Chapter 12 — Faceless Shadow

Strangers passing by to either get into their cars or were just about to leave the parking lot were mere faceless shadows as Cedric continued to assault my lips with his. The spine-chilling idea of getting caught making out with him caused my whole body to go rigid, and yet the act was giving my head mixed signals as the searing kiss made me a moaning mess instead.

Instead of pushing him away, I hungered for his touch. His hand removed itself from my wrist and traveled up to my thighs. Brushing against the skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake. It was similar to a fire set in the forest, burning down everything in its path with only the destructive aftermath and faint smoke to prove it was really there. Kisses from Cedric burned my lips, his taste and affection ingrained into them.

I almost fainted at the loving act, holding on to whatever my hands could grip as he continued his onslaught. Running out of breath, I managed to pull away to inhale sharply. To be able to gulp for air before drowning. Momentary it was for he soon captured me again, cupping my face and holding me there, pinned on my seat. Moaning as our tongues tangled with each other, his tactic made me lose my senses to a point I was close to forgetting we were inside his car and not in the safety of a private room. With all my might, I pushed with the palm of my hands against his hard chest to break our kiss. Cedric, reluctant to let me go, was frowning once we were no longer locking lips.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as if what I did was considered criminal. Fishing for a tissue inside my bag, I glared at him in return. Of all places and opportunities, he chose today like it was the obvious option when he could’ve done this somewhere else. Somewhere we wouldn’t be caught. Well, not that I wanted to kiss him for stupid reasons. Wiping the taste of him off the skin of my lips, I huffed.

“You ask what’s wrong? What you just did now was wrong!” I hissed. Ignoring his bewildered expression, I looked at our surroundings and checked if anyone was there spying on us from afar. Fortunately, there were none and those who were walking by near the car were too oblivious. A sigh of relief slipped past my lips, earning a chuckle from the shameless man sitting next to me. “Why are you laughing? Do you think it’s funny that someone may have caught us?”

Arm on my car seat, Cedric inched closer with an amused grin on his handsome face. “No. I just don’t get why you were panicking when no one could even see us through dark tinted windows.” Nudging my chin, he laughed. “Even if we were to have sex right now, no one would notice unless we were going way too hard.”

What?!

Face aflame, I covered my cheeks with my eyes wide at him like he lost his head. “You! How can you be so blunt? You don’t even know how technology has evolved these days. Someone could be spying on us. And sex? You and I are nowhere near that level of intimacy to even engage in that.” The very thought of doing it with Cedric muddled my mind, filling it with obscene images. It was enough to make my whole mind combust. “H-how can you even suggest doing it with a straight face on…”

Such confidence…Does that mean he has done it many times before? Why am I even questioning this?

Laughing softly, he took the car keys and climbed out of the vehicle. Trying to compose myself, I took in deep breaths while patting my cheeks in an attempt to quell my embarrassment until the car door swung open. Cool air hit my face as I glanced up. Cedric held out his hand for me to take, smiling ear to ear. Forgetting what he said earlier, this may have been a romantic gesture sure enough to have my heart pounding. And yet, with how vulgar Cedric was moments ago, it ruined my image of a happy lunch date—if it can be called that.

“My lady, forgive me for not warning you of my affections. Next time, I’ll ask before kissing.”

Taking his hand, I looked away from his smug grin accompanied by a wink. Slightly infuriated at his playful demeanor. How many women did he enslave with such charms? How could they fall for such a man? More importantly, what did my former self see in him to date him and be his girlfriend?

“No thank you.” I sighed, tightening the coat around me. “There’s no point in asking or warning me. Such affections won’t be returned anyway.”

“How could you easily break my heart, Reese?” Cedric mimics the tone of a hurt actor in one of those old films I saw the other day. He took my hand into his and pressed it against his chest, below his beating heart. “Can’t you see and feel my love for you? Did your heart turn cold after being unconscious for months? Surely, there must be love tucked away for me? You can’t possibly—”

Nudging him by the side, he groaned lightly as I nodded at the people staring at us from a distance. “Quit the theatrics, Cedric. You’re only going to humiliate yourself.” Opting to move and have a great deal of space between us, I walked away while ignoring his call. Mentally shaking my head at his display, I was too distracted in cursing his name when I bumped into a dark figure coming out from what seemed to be the restaurant’s back door.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” The woman’s voice came out in a squeak as she picked up my bag that fell to the ground. A bit disoriented, I quickly bent down to take it, only for her to stop me. The kind person dusted the surface of where it landed on the ground and handed it to me with an apologetic smile. “Are you okay? I wasn’t looking where I was walking—”

“No, no, I’m fine.” I instantly dismissed her apology, taking my bag back gratefully. “It’s partly my fault, too. You’re not hurt, are you?” Searching her all over to see if I did any damage out of nervousness, a weight over my shoulders was lifted when I discovered she was fine. Judging by what she wore, she seemed to be a waitress of the restaurant.

She gave me a thumbs-up, beaming brightly. “I’m all right, Miss.” The woman trailed off, staring at me intently. Wondering what may be causing her to be all silent and eerily observing my face, I cleared my throat. She blinked then laughed. “Sorry…”

“I-is there something wrong?”

The waitress shook her head, chuckling sheepishly. “N-no, there’s nothing wrong. It’s just that…” Stepping up, she leaned closer to me. My immediate action was to take a step back out of alarm. A cool breeze brushed past us, yet it wasn’t the cause for the goosebumps that littered all over my back as the woman continued to gaze at me in curiosity. Is this one of my fears coming to life? I never fathomed today would be the day I would come across someone else who knew the old Reese McKenzie.

Does this woman know me?

Convinced of her suspicion, she then nodded multiple times. “Yeah, there’s no mistake. I’ve seen you before…Wait, maybe we’ve met one time.” Snapping her fingers, she grinned. “Yeah, yeah. How can I forget? You’re Reese McKenzie. Do you recall us meeting at that charity fair a few years ago?”

“Um…” Awkward and confused, I held up my hands in surrender. Wanting to flee from her this very instance, not wanting to engage more in a conversation that was bound to end filled with confusion and frustration on her part. “I’m sorry, you must have mistaken me for somebody else.”

Charity fair? A few years ago…Before the incident, then. How did we even meet? How is this person relevant to me?

“There you are.” An arm wrapped itself around my waist, bringing me closer to warmth. I glanced up to see it was Cedric whose attention was on the waitress. Seeing him, the woman immediately stepped back in surprise. “Who’s this?” Taking her appearance, eyeing her from the head down to her toes, Cedric clicked his tongue in what seemed to be annoyance then turned to me with concern. “Did she hurt you?”

Cedric’s cold disposition reminded me of his professional demeanor, especially in front of his employees located in lower departments. To see and hear him regard the woman in such an impassive tone of voice, I was certain I didn’t know the man next to me. I may have to blame his usual treatment towards me that I almost forgot how he sees others whom he sees as unbeneficial. Cedric Dixon was the same as all the other demons here in Auburn City. Anyone who doesn’t meet his eye is just another faceless nobody in a sea of people. Maybe in some other universe, he probably wouldn’t have cared about me if I weren’t his lover.

“No, no…She didn’t. This lovely lady just assisted my clumsy self.” I responded quickly for her sake. With my arm wrapped on his own, I began pulling him away from the terrified waitress. “We better go. Thank you once again.” Sending her one last smile, I didn’t dare look back at her. Scared of what may come if I did. Thankfully, Cedric didn’t pry further and was back to bother me in the form of caressing my hand.

“My, my. What was that? Are you jealous that she was attracted to me? You can’t help it, my dear. Women stare at me all the time.” Tightening his grip, the man had a smug grin on his face as we walked up to the entrance of the restaurant. Not bothering to correct him, I let out a half-hearted chuckle in reply. We both knew that wasn’t the case, leading me to wonder why he was dodging the matter. Perhaps, he viewed her as another pebble on his vast highway. Someone not worth his time.

We must never end up like that again!

“Cedric, have you been lying to me?”

The words escaped my mouth, instantly making me wish that I knew how to turn back time. However, words can never be taken back and Cedric, confused in all his tempting glory, regarded me with furrowed eyebrows. Is it too late to run away from your mistakes?

“Lying? What makes you think I’m lying to you, Reese?” Defensive, he halted on his tracks. Whether he was offended or not, Cedric’s monotonous expression did not give it away. “Did the lady back there say anything about me? Is that what brought you to question me?”

