feel her cheeks grow hot and she had no idea why. She quickly looked away, her fingers folding into fists, telling herself to get a grip on herself.
"I talked to Carly recently," Angel replied, feeling her voice come out a little shaky. "With what's happening on social media. She wants you and her to reveal to the world that you're dating."
The elevator stopped and the little sound monitor rang signaling to them that they had reached their floor. Leo continued to look at Angel still, and knowing that he had his eyes fixed on her, Angel was trying her best not to look at him. As soon as the doors slide open, Leo gestured for Angel to step out first, which she did. Leo followed her.
"I had a similar talk with her as well," said Leo as the doors to the elevator closed behind them.
"And…?" Angel asked, waiting for him to answer.
Leo started to make his way forward, and Angel followed right beside him. The floor they were on almost resembled a mall with a few small clothing stores and stationery stores around. Up ahead was the small café, which wasn't hard to miss.
"Well…" Leo placed both his hands in his pockets. "To be honest, it feels too sudden. She caught me off guard when she mentioned it."
"Same here," said Angel as she took the chance to look around as they slowly approached the café. "I just don't feel telling the world about the two of you is a good idea."
"Yeah, that's how I feel too."
"Did you talk to Eric about this?" Angel now looked at Leo.
"I really haven't had the chance to tell him yet." Leo gave Angel a thin-lipped smile. "Ever since Carly told me, it has been on my mind a lot."
As soon as they reached the entrance of the café, the waitress cleaning the tables saw Leo, and a bright smile came upon her face as she approached him and Angel.
"Good afternoon, sir," the woman greeted. "It's been a while since you last came here."
"Yeah, it's been a while," said Leo.
The woman led them inside the café and took them to a table only for two on one side of the café. The place was small, but it was entirely empty for the afternoon. She gave Leo and Angel the menus and left them alone to pick their meal. A man of Chinese descent stood behind the till, and upon locking eyes with Leo, the two waved at each other.
"I don't think I should order since I already had lunch," said Angel as she looked at the beautiful green menu card.
"You can order a dessert, then," said Leo. "It won't look good if I'm eating by myself."
Angel looked up at Leo. Of course, he would want me to order a dessert, she thought to herself. She looked down at the menu card at the dessert section. For some reason, she wondered why she immediately started to blush.
"I know what I'll be taking," said Leo as he put down the menu card he was holding. "What will you get?"
"Umm… I don't know. Their dessert menu is so scrumptious, I don't know which one to pick."
"May I suggest something simple?" Leo asked, raising his eyebrow at Angel.
"Yeah, please," said Angel as she looked at him.
"The chocolate chip muffins. Their muffins here are so good. You won't regret it."
Before Angel could agree, Leo had already gestured to the waitress standing by and made the order. He was to have some tuna sandwiches, and Angel, a chocolate chip muffin. For dessert, he ordered the same.
As soon as the waitress left, Angel and Leo were left alone. The café was surprisingly quiet, even the rustle and bustle outside didn't seem to interfere with the quiet space of the café. It was as if the two of them had just entered a vacuum. The two of them looked at each other for a while.
"So, what have you decided over Carly's plan?" Angel asked for some time had passed.
"I feel we still need a bit more time," Leo replied. "I understand where all of this is coming from, but I feel she is rushing things. When she gets back she and I will really need to sit down and talk about it."
"Plus, if you're going to announce to the world you're dating, you need a good backstory about how you two met."
"Yeah, we need to get a lot of things in line. I won't lie, this feels like a whole lot of pressure on my part."
"You and me both." Angel looked up at the white ceiling. "I just feel all this with the dance and her not being there at the party and whatever is going on on social media is making her think rashly. We really need a good game plan, or else people will start to ask a lot of questions. And the last thing I need is Carly's past coming up."
Leo scoffed. "Shoot. I almost forgot about that. If people start to dig up about her past, it won't look good."
"Yeah, that's why we need a good backstory. Even if people will bring up her past, at least we can think of something to make them think otherwise." Angel bit her lower lip.
The two of them sat there brooding over the issue. It felt like a dark cloud had settled over them. Then all of a sudden, Leo shook his head.
