Chapter 27 Is It Nina? XANDER’S HOME, NEW YORK.Dawn entered Xander’s house by pressing the code. She chose not to use the doorbell, considering herself a part of the house already. Carla was the first to see her, and the older woman didn’t hesitate to show her displeasure. Dawn sneered at her before gliding toward the study where she was sure Xander would be. “Hey, baby.” She cooed from the door, making her way in. Xander raised his head from the book in his hand. He checked the time, and it was past nine. “What are you doing here this late, Dawn?”She scoffed. “When have I not been at your place at whatever time? It never bothers you.” “It always bothers me. I do not like people coming around my house without prior notice.” “But I am not people. I am your favorite person.” She said, making a cute face. Xander didn’t look a bit impressed by it. “I am still not pleased with it, Dawn. You have a fucking phone. Let me know when you want to come again. What if I had someone over?”
Chapter 28 Her New HomeNINA’S NEW HOME, NEW YORK.Nina was awed by the simplicity of the four-bedroom house. The interior had simple, warm, elegant touches that made it feel welcoming, just like the owner of X&J Empire. She wondered if it was the first house Xander had lived in when he started the company. It had too much of his aura.“You like what you see?” Xander asked behind her with the last of the boxes in hand.She giggled. “It’s beautiful. Isn’t this too much for a mere staff, though?”He couldn’t respond yet as he went into one of the rooms to drop the box before joining her again. “It's not too much, and I can assure you there is nothing like a mere staff in my company. Everyone is considered important.”It seemed like the couch was calling out to her, and Nina gladly received the invitation as she sat in it, heaving a sigh of relief. “This feels so good. I bet I have to attest to the beautiful treatment for both high and low-level staff. That is so thoughtful of you.”Xand
Chapter 29 Date HerXANDER’S HOME, NEW YORK.“Oh, God, no!” Xander exclaimed as he stopped his car halfway into the house, just when he hoped to end his day with a good book to read after spending a fantastic time with Nina. Only to find his mother’s car parked on his premises.A wide smile tugged at his lips as an idea popped. He was looking behind him to escape. He realized someone had blocked the car from behind. His heart raced fast like he was about to be kidnapped. Getting out of the vehicle, he hurried to see who the intruder was.“What the fuck, Jace?” He bellowed.Jace stepped out looking like a not-so-innocent child. “Mum asked me to make sure the minute you step in, you never get to leave again.”He clenched his fist hard. “Now? Have I turned into a prisoner in my own house? You know what? You all can have a car. I have my legs to use.” Xander returned to his car and grabbed his phone and wallet.“You know she would come back again. Please, see her this one time. And I am s
Chapter 30 Blissful NightXANDER’S HOME, NEW YORK.Rolling to the side of the bed, Xander stiffened when he felt a body next to him. Opening his eyes properly to see who it was, he was almost shocked to see Dawn. However, Xander remembered all that happened the night before and felt quite relieved. Dawn had drunk on the sweet wine his mother brought, and Venus insisted he let Dawn spend the night.After putting her to sleep in the guest room, Dawn still went to his room while sleepwalking, refusing to return to hers. Yawning, he got up and headed downstairs, still feeling quite sleepy. Only Carla’s coffee can wake him up. And just as expected, she was already by the kitchen brewing the coffee.Xander hugged her from behind, kissing her cheek. “Hey there, Carla. How was your night?”“Beautiful. I am guessing you had a blissful night. I saw her in your bed.” Carla teased.He waved a dismissive finger, settling himself on a stool. “Get your mind out of the gutter. Nothing happened betwee
Chapter 31 Above the markX&J EMPIRE, NEW YORK.“I can’t believe this! How did we get here in barely three weeks?” Xander asked as he stared at the sales report in awe.Jace had a full-blown smile on his face. “I am just as shocked as you are. Not only did we top the market, but we also went above our mark. You would think someone jazzed them in some way. Everyone is going really into it in the market. We have to make more production. There is so much traffic on the website because of those ordering online. I must say, Nina is a walking money machine.”Xander held up a complete, proud grin. “Believe me whenever I say I know what I am doing. Give me a moment.” He said, picking up the table phone. “Yes, Lisa. Get me the head researcher for the food department, Miss Ruiz.”“Right away, sir,” Lisa replied.“This is the first time I have seen you look this happy,” Jace commented.He shrugged. “I can’t help it. Nina is making me proud.”Nina’s entry brought their conversation to a halt. “Hi
Chapter 32 The Heiress M&M FOOD, NEW YORK.“What the fuck are you all doing with your goddamn time? How are we getting lower sales each passing day?” Asher yelled, throwing the sales report at the wall. The papers were scattered all over the floor. Everyone on the staff had their heads bowed, not knowing what to say. The entire week has been wavy for everyone in the company. Not only did their sales drop, but they were getting bad reviews on the newly produced product. The current head researcher altered some changes that Asher had approved unquestioningly without seeking the marketing team's review. The amount of money lost is beginning to drive Asher crazy. He keeps wondering how Nina handled everything without having him do too much. The banks are already on his neck, and it's either they make sales to pay back the money or the company gets sold out at a cheap rate. “Why is anyone not saying anything? Do you not have solutions to proffer? Are you saying I hired dullheads?” He b