“W-what makes you think it has something to do with her?” Licking my lower lip, I fought the urge to bite my nail. “It’s just that…well…” Racking my brain for any excuse, it felt like time was ticking too fast. Cedric continued to stare at me, clearly interested in what I had to say.

“Well, what?”

“I-I still can’t wrap my head on the fact that we were lovers!” Blurting whatever came to mind out, my voice came out in a squeak at the end. “Don’t you think it’s absurd? I mean, one day I woke up and went to work, only to find out my boss is my boyfriend. Anyone in my position would feel the same way! It feels like a lie every time I try to grasp the truth you present to me each time.” I was certain I resembled a tomato by the end of my rambling, hand shaking and body slightly quivering at the queasy statement I was forced to come up with.

And yet, Cedric seemed to like my explanation.

“Is that so?” He laughed, leaning down to press a kiss against my cheek. I nodded mindlessly, wanting this to be over with, and eat lunch. This may have been the longest and heart-pounding wait I had to go through just to have lunch together with Cedric Dixon. And sadly, it may not be the last. “You don’t have to worry, Reese. Starting from now on, let’s go out on dates. Just as we used to before. I know we have to be professionals back in the company, but outside, we are lovers and should be acting as such. You’d like that, won’t you?” He held up one of my hands and kissed it.

“Y-yeah…”

I certainly dug my own grave.

Finishing lunch without much of a whimper, Cedric sent me home. As I waved goodbye at the speeding car, I let out the sigh I have been holding in since. I must admit, hanging out with Cedric Dixon seemed harder than to thread through thin ice. Yet, he was rather fun to be with despite being a handful at times. He was confident and carried himself with grace often seen in the upper-class type of individuals. In conversations, he seemed knowledgeable besides topics concerning his business. A well-known man who knew what he was doing most of the time. A direct contrast to a lost and clumsy soul such as I, who still can’t trust him.

And to think we’ll be going out on dates soon…Maybe I shouldn’t have let my mouth run off.

But what plagued my mind for most of the day and even between conversations during a hearty lunch, was the thought of the waitress I bumped into.

Here was a woman who claimed to have met me years ago at a charity fair. However, it seemed awfully strange for someone like her to be there unless she was working on whatever establishment the fair was held at. A fraud she may be, but she correctly pointed out my name and seemed to know me more than a mere face she saw. And judging how friendly she seems, must imply that we didn’t meet through my parents but by chance.

Why can’t I let it go? Besides, we may never see each other again. She wasn’t even at the restaurant serving while we ate.

Days passed since the lunch date Cedric and I had, it was back to business once again. The office was bustling and a bit crowded for investors come and go. Yet, it was oddly peaceful for once. No extreme events happened nor glares were sent my way on my occasional trips to the cafeteria. For once since working here, it felt like I was just another ordinary employee on another ordinary day. However, I could never rule myself out as ordinary because how could I be one when I was dating my superior?

During lunch breaks and dinner, we were always eating alone. And since I was told to meet Cedric early in the morning at his residence starting this week, breakfast with him was suddenly added to the list of my daily routine. With that thought in mind, I got out of my house in the wee hour of five in the morning and pulled up the address he texted me last night.

The problem now is if I can get a taxi at this hour—

“Miss McKenzie.”

Soul close to leaving my flesh, I spun sharply in the direction of where the voice came from—fists ready to collide at whoever decided to spook me—only to see it was Gerard, Cedric’s driver. Hand over my heart, I chuckled lightly at the man. “Good morning, Gerard. Oh my god…Y-you scared the wits out of me.”

“I apologize, Miss McKenzie. It wasn’t my intention to terrify you.”

Waving my hand in a dismissive motion, I gave him a sheepish smile. “I-it’s all right. It’s my fault because I didn’t see you there.” I wasn’t going to admit how I was close to punching him though.

He bowed slightly in apology, then gestured to the car parked behind him. “I was told to pick you up, Miss.” When he noticed my bewilderment, he continued to explain. “Mr. Dixon told me you would be coming to the house today and ordered me to take you there.”

My eyes blinked twice at the new information given to me. “Cedric did?” He didn’t say anything about having his driver take me there or any hints at all. Then, the realization settled in and my whole face went pale. “Oh my goodness…Don’t tell me you were going to—Gerard, were you going to wait here until I got up?”