"You know what, this isn't helping," he said.
"Huh?" Angel looked at Leo, getting out of her thoughts.
"I mean, thinking about this now isn't going to help."
"Are you saying you're going to let things take it's course?" Angel asked, surprised. "Won't that be risky?"
"It will." Leo straightened up in his chair. "But all this is stressing me out, and I came here to have lunch."
"Yeah, you're right." Angel put her elbows on the table and started to rub her temples. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to stress you out. I'm just really worried about all this."
"Oh, no, don't be. I understand. I'm worried too. But my hands are tied until I try to talk to Carly to lay off her plan for a little while until we make a good cover story. She'll be back tomorrow, so there will be a need to talk things over."
The waitress came along with a tray and served them their food. As soon as she gave Angel her chocolate muffin, she left the two of them again.
"Before we end this discussion here," said Angel, "promise me something, Leo."
"What is it?" Leo looked at Angel. For some reason he wasn't upset that she had interrupted before he could start to eat.
"That you convince Carly not to rush things. She could be a little over her head sometimes, and I won't have much to say in this because this decision solely rests on the both of you. Just tell her to be patient until you both find a solution that won't compromise you both."
Leo gave Angel a small smile. "I will do my best. Now, can we eat?"
Angel blushed in embarrassment as she realized that she just prevented Leo from having his meal. I'm so stupid, she thought to herself. Leo, who noticed her blush, smiled even more.
"Yeah, sorry about that," said Angel. She looked down at her chocolate chip muffin. "This looks delicious, though."
"It is. You won't regret it." Leo went on to eat his sandwich.
It didn't take them long to find something to talk about as they ate. And for almost the rest of the afternoon, the two of them stayed in the café talking and laughing without a care in the world.
***
Carly had spent a marvelous time at Andre's estate (hacienda). Andre's men picked her up on Monday afternoon. From then onwards, she was to proceed with caution and was not supposed to contact Red Lion or any of his team members on the mission. Hugo was the only one given permission to communicate as he was posing as Loren's uncle. When it came to the program of her school seminar, Veronica and the rest had it all handled. They had a good cover story just in case people came about asking questions.
Andre's hacienda was far out from Mexico City and into the countryside. It surprised Carly the first time she arrived, as it was evening and the sun was starting to set. Andre had a lovely mansion, even lovelier than the McDonell's and quite bigger. The mansion almost resembled that of a modern-day palace. And behind the mansion was a massive swimming pool, and it was obviously where Andre held many of his parties.
Andre welcomed her when she arrived, and he showed her around the house. She was shown the rest of his estate the next day, and she realized that he also kept a whole herd of his father's horses. Apparently, both his parents had flown to Paris on a trip. That meant Andre could spend quality time with Carly on his estate. It was a mighty relief on Carly's part since it felt a little too soon to be introduced to his parents, and it will only put her on edge.
Apart from seeing his mansion and knowing what was on his estate, Carly got to know about his business. In the stables where the horses were kept was an area that was actually a makeshift lab for producing illegal drugs. Not only did she know what was going down with his business, but she even got to know and meet some of Andre's business partners, who would visit his estate. In the short space of time that she was there, she got to meet three of Andre's important clients, all of them from different countries in South America. It was no wonder Andre was always busy, especially when it came to meeting his old business partners, who always seemed to have more to offer him.
Slowly Carly started to realize why Red Lion was interested in whatever Andre was up to. The way she saw it, Andre had simply helped build his father's drug empire. Once when the two of them were alone in his room, he told her how his father suffered as a young boy and how he started his own drug ring. He saw how his family has struggled to make ends meet. Now, they don't dare question him since he takes care of them with the very money that he had worked so hard for in the drug world. Andre learned from him and, with his charisma and heartfelt dedication, helped grow the business. A lot of bloodshed and sacrifices had to be made for him to be where he is right now. For some reason, Carly respected him for that.
Her days on the hacienda were coming to an end as she was to leave on Thursday evening, head back to her hotel, and take a flight back home on Friday along with her fellow students. Andre didn't want her to leave, of course. He really enjoyed her company and begged her to stay a little longer. But she refused, saying she also had things to take care of back home. She did admit she also wanted to stay, but she had to go.