Chapter 33 The InsiderNina walked stealthily down the stairs of the hospital. She would have taken the elevator, but for some reasons known to her alone, she intentionally took the stairs. Most importantly, it serves as an exercise for her legs. Her phone rang the moment she touched the ground floor.“Are you nearby?” She said to the person on the other end.“I am at the cafe opposite the hospital. There is an empty table behind me. Please hurry to prevent anyone else from taking it.” The response came.“Alright,” Nina mumbled and hurried out of the hospital.She should go home to rest after receiving her usual injection dose. But then, some things shouldn’t wait until later, and one of them is what she is about to do now.Nina knows she might and would get into trouble for the journey she had embarked on in an irritable state. Her good deeds had somewhat served as the only thing she could rely on. There happened to be a mutual friend of Andrea and hers that Nina had enabled a job in
Chapter 34 Caring for herBRICKS BAR, NEW YORK.“She is so stubborn. I don’t think I have met anyone like her before. Always acting like she doesn’t need help.” Xander whined, almost choking on his drink.Jace grinned in amusement. “She probably doesn’t need help.”He cut his brother a distasteful glare. “Of course, she needs help. Who doesn’t?”“Maybe you, you have your head stuck up in your ass and you still haven’t asked for help to get it out.”“I am going to have you strangled to death if you keep talking trash.”He laughed, unperturbed by the threat. “Come on, don’t be like this. You know the kind of person Nina is from the beginning. It would be best if you were thankful at least that she allowed Carla to work for her. If you are worried, call Carla to ask how she is doing.”“Maybe I should let her be. She doesn’t want me in her business.”“Are you giving up so soon?” There was taunt in his voice.Xander flared his nose. “I won’t repeat myself. That is a promise.” He hissed, s
BONUS CHAPTER“Are you ready for tonight, Mia?!” Xander smirked as he sat beside Nina, watching a movie on Netflix and chewing on popcorn. “What’s happening tonight?” She asked, looking at him and pretending not to understand.“Well, why did we ask my mom to care for our baby?” He grinned sheepishly.“Did we plan to do that?” Nina grinned, too.“Well, put this aside.” He took the popcorn from her thighs and placed it on the table. Nina rolled my eyes, hiding her smile. “Oh, not today,” she tried to escape, but Xander quickly grabbed her. “Don’t you dare!” He laughed, tickling her that she laughed so hard. His hand reached for her bare thighs. And before she knew it, Xander grabbed her and pushed her down on the couch. It was fast! He pulled her legs apart and gave her breasts a rough squeeze. He positioned Nina just like he wanted. He yanked off his belt and tied her hand above her head. “Nasty, isn’t it?” Nina giggled.“Wait till I’m in full mood!” Xander removed her pants and sh
Chapter 95 Sex With XanderEPILOGUE: ONE YEAR LATERXANDER’S HOME“Are you sure I look okay?” Nina asked Tania again while analyzing the dress she had on. She had come in to change after Winter doused the other dress with candy juice as they were due to take pictures. Tania huffed tiredly. “How else do you want the dress to look on you, Nina? You look beautiful enough. Come on now, Winter would be waiting, wondering what her dearest mama is still doing hidden away.” Venus peeked into the room. “We are waiting for you. Nina, Winter is eager to cut her cake.” She called out. “Yes, Mum, I am coming.” She replied. Nina’s face fell as she stared at herself intensely. Tania walked up to her and rubbed her back slowly. “I wish he was here.” “You know he would have loved to be here. It would help if you stayed strong for you two. I believe better days are closer than expected.” Tania comforted. Nina smiled, glancing at Tania’s bulging belly. “Jace looks elated these days.” She laughed l
Chapter 94 The MotorcycleREMINGTON HOSPITAL, NEW YORK.The hospital building almost felt strange to Nina, even though she had been by the place a few months back. The section she is heading to must be the reason why. However, Nina has decided, knowing she is doing what suits a great cause, that she doesn’t mind whatever she has to do. “Hello.” She greeted the receptionist. “Hi, ma’am. Welcome. Who would you like to see?” “Uncle J.R. Oh, pardon me, I mean Dr Jason. Is he in? He is expecting me.” “You must be Miss Nina Ruiz?” “Yes, please.” “Alright, please come with me.” Jason was on a call when they walked into the office. At the sight of Nina, he smiled heartily. “Let me call you back, Dr Smith. My daughter just walked in.” He mumbled and hung up. Nina blushed at his referral. “Hello, Uncle J.R.” “How are you, my darling? Feels like ages.” He laughed, embracing her. “I am good. How are you, too?” “Great. Please sit.” He motioned towards the couch. “Thank you. So, I am yo
