Facade

Chapter 63

Mia's pov

I held the breakfast tray as tight as I could and made my way up the stairs to my room where Carlisle was still asleep. You are probably wondering what I'm doing right? Well in an attempt to get over the guilt of hurting Carlisle, I had taken it upon myself to be his personal nursemaid/extra loving girlfriend. Part of my duty is to ensure he eats well and regularly. So I woke up extra early today and put my dormant cooking skills to use. I wasn't sure what Carlisle would like so I decided to cook a little bit of everything. I prepared coffee, toast, scrambled eggs, chocolate muffins. I arranged everything on a tray and was about to surprise Carlisle with breakfast in bed. I balanced the tray on one hand and used the other to open the door. I eased carefully into the room kicking the door closed with my foot.
I stopped short when I saw the bed was empty. Maybe he's in the bathroom? I thought. I paced the tray on the bedside table. I walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door.
"Carlisle! Baby! Sweetheart!" I called while knocking but was met with silence. I was a bit hesitant on opening the door. I didn't want to risk seeing Carlisle naked and make things awkward between us. We still haven't had sex yet. Not that I didn't want to, I just wasn't sure if I was ready yet and Carlisle respected that.
After debating with myself for few minutes, I summoned courage and pushed open the door. The bathroom was empty. Where could he be? I walked out of my room and headed to Carlisle's room. The only thing there is his clothes, he barely sleeps there.
I pushed open the door and looked around. It looked tidy, empty. I could tell no one's been here for a while.
"Where are you Carlisle?" I mused. I brought out my cell from my jeans pocket and dialed his line. I frowned when it went straight to voicemail.
I scrolled through my contacts and dialed Damian's line.
"Hey bro, is Carlisle there with you?" I asked immediately the call connected through, skipping the pleasantries.
"No he isn't. What's wrong?" Damian's voice replied, he sounded worried. I didn't bother replying him. I disconnected the call  and tried Carlisle's line again. It went straight to voicemail and I began to feel frustrated. What if he's hurt? What if he's somewhere all alone hurt and scared? Frustration retreated to the back of my mind and was immediately replaced by fear. Sick, agonising fear.  Dread filled me and in seconds, I was panting. I could feel the panic attack blooming. My legs gave way and I sank slowly to my knees.
"No Mia, get a grip of yourself" I ordered myself. Having a pains attack won't help anybody, I reminded myself. I took a deep breath and tried to relax my racing heart. My brain was functioning a mile per minute. I can't just stay here biting my fingers like a nervous idiot. I needed to do something. Fast! But what do I do?
"Think! Think Mia" I ordered myself. I pulled myself up from my kneeling position, ignoring the ache that spread through my legs at the effort.
I took a minute and waited for my legs to go accustomed to the new position after being stuck in an unfamiliar position for a while. As soon as I regained feelings in my legs, I began my search. I started from the end of the hallway, opening every room calling out Carlisle's name.

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Pablo's pov

I heard the slam of a car door from a distance signifying Carlisle's arrival. I took a deep breath to unwound my strung up nerves. I was rarely nervous, always confident. I needed to be. My lifestyle gave no room for weakness. It was all about survival of the fittest. Being the leader of the Canadian cartel was no small task. I didn't get to this position by being a nervous pussy. No, I got here being a cold hearted, sadistic bastard. I was aware of the dangers that came along with this position. I was aware of the numerous knives always pointing at my back, ready to strike at any minute. I was aware of the facade people put up in other to get close to me. It was why I was always careful; why my identity was a secret. It was also why i had no friend, no relatives, no companion. I was all alone in this miserable world for a while and I enjoyed every second of it. I enjoyed the fear on people's faces at the mention of my name, at the sound of my voice, at the sight of my presence. It was amazing. I felt powerful, untouchable, unstoppable. Until I fell in love .........
At first it was utter bliss. I was happy, on top of the world, contented. Years of backstabbing prevented me from revealing my identity, even to the woman I loved. So I created a new one. I took a dead man's name. I erased record of his death. I ensured he had no relatives before claiming his name as mine. I lived with the facade till it became a part of me. I became the facade. For a while I felt guilty for lying to the woman I loved. But over the years, I've grown thankful for taking up that initiative. It turned out the woman I loved was only after money. She preferred power over me. I tried to stop her but she was too far gone. Although she gave me a beautiful gift, her ambition stood in the way of our happiness. Her quest for power was so  much that she sought to take my life. She would have succeeded of course, but fate had other plans. Thanks to Carlisle who rescued me. I told him everything. Well almost everything. He trusted me and I trusted him. I know he'll never betray me.
Now Carlisle is about to embark on a mission. A mission I was unable to complete. I was highly confident of his skills in achieving the goal, especially with his allies now turned friends. But no matter how confident I am of Carlisle's skills, I couldn't let him venture into danger without knowing the entire story. I was aware that he might hate me after finding out what I've kept from him all this while. But I'd rather he hate me than lose him completely to the cold hands of death.
The door opened, interrupting my thoughts and Carlisle strolled in. My nerves bundled up at the possible outcome of this meeting. But I couldn't let myself chicken out now. I needed to do this. I once failed to protect my loved ones, I won't take chances and fail again. Taking a deep breath, I beckoned to Carlisle
"Sit. We have a lot to talk about" I told him, not giving him a chance to say anything. The tone of my voice warned him this was a serious issue and he obeyed without argument.
Alright Pablo, here goes nothing.
"It all started twenty two years ago........."

Cliffhanger? Sorry it couldn't be helped. Remember to click on the little star button below and leave a comment. Till the next update my darlings.