Thursday arrived quicker than expected, and Carly so happened to be in her guest room packing up her things. Even though she slept in a separate room, she would spend her nights in Andre's. She was to leave the estate early in the afternoon. Her phone, beside her suitcase on the bed, started to ring, and when Carly checked the caller ID, she was relieved to see it was Hugo. She quickly picked up the call.
"Hello, Uncle," she greeted him. She had to be careful with who she addressed while on the phone. For all she knew, she could be watched or someone was somewhere in the shadows, eavesdropping on her conversation. For all she knew, the house helpers around the mansion were women who loved eavesdropping.
"Hello, Loren," came Hugo. Even he had to play his part as her Uncle. "Ready to come back home?"
"Most definitely," said Carly as she looked down at her suitcase. "Everything is planned as scheduled for my departure."
"Well, it will be glad to have you back. Don't forget about the package I had asked you for."
"Oh, you don't have to remind me twice," said Carly. She heard a faint sound of footsteps outside her door. "You're going to love it. And I'll make sure to bring it to you."
The door to her room flew open, and Carly had a guess of who it might be. She didn't turn around making it look like she was unaware of the person in the room.
"Okay, just make sure to inform me of your departure. Will see you tomorrow."
"Alright. We'll see you then."
Carly cut the call, and as soon as she threw her phone on the bed, she felt Andre come from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist and bringing her closer to him. Carly couldn't help but giggle as Andre brought his lips close to the side of her neck.
"You really should tell your uncle that you aren't going to make it for that flight tomorrow," said Andre.
"You know that isn't possible," said Loren as she placed her hands on Andre's arms around her. "I really do wish that I can stay here a little longer."
Andre sighed, and Loren could feel his body slouch a little. He dropped his arms and turned her around as he held her waist. "Then why can't you?"
"You know why," she said as she held his chin and quickly planted a kiss. "I'm needed back home, and let's not forget that I can't stay away from school forever."
Andre playfully rolled his eyes, making Loren laugh. "If I had it my way, you would never leave," he said.
"Oh, but you should learn that nothing will always go your way. Besides, it's not like I'll be leaving forever. I'll be back. I think I love this sort of life, far away from the busyness of the world. It feels like a safe haven here."
"Then why don't you tell your uncle that you've changed your mind and will want to stay with me?"
"The two of you haven't met yet, and I don't think he would approve of his niece staying with a stranger."
"I'm no stranger to him if he knows Red Lion."
"Seems like you're certain Red Lion is vouching for you," said Loren with an eyebrow raised.
"I'm not certain." Andre smirked. "But I'm sure if your Uncle were to ask about me, Red Lion would speak highly of me."
"Let's hope so. I won't lie, my uncle hasn't asked much about you. All he hopes is that you make me happy and that you'll never hurt me."
Andre gave Loren a peck on the cheek. "You know I'll never hurt you," he said softly. His hand ran through her curly black hair. "I'm really going to miss you, though."
"Me too," said Loren. "Why don't we spend our last few hours together? I don't want you moping over my leaving."
"I'm going to miss you either way. Anyway, I called to tell you that breakfast is ready."
"Sure thing. Let me make sure I've got everything packed. I'll find you downstairs."
"Alright. I'll be waiting."
Andre let go of Loren, and as he walked away from her, he couldn't help but look at her and smile. Loren smiled as she made her way to the wardrobe to remove her remaining clothing. As soon as she heard Andre leave and close the door, Loren turned around to check, and she couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling as she dropped the clothes onto the bed.
If she said those words to Andre because it was Loren's part to do so, Carly really did like this place, and leaving was a real letdown. If it wasn't for her college seminar coming to an end, she would've begged Red Lion to stay a little while longer. Not only to help execute his plan more effectively, but to enjoy a nice horseback ride with Andre riding around the estate like they had been doing the last few days. Unfortunately, all good things should come to an end.
