Reckless Marriage Unyielding Love

"I was so lost in the sauce back then!" Lucas smirked.

Just then, the dude on water duty crashed in, throwing the door wide open, clutching two cups. Mikayla's cup was a store-bought drink.

Mikayla snagged it and tossed him a thanks.

"Captain Grayston, we're out of coffee for Salvatore, so I snagged this instead," the guy leaned close, whispering in Lucas's ear.

"No sweat! No need to go above and beyond for me." Even from a distance, in the quiet, Mikayla caught his words. Knowing she was knee-deep in a sea of dudes like these, she knew the options were limited. That was why she opted for plain water initially. Lucas's hand hung mid-air for a second before landing with a thud. "Out you go!"

Watching their exchange, Mikayla pondered their dynamic. Despite Lucas's prickly demeanor, he cut the kid some slack for his frequent flubs, a rarity.

"He's like me, focuses more on hustle at work, less on the everyday nitty-gritty." Lucas picked up on Mikayla's curious vibes. "That thing we hashed out earlier? He actually rang the bell on that while we were chatting. Made me widen the net, but chewed up some extra time. Things are clearer now, which is why I hit you up. Based on my intel, Kenneth's our prime suspect. Skipped town the day pre-car crash, still MIA. Buddy checked in, spotted hefty deposits into his account, especially around your mishap."

"Who's wire-transferring the cash? Can we trace them?" Mikayla probed.

"His sis, Mildred!" Lucas replied.

"But ain't this all just guesswork without solid proof, right?" Mikayla asked.

Lucas nodded. "Until we lock in rock-solid proof, it's all speculation."

After saying goodbye to Lucas, Mikayla bounced from the police station and jumped into Josiah's wheels. As she was peeping at the sparkly neon lights lining the street, her mind was all over the place. The dirt they had on hand was pea-sized compared to pinning Kenneth to the crash. Mildred and Winona weren't even in the same ballpark. That surveillance tape was all backside, not painting the full picture. Kenneth bouncing before the crash could be just a fluke. Mildred tossing cash his way could be sibling love at play. It seemed like the stars aligned for some drama, but like Lucas said, without solid receipts, their theories were zilch to the big shots or in court. So, it was their little secret for now. But cracking the mystery felt sorta good. She refused to buy that Kenneth would ghost for eternity, to dodge the spotlight. All roads led back to that family in some twisted way! If they couldn't play by the legal book, they'd have to get creative to land them in hot water. Just hold on tight, once she wrapped her own stuff up, she'd serve them their just desserts. That day shouldn't be long.

Back at Carlos's digs, it was nudging 8 p.m. Josiah dropped Mikayla off and skedaddled.

Dexter spotted her stepping into the living room and chirped, "Mrs. Ludwig, you are back. I'll fetch dinner pronto."

Mikayla nodded at Dexter.

"Home sweet home?" Carlos shut off the TV screen and stood.

With the night creeping in, indoor lights wrapped his tall build in a soft hue, like a glow-up. His mug and his eyes were like magnets, pure mesmerizing! Carlos was a name etched deep in her brain. Peeping at the TV program he had on, national news on the loop, struck a chord. It was always these types of shows. Not one for delaying, she responded, "Hmm. Did you munch?"

Carlos snagged her hand and guided her to the all-glass dining zone. "Had a nibble, just to tide me over."

A small apologetic smile flickered on Mikayla's face. "Next time I'll give you a heads-up, you don't gotta wait on me." She had been a tad forgetful today, forgetting to buzz Carlos beforehand.

Carlos flashed a gentle grin. "While the missus battles the world, why should the mister twiddle his thumbs at home? A bit of a wait ain't no skin off my nose."

'This guy's really playing the sugar baby card.' Mikayla thought as she sized up Carlos. "Ain't I a lucky duck? Guess I gotta grind harder for the cheddar."

"I didn't need much, no need to go into overdrive." Carlos gave Dexter a hand with the dinner setup, finally landing a bowl of soup in front of her. Clocking her hesitant mug, he laid down the law. "Gotta sip it up." "How about we go halfsies?" She wanted to ditch this ordeal, but knowing Carlos wouldn't cut her slack, she settled on sipping less. Broth was never her jam, not since kiddo days. The flavor was borderline torture for her. "Mrs. Ludwig, this here's your special bowl, not fit for Mr. Ludwig's palate. If necessary, I can prep a different batch for him tomorrow," Dexter clarified.

Mikayla was confused by Dexter's words.

"Are you unhappy with last night's show?" A mischievous grin played on Carlos's lips, his eyes flashing playful vibes.

Mikayla cleared her throat. 'Am I being paranoid or is this guy a real piece of work? Why couldn't I keep my cool near him?' Mikayla complained in her mind. "Let's grub!" Mikayla dove in. Carlos replied with a smile.

Post chowing down, Dexter whisked the dishes off to the kitchen to scrub-a-dub-dub. Once the living room was squared away, he jetted to his own quarters.

Chilling on the sofa, Mikayla noticed Dexter didn't pop out again. Just her and Carlos, remote in hand, fruit plate on the table.

"If you keep watching, I'll kick Dexter to the curb." Carlos icily stated without flinching.

Mikayla shifted her gaze. "Does Dexter have a family? At his age, he should be with his wife and kids or even grandkids, right?" She had clocked Dexter's meticulous ways for a bit now. Men typically didn't handle kitchen gigs with such, finesse. Ever since she wed Carlos and got to know Dexter, it felt like he was always at the manor hanging even when she was hustling during the day. She figured if Dexter had a family, after wrapping up chores, he could head home to his kin at night. Reality seemed a bit off.

"Mika, you're sticking your nose too deep in the butler's biz! If you're that jazzed, here's what's buzzing in my brain..." Carlos's eyes narrowed a smidge, his deep gaze locking on hers, his tone steady. "Tonight, you satisfy me! I spill everything!