10. Dinner With Danger

Cassie's POV

I closed the restaurant and dismissed everyone earlier. I wanted to be left alone so that I was going to have time with Jaxon. My customers were surprised by me closing that early while my workers were happy because they never knocked off from work before cleaning the restaurant, but that day they did.

Since the restaurant was not cleaned, I arranged the tables in order and mopped the flow. When I was done, I went to take my special plates, which were only used on special occasions, and put them on the table. The table was covered by white clothes and was decorated by a vase of a beautiful flower that was in the middle.

After that, I started to bake a cake for Jaxon. He used to like a mint flavored cake during high school, so I was making it for him. When it was ready, I put to candles on it and wrote his name. I was confident that the cake was going to make him happy. Everything was ready. Only the night was yet to come. I went to my office and sat on my fluffy black sofa while waiting for Jaxon. That day, I didn't even worry about the cost of things I used to prepare for that night, even though my budget was tight that month.

I phoned Mary and requested her to take Cathy from school, and she easily agreed. Mary never said no to helping me in any way. She was an angel to me, always there when I needed her. She worked as a journalist and had helped me a lot by driving away the press ten years back when Jaxon turned down my wedding. Having her around me made me feel safe.

After an hour of waiting, I was feeling hungry, but I was supposed to wait for Jaxon. Eating alone would have made me feel full and fail to eat the cake with Jaxon. The time went by again, just like how I waited for him when he promised to come for tea. Instead of worrying about Jaxon's whereabouts, my mind got occupied about my daughter. Mary's phone was unreachable, and I wanted to confirm if she had picked Cathy from her school gate. There was no one from the school who would have helped me because Cathy was old enough to find her means of coming back home. However, she wasn't used to it and I gave her not money enough for transport.

The wait became long, with Jaxon not present and Mary's phone not going through. I started to tense and thought of going to Mary's house. It was already six o'clock in the evening, and the weather was not predictable, looking like it would rain. Usually, Cathy would be home by five o'clock, so she was late. I dialed Jaxon's number to know his whereabouts because I felt like he was no longer coming. The number didn't go through. At that moment, I didn't think twice to switch off the lights and prepare to go to Mary's house to check on my daughter. After switching off the lights, my phone rang, and I put the phone straight to my ear.

"Hello, Mary," I said after receiving the call.

There was silence on the phone call before I heard the sound of the person breathing loudly. I removed the phone from my ears and looked at its screen. It was an unknown number. I had thought the call was from Mary. Since I was tensed thinking of my daughter, I overreacted, thinking my daughter was kidnapped. I didn't expect an unknown number. I put the phone back to my ears and asked, "Who are you?"

"Cassie... is it you?" the caller asked. It was a female voice.

"Yes. Who are you?" I asked again.

"I am Jane, Jaxon's friend," she introduced herself.

At that moment, I thought she was Jaxon's girlfriend. Jealous choked me, and my stress about Cathy disappeared.

"Why do you call? And what do you want?" I questioned.

"It's Jaxon. He sent me to you. Are you still in the restaurant?" she asked.

"Yes, I am in the restaurant."

"Please wait for me. I will be there in four minutes," she said and hung up the call.

I became angry at Jaxon. He managed to tell a stranger my whereabouts without even calling me while I waited for him in the restaurant. I breathed in and waited for Jane to come. I wanted to know Jane's mission. When I was still puzzling about Jane's call, Mary made an entrance with my Cathy. She switched on the lights while my daughter ran straight to me.

"Good evening, mommy," she greeted.

"Good evening, my princess," I kissed her cheek and asked, "I was worried about you. What were you doing with Aunt Mary to be late like this?"

Cathy wasn't even paying attention to me. Her mind was taken by the cake on the table.

"Whose birthday it is today, mommy. Is it for Jaxon?" she asked.

"What?!" I surprised, closing her mouth by my hands. I was aware she heard the name from my sleep, but that time, it was different. The cake had Jaxon's name.

Mary laughed and came to hug me. She complained about the traffic on the road and the unstable networt. I understood and told her everything about Jaxon, including Jane's call. She was surprised, and we both waited for Jane to show up. After about six minutes, Jane made an entrance. We greeted each other, and she didn't wait to state her mission.

"I am here because Jaxon is in danger. They might even kill him. Believe me, these are the same people who killed his mom and your late husband, Linx," she said without even breathing.

Mary and I looked at each other, and we laughed.

"Who are you to Jaxon? How do you know him? We never heard of you," Mary threw questions at her.

"You know what… I don't have time for these stupid questions of insecurity. We don't have time. We should go now," she said, trying to make her face to look more serious.

However, we didn't take her seriously. I believed Jane was lying, and Jaxon was fine. It was unbelievable for sure because I had seen Jaxon on that same day, and he didn't seem like his life was threatened. We thought Jane was Jaxon's girlfriend. Her makeup made her look prettier than me, and she had a good posture. That's why I was jealous.

"Know this Jane, my Jaxon is coming for a date here, and I am sure he is on his way," I said, sitting down.

"Cassie, I am here because your Jaxon directed me to you. He wanted me to tell you the truth, but it seems you are not ready. I am sure the truth might paralyze you," she said.

I looked at her and believed she thought I was weak. I rolled my eyes and asked, "What is the truth, Jane?"

"Please, let's sit down," she insisted.

"Stop this drama. Just tell me at once. Do you also have a child with Jaxon?'' I asked.

I was carelessly speaking my mind because I thought she wanted to tell me she had a child with Jaxon, but I was wrong. She removed her phone and showed it to me. I saw some of Jaxon's texts, and her words shocked me.