Dennis' confident demeanor faltered the moment his gaze landed on the teddy bear in my hands. His lips parted as if to speak, but no words came out for a moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was rushed and uneven, like a man caught off guard.
"Big sis, uh, that sandwich was probably not enough, right? How about I take you out for a nice meal? The boys are all waiting to see you."
I slowly set the bear back on the bed, my fingers brushing over its soft fur. The weight in Dennis' tone didn't match his words and it made my chest tighten with unease.
"Dennis," I said, turning to face him, "I want to see Mr. Cooper first. Is he at the office?"
Dennis hesitated. "He is, but..."
"But what?" I couldn't understand why Dennis kept trying to stop me from meeting Cayden. His unusual behavior made me inexplicably uneasy.
"Did something happen to him?"
"Nah, not at all!" Dennis waved his hands as if to physically push away the suggestion. "The books are clean. The streets are behind us. Me and the boys are playing a different game now."
I frowned, unsatisfied with his answer. "Then why won't you let me see him?"
Dennis hesitated again, his usually open expression clouded with unease. Seeing my determination, he finally sighed, his shoulders slumping. "He'll come to find you, Aubrey. He just... said he couldn't see you today."
"Why?" I demanded, my voice low.
Dennis didn't answer. He simply looked away, avoiding my gaze like a man who had been sworn to silence.
***
The world outside had changed so much in six years that I felt like a dinosaur in a digital world. The villa was equipped with the latest technology, including computers and phones more advanced than anything I'd seen before.
I sat at the sleek glass desk in the study, running my fingers over the smooth keys of a state-of-the-art laptop. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but once I did, my curiosity led me to type a name I hadn't dared search for until now: Cayden Cooper.
The results appeared in a flash and I felt the floor tilt beneath me. Article after article chronicled his meteoric rise to success, the empire he had built and his impeccable public image as a respected entrepreneur.
And then I saw it.
[Family status: Married.]
My heart stuttered as I stared at the word. It couldn't be real. How could Cayden be married? He had promised me—promised that when I got out of prison, we would be together.