Chapter 93 Two peas in a pudXANDER’S HOME, NEW YORK.Nina saw how nervous he was and felt bothered that she might have said something she shouldn’t. Relaxing her shoulder, she sat on the couch and faced him. Xander held up a weak smile. “Why don’t you tell me what you must say first?” He urged. She exhaled slowly and took his hand in hers. “We are not kids, Xander. Neither are we immature. Even though my first marriage was a wreck, I believe life continues. Being heartbroken does not mean one's life has to come to an end. Ever since you came into my life, I have been able to see things differently. I am learning to love and embrace life as it should. One thing I promised myself after being betrayed by Asher and Andrea was never to trust anyone. Also, I vowed off men, telling myself all I needed to do was work hard and get back on top. What mattered was getting back at the people who made my life a living hell.” Nina chuckled, still caressing his hand, “But I was wrong. I couldn’t
Chapter 92 Court OrderXANDER’S HOME, NEW YORK.“It doesn’t feel right for me to stay home,” Nina whined behind Xander as he dressed. He turned to her, stopping halfway with his shirt button. “Why not?” “Because it's been two days. I need to get to work.” “Do it from home. Also, Tania would be coming today. Aren’t you excited to see her?” “I am, but…” She pouted, exiting the bed and wrapping her arm around him seductively. “Come on now, what happened last time will never happen again. I will defend myself no matter what.” “That right there is the problem. I don’t want you defending yourself no matter what. I have it covered. Please stay put here until Asher signs the court order, Nina.” Nina huffed in resolve, knowing there was no way out anymore. “Fine, I will just stay back.” She yawned loudly and sat at the edge of the bed, staring at his broad back. For the past few days, she has laid in Xander’s bed. He works until late at night, and she finds his arm wrapped around her wh
Chapter 91 Terrible FatherNINA’S HOME, NEW YORK. Gripping the phone tightly, Nina let out a long hiss. Xander does have a wrong side to him. Despite his promise to meet with her two days back to celebrate her unexpected promotion, he didn’t show up and gave an excuse for being busy. She thought he would reach out afterward, but he still hasn’t called. Her hand trailed Winter’s sleepy face absentmindedly. She brought her to the office to take her around the place like the little one would understand what was happening. Regarding Xander, her inability to get angry at him is the most annoying thing for her. Instead, she is worried that something might be wrong; at the same time, her ego prevents her from calling him. Her eyes roamed her new office space, and it felt surreal. They made the immediate move of X&J Foods into the M&M building. Nina occupied the same office Asher had sat in as the CEO but with a significant redesign. She was more than happy to see Asher and Andrea beneath
Chapter 90 The SwindlerTAYLOR’S HOME, NEW YORK.Asher struggled to sit up from the couch drowsily. He had gotten drunk and slept lazily without a bother in the world. In his distorted state, Asher noticed Andrea rushing out to her car. He let out a hiss, wondering what spa she had an appointment with again. He still can’t get over the fact that Nina holds the rein of a company he had dreamt of for years. She walked in without doing anything to reap where she didn’t sow. He let out a wince at the ache that struck his head. Suddenly, the door opened, letting in an angry-looking Leila. “Have you seen what your stupidness has caused?” She hollered. He held his aching head down. “What is it this time?” Leila screamed into her palm. “I told you to control yourself and not do anything stupid. But I don't remember you listening. Now everyone knows we have been humiliated by Nina. Everything that happened was written in the tabloids, every bloody thing.” Asher let out a slight cough. “Ca
Chapter 89 Why won’t you make love to meX&J EMPIRE, NEW YORK.“I can’t believe this. So, M&M Foods is all yours now?” Jace asked for the umpteenth time.Xander laughed amidst the celebration going on in the lobby. “Yes, Jace. X&J foods will only get bigger and better from here on.”“Nina must be so happy.”“I am sure she is.” He mused while staring at her sweetly among the crowd. “That reminds me, Dawn should be here to celebrate with us. Where is she?”Jace shifted on his legs; Xander hadn’t checked his mail. “She must have informed someone of her absence.”“That is strange,” Xander said, checking his phone for any message she must have dropped.“Why not check your mail?”“Mail? Dawn hardly uses her mail unless it is for work. But then, let me check.” His brows furrowed when he indeed found a message from Dawn. It happened to be a resignation letter. “Take a look, Jace. She resigned. How am I just getting to know about this now? We still spoke a while back, and she didn’t mention an
Chapter 88 The Naive OneM&M FOODS, NEW YORK.Nina stared anxiously at the building and suddenly felt an intense pressure in her bowel. She thought about what might be going through Xander’s head for the rest of the weekend. He had constantly evaded any means of them getting intimate beyond foreplay, and Nina was beginning to think he might not have as much interest in her as she did. Either that, or she is pushing too fast.Thinking about that alone had her on the edge, now returning to the same place where she had experienced so much humiliation it made her feel suffocated.Inhaling sharply, she gripped Xander by the arm. He turned to see her pale face.“Hey baby, are you okay?” He asked in a worried tone.Nina managed to put up a smile. “Yes, I am. I need to get to the restroom. I will join you soon.”“I will wait for you then.”“No, don’t do that. I know my way around here, remember?”Xander looked skeptical, but he chose to respect her privacy. “Alright, just call me if you need