He nodded with no hesitation, causing my blood to boil at how Cedric could treat his employee without consideration. It was early in the morning, too early to be out and about. The sole reason I woke up at this hour was to leave early and have more time searching for his place in case I got lost. For him to instruct his driver to wait for me…What if I didn’t rise at this hour? Was Gerard supposed to wait out here in the cold until I did? Suppressing a groan, I rubbed my nape at the idea.

I know Cedric’s paying him for his services, but he should’ve thought about Gerard’s well-being too! What if he got mugged while waiting for me?

“Is there something wrong, Miss McKenzie?”

Sighing, I shook my head while faking a smile. “None, there’s nothing wrong. Why don’t we head out now? I’m sure Mr. Dixon is waiting for us.” Betting on the obvious and possible scenario of him being still fast asleep, I grinned to myself as the car sped away from my home and into the quiet streets of the neighborhood.

A twenty-minute drive to the northern district of Auburn City, beyond Mulberry Park, is the oasis of mansions and infinity pools of the rich and famous. It was certainly a sight to behold in the morning and under the orange glow of the afternoon as some would say. Yet, driving through enormous gates of black steel with cameras sitting on the top in the middle of darkness invoked a different aura compared to the paradise I was told of.

“We’re here, Miss McKenzie,” Gerard mumbled as he turned the vehicle to the right slowly. The gates opened on their own, magnificently as if they were the gates of heaven itself. The sun was still far from rising out of the horizon, yet the stars were starting to dissipate one by one. As soon as the car went to a full stop, I climbed out of the car to marvel at the mansion in front of me.

It was probably two—no, a three-story mansion. Glass windows with white curtains hiding what was inside. Flowers and potted plants on the balcony were visible from where I stood. There was no way Cedric could be staying in such a lavish home all alone. It could probably fit two families inside from the size of it. And yet, once I stood inside after rubbing my heels twice on the welcoming mat, the interior alone screamed that it was a bachelor pad. There were no photos or any discerning décor that screamed unique or made by a well-known artisan. It was minimalistic from the leather sofas to the boring white wallpaper. Rubbing my arm while staying in the corner, I flinched at the sound of a door creaking open.

Gerard came in from another room, eyeing me with a funny look. Gesturing to the stairs made of expensive wood, he spoke. “Mr. Dixon is upstairs. He’s waiting for you there.”

I pointed at myself, lips moving yet no words came out of it. There was no way I would go up there and intrude on Cedric sleeping. For all I know, he might not be a morning person. However, after an encouraging smile and more gesturing from Gerard, I gathered up my courage to climb up the stairs. It was the least I could do.

Maneuvering about and searching for Cedric’s bedroom didn’t take too long because the man’s bedroom door had his leather shoes sitting outside in a haphazard manner. Bending down to fix it, I muttered under my breath until I glanced up to see the door wasn’t shut fully. There was no light streaming from inside nor any sound, a sign that Cedric was still asleep. Swallowing hard, I quietly pushed it open. Air fanned my face, the curtains billowing as a cool breeze entered through the open windows.

Upon seeing Cedric’s sleeping form under thick blankets, I silently laughed imagining what he might look like underneath it. At the golden opportunity to know him better, I shut the door behind me and began observing his bedroom.

There’s no harm done…And besides, he did instruct Gerard for me to come up here so he shouldn’t be angry.

Comparing his room to the living room downstairs, there wasn’t any difference except it had more personality. Cedric’s daily life was out in the open; paperwork scattered on top of his wooden desk and files stacked in folders were pinning more papers on the surface to keep them from flying away. Seeing that there wasn’t anything else eye-catching, I inhaled deeply before exhaling softly at the task of waking him up.

About to head to his bedside, I halted on my footsteps at the door hidden in the corner due to the bookcase settled beside it. Anyone who might have entered wouldn’t be able to chance upon it unless they stood in the middle of the room. I convinced myself it was probably the door to his walk-in closet or storage, but something else was bugging me. Hand itching to turn the knob, I went closer to it in hopes of peeking inside until a hand covered my mouth, preventing me from screaming.

“My, my…Looks like I have an intruder.”