Chapter 29 - PREPARED, STILL CAUGHT UNPREPARED

"Do you want to have dinner outside?" Stefan asked her since it was already past seven when they finished buying the things they needed. There were just so many people at the grocery store since it was weekend; the time for most people to buy things they needed at home.

Cayenne was a little tired from all the walking. She was also emotionally exhausted from being alert all the time. Afraid that someone from the media would come to make news of them. That's what she was worried about the whole time. She had seen several news regarding Stefan and his women; and she didn't want to become part of those.

Unknowingly, Stefan had paid a good amount of money to media companies for her sake. He asked them not to make any news which would involve him in the future and of the woman who might get acquainted with him. He prepared everything for her. He wanted her to still live a normal life, one which was peaceful and no troubles with the media reporters. As much as she cared for him to help him with his sleeping problem, he wanted to repay her by keeping her dignity clean.

"Let's just stay at home. I can make us simple dishes for tonight." Cayenne responded softly.

"Are you worried about the people?"

"Hn."

Stefan placed his large palm on her head and gently pat it. "Don't worry, no one will see you. I will find us a place where we can have some privacy. I don't think you still have enough energy to cook at home."

"As long as nobody would know about my identity, I'm fine with it."

"Alright. I'll ask Chris to bring our groceries home. Let's just take a taxi."

"Okay." The two of them went back to the basement. Stefan was pushing the cart on his own while Cayenne walked beside him. If she wasn't with him, he would've asked someone to bring the things to his car. However, he couldn't risk her from getting exposed so he was pushing the cart like a good husband with his wife beside him.

Cayenne was still wearing the cap that he gave her and she opened the car's trunk for him. Chris also went out of the car to help the two of them unload all the things they bought.

"By the way, we're going to go somewhere for dinner. You can drive the car home and arrange the things in the kitchen. We'll just take a taxi on the way back."

"Okay, sir." Chris responded without a second thought. He received the spare key to the house before he continued to unload the things. After everything was arranged, Stefan returned the push cart to the guard who was stationed at the basement.

Chris drove them out of the parking lot first and the two of them alighted the car to look for a taxi. Luckily, the taxi driver that Stefan hired for Cayenne was on the vicinity and he saw them waving for cabs. Instead of taking another passenger, he sent a message to Stefan and waved his hand outside the car window.

"Sir!" the taxi driver called for him across the street while waving his hand back and forth.

Stefan found him immediately and led Cayenne to cross the street. There were many people coming to and fro, bumping into one another and Cayenne had been bumped several times that she was several steps behind him. Stefan noticed that as well and when he looked back, he saw her trying to avoid people.

Stefan walked back and held her hand. "It's easy for people to bump on to you because you are small and petite."

"Are you making fun of me?" Cayenne retorted back with glaring eyes.

"Not at all. I'm just telling you the truth." He walked before her while making sure to guard her with the flow of people. He was shielding her small stature with his strong and bigger body building. "Nonetheless, I will still find you no matter how small you are."

"Did you say something?" Cayenne asked him as she tugged on his hand. Their fingers were linked together to make sure that no one can separate him from her.

"Nope. I didn't say anything."

At this moment, Cayenne didn't feel anything with this little gesture. She thought that he was just being considerate of her.

Little it may be, she still felt some warmth in her heart. It's the warmth of having someone lending their hands to help her. Many people think that she's a very strong woman to take over the role of the head of the family, working for her mother's hospital bills and for her brothers' school fees. They never considered that she needed someone she can lean on as well.

Over the years, she started to forget how to feel over something. She would only smile at the customers but she rarely smiles to her colleague. After work, she never hangs out with friends. She would always be in a hurry to prepare for another work. Most of her vacant time would be used for sleeping. She didn't have many friends either. Her life was just pure and simple.

Stefan continued to walk and when he arrived at the car, he opened the car door and let her in first before he got inside. "Did you get hurt? People bumped you earlier."

"I'm fine. Even though 'I'm small'" she really gave emphasis on the last two words, "I won't get hurt that easily."

Stefan chuckled before giving her a once-over look to make sure that she wasn't hurt before giving the driver the address of the restaurant. "I didn't really mean to belittle your height. I was just joking."

Cayenne just nodded her head since it wasn't really a big deal.

Stefan might have asked the media not to publish an article about him and Cayenne but, people who knew him wasn't told about it. At the end of the day, a rumor about him and the 'new girl' in his life surfaced in the internet.

"You and your friend are the complete opposite." Jillyanna told Travis while reading the post on the web.

"Of course. I know how to take care of the two women in my life while he knew how to play around."

"I'm glad you didn't have the same bothersome characteristic as him." Jillyanna mumbled while she stared at the picture on her phone. The woman in the picture looked so familiar to her.