She will be going back to her life in New York. After her visit, if all goes to Red Lion's plans, she might never see Andre again. After her phone call with Hugo, she figured there was more for her to do once she got back home. And here she thought she will get a breather. Seems like she wasn't. She sighed as she folded her clothes on the bed.
Speaking of going back home, that also meant being Carly again. She would be back at the McDonell mansion, to her sister, to Leo and Eric, as well as to the McDonell family. The thought of it made Carly cringe a little. An unsettling feeling came back to her about going back to New York. How was she going to face Leo after spending close to two weeks with Andre—who she had concluded was just as wonderful a man as Leo?
She shook her head. This will all be over soon, she told herself. She might just have her life back after all this was done. But why did she feel bad about it?
After Carly zipped up her suitcase, she made her way to the door and opened it. Two house helpers passed her as they walked down the hall, carrying pure white tablecloths. In the direction they were heading, Carly knew they were going downstairs to prepare for a special occasion. Andre's young sister will be coming back from abroad as she was studying in England. Andre decided to throw a big welcome party, and he had hoped Loren would remain for one more night to introduce her to his sister. But it was not meant to be.
Carly walked down the hall, reaching the white stone flight of stairs. The two helpers had already reached the bottom of the stairs and were heading out towards the wide-open terrace of the house, leading to the swimming pool area. That was where Carly was going, as well as Andre, and they liked to have their breakfast outside overlooking the swimming pool and also the view of the green, lavish lawns of Andre's estate.
Just as she started to make her way down the stairs, Andre's trusted comrade, Diego, also appeared from the living room area, making his way outside when he saw Loren coming down the stairs. Loren paused as she saw him, and he looked back at her too. To Loren, she always felt a bit of hostility from Diego. He was much closer to Andre, and the two were almost like brothers to each other. It was no surprise that the day after she came, she heard one of the helpers gossiping about how Diego didn't like Loren. Even though Loren wasn't so good with her Spanish yet, that little bit of gossip came in a little handy for her. Since then, she had always been wary of him.
Loren smiled at Diego as she continued her way down the stairs.
"Good morning, Diego," Loren greeted him. She had now reached the bottom of the stairs and approached him.
Diego cleared his throat. "Morning," he greeted in return.
"Are you joining Andre and me for breakfast?"
"No, I already ate. Was just going outside for some air. Excuse me."
Loren watched Diego walk out of the house and onto the terrace. He took off in the other direction of the swimming pool to the stables. Loren watched him go, and just before she could also step out onto the terrace, she heard quick footsteps behind her. She turned to see four other house helpers coming down the stairs with more tablecloths and other items for setting the tables. Loren stood aside to make way for the helpers. They walked out of the house almost in line. The fourth helper lingered back a bit and watched the others as they walked down the terrace and to the other side of the pool. The helper turned to look at Loren standing by the door.
Loren looked around to make sure there was no one else around. When the coast was clear, the helper turned to Loren and quickly pulled out an item from in between the clothes she carried, wrapped in a blue satin cloth. Loren quickly took the item and placed it neatly in the black coat she was wearing.
"That was quick," Carly said.
Miranda scoffed. "It wasn't easy getting it, you know," she said. "And I had to work a little harder to collect it yesterday."
"You did well. Is everything set on your end?"
"It is. I'm sure you have done the same?"
"Yes."
Carly and Miranda shared a look. As much as they despised working together, they didn't have much of a choice. Miranda had come in as helper standing in for one of the helpers who happened to fall ill (Red Lion's plan, of course). Miranda happened to be called upon and on the same day Carly had arrived at the estate, Miranda had come in a few hours earlier. During the course of the few days at the mansion, the two have been up and down secretly helping each other and exchanging items right under Andre and his men's noses. They had to be smart about it and so far, so good.
Miranda gave a nod of her head and quickly rushed outside. Anyone at any time could see the two of them and start to wonder. Carly watched her go and made sure to take a last look around in case anyone saw them.
Carly stepped out onto the terrace, overlooking the lovely wide pool in front of her. She turned to look to the left side of the terrace and found Andre by the table that had already been set for breakfast. He was looking at his phone when he saw Loren standing there. Loren slowly started to make her way towards him with a smile